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Christianity is the fixation on delusion
Christianity is the one religion that goes way beyond religion and ends up a form of incurable mental illness.
The only way to "cure" it is self realization or self-healing.
I compare it to jumping out of an airplane and staring at the ground as it approaches faster and faster - the natural tendency is to keep watching the ground as the fixation factor takes hold - but if you do not pull the rip cord and pull out of it - you go splat - and then wake up on the other side and realize you just wasted an entire incarnation in pure delusion.
Christianity is the fixation on delusion.
Christianity
It is rare that people pull out of such delusion during an incarnation, so I give you big ups for that. However, there are major problems with atheism as it pertains to universal functioning, as atheism denies the continuity of life and everything metaphysical - when 99% of what is, is metaphysical. The 3D world is the tip of the iceberg, so to speak.
But as far as "god" goes, everyone has their own version so they all have to be wrong - so to say you don't believe in "god" means you don't accept any of the versions - which is a good thing - but - I would submit that there is/was a first cause - conscious intent that stirred the unmanifest to create all that is. I would label such a creative intelligence as source/creator - but it is hardly a localized being with rules and reactions to anything we do.
It is understandable yet unfortunate that people must learn by oscillating from one extreme to the other - as we are creatures of reaction instead of responsive awareness. And so, you leave the extremes of self delusion to the other extreme, that nothing is connected, there is nothing eternal, and all you see is what there is.
I understand it is a method of mental/spiritual house cleaning - and probably necessary to a point, but, there will also come a time when the apparatus for inner knowing, self realization, and intuition are restored and you will gain a sense of the allness in what is and how it functions and interrelates.
The short essays here are posts from Acharya S. Her original website fell into dispair some time ago, but I had kept copies of some stuff on her site. I am reposting some of the ones that I liked, I'm sure you will enjoy them as well. If I could marry someone, it would be her, she is full of wisdom.
truthbeknown.com
Acharya S is a scholar classically educated in archaeology, history, mythology and languages. Acharya specializes in religion and mythology, critiquing and comparing them, and providing unique insights into their origins.
Although raised a Christian, Acharya does not subscribe to any particular religion, nor is she a hardcore "atheist." Acharya is the author of the controversial books The Christ Conspiracy: The Greatest Story Ever Sold, Suns of God: Krishna, Buddha and Christ Unveiled., Who Was Jesus? Fingerprints of the Christ, Christ in Egypt: The Horus-Jesus Connection, Jesus as the Sun throughout History and The Gospel According to Acharya S.
An Atheist Here to Destroy?
"Oh, he tears down, but does not build up," is another criticism about my work. It is not true. No preacher or priest is more constructive. To build up their churches and maintain their creeds, the priests pulled down and destroyed the magnificent civilization of Greece and Rome, plunging Europe into the dark and sterile ages which lasted over a thousand years.
M. Mangasarian
It has been suggested that I am an "atheist" and am "very destructive."
I am neither a theist nor an atheist, although, for the most part, I prefer atheists because they can think for themselves and are not as vicious as "believers." Their morality comes not from the outside, imposed by some supernatural figure, some repressive puppetmaster in the sky, but from within, as dictated by their own autonomy, wisdom and maturity.
My only problem with extreme atheists is that they are sometimes too cynical and rigid, dismissing all "paranormal" or non-third-dimensional events often without proper investigation. They see nothing sacred to the universe.
I have many more problems with theists, however, as they consider humans to be pathetic, born-in-sin pieces of shit in the face of a glorious God. Real, tangible human beings are to be treated very badly and with tremendous condescension, because they are mere lost sheep and stupid children!
The god of their choice, of course, who is invisible and intangible - and, presumably, unable to feel pain (or pleasure), unlike humans - must be praised and complimented to high heaven! Do not love your fellow man, who can actually feel it and who needs it, but "love the Lord your God with all your heart."
Extreme theists and atheists both share a certain attitude towards creation: to wit, it is not divine or awesome.
I categorize myself as neither of these, since I prefer to view the entire cosmos as divine and awesome. I may thus be called pantheistic. I may also be considered a mystic, a "homo novus," or, as it were, a new woman.
The mystic or gnostic does not reside in the realm of belief or disbelief. She or he knows, rather than believing. I do not need to believe in the sun. I can see it and feel it. I know it exists. I also know that there is a sentience that pervades the cosmos. I am it. You are it.
