# What would convince you that someone was the messiah? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 26, 2008, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-convince-you-that-someone-was-the-messiah/478787 "2008-12-26T23:12:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2008, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-convince-you-that-someone-was-the-messiah/478787/21 "2008-12-27T20:03:25Z")
Like **Alice** , I’d probably think I was going crazy if someone proved their divinity to me. I don’t actively disbelieve (I’m more apathetic than atheistic), but it just doesn’t jibe at all with my worldview, and I wouldn’t accept any of **Der Trihs** ’ explanations either, because they’re just as ludicrous. ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2008, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-convince-you-that-someone-was-the-messiah/478787/22 "2008-12-27T21:01:24Z")
Assuming he returns as a Jew, I would have to have a really intensive background in Jewish religion, thought, traditions, etc., etc. I don’t have that background, so I probably could not be convinced. ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2008, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-convince-you-that-someone-was-the-messiah/478787/23 "2008-12-28T00:53:08Z")
Well, he could start by turning wheat into marijuana, sugar into cocaine, and vitamin pills into amphetamines. Then he could go for a swim on the land, bake the most delicious cake in the world, and score more goals than Wayne Gretsky. Not only would that prove that he was the Messiah, but it’d also be way cool. ---
**Author:** ![SharkB8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/977dab/32.png) [@SharkB8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SharkB8)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2008, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-convince-you-that-someone-was-the-messiah/478787/24 "2008-12-28T00:59:52Z")
Maybe if he told me everything there was to know about my past and present, including some of my most private thoughts or things I haven’t shared with anyone. I’d still be a little skeptical, like maybe I was drugged and questioned, but part of me would most likely start believing as he told me more and more. ---
**Author:** ![Terrifel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2008, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-convince-you-that-someone-was-the-messiah/478787/25 "2008-12-28T01:14:31Z")
What are the defining objective characteristics of the Messiah anyway? According to the Wikipedia, definitive arbiter of theology in our time, [the Messiah](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messiah): > [@](#): > > literally means “anointed (one)”, typically someone anointed with Holy anointing oil. Figuratively, anointing is done to signify being chosen for a task; so, messiah means “the chosen (one)”, particularly someone divinely chosen. > > In Jewish messianic tradition and eschatology, messiah refers to a future King of Israel from the Davidic line, who will rule the people of united tribes of Israel and herald the Messianic Age. So there you go. To prove himself, the Messiah would have to: 1. be King of Israel, 2. persuade all people of Hebrew descent to get along with each other, and 3. be coated with oil. I personally would be fairly impressed by any candidate who managed Step 2. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2008, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-convince-you-that-someone-was-the-messiah/478787/26 "2008-12-28T01:17:38Z")
lay hands on and heal my daughter would probably do the trick. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2008, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-convince-you-that-someone-was-the-messiah/478787/27 "2008-12-28T01:23:02Z")
1. Walk across the water in this fountain. 2. Now turn that water to wine. Or Cherry Coke. 3. Now fix my eyesight and heal any afflictions I have, whether I know about them or not. Ok, Yup, you’re the Messiah. King of Kings. And I’m your man. ---
**Author:** ![cornflakes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@cornflakes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cornflakes)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2008, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-convince-you-that-someone-was-the-messiah/478787/28 "2008-12-28T01:25:10Z")
Why would I need another Messiah? Isn’t one enough? ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2008, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-convince-you-that-someone-was-the-messiah/478787/29 "2008-12-28T01:29:02Z")
It’s a pretty easy question to answer, and it doesn’t require any miracles. All he has to do is fulfill the requirements as laid out by [Maimonides](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_Messianism#Views_of_Maimonides): > [@](#): > > "The anointed King is destined to stand up and restore the Davidic Kingdom to its antiquity, to the first sovereignty. He will build the Temple in Jerusalem and gather the strayed ones of Israel together. All laws will return in his days as they were before: Sacrificial offerings are offered and the Sabbatical years and Jubilees are kept, according to all its precepts that are mentioned in the Torah. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2008, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-convince-you-that-someone-was-the-messiah/478787/30 "2008-12-28T02:14:59Z")
