Religions are optional and people change their beliefs over a lifetime. Some do this many times. Ever notice we always find one which agrees with our sense of morality?
Most of us are given our first religion by our parents. We pick from the holy book particular verses and notions which form the God of our ideal expectations; a god we approve of, one we can be proud to believe in.
For example, regardless of your personal morality you can cherry pick any combination of verses from Jesus, claim them to be true and still be considered a good Christian:
Moral JESUS:
“Forgive them, they know not what they do” – JESUS
“Love thy neighbor” – JESUS
“My peace I leave you” – JESUS
Immoral JESUS:
“I have not come to bring Peace but a sword..” – JESUS (Matthew 10:35)
“Execute them in front of me” – JESUS (Luke 19:27)
“Better to drown him with a millstone” – JESUS (Matthew 18:6)
“I shall kill her children with death” – JESUS (REV. 2:23)
“shake off their dust as a testimony against them” – JESUS (Luke 9:35)
“I have come to bring fire to the earth…and Anguish.” – JESUS (Luke 12:49-51)
“I have come to divide families and make enemies of the home” – JESUS (Matthew 10:21)
“Keep the stoning laws of Moses” – JESUS (Matthew 5:19)
The Bible offers us multiple choices which we can use to build our gods.We judge them as we create them from these building blocks. Want to believe in a Jesus who is only about tolerance? Easy. Simply pick those parts and reject or rationalize the rest from Biblical offerings.
Unfortunately, the mistake humans make is to pretend the Gods they have constructed are real and have minds of their own with commands which must be followed. That part is nonsense, since you are the one who invented the god from the raw materials you chose on your own.
No matter your religion, you are the creator (and the judge) of your God. He exists at your mercy and at your permission. When you stop believing, he disappears. They always do.
The only actor is You.
Atheist Max 
Very nice list showing immoral Jesus! I knew that he wasn’t all good, but I didn’t know he was that bad!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh, don’t worry. There is more where that list came from.
Jesus is a nightmare – one of the worst gods ever invented.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Funny how it doesn’t take religion to recognize which verses make Jesus sound like a jerk. As you point out, Jesus said lots of things. Why not emphasize them all if he is indeed the definition of a moral being? I find it interesting that cherry picking is an attempt to make Jesus fit our idea of what’s right rather than religion imparting morals.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Exactly.
Also, people just assume Jesus was a moral teacher and they don’t read the bible stories with any care. Their fear of God prevents clear thinking.
LikeLike