In "The World's Sixteen Crucified Saviors," under the head of "The Two
Hundred Errors of Christ," the author has pointed out sixty errors in
his teachings and practical life. It was the intention or the author
to have completed the exposition in this chapter; but he has discovered
that a full and thorough elucidation of all the errors would swell this
volume beyond its proper size. He has therefore concluded to present a
mere abstract of one hundred and fifty of those errors in this work,
and reserve a fuller exposition to be comprised in a pamphlet to be
published soon, and to contain also thirteen powerful and unanswerable
arguments exposing the numerous absurdities and impossibilities of
the orthodox theory that Christ possessed two natures, human and
divine,--that he was both God and man. This assumption is known as "the
hypostatic union," or dual nature of Christ. The pamphlet, comprising
these two subjects, can be had when published, of the usual booksellers
or the author, for twenty-five cents.
The admirers and worshipers of Jesus Christ adore him as a being of
absolute perfection,--perfect in intelligence, perfect in wisdom?
perfect in power, perfect in judgment, perfect in his practical life,
and perfect in his moral inculcations. We are told, "He spake as never
man spake;" and, finally, that he taught a system of religion and morals
so absolutely faultless as to challenge the criticism of the world,
and so perfect as to defy improvement: and to doubt or disbelieve this
dogmatic assumption is to peril our eternal salvation. With this kind of
teaching and preaching in the Christian pulpit for nearly two thousand
years, it is not strange that the great mass of Christian professors
have been blinded and kept in ignorance with respect to his numerous
errors, which modern science has brought to light both in teachings and
his practical life, a portion of which will be found briefly noticed in
this chapter under three heads: viz., (1) "Christ's Moral and Religious
Errors," (2) "Christ's Scientific Errors," (3) "Christ's Errors of
Omission."
I. THE MORAL AND RELIGIOUS ERRORS OF CHRIST.
In "The World's Sixteen Crucified Saviors" we have, under the above
heading, shown (1) that Christ possessed a very ardent religious nature;
(2) that he was unenlightened by scientific culture, (3) and that
consequently he often indulged in the most extravagant views of the
duties of life; (4) that he inculcated a moral and religious system
carried to such extremes as to render its obligations utterly impossible
to be reduced to practice; (5) that his injunction, "Take no thought for
to-morrow," is of impracticable application, and never has been lived up
to by any of his disciples in that age or since; (6) that, if reduced to
practice, it would starve the world to death in less than twelve months;
(7) that his injunction, "Lay not up treasures on earth" (Matt. vi. 19),
has been ignored and trampled under foot by the whole Christian world;
(8) that his injunction to his disciples to part with all their property
(Matt. xix. 21) would soon fill the world with paupers; (9) that his
promise to supply all the necessaries of life to those who shall "seek
first the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. vi. 33) has never been fulfilled;
(10) that his injunctions, "Resist not evil," (11) when smitten on one
cheek, turn the other also, are virtual invitations to personal abuse;
(12) that his mandate, "Love not the world;" (13) also, "to hate father
and mother, brother and sister," &c. (Luke xiv. 26); (14) also, to give
up voluntarily our garments when attacked by a robber (Matt. v. 40);
(15) also, to make no defense of our lives when they are sought
by murderers (Luke xvii. 33), are all extravagant, unnatural, and
unreasonable moral obligations; (16) that his declaration to his
disciples, that they would be "hated by all men" (Matt. x. 22). (17)
and his injunction to shake off the dust of their feet against their
skeptical hearers, (18) and "go and teach all nations," (19) and "take
nothing for your journey" (Mark. vi. 8), are all indications of a mind
run wild with religious fanaticism; (20) as is also the declaration, "He
that believeth not shall be damned;" (21) and "He that believeth and is
baptized shall be saved" is equally unreasonable; (22) that all things
asked for in prayer believing has never been realized by any person;
(23) that it sets aside all natural laws. (24) It is calculated
to encourage idleness and sloth, (25) and thus bring on misery and
starvation. (26) The commands to "call no man 'father;'" (27) also, "Call
no man 'a fool;'" (28) also, to "pray without ceasing;" (29) also,
