God and Religion 06/08/2010
 (From the Aquarian Project Inner Potential Study Series, Lesson 9) Introduction The subject of God is almost impossible to talk about from a subjective point of view. There are so many views of God that, even within the same religion, there are differences. Another huge challenge is that people’s ideas of God tend to be fervent. It’s difficult to bring up the subject without appearing to be adversarial. And because people’s view of God is largely based on faith they are not used to thinking about it subjectively. There are not many “new” religions. The western world has been dominated by patriarchal monotheism for the last several thousand years. While the sacred books of these religions clearly have divinely inspired content, the Perception Problem discussed in lesson three suggests that the recipients of the messages would have been limited in what they were able to understand. Also, there are the challenges of cultural, language, and dispensation context that must be considered. Even the most devout religionist will acknowledge that God is beyond our understanding. So any issues that might not sit well with reason tend to take a back seat to God’s sovereignty. In the case of Christianity the penalty for not embracing the Bible is eternal and severe. In the dark ages the penalty was torture and death by fire. Until recently the Church and the government were one. The leaders of those governments were said to have been appointed by God, and as such enjoyed a divine sovereignty over the people they ruled. So, if you disagreed with the King you disagreed with God, and vice-versa. The fears that have been implanted into our mentality in this regard are formidable barriers to thinking critically about God. The Son of God The Son of God message has existed thousands of years before Jesus in the form of what are today called pagan religions. HORUS: The Egyptian Sun God Horus, worshipped around 3000 BC, was born of a virgin on December 25th. Three kings baring gifts followed an eastern star to the place of his birth. At 12 years old he became a teacher, and was baptized into ministry at the age of 30. He had 12 disciples who followed him as he went about healing the sick and performing miracles such as walking on water. Horus was called God’s anointed Son (Christ), The Truth, The Lamb of God, The Great Shepherd and many other familiar names. After being betrayed by his friend he was crucified, buried for 3 days, then rose from the dead. MITHRA: The Persian God Mithra appeared about 1200 BC and was still embraced by the Roman Empire as late as 300 AD when Christianity replaced it. Mithra incarnated into human form being born of a virgin on December 25th. He had 12 disciples and he went about healing the sick, and performing other miracles. He was executed and buried, and after 3 days he was resurrected. The sacred day of worship for Mithra was Sunday. ATTIS: The Greek God Attis, worshipped around 1200 BC was born of a virgin on December 25th, crucified, buried for 3 days, and then resurrected. KRISHNA: This East Indian God, worshipped heavily around 900 BC, was born of a virgin on December 25th heralded by a star in the east. He performed miracles, was crucified, and then resurrected. DIONYSUS: This Greek God was worshipped around 200 AD. He was born of a virgin on December 25th. He was a traveling teacher who performed miracles such as turning water into wine. He was referred to as the King of Kings, God’s Only Begotten Son, the Alpha and Omega, and other familiar names. He was crucified, buried, and then resurrected. Some historians claim that there were more than 60 such stories of the Son of God in ancient history, each with themes of 12 disciples, death, burial and resurrection. What can this mean? God and Religion Whatever message God is trying to relay to mankind seems to center around the themes of the Son of God, twelve disciples, crucifixion of the Son of God, his burial for three days, and his subsequent resurrection from the dead. Is it possible that religion has taken these stories too literally? Is there actually a secret or hidden message that lies at the foundation of our religions dogma? And if so, who has hidden the message, and why have they hidden it? And why doesn’t our modern religion teach the hidden message rather than its symbolism? Do our religious leaders today even know what that hidden message may be? In 325 AD when the Roman Emperor Constantine convened the Nicean Council his entire kingdom was in an uproar. On top of global political, economic, and social upheaval, Constantine had to contend with high ranking members within his own religious infrastructure who had begun to reveal to his fellows and to the common folk ancient esoteric information about the origins of the religion they all followed. The goal of the Nicean council was to create a standard by which heresy could be defined, thus providing a legal means of punishing anyone who disagreed with the emperor, and therefore God. Constantine’s Christianity literally became the law of the land. Paganism was suddenly a crime punishable by death, and those within his ranks who had been exposing secret truths were silenced or killed as heretics. What was this so-called heresy that was so effectively squashed by the Church during the inquisition and the “dark ages”? What information was Constantine trying to keep secret? What was it that the pagans and Constantine’s own people knew that might have been so damaging to the Church and, therefore, the empire? Could this information, if unchecked, have resulted in the kind of freedom and individual creative and imaginative thought that makes it difficult for a dictator to keep his subjects under control? Was the fear of punishment (both temporal and eternal) used as a tool to reinforce compliance with the Emperor’s divine authority? With the ratification and implementation of the Nicean Council’s doctrine Constantine, in one fell swoop, secured his empire’s global political, social, economic, and religious sovereignty and the supremacy and longevity of the Church for himself and his posterity. Even today one third of the population of earth claims to be followers of the Constantinian doctrine (Christianity). The Bottom Line Religion is not the enemy. God is not our antagonist, neither are we God’s. Religion can’t stop us from walking in love, nor can it force us to do so. There is nothing more beautiful than a supple heart that wants to know and follow God, and expresses that desire through altruism rather than mere words, doctrine, or dogma. This is what the Bible calls “True Religion”. The legacy of suppression of hidden information through fear of punishment for the purpose of controlling the masses remains with us today like an old useless habit that it ‘s time to abandon. |      AuthorKeith David Henry ArchivesOctober 2011 CategoriesAll  |
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