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Bank of Wisdom, Box 926, Louisville, KY 40201
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THE MISTAKES OF JESUS
BY
WILLIAM FLOYD
Author of "Social Progress,"
"People vs. Wall Street,"
"Our Gods on Trial,"
"War Resistance."
New York
THE FREETHOUGHT PRESS ASSOCIATION.
Copyright 1932
The Freethought Press Association, Inc.
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TO DEVOTEES OF TRUTH
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FOREWORD
THE tradition regarding Jesus is so glamorous that it is
difficult to review his life and character with an unbiased mind.
While Fundamentalists and Modernists differ regarding the divinity
of Christ, all Christians and many non-Christians still cling to
preconceived notions of the perfection of Jesus. He alone among men
is revered as all-loving, omniscient, faultless -- an unparalleled
model for mankind.
This convention of the impeccability of Jesus is so firmly
established that any insinuation of error on his part is deemed a
blasphemy. Doubting Jesus is more impious than mocking God
Almighty. Jehovah may be exposed to some extent with impunity; a
God who destroyed 70,000 of his chosen people because their king
took a census [Chron. xxi.] is too illogical for any but
theologians to worship. But the Son of God, or Son of man, is
sacro-sanct. Jesus is reverenced as the one man who has lived
unspotted by the world, free from human foibles, able to redeem
mankind by his example.
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 taste. The detractor is suspected of being an
immoral person, no matter how convincing may be the proof which he
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Box 926, Louisville, KY 40201
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THE MISTAKES OF JESUS
presents. A conspiracy of silence is directed against any system of
ethics advanced as superior to the Sermon on the Mount. In popular
opinion Jesus never made a mistake; all his teachings were
infallible; no other view is tolerated.
Face the Facts
This unwillingness to acknowledge the shortcomings of Jesus is
partially due to fear of sustaining a great loss. 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 destroyed. That
substitute is faith in the world as it really is. And our modern
world, with all its shortcomings, is infinitely preferable to the
earth, or even the heaven, of the first century. We now know that
man can do more to eradicate sorrow than Jesus ever thought of. We
can have greater confidence in the world as revealed today than in
the doubtful traditions of Biblical times.
But suppose there were nothing to substitute for the myth
destroyed, should that deter the Truthseeker from continuing his
investigation? Scientists do not hesitate in their research because
the result of a new discovery may be disastrous. They seek the
facts regardless of consciences; they want to know the Truth about
the physical world. Ethicists should have a similar desire
concerning the metaphysical world. They should have confidence that
the Supreme Intelligence (as Edison called it) will lead on to
better things.
The True Jesus
If Jesus was what his followers believe, no arguments will
destroy their faith in him; but if Jesus was not perfect, according
to modem standards, it is important that his status as God, or man,
should be revised. Loss of confidence in an erring idol is not loss
of a true ideal.
When an iconoclast asserts that Jesus lacked supreme
intelligence, the natural question is, "How do you know that you
are right in your appraisal, 'lest haply ye be found even to fight
against God'?" The answer is that we do not claim omniscience, but
merely request everyone to use his or her own judgment, with
intellectual honesty, examining each act or saying of Jesus without
regard to presupposed ideas or tradition.
Scriptures Unauthentic
The consensus of scholarship has rejected the creation of the
universe in six days in 4004 B.C., science having proved the
existence of the world for millions of years. Higher Critics refuse
to credit the book of Genesis, according to the first chapter of
which the trees, beasts and fowls were created before man, but
according to the second chapter after man. It is not assuming too
much for the humblest writer to say that Moses was mistaken
concerning many things he described in the Pentateuch. It follows
that if one important portion of the Bible is untrustworthy, other
parts of that same book may not be the infallible Word of God. The
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Box 926, Louisville, KY 40201
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THE MISTAKES OF JESUS
New Testament, as well as the Old, may be examined critically, and
if the gospels contain numerous contradictions, the statements of
the authors on any point, including the life of Jesus, are open to
question. A conscientious person should reach conclusions based
upon the best knowledge obtainable from all sources.
If anyone is convinced that Jesus made mistakes, he is not
necessarily compelled to become an atheist. All other Gods that
have been worshipped by men have been found imperfect. The oft
exposed errors of Jehovah do not prevent Christians and Jews from
professing belief in God. Those who require support from outside
themselves cling to the symbol of deity though not thoroughly
crediting any personality ever described in any sacred scriptures.
Except Jesus.
An Evolutionist passes beyond the negative denial of God to
the construction of a new philosophy in which Truth is his guide,
Truth being the nearest approximation to reality obtainable with
our present knowledge. Belief in the world as it is now, and as it
is going to be, is a sufficient creed.
Faith in Jesus
With Jesus entrenched in popular opinion, there is small
probability that faith in him will be shaken unless there is a
preponderance of evidence against his divinity. No one need abandon
faith in Jesus until convinced that something better has been
found. No one should even expose himself to heretical arguments
unless he is a devotee of Truth. 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
surroundings. A worshipper of Truth fears no destruction of false
gods, nor any facts that may cause him to throw over treasured
superstitions. He is willing to prove all things and hold fast to
that which is true. He rejoices when his idol is shattered, knowing
that he is approaching nearer to the true way of living, a way that
Jesus did not adequately explain.
Any attempt to censure the character of Jesus will meet with
the ridicule it deserves unless substantiated by documentary
evidence. The mere improbability of events contrary to natural laws
does not destroy the ethical value of the teachings of the
Nazarene. Anything might have happened in the eerie days of old;
the critic must do more than deny the historicity of Jesus and the
inspiration of the Bible. 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 Savior.
Documentary Evidence
The documents most generally accepted by Christians are those
collected in the King James Version of the Bible. The Apocrypha and
other early manuscripts are unreliable. None of the thirty or more
writers who described events around Jerusalem in Jesus' time gives
any account of his teachings. The only life of Jesus is found in
the four gospels; the numerous biographers of Christ have had no
other reliable source of information. It is deceptive for the
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Box 926, Louisville, KY 40201
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THE MISTAKES OF JESUS
publishers of revised editions of the Bible to claim that "original
manuscripts" have been consulted. Not one of the original
manuscripts is in existence, the earliest extant dating from the
fourth century A.D., while the most ancient portion of the New
Testament in any museum was transcribed in the sixth century'
Accepting, therefore, the King James Version of the New
Testament as the most reliable source of information, the question
arises as to what portion of the chapters therein may be considered
authentic. Scholars have rejected the entire gospel of John as less
reliable than the synoptic gospels; and the sixteenth chapter of
Mark as an addition after the original papyrus had broken off.
Modernists, being confronted, in spite of these deletions, with
inconsistencies in the gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, have
assumed the further privilege of rejecting any verses which appear
at variance with their beliefs. Liberals of this class contend that
the supernatural side of Jesus may be disregarded and yet that
Jesus will remain Our Lord. They reject certain evangelistic
passages that conflict with modem thought, but accept other
statements by the same authors as authoritative.
As the Christian churches have not accepted any abbreviation
of the Bible as a substitute for the King James Version, it seems
proper for the critic to have recourse to that translation as the
most authentic description of the life and teachings of Jesus. He
is justified, moreover, in considering every word in the supposedly
inspired gospels as equally reliable. His only concern should be to
interpret each verse as nearly as possible as the original writers
intended their words to be understood, allowing for Eastern
hyperbole and the custom of the times.
Retain the Good
In preparing a critical analysis of the character of Jesus, it
is freely admitted that many of the thoughts attributed to the son
of Mary are superlatively fine. They will live forever whether the
personality of Jesus be rejected as a divinity or not. That these
beautiful preachments are ignored here is not due to any desire to
belittle admirable sentiments or to disparage right living. 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
criticized. The intent of this criticism is not to destroy idealism
but to assist the spirit of true progress.
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 perfect. If Jesus was in error concerning
conditions of his own time and exhibited no knowledge of our modern
problems, his authority will be lessened. Searchers after the true
way of life will not continue to worship a person whose conception
of the physical and spiritual world was erroneous. If Jesus made
mistakes, he is neither the Son of God nor an infallible man.
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Box 926, Louisville, KY 40201
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THE MISTAKES OF JESUS
So long as people feel compelled to worship what has been
proved imperfect, or to evade important doctrines of their creeds
for fear of losing faith in old traditions, their minds will not be
receptive to changes in social conditions that require abandonment
of established customs. Christians are imbued with a psychology
derived from a completed revelation. The firmer their belief in
Jesus, the greater their resistance to new ideas. Catholics are
more reluctant to join progressive movements than Modernists and
Modernists than Evolutionists. Religious people are apt to be
afraid of the new world; they doubt the possibility of eliminating
war, poverty and injustice -- customs as deeply rooted in the
social world as belief in Jesus is in the religious world. If the
chief reactionary bulwark of the past is abandoned, there will be
greater possibility of accepting new revelations.
What would happen if Christians should discover that their
leader was not an incomparable guide? Absolutely nothing at first,
Those accustomed to lead a moral life would continue to do so.
