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'''''Jesus or Christianity, A Study in Contrasts''''' (1929) is a book by [[Kirby Page]] arguing that modern Christianity is greatly damaged by abandoning the ethics of Jesus.

== Quotes ==
=== Ch. 1: What is the Religion of Jesus? ===
* This volume is a study in contrasts: divergences between the religion of Jesus and organized Christianity.
** p.1

* '''...[[Christianity]], It has accumulated so many alien and hostile elements as to make It a different religion from the simple faith of its founder.'''
** p.1

* '''The religion of [[Jesus]] can best be described in terms of the home: God Is Father, men are brothers, all life is a domestic affair.'''
** p.1

* Attitudes and practices which are alien and disruptive to the home should never be Indulged in, while the virtues of the family should always abound. Each member of the household must run the risks inherent in the abandonment of retaliation and revenge and the reliance upon good will and sacrifice.
** p.1

* '''As long as ministers and laymen labor under the delusion that contemporary Christianity is the same religion that Jesus practiced they will remain immunized against his way of life and will lack the vision.'''
** p.2

* During the lifetime of Jesus the question of freedom was the outstanding problem before the Jewish people. Political independence, economic relief, religious integrity, all awaited the Deliverer, The Kingdom of God could never come as long as the Romans ruled.
** p.8

* The ''[[w:Essenes|Essenes]]'' were communists and ascetics.
** p.8

* The ''[[w:Sadducees|Sadducees]]'' were the Jewish aristocracy, the official and wealthy class. As they held office and enjoyed special privileges, they were more friendly with the Romans. They considered rebellion hopeless and thought it better to bargain with the invader. ...all the while railing at the wild radicals who threatened their privileges and security.
** p.8

* The group that most completely identified themselves with Roman and Greek culture were known as the [[w:Herodians|Herodians]].
** p.9

* The ''[[w:Pharisees|Pharisees]]'' were the popular party. Like all other devout Jews they were strict  monotheists and ardent believers in revealed religion. The law came from God, every phrase of it, ceremonial requirements and ethical duties being equally binding. ...they were legalists. ...parallel with the Law itself had grown up interpretations of the elders. ...The Pharisees were passionately concerned about political freedom, chiefly because the conqueror threatened or prevented religious liberty. Acknowledging God alone as King, they looked upon the Romans as blasphemers and idolaters.
** p.10

* '''The ''[[w:Zealots|Zealots]]'' were the radicals of the day. They advocated and plotted violent revolution. The political [[w:Tyrant|tyranny]] and economic exploitation of the [[w:Ancient_Rome|Romans]] were considered utterly intolerable and patience was regarded as a crime.''' 
** p.11-12

* I'''t was In this kind of world that Jesus lived all his days.''' Six decades before his birth the Romans came. Four decades after his crucifixion the Holy City was utterly demolished by the Imperial legions. ..."Scarcely a year went by," says Dr. [[w:Joseph_Klausner|Joseph Klausner]], "during this century, without wars or other disturbances; '''wars, rebellions, outbreaks, and riots'''; and this state of things prevailed in the Land of Israel throughout the whole epoch which preceded Jesus and prevailed also during his lifetime."
** p.12

* '''[[w:Simon_the_Zealot|Simon the Zealot]] was numbered among [[w:Apostle_(Christian)#The_Twelve_Apostles|the Twelve]] and some traditions maintain that [[w:Judas_Iscariot|Judas Iscariot]] was also a Zealot.''' Jesus was frequently referred to as "son of [[w:David|David]]" and on one occasion the populace gave him a royal reception by spreading their garments in his way and crying aloud their hosannas in anticipation of his [[w:Messia|Messianic]] reign.
** p.13

* On one occasion the Pharisees sought to trap Jesus with the famous question: "Is it lawful for us to give tribute unto Caesar or not?" An affirmative answer would have repelled patriotic Jews, while a negative response would have embroiled him with the Roman authorities. In the record tax  collectors are usually classed with outcasts and sinners.
** p.13

* The charge against Jesus before Pilate was that of sedition: "We found this man perverting our nation and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king..."
** p.13

* Even after the resurrection of Jesus his disciples were still expecting him to bring national deliverance and freedom: "Lord, wilt thou at this time restore the kingdom of Israel?" '''Several times Jesus referred to the probable results of hatred and rebellion against Rome.''' Once he said: "When ye see Jerusalem compassed with armies then know that her desolation is at hand. Then let them that are in Judea flee into the mountains." '''At every turn Jesus was confronted with ''the'' problem; everywhere ''the'' expectation.'''
** p.14

