A Personal Introduction

Before we begin, allow me to explain my intent and purpose for this work. This is not designed to be a persuasive work. Whether or not you change what you believe based on the contents of this work is up to you. That is a personal decision that everyone should make for themselves. I simply wish to provide you with information that has been realized through the application of logic and reasoning to the bible and the world around us. This work is in no way intended to be an attack on anyone’s beliefs or values; Neither do I intend to condemn anyone through it. If at any point you believe I have attacked or condemned you, please do not continue reading. My purpose is not to spread hatred. This work must be built on the foundation of love.

        Because the contents presented here are generally viewed as religious, we ought to discuss what religion really is. The subject of religion is closely tied to morality. There are many people who completely reject all religions because no religion meshes with their moral standards. Because of these moral discrepancies, some reject the entire idea of a higher power, while others believe in a higher power, only rejecting specific religions. The reason these people believe what they do is closely related if not completely determined by their moral standards.

        Morality is a subject which everyone ought to think about. There is nothing pleasant about seeing the immoral actions that cause so much unnecessary harm in this world. It is even less pleasant to be on the receiving end of this malevolence. Yet one ought to face the fact that no single religion, race, ethnicity, political view, etc. is the sole cause of immorality. It cannot be ultimately blamed on any general group because the individual alone is responsible for their moral decisions. Because of free will, everyone has the choice to do good or bad regardless of their background.

        If we want to start making some worthwhile discoveries though, we have to look at the correlation between specific religious doctrine and how it influences the behavior of its followers. For clarification, this is not about the individual persons within any given religion. This is about the defined beliefs that are established by religious documents, such as the Bible, the Torah, or the Qur’an. When one analyzes these documents, regardless of what the individuals in any religion actually believe or preach, only then can one make justified conclusions about the morality of a religion. We must set aside our view of individuals to make these conclusions. I personally believe most people would rather do good than evil, regardless of what is within a religious document. For example, if one shows a Christian or a Jew that animal sacrifice is required as written in the Old Testament, most of them would still refuse to do it. Most people aren’t inherently evil, meaning that most would choose good over bad given that they actually knew one from the other. It is rather the religious doctrines which must be analyzed to see whether they are morally right.

        With that in mind, let’s look at an example. Take Hitler and a boy that stole a loaf of bread. These are two very different people that stand on completely different levels morally. Yet if we look at the documented teachings of the typical ‘saved by faith’ Christian church, these people could both go to heaven for simply believing that Jesus was the Messiah. If we look at the requirements of the ten commandments, they both would be transgressors and would be sentenced to hell. Even further, if we look at the Jewish sects which believe in the entire Mosaic Law, these two individuals would first be stoned before going to hell.

        The reason so many have a problem with this is that these results are completely unaligned with true morality. True morality would recognize that the context and intent behind a specific action matters just as much if not more than the action itself. Why must the boy who stole bread be treated the same as Hitler? The boy was only trying to feed himself and his family, while Hitler was simply killing those he didn’t like. They do not deserve to be evaluated in the same manner. It would be far more justified to recognize the actions, context, and intent before making any judgment calls. How have so many religions failed to recognize this simple yet obvious reality?

        If this message speaks to you, then please consider these words. If one could prove that the whole point of our existence was to cultivate a perfect form of love, would your heart be inclined to learn more? If one could prove that the concept of strict pass-or-fail judgement was nothing more than a disgusting lie for the purposes of misleading the masses, would you be willing to listen? If one could prove that there was more than just heaven and hell, and that there were actually an infinite number of possible results based on everything good and bad one did, would you reconsider? If one could prove that there was a higher power that actually judged in a perfectly righteous and loving manner while taking into consideration every detail of not just one’s actions, but also one’s thoughts and intentions, would you be willing to give that being another chance? If one could prove that the basis of this judgment was a Law of Love that defined the foundational necessities for moral righteousness, to include one’s actions towards all conscious and living creatures, might you follow along as we rethink everything? If one could prove that just about everything the church teaches about Jesus is wrong, would you want to see the truth? And if all of this could be done by uncovering a lost religion that was destroyed because it freed people from the bondage of organized religion, would you be willing to review the evidence, arguments, and proofs within this book? Then please, follow along as we face the journey of uncovering a forgotten truth in The Nazarene Way.

The Comprehensive Study

        The Nazarene Way is unique in it’s objective. The purpose is not to get you to follow some religious sect. Instead, the purpose is to help you think in a rational manner about biblical scripture, theology, and the world around you. The Nazarene Way starts from the ground to build up a rock solid understanding of the truth. Using only basic scientific fact and realistic observations, this study provides strong argument for the existence of God. Rather than jumping to conclusions, this book works through the details on why the bible ought to be analyzed to see if it really is the word of God.

        The Nazarene Way is the bible study because it focuses solely on the unique story only the bible can tell. This book does not twist scripture to fit some false narrative, nor does it approach scriptural analysis with presumed conclusions. Instead, this book uses strict logic and reasoning to understand the words within biblical text as they are written. It identifies the exact scriptures which justify its conclusions, and how logical processes lead to these conclusions. It even analyzes the Greek and Hebrew texts to confirm or reject the legitimacy of many translated passages. The result is truly unlike any other bible study available because it reveals the truth and why it must be the truth.

        It is important to put the subject of the Christian religion into a realistic and perhaps a relatable perspective. After all, it is the reason the bible exists as it does. As an anecdotal introduction, Christianity is a religion that got me started on an amazing journey. It introduced me to the concept of God’s love for his people. I have seen it turn many lives around for the better, with some of the best people I have ever met being Christians. I have certainly met several open-minded, generous, and loving Christians. It would be difficult to deny the benevolence of Christianity if this wholly described the religion.

