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.

God's View On Abortion

God teaches us about His love for unborn children.

God's view on the abortion issue can be found in the Bible, in the book of Jeremiah, Chapter 1, verse 5:

"Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations."  

In this verse of scripture, we find a reference to an unborn baby being known to God. It should be quite clear that God loved and respected children from the very beginning of their lives, which seems to direct us to the time of conception.

Why Bad Things Happen To Good People

The tragedies of life affect all of us.

In asking the question "Why do bad things happen to good people", there must be underlying questions about the character of God.  The question could probably be more appropriately worded  - "If God loves us, why does He allow bad things to happen to good people?"

A person can live a life of faith, be an upstanding member of the church and the community, be a good husband and father and still experience the tragedies of life.  Why?

The answer to this question certainly isn't simple by any means, but the root of the answer lies in our ability to choose, our free will.  When God created Adam and Eve, He placed them in paradise with the free will to do whatever they pleased, except for one thing.  God gave them specific instructions to not eat fruit from the tree of knowledge.

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

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.”

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.