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A point against religion but a point in favor for the truth of Jesus of Nazareth's words: "Woe to you who are rich, for you have received your comfort." (Luke 6

A point against religion but a point in favor for the truth of Jesus of Nazareth's words: "Woe to you who are rich, for you have received your comfort." (Luke 6:24)

TomMarius 6y ago
You know the original bible was lost and written from scratch by the wishes of the new author at least one time sometimes around year 100, right? The first schism. Jesus of Nazareth probably never said such thing.
- adrianN 6y ago
  Who said that makes very little difference for this discussion, or am I missing something?
  - TomMarius 6y ago
    The comment I replied to attributes the quote to Jesus of Nazareth, and presents it as evidence that he was an incredibly timelessly wise, even god-like being. Normally when people make out a person to be way too incredible, other people refute that with actual history.
    - adrianN 6y ago
      The way I read the comment you could replace "Jesus of Nazareth" with any other name without changing the meaning of the comment substantially.
      - TomMarius 6y ago
        Then it would make you believe someone else is so incredibly wise. Posts can contribute to the discussion and suggest side points at the same time. If they didn't want to suggest how much Jesus of Nazareth was wise, they would simply post the quote without the "truth of Jesus of Nazareth [the name used for Jesus the historical figure] words" part.
- dang 6y ago
  Please keep religious flamewar off HN. We've had to ask you this before. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
kstenerud 6y ago
In other words "God will even the score... somehow" These kinds of teachings were necessary for organized religions in large societies, because people could plainly see the rich being rewarded over and over again, while the poor were screwed over. For a religion to gain traction in such an environment, it would have to teach of a Great Equalizer, such as karma or omniscient and omnibenevolent god(s).
- Konohamaru 6y ago
  Death is already the Great Equalizer. There is no need to invent one. Yet people still accumulate wealth, so desperately, unaware that they do not know how to use it after death.
  - kstenerud 6y ago
    People who live in wealth have comfort in life. People in poverty do not. That's the problem for which the downtrodden wish for answers, because they didn't ask to be poor. That death leaves both poor and rich in the same situation is of little comfort to the man shivering in the cold as he watches the rich in their mansions. There needs to be another chapter to the story, where the poor man finally gets his share. Religions can provide this because they tell stories of life after death that are comforting to the downtrodden.
  - polemic 6y ago
    This is a deliberate misinterpretation of the previous point. Short, miserable lives and long rewarding lives are not equalised by death.
    - apta 6y ago
      They are in the atheistic point of view, because nothing matters no matter how long it lasts.
      - longtimegoogler 6y ago
        That's quite a statement.
Thorrez 6y ago
Similar: >Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God." (Matthew 19:24)

A point against religion but a point in favor for the truth of Jesus of Nazareth's words: "Woe to you who are rich, for you have received your comfort." (Luke 6:24)

TomMarius 6y ago

You know the original bible was lost and written from scratch by the wishes of the new author at least one time sometimes around year 100, right? The first schism. Jesus of Nazareth probably never said such thing.

adrianN 6y ago
Who said that makes very little difference for this discussion, or am I missing something?
- TomMarius 6y ago
  The comment I replied to attributes the quote to Jesus of Nazareth, and presents it as evidence that he was an incredibly timelessly wise, even god-like being. Normally when people make out a person to be way too incredible, other people refute that with actual history.
  - adrianN 6y ago
    The way I read the comment you could replace "Jesus of Nazareth" with any other name without changing the meaning of the comment substantially.
    - TomMarius 6y ago
      Then it would make you believe someone else is so incredibly wise. Posts can contribute to the discussion and suggest side points at the same time. If they didn't want to suggest how much Jesus of Nazareth was wise, they would simply post the quote without the "truth of Jesus of Nazareth [the name used for Jesus the historical figure] words" part.
dang 6y ago
Please keep religious flamewar off HN. We've had to ask you this before. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

kstenerud 6y ago

In other words "God will even the score... somehow" These kinds of teachings were necessary for organized religions in large societies, because people could plainly see the rich being rewarded over and over again, while the poor were screwed over. For a religion to gain traction in such an environment, it would have to teach of a Great Equalizer, such as karma or omniscient and omnibenevolent god(s).

Konohamaru 6y ago
Death is already the Great Equalizer. There is no need to invent one. Yet people still accumulate wealth, so desperately, unaware that they do not know how to use it after death.
- kstenerud 6y ago
  People who live in wealth have comfort in life. People in poverty do not. That's the problem for which the downtrodden wish for answers, because they didn't ask to be poor. That death leaves both poor and rich in the same situation is of little comfort to the man shivering in the cold as he watches the rich in their mansions. There needs to be another chapter to the story, where the poor man finally gets his share. Religions can provide this because they tell stories of life after death that are comforting to the downtrodden.
- polemic 6y ago
  This is a deliberate misinterpretation of the previous point. Short, miserable lives and long rewarding lives are not equalised by death.
  - apta 6y ago
    They are in the atheistic point of view, because nothing matters no matter how long it lasts.
    - longtimegoogler 6y ago
      That's quite a statement.

Thorrez 6y ago

Similar: >Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God." (Matthew 19:24)