Weekly Poll: Would Jesus be a Christian in America?

To be an American christian, you must love the rich and hate the poor; support wars of imperialist aggression; willfully remain ignorant and uneducated about the world outside US borders and about science and history; call for limited government while supporting government control of sex; and of course, related to the sex thing, good American christians must do their duty and hate them gays! All of this is FOR THE CHILDREN, of course.

Another of those WWJD questions? If Jesus never existed, why even speculate on this? Might as well speculate about Bilbo or Frodo, or Merlin. That makes as much sense. I find the question unanswerable and pointless.

(2) The Sojourner says: … I find the question [WWJD] unanswerable and pointless.

It’s one of my favorite questions I wish would be asked in my presence. Then I could reason thus: Jesus is the son of God. In fact Jesus is God, so he is perfect in all respects and has all the “omnis”. So he would make a miracle that would solve the entire problem. .

The difference, Sojourner, is that there aren’t millions of people who believe Frodo or Merlin are the basis of their moral system, and claim to live by their teachings.

Whether Jesus actually existed is immaterial. What matters is that these people are doing the opposite of what their supposed source of morality is telling them to do.

At least he would be easy to spot. There aren’t that many non-existant people riding around on their ass. O.K. maybe not that easy!

Many Christians ask ‘what would Jesus do,’ but perhaps they should take a step back and
“ask whether Jesus would even admit to being a Christian in the context of contemporary American Christianity.”

uh, it’s pretty much a done deal…Jesus is Christ, it’s sort of a given that He would be Christian, ? Whatever faith you have in Jesus and God comes from them.
Anyone who is so arrogant, and dismissive of the personal beliefs and religious education of others, to think it’s ok to say…

‘ but perhaps they should take a step back and ask whether Jesus would even admit to being a Christian in the context of contemporary American Christianity.”

You’d have to do serious religious study to determine what “American Christianity” is, and how it evolved.

Contemporary American Christianity? What’s that, a new religion? Christianity is what it is…you don’t get to pick and choose.

Christianity is what it is…you don’t get to pick and choose.

That’s just the thing, Contemporary American Christianity is exactly that! Picking and choosing the bits that reinforce their own personal views. In the Bible, Jesus says to pray in private and not force your views on others. Contemporary American Christians make a huge public spectacle out of everything and hound you relentlessly to “accept Jesus as your personal lord and savior”. The very fact that Contemporary American Christians say this is a “Christian nation” flies in the face of everything Jesus supposedly taught.

Of course, you could argue that the entire history of Christianity has been like that, so perhaps you’re right about the American variety being no different.

uh, it’s pretty much a done deal…Jesus is Christ, it’s sort of a given that He would be Christian, ?

So… you’re saying he would worship himself? Would he go to church every Sunday and eat his own flesh and blood? And how would he say the Lord’s Prayer? “Note to self, who is not exactly in heaven just now, but also is because there are three of me: hallowed be my name.”

You would have to assume a priory that Jesus actually existed. You would also have to assume that the teachings were actually his teachings. So how could a fictional entity exist anywhere?

How could a non-existent Jesus exist as anything? American Christianity isn’t what Jesus taught because he didn’t exist to teach anything, American or otherwise.

The belief in Jesus does not supersede the fact that he never lived, ergo could not have taught anyone at all.

The prosperity gospel faction of US Christians might think that a Jesus of today would be ok with driving a large gas guzzling SUV,living in oversized energy wasting
Mc Mansions and would condone their gluttony and obesity as being part of their divine entitlement as self-aborbed Americans.

Here’s a story on the hypocrisy of one evangelist and his TV ministry who believes their Christian values justifies excess.

This is a part of what American fundamentalism has become when wrapped in the flag and conservative politics. Reprehensible promoters of mindless dogma to the a gullible flock willing to support deception and delusion.

http://www.independentmail.com/news/2009/jun/29/chief-troubled-television-ministry-building-2-mill/

To judge by the gospels, Jesus would be set up in some way and then sent to jail or a mental hospital.

When I read the Bible without a cultural or political bias, I would say NO! Most Christians today follow the GOP platform and not the Bible or Jesus. When I read the teachings of Jesus, then look around me at the speech and actions of Christians, it is clear they have no clue as to the actual teachings of Jesus. Sad, but true.

The historical figure called Jesus would be Jewish. He didn’t convert and it seems unlikely that we would convert to “me-ianity”.

I agree with Todd. He was Jewish. He taught out of Jewish writings. It was Peter, James, Paul, and others who started the new religion of Christianity after Jesus’ crucifiction.

Then again, the Jews did reject him and his teachings (for the most part).

Since christianity today seems to take what they like out of the bible and discard the rest, add in the point that Sojourner made about Jesus not being real, christians can make up anything they want about what Jesus would do.

mobathome says:
“So he would make a miracle that would solve the entire problem. .”

That’s sort of pointless isn’t it? You say he is God. He created the problem to begin with.

HM

(16) Homo Mysticus says: [Jesus solving a problem by making a miracle]’s sort of pointless isn’t it? You say he is God. He created the problem to begin with.

I’m not sure what you mean. Would you please explain?

By the way, what do you think I was saying?

Jesus is a fictional character. It’s unfortunate that that was not one of the options available (I was forced to go with “I don’t care”). I agree with soujourner. At least Bilbo has reliable morals and ethics. Since the Jesus character was used by perverts, weaklings, and lunatics like Saul/Paul of Tarsus to turn the relatively harmless Greek Hades into the Christian Hell, I’m not so full of praise for “Jesus” as most people are, including many atheists.

@Drew:

I have never understood some atheists’ penchant for treating Jesus as an historical character. All evidence to the contrary, would seem to indicate that any speculation rests on as firm a foundation as speculation about fairies or leprechauns. Perhaps it’s because many are recovering believers, still.