Would Jesus Christ be welcome at your church?

[sweetheart]

As you arrive at church, Jesus Christ himself appears to you,
and asks if you can attend church together, you and him. You manage
to arrive at church without fanfare, yet in the middle of the sermon,

Jesus Christ stands up in the audience:
"I am the way and the light."

The room falls to a deafening silence as everyone sees jesus
rise up off the ground in the middle of the
congregation. He settles back to the ground.

Jesus looks sincerely in to the eyes and hearts of the congregation.
He is clearly jesus, the authentic person, clear as day for anyone
who looks. Everyone feels the immense peace and joy of his
presence.
He asks those who are ready to come follow him.

Would you follow?
Would your church have Jesus arrested?

[alphafemale]

1. Of course. I'm a Unitarian. We're "into" social outcasts.

;-)

[alphafemale]

11. In fact, at least 3 groups would try to get him to join their committee.

[JerseygirlCT]

34. Had to laugh -- this sounds just like my (Episcopal) church!

They were all so welcoming, I ran away scared the first time I came!

[Cronus Protagonist]

64. Swiftboat Vets Remember Jesus Christ (pic)

http://bushspeaks.com/home.asp?did=178



"No one in the White House should be afraid
to confront the people they work for - over
ethical concerns, and no one should hesitate
to confront me as well."
— G. W. Bush

[cornermouse]

2. Questions.

What's he wearing; sunday school best or wrinkled and not new clothes?

Does he look like he has money?

Does he agree with that zippy little sign out in front signifying the proper power/political conservative viewpoint within?

If he doesn't meet those standards, he's probably not wanted.

[jakefrep]

5. More importantly,...

Is he a white Anglo-Saxon, just like in the Sunday school textbooks?

[sweetheart]

24. black arab mix

And he's dressed in as fine a suit as can be made today.
He's sexy, with beautiful hair and extremely refined.
I think his ethnicity, given his origins might be
a little tough for some folks who've painter's illusions.

[Dirty Hippie]

3. Jesus opposed the organized religion of his day

and reached out to the outcasts of society. I think the minute it became known he befriended a woman with a less than perfect reputation (Mary Magdalene) he would be kick out of most "Christian" churches post haste.

I saw "Jesus Christ Superstar" many years ago and I kept thinking the Baptists would hate this guy.

[DemBones DemBones]

29. So you think "Jesus Christ Superstar" was more accurate about who

Jesus was than the Bible is? :shrug:

[Dirty Hippie]

54. Actually I thought it was darn close.

It certainly captured Christ's spirit of compassion and acceptance of those less fortunate and out of the mainstream of the organized religion of the day.

[mmonk]

4. Jesus

would be held without due process as a security risk. He was of middle eastern descent (a Palestinian Jew) and he attracted a crowd.

[Obamarama]

8. Jesus wasn't Middle Eastern! What are you talking about????

Haven't you seen that famous painting? He clearly has blond hair and blue eyes. Besides, I heard he was from Quebec or something like that. I think there was even a movie made about his true roots...Jesus of Montreal. Yeah, that was it...Jesus of Montreal.
And what's this about him being a JEW? All this time I thought Jesus musta been a conservative Baptist. Are you SURE he was a Jew? <freeperesque sarcasm off>

[mmonk]

9. Oh yeah

He does appear quite Anglo-Saxon or at least, European.;-)

[robcon]

6. My Roman Catholic church would welcome him with open arms.

We are followers of Christ.

[James T. Kirk]

14. Word.

[DemBones DemBones]

30. If Jesus looked around a bit, He would notice

that all races and classes are welcomed in my Catholic church. I'm sure that would please Him.

[DoYouEverWonder]

7. I don't go to church

but he can come sleep over my house anytime.


There's a great bit that Lenny Bruce did about Jesus and Moses showing up at St. Patrick's Cathedral. Worth looking for if you never heard it.

[Champion Jack]

10. I don't have a problem with jesus

it's his fan club I can't stand.

[The Flaming Red Head]

12. The church of sitting in the hot tub and drinking daiquiris every Sunday.

Sure Jesus is welcome, but he better bring his own towel.

We have many affiliates in other states. I've been a member for twenty years, now and our only commandment is one and a half cups of rum per pitcher.

[Kazak]

13. Most certainly...

Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Norman, OK

[Brian Morans]

15. The man said "Get outta here!

I'll tear ya limb from limb!"
I said "You know they refused Jesus, too."
He said, "You're not Him!"

