What got Jesus crucified was disturbing the status quo of the Roman Occupying Forces of his time, by teaching the subversive concept that Caesar only had power because God allowed it and that God preferred the humble sinner, the poor, diseased, outcasts, widows, orphans, refugees and prisoners all living under Roman Occupation above the elite and arrogant!
Clement, Tertillian, Polycarp and every other early Church Father taught that violence was a contradiction of what Christ was all about. There have always been those Christians who spoke out against this corruption of scripture and they have been ignored, reviled, rejected, mocked, persecuted and maligned throughout time. There have always been Christians who have never abandoned the true teachings, such as the Quakers, Mennonites, some Catholics and Protestants who have been faithful witnesses to Christ by denouncing violence and caring for the poor. There have also always been Jews, Muslims, atheists, anarchists, secularists, rebels and revolutionaries who have lived lives that embody the message of Christ; who have in fact done what he actually said, which was most revolutionary.
Christ, you know it ain't easy You know how hard it can be The way things are going They're gonna crucify me
-John Lennon
Institutionalized Christians may crucify me for claiming that many who attend 21st century American churches have re-crucified and maligned Jesus, for they worship an institution and pages in the Bible. All institutions are man made and the Bible was not FAXED in from heaven, it was written down after centuries of the oral history being passed down. Whenever stories are retold, they change, and we all know this if we ever played the childhood game of telephone. Scribes were imperfect human who made many mistakes as they recopied texts; many also added their own point of view and some even left out what they chose to.
The most decisive event in the history of Christendom occurred when Emperor Constantine accepted the Christian faith, for those who had once been persecuted were now protected by an earthly king. Both a patriarchal monarchical state and church were formed at the same time. Power struggles and debates were common among the early Christians. Individual churches determined which texts were read, and they all had their favorites. Constantine sought to unite his empire, and uniting the church was a savvy political move. He announced he would pay for fifty illuminated copies of scripture to be bound, and thus the biblical canon was established and sealed. There was fierce debate among the bishops about what should be included and what left out.
The proto-orthodox, who had now become the dominant voice, determined what was heretical for everyone. The proto-orthodox demanded much-loved scripture to be burned, usually because it did not fit their understanding of God. We know more today about how diverse Christianity had once been with the discovery of the Nag´ Hammâdi Library. [Refer to Part One is this series for more information]
I may get crucified for this, but I contend that there is a cult within The Body of Christ in the USA that worships the institution and pages in the Bible, and it is a cult of the dead. Just because the canon was sealed, does not mean that God stopped talking to his creation and we can all hear Him/Her/? in the voice of our own conscience, as well as in the voices of open vessels such as poets, musicians, critics, dissidents and rebels throughout history.
Just because I no longer do church, I am still connected to the mystical Body of Christ and the most rigid of fundamentalists are my sisters and brothers. St. Paul, who never failed to express his freedom of speech, warned the followers of Christ, NOT to judge the unbeliever but to provoke the believer onto good works. My hope and prayer is to mend, heal and repair the flabby Body of Christ in the west by reconnecting it to its very roots in the land where Jesus walked and taught that it is the peacemakers who are the children of God; not those that starve, bomb, torture or occupy others.
The Christian EXODUS from the Holy land -which is in pieces- has rendered their numbers from 20% of the total to less than 1.3% since 1948. This is NOT because of Islam, but because of a brutal, inhumane military occupation which denies them human rights and ignores international law aided and abetted by the American government and its citizens hard-earned tax dollars.
Yet, every individual Christian is but one cell in the cosmic Body of Christ.
So in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. Romans 12:4
Its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part [of The Body] suffers, every part suffers with it. 1 Corinthians 12:25-26
The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him and all the prophets, said,
You will recognize the believers in their having Mercy for one another, and in their Love for one another, and in their Kindness towards one another; like the body, when one member of it hurts, the entire body hurts.
John Lennon penned The Wedding Ballad Of John & Yoko a few weeks after their 1969 marriage and then held a bed-in for peace to awaken the world via a media event to the abomination of the war in Vietnam. Using the global stage John said:
"Yoko and I are quite willing to be the world's clowns; if by doing it we do some good…And I'm saying peace…
Producer of "30 Minutes with Vanunu" and "13 Minutes with Vanunu" Author of "Keep Hope Alive" and "Memoirs of a Nice Irish American 'Girl's' Life in Occupied Territory" and an e-book; "So, That was 54..."
