Would you still follow?
Add comments
Posted by
Lauren
If tomorrow there was absolute, incontrovertible proof that Jesus was not the son of God, just a great man who lived a long time ago, would you still follow Him?
Would you stick to his ideals of truth, grace, peace and love if there were no eternal reward for doing so?
I have been reading some Philip Yancey, and one of the men he quoted pondered this same question.
After much consideration I feel such deep and overwhelming love for Jesus that I would follow Him.
Would you want to join us???
4:34 PM
Wow....that is a really hard, deep question!
If this really did happen, I think i would struggle alot with making my decision. But then, in saying that, I know that God is real....From seeing Kina be healed from her Cealeax (sp?) I have got visual proof that God IS real and that he does perform Miracles....I saw this with my own eyes!
So, I guess for me, that would go hand in hand with Jesus being real.
A very good question - hits you smack in the face!
11:15 PM
Hmmm, I find it hard to see myself continuing to follow him. Mainly because, if Jesus wasn't the Son of God, he would be pretty blatantly hypocritical on the whole truth thing don't you think? Add to that the fact that he would be a nutter...
Although, I do wonder if the messenger should have anything to do with my decision to follow a good ideal.
Another thought I had after reading this was about why we stick to the ideals that Jesus showed. Should it be alright to only follow them simply so we get an "eternal reward" or does there need to be something deeper?
7:30 AM
I think anything done with a constant eye on the prize is bound to look and feel false. Jesus' guidelines for living create a sense of peace and one-ness that can't be faked.
By the end of a day seeing patients where many who need medicine won't take it, and those who want medicines don't need it, and some people just want to be sick, I dig deep for the grace to remember that Jesus spent his life caring for the sick. His precepts should mean that the weary, unwell and downtrodden are treated as well as the healthy and wealthy and wise.
I will dig out the piece I alluded to in the question to quote it properly. I might have mixed the message around a bit - but still feel that even if Jesus were 'just a man' (which I don't belive) his legacy of compassion and love make him worthy of following.
4:46 PM
I think I got a bit confused! I sort of thought that although there was proof, it wasnt true....?!! Because, people think they have proof that we came from monkeys, but we know thats not real proof.
But if Jesus truly wasnt the Son of God, and there was no such thing as heaven, I would honestly feel cheated. I would feel decived and stupid for following something that wasnt real.
Even saying that though, makes me feel like I'm turning my back on God! I dont want to imagine what life would be like without having a purpose...
Im just glad that God is real, and Jesus is His Son, and Heaven does exsist so I'd never have to make that decision!
4:57 PM
What a great question Lauren! For me, I don't think I'd bother. If Jesus was just some guy, and not God who makes demands on my life, I'd "eat, drink and be merry - for tomorrow we will die..." I think especially of Paul's words in 1 Cor 15 about the resurrection - "...if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are found to be liars about God... your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all others." If Jesus is just a good set of ideas on how to be a ethical person, I'd think I'd find it more fun to eat, drink and be merry! I know that sounds terrible, but for me a huge amount swings on the truth of Christianity and the truth of the resurrection. Apart from an encounter with the risen Christ, I'm genuinely not that nice or good a person... I might have more to think about on this one - it's a great question! What do others think?
1:42 PM
there was a time when I would have followed the Bay City Rollers to the ends of the earth.
perhaps I'm just a born follower :-)
1:43 PM
Oh, and as for not being evolved from apes, look at my husband Murray's back some time :-)
1:50 PM
Lauren, this is sucha good question I've been chewing on it for days. I now think (I am a turncoat!!) that I would probably still follow some of Jesus' ideals as they are brilliant, but I'm not sure to the same extent... I don't know about hairy backs but I think Margaret would point to evolution for some of my behaviour!
4:58 PM
Haha...oh thats fun, that is!
Yea Ive been thinking about it heaps too. Im kind of like you PAndy - I'd still follow some of the basic things, like not comminting murder, (JOKE!!!) and other things like that....but then I think I might be inclined to swear or do "not so serious" sins (if there is such a thing) like that.
It really sounds horrible, doesnt it?!
Lauren, does your question about having proof that Jesus wasnt real, include God not being real?? What about when Jesus got baptised and God said "This is my son, of whom I am very pleased," (or something along those lines), does that mean that the gospel writers were all liers too?
Would we have to put all our faith in something that we cant even see (God), without even being able to trust the bible?
7:37 PM
I think the guy who posed the question was asking about Jesus rather than God. Perhaps he was thinking that the apostles believed or were great spin doctors rather than liars. I just found the whole question challenged me to think about why we follow the ideals Jesus set down, and would they be valid to us if he were mistaken about his mission. I don't think he was meaning that Jesus lied, rather than that he might have been mistaken or deluded. I strongly believe he was the ral deal, but thought the question was a goodie:-)