I listened to a debate and came away with the idea that he did not believe in the deity of Christ. What do you think about that?
He did later become an agnostic after struggling with the philosophical problems of pain and evil and suffering in the world.
It’s not uncommon for people to struggle with that, nor is it uncommon for some Christians to experience a deconversion because of their inability to resolve a good and loving God with the pain and evil and suffering in the world; they end up walking away from the faith.
Nowadays he says that he continues to be attracted to the teachings of Jesus. He says Jesus' teachings of love and mercy and forgiveness really should dominate our lives, and that it really is better to love your neighbor as yourself. On the personal level, he says he agrees with many of the ethical teachings of Jesus, and he tries to model his life on them, even though he’s agnostic now due to his deconversion.
The failing of the church is selling conversions as a shield of God against worldly suffering, earthly rewards for faith.
Man had it wrong so Jesus came to set the correct example, he didn't come cause man was doing it right... and then man almost immediately started down the path of doing it wrong again.
Jesus came to show how unimportant worldly suffering, hardship, persecution, torture, physical death are, compared to faith and spiritual resurrection. What God can give us here is the will to endure and the strength of fearlessness, spiritual peace/relief regardless of pain/suffering/persecution.
Jesus' church is lead through the Holy Spirit, not a pulpit, not some man's words, not a confined in a book.
God left man here on earth with free will, individual man and man as a whole, the chit that happens to us here isn't on God nor will he save you, it's on man and self inflicted.