She has been to Israel Palestine five times since June 2005 and will return November 2008.
Consider what the Christ Jesus said, about the "son of man" to come.
"But first he must suffer many things, and be rejected by his generation." (Luke 17:24-25)
Jesus wasn't rejected by his generation, so he was talking about the next son of man, which was confirmed when he said this:
"I tell you the truth; It is to your advantage that I go away: for if I do not go away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him to you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in me [or my teachings]; of righteousness, because I go to our Father [to heaven] and you see me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. I have yet many things to say unto you, but you cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth. For he shall not speak of himself [or claim authority for himself]; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he declare, and he will show you things to come. He shall glorify me, for he shall receive of mine, and shall declare it to you." (John 16:7-15)
That clearly reveals that because Jesus had to go away and we would see him no more, he would send someone who will issue the judgment, guide humanity unto the truth, show you things to come, and glorify and declare the testimony of the Christ in heaven.
That person, who, by the way, fulfills the prophecies of ALL religions, has been trying to deliver the message from the Spirit of truth for a long time, but so far he is STILL rejected by his generation.
For millenial theologians have understood that "The Comforter" is the Holy Spirit; the Divine Spark within all beings.
Jesus said he stands at the door of our hearts and all we have to do is open our hearts and he will come in.
The next in this series is titled: The New Body of Christ and Blowing Your Mind
But I leave you with these words from the 'prophet' George, from 1971:
You don't need no love in You don't need no bed pan You don't need a horoscope or a microscope The see the mess that you're in If you open up your heart You will know what I mean We've been polluted so long Now here's a way for you to get clean...
The lord is awaiting on you all to awaken and see The lord is awaiting on you all to awaken and see
You don't need no passport And you don't need no visas You don't need to designate or to emigrate Before you can see Jesus If you open up your heart You'll see he's right there He always was and will be He'll relieve you of your cares
If you open up your heart You will see what I mean You've been kept down so long YOU think that we're all green
The lord is awaiting on you all to awaken and see
The lord is awaiting on you all to awaken and see
The lord is awaiting on you all to awaken and see
-George Harrison
by
Eileen Fleming (154 articles, 55 quicklinks, 268 diaries, 588 comments)
on Sunday, January 27, 2008 at 8:42:58 PM
The "Comforter" is generally considered the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost. You're right about that.
However, the current "son of man" serves as the messenger for God, the Holy Spirit, and the "Spirit of truth" that Jesus said would come to issue judgment, guide us unto truth, show us things to come, and glorify the Christ in heaven. That's what the prophecy is about.
A spirit cannot deliver judgment, guide all humanity unto truth, or show us things to come without a messenger. And both Jesus and Isaiah said some very specific things about him.
"He is mywitness and my servant whom I have chosen, so you may know and believe me, and understand that I am the Holy One. Before me there was no God formed, and neither shall there be after me. I, even I, am the Lord God, and beside me there is no Savior." (Isaiah 43:10-11)
"Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delights. I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgement to the Gentiles. He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street." (Isaiah 42:1-2)
Many Christians believe Isaiah was referring to because one sentence in the book of Matthew claims it does. But it clearly does not. That is an error in the Christian gospels, and it is not the only one.
Jesus said: "For as the lightening that lightens one part under heaven shines unto the other part under heaven, so shall also the son of man be in his day. But first he must suffer many things, and be rejected by his generation." (Luke 17:24-25)
Traditional Christian belief is that Jesus was speaking of himself there, but that misunderstanding was because Jesus did speak of himself when he said something very similar. That is, Jesus said of himself: "this son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain."
That is indeed similar, which is why it was assumed that what is written in Luke 17:24-25 (about the son of man first suffering many things and being rejected by his generation) was also about Jesus. But it was not. Granted, Jesus certainly was a son of man. He certainly was rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and he certainly did suffer and was slain. However, his suffering was not first or beforehand. It was only at the very end of his life and after his mission was fulfilled.
Furthermore, even though Jesus was rejected by those in power (by the elders and chief priests and scribes), he was not rejected by his generation. In fact, Jesus was accepted by multitudes from every generation at the time. That is made clear throughout the book of Matthew and in the book of Luke. It was also confirmed by an impartial Jewish historian, Flavius Josephus, who wrote at the time that Jesus "won over many Jews and many of the Greeks."
