The New Gospel

<p><em style="line-height: 1.5; background-color: initial;">When I, Constantine Augustus [emperor of the Western Roman Empire], as well as I, Licinius Augustus [emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire], fortunately met near Mediolarnurn [Milan] … Therefore … it has pleased us to remove all conditions whatsoever, which were in the rescripts formerly given to you officially, concerning the Christians; and now any one of these who wishes to observe the Christian religion may do so freely and openly, without molestation … we have also conceded to other religions the right of open and free observance of their worship for the sake of the peace of our times, that each one may have the free opportunity to worship as he pleases; this regulation is made that we may not seem to detract from any dignity or any religion … And since these Christians are known to have possessed not only those places in which they were accustomed to assemble, but also other property, namely the churches … all these things which we have included under the above law, you will order to be restored, without any hesitation or controversy.</em></p>

<p><em style="line-height: 1.5; background-color: initial;">Of all religions, the Christian is without doubt the one which should inspire tolerance the most, although up to now the Christians have been the most intolerant of all men. &nbsp;</em></p>

<p><em style="line-height: 1.5; background-color: initial;">During almost fifteen centuries has the legal establishment of Christianity been on trial.&nbsp; What have been its fruits?&nbsp; More or less in all places, pride and indolence in the clergy, ignorance and servility in the laity, in both, superstition, bigotry and persecution.</em></p>

<p><em style="line-height: 1.5; background-color: initial;">Of all the great world religions past and present, Christianity has been by for the most intolerant.&nbsp; From its inception it was intolerant of other, non-Christian religions, first Greco-Roman polytheism, then Judaism, from which it had to separate itself, and later on Islam ... The 16th century, which witnessed the Reformation … was probably the most intolerant period in Christian history marked … by violent conflict between contending Christian denominations. &nbsp;</em></p>

<p><em style="line-height: 1.5; background-color: initial;">I may grow rich by an art that I take not delight in; I may be cured of some disease by remedies that I have not faith in; but I cannot be saved by a religion I distrust and by a worship that I abhor.&nbsp; It is in vain for an unbeliever to take up the outward show of another man’s profession … In vain, therefore, do princes compel their subjects to come into their Church communion, under the pretense of saving souls.&nbsp; If they believe, they will come of their own accord, if they believe not, their coming will nothing avail them.</em></p>

<p><em style="line-height: 1.5; background-color: initial;">Now that there is and can be no longer an exclusive national religion, tolerance should be given to all religions that tolerate others, so long as their dogmas contain nothing contrary to the duties of citizenship.&nbsp; But whoever dares to say: Outside the Church is no salvation, ought to be driven from the state.</em></p>

<p><em style="line-height: 1.5; background-color: initial;">Whilest we assert for ourselves a freedom to embrace, to profess and to observe the Religion which we believe to be of divine origin, we cannot deny an equal freedom to those whose minds have not yet yielded to the evidence which has convinced us.&nbsp; If this freedom be abused [by us], </em><em style="line-height: 1.5; background-color: initial;"><strong>it is an offence against God, not against man</strong></em><em style="line-height: 1.5; background-color: initial;"><strong>.</strong></em></p>

<p><em style="line-height: 1.5; background-color: initial;">Your [Jewish] sect by its sufferings has furnished a remarkable proof of the universal spirit of religious intolerance, inherent in every sect, disclaimed by all while feeble, and practiced by all when in power.&nbsp; Our laws have applied the only antidote to this vice, protecting our religions, as they do our civil rights by putting all on an equal footing.&nbsp; But more remains to be done, for altho’ we are free by the law, we are not so in practice. … The prejudice still scowling on your section of our religion, altho’ the elder one, cannot be unfelt by yourself.&nbsp; It is hoped that individual dispositions will at length mould themselves to the law and consider the moral basis on which all our religions rest, as the rallying point which unites them all in a common interest.</em></p>

<p><em style="line-height: 1.5; background-color: initial;">The greater part of mankind are naturally apt to be affirmative and dogmatical in their opinions … nor have they any indulgence for those who entertain opposite sentiments … But could such dogmatical reasoners become sensible of the strange infirmities of human understanding, even in its most perfect state, and when most accurate and cautious in its determinations; such a reflection would naturally inspire them with more modesty and reserve …</em></p>