* '''The religion of Jesus begins and ends in the home. All life is a domestic affair. The universal family embraces every race and tongue. Man's primary purpose is to establish the Family of God''', where all persons will dwell in right relations with the Father and with each other. The way to create God's home is to live every day as a good member of the family. '''Only those ends are worthy which are consonant with the family spirit and only those methods are justifiable which are appropriate in the home. ...Live to-day as if the ideal society has already come to pass. The [[w:Kingdom_of_God|Kingdom of God]] is within you. It is all about you.'''
** p.14

* '''God is Father and perfectly exemplifies the spirit of the home.''' Wisdom and understanding are His. Not a sparrow falls to the ground without His knowledge. Active and persistent is He in the effort to establish the perfect family. He is loving and has personal affection for each of His children. ...'''He is eager to enter into an intimate comradeship with every member of the household. He makes the sun shine on the evil and the good and the rain to fall upon the just and the unjust. He is forgiving and always goes out to meet the [[wiktionary:prodigal|prodigal]]. ...He ever couples mercy with justice.'''
** p.15

* Jesus staked everything upon the reliability of God. Apart from this faith and this dependence, his life is meaningless and his teachings become tragic mockery. '''The religion and the ethics of Jesus are''' utterly  '''inseparable.'''
** p.16

* The God of Jesus differs fundamentally from the Jehovah presented in many sections of the Old Testament, where Yahweh is frequently pictured as authorizing pillage and slaughter and often as himself an active participant in war...
** p.16

* An authoritative study... was published recently... ''The God of the Old Testament in Relation to War''... the author, Dr. Marion J. Benedict, is summarized as follows: "Yahweh has been found to be a God of war throughout most of the Old Testament material."
** p.17

* '''It is utterly unthinkable that Jesus would himself condemn a wrongdoer to everlasting torture.''' Like any other Oriental teacher he spoke in parables and figurative language. Allowance must also be made for  misinterpretations by the persons who recorded their impressions of his words. Jesus frequently pointed out the inevitable consequences of human conduct. It would be easy for his hearers to assume that he was uttering threats of punishment...
** p.17-18

* There is... a vast difference between consequence and punishment. When a child disregards his mother's warning and plays with fire the pain which he suffers is a consequence, not a punishment. The God of Jesus  permits fire to burn; He does not throw his unruly children into a furnace. '''The Father of the prodigal son could never consign his child to eternal flames.''' The Good Shepherd could never torture the wandering sheep. It is not the will of your Father that one of his little ones should perish, much less be endlessly tortured.
** p.18

* '''Since God is Father of all, there is only one family.''' Every human being is privileged and obliged to treat every other Individual as a member of the household. Attitudes and practices that violate the spirit of the home should never be tolerated. No son should be guilty of blasphemy and irreverence. Indifference to His presence and disobedience to His wishes grieve the Father. Ingratitude is baseness itself.
** p.18-19

* Beware of covetousness. Greed wrecks the family. Avarice is so deadly that if a man cannot conquer it he must sell all that he has and give it to the poor. Pride and ostentation are disgusting; hypocrisy destroys fellowship; anxiety is a cancer; extortion and exploitation are out of place in the home; lust is a perversion and should be shunned. To seek physical thrills at the expense of another is to disregard the value of personality. Anger is poison. Hatred breaks the family bond. Revenge is never sought in a true home. Murder of a beloved kinsman is unthinkable. Woe unto the man who causes his brother to stumble or drags him through the mire. To wreck the personality of a fellow man is worse than to drown one's own body in the deep sea.
** p.19

* '''The home is a place of affection. Understanding is sought, sympathy prevails, kindliness is manifested. Mutual forbearance is the rule; patience is exhibited; forgiveness brings reconciliation. Everyone delights in serving the others. Sacrifice is joyously accepted. The welfare of the group takes precedence over the desires of any member.''' The one increasing purpose of life is the creation of the Family of God. This is the pearl of great price. In order to secure it a man will eagerly sell all he has. This treasure will be sought until it is found. ...The desire for comfort, privilege, prestige, or safety must not be allowed to stand in the way. '''What good will it do if a man gain many possessions and lose his zeal for fellowship? ...Rather than be paralyzed by desire, one must pluck out an eye or amputate an arm.''' It is better to continue the pursuit maimed and blind than to be swerved by fleshpots. '''He that endures to the end will be victorious.'''
** p.19-20