Therefore, Luke 17:24-25, about the "son of man first being rejected by his generation and suffering many things," does not refer to Jesus but to the next son of man, who is here now, who has first suffered many things (and still suffers many things), and is indeed still rejected by his generation (at the time of this writing).
Unfortunately, the truth has not been understood because there are certain phrases written in the Christian gospels that have contributed significantly to myth of the "second coming" of the Christ Jesus.
For example, one of those phrases says Jesus "will meet us in the air" and it quotes Jesus as saying, "If I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again." But, if we examine what he said in context, we can see the real truth, because Jesus immediately added that this "meeting us in the air" and "coming again" would be only "to receive you unto myself, that where I am, there you may be also." (John 14:3) He was not talking about a literal "second coming" on earth, but about the very real spiritual union that takes place between individual souls who have been, to put it in biblical terms, "carried away in spirit to that high and holy place where God inhabits eternity."
The sooner people start realizing that this is the prophesied message delivered by the "son of man," the "witness and servant of God," and the messenger for the "Spirit of truth," the sooner we can put an end to the conflict, division, violence, killing and war.
by
Sarah Morgan (1 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 176 comments)
on Monday, January 28, 2008 at 9:04:17 PM
The Moshiach, Christ, Mahdi, Buddha Maitreya, Kalki Avatar..
Quote:
Different religions have different names for the "One To Come," but there will not be a different person to fulfill each prophecy. God sends one man to fulfill all prophecy.
In other words, there will not be one person to fulfill the role of the Moshiach of Judaism, another as the Christ of Christianity; another as the Imam Mahdi of Islam, another as the Buddha Maitreya of Buddhism, another as the Kalki Avatar of Hinduism, another as the Saoshyant of Zoroastrianism, and another as Melchizedek the Harbinger of Peace.
Those, after all, are just some of the names attributed to the one that people expect to come in person, because most religious prophetic traditions include the idea that such a one would come. Most people in the world hope and expect that someone with divine authority and/or great wisdom will deliver the judgment and truth that will edify and counsel humanity, and correct those who have divided and misled us, and caused such horrible conflict and tribulation in the world.
There is but one messenger who represents all those names. But he does not claim to be the "holy one," because there is but One Holy One, One Lord God, the sole "Lord of Hosts," who is God by any other name. For God is the Great Spirit; the eternal, omnipresent but unseen Supreme Consciousness; the Divine Light-Energy-Source of our existence; and the formless, unspeakable primordial "Word," which was in the beginning and is manifested in all form and is made flesh in all of us. And the messenger of God explains how and why that is so.
Now that the world is "smaller" and we have ample ways for communications to reach all humanity, it is only common sense that there is but one authorized messenger for God's Holy Spirit of truth. Otherwise, there would be conflict and chaos, as has been and even now is the case.
Other pages relevant to this discussion are the main page, and the pages titled The Plant of Renown, The Martyrdom of Jesus, The Virgin Birth Story, and Christians Divided.
I highly recommend them, now more than ever. After all, LOTS of people think they have all the answers, but only one person has the authorization as the "chosen witness and servant of God," the "son of man," and the messenger for the Spirit of truth.
HOW LONG MUST HE SUFFER REJECTION?
by
Sarah Morgan (1 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 176 comments)
on Monday, January 28, 2008 at 9:37:22 PM
I did check out that site only briefly and was VERY impressed with the Israel Palestine article, which was the only one I had time to read.
When time allows I will most definitely return as I see all things are connected and my intuition tells me, we have more in common than NOT.
I also am VERY impressed with your passion and persistence and when time allows I will re-read all your comments and consider them deeply and respond on this thread-
I plan on getting to it in a few hours from now.
Do me a favor if you have the time, and please read the other articles in this series and lets continue this discussion.
all good 2 U,
e
by
Eileen Fleming (154 articles, 55 quicklinks, 268 diaries, 588 comments)
on Tuesday, January 29, 2008 at 8:56:58 AM
Growing numbers of us are passionately pursuing an agenda, whether it be political, religious, or both.
I am like a small but growing number of people who are advocating for the work of the man who I think is what he says he is, the prophesied messenger of God.
Of course, who would readily believe that?
Religious zealots accuse him of blasphemy, and most others dismiss him as a religious crackpot with a messianic complex. That's to be expected, which is why the prophet Isaiah and the Christ Jesus said the son of man to come would first be rejected by his generation, and first suffer many things, including being stricken and afflicted.
