Did Jesus favor violent destruction of property to protest other people's religious practices?

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

Of course n... oh, wait. He did.

He raged out on the money-changers who were there to facilitate a religious practice with which he disagreed, smashing up their stuff and man-handling them. (The need to exchange Roman coin before paying for temple services which included, if I recall correctly, a mandatory butchering fee for your animals. I may be a tad off, but that's pretty close to the situation.)

This demonstrates the limits of "What Would Jesus Do?"

Would Jesus destroy a Quran? Maybe. Maybe not. There's nothing in his teachings to suggest a love of books or a tolerance of what he considered to be faulty theology. He was quite opposed to the settled text-based practice of Judaism and showed little regard for settled law or tradition.

Would he destroy a rival religious icon... like a golden calf? Who knows? But there's no indication he was critical of Moses for that act disrespecting the religion of others.

He was a moody man, by all accounts. I probably depended on how he was feeling that day.

He was a guy in the ancient world. Not everything they did back then was necessarily the best guide for modern living.

[FSogol]

1. His Dad did.

He punished the Israelites for worshiping Baal.
He sent 2 bears to kill a group of kids for making fun of Elijah's bald spot.
He destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.

[BolivarianHero]

2. Err...

Actually, Jesus would be bashing the Qu'ran burners if we go by this story. The purpose of his actions was to indicate to people that God would inflict consequences on those who would profane the sacred. In using an area delineated as sacred to profane the most sacred text of other Children of the Book, these fascist goons are not only doing the opposite of what Jesus would do, but are also furthering their blasphemy by violating the most important of commandents, that being to love God and to love your neighbour as you would yourself. Prominent theologians and lay followers from every significant Christian denomination in the United States and through the world recognize what is occuring and are responding in accordance with the precepts of their deity.

I'm an atheist though, so this is just a bit of armchair interpretation.

[msanthrope]

3. Don't forget the poor fig tree that pissed him off. n/t

[RainDog]

4. the moneychangers were part of Jesus' religion - not someone else's

the point of that story is that these guys were making money off of selling animal sacrifices and Jesus went after them because they made a mockery of the beliefs of those people who were Jewish, like Jesus.

I don't think you can use that moment and extend it to an idea that Jesus would trash someone else's belief.

The story about Jesus and his enemies is the story of the good samaritan - the story illustrated the principle of showing compassion for your political/religious enemies.

Jesus was not the hateful and jealous Jehovah of the Old Testament.

Christianity teaches that Jesus made the law void - that his compassion was the end of religious dogma - tho you'd never know it to look at modern xtians in the U.S.

And his teaching may be expressed in one sentence: do to others as you would have them do unto you.

so, no. I find nothing to validate the hatefulness of these extremist religious groups in any of the teachings of Jesus.

[deaniac21]

5. I don't think books were invented yet. I bet burned many a scroll

though!

[HopeHoops]

6. The REAL Jesus or the blond blue-eyed hateful Jesus that loves America, apple pie, & Chevrolette?

:shrug:

[eShirl]

7. he was pissed at people making money off the pious

[Johonny]

8. So you are saying we should crucify the person that burns the Koran?

cause Jesus got arrested and crucified for that whole money changer in the temple thing...

Jesus is a moody man in Mark, in Luke Jesus rarely (only once) shows any emotion. Because different Gospel writers had different opinions.