Jesus and Prostitutes

[vulcanlogician]

We're all aware that Jesus hung out with prostitutes. At least, this is the story told in the Gospels. Also found in the Gospels is this: "The prostitutes and tax collectors will be the first to enter the Kingdom of Heaven"... "the last shall be first and the first shall be last."

Theologians have produced a crystalized interpretation of these verses over the centuries, but others (like Leo Tolstoy) have their own interpretation of Jesus' amiability toward sex workers. To Tolstoy, Jesus compassion springs from empathy... that they are downtrodden and hated among members of society. As traditional theologians tell it-- they see it through a Pauline lens-- Jesus is rescuing prostitutes from sin. ie. even though they are so wretched, and their sin is so great, Jesus nonetheless rescues them.

I'd like to hear everyone's input on this, especially the Christians on the forum. How do you interpret the Gospels' statements about prostitutes being the first to enter the Kingdom? Why did Jesus particularly aid and befriend prostitutes? Was it their downtrodden-ness, their "sinful nature" or something else?

[Foxaèr]

Jesus was a sexoholic, duh.

[Angrboda]

I can't say that I ever thought about it.

[onlinebiker]

He had to hump hookers...

What girlfriend is going to service those 12 smelly bastards that follow him around all the time?

[Belacqua]

even though they are so wretched, and their sin is so great, Jesus nonetheless rescues them.

If you read through the Old Testament in order, you see that the emphasis changes. At the beginning, it emphasizes personal worship of God, including burnt offerings and that kind of thing.

Once you get to the Prophets, especially post-Exile, they will say that God hates the smell of the offerings, because of the social injustice he sees in Israel. Properly observed ceremony means nothing if the widows and orphans are suffering. 

One of Jesus's main strategies is to take the Old Testament teachings and increase them to the point that it would seem extreme and absurd to the people of the time. (And to us.) So wanting justice for widows and orphans is easy, but wanting justice for dirty low women who sell themselves is not something we easily feel. It seems extreme. Hey, they did it to themselves, why should I feel sympathy for them? If it doesn't seem extreme now, that largely has to do with Christian influence. 

With the acknowledgment, of course, that too few Christians (or any of us) live up to that.

[brewer]

Every time I read the title my mind hears 'great band name'. Might need to add 'The'.

Not a derail, carry on.

[onlinebiker]

Every time I read the title my mind hears 'great band name'. Might need to add 'The'.

Not a derail, carry on.

Can you imagine the mosh pit at THAT concert?

[Ranjr]

We are all prostitutes and tax-collectors, sin-wise.  Those bearing a façade of virtue are all the more contemptable to god.

[vulcanlogician]

One of Jesus's main strategies is to take the Old Testament teachings and increase them to the point that it would seem extreme and absurd to the people of the time. (And to us.) So wanting justice for widows and orphans is easy, but wanting justice for dirty low women who sell themselves is not something we easily feel. It seems extreme. Hey, they did it to themselves, why should I feel sympathy for them? If it doesn't seem extreme now, that largely has to do with Christian influence. 

That still is laden with ancient prejudices. I saw a documentary a while back that covered the stories of several prostitutes, one such who was forced into it at the age of 13. But afterward did it willingly. The documentary also noted that underaged prostitution sees an increase during times of economic recession. There are also horror stories from the third world. Anyway, for this and many other reasons I tend not to see prostitution as a "they did it to themselves" thing.

I'm sure choice is involved in many-if-not-most cases. But even then, there are determining factors.

I disagree with the notion that Christianity influences compassion toward prostitutes in contemporary times. If anything, I could argue the opposite. It's liberal atheists who tend to be more compassionate, and the religious Christians tend to condemn it more. This is cultural Christianity that I'm talking about. "Sweating like a whore in church," is a colloquialism where I'm from. I know you view Christianity in a more essentialist way. I dig that way of looking at it, but I wonder if you don't give Christianity too much credit sometimes. Either way, I appreciate the counterpoint.

---

Every time I read the title my mind hears 'great band name'. Might need to add 'The'.

Not a derail, carry on.

Lol. Shit like this is why I never put a serious tag on my threads, even when I do desire some genuine debate about a topic.

How about Christ and the Courtesans? But Jesus and the Gigolos has some nice alliteration going for it as well.

---

We are all prostitutes and tax-collectors, sin-wise.  Those bearing a façade of virtue are all the more contemptable to god.

Too bad about Christianity then, I suppose.

[Oldandeasilyconfused]

We're all aware that Jesus hung out with prostitutes. At least, this is the story told in the Gospels. Also found in the Gospels is this: "The prostitutes and tax collectors will be the first to enter the Kingdom of Heaven"... "the last shall be first and the first shall be last."

Theologians have produced a crystalized interpretation of these verses over the centuries, but others (like Leo Tolstoy) have their own interpretation of Jesus' amiability toward sex workers. To Tolstoy, Jesus compassion springs from empathy... that they are downtrodden and hated among members of society. As traditional theologians tell it-- they see it through a Pauline lens-- Jesus is rescuing prostitutes from sin. ie. even though they are so wretched, and their sin is so great, Jesus nonetheless rescues them.

I'd like to hear everyone's input on this, especially the Christians on the forum. How do you interpret the Gospels' statements about prostitutes being the first to enter the Kingdom? Why did Jesus particularly aid and befriend prostitutes? Was it their downtrodden-ness, their "sinful nature" or something else?

 
I think it's supposed to have ben St Peter who [falsely] made Mary Magdalene a prostitute. That the early  church believed that and continued believing that for nearly 2000 years clearly demonstrates the basic misogyny of Christianity.

Pope Francis began her 'rehabilitation' from prostitute to beloved disciple in 2106