If Jesus was born today ....

[gottakeeponmovin]

Not meant to be digging at Christians (I am actually one myself) but I have often wondered around this time. If a woman and her husband claimed to have been visited by God and were having the second coming of Jesus would anyone actually believe them? And if a twenty something man performed miracles would we all believe that was the Son of God or would we think it was an illusionist? What would have to occur to make anyone believe that the child or man was actually Jesus or would the majority of the human race think it was the makings of a cult? Has anyone else actually wondered this? It seems to me that we believe something that, should it happen our life time we maybe would dismiss !

One of the differences is that Jesus was only there on earth to bring glory to God’s name and not to gain any glory or name for himself. He was humble and always pointing his miracles to his Father God. His humbleness and refusal to take credit for the miracles performed in front of people would make him very different and stand out from illusionists.

@chomalungma I guess you could argue that's why a second coming would have to be different because the world has changed so much ie what was miraculous then perhaps wouldn't appear to be now as a PP said

@Notnownotneverever good point

I'm not sure I believe in God, but if there is one I wonder if he'd be looking at the shit show we've made of the world with his head in his hands thinking I knew giving them free will was a mistake.

A second coming would definitely need a strong hint from God.

Nothing like a talking burning bush.

😂

@MrsKingfisher

I'm not sure I believe in God, but if there is one I wonder if he'd be looking at the shit show we've made of the world with his head in his hands thinking I knew giving them free will was a mistake.

And as a Cristian I’d like to think if Jesus was to come back he’d be appalled at the cruelty that has been carried out in his name over the years. And I think he’d give short shrift to those who profess his name but deny rights to their fellow humans...After all when he commanded us to love our neighbour as ourselves he didn’t make it conditional on the race, skin colour etc.

Christian even.....

And I think he’d give short shrift to those who profess his name but deny rights to their fellow human

I would love to ask some of the people in power who say they are Christian what they think being Christian means.

It always amazes me how sceptical people are about his birth when it split time in two. Jesus Christ is the single most significant person to have ever been born. If He was not, we would not tell time by it. I'm not sure what He makes of us all celebrating His birth in the ways that we do, but from what I know of Him from the bible, He would have loved a good party

I don't believe in god to me the bible is just an old story some people like to believe. I did go to church a handful of times as an adult but it was weird and the tales were too far fetched for me. Love magic though, people would just think he was a magician. I'd believe in wizards more than god 😂

His mother, as a child saying an Angel had come to her (instead of her much older boyfriend), would be kept in hospital until the birth with a provisional assumption of psychosis, possibly as a result of substance abuse, grooming and child sexual exploitation. Joseph wouldn't be allowed anywhere near her or the baby and his saying he would marry her wouldn't carry any weight with Social Services.

After the birth, she would be carefully monitored and if she maintained that her baby appeared by magic, she would likely be transferred to a Mother and Baby unit. Unfortunately, due to her circumstances of her age, being traumatised by the boyfriend and suspected drug abuse or serious mental illness, she would remain in the care system and be expected to prove her abilities as a mother in extremely artificial circumstances.

In the intervening period, Joseph would be arrested on suspicion of having sex with a child and only bailed on condition that he does not contact Mary under any circumstances. Eventually, a DNA test would be ordered. However, this would not dispel Social Services' concerns, particularly if he also confirmed that an Angel came to him in a dream to say he should take the baby on as his own and marry the child who is his mother.

If she managed to keep up a charade of 'oh, silly me, I was very upset and scared, but of course I know he isn't the son of God', she might, upon reaching the age of 18, be allocated a bedsit by the local authority. Social Services would, however, remain heavily involved and if they got wind of Joseph still being in the picture, would be very concerned about the safety of both mother and toddler.

If Mary fails to comply with their expectations, it would be possible that an emergency care order would be requested and the child taken into care. It is possible that, due to being so young, it could be decided by the Court that his best interests would be served by adoption.

Assuming that Mary manages to keep the Social Workers happy, as little Joshua reaches compulsory school age, his disappearance, along with Mary and Joseph (because he had a dream that the child was about to be murdered) would result in a very public appeal for any information concerning the three of them, especially if anybody got wind of their possible intention to leave the country. There would also be a Court Order requiring the immediate return of the baby into the care of Social Services.

If they were discovered in an adjoining country or returned at a later date, both parents would be arrested and the child would again, be taken into care.

To quote TheThe: 'If the real Jesus Christ were to stand up today, he'd be gunned down dead by the CIA'

This already happens all the time. Loads of people claim to be God, Jesus, or various other religious figures. There was a nun who claimed to have got pregnant by immaculate conception a while ago. Virtually no one, including religious people, ever believes them. Instead, they're usually diagnosed with mental illnesses.

Imagine if a patient was displaying schizophrenic symptoms and claiming to be Jesus, and their psychiatrist refused to treat them because they believed they weren't ill but were telling the truth. The psychiatrist would certainly be sacked for failing their duty of care to their patient. Philip Garrido, the man who kidnapped and raped Jaycee Dugard, claimed that angels told him to do it, and backed his claims up with Bible quotes about how women should be submissive to men. The psychiatrists who assessed him put this down to schizophrenia, not supernatural forces.

Strangely, people are more willing to believe stories that happened centuries ago than in the present day. If someone was on trial for murder, and they testified, "I didn't do it, I was discussing the weather with my neighbour's pet snake that morning" I'm pretty sure none of the jurors would believe them. But people are willing to believe that female disobedience caused all the problems in the world, because a woman took dietary advice from a snake thousands of years ago.

You'd be hard pressed to find three wise men these days, for starters.

@chomalungma

He did choose such a backward time and a strange land. If he'd have come today, he would have reached a whole nation Because Israel in 4 BC had no mass communication.

Really? The Roman Empire, in the lands of the Near East, one of the central buffer lands between the great Middle Eastern, Mesopotamian empires the latest of which was Persia and Egypt?

Technologically backward compared to our time, perhaps, but there were many other less well-connected places he could have chosen. Just about anywhere in fact. The location and connectivity is why these cults spread to us, no other explanations are needed. I wrote cults because of course there were many spreading at that time, all incorporating different elements of common local myths and motifs. There were others more popular originally.

Really? The Roman Empire, in the lands of the Near East, one of the central buffer lands between the great Middle Eastern, Mesopotamian empires the latest of which was Persia and Egyp

I’m not an expert on the area at this time, but Rome had not long taken over Egypt, and even only taken the Palestine area within 100 years. No wonder there was still unrest and cults spreading out just then.

I see. Bit before my time !

Those who don't believe in Jesus. I take it you don't celebrate Christmas then. You can't have it both ways deny his existence and celebrate his birthday at the same time.

@Awwlookatmybabyspider

Those who don't believe in Jesus. I take it you don't celebrate Christmas then. You can't have it both ways deny his existence and celebrate his birthday at the same time.

If only there was an answer to this statement that gets repeated everytime someone makes this comment.

What do you think most people are celebrating at Christmas?

I think if Jesus appeared today in the US the millions of Trump supporters would believe in him and his story.

The whole Trump thing made me see how the Jesus story managed to take off and become seen to be real.

I think. I want one. of those outfits. for Christmas. Gift giving is an ancient European custom btw, as is the midwinter festival. Classic Roman assimilationist tactics in action, merging with local customs.

I said "I take it you " dont" celebrate Christmas. That's a tad different to saying "You celebrate Christmas and you shouldn't"

@gottakeeponmovin
If the second coming was obvious the question wouldn't exist would it. Bore off Who said it was? it’s your biblical reference points For your question that’s incorrect, but you have now backtracked and corrected your mistakes. Calm down!