An Interview With a Man Called Jesus

The teachings of Jesus are all we need to know.

Some people question the teachings of Jesus and want to know if Jesus actually knew everything. The only way to know whether or not Jesus actually knew everything would be to ask him, so we are going to bring Jesus back to earth for just a few minutes and have Scott Pelley interview him on a special edition of "60 Minutes" we will call - "The Man Jesus - Did He Know Everything?"

As the show opens, Scott Pelley and Jesus are sitting in chairs facing each other, in front of a large picture of the earth and the interview begins.

Scott Pelley:

Jesus, when you walked among the people of this earth in human form, were you ever lonely?

Jesus:

My child, just as you have set yourself apart from the rest of the world and have made yourself different, during the time when I walked this earth, I also was different. Many of my disciples left me and I spent a lot of time alone in the desert or in the Mount of Olives where I often prayed to my father. There were many who could not understand my teachings and that often troubled me. So, yes, just like you I spent much time in loneliness.

Should The Church Speak Against Homosexuality?

The church should neither hate nor condemn homosexuals.

In making a determination as to whether or not "the church" should teach that homosexuality is wrong, we would have to look at the governing principles of the church. Here we will view a "Christian" as one whose life is centered on the teachings of Jesus, thus the governing principles would be founded in the Bible.

Searching for the word "homosexual" within the pages of the Bible is a waste of time, because it just isn't there, but neither are the words "death penalty", "domestic violence", "abortion", "right to bear arms", "child abuse" and many other issues facing us today. Just because a specific "word" isn't mentioned in the Bible certainly doesn't mean that a particular issue isn't discussed.

Those who believe in God and believe the Bible to be the inspired word of God must also understand that the Bible is a complete book and not just a lot of chapters and verses, which can be interpreted differently. Taking one verse of the Bible and trying to understand its true meaning would be similar to reading the last paragraph of your favorite novel and trying to understand the theme of the book.

Should The Bible Be Used As A Textbook In Our Schools?

The Bible can teach children things they need to know.

The question "Is the information in the Bible relevant to today's classroom as a textbook on every subject?" is a very complex question and must be broken down into its separate parts.

First, the answer to the question "Is the information in the Bible relevant to today's classroom?" would be a definite yes. The problem here is in determining just which Bible we are referring to. Just the nature of the question would suggest that we are referring to the Christian Holy Bible, but other faiths have their own version of the Bible and its teachings would be just as relevant to the children of that particular faith.

God's word and the teachings of Jesus are extremely important to any child who must struggle through this world of hatred and greed, where we tolerate just about any kind of behavior or lifestyle.

Should Our Children Know God?

All children should know the love of God.

In my own personal quest to become the ultimate male channel surfer, I paused just for a moment on the 6 o'clock news. The lead story involved a police raid on a high school where numerous weapons had been seized. These weapons included guns, knives, chains, and even axes.

It is very important to understand that these deadly weapons were confiscated from kids ranging in ages from 14 to 17. I couldn't help but ask myself the question - Why would a 14 or 15-year-old kid want to carry a gun or an axe to school?

I was forced to continue in my surfing quest, but I could not get that news story out of my mind. I couldn't come up with any logical answers, but there were many questions and I was immediately reminded of Columbine, the school in Kentucky and all the other schools where kids had been murdered for no obvious reason.

Is Smoking A Sin?

There is no such thing as "good" sin or "bad" sin.

According to the American Heart Association, in 2004 there were some 25.1 million men and some 20.9 million women smokers in the United States. They go on to say that smokers have an increased risk of heart attack and stroke and I think we already know that.

If you look up statistics published by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), you will find some equally alarming statistics:

• Men With High Serum Cholesterol - 16.6% of the population

• Women With High Serum Cholesterol - 16.2% of the population

• Overweight Men - 70.7% of the population

• Overweight Women - 61.4% of the population

Our Relationship With God Today

The relevance of God in today's world is necessary.

