,,the ,,mistakes ,,of ,,jesus ,,by ,,william ,,floyd ,author of ,social ,progress1 ,people vs4 ,wall ,street1 ,our ,gods on ,trial1 ,war ,resistance4 ,new ,york ,,the ,,freethought ,,press ,,association4 ,copyright #aicb ,by ,,the ,,freethought ,,press ,,assn41 ,,inc4 ,,to ,,devotees ,,of ,,truth ,transcriber's ,note3 ,minor typographical errors have been corrected without note4 ,archaic spellings have been retained4 ,paragraph spacing has been normalised4 ,a table of contents1 though not present in the original publication1 has been provided below3 ,,foreword ,face the ,facts4 ,the ,true ,jesus4 ,scriptures ,unauthentic4 ,faith in ,jesus4 ,documentary ,evidence4 ,retain the ,good4 ,christianity ,must ,go4 ,,antiquated ,,theology ,the ,virgin ,birth4 ,the ,jewish ,messiah4 ,eternal ,damnation4 ,the ,atonement4 ,angels and ,devils4 ,,false ,,impressions ,jonah and the ,whale4 ,end of the ,world4 ,miracles4 ,eternal ,life4 ,raising ,lazarus4 ,god's ,protection4 ,belief in ,prayer4 ,,obscure ,,teachings ,witnesses and ,judge4 ,cannibalism4 ,religion ,only for ,children4 ,difficult or ,easy8 ,charity4 ,the ,scriptures ,upheld4 ,illogical4 ,parables ,deceptive4 ,,deficient ,,instructions ,labor4 ,usury4 ,economics4 ,punishment for ,debts4 ,healing4 ,peace4 ,marriage4 ,celibacy4 ,adultery4 ,divorce4 ,faulty ,judgment4 ,unconvincing4 ,prohibition4 ,lack of ,experience4 ,,an ,,inferior ,,prototype ,cursing ,nature4 ,forgiveness4 ,vituperation4 ,destruction of ,property4 ,egotism4 ,lack of ,courtesy4 ,unethical ,advice4 ,sermon on the ,mount4 ,inconsistency4 ,fear4 ,failure4 ,,conclusion ,jesus a ,myth4 ,judged by ,his ,works4 ,ethical ,evolution4 ,gains1 not ,losses4 ,,code ,,of ,,living ,,foreword ,the tradition regarding ,jesus is so glamorous that it is difficult to review his life and character with an unbiased mind4 ,while ,fundamentalists and ,modernists differ regarding the divinity of ,christ1 all ,christians and many non-,christians still cling to preconceived notions of the perfection of ,jesus4 ,he alone among men is revered as all-loving1 omniscient1 faultless--an unparalleled model for mankind4 ,this convention of the impeccability of ,jesus is so firmly established that any insinuation of error on his part is deemed a blasphemy4 ,doubting ,jesus is more impious than mocking ,god ,almighty4 ,jehovah may be exposed to some extent with impunity2 a ,god who destroyed #gj1jjj of his chosen people because their king took a census#a is too illogical for any but theologians to worship4 ,but the ,son of ,god1 or ,son of man1 is sacrosanct4 ,jesus is reverenced as the one man who has lived unspotted by the world1 free from human foibles1 able to redeem mankind by his example4 ,respect for the principles of ,jesus is so inbred in ,american people of all faiths that an attempt to disparage his worth is denounced as bad taste4 ,the detractor is suspected of being an immoral person1 no matter how convincing may be the proof which he presents4 ,a conspiracy of silence is directed against any system of ethics advanced as superior to the ,sermon on the ,mount4 ,in popular opinion ,jesus never made a mistake2 all his teachings were infallible2 no other view is tolerated4 ,face the ,facts ,this unwillingness to acknowledge the shortcomings of ,jesus is partially due to fear of sustaining a great loss4 ,the familiar answer to heretical arguments is that faith should not be destroyed unless something can be put in its place--ignoring the fact that something always may be substituted for beliefs destroyed4 ,that substitute is faith in the world as it really is4 ,and our modern world1 with all its shortcomings1 is infinitely preferable to the earth1 or even the heaven1 of the first century4 ,we now know that man can do more to eradicate sorrow than ,jesus ever thought of4 ,we can have greater confidence in the world as revealed today than in the doubtful traditions of ,biblical times4 ,but suppose there were nothing to substitute for the myth destroyed1 should that deter the ,truthseeker from continuing his investigation8 ,scientists do not hesitate in their research because the result of a new discovery may be disastrous4 ,they seek the facts regardless of consequences2 they want to know the ,truth about the physical world4 ,ethicists should have a similar desire concerning the metaphysical world4 ,they should have confidence that the ,supreme ,intelligence 7as ,edison called it7 will lead on to better things4 ,the ,true ,jesus ,if ,jesus was what his followers believe1 no arguments will destroy their faith in him2 but if ,jesus was not perfect1 according to modern standards1 it is important that his status as ,god1 or man1 should be revised4 ,loss of confidence in an erring idol is not loss of a true ideal4 ,when an iconoclast asserts that ,jesus lacked supreme intelligence1 the natural question is1 ,how do you know that you are right in your appraisal1 'lest haply ye be found even to fight against ,god'8 ,the answer is that we do not claim omniscience1 but merely request everyone to use his or her own judgment1 with intellectual honesty1 examining each act or saying of ,jesus without regard to presupposed ideas or tradition4 ,scriptures ,unauthentic ,the consensus of scholarship has rejected the creation of the universe in six days in #djjd ,b4,c41 science having proved the existence of the world for millions of years4 ,higher ,critics refuse to credit the book of ,genesis1 according to the first chapter of which the trees1 beasts and fowls were created before man1 but according to the second chapter after man4 ,it is not assuming too much for the humblest writer to say that ,moses was mistaken concerning many things he described in the ,pentateuch4 ,it follows that if one important portion of the ,bible is untrustworthy1 other parts of that same book may not be the infallible ,word of ,god4 ,the ,new ,testament1 as well as the ,old1 may be examined critically1 and if the gospels contain numerous contradictions1 the statements of the authors on any point1 including the life of ,jesus1 are open to question4 ,a conscientious person should reach conclusions based upon the best knowledge obtainable from all sources4 ,if anyone is convinced that ,jesus made mistakes1 he is not necessarily compelled to become an atheist4 ,all other ,gods that have been worshipped by men have been found imperfect4 ,the oft exposed errors of ,jehovah do not prevent ,christians and ,jews from professing belief in ,god4 ,those who require support from outside themselves cling to the symbol of deity though not thoroughly crediting any personality ever described in any sacred scriptures4 ,except ,jesus4 ,an ,evolutionist passes beyond the negative denial of ,god to the construction of a new philosophy in which ,truth is his guide1 ,truth being the nearest approximation to reality obtainable with our present knowledge4 ,belief in the world as it is now1 and as it is going to be1 is a sufficient creed4 ,faith in ,jesus ,with ,jesus entrenched in popular opinion1 there is small probability that faith in him will be shaken unless there is a preponderance of evidence against his divinity4 ,no one need abandon faith in ,jesus until convinced that something better has been found4 ,no one should even expose himself to heretical arguments unless he is a devotee of ,truth4 ,then only can he rejoice at a revelation of error in confidence that the more nearly the universe is understood the better can man adjust himself to his surroundings4 ,a worshipper of ,truth fears no destruction of false gods1 nor any facts that may cause him to throw over treasured superstitions4 ,he is willing to prove all things and hold fast to that which is true4 ,he rejoices when his idol is shattered1 knowing that he is approaching nearer to the true way of living1 a way that ,jesus did not adequately explain4 ,any attempt to censure the character of ,jesus will meet with the ridicule it deserves unless substantiated by documentary evidence4 ,the mere improbability of events contrary to natural laws does not destroy the ethical value of the teachings of the ,nazarene4 ,anything might have happened in the eerie days of old2 the critic must do more than deny the historicity of ,jesus and the inspiration of the ,bible4 ,to be convincing he must derive from the scriptures in which ,christians believe whatever proof can be deduced to unveil the superstition of a redeeming ,savior4 ,documentary ,evidence ,the documents most generally accepted by ,christians are those collected in the ,king ,james ,version of the ,bible4 ,the ,apocrypha and other early manuscripts are unreliable4 ,none of the thirty or more writers who described events around ,jerusalem in ,jesus' time gives any account of his teachings4 ,the only life of ,jesus is found in the four gospels2 the numerous biographers of ,christ have had no other reliable source of information4 ,it is deceptive for the publishers of revised editions of the ,bible to claim that original manuscripts have been consulted4 ,not one of the original manuscripts is in existence1 the earliest extant dating from the fourth century ,a4,d41 while the most ancient portion of the ,new ,testament in any museum was transcribed in the sixth century4 ,accepting1 therefore1 the ,king ,james ,version of the ,new ,testament as the most reliable source of information1 the question arises as to what portion of the chapters therein may be considered authentic4 ,scholars have rejected the entire gospel of ,john as less reliable than the synoptic gospels2 and the sixteenth chapter of ,mark as an addition after the original papyrus had broken off4 ,modernists1 being confronted1 in spite of these deletions1 with inconsistencies in the gospels of ,matthew1 ,mark and ,luke1 have assumed the further privilege of rejecting any verses which appear at variance with their beliefs4 ,liberals of this class contend that the supernatural side of ,jesus may be disregarded and yet that ,jesus will remain ,our ,lord4 ,they reject certain evangelistic passages that conflict with modern thought1 but accept other statements by the same authors as authoritative4 ,as the ,christian churches have not accepted any abbreviation of the ,bible as a substitute for the ,king ,james ,version1 it seems proper for the critic to have recourse to that translation as the most authentic description of the life and teachings of ,jesus4 ,he is justified1 moreover1 in considering every word in the supposedly inspired gospels as equally reliable4 ,his only concern should be to interpret each verse as nearly as possible as the original writers intended their words to be understood1 allowing for ,eastern hyperbole and the custom of the times4 ,retain the ,good ,in preparing a critical analysis of the character of ,jesus1 it is freely admitted that many of the thoughts attributed to the son of ,mary are superlatively fine4 ,they will live forever whether the personality of ,jesus be rejected as a divinity or not4 ,that these beautiful preachments are ignored here is not due to any desire to belittle admirable sentiments or to disparage right living4 ,the loving side of ,jesus has been emphasized again and again and will be borne in mind by the reader when other less admirable traits are criticized4 ,the intent of this criticism is not to destroy idealism but to assist the spirit of true progress4 ,christianity ,must ,go ,the significance of this investigation lies in the changes that would have to be made in religious thought if it should be found that ,jesus was not perfect4 ,if ,jesus was in error concerning conditions of his own time and exhibited no knowledge of our modern problems1 his authority will be lessened4 ,searchers after the true way of life will not continue to worship a person whose conception of the physical and spiritual world was erroneous4 ,if ,jesus made mistakes1 he is neither the ,son of ,god nor an infallible man4 ,so long as people feel compelled to worship what has been proved imperfect1 or to evade important doctrines of their creeds for fear of losing faith in old traditions1 their minds will not be receptive to changes in social conditions that require abandonment of established customs4 ,christians are imbued with a psychology derived from a completed revelation4 ,the firmer their belief in ,jesus1 the greater their resistance to new ideas4 ,catholics are more reluctant to join progressive movements than ,modernists and ,modernists than ,evolutionists4 ,religious people are apt to be afraid of the new world2 they doubt the