The Real Jesus of the Four GospelsAtwater, John Birdseye
Religion
The Real Jesus of the Four Gospels
Atwater, John Birdseye
Jesus Christ -- Biography
Probably the unrecorded suffering which the advocates of this doctrine
have inflicted in the domestic and social sphere would equal that which
is written in political history. The possession of, and disposition to
put into practical operation, this dogma presupposes sublime egoism,
coupled with a narrowness of mind easily running into extreme bigotry.
For the slightest study of history will show that the error and evil of
one age becomes the truth and good of a succeeding age. But the
non-compromiser ignores any consideration of that sort. If he has
decided that this and that are evil, they must necessarily be evil
without argument or appeal. He is the legitimate descendant of the old
inquisitors, and, if he had the temporal power, would today enforce his
ideas as ruthlessly throughout the nation as they did in the Middle
Ages. Confined to the narrower limits of the domestic and social circle,
he plays the autocrat so far as he can. Without sympathy or toleration
for differing opinions and tastes, as husband, father, priest, officer,
or citizen, the non-compromiser seeks to fit every one to his own
_narrow_ Procrustean bed.
Closely allied to the non-compromisers are the sacro-sancts, or those
who would be holier than Jesus.
This class is well illustrated in an incident taken from a recent novel.
The heroine consults her married sister about the heroine's contemplated
marriage with a man who has divorced his wife on the ground of her
adultery. The sister declares that such a marriage would be no better
than prostitution. "But he is legally divorced" says the heroine. "Yes,
according to man's law, but not according to God's law," says the
sister. Now, considering that divorce was permitted under God's law, as
recorded in the Old Testament, that Matthew twice clearly and explicitly
states that Jesus sanctioned divorce on the ground of adultery, and that
John mentions no condemnation of divorce by Jesus, it would seem that
there was at least a fair doubt as to whether the heroine's proposed
marriage was contrary to God's law. But the sister, like other
sacro-sancts and non-compromisers, arrogates to herself infallibility in
interpreting the divine will, and will not admit argument as to her
possible inaccuracy.
Other examples are those who would fear to contaminate their holiness by
following their Master's example in eating and associating with
publicans and sinners (Matt. IX:10); who would shudder at being anointed
by a prostitute (Luke VII:37); who would think the Sabbath desecrated by
pleasant walks in the fields, or by feasting and joyous meetings with
one's friends (Matt. XII:1; Luke XIV:1), and who in general insist on
the observance of religious rites and symbols, similar to those which
Jesus condemned in the Pharisees.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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