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Jesus, a Jewish "Hippie"?

metis

aged ecumenical anthropologist
I'm gonna let this question set for a day, and then tomorrow I'm going to introduce a question that relates. And then I'll do the same on Thursday...
 

Rival

Si m'ait Dieus
Staff member
Premium Member
Not quite. I would also argue there are places where Jesus is more strict than the Torah, e.g., divorce. He also preaches repentance for sins over and over again; he's not hanging around with sinners because he approves them, he's trying to teach them and is also asking them to repent (see the famous woman caught in adultery story; he doesn't tell her to go be sexually liberal, he tells her not to sin again). He also mentions that his way is narrow, few can do it etc. The story of Abraham looking down on the rich man in the afterlife doesn't strike me as a 'hippie' vision, either. Jesus has pity on socially marginalised people, but he doesn't seem to be justifying their sins either.
 

metis

aged ecumenical anthropologist
Now in all seriousness - @metis, how would you define a "hippie" for the purpose of this debate?
Very strong emphasis on love ["agape"] although minus free sex and drugs.

Agape is generally defined by theologians as a kind of love that permeates our every being. IOW, we are to act out of love, not just have it as a belief.
 

Harel13

Am Yisrael Chai
Staff member
Premium Member
We don't have a clue if he had long hair, but where does the "mumbo-jumbo" come in, may I ask?
I could make a list, but I don't really have time for that right now. Uni exams are coming up...
 

metis

aged ecumenical anthropologist
Not quite. I would also argue there are places where Jesus is more strict than the Torah, e.g., divorce. He also preaches repentance for sins over and over again; he's not hanging around with sinners because he approves them, he's trying to teach them and is also asking them to repent (see the famous woman caught in adultery story; he doesn't tell her to go be sexually liberal, he tells her not to sin again). He also mentions that his way is narrow, few can do it etc. The story of Abraham looking down on the rich man in the afterlife doesn't strike me as a 'hippie' vision, either. Jesus has pity on socially marginalised people, but he doesn't seem to be justifying their sins either.
See my post #7, and I don't imply with my OP that Jesus did marginalize sin.
 

metis

aged ecumenical anthropologist
OK, my intent was to get back on this tomorrow, so I'm outta here on this thread until then.

BTW, I didn't put this on any DIR as I intend to introduce questions within a few days that those of outer faiths, agnostics, and atheists can more relate to.
 

Estro Felino

Believer in free will
Premium Member
The truth is that unfortunately, there was a pretty sly demonization of hippies during the eighties.
Many of them lived a very spiritual life, almost ascetic.
So...light years away from the promiscuous lifestyle in the communes and so on...

So...the OP has a point.
 

Rival

Si m'ait Dieus
Staff member
Premium Member
See my post #7, and I don't imply with my OP that Jesus did marginalize sin.
Yes, but I wouldn't say he focused on love anymore than the Torah really does. Love for one's neighbour is there; not despising the Egyptians (the foe) is there; treating the foreigner as one of you, "You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God." etc. So I agree Jesus emphasised these things but I don't think they started with Jesus. In the rest of the Tanakh, I think Isaiah 1:16-18 is a good example of this kind of teaching, as well.
 

Kelly of the Phoenix

Well-Known Member
Not quite. I would also argue there are places where Jesus is more strict than the Torah, e.g., divorce. He also preaches repentance for sins over and over again; he's not hanging around with sinners because he approves them, he's trying to teach them and is also asking them to repent (see the famous woman caught in adultery story; he doesn't tell her to go be sexually liberal, he tells her not to sin again). He also mentions that his way is narrow, few can do it etc. The story of Abraham looking down on the rich man in the afterlife doesn't strike me as a 'hippie' vision, either. Jesus has pity on socially marginalised people, but he doesn't seem to be justifying their sins either.
You would think if Jesus wanted to fix problems, he would hang out with and teach the self righteous people who have the power to fix the problem.
 

Rival

Si m'ait Dieus
Staff member
Premium Member
But Jews had no real political power, which is why I think he is a coward.
I suppose this matters more if you think of Jesus as a political figure just as much as a religious one. I doubt the Romans would have cared one way or the other about 90% of his beliefs, apart from the Messianic claim. Even then, that's taken out of context if we remember that Jesus wasn't claiming an earthly throne. From a mainstream Jewish POV he should have taken on the Romans and become an earthly king, as we see the Apostles seem to think of him at first, but this is not Jesus' paradigm.
 
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