Jesus Essay Research Paper Jesus A Modern

Jesus Essay, Research Paper

Jesus: A Modern Sokratic Dialogue – Sokrates, Lucretius, young student of Sokrates, Jesus, Paul, apostle of JesusThe Scene:Classical AthensSection 1. Meeting in AthensLUCRETIUS: I hear that the man from Jerusalem has arrived,Sokrates. The one whose followers so loudly denounce our city. SOKRATES: And me as well, I’m told. My fellow Athenians dub me agadfly, but these followers of Jesus hate me far more bitterly. LUCRETIUS: How strange, then, Sokrates, that this Jesus has cometo speak with you. Perhaps he’s not like his followers. [Enter Jesus and Paul.]SOKRATES: I would bid you welcome to our fair city, sirs, but myeagerness for philosophy overcomes me. Many, many people havetold me that you have knowledge of all things. I cannot approach thatlevel of insight, but I am wise enough to at least realize my ignorance. JESUS: Many thanks for your welcome, then. You seem to know agreat deal about me, but I’ve heard only of your wisdom and yourmodesty, Sokrates.PAUL: And his impiety, Lord! Why must we stop here, master. We’ve nothing to gain from these faithless ones. JESUS: Patience, Paul. What harm can come to good or truththrough free discussion. Put aside then your prejudices, Paul, andrecognize wisdom wherever it may lie, even in an opponent. SOKRATES: I beg your pardon, but I wasn’t aware that we wereopponents. First we must hear your teachings, then examine them,then support or oppose them as the case may be. If I may be so bold,I’d like to start on a question that’s challenged me before. Section 2. The Question of KnowledgeLUCRETIUS: Would that be the question of knowledge, Sokrates.SOKRATES: You guessed correctly, young Lucretius, which makesme think I’ve been over this question a few too many times. Buthaving never been satisfied in the past, I must try once more. Tell me,Jesus, what is knowledge. I’ve heard that you answer that knowledgeis faith, but I want to hear you state it in your own way to avoid anymisunderstanding. JESUS: Dear Sokrates, you’ve heard correctly. Over-proud men saythat reason gives them knowledge, but I say that true knowledgecomes from God, and that God sends that knowledge by faith. SOKRATES: Please slow down, Jesus, if you wouldn’t mind. Mymind is a little slow, and I can only think on one issue at a time. Let’sback up and make sure that we’re answering the right question. Myoriginal query was, what knowledge is. But you seem to have told meinstead where knowledge comes from. PAUL: My master Jesus’ intent was obvious enough. He meant thatknowledge is faith, as was plain enough to any listener not trying todistort his words. You Greeks blather on and on about words; butwhat do they matter. It’s the spirit that matters. LUCRETIUS: When words are imprecise, so is thought; or is rigor toodifficult for you men from Jerusalem. You talk a lot about “thespirit”;but it seems to me like you possess the spirit of angry beasts and lackthe spirit of good sense. SOKRATES: Hold, Lucretius. Paul’s answer was fair enough, if hisexpression a little provocative. Is Paul’s statement what you had inmind, Jesus. JESUS: It was. SOKRATES: Very well then; we have a starting point. Knowledge isfaith. And may I ask more about the nature of faith. For some saythat faith is trust in God, others that faith is mystical intuition,stillothers that faith is belief in the absurd and the impossible. JESUS: You Athenians are fond of distinctions, I see. Well, Isuppose then that I am with the first group, the one that holds thatfaithis trust in God.SOKRATES: Very good. Now like I said my mind is not so quick, andI may need a few questions to grasp your meaning clearly. Knowledge, you say, is faith; and faith is trust in God.JESUS: Exactly. SOKRATES: How then, if I may ask, do we come to know aboutGod.JESUS: By faith, naturally. SOKRATES: But in order to trust someone, and in particular toequate that trust with knowledge, we would surely have to know of hisexistence. JESUS: Doubtlessly, Sokrates. Are questions like these the onesthat make my followers hate you so. They seem mild enough, thoughperhaps they cost a lot of time compared to the benefit they bring. SOKRATES: Their mildness and their benefit we shall see in the end. So you concede that before we can trust someone, we must know oftheir existence.JESUS: Yes, yes. SOKRATES: And we know of God’s existence by faith.PAUL: As Jesus already told you. SOKRATES: And faith is trust in God.PAUL: Yes! Isn’t one answer enough. SOKRATES: Perhaps, Paul. Forgive me, Jesus, but I am puzzled. For you have told me that before we could trust someone, we wouldhave to know of their existence; and you have told me that faith istrustin God; and you have told me that we know of God by faith. I amafraid we are in a vicious circle here; for unless we knew of God bysome way other than faith, we could not use faith to establish hisexistence. JESUS: I am not sure I understand. LUCRETIUS: Allow me to clarify. Sokrates just pointed out that yourreasoning was circular and inconsistent. You use faith to defineknowledge, and God to define faith. But your system doesn’t permitknowledge of God, since knowledge of God has to come before faith. At this point, you have a few choices. You can either decide thatknowledge isn’t faith, or that faith isn’t trust in God, or that youdon’tneed to know that someone exists in order to trust him. PAUL: Even the Athenian boys are filled with sin and impiety! Youwould do better to have more faith and question