Members of Christian churches are the very people who most wish to
do what is right. They will not lose their character because Jesus
has lost his fictitious divinity. On the contrary, they will search
for the most elevating principles to substitute for the personality
that has been found deficient. It is difficult for people to be
superior to their gods. These same church-going individuals, when
freed from the fetters of antiquated supernaturalism, will
gradually learn to serve mankind with the same devotion they now
render to a misunderstood God. They will no longer be limited by
the defects of their paragon in their efforts to make the most of
life. They will seek to solve modern problems in a rational way
instead of deciding such matters as birth control, divorce, war and
prohibition by reference to the scriptures, as they do now. For the
first time they will make their decisions according to the best
knowledge obtainable today.
Jesus was in advance of his time. He declared that such
revengeful theories as an eye for an eye must be supplanted by
forgiveness. But as the world has evolved, Jesus has stood still.
His teachings, superior as they were to those of the ancient
Israelites, are now found to be inferior to the best ethics culled
from the wisdom of the ages, brought down to date. 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 conceive.
This examination of the life and character of Jesus will be
based upon the accounts in the New Testament. Each passage will be
construed as appears to the writer to have been originally
intended. The reader may substitute his own interpretation, but
should in no instance pass lightly over a situation as immaterial.
Every word or action of Jesus is an important link in the chain of
his divinity, or of his exalted position as a moral guide. Each
argument should be met by acceptance or rejection, never with
indifference. No reader of the following pages should ever say,
"What difference does it make?" Everything concerning Jesus is of
vast consequence in determining whether he is or is not a divine
Savior, or a perfect guide.
Bank of Wisdom
Box 926, Louisville, KY 40201
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THE MISTAKES OF JESUS
ANTIQUATED THEOLOGY
THE first event in the life of Jesus, the gospel story of his
birth, is now considered unauthentic by many scholars and some
theologians. The birth of a virgin, the visitation of an angel, the
star in the East are phenomena contrary to natural laws and rest on
insufficient authority for acceptance as credible. The
probabilities are against exceptions in the laws of the universe.
The Virgin Birth
The original evidence for the virgin birth is found only in
the gospels of Matthew and Luke, two unknown historians, and both
these evangelists implicitly deny their own tale when they trace
the descent of Jesus from David through Joseph. [Matt. i; Luke
iii.] The slaughter of the children by Herod, in fear of Jesus as
a rival, probably never took place. Mark, Luke and John do not
mention it; Josephus, who dwelt on the crimes of Herod, knew
nothing of this massacre. According to Luke, Mary and Joseph took
Jesus to Jerusalem openly soon after the supposed decree. [Luke ii,
22.]
There is dispute as to whether Jesus was born in Bethlehem or
Nazareth, and the date of his birth has been placed anywhere from
4 B.C. to 7 A.D. Matthew says that Jesus was born "In the days of
Herod", while Luke says it was "When Cyrenius was governor of
Syria." Herod died in 4 B.C., while Cyrenius did not become
governor of Syria unto 7 A.D.
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 processes. And yet it is still one of the main
sources of Jesus' fame, being repeated at Christmas-tide in the
churches, thus connecting Jesus with God in a superhuman manner.
The consensus of scholarship is in practical agreement that
the theory of the virgin birth as a link between Jesus and God is
a mistake; but whose mistake was it? Jesus never referred to his
miraculous birth. If he was merely a man and never heard of the
rumor about his conception, he was not to blame for the spread of
this misleading story throughout Christendom.
While Jesus did not refer to his divine paternity in a
physical sense, he did endeavor to convince his hearers that he was
more directly connected with God than other men. "I and my Father
are one." [John x, 30.] "No man knoweth the Son but the Father;
neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to
whomsoever the Son will reveal him." ["Matt. xi, 27.]
Jesus thus proclaimed himself identical with the Lord God of
the Old Testament who called himself Jehovah. This is entirely in
keeping with the whole Christian theory, for the reason d'e'tre of
Jesus derived from the act of God soon after the creation. Adam and
Eve ate of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil
which God had commanded them not to touch, and for this
disobedience, this fall of man from grace, God cursed mankind.
Jesus came to earth to save man from the wrath of Almighty God.
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Box 926, Louisville, KY 40201
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THE MISTAKES OF JESUS
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 God. According to
the scriptures, which anyone may freely search, God advised or
countenanced deception ["Ezek. xiv, 9; Num. xiv, 30-34.]; stealing
[Ex. iii, 21-22.], selfishness [Deut. xiv, 21.], conquest by force
[Num. xxxi et al.], indiscriminate slaughter [Ex. xxxii, 27.],
murder [Deut. vii, 16 et al.], cannibalism [Jer. xix, 9 et al.],
killing of witches ["Ex. xxii, 8.], slavery [Lev. xxv, 44-46.],
capital punishment for rebellious sons or for seeking false gods
[Deut. xxi, 18-21; xiii, 6-9.], sacrifices of animals [Lev. i,
14-15.] and other acts representing the concepts of primitive men.
["See the Old Testament.]
While Jesus could read ["Luke iv, 16.] and was familiar with
the scriptures, it is possible that he was not acquainted with the
system of dictatorship formerly employed by his Father.
Occasionally Jesus denounced the ethics of "them of old time", but
he always referred to his Father as perfect.
The dilemma is that Jesus must be condemned either for
claiming identity with Jehovah (to whom he was really superior), or
for accepting with only slight improvements the tyranny of God as
described in the Bible, the Word of God. Of course if the Bible is
not the Word of God, the whole system of Christian theology falls
to the ground.
The Jewish Messiah
Jesus claimed to be the Messiah expected by the Jews. "And the
high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living
God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God.
Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said." [Matt. xxvi, 63-64.] "Again
the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ,
the Son of the Blessed? And Jesus said, I am." [Mark xv, 61-62.]
"Then said they all, Art thou then the Son of God? And he said unto
them, Ye say that I am." [Luke xxii, 70.] "The woman saith unto
him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is
come he will tell us all things. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak
unto thee am he." [John iv, 25-26.]
These acknowledgments by Jesus that he was the Messiah are
important, for if he claimed divinity when he was merely mortal,
either under false pretence or being self-deceived, he made a
mistake of the most serious character. His claim was not recognized
by his own people, and many of his followers today deny that he was
the Jewish Messiah. Jesus said that he came from God to save the
Jews. Either he was truly the predicted Messiah or he made an
inexcusable error. In this as in other instances to be cited,
Fundamentalists will not admit any mistake, for they believe in the
supernatural events connected with the Son of God. But Modernists,
who reject the anointed Christ while clinging to the human Jesus,
may be at a loss to reconcile Jesus' claim to Messiahship with
their rejection of his divinity.
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Box 926, Louisville, KY 40201
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THE MISTAKES OF JESUS
Jesus stressed his mission to save the world, saying:
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have
everlasting life." [John iii, 16.]
Eternal Damnation
Whether Jesus was mistaken or not in his estimate of his close
relationship with God is for each person to decide; but his theory
of the disasters that would follow unbelief in his divinity leads
to serious difficulties if accepted literally. For not only was
Jesus in error when he insisted that salvation depended upon
belief, he was also reconciled to eternal suffering for
unbelievers. Note some of his expressions:
"If ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins."
["John viii, 24.] "Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting
fire, prepared for the devil and his angels ... And these shall go
away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life
eternal." [Matt xxv, 31-46.]
"Whosoever shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never
forgiveness, but is in danger of etemal damnation." ["Mark iii,
29.]
"Except ye repent ye shall perish." [Luke xiii, 3.]
"If thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to
enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into
the fire that never shall be quenched." [Mark ix, 43.]
"How can ye escape the damnation of hell?" [Matt. xxiii, 33.]
"He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, but he that
believeth not shall be damned." [Mark xvi, 16.]
It is evident from these quotations that Jesus not only
preached belief in his divinity as essential to salvation, but
endeavored to terrify people into belief by threats of eternal
torment. Jesus was responsible for the theological conception of a
fiery hell. If he was mistaken, if there never was a place of
torment for the wicked after death, 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
suffering? Must we not deplore this mistake of Jesus and recast our
entire opinion of him as a religious teacher?
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 disbelief?
The Atonement
The doctrine of the Atonement was taught by Jesus. "For this
is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the
remission of sins." [Matt. xxvi, 28.]
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THE MISTAKES OF JESUS
Whether this sacrifice of the innocent Jesus to save sinful
man was ordered by God or was voluntary on the part of Jesus, it
represents a theory of reprieve from punishment long since
abandoned as unethical. If sin must be punished, there is no
justice in relieving the sinner and placing the burden upon the
righteous.
Moreover, the Atonement appears to have been ineffective, for
in spite of the sacrifice that Jesus made, few were to be saved
under his scheme of salvation. "Many are called but few are
chosen." [Matt. xxii, 14.] "Strait is the gate, and narrow is the
way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."
[Matt. vii, 14.] "Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many,
I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able."
[Luke Xiii, 24.]
If the theory of Atonement for sin by the sacrifice of the
innocent was not ethical and if Jesus taught that doctrine, he was
in error, was he not?
The sacrifice of Jesus was not so great as often made by men.
