Jesus of Nazareth was born during the life of Herod the Great who ruled Palestine at the end of the 1st Century B.C. December 25 was first celebrated as Jesus's birthday during the reign of the Roman Emperor, Constantine. The life and teachings of Jesus are the inspiration for Christianity.
The story of the life of Jesus is well known and will not be retold here. His impact on history is obvious and enormous. Jesus had an extraordinary intellect and personality, and made a deep and lasting impression on the people he met. He was charismatic in the deepest sense of the word. Jesus heralded the coming of a new age where all people would live as God's children. He taught the basic ethics of brotherhood and kindness which became central themes of Christianity.
It is unreasonable to hold Jesus responsible for all the things Christians have done in his name. Particularly since he would disapprove of many of those things: religious wars between various Christian sects; persecution of non-Christian peoples. Such acts are obviously contradictory to his attitudes and teachings. One of Jesus' central precepts, and a common principle in many religions and philosophies, is the Golden Rule. Simply stated: "Treat others as you would wish to be treated."
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