possibility of eliminating war1 poverty and injustice--customs as deeply rooted in the social world as belief in ,jesus is in the religious world4 ,if the chief reactionary bulwark of the past is abandoned1 there will be greater possibility of accepting new revelations4 ,what would happen if ,christians should discover that their leader was not an incomparable guide8 ,absolutely nothing at first4 ,those accustomed to lead a moral life would continue to do so4 ,members of ,christian churches are the very people who most wish to do what is right4 ,they will not lose their character because ,jesus has lost his fictitious divinity4 ,on the contrary1 they will search for the most elevating principles to substitute for the personality that has been found deficient4 ,it is difficult for people to be superior to their gods4 ,these same church-going individuals1 when freed from the fetters of antiquated supernaturalism1 will gradually learn to serve mankind with the same devotion they now render to a misunderstood ,god4 ,they will no longer be limited by the defects of their paragon in their efforts to make the most of life4 ,they will seek to solve modern problems in a rational way instead of deciding such matters as birth control1 divorce1 war and prohibition by reference to the scriptures1 as they do now4 ,for the first time they will make their decisions according to the best knowledge obtainable today4 ,jesus was in advance of his time4 ,he declared that such revengeful theories as an eye for an eye must be supplanted by forgiveness4 ,but as the world has evolved1 ,jesus has stood still4 ,his teachings1 superior as they were to those of the ancient ,israelites1 are now found to be inferior to the best ethics culled from the wisdom of the ages1 brought down to date4 ,it is heartening to feel that we can appropriate the superlative principles of all time instead of worshipping a deified personality who was limited to the best that men of his own generation could conceive4 ,this examination of the life and character of ,jesus will be based upon the accounts in the ,new ,testament4 ,each passage will be construed as appears to the writer to have been originally intended4 ,the reader may substitute his own interpretation1 but should in no instance pass lightly over a situation as immaterial4 ,every word or action of ,jesus is an important link in the chain of his divinity1 or of his exalted position as a moral guide4 ,each argument should be met by acceptance or rejection1 never with indifference4 ,no reader of the following pages should ever say1 ,what difference does it make8 ,everything concerning ,jesus is of vast consequence in determining whether he is or is not a divine ,savior1 or a perfect guide4 ,,footnotes3 #a ,chron4 xxi4 ,,antiquated ,,theology ,the first event in the life of ,jesus1 the gospel story of his birth1 is now considered unauthentic by many scholars and some theologians4 ,the birth of a virgin1 the visitation of an angel1 the star in the ,east are phenomena contrary to natural laws and rest on insufficient authority for acceptance as credible4 ,the probabilities are against exceptions in the laws of the universe4 ,the ,virgin ,birth ,the original evidence for the virgin birth is found only in the gospels of ,matthew and ,luke1 two unknown historians1 and both these evangelists implicitly deny their own tale when they trace the descent of ,jesus from ,david through ,joseph4#a ,the slaughter of the children by ,herod1 in fear of ,jesus as a rival1 probably never took place4 ,mark1 ,luke and ,john do not mention it2 ,josephus1 who dwelt on the crimes of ,herod1 knew nothing of this massacre4 ,according to ,luke1 ,mary and ,joseph took ,jesus to ,jerusalem openly soon after the supposed decree4#b ,there is dispute as to whether ,jesus was born in ,bethlehem or ,nazareth1 and the date of his birth has been placed anywhere from #d ,b4,c4 to #g ,a4,d4 ,matthew says that ,jesus was born in the days of ,herod1 while ,luke says it was ,when ,cyrenius was governor of ,syria4 ,herod died in #d ,b4,c41 while ,cyrenius did not become governor of ,syria until #g ,a4,d4 ,the romantic story of the ,christ-child is not corroborated by the historians of the time and is in opposition to the theory of evolution by natural processes4 ,and yet it is still one of the main sources of ,jesus' fame1 being repeated at ,christmas-tide in the churches1 thus connecting ,jesus with ,god in a superhuman manner4 ,the consensus of scholarship is in practical agreement that the theory of the virgin birth as a link between ,jesus and ,god is a mistake2 but whose mistake was it8 ,jesus never referred to his miraculous birth4 ,if he was merely a man and never heard of the rumor about his conception1 he was not to blame for the spread of this misleading story throughout ,christendom4 ,while ,jesus did not refer to his divine paternity in a physical sense1 he did endeavor to convince his hearers that he was more directly connected with ,god than other men4 ,i and my ,father are one4#c ,no man knoweth the ,son but the ,father2 neither knoweth any man the ,father1 save the ,son1 and he to whomsoever the ,son will reveal him4#d ,jesus thus proclaimed himself identical with the ,lord ,god of the ,old ,testament who called himself ,jehovah4 ,this is entirely in keeping with the whole ,christian theory1 for the raison d'etre of ,jesus derived from the act of ,god soon after the creation4 ,adam and ,eve ate of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil which ,god had commanded them not to touch1 and for this disobedience1 this fall of man from grace1 ,god cursed mankind4 ,jesus came to earth to save man from the wrath of ,almighty ,god4 ,but this claim of ,jesus to oneness with ,god renders him liable to censure for the acts of ,jehovah which represented a standard of ethics inferior to that preached by the ,son of ,god4 ,according to the scriptures1 which anyone may freely search1 ,god advised or countenanced deception#e2 stealing#f1 selfishness#g1 conquest by force#h1 indiscriminate slaughter#i1 murder#aj1 cannibalism#aa1 killing of witches#ab1 slavery#ac1 capital punishment for rebellious sons or for seeking false gods#ad1 sacrifices of animals#ae and other acts representing the concepts of primitive men4#af ,while ,jesus could read#ag and was familiar with the scriptures1 it is possible that he was not acquainted with the system of dictatorship formerly employed by his ,father4 ,occasionally ,jesus denounced the ethics of them of old time1 but he always referred to his ,father as perfect4 ,the dilemma is that ,jesus must be condemned either for claiming identity with ,jehovah 7to whom he was really superior71 or for accepting with only slight improvements the tyranny of ,god as described in the ,bible1 the ,word of ,god4 ,of course if the ,bible is not the ,word of ,god1 the whole system of ,christian theology falls to the ground4 ,the ,jewish ,messiah ,jesus claimed to be the ,messiah expected by the ,jews4 ,and the high priest answered and said unto him1 ,i adjure thee by the living ,god1 that thou tell us whether thou be the ,christ1 the ,son of ,god4 ,jesus saith unto him1 ,thou hast said4#ah ,again the high priest asked him1 and said unto him1 ,art thou the ,christ1 the ,son of the ,blessed8 ,and ,jesus said1 ,i am4#ai ,then said they all1 ,art thou then the ,son of ,god8 ,and he said unto them1 ,ye say that ,i am4#bj ,the woman saith unto him1 ,i know that ,messias cometh1 which is called ,christ3 when he is come he will tell us all things4 ,jesus saith unto her1 ,i that speak unto thee am he4#ba ,these acknowledgments by ,jesus that he was the ,messiah are important1 for if he claimed divinity when he was merely mortal1 either under false pretences or being self-deceived1 he made a mistake of the most serious character4 ,his claim was not recognized by his own people1 and many of his followers today deny that he was the ,jewish ,messiah4 ,jesus said that he came from ,god to save the ,jews4 ,either he was truly the predicted ,messiah or he made an inexcusable error4 ,in this as in other instances to be cited1 ,fundamentalists will not admit any mistake1 for they believe in the supernatural events connected with the ,son of ,god4 ,but ,modernists1 who reject the anointed ,christ while clinging to the human ,jesus1 may be at a loss to reconcile ,jesus' claim to ,messiahship with their rejection of his divinity4 ,jesus stressed his mission to save the world1 saying ,for ,god so loved the world1 that he gave his only begotten ,son1 that whosoever believeth in him should not perish1 but have everlasting life4#bb ,eternal ,damnation ,whether ,jesus was mistaken or not in his estimate of his close relationship with ,god is for each person to decide2 but his theory of the disasters that would follow unbelief in his divinity leads to serious difficulties if accepted literally4 ,for not only was ,jesus in error when he insisted that salvation depended upon belief1 he was also reconciled to eternal suffering for unbelievers4 ,note some of his expressions3 ,if ye believe not that ,i am he1 ye shall die in your sins4#bc ,depart from me1 ye cursed1 into everlasting fire1 prepared for the devil and his angels 444 ,and these shall go away into everlasting punishment3 but the righteous into life eternal4#bd ,whosoever shall blaspheme against the ,holy ,ghost hath never forgiveness1 but is in danger of eternal damnation4#be ,except ye repent ye shall perish4#bf ,if thy hand offend thee1 cut it off3 it is better for thee to enter into life maimed1 than having two hands to go into hell1 into the fire that never shall be quenched4#bg ,how can ye escape the damnation of hell8#bh ,he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved1 but he that believeth not shall be damned4#bi ,it is evident from these quotations that ,jesus not only preached belief in his divinity as essential to salvation1 but endeavored to terrify people into belief by threats of eternal torment4 ,jesus was responsible for the theological conception of a fiery hell4 ,if he was mistaken1 if there never was a place of torment for the wicked after death1 is it not an act of constructive criticism to expose the person most responsible for the false doctrine that has caused so much fear and mental suffering8 ,must we not deplore this mistake of ,jesus and recast our entire opinion of him as a religious teacher8 ,are we not justified in stating positively that ,jesus made a mistake when he taught a physical hell and condemned people to spend eternity in torment for the doubtful sin of disbelief8 ,the ,atonement ,the doctrine of the ,atonement was taught by ,jesus4 ,for this is my blood of the new testament1 which is shed for many for the remission of sins4#cj ,whether this sacrifice of the innocent ,jesus to save sinful man was ordered by ,god or was voluntary on the part of ,jesus1 it represents a theory of reprieve from punishment long since abandoned as unethical4 ,if sin must be punished1 there is no justice in relieving the sinner and placing the burden upon the righteous4 ,moreover1 the ,atonement appears to have been ineffective1 for in spite of the sacrifice that ,jesus made1 few were to be saved under his scheme of salvation4 ,many are called but few are chosen4#ca ,strait is the gate1 and narrow is the way1 which leadeth unto life1 and few there be that find it4#cb ,strive to enter in at the strait gate3 for many1 ,i say unto you1 will seek to enter in1 and shall not be able4#cc ,if the theory of ,atonement for sin by the sacrifice of the innocent was not ethical and if ,jesus taught that doctrine1 he was in error1 was he not8 ,the sacrifice of ,jesus was not so great as often made by men4 ,jesus was sustained with the thought that he was saving the world2 his physical suffering was not long continued2 on the night of his crucifixion he was in paradise4#cd ,he endured a few hours of pain compared to weeks of suffering by wounded soldiers1 or years spent in prison by the proponents of an ideal4 ,jesus not only claimed the power to remit sins but also said to his disciples3 ,whosoever sins ye remit1 they are remitted unto them2 and whosoever sins ye retain1 they are retained4#ce ,is that true8 ,surely it is proper to ask that blunt question4 ,here is a definite statement concerning the power of certain men to remit sins4 ,if those men did not have the power deputed to them1 must we not doubt the accuracy of ,jesus8 ,jesus made a distinction between himself and the ,comforter3 ,it is expedient for you that ,i go away3 for if ,i go not away1 the ,comforter will not come unto you2 but if ,i depart ,i will send him unto you 444 ,and ,i will pray the ,father1 and he shall give you another ,comforter1 that he may abide with you forever4#cf ,it must surprise some ,christians that the ,comforter could not be present at the same time with ,jesus4 ,angels and ,devils ,jesus believed in angels and devils1 often referring to these imaginary supernatural beings as if they existed4 ,thinkest thou that ,i cannot now pray to my ,father and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels8#cg ,so shall it be at the end of the world3 the angels shall come forth4#ch ,the devils were among the first to recognize ,christ's divinity3 ,what have we to do with thee1 ,jesus1 thou ,son of ,god8#ci ,let us alone1 thou ,jesus of ,nazareth2 art thou come to destroy us8 ,i know thee1 who thou art1 the ,holy ,one of ,god4#dj ,and unclean spirits when they saw him1 fell down before him1 and cried1 saying1 ,thou art the ,son of ,god4#da ,jesus believed in demoniacal possession1 casting out devils on several occasions4 ,jesus frequently referred to heaven as a place above the earth3 ,and then shall they see the ,son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory4#db ,and ye shall see the ,son of man sitting on the right hand of power1 and coming in the clouds of heaven4#dc ,verily1 verily1 ,i say unto you1 hereafter ye shall see heaven open1 and the angels of ,god ascending and descending on the ,son of man4#dd ,when ,jesus was transfigured and talked with ,moses and ,elias1 he charged his disciples1 saying1 ,tell the vision to no man1 until the ,son of man be risen again from the dead4#de ,according to the creeds based upon the ,bible1 ,jesus rose from the dead1 descended into hell1 and ascended bodily into heaven4 ,according to the gospels he stilled the storm1 walked on the water and told ,peter to do so and to find money in a fish's mouth and catch a large draught of fishes4 ,these and other miracles connected ,jesus with ,god and were part of his theology4 ,every fair-minded person should re-read the gospels and refresh his memory regarding the theology of ,jesus4 ,then a decision must be reached as to the correctness of the views expressed4 ,either conditions on earth were different in the first century from those of the twentieth1 or ,jesus was mistaken in his conception of ,god1 heaven1 hell1 angels1 devils and himself4 ,,footnotes3 #a ,matt4 i2 ,luke iii4 #b ,luke ii1 #bb4 #c ,john x1 #cj4 #d ,matt4 xi1 #bg4 #e ,ezek4 xiv1 #i2 ,num4 xiv1 #cj-cd4 #f ,ex4 iii1 #ba-bb4 #g ,deut4 xiv1 #ba4 #h ,num4 xxxi et al4 #i ,ex4 xxxii1 #bg4 #aj ,deut4 vii1 #af et al4 #aa ,jer4 xix1 #i et al4 #ab ,ex4 xxii1 #ah4 #ac ,lev4 xxv1 #dd-df4 #ad ,deut4 xxi1 #ah-ba2 xiii1 #f-i4 #ae ,lev4 i1 #ad-ae4 #af ,see the ,old ,testament4 #ag ,luke iv1 #af4 #ah ,matt4 xxvi1 #fc-fd4 #ai ,mark xv1 #fa-fb4 #bj ,luke xxii1 #gj4 #ba ,john iv1 #be-bf4 #bb ,john iii1 #af4 #bc ,john viii1 #bd4 #bd ,matt4 xxv1 #ca-df4 #be ,mark iii1 #bi4 #bf ,luke xiii1 #c4 #bg ,mark ix1 #dc4 #bh ,matt4 xxiii1 #cc4 #bi ,mark xvi1 #af4 #cj ,matt4 xxvi1 #bh4 #ca ,matt4 xxii1 #ad4 #cb ,matt4 vii1 #ad4 #cc ,luke xiii1 #bd4 #cd ,luke xxiii1 #dc4 #ce ,john xx1 #bc4 #cf ,john xiv1 #af4 #cg ,matt4 xxvi1 #ec4 #ch ,matt4 xiii1 #di4 #ci ,matt4 viii1 #bi4 #dj ,luke iv1 #cd4 #da ,mark iii1 #aa4 #db ,mark xiii1 #bf4 #dc ,mark xiv1 #fb4 #dd ,john i1 #ea4 #de ,matt4 xvii1 #i4 ,,false ,,impressions ,jesus not only held mistaken ideas about theology1 as anyone but a ,fundamentalist must admit1 but he often gave impressions about earthly affairs that were unreliable to say the least4 ,occasionally his statements were actual misrepresentations of fact4 ,jonah and the ,whale ,for as ,jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly2 so shall the ,son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth4#a ,evidently ,jesus believed the story of ,jonah and the whale1 as well as the tale of ,noah's ark#b both of which are now generally discredited4 ,moreover1 his prophecy regarding his entombment was inaccurate1 for he was only two nights and one day in the heart of the earth1 from ,friday night to ,sunday morning4 ,end of the ,world ,jesus was decidedly mistaken in his theory of the approaching end of the world4 ,repent3 for the kingdom of heaven is at hand4#c ,ye shall not have gone over the cities of ,israel1 till the ,son of man be come4#d ,there be some standing here which shall not taste of death1 till they see the ,son of man coming in his kingdom4#e ,and this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations2 and then shall the end come 444 ,verily ,i say unto you1 ,this generation shall not pass1 till all these things be fulfilled4#f ,the time is fulfilled1 and the kingdom of ,god is at hand4#g ,so ye in like manner1 when ye shall see these things come to pass1 know that it is nigh1 even at the doors4 ,verily ,i say unto you1 that this generation shall not pass1 till all these things be done4#h ,the hour is coming1 in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice1 and shall come forth2 they that have done good1 unto the resurrection of life2 and they that have done evil1 unto the resurrection of damnation4#i ,jesus was confident that the day of judgment was coming in the first century1 but it has not come yet1 nineteen hundred years later4 ,this erroneous belief in the imminent end of the world had an important bearing upon his entire philosophy2 for if the end of the world was so near it was far more important to prepare for life hereafter than to be concerned over mundane affairs4 ,may we not view with doubt any of ,jesus' teachings that depended upon his mistaken conception of the duration of the world8 ,miracles ,jesus is reported to have fed #e1jjj people with five loaves and two fishes1 and again #d1jjj with seven loaves and a few small fishes4 ,he walked on the water1 calmed the seas1 raised three persons from the dead and performed other miracles contrary to natural laws4 ,these wondrous acts were depended upon by him to convince the people that he was the expected ,messiah3 ,go and shew ,john again those things which ye do hear and see3 the blind receive their sight1 and the lame walk1 the lepers are cleansed1 and the deaf hear1 the dead are raised up1 and the poor have the gospel preached to them4#aj ,jesus assured his disciples that they too would be able to perform miracles3 ,and these signs shall follow them that believe2 ,in my name shall they cast out devils2 they shall speak with new tongues2 they shall take up serpents2 and if they drink any deadly thing1 it shall not hurt them2 they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover4#aa ,he that believeth on me1 the works that ,i do shall he do also2 and greater works than these shall he do4#ab ,jesus set great store by these marvels that only magicians attempt nowadays4 ,ministers of the apostolic succession cannot cast out devils or take up serpents1 and they are affected by deadly drinks the same as others4 ,jesus had a primitive idea of the value of such magic4 ,either he sought to deceive the gullible1 or1 as is more likely1 was himself overcredulous4 ,it is important to remember that ,jesus stressed the value of enchantment and advised his successors to conjure in his name4 ,if the miraculous had not been connected with the name of ,jesus1 it is probable that he never would have been heard of4 ,his ethical teachings alone would not have won for him the exalted position that has come from the stories of his miraculous birth1 life and ascension4 ,in other words1 his fame rests upon the supernatural side of his life that is now discredited by many of his followers4 ,eternal ,life ,the remarks of ,jesus on the subject of death were not accurate4 ,if a man keep my saying1 he shall never see death4#ac ,whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die4#ad ,apparently ,jesus referred to natural death1 in which case he was utterly mistaken2 but if he meant that believers in him should live forever in heaven1 even so he gave a false impression2 for there is no evidence that life after death is assured to ,christians more than to others4 ,unbelievers were also to have eternal life1 though in torment4 ,raising ,lazarus ,jesus took advantage of opportunities1 even of death1 to create dramatic effects4 ,the eleventh chapter of ,john shows that when ,lazarus was reported ill1 ,jesus said1 ,this sickness is not unto death1 but for the glory of ,god1 that the ,son of ,god might be glorified thereby4 ,so ,jesus let ,lazarus1 one of the believers whom he loved1 die#ae in order that he might have the triumph of raising him from the dead4 ,then said ,jesus unto them plainly1 ,lazarus is dead4 ,and ,i am glad for your sakes that ,i was not there1 to the intent ye may believe4 ,the confusion between earthly death and loss of eternal life was shown in the remark of ,jesus to ,martha3 ,i am the resurrection and the life3 he that believeth in me1 though he were dead1 yet shall he live4 ,this might be construed to mean that believers should have eternal life hereafter1 but ,jesus evidently had reference to life on earth for he proceeded to raise ,lazarus from the dead and cause him to live again on earth with his sisters4 ,when ,martha reminded ,jesus that ,lazarus had been dead four days1 ,jesus replied1 ,said ,i not unto thee1 that1 if thou wouldest believe1 thou shouldest see the glory of ,god8 ,but ,jesus himself had doubts of his ability to bring back ,lazarus to life1 as shown by his spontaneous prayer of thanks3 ,father1 ,i thank thee that thou hast heard me4 ,then he revealed again his desire to dramatize the occasion1 saying1 ,and ,i knew that thou hearest me always3 but because of the people which stand by ,i said it1 that they may believe that thou hast sent me4 ,then many of the ,jews which came to ,mary1 and had seen the things which ,jesus did1 believed on him4 ,do the followers of ,jesus1 who claim that he made no mistakes1 believe on him8 ,if so1 they must believe that he raised ,lazarus from the dead as he claimed to have done4 ,do they believe that they can also raise people from the dead8 ,jesus so assured them when he promised that believers could do greater works than he performed4 ,no1 ,jesus gave a false impression of his power4 ,god's ,protection ,jesus continued his deception of the world by promising protection that has never been accorded4 ,are not two sparrows sold for a farthing8 ,and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your ,father4 ,but the very hairs of your head are all numbered4 ,fear ye not therefore1 ye are of more value than many sparrows4#af ,these sayings may properly be taken as symbolical or allegorical2 but the evident intention was to assure his followers that ,god would protect them in their daily life4 ,safety was promised for believers1 a safety that has been lacking for everyone4 ,there is no evidence that ,god does protect believers any more than unbelievers4 ,when the ,titanic went down1 those who perished were not solely the wicked persons2 there was no distinction in the terrible disaster between believers and unbelievers4 ,jesus created in the minds of his hearers and his followers the idea that ,god was watching each individual to save him from danger1 but this1 unfortunately1 is not a fact4 ,it sounds comforting2 it makes people feel nearer to ,god2 but experience proves that no such close relationship exists4 ,jesus gave a false impression of ,god's loving care for men4 ,belief in ,prayer ,modern religious people may still consistently believe in prayer as a form of inward aspiration1 but it is difficult to take literally the assurance given by ,jesus of practical accomplishments by means of prayer in his name4 ,jesus did not confine himself to promising spiritual results from prayer1 but distinctly gave it to be understood that the physical world would respond to petitions to ,jehovah4 ,again ,i say unto you1 ,that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask1 it shall be done for them of my ,father which is in heaven4#ag ,if ye have faith1 and doubt not1 ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree1 but also if ye shall say unto this mountain1 ,be thou removed1 and be thou cast into the sea2 it shall be done4 ,and all things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer1 believing1 ye shall receive4#ah ,what things soever ye desire1 when ye pray1 believe that ye receive them1 and ye shall have them4#ai ,if ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed1 