The birds singing in the trees and the trees themselves are it. This sentience could be called "God," but it is not a giant man somewhere in outer space apart and aloof from creation. As Joseph Campbell said:
"The idea of God as the absolute other is a ridiculous idea. There can be no relationship to that which is absolute other."
By definition, "God" is OMNIPRESENT, which means it is everywhere, in me, in you and in all creation. Behind the creation is the Great Void, where there is no separation and all is one. This idea - this perception of the mystics and sages of ages - is backed by science, in that ALL IS ATOMS VIBRATING,and we are exchanging atoms with everything around at all times.
All is connected, and we are breathing the air exhaled by others from around the globe. We are washing with Buddha's sweat, so to speak. Or Jesus's, or Hercules's, or that of any other of the millions of deities man has created.
The human ego has created an artificial separation that makes it as dense as the material world can get. We are all one; we are the Cosmic Being, yet the human mind creates "other."
This is no different from the animals, who constantly play out the roles of predator and prey, of "other" and "alien." But as humans, we have the capacity to go beyond the deluded animal state and realize that we are spiritual beings condensed into an illusion of materiality and separation. We are That Which Is.
This is the language of a mystic, and it would seem that only other mystics can fully grok (understand) it. To attain to the mystical is to know "God" and all its fullness. The mystical is paradoxical. It does not take a solid platform. That is why it is MYST-ERIOUS. The mystical lives in the herenow and says neti, neti, neither this nor that. It dictates totality.
So, no, I don't believe in any god person. I know myself as That Which Is. This is not a new concept to those who bother to think for themselves and check out the astounding amount of information found around the globe on this all-important subject of "God" and the cosmos, instead of blindly going along with some other person's prescribed path, which is usually very cultlike, sectarian, racist and sexist. The blind leading the blind is dangerous.
And yes, I am here to destroy. I am the intellectual aspect of Kali, the destroyer, of Shiva, of Zeus the thunderer, and of Jehovah the flattener of cities. But I am also a part and parcel of the Creative Life Force that permeates the cosmos, and upon the ruined foundations of dead and rotten ideologies I build anew.
I construct a better creation with a more solid and universal foundation, one not built upon the mental quicksand of racism, sexism and "chosen people" of one ethnicity or another. I build anew atop this foundation that wisdom is found in every culture, race and creed, and even throughout the cosmos, as it cannot be and never has been contained in one person, one book, one race or one gender.
The living truth cannot be constrained by borders and artifice. This universal foundation cannot be chipped away by niggling little forces of racial, political or "religious" ideologies that teach separation and division.
For, when one proudly declares he is a Christian, he is also equally proudly declaring that he is NOT a Jew, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist or any other "devilish" thing. Plain and simple, this is ugly, and this is what I'm here to destroy.
Let us think back to when we were children, before we started getting conditioned - or, more appropriately, brainwashed - by those around us. We did not see race, gender, ethnicity or religion. We saw other children, beings with smiling faces exuding innocence.
The unbridled, radiant love of life beamed from our souls and flowed from our hearts. Then we started to learn that we were no longer one empathetic being but were part of a variety of groups that separated us from each other. Suddenly, we were "boys" or "girls," "blacks" or "whites." We were "Americans" and "Russians."
We were "Christians" or "Jews." And those over THERE were not like us over HERE. Again, this is extremely ugly and is at the root of all kinds of prejudice and bigotry that go on day in and day out. These are, in reality, false separations.
The truth is that we all have wisdom, and my wisdom is telling me that now is the time to wake up to our universal selves, as we sit on the edge of global chaos. Because of the various ideologies that are blinding humanity from its true nature, from living in the present, from being awakened, most of humankind is oblivious to what is going on all around.
They are frogs in the pot of water, waiting to be cooked and not feeling the heat. Their minds are twisted, and they cannot think for themselves here and now but must constantly look for answers elsewhere.
When you are in such a state, you are not truly living, because you must first wait to close one transaction to begin another. Also, you're stumbling about, somnambulating, without being fully present. Such is not the state of life but of catatonia. Thus, like Kali, I am hacking away at the veil that keeps you sightless and asleep to the ethereal and awe-inspiring nature of the cosmos.