- from Bob Dylan' 117th Dream

[napi21]

16. I was asked a better question than that.

If Jesus came to earth TODAY, and was (as in the time he was here) a noticibly poor man, preching on a street corner, maybe with 12 of his friends standing around him, do you think many people would follow him?

It's a very difficult question to answer. Remember, you wouldn't KNOW he was the Son of God, but people then didn't know that either, He had to convince them.

I've been a practicing Catholic all my life, and I had to answer, I'm not sure. I hate to say it, but I suspect most would not.

[Selwynn]

17. Jesus attacked the religious establishment, and they hated him for it

If Jesus came back today, he would by pass the churches and go right to the homeless, minorities, the poor, he would stay at the home of a homosexual couple and fellowship with all of them. In fact, Jesus would probably retell the parable of the good Samaritan as the good gay guy in this society, pointing to another truth that in God's kingdom the people that the hypocrites often castigate as undesirable or unclean are in fact the real children of god.

While doing this he would welcome Jews, Muslims, Hindus, atheists and anyone else into conversation and dialog with love not condemnation. He would do this because Jesus constantly challenged the stereotypes and establishment of the day, and because Jesus was never about establishing a set of "dogmas" for a religious institution. He was about teaching about how to be filled with love and joy of the heart, to have life - and that life more abundantly.

He would criticize the rich, the religious elite, and he would make those who feel morally pious in their judgment of others guilty and ashamed. He would condemn the government, and condemn capitalist society where the money changers rule all at the expense of the people - and in the end the religious, government and business power brokers of the day would kill him all over again. Why? Because he threatened their power.

[J Williams]

18. He was the original bleeding-heart liberal, and a revolutionary

Selwynn has it about right. Many would hate Jesus if he did come again, especially the right-wing religious bigots and hypocrites, the wealthy (who are greedy and selfish), and the proud and militant who want to impose their will on the world.

Jesus would once again advocate for and comfort the poor, the disadvantaged, the meek, and the least of our brethren. He would again say, "As you do unto these, you do unto me."

The thing is, Jesus won't come again. At least, that's what I read in a book titled What IS the World Coming To? (ISBN: 059531998X) The author explains why the idea of a "second coming" is actually a myth, as is the "virgin birth." And, even better, so is the idea of the "end times."

[AngryOldDem]

19. Matthew 25

That is why, in all the Bible, I think the most powerful verse is this:

"Whatever you did for the least one of my brothers, you did for me."

[Old_Growth]

20. They won't kill him again

He already paid his dues. He's all about kicking ass this time around.

"Like the potters vessels shall they be broken"

Then the meek shall live in peace with him a long long time.

[mmonk]

21. Where did he say that?

[Old_Growth]

22. Ok it wasn't an exact quote

Revelation 2:27 "And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father."

[Selwynn]

37. I don't believe in the kick ass Christ

and I generally avoid quoting revelations, considering we don't know who the hell the "john" was that "authored" it, but most scholars agree it certainly wasn't the apostle.

When Jesus showed up on the scene the first time, many assumed he would come as a warring revolutionary to overthrow Rome and liberate Israel. But instead he came with a message of peace and compassion. If a roman forces you to go with him a mile, go with him two instead. If he forces you to give him your cloak, give him your tunic as well. If he strikes you, turn the other cheek to him also. He preached that love of god and of neighbor was the highest commandment, and he called the peacemakers blessed. He preached an ethic of personal compassion and hope, witnessed to through every bit of the sermon on the mount - and I dare say most of Israel was shocked...

It's interesting to me that somehow we assume that the "next time" Jesus comes around (I'm just choosing to speak in the most literalistic way, though I am not a literalist) it will some how be the complete opposite of the spirit in which he came the first time. As though everything Jesus showed of his nature will somehow be undone and THIS time he will come back to whip ass. It seems interesting to me that we seem to assume the same things that first century Jews assumed, only to be radically surprised.

I don't believe that a God whose "mercy endures forever" will one day order everyone out of the pool for an ass kicking reckoning. Either his mercy endures forever, or it doesn't - you can't have it both ways. Perhaps his return will not be a moment before there is literally no hope of any one else on earth being rescued from the clutches of despair. I'm not sure I believe that god will ever turn away from an open armed invitation to love, peace and grace. But I do believe that people can come to a place where they make their choice so completely and so absolutely that it is final. So, not so much a change in the nature of character of God but rather at wholesale turning away from him in such a way that a person would never choose otherwise no matter what.

