Philosophy Discussion Forums | A Humans-Only Club for Open-Minded Discussion & Debate

[Vanessa Agu]

The topic is intriguing, particularly given the contrast between contemporary behaviors and the teachings of Jesus. I appreciate his emphasis on love and compassion, beliefs that seem increasingly relevant in today's world.

[Sandeep Moses]

I can agree with the teaching of judging others.

"Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven."
(Luke 6:37)

I am a Christian and I can say that no one is perfect in this world. We have flaws. We don't have the right or be quick to judge anyone. I am happy that you wrote about this in your book.

[Charlse Ochoa]

I am a Christian. And I really want to understand better how the last teaching of Jesus Christ, from the list you provided above, relate with your philosophy. I have not understand what you mean by spiritual freedom (a.k.a. self-discipline, freedom of spirit, free-spiritedness, self-determination, self-ownership, self-responsibility, etc.).

[Unique Mary Iloakasia]

Yes, love is really the greatest commandment. If one loves another, they wouldn't harm or do anything bad to the person. It is all love.

[Agoms Collins]

My favourite teachings of Jesus is to love your neighbour as yourself

[Jane Gent]

Hi, I'm so pleased to be a part of this group!
This is a good topic for religious and non-religious people. I hover in between. I am a catholic but haven't been to mass since the start of COVID. However, Jesus can teach us much about love, forgiveness and tolerance in this world. I don't think you have to believe in the person himself to follow the teachings of morals and ethics. I believe that if Jesus is 'real', as in God, then he is Love.
For me, I think,

'I am the light of the world,
whoever follows me
will not walk in darkness
but will have the light of life'
John 8:12

This is basically saying, follow my teaching ( - love, forgiveness and tolerance), and you will be rewarded with a good heart, be a generous person, and give of yourself. You will feel good about yourself and be appreciated for who you are.

[Udeh N]

My favourite teaching of Jesus is the teaching of giving to people. Jesus encouraged us to always give and help people

[Jayy Davis]

My favourite teaching is the teaching of love. Love rules the world and it's a universal language.

[Jane Gent]

Absolutely Jayy Davis and Udeh N . Even if you aren’t religious, these are good morals and ethics to have. Love over hate, good over bad. These were essentially his teachings I feel.

[Eagle Adastra]

Love your neighbor as yourself. That is my favorite teachings of Jesus.

[passionatereader2]

I'm not a Christian but I've to know many things about Christianity through this forum and answers. Also through books.

[Jake Shaun]

My favorite teaching is the teaching love. I think love covers everything and when you love someone the way you love yourself the world will be in harmony.

[Chad Anthony]

Reading your take on these Bible passages really opened my eyes to some of them in another dimension, especially the last one, 'For what has a man profited, if he gains the whole world for the price of his own soul?' Relating it to addiction and other vices, I could make use of this to add more fire to roast my addiction.

[Mary L Barnes]

Your focus on inner peace and self-responsibility is particularly inspiring. It's refreshing to see someone approach religious texts with a critical eye, seeking out principles that can be applied to anyone, regardless of their faith.

The way you’ve connected Jesus' teachings to your own philosophy of self-discipline and freedom is quite interesting. It shows a deep understanding of both, and it’s evident that you've found a way to integrate these ideas into a meaningful personal philosophy.

[Adrian Bouknight]

If you haven't already, you can sign up to be personally mentored by Scott "Eckhart Aurelius" Hughes at this link.


I am not a Christian nor religious at all. I don't follow any religion. Mine is a philosophy of self-discipline, self-responsibility, and self-determination. I only believe in the truths that a man who lives his whole life alone on a deserted island could also find. I only believe in the truths that a man who couldn't even read and never heard of any religion at all could know with all his heart to be true. They are truths that transcend and precede words themselves. They are truths of the unspeakable. They are the truths of the wonderfully indescribable. These are truths so universal that they tend to be shared in all religions and philosophical traditions; they are shared even among the religious and non-religious alike.