Jesus was sustained with the thought that he was saving the world;
his physical suffering was not long continued; on the night of his
crucifixion he was in paradise. [Luke xxiii, 43.] He endured a few
hours of pain compared to weeks of suffering by wounded soldiers,
or years spent in prison by the proponents of an ideal.
Jesus not only claimed the power to remit sins but also said
to his disciples: "Whosoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto
them; and whosoever sins ye retain, they are retained." [John xx,
23.]
Is that true? Surely it is proper to ask that blunt question.
Here is a definite statement concerning the power of certain men to
remit sins. If those men did not have the power deputed to them,
must we not doubt the accuracy of Jesus?
Jesus made a distinction between himself and the Comforter:
"It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the
Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart I will send him
unto you ... And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you
another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever." [John xiv,
16.]
It must surprise some Christians that the Comforter could not
be present at the same time with Jesus.
Angels and Devils
Jesus believed in angels and devils, often referring to these
imaginary supernatural beings as if they existed. "Thinkest thou
that I cannot now pray to my Father and he shall presently give me
more than twelve legions of angels?" [Matt. xxvi, 53.] "So shall it
be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth." [Matt.
xiii, 49.]
Bank of Wisdom
Box 926, Louisville, KY 40201
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THE MISTAKES OF JESUS
The devils were among the first to recognize Christ's
divinity: "What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God?"
[Matt. Viii, 29.] "Let us alone, thou Jesus of Nazareth; art thou
come to destroy us? I know thee, who thou art, the Holy One of
God." [Luke iv, 34.] "And unclean Spirits when they saw him, fell
down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God." [Mark
iii, 11.]
Jesus believed in demoniacal possession, casting out devils on
several occasions.
Jesus frequently referred to heaven as a place above the
earth: "And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds
with great power and glory." [Mark xiii, 26] "And ye shall see the
Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the
clouds of heaven." [Mark xiv, 62.] "Verily, verily, I say unto you,
hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending
and descending on the Son of man." [John i, 51.]
When Jesus was transfigured and talked with Moses and Ellas,
he charged his disciples, saying, "Tell the vision to no man, until
the Son of man be risen again from the dead." [Matt. xvii, 9.]
According to the creeds based upon the Bible, Jesus rose from
the dead, descended into hell, and ascended bodily into heaven.
According to the gospels he stilled the storm, 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 fishes. These and other miracles connected
Jesus with God and were part of his theology.
Every fair-minded person should re-read the gospels and
refresh his memory regarding the theology of Jesus. Then a decision
must be reached as to the correctness of the views expressed.
Either conditions on earth were different in the first century from
those of the twentieth, or Jesus was mistaken in his conception of
God, heaven, hell, angels, devils and himself.
FALSE IMPRESSIONS
Jesus not only held mistaken ideas about theology, as anyone
but a Fundamentalist must admit, but he often gave impressions
about earthly affairs that were unreliable to say the least.
Occasionally his statements were actual misrepresentations of fact.
Jonah and the Whale
"For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's
belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in
the heart of the earth." [Matt. xii, 40.]
Evidently Jesus believed the story of Jonah and the whale, as
well as the tale of Noah's ark [Luke xvii, 27; Matt. xxv, 38.] both
of which are now generally discredited. Moreover, his prophecy
regarding his entombment was inaccurate, for he was only two nights
and one day in the heart of the earth, from Friday night to Sunday
morning.
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THE MISTAKES OF JESUS
End of the World
Jesus was decidedly mistaken in his theory of the approaching
end of the world.
"Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. [Matt. iv, 17.]
"Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of
man be come." [Matt X, 23.] "There be some standing here, which
shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in
his kingdom." [Matt. xvi, 28; Mark ix, 1.] "And this gospel of the
kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all
nations; and then shall the end come ... Verily I say unto you,
This generation shall not pass, till all these things be
fulfilled." [Matt. xxiv, 74-34; Luke xxi, 32.] "The time is
fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand." [Mark i, 15.] "So ye
in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know
that it is nigh, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, that
this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done."
["Mark xiii, 29-30.] "The hour is coming, in the which all that are
in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that
have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have
done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation." ['John v, 28-29.]
Jesus was confident that the day of judgment was coming in the
first century, but it has not come yet, nineteen hundred years
later. This erroneous belief in the imminent end of the world had
an important bearing upon his entire philosophy; 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 affairs. May we not
view with doubt any of Jesus' teachings that depended upon his
mistaken conception of the duration of the world?
Miracles
Jesus is reported to have fed 5,000 people with five loaves
and two fishes, and again 4,000 with seven loaves and a few small
fishes. He walked on the water, calmed the seas, raised three
persons from the dead and performed other miracles contrary to
natural laws. These wondrous acts were depended upon by him to
convince the people that he was the expected Messiah: "Go and shew
John again those things which ye do hear and see: the blind receive
their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the
deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel
preached to them." ["Matt. xi, 4-5.]
Jesus assured his disciples that they too would be able to
perform miracles: "And these signs shall follow them that believe;
In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new
tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly
thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick and
they shall recover." [Mark xvi, 17-18.] "He that believeth on me,
the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these
shall he do." [John xiv, 12.]
Jesus set great store by these marvels that only magicians
attempt nowadays. Ministers of the apostolic succession cannot cast
out devils or take up serpents, and they are affected by deadly
drinks the same as others. Jesus had a primitive idea of the value
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THE MISTAKES OF JESUS
of such magic. Either he sought to deceive the gullible, or, as is
more likely, was himself over-credulous. It is important to
remember that Jesus stressed the value of enchantment and advised
his successors to conjure in his name.
If the miraculous had not been connected with the name of
Jesus, it is probable that he never would have been heard of. His
ethical teachings alone would not have won for him the exalted
position that has come from the stories of his miraculous birth,
life and ascension. In other words, his fame rests upon the
supernatural side of his life that is now discredited by many of
his followers.
Eternal Life
The remarks of Jesus on the subject of death were not
accurate. "If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death."
[John viii, 51.] "Whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never
die." [John xi, 26.]
Apparently Jesus referred to natural death, in which case he
was utterly mistaken; but if he meant that believers in him should
live forever in heaven, even so he gave a false impression; for
there is no evidence that life after death is assured to Christians
more than to others. Unbelievers were also to have eternal life,
though in torment.
Raising Lazarus
Jesus took advantage of opportunities, even of death, to
create dramatic effects. The eleventh chapter of John shows that
when Lazarus was reported ill, Jesus said, "This sickness is not
unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be
glorified thereby." So Jesus let Lazarus, one of the believers whom
he loved, die [John xi, 6.] in order that he might have the triumph
of raising him from the dead. "Then said Jesus unto them plainly,
Lazarus is dead. And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there,
to the intent ye may believe."
The confusion between earthly death and loss of eternal life
was shown in the remark of Jesus to Martha: "I am the resurrection
and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet
shall he live." This might be construed to mean that believers
should have eternal life hereafter, 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 sisters.
When Martha reminded Jesus that Lazarus had been dead four
days, Jesus replied, "Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest
believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?" But Jesus himself
had doubts of his ability to bring back Lazarus to life, as shown
by his spontaneous prayer of thanks: "Father, I thank thee that
thou hast heard me." Then he revealed again his desire to dramatize
the occasion, saying, "And I knew that thou hearest me always: but
because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may
believe that thou hast sent me."
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"Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the
things which Jesus did, believed on him." Do the followers of
Jesus, who claim that he made no mistakes, believe on him? If so,
they must believe that he raised Lazarus from the dead as he
claimed to have done. Do they believe that they can also raise
people from the dead? Jesus so assured them when he promised that
believers could do greater works than he performed. No, Jesus gave
a false impression of his power.
God's Protection
Jesus continued his deception of the world by promising
protection that has never been accorded. "Are not two sparrows sold
for a farthing? And one of them shall not fall on the ground
without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all
numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many
sparrows." [matt. X, 29-31.]
These sayings may properly be taken as symbolical or
allegorical; but the evident intention was to assure his followers
that God would protect them in their daily life. Safety was
promised for believers, a safety that has been lacking for
everyone. There is no evidence that God does protect believers any
more than unbelievers. When the Titanic went down, those who
perished were not solely the wicked persons; there was no
distinction in the terrible disaster between 'believers and
unbelievers.
Jesus created in the minds of his hearers and his followers
the idea that God was watching each individual to save him from
danger, but this, unfortunately, is not a fact. It sounds
comforting; it makes people feel nearer to God; but experience
proves that no such close relationship exists. Jesus gave a false
impression of God's loving care for men.
Belief in Prayer
Modern religious people may still consistently believe in
prayer as a form of inward aspiration, but it is difficult to take
literally the assurance given by Jesus of practical accomplishments
by means of prayer in his name.
Jesus did not confine himself to promising spiritual results
from prayer, but distinctly gave it to be understood that the
physical world would respond to petitions to Jehovah. "Again I say
unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any
thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father
which is in heaven." [Matt. xviii, 19.] "If ye have faith, and
doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree,
but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and
be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. And all things
whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive."
[Matt. xxi, 21-22.] "What things soever ye desire, when ye pray,
believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them." [Mark xi,
24.] "If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say
unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall
remove: and nothing shall be impossible unto you." [Matt. xvii,
20.]
