Religious or not: DUers, I need help on a theology report

[Spiffarino]

Hi R/T DUers. I need a big favor from you.

New Testament Theology is a requirement for graduation and it's the last one I need. One of this week's assignments is to ask two questions, unprompted, of at least five different people and to write short synopsis of them. Here are the two questions:

1. Who was Jesus?

2. What did he come here to do?


I have no expectations, including that you be a Christian. I just need five responses to write about and they can be anything from anybody with an opinion.

Thank you so very much!!

- Spiff in Asheville, NC

[Pharaoh]

1. He was a fully awakend being

In that he new he was an extension of God on the physical plane.

He came to teach us how to awaken through unconditional Love, forgiveness and non judgment. (that's it in a nutshell :o)

[Spiffarino]

2. Wonderful!

Thank you!

:hug:

[Pharaoh]

3. But I'm not religious

I would prefer the term spiritual :o)

[Spiffarino]

5. As I said, that's perfectly OK

There's no right or wrong answer, and there is no "religious test" required to answer. But I do appreciate your help very much since the assignment is due tomorrow.

[JerseygirlCT]

4. Answers

1. God, willingly taking human form

2. demonstrate the very great extent of God's love for us.

[Spiffarino]

8. Awesome!

Thanks so much...I'm almost halfway there! :D:thumbsup:

[patrice]

6. Jesus was real.

I look at him from the perspective of The Jesus Seminar. There was (one or more) such persons, but I think there could have been one who was particularily and organically powerful in himself. One who had a strong instinct for Truth. The truth freed him from his church and state and, thus, allowed him to live his life with universal unconditional Love. The People were attracted to this Free and Loving person. His capacity for Love and his natural coherence with the whole Truth made it possible for him to be a good teacher and to do extra-ordinary things for the People. His church feared that he would expose them for the hypocrits that they are/were. Local political factions tried to use him to acquire power. This is why he was crucified.

HOWEVER, the tomb was EMPTY and that's all we know about it. We do not know, one way or the other, what happened there. This is why I think all types of quid pro quo for "believing in Jesus", especially "If I'm a good Christian, I will receive eternal life" is an essence - ial error, god-killing akin to Blasphemy and, actually, the opposite of the way that Jesus lived his life in FREE submission to the "I am", i.e. that which IS . . . WHATEVER it is.

P.S. I have been thinking this was for a very very long time. I read The Last Temptation of Christ not long after highschool, some 40+ years ago now.

[Spiffarino]

9. Very thoughtful

...and thought-provoking answer!

Thank you!! :yourock:

[LiberalEsto]

7. 1. He was a guy from a remote little village

somewhere in Mexico

2. He came here to do the jobs "Americans don't want to do."

:hide:

[Spiffarino]

10. Thanks for responding

...and very humorously, too.

:rofl:

[saltpoint]

19. LOL!

[Sarah Ibarruri]

11. 1) Jesus was a holy man; 2) Jesus came here to bring peace - that said....

1) We all have the potential of being holy men; 2) We should all strive for peace, but we all come here with a mission all our own which we must try and identify.

[Spiffarino]

25. Thanks!

:hug:

[Sarah Ibarruri]

40. Welcome my friend! nt

[LiberalFighter]

12. 1) Jesus was a man, 100% human, nothing more.

2) Jesus didn't come here to do anything. He took up a cause on his own as many community organizers have done.

[Spiffarino]

26. Thanks!

I appreciate your help! :D

[PassingFair]

13. Jesus is a fictional character, cobbled together from other ...

tales of virgin birth and resurrection.

See: Mithras

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mithraic_Mysteries

[Spiffarino]

27. I read something similar

This theology course is presenting many viewpoints, and the idea of a fictional Jesus is one.

Thanks for helping me out!

[cyborg_jim]

14. Atypical answers:

1) A creation of various differing political and religious needs. The Jesus of Western societies is often portrayed as a Caucasian man despite this being incredibly unlikely. He's both a "freedom fighter" fighting an oppressive tyranny and a meek philosophizing teacher. More likely a symbolic invention than an actual historical character.
2) With the first response in mind what "he came here to do" was fulfill the needs of whoever needed a god-man born of a virgin this week needed him to do.

[Spiffarino]

28. Great!

Thanks so much!

[Dogmudgeon]

15. Jesus was a PEDOPHILE and he came here to OPPRESS the SCIENCE NERDS

Of course it's true -- I read it on the Internet!

--p!

[Spiffarino]

29. All right that was just...

...funny.

[Azooz]

16. One mans Messiah is another ones anti-Christ

My view, as a weak secular Muslim;

1. Who was Jesus? (PBUH)
The son of God's most favored and blessed of all Women, Mary (pbuh) the virgin mother - he was a messenger from God, God's good slave and worshiper, gifted from birth to talk well, raised while alive by God, and will be returned by God one day.