I think he is what he says he is, because he serves the interests of God and all humanity ... not one political party or one country or one religion or one religious sect. And he shows us the way to liberate ourselves from ALL those who want to rule over us, who do NOT serve all.
It really makes sense, when you really think about it.
by
Sarah Morgan (1 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 176 comments)
on Tuesday, January 29, 2008 at 10:41:38 AM
I seem to be very much on the 'same page' there but I have a different style and more to offer.
I LOVE this quote on the left margin and i also use quotes on WAWA's margins:
"All religions, arts and sciences are branches of the same tree. All these aspirations are directed toward ennobling man's life, lifting it from the sphere of mere physical existence and leading the individual towards freedom."-- Albert Einstein
I am pursuing a spiritual evolution revoltuion which will birth freedom from the bondages of religious institutions, guilt, and FEAR and i affirm Psalm 82:6
"I said, 'You are "gods": you are all children of the Most High God."
I also believe that God is pregnant with peace and is calling for more midwives and i think you are being called Sarah, what do you think about that?
e
by
Eileen Fleming (154 articles, 55 quicklinks, 268 diaries, 588 comments)
on Tuesday, January 29, 2008 at 11:07:45 AM
There are actually only a few areas of disagreement between you and Joseph J. Adamson. And by the way, I love your work anyway. I think your take is right on, with few exceptions.
I’ve already mentioned one; that while you wrote that "Caesar only had power because God allowed it," Adamson believes that God does not "allow" tyrants to rule. We have free will, and the will of greedy, self-important, self-righteous people is NOT the will of God.
Another disagreement is where you state that: "[the Bible] was written down after centuries of the oral history being passed down," Adamson has written the following about that:
"[The Christian gospels in the Bible were] written some 40 to 60 years after the death of Jesus, and it was during a time of great change and uncertainty. The Roman Army had demolished Jerusalem and its temples and scattered many of the Jews and Christians throughout the Roman Empire. Moreover, during all those years and decades the stories about Jesus were told by word of mouth only, before the Christian gospels were written. This would have given the authors of the gospels opportunity to come into contact with the many of the existing mythical stories of virgin births from other cultures (and there were many, as I’ve explained in a previous book). There was even more opportunity and reason for them to enhance and embellish the word-of-mouth story of Jesus to make it more unique and special. Therefore, whether the virgin birth story was really written by the original gospel authors or added later by revisionists, it was most likely inserted into the story because it greatly enhanced and elevated the status of the Christ Jesus and Christianity as an organized religion. And that was important to ‘Christian’ men with worldly, imperial designs."
That’s an excerpt from his book, Memoirs of a Prodigal Son of Man, but on his web site there are pages titled The Virgin Birth Story, and The Martyrdom of Jesus, which summarize the real story.
Whether you believe it or not, I still love your passion, your wisdom, and your devotion to the Will To Good.
I’ve already mentioned one; that while you wrote that "Caesar only had power because God allowed it," Adamson believes that God does not "allow" tyrants to rule. We have free will, and the will of greedy, self-important, self-righteous people is NOT the will of God.
I RESPOND: i totally agree we have free will, but until there is an evolution revolution greed and arrogance will 'lead' I am into the idea of no more boundaries between people; ONE WORLD to share and am an anarchist libertarian socialist; NOT a capitalist @ all!
My take on anarchy:
Anarchy is best understood as Rebellion against UNJUST laws. The Yang/male force of anarchy resists authority and causes disorder and is socially and politically incorrect by the norms of the status quo for it seeks the higher ground of justice.
The Yin/feminine force of anarchy births a new order out of the chaos and chaos is creativity in action.
Sarah said:
Another disagreement is where you state that: "[the Bible] was written down after centuries of the oral history being passed down," Adamson has written the following about that:
"[The Christian gospels in the Bible were] written some 40 to 60 years after the death of Jesus...Moreover, during all those years and decades the stories about Jesus were told by word of mouth only,
THAT IS THE ORAL TRADITION: word of mouth! And we all know what happens with stories that are told over and over; THEY CHANGE!!!
Have you read:
Have you heard the true tale of the Bedouin named Mohammed Ali? How about the Nag´ Hammâdi library?
click here only just begun this GREATER AWAKENING series and we truly have much more in agreement-keep reading-thinking and commenting!
Sarah said:
Whether you believe it or not, I still love your passion, your wisdom, and your devotion to the Will To Good.
