Was Jesus a liberal or a conservative?

I’d ask dustyscout53 to please stop suffocating this important discussion with his constant, pedantic arguments about women. And let's not have him pulling Jesus' words out of context like some kind of naive, right-wing zealot!

Captain Crunch said:Let’s move away from the prayer talk and stick to the topic. Please, just focus. 😁

Talking about food drives and healing the poor and neglected as some big metaphor for universal healthcare? To me, that reeks of communism. And preaching that everyone gets through the pearly gates? That flies right in the face of traditional faith where there are actual rules about who gets into the temple. It’s all just more metaphors about how the powerful and the wealthy shouldn't control people's lives, equality, and all that nonsense.

I’m starting to lose my faith that he was even a conservative.

Oh, please... no way... healthcare wasn't meant for everyone, it was only for those who believe... 😁

🙏

briskpuma23 said:Jesus' teachings were profoundly anti-traditionalist within the context of his era.

I have often observed that Jesus demonstrated far more tolerance and compassion toward fallen women than most modern-day priests in the US—which, frankly, highlights the lamentable, regressive shifts occurring within the American Catholic Church today. Jesus accepted people exactly as they were, yet he remained steadfast in the belief in their moral restoration; this might be considered left-leaning, but I assure you, it is absolutely nothing like communism.

Furthermore, Jesus advocated for a radical overhaul of one's way of life—that "leave everything and follow me" mentality. To put it bluntly, Jesus was a revolutionary, a role the political Right has historically loathed; the Right is fundamentally reactionary, obsessed with cementing existing customs. You see similar messaging spread by communists and anarchists alike.

Jesus championed love among people and preached that everyone stands equal before God—an idea that is entirely inconsistent with right-wing discourse, which typically emphasizes hierarchies of those who are "more equal," closer to God, or inherently better. That is the language of moderates.

While Jesus practiced forgiveness and turned the other cheek, we see that the ultra-right tends toward institutionalized vengeance (reminiscent of Auschwitz), while communists lean toward extra-institutional retribution (think Jonestown). In this specific regard, liberals are actually much closer to the spirit of Jesus.

Even the concept of the state—earthly kingdoms—was something Jesus rejected. In that sense, he shares a striking affinity with anarchists.

Ultimately, Jesus fought against injustice and stood up for the individual, particularly the downtrodden and the weak. He offered hope for a better, more just existence, even beyond death. It would be a mistake to label him a leftist, but it is equally obvious that he shares almost no common ground with the Right.

P.S. Honestly, I find it hard to believe that some people here fail to grasp that Jesus was a man—a human being. While he was also God, he was undeniably human. (In my view, primarily a man—though that is debatable, but treating Jesus solely as a divine entity reveals a fundamental ignorance in those who make such claims).

j.a. said:Yeah, but aren't you guys atheists? So, Jesus can't be a communist.

Look, Jesus was a historical figure, not just a religious one. Period. Even atheists believe in Jesus—as in, they accept he actually existed. They just don't buy into his X-Men superpowers or his weird family tree.

briskpuma23 said:Can we please ask dustyscout53 to stop suffocating this huge topic with his constant little debates about the fairer sex? And maybe quit pulling Jesus' words out of context like some clueless right-wingers!

Look, I’m not twisting Jesus' words—I’m just reacting to what you actually said. As for whether Jesus is speaking through you... honestly, I'll pass on that one. You've got sexism running through your veins and you don't even realize it.

Emily Taylor3 said:Don't you think you should actually try reading the New Testament yourself?

Why though? Did it not click the first time, so now you're looking for someone to explain it to you? Just head to a local church—they've already done the homework. 😁

dustyscout53 said:Why?

Why not?

It’s not like you’re throwing your time down the drain. At the very least, you might actually learn something so you aren't just talking out of your ass. 😉

Check out this wild theological deep dive about Jesus and Christmas!
http://www.fanpop.com/spots/christmas/links/12185

dustyscout53 said:I’m not pulling Jesus' words out of context; I'm just interpreting what you actually wrote. As for whether Jesus is speaking through you, I’ll pass on that one. You've got sexism running through your veins and you don't even realize it.

I was talking about Jesus' relationship with Mary Magdalene, not his stance on all women. According to most common interpretations, she was a prostitute whom Jesus defended against a hypocritical, traditionalist mob (some theories suggest she was an adulteress, while more recent ones argue she was simply considered "too beautiful," which was enough to brand her immoral).

Not sure where you're getting the idea that I'm sexist, but my veins definitely aren't Catholic, buddy.