The Crucifixion of the Intelligence
I haven't seen Mel Gibson's bloody movie, "The Passion of The Christ," and I don't plan to anytime soon. Since I'm an expert on Christian mythology, however, I'm qualified anyway to speak against the grotesque slop that keeps coming out of Hollyweird and passing itself off as "history."
Every year, the hideous fable called the "life of Christ" is brought to us in living technigory in some fashion or another, based on the "true story" of Jesus, the Virgin Mary or, recently, Judas, whose snarling macho countenance faced off with an effeminate and ineffectual Heyzoos on the small screen.
When it comes to pious nonsense, the credibility milking machine never shuts down, as even the respected PBS and Discovery get in on the credulous cash cow with their "true" and "accurate" depictions of Jesus's purported life.
With cash registers exploding, blood vessels bursting and audiences fainting as they haven't since "The Exorcist," the latest Jesus flick may be dismissed as more mindless mayhem and pabulum portraying a FICTIONAL tale about a guy who NEVER existed. Can I shout that any louder?
No, Jesus Christ was NOT the only begotten son of God. Nor was he a groovy guru, a political rebel, a kindly rabbi, an itinerant healer, a cynic sage, a gay, a woman, a massage therapist, a tattoo artist or an alien.
The story in the New Testament is fiction based on the numerous preceding myths of gods and goddesses throughout the known world. Thus, the point is entirely MOOT as to who killed Jesus. No, no, no, it wasn't "the Jews," whoever they were. Nor was it "the Romans." No one killed Christ, because Christ never lived.
Period.
It didn't happen.
Get over it. Time to create a better story that centers on life instead of death. Especially the hideous and cruel torture and death of the Almighty God Hisself! Truly, I say unto you, the story is despicable.
Having seen several clips from his latest ultra-violent movie, I would concur with the critic who feels Gibson's body of work reveals a singularly sadistic side of the man. Mel certainly loves to eviscerate and exsanguinate his characters.
The more rational among us must know that the all-powerful God of the cosmos which is what Gibson says he believes Jesus was, would not and could not bleed and suffer for any reason, i.e. "good judgment; sound sense."
That Jesus or any other "son of God" endured a horrible, ignominious death for our sins is an absurd and asininenay, barbaric and savage idea that has possessed the human mind for far too long.
In reality, the Passion of Christ or any other god (and there have been several with nearly the exact same tale) is based on human sacrifice, specifically the "sacred king ritual." Ritual human sacrifice is a vile, disgusting affair practiced worldwide for millennia using countless victims from virtually every culture, encompassing all ages and both genders.
This sick and sickening rite given a perversely warm, fuzzy feeling by being called a "passion" is the most contemptible and depraved act humans can commit. Yet, this revolting ritual murder has been perpetrated in the name of the good and gracious God, to atone for "sins" that humans were endowed with in the first place by the same "merciful" Creator!
Indeed, according to religious fanatics, the torture and death of an innocent human being in a sin-atoning ritual constitutes God's "Highest Plan!" And we are to be reminded of this crime against reason and sanity endlessly, ad infinitum and ad nauseam.
I, for one, am sick of hearing about it. I've had enough. Let us write a new, uplifting and inspiring chapter in Earth's history, and get rid of this awful, stupid fiction that keeps humankind deranged and retarded.
For starters, if by some chance you find yourself dragged to Gibson's gruesome film, just keep reminding yourself, "It's only a movie. It's only a movie." Just like "Halloween" or "Nightmare on Elm Street."
Next, to shake off all the horror and evil, proceed to the nearest retro theater to see Grant and Hepburn's "Bringing Up Baby," with its far more enlightening plot and ennobling characters.
On a Wing and a Prayer
"Hands that help are far better than lips that pray."
Robert Ingersoll
"Love is the very essence of prayer. Those who pray without love, their prayer remains formal. It is an empty gesture with no meaning, no significance. They can go on praying for lives together - no transformation is going to happen through their prayer. They are deceiving themselves and nobody else."
Osho
Many people pray in times of distress and discomfort. Others do it out of a sense of obligation that some god person is watching them and waiting for their begging and praise. While prayer has its place, the simple fact is that we are not born into this world to be beggars and naggers.
We are born into this world to become buddhas and christs who command godly energy, rather than whimpering and whining to some unknown and imaginary agency in the sky.
Is Begging a Religious Experience?