to forgive our enemies four hundred and ninety times ("seventy times
seven"); (30) also, to "love your enemies" (Matt. v. 46); (31) also, to
pluck out our eyes and cut off our hands if they offend us; (32) and,
also, to become eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake, are utterances
which bespeak a mind devoid of a knowledge of either natural or moral
philosophy; (33) as does also the injunction to become perfect as (God)
our Father in heaven (Matt. v. 48). (34) His belief in an angry God;
(35) his injunction to fear God (Matt. x. 28); (36) his advice to his
followers to live like the lilies of the field (Matt. vi. 26); (37)
his statement that "the meek should inherit the earth," (38) that his
disciples would be hated by all men; (39) his reasons for forbidding
them to swear; (40) his blessing on the poor; (41) his denunciation of
the rich; (42) his parable of Dives; (43) his encouragement to mourn;
(44) his blessing on the pure in heart, (45) and on the hungry and
thirsty; (46) his choosing the ignorant for companions; (47) his setting
the mother against the daughter (Matt. x. 36); (48) his getting angry
(Matt, xxi. 12); (49) his treatment of his mother, (50) also of the
money-changers, (51) and of the Pharisees; (52) his usurpation of
property (Matt. xxi. 2); (53) his calling men "fools and hypocrites,"
(54) also "vipers," (55) and "children of the Devil" (John viii. ");
(56) his enjoining his disciples to shake off the dust of their feet
against them, (57) and to call no man "rabbi," (58) and no man "master;"
(59) his falsehood about going to Jerusalem (John vii. 8); (60) his
substituting water for wine; (61) his strong sectarianism (John x. 1);
(62) his treatment of the Gentiles (Matt. x. 5); (63) his threat toward
Jerusalem; (64) his calling honest men "robbers" (John x. 8); (65) his
denunciation of Sodom and Gomorrah, (66) and Chorazin and Bethsaida
(Matt, xi. 21), (67) and Capernaum; (68) his answer to the woman of
Samaria, (69) and his calling Peter "Satan;" (70) his hatred of the
world, (71) and contempt of life,--all these precepts and practices,
when critically examined, are found to be at variance with the laws of
moral science as taught in this enlightened age, which establishes the
fact that Christ was no moral philosopher.
II. SCIENTIFIC ERRORS OF CHRIST.
The following scientific errors of Christ, a portion of which are
exposed in "The World's Sixteen Crucified Saviors," show that he was
neither a natural nor a moral philosopher: (1) He assumed that disease
is produced by demons, or evil spirits. (2) He generally treated
disease, not as the result of natural causes, but as produced by evil
beings. (3) His rebuking a fever (Luke iv. 39) discloses an ignorance of
the science of physiology. (4) His declaration about the stars falling
(Matt. xxiv. 29) evinces his ignorance of astronomy; (5) as does also
his belief in the conflagration of the world (Matt. xxiv. 34). (6) His
belief in a personal devil (Matt. xvii. 18), (7) also his belief in a
literal hell (Matt. xviii. 8), (8) also a belief in the unphilosophical
doctrine of repentance (Mark ii. 17), (9) and also that of divine
forgiveness (Matt. vi. 12); (10) his repeated assumption that belief is
a voluntary act of the mind; (11) his frequent reference to the heart as
being the seat of consciousness; (12) the great importance he attaches
to a right faith; (13) his unpardonable sin against the Holy Ghost; (14)
his superstitious idea of casting out devils; (15) his comparing faith
to a grain of mustard-seed (Matt. xi. 23); (16) the promise of "well
done" (Matt. xxv. 21) as a reward for well-doing; (17) his statement
about man increasing his stature, (18) and about two men joining in
prayer (Matt, xviii.19); (19) his promise to come in the clouds of
heaven (Matt, xxiv. 30); (20) the time that event was to take place
(Matt. x. 23); (21) his penalty for wrong-doing, or sin; (22) his
penalty for falsehood (John viii. 44); (23) his superstitious belief
in an undying worm; (24) his penalty for idle words; (25) his statement
about speaking in new tongues (Mark xvi. 17), (26) about handling
poisonous serpents, (27) also swallowing deadly poisons, (28) and that
these acts should furnish a proof of divine power; (29) his frequent
confabs with imaginary devils; (30) his views of the marriage relation
(Luke xx. 34); (31) why a certain man was born blind (Matt. vii. 22);
(32) his ignorance of the natural causes of physical defects; (33) his
conduct toward the fig-tree (Matt. xxi. 20); (34) his statement relative
to the Queen of Sheba, (35) and relative to Noah's flood (Luke xvii.
