@sonship saidI don't believe the same things as you do about Jesus. I don't believe he was the same figure that you believe he was. So, if I am being honest, how can my perspective be "evil"?
@FMF
Yes. And there are things which make me cringe which are evil IMO.
Here is a man who poured out His life selflessly, caring nothing for Himself.
You may say Jesus was mistaken about Himself and was wrong or crazy to do so.
But to dismiss such as his being executed for sedition I would regard as pretty
bad revision of history.
What would you call me s ...[text shortened]... y of Christ's death to the detriment of His
character, I would say was evil speaking about Him.
Unless, of course, the word "evil" means absolutely nothing when you use it.
@sonship saidAll we have is a carefully constructed cult of personality that was started decades after his execution by others. This view cannot be characterized as "evil".
Here is a man who poured out His life selflessly, caring nothing for Himself.
You may say Jesus was mistaken about Himself and was wrong or crazy to do so.
@FMF
You said you admired the Sermon on the Mount.
Matthew chapters 5 through 8.
So if you don't like some of the things then are they lies or the utterances of a crazy person?
How is it you like the Sermon on the Mount but consider a good portion of it a pack of lies?
Ie. "For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things." (6:32)
For an atheist how can that be admired if God doesn't exist?
Ie. "You cannot serve God and mammon." (6:24)
How do you admire this when you say God doesn't exist?
Ie. "Ask [God] and it shall be given to you; seek and you shall find; knock and it shall be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it shall be opened."( 7:7,8)
You probably regard the asking of a non-existent God NOT admirable.
So how can you speak of admiring the Sermon on the Mount?
Ie. "For truly I say to you, Until heaven and earth pass away, one iota or one serif shall by no means pass away from the law until all come to pass." (5:18)
You probably regard Old Testament prophecy as nonsense. How then can you say you admire the Sermon on the Mount in this regard?
Ie. "so that they will see your good works and glorify your Father who is in the heavens." (5:16).
You admire Jesus for teaching of the Father God who is in the heavens?
You an atheist?
@sonship saidMy moral compass tells me the Sermon on the Mount is admirable. I don't really care how many people came up with it or if someone called Jesus came up with all of it on his own. We will never know for sure. And it doesn't really matter.
@FMF
You said you admired the Sermon on the Mount.
Matthew chapters 5 through 8.
So if you don't like some of the things then are they lies or the utterances of a crazy person?
How is it you like the Sermon on the Mount but consider a good portion of it a pack of lies?
@sonship saidThere is, I believe, a good foundation for a code for living here:
So how can you speak of admiring the Sermon on the Mount?
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the Earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
I can find this to be morally admirable even with believing in the supernatural content.