The Truth about Jesus : Is He a Myth?Mangasarian, M. M. (Mangasar Mugurditch)
Religion
The Truth about Jesus : Is He a Myth?
Mangasarian, M. M. (Mangasar Mugurditch)
Jesus Christ -- Historicity; Rationalism
The European churches are full of pictures showing Jesus suffering
indescribable agonies as the critical hour draws nigh. We saw, in
Paris, a painting called "The Holy Face," _La Sainte Face_, which
was, truly, too horrible to look upon; big tears of blood trickling
down his cheeks, his head almost drooping over his chest, an
expression of excruciating pain upon his features, his eyes fairly
imploring for help,--he is really breaking down under the weight of
his cross. Compare this picture with the serenity of Socrates drinking
the hemlock in prison!
Nor would it do to say that this is only the Catholic way of
representing Jesus in his passion. The picture is in the gospels, it
may be seen in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross with all its
realism. Far be it from us to withhold from Jesus, if he really
suffered as the gospels report, one iota of the love and sympathy he
deserves, but why convert the whole world into a black canvas upon
which to throw the sole figure of Jesus? Which of us, poor, weak,
sinful though we are, would not be glad to give his life, if thereby
he could save a world? Do you think we would mourn and groan and weep
tears of blood, or collapse, just when we should be the bravest, if we
thought that by our death we would become the divine Savior of all
mankind? Would we stammer, "Let this cup pass from me, if it be
possible," or tear our hearts with a cry of despair: "My God, my God,
why hast thou forsaken me," if we knew that the eternal welfare of the
human race depended upon our death? If the Russian or Japanese soldier
can take his home and wife and children,--his hopes and loves, his
life,--his all,--and throw them into the mouth of the cannon, dying
with a shout upon his lips,--who would hesitate to do the same, when
not the salvation of one country alone, but of the whole world,
depended upon it? There are examples of heroism in the annals of man
which would bring the blush to the cheeks of Jesus, if his biographers
have not abused his memory.
Wherein, then, was the "preeminence" of Jesus? Upon what grounds does
Mr. Jones claim, with "unlimited rhetoric," to use his own expression,
for Jesus "the right of preeminence in the world's history?"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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