What would Jesus have done?

[Ioana]

The cross is more painful. Also even if it isn’t and He hadn’t gotten any post-mortum fame that means literally nothing since had He not been Jesus post-mortum fame would’ve meant nothing. I’m 99.9999999999999% sure post-mortum fame brought Him zero consolation.

 

[Roguish]

the idea of Jesus being tortured in a psychiatric hospital is horrifying to me.

It is horrifying to me too, and I am a little surprised that so far you are the only one to voice your distaste at the thought. Me, I can honestly say that I find the thought so horrifying that I hesitated for months whether I should even ask this question, and I had expected many more people would take offense at it.

So why did I ask, knowing how gruesome it is? Well, I could reveal the reason, and I might, shortly. (In my opinion it is a rather compelling reason, which is why the matter wouldn’t let me go.) But the discussion might then become about my reasons for asking. First I’d still like to know what people think Jesus would do in the circumstances I described.

Thank you for your reply.

 

[TOmNossor]

ShowersofRoses:

the idea of Jesus being tortured in a psychiatric hospital is horrifying to me.

It is horrifying to me too, and I am a little surprised that so far you are the only one to voice your distaste at the thought. Me, I can honestly say that I find the thought so horrifying that I hesitated for months whether I should even ask this question, and I had expected many more people would take offense at it.

So why did I ask, knowing how gruesome it is? Well, I could reveal the reason, and I might, shortly. (In my opinion it is a rather compelling reason, which is why the matter wouldn’t let me go.) But the discussion might then become about my reasons for asking. First I’d still like to know what people think Jesus would do in the circumstances I described.

Thank you for your reply.

I don’t know what Jesus would do. His ways are higher than my ways!
In your question, I see, “would Christ return to today’s world?”
Christ was viewed as ridiculous and crazy in the ancient world into which He was born. As you pointed out they didn’t have hospitals and psych wards to deal with Him. Ultimately they killed Him. BUT, more than this, the ancient Jewish world was a world of faith. A world where most folks believed Moses turned a rod into a snake, looking upon a brass serpant saved people, and it was appropriate to draw lots to determine the will of God.

Today, we live in a world where Christians and non-Christians refused to believe in prophets who might have a rod that responds to their divinely sanctioned desires. Fatma is explained by non-beleivers (and by scientifically minded believers) as an unusual, but natural weather phenomona. If Christ came back today, I am not sure how we would recognize Him.

Ciaphus was the head of what seems to have been God’s church at the coming of Christ and he failed to recognize that Jesus was the promised Messiah.

Anyway, that is what I see in your question and I cannot answer it.
Charity, TOm

 

[HolySpirit]

Jesus saw coming the ordeal of his capture, trial, torture, humiliation, and eventual execution, over the course of a few days. He chose to submit to this fate (“May it be done unto me according to Your will”), even though the human part of him wished it could be different (“Take this cup from me”).

But what would Jesus have done if, instead of the above, he had foreseen that he would would be perceived as a man with severe mental health problems (delusional, “Messiah complex”, hallucinating, etc.), that he would be submitted to forced hospitalization in a mental institution, to psychiatric evaluation, to forced lifelong treatment at the hands of “psychiatrists”, possibly including heavy medication and electroshock therapy, perhaps ending in a lobotomy and several decades spent in a vegetative state under the care of “nurses”, only to pass away in obscurity at the end of it all, unbeknownst to anyone? What, indeed, would He have done if that had been the prospect?

(EDIT: I’ve now recategorized this under “Non-Catholic Religions”, because an early reply suggested that this inquiry may be of an uncatholic nature.)

Your hypothetical is impossible. God knows everything that will happen from the beginning of time until the end of time because God exists outside of time.

If God wanted Christ to end up in a mental institution lobotomized, he would have followed your hypothetical plan.

It is impossible to answer your question, because it is nonsensical.

 

[Seagull]

Jesus vs Frued !
Showdown at high noon sherif !

Scripture or anti depressants !
That - is the question.

 

[Roguish]

Thanks for your sincere and insightful reply.

In your question, I see, “would Christ return to today’s world?”

Precisely. And in addition to “would he”, I sometimes wonder: has he? And is he stuck in a mental ward somewhere? You see, I’ve known a saintly individual who was hospitalized and “treated” in a mental institution against her will. As a devout Christian she’d made some life choices that had been perceived as “absurd” by her “caring” friends and family (lapsed Catholics), and when she had a very minor run-in with law enforcement (sleeping in a public park), one thing led to another and she was “put under observation” (the PC term for compulsory hospitalization). She has never been an alcoholic, a drug user, or a beggar, poses no danger to herself or others, and is a completely lucid and articulate person. Yet the system labeled her a “nut” precisely for making those choices that flowed from whole-hearted Christianity.

If Christ came back today, I am not sure how we would recognize Him.

Yeah. Me neither. And I find that very disconcerting. Prince (the deceased musician) made the same point in an interview many years ago. I never forgot that.

 

[Roguish]

Test. Why isn’t my reply to @TOmNossor, of a few minutes ago, marked as such?

EDIT: Perhaps I hit the wrong reply button. Who knows. Anyway, I’ve replied.

 

[Roguish]

we need to be asking ourselves what should we do…and hopefully that is by following the teachings of Christ.

You’re right in principle. But the modern world presents us with many situations for which we have no explicit teachings in writing. So as I see it, we must still rely on our own, intimate understanding of Christ. And that’s why I phrased the question the way I did. As I see it, being Christian often does come down to “being Christ” insofar as your own understanding (and courage!) allows. Sometimes it’s clear what is the right thing to do (but it may still be hard to put into practice). At other times, as in the example I gave, it may not necessarily be 100% clear what the right thing is.

 

[margaret42]

“What would Jesus do”? is often asked by Catholics as well, including me. Not fully understanding how to handle scruples leads me to that question; or confrontations with others who disagree, which btw has become easier to handle.

 

[MountCarmel]

Roguish - God {including Jesus’ divinity] can perceive all that happens in time and place - and it was for such reason that Judea circa 0AD - 33AD was the chosen time and venue.

 

[margaret42]

“What would Jesus do”? sounds like something we all need to ask. We are all uncertain when it comes to the bible and church teachings, and situations when we don’t have the answers.

 

[margaret42]

This maybe is part of the scene. those who thought Jesus was crazy, will see His believers as crazy; and that’s maybe why people get mad at you when you follow your principles. And people you may not even get along with