In most countries, begging is viewed as a disgrace, a reduction in self-esteem, a sign of poor self-image. Yet, when it comes to soliciting favors and blessings from a created deity, begging is considered a great virtue. If a person comes up to another on the street and says, "Father, please give me some money.
I am so hungry," many people cop an attitude towards that person that he or she is "less than," even while they might give him or her some money. Others are so scornful they would not even consider giving the "bum" anything.
But if someone looks towards the heavens or closes his or her eyes and begs instead to an invisible entity that some call "God," saying, "Father, give me some money. I am so hungry" - that is viewed as being highly virtuous and righteous. Our so-called authorities such as priests and ministers really approve of that kind of begging.
The begging called prayer is no less dishonorable in terms of revealing lack of self-worth and power than the begging called panhandling. The begging called prayer is as pitiful and degrading as is bumming on the street. But this cannot be seen by most people because they are so brainwashed into believing that there is some god person on the other end of their begging and nagging who is pleased by it.
Does God Like Begging?
If any such god person were real, who enjoyed such lowly behavior as constant begging and nagging, and who also got a real ego kick out of mousy little humans praising and exalting "his" name, such a god person should surely be considered a tyrant and a conceited creep. This kind of personality is intolerable to us from other human beings - we call it a coward, bully or egotist - but from our created god entity, we expect it and go along with it. This behavior is truly hypocritical.
Whenever a person arises on this earth who has such a conceited and arrogant "god" personality, he soon develops many enemies who wish to destroy him because of his hubris and arrogance. But this same kind of behavior from our deity is a given, and humans seem to perversely admire that.
We Are Buddhas, Not Beggars
On the opposite side of a beggar is a buddha, who does not ask for favors from any god person but who demands that life improve around him or her. In actuality, there is nothing particularly wrong with addressing an unseen entity or entities, and even asking questions of what seems to be nothing.
In addition, by focusing psychic energy in "prayer," we can bring about healing, by helping to increase the healing chemicals in our bodies. But when it comes to giving away through sniveling and groveling one's power over one's own life, this is not the experience of a completed consciousness.
To assume that there is some outside authority who has control over your life is to give away your autonomy. This is to suppose that someone else is living your life for you. You are not really living your own life. This is the problem with having a daddy figure in the sky from whom you must continuously beg favors.
The paradox is that there are elements "out there," beyond the third dimension energy currents, if you will that one can utilize, even ask, to aid one in changing one's circumstances. For example, shamans and masters who know how to speak to such elements or spirits have seemingly been able change the weather if they try. They do this by asking or commanding elements, spirits or the "Great Spirit."
But there is an entirely different attitude involved here. This attitude is one of being in control of the creative life force, of respecting the elements but of knowing that one is not a victim or patsy of them.
Oh, Lord, Won't You Buy Me a Mercedes Benz?
One can also meditate and commune with the elements, whether or not you wish to call them "God," gods, angels, etc. There is no law against what you can do with your consciousness. But keep in mind that prayer is not all that it is cracked up to be - think about it, how many of your "prayers" have really been answered? This is not to say that at times prayers have not been "answered" randomly, but far too many have gone unanswered for this exercise to be reliable.
What is "True Prayer?"
Rather than begging, which simply doesn't work, "true prayer" is an invitation to the universe, a welcoming, a jubilation. The prayerful attitude is one of joy and delight. When one is in "true prayer," one is silent, empty.
One has no designation or label; in other words, one is not a Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim or Jew. One is not repeating rote, parroting scriptures - this is the opposite of true prayer. True prayer is a state of being one with the Absolute. Hence, there is no object or subject. There is only the One.
How does one attain to such a state of peacefulness? Life is full of treachery and danger - can we not get assistance in changing it? Is there no higher power upon which we can rely at all? Are we simply alone to our own devices, which may be useless? Is this all there is?
These last sentiments are frightening to most people, which is why they want to believe so strongly in God. To think that they are ABSOLUTELY ALONE on this planet is horrifying, and such fear is frequently justified, because this world is so chaotic and crazed. We cannot attain to peace within ourselves unless we also bring it about without ourselves.
Think about that double-entendre: You are one with the cosmos; thus, everything is you. The search for peace must include not only your inner being but your surroundings as well. And in that search, the "you" becomes more expanded, to the point of being nothing and encompassing everything.
