What did Jesus ever do for us?

[promethean75]

see my theory is kinda like the eternal recurrence but more pseudo-scientific. i think that when you die, there is no experience of the time that's elapsed in the universe during the period when you didnt exist. obviously, duh. but wait this is a remarkable fact in fact. if it is possible for parts of the universe to follow the same pattern some previous parts followed - the parts that involved your existence - in the future, then at some point you will repeat.

the cool part is that even if it took millennia before you happened again, there is no sense of this time. you don't exist to experience its passing.

bro that's like instantaneous ressurection, is it not? i mean.

and i'ont believe the big bang theory is correct. My research team and I are developing a new occilating model that will solve many mathematical problems cosmologists are facing in string theory.

[Harbal]

see my theory is kinda like the eternal recurrence but more pseudo-scientific. i think that when you die, there is no experience of the time that's elapsed in the universe during the period when you didnt exist. obviously, duh. but wait this is a remarkable fact in fact. if it is possible for parts of the universe to follow the same pattern some previous parts followed - the parts that involved your existence - in the future, then at some point you will repeat.

the cool part is that even if it took millennia before you happened again, there is no sense of this time. you don't exist to experience its passing.

bro that's like instantaneous ressurection, is it not? i mean.

and i'ont believe the big bang theory is correct. My research team and I are developing a new occilating model that will solve many mathematical problems cosmologists are facing in string theory.

Maybe what is just always is. No recurrence of anything, because everything is a constant state of affairs. How we experience it, or seem to, as a progression is something I can't begin to guess at. Or, on the other hand, maybe not.

[Immanuel Can]

Of course, there is no knowing what we would be left with now had some other religion dominated our history, but I feel sure it would have been equally inspired, and beautiful, only not exactly the same as what we did end up with.

Well, I would say we could look around the world, and we could see exactly what the other religions inspired.

I suppose I'm lucky in being able to stand in York Cathedral and be completely awestruck without having to believe the nonsense that goes with it.

Yep. York is a great town, actually.

Amazing to be able to stroll around the whole city on the wall like that, or have a pint down at Fawkes's and stare at the minster. Nice part of the world, for sure.

But I'm not sure that much that goes on in York Cathedral is my speed either, to be honest.

[Iwannaplato]

and i'ont believe the big bang theory is correct. My research team and I are developing a new occilating model that will solve many mathematical problems cosmologists are facing in string theory.

You could bounce that model off Astrocat, a professional.

[Harbal]

Yep. York is a great town, actually.

Amazing to be able to stroll around the whole city on the wall like that, or have a pint down at Fawkes's and stare at the minster. Nice part of the world, for sure.

But I'm not sure that much that goes on in York Cathedral is my speed either, to be honest.

I wouldn't say York is all that great, but you obviously know it far batter than I do, but to be honest, I would expect no less.

[ThinkOfOne]

I know that Jesus is presented as the personification of goodness, but I'm not really sure why. I'm not trying to be provocative by saying that; I'm just one of those people who doesn't need to try. I know about some of the praiseworthy things Jesus is supposed to have said, but, when I think about it, I'm not aware of any commendable acts that he performed. I certainly don't know what he did that would justify the constructing of a religion round him.

That's an interesting question. First, there are several things that need to be understood about Jesus and Christianity.

Christianity is a religion based on the Pauline "gospel" rather than the gospel preached by Jesus. As such, Christianity was constructed around what Paul and Paul's followers said about Jesus. The underlying concepts put forth by Jesus while He preached His gospel, from the beginning of His ministry through His death as documented by the writers of the four "gospels", are what are of true value. NOT what Paul and followers of Paul said about Jesus. NOT the mythology and beliefs that the writers of the four "gospels" wrapped around them. At best, they can merely echo His words. At worst, they deviate from His words and at times substantially so. So much so, that for all intents and purposes the underlying concepts of Christianity are antithetical to underlying concepts of the gospel preached by Jesus. Which as I stated earlier are what are of true value. Based on your OP, doesn't seem that you understand all this.

Thoughts?

[vegetariantaxidermy]

Don't even TRY to make any sense of it. It's the most ridiculous story ever. No one understands what the fuck it's all about--they just pretend to.
Since religiious nuts are the biggest morons around, it goes without saying that it makes no more sense to them than it does to anyone else.
It was all a big joke on humanity and we are still paying for it.
If there was ever a 'Jesus' he would most likely have been a horrible person. Humans always idolise the horrible ones. Has there ever been a 'nice' dictator or historical leader? He was just a convenient figurehead in a power game. Nothing unusual for humans.
At that time in history, 'messiahs' were the trendy thing to be. The biblical equivalent of modern day rock stars. They were all over the place.

