Page:The astral world, higher occult powers; (IA astralworldhighe00tiff).pdf/200

 or practice between these modern fashionable Christians and Jesus of Nazareth. The redemptive principle of the religion of Jesus can not be found in their religion. The difference is, Jesus was seeking the kingdom of heaven and its righteousness, while they are seeking self-gratification. The impulse in Jesus was that of religious love; theirs is a religious lust. The impulse in Jesus led him to hunger and thirst after righteousness; theirs leads them to hunger and thirst after the things of sense. Jesus, in the things pertaining to the world, was the Lazarus; they are the Dives.

Furthermore, I must be permitted to say that the popular religions of the day are manifestations of man's lustful character, in the moral and religious plane; and that it is more difficult to reform a man in his moral and religious lusts than it is in his animal lusts. It was for this reason that Jesus pronounced his severest woes upon the Scribes and Pharisees, who thought they were righteous and who despised others. Hence he said to them, "Ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against yourselves." Also, "The publicans and harlots do pass into the kingdom of heaven before you."

The proposition reduced to its simplest form is this: True religion can not dwell with lust. "Ye can not serve God and mammon." But the religion of the Pharisee of every age is lust in its highest and most impregnable plane. Hence the more of such proposed religion they have, the farther are they from true religion. Jesus was condemning lust in the moral or charitable plane when he directed that alms should be done in secret. The impulse to charitable deeds which