... but,.. his story promotes empathy and compassion, sharing, and warns of being judgmental... good lessons... so I like him.

As I've said before, the persona you have crafted of Jesus is based off what others have told you. Or, if you've developed this yourself by reading, all your preconceived opinions are acting as a hell of a filter....!

Jesus' judgmental character makes would make your average moral majority or 700 club member blush but that would come as a surprise to you. His compassion is universal alright, but comes with consequences. He shares with all but will take everything from you. I suspect he might say you are like lukewarm spit he wants out of his mouth.

My parting advice to you on this topic is either pursue him or ignore him completely and avoid this subject.

It's not the Church.  The "Church" has nothing to do with it. You're allowing yourself to be told what to think.

The only record we have to reconstruct who he was and what he was saying is out of the Bible. Don't take my word for it, or anyone else's anymore for that matter. Read it yourself. If you do and still come back that he's all for group hugs, so be it.

That's actually the closest to my feelings that anyone's ever gotten, Sew.
I believe there was a guy named Jesus who told people to be good. Maybe multiples who claimed they were THE Jesus with the same, or similar message. All passed off, generation through generation, merged, forgotten, retold, romanticized, etc.


--Steve

He went to the sleeper (and she was a sleeper) and told her to stop doing that

Ha ha! Our censor machine changed wh0re to sleeper! Another word I've got to code now.... gee wiz.....

Sew, you're a moderator; can't you change that? You can't say sleeper  wh0re. ?