"Was Jesus the awaited Christ, or enlightened man, or a manufactured Myth

WAS JESUS THE AWAITED CHRIST OR AN ENLIGHTENED MAN OR A MANUFACTURED MYTH?

This question would have been asked by many theologians over the centuries. The fact is, that an answer may never be forthcoming.

There are many believers and just as many sceptics on all three options.There are supporters of all three who all argue from their different standpoints but rarely get anywhere with changing each others opinions. They often end up at loggerheads with each other.

My own view is that it really doesn't matter either way, and I don't believe that one needs to be following a particular religion to be able to appreciate that the content of the gospels are a good thing.

The important thing for me is not whether the gospels are true or false, but in the message which is contained in them.

Whatever view one has on Jesus, I would hope that he would be seen as an excellent role model.

What do TFS members think?

I think Jesus was both the awaited "Christ" and an evolved being....He is what humans will probably become eventually when they smarten up and get on the right path!!!!

for me he was 1 of the first to have mediumistic/psychic powers and because of this he was seen as a 'god' amongst men. I have no doubt that his abilities were grossly exaggerated and the chance to have someone around who could lead the people as a god must have been seen as a great opportunity...that for me is the reason there are so many missing years in Jesus life.

I don't think humans to this day understand Jesus the Christ or all the mystical powers this Being demonstrated. All that we know of Him is filtered down through men's own psyche's. We have no video, audio, or anything preserved that could prove Jesus was what the humans around Him say He was!!!

I believe that the 3 wise men stuck around for a long time after Jesus's birth. The Jesuits have a saying "give me a child until the age of 7 and I will show you the man.

I think that if he did exist, he did have amazing clarity in how he saw the world and how people were infected with power, selfishness and greed. I believe that he did have the ability to see through peoples masks, and his ability to cure the sick was an allegorical invention that was probably manufactured by some warped group of Christians at some point down the line. I used to be sick in my thinking, and am now cured by truth. I used to be deaf because I could not hear what was too painful to hear, but now I hear. I used to be blind because I could not see what I needed to see, but now I see. I used to be dumb because not one word of truth would exit my mouth, now I can speak.
I once was dead and now my spirit has risen.

It's nothing short of a miracle, Ray!!!

Bozie, If you knew how deep I had sunk into the depths of hell, and when my time was apointed, I was pulled from the pit of iniquity and rose into the light of day.

As you know, Miracles do happen.

I'd go with a combination of enlightened man and manufactured myth. There's no doubt that he was an amazing and selfless character whose general message was spot on, but most of the details were likely manufactured to suit the needs of those looking for a christ to follow.

Wow, good answer.

Im sure we have different reasons for believing as such, but that is the answer I would have given as well.

I must admit to having no answer. Long ago I delved into the search for the Jesus of History. So many books......The Jesus who "died in Kashmir", Jesus the "Egyptian Pharoah" (I kid you not!), Jesus the Jew, Jesus the Sacred Mushroom (hallucinogenic), Jesus the Magician, Jesus the Social Revolutionary, the Jesus of the Dead Sea Scrolls.......even one arguing some very strange idea that He was the Son of God who died for the sins of the World....

In the end I gave up. This is no argument for cynicism or scepticism. Just to argue that ultimately - in my view - we must each answer the question that is asked of us in the gospels....."Who do you say that I am?"

I think he was both the awaited christ and an enlightened man.

In fact all the significant prophets in history were both awaited and enlightened for me.

Horus, jesus, buda, krishna and others were enlightened humans who did nothing more then channel the knowledge of the universe.

Unfortunately they were used by the religious powers of there time and history was written in favor of those who used these men.

If you don't believe in the bible then jesus was predicted before birth by of all people, the Romans via sibylline prophesy, specifically the Sibyl of Cumae..

All these prophets did not want to be seen as god or representative of a god.

I think the second coming of christ is actually the awakening of the consciousness that most of these prophets exhibited.

I think the cause will be an evolution in DNA in a short and quick burst.

This will result in many positive things.

Just to add to my own words, their context is what I have sought to say before. I do not necessarily associate "Christ" as such with an interpretation of the Bible,. I see the "question asked of us" as being more the question asked by our life/existence itself.

And I acknowledge that, given that 24000 children die each day because of our combined stupidity and ignorance, not all are able to answer.

I agree.

Self identification is each and every persons ultimate quest.

The need to understand who we are and how to be more of who we want to be is a question that can only be answered by knowledge through experience.

This is also well-said, Arcades! In my metaphysical circles here in Sarasota we like to say the "awakening of the Christ-consciousness" on the planet!