WWJBP? (Where Would Jesus Stand Politically?)

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Was He is an idealist.
Or maybe even the first communist? Didn't He command anyone who had two articles of clothing to give one to someone in need?
Still He could have been a revolutionary. He chased the moneychangers out of the Temple and overturned their many tables, didn't He?
Would he be a democrat, or a republican? What about an independant?

 

He was a Prophet of God, so perhaps none of the above really describe what he was like. Yes a revolutionary, not strictly political, more social and "of the heart".

I don't think any of the above labels apply, except perhaps the term he used for himself, "Son of Man" which refers to a prophet in the Hebrew context, like Isaiah or Moses.

I don't think that modern interpretations fit or are even really relevant.

 

Jesus would drive an SUV Well, not really. I don't know, he was a man of faith, that would probably bring him into close proximity to the neocons, but then again, he was a man of peace ... hell, what do I know?

 

I think this is the many reasons there is seperation between the Church and State.

 

That depends on your point of view. In the middleages the ruler was chosen by god, and law represented in the essense god as it derived from the king. This highly idealistic picture of a leader, both clerical and saecular is also familiar in Islam.

Only in the west the societies eventually came to the separation of church and state. And that started in france in absolutism and much more, in the revolution, and look at england where the queen still is the head of the church. Separation of church and state isn't natural. It took us a quite a while to get there.

 

If there would be an easy answer to the question, there would already be a political party with that stance.

 

[quip]
Jesus agrees with me politically. Keep that in mind when you read my posts.

Ditto Buddah, Mohammed, Krishna etc. They all agree with me.

The rest of you are in Satan's camp. Unless you agree with me of course.
[/quip]

 

Laches, you never met them. Neither did the rest of this forum met Jesus.

What Jesus are we talking about anyway? The Jesus who lived about 2000 years ago? Or the moral you call Jesus. Or maybe Jesus as you want him to be?


First God was a spirit, then he was a person, then he became a mob.

 

I have always believed that Jesus was the first hippie .

 

I always heard that Jesus was a crappy carpenter who was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

 

I read an article in Biblical Archeological Review once with the words, "What a writer thinks about Jesus says more about him than it does about Him". And I think there's a lot of truth to that. Having said that, I, like BOC, see him as a kind of hippie. A free spirit "lifestyle" communist, but anti-authoritarian and subversive. A man who viewed tax collectors as in need of moral guidance as prostitutes.

 

There's a great verse in the fifth chapter of the book of Joshua:

- Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, "Are you for us or for our enemies?"

- "Neither," he replied, "but as commander of the army of the LORD I have now come." Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him, "What message does my Lord have for his servant?"

So the short answer is: it isn't a question of what Jesus is for, but who is for Jesus.

The longer answer is: Jesus wasn't just a pious moral teacher or a hippie idealist, but claimed to be the king of the universe, prophet of all truth, and priest for all believers. That's quite an ambitious claim. Frankly, Jesus doesn't just transcend political categories - He demolishes them.

And as for separation of church and state, the short episode of King Uzziah (2 Chr. 26:16-23) - who attempted to merge the offices of king and priest - shows that in ancient Israel, the ideal was for separation of church and state but submission of state to God. This is a HUGE distinction.

 

Funny how america has a separation of church and state, yet is one of the most religous nations on earth.

 

@ Fade: We're one of the most religious countries in the world?? To whom are we being compared?? We probably have the most diversity of religions but we also have a decent size of athiests... And if you count in all the South and Central American countries -- many of the citizens there are Catholic. And then there's the Muslim countries where practically every citizen has to be Islamic because it's virtually the law. So exactly what did you mean by that because I for one, am a bit confused.

As for where Jesus was politically, I agree with Grey Magistrate. (But I also like to say that Jesus was somewhat of a hippie -- if it's possible to define him thusly.) As for him being a bad carpenter; I don't remember anything ever saying that he sucked as a carpenter. He could have been a fantastic carpenter but people didn't feel that was nearly the same accomplishment as starting an entire social and religious revolution. It would be like if George Bush was great at drawing anime (*cough!*) No one would ever pay attention to this fact because he's the President during a time of war. (Crappy at that or not. . .) Not then I'm objecting to Snook's statement, I just felt the need to point that out.

 

Sorry, you got me lost here. Could you please explain me why is it funny ? I mean, sure the USA have split church and state, but iirc the same applies to most christian countries as well.
As for the second part of your quote, I do not believe that the USA are any more "religious" (which btw is an interesting term which would deserve a deeper analysis of its own) than any other christian country. Or maybe you mean "religious fanatism" ? Actually, in this case as well my answer is the same...
So, can you help me ? But, please, only if that does not involve any country bashing of any sort; I believe we had already too much of that lately.

 

If you judge purely by church/synagogue/mosque/shrine attendance per capita, America is one of the most religious nations today. Let's take a random religious branch, Protestantism, and a random country - oh, say, Finland. (I am NOT bashing Finland.) My stats book claims that almost 90% of Finland is officially Protestant - but church attendance is less than 5%. By contrast, the US is only 50% Protestant, but about 80% of that number (that is, 40% of the total US population) maintains ties with their local church. Plus, some 50% of the globe's Protestant missionaries are American. By these standards, America is an even more (generically) religious country than Iraq.

So in that sense America is a more "religious" country than most of Europe and Asia, even if many of those countries have state churches.

Silverwolf is right about the carpenting bit. He was a professional carpenter 'til age 30, and Mary's husband Joseph was dead, so Jesus must've been at least passably competent to have made it a career that could support His extended family.

 

Thanks Grey Magistrate for clarifying the point.

 

Isn't Pat Robertson the answer to this question?

...voice of Pat Robertson..."Lord God above, please place your hand heavily upon the members of the Supreme Court today. The Good Book tells us homosexuality is wrong...and hence what one man privatly does with his urinating organ to the deficating organ of another man is THE DEVIL'S WORK ON EARTH!!! Please make this illegal again. Amen."

 

Jesus would stand right next to Conan.

Crush his enemies, see them driven before him, and listen to the lamentation of the women.

The question is who's his enemies? And what about the women with penis envy?

 

Jesus would be a liberal. If Jesus were to come back today the first thing he would do is slug John Ashcroft in the mouth and then beat the crap out of Tom DeLay.