There IS power in the universe. The question is how we can tap into it. Is this higher energy a person with its own mind and plan of whom we need to ask permission to live in a happy, stressfree manner, which is really what people are praying for?
People just want to be happy, without the heart-rending tragedy that too frequently befalls them. Many folks are not asking for very much at all to live unharrassed in simple enjoyment.
You would think that were there a higher power, it could at least bestow that, since it supposedly created us in the first place! What kind of cruel creator cannot even allow that simple reality? This is the paradox of having a personal creator separate and apart from creation who exclusively holds the keys to creation and is the only one who knows the plan!
And how come this supposedly all-knowing God doesn't already know what we need, such that we don't need to ask? Why do "Jesus" or "Mary" need to appear such as at Fatima to tell people how to pray to them, when they obviously know what the people's needs are, since they are telling them how to pray to get their needs fulfilled? Pretty dumb.
The reality of the situation is that there is no separation between us and "the Creator." We are the creators of our own drama, and as long as we insist that someone else is, nothing will change on this planet. The same dementia, neuroses and psychoses that cause us so much grief, from which we pray for release, will continue to rule the mass human psyche.
These mental and emotional debilitations are created by the notion that we are separate from "God" in the first place. There is this immense and magnificent otherworldly being who deserves high praise indeed, but we ourselves - "his children" - are simply awful, wretched, sinful creatures who need constant chastisement and repentance.
How do we change ourselves and the world? By recognizing that the dense separation between us and the rest of creation is artificial, such that instead of begging cosmic energy, we can draw it into ourselves and spread it out into the world.
By knowing that we are godly beings, not wretches, we can reach a state of responsibility and maturity. And we can get righteously indignant and demand change, rather than begging for it.
In order to have a mature spiritual experience, simply know that there is a difference between a buddha and a beggar. Understand that a buddha is "God," his or her experience is not separate from any god entity, and a beggar has a layer of separation in his or her perception that "God" is an entity "absolutely other," outside of him or herself and separate.
This separation from "God" is placed as a "meme" or mental conditioning by the very priests who then profess to teach someone how to pray to that God. Without the separation, the prayer becomes unnecessary, as one is already "in prayer" with "God."
One is in fact praying to oneself. As Peter O'Toole says in "The Ruling Class," when asked, "How do you know you're God?": "Simple. When I pray to him, I find I'm speaking to myself."
And one is then answering one's own prayers. This experience of empowerment can be called enlightenment, which is what most people should be praying for in the first place.
"Prayer is wonder, reverence. Prayer is receptivity for the miracle that surrounds you. Prayer is surrender to beauty, to the grandeur, to this fantastic experience. Prayer is a non-argumentative dialogue with existence. It is not a discussion it is a love-dialogue. You don't argue you simply whisper sweet nothings."
Osho
In reality, while fervent believers bleat and wail about?
"witchcraft," a la "Harry Potter" for example, the typical prayer represents mere voodoo and witchcraft itself, as the person praying is attempting to supernaturally affect some aspect of life, whether it is a global concern or a personal worry, such as the status of an "unsaved" loved one.
In other words, the Christian who fervently prays for the soul of another, arrogantly believing that he or she is "saved" and superior to the subject of the prayer, and therefore has a direct pipeline to the "right" God, is little different from the Pagan or the Wiccan, despite fallacious claims otherwise.
Egotist on Earth
Over the millennia and around the globe, great men and women have allegedly appeared to establish extraordinary and universal philosophies that have made an impact upon the human psyche and upon life on Earth in general.
According to the stories, these distinguished spiritualists have sprung up seemingly from the earth itself, or from the cosmos, with apparently original ideas that inspire thousands and cause these outstanding thinkers to be placed upon pedestals and basically worshipped as gods on Earth.
Every culture has abundant legends and stories about certain of their own or some unusual outsider who has appeared to be "anointed" in some way by the "Creator," and who has instituted a presumably new manner in which said "Creator" is supposedly dictating to "his" creatures.
Each time one of these creator-inspired visionaries appears upon the planet there seems to be a break from the old philosophies and religions, and the creation of an apparently radical style of living, one that the followers believe is somehow closer to "God," as revealed through the godman or woman.
Because these spiritual people appear to be or represent themselves to be closer to God and more worthy of "his" "grace," other people who think themselves less evolved will seek such grace through such "masters" on Earth.