Again, for simplicity's sake I am speaking in literalistic terms, but I once said that I don't believe there will be a single person in "hell" (though I don't see hell as some kind of lake of fire created as vindictive punitive punishment from a vicious god, in fact I rarely use the word "hell" at all) who didn't choose to go there. I don't believe God "condemns" anyone anywhere. But I do believe we make choices, and I do believe that there comes times in our lives where we make final choices that are absolute and from which we will never choose to turn back.

[sweetheart]

44. I come as the lion

If jesus came back as the lion, then he would not be jesus, eh?

The hell might be there of our own creation, and be most manifest
in fear of jesus for what he might do, and in this very fear
separating oneself from god. Someone with a daily renewal of their
relationship with Jesus likely has no fear, whether he be pissed off
or not.

Given that there is anger and war in the universe, gods universe,
i can't but see these as also attributes of god. Perhaps God still
gets very pissed off, and maybe jesus would be one pissed off dude
were he being honest about what has been turned in his name.
Howard Dean and Jesus would probably have a lot in common. ;-)

[sage1]

23. Sadly....

Jesus would not come into our churches.... the American Christian church has de-volved into private clubs that "play" at being church, and ignore the deeply divisive situation in our nation: ignoring the poor, the homeless, the hungry and victims of international policies of war, aggression and imperialistic capitalism.

Of course Jesus would not be welcome: he doesn't look like the people we want in our midst. And scripture shows us Jesus stood with the poor and disenfranchised. He wouldn't be in church, but be in Sudan, feeding the hungry. He'd be on urban streets with the homeless and with the forgotten rural poor. He'd be healing AIDS victims in Africa and Asia. All of those the places most churches have forgotten.

How do you think Preident Bush and his cronies would view Jesus?
Another crazy radical trouble maker. And Bush'd send in his hit men to point out his flaws....After all, didn't Jesus cause trouble in small towns with his far-left preaching? Didn't he break the laws by helping people in violation with blue laws? Didn't he have questionable close relationships with both men and women? WAsn't he tried and found guilty and put to death... must have been Texas...
Too many character flaws to be respected....

[Old_Growth]

27. Hi sage1

Welcome to DU!
Love your screen name too. Is it the herbal variety or the Toaist? :-)

[sage1]

28. screen name

Hi old one- my name is what it is.

[skygazer]

25. I have often pondered what sort of welcome Jesus would receive

And I have to agree with Selwynn. I don't think many people would recognize him for what he truly was and I think he and those who did would be ostracized.

After all, Jesus was the original "pinko liberal" in the words of my father when talking about anyone who loves their fellow man - sometimes I wonder why all these RWers profess to admire him so much!

[Old_Growth]

26. Yeah especially..

When he doesn't even answer to the name Jesus anymore.

Rev 3:12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.

Is Jesus being reincarnated here?
Makes me wonder.

[GreenPartyVoter]

31. It all depends. I go to a conservative evangelical church, so if

He stands up and they feel He is giving them the thumbs up on what they are doing and believing, He'll get a thumbs up back.

Otherwise, not so sure they would believe it was Him. (For that matter, I'm a doubting Thomas myself, so I am sure I'd give Him a hard time about proving who He says He is. *l*)

Would Jesus love a liberal? You bet!
http://www.geocities.com/greenpartyvoter/liberalchristians.htm

[Selwynn]

38. With all the churches out there, why in the world go to a....

...conservative evangelical church?

I'm asking honestly - I wouldn't be able to stand going someplace where I disagreed 90% of the time. That's not community to me.

[GreenPartyVoter]

41. You know the verse about not being unevenly yoked to an unbeliever?

Well, I am finding the same applies for different believers. My hubby is a pastor's kid and cannot let go of old dogma and fear of Hell. HAS to go to that church. And for the sake of our kids (ages 4 and 6) I avoid arguing legalistic issues with him. We just stick to the basics that we can agree on. 1) There is a "God" 2) "He" loves us very much. 3) "He" was manifested on Earth as Jesus. (And others, to my wayof thinking, but I don't mention that to hubby.)

And it's not so bad being at that church. At least they ordain women and let them wear make-up, jewelry, and pants. And they are very big on compassionate ministries. I am not big on evangelizing missions, but they do a lot of other things like repair buildings for towns in third world nations. I really do love the people of the congregation, if not their most of their views.

