RE: Do Christians worship a suicide victim?
June 29, 2016 at 1:37 pm
(This post was last modified: June 29, 2016 at 1:39 pm by Ignorant.)
(June 22, 2016 at 8:08 am)madog Wrote: 1) Suicide ... the intentional taking of one's own life.
OK ... can we agree with this definition? [1] if so:
the question is whether you can agree that taking your own life by putting yourself in a position that will knowingly lead to your own death is suicide? [2]
Self sacrifice ... sacrifice of oneself or one's interest for others or for a cause or ideal
can we agree with this definitions? [3] if so:
Do you believe that someone that takes their own life believing it to be a sacrifice excludes it from also be considered suicide? [4]
Example: if a man/woman takes their own life in the interest of others, such as to allow their children to recieve an insurance payout .... That is clearly a "self sacrifice", does that mean it is not also suicide? [5]
By the way I am not trying to get you to "accept that self-sacrifice is a specific KIND of suicide" I am just saying that "self sacrifice" and "suicide" are not mutually exclusive .... [6]
2) I will need to look again at the rest of your arguments now you admit you will consider "Jesus" as a man or the "son of God" depending on whether it proves your point [7]
1) Yes. Notice two key concepts (one present, one absent): 1) present - "taking life"; 2) absent - the reason for the act
2) Can you not hear the dissonance in this proposal? 'Taking-your-own-life' VS. 'Knowingly-putting-yourself-in-a-position-that-will-lead-to-your-own-death' <= You really have to strain the latter one to leave room for suicide don't you?
Clearly, people who take their own lives "knowingly put themselves in a position" in which they can take their own life. NOT everyone who "knowingly puts themselves in a position that will lead to their own death" commits suicide.
3) No. Using the word "sacrifice" in a definition of self-sacrifice is an inadequate way to define something. How about this:
"Giving/offering something of your own for others or for a cause or ideal"
Notice two key concepts, both present: 1) "giving something to someone"; 2) the reason for the giving
4) Maybe. If by "take their own life" you mean they actually kill themselves, then it is difficult to call it sacrifice.
5) See #3, and 4. In this same scenario, what is being "given", to whom, and how?
6) I think they are mutually exclusive.
7) Yes, I would recommend re-reading my posts, considering I have very explicitly described the contexts in which I am willing to consider Jesus as a merely ordinary man or as the divine man the gospel narratives portray him as. Let me summarize for you:
When discussing the internal and intended MEANING of the gospel text and its implications according to that internal meaning, we should consider Jesus as those authors of those texts considered him => Jesus is the Son of God
When discussing Jesus in the context of the historical transmission of the message attributed to him, I am willing to consider Jesus as historical science should => Jesus is simply a man.
It isn't that hard. If Jesus was simply a man, that does not exclude the possibility that such a mere man had followers who authentically believed him to be a divine man, the Son of God. It does not exclude the possibility that they would write about it. When you read what they wrote, you can simultaneously hold that Jesus was merely a man AND hold that his disciples thought he was a divine man, the Son of God.