Comments on: What Would Jesus Do? Or… not.

By: johnieB

johnieB — Mon, 10 Apr 2006 19:37:37 +0000

Thanks, Ragnell; I wouldn’t have made such a BFD of it, but the idea that Jewish authorities were responsible, which originates in the Gospels, was the justification for two millenia of Anti-Semitism. We Christians need to face that, IMO.

By: Ragnell

Ragnell — Mon, 10 Apr 2006 18:33:38 +0000

johnieB — I’ll take your word for it, my Biblical stuff is buried under a bunch of comic books right now.

By: johnieB

johnieB — Mon, 10 Apr 2006 14:26:47 +0000

Given that much of the Gospels narrative is political in its contexts (then and now), I feel obliged to challenge Ragnell on one point; the Romans did not turn Jesus over to religious authorities, who then executed him. What appears most likely is Jesus was seized by some (not all) Jewish authorities and examined on an informal basis, then denounced as a political subversive to the Procurator Pilate, who took them as reliable. Pilate was a notoriously brutal commander in a regime noted for brutality and likely did not look very carefully into any charge of subversion; “Better safe than sorry; kill ‘em.” In any occupation there are local authorities who cooperate with the occupier “in the public interest.’ First century Palestine was no exception.

By: Ragnell

Ragnell — Mon, 10 Apr 2006 07:48:19 +0000

Yes, but he was in a society where Religion was intertwined with government. His problem with the Saducees and the Pharisees was hypocrisy, they were enforcing the religious laws on everyone else while not living them themselves. He didn’t bother with the Romans, the true political power of the day. The Romans weren’t Jewish, and they weren’t forcing their religion on their subjects in Judea. That’s why the Romans turned him over, because he wasn’t a threat to them. He was a threat to the religious government, and so they killed him over it.

If Separation fo Church and State had been the law of the land when Jesus was about, there would have been less political commentary in the gospels.

By: Deep Thought

Deep Thought — Mon, 10 Apr 2006 06:26:35 +0000

Like Silkpurse said, anyone who claims Jesus did *not* make political statements and even advocate political action hasn’t read the Gospels with any depth. Yes, He denied that He was merely a political ruler, but He made very strong statements on politics and ethics.

By: Silkpurse

Silkpurse — Mon, 10 Apr 2006 03:38:54 +0000

Jesus wasn’t political!? Have you read any of the Gospels in the context of the day? Jesus was always busting the chops of those in power. Who do you think the Saducees were? They were the lawmakers from the Jewish society. He was always calling into question the laws of the land and society. Remember that He was the One who said,”let him who is without sin cast the first stone.” That was a tremendously political statement. We tend to think in today’s political atmosphere instead of when He was alive on this earth. Take some time to read how much of a “political” figure He truely was and would be today if He were to walk our streets and congressional halls.

By: j swift

j swift — Mon, 10 Apr 2006 01:11:53 +0000

Jesus is the things we want or need him to be, but whatever that may be, it is always finally inconclusive; we never quite get all of him under our control, which is one of his cooler attributes.

Along those same lines, it seems to me that people get a little carried away making God in our image instead of remembering that it is the other way around.

IMO it becomes much easier to be arrogant, even to the level of hubris, and one short step from there is making excuses for your hatred, violence, genocide,tyranny etc when you are too busy making Jesus your best friend and yourself a demigod.

I just picked up What Jesus Meant on Friday but have not started it yet. I look forward to reading it.

By: johnieB

johnieB — Sun, 09 Apr 2006 19:22:05 +0000

The Jesus of the Gospels (all of them; not just the four canonical) and of tradition is an endlessly fascinating character. Little, if anything, is certain, but I think it’s reliable to say, as you do, that he’s nothing like the right wing theocrats have tried to make him.

I think, as an active Christian myself, Jesus is the things we want or need him to be, but whatever that may be, it is always finally inconclusive; we never quite get all of him under our control, which is one of his cooler attributes.