So I slip in a few liberal thoughts now and then in Sunday School class, get some liberal fellowship online so that I don't feel isolated. And it helps to know that it's not something I will necessarily have to do forever. If, when my kids are teens and are ready to start expanding their horizons where their faith is concerned, and I have reached a point that I don't want to be at that church anymore, then I won't go. We have very nice UCC, UU, and Episcopal services here in town, so I might wind up at one of those down the road.

[rooboy]

32. He'd be welcome as long as he signed a pledge to elect Bush. n/t

[GarySeven]

33. Jesus was the first liberal ...

... so naturally he would be thrown out on his ass.

[MasonJar]

35. Absolutely. My church is so responsive to all people. I am an

Episcopalian and so proud of my church.

[liberalpress]

52. What about that whole "gay" thing?

[LWolf]

36. Sure.

Of course, I don't have a church. But Jesus is welcome where ever I happen to be. I wouldn't have him arrested.

I don't think I'd follow him, but I'd love to have a long conversation, and to meetup with him now and then.

[Cheswick2.0]

39. Yes, but they'd all think he was a nice boy who needed a full time job

Yankee work ethic and all that.

[sweetheart]

47. probably

"Yankee work ethic and all that."

The phrase endemically says that it is superior, this ethic,
as the speaker intends. Embedded is firstly superiority and
condescention. I agree, a church would probably approach
Jesus that way.

Jesus holds out his hand and takes back his name and that of his
father from the church, and they are disbanded.

And everyone goes back to their defense day job and builds another
generation of bombs, aircraft and guns for aggressive war. Why
doesn't he get a job in the army, or the expanding empire?

Jesus says "Show me a job worth doing. It appears that whatever
job i take, your government will tax wages from me to murder
and imprison 1000's of people. I cannot put the power of the
kingdom and my father to lucifer's work."

Jesus then laughs and says all your jobs are part of the kindom
of casear, and not of Gods. That yankee work ethic is a lie,
and all it really means is low wages in a new corporate state
where indivdiual expression and freedom are repressed by a
planned economy of petroleum headed war morons.

Then Jesus promptly signs 1000 bibles and sells them for 1000 dollars
cash each, giving the money to whom he saw needed it. :-)

"Get thee a job." Jesus then says to all who think he needs a job.
"Get thee one where you do not finance lucifer's work."

Jesus then takes the few believers in the church and heads off to
Fiji for a satsang in the sun.

[Cheswick2.0]

59. Just to let you know

<<<<<<<"Yankee work ethic and all that."

The phrase endemically says that it is superior, this ethic,
as the speaker intends. >>>>>>>>>>>

I intended nothing of the sort. I was simply making a comment on the quirkiness of my community.

[OHswingvoter]

40. I was raised in a pretty

repressive fundamentalist christian home. But I rebelled and quit ging when I left home. A few years ago, I lost my job (Bush 1), lost my wife (left me for a rich doctor), and she took our kids with her. I hit rock bottom. I was drinking pretty heavily from morning to night. I was pretty low and then I had an experiecne where I felt that God spoke to me. Well I joined up AA and have been sober for nearly 5 years now. I was not raised Catholic but decided to attend the Catholic church because it Christian like me and is very different from what I was raised in. They are wonderful to a sinner like me there. There are several recovering alcoholics, drug abusers and parolees we have a suport group. I experience the fullness of Christian joy there and I am very glad to have put my drinking behind me and gotten my life back. I know that my church is the kind of church Jesus would be proud of because it cares about the poor and sinners. God Bless everyone.

[Cheswick2.0]

58. Good for you finding a church like that

Congratulations on your five years.
I have several relatives in the same condition you were in and I pray they find something powerful to call them away from their misery.

[T Bone]

42. What if he was a somewhat hyperactive 8 year old with a single mother

Jesus was a child before he was an adult. Why does everyone assume he will show up at their church as an adult?

So assume an 8 year old somewhat hyperactive, and a little precocious Jesus shows up on Sunday morning. How well is he received at your church. I have been to several where he is NOT welcome at all.

Too needy.

[Cheswick2.0]

61. We have lots of those kids at my church

He would be welcome.

