Your favorite historical figure!
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K
Kooper
Guest
It would have to be Jesus. I admire Him because of His love and sacrifice. And I will honestly say, I wish I could identify with Him. To be like Him.
I really admire Abraham Lincoln--from the things I've read about him, he was always an underdog... I wonder what inspired him to keep going, and what kept his spirit from breaking.
I also love famous people who seem approachable and down to earth... such as Barbara Bush--to me, it seemed like she would be someone you could have a normal conversation with (Kate Middleton, too.)
I also love famous people who seem approachable and down to earth... such as Barbara Bush--to me, it seemed like she would be someone you could have a normal conversation with (Kate Middleton, too.)
J
Jullianna
Guest
Jesus would be a given, but:
David, Joshua, Caleb, Mary Magdalene, Peter, John, Martin Luther, Martin Luther King Jr., Presidents: Kennedy/Lincoln/T. Roosevelt, Mother Teresa, Ruth Bell Graham, Barbara Bush, Jackie Kennedy, Winston Churchill, C S Lewis, Shakespeare, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Madame Curie, Lord Byron, Rich Mullins, Eliot Ness, Frank Serpico, Jean Claude Monet, Mary Stevenson Cassatt, Sun Tzu.... for now
David, Joshua, Caleb, Mary Magdalene, Peter, John, Martin Luther, Martin Luther King Jr., Presidents: Kennedy/Lincoln/T. Roosevelt, Mother Teresa, Ruth Bell Graham, Barbara Bush, Jackie Kennedy, Winston Churchill, C S Lewis, Shakespeare, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Madame Curie, Lord Byron, Rich Mullins, Eliot Ness, Frank Serpico, Jean Claude Monet, Mary Stevenson Cassatt, Sun Tzu.... for now
J
Jullianna
Guest
A
adekruif
Guest
Martin Luther. He stood up for what he believed, not caring what might happen to him. I am timid when it comes to talking to friends about the gospel, and I hope that someday I can be more like he was....not afraid to speak up for his faith, no matter the consequence.
Hmmm,
Working backwards through time I guess I'd have to go with
Einstein, King Arthur, Galileo, Paul, Hezekiah
Working backwards through time I guess I'd have to go with
Einstein, King Arthur, Galileo, Paul, Hezekiah
Same here.
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Okay, new thread rule if I may: If you post a Bible character's name you must also post someone from outside the Bible.
Jesus, Paul, etc. are expected answers around here. I like to deal in the unexpected.
My top figure right now is TE Lawrence. I'm currently zipping my way through a lengthy biography of his. A man of man of letters and a man of action who never bought the separation between ideas and their implementation. He had an intuitive view of people and their place in history, and, according to Churchill, looked at nations and the events of man as though he could view the whole of them from a mountain top. A dreamer, recluse, visionary, adventure junkie, and ascetist. The wisdom of bringing down the Ottoman Empire is still debated today, but the man who helped kick down that crumbling edifice did so in such supreme style. I both identify with and seek to emulate him.
His oft cited quote has been my signature for awhile.
Presidents: Lincoln, Grant, Coolidge, and Nixon. Nixon and Grant are, more or less, my version of Charlie Brown's Christmas tree.
Reagan is cool, but his current status of sainthood in conservative circles ignites my inner hipster.
Biblical characters: Paul, Stephen
Writers: Fyodor Dostoevsky, Aleksander Solzhenitsyn
Did I mention William F. Buckley?
His oft cited quote has been my signature for awhile.
Presidents: Lincoln, Grant, Coolidge, and Nixon. Nixon and Grant are, more or less, my version of Charlie Brown's Christmas tree.
Reagan is cool, but his current status of sainthood in conservative circles ignites my inner hipster.
Biblical characters: Paul, Stephen
Writers: Fyodor Dostoevsky, Aleksander Solzhenitsyn
Did I mention William F. Buckley?
Jesus would be a given, but:
David, Joshua, Caleb, Mary Magdalene, Peter, John, Martin Luther, Martin Luther King Jr., Presidents: Kennedy/Lincoln/T. Roosevelt, Mother Teresa, Ruth Bell Graham, Barbara Bush, Jackie Kennedy, Winston Churchill, C S Lewis, Shakespeare, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Madame Curie, Lord Byron, Rich Mullins, Eliot Ness, Frank Serpico, Jean Claude Monet, Mary Stevenson Cassatt, Sun Tzu.... for now
A commendable list. I should have put Shakespeare up. Everyday I stand in more awe of his brilliance. Him and Dante.
Sun Tzu was decent, but I prefer Machiavelli. Same lessons and more, easy reading. Introduction to modern political science to boot. Yeah, I thought Art of War was overrated.
Michelangelo, Leonardo Da Vinci and Clint Eastwood (not necessarily in that order).
Honorable mention:
Thomas Jefferson
Ben Franklin
Socrates
Honorable mention:
Thomas Jefferson
Ben Franklin
Socrates
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L
Liz01
Guest
Forgot some whys...
