Why Jesus is so popular (Buddhist, Baptist, Holy Spirit, gospels)
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If you actually read the texts (the Gospels) you should see that he was a decent and helpful man. Even if you don't consider him God or the savior, it seems hard to argue with his ideals, and how he treated people.
I like that he went after and exposed the corrupt persons in power, and the finger-pointing power-mongers in the synagogues. At the other extreme, he showed special attention and love for those often considered the "underbelly" of society (leapers, the poor, the blind, etc.) He had the healthy approach of uplifting the "low", and bringing down the high-minded. He sought to bring love, peace, and balance.
If you leave out all the junk and judgement of the world, and focus closely on his life and mission, a great person and great example emerges. One deciding to take him further - spiritually - might find additional benefits.
Last edited by Thoreau424; 10-16-2018 at 11:42 AM..
One of my favourite and apparently underrated films "Genie" had a lot of stuff that we could wink at, like this apparently 1st c Genie (1) who nevertheless was familiar with evolution -theory, and could even forgive the plug for Junk -food. But the exchange about Jesus made me go....
as far as I recall
"Christmas? It's all about Jesus."
"Jesus? I knew him- he was a really great guy!" ( ) "Why do they still celebrate him?"
"He turned out to be the Son of God () "
"Really? I thought he was just kidding! What happened to him?" ( )
"Well...they crucified him."
"Wha...well! There was no need for that."
Memory might be at fault. (3)
So the idea is that even if you don't believe the divinity -stuff, he's a really great guy attacking the corrupt System.
But it's window -dressing. It's the pill in the bacon. The sermon on the Mount is Iconic. It is not unsurprisingly, picked even in the Life of Brian as the moment to show Jesus at his best (2 ) but it isn't good stuff. Some is ok, but a lot is not good advice. You have to dig, and of course that looks like Jesus-haters seeking to discredit this great man. It isn't that at all; it is rather seeking to undo millennia of hate against Jews because of this Anti Jewish (never mind anti Judaism) polemic.
(1) yes, sooner or later it turns into a foopnote....Who seems to have picked up some Caliphate culture, perhaps when in the in the service of Prince Alauddin who was not of course the son of a Chinese washerwoman named after a variety of tea)
They helpfully give the Beatitudes at the end, but don't mention of course that Luke records that Jesus cam down onto a 'level place' and gave the talk again..or half of it.,. an a good bit different.
(3) cor - not 'arf. "Bernard and the genie" that is and I skipped through it just now and it's bits of 'all the gospel story you can remember'
Last edited by TRANSPONDER; 10-16-2018 at 11:03 AM..
To me, there's a difference between why what Jesus supposedly said a long time ago might be popular, and why Jesus himself is still popular.
I never much cared for or worried about what was written in the Bible, except that there are a lot of quotations from it that I'll use because they are apt for a situation. I was raised as a Christian, and maybe that's why this happened, or maybe not. Anyway, as much as I tried to get away from the church (as I from observation came to believe it is an organization that espouses ideals but in truth is full of self righteous people doing inhumane things to each other in the name of God), no matter what spiritual path I tried to connect with, it didn't come down to me connecting with a deity. In every case where I have had a lasting, close relationship with a deity, the deity chose me.
And Jesus chose me. When I would sit down to meditate, Jesus was there. Sometimes Mary was there too, and I most certainly did not grow up with the idea that Mary was anyone special, because my church did not hold with that notion. But there He or She would be, gently talking to me and allaying my fears. So even though I don't consider myself a Christian, don't trust any church, don't go to church, don't celebrate the holidays, and for sure don't try to persuade anyone else to my beliefs, I walk with Jesus every day, simply because day in and day out, He was there, and He persisted in winning me to Him.
Sometimes people will ask, "Have you read the Bible?" And sometimes they will ask, "Do you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ?" To me, those are two entirely different things. The Bible is a dry old compendium of what humans thought about the Divine. Usually they had an axe to grind, and sometimes they got it right, but mostly they got it wrong, and some of it makes no sense whatsoever.
But Jesus is alive, a warm, wise being who hangs out with me every day in a very personal way. He is recorded as having said some loving, kind, and wise words, but that's not why I like Him. I like Him because every time I need Him, He's there for me, and he says loving, kind, and wise words to me, personally. And someone like that is bound to be popular.