The topic is pretty dumb, but it’s worth noting that his direct followers—you know, the people actually listening to him 2,000 years ago—saw him as a new Jewish king because he had royal blood somewhere in his distant family tree.

So, look, Jesus isn't left-wing or right-wing. Jesus is a monarch. 😉

This topic isn't, and can't be, stupid. Jesus is a historical figure, and how his messages—or the ones attributed to him—are interpreted has shaped, continues to shape, and will continue to shape human lives on both a personal and a geopolitical scale.

In the States, some Reformed Christians have gone out of their way to argue that Jesus was a right-wing isolationist. It’s honestly dangerous to leave the interpretation of Jesus' teachings solely in the hands of Christians or those who claim that label.

Chuck said:The whole topic of how you'd even arrest someone for just saying stuff...😍

In this "...proud part of the Middle East..."🤣 🤣

briskpuma23 said:The subject isn't—and can't be—stupid. Jesus is a historical figure. How people interpret his messages (or whatever is attributed to him) has shaped, is shaping, and will continue to shape lives on both a personal and global scale.

Some Reformed Christians here in the States have been scrambling to spin Jesus as some sort of right-wing isolationist. It’s a dangerous game, letting the interpretation of Jesus's teachings fall solely into the hands of Christians or anyone claiming that label.

Look, Jesus was pretty clear about the separation of church and state with that whole "render unto Caesar what is Caesar's, and unto God what is God's" bit. He taught that we're all brothers and children of God the Father. Private property, government structures, whether you're on the right or the left—that stuff is up to us. All God asks of humanity is the command to love; basically, love your neighbor as yourself because "you are all brothers." That's why it's a massive uphill battle for the wealthy to get into heaven—they carry more weight. They have to decide if their wealth (whether it's money, intellect, or whatever else) serves a higher purpose, or if they'll just become slaves to it, kind of like that parable about the talents.

To me, trying to pigeonhole Jesus as either a conservative or a liberal is just laughable. Do what you want, but at least crack open the New Testament before you start typing so you actually know what you're talking about. 👍

briskpuma23 said:Jesus basically rejected the whole idea of nation-states. In that sense, he was pretty close to anarchists.

Man, you have zero clue what you're talking about.
Let me guess, you're gonna claim he was calling for a revolution next? Probably based on that "Render unto God the things that are God's, and unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's" line.
Cut the crap. He wasn't out there preaching the downfall of empires or any worldly order. Besides, earthly order isn't even the point here.

Maybe take a second to actually read what I wrote so you don't end up arguing with me over things I didn't even say.

You make it sound like I think Jesus was preaching some kind of mass movement, when I'm saying he was advocating for an internal revolution—personal transformation. Anyway, take care.

I mean, an internal revolution isn't even really about politics, right? Or do you think spirituality is just something reserved for liberals?

briskpuma23 said:The topic isn't, and absolutely cannot be, stupid. Jesus is a historical figure, and the way his messages—or the messages attributed to him—are interpreted has shaped, continues to shape, and will continue to shape people's lives on both a personal and a massive geopolitical scale.

I'm with you there; we really shouldn't waste our breath on people who contribute nothing to the conversation other than whining about how "stupid" the topic is.🙄 😉

The real question is whether we can actually view the political actions of Jesus through the lens of modern-day political standards—basically, whether it's even possible to label things as "left-wing" or "right-wing" in the BC era. That’s likely what the people calling this "moronic" were getting at, though they probably lack the vocabulary to express that thought properly.

Emily Taylor3 said:Personally, I find the idea of labeling Jesus as either a right-winger or a left-winger laughable, but do whatever you want; just maybe try reading the New Testament before commenting so you actually know what you're talking about. 👍

Look, to me, that kind of narrow-mindedness is what's actually funny, where you only point back to the New Testament as the sole authority. It isn't the only source available, and surely we can bring other gospels into a discussion, even the ones the mainstream Church doesn't recognize?

Besides, this is a public forum, not some academic symposium, so I don't see any reason to demand special credentials just to share an opinion.

Jesus was essentially calling for universal brotherhood and unity among all nations, championing true equality where everyone stands on level ground—essentially advocating for a classless society.

It’s pretty obvious when you look at the big picture that he was a communist at heart.

That's just instinct, wanderingmaker8—the golden calf reflex, if you ask me. It’s almost funny how it shows up even here in the "Mad House."

P.S. Honestly, the real Mad House here is this forum's editorial policy. This thread got tossed into the Mad House just because some people can't handle a little irony when discussing Jesus. Meanwhile, threads that practically begged to be sent to the Mad House—like "Did the FBI plant George W. Bush?"—are sitting right there in Politics like they’re perfectly normal.

Desnicar definitely wins this one...