* '''The roadway is infested with evil doers—persons who, because of ignorance, delusion, prejudices, desire, greed, passion, or disease, are a menace to their relatives.'''
** p.20

* '''The way to overcome evil is by doing good. To do good is to live every day as a true member of the home.''' Turn away from those attitudes and practices which destroy the family. Exhibit those virtues which constitute the foundations of the home. Remember that '''the wrongdoer is a child of God, of inestimable inherent worth, and, therefore, should be treated with reverence and affection.'''
** p.20

* '''Can the use of physical force ever be reconciled with the family spirit?''' ...On one occasion he appears to have resorted to force himself... It sheds no light upon the question as to whether the taking of life, capital punishment, or war are ever justifiable. '''The criterion by which Jesus judges every method is this; Can it be used appropriately in the home?'''
** p.21

* '''Those persons who do not think of life in terms of the Family of God often feel justified, however, in defending themselves by torture and terror. Long has it been the practice, ever since men became sufficiently humane to restrict unlimited retaliation, to exact an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a life for a life. This is justice. But an enduring home can never be founded on justice alone. Love, mercy, forgiveness, and sacrifice are likewise indispensable.'''
** p.21

* Love and forgiveness are means; ways of awakening the latent goodness in the wrongdoer. By not insisting upon its rights, love reveals a far better method. '''Love never fails. If it is patient and kind it penetrates even the most hardened heart.''' The body may be killed but love can never die. It is life. '''On love hangs the law, the prophets, the gospel, all life.'''
** p.22

* '''Fear is a foul spirit. Cast it out.''' Be not unduly concerned about appetites or sensations, comfort or safety. Pain may come, but what of it? When voluntarily assumed on behalf of a brother beloved, suffering is the  gateway to joy and to life. '''The most precious of all privileges is fellowship in suffering'''; with God and for one's brethren. So be not afraid. What abiding difference does it make if your property is destroyed? '''Life does not consist of things.'''
** p.22

* '''Even if your body is killed, love does not perish. Love is like a grain of wheat. Its harvest comes after it has been buried.''' So be not dismayed because men think it God's will that you be put to death. Even if you are devoured as a lamb by wolves, love lives on. And '''love is life. He that loves to the end never dies.'''
** p.23

* '''It seems incredible that a man with such a message and such nobility of character should have been killed as an enemy of society. But is it surprising?''' ...In a memorable passage '''Jesus refers to the fact that it is customary for one generation to stone the prophets and for another to erect monuments in their honor.'''
** p.23

* Those persons who were responsible for his tragic death had only the faintest understanding of what he was seeking to accomplish. Even '''his own disciples''' so '''completely misinterpreted his teaching''' that at the very end they argued among themselves as to who should have the chief places. ...they still visualized twelve thrones of solid gold and quarreled among themselves over the seats of honor on the right and left of the king. How much less able to fathom the meaning of his words and deeds were the ecclesiastical leaders.
** p.23-24

* "The notion of progressive revelation," says Professor [[w:George_Foot_Moore|George Foot Moore]], "was impossible; '''the revelation to Moses was complete and final'''; no other prophet should ever make any innovation in the law. ...The law, being perfect, is unchangeable." And '''so Jesus was convicted of blasphemy.''' Who was this young upstart who talked so freely of God and spoke as one having authority? At the feet of what eminent teacher had he ever sat?
** p.24-25

* '''Jesus was a radical on race questions. He treated men of every color and tongue as sons of a common Father and therefore brothers beloved.''' In His sight '''all men are of inherent and inestimable value.''' ...Jesus also disregarded the rigid class lines of his day.
** p.25

* Hypocrisy has usually prevailed in the treatment accorded prostitutes. Under the Jewish law these  disreputable women were worthy of death by stoning. But when Jesus suggested to the accusers of a certain woman that the man who was without guilt should cast the first stone, one by one they slunk away. No wonder the '''Jewish leaders were infuriated at the sight of Jesus mingling freely with all classes of people, completely ignoring the social cleavages of the day, and teaching that every human being is of priceless worth, with Godlike potentialities.'''
** p.26

* '''With entire sincerity the Pharisees were alarmed lest Jesus should lead the people astray. ...Better that one man should die than that the people should perish in darkness and wickedness.'''
** p.27