U 2,
xox,
e
by
Eileen Fleming (154 articles, 55 quicklinks, 268 diaries, 588 comments)
on Tuesday, January 29, 2008 at 2:51:08 PM
Regarding the will of God, I really don’t see much disagreement. It’s mostly semantic. In fact, I think in that respect you would like Adamson’s work, especially with regard to establishing justice, equity, equality and fairness in the world (which we do not have now).
Regarding how, why and why the Christian gospels in the Bible were changed to embellish and exaggerate the story of Jesus, I think we are mostly in agreement.
Regarding the Gnostic Gospels rediscovered at Nag Hammadi, you may want to read Adamson’s web page titled The Plant of Renown, on which wrote:
"You should know that in the Gnostic Christian Gospels written by the original disciples of the Christ Jesus, there is much written about the ‘anointing.’ But they weren’t included in the Christian Bible. In fact, it wasn’t until they were rediscovered at Nag Hammadi in Egypt in 1945 that they became known again. And if we now put all the evidence together, it is apparent that one of the reasons Jesus came was to restore the use of the Holy Oil from the Plant of Renown, so that the people ‘shall no more be consumed with hunger (for truth) in the land, neither bear the shame of the heathen any more. Thus shall they know that I the Lord their God am with them, and that they are my people.’"
"Jesus of course also came to anoint and baptize people with the ‘fire of the Holy Spirit,’ as John the Baptist said. But the Gnostic Gospel of Philip states that, ‘There is fire in Chrism,’ and ‘The Chrism is superior to baptism for it is from the word Chrism that we are called Christians, certainly not from the word baptism.’ The word ‘Chrism’ is a Greek word literally meaning ‘an anointing,’ and it is mentioned in many early Christian writings. But the actual anointing ritual is described throughout the Gnostic Gospel of Thomas, and it is simply called the baptism. One early Christian writer states that the ‘ointment is the seal of the covenants’ of baptism. Another states being ‘anointed with the oil [Chrism] of God’ was the sign of a Christian, and a physical representation of having the gift of the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost."
I didn’t know that until I read that page, which Adamson just recently posted at:
most definitely i will keep reading-i have bookmarked it!
And please let J.J. Adamson know about me for Only in Solidarity do "We have it in our power to begin the world again" Tom Paine
As far as annointing goes:
In celebration and in honor of Reverend Martin Luther King's Birthday and with a heart bleeding for Gaza I offered this paraphrase from Luke 4:14:22:
May the Spirit of the Lord be upon you. May He/She/? Anoint you to bring glad tidings to the poor. May He/She/? Use you to proclaim LIBERTY to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and that in the offering of a drink of clean water to the least of all, that we may in sister and brotherhood proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord; for all are created equal and endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights; such as clean water and food.
Prophets have authority and also the call, to speak to the great and the small They call down kings and lift up the poor: Behold there's one at the door And many will be at THE WALL 01/26/08 Amen and amen. And amen means: So Be It!
Prophets, Doors, Walls: MLK, X, Lennon, Gaza and Thee
Adamson mentions the Gnostic Gospel of Mary Magdalene.
I quote:
"However you perceive or conceive of Deity, there is but one Divine Holy One, which is God. Whatever you call it, and whether you regard it as one or many or all, it is still God. Every thing originated from and came out of the One, and every thing returns to the One that is God, the Source/Creator."
This is consistent with what the Christ Jesus said according to the ignored Gospel of Mary Magdalene, in which Jesus is quoted as saying that 'All natures, all formed things, all creatures exist in and with one another and will again be resolved into their own roots, because the nature of matter is dissolved into the roots of its nature alone.'"
"This is very similar to the Taoist concept of Oneness which states that 'All things derive their life from it [Tao], All things return to it, and it contains them.'"
"It is also why the great Meher Baba said: 'There is no creature which is not destined for the supreme goal, as there is no river which is not winding its way toward the sea. But only in the human form can consciousness be so developed that it is capable of expressing the True Self, which is the Self of All.'"
"However, the True Self is not our separate self-conscious ego. It’s our inner soul and spirit, which knows its Oneness with God and all humanity. That is why the current Dalai Lama has said, 'The message we hear from all sources of truth is clear: We are all one. That is a message the human race has largely ignored. Forgetting this truth is the only cause of hatred and war.'"
"The genius Albert Einstein agreed with that totally, as he despised war, and he also said: 'A human being is a part of a whole, called by us 'universe', a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself as something separated from the rest... [but it's] a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness.'"