<p><em style="line-height: 1.5; background-color: initial;">What is perhaps most respectable about the Romans is that for nine hundred years they persecuted no one for their opinions.&nbsp; They cannot be reproached [like the Greeks] for hemlock.&nbsp; They were the most universally tolerant people.&nbsp; These wise conquerors besieged a city; they prayed to the gods of the city to be kind enough to pass over their camp.&nbsp; When it was taken, they went to sacrifice in the temple of the conquered.&nbsp; That is how they became worthy of commanding so many nations.</em></p>

<p><em style="line-height: 1.5; background-color: initial;">Moses did not come down from the mountain with a detailed list [Ten Commandments] of the ways in which the Israelites could make life better for the Moabites, the Edomites, the Midianites [defeated enemies], or for any other tribe of people that happened not to be </em><em style="line-height: 1.5; background-color: initial;">them</em><em style="line-height: 1.5; background-color: initial;">.</em></p>

<p><em style="line-height: 1.5; background-color: initial;">Wonderful things were to be seen.&nbsp; Numbers of the Saracens were beheaded … Others were shot with arrows, or forced to jump from the towers; others were tortured for several days, then burned with flames.&nbsp; In the streets were seen piles of heads and hands and feet.&nbsp; It was a just a marvelous judgment of God …</em></p>

<p><em style="line-height: 1.5; background-color: initial;">German men and women!&nbsp; The age of arrogant Jewish intellectualism is now at an end! … You are doing the right thing at this midnight hour—to consign to the flames the unclean spirit [demons] of the past.&nbsp; This is a great, powerful and symbolic act … Out of these ashes the phoenix of a new age will arise.</em></p>

<p><em style="line-height: 1.5; background-color: initial;">If a Roman Catholic believe that to be really the body of Christ which another man calls bread, he does no injury thereby to his neighbor.&nbsp; If a Jew do not believe the New Testament be the Word of God, he does not thereby alter anything in men’s civil rights.&nbsp; If a heathen doubt both Testaments, he is not therefore to be punished as a pernicious citizen.&nbsp; The power of the magistrates and the estates of the people may be equally secure whether any man believe these things or no.&nbsp; I readily grant that those opinions are false and absurd.&nbsp; But the business of laws is not to provide for the truth of opinions, but for the safety and security of the commonwealth and of every particular man’s goods and person.&nbsp; And so it ought to be.&nbsp; For the truth certainly would do well enough if she were once left to shift for herself.&nbsp;</em></p>

<p><em style="line-height: 1.5; background-color: initial;">Those are not to be tolerated who deny the being of a God.&nbsp; Promises, covenants, and oaths, which are the bonds of human society, can have no hold upon the atheist.&nbsp; The taking away of God, though but even in thought, dissolves all.</em></p>

<p><em style="line-height: 1.5; background-color: initial;">No religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States. &nbsp;</em></p>

<p><em style="line-height: 1.5; background-color: initial;">The United States of America is in no sense founded on the Christian Religion.&nbsp;</em></p>

<p><em style="line-height: 1.5; background-color: initial;">The defacto limitations on formal authority in America due to the great distances and spread of settlement; the weakness of ecclesiastical authority and organization; the ability of dissident religious communities to move on to other parts of the country where they were free of control; and the continual arrival of growing numbers of immigrants of different religious affilations—all these factors created a fluid situation favorable to the emergence of new religious bodies and popular movements and caused the United States to become “a free market of religion.”</em></p>

<p><em style="line-height: 1.5; background-color: initial;">Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,</em></p><p><em>With conquering limbs astride from land to land;</em></p><p><em>Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand</em></p><p><em>A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame</em></p><p><em>Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name</em></p><p><em>Mother of Exiles.</em></p>

