Aphrodite

#exChristian It took me the better part of a lifetime to realize that the Gospels are a Build Your Own Jesus kit. Decades of Jesus stories passed on by word-of-mouth, followed by non-eye-witness authors of the four Gospels writing over a span of at least three additional decades, with each one telling the Jesus story in his own way, add up to a situation that leads the discerning student of the New Testament to ask: Will the real Jesus please stand up! But most believers don’t get that far. They take a simpler approach. They pick and choose from the pages of the Gospels and build their own Jesus. All Is Forgiven Jesus This is the Jesus of liberal Christianity. The troublesome sayings of Jesus, the repeated calls to put him above all else, the need to worry about calling him “Lord, Lord” on the final day only to have him reply, “I know you not,” and other hard sayings are all metaphorical (explained away) and not something for the contented and forgiven believer in the All Is Forgiven Jesus to worry about. Danger of Hell Jesus Another option in this Build Your Own Jesus kit is the Danger of Hell Jesus. These Jesus followers work hard to remember that Jesus said they should worry about being lukewarm in their commitment. These are hard-working believers who believe salvation is by grace, but the validity of one’s salvation is shown by a changed life, acts of service, and attention to all the commandments of Jesus. These Jesus people are hard on themselves and others. Turn the Other Cheek Jesus These Jesus followers make good friends and neighbors. They are tuned in to the call of Jesus to forgive, to go the extra mile, and to turn the other cheek. They love the parable of the Good Samaritan and Jesus’s emphasis on helping the poor, the downtrodden, and the broken souls they encounter. MAGA Jesus MAGA Jesus people like Donald Trump and seem to consider him their second Jesus. They are not so much into turning the other cheek. They are concerned about the poor getting too much help and having it too easy. After all, they worked for what they have. They are concerned about what they see as the sins of others, like being gay or transexual. For them, faith in Jesus is tied to their country, which in their minds, is God’s chosen nation. Sell All You Own Jesus Sell All You Own Jesus people are few in number, in fact hard to find. It seems too much like communism for most believers. What Jesus told the rich man who wanted to follow him is just too harsh and had to be a one-off oddity in the view of most Jesus followers. But make no mistake, this Jesus is an option in the Gospels. Some of the earliest followers of Jesus practiced this lifestyle. Pro$perity Jesus Joel Osteen, the preacher who lives in a 10-million- dollar house, is the best-known proponent of Pro$perity Jesus. Don’t blink or you’ll miss the verses it pulls from the Bible to justify its teachings. Jesus told his followers to ask him for anything. God will supply all your needs. If you are sick, with faith, ask God to heal you. Poor people and sick people simply don’t have enough faith to claim God’s blessings according to these Jesus believers. Love Everyone Jesus Love Everyone Jesus followers seek to love their neighbors as themselves. But they don’t stop there. They think across national boundaries. “Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in his sight,” is a Sunday School song they remember. Jesus is for the whole world, and everyone should love everyone else. These followers of Jesus seek to empathize and support people no matter how differently they may look, sound, or think. Hate Your Family Jesus According to Matthew 10:37, Jesus did say ““Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me.” Cult groups love this verse as well as Luke 14:26, “Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple.” The Hate Your Family Jesus works best with a “this world is about to end” mentality. Most believes have trouble actually loving their silent and invisible friend Jesus more than close family members. Like I said in the first paragraph, the Gospels are a Build Your Own Jesus kit. There’s not just one Jesus there. And that’s why there are tens of thousands of versions (denominations) of Christianity in the world today. As an #agnostic #atheist ex-Christian, there are still some things I like about the Jesus I found in the New Testament, like the goal of loving all kinds of people. But I understand that Jesus was an apocalyptic prophet who died around 2,000 years ago.

This one goes out to @justnicole42 who wanted me to know that a *gasp!* CHRISTIAN MAN WOULD NEVER. Behold, a Christian man, in public, wearing whatever tf he wants. But please—tell me again about how women shouldn't wear leggings to the gym because it's too sexy.