Because the followers believe that there is an anthropomorphic god somewhere "out there," they are open to the concept that "he" will allow for some of "himself" to incarnate in and through the various "great ones," who likewise generally go along with the designation that they are indeed "sons and daughters of God," or gods themselves.
The scenario that develops out of such a designation is the virtual and outright worship of the godman/prophet as God on Earth, along with the following of his or her dictates as the "Will of God."
This leads to the establishment of a "foundation" or some such organization to spread the "word" of the godman or woman throughout the world, with each organization claiming that its particular godperson somehow knows with greater surety and insight the mind and will of God.
Sometimes the organization surrounding an original thinker develops into a cult/religion, where the founder is not only God's representative on Earth but also God "himself!"
Therefore, if one is to follow God's will, one must listen completely and with utter surrender to the commandments of the godman/prophet on Earth, never doubting or questioning his word, and changing one's lifestyle according to the decree of the master.
In finding and obeying such a reputedly godly person, the seeker or religious neophyte will feel relieved that he need no longer worry about whether or not his actions are righteous or just, and whether or not some god person in the sky is then going to be pleased or angered by such actions.
Indeed, the seeker who surrenders to the god on Earth is often relinquishing responsibility for his or her life to the master, who will oversee, whether directly or esoterically, the spiritual and psychological growth and well-being of the acolyte.
Surrendering to the Master
This "surrender to the master" is very common in Eastern countries, where godmen abound. Although Westerners unknowingly also surrender to a master, i.e., Jesus Christ, many people in the West look aghast upon the spiritual practices common in Eastern countries.
Such believers are very smug in their attitude that there has been and will always be only one real master who has ever set foot on this Earth; therefore, they will not ever accept the supposed divinity of anyone else.
This complacent attitude is a very easy to take, because the godman to whom many Westerners surrender is an easy taskmaster, being long dead and unable to truly make them work, as living masters do with their disciples.
How many Christians - in other words, those who have surrendered to Christ as their master - really live according to the dictates that they presume Christ mandated? Most "Christians" fail to live up to the standards that the mythical Christ purportedly established. Surrendering to a dead master (or, more appropriately, one who never existed) is much easier than surrendering to a live one.
Now, this is not to say that anyone should surrender to a master in the first place, although the actual meaning of the phrase "surrender to the master" is not as ominous as it sounds or as past "masters" have made it appear.
In a pure, spiritual sense, to "surrender to the master" does not refer to giving your power away to a man who is pretending to be God and who will then abuse you in an unkind, egotistical and tyrannical manner.
To "surrender to the master" actually means that one admits that someone or something is more advanced in some manner and that one desires to absorb that advancement or excellence.
In other words, if we recognize that a bird can sing a birdsong better than we do, and we wish to learn how to emulate a birdsong, we can "surrender" even to a bird in order to learn that bird's talents. Surrendering to a master does not have to refer to a man or even a human being, but it can.
When an apprentice to a master of any sort learns the trade and eventually becomes master him or herself, that is also surrendering to the master. In this way, in the true sense of the phrase, to surrender to a master - whether human or otherwise - is to gain in power, not to give it away. One could even surrender to a plant in order to learn how a plant functions.
This beneficial type of surrender has been done by many people over the millennia. There are people who are so adept at "surrendering" that they become extremely omnidimensional; in other words they are able to do many things extraordinarily well.
True surrender to a master, then, is a way to learn and to become empowered, not to become a dog and disempowered. That last part is the false concept that has come to be associated with surrendering to a master because many people over the centuries who have claimed to be masters are in actuality grand egotists who indeed wish to treat others like dogs and have them serve them.
This list of egotists would include priests and the like, who have determined that they hold the keys to some nebulous god person and will dangle them over their parishioners' heads in order to control them and gain economic benefit.
Many "Masters" Are But Egotists
For the most part, surrendering to the master has gotten a bad name precisely because of power-hungry egotists who have set themselves up as gods on Earth. These people have not had their disciples', apprentices' or followers' best interests in mind at all; they have only had their own agendas.
In the spiritual world, a true master is interested not in holding things above his or her disciple's head but in enlightening the disciple to the ultimate truth so that the disciple can then become his or her own master.
The definition of a true master is not to enslave a follower to some rigid dogma or doctrine but to free the disciple from all outside authority, to allow the follower to find his or her own autonomy.