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These promises have not been fulfilled. Bishops, priests and
deacons with strong faith have been unable to obtain, by means of
the most sincere prayer, results similar to those indicated, They
have followed Jesus in vain. No man living dare put his faith to
the test by a public demonstration of prayer for physical changes.
Christian prayers for rain are conventional, not being offered with
confidence that rain will follow.
Jesus has misled us.
OBSCURE TEACHINGS
MANY of the sayings of Jesus lacked clarity. Various
interpretations have been put upon them by scholars of distinction.
No one is sure what was meant.
According to the gospels, Jesus was descended from David, but
Jesus mystified his hearers on this descent, saying: "If David then
call him Lord, how is he his son?" [Matt. xxii, 41-45.]
Witnesses and fudge
On the subject of witnesses there is great confusion. "If I
bear witness of myself, my witness is not true." [John v, 31.]
"Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true." [John
viii, 14.] "It is also written in your law, that the testimony of
two men is true. I am one that bear witness of myself, and the
Father that sent me beareth witness of me." [John viii, 17-18.] "I
and my Father are one." [John x, 30.] "My Father is greater than
I." [John xiv, 28.]
This and the following instruction regarding judicial
procedure are far from clear. Jesus acknowledged the principle of
law requiring more than one witness but said that in his case the
only other witness necessary was his Father, although he and his
Father were one.
Jesus is supposed to be the judge of the world, but his
statement of the case leaves the issue ambiguous. "For the Father
judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son."
[John v, 22.] "I judge no man. And yet if I judge, my judgment is
true." [John viii, 16.] "And if any man hear my words, and believe
not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to
save the world." [John xii, 47.] "For judgment I am come into this
world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see
might be made blind." [John x, 39.]
The quality of reasoning employed in these instances has
naturally led to theological quibbling. If Jesus can argue in that
fashion, so can his followers, at the expense of intellectual
honesty.
Cannibalism
The Jews could not understand what Jesus meant when he said:
"Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye
have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood,
hath eternal life." [John vi, 53-58.]
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Religion Only for Children
Nor are these sayings clear: "I thank thee, O Father, Lord of
heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise
and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes." [Matt. xi, 25.]
"Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child,
he shall not enter therein." [Mark x, 15.]
This train of thought implies that education is of no
importance where belief is concerned.
Difficult or Easy?
After enumerating the many hardships that must be endured by his
followers, Jesus contradicted himself by saying, "For my yoke is
easy, and my burden is light." [Matt xi, 30.]
Charity
There are apparent contradictions in his instructions
regarding charity: "Let your light so shine before men, that they
may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in
heaven." [Matt v, 16.] "Take heed that ye do not your alms before
men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father
which is in heaven." [Matt vi, 1.]
The Scriptures Upheld
Jesus reverenced the Hebrew Old Testament. "Think not that I
am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to
destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and
earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the
law, till all be fulfilled." [Matt v, 17-18.]
And yet Jesus was the reformer, overthrowing ancient customs,
renouncing the old principle of a tooth for a tooth, improving upon
the Mosaic law. He was inconsistent.
Illogical
The logic of Jesus is often difficult to follow.
"And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of
righteousness, and of judgment: of sin because they believe not on
Me; of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no
more; of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged."
[John xvi, 8-11.]
Jesus admitted his obscurity: "These things have I spoken unto
you in proverbs: but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak
unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father."
[John xvi, 25.]
That time has never come.
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Parables Deceptive
Jesus explained his obscurity in this way: "Unto you it is
given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in
parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might
not understand." [luke viii, 10.] "But unto them that are without,
all these things are done in parables: that seeing they may see,
and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand;
lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be
forgiven them." Mark iv, 11-12.]
In other words, Jesus, who said he came to save the world,
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 about.
Obscurity in a teacher is a great defect, especially when he
glories in his ambiguity. If any Christians wish that Jesus had
been more clear, then Jesus does not appear perfect to them, and
they should admit his imperfections.
DEFICIENT INSTRUCTIONS
IN A number of instances the teachings of Jesus are so
incomplete, or so inappropriate, as to render no assistance in
meeting similar situations in modern life. Either his meaning is
not clear, or his instructions are too primitive to be applicable
to our civilization.
Labor
The relation between employer and employee is one that
requires practical guidance. Let us see what information Jesus gave
on this important subject.
The parable of the laborers [Matt. xx, 1-16.] relates that an
employer hired men to work in his vineyard for twelve hours for a
penny, and that he paid the same wage to other workers who toiled
only nine, six, three and one hour. When those who had worked
longest resented this treatment, as modern strikers would, the
employer answered, apparently with Jesus' approval: "Friend, I do
thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? Take that
thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto
thee. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is
thine eye evil, because I am good? So the last shall be first, and
the first last."
This parable may be a comfort to autocratic employers,
sustaining them in their determination to dominate labor, but the
principles enunciated are lacking in social vision. Equal pay for
unequal work is approved, and the employer is vindicated in
regulating wages and hours as he sees fit without regard for
Justice or the needs of the workers. In the manner of modern
employers, the "goodman" calls his worker "Friend" but treats him
with contempt. Jesus taught that the workers were wrong in
demanding justice, that the employer was justified in acting
erratically, as the money paid was his. He presented the issues
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THE MISTAKES OF JESUS
between capital and labor and sided with capital. He stated the
fact that the first shall be last, but said nothing to remedy that
unfortunate situation. He did not explain how workers could obtain
proper compensation for their labor.
Jesus assumed a fair attitude when he said, "The laborer is
worthy of his hire", and, "It is enough for the disciple to be as
his master, and the servant as his lord", but he continued with
doubtful logic: "If they have called the master of the house
Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household",
implying that if an employer is worldly-minded his servants will be
even worse.
Little respect is shown for employees in the remark, "The
hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the
sheep." [John x, 13.] Probably in those days as now many an
employee stuck to his post nobly to do his duty.
The meaning is obscure in his other comment upon an employer
who told his tired servant to serve his master first, ending with
the enigma, "We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which
was our duty to do." [Luke xvii, 10.]
USURY
In the parable of the talents the servant who did not put his
money out at usury to make profits was condemned: "And cast ye the
unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping
and gnashing of teeth." [Matt. xxv, 30] Punishment was to be severe
in Jesus' program; the disobedient servant "shall be beaten with
many stripes." Jesus did not advise leniency in such instances
except that "he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of
stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. [Luke xii, 47-48.] In
his estimation the servant was a slave to be punished corporeally
by his master, even if ignorant of his wrong-doing.
A Dr. Taylor, former Yale College theologian, is reported to
have said: "I have no doubt that if Jesus Christ were now on earth
he would, under certain circumstances, become a slave-holder." A
Southern divine in 1860 could well maintain that slavery was
approved in both Old and New Testaments, but no Christian would now
impute slave-holding to Jesus. The standard of human relationships
has improved since slave-holding days in America. The modern
attitude toward servants, through by no means perfect, is superior
to the relationships between master and servants accepted by Jesus.
Slavery was the custom of the times and Jesus did not rise above
it.
In the parable of the unmerciful servant [Matt. xviii, 23-24.]
Jesus taught the duty of forgiveness. He rightly rebuked the
servant who oppressed his subordinates after being well treated by
his lord. But the punishment suggested by Jesus for the abominable
conduct was extremely harsh: "And his lord was wroth and delivered
him to the tormenters, till he should pay all that was due unto
him." Torture for criminals was thus taught by Jesus.
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Jesus, apprenticed to his father in his youth, never did any
practical work so far as we know. He lived on the charity of
others, setting an example that would bring trouble to anyone who
followed in his train. If anything, he was an agitator, a
peripatetic propagandist, teaching what he believed right but not
working to support himself and therefore not being a good example
for the workaday world today.
Economics
Nothing in the teachings of Jesus was more definite than his
denunciation of riches.
"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth ... A rich man
shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven ... It is easier for
a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to
enter into the kingdom of God ... The rich man also died, and was
buried; and in hell he lifted up his eyes, being in torments ...
Woe unto you that are rich."
These strictures upon the rich appear somewhat severe, and
Jesus went much farther, condemning even ordinary thrift and
precaution. [Matt. vi, 25-31, discussed under the Sermon on the
Mount.]
According to Acts 11, 44-45 and iv, 32, "All that believed
were together and had all things common; and sold their possessions
and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need ...
Neither said any of them that aught of the things which he
possessed was his own; but they had all things common."
It is to be presumed that the disciples practiced this
communism at the instruction of Jesus. If Jesus approved of
communism was he right or wrong?
"Blessed be ye poor". [Luke vi, 20.]
Poverty is not a blessing but a curse. Jesus taught the theory
that the poor would be rich hereafter while the rich would be in
hell.
Punishment for Debts
We have seen that Jesus expected an unjust servant to be
tormented until he paid in full. There are also other evidences
that he approved of imprisonment for debt. "Agree with thine
adversary quickly, while thou art in the way with him; lest at any
time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver
thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. Verily I say
unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast
paid the uttermost farthing." [Matt. v, 25-26.]
