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As a non-practicing Jew, I found the Jefferson bible very inspiring. Stripping the religious trappings from the teachings tempers the whole thing; I really like

As a non-practicing Jew, I found the Jefferson bible very inspiring. Stripping the religious trappings from the teachings tempers the whole thing; I really like the humanity: it’s a story about a man with his own foibles, attempting to teach himself & others to be better people.

Balgair 6y ago
For those that are confused as to what a 'Jefferson Bible' is: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jefferson_Bible https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jefferson_Bible "The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth, commonly referred to as the Jefferson Bible, is one of two religious works constructed by Thomas Jefferson. The first, The Philosophy of Jesus of Nazareth, was completed in 1804, but no copies exist today. The second, The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth, was completed in 1820 by cutting and pasting with a razor and glue numerous sections from the New Testament as extractions of the doctrine of Jesus. Jefferson's condensed composition excludes all miracles by Jesus and most mentions of the supernatural, including sections of the four gospels that contain the Resurrection and most other miracles, and passages that portray Jesus as divine." https://uuhouston.org/files/The_Jefferson_Bible.pdf https://uuhouston.org/files/The_Jefferson_Bible.pdf Free here
- JKCalhoun 6y ago
  Yes, a surprisingly short read. Reading it I couldn't help but see Jesus as something of a troll. Like in this passage: JESUS went unto the mount of Olives. And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them. And the scribes and Pharisees brought in a woman caught committing adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, They say unto him, Master, this woman was caught committing adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? This they said, to test him, that they might have cause to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground. So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him be the first to cast a stone at her. And again he stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground. And they which heard it, began going out one by one, beginning at the eldest: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had lifted up himself, he said unto her, Woman, whither are they gone? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
  - roody15 6y ago
    Why is he a troll here? Seems like a solid message.
    - AuthorizedCust 6y ago
      The stories have Jesus trolling the Pharisees and others. Imagining the reactions and situation behind some of these stories are strong LOL moments.
    - saghm 6y ago
      When he was asked about what to do with the woman who was brought in, he immediately started ignoring everyone and started doodling in the dirt, and then continued doing so as everyone slowly left. That's a little trollish (although not necessarily in a bad way!)
    - JKCalhoun 6y ago
      Seems like the scribes and Pharisees that are trying to troll Jesus and he trolls them back? To be clear, I think Jesus is trolling the right way. :-)
  - loveistheanswer 6y ago
    Jesus was the ultimate troll to the religious authorities, that's why they killed him. Another great example of his trolling was when he was cornered by a bunch of people wanting to stone him to death: >31 Again his Jewish opponents picked up stones to stone him, 32 but Jesus said to them, 'I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?' 33 We are not stoning you for any good work,' they replied, 'but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.' 34 Jesus answered them, 'Is it not written in your Law, 'I have said you are 'gods''? (He's quoting the 82nd Psalm of the Old Testament here)[1] 35 If he called them 'gods,' to whom the word of God came--and Scripture cannot be set aside-- 36 what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, 'I am God's Son'? 37 [1]82 Psalm if the Old Testament: I said, ‘You are “gods”; you are all sons of the Most High.’
Noos 6y ago
Except that without the supernatural part, it was a wandering, homeless religious teacher who got himself killed at an early age teaching things which got his followers killed too, and end up being pointless. "Blessed are the meek; for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven." Except there is no kingdom of heaven, after all; and the meek are not blessed but oppressed. The supernatural stuff was there to show that the oppressive nature of the world and its cruelty was not the only thing; there was hope beyond it in the world to come, which gave the strength to believe in something absurd. Otherwise its just John the Baptist; a person preaching who ended up dead on the whims of the powerful.

Balgair 6y ago

For those that are confused as to what a 'Jefferson Bible' is: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jefferson_Bible https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jefferson_Bible "The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth, commonly referred to as the Jefferson Bible, is one of two religious works constructed by Thomas Jefferson. The first, The Philosophy of Jesus of Nazareth, was completed in 1804, but no copies exist today. The second, The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth, was completed in 1820 by cutting and pasting with a razor and glue numerous sections from the New Testament as extractions of the doctrine of Jesus. Jefferson's condensed composition excludes all miracles by Jesus and most mentions of the supernatural, including sections of the four gospels that contain the Resurrection and most other miracles, and passages that portray Jesus as divine." https://uuhouston.org/files/The_Jefferson_Bible.pdf https://uuhouston.org/files/The_Jefferson_Bible.pdf Free here

JKCalhoun 6y ago
Yes, a surprisingly short read. Reading it I couldn't help but see Jesus as something of a troll. Like in this passage: JESUS went unto the mount of Olives. And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them. And the scribes and Pharisees brought in a woman caught committing adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, They say unto him, Master, this woman was caught committing adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? This they said, to test him, that they might have cause to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground. So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him be the first to cast a stone at her. And again he stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground. And they which heard it, began going out one by one, beginning at the eldest: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had lifted up himself, he said unto her, Woman, whither are they gone? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
- roody15 6y ago
  Why is he a troll here? Seems like a solid message.
  - AuthorizedCust 6y ago
    The stories have Jesus trolling the Pharisees and others. Imagining the reactions and situation behind some of these stories are strong LOL moments.
  - saghm 6y ago
    When he was asked about what to do with the woman who was brought in, he immediately started ignoring everyone and started doodling in the dirt, and then continued doing so as everyone slowly left. That's a little trollish (although not necessarily in a bad way!)
  - JKCalhoun 6y ago
    Seems like the scribes and Pharisees that are trying to troll Jesus and he trolls them back? To be clear, I think Jesus is trolling the right way. :-)
- loveistheanswer 6y ago
  Jesus was the ultimate troll to the religious authorities, that's why they killed him. Another great example of his trolling was when he was cornered by a bunch of people wanting to stone him to death: >31 Again his Jewish opponents picked up stones to stone him, 32 but Jesus said to them, 'I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?' 33 We are not stoning you for any good work,' they replied, 'but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.' 34 Jesus answered them, 'Is it not written in your Law, 'I have said you are 'gods''? (He's quoting the 82nd Psalm of the Old Testament here)[1] 35 If he called them 'gods,' to whom the word of God came--and Scripture cannot be set aside-- 36 what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, 'I am God's Son'? 37 [1]82 Psalm if the Old Testament: I said, ‘You are “gods”; you are all sons of the Most High.’

Noos 6y ago

Except that without the supernatural part, it was a wandering, homeless religious teacher who got himself killed at an early age teaching things which got his followers killed too, and end up being pointless. "Blessed are the meek; for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven." Except there is no kingdom of heaven, after all; and the meek are not blessed but oppressed. The supernatural stuff was there to show that the oppressive nature of the world and its cruelty was not the only thing; there was hope beyond it in the world to come, which gave the strength to believe in something absurd. Otherwise its just John the Baptist; a person preaching who ended up dead on the whims of the powerful.