The World's Sixteen Crucified Saviors
Kersey
Graves
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Chapter 45: Conclusion and Review
CHAPTER XLV
IN writing the concluding chapter of this work, the author deems it proper to re-state some points, and elaborate others, and anticipate some objections to some of the positions advanced. Each division of the subject will be marked by a separate figure, and treated in a brief and succinct manner, as follows: --
- Several persons, who examined this work before it went to
press, have expressed the opinion that it must exert a powerful
influence in the way of producing an entire revolution in the
religion of orthodox Christendom sooner or later. But this must of
course be the work of time as moral revolutions are not the work of
a day. When the human system has been long prostrated with chronic
disease, no system of medication can restore it at once to health.
The same principle governing the mind makes it morally impossible
to eradicate its deeply-seated moral and religious errors in a day
by even the presentation of the most powerful and convincing truths
and demonstrations that can be brought to bear or operate upon the
human judgment. The mind instinctively repels everything (no
difference how true or how beautiful) that conflicts with its long-
established opinions and convictions. The fires of truth usually
require much time to burn their way through those incrustations of
moral and religious error which often environ the human mind as the
products of a false education. But when they once enter, the work
of convincement is complete.
- It has been stated that the resemblance between
Christianity and the more ancient heathen systems is complete and
absolute throughout in all their essential doctrines, and
principles, and precepts. And if it shall be found, on a critical
reading of this work after it comes from the press, that there is
one feature of Christianity which has not been traced to pagan
origin, or that any points of resemblance have been omitted, they
will be supplied in an appendix.
- It has been stated that a transfiguration is related of
Chrishna of Tndia (1200 B.C.) in the Hindoo bible (the Baghavat
Gita), which is strikingly similar to that of Christ. We will here
present the proof. "Abandoning the mortal form, he (Chrishna)
appeared to his disciples in all the divine eclat of his Divine
Majesty, his brow encircled with such a brilliant light that
Adjourna and the other disciples, unable to bear it, fell with
their faces in the dust, and prayed the Lord (Chrishna) to pardon
their unworthiness. He replied, 'Have you not faith in me? Know ye
not, that whether present or absent in body, I will be ever present
with you to guard and protect you?'" (Gaghavat Gita.) How
remarkable this to the story of Christ's transfiguration!
- Some readers, perhaps, will be surprised to observe that we
have named so many crucified gods to whom some writers assign a
different death. But we have followed, as we believe, the best
authorities in doing so.
- In our work, "The Bibles of Bibles," we have shown that the
score of bibles which have been extant in the world teach
essentially the same doctrines, principles, and precepts. There are
to be found in the old pagan bibles the same grand and beautiful
truths mixed up with the same mind-enslaving errors and deleterious
superstitions as those contained in the Christian bible. And the
same exalted claim is set up by the disciples of each for their
respective holy books -- that of being a direct revelation from
God, and inspired at the fountain of infinite wisdom. And all were
exalted, adored, and idolized by their respective admirers, as
containing a perfect embodiment of truth, without any admixture of
error. The ancient Persians carried their bibles in their bosoms,
and read them and prayed over them daily. The Hindoos often read
their bible through on their bended knees, and sometimes committed
it all to memory. The Baghavat has the following text: "The most
important of all duties is to study the Holy Scriptures, which is
the word of Brahma and Chrishna, revealed to the world." Some of
the Mahomedans claim that immortal life can only be obtained by
reading the Koran, and that the reading of it is essential to the
progress and practice of good morals, and the advancement of
civilization; and that it will ultimately reform and civilize the
world. Both they and the Hindoos, like the Christian world, have
numerous commentaries, explaining the obscure texts of their
bibles, and aiming to reconcile their teachings with reason and
science. And the disciples of all bibles had a mode of doing away
with the immoral teachings, and concealing the worst features of
their sacred books by bestowing on them a spiritual meaning, as
Christians do theirs, thus dressing up error in the guise of truth.
The Hindoo bible, the Mahomedan bible, and other holy books,
consign those who disbelieve in their teachings to eternal
damnation, denouncing them as infidel's. In this respect, also,
they are like the Christian's bible.
- "But then, after all (as some good pious Christian will
probably exclaim after reading this work), the bible and
Christianity are essential to the progress of good morals, and the
advancement of the cause of civilization, and the civilized world
would sink into a state of heathen darkness, demoralization, and
savagism without them; for every enlightened nation owes its
present moral and intellectual greatness to the Christian bible and
the Christian religion, and would relapse into barbarism without
them." This is a mistake, a most egregious mistake, my good brother
Christian, as the following facts of history will show: --
- There are heathen nations now existing who never saw a
bible, and others which flourished in the past, before our bible
was written, who nevertheless attained to a higher state of morals,
and a higher state of civilization in some respects, than any
Christian nation known to history. A whole volume of facts might be
adduced, if we had space for them, drawn from the ablest and most
reliable authorities, to prove that India, Egypt, Greece, and other
countries had reached a high state of civilization centuries before
Christianity or any of its founders were even heard of, or made
their appearance in the world. India was distinguished for her
learning, her laws, her legislation, her civil courts, her judicial
tribunals, her astronomers, her poets, her philosophers, her
writers, her moralists, her libraries, her men of literature, and
her good morals before Moses was found in the bulrushes. Jacolliot
says, "India gave civilization to the world." Egypt borrowed of
India, the Greeks of the Egyptians, and the Jews and Christians are
indebted to the Greeks for both their morals and their
civilization. Dubois, a Christian missionary, in his "Memoirs of
India," testifies that "kindness, justice, humanity, good faith,
compassion, disinterestedness, and in fact nearly all the moral
virtues, were familiar to the ancient Brahmans and Hindoos, and
they taught them both by precept and example." Can as much be said
of any Christian nation? Certainly not. And the Rev. D.O. Allen
says they were distinguished for all the arts and refinement of
civilized life -- thus placing them on the highest plane of
civilization and moral elevation. And other nations might be
referred to. Egypt had her vast temples of science, Chaldea her
astronomical observatories, and Greece her distinguished academies
of learning, her profound philosophers, and her high-toned moral
writers and moral teachers, while the Jews, "God's holy people,"
were in a state of semi-barbarism. So affirms the Rev. Albert
Barnes.
