Does Jesus Play A Part In Your Life?

[Lucky]

We may not all be Tim Tebow, but many might also have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, yet not be so willing to wear it on your sleeve. So, I was wondering, how many here consider themselves to both believe in Jesus as the Son of God and also believe that Jesus has an active role in your life? If you do, can you share how this came about and how it manifests itself?

[Guest EXPAT]

For my only single word post:

NO

[Guest hitoallusa]

Yes. I believe in Jesus Christ and what he did for our sins. I got teased a lot for being girly when I was a kid. I didn't have a lot of friends. I was always alone and sad. After high school i met a group of christians and they changed my life. They were nice to me and treated me like a brother. I think they knew I was different but treated me like one of them. I didn't feel alone because of them. I don't know where I would be if I had not met them. I owe a lot to them. I thank Jesus Christ for what he has done in my life and I hope others can get to know him too.

We may not all be Tim Tebow, but many might also have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, yet not be so willing to wear it on your sleeve. So, I was wondering, how many here consider themselves to both believe in Jesus as the Son of God and also believe that Jesus has an active role in your life? If you do, can you share how this came about and how it manifests itself?

[TampaYankee]

Yes. His principles regarding how we treat and feel toward our fellow man are woven into the principles I try to live by. IMO, he made a great contribution to the better parts of our modern day culture and society in that focused way.

I do not believe in any supernatural aspects of the theology built around him. In fact, much of that theology has spawned beliefs and actions that have been contrary to and very detrimental to the basic principles he espoused that I hold dear.

[Lucky]

If I were to answer the question truthfully, which I will since I expect you to do so, then I would have to answer no. I do not believe that Jesus was the son of God anymore than I believe that I am.

[caeron]

His followers do, but having taking a clear-eyed view of the world, I cannot both be rational and believe in an invisible man in the sky. Jesus, God, Allah, Brahma, Vishnu, Odin, Zeus, or any of the others. So, I'm an atheist.

Some, I guess, would think that would make me less ethical, but I think since this is all we're ever going to get and then the lights go out, that every life is infinitely precious.

I mostly don't hold it against people who choose to believe. I can see it would be a great comfort to be able to stick your head in the sand and pretend death isn't final. I've come to think of it as a minor character flaw of which all of us have a couple, provided they don't get obnoxious about it.

[KYTOP]

Yes, I have a strong belief in Jesus Christ, though I have multiple problems with most organized religion. It is important to me to try to pray on a daily basis and I have found comfort in that many times throughout my life. Most of my family are Baptist but my father's mother was Mormon.

As for religion I just saw some interesting facts about the Mormon religion yesterday. Since Romney is Mormon that religion is more in the news lately. Mormon's have the highest per-capita income of any organized religious group in the USA. They have a very low rate of alcoholism and drug abuse compared to most Americans and have a very low rate of incareration in jails and prisons as a group.

[seattlebottom]

I believe in the teachings of Jesus.

[MsGuy]

[Guest epigonos]

Being raised in a Christian country I believe in and try to follow a Judaic-Christian ethic. Do I believe in the religious principles of Christianity – absolutely not – I’m an atheist.

[Guest hitoallusa]

Lucky, are you doing all right? Some people suddendly think of religion near their death or in sickness. I hope you are doing ok, my friend.

[JKane]

I believe in the teachings of Jesus.

So you despise figs? They say the leading cause of atheism is actually reading the bible for yourself...

Learning more about the bible than the vast majority of Christians has certainly re-enforced my beliefs, but the crux of my rejection came upon me in middle school during a discussion (--led by a devout Christian and good teacher) of ancient gods, how they were used to explain things mankind did not yet know, and is best summarized:

"When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours."

Of course I believe in some of the teachings/goals. But do I believe that we have to grovel for favor to a magical being in the sky who created us in his image then punished us for being imperfect? No.

Do I believe that some fairytale in a book demonstrably mistranslated, edited and embellished over time is required for people to act in a moral or just way? Hell no and I think that is unbelievably insulting!