27); (36) his frequent denunciation of unbelievers; (37) his injunction
to become perfect as God; (38) his erroneous views of love, (39) and
of the peacemakers, (40) and of the tax-gatherers, (41) and of divorce;
(42) his views of alms; (43) his statement about Moses (John v. 46),
(44) about Nicodemus, (45) about bearing witness, (46) about letting our
light shine, (47) about his disciples praying, (48) about praying for
the kingdom of heaven, (49) about the law (Matt. v. 17), (50) about his
being the Christ (Matt, x. 23), (51) about performing miracles, (52)
about bringing a sword, (53) about his disciples sitting on the twelve
thrones, (54) about judges in heaven, (55) about the fate of Judas; (56)
his deception by Judas; (57) his mistake about Peter; (58) his promise
to the sons of Zebedee (Matt. xx. 23); (59) his parable of the unjust
judge; (60) his new commandment; (61) his promise of a hundred-fold
reward; (62) his ideas about paying tribute, (63) also about marrying
a divorced woman; (64) his promising Peter the keys of the kingdom of
heaven; (65) his declaration relative to binding things in heaven; (66)
his notion of merit in religious belief, (67) and that faith is the gift
of God; (68) his ideas of lust, (69) and about earthly treasures,
(70) also treasure in heaven, (71) about tombstones, (72) and about an
arbitrary personal God; (73) his ignorance of science and natural law.
(74) He never spoke of a natural law, (75) nor used the word "science,"
(76) nor "natural philosophy." (77) And, finally, his spending
nine-tenths of his time in idleness or obscurity is historic, scientific,
and practical proof against his divinity. From all the facts and
precepts enumerated above, we are compelled to conclude he was no
philosopher, and was ignorant of the principles of natural science. And
this accounts for the numerous scientific errors which abound in all his
teachings and preachings and his whole practical life, as set forth in
the work of which this is a synopsis.
III. CHRIST'S ERRORS OF OMISSION.
Had Christ been an all-wise and omniscient God,--the character his
orthodox disciples claim for him,--he would have noticed and understood,
and consequently have condemned, various demoralizing practices,
customs, and institutions then existing in society. He would also
have discovered and taught the grand moral and scientific truths and
principles which have since been brought to light, and have proved such
signal blessings to society, so that the world could have enjoyed them
two thousand years ago.
(1) He would, in the first place, have discovered and exposed the
evils of the despotic form of government which he lived, (2) and have
suggested a better system. (3) He would have taught the people the
beauties and benefits of a true democracy, (4) and would have
exposed the evils of physical as well as mental slavery; (5) also the
deleterious and demoralizing effects of intoxicating drink, instead of
manufacturing it. (See John ii. 7-9.) (6) He would also have exposed the
errors and evils of the many popular religious superstitions then and
there prevalent, instead of indorsing them. (7) He would have taught
the science of anthropology as essential to human happiness, (8)
including the principles of mental science; (9) and likewise the true
principles of moral science, (10) and the necessity of mental culture,
(11) and the most important lesson of all,--that of self-development.
(12) He would have taught the people that every thing is controlled by
natural law, (13) instead of by the caprices of an angry God. (14)
He would have taught the people that right and wrong are natural
principles; (15) that virtue contains its own reward, (16) and sin or
crime its own punishment. (17) He would have taught the science of life
and the laws of health as essential to human happiness; (18) and that
the violation of natural law must be attended with suffering; (19)
and that every immoral act a man commits against another must injure
himself, (20) and destroy his true happiness, (21) and tend to make
him a victim to his own passions. (22) He would have taught the true
principles of mental freedom, (23) and the rights of conscience in
matters of belief; (24) and that man is responsible to himself alone for
his belief. (25) And, finally, he would have taught the modern doctrine
of evolution as furnishing the true and philosophical solution of all
human actions, both good and bad. Certainty a being possessing infinite
wisdom could have discovered and brought to light these grand practical
truths, and thus greatly augmented the sum of human happiness, instead
of leaving the world to drag on in suffering ignorance. And his omitting
to do it must be characterized as an error of omission. For a fuller
exposition, see the pamphlet.