The truth always gets ruined when somebody tries to make a religion out of it. ~ Jon-Paul Diefenbach

I love Jesus. He spoke truth. I love truth. I love truth so much, I have the word tattooed on my arm.



So if there was any previous doubt regarding my appreciation for TRUTH in all forms, that settles it. Cuz let's face it: If somebody has something tatted on them, you know they mean serious business.



Take that guy. If you were intoxicated at a local bar one Friday, and made the terrible mistake of thinking he was, in any way, Miss Hot Water, you'd be sadly mistaken. Because it's clearly evident — thanks to his tattoos — that he's Mr. Cool Ice.

So step off.

Let's get back to me me me me me (cuz it's always about me), and my fascination with all things TRUTH. In the video below, Ricky Gervais expresses his love for TRUTH by saying, "The truth doesn't hurt. Whatever it is. It's better to know the truth."



Ricky was projecting his lack of belief in a God. At the same time, he professes his love for Jesus. Which brings us to the point of today's blog:

Can Atheists love Jesus?

I believe they can.

One doesn't have to believe in a heavenly Santa Claus who grants wishes based on one's behavior in order to practice the tenets of Jesus' teachings. Jesus taught us the following things:

• To be nice your neighbor
• To demonstrate compassion
• To treat others as you would want to be treated
• To show tolerance to those who are different
• To not make excuses or play the sympathy card
  
• To forgive those that hurt you

Isn't it possible to implement these strategies into your daily life without believing in a heavenly Santa Claus who tends to be very inconsistent about granting prayers? A Santa Claus that also tends to allow bad things to happen to good people? Isn't it possible to create a heavenly experience right now, on planet Earth, by choosing a life where the above-mentioned qualities are exemplified by every human?

Why should we gamble on the after-life, hoping we'll "live forever with God" in heaven? In my opinion, heaven is available to all of us — right now.

In every single, eternal moment of NOW.

NOW is the only thing that's real. The past doesn't exist. The future doesn't exist.

NOW is all we have.

NOW is all we will ever have.

Didn't Jesus teach us that the "kingdom of heaven is at hand"? Didn't he teach us that "the kingdom of heaven is within"?

So why are you waiting? Cultivate your kingdom right NOW. It's your responsibility. Stop being lazy and expecting "God" to have heaven waiting for you when you die.

A flashlight with dead batteries shines no light. What if there is no afterlife? What if, when your batteries finally die, that's it. No more light for you.

Would you have wasted the life you were given?

All humans can experience the kingdom of heaven. It doesn't matter what your beliefs are. Atheist, Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Mormon, Agnostic, Hindu, etc.

Jesus tried to help us understand his "human-nature." In truth, I think he was a little frustrated with everyone's pre-determined conclusion that he was the "Son of God." Jesus was about humility. Claiming that somebody is the "Son of God" certainly isn't the most humble characterization. That's why he made it a point to also describe himself as the "Son of Man."

I mean, think about the pressure he must have felt, as a child. "Uhh, yeah, little Jesus. All these irrational, superstitious humans in the village have decided that you're their Savior — the Son of God Almighty. So like, you need to live up to the expectations. Now get out there and save the world, little buddy!"

So, as a child, before he knew better, he bought into the "Son of God" stuff. As he grew in wisdom and stature (Luke 2:52), he started to understand his connection to humanity — and tried to distance himself from the "Son of God" hype by trying to remind (reprogram the minds) his fellow humans. "Hey, you crazy fools, I'm a human-being! I'm the son of man! As in, a hu-MAN!"

In my opinion, Jesus was a wonderful teacher who provided us with the tools required to create a fulfilling life — on the inside.

And that's available to all of us. =)

Jesus, in Luke 6:37, says, "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven."

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