The relevance of God in today's world in terms of being "significant" should be without question.  Each time we make a cash purchase, we present the cashier with currency and coin that has "In God We Trust", our national motto, permanently embossed on the face.

In the 1950s, Congress added the words "under God" to our Pledge of Allegiance. In the first session of the 108th Congress a bill to recognize the public need for prayer for all people of the United States and for members of our armed forces was passed by a vote of 346 to 49.

Each time a new President of the United States takes the oath of office, the final words of that oath are normally, "So help me God." There should be no doubt that God is of great significance, not only in our nation's history, but also in the lives we live today.

Noah Was A Man Of Faith And Obedience

"But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord."

If stories are to be told about the faith and obedience of man, the accounts of a man named Noah must be at the top of the list.

In considering Noah’s faith and obedience to God, I am immediately reminded of the 2007 movie “Evan Almighty”.  In this movie Steve Carrell is portrayed as Evan Baxter and Morgan Freeman plays the part of God.  This movie actually sheds a lot of light on the aspects of the Biblical account of Noah and the ark.  Here, Evan Baxter is not a professional boat builder, but rather a professional newscaster who has been elected to Congress.  Noah in the Biblical account wasn’t a carpenter or ship maker either.

How Would Jesus View Homosexuality?

In the beginning, God made them male and female.

Anyone who has studied the Bible to any extent realizes that homosexuality is mentioned many times. Whether it is referenced by the terms "abusers of themselves with mankind", "without natural affection" or some other term, homosexuality is condemned many times in both the Old and New Testaments.

What does the Bible have to say about homosexuality?

 

Romans 1:26-32:

 "For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them."

Show Me Proof That God Exists

Proof that God exists is all around us.

Skeptics may ask "Is there proof that God exists?" and will demand to be given some type of mathematical formula or biological evidence that will scientifically prove the existence of God and will not accept any religious or moral philosophy.

There are many things in the history of the world which we take as fact but have no scientific proof; the existence of dinosaurs is a perfect example. Sometime in the early 1800s a man found a large bone, called it a dinosaur and the rest is history. So why is it difficult to believe that the world and everything in and upon it was created by God?

In the history of our nation we find the belief in God was the inspiration which allowed us to be free. Today, God has a significant presence in our daily lives by being minted on all of our coins and currency and being a part of every oath of office from the new enlistee in the armed forces to the President of the United States.

A Christian View Of Homosexuality

The Christian view of homosexuality is not popular.

The Christian view of a homosexual lifestyle is certainly not a popular view, therefore the Christian opinion on whether or not a Christian can be gay will more than likely be met with the same lack of popularity.

The dictionary defines "Christian" as  "one who professes belief in the teachings of Jesus Christ".  Being a Christian involves far more than simply attending a church service on Sunday.  Christianity is a way of life for those who realize they are sinners and strive to live a life that is pleasing to their family, their country and their God.  Christians understand that no sin is more serious than another and that God's grace can grant forgiveness of all sins.

Is Hell A Real Place Or Just Imaginary?

Hell is a real place for the condemned.

In answering the question, "Is Hell a real place or a metaphor to deter evil-doers?", the simple quick answer would be "both", but before elaborating on this issue, we must first understand some reasoning behind the question.

First, one must assume that the person asking this question would know the difference between right and wrong and secondly, this person believes there are consequences for doing evil.

If we look up the term "hell" in a Thesaurus, we find that hell is defined as "place of the condemned;  bad situation".  We also find the following synonyms: "Hades, abyss, affliction, agony, anguish, blazes, bottomless pit, everlasting fire, hell-fire, misery, pit, place of torment, purgatory, suffering, torment", among others. The only antonym I can find is "heaven".  I think we would all agree that most of these terms refer to real places.

Evil Is The Nature Of Humanity

Evil thoughts and deeds are changing mankind.

There can be no better example of humanity's nature for evil than the recent mass shootings at an elementary school in Connecticut.  This tragedy ended in the needless, unmerciful murder of 20 totally innocent children.  According to the experts, this heinous crime was not the result of someones temporary insanity, but rather it was a well thought out premeditated plan.  It is the evil thoughts and deeds of this one individual that have forever changed the lives of every parent and grandparent in all areas of the free world.

