I wrote this for a paper in school a while back. simple little thing no big assignment or anything and it says most of my arguments on this. the teacher was a a christian and she handed it back ungraded and said 'Jesus would do his assignment this is unacceptable do over' it was fun you should have seen the papers I wrote in response
If Jesus is God you must elevate his humanity; you must make him the epitome of righteousness. He must be brilliant. At the age of twelve Jesus was admitted into the company of the most learned men of his day. He was among those whom his time had called the greatest thinkers there were. Jesus managed to teach these teachers at the age of twelve, but then the next story of him comes almost two decades later. Why? When I was a teenager I knew everything. I knew nothing. I was driven by convictions which later proved to have no basis in reality. I was confused and I was searching for my place in this world. If Jesus is a human he was searching as well. Your brain forms roadways that carry information from place to place as you age. This road system takes time to develop. The deeper thoughts about morality and ethics simply are not there in teenagers. The path has not yet found its destination in your mind. Jesus as a teenager would show confusion. Maybe he would become overly passionate in his dealings with misguided elders. A very real problem with anyone who is so close to his fellow man. God cannot be brash or uncertain, hence the removal of Jesus’ young years.
Jesus was totally accepting of diversity. Jesus came from the tribe of the Essenes. This was a tribe on the banks of the Dead Sea. They were hermits. At the time of Jesus nationalism, tribalism, localitism, ethnocentrism, was rampant. There was not a singular idea governing all. There were many, many factions. Acceptance of those around you was not given much primacy in this time. Tribes eliminated other tribes for land, access to resources, it was survival of the fittest. Jesus was the one of his day who accepted and promoted the diversity of humanity. Even at his own peril he went among the Gentiles. The Gentiles could have slaughtered him on sight simply for being an Essene, or a Jew.
Image was important. Moses asked, “Who shall I say sent me?” when he was given his tasks. God replies, “Ehyeh asher Ehyeh.” I am who I am. Why? I am who I am is an old Hebraic idiom of the time. If someone knew your name they had a power over you. They could speak of you. By not giving one your name they could not speak ill of you. You were of no reference. Image was very big to those people. How do you suppose it looked to have Jesus hanging around with prostitutes and Pharisees? He was a nonconformist. He did not care about image. This made him powerful. He spoke to defy convention, and people followed this. They needed this. Everyone has a desire to be different from the rest of the crowd in some way. Nonconformity in the right hands is very, very powerful. Jesus had this human all too human power; as did Nietzsche, as did Socrates. This nonconformity in a conformist world cost them their lives. As a man this is a huge cost, as God this is nothing.
Jesus had people who traveled miles and miles on foot simply to catch a glimpse of him. When he spoke, people listened, and trusted him. His advice changed the courses of nations. He had disciples who hung on to every word. When Nietzsche was underground his work was guarded; he was cautious. When people yearned for his thoughts he became radical. When expectations were placed on him he became uneasy. In very late 1888 he published his final series of three books attacking the nihilism of Christianity and the imbalance of the current habits and customs that prevailed. This series was later used by some to advance their theory of insanity. In one of his proofs he asks, “Can an ass be tragic? To perish under the burden one can neither bear nor throw off? The case of the philosopher.” In very early 1889 he was committed after he began to make out with a donkey in public. Can an ass be tragic? The expectations destroyed him. As humans we are all flawed in some way or another. As was Jesus. Let’s say that every piece of advice you give moves thousand to act in accordance. People will give up their wealth to follow you. People will give up their lives to prove their faith in you. What happens if you screw up? Why did Jesus cry the night before his execution? The sins of the world were on his shoulders. How do you cure the world? How do you solve everyone’s problems? You can’t. What if you try? You fail. If you fail in you teachings of morality what happens? People die. There is no more horrible a war than one fought for religion. What happens if you lead the people you love to their death? You are wracked with guilt. Do you retire after you become the Super Bowl MVP or do you try for one more season? Jesus had a great run and decided to call it quits.
If he was God then how important was the crucifixion, really? Was it the taking of his life that was significant? Not for God. If you’re God and you run heaven ok, why does going home sound bad? Thirty three years versus eternity. Was it the pain of the cross? Yeah right. You’re God toughen up. Oh ouch, my hand, my head. My God better not be a pansy ok. If he call that suffering how is he supposed to lead me against evil serpents with numerous heads? Screw that. Was it the mocking of his lessons that did it? Oh here’s your purple robe your majesty. Here’s your crown senior Inri King of Kings. If you’re God you are what you are you are simply beyond image. Was it his heroic refusal to let others carry his cross for him? You’re fucking God you built the planet I think you can carry two sticks. If you can move a mountain with faith equal to a mustard seed then Jesus can bear his burden. If Jesus is God he didn’t do anything for me but tell me a story. But if Jesus was a man then carrying that cross was hard. Mocking him hurt his feelings. The torture of the crucifix was real. Losing your life matters. If Jesus is a man then his suffering has legitimacy. If he’s God doesn’t that detract from Jesus? Not man. Not God. But simply the physical entity of Jesus?
No. His disciples asked him once, “Why do you veil your teachings in parables?” This genius so pulled it off. He said, “the moral is of more import than the facts.” The power of analogy and poetry. I don’t think Jesus hates Muslims or Jews, but Christians are angry at me when I say these things. But all the facts aside, the moral of Jesus is that it just don’t fucking matter. It’s not the fact of whether or not he was God. The moral of his life and your willingness to apply his teachings to your life is what mattered to him. How can Christians read a book that says more than thirty times, in God’s words, “the Jews are my people.” Then read that forgiveness is for all. Then say that Jews are going to hell because they say Jesus was a great man but no God? If God is omnipotent and omnipresent how can Jews say Christians are going to hell for taking Jesus as a graven image? How can either say they are certain of these things when Jesus spoke poetry. Interpretation is personal. Perspective is key. What is trash to one is treasure to another. Jesus let himself die because, I can’t even untangle his mess and that is with about two thousand years of hindsight how was he supposed to do it from within? End it dude. You had a good run. One final question ya’ll what would Jesus do if he came back and saw the Isreal Palestine thing? The Afghanistan US thing? The Nazi Jew thing? What would Jesus do?
If Christ Was God It Makes Him Less
Linear Mode
