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pig · 09-09-2005, 04:58 PM

I put down something else - although I believe in a sense he could be considered to have been the Son of God, a myth, and similar to what Tecoyah and others have said, that Jesus was most likely an enlightened human being. I am not 100% convinved that Jesus absolutely existed, but I think it's very probable. I do not think that the significance of the type of message that he preached relies upon his divinity or existence, however. I think the essential morals can be derived from a question of the interplay between social stability and individual freedom.

Without writing too much, I would say that I personally believe that spirituality is inherently dynamic, and our perceptions and understanding of spirituality will also be necessarily dynamic. I think that the popular idiom for spiritual expression in the time in which Jesus was supposed to have existed was that of personified deities, and thus he was cast in that light - as the manifested embodiment of a god / demi-god involved in some manner of filial relationship with the God. In that time period, it may have essentially been true, in the sense that the limitations of the current language and culture prevented them from expressing it any other way. The remaining details concerning the miracles he either did or didn't perform, the question of his transubstantiation etc - I personally find fascinating, but ultimately irrelevant. I'll believe in people getting all Thriller and walking around after death when I personally see it.

As an aside, I've enjoyed reading this thread and I would like to think I'll follow up on some of the historical records discussed if I can get the time. Thank y'all.

While I'll admit I've not read nearly as much as I would like to or should have in the field, of what I have read in the area of historical theology, I find it interesting to watch the various religions fighting it out, and the roles of the different genders and personalities of the various gods, and how they changed. For instance, female deities were once very popular and very powerful in many religions, but their role has changed drastically over time. I think we still have Siva in Hinduism...are there other majors I've missed? Or the "vengeful / wrathful" gods -> "loving, compassionate" gods.

Hmmm....

09-09-2005, 04:58 PM	#97 (permalink)
pig pigglet pigglet Location: Locash	I put down something else - although I believe in a sense he could be considered to have been the Son of God, a myth, and similar to what Tecoyah and others have said, that Jesus was most likely an enlightened human being. I am not 100% convinved that Jesus absolutely existed, but I think it's very probable. I do not think that the significance of the type of message that he preached relies upon his divinity or existence, however. I think the essential morals can be derived from a question of the interplay between social stability and individual freedom. Without writing too much, I would say that I personally believe that spirituality is inherently dynamic, and our perceptions and understanding of spirituality will also be necessarily dynamic. I think that the popular idiom for spiritual expression in the time in which Jesus was supposed to have existed was that of personified deities, and thus he was cast in that light - as the manifested embodiment of a god / demi-god involved in some manner of filial relationship with the God. In that time period, it may have essentially been true, in the sense that the limitations of the current language and culture prevented them from expressing it any other way. The remaining details concerning the miracles he either did or didn't perform, the question of his transubstantiation etc - I personally find fascinating, but ultimately irrelevant. I'll believe in people getting all Thriller and walking around after death when I personally see it. As an aside, I've enjoyed reading this thread and I would like to think I'll follow up on some of the historical records discussed if I can get the time. Thank y'all. While I'll admit I've not read nearly as much as I would like to or should have in the field, of what I have read in the area of historical theology, I find it interesting to watch the various religions fighting it out, and the roles of the different genders and personalities of the various gods, and how they changed. For instance, female deities were once very popular and very powerful in many religions, but their role has changed drastically over time. I think we still have Siva in Hinduism...are there other majors I've missed? Or the "vengeful / wrathful" gods -> "loving, compassionate" gods. Hmmm.... __________________ You don't love me, you just love my piggy style