Did Jesus teach anything unique, original, or profound?

[Zzyzx]

.
Did Jesus teach anything unique, original, or profound?

If so, kindly present a list with citations.

If not, why regard him as anything special?

[Willum]

[Replying to post 10 by Mithrae]

You are going to make me look up things that don't follow, aren't you?

And you are going to have some excuse for raping the daughter of your enemies, huh?

Awww, look at you pointing out tangential laws of God and invoking the laws of men.
God, or more correctly, men ascribing properties to a God, are abhorrent.

It is men who have laws against it, not the reprobate God.

And I am surprised, Jews and Christians often ask how atheists can have morality without God. Now you say only the mentally defective. Yet the Bible doesn't proscribe child molestation, and the Catholic Church and others protects them.

Hmmm.

And you defend them and Him.

[Mithrae]

[Replying to post 11 by Willum]

The thread is about Jesus' teachings. Your rambling diatribes against a hypothetical celestial being are nonsensical, illogical and (more to the point) utterly irrelevant to the topic at hand. Your comments on the Torah would be borderline irrelevant too, except inasmuch as they were part of the cultural backdrop in which Jesus developed and taught his own views. But obviously the Torah, like Jesus, commanded love for one's neighbour; Jesus in fact expanded on that theme a great deal, insisting that people outside the Jewish community were 'neighbours' too and arguably contradicting Moses by saying to love even your enemies!

Of course if you're unable or unwilling to discuss what Jesus actually taught obviously I can't do much about it, besides ignoring you

[Willum]

[Replying to post 12 by Mithrae]

Not so pleasant when someone does it to you, huh?
What's worse than worshiping non-extant deity?
Worshiping one, that, if he did exist, is an abhorrent monster, or the son of one.
Why do you expect these teachings to be great?

This is what Jesus taught.
Love your neighbors children as you were loved.
You can't see that?

Do unto others as you would have done to you - no mention if you like horrendous things.

If you rape your neighbor's daughter, pay 15 shekels, and it is OK.
These are the words of the Lord, Father and Son.

Not my "interpretation."

[Zzyzx]

.
The OP:

Did Jesus teach anything unique, original, or profound?

If so, kindly present a list with citations.

If not, why regard him as anything special?

Surely someone can provide a list of 'unique, original, or profound' teachings attributed to Jesus . . . .

'Be nice to each other and don't throw stones' sounds like kindergarten teaching.

Perhaps asking for nonsense teachings would have been easier?
Love your enemies
Commit adultery with just a thought
Give away all you have

[Tcg]

[Replying to post 14 by Zzyzx]

Some consider the Beatitudes profound. At this point however, they read as empty promises. Words that would have encouraged believers for a time, but after almost 2,000 years of waiting, they have grown stale.

It's difficult to recall any of Jesus' teachings that didn't rely in some way on similar promises. Promises that can't be verified in any meaningful way.


Tcg

[Mithrae]

Perhaps asking for nonsense teachings would have been easier?
Love your enemies

Mohandas Gandhi: "If you express your love-Ahimsa-in such a manner that it impresses itself indelibly upon your so-called enemy, he must return that love." "We can only win over the opponent by love, never by hate. Hate is the subtlest form of violence. We cannot be really non-violent and yet have hate in us. "

Albert Einstein: "I agree with your remark about loving your enemy as far as actions are concerned. But for me the cognitive basis is the trust in an unrestricted causality. 'I cannot hate him, because he must do what he does.' That means for me more Spinoza than the prophets."

Perhaps asking for nonsense teachings would have been easier?
....
Give away all you have

Gandhi: "It is open to the world...to laugh at my dispossessing myself of all property. For me the dispossession has been a positive gain. I would like people to complete with me in my contentment. It is the richest treasure I own. Hence it is perhaps right to say that, though I preach poverty, I am a rich man!"

Einstein: "I am absolutely convinced that no wealth in the world can help humanity forward, even in the hands of the most devoted worker in this cause. The example of great and pure characters is the only thing that can lead us to noble thoughts and deeds. Money only appeals to selfishness and irresistibly invites abuse. Can anyone imagine Moses, Jesus or Gandhi armed with the money-bags of Carnegie?"


Einstein of course was Time's "Person of the Century" and Gandhi the runner-up.

[Willum]

[Replying to post 16 by Mithrae]

Yup, those all look like men.
That puts your Jesus in their company, not Gods.
Especially if you look at the Greek philosophers who, amazingly said Jesus philosophies before him.
And just as Rome had conquered it too...!

Isnt that amazing though? The Judaic god sends his son armed with Hellenic ideals?
What a coincidence.

[ttruscott]

[Replying to post 9 by Willum]

There is a difference in His coming to the Jews and other holy manifestations in pagan cultures, whether you care to give it credence or not. The dime a dozen fake dads and bad dads means nothing to the one who won the battle for the whole world by dying, the ultimate worldly loss...your sardonic attitude is not relevant.

[Mithrae]

[Replying to post 16 by Mithrae]

Yup, those all look like men.
That puts your Jesus in their company, not Gods.

He is not "my Jesus." The words 'former Christian' and 'non-religious' are not very difficult to understand, in my opinion, and my usergroups are few enough that it's not a tedious list to read - quite aside from the Fly Spaghetti Monster avatar! But rest assured that you're not alone in making this blunder; it actually surprises me how often people assume that anyone who isn't rabidly attacking Christianity must be a Christian themselves. Impartiality and objectivity are widely-lauded buzzwords, but in practice much more difficult virtues to foster. (Especially when one's emotions and nausea get in the way )

Especially if you look at the Greek philosophers who, amazingly said Jesus philosophies before him.

A point which I have noted repeatedly on the forum, particularly regarding the Cynics such as Diogenes of Sinope and Crates of Thebes. Whether that lessens whatever merit one might find in Jesus' lessons is a matter of opinion of course: Isaac Newton famously declared that he stood on the shoulders of giants... but perhaps it would have been better for him to ignore the work of Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo and so on in order to be more original.

[Willum]

[Replying to post 19 by Mithrae]

Yes, you claim to be an ex-Christian, yet you defend its inanities - I long ago stopped trying to figure out what you were: It doesn't matter anyway, that would be personal comments.

As long as you defend Christ, God and their abominations, I will continue to point out the abominations.

If you really wish to point out what subsection of religion you belong to, I am sure there is a sections of DC&R where you can explain how your versions are right and Christianity is wrong.