* '''Another serious charge against Jesus was that of treason''' to his country. His admonition to refrain from hatred and retaliation and instead to love the Romans seemed to the patriots of the day nothing less than disloyalty and treachery to his native land... '''There is little doubt as to what would have happened to an American citizen early in 1918 of he had arisen in a [[w:Liberty_bond|Liberty Loan]] mass meeting and pleaded for the immediate cessation of hostilities and protested against the hatred being manifested toward the Germans.'''
** p.27

* The Jewish leaders, especially the Sadducees, had a stake in the maintenance of the status quo. '''Vested interests were involved. Profits and prestige were threatened. Jesus was undermining the standing and influence of the Pharisees and Sadducees.'''
** p.28

* Experience had shown that sooner or later fanatics got into trouble with the Romans, Quite likely Jesus would stir up a riot or rebellion for which the Jewish leaders would be held responsible. The risk was too great.
** p.28

* Herod and Pilate likewise had a stake in the existing order. ...'''Few politicians have ever been willing to endanger their own standing in order to render justice to a friendless prisoner''' at the bar. Personal prestige and power were of more importance... Herod may have thought Jesus innocent but he saw a chance to gain the good will of Pilate by a generous gesture in yielding jurisdiction... '''A man... will trade the blood of innocent victims for personal advantage. ...It is always easy... to imagine that one is battling on behalf of society when in fact the struggle is for private gain.'''
** p.29

* '''When the devout rich man bitterly attacks radicalism he sincerely believes that he is manifesting zeal on behalf of the masses of people, whereas in reality his primary concern may be for the preservation of his own unearned Income. Self-deception Is as old as mankind. Conscientiousness is no guarantee of moral conduct.'''
** p.29-30

* '''Indifference constituted a fifth major reason why Jesus was killed.''' Powerful groups were arrayed against him, but only a few sought to defend him, The fickle crowds melted away when it became apparent that Jesus was not the long-expected Deliverer. His ethical demands were too exacting to gain for him a large following. During the days of supreme crisis only a few score individuals, at most, cared enough to exert themselves on his behalf.
** p.30

* Christians have long imagined that all of Jerusalem was in turmoil when Jesus was crucified. It is probably much nearer the truth to say that '''this tragic event went unnoticed by the great mass of the people.''' Populations have usually been indifferent to the fate of martyrs. '''Loneliness has ever been the lot of those who were ahead of their day. The citizens of Jerusalem probably gave no more attention''' to the execution of the Great Teacher '''than the people of an American city ordinarily give to the hanging of a common criminal.'''
** p.30

* '''Blindness, bigotry, fear, self-[[wiktionary:centeredness|centeredness]], indifference—this deadly quintette did its work well. And so they cried, "Crucify him, crucify him'''..."
** p.30

* '''Society always issues an ultimatum to the innovator; conform to this world or expect the reward of a heretic or a traitor. Every generation metes out substantially the same punishment to those who fall far below and those who rise high above its standards.''' Thieves and prophets of a new day rot in the same foul dungeon; murderers and the Savior of mankind agonize on adjacent crosses.
** p.31

* At every stage '''Jesus''' was confronted with the necessity of choosing. More and more clearly he '''saw the vast gulf between his ideal and the practices of those about him. In moments of exaltation he caught a vision of life as it ought to be and might be.''' ...From each succeeding experience of communion with God the conviction became more intense that '''love alone can bring reconciliation between man and man and between man and God.'''
** p.31

* Asceticism may offer a way of escape from the temptations that come from association with one's fellows and bring a sense of release and contentment. But '''the universal family can never be built by hermits. Contact may lead to contamination, but it is essential to redemption. Love never flees from the object of its affection. Where pain is most severe and sorrow most bitter, there love is most [[wiktionary:solicitous|solicitous]] and untiring'''.
** p.32

* '''Not by conforming to this world can humanity be saved.''' Lying down in the gutter with the derelict is no way to reform him. '''Acquiescence is not an effective method of remedying evils. Sharing the gains of exploitation and enjoying privileges arising out of injustice will never lead to the transformation of society. Untiring opposition to false standards and ceaseless activity against wrongdoing are demanded by love. Mankind can never be lifted to the highest levels if its teachers dwell in the lowlands.'''
** p.32

* '''To be in the world and yet not of it is the difficult requirement of love.'''
** p.32-33

* '''Not by observing the law can fulness of life be attained.''' ...the emphasis of the Pharisees was often upon the letter of the law. ...'''The aching void of sorrow and misery can never be filled by strict observance of the Sabbath. Hostility and enmity cannot be removed by sacrifices of rams and goats. The maladies that afflict humanity are too deadly to be cured by ceremony and ritual. The letter kills, only love gives life.'''
** p.33