        Yet if we truly want to paint the full picture, we need to look at the ugly side of Christianity too. Millions of Christians wear the cross on their neck as a proclamation to the world that Jesus died for their many sins. But many others have begun asking the following questions about this practice. First, if one were truly grateful that someone died for them, why would they wear an image of the weapon that killed them? Second, why does the world need to see them wearing this cross? And most importantly, why do so many of these people use Jesus’s death on the cross as an excuse to continue sinning? The hypocrisy has been noticed by many, but the cause of these issues is rarely understood. How is it possible that this religion can result in both the most beautiful and the most deceptive people? Is the issue that Christians are not paying enough attention to biblical scripture, or could the scriptures themselves be the cause of these polarized outcomes? The answer is best explained in the following manner.

        Consider a family relationship involving a father and his two sons. The children were born many years apart, growing up unfamiliar with each other under the same father. As a young adult, the younger of the siblings fell in love with a girl, wanting to marry her. His older brother learned that this girl was hiding the dark truth that she was a prostitute. The father, being wise, saw this coming from a mile away. However, he wanted to see if the younger of his sons would prevail on his own. Although the older brother didn’t know much about him, he felt the responsibility as a brother to help the young one see the truth. He felt a love for the young brother because he was just that – a brother. The older brother asked the father what to do. He told his older son to lay out the facts to his brother, so that the young man could make his own choice. The older brother followed through, telling his young sibling everything. The young son was inevitably hurt because he truly loved the girl. He wanted to be angry with his brother, but he also realized he would not have fallen for the girl if he knew the truth. He instead looked through the pain, left the girl, and took the time to ponder what his next steps would be. He also asked the father why he didn’t warn him earlier. The young man was told that it was a test, to see if he would persevere. Because he did, the father began to teach the young man many things about truth and life.

        Consider putting yourself into the younger brother’s shoes and ask yourself if you’d understand the older brother’s sacrificial act of love. Also ask yourself if you would leave the girl when presented with proof that she lied to you. In reality, these are both very difficult decisions to make. And unfortunately, what we will discover may lead you to make very similar decisions, especially if you are a Christian. In the context of our situation, the father of this story is comparable to God Almighty. The ‘older’ brother could describe myself, not out of superiority, but because the information here could lead to significant realizations about the truth. The younger sibling might describe you, especially if you are a Christian. And the girl is the entire religion of Christianity, which we will see is represented by the whore of Revelation chapters 17 and 18.

        Please understand that my intention is not to attack or cause harm to anyone with these contents. This message is not an easy one to share, and it can be even more difficult to receive. By nature, the truth has aspects to it both dark and light. It can be difficult to handle the dark aspects of truth; even impossible to some. Yet on the other side of that darkness is a light so compelling, so joyful, and so enlightening that it can free one’s mind and raise one’s heart higher than heaven. My hope is that this work will get you to this light while helping you through the darkness. It is not an easy journey, as nothing worthwhile ever comes easy. But if you can endure the hardships and stick around until the end of this book, you won’t be disappointed. This message is different from most others like it because it comes from a place of love and compassion.

        As stated before, Christianity has both a good and a bad side. There are many Christians who genuinely seek forgiveness from alcoholism, sexual immorality, and other sinful ways of life to better themselves. Yet there are also those with cold hearts who only joined Christianity as an excuse to continue in their sinful ways, believing God would still love them for simply going to Sunday service or wearing a cross. I honestly wish there was an easy way to share the truth with both of these groups. It is important to recognize that it is not the people of Christianity that are the problem. The problem is the religion that leads these lost sheep to the slaughter.

        Organized religion has done a great disservice to humanity. There is truly so much beauty behind the intentions of God, yet churches, synagogues, and assemblies around the world have done everything they can to hide this simple truth. Rather than teaching us to love one another and help each other find the truth, religious leaders preach arrogant superiority and divisiveness in their religion by shutting other beliefs down, typically masking this reality via emotional appeal. Many Christian churches teach either heaven or hell, and that a single wrong move can determine one’s final fate. Much of Islam teaches either to join or to perish in bloodthirsty war. The doctrine of Judaism ties heavy burdens on people while they themselves are unwilling to lift a finger. Few are humble enough to accept their errors; most want to have as much power, fortune, and fame as possible; and few care about the well-being of others. As a result, today’s world is no longer filled with beautiful culture and humane intention. These people and cultures have faded into history in place of a broken system. We are instead forced to take part in a global corporation from birth; one devoid of love and compassion. I believe things do not have to be this way. Rather, I believe that there is hope in separating the gold from the dross, in restoring the beauty of the former and discarding the hypocritical mess of the latter.

        The ultimate purpose of this book is to restore this beauty in as gentle of a manner as possible. Rather than pushing these contents on to you, I choose to allow free will to have dominion. Rather than making a few dollars, I desire that as many as possible may have free access to these contents. Rather than building emotional suspense, I want to be as transparent and open as I can. Rather than telling you what to do, I want you to take this at your own pace. Rather than giving up on faith, we will use logic and reasoning to uncover a forgotten faith that can free one’s mind from the bondage of strict religious doctrine. The Nazarene Way is not a religion in the sense that today’s organized religions are. Instead, The Way is a religion that grows and evolves with the individual. It is a path that is gradually revealed to the individual not by any man, but by the truth itself.