Jesus - the madman?

Originally posted by sonhouse

It's not a matter of superiority. It is a matter where you no longer have to live your life in fear.

Lately, fear has been getting this negative criticism on general principle.
There is a place for legitimate "fear".
There is an appropriate time for legitimate "fear".

Even an Evolutionist has to admit that fear has played a part in the alledged advancement of the evolutionary process.

So to those who really want to erect a strawman that the Christian Gospel consists only of a fear element, I say -

1.) Obviously, that is not true upon actually reading the New Testament.

2.) Nevertheless, in "holistic" viewpoint, there is an appropriate time and place for fear. And we Christians need not be ashamed to admit this.

If you love your spouse, I bet you also "fear" that sometime he or she might see a look on your face towards another person which would cause a problem to your relationship.

So why don't we just admit that in any love affair or close intimate relationship there is also at least some place for the appropriate reaction of - fear ?

Fear of eternal damnation or original sin or any of that crap. The mind is free from all that and we deal with things as they come. No heaven, no hell, no soul.

It appears to me something like this - If you refuse the One who was God incarnate to become a curse for you that you may be saved, as long as God exists you will know His holy hatred for the sins which you committed and will continue to belch out of disdain for God.

Some of us need to realize that maybe we NEED to be tormented.
Nothing else got through.

I tried to step away from this subject after having written a lot on it. But apparently if the Bible is true some people will regret existence forever because of the rejection of the holy and eternal Author of all goodness and being itself.

Hell seems to be God saying to the unrepentent lost "Then as long as I exist, you will know my hatred for your sins."

not a verse. My paraphrase.

To say humans have souls and such means there is a supernatural layer to our existence and that is only wishful thinking. Nobody has seen, felt, heart, touched or interacted in any way with the alleged soul. So real or not, it matters not at all in THIS life. This life is all we have.

Another subject really.

"Jesus - the madman" I might have titled "What then did Jesus think about Himself?"

He was charged with being mad, you know?
He was also charged with being demon possessed and being an alcoholic.
He was accused of blaspheming God.
He was accused of insurrection against Caesar.

I believe He was most sober, most sane, most truthful, most absolute for truth to an extraordinary degree as never seen before or since in all history.

I think God became a man. And it is the rest of us who are exposed as to how low we have fallen from why we were created.

Normal - is Jesus Christ.

To say humans have souls and such means there is a supernatural layer to our existence and that is only wishful thinking. Nobody has seen, felt, heart, touched or interacted in any way with the alleged soul. So real or not, it matters not at all in THIS life. This life is all we have.

"Neuroscience and the Soul" An interview with Christian philosophy professor J P Moreland.

YouTube

Originally posted by sonship
Watch him tell me about the superiority of atheism to theism for answering life's deepest questions.

************** NEWSFLASH **************

Atheism doesn't tell anyone anything about anything

Originally posted by sonship
Children growing must obey their parents. In 18 years of being under their parents there should be no instances of disobedience. It should be perfect obedience from the moment they are born.

Control Freak!

I think you have summed up my #1 reason why I am now anti-theist; brain-washing of children.

Originally posted by wolfgang59
************** NEWSFLASH **************

Atheism doesn't tell anyone anything about anything

That's not Atheism. That's Gumbaism.

Originally posted by sonship

I want to know the truth. And I want others to know the truth.

So see sonhouse, wolfgang59 and FMF for your truth.

Do not listen to anything uttered by Jesus Christ.

(Better save this post. It will come in handy to you latter)

I don't think we have much to tell twhitehead ... he seems like quite a
bright lad; sometimes a bit pedantic and caustic but each to their own.

I do know JC has nothing to say to him.
In fact nothing to say to you either. (If you think about it deeply)

Originally posted by sonship
You're a fool. You don't know that.

You're a fool.
And I think you have a pretty good idea that you are one too.

Originally posted by wolfgang59
You're a fool.
And I think you have a pretty good idea that you are one too.

In the eyes of the world I am a fool for Jesus Christ.
Whose fool are you?

Charles Darwin's fool?
Stephen Hawking's fool?
Christopher Hitchen's fool?

Give me ten lives to live on this earth.
In all ten, I would want to be a fool for Jesus Christ each time.

I wouldn't want to waste one lifetime not being a follower of Jesus.

Originally posted by sonship
In the eyes of the world I am a fool for Jesus Christ.

It is sad that anyone wants to be a fool.

With all this pouting, I wonder if jaywill will end up changing his name again. 😉

Originally posted by sonship
The words of the Bible, taken prayerfully, nourish something very deep in my being.

Jeremiah 15:16 - Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart:

What will your philosophy do for me ?

I mean if I stop my reading the Bible and pick up your philosophy instead, what benef ...[text shortened]... uce as much joy in my heart ?

Will it answer the real hard questions of my existence here ?

So, the point made in the video is that Jesus demand insane things of his followers. Things that no sane person today would obey. The list he presents is this:

1) you should love your enemy (while turning away from your family)
2) you must sell everything
3) you should abandon your family
4) you should cut off your hand
5) you should drink poison

If you don't do these things you're not obeying Jesus. I ask, is this really true? Was Jesus that crazy? And you reply with challenging my "philosophy" in life? I guess you can't rebut these statements, uh?

Originally posted by sonship
C. Hess is tough.
Watch him tell me about the superiority of atheism to theism for answering life's deepest questions.

Why, thank you. I am something of a bad boy, aren't I? 😏

Atheism is not a life philosophy. Neither is theism, by the way. I would say that atheism is the natural position, given the lack of evidence for the theistic claim, but I'm not sure it makes sense to talk about one position being superior to the other, since having understood ones own position on the topic doesn't say anything about what morals one have, what ideological views one holds and so on. Those are different topics of discussion me thinks. For instance, when you say you're not only a theist, but specifically a christian theist, then I know some things about you that I couldn't have known until you announced yourself a christian, namely that you've cut your own hand off, and slept with your enemy (in a manner of speaking, of course)? 😕

Originally posted by C Hess
Things that no sane person today would obey.

I believe monks and nuns come pretty close.

Originally posted by twhitehead
I believe monks and nuns come pretty close.

3 of 5, yeah, I guess so. 😕

Originally posted by C Hess
3 of 5, yeah, I guess so. 😕

I don't recall Jesus or his disciples doing 4. or 5. so maybe they weren't to be taken literally.