* '''Not by using the weapons of Satan can the spirit of evil be cast out. Hatred is not an effective instrument for removing hatred. Desire for revenge does not promote the family spirit. Violence and terror are not appropriate weapons in the home. They that take the sword shall perish thereby.'''
** p.33

* '''Real freedom is from within. More important than deliverance from political bondage is release from  paralyzing emotion. It is better to be enslaved by Romans than by hatred.'''
** p.33

* '''Little is gained by an exchange of masters. Genuine freedom can be achieved only by living as a good member of God's home. ...all are kinsmen.'''
** p.33

* Treat every person as a member of the family. Exhibit sympathy, kindliness, affection, forgiveness. Meet the acid test: love the Roman, bless the conqueror, pray for the despoiler, do good to the exploiter, forgive the invader. Do unto the Romans as you would have God do unto you. '''If the son shall make you free you will be free indeed.'''
** p.34

* In the darkness of the night two alternatives appeared before Jesus with the brilliance of the noonday sun. '''Life or a way of life! He must choose. Live as his contemporaries lived or die. Blindness and intolerance and fear have always refused to permit a man to treat every other human being under every circumstance as a member of the family, worthy to be loved, forgiven, trusted.''' So the Jewish leaders gave Jesus his choice. Live as they lived or die.
** p.38

* '''The purpose of life is to build the divine community. The way to create the ideal society is to live to-day as if it is already a reality.''' Live this hour as a good member of the Family of God. '''Depend upon love. Run the risks. Accept the consequences. Have confidence in God and faith in man.''' Rather than forsake the way of love it is better for a man to die.
** p.38

* '''The theory that the crucifixion of Jesus was predestined and preordained and that he went through life as a fated victim belies the facts. If literally interpreted this theory transforms him into a mere automaton'''...
** p.38-39

* T'''he theory that his death was required in order to appease the wrath of an angry God is repugnant. And the explanation that the Divine Law demands a purchase price to atone for the sins of mankind seems legalistic and artificial.'''
** p.39

* '''Some say that Jesus deliberately provoked his crucifixion as the means of ushering in the Messianic age.'''
** p.39

* '''Jesus''' frequently likened the coming of the Kingdom to the slow working of leaven and the steady growth of seed. He '''spoke constantly of the Kingdom as a present reality.''' The record shows that on several occasions '''he carefully avoided an open clash with the authorities''' that might have eventuated in his arrest. Very often '''the significance of his utterances was veiled in parables and stories'''. To the very end '''he struggled against his fate.''' The agony in Gethsemane was no stage performance.
** p.39

* Jesus responded to a deep inner urge, a divine call, to witness before his own people. Jesus was a uniquely sensitive mystic. In hours of prolonged communion the presence of God was more real to him than any human being... at any cost he would faithfully follow the will of God. ...'''the clouds of perplexity and indecision were swept away by a vivid sense of the boundless mercy and passionate tenderness of the Eternal. He must go to Jerusalem. Even the probability of crucifixion could not deter him. In the Holy City he would live as if the Reign of God had already begun, revealing to all men their kinship''' with the Father and with each other.
** p.40

* '''There is no other way to create the ideal society. So Jesus went to his doom. ...Not for his own life but for the pearl of great price a man eagerly sells all that he has possessions, talents, strength, blood!'''
** p.41

* '''What, then, is the meaning of the Cross?''' ...In the light of the Cross three momentous facts stand revealed: '''the awful consequences of estrangement and strife, the redeeming power of sacrificial love, the deepest joy and the fullest self-realization come only through self-renunciation.'''
** p.41-42

* '''The awful chasm between goodness and evil, between righteousness and unrighteousness, nowhere stands out in such stark reality as in the presence of the Cross'''. Light is snuffed out by darkness. Love is done to death by hate. Forgiveness is met with malignity. Sacrifice is rewarded with ignominy. God's home is transformed into a [[wiktionary:charnel|charnel]] house. The appalling need [for love] of the human heart is exposed.
** p.42

* '''Created in the spiritual image of God and capable of rising to sublime heights, man is also able to sink below the level of the beast.''' Blindness that cannot distinguish holiness from heresy, bigotry that confuses tradition with truth, hypocrisy that counterfeits the coin of sincerity, greed that devours a widow's substance, lust that feeds on a woman's body, fear that nails innocence to a tree...
** p.42⏎
⏎
[[Category:Christianity]]