I believe it is very possible that it really is the spirit of Jesus who hangs out with you. And I think that is wonderful. I still am not convinced that's the reason he is so popular, because there are those historical accidents that seem to account for it.
But I am definitely not an atheist, and when people have these spiritual experiences I take their word for it. I don't think it's your imagination.
I don't know why Jesus and Mary chose you. Lots of people have spirit guides who are not Jesus or Mary.
Complete unsubstantiated nonsense. He's God. He knew he'd be crucified, he knew he'd rise again. He's "popular" because He's God and he saved his people.
So you believe what his followers wrote after he died. Now days we don't believe things merely because someone wrote them.
If you actually read the texts (the Gospels) you should see that he was a decent and helpful man. Even if you don't consider him God or the savior, it seems hard to argue with his ideals, and how he treated people.
I like that he went after and exposed the corrupt persons in power, and the finger-pointing power-mongers in the synagogues. At the other extreme, he showed special attention and love for those often considered the "underbelly" of society (leapers, the poor, the blind, etc.) He had the healthy approach of uplifting the "low", and bringing down the high-minded. He sought to bring love, peace, and balance.
If you leave out all the junk and judgement of the world, and focus closely on his life and mission, a great person and great example emerges. If one deciding to take him further - spiritually - might find additional benefits.
If you had read my original post you would know that I was not criticizing Jesus, and I was not minimizing his work.
If you had read my original post you would know that I was not criticizing Jesus, and I was not minimizing his work.
My comments were not addressed to you. They were instead speaking broadly, along different lines, as if the thread was instead "Why is Jesus so popular?" I was explaining my impression of that.
Jesus is almost as popular as the Beatles were in the 1960s, and that is saying something. Jesus is loved all over the world.
But why? Is it because his teachings are amazing and will transform your life? Is it because of his great wisdom and profound thoughts? Did he bring new insights to humanity?
I don't think that is why.
I appreciate Jesus and I value the ideas he expressed. I don't consider myself a Christian, but I definitely sympathize with the basic ideas -- the importance of faith in God, the need for salvation, etc.
However, I have always been interested in comparative religion, and I don't think what Jesus taught was really special or unique. I think there have been many Jesuses in all times and places. I think he was a sort of shaman or prophet, a mystic who was able to communicate with the Father God.
I guess Jesus had maybe thousands of followers among the Jews. He never tried to teach any non-Jews, did not travel to other countries. He would have been forgotten a while after he died.
However, the pharisee Saul had a vision that convinced him Jesus was something special. Saul became Paul, the founder of the Christian church. He traveled to Greece (and I forget where else) and made converts.
The Christians were hated and persecuted by the Romans, but then one Roman emperor decided the Christian God would help him win wars, so the Roman Empire became Christian. The Romans conquered Europe, and forced everyone to be Christian.
Rome fell, Europe rose. There were many European colonies, including the ones in America. Native people were converted to Christianity.
The USA became a great world power. The USA is, and always was, predominately Christian.
The greatest world power is Christian -- Christianity must be a powerful religion.
So that's how a local shaman/prophet became almost as famous as the Beatles in the 1960s.
I am NOT trying to minimize Christianity and all it stands for. But the things Jesus said were probably said by many others. And maybe they were said better by others.
Jesus didn't want to be crucified, didn't know ahead of time that was his fate, was not intending to be the world's blood sacrifice.
Jesus didn't come back to life after 3 days. At least we have no reliable reason for thinking that he did.
Jesus wasn't the biological son of the Jewish God. He called God his Father, because that's what everyone called the Jewish God, and we still do.
Jesus is so popular because most of the ancient world always worshipped and celebrated Tammuz.......Modern Christianity keeps all the pagan ways of Tammuz, and so the Pagans never had to convert to the ways of Messiah, they just kept keeping the same ways of Tammuz and all they did was change the name.
So you believe what his followers wrote after he died. Now days we don't believe things merely because someone wrote them.
Really? Al Gore is really rich for that reason.
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) but it isn't good stuff. Some is ok, but a lot is not good advice. You have to dig, and of course that looks like Jesus-haters seeking to discredit this great man. It isn't that at all; it is rather seeking to undo millennia of hate against Jews because of this Anti Jewish (never mind anti Judaism) polemic.