<p><strong style="line-height: 1.5; background-color: initial;"><em>Lydia:</em></strong><em style="line-height: 1.5; background-color: initial;">&nbsp; Marcus, [the Apostle] Paul will be here soon.&nbsp; I would like so much to have his blessing, and perhaps let him say a few words over us.</em></p><p><strong><em>Marcus:</em></strong><em> &nbsp; What words?&nbsp; You’ve heard enough of his words.&nbsp; They’ve deafened your ears to everything life has to tell you.</em></p><p><strong><em>Lydia:</em></strong><em>&nbsp; But you heard Peter and Paul speak.&nbsp; Did you hear anything that was ugly or wrong?</em></p><p><strong><em>Marcus:&nbsp;</em></strong><em> I heard a childish old man speak in riddles.&nbsp; Believe as they do and you will think a cow is a bull, and a bull is an ox, and an ox is a goat.</em></p><p><strong><em>Lydia:</em></strong><em>&nbsp; Oh, Marcus dear, I thought having heard, you might begin to know, to understand why.</em></p><p><strong><em>Marcus:&nbsp;</em></strong><em> Yeah … (pointing to the cross on the wall) Is this the symbol of your god … your Christ?</em></p><p><strong><em>Lydia:</em></strong><em>&nbsp; The cross on which he was crucified.</em></p><p><strong><em>Marcus:</em></strong><em>&nbsp; I am willing to accept your god if it makes you happier.</em></p><p><strong><em>Lydia:</em></strong><em>&nbsp; I don’t demand it.</em></p><p><strong><em>Marcus:&nbsp;</em></strong><em> In our garden in Sicily, we will open up a big cross, higher than the roof.&nbsp; More than that, I’ll put up a special pedestal and crown it with a figure of Christ carved from the finest marble.&nbsp; Of course, you’ll have to have Peter tell the sculptor what he looks like.</em></p><p><strong><em>Lydia:</em></strong><em>&nbsp; Marcus, listen to me.</em></p><p><strong><em>Marcus:</em></strong><em>&nbsp; (continues enthusiastically as if he has not heard her) Why not?&nbsp; It’s no trouble.&nbsp; There’s such an army of gods these days, we can always find room for another.</em></p><p><strong><em>Lydia:</em></strong><em>&nbsp; I’m not asking it as a condition for our having one another.&nbsp; I just hope and pray the image of Christ will appear in your heart.</em></p><p><strong><em>Marcus:</em></strong><em>&nbsp; My heart is only for you.&nbsp; There won’t be room for him there.</em></p><p><strong><em>Lydia:</em></strong><em>&nbsp; There will be.&nbsp; I always carry him in mine, with you.</em></p><p><strong><em>Marcus:</em></strong><em> (disdainfully) Well, take him out if he means that much Lydia.&nbsp; You hear me, get rid of him!&nbsp;</em></p><p><strong><em>Lydia:</em></strong><em>&nbsp; Paul (who has just entered), Marcus just asked me to be his wife.</em></p><p><strong><em>Paul:</em></strong><em>&nbsp; Well, I’m sure this has brought her great joy, Marcus.</em></p><p><strong><em>Lydia:</em></strong><em>&nbsp; You could see, Paul, that I loved him.&nbsp; I was just trying to explain to him that … well … that there are other things … I mean …</em></p><p><strong><em>Paul:&nbsp;</em></strong><em> I understand.</em></p><p><strong><em>Marcus:</em></strong><em>&nbsp; I don’t.&nbsp; I offer to accept the symbols of her god into my house.&nbsp; I don’t ask her to accept mine.&nbsp; What more can I say or do to prove that I am not an enemy of her god?</em></p><p><strong><em>Lydia:</em></strong><em>&nbsp; Marcus, try to understand my faith, my beliefs, my very deep beliefs.&nbsp; Don’t force me to choose.</em></p><p><strong><em>Marcus:</em></strong><em>&nbsp; You mean between me and your Christ?&nbsp; Yes choose, because I’d no more share you with your Christ than I would with any other man.</em></p><p><strong><em>Lydia:</em></strong><em>&nbsp; But Marcus, don’t you see.&nbsp; Unless you try to understand, what we feel for each other will destroy itself … destroy us.</em></p><p><strong><em>Paul:</em></strong><em>&nbsp; My son, your love for Lydia, great and beautiful as you feel it, is small compared with your love for all mankind.</em></p><p><strong><em>Marcus:&nbsp;</em></strong><em> What sort of love is it that acknowledges a force greater than itself?&nbsp; What runs in your veins, philosopher, blood or water?&nbsp; What sort of poison do you spread?&nbsp; You coming with me Lydia? … Lydia?</em></p><p><strong><em>Lydia:</em></strong><em>&nbsp; (sadly defeated) No, I can’t.</em></p><p><strong><em>Marcus:</em></strong><em>&nbsp; Something is hidden behind your meek words, philosopher, yours and that fanatical fisherman [Peter].&nbsp; They strike at Rome and Roman law.&nbsp; I warn you if ever Roman rule is threatened, you’ll feel my sword. (He brusquely pushes Paul aside, and on his way out, takes the cross from the wall and with both his hands breaks it in two.)&nbsp;</em></p>