> [@](#): > > 1. Now fix my eyesight and heal any afflictions I have, whether I know about them or not. > > Ok, Yup, you’re the Messiah. King of Kings. > > And I’m your man. Yeah, fix up all my afflictions without modern medicine, and I will worship whoever. Until then, I will continue to be a godless heathen. OK, if he (or she) can bring lasting peace in the Middle East, I will take that as a sign of divinity, too. Because I don’t think that anything short of divine intervention will make that happen. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2008, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-convince-you-that-someone-was-the-messiah/478787/31 "2008-12-28T02:19:43Z")
Healing afflictions, working miracles, etc. does not have anything to do with being the Messiah. No matter how many magic tricks you do, the only thing that makes you the Messiah is the restoring the Kingdom of Israel, rebuilding the Temple, bringing world peace, etc. Messiahship is defined by a specific set of accomplishments, not by anything else – not even personal divinity. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2008, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-convince-you-that-someone-was-the-messiah/478787/32 "2008-12-28T03:02:58Z")
> [@cornflakes](#): > > Why would I need another Messiah? Isn’t one enough? Of course not. If we have only an old, obsolete Messiah while other countries acquire newer, more modern Messiahs, it’ll be a disaster. We can’t permit the formation of a Messiah gap. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2008, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-convince-you-that-someone-was-the-messiah/478787/33 "2008-12-28T07:02:35Z")
I’m real curious about why the OP chose the particular term “messiah”. I tend to think of a messiah as a charismatic leader/prophet, and not necessarily an all-powerful god. Did the OP intend any such distinction, or should the term be considered synonymous with “god”? ---
**Author:** ![drewbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drewbert/32/15890_2.png) [@drewbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewbert)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2008, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-convince-you-that-someone-was-the-messiah/478787/34 "2008-12-28T07:30:08Z")
To borrow from Captain Picard, he must _convince_ me. Shouldn’t be too hard for a messiah to do. ---
**Author:** ![Mosier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ea924/32.png) [@Mosier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mosier)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2008, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-convince-you-that-someone-was-the-messiah/478787/35 "2008-12-28T08:09:20Z")
I can’t think of any way a messiah could convince me, since there’s no miracle a messiah can perform than a sufficiently powerful imposter couldn’t. Pretty sure hypothetical demons or devils or whatever could walk on water and turn water to wine and make dead people appear to be alive again. ---
**Author:** ![coffeecat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coffeecat/32/3405_2.png) [@coffeecat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coffeecat)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2008, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-convince-you-that-someone-was-the-messiah/478787/36 "2008-12-28T16:16:55Z")
> [@elelle](#): > > Honestly? I’d suppose that a Messiah could very well overwhelm my scant mind and put it into a state beyond space/time, hopefully with the grace of overarching Bliss. Yep, I’ll go with that. So, the Messiah’s really good in bed? 😃 > [@DianaG](#): > > Well, if he could turn water into vodka, and was willing to do so for me as needed, I’d be happy to worship him. [Obligatory joke](http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~chuck/jokepg/joke_19970406_02.txt) ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2008, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-convince-you-that-someone-was-the-messiah/478787/37 "2008-12-28T17:17:04Z")
World peace. ---
**Author:** ![sunacres](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@sunacres](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sunacres)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2008, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-convince-you-that-someone-was-the-messiah/478787/38 "2008-12-28T18:27:34Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > Coming down from the heavens in glory, accompanied by a trumpet blast among other stuff. What if you were taking a dump when that happened? Would you accept a video of it on You Tube? ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2008, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-convince-you-that-someone-was-the-messiah/478787/39 "2008-12-29T00:49:12Z")
Nothing. I believe everyone should be their own messiah. ---
**Author:** ![easyrider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d26b3c/32.png) [@easyrider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/easyrider)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2008, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-convince-you-that-someone-was-the-messiah/478787/40 "2008-12-29T02:46:47Z")
the “messiah” is coming. he’ll be here jan. 20th. except “that one” will be sworn in on the quaran.:eek: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-convince-you-that-someone-was-the-messiah/478787.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-convince-you-that-someone-was-the-messiah/478787.md?page=3)