Is Jesus half God, half Man?

[_beastie]

Ok, perhaps I should have said "you LDS" instead of "you christians'. LDS prophets have taught that Jesus is God's son in the same way we are our parents' children.

[_truth dancer]

Hi CK,

Traditional Christians have consistently believed and affirmed that Christ is 100% man and 100% God. Thus, the doctrine of Christ's two natures. Not 50%/%50. This is as pragmatic as it is theological: as fully man, Christ, in the ultimate sense, represents humanity in his standing before God the Father; as fully God, Christ, in the ultimate sense, represents God to humanity.

I'll ask you the same question I asked Jersey Girl...

I thought one of the difference between mainstream Christianity and LDS beliefs is how they view Jesus.

Do mainstream Christians believe Jesus had the literal DNA of God the father along with the DNA of Mary?

td

I'm confused by your question, td. MC's believe that God is a self existent Spirit.

Yes, it is a confusing question. :-) Sorry about that. You answered my question though!

I'm thinking that in mainstream Christianity, the idea of Jesus being both God and man is quite dissimilar to the LDS belief regarding Jesus.

My understanding is that mainstream Christianity does not believe God is an advanced/exalted male with DNA which was imparted to Mary to conceive Jesus.

In other words, there is a big difference between how LDS and mainstream Christians view Jesus.

In the LDS church I was always taught that Jesus was half God and half human but I'm wondering if this is still taught in the LDS church.

:-)

~dancer~

[_beastie]

Yes, I think the crux of the difference it that LDS believe God is a glorified, exalted (former) human being.

So, given LDS doctrine, was I correct to say Jesus is half-god?

[_Daniel Peterson]

In the LDS church I was always taught that Jesus was half God and half human but I'm wondering if this is still taught in the LDS church.

You've come to the right place to gain sympathetic, nuanced, profound understanding of Latter-day Saint doctrines.

[_Daniel Peterson]

So, given LDS doctrine, was I correct to say Jesus is half-god?

Half-way. Yes and no.

[_Hally McIlrath]

Atheist opinion, garnered by cobbling together an amalgam of theological theories:

While on Earth, Jesus was one hundred percent human. This was necessary in order for his period of temptation in the wilderness to be a true temptation, as well as for his death on the Cross to have any value (he was human, yet without sin, a perfect sacrifice).

Once his resurrection and ascension took place, he was no longer human, but became an exalted being. In Mormon theology, a separate being from God the Father, in traditional Christianity, he returned to his former glory as God.

[_Jersey Girl]

Hi CK,

Traditional Christians have consistently believed and affirmed that Christ is 100% man and 100% God. Thus, the doctrine of Christ's two natures. Not 50%/%50. This is as pragmatic as it is theological: as fully man, Christ, in the ultimate sense, represents humanity in his standing before God the Father; as fully God, Christ, in the ultimate sense, represents God to humanity.

I'll ask you the same question I asked Jersey Girl...

I thought one of the difference between mainstream Christianity and LDS beliefs is how they view Jesus.

Do mainstream Christians believe Jesus had the literal DNA of God the father along with the DNA of Mary?

td

I'm confused by your question, td. MC's believe that God is a self existent Spirit.

Yes, it is a confusing question. :-) Sorry about that. You answered my question though!

I'm thinking that in mainstream Christianity, the idea of Jesus being both God and man is quite dissimilar to the LDS belief regarding Jesus.

My understanding is that mainstream Christianity does not believe God is an advanced/exalted male with DNA which was imparted to Mary to conceive Jesus.

In other words, there is a big difference between how LDS and mainstream Christians view Jesus.

In the LDS church I was always taught that Jesus was half God and half human but I'm wondering if this is still taught in the LDS church.

:-)

~dancer~

This is perhaps THE main dividing line between MC and LDS, td, that includes Lucifer as spirit brother of Jesus. This is why you see MC's refer to the Jesus of Mormonism as "another" or "a different" Jesus.

[_Daniel Peterson]

Until this moment I didn't know this was no longer taught.

You still don't.

Or is it still taught in some places?

Undoubtedly! And rightly so.

Or is this another teaching that has moved into the realm of "just an opinion"?

No. It's not.

[_beastie]

He Was the Only Begotten of the Father

The story of the birth and life of the Savior is found in the New Testament in the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. From their accounts we learn that Jesus was born of a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to marry Joseph when an angel of the Lord appeared to her. The angel told her that she was to be the mother of the Son of God. She asked him how this was possible (see Luke 1:34). He told her, "The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God" (Luke 1:35). Thus, God the Father became the literal father of Jesus Christ.

Jesus is the only person on earth to be born of a mortal mother and an immortal father. That is why he is called the Only Begotten Son. From his mother he inherited mortality and was subject to hunger, thirst, fatigue, pain, and death. He inherited divine powers from his Father. No one could take the Savior's life from him unless He willed it. He had power to lay it down and power to take up his body again after dying. (See John 10:17-18.)

http://www.LDS.org/library/display/0,49 ... 17,00.html

[_cksalmon]

In the LDS church I was always taught that Jesus was half God and half human but I'm wondering if this is still taught in the LDS church.

You've come to the right place to gain sympathetic, nuanced, profound understanding of Latter-day Saint doctrines.

Or, just perhaps, there's a[n impossibly?] substantive discussion taking place right under your nose here.

You, Dr. Peterson, might just be able to help bring such a thing to fruition.

As my hands-down fav poster on MADB (Steuss) is fond of quoting, "Be the change you want to happen."

Yeth, I know, it's just a message board, but since you're here and all...