- No advancement has often been made in morals or
civilization in any country by the introduction of the Christian
bible or the Christian religion. It is the arts and sciences which
accompany or follow the bible which do the work. A proof of this
statement is found in the fact, that no improvement takes place in
the morals of the people by the introduction of the bible till the
arts and sciences are also introduced amongst them. On the
contrary, the morals of many deteriorate by reading the bible
alone, because it sanctions as well as condemns every species of
crime then known to society, (For proof see Chap. XXXIX. of this
work.) That India has become corrupted and sunk in morals since the
introduction of the Christian bible, is admitted by the Rev. D.O.
Allen, for twenty-five years a missionary in that country. But
science, especially moral science, imparts a different influence.
It explains the nature of crimes, and teaches and demonstrates that
a life of honesty and virtue can alone produce true and real
happiness, while the bible augments the temptation to commit sin by
teaching that "it is a sweet morsel to be rolled under the tongue,"
and that its punitive effects may be entirely escaped by an act of
divine forgiveness. But science, either directly or by the
enlightening of the mind, teaches and convinces the wrong-doer that
there is no escape from the evil effects of a wrong or wicked act,
and that sin is not a sweet morsel," but ultimately a bitter pill.
And thus it arrests the demoralizing effects of this pernicious
doctrine of the Christian bible.
- It may startle some of the bible devotees to be told that
their sacred book, instead of being a prompter to civilization and
good morals, is really a hindrance to those ends; and that
consequently nations without bibles advance faster in these
respects than those who are well supplied with this book. But the
facts of history seem to establish this as a fact. As a proof we
will contrast the present condition of heathen Japan with that of
Christian Abyssinia. Colonel Hall and Dr. Oliphant both testify
that no drunkenness, no fighting, no quarreling, no thefts, no
robberies, no rapes, no fornication, no domestic feuds or broils,
and no fraudulent dealing take place in Japan. No locks or keys are
used, for none are needed. There is no disposition to steal, or
even to cheat, or overreach in dealing. But in Christian Abyssinia,
on the other hand, according to Mr. Goodrich, where bibles and
churches are numerous, and preaching and praying are heard every
day, nearly all the crimes above enumerated are daily committed.
The people go naked, eat raw flesh, cheat, lie, and murder, and
practice polygamy. Such a thing as a legitimate child, he tells us,
is not known. And thus it has been for fifteen hundred years, while
in the daily practice of reading their bible. The arts and sciences
have never been introduced amongst them. And this fact explains the
cause of their continued moral degradation.
- According to Noah Webster, the cultivation of the arts and
sciences is essential to the progress of civilization and good
morals. But bible religion knows nothing about the arts and
sciences. It don't even use the words, Paul uses the word science
only once, and then to condemn it. But Jesus omits any allusion to
science, philosophy, or natural law. So thoroughly convinced were
the early disciples of the Christian faith that the teachings of
their bible are inimical to the arts and sciences, that they
destroyed works of art wherever they could find them, and opposed
with a deadly aim every new discovery in the sciences even unto
this day.
- As bibles represent only the morals and state of society in
the age in which they are written, and are not allowed to be
altered or transcended, they thus hold their disciples back in all
coming time, and compel them to teach and practice the morals of
that semi-barbarous age as found taught in their bibles. And thus
bibles prevent the moral growth of the people as effectually as the
Chinese wooden shoes prevent the growth of the feet of young girls.
For a fuller exposition of this matter, see The Bible of Bibles,
Chap. XIV.
- There are heathen nations now existing who never saw a
bible, and others which flourished in the past, before our bible
was written, who nevertheless attained to a higher state of morals,
and a higher state of civilization in some respects, than any
Christian nation known to history. A whole volume of facts might be
adduced, if we had space for them, drawn from the ablest and most
reliable authorities, to prove that India, Egypt, Greece, and other
countries had reached a high state of civilization centuries before
Christianity or any of its founders were even heard of, or made
their appearance in the world. India was distinguished for her
learning, her laws, her legislation, her civil courts, her judicial
tribunals, her astronomers, her poets, her philosophers, her
writers, her moralists, her libraries, her men of literature, and
her good morals before Moses was found in the bulrushes. Jacolliot
says, "India gave civilization to the world." Egypt borrowed of
India, the Greeks of the Egyptians, and the Jews and Christians are
indebted to the Greeks for both their morals and their
civilization. Dubois, a Christian missionary, in his "Memoirs of
India," testifies that "kindness, justice, humanity, good faith,
compassion, disinterestedness, and in fact nearly all the moral
virtues, were familiar to the ancient Brahmans and Hindoos, and
they taught them both by precept and example." Can as much be said
of any Christian nation? Certainly not. And the Rev. D.O. Allen
says they were distinguished for all the arts and refinement of
civilized life -- thus placing them on the highest plane of
civilization and moral elevation. And other nations might be
referred to. Egypt had her vast temples of science, Chaldea her
astronomical observatories, and Greece her distinguished academies
of learning, her profound philosophers, and her high-toned moral
writers and moral teachers, while the Jews, "God's holy people,"
were in a state of semi-barbarism. So affirms the Rev. Albert
Barnes.
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