2. What did he come here to do?
It's in his name "Massieh" (pbuh) the word comes from the three letter root (M-S-7) meaning "wipe,to wipe, wiper - or he who wipes", to remove injustice (wipe out/away fitnah) and thus bring Peace on Earth. His duty was to deliver a message, and that message he gave as a baby and continued to do so till was raised, and will continue when he is returned by God and will contine to do so again untill he dies an old man. The word Jesus (pbuh) also has imporant meaning in the original "Easa" ,but it's a bit beyond my translation and you can find it if you search it's meaning easy enough.

Jesus (pbuh) is mentioned in the Koran more than Mohamed (pbuh) - it has more of my view,

I left out the bit about his role in Armageddon, one man's Messiah might be another's anti-Christ, a mixture on point one and point two.

Not much theology, it's just a bit of some Koran words I translated - that's as short as I can make it because here in the religious forum I tend to be verbose.

[Spiffarino]

30. Excellent

I was hoping for an Islamic point of view. You delivered it brilliantly.

Thanks! :D:thumbsup:

[saltpoint]

17. Jesus was a Jew of the first century Middle East, possibly of Galilee.

Little is known of his life up to the point of his ministry, which lasted roughly 3 years.

The only account of his life centers primarily on this ministry in several books of unknown authorship, 4 of which are "cannonized" as the New Testament in the Judeo/Christian Bible. No primary texts of his life are extant, if they ever existed at all.

From these accounts, his ministry appeared to champion the exile, pardon the sinful, and include just about everybody, especially the poor and humble. Adults are enjoined to be merciful toward one another generally and toward children especially, this in the shadow of Roman-controlled Palestine.

Not suprisingly, his ministry incurred the anger of the local controlling authorities who were complicit in his state murder.

[Spiffarino]

31. Great

Thanks for your help!
:D

[saltpoint]

18. from Jackson Browne:

- - - -
All the streets are filled with laughter and light
And the music of the season
And the merchants windows are all bright
With the faces of the children

And the families hurrying to their homes
As the sky darkens and freezes
Theyll be gathering around the hearths and tales
Giving thanks for all God's graces
And the birth of the rebel Jesus

Well they call him by the prince of peace
And they call him by the savior
And they pray to him upon the seas
And in every bold endeavor

As they fill his churches with their pride and gold
And their faith in him increases
But they've turned the nature that I worshipped in
From a temple to a robbers den
In the words of the rebel Jesus

We guard our world with locks and guns
And we guard our fine possessions
And once a year when Christmas comes
We give to our relations

And perhaps we give a little to the poor
If the generosity should seize us
But if any one of us should interfere
In the business of why they are poor
They get the same as the rebel Jesus

But please forgive me if I seem
To take the tone of judgement
For I've no wish to come between
This day and your enjoyment

In this life of hardship and of earthly toil
We have need for anything that frees us
So I bid you pleasure and I bid you cheer
From a heathen and a pagan
On the side of the rebel Jesus.

-- Jackson Browne, "The Rebel Jesus"
- - - -

[Spiffarino]

32. There goes 99 cents

...for a download from iTunes.

Thanks for turning us on to the song.

Jackson Browne: :yourock:

[saltpoint]

20. Jesus is the child tall Christopher bears across the deep stream.

Christopher means "Christ bearer."

[saltpoint]

21. Jesus is a prime focus of Paul Park's novel, THE GOSPEL OF CORAX.

From the cover:

= = =
"Corax is a young runaway Roman slave skilled in the healing arts. Jesus is a burly Essene falsely accused of betraying his fellow rebels. Forced to flee Palestine, Jesus meets Corax, the real betrayer, on the perilous road East, and the two become unlikely traveling companions... As they cross the chaotic remnants of Alexander the Great's empire, eluding viiolent Huns, encountering magi and Buddhist sages, they undergo an astonishing metamorphosis that will change history forever."
= = =

It's a great read if anybody has some book money to spend.

[saltpoint]

22. In Amahl and the Night Visitors, the narrative of Jesus' birth occurs

quite apart from the life of a young, lame boy whose modest dwelling is along a trade route between the farther Orient and Bethlehem.

Until he reveals his honesty and integrity and generosity, he is not known to figure in the narrative more than just as a restorative deliverer of rightly-possessed goods of his 3 mysterious and wealthy guests.

It is Amahls' integrity and genersity of spirit that win him an invitation to join his guests on the next leg of their journey.

[Spiffarino]

33. Cool-sounding book

I'll have to check Audible and see if they have it.

:D

[saltpoint]

23. Some infants appear to have an affinity for percussion.

Lacking means to purchase a more refined gift, one boy shows up at the manger with only a drum.