A legislator who patterned his life after Jesus would be
justified in enacting laws imprisoning for debt and scourging for
misdemeanors.
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Some may say that the sentiments expressed by Jesus were not
mistakes but merely presented the customs of his day. Possibly he
did not intend to advise all that he seemed to approve; but if
Jesus was a practical and prophetic guide he should have made it
clear that he did not sanction the actions he apparently commended.
In the parable of the pounds the nobleman, seemingly with the
approval of Jesus, denounced the servant as wicked who did not put
his lord's money in the bank to draw interest. [Luke xix, 23.] And
in the parable of the talents the lord rewarded those who had made
100 per cent profit through speculation." [Matt. xxv, 20.]
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 time, houses, and brethren, and sisters,
and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the
world to come eternal life." [Mark x, 30.]
Finally, Jesus stated the unfortunate truth, "Whosoever hath,
to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but
whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that he hath."
[Matt. xiii, 12.] If Jesus did not approve of that worldly method
of distribution, he could have denounced its injustice instead of
leaving the comment as if it expressed his own policy.
Healing
Many Christians value Jesus most for his healing powers, but
Jesus looked upon disease almost as he did upon demoniacal
possession, as something evil that could be cast out. "But that ye
may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins
(then saith he to the sick of the palsy) Arise, take up thy bed,
and go into thine house." [Matt. ix, 6.] There was confusion in his
mind between sin and sickness.
Jesus healed leprosy and palsy by touching the sick person; he
healed the servant of the centurion by absent treatment, and
restored sight by spitting on the eyes [Mark viii, 23.] or
anointing them with clay made with spittle [John ix, 6.], or by
requiring faith. [Mark x, 52.] He healed a withered hand, cured
impediments in speech and deafness, all without medical
applications, even replacing an ear severed by a sword. [Luke xxii,
51.]
Christian Scientists practice the same methods with confidence
in success, but medical and surgical treatment are the most
reliable means of effecting cures, disappointing as they are. If
Jesus could cure disease, 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 averted.
Jesus did not isolate the germ of leprosy, or establish any
practicable method of preventing disease. He has been of less value
to the world as a healer than Pasteur, Lister, Koch, or Walter
Reed.
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Some Christians will say that Jesus did not tell us how to
avoid illness because man needs to be chastened by pain. If that is
correct, if pain and disease are sent by God and are consciously
permitted by Jesus, sick people should be allowed to suffer instead
of trying to heal them.
Peace
Jesus has been called the Prince of Peace, but the weight of
his testimony is not on the side of absolute pacifism. With his
view of rendering unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, it is
possible that he would have advised young men to obey the state and
enlist, or accept the draft, whenever their country called.
On November 12, 1931, Rev. Dr. T. Andrew Caraker said at a
banquet of the American Legion in Baltimore that if Jesus Christ
had lived in 1917 He would have been the first to volunteer in the
American army, the first to wear a gas mask, shoulder a rifle and
enter the trenches.
Other ministers derive from the same gospels the belief that
Jesus would not have stabbed Germans with a bayonet. Nor would
Jesus have advised others to fight if he had been unwilling to
fight himself.
Most of the sayings of Jesus regarding violence or non-
resistance were intended to apply chiefly to personal
relationships; he said little of international strife. What he did
say showed placid acceptance of the war system:
"And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that
ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass,
but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation,
and kingdom against kingdom." [Matt. xxiv, 6-7.]
"And when ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars, be ye
not troubled: for such things must needs be; but the end shall
not be yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom
against kingdom." [Mark xiii, 7-8.]
"But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not
terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end is
not by and by. Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against
nation, and kingdom against kingdom." [Luke xxi, 9-10.]
These verses have a more direct bearing on war as we now know
it than any of his other sayings. They show his belief in the
inevitability of war. Apparently he did not feel himself competent
to counteract general mass militarism. He offers no program for
arbitration of international disputes, no substitute for war
between nations, no policy of war resistance.
When Jesus advised non-resistance, saying to his follower,
"Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the
sword shall perish with the sword," [Matt. xxvi, 52.] he was merely
stating the danger of using violence, not the immorality of
employing force. In fact, he commanded his disciples to take the
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THE MISTAKES OF JESUS
very sword which he later told them to sheathe: "He that hath no
sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one ... And they said,
Lord, behold, here are two swords. And he said unto them, It is
enough." [Matt. xxvi, 52.]
Thus Jesus, the supposed non-resistant, prepared his followers
with swords. These swords were for defense, and when the time came
he repudiated even that use of the weapons, but, nevertheless, he
armed his disciples instead of adhering to his principle of non-
resistance. He did not set a positive example of disarmament.
Jesus said: "Blessed are the peacemakers ... love your enemies
... Have peace one with another ... On earth peace, good will
toward men ... Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you ...
These things have I spoken unto you that in me ye might have peace
... Resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right
cheek, turn to him the other also."
Other remarks of Jesus favored violence: "Think not that I am
come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a
sword." [Matt. x, 34.] "Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on
earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division." [ Luke xii, 21-22.]
"But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over
them, bring hither, and slay them before me." [Luke xix, 27.] "My
kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world,
then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the
Jews." [John xviii, 36.] "When a strong man armed keepeth his
palace, his goods are in peace: but when a stronger than he shall
come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armor
wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils." [Luke xi, 21-22.]
"And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all
out of the temple." [John ii, 15.]
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 violence, giving equal weight to every
verse. We cannot accept one statement and reject the others. The
conclusion reached must be that Jesus was inconsistent in
advocating both non-resistance and the use of force. He took
diametrically opposed positions, the use of swords and scourges and
non-resistance being mutually exclusive. Jesus preached non-
resistance and at the same time armed his retainers with two
swords. He advocated turning the other cheek but did not criticize
war. Therefore, pacifists and militarists, with their opposite
philosophies, should both admit that at times Jesus was mistaken.
Marriage
Jesus occasionally eulogized marriage: "For this cause shall
a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and
they twain shall be one flesh ... What therefore God hath Joined
together, let not man put asunder." [Matt. xix, 5-6.]
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Celibacy
On other occasions he made remarks which indicated his
preference for celibacy as the higher state, the one he adopted for
himself. "In the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in
marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven." [Matt. xxii,
30.] "The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage:
but they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and
the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in
marriage. [Luke xx, 34-35.] "I say unto you, That whosoever looketh
on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her
already in his heart." [Matt. v, 28.] "There are some eunuctis
which were so born from their mother's womb: and there are some
eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs,
which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's
sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it." [Matt.
xix, 12.] "There is no man that hath left ... wife, or children for
the kingdom of God's sake, who shall not receive manifold more in
this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting."
[Luke xviii, 29-30.]
Jesus referred to the absence of marriage in heaven, the ideal
realm. Paul's testimony adds to the evidence that Jesus considered
celibacy preferable to any form of sex expression, even marriage.
Adultery
On the other hand, Jesus was tolerant of sex offenses. He chatted
in a friendly manner with the woman of Samaria, saying: "Thou hast
had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband."
[John iv, 18.] And about the woman taken in adultery he said: "He
that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her
... Neither do I condemn thee: go and sin no more." [John viii, 7-
11.] "The harlots go into the kingdom of God before you." [Matt.
xxi, 31.]
Divorce
Jesus sanctioned divorce. His followers are so annoyed at this
fact that they frequently quote the verse on the subject with the
offensive clause omitted. The text reads: "It hath been said,
Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of
divorcement: But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his
wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit
adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth
adultery." [Matt. v, 31-32.] Again in Matthew xix, 9, he makes the
same exception. It is evident, therefore, that Jesus permitted
divorce for one cause. If the wife was unfaithful the husband could
divorce her, but otherwise no matter how unhappy the couple might
be, they must remain married.
The admirable leniency of Jesus toward sex offenders, and his
permission to divorce, must seem like mistakes to churchmen who
consider extramarital sex relations the unforgivable sin. 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 sinned.
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THE MISTAKES OF JESUS
A Christian girl of today would not be encouraged by the most
zealous religious parents to marry a man exactly like Jesus.
Faulty Judgment
Jesus selected Judas to be the treasurer of the apostles'
joint funds, but later admitted his error, saying: "Have I not
chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil? He spoke of Judas
Iscariot the son of Simon: for it was he that should betray him,
being one of the twelve." [John vi, 70-71.]
Jesus erroneously supposed that "salvation is of the Jews." [John
iv, 22.] "Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of
the Samaritans enter ye not: but go rather to the lost sheep of the
house of Israel." [Matt. x, 5-6.] A nationalistic and partial
spirit is expressed in these sentences, a spirit that has been
followed to the extent that Jesus would not be permitted to enter
America if he applied for a visa.
Unconvincing
Jesus failed in his mission to save the world. He made the
supreme sacrifice in vain. His method of proving his divinity did
not convince his hearers: "But though he had done so many miracles
before them, yet they believed not on him." [John xii, 37.] "For
neither did his brethren believe in him." [John vii, 5.] After he
had healed many, cast out unclean spirits and appointed his twelve
apostles to do likewise, his friends "went out to lay hold on him:
for they said, He is beside himself." [Mark iii, 21.]
