11/19/05 1:16 PM I’m getting idea. Let’s divide Pauliaism, Mormonism and Mohammedism in terms of moral and belief.


Category ---------Paulian---------- Smithian--------- ----- Mohammedan
Moral ---------Golden Rule------Divine Dictate-------------Divine Dictate
Belief/Christ-----Affirmed----------Affirmed--------------------Denied-

The Belief in Christ needs to be expanded upon. Perhaps we need four categories, the Jesusian, Paulian, etc.

Category---------Jesusian----------Paulian-----------Smithian---------Mohammedan
Moral----------Golden Rule------Golden Rule----Divine Dictation-----Divine Dictation
Belief/Christ:----No mention-------Affirmed----------Affirmed------------Denied

This makes things much clearer. And so the Jesusian and Paulian moral will pass the moral test while the other two fail. And the reason for the failure is not really so much the content of the dictation, for it could be entirely moral, but rather because it has to be given externally, and that can never be the source of the moral. The moral is a self production of each individual on his own, and it is then utilized, among other things, in order to discern a divine revelation or encounter. Therefore it is by means of this self produced moral law (Genesis 3:22) that we are able to recognize that the Jesusian and the Paulian revelations could be of God, and likewise that the other two or not*

[* There is another component here. The latter two might be called Rewardist revelations, for the entire motivation of the “saved” human is gain and profit. The first two might in contrast be called Incidentialist because the motivation of action is a natural proclivity of respect and where the person complying with the revelation is promised both hardships and then finally also a final and encouraging reward (which is also required by reason in its practical applications).]

By inspection, focusing now on Mohammedanism, we see that the five pillars are not moral because they are complied solely as means to a reward, for only one, giving to the poor, could possibly count as moral independently of God’s command; and it fails because it is merely a tax to be paid to God (according to his command) in advance of the happiness to be conveyed, i.e., the pillar could just as easily and compellingly call for people to stand on their heads on Wednesday mornings, and without either gain or lose in moral value (for there is none at all).

In brief, in Mohammedanism we lose the meaning of moral and come to mean with it all that God has commanded as necessary to avoid hell or to obtain a finer paradise. I.e., it is equally moral (or amoral, to speak in the Western meaning) to bow as it is to give to the poor, for both are required by God in order to avoid hell. Thus it is extortionist in the extreme.

And thus does the Mohammedan fall into moral blindness, and count himself a righteous, upstanding person by doing all these inane things, and, as we have indicated, lumps the truly moral with the amoral or even the immoral (viz. Abraham) and makes mincemeat and porriage of the whole thing.

Jesus spoke of the blind as those who were no longer able to discern right from wrong, those who blaspheme against the Holy Spirit, and cannot even understand what the Holy Spirit is telling them, e.g., that the good that Jesus was doing was indeed good, and not evil as these blind wanted to infer.

Regarding the belief differences between the Jesusian and the Paulian, the former made no requirement for belief in Christ, and left people to base their hopes on their own self righteousness (understood here in a good sense as people who are indeed righteous). According to the Paulian this hope is transformed into a conviction which is adequate for peace and joy (in the Abba/Father experience) by virtue of Jesus’ atoning death and his resurrection. These redeeming works are shared in by every believer by means of a binity (cf.. unity, trinity) of spirit such that Jesus suffers for the believer on Calvary while the believer suffers for the sake of Christ in his or her own daily life and condition, it being then one spirit with two bodies as functionaries.

And so then indeed if Jesus died and resurrected then there is no reason for doubt and fear and this is replaced with peace and joy and love. This is the great advantage, i.e., knowledge of one’s salvation (and not merely hope), which comes only through faith in Christ. [The Wesleyans proclaim further that by means of the faith in Christ a person can come to a state of sanctification, although this is usually at the point of death.]

The Jesusian has hope of salvation while the Paulian has knowledge (through faith) of salvation. They may in fact both be saved, but only the latter can know this (through his faith).