Ladies and Gentlemen, meet Jim

 Today I am deferring my own thoughts to share with you the thoughts of another. Todays blog is from Jim Palmer. Evey word is his, I have added or taken nothing from his post. Jim is a deconstructed/reconstructed former Pastor and he definitely feels like my tribe. I've never met him personally but have enjoyed reading his books. If you have left church or are having questions about how you feel about God then you should definitely check him out. 

Here then is Jim's post in its entirety regarding the nature of Jesus. Let me I know what you think.

Aho Metakuyah Oheyasin

Thom

Christians often talk about "being like Jesus." Be careful what you ask for. Jesus was no saint. The story we have about Jesus is largely him questioning and challenging the legitimacy and authority of the dominant religious system and its ecclesiastical hierarchy. He became viewed as a threat to the Roman government. Jesus was not a figure of religion. Jesus was an iconoclast. To the Romans, he was a terrorist – a religious fanatic who would no doubt try to overturn their social order if allowed to gain too many followers. Jesus was not crucified for his beliefs but for his actions. People often envision Jesus as someone tiptoeing around in a flowing robe, speaking softly, patting children on the head and carrying a baby lamb in his arms. We turn a blind eye to the Jesus who turned over tables and drove the moneychangers out of the temple with a whip, or the Jesus who called the religious leaders every nasty name in the book, or thumbed his nose at the holy laws of his religious tradition. The real Jesus of history was a lightning rod. He got angry. He was the greatest debunker of religious hierarchies and traditions this world has ever seen. The religious establishment hurriedly condemned him to death for blasphemy, while the secular powers executed him for sedition. He sided with the sinners and the outcasts of his day. His life was one of perpetual religious and civil disobedience. What would Jesus do??? Hmmm. Be my guest. By all means. Be like Jesus. 

 Jim Palmer