Jesus admitted his impotence as a human being when he said, "I
can of mine own self do nothing." [John v, 30.] Even with the
assistance of his Father he did not accomplish what he set out to
do.
Prohibition
The miracle of turning water into wine, providing one hundred
gallons of wine after the people at the party had "well drunk",
must appear to prohibitionists like a mistake on the part of Jesus.
Many Methodists and Baptists would have preferred to have him turn
the wine into water; yet they will not admit that Jesus made a
mistake.
Lack of Experience
So far as the gospels relate, Jesus never had any experience
with three of the chief difficulties of human life -- sex, earning
a living and illness. He was therefore less able to explain those
relationships than one who has struggled through in the customary
manner of mankind. 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 mountains.
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THE MISTAKES OF JESUS
As Jesus believed that the end of the world was approaching,
and as he revealed no information about the future, his teachings
should be taken as applying solely to his own time. A divinity
living now would preach far differently from the inadequate
doctrines of Jesus.
The abandonment of reliance upon a Jesus who has not changed
in nineteen hundred years, in favor of an Evolutionary philosophy
that requires constant change, leads to a new conception of the
world and its possibilities for man. A person who has thought
himself out of antiquated theology may be expected to have an open
mind towards the betterment of human customs.
Every improvement in human relationships originates secularly
and is adopted by the Church only after a bitter struggle. Faith in
Jesus is a reactionary force. The Christian opposes change in the
creations of God; the Evolutionist seeks to alter every
unsatisfactory condition. The Evolutionist is more responsive than
the orthodox Christian to proposals for promoting the happiness of
the human race. Many liberals have abandoned conservatism because
they saw the hypocrisy in Christianity.
AN INFERIOR PROTOTYPE
ORTHODOX Christians accept both Old and New Testaments as
authority for their actions, whereas Modernists are not much
concerned with the commands of Jehovah but maintain that Jesus is
the pattern for their lives. Religious liberals feel that the
troubles of the world come largely from failure to follow the
teachings of the Nazarene. They look upon him as the perfect
example of what a man should be. In their opinion, if everyone
would act as Jesus did all would be well.
On December 7, 1931, Dr. Henry Van Dyke preached at the Brick
Presbyterian Church, New York City, that the way to end the
financial depression was to act as Jesus would: "We can judge only
by what he did and said in the first century, an age not so
different from our own, an age of unsettlement, violence,
drunkenness and license. Christ would tell us not to yield to panic
... Christ would not tell us to join any political party or social
group ... "
Such a sermon sounds encouraging but, as a matter of fact,
Jesus has not shown any of his ministers how to end the depression.
To trust him for guidance in our modern world is to pin faith on an
incompetent instructor. We can learn how to end the depression by
examining the records of our own time and by correcting the errors
that have been made. 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 values.
In this treatise it has been shown that Jesus made mistakes.
Every instance cited may not appeal to all readers as worthy of
criticism, but there can be no doubt in the mind of any honest
thinker that several at least of Jesus' ideas were erroneous. His
theology was filled with superstitions, his cosmology was that of
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THE MISTAKES OF JESUS
the pre-scientific era, he expected the end of the world within a
generation, his conception of sin was theological rather than
ethical, he failed to convince his hearers by his oratory, he
exaggerated the results from prayer and he related parables that
gave a false sense of values.
Now we shall turn to his personal character and teachings to
see if he was always the meek, gentle soul portrayed by the
conventional Christ.
Cursing Nature
The act in Jesus' life that has been most difficult for
theologians to explain was the cursing of the fig tree. The tree
was created to bear fruit in the Summer, but when Jesus found it
without fruit in the Spring, he cursed it so that it withered away.
"Now in the morning, as he returned into the city, and when he
saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing
thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on
thee henceforth for ever. And presently the fig tree withered
away." [Matt. xxi, 18-19.] "For the time of figs was not yet."
[Mark xi, 13.]
This episode involves several mistakes -- ignorance of the
seasons; destruction of a profitable food-producing tree;
exhibition of temper when thwarted, and giving false information
regarding man's power to effect physical changes by a curse. [Mark
xi, 20-23.]
If Jesus acted unwisely in this one instance and was right in
all others, he is neither an infallible God nor a perfect pattern
for mankind.
Forgiveness
The conventional Jesus is emblematic of supreme kindness and
forgiveness, but in reality he was far from lenient in many
instances, nor did he advocate forgiveness for certain offenses.
"Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee ... tell
it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him
be unto thee as a heathen man and a publican." ['Matt. xviii,
15-17.]
In the parable of Dives and Lazarus, Abraham was represented
as Justified in not forgiving the rich man tortured in hell, or
even in saving the rich man's brothers as requested by the victim
of Jesus' policy of punishment.
Again Jesus said: "Whosoever shall deny me before men, him
will I also deny before my Father." [Matt. x, 33.] "Whosoever shall
blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness." [Mark
iii, 29.]
All the wicked were condemned by Jesus to eternal punishment
with no chance of forgiveness.
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THE MISTAKES OF JESUS
Vituperation
Jesus was often vehement in his language to an extent hardly
compatible with gentleness of character.
"O generation of vipers! how can ye, being evil, speak good
things?" [Matt. xii, 34.]
"Woe unto you, hypocrites, for ye compass sea and land to make
one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him two-fold more the
child of hell than yourselves." [Matt. xxiii, 15.]
"Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the
damnation of hell?" [Matt. xxiii, 33.]
"If I should say I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto
you." [John viii, 55.]
"All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers." [John
x, 8.]
"Ye fools and blind." [Matt. xxiii, 17.]
This language may have been necessary, in Jesus' opinion, to
convince his hearers of their sins, but such vituperation does not
become a modern ethical teacher.
Destruction of Property
Two acts of Jesus, consistent with his disregard of worldly
goods, were destructive in character.
"And there was a good way off from them a herd of many swine
feeding. So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out,
suffer us to go away into the herd of swine. And he said unto them,
Go. And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine:
and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep
place into the sea, and perished in the waters." [Matt. viii,
28-34.]
Jesus did what the devils requested, cruelly killing two
thousand inoffensive valuable animals that belonged to other
people.
"Jesus went up to Jerusalem, and found in the temple those
that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money
sitting: and when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove
them all out of the temple, and the sheep and the oxen; and poured
out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables."
Jesus has been defended for other acts on the ground that he
was living in less civilized times than our own, but here he is
seen offending both ancient and modern sensibilities. The
destruction of the swine and the routing of the merchants were
sensational and erratic exhibitions. If reformers today should
destroy herds of animals, except to protect public health by due
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THE MISTAKES OF JESUS
process of law, or overthrow banks, they would be liable to arrest
in any city of Christendom. Therefore the consensus of opinion
denies exoneration to Jesus for his spasmodic resort to direct
action.
Egotism
If Jesus was not God, but merely the ideal man, his estimate
of himself was excessive. In addition to his remarks already quoted
there are many other instances of an exaggerated ego.
"If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother,
and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own
life also, he cannot be my disciple." [Luke xiv, 26.]
"Whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die." [John
xi, 26.]
"If ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.
[John viii, 24.]
"I am the light of the world." [John viii, 12.]
"I am the Son of God." [John x, 36.]
"I am the resurrection and the life." [John xi, 25.]
If Jesus was correct in claiming that he was the Messiah, if
he could control the elements and send people to heaven or hell, he
was justified in any extreme remarks; but not if he were merely a
man. Every person is entitled to have as good an opinion of himself
as his character and ability warrant, but expressions of his own
worth are unseemly even if true, and are inexcusable if
exaggerated. As Jesus himself said (though this authority is only
for believers) testimony about oneself is unreliable.
Jesus not only claimed to be more than a man, he threatened
his hearers with death if they did not agree with him. All of which
might be permissible if he were God, but was an egotistical
illusion if he was merely human.
Lack of Courtesy
Jesus did not always exhibit the courtesy one would expect of
a gentleman, or even of a nature's nobleman.
The first instance of lack of consideration was when he
slipped away from his parents, causing them unnecessary anxiety:
"Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold thy father and I
have sought thee sorrowing. [Luke ii, 48.] He had remained behind
to study Hebrew theology and did not tell his parents, presumably
because he thought they would not have permitted the venture.
Another instance was found in his daily life:
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THE MISTAKES OF JESUS
"A certain Pharisee besought him to dine with him: and he went
in, and sat down to meat. And when the Pharisee saw it, he
marvelled that he had not first washed before dinner. And the Lord
said unto him, Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the
cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and
wickedness. Ye fools ..." [Luke xi, 37-40.]
Jesus had not only failed to wash as was expected of a guest,
but defended his uncleanliness and abused his host.
At another time Jesus was discourteous to his mother:
"And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto
him, They have no wine. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to
do with thee?" [John ii, 4.]
Jesus was apparently annoyed at his mother's interference,
though he followed her suggestion. He did not set a good example
for children in addressing their mothers.
When the Syrophenician woman asked him to help her daughter,
"Jesus saith unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is
not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the
dogs. And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs
under the table eat of the children's crumbs. And he said unto her,
For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter."
[Mark vii, 25-29.]