[jdj]

43. And the sign says " long haired freaky people need not apply"

I don't have a church, but a jewish hippie of middle-eastern descent in drag with open wounds WOULD NOT fit in at my parent's church (First Baptist) or any Baptist church I have ever been to.

[Seabiscuit]

45. I don't think Jesus Christ

welcomes most churches and what their parishoners stand for and how they behave.

[OHswingvoter]

46. as a Christian, I do not

judge the other parishioners. Church is like a hospital for sinners a place where they can go to be healed. It is not a hotel for saints. People who are non christian act like they expect christians to be perfect. I am not perfect, I would like a drink right now. Every person in the church is a sinner. People who think church goers should be perfect and are all judgemental about people who TRY to do right with their lives are wrong.

Another thing, I do not judge how good a christian any one else is (including even the Bushies) because that is none of my business. It is between them and god. My belief is that all christian screw up (as do all people) almost continuously. But we can all be forgiven. Just like the thief on the cross he repented at death and went to heaven. No matter what someone does, even if they were a bad criminal, if they are truly repentent to God when they die, I believe that they are OK with god. So I cannot judge anyone else.

I think if Jesus were on earth he would be glad to come to my church. I believe he is there anyway even though he is not on this earth.

[MagicBoy]

48. Jesus in MY church?

Well, yeah. He's already there. He's also here with me now.

Good news, eh?

[OHswingvoter]

49. yes he is everywhere. no one is excluded.

God Bless!

[Cheswick2.0]

60. I think that is awfully judgemental and I know you don't mean to be

But you have just decided who Jesus loves and who he does not, which church is worthy and which is not.
I think Jesus would recognise that people were trying to do exactly as he requested and forgive their imperfect efforts.

And how do you know what most churches stand for or what their members stand for or behave?

[Rowdyboy]

50. Jesus would be right at home in my little Episocpal church...

Everyone is a little daffy and offbeat here, and I think we would make him feel very comfortable

[OHswingvoter]

51. I believe that if there is

good in your heart and you believe--well then you can have him with you at any time! Your church sounds very good!

[liberalpress]

53. What if he were gay?

[Rowdyboy]

66. It was thee Episcops that ordained a gay Bishop this year

There are a 1/2 dozen open gays in our small congregation. He'd be a welcome addition.

[Guava Jelly]

55. I'd take jesus out back and beat his @$$ with a pipe

for letting so much injustice go on in the world for killing my mother my friend sue of cancer and for putting a tumor in the head of a 15 year old girl i know.
but thats just me

[Cheswick2.0]

62. Jesus didn't do any of those things

Cancer is a desease we are giving ourselves in most cases. Have you eaten fast food lately? Do you eat processed food, smoke cigarettes, pot? Do you live in a city where the air quality and the ground water are poluted, but you do nothing about it? Do you eat fish with mercury? Do you drive a car, wear cologne, put chemicals down you kitchen drain? Do you clean your bathtub with caustic chemicals?
When you get lung cancer will you blame Jesus for that too?

[Guava Jelly]

65. if only god can create

then god created it.
if you see a small fire and dont put it out and it becomes a big fire then you are responable in my eyes.
If all knowing cloud guy sees a tumor and dosent fix it then it is imaginary cloud guys fault.
Oh P.s. I used to believe in god Now i believe god is just an excuse to be a dick to anyone who isnt a christian.

"Mankind has cured most major diseases, put men on the moon, space probes into interstellar space, plumbed the oceans to their depths, created radio, TV, computers, the internet, unraveled the genetic code, and harnessed the power of the atom; all these wonders humans have achieved and yet we still cut our neighbors' throats over whose god has the biggest dick."__Professor Israel Shahak - Israeli Human Rights Activist - 1933~2001

[Love Bug]

56. Well, we're having a potluck this Sunday

He could do that "loaves and fishes" thing! ;-)

[St. Jarvitude]

57. Yes. I attend a Catholic Church with very good priests

They've all spoken out in favor of gay marriage and, in general, love and peace, in their sermons.

Unfortunately, they're all bound by the not-so-good Pope.

Hopefully, when this one dies, the cardinals will elect a better Pope.

[Cheswick2.0]

63. Thats the problem with top down authoritarian governments

you have to hope the guy at the top who you never got to vote for, is not a jerk.

[AngryOldDem]

67. Don't Bet On A "Better" Pope

Word is the successor to JPII will be even more conservative.

But I'm intrigued by your priests -- do they catch any flak from the local hierarchy or parishioners for their views?