In fact that book can be shown to be a catalyst for immeasurable human suffering, in my lifetime slightly different viewpoints on it have had Christians killing other Christians (Northern Ireland). And it's been simultaneously used as justification for the actions of: Martin Luther King Jr and the KKK, abolitionists and slaveholders, Fred Phelps and sane people.

But what I do believe in, most strongly, is the US Constitution and it's establishment clause (among others). And that any move towards public secularism is a net gain for society.

[Lucky]

Yes, dear, I am fine. The question is asked because we often tend to dismiss religion here in the forums. Yet I know that many members consider themselves religious in some sense of the word, so I asked. And I was pleased with the results.

For those who have faith, and by that I mean a true and abiding belief in a higher power, I both wonder how they could and I also envy them to a small degree. Life is hard, so if a belief can help get you through some of the tougher times, then good for you. I don't knock it even as I don't share the belief.

When I did pursue religious beliefs, I found them fleeting, a lot like a greased pig. No sooner would you think you had a hold of something real that might enhance your life and your spirituality than it would slip from your grasp, either as some situation arose where this new found faith did not hold water, or you chose to act or speak in a way that contradicted the faith, and voila, it was not there for you anymore.

I can see why they have church every Sunday!

[Guest FourAces]

I'm far more spiritual than religious. However, I do believe in God but not at all in Jesus.

[BigK]

So, I'm an atheist.

Some, I guess, would think that would make me less ethical, but I think since this is all we're ever going to get and then the lights go out, that every life is infinitely precious.

It's never occurred to me that some people would think that atheists are by nature less ethical. I don't see the correlation. I sure hope it's a minority that would be that judgmental. It would not be very Christian of them.

[MsGuy]

I sure hope it's a minority that would be that judgmental. It would not be very Christian of them.

LOL, Christian is as Christian does...

Little known fact:

Sir Thomas More, saint, martyr to the faith and late running buddy of Henry VIII, had a private torture chamber installed at his country residence for more convenient questioning of suspected English Lutherans. No, really, he wrote of it occasionally in letters to his friends.

Opining as to why that business didn't make it past the Hollywood cutting room would require pure speculation on my part.

[caeron]

It's never occurred to me that some people would think that atheists are by nature less ethical. I don't see the correlation. I sure hope it's a minority that would be that judgmental. It would not be very Christian of them.

I remember a survey where people thought exactly that. I'm not sure why, but I guess they figure if you're not afraid that the imaginary man in the sky is watching, you'll just go be evil.

[Lucky]

The Catholic president is in the news again, this time for his affair with a teen aged intern. I used to think so highly of him and could have never imagined what a libertine he was. At least Obama does not make a show out of going to church.

And just this week I was reading about the Spanish Inquisition. And, as for Thomas More, I thought Frank Langella did a great job playing him on Broadway. No torture there,except for the way he tortured himself over his loyalty to the King.

When I asked the question above, I thought of it in terms of just a man and his god. I didn't associate the belief with any religion, although many people then do join a church to share their beliefs with others. I think it would be hard for a gay Christian to join a church that did not support his orientation.

[Guest CharliePS]

Jesus certainly was not the first man who believed himself to be the Son of God, or God Himself. If he did. Unfortunately, we don't really know what he believed, since we have no video of him, nor even anything he wrote (if he was literate, a point which is not mentioned in scripture). The Jesus we know was created by publicists, most notably St. Paul and the four Gospel authors. That Jesus had some things to say about ethics which I strongly agree with, but he also said things that are, at best, impractical for sensible people to live by. One wonders how his ideology would have developed had he lived longer, maybe married and had kids, travelled to parts of the world that his contemporaries weren't aware existed.

So, yes, Jesus does play a part in my life, but no more than a number of other historical and fictional characters, like Marcus Aurelius, George Washington, Socrates, Abraham Lincoln, Ben Franklin, Elizabeth Bennet, Harvey Milk, Harriet Tubman, etc. etc.

[JKane]

Liked this one!

[Lucky]

Liked this one!

Yes, it is very metaphysical!