Hence, a so-called spiritual leader who exhorts his followers to obey anyone, whether the leader himself or a father-figure in the sky, is not an enlightened being but a deluded egotist. No true master has a father-figure who dictates what he or she must do.
No genuine master has any parent of any kind, whether on this earth or in heaven. A real enlightened master is a person whose authority comes from his or her own realizations, his or her own internal being, which through the enlightenment process has become united with the creative life force that pervades all things.
Any person whose interest is in establishing him or herself as God on Earth and in acquiring little peons all around who will do his or her bidding is not a true master but an egotist on Earth.
Anyone who thinks he or she alone knows the true nature of God and then presents this god image as a giant creature that no one else can know is not a real enlightened one but a charlatan. True mastery comes when one knows that omnipresent divinity exists all around and is not localized, extending to the smallest creature, which is then to be cherished and respected.
On Being Religious
An ignorant people is generally a religious people, and a religious people nearly always an immoral people.
John Remsburg
People who claim to be religious usually aren't. They believe that following some doctrine, dogma or egotistical self-appointed "agent of God" makes them religious, when in fact following anything, like a brainless sheep, is the antithesis of true religion.
Not being able to think for yourself is not a mark of great religious piety but a sign of being cut off from creativity, which is the realm of the Creator Itself.
No person blindly following the uncreative life prescribed by a religious doctrine is close to the Creator but is in reality deadened to the Creative Life Force, which is "God"; hence, he or she is unreligious.
Do Pompous Pride and Religiosity Go Together?
Those who profess to be religious usually do so with great pride and feeling of being good. They think that they are getting brownie points with some deity in the sky or some society creature. Others who hear their declarations of "I am a very religious person" nod their heads in tremendous approval, approval that the sheepish "religious" child desperately wants.
Oddly enough, the pride and ego-boosting that come along with such declarations are signs of irreligiousness, of insecurity and a definite separation from "God." By saying that you are religious, you are in effect implying that there is something about yourself that is superior to the person who does not make such a claim.
You are arrogantly setting yourself apart from other human beings simply because you can shamelessly obey the doctrine of institutions that have mindlessly and violently wreaked havoc upon this planet.
Being a Zombie is Not a Religious Experience
Believing in a male father-figure in the sky, and ignorantly and uncreatively following rules set forth hundreds and thousands of years ago by a man or men, are anything but religious experiences.
The agents of such dead experiences thoroughly love that so many other people in the world think this is the definition of religion. They benefit greatly by keeping people enslaved to dead dogma and in a state of perpetual childhood.
Obey! Don't question authority! Marry and reproduce! Don't think for yourselves! Family is good! Father knows best! Follow the Christian ethic! Baa! Baa! Baa!
A person in such a state never really knows what he or she is doing, unless it is the most basic of acts, like sleeping or going to the can.
But when real, hard decisions come flying down the pike, these people cannot think for themselves and must go running to one of their authority figures, such as a priest or even a psychiatrist who is the priest of his own religion for the answers to their lives' dilemmas.
This is to suppose that other people know who you are more than you do and can determine your life better than you can. Not knowing yourself and putting your life in the hands of others, whether a terrestrial father or the Great Daddy in the Sky, is most definitely not a religious experience by any enlightened definition.
In fact, not knowing yourself is unenlightenment, which is considered the opposite of a religious experience in many cultures and religious traditions. Even the mythical writer of the biblical Galatians informs and exhorts his followers:
"My little children, with whom I am again in travail until the Christ be formed in you." (Emphasis added.) What this correctly means is that until you become Christ - Christ is a spiritual state of union with divinity, not a Jewish man - you are just a child, you are not fully formed.
The whole point of real religion is to create enlightened, awakened, fully formed adults who take responsibility for themselves and do not pass it off on any savior, messiah or father god.
A so-called religion that causes one to become crippled, self-mortifying and self-deprecating is not a religion but a social system of controlling the masses through psychological deformation and retardation.
Surrendering your existence to a fictitious daddy in heaven or his savior son is not a religious experience. For those who know what a religious experience is that is, an epiphany whereby the entire universe becomes a blessing followers of organized religion who proudly proclaim they are religious are irritating and idiotic.
Get a clue about the nature of God other than what some ridiculous, outdated, biased, sexist, racist and spurious Book and its cheerleaders dictate.
