It’s safe to say that Atheistic Objectivists tend to be at odds with Jesus and his message. But anyone desiring to become a better person, Objectivist or otherwise, should pay close attention to the wisdom of Jesus, who was one of the most influential and powerful teachers in history. We know the legacy of his message is one of Mercy and Forgiveness, but he had a deeper message that must not be forgotten. A message that almost always goes unexamined.

Let’s look at the famous story of Jesus and the Adulterer.

On that day, 2,000 years ago, prior the writing of the New Testament, Jesus was a Jewish rabbi — a man who swore to follow the law of the land and of his religion. But Jesus had a new message. He preached mercy and forgiveness. A message that did not sit well with the old, dogmatic, traditionalists, the Pharisees. Jesus was straying from the unmerciful, but supposedly Just, message of the Jewish text set down by Moses.

On that particular day in our story, as Jesus made his way to the Temple to preach his message, he was accosted by a group of men—a snarling pack of righteous do-gooders seeking justice. Dragged amongst these foot stompers was a miserable, scared woman.

“Jesus,” one man asked, “You claim to advocate forgiveness and mercy. This woman was caught in the act of adultery. She broke God’s law and we must pass sentencing. What should we do?”

Jesus stooped and casually drew in the sand. He seemed more interested in what he was drawing than in their attempt at trapping him. He knew their goal was to rid themselves of his preaching, by forcing him into a contradiction; to preach mercy and forgiveness for her was to break the very law he had sworn to uphold.

Dragged amongst these foot stompers was a miserable, scared woman.

“Fine,” said Jesus, “do as you must.” He paused and drew again in the sand, and he then looked up and gazed into the eyes of each man in turn. “You are men who claim only to do right. Therefore, be certain that he who throws the first stone is one who knows he is in the right and that he has fully judged his own wrongs.”

What followed was a deadly silence.

And then, beginning near the youngest man Jesus heard a thumping sound; This was the sound of rocks falling from hands, one after the other with increasing rapidity, as each man in turn came to his own conclusion.

It is important to note that Jesus did not ask them to set up a committee and debate the wrongness or rightness of their judgment, he asked them to go inward and first judge themselves, then, if they had no wrongness according to their own moral code then they could judge the woman.

Be certain that he who throws the first stone is one who knows he is in the right and that he has fully judged his own wrongs.

This story is always misinterpreted because of our pre-judgments, our preconceived notions, and our feelings. We see in it only another example of Jesus’ forgiveness, or we see the evil of the stone-throwers, or their bigotry, or their silly outdated ways and their ancients laws, or their sexism (where was the man?) or the message that all men are born evil since none could throw that rock. Thus we miss Jesus’ most important message: The starting point of all judgment is self-judgment. Self-knowledge is the beginning of an honest quest for Truth. In other words, order your inner kingdom before you attempt to order the outer one.

Whatever your personal beliefs regarding Jesus in the Bible, take this story as at least one example from which every human of any belief can gain a valuable lesson. What Jesus did was leverage a unique occasion of education to impact the stone-throwers.

This story is always misinterpreted because of our pre-judgments, our preconceived notions, and our feelings.

I ask you this: Did these potential stone-throwers walk away better men or worse? At the very least, they walked away better able to be good, because Jesus helped them to think. He made each one, individually, go inward and consider for himself his own evaluation of his actions. Imagine being in that crowd and being asked by a respected leader and teacher to throw the first stone and murder this adulterer. How honestly had he — yes that one with the bits of chicken in his beard, and that one to his left, and that one behind him — judge his own moral actions?

So for me, as someone who has studied objectivism, I ask myself two questions after every interaction with some vehement ideologue. First: whether we are arguing about God, or Capitalism or Economics, or Foreign Affairs, I stop and think, “did that woman walk away a better person, or, better able to be good, or did she walk away frustrated and flabbergasted?” Often I admit that I fail this test.

Second, whenever I find that I’m having that same ‘ol argument I ask myself, have I gone inward and gained self-knowledge, separating feelings from fact? Or am I entering into the argument only to make myself feel better, or scoff at how wrong I think this guy is? If I have not asked myself tough questions about the argument we are having and thus gained order in my own mind how can I attempt to order another man’s mind?

Did these potential stone-throwers walk away better men or worse? At the very least, they walked away better able to be good, because Jesus helped them to think. He made each one, individually, go inward and consider for himself his own evaluation of his actions.

I have heard Objectivists flip Jesus’ phrase, “Judge not lest ye be judged,” on its head. Saying instead, “Judge and be prepared to be judged.” Well, I will flip that on its head: “Judge thyself before judging another.”

For, you see, no one really follows or admires the self-righteous stone-throwers. They admire and follow Jesus.