The rumpa-pum-pum is less a crude music than a prayerful heartbeat.

[saltpoint]

24. From Leonard Cohen:

- - -

And Jesus was a sailor when he walked upon the water
And he spent a long time watching from his lonely wooden tower

And when he knew for certain only drowning men could see him
He said, "All men will be sailors then, until the sea shall free them'

But he himself was broken long before the sky would open
Forsaken, almost human, he sank beneath your wisdom like a stone

And you want to travel with him
And you want to travel blind
And you think maybe youll trust him
For he's touched your perfect body with his mind.

--from "Suzanne," by Leonard Cohen

- - -

[Spiffarino]

34. Thanks everybody for helping me do this

Bet you didn't think you were coming here to help do people's homework!

All your answers were terrific, even the tongue-in-cheek ones. The idea of this mini-project is to get a diversity of opinions, and I got that times twenty. In all, it just goes to prove that DUers are the smartest people on teh innternets!!!1!

To all of you fine folk...:yourock:

[saltpoint]

36. Hi, Spiffarino, and good luck on your paper.

All good wishes.

Old Crusoe
= = = = =

[Spiffarino]

37. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience

Thanks OC!

Your responses were thought-provoking AND funny. Now I'm looking forward to the short paper that comes out of it because I believe my professor will get a kick out of the commentary. He's a big thinker and not at all a narrow-minded, strident jerk like some theologists.

[ZombieHorde]

35. 1) After the resurection, Jesus was a zombie, or at least undead.

1.1) A carpenter.

1.2) A symbol

2) He did not come here intentionally. He did not ask to be born.

2.1) He came to help people go to Heaven when they die.

2.2) He came here to do Mary Magdalene.

2.3) He came here because the will of the people brought him here.

[conscious evolution]

38. A reincarnation of Guanyin.

[Spiffarino]

42. Dang

One more thing to look up!

Thank you!
:D

[conscious evolution]

43. Guanyin is a bhodisitva in buddhism.

She turned down buddhahood to help others reach buddhahood.
When she turned back from the Dragons gate the other buddhas each gave her one of their hands to help her.That is where jesus got his healers hands.
It is also why they show the nails thru his hands.Think of it along the lines of the crazy dentist in the movie The Maraton Man.Only using acupuncture instead.It is a symbolic way of telling people that healing only comes through god instead of it being something anyone can do.

One more thing.When Jesus took on the worlds sin while on the cross many buddhist look at that as taking on evryones bad karma.But only for people alive at that time.Anyone born since still has to deal with their karma on their own.

[Spiffarino]

44. I went to a Buddhist website and found info

Guanyin is how the Chinese represent the god Avalokitesvara, who can take any form he/she desires. Though Avalokitesvara was usually represented as a male figure in India, Guanyin is almost always represented as a woman. Since the deity can take on any form I presume it is hardly a stumbling block to Buddhists anywhere.

Your analogy to Jesus is interesting. Christians traditionally believe that the "karmic cleansing" that took place at Jesus' death confers to all believers including those who came afterward. Your perspective is different, interesting and very welcome.

[aska]

39. Jesus was...

1. Jesus was the Son of God.

2. He came here to teach his gospel in such a manner that his teachings would still be known thousands of years later. And he came here to work through the "atonement" so that among other things all of God's children could be resurrected at some point in their existence and be able to learn and progress eternally.

[Spiffarino]

41. Very interesting

Thanks!

:D

[BurtWorm]

45. Very different perspective, if it would help diversify your report

1. Who was Jesus?

Probably not a historic person. Probably a mythical god-man, a Jewish version of Mithras/Hercules/Hermes Trismegistus.



2. What did he come here to do?

He was created to Hellenize (civilize, universalize) Judaism, I believe. He took on a life and a religion of his own.

[TexasObserver]

46. Jesus was probably real, but the tales about him include myths.

Virgin Birth
Resurrection
Son of God
Mother a Human
Magical

These are all basic components of HERO tales throughout the Mideast in the time of Jesus and before.

Even the famous Beatitudes were lifted from a Mesopotamia document called The Epic of Gilgamesh, the same source for the story of Noah, and the source for the Moses in the bull rushes orphan story. All stolen from other books in the region.


Jesus was likely a man who had traveled EAST and learned Eastern spiritualism, which he brought back to his region. He's no less wonderful for what he did, and he did likely die for his radical ideas and his revolutionary conduct, which did threaten both the Romans and the Church hierarchy.

Jesus was a MAN.

[charlie]

47. 1. Come to my town

Point out any 5 random guys. At least one of them will be Jesus.

2. Whatever needs doing. Cook your burger, repair your car, manage your investments, sit on your city council, Jesus does it all.