Jesus Before Christianity

Albert Nolan

Many millions throughout the ages have venerated the name of Jesus, but few have understood him and fewer still have tried to put into practice what he wanted to see done.

His words have been twisted and turned to mean everthing, anything, and nothing. His name has been used and abused to justify crimes, to frighten children and to inspire men and women to heroic foolishness.

Jesus has been more frequently honored and worshipped for what he did not mean than for what he did mean.

The supreme irony is that some of the things he opposed most strongly in the world of his time were resurrected, preached and spread more widely throughout the world - in his name.

Jesus cannot be fully identified with that great religious phenomenon of the Western world known as Christianity. He was much more than the founder of one of the world's great religions. He stands above Christianity as the judge of all it has done in his name. Nor can historical Christianity claim him as its exclusive possession.

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