Einstein, Galileo - Revolutionary thinkers who stood against great opposition and brought about changes.
King Arthur - The epitome of chivalry and a wise and fair ruler.
Paul - Without doubt the most influential and guiding church leader after Jesus' resurrection.
Hezekiah - Wise, God fearing king who returned Jerusalem to God. Though perhaps not as well known as several other Biblical kings, he was certainly among one of the good ones.
Forgive my lack of imagination, but isn't King Arthur nothing but a centerpiece of a highly important European mythology? There is little real evidence of an actual King named Arthur other than a few Romano British chieftains one of which was said to bear the standard of the bear ('artur' in saxon).
J
Jullianna
Guest
One of the best biographies I've read in quite some time was Colin Powell's. Haven't started on George Schultz yet...I've had it for awhile.
My stepdad left me a set of Churchill's works. Didn't make it through it through them all.
I haven't read much Buckley, but I've listened to him a great deal.
I don't get the Reagan thing either...
An historical person who is noteworthy to me is the 20th century Christian philosopher Francis Schaeffer (1912-1984). He possessed great intelligence and yet was meek and humble. He exemplified the perfect balance of possessing a brilliant mind towards biblical truths and a heart-felt devotion towards both God and his fellow man. In my opinion, Francis Schaeffer was a very good example of what it means to conform to the likeness of Jesus, who was the epitome of wisdom, humility and love.
"There are two practical tests as to when we are coveting against God or men; first, I am to love God enough to be content; second, I am to love men enough not to envy."
- Francis Schaeffer, True Spirituality, Chapter 1, pg 8
"There are two practical tests as to when we are coveting against God or men; first, I am to love God enough to be content; second, I am to love men enough not to envy."
- Francis Schaeffer, True Spirituality, Chapter 1, pg 8
E
eelhsa
Guest
William Wilberforce: I am greatly inspired by his bravery and conviction. He stood up as a politician and was not afraid to bring his faith into every aspect of his life. I have been working my way through the book he wrote, and I have also read several books about him, and his story and what he did with his life really speaks to me. It also is interesting to read his book, (which he wrote in 1797), and realize that not that much has changed even in the 200 and some years that have gone by since then. He was a man who believed in living out his faith, and he did so. He never gave up in his fight to end slavery and the slave trade, and he was able to see the end of the trading of slaves in England before he died. I am very motivated by his example, and just how much impact a life lived for God can have on the world.
Terry Fox: I am moved by the courage Terry showed in his life. Cancer became to him, as it is to so many, an enemy to fight and conquer. He started his "Marathon of Hope" and set his goal of raising one dollar for every Canadian. I remember the first time I heard about him and went to see his monument. I was trying to imagine what it would be like to make a decision like he did to run all across Canada. (Especially considering he had a prosthetic leg.) He could have given up and sat there feeling sorry for himself, likely few would have blamed him, but he didn't, he fought back. And because of that original run, even though he did not finish, many more runs have been held all around the world and thousands of dollars raised for cancer research.
Mother Teresa: She is a wonderful example to me of true and unselfish love. She has become known for her work among the poor and sick, and she really did share the love of the Lord with people. There are so many hurting and helpless people out there, what if we all had an attitude more like hers? Instead of seeing disease and danger, she saw people in need of God's love, and she shared it with them. I truly believe God worked through her in everything she did. I doubt there are very many, if any, people that could ever think badly of her. No, she wasn't perfect, none of us are...but there was something in her and the way she acted that all of us are able to recognize as being good and valuable. Even the most lost person still has some ability to see and understand what living a godly life looks like. I want to be more like her, seeing each person as valuable and loved by God, and showing others through example how real and loving God is.
Terry Fox: I am moved by the courage Terry showed in his life. Cancer became to him, as it is to so many, an enemy to fight and conquer. He started his "Marathon of Hope" and set his goal of raising one dollar for every Canadian. I remember the first time I heard about him and went to see his monument. I was trying to imagine what it would be like to make a decision like he did to run all across Canada. (Especially considering he had a prosthetic leg.) He could have given up and sat there feeling sorry for himself, likely few would have blamed him, but he didn't, he fought back. And because of that original run, even though he did not finish, many more runs have been held all around the world and thousands of dollars raised for cancer research.
Mother Teresa: She is a wonderful example to me of true and unselfish love. She has become known for her work among the poor and sick, and she really did share the love of the Lord with people. There are so many hurting and helpless people out there, what if we all had an attitude more like hers? Instead of seeing disease and danger, she saw people in need of God's love, and she shared it with them. I truly believe God worked through her in everything she did. I doubt there are very many, if any, people that could ever think badly of her. No, she wasn't perfect, none of us are...but there was something in her and the way she acted that all of us are able to recognize as being good and valuable. Even the most lost person still has some ability to see and understand what living a godly life looks like. I want to be more like her, seeing each person as valuable and loved by God, and showing others through example how real and loving God is.