If Jesus is only a perfect man then

[Wootah]

If Jesus is only a man then:

* if we were made perfect we would save ourselves (thank you very much). But God didn't make us perfect therefore it is God's fault

* The only difference between man and God is one of power. Morally we are equal because whatever Jesus did was enough to redeem us.

It just seems so horribly narcissistic to argue that we are equal to God. That there, but for the deliberate hindrance of God, I would be perfect. It's almost like Satan tempting Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden that they could be Gods.

Why can't non Christians see that?

[JehovahsWitness]

[Replying to post 30 by Wootah]

Yes, I know what He has revealed through his word the bible, I don't know (or understand) all that he has NOT revealed. This is rather like me not knowing what you dreamed last night... unless you told me.

JW

[JehovahsWitness]

I know very little about your religion. ... In light of our chat would you agree that it is leaning towards being works based?

What do you mean by "work based"?


Official Jehovah's Witness beliefs
https://www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesse ... s-beliefs/

[dio9]

m thinking Jesus discovered God within himself. And his disciples came to recognize God in themselves through Christ. Like Jesus said the kingdom is within, God is within to be discovered.

Well you're in the right thread. This thread is exploring the potential narcissistic roots in mankind to be God and how making Jesus just a man is a big step towards that.

Oh hey God is within me. All the time I had that potential. In me.

Are you saying 50 million Hindus are narcissistic? I 'm trying to view Christianity within the context of other religion and philosophic foundations here, to better understand my Christian worldview better. You can' t dismiss a whole philosophy as narcissistic which views each human and all things as essentially divine. As I said I'm hopelessly Christian but find mystic oneness to be the essential humanity. As the Hindus say everything but this essential self is an illusion . A perfect man like Jesus is simply one who has found God within. If God is real that is.

[Wootah]

[Replying to post 33 by dio9]

The belief that life is an illusion is very damaging and actually illusory. You can see my point I reckon and yes of course if true then it is affecting all Hindus to some level just like materialism affects all people to some level. It's best for each of us to get to the core of our belief systems.

I imagine that as each Hindu goes to hell that the illusion of life fades away somewhat. Best for it to fade away before that.

Cosmic oneness is very conceited. To be one with the universe or one with God is quite a goal to set for oneself.

[Wootah]

[Replying to post 32 by JehovahsWitness]

Hi JW,

You keep saying that God could have found another way. But how does that reflect this verse?

John 3:16 New World Translation

“For God loved the world so much that he gave his only�begotten Son, in order that everyone exercising faith in him might not be destroyed but have everlasting life.�

Particularly the only-begotten Son part. It sounds to me like there is only one. What does it mean to you?

[zjsd26]

God didn't make us perfect because we aren't God. The point is that once the world was formed, it was without void. Due to our own choices, and actions. Perfection no longer exists. It's like when you get a beautiful crisp apple, and then all of sudden you drop it. It no longer becomes perfect, it becomes dented, scratched and bruised. Our sins is what causes us to have separation and bruising. Jesus was the only man to live a righteous pure life without sin, that means by thought or any psychical behavior.