ye shall say unto this mountain1 ,remove hence to yonder place2 and it shall remove3 and nothing shall be impossible unto you4#bj ,these promises have not been fulfilled4 ,bishops1 priests and deacons with strong faith have been unable to obtain1 by means of the most sincere prayer1 results similar to those indicated4 ,they have followed ,jesus in vain4 ,no man living dare put his faith to the test by a public demonstration of prayer for physical changes4 ,christian prayers for rain are conventional1 not being offered with confidence that rain will follow4 ,jesus has misled us4 ,,footnotes3 #a ,matt4 xii1 #dj4 #b ,luke xvii1 #bg2 ,matt4 xxv1 #ch4 #c ,matt4 iv1 #ag4 #d ,matt4 x1 #bc4 #e ,matt4 xvi1 #bh2 ,mark ix1 #a4 #f ,matt4 xxiv1 #ad-cd2 ,luke xxi1 #cb4 #g ,mark i1 #ae4 #h ,mark xiii1 #bi-cj4 #i ,john v1 #bh-bi4 #aj ,matt4 xi1 #d-e4 #aa ,mark xvi1 #ag-ah4 #ab ,john xiv1 #ab4 #ac ,john viii1 #ea4 #ad ,john xi1 #bf4 #ae ,john xi1 #f4 #af ,matt4 x1 #bi-ca4 #ag ,matt4 xviii1 #ai4 #ah ,matt4 xxi1 #ba-bb4 #ai ,mark xi1 #bd4 #bj ,matt4 xvii1 #bj4 ,,obscure ,,teachings ,many of the sayings of ,jesus lacked clarity4 ,various interpretations have been put upon them by scholars of distinction4 ,no one is sure what was meant4 ,according to the gospels1 ,jesus was descended from ,david1 but ,jesus mystified his hearers on this descent1 saying3 ,if ,david then call him ,lord1 how is he his son8#a ,witnesses and ,judge ,on the subject of witnesses there is great confusion4 ,if ,i bear witness of myself1 my witness is not true4#b ,though ,i bear record of myself1 yet my record is true4#c ,it is also written in your law1 that the testimony of two men is true4 ,i am one that bear witness of myself1 and the ,father that sent me beareth witness of me4#d ,i and my ,father are one4#e ,my ,father is greater than ,i4#f ,this and the following instruction regarding judicial procedure are far from clear4 ,jesus acknowledged the principle of law requiring more than one witness but said that in his case the only other witness necessary was his ,father1 although he and his ,father were one4 ,jesus is supposed to be the judge of the world1 but his statement of the case leaves the issue ambiguous4 ,for the ,father judgeth no man1 but hath committed all judgment unto the ,son4#g ,i judge no man4 ,and yet if ,i judge1 my judgment is true4#h ,and if any man hear my words1 and believe not1 ,i judge him not3 for ,i came not to judge the world1 but to save the world4#i ,for judgment ,i am come into this world1 that they which see not might see2 and that they which see might be made blind4#aj ,the quality of reasoning employed in these instances has naturally led to theological quibbling4 ,if ,jesus can argue in that fashion1 so can his followers1 at the expense of intellectual honesty4 ,cannibalism ,the ,jews could not understand what ,jesus meant when he said3 ,except ye eat the flesh of the ,son of man1 and drink his blood1 ye have no life in you4 ,whoso eateth my flesh1 and drinketh my blood1 hath eternal life4#aa ,religion ,only for ,children ,nor are these sayings clear3 ,i thank thee1 ,o ,father1 ,lord of heaven and earth1 because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent1 and hast revealed them unto babes4#ab ,whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of ,god as a little child1 he shall not enter therein4#ac ,this train of thought implies that education is of no importance where belief is concerned4 ,difficult or ,easy8 ,after enumerating the many hardships that must be endured by his followers1 ,jesus contradicted himself by saying1 ,for my yoke is easy1 and my burden is light4#ad ,charity ,there are apparent contradictions in his instructions regarding charity3 ,let your light so shine before men1 that they may see your good works1 and glorify your ,father which is in heaven4#ae ,take heed that ye do not your alms before men1 to be seen of them3 otherwise ye have no reward of your ,father which is in heaven4#af ,the ,scriptures ,upheld ,jesus reverenced the ,hebrew ,old ,testament4 ,think not that ,i am come to destroy the law1 or the prophets3 ,i am not come to destroy1 but to fulfil4 ,for verily ,i say unto you1 ,till heaven and earth pass1 one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law1 till all be fulfilled4#ag ,and yet ,jesus was the reformer1 overthrowing ancient customs1 renouncing the old principle of a tooth for a tooth1 improving upon the ,mosaic law4 ,he was inconsistent4 ,illogical ,the logic of ,jesus is often difficult to follow4 ,and when he is come1 he will reprove the world of sin1 and of righteousness1 and of judgment3 of sin because they believe not on me2 of righteousness1 because ,i go to my ,father1 and ye see me no more2 of judgment1 because the prince of this world is judged4#ah ,jesus admitted his obscurity3 ,these things have ,i spoken unto you in proverbs3 but the time cometh1 when ,i shall no more speak unto you in proverbs1 but ,i shall shew you plainly of the ,father4#ai ,that time has never come4 ,parables ,deceptive ,jesus explained his obscurity in this way3 ,unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of ,god3 but to others in parables2 that seeing they might not see1 and hearing they might not understand4#bj ,but unto them that are without1 all these things are done in parables3 that seeing they may see1 and not perceive2 and hearing they may hear1 and not understand2 lest at any time they should be converted1 and their sins should be forgiven them4#ba ,in other words1 ,jesus1 who said he came to save the world1 concealed his meaning for fear some of his hearers should be converted and their sins be forgiven--which is exactly what he sought to bring about4 ,obscurity in a teacher is a great defect1 especially when he glories in his ambiguity4 ,if any ,christians wish that ,jesus had been more clear1 then ,jesus does not appear perfect to them1 and they should admit his imperfections4 ,,footnotes3 #a ,matt4 xxii1 #da-de4 #b ,john v1 #ca4 #c ,john viii1 #ad4 #d ,john viii1 #ag-ah4 #e ,john x1 #cj4 #f ,john xiv1 #bh4 #g ,john v1 #bb4 #h ,john viii1 #af4 #i ,john xii1 #dg4 #aj ,john x1 #ci4 #aa ,john vi1 #ec-eh4 #ab ,matt4 xi1 #be4 #ac ,mark x1 #ae4 #ad ,matt4 xi1 #cj4 #ae ,matt4 v1 #af4 #af ,matt4 vi1 #a4 #ag ,matt4 v1 #ag-ah4 #ah ,john xvi1 #h-aa4 #ai ,john xvi1 #be4 #bj ,luke viii1 #aj4 #ba ,mark iv1 #aa-ab4 ,,deficient ,,instructions ,in a number of instances the teachings of ,jesus are so incomplete1 or so inappropriate1 as to render no assistance in meeting similar situations in modern life4 ,either his meaning is not clear1 or his instructions are too primitive to be applicable to our civilization4 ,labor ,the relation between employer and employee is one that requires practical guidance4 ,let us see what information ,jesus gave on this important subject4 ,the parable of the laborers#a relates that an employer hired men to work in his vineyard for twelve hours for a penny1 and that he paid the same wage to other workers who toiled only nine1 six1 three and one hour4 ,when those who had worked longest resented this treatment1 as modern strikers would1 the employer answered1 apparently with ,jesus' approval3 ,friend1 ,i do thee no wrong3 didst not thou agree with me for a penny8 ,take that thine is1 and go thy way3 ,i will give unto this last1 even as unto thee4 ,is it not lawful for me to do what ,i will with mine own8 ,is thine eye evil1 because ,i am good8 ,so the last shall be first1 and the first last4 ,this parable may be a comfort to autocratic employers1 sustaining them in their determination to dominate labor1 but the principles enunciated are lacking in social vision4 ,equal pay for unequal work is approved1 and the employer is vindicated in regulating wages and hours as he sees fit without regard for justice or the needs of the workers4 ,in the manner of modern employers1 the goodman calls his worker ,friend but treats him with contempt4 ,jesus taught that the workers were wrong in demanding justice1 that the employer was justified in acting erratically1 as the money paid was his4 ,he presented the issues between capital and labor and sided with capital4 ,he stated the fact that the first shall be last1 but said nothing to remedy that unfortunate situation4 ,he did not explain how workers could obtain proper compensation for their labor4 ,jesus assumed a fair attitude when he said1 ,the labourer is worthy of his hire1 and1 ,it is enough for the disciple to be as his master1 and the servant as his lord1 but he continued with doubtful logic3 ,if they have called the master of the house ,beelzebub1 how much more shall they call them of his household1 implying that if an employer is worldly-minded his servants will be even worse4 ,little respect is shown for employees in the remark1 ,the hireling fleeth1 because he is an hireling1 and careth not for the sheep4#b ,probably in those days as now many an employee stuck to his post nobly to do his duty4 ,the meaning is obscure in his other comment upon an employer who told his tired servant to serve his master first1 ending with the enigma1 ,we are unprofitable servants3 we have done that which was our duty to do4#c ,usury ,in the parable of the talents the servant who did not put his money out at usury to make profits was condemned3 ,and cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness3 there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth4#d ,punishment was to be severe in ,jesus' program2 the disobedient servant shall be beaten with many stripes4 ,jesus did not advise leniency in such instances except that he that knew not1 and did commit things worthy of stripes1 shall be beaten with few stripes4#e ,in his estimation the servant was a slave to be punished corporeally by his master1 even if ignorant of his wrong-doing4 ,a ,dr4 ,taylor1 former ,yale ,college theologian1 is reported to have said3 ,i have no doubt that if ,jesus ,christ were now on earth he would1 under certain circumstances1 become a slaveholder4 ,a ,southern divine in #ahfj could well maintain that slavery was approved in both ,old and ,new ,testaments1 but no ,christian would now impute slaveholding to ,jesus4 ,the standard of human relationships has improved since slaveholding days in ,america4 ,the modern attitude toward servants1 though by no means perfect1 is superior to the relationships between master and servants accepted by ,jesus4 ,slavery was the custom of the times and ,jesus did not rise above it4 ,in the parable of the unmerciful servant#f ,jesus taught the duty of forgiveness4 ,he rightly rebuked the servant who oppressed his subordinates after being well treated by his lord4 ,but the punishment suggested by ,jesus for the abominable conduct was extremely harsh3 ,and his lord was wroth and delivered him to the tormentors1 till he should pay all that was due unto him4 ,torture for criminals was thus taught by ,jesus4 ,jesus1 apprenticed to his father in his youth1 never did any practical work so far as we know4 ,he lived on the charity of others1 setting an example that would bring trouble to anyone who followed in his train4 ,if anything1 he was an agitator1 a peripatetic propagandist1 teaching what he believed right but not working to support himself and therefore not being a good example for the workaday world today4 ,economics ,nothing in the teachings of ,jesus was more definite than his denunciation of riches4 ,lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth 444 ,a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven 444 ,it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle1 than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of ,god 444 ,the rich man also died1 and was buried2 and in hell he lifted up his eyes1 being in torments 444 ,woe unto you that are rich4 ,these strictures upon the rich appear somewhat severe1 and ,jesus went much farther1 condemning even ordinary thrift and precaution4#g ,according to ,acts ii1 #dd-de and iv1 #cb1 ,all that believed were together and had all things common2 and sold their possessions and goods1 and parted them to all men1 as every man had need 444 ,neither said any of them that aught of the things which he possessed was his own2 but they had all things common4 ,it is to be presumed that the disciples practiced this communism at the instruction of ,jesus4 ,if ,jesus approved of communism was he right or wrong8 ,blessed be ye poor4#h ,poverty is not a blessing but a curse4 ,jesus taught the theory that the poor would be rich hereafter while the rich would