Where did Jesus get His morality from?

[Minimalist]

Two of the greatest men who have existed have zero evidence for their existence.

Socrates was written about by Plato and Xenophon. This puts him two legs up on your non-existent godboy.

[downbeatplumb]

Two of the greatest men who have existed have zero evidence for their existence.

Socrates was written about by Plato and Xenophon. This puts him two legs up on your non-existent godboy.

Socrates also has the advantage of being written of as an exceptional man and not an impossible magic man.

The accounts of Socrates are consistant with a real although exaggerated figure the accounts of jesus are not consistant with a real person.

My one problem with discounting jesus existance is the story of the crucifiction.

Its jarring that a punished criminal was worshipped like this.

It seems to me that the account is similar to what you would get if the 'family' had got to tell the story of Charles Manson unchallanged.

'He was punished by the law but......'

So could be that he was a real bastard and his followers had to shoehorn in the reason for this that still made him look good.

[Minimalist]

Its jarring that a punished criminal was worshipped like this.

Not really, the gospel stories go out of their way to exonerate the Romans and blame the Jews for the miscarriage of "justice." As Jews became more and more unpopular throughout the late 1st and early second centuries AD this make more and more sense.

[HeyItsZeus]

Maybe he never actually existed... maybe no one cares because it doesn't matter... maybe you should stop reading your bible literally...

[Anomalocaris]

Its jarring that a punished criminal was worshipped like this.

Not really, the gospel stories go out of their way to exonerate the Romans and blame the Jews for the miscarriage of "justice." As Jews became more and more unpopular throughout the late 1st and early second centuries AD this make more and more sense.

How much of that exoneration stems from cynical attempt to gain and maintain imperial patronage for the Jesus cult? I doubt Constantine would have legalized Christianity had it been a central Christian tenant that it was the Roman who had the final responsibility for nailing their man god pauper of a provocateur up like the basest criminal. If that really had been a Christianity tenant, then the god worship of the christains outside the normal Roman system of administrative religions would be seen as not just an insulting act of defiance against Roman administration, but a direct and outright declaration of rebellion against Rome itself. I think that would have led to the complete stamping out of Christianity in very short order.

[Frammo]

Saying that Jesus must have been special because everyone else in Nazareth hated gays, prostitutes and taxmen is very stereotypical don't you think.

Yeah, he was a nice guy. Doesn't make him the saviour of mankind though.

[Minimalist]

There was a long time between the earliest documented appearances of the gospels and Constantine's rise to power. At least 150 years. Beginning in 66 there were 3 serious Jewish revolts which culminated in them being reviled throughout the empire and exiled from Palestine. They must have been as popular as modern Mexicans.
Who better to blame?

[Edwardo Piet]

He didn't. There is no morality.

[Justtristo]

Two of the greatest men who have existed have zero evidence for their existence.

Socrates was written about by Plato and Xenophon. This puts him two legs up on your non-existent godboy.

Also both men knew Socrates personally, while I doubt any of the authors of the New Testament (Paul especially) knew Jesus personally.

[Skipper]

IF someone called Jesus existed at the time, then he would have got his morality from his parents, relatives and surroundings just like the rest of us. This was pretty much said at the start of the thread and that should have been the end of it, but as usual the religious folk then go on to use more made up evidence such as bible teachings and such to try and explain the made up actions of a made up sky daddy who gave birth to himself so he could sacrifice himself to himself to free us all from the sin he created himself. And people believe this shit, ARRRRRRGGHHH!!!!!