# Would Jesus have "made it" today? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 2, 2003, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-jesus-have-made-it-today/205072 "2003-10-02T05:51:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![phasetim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ea666f/32.png) [@phasetim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phasetim)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2003, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-jesus-have-made-it-today/205072/21 "2003-10-03T06:57:06Z")
course he would have (from a christian view) ok, from a non-christian view(not neccessarily trying to witness here)… if all the sudden a large number of people vanish off the earth, you might start believing prophecies in the bible, the same happened back then, his birth and actions fulfilled prophecies that made people believe, so the same will happen at rapture, only the charismatic leader will not be jesus the son of god but the antichrist, but hewill come in the wake of prophecy, with all the answers for those without understanding… we all know that jesus’ political and social views are supposedly obsolete? ---
**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:** [October 3, 2003, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-jesus-have-made-it-today/205072/22 "2003-10-03T20:19:09Z")
What “prophesies” did Jesus fulfill? Name one. ---
**Author:** ![gobear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2003, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-jesus-have-made-it-today/205072/23 "2003-10-03T20:49:01Z")
From a purely secular POV, I think Jesus would have been able to acquire a mass following through television and the Net. As Judas says in _Jesus Christ Superstar_, “If you’d come today/ You could have reached the whole nation/ Israel in 4 BC had no mass communication.” Discussions about Jesus not being executed are pointless because His mission as Redeemer (if you believe) required His death and resurrection. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Carrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@Captain\_Carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Carrot)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2003, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-jesus-have-made-it-today/205072/24 "2003-10-03T21:40:14Z")
“Family members thought he was crazy then, and I doubt that would change much today, and the only place he could make it is the nearest mental institution.” Cite? “He was executed as a danger to the Roman Empire” Uh, the **Jewish High Priests** wanted him to be crucified, not the Roman Empire. Pilate tried to get them to free Jesus, bu they wouldn’t. “the movement that now bears his name was started years later by someone else and it bears little resemblance in its activity to the message He allegedly gave.” Cite? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Ryan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7feea3/32.png) [@The\_Ryan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Ryan)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2003, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-jesus-have-made-it-today/205072/25 "2003-10-03T21:44:04Z")
Roches > [@](#): > > This would have been a severe sin under Jewish law – for most people – but Jesus is allowed to do it because “the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” My understanding is that they were not harvesting, but conducting the practice of gleaning, which is not quite the same thing. Also, why do you think “the son of man” refers exclusively to Jesus? Does not that description apply to all men? David Simmons > [@](#): > > Good point. It’s sort of like lionizing Bill Gates for not shoplifting. Or Superman for being “brave”. DtC > [@](#): > > What “prophesies” did Jesus fulfill? Name one. It was prophesized that he would be called “Emmanuel”. And in the book of Matthew, he is referred to as “Emmanuel”. You don’t think Matthew referred to him as Emmanuel simply to fulfill prophesies, do you? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Zahn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e0b2c6/32.png) [@John\_Zahn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Zahn)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2003, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-jesus-have-made-it-today/205072/26 "2003-10-03T23:13:23Z")
> [@](#): > > “ **JZ** –Family members thought he was crazy then, and I doubt that would change much today, and the only place he could make it is the nearest mental institution.” > > Cite? **dwalin,** you need a cite for that? Do you have a Bible? Why not try that? Or if it interests you that much do a google with +Jesus +crazy, you’ll have over one million cites to wade through. I don’t care to wade through and get the pertinent quotes on all of them, since many of these hits are irrelevant, but [here is one](http://www.westolivechurch.org/streams1.htm) that comes from a Christian cite and the pertinent part states: > [@](#): > > Mary and Joseph had several other children besides Jesus. After Jesus began his public ministry, she and the rest of the family thought Jesus was crazy and tried to have him locked up for his own good. If you’ll re-read through the first few chapters of Luke it should refresh your memory. Also for his extended family thinking he was out of his freakin’ mind, re-read Mark 3. And if you think that anyone today claiming to be the Messiah and preaching some of this doomsday and other nonsense isn’t a good candidate for a mental institution, then what would qualify? JZ ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2003, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-jesus-have-made-it-today/205072/27 "2003-10-04T03:24:01Z")
\<\< Uh, the Jewish High Priests wanted him to be crucified, not the Roman Empire. Pilate tried to get them to free Jesus, bu they wouldn’t. \>\> Well, no. That’s a grotesque oversimplification of a complex situation. See: [Who killed Jesus?](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mjesuskill.html) ---
**Author:** ![Cholo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58f4c7/32.png) [@Cholo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cholo)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2003, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-jesus-have-made-it-today/205072/28 "2003-10-04T05:59:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Hayduke Lives!! \* > \*\*I ask these types of questions not because I’m interested in religion, but more because I’m fascinated that 21st century man still puts a ridiculous book of superstitious razz-matazz in such high regard. > > To me, the bible reads like a collaboration between George Lucas and Frank Baum. \*\* Ahh…youth. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Zahn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e0b2c6/32.png) [@John\_Zahn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Zahn)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2003, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-jesus-have-made-it-today/205072/29 "2003-10-04T17:26:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by The Ryan \* > It was prophesized that he would be called “Emmanuel”. And in the book of Matthew, he is referred to as “Emmanuel”. You don’t think Matthew referred to him as Emmanuel simply to fulfill prophesies, do you? \*\* That never went on, did it? 😃 Matthew is referring to Isaiah 7:14-_The Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel._ The biggest problem with this is that Jesus was never called Emmanuel/Immanuel, and by reading the next chapter it seems Isaiah had somebody else in mind. Matthew also says he would be called Jesus. In today’s language, I believe that is called covering your bases. A quick look at Strong’s concordance shows Emmanuel/Immanuel to be used only that one time in the NT. In the OT it’s used with this verse and one other. There is another part of this verse that is just as [screwed up,](http://www.atheistfoundation.org.au/virgin.htm) unless its generally being told by a conservative, and if that is the case, it’s another prophesy fulfilled. JZ ---
**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:** [October 4, 2003, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-jesus-have-made-it-today/205072/30 "2003-10-04T17:35:33Z")
“Virgin” is also a mistranslation. The Hebrew just says a “young woman” will bear a child, not a virgin. In context, the passage is only talking about a character in that story and is not a Messianic prophesy. It has nothing at all to do with Jesus. ---
**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:** [October 4, 2003, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-jesus-have-made-it-today/205072/31 "2003-10-04T17:42:23Z")
Not that Jesus was actually born of a virgin… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-jesus-have-made-it-today/205072.md?page=1)