be in hell4 ,punishment for ,debts ,we have seen that ,jesus expected an unjust servant to be tormented until he paid in full4 ,there are also other evidences that he approved of imprisonment for debt4 ,agree with thine adversary quickly1 while thou art in the way with him2 lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge1 and the judge deliver thee to the officer1 and thou be cast into prison4 ,verily ,i say unto thee1 ,thou shalt by no means come out thence1 till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing4#i ,a legislator who patterned his life after ,jesus would be justified in enacting laws imprisoning for debt and scourging for misdemeanors4 ,some may say that the sentiments expressed by ,jesus were not mistakes but merely presented the customs of his day4 ,possibly he did not intend to advise all that he seemed to approve2 but if ,jesus was a practical and prophetic guide he should have made it clear that he did not sanction the actions he apparently commended4 ,in the parable of the pounds the nobleman1 seemingly with the approval of ,jesus1 denounced the servant as wicked who did not put his lord's money in the bank to draw interest4#aj ,and in the parable of the talents the lord rewarded those who had made #ajj per cent profit through speculation4#aa ,another contradiction of his theory of the blessedness of poverty was his promise that those who followed him shall receive a hundredfold now in this time1 houses1 and brethren1 and sisters1 and mothers1 and children1 and lands1 with persecutions2 and in the world to come eternal life4#ab ,finally1 ,jesus stated the unfortunate truth1 ,whosoever hath1 to him shall be given1 and he shall have more abundance3 but whosoever hath not1 from him shall be taken even that he hath4#ac ,if ,jesus did not approve of that worldly method of distribution1 he could have denounced its injustice instead of leaving the comment as if it expressed his own policy4 ,healing ,many ,christians value ,jesus most for his healing powers1 but ,jesus looked upon disease almost as he did upon demoniacal possession1 as something evil that could be cast out4 ,but that ye may know that the ,son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins 7then saith he to the sick of the palsy7 ,arise1 take up thy bed1 and go into thine house4#ad ,there was confusion in his mind between sin and sickness4 ,jesus healed leprosy and palsy by touching the sick person2 he healed the servant of the centurion by absent treatment1 and restored sight by spitting on the eyes#ae or anointing them with clay made with spittle#af1 or by requiring faith4#ag ,he healed a withered hand1 cured impediments in speech and deafness1 all without medical applications1 even replacing an ear severed by a sword4#ah ,christian ,scientists practice the same methods with confidence in success1 but medical and surgical treatment are the most reliable means of effecting cures1 disappointing as they are4 ,if ,jesus could cure disease1 it was remiss of him not to instruct men definitely in his methods so that the suffering from illness that has afflicted the world could have been averted4 ,jesus did not isolate the germ of leprosy1 or establish any practicable method of preventing disease4 ,he has been of less value to the world as a healer than ,pasteur1 ,lister1 ,koch1 or ,walter ,reed4 ,some ,christians will say that ,jesus did not tell us how to avoid illness because man needs to be chastened by pain4 ,if that is correct1 if pain and disease are sent by ,god and are consciously permitted by ,jesus1 sick people should be allowed to suffer instead of trying to heal them4 ,peace ,jesus has been called the ,prince of ,peace1 but the weight of his testimony is not on the side of absolute pacifism4 ,with his view of rendering unto ,caesar the things that are ,caesar's1 it is possible that he would have advised young men to obey the state and enlist1 or accept the draft1 whenever their country called4 ,on ,november #ab1 #aica1 ,rev4 ,dr4 ,t4 ,andrew ,caraker said at a banquet of the ,american ,legion in ,baltimore that if ,jesus ,christ had lived in #aiag ,he would have been the first to volunteer in the ,american army1 the first to wear a gas mask1 shoulder a rifle and enter the trenches4 ,other ministers derive from the same gospels the belief that ,jesus would not have stabbed ,germans with a bayonet4 ,nor would ,jesus have advised others to fight if he had been unwilling to fight himself4 ,most of the sayings of ,jesus regarding violence or non-resistance were intended to apply chiefly to personal relationships2 he said little of international strife4 ,what he did say showed placid acceptance of the war system3 ,and ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars3 see that ye be not troubled3 for all these things must come to pass1 but the end is not yet4 ,for nation shall rise against nation1 and kingdom against kingdom4#ai ,and when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars1 be ye not troubled3 for such things must needs be2 but the end shall not be yet4 ,for nation shall rise against nation1 and kingdom against kingdom4#bj ,but when ye shall hear of wars and commotions1 be not terrified3 for these things must first come to pass2 but the end is not by and by4 ,then said he unto them1 ,nation shall rise against nation1 and kingdom against kingdom4#ba ,these verses have a more direct bearing on war as we now know it than any of his other sayings4 ,they show his belief in the inevitability of war4 ,apparently he did not feel himself competent to counteract general mass militarism4 ,he offered no program for arbitration of international disputes1 no substitute for war between nations1 no policy of war resistance4 ,when ,jesus advised non-resistance1 saying to his follower1 ,put up again thy sword into his place3 for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword1#bb he was merely stating the danger of using violence1 not the immorality of employing force4 ,in fact1 he commanded his disciples to take the very sword which he later told them to sheathe3 ,he that hath no sword1 let him sell his garment1 and buy one 444 ,and they said1 ,lord1 behold1 here are two swords4 ,and he said unto them1 ,it is enough4#bc ,thus ,jesus1 the supposed non-resistant1 prepared his followers with swords4 ,these swords were for defense1 and when the time came he repudiated even that use of the weapons1 but1 nevertheless1 he armed his disciples instead of adhering to his principle of non-resistance4 ,he did not set a positive example of disarmament4 ,jesus said3 ,blessed are the peacemakers 444 love your enemies 444 ,have peace one with another 444 ,on earth peace1 good will toward men 444 ,peace ,i leave with you1 my peace ,i give unto you 444 ,these things have ,i spoken unto you that in me ye might have peace 444 ,resist not evil3 but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek1 turn to him the other also4 ,other remarks of ,jesus favored violence3 ,think not that ,i am come to send peace on earth3 ,i came not to send peace1 but a sword4#bd ,suppose ye that ,i am come to give peace on earth8 ,i tell you1 ,nay2 but rather division4#be ,but those mine enemies1 which would not that ,i should reign over them1 bring hither1 and slay them before me4#bf ,my kingdom is not of this world3 if my kingdom were of this world1 then would my servants fight1 that ,i should not be delivered to the ,jews4#bg ,when a strong man armed keepeth his palace1 his goods are in peace3 but when a stronger than he shall come upon him1 and overcome him1 he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted1 and divideth his spoils4#bh ,and when he had made a scourge of small cords1 he drove them all out of the temple4#bi ,in determining whether or not ,jesus was a promoter of peace it is only reasonable to review everything that he said or did relating to the use of violence1 giving equal weight to every verse4 ,we cannot accept one statement and reject the others4 ,the conclusion reached must be that ,jesus was inconsistent in advocating both non-resistance and the use of force4 ,he took diametrically opposed positions1 the use of swords and scourges and non-resistance being mutually exclusive4 ,jesus preached non-resistance and at the same time armed his retainers with two swords4 ,he advocated turning the other cheek but did not criticize war4 ,therefore1 pacifists and militarists1 with their opposite philosophies1 should both admit that at times ,jesus was mistaken4 ,marriage ,jesus occasionally eulogized marriage3 ,for this cause shall a man leave father and mother1 and shall cleave to his wife3 and they twain shall be one flesh 444 ,what therefore ,god hath joined together1 let not man put asunder4#cj ,celibacy ,on other occasions he made remarks which indicated his preference for celibacy as the higher state1 the one he adopted for himself4 ,in the resurrection they neither marry1 nor are given in marriage1 but are as the angels of ,god in heaven4#ca ,the children of this world marry1 and are given in marriage3 but they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world1 and the resurrection from the dead1 neither marry1 nor are given in marriage4#cb ,i say unto you1 ,that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart4#cc ,there are some eunuchs which were so born from their mother's womb3 and there are some eunuchs1 which were made eunuchs of men3 and there be eunuchs1 which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake4 ,he that is able to receive it1 let him receive it4#cd ,there is no man that hath left 444 wife1 or children for the kingdom of ,god's sake1 who shall not receive manifold more in this present time1 and in the world to come life everlasting4#ce ,jesus referred to the absence of marriage in heaven1 the ideal realm4 ,paul's testimony adds to the evidence that ,jesus considered celibacy preferable to any form of sex expression1 even marriage4 ,adultery ,on the other hand1 ,jesus was tolerant of sex offenses4 ,he chatted in a friendly manner with the woman of ,samaria1 saying3 ,thou hast had five husbands2 and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband4#cf ,and about the woman taken in adultery he said3 ,he that is without sin among you1 let him first cast a stone at her 444 ,neither do ,i condemn thee3 go and sin no more4#cg ,the harlots go into the kingdom of ,god before you4#ch ,divorce ,jesus sanctioned divorce4 ,his followers are so annoyed at this fact that they frequently quote the verse on the subject with the offensive clause omitted4 ,the text reads3 ,it hath been said1 ,whosoever shall put away his wife1 let him give her a writing of divorcement3 ,but ,i say unto you1 ,that whosoever shall put away his wife1 saving for the cause of fornication1 causeth her to commit adultery3 and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery4#ci ,again in ,matthew xix1 #i1 he makes the same exception4 ,it is evident1 therefore1 that ,jesus permitted divorce for one cause4 ,if the wife was unfaithful the husband could divorce her1 but otherwise no matter how unhappy the couple might be1 they must remain married4 ,the admirable leniency of ,jesus toward sex offenders1 and his permission to divorce1 must seem like mistakes to churchmen who consider extramarital sex relations the unforgivable sin4 ,and everyone must see the danger of having our judges adopt as a principle of justice the dismissal of offenders on the ground that the prosecutors have also sinned4 ,a ,christian girl of today would not be encouraged by the most zealous religious parents to marry a man exactly like ,jesus4 ,faulty ,judgment ,jesus selected ,judas to be the treasurer of the apostles' joint funds1 but later admitted his error1 saying3 ,have ,i not chosen you twelve1 and one of you is a devil8 ,he spake of ,judas ,iscariot the son of ,simon3 for it was he that should betray him1 being one of the twelve4#dj ,jesus erroneously supposed that salvation is of the ,jews4#da ,go not into the way of the ,gentiles1 and into any city of the ,samaritans enter ye not3 but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of ,israel4#db ,a nationalistic and partial spirit is expressed in these sentences1 a spirit that has been followed to the extent that ,jesus would not be permitted to enter ,america if he applied for a visa4 ,unconvincing ,jesus failed in his mission to save the world4 ,he made the supreme sacrifice in vain4 ,his method of proving his divinity did not convince his hearers3 ,but though he had done so many