Comments on: My take on Mr. Christ http://plainview.wordpress.com/2009/07/14/my-take-on-mr-christ/ Tue, 01 Dec 2009 23:41:46 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: ichabod http://plainview.wordpress.com/2009/07/14/my-take-on-mr-christ/#comment-4015 ichabod Wed, 15 Jul 2009 04:43:56 +0000 http://plainview.wordpress.com/?p=8377#comment-4015 Hi Jim; As always your comments are well thought out, constructive and eloquent. You are right about my take, but I don't have much more to work with do I? Brings me to thinking of that old song, "Whatever will be will be" :) Hi Jim;

As always your comments are well thought out, constructive and eloquent.

You are right about my take, but I don’t have much more to work with do I?

Brings me to thinking of that old song, “Whatever will be will be” :)

]]> By: Jim Andris http://plainview.wordpress.com/2009/07/14/my-take-on-mr-christ/#comment-4014 Jim Andris Wed, 15 Jul 2009 04:37:36 +0000 http://plainview.wordpress.com/?p=8377#comment-4014 I have thought a lot about the things you are considering here, so I will venture some comments. First, your piece is provocative, but you would probably be the first to admit that you are in a double bind when you on the one hand say that most of the stuff written is sappy and on the other hand try to select from the smorgasbord of writings about Christ, which ones truly characterize Him. In the end, this is just your portrait, and nothing else, not that you shouldn't share it with us. Second, it seems like we can discern two camps on who Jesus was. There's the camp that says, well, it's too uncertain, we really can't know, we can't sort out the legends and all the borrowings from other traditions (Egyptian, Greek, etc.) from the facts of the case. For these people the life of Jesus dissolves into mystery or nothingness in the past. Then there's the camp that has faith that at least the Gospel stories give us a picture of a life, shady and fuzzy and couched in 1st Century concepts, but nevertheless, a dirty old faded and stepped on picture of Divinity descended into a real Person. Personally, I don't think it will ever be settled between the two camps. I go back and forth between them, but neither side convinces me that they are entirely right. So where I come down on all this is that the Story of Jesus (meaning the billions of variations on the theme) is actually a colossal attempt by the human race to construct a picture of what divinity would look like if we ever did see it in a person. As is indeed the Story of Krishna and other religious traditions. And in the process of telling, retelling, reinventing and rediscovering these stories, hopefully we each and all collectively are lifted closer to a better life for ourselves. Must be add, since all the folks telling these stories are human beings, and since human beings are pretty imperfect, a lot of shit goes down in the name of Jesus Christ. But that's no good reason not to keep trying. I have thought a lot about the things you are considering here, so I will venture some comments. First, your piece is provocative, but you would probably be the first to admit that you are in a double bind when you on the one hand say that most of the stuff written is sappy and on the other hand try to select from the smorgasbord of writings about Christ, which ones truly characterize Him. In the end, this is just your portrait, and nothing else, not that you shouldn’t share it with us.

Second, it seems like we can discern two camps on who Jesus was. There’s the camp that says, well, it’s too uncertain, we really can’t know, we can’t sort out the legends and all the borrowings from other traditions (Egyptian, Greek, etc.) from the facts of the case. For these people the life of Jesus dissolves into mystery or nothingness in the past. Then there’s the camp that has faith that at least the Gospel stories give us a picture of a life, shady and fuzzy and couched in 1st Century concepts, but nevertheless, a dirty old faded and stepped on picture of Divinity descended into a real Person.

Personally, I don’t think it will ever be settled between the two camps. I go back and forth between them, but neither side convinces me that they are entirely right. So where I come down on all this is that the Story of Jesus (meaning the billions of variations on the theme) is actually a colossal attempt by the human race to construct a picture of what divinity would look like if we ever did see it in a person. As is indeed the Story of Krishna and other religious traditions. And in the process of telling, retelling, reinventing and rediscovering these stories, hopefully we each and all collectively are lifted closer to a better life for ourselves.

Must be add, since all the folks telling these stories are human beings, and since human beings are pretty imperfect, a lot of shit goes down in the name of Jesus Christ. But that’s no good reason not to keep trying.

]]> By: ichabod http://plainview.wordpress.com/2009/07/14/my-take-on-mr-christ/#comment-4004 ichabod Wed, 15 Jul 2009 01:58:19 +0000 http://plainview.wordpress.com/?p=8377#comment-4004 Hi sleepyeagle; Yes he would have Hi sleepyeagle;

Yes he would have

]]> By: sleepyeagle http://plainview.wordpress.com/2009/07/14/my-take-on-mr-christ/#comment-3993 sleepyeagle Tue, 14 Jul 2009 16:05:32 +0000 http://plainview.wordpress.com/?p=8377#comment-3993 "If you see the Buddha, kill him!" Those are the words of the Buddhist faith, who accept that the man in their book was NOT a god, more or less just a good fella. Like Ray Liotta said in the movie, "we always called each other good fellas. "Like you said to, uh, somebody, :You're gonna like this guy. He's all right. He's a good fella. He's one of us.: You understand?". Jesus would have gotten along great with Ray Liotta. “If you see the Buddha, kill him!” Those are the words of the Buddhist faith, who accept that the man in their book was NOT a god, more or less just a good fella. Like Ray Liotta said in the movie, “we always called each other good fellas. “Like you said to, uh, somebody, :You’re gonna like this guy. He’s all right. He’s a good fella. He’s one of us.: You understand?”.

Jesus would have gotten along great with Ray Liotta.

]]> By: stewart118 http://plainview.wordpress.com/2009/07/14/my-take-on-mr-christ/#comment-3986 stewart118 Tue, 14 Jul 2009 08:20:00 +0000 http://plainview.wordpress.com/?p=8377#comment-3986 Reading what you think is good, your thoughts are provocative. Reading what you think is good, your thoughts are provocative.

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