What is your opinion?

[Knowledge3]

Bill O'reilly, discussing politics on CNN, said that Jesus was a philosopher.

What is your response to his comment?

Discuss.

 

[Splayd]

I'm not sure what the problem is.
If he said that Jesus was ONLY a philosopher then we'd have a problem.

Maybe I don't have a good enough grasp of what a "philosopher" is, but it doesn't seems like an unreasonable thing to add to Jesus' resume along with Rabbi, Miracle Worker, Preacher, Messiah, Saviour, Lord etc...

 

[AbiYah]

agreed.

 

[Primrose]

Well I have no problem with that statement. Jesus brought the world a new philosophy to live by. He discussed and taught in a philosophic manner.

phi·los·o·pher

–noun 1.a person who offers views or theories on profound questions in ethics, metaphysics, logic, and other related fields.3.a person who establishes the central ideas of some movement, cult, etc.5.a person who is rationally or sensibly calm, esp. under trying circumstances.

I think these are fitting in describing Jesus. However I add that Jesus was also God.

I generally do not care for O'Rielly's views, but I have no problem with acknowledging Jesus as a philosopher.

 

[eoe]

Jesus was NOT a philosopher. He was a man of ACTION. He did not sit about and think about things - he DID things. He GOT UP and took ACTION.
He also told us to do the same..

 

[Splayd]

So eoe - He was just an activist then?

I agree that He didn't just sit around discussing philosophy, but I don't see why that negates the possibility that He was also a philosopher. He offered His views on profound questions. He established the central ideas of the Church. Where's the problem?

I'm guessing it just comes down to what one perceives a philosopher to be. Maybe my understanding of the term is inadequate but I don't see that it necessarily has to be an either/or thing.

 

[Knee V]

Philosophy implies an elaboration upon human reason. That which Christ taught and did had nothing to do with reason. He revealed things to us. He was the Revealer as well as the Revelation itself. He revealed to us the Father. He did not give us a philosophy - He gave us a Revelation.

 

[Knowledge3]

I would say a Divine "philosopher", as He is a Divine Teacher.

 

[Knowledge3]

Jesus was NOT a philosopher. He was a man of ACTION. He did not sit about and think about things - he DID things. He GOT UP and took ACTION.
He also told us to do the same..

But the way He spoke and taught the disciples was with divine wisdom, making Him in essence a philosophical Teacher.

I could be wrong, but I don't think the term "philosopher" is really Jesus of Nazareth.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

Based on the Cambridge dictionary Jesus was certainly a philosopher. But his philosophy was of a spiritual nature.


philosophy
noun
1 the use of reason in understanding such things as the nature of reality and existence, the use and limits of knowledge and the principles that govern and influence moral judgment:
René Descartes is regarded as the founder of modern philosophy.
See also PhD.

2 the philosophy of sth a group of theories and ideas related to the understanding of a particular subject:
the philosophy of education/religion/science

3 [C] a particular system of beliefs, values and principles:
the Ancient Greek philosophy of Stoicism

4 [C usually singular] INFORMAL someone's approach to life and their way of dealing with it:
Live now, pay later - that's my philosophy of life!

philosopher noun [C]
someone who studies or writes about the meaning of life:
Plato was a Greek philosopher.

philosophical adjective
1 relating to the study or writing of philosophy:
philosophical writings/essays

2 If you are philosophical in your reaction to something which is not satisfactory, you accept it calmly and without anger, understanding that failure and disappointment are a part of life.

philosophically
adverb
calmly accepting a difficult situation

philosophize, UK USUALLY philosophise
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?dict=CALD&key=59385&ph=onverb MAINLY DISAPPROVING
to talk for a long time about subjects such as the meaning of life:
Students, she complained, had nothing better to do than spend whole days philosophizing about the nature of truth.

(from Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary)

 

[onmybelief]

Jesus was a philosopher, But, as many here have already stated, he was also God in the flesh who knew alot more about philosophy than we do or ever will.

 

[BigNorsk]

My problem with considering Jesus a philosopher would be that as I see it, a philosopher is one who try to deduct the way things are through thought or reason one who make deductions if you will.

The thing is, Jesus didn't need to sit and think about something, he knew it. What he said wasn't as a result of trying to think things through, it flowed from his knowledge. So Jesus did not philosophize, he didn't share philosophy with us, he shared his knowledge.

If he was a philosopher, then you should be able to philosophize and end up with the gospel. No one has done that yet.

Marv

 

[gentlestorm]

Bill O'reilly, discussing politics on CNN, said that Jesus was a philosopher.

What is your response to his comment?

Discuss.

I would say dump Bill O'reilly and focus on following Jesus.
Don't let worldly views startle or distract to anger too much.

 

[epistemaniac]

Sure... Jesus was and is the greatest philosopher who ever lived..... philosophy" is, after all, a Greek word, from phileîn, "to love," and sophía, "wisdom,".. now who would want to deny that Jesus loved wisdom?

blessings,
Ken

 

[Knowledge3]

I would say dump Bill O'reilly and focus on following Jesus.
Don't let worldly views startle or distract to anger too much.

Good advice.