OCR Text |
Show Is Jesus a Myth I BY IR JAMES . VANCE. i Is Jesus of Nazareth a fact of history? his-tory? If not. there are some things without an explanation. Tho four Gospels nre a fabrication nnd were Invented to maintain and promote a lie Is this believable? These Gospels abound In the suhlimest moral teachings They inculcate every virtue. They demand absolute fidelity between man and his fellow. They call for a life of unyielding probity. They frown on the slightest deviation from rectitude They call not only for an honest life, but a clean heart. They explore the motives and Imcstl-. Imcstl-. gate the secret processes of the soul, 'and brand as bad a life that cherishes cher-ishes so much as a desire for evil. !"an It be possible that the worlds IsubUmeSt moral plea is built on a lie.' It Is incredible If Jesus Is a myth, the early Chris lions were deceived There can be no doubt about the strenRth and sincerity of their belief. It was more than surmise sur-mise and conjecture. It was conviction convic-tion stronger than life lts?lf For the (sake of this conviction they suffered the loss of all things position, kindred, kin-dred, property, life Itself They went to the dunpeon and the stake with a song on their lips They made tho Lfl sacrifice nol only without a murmur, xH but with an eagerness that cannot be iH explained without certltdde. They had 'H every opportunity to know whether mLH they were being deceived. The evl-denoe evl-denoe they submit could not be re-Jected re-Jected In any court of Justice. If they wi-r..- di'i'eUod It Is not posslblo for iK men ever to be sure If Christ did not live as He Is re-ported re-ported In the Qoapela, the christian aiiin church Is without an explanation. The E 'church is here. With nil Its virtues nnd Its faults, it is here, an undeniable aaP fact. Men mu hold differing opkn-ions opkn-ions about the Christian church, but K no man can say it Is a myth Its rec-ord rec-ord Is un open book, and Its Influ- Hn once is widespread. s well try to explam the American nation without th Declaration of Independence and the Revolutionary war as to explain the Christian church without Its founder. Can it be possible that all this Is MmW built on a lie? As well talk about the MmF da without a sjn or the sea without Htj tho waters of the deep or forests with- mxHi lout trees or sensation without life as to attempt to tell the story of the asaw 'world todav and leave out Jesus- BE |