The Bible teaches us that man is essentially evil by nature in Mark: 7:20-23 (NIV);

 "He went on: “What comes out of a person is what defiles them. For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly.  All these evils come from inside and defile a person.”

Was Jesus Really Crucified?

We live by faith and that's what it's all about.

Crucifixion was an ancient method of execution, in which the victim was tied or nailed to a large wooden cross and left to hang there until dead.  History tells us that crucifixion probably originated with the ancient Persians.  Captured pirates were crucified at the port of Athens in the 7th century BC.  The Romans adopted this custom in the 1st century BC, and used it during the Roman Civil War and the destruction of Jerusalem.

There is no scientific evidence that Jesus was crucified and died on the cross, but keep in mind, we've never exhumed Abraham Lincoln's body to see if that is really him either.  If we did, we certainly don't have any of Lincoln's DNA to prove scientifically it's him.

Christian beliefs are founded in a book called the Bible and we believe this book to be the inspired word of God. The Bible is filled with accounts of Jesus' birth, his teachings and yes, his death on the cross. We are secure in these beliefs and have no need to ever question the facts of the creation or Jesus' death. We live by faith, and that's what it's all about.

How Should Christians View The Death Penalty?

We must look within ourselves for the answer.

At one point in my life I was very troubled about whether or not a soldier, in time of war, was guilty of "murder" when an enemy soldier was killed in battle. At that particular time I could not make a sound decision in my own mind as to whether this action was actually a "sin". It was not until after I had contacted three ministers of three different religious beliefs that I finally found my own peace on this issue.

I was immediately reminded about the parting of the Red Sea, David and Goliath, Cain and Abel and many other accounts of "murder or killing" mentioned in the Bible and how the circumstances surrounding each of these events were totally different. Some acts of murder were committed out of anger and revenge, while others were necessary to protect a nation or for self-preservation.

Do Christians Judge Others?

"It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment."

It is most certainly not against Christian principles to "judge" the actions of others, but we must be very careful of our interpretation of the word and its many uses scattered throughout the Bible. We all "judge" in one form or another. 

Here's a perfect example: Let's suppose we hear a news report on the 6 o'clock news that involves the murder of two small children. The video shows the father, who is in handcuffs, being placed in the back of a police car. I would bet my next paycheck that the following thought (or something similar) is going through the minds of 90% of the people who saw the newscast "They shouldn't even waste the money and time to try that scum, they should just hang him from the public square." The sad thing is that we don't even know whether or not the man has been accused of a crime or not.

Can Christians Sin?

Christians can sin just like anyone else.

Some feel that Christians walk around barefoot, in white robes, with the Holy Bible neatly tucked beneath their arm, spreading hell and damnation all across the world.  People often confuse us with Jesus; maybe that's because they don't really understand who Jesus was.

True Christians  sincerely believe they should do everything in their power to follow the teachings of Jesus, always knowing and understanding they will never be perfect, like Jesus was when he walked the earth.  Christians serve their country in time of war and  are forced to make many difficult decisions in that position. Most Christians wear shoes every day and only like to go barefoot on the beach. A Christian is just like most other people, with one exception; they know, not think, they  know that they have a loving heavenly father who watches over them.

Is The Bible Truly The Word Of God?

The Bible is the inspired word of God.

The suggestion that the Bible was written by the devil instead of being the word of God seems to be just one more challenge of the Christian belief structure.

Just the nature of such a futile debate suggests that the beliefs of our founding fathers, most leaders of our country, and millions of average citizens today are founded on evil and deceit rather than on any truth.

Common sense coupled with a little research will help us realize that most of us possess the same basic philosophy of the devil and that philosophy is surrounded by evil.
Since this inquiry is basically questioning the authenticity of the Bible, making reference to any teachings found in the Bible would be a total waste of time, so we will just look at other religious beliefs to attempt to get a general consensus regarding beliefs about the devil.