Jesus practically admitted that he had made a mistake in
speaking unkindly to a Gentile. Her clever answer induced him to
change his decision. A physician who called a stranger's child a
dog would now be considered brutal even in a free hospital.
"And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me
first to go and bury my father. But Jesus said unto him, Follow me;
and let the dead bury their dead." [Matt. viii, 21-22.]
Jesus could have allowed the man to attend his father's
funeral and follow him later. Would not that have set a better
precedent?
When Peter intervened to protect Jesus, the latter "turned,
and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence
unto me." [Matt. xvi, 23,]
Even though Jesus was determined to go on with the sacrifice,
he could have been more appreciative of his best friend's
suggestion.
Unethical Advice
When the unjust steward cheated his employer, Jesus gave the
following remarkable advice:
"And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had
done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation
wiser than the children of light.
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And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon
of unrighteousness; that, when ye fall, they may receive you into
everlasting habitations." [Luke xvi, 1-9.]
This passage should be read again before deciding whether
Jesus advised opportunism rather than morality. The words must be
taken as they are; no interpretation can be based upon the
assumption that Jesus was always right and therefore meant
something different from what he said.
Sermon on the Mount
Many Christians say that they care nothing for theology; that
the Sermon on the Mount contains all that is necessary for a
religious life, being a perfect system of ethics.
The Sermon on the Mount does contain many admirable
principles, but also some that are inferior to present standards.
Few of the people who praise this Sermon would think it proper to
abide by all the teachings therein. Christian parents do not wish
their children to follow either the letter or the spirit of this
famous preachment. It begins in the fifth chapter of Matthew.
"Blessed are the poor in spirit." Is it better to be poor in
spirit than rich and eager in spirit? Being poor in spirit is to be
faint of heart. This is bad advice, is It not?
"Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted."
This means that those who mourn on earth will be comforted in
heaven; but now that life on earth has assumed greater importance,
so far as our daily conduct is concerned, than life in heaven, the
philosophy of gloom is unfortunate. Jesus preached acceptance of
unhappiness as the common lot of man; he should not therefore be
credited with providing happiness on earth. His urge to rejoice was
usually in anticipation of good things to come in the next world.
He preached sorrow for all here rather than the greater happiness
for the greater number.
"There shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes in
divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then shall
they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye
shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake ... and because
iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that
shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved." [Matt. xxiv,
7-13.]
"Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh." [Luke vi,
21.]
The beatitude, "Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit
the earth" is of doubtful accuracy or value.
The commands to pluck out an eye or cut off a hand may not have
been intended literally, although it does appear as if Jesus
referred to the physical body, and men have often so interpreted
these doubtful instructions.
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Jesus said that "Whosoever shall marry her that is divorced
committeth adultery", which is no longer true. Those who permit
remarriage after divorce should admit an error on Jesus' part.
"But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil." This
instruction should be reversed, should it not? Evil should be
resisted in every possible way that does not involve evil in
itself. What modern ethical teacher will say that evil should not
be resisted, or that this advice of Jesus was perfection? If his
instruction was intended to refer to physical resistance, then no
righteous person should fight in any war, no police should be
delegated to arrest criminals. If the phrase has merely a spiritual
meaning, it is certainly unsound advice, for evil should be
overcome by good.
A fanatical attitude towards the law was recommended when
Jesus said: "If any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy
coat, let him have thy cloak also." Extreme generosity and non-
resistance are taught, but the illustration was not well thought
out, for if the man had already won his suit and taken the coat, 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
should. Yielding more than a legal opponent wins in court is not
compatible with defending the suit, nor is it a principle that
would meet the approval of most of Jesus' followers today.
"Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in
heaven is perfect." If Jesus referred to Jehovah as his Father in
heaven, the standard of perfection advocated was very low, for
Jehovah was, as Thomas Jefferson put it, cruel, vindictive,
capricious and unjust."
The Lord's Prayer is not the simple, clear, devotional
petition that is usually supposed. Take it literally, as was
undoubtedly intended, and its irrelevance to actual life is at once
apparent.
"Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy
kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven". This
is a proper invocation only if there is a heaven in which God's
will is done. None such has been discovered.
"Give us this day our daily bread" indicates that God would
not give our dally sustenance without being asked, whereas there is
no apparent distinction in actual living between those who pray for
bread and those who do not.
THE MISTAKES OF JESUS
"And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors"
intimates that divine forgiveness is not to be superior to that of
men.
"And lead us not into temptation" -- as if God were anxious to
lead us there and would be deterred by our prayer.
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It may seem like petty cavil to criticize the prayer that has
been acclaimed for many centuries as ideal, but, seriously, what
valuable principle for guidance through life does the Lord's Prayer
contain? Do its requests represent the best modern conception of
prayer as an inward aspiration rather than as petitionary? Is it
not vain repetition to recite it again and again?
The general idea of offering prayer in order to obtain various
needs presents the difficulty of reconciling the conception of an
omnipotent, all-foreseeing God with the contradictory theory of a
Father who requires prayer before caring for his children, an
almighty God who will be turned from his course by human petitions.
Man can do wonders in the war of conquering nature, but he has not
been able to alter natural laws, nor is there any evidence that
such laws have been changed at any time in answer to prayer.
If the Lord's Prayer is not essential for man's welfare in the
world, we may conclude that Jesus over-emphasized its importance.
One of the most important portions of the Sermon on the Mount
is the advice regarding worldly possessions. Nothing in the
teaching of Jesus is more definite than his instructions regarding
wealth. He strikes an admirable note when he says, "What is a man
profited if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul? ... A
man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he
possesseth." This general principle is sadly needed in the modern
money-seeking world, but the teachings of Jesus on economics go
much further, far beyond anything the best people of today are
willing to follow.
"Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye
shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on ... Take
therefore no thought for the morrow." ["Matt. vi, 25-34.]
These commands, taken literally as Jesus intended, would lead
to infinite trouble. Men are obliged to take thought for the
morrow; if they do not they will fail to survive. In Jesus' plan
provision for the earthly future was of no importance because of
the imminence of eternal life, but now it is considered one's duty
to provide for old age.
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 Master. No, there are few indeed who will
say that it would be right to shape their financial life as Jesus
advised. If they do not believe it right to follow his
instructions, definite as they are on this subject, they must admit
that he was wrong. Either thrift is now unrighteous, or Jesus is
not a dependable guide for modern life.
The following instructions have little meaning now except for
Roman Catholics. "But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thy head, and
wash thy face, that thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy
Father which is in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret
shall reward thee openly."
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Another portion of the Sermon holds out false hopes that
cannot be substantiated: "For everyone that asketh receiveth; and
he that seeketh findeth." Is there any virtue in thus deceiving the
people regarding the possibilities of prayer?
"Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do
to you, do ye even so to them." This is the famous Golden Rule that
has been heralded as one of the most original portions of Jesus'
teachings. But Jesus admitted that he did not first state this rule
when he said, "for this is the law and the prophets." [Matt. vii,
12.]
Confucius, born in 551 B.C., several times announced the rule,
"What you do not like when done to yourself, do not to others."
This negative statement is less effective than the Jewish rule, but
both are admirable regardless of who first formulated them. The
Golden Rule is as valuable coming from the Hebrew fathers as if
Jesus had originated it.
The Golden Rule, however, is not perfect. It is one of the
best rules of the ancients, showing the desirability of
reciprocity, but it does not demand that our desires be always
just, nor does it insure that what we want done to ourselves will
always be what others most need. It would be consistent with the
Golden Rule for a convivial man to entertain his prohibition
friends at a speakeasy, or for a Catholic to take his Atheist
guests to dally mass. Possibly an even better rule than judging
others by ourselves would be to do unto others what best pleases
them.
Inconsistency
"The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto
that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for
that man if he had not been born." [Matt. xxvi, 24.]
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 else; and yet, although the betrayal
was desired, the man who assisted was to be condemned.
The sacrificial plan for salvation was continued to the end in
order that "the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.
[Matt. xxvi, 56.]
The scriptures were Jewish, so this is additional proof that
Jesus, rejected by the Jews, considered himself the predicted
Jewish Messiah. While the Jews expected a Messiah, there is no
clear prediction of Jesus in the Old Testament.
Fear
Jesus said, "Be not afraid of them that kill the body"; but
when threatened with bodily injury himself, he was afraid. "Then
took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself." [John
viii, 59.] "Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against
him, how they might destroy him. But when Jesus knew it, he
withdrew himself from thence." ["Matt. xii, 14-15.]
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This avoidance of physical injury may have been due to a
desire to postpone his end until the proper time, as indicated by
"Mine hour is not yet come", but when the time did come, Jesus did
not bear his approaching death bravely, as Socrates did when about
to drink the cup of hemlock. Jesus was much afraid, "and prayed,
saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me:
nevertheless, not my will but thine be done." [Luke xxii, 42.]
He was resolved to go through with the painful experience at
any cost but was much more frightened than many a mortal man,
though he had a greater cause to sustain him than martyrs who have
suffered uncomplainingly; for he believed that his sacrifice would
save the world: "and there appeared an angel unto him from heaven,
strengthening him. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly:
and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to
the ground." [Luke xxii, 44.]