[ThinkOfOne]

The essence of what Jesus did is his death and resurrection, that for him was a reinterpretation of the Jewish Easter. The Jewish Easter is a living memory of the story of liberation from slavery in Egypt. Jesus reinterpreted this and created a new Easter, meant as a liberation not from the slavery of Egypt, but from the slavery of sin. With the new interpretation given by Jesus (largely reinterpreted, in turn, by st. Paul), the good news is that your sins are forgiven before you commit them. This means that all your future sins are already forgiven. What is up to you is just welcoming this forgiveness that God has already given to you. You accept the forgiveness, already given to you by God, by accepting to enter the new life that he proposes to you. Accepting this new life means repeating in your life the celebration of the new Easter, symbolized in Jesus’ last supper, and trying to put it in practice by loving your neighbour the same way Jesus did. You don’t need to be perfect in this: as I said, all your sins, past, present and future, are already forgiven. You just need to put in this your will, that means your acceptance of this new Covenant.

This is the theology of the essence of Jesus. You won’t find expressed this way anywhere, because everybody, including Jesus himself, has given different interpretations of all of this. I have given you mine, based on my experience of 22 years of Catholic priesthood, now non-believer, but still strongly appreciating the depth of Jesus’ message.

Does this sound to you like something valuable that Jesus did?

The concepts you cite were not at all a part of "Jesus' message", rather from Paul and followers of Paul. For example,
1) Literal death and resurrection / "Easter"
2) "all your sins, past, present and future, are already forgiven."
3) "You don’t need to be perfect". Actually, Jesus calls His followers to be "perfect" in their righteousness (Matthew 5)

As a matter of curiosity, how did you come to be a non-believer? As you may have surmised, I am not a believer in Christianity. On the other hand, for all intents and purposes, I am a "believer" in the gospel preached by Jesus.

[Immanuel Can]

Yep. York is a great town, actually.

Amazing to be able to stroll around the whole city on the wall like that, or have a pint down at Fawkes's and stare at the minster. Nice part of the world, for sure.

But I'm not sure that much that goes on in York Cathedral is my speed either, to be honest.

I wouldn't say York is all that great, but you obviously know it far batter than I do, but to be honest, I would expect no less.

It's just a great area. Gotta love the Dales. I've been there quite a bit, actually.

[Harbal]

It's just a great area. Gotta love the Dales. I've been there quite a bit, actually.

So where is your home? I don't mean your actual address, btw.

[promethean75]

"You could bounce that model off Astrocat, a professional."

Indeed, she certainly has the brane for it.

Buh dum tshh!

[Immanuel Can]

It's just a great area. Gotta love the Dales. I've been there quite a bit, actually.

So where is your home? I don't mean your actual address, btw.

Well, not in Yorkshire. But I have relatives there, and have done a fair bit of travel around the area, as a result. I've even been up to the high moors, where only loonies go.

I guess that doesn't speak well for me, though.

[Harbal]

Well, not in Yorkshire. But I have relatives there, and have done a fair bit of travel around the area, as a result. I've even been up to the high moors, where only loonies go.

I guess that doesn't speak well for me, though.

But what country do you live in? If I'm asking something you do not want to tell me, just say and I'll stop asking.

[vegetariantaxidermy]

Well, not in Yorkshire. But I have relatives there, and have done a fair bit of travel around the area, as a result. I've even been up to the high moors, where only loonies go.

I guess that doesn't speak well for me, though.

But what country do you live in? If I'm asking something you do not want to tell me, just say and I'll stop asking.

He's very shady about it but I think it's Canada. He must be quite lonely in Canada considering that his world view is more like someone from the babble belt of the US.

[Immanuel Can]

Well, not in Yorkshire. But I have relatives there, and have done a fair bit of travel around the area, as a result. I've even been up to the high moors, where only loonies go.

I guess that doesn't speak well for me, though.

But what country do you live in? If I'm asking something you do not want to tell me, just say and I'll stop asking.

No, you can figure it out, though.

I'm not an American, but am mistaken for one.

I'm not in the UK, but Americans who talk to me think I might be.

How many places are left?