Meditate and feel your inner silence. Then you will truly be able to claim you are religious, but not while you are unthinkingly following someone or something simply because you think that will earn you marks in the Maker's "Book of Life."
Many serial killers and mass murderers have also claimed to be very religious people. Obviously, this claim does not mark a good character. It is not an impressive thing to those who know true religion, which has no dogma, no doctrine, no anthropomorphic god, no saviors and no priests, but simply benevolence, divine love and cosmic consciousness.
God's Word
Our legends and our folk-tales are the sacred lore which you croon to your infants. Our poems have filled your hymnals and your prayerbooks. Our national history has become an indispensable part of the learning of your pastors and priests and scholars.
Our kings, our statesmen, our prophets, our warriors your heroes. Our ancient little country is your Holy Land. Our national literature is your Holy Bible. What our people thought and taught has become inextricably woven into your speech and tradition, until no one among you can be called educated who is not familiar with our racial heritage.
Jewish artisans and Jewish fishermen are your teachers and your saints, with countless statues carved in their image and innumerable cathedrals raised in their memories. A Jewish maiden is your ideal of motherhood and womanhood.
A Jewish rebel-prophet is the central figure in your religious worship. We have pulled down your idols, cast aside your racial inheritance, and substituted for them our God and our traditions. No conquest in history can even remotely compare with this clean sweep over you.
Maurice Ravage
Tell the truth now. Isn't it tiresome to constantly hear about how one particular country is the chosen land of God? How one specific ethnic group is "God's chosen people?" How God had a son through the womb of a "virgin" of a particular racial bias? Must we really hear again how all God's prophecies and prophets deal with one specific country and its people to the exclusion of all others?
The so-called scriptures that continuously reinforce these types of prejudices are nothing more than extremely egocentric and ethnocentric depictions of God and "his Word." Contrary to it being a "spiritual" experience, can there possibly be anything more repulsively biased than a "holy book" that specifically and constantly favors one people over another?
Do we really need to hear about it again, how God gave the land to this group or another, how everything God wants for the universe revolves around what happens in their "Holy Land" and "Holy City" or some other such thing?
Books are Written by MEN
As concerns the most famous of the world's "holy scriptures," the Bible has never been the "Word of God," anymore than any other book, since everything is "God." Like other sacred scriptures from the dawn of human history, the Bible was written by a bunch of men who wanted to make the world revolve around them, their laws, their rules, their ethnocentric and egocentric biases.
It is no wonder others had to come along and make up their own "religions" to counter this egotism. The Bible is not the revelation of any male deity of a particular ethnic persuasion but is a blueprint that has been followed by rulers and the rich throughout history.
It is not surprising that such a document has come to be true now and then. Even a monkey slapping at computer keys will come up with intelligible comments once in a while.
Superior? Chosen? Arrogant! Conceited!
Of whatever background or ethnicity, people who think that God has chosen them, their land and their laws are living in a dreamworld of arrogance and conceit. They seem to constantly need a wakeup call to let them know that they are not superior to the rest of humanity.
Unfortunately, many people go right along with their pronouncements that God has chosen them. Often even their enemies ascribe to the notion that their "scriptures" are divinely inspired. But, of course, the enemies then twist these selfsame writings to serve themselves.
It is not one group that is being chastised here for egotism and arrogance in supposing that "God" has spoken only to them, moved only through them, chosen only them. Any group or individual doing or thinking this should be under the same fire. In reality, this treatise applies to every "religious" cult around the world that believes it and only it is special in the eyes of some ethnically prejudiced deity.
Contrary to what these "religious" bigots wish to believe about themselves in order to relieve deep-seated feelings of inferiority, God is not sitting around on a throne watching their every move and granting them the occasional boon.
God is not discriminating against all other peoples, whom "he" apparently hates, in order to favor "his" most beloved. There is no such god to be so prejudiced and partial. Indeed, such a creature would definitely not be divine in nature.
So many cultures around the world believe that God wrote their holy books, God spoke to them, God favors them, God loves only them, God protects them against their enemies, etc., ad nauseam. It is only by extreme perseverance that a particular version of "spiritual" reality has been forced upon such a large percentage of the world's population.
Is God a Jewish or Arab Man?
For example, hundreds of millions of people worldwide have been