They precede words and science and empirical sight itself, both literally and figuratively. They are truths you can see with your eyes closed. They are the inherently subjective truths of the inner world, the one that a philosophical zombie would have to believe doesn't even exist, because--without direct subjective (a.k.a. spiritual) access to it--it's completely outside the realm of the objective and outer. When we talk about things like inner peace and the outer world, the difference between inner and outer is not about a boundary in physical space, but rather the conceptual boundary between the subjective/spiritual/undeniable versus the objective/scientific/empirical/doubtable. The former category includes all the infinite depths of those countless things that any conscious person (i.e. any person with a spirit) knows more than they anyone can know anything thing from the latter category. It's something that a philosophical zombie (i.e. someone without a spirit) could not know at all, for it is (without a spirit of one's own) otherwise beyond the reach of empirical investigation or understanding.

However, among many other great writings and teachings that describe these wonderfully indescribable things, passed down thousands of years from wise teachers and enlightened folk, I have personally been greatly inspired by many of the teachings of Jesus as quoted in the Christian Bible.

Granted, most of the Bible is not about Jesus, and much of what modern self-proclaimed Christians preach in churches has little to do nothing to do with their bible. For example, I don't recall Jesus ever saying anything about gays or abortion. In another example, many self-proclaimed "Christians" would be the first to eagerly throw a stone at someone they see as a sinner, or to point a judgemental shaming finger at someone.

Granted, there's also many people from all religions including Christianity that practice peaceful loving kindness, unconditional forgiveness, radical non-judgementalism, turning the other cheek, not throwing stones. There are even people in remote lands who never even hard of Jesus who practice these things.

In analogy, many people have never heard of the Serenity Prayer, and yet practice its teachings.

My main point in the above is that when I say I am inspired by Jesus's words and teachings, I mean the actual verbatim quotes of things explicitly said by the person/character named Jesus as quoted in the Christian Bible.

Here are some of the things Jesus himself actually said (according to the Christian Bible) that inspire me:



"The kingdom of heaven is within you."
(Luke 17:21)



"You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also."
(Matthew 5:38)


“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?"
(Matthew 5:43)


"Don't worry about tomorrow. It will take care of itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
(Matthew 6:34)


"Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven."
(Luke 6:37)


"Do not judge, or you will be judged. For with the same judgment you pronounce, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."
(Matthew 7:1)
Or, as I like to say it, To have hate in your heart is to be in hell. And, as I wrote in my book, "This dreamy world may be but a mirror. If you look in it with hateful eyes, hateful eyes will hate you back."


"Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul."
(Matthew 10:28)


"You are the light for the whole world. A city built on top of a hill cannot be hidden, and no one lights a lamp and puts it under a clay pot. Instead, it is placed on a lampstand, where it can give light to everyone in the house. Make your light shine, so others will see the good you do and will praise your Father in heaven."
(Matthew 5:14)


"Not everyone saying to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the kingdom of the heavens, but only the one actually doing the will of My Father in the heavens."
(Matthew 7:21)
Or, as I say it in my book, In It Together: Actions speak infinitely louder than words. In fact, I explicitly talk in my book about the hypothetical example of someone trying to trick and dishonestly manipulate one's god by giving a dishonest verbal apology.


"For what has a man profited, if he gains the whole world for the price of his own soul?"
(Matthew 16:26)

To me, that last one, the one right above this paragraph, especially relates to my philosophy of spiritual freedom (a.k.a. self-discipline, freedom of spirit, free-spiritedness, self-determination, self-ownership, self-responsibility, etc.), and by extension transcending temptation, addiction, and anything that would make one a sell-out or spiritual slave, instead of getting to enjoy the wonderful liberated gracefulness of inner peace and true happiness.




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In addition to having authored his book, In It Together, Eckhart Aurelius Hughes (a.k.a. Scott) runs a mentoring program, with a free option, that guarantees success. Success is guaranteed for anyone who follows the program.

I appreciate the references to the Sermon on the Mount. It is interesting how centuries later, we can still look at these passages and grow from them. The book of Mathew and the Bible as a whole has certainly been influential through the ages. Similar timeless concepts can be found elsewhere such as in proverbs or Psalms, though sometimes the context of scripture becomes complicated to understand due to centuries of time having passed.

Either way, thank you for sharing.