what religion was jesus?

Absolutely.

A broken clock tells the correct time twice a day.

 

I don't know OWB... I feel there may be some truth in Auntie Elizabeth sending him off

India .. does seem to be a strong possibilty... and does mirror alot of what he said to the desert warriors

 

And a Chatty Cathy with a broken sting tells no lies

 

Well of course one’s beliefs will always flavor what they perceive, just as your lack of belief in Jesus causes you to come up with other reasons for Jesus being who he was.

As for a “different light” what would you have in mind? Seeing as the Bible is the primary document that tells about Jesus, any talking about Jesus without the Bible as its source would have to be mostly speculation.


PS I realize that strictly speaking in a philosophical sense, that we are assuming that Jesus is a real person which to some people may not be a given but the thread opened with “What religion was Jesus?” which seems to carry with it the assumption that Jesus was a real person.

 

Shh! If it's not in the Bible no one is supposed to know it happened!

 

First I would like to state that I do believe that Jesus existed, I also believe that he was a good man, I simply think that as so many other legacies are his was stretched out a bit. And there are plenty of things that could be stated about Jesus, what I meant was how can you affirm your belief about him without using your philosophical perspective to do so? While I respect your beliefs I personally try to keep my religious ideas out of my actual intelligent posts. Of course there is very little that can be said of Lao-Tzu and Tao that is as conflicting as what can be said of Jesus and Christianity.

 

So for me to have some belief in Jesus being who He is... without hitting the book, so to speak.. I have read quite a bit, not in a long long time.

It would be purely speculation on my part? Or mostly? partially?

 

I think you should state a bit more clearly what you are trying to say man. If you are asking whether your thoughts on Jesus would be speculation without biblical reference to back it up, then I would have to say it depends on what you believe. To say that Jesus is God is a very strong, very controversial thing to say, without otherwise having proof, in many ways the bible is just like the Vedas, or the Qu'ran, or the Torah. To claim that what it says is truth through and through is like saying well I know the sun shines, because it does.

 

the question was directed to OWB

 

here maybe that will clarify ..

 

"Zen does not confuse spirituality with thinking about God
while one is peeling the potatoes. Zen spirituality is just to peel the potatoes."

 

While I respect your beliefs I personally try to keep my religious ideas out of my actual intelligent posts?

Are you implying... actually I'm not sure what you are implying. Maybe it's just late but it seems like you're saying religious ideas aren't intelligent.

As for; “how can you affirm your belief about him without using your philosophical perspective to do so?” I’d love to comply but I’m still not sure what you’re asking.

 

I am not saying that religious ideals are not intelligent, I am saying that they are so often wrapped in dogma and institutionalism that they rarely can be used as a means for direct intelligent discussion.

As to your affirming your belief. Show me other ways and reasons with some sort of reputable back ground as to why you have your beliefs? Merly saying that one believes something is not enough. Many men believe in something because that is what they were raised to believe and know nothing better. Others have studied and come to conclusions based upon a single philosophy that they understand. Both of these roads to ones "truth" are poor imitations of the Path, and both should be avoided at all costs. I'm simply asking you to clarify.

 

There has been a lot said and written about Jesus over the years but still the Bible seems to be the go to book about who Jesus really was, the rest is just speculation.

 

I've looked at Zen, have you read "Zen flesh, Zen bones"?

 

No I'm too poor to afford books and with no good means of transportation ( walked 15 miles yesterday) I can't quite go anywhere to get into it. All of my information comes from what I have at home and on the internet.

 

Okay, I think I've gotcha but like I say it's late, I'll have to give you my answer after a bit of a nap, about 8 hours or so I'm not a young whipper snapper like you any more.

 

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance??

 

I think you can find some quotes if you Google it. But see if you can lay hands on it.

 

So to sum it up, while we're waiting for OWB to wake up, is your question: How do we know the Bible is true? Do we have corroborating evidence? If I say "Jesus loves me, this I know, cuz the Bible tells me so" You're asking me: "Do you believe everything you read?" Is that it? Why does OWB think he can rely on every word of the Bible as literal, inerrant truth? Good question! Or are you asking something else?