Trumps affect on religion

[metis]

But...but...even in your post you stated that you accept the "...general trend of the scriptures...". All I can believe is that tends to allow you to go to where ever you feel comfortable in your interpretations.

Nope, you got it bass ackwards as I tend to drift in the direction of what it seems to be saying within the context of what's written. For example, I don't believe in Jesus as being "God's only son", or "the Messiah", or divine in any way, and yet when I post on issues that deal with Jesus, I typically post in terms that most Christians understand and believe.

Just recently on another thread I was mentioning that the concept that Jesus was of divine origin, even though being also a man, was the belief with the apostles and their disciples even though I do not believe in that myself. This is merely one example of many whereas I'll take the position of an interpretation that I myself do not agree with.

IOW, I do my best to read the Bible as it is, not what I want it to be. For me, it's automatic to do this since I taught a comparative religions course whereas I told my students that when I cover Religion X, I'm going to be covering it as if I belong to Religion X.

If you look at my religious description you will notice that I list myself as a Jesusonian. Whole different world than Christianity.

I think I know where you're coming from with that. But let me ask you this: do you believe that everything you read in the NT is 100% accurate even with the most minute details?

 

[BSM1]

Nope, you got it bass ackwards as I tend to drift in the direction of what it seems to be saying within the context of what's written. For example, I don't believe in Jesus as being "God's only son", or "the Messiah", or divine in any way, and yet when I post on issues that deal with Jesus, I typically post in terms that most Christians understand and believe.

Just recently on another thread I was mentioning that the concept that Jesus was of divine origin, even though being also a man, was the belief with the apostles and their disciples even though I do not believe in that myself. This is merely one example of many whereas I'll take the position of an interpretation that I myself do not agree with.

IOW, I do my best to read the Bible as it is, not what I want it to be. For me, it's automatic to do this since I taught a comparative religions course whereas I told my students that when I cover Religion X, I'm going to be covering it as if I belong to Religion X.

I think I know where you're coming from with that. But let me ask you this: do you believe that everything you read in the NT is 100% accurate even with the most minute details?

I honestly started doubting everything in the NT in my teens (Dad was a preacher, BTW). Later in life, as I began to understand the two commandments that Jesus gave I felt enlightened, for a better word. I have the personal belief that Yeshua knew that confusion, dogma, and division would reign supreme when it came to his teachings, but if you could understand and follow these two simple commandments everything would fall into place. In my life this has been the case. Thus I use the term Jesusonian as opposed to Christian.

 

[metis]

I honestly started doubting everything in the NT in my teens (Dad was a preacher, BTW). Later in life, as I began to understand the two commandments that Jesus gave I felt enlightened, for a better word. I have the personal belief that Yeshua knew that confusion, dogma, and division would reign supreme when it came to his teachings, but if you could understand and follow these two simple commandments everything would fall into place. In my life this has been the case. Thus I use the term Jesusonian as opposed to Christian.

Actually, we may not be all that far apart. On many a religious discussion, I've stated that I believe Jesus' main message was faith and compassion and justice (fairness) towards all-- period.

The issue of his divinity is maybe interesting to debate but takes a back seat, imo. IOW, it's the message, not him, that's most important. After all, he said "I came to serve, not to be served", plus he lowered himself frequently along his short preaching life.

Yes, there are some verses that go in a different direction, but we also have to remember that the gospels and letters were written no less than two decades after he was executed, plus we are reading peoples' takes on him and what they think they remember him saying. I have no doubt that his supposed divinity was advanced by many of his followers as they began to deify him, much like Gandhi's followers were starting to do after he was assassinated.