miracles before them1 yet they believed not on him4#dc ,for neither did his brethren believe in him4#dd ,after he had healed many1 cast out unclean spirits and appointed his twelve apostles to do likewise1 his friends went out to lay hold on him3 for they said1 ,he is beside himself4#de ,jesus admitted his impotence as a human being when he said1 ,i can of mine own self do nothing4#df ,even with the assistance of his ,father he did not accomplish what he set out to do4 ,prohibition ,the miracle of turning water into wine1 providing one hundred gallons of wine after the people at the party had well drunk1 must appear to prohibitionists like a mistake on the part of ,jesus4 ,many ,methodists and ,baptists would have preferred to have him turn the wine into water2 yet they will not admit that ,jesus made a mistake4 ,lack of ,experience ,so far as the gospels relate1 ,jesus never had any experience with three of the chief difficulties of human life--sex1 earning a living and illness4 ,he was therefore less able to explain those relationships than one who has struggled through in the customary manner of mankind4 ,to take the inexperienced ,jesus as our guide in practical living would be like a traveller who was planning a trip over perilous mountains and engaged as a guide a man who had never crossed the mountains4 ,as ,jesus believed that the end of the world was approaching1 and as he revealed no information about the future1 his teachings should be taken as applying solely to his own time4 ,a divinity living now would preach far differently from the inadequate doctrines of ,jesus4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the abandonment of reliance upon a ,jesus who has not changed in nineteen hundred years1 in favor of an ,evolutionary philosophy that requires constant change1 leads to a new conception of the world and its possibilities for man4 ,a person who has thought himself out of antiquated theology may be expected to have an open mind towards the betterment of human customs4 ,every improvement in human relationships originates secularly and is adopted by the ,church only after a bitter struggle4 ,faith in ,jesus is a reactionary force4 ,the ,christian opposes change in the creations of ,god2 the ,evolutionist seeks to alter every unsatisfactory condition4 ,the ,evolutionist is more responsive than the orthodox ,christian to proposals for promoting the happiness of the human race4 ,many liberals have abandoned conservatism because they saw the hypocrisy in ,christianity4 ,,footnotes3 #a ,matt4 xx1 #a-af4 #b ,john x1 #ac4 #c ,luke xvii1 #aj4 #d ,matt4 xxv1 #cj4 #e ,luke xii1 #dg-dh4 #f ,matt4 xviii1 #bc-cd4 #g ,matt4 vi1 #be-ca1 discussed under the ,sermon on the ,mount4 #h ,luke vi1 #bj4 #i ,matt4 v1 #be-bf4 #aj ,luke xix1 #bc4 #aa ,matt4 xxv1 #bj4 #ab ,mark x1 #cj4 #ac ,matt4 xiii1 #ab4 #ad ,matt4 ix1 #f4 #ae ,mark viii1 #bc4 #af ,john ix1 #f4 #ag ,mark x1 #eb4 #ah ,luke xxii1 #ea4 #ai ,matt4 xxiv1 #f-g4 #bj ,mark xiii1 #g-h4 #ba ,luke xxi1 #i-aj4 #bb ,matt4 xxvi1 #eb4 #bc ,luke xxii1 #cf-ch4 #bd ,matt4 x1 #cd4 #be ,luke xii1 #ea4 #bf ,luke xix1 #bg4 #bg ,john xviii1 #cf4 #bh ,luke xi1 #ba-bb4 #bi ,john ii1 #ae4 #cj ,matt4 xix1 #e-f4 #ca ,matt4 xxii1 #cj4 #cb ,luke xx1 #cd-ce4 #cc ,matt4 v1 #bh4 #cd ,matt4 xix1 #ab4 #ce ,luke xviii1 #bi-cj4 #cf ,john iv1 #ah4 #cg ,john viii1 #g-aa4 #ch ,matt4 xxi1 #ca4 #ci ,matt4 v1 #ca-cb4 #dj ,john vi1 #gj-ga4 #da ,john iv1 #bb4 #db ,matt4 x1 #e-f4 #dc ,john xii1 #cg4 #dd ,john vii1 #e4 #de ,mark iii1 #ba4 #df ,john v1 #cj4 ,,an ,,inferior ,,prototype ,orthodox ,christians accept both ,old and ,new ,testaments as authority for their actions1 whereas ,modernists are not much concerned with the commands of ,jehovah but maintain that ,jesus is the pattern for their lives4 ,religious liberals feel that the troubles of the world come largely from failure to follow the teachings of the ,nazarene4 ,they look upon him as the perfect example of what a man should be4 ,in their opinion1 if everyone would act as ,jesus did all would be well4 ,on ,december #g1 #aica1 ,dr4 ,henry ,van ,dyke preached at the ,brick ,presbyterian ,church1 ,new ,york ,city1 that the way to end the financial depression was to act as ,jesus would3 ,we can judge only by what he did and said in the first century1 an age not so different from our own1 an age of unsettlement1 violence1 drunkenness and license4 ,christ would tell us not to yield to panic4444 ,christ would not tell us to join any political party or social group4444 ,such a sermon sounds encouraging but1 as a matter of fact1 ,jesus has not shown any of his ministers how to end the depression4 ,to trust him for guidance in our modern world is to pin faith on an incompetent instructor4 ,we can learn how to end the depression by examining the records of our own time and by correcting the errors that have been made4 ,it is not safe to rely upon a person who had no knowledge of ,america's practical needs and whose acts and advice regarding worldly affairs in ,jerusalem fell short of the best ethical values4 ,in this treatise it has been shown that ,jesus made mistakes4 ,every instance cited may not appeal to all readers as worthy of criticism1 but there can be no doubt in the mind of any honest thinker that several at least of ,jesus' ideas were erroneous4 ,his theology was filled with superstitions1 his cosmology was that of the pre-scientific era1 he expected the end of the world within a generation1 his conception of sin was theological rather than ethical1 he failed to convince his hearers by his oratory1 he exaggerated the results from prayer and he related parables that gave a false sense of values4 ,now we shall turn to his personal character and teachings to see if he was always the meek1 gentle soul portrayed by the conventional ,christ4 ,cursing ,nature ,the act in ,jesus' life that has been most difficult for theologians to explain was the cursing of the fig tree4 ,the tree was created to bear fruit in the ,summer1 but when ,jesus found it without fruit in the ,spring1 he cursed it so that it withered away4 ,now in the morning1 as he returned into the city1 and when he saw a fig tree in the way1 he came to it1 and found nothing thereon1 but leaves only1 and said unto it1 ,let no fruit grow on thee henceforth for ever4 ,and presently the fig tree withered away4#a ,for the time of figs was not yet4#b ,this episode involves several mistakes--ignorance of the seasons2 destruction of a profitable food-producing tree2 exhibition of temper when thwarted1 and giving false information regarding man's power to effect physical changes by a curse4#c ,if ,jesus acted unwisely in this one instance and was right in all others1 he is neither an infallible ,god nor a perfect pattern for mankind4 ,forgiveness ,the conventional ,jesus is emblematic of supreme kindness and forgiveness1 but in reality he was far from lenient in many instances1 nor did he advocate forgiveness for certain offenses4 ,moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee 444 tell it unto the church3 but if he neglect to hear the church1 let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a publican4#d ,in the parable of ,dives and ,lazarus1 ,abraham was represented as justified in not forgiving the rich man tortured in hell1 or even in saving the rich man's brothers as requested by the victim of ,jesus' policy of punishment4 ,again ,jesus said3 ,whosoever shall deny me before men1 him will ,i also deny before my ,father4#e ,whosoever shall blaspheme against the ,holy ,ghost hath never forgiveness4#f ,all the wicked were condemned by ,jesus to eternal punishment with no chance of forgiveness4 ,vituperation ,jesus was often vehement in his language to an extent hardly compatible with gentleness of character4 ,o generation of vipers6 how can ye1 being evil1 speak good things8#g ,woe unto you1 hypocrites1 for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte1 and when he is made1 ye make him two-fold more the child of hell than yourselves4#h ,ye serpents1 ye generation of vipers1 how can ye escape the damnation of hell8#i ,if ,i should say ,i know him not1 ,i shall be a liar like unto you4#aj ,all that ever came before me are thieves and robbers4#aa ,ye fools and blind4#ab ,this language may have been necessary1 in ,jesus' opinion1 to convince his hearers of their sins1 but such vituperation does not become a modern ethical teacher4 ,destruction of ,property ,two acts of ,jesus1 consistent with his disregard of worldly goods1 were destructive in character4 ,and there was a good way off from them a herd of many swine feeding4 ,so the devils besought him1 saying1 ,if thou cast us out1 suffer us to go away into the herd of swine4 ,and he said unto them1 ,go4 ,and when they were come out1 they went into the herd of swine3 and1 behold1 the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea1 and perished in the waters4#ac ,jesus did what the devils requested1 cruelly killing two thousand inoffensive valuable animals that belonged to other people4 ,jesus went up to ,jerusalem1 and found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves1 and the changers of money sitting3 and when he had made a scourge of small cords1 he drove them all out of the temple1 and the sheep and the oxen2 and poured out the changers' money1 and overthrew the tables4 ,jesus has been defended for other acts on the ground that he was living in less civilized times than our own1 but here he is seen offending both ancient and modern sensibilities4 ,the destruction of the swine and the routing of the merchants were sensational and erratic exhibitions4 ,if reformers today should destroy herds of animals1 except to protect public health by due process of law1 or overthrow banks1 they would be liable to arrest in any city of ,christendom4 ,therefore the consensus of opinion denies exoneration to ,jesus for his spasmodic resort to direct action4 ,egotism ,if ,jesus was not ,god1 but merely the ideal man1 his estimate of himself was excessive4 ,in addition to his remarks already quoted there are many other instances of an exaggerated ego4 ,if any man come to me1 and hate not his father1 and mother1 and wife1 and children1 and brethren1 and sisters1 yea1 and his own life also1 he cannot be my disciple4#ad ,whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die4#ae ,if ye believe not that ,i am he1 ye shall die in your sins4#af ,i am the light of the world4#ag ,i am the ,son of ,god4#ah ,i am the resurrection and the life4#ai ,if ,jesus was correct in claiming that he was the ,messiah1 if he could control the elements and send people to heaven or hell1 he was justified in any extreme remarks2 but not if he were merely a man4 ,every person is entitled to have as good an opinion of himself as his character and ability warrant1 but expressions of his own worth are unseemly even if true1 and are inexcusable if exaggerated4 ,as ,jesus himself said 7though this authority is only for believers7 testimony about oneself is unreliable4 ,jesus not only claimed to be more than a man1 he threatened his hearers with death if they did not agree with him4 ,all of which might be permissible if he were ,god1 but was an egotistical illusion if he was merely human4 ,lack of ,courtesy ,jesus did not always exhibit the courtesy one would expect of a gentleman1 or even of a nature's nobleman4 ,the first instance of lack of consideration was when he slipped away from his parents1 causing them unnecessary anxiety3 ,son1 why hast thou thus dealt with us8 behold thy father and ,i have sought thee sorrowing4#bj ,he had remained behind to study ,hebrew theology and did not tell his parents1 presumably because he thought they would not have permitted the venture4 ,another instance was found in his daily life3 ,a certain ,pharisee besought him to dine with him3 and he went in1 and sat down to meat4 ,and when the ,pharisee saw it1 he marvelled that he had not first washed before dinner4 ,and the ,lord said unto him1 ,now do ye ,pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter2 but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness4 ,ye fools 444#ba ,jesus had not only failed to wash as was expected of a guest1 but defended his uncleanliness and abused his host4 ,at another time ,jesus was discourteous to his mother3 ,and when they wanted wine1 the mother of ,jesus saith unto him1 ,they have no wine4 ,jesus saith unto her1 ,woman1 what have ,i to do with thee8#bb ,jesus was apparently annoyed at his mother's interference1 though he followed her suggestion4 ,he did not set a good example for children in addressing their mothers4 ,when the ,syrophenician woman asked him to help her daughter1 ,jesus saith unto her1 ,let the children first be filled3 for it is not meet to take the children's bread1 and to cast it unto the dogs4 ,and she answered and said unto him1 ,yes1 ,lord3 yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs4 ,and he said unto her1 ,for this saying go thy way2 the devil is gone out of thy daughter4#bc ,jesus practically admitted that he had made a mistake in speaking unkindly to a ,gentile4 ,her clever answer induced him to change his decision4 ,a physician who called a stranger's child a dog would now be considered brutal even in a free hospital4 ,and another of his disciples said unto him1 ,lord1 suffer me first to go and bury my father4 ,but ,jesus said unto him1 ,follow me2 and let the dead bury their dead4#bd ,jesus could have allowed the man to attend his father's funeral and follow him later4 ,would not that have set a better precedent8 ,when ,peter intervened to protect ,jesus1 the latter turned1 and said unto ,peter1 ,get thee behind me1 ,satan3 thou art an offence unto me4#be ,even though ,jesus was determined to go on with the sacrifice1 he could have been more appreciative of his best friend's suggestion4 ,unethical ,advice ,when the unjust steward cheated his employer1 ,jesus gave the following remarkable advice3 ,and the lord commended the unjust steward1 because he had done wisely3 for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light4 ,and ,i say unto you1 ,make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness2 that1 when ye fail1 they may receive you into everlasting habitations4#bf ,this passage should be read again before deciding whether ,jesus advised opportunism rather than morality4 ,the words must be taken as they are2 no interpretation can be based upon the assumption that ,jesus was always right and therefore meant something different from what he said4 ,sermon on the ,mount ,many ,christians say that they care nothing for theology2 that the ,sermon on the ,mount contains all that is necessary for a religious life1 being a perfect system of ethics4 ,the ,sermon on the ,mount does contain many admirable principles1 but also some that are inferior to present standards4 ,few of the people who praise this ,sermon would think it proper to abide by all the teachings therein4 ,christian parents do not wish their children to follow either the letter or the spirit of this famous preachment4 ,it begins in the fifth chapter of ,matthew4 ,blessed are the poor in spirit4 ,is it better to be poor in spirit than rich and eager in spirit8 ,being poor in spirit is to be faint of heart4 ,this is bad advice1 is it not8 ,blessed are they that mourn1 for they shall be comforted4 ,this means that those who mourn on earth will be comforted in heaven2 but now that life on earth has assumed greater importance1 so far as our daily conduct is concerned1 than life in heaven1 the philosophy of gloom is unfortunate4 ,jesus preached acceptance of unhappiness as the common lot of man2 he should not therefore be credited with providing happiness on earth4 ,his urge to rejoice was usually in anticipation of good things to come in the next world4 ,he preached sorrow for all here rather than the greater happiness for the greater number4 ,there shall be famines1 and pestilences1 and earthquakes in divers places4 ,all these are the beginning of sorrows4 ,then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted1 and shall kill you3 and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake 444 and because iniquity shall abound1 the love of many shall wax cold4 ,but he that shall endure unto the end1 the same shall be saved4#bg ,blessed are ye that weep now3 for ye shall laugh4#bh ,the beatitude1 ,blessed are the meek3 for they shall inherit the earth is of doubtful accuracy or value4 ,the commands to pluck out an eye or cut off a hand may not have been intended literally1 although it does appear as if ,jesus referred to the physical body1 and men have often so interpreted these doubtful instructions4 ,jesus said that ,whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery1 which is no longer true4 ,those who permit remarriage after divorce should admit an error on ,jesus' part4 ,but ,i say unto you1 ,that ye resist not evil4 ,this instruction should be reversed1 should it not8 ,evil should be resisted in every possible way that does not involve evil in itself4 ,what modern ethical teacher will say that evil should not be resisted1 or that this advice of ,jesus was perfection8 ,if his instruction was intended to refer to physical resistance1 then no righteous person should fight in any war1 no police should be delegated to arrest criminals4 ,if the phrase has merely a spiritual meaning1 it is certainly unsound advice1 for evil should be overcome by good4 ,a fanatical attitude towards the law was recommended when ,jesus said3 ,if any man will sue thee at the law1 and take away thy coat1 let him have thy cloak also4 ,extreme generosity and non-resistance are taught1 but the illustration was not well thought out1 for if the man had already won his suit and taken the coat1 it is evident that the owner of the coat had put up a legal fight instead of giving away his coat and cloak as ,jesus implies he should4 ,yielding more than a legal opponent wins in court is not compatible with defending the suit1 nor is it a principle that would meet the approval of most of ,jesus' followers today4 ,be ye therefore perfect1 even as your ,father which is in heaven is perfect4 ,if ,jesus referred to ,jehovah as his ,father in heaven1 the standard of perfection advocated was very low1 for ,jehovah was1 as ,thomas ,jefferson put it1 cruel1 vindictive1 capricious and unjust4 ,the ,lord's ,prayer is not the simple1 clear1 devotional petition that is usually supposed4 ,take it literally1 as was undoubtedly intended1 and its irrelevance to actual life is at once apparent4 ,our ,father which art in heaven1 ,hallowed be thy name4 ,thy kingdom come4 ,thy will be done in earth1 as it is in heaven4 ,this is a proper invocation only if there is a heaven in which ,god's will is done4 ,none such has been discovered4 ,give us this day our daily bread indicates that ,god would not give our daily sustenance without being asked1 whereas there is no apparent distinction in actual living between those who pray for bread and those who do not4 ,and forgive us our debts1 as we forgive our debtors intimates that divine forgiveness is not to be superior to that of men4 ,and lead us not into temptation--as if ,god were anxious to lead us there and would be deterred by our prayer4 ,it may seem like petty cavil to criticize the prayer that has been acclaimed for many centuries as ideal1 but1 seriously1 what valuable principle for guidance through life does the ,lord's ,prayer contain8 ,do its requests represent the best modern conception of prayer as an inward aspiration rather than as petitionary8 ,is it not vain repetition to recite it again and again8 ,the general idea of offering prayer in order to obtain various needs presents the difficulty of reconciling the conception of an omnipotent1 all-foreseeing ,god with the contradictory theory of a ,father who requires prayer before caring for his children1 an almighty ,god who will be turned from his course by human petitions4 ,man can do wonders in the way of conquering nature1 but he has not been able to alter natural laws1 nor is there any evidence that such laws have been changed at any time in answer to prayer4 ,if the ,lord's ,prayer is not essential for man's welfare in the world1 we may conclude that ,jesus over-emphasized its importance4 ,one of the most important portions of the ,sermon on the ,mount is the advice regarding worldly possessions4 ,nothing in the teaching of ,jesus is more definite than his instructions regarding wealth4 ,he strikes an admirable note when he says1 ,what is a man profited if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul8 444 ,a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth4 ,this general principle is sadly needed in the modern money-seeking world1 but the teachings of ,jesus on economics go much further1 far beyond anything the best people of today are willing to follow4 ,take no thought for your life1 what ye shall eat1 or what ye shall drink2 nor yet for your body1 what ye shall put on 444 ,take therefore no thought for the morrow4#bi ,these commands1 taken literally as ,jesus intended1 would lead to infinite trouble4 ,men are obliged to take thought for the morrow2 if they do not they will fail to survive4 ,in ,jesus' plan provision for the earthly future was of no importance because of the imminence of eternal life1 but now it is considered one's duty to provide for old age4 ,this mistake of ,jesus cannot be explained away by saying that ,jesus was right and that man falls short of the counsel of perfection given by the ,master4 ,no1 there are few indeed who will say that it would be right to shape their financial life as ,jesus advised4 ,if they do not believe it right to follow his instructions1 definite as they are on this subject1 they must admit that he was wrong4 ,either thrift is now unrighteous1 or ,jesus is not a dependable guide for modern life4 ,the following instructions have little meaning now except for ,roman ,catholics4 ,but thou1 when thou fastest1 anoint thy head1 and wash thy face1 that thou appear not unto men to fast1 but unto thy ,father which is in secret3 and thy ,father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly4 ,another portion of the ,sermon holds out false hopes that cannot be substantiated3 ,for everyone that asketh receiveth2 and he that seeketh findeth4 ,is there any virtue in thus deceiving the people regarding the possibilities of prayer8 ,therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you1 do ye even so to them4 ,this is the famous ,golden ,rule that has been heralded as one of the most original portions of ,jesus' teachings4 ,but ,jesus admitted that he did not first state this rule when he said1 for this is the law and the prophets4#cj ,confucius1 born in #eea ,b4,c41 several times announced the rule1 ,what you do not like when done to yourself1 do not to others4 ,this negative statement is less effective than the ,jewish rule1 but both are admirable regardless of who first formulated them4 ,the ,golden ,rule is as valuable coming from the ,hebrew fathers as if ,jesus had originated it4 ,the ,golden ,rule1 however1 is not perfect4 ,it is one of the best rules of the ancients1 showing the desirability of reciprocity1 but it does not demand that our desires be always just1 nor does it insure that what we want done to ourselves will always be what others most need4 ,it would be consistent with the ,golden ,rule for a convivial man to entertain his prohibition friends at a speakeasy1 or for a ,catholic to take his atheist guests to daily mass4 ,possibly an even better rule than judging others by ourselves would be to do unto others what best pleases them4 ,inconsistency ,the ,son of man goeth as it is written of him3 but woe unto that man by whom the ,son of man is betrayed6 it had been good for that man if he had not been born4#ca ,apparently the arrangement between ,jehovah and ,jesus was that ,jesus should not give himself up as a sacrifice voluntarily but should be betrayed by someone else2 and yet1 although the betrayal was desired1 the man who assisted was to be condemned4 ,the sacrificial plan for salvation was continued to the end in order that the ,scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled4#cb ,the scriptures were ,jewish1 so this is additional proof that ,jesus1 rejected by the ,jews1 considered himself the predicted ,jewish ,messiah4 ,while the ,jews expected a ,messiah1 there is no clear prediction of ,jesus in the ,old ,testament4 ,fear ,jesus said1 ,be not afraid of them that kill the body2 but when threatened with bodily injury himself1 he was afraid4 ,then took they up stones to cast at him3 but ,jesus hid himself4#cc ,then the ,pharisees went out1 and held a council against him1 how they might destroy him4 ,but when ,jesus knew it1 he withdrew himself from thence4#cd ,this avoidance of physical injury may have been due to a desire to postpone his end until the proper time1 as indicated by ,mine hour is not yet come1 but when the time did come1 ,jesus did not bear his approaching death bravely1 as ,socrates did when about