After saying, "The hour is come, that the Son of man should be
glorified ... He that loveth his life shall lose it", he again
showed terror: "Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say?
Father, save me from this hour, but for this cause came I unto this
hour." [John xii, 23-27.]
It is to be noted that God did not answer the prayer of Jesus,
though Jesus had said that God would always answer prayers in his
name. Jesus recognized his failure to obtain the answer, saying on
the cross, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" [Mark xv,
34]
Failure
Many a good man is a failure from a worldly point of view, but
failure is not what one would wish to copy. Jesus sought to save
the world. Surely no one looking at the world today can say that he
succeeded. His plan of salvation was a failure; it did not work out
as Jehovah and Jesus intended. An ideal teacher is needed now
almost as much as two thousand years ago. If the world is gradually
improving, as seems probable, it is in spite of the superstitions
of the past, not because of them.
At one time Jesus denied his own perfection, saying: "Why
callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God."
[Matt. xix, 17.]
Christian parents who hold Jesus up to their children as a
paragon would not wish their sons to grow up to be just like Jesus.
He is not an acceptable prototype.
Jesus did not provide the knowledge so much needed by man to
enable him to shape his course through life. No one knows how to
live correctly, how best to meet each situation, what action is
suited to the occasion. Jesus did not tell us what to do. His
sayings are interpreted in many different ways. He failed to
predict the needs of the future.
Jesus did not explain relations between man and wife, nor
between employer and employee, nor how to educate children, nor how
to preserve health, nor how to make a living, nor how to prevent
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THE MISTAKES OF JESUS
war, poverty and suffering. Jesus gave little practical
information, and his spiritual advice was not clearly enough
expressed to enable man to apply it to modern conditions. Jesus
neglected to instruct people how to live. His knowledge of the
world was less than that of the average American citizen.
CONCLUSION
THE historicity of Jesus has been discussed in many books and
pamphlets. Whether Jesus lived or not depends upon what is meant by
that phrase. 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 Jerusalem, uttering some, but not all,
of the words attributed to him, then Jesus may be said to have
lived. 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 doubt.
On the other hand, if there never was such a person as the
Jesus described in the New Testament -- a man born of a virgin,
superior to natural laws, able to walk on the water, and change the
course of nature, performing miracles, casting out devils, a man
who never erred, who was crucified, 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 gospels, some may
hesitate to say that Jesus ever lived.
Jesus a Myth
Sincere Evolutionists who discredit miracles, must need to
consider the gospel Jesus as a myth. This does not Mean that Jesus
had no reality, but that the original facts have been so enlarged
upon that the principal features of his life are more fanciful than
real. If you eliminate from the life of Jesus as unhistorical his
birth, his miracles, his theological teachings, his resurrection,
ascension and messianic mission, the Christ no longer exists. Jesus
would have attracted no attention were it not for the very
circumstances which Modernists admit were mythical.
Judged by His Works
Whether Jesus was God, or man, or myth, he can be judged by
his works, as he himself recommended. If he is found to be perfect
in word and deed, it makes little difference whether he lived or
not. As a symbol he can be revered and copied. But if Jesus is now
seen to be the product of his times, representing the virtues and
defects of his biographers, with no vision beyond their ken, his
authority is gone.
Not only will the divinity of Jesus be discredited if he was
found to have been occasionally in error, but his value as a guide
to life will be impaired. What will be the result of this radical
change? None of the beautiful ideals or sound ethical principles
attributed to Jesus will be lost. Not one saying or counsel of
valuable advice need go. Not one evil thought need take the place
of that which was good. In fact, the finest qualities of existence
Bank of Wisdom
Box 926, Louisville, KY 40201
34
THE MISTAKES OF JESUS
will be more vital in our lives when their realization becomes of
primary importance instead of being subordinate to worship of the
supernatural. Principles are superior to persons. A dead
personality remains unchanged; live ethical principles can be
developed by more complete knowledge of evolutionary processes.
Ethical Evolution
Evolution has been progressing along ethical as well as
physical lines. To the teachings of Jesus, once considered
perfection, have been added many newly discovered principles of
value, for knowledge is cumulative. All the best thoughts of the
ages are ours forever, no matter who first originated or expressed
them.
Whatever the plan of the universe may be, it is more nearly
comprehended now than in Jesus' time. Twentieth century events are
more dependable in forming our philosophy of life than those of the
first century. The failure to grasp this fact is the death knell of
orthodox religion. Every existing religious sect has founded its
spirituality upon events supposed to have occurred in the past.
Christianity depends upon the direct creation, fall of man and life
of an atoning Savior, all physical in character. Our new
metaphysics will be based upon conditions existing today and that
will be revealed by science in the future. The geologists,
embryologists, biologists and astronomers of 1932 have more
information about nature than Jesus had. On that knowledge can be
founded a system of living superior to the Sermon on the Mount.
Our own time is the most dependable era of revelation. We can
safely accept whatever stands accredited after thorough
examination, including all teachings of Jesus that are admirable.
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 living. The scientific
mind and the religious spirit are complementary. Religion, instead
of being a system of handed-down sanctity, may become an inspired
revelation to each individual -- a religion of the spirit of the
modern world.
As the spirit derived from Truth is superior to that based
upon credulity, the new doctrines that supplant the old may be
expected to excel any that have preceded them. Anyone may be as
spiritual as the proved facts permit.
If the world has been improving physically and ethically, we
can have confidence that whatever knowledge is necessary for our
salvation is available to each of us now. No living God has died;
no great principle has been lost. Instead of depending upon Jesus
in an unthinking manner, we must seek the Truth wherever it is
found and follow wherever it may lead regardless of consequences.
This requires more courage than professing Jesus, whose teachings
can be construed to mean whatever the reader desires. While the
majority regard Jesus as an ascetic, a reformer, opposed to
business and joviality, Bruce Barton has convinced thousands that
Jesus was the great business man, rotarian and advertiser.
Bank of Wisdom
Box 926, Louisville, KY 40201
35
THE MISTAKES OF JESUS
Gains, 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 salvation; the
satisfaction at having a consistent creed that can be maintained
against all criticism without hypocrisy or evasion; emancipation
from inhibitions required by a supposedly divine teacher. Every
pleasure is not a sin, but rejection of theology does not imply
indifference to evil. Science warns against excess as strongly as
any ancient command. The fear of natural or man-decreed punishment
in this world is as potent as the dread of eternal torment
threatened by Jesus.
If Jesus really was the sort of personage described in the
Bible; if he really was born of a virgin, controlled the elements
and had power to condemn unbelievers to eternal damnation, all
people should obey his every word. He should be followed literally;
we should sell all our possessions and take no thought for the
morrow. But if Jesus was not that sort of a person; if he was
neither a supernatural God nor an infallible man, he should not be
worshipped as a redeeming Savior nor be followed as a true guide
for human conduct.
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 imagined. Without reliance upon the
authority of Jesus we can adopt a code which will prove
comparatively effective in leading towards a wholesome life.
CODE OF LIVING
1. Keep the body strong that the most efficient work may be
done, the greatest happiness obtained during life and a wholesome
inheritance passed on to future generations.
2. Cultivate the mind, learning as many important facts as
possible, striving to become expert in some particular field of
endeavor.
3. Develop a scientific spirit, the essential characteristic
of which is a search for Truth in the light of evidence and reason.
Do not deceive yourself or others.
4. Base your spiritual concepts on the latest developments of
Evolution. Be prepared to change your philosophy to conform to the
consensus of scientific opinion.
5. Conduct all human relationships in a spirit of tolerance
and love, having proper consideration for others, not presuming to
control their lives.
6. Treat the opposite sex honorably, respecting their
complementary qualities, with due regard for succeeding
generations.
7. Endeavor to embody in the laws of the community the spirit
of equity and progress.
Bank of Wisdom
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THE MISTAKES OF JESUS
8. Strive for an economic system under which each individual
shall be rewarded according to his or her value to society.
9. Avoid the use of physical force for personal revenge or
national aggrandizement, having learned from experience that reason
triumphs while brutality degrades.
10. Hold yourself in readiness to accept new revelations.
**** ****
Luther Burbank wrote concerning the above code on November 11,
1925:
"I am greatly pleased with your code of living ... The
false ancient theology has past or is rapidly passing with
intelligent people at the present time. It is not applicable
to our conditions and is of no more value than a worn-out suit
of clothes."
**** ****
Reproducible Electronic Publishing can defeat censorship.
**** ****
The Bank of Wisdom is a collection of the most thoughtful,
scholarly and factual books. These computer books are reprints of
suppressed books and will cover American and world history; the
Biographies and writings of famous persons, and especially of our
nations Founding Fathers. They will include philosophy and
religion. all these subjects, and more, will be made available to
the public in electronic form, easily copied and distributed, so
that America can again become what its Founders intended --
The Free Market-Place of Ideas.
The Bank of Wisdom is always looking for more of these old,
hidden, suppressed and forgotten books that contain needed facts
and information for today. If you have such books please contact
us, we need to give them back to America.
**** ****
Bank of Wisdom
Box 926, Louisville, KY 40201
37