Sure, I'm not an authority on Jesus but I'll talk about him. I think this is important because if I'm going to be an atheist I want it to be something I think about sometimes, because the whole point is to recognize how silly it would be for me to pretend to know anything for certain.
Hmmm, one thing. I'm chill with people posting anonymously, because it's all part of the internet and if I wanted to screen posts I'd just have a diary and show it to people I knew. So while I'm very curious, I'm not so bothered about who you are, but I'm going to play a little guessing game and then get down to the Jesus business.
Right, you know who I am and when I graduated from KHS. I don't think anyone could work out the early bit from things I've said here, although I have said I'm a freshman and that I'm 17, so you could be someone I don't know who's very observant, but it's more likely I have met you, observant or otherwise. This is made even more likely by the fact that I can be kind of shy and more people know me than I know, so please don't take offense if the guessing game goes totally out of whack.
The next clue is that you were raised as a Protestant. I'm afraid that this doesn't narrow things down all that much, but it does mean I might not know you all that well, because religion is something I've discussed with a lot of people I do know quite well and if you were one of those people I would know what ELCA stands for (I'm pretty ignorant). I know you said you don't know me well, but I have to back this sort of thing up.
I'm not very good at the guessing game, but maybe since I'm going to answer your question, you'll tell me whether I've seen you in the last week, because I'm curious. Then I'll have a guess, mebbe.
Anyway. When I think about Jesus, it doesn't really matter to me whether he's the son of god, or whether he's even a real historical figure. What does matter to me is that a lot of the things he's supposed to have said are really excellent and inspired and probably really difficult to realise for someone living in his time. I think (but I don't have much of a basis for this) that a lot of the ethical teachings of Jesus are very worthwhile, which is made even more true by the fact that they match up with the ethical beliefs of a lot of non-Christians. For example, I'm an atheist, but I think 'turning the other cheek' is a very sensible thing. I don't know if I think this for the same reason Jesus did, but I'm not sure that matters. If some people behave sensibly and compassionately because they think this is how God wants them to behave, then more power to them. If people behave sensibly and compassionately because of some other idea, then more power to them too. If people behave nastily and go to church every Sunday, I don't think Christianity does them much good, and I don't think Jesus would have approved. If people ignore some other idea that tells them to be sensible and compassionate and are instead nasty, then a sensible and compassionate atheist shouldn't approve. I think Jesus, like a few other people, hit on the idea that how we treat our fellow human is pretty important, and I think that as long as we show people the respect they deserve as people, which happens to be just about what Jesus told us, then our reasons for doing so aren't terribly important.
Thanks for starting this conversation. I want to hear what you think and, if you think it matters, I wouldn't mind knowing who you are.
Hmmm, one thing. I'm chill with people posting anonymously, because it's all part of the internet and if I wanted to screen posts I'd just have a diary and show it to people I knew. So while I'm very curious, I'm not so bothered about who you are, but I'm going to play a little guessing game and then get down to the Jesus business.
Right, you know who I am and when I graduated from KHS. I don't think anyone could work out the early bit from things I've said here, although I have said I'm a freshman and that I'm 17, so you could be someone I don't know who's very observant, but it's more likely I have met you, observant or otherwise. This is made even more likely by the fact that I can be kind of shy and more people know me than I know, so please don't take offense if the guessing game goes totally out of whack.
The next clue is that you were raised as a Protestant. I'm afraid that this doesn't narrow things down all that much, but it does mean I might not know you all that well, because religion is something I've discussed with a lot of people I do know quite well and if you were one of those people I would know what ELCA stands for (I'm pretty ignorant). I know you said you don't know me well, but I have to back this sort of thing up.
I'm not very good at the guessing game, but maybe since I'm going to answer your question, you'll tell me whether I've seen you in the last week, because I'm curious. Then I'll have a guess, mebbe.
Anyway. When I think about Jesus, it doesn't really matter to me whether he's the son of god, or whether he's even a real historical figure. What does matter to me is that a lot of the things he's supposed to have said are really excellent and inspired and probably really difficult to realise for someone living in his time. I think (but I don't have much of a basis for this) that a lot of the ethical teachings of Jesus are very worthwhile, which is made even more true by the fact that they match up with the ethical beliefs of a lot of non-Christians. For example, I'm an atheist, but I think 'turning the other cheek' is a very sensible thing. I don't know if I think this for the same reason Jesus did, but I'm not sure that matters. If some people behave sensibly and compassionately because they think this is how God wants them to behave, then more power to them. If people behave sensibly and compassionately because of some other idea, then more power to them too. If people behave nastily and go to church every Sunday, I don't think Christianity does them much good, and I don't think Jesus would have approved. If people ignore some other idea that tells them to be sensible and compassionate and are instead nasty, then a sensible and compassionate atheist shouldn't approve. I think Jesus, like a few other people, hit on the idea that how we treat our fellow human is pretty important, and I think that as long as we show people the respect they deserve as people, which happens to be just about what Jesus told us, then our reasons for doing so aren't terribly important.
Thanks for starting this conversation. I want to hear what you think and, if you think it matters, I wouldn't mind knowing who you are.
Peace,
Mark
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