nightflight

Am I missing something? I am familiar with the New Testament account of Jesus, yet I have to admit that I have never honestly seen him as having the reputation he has been given; i.e. that he is the most loving, kind, moral person in history. I even find this assessment among non-Christians, even atheists. Yet I don't see it, and I never have! It makes me wonder if there is something wrong with me, that I am somehow missing something that is obvious to everyone else. But I have to be honest and say that the character of Jesus in the New Testament is really mean and cold. Yes there are some things he said that show compassion and benevolence; but so much of his sayings are vitriolic and threatening. Does Jesus deserve the reputation he is given?

I would really appreciate some feedback here.

gurugeorge

I have never found Joshua Messiah to have much of a coherent character at all - that's one of the many little discomforts that eventually pushed me to the idea that the character of Jesus in the NT is a made-up composite, possibly based on some real human being, but more likely not.

chrisengland

Hey Nightflight
I know this is going of topic but I just wondered where abouts in North Carolina your from.
I went there a few years ago to Greenville.
Chris

braces_for_impact

I've always felt that Jesus was more of an ideal than an actual person. I find this especially prevalent among those that haven't delved much into the bible.

mountainman

Have you ever considered the possibility that the character called Jesus in the newt testament account was a fictional character?

Best wishes,


Pete

Cyberia

Christians have this idealised idea of Jesus, amounting to lies, that often does not fit in with what is in the NT.

If you look at the story, we have someone who knows he is going to die in a few years so hurriedly has to get his message across so we see a degree of fanaticism in his behaviour. While waiting for the soldiers, Jesus "sweats blood", knowing what is to come. On the cross, Jesus asked why God had forsaken him. An odd thing for the supposed Son of God to claim.

Doug Shaver

That just goes to show what a great sales job the church has done with their myth.

But after all, they've had almost 2,000 years to work on it.

No Robots

Some of us are rather attracted to his ferocity. Talk about speaking truth to power.

gurugeorge

That's the point, there's "something for everyone" in this grab-bag of a pseudo-personality, that's why he doesn't seem real (except with respect to the bit that one likes, while one quietly ignores the bits that don't fit with that bit).

No Robots

I dunno, I can't think of anything that he says that I don't like. Nor do I find his personality in any way false or incoherent. He has a fiery personality that doesn't fit into narrow categories. Think Bob Dylan, maybe.