to drink the cup of hemlock4 ,jesus was much afraid1 and prayed1 saying1 ,father1 if thou be willing1 remove this cup from me3 nevertheless1 not my will but thine be done4#ce ,he was resolved to go through with the painful experience at any cost but was much more frightened than many a mortal man1 though he had a greater cause to sustain him than martyrs who have suffered uncomplainingly2 for he believed that his sacrifice would save the world3 and there appeared an angel unto him from heaven1 strengthening him4 ,and being in an agony he prayed more earnestly3 and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground4#cf ,after saying1 ,the hour is come1 that the ,son of man should be glorified 444 ,he that loveth his life shall lose it1 he again showed terror3 ,now is my soul troubled2 and what shall ,i say8 ,father1 save me from this hour1 but for this cause came ,i unto this hour4#cg ,it is to be noted that ,god did not answer the prayer of ,jesus1 though ,jesus had said that ,god would always answer prayers in his name4 ,jesus recognized his failure to obtain the answer1 saying on the cross1 ,my ,god1 my ,god1 why hast thou forsaken me8#ch ,failure ,many a good man is a failure from a worldly point of view1 but failure is not what one would wish to copy4 ,jesus sought to save the world4 ,surely no one looking at the world today can say that he succeeded4 ,his plan of salvation was a failure2 it did not work out as ,jehovah and ,jesus intended4 ,an ideal teacher is needed now almost as much as two thousand years ago4 ,if the world is gradually improving1 as seems probable1 it is in spite of the superstitions of the past1 not because of them4 ,at one time ,jesus denied his own perfection1 saying3 ,why callest thou me good8 there is none good but one1 that is1 ,god4#ci ,christian parents who hold ,jesus up to their children as a paragon would not wish their sons to grow up to be just like ,jesus4 ,he is not an acceptable prototype4 ,jesus did not provide the knowledge so much needed by man to enable him to shape his course through life4 ,no one knows how to live correctly1 how best to meet each situation1 what action is suited to the occasion4 ,jesus did not tell us what to do4 ,his sayings are interpreted in many different ways4 ,he failed to predict the needs of the future4 ,jesus did not explain relations between man and wife1 nor between employer and employee1 nor how to educate children1 nor how to preserve health1 nor how to make a living1 nor how to prevent war1 poverty and suffering4 ,jesus gave little practical information1 and his spiritual advice was not clearly enough expressed to enable man to apply it to modern conditions4 ,jesus neglected to instruct people how to live4 ,his knowledge of the world was less than that of the average ,american citizen4 ,,footnotes3 #a ,matt4 xxi1 #ah-ai4 #b ,mark xi1 #ac4 #c ,mark xi1 #bj-bc4 #d ,matt4 xviii1 #ae-ag4 #e ,matt4 x1 #cc4 #f ,mark iii1 #bi4 #g ,matt4 xii1 #cd4 #h ,matt4 xxiii1 #ae4 #i ,matt4 xxiii1 #cc4 #aj ,john viii1 #ee4 #aa ,john x1 #h4 #ab ,matt4 xxiii1 #ag4 #ac ,matt4 viii1 #bh-cd2 ,mark v1 #ac2 ,luke viii1 #bf-cd4 #ad ,luke xiv1 #bf4 #ae ,john xi1 #bf4 #af ,john viii1 #bd4 #ag ,john viii1 #ab4 #ah ,john x1 #cf4 #ai ,john xi1 #be4 #bj ,luke ii1 #dh4 #ba ,luke xi1 #cg-dj4 #bb ,john ii1 #d4 #bc ,mark vii1 #be-bi4 #bd ,matt4 viii1 #ba-bb4 #be ,matt4 xvi1 #bc4 #bf ,luke xvi1 #a-i4 #bg ,matt4 xxiv1 #g-ac4 #bh ,luke vi1 #ba4 #bi ,matt4 vi1 #be-cd4 #cj ,matt4 vii1 #ab4 #ca ,matt4 xxvi1 #bd4 #cb ,matt4 xxvi1 #ef4 #cc ,john viii1 #ei4 #cd ,matt4 xii1 #ad-ae4 #ce ,luke xxii1 #db4 #cf ,luke xxii1 #dd4 #cg ,john xii1 #bc-bg4 #ch ,mark xv1 #cd4 #ci ,matt4 xix1 #ag4 ,,conclusion ,the historicity of ,jesus has been discussed in many books and pamphlets4 ,whether ,jesus lived or not depends upon what is meant by that phrase4 ,if one is satisfied that there was a peripatetic philosopher named ,jesus who was the son of a woman named ,mary and who lived and taught around ,jerusalem1 uttering some1 but not all1 of the words attributed to him1 then ,jesus may be said to have lived4 ,there can be no serious objection to the acceptance of that ,jesus as an actual personage even though he was ignored by secular historians and though the time and place of his birth and death are in doubt4 ,on the other hand1 if there never was such a person as the ,jesus described in the ,new ,testament--a man born of a virgin1 superior to natural laws1 able to walk on the water1 and change the course of nature1 performing miracles1 casting out devils1 a man who never erred1 who was crucified1 rose from the dead and ascended bodily into heaven where he now sits to judge the world--if there was no such man-,god as the ,jesus of the gospels1 some may hesitate to say that ,jesus ever lived4 ,jesus a ,myth ,sincere ,evolutionists who discredit miracles1 must needs consider the gospel ,jesus as a myth4 ,this does not mean that ,jesus had no reality1 but that the original facts have been so enlarged upon that the principal features of his life are more fanciful than real4 ,if you eliminate from the life of ,jesus as unhistorical his birth1 his miracles1 his theological teachings1 his resurrection1 ascension and messianic mission1 the ,christ no longer exists4 ,jesus would have attracted no attention were it not for the very circumstances which ,modernists admit were mythical4 ,judged by ,his ,works ,whether ,jesus was ,god1 or man1 or myth1 he can be judged by his works1 as he himself recommended4 ,if he is found to be perfect in word and deed1 it makes little difference whether he lived or not4 ,as a symbol he can be revered and copied4 ,but if ,jesus is now seen to be the product of his times1 representing the virtues and defects of his biographers1 with no vision beyond their ken1 his authority is gone4 ,not only will the divinity of ,jesus be discredited if he was found to have been occasionally in error1 but his value as a guide to life will be impaired4 ,what will be the result of this radical change8 ,none of the beautiful ideals or sound ethical principles attributed to ,jesus will be lost4 ,not one saying or counsel of valuable advice need go4 ,not one evil thought need take the place of that which was good4 ,in fact1 the finest qualities of existence will be more vital in our lives when their realization becomes of primary importance instead of being subordinate to worship of the supernatural4 ,principles are superior to persons4 ,a dead personality remains unchanged2 live ethical principles can be developed by more complete knowledge of evolutionary processes4 ,ethical ,evolution ,evolution has been progressing along ethical as well as physical lines4 ,to the teachings of ,jesus1 once considered perfection1 have been added many newly discovered principles of value1 for knowledge is cumulative4 ,all the best thoughts of the ages are ours forever1 no matter who first originated or expressed them4 ,whatever the plan of the universe may be1 it is more nearly comprehended now than in ,jesus' time4 ,twentieth century events are more dependable in forming our philosophy of life than those of the first century4 ,the failure to grasp this fact is the death knell of orthodox religion4 ,every existing religious sect has founded its spirituality upon events supposed to have occurred in the past4 ,christianity depends upon the direct creation1 fall of man and life of an atoning ,savior1 all physical in character4 ,our new metaphysics will be based upon conditions existing today and that will be revealed by science in the future4 ,the geologists1 embryologists1 biologists and astronomers of #aicb have more information about nature than ,jesus had4 ,on that knowledge can be founded a system of living superior to the ,sermon on the ,mount4 ,our own time is the most dependable era of revelation4 ,we can safely accept whatever stands accredited after thorough examination1 including all teachings of ,jesus that are admirable4 ,a modern person with religious zeal has confidence that the world is ordered along consistent lines and will respond favorably to man's best efforts to solve the true way of living4 ,the scientific mind and the religious spirit are complementary4 ,religion1 instead of being a system of handed-down sanctity1 may become an inspired revelation to each individual--a religion of the spirit of the modern world4 ,as the spirit derived from ,truth is superior to that based upon credulity1 the new doctrines that supplant the old may be expected to excel any that have preceded them4 ,anyone may be as spiritual as the proved facts permit4 ,if the world has been improving physically and ethically1 we can have confidence that whatever knowledge is necessary for our salvation is available to each of us now4 ,no living ,god has died2 no great principle has been lost4 ,instead of depending upon ,jesus in an unthinking manner1 we must seek the ,truth wherever it is found and follow wherever it may lead regardless of consequences4 ,this requires more courage than professing ,jesus1 whose teachings can be construed to mean whatever the reader desires4 ,while the majority regard ,jesus as an ascetic1 a reformer1 opposed to business and joviality1 ,bruce ,barton has convinced thousands that ,jesus was the great business man1 rotarian and advertiser4 ,gains1 not ,losses ,among the compensations that may supplant the loss of ,jesus as an ideal are the thrill at being a pioneer in striving for the welfare of the human race rather than for individual salvation2 the satisfaction at having a consistent creed that can be maintained against all criticism without hypocrisy or evasion2 emancipation from inhibitions required by a supposedly divine teacher4 ,every pleasure is not a sin1 but rejection of theology does not imply indifference to evil4 ,science warns against excess as strongly as any ancient command4 ,the fear of natural or man-decreed punishment in this world is as potent as the dread of eternal torment threatened by ,jesus4 ,if ,jesus really was the sort of personage described in the ,bible2 if he really was born of a virgin1 controlled the elements and had power to condemn unbelievers to eternal damnation1 all people should obey his every word4 ,he should be followed literally2 we should sell all our possessions and take no thought for the morrow4 ,but if ,jesus was not that sort of a person2 if he was neither a supernatural ,god nor an infallible man1 he should not be worshipped as a redeeming ,savior nor be followed as a true guide for human conduct4 ,our faith shifts with careful examination of the scriptures from belief in ,jesus to confidence that the world is a far pleasanter abode than ,jesus imagined4 ,without reliance upon the authority of ,jesus we can adopt a code which will prove comparatively effective in leading towards a wholesome life4 ,,code ,,of ,,living #a4 ,keep the body strong that the most efficient work may be done1 the greatest happiness obtained during life and a wholesome inheritance passed on to future generations4 #b4 ,cultivate the mind1 learning as many important facts as possible1 striving to become expert in some particular field of endeavor4 #c4 ,develop a scientific spirit1 the essential characteristic of which is a search for ,truth in the light of evidence and reason4 ,do not deceive yourself or others4 #d4 ,base your spiritual concepts on the latest developments of ,evolution4 ,be prepared to change your philosophy to conform to the consensus of scientific opinion4 #e4 ,conduct all human relationships in a spirit of tolerance and love1 having proper consideration for others1 not presuming to control their lives4 #f4 ,treat the opposite sex honorably1 respecting their complementary qualities1 with due regard for succeeding generations4 #g4 ,endeavor to embody in the laws of the community the spirit of equity and progress4 #h4 ,strive for an economic system under which each individual shall be rewarded according to his or her value to society4 #i4 ,avoid the use of physical force for personal revenge or national aggrandizement1 having learned from experience that reason triumphs while brutality degrades4 #aj4 ,hold yourself in readiness to accept new revelations4 99 99 99 99 99 ,luther ,burbank wrote concerning the above code on ,november #aa1 #aibe3 ,i am greatly pleased with your code of living 444 ,the false ancient theology has past or is rapidly passing with intelligent people at the present time4 ,it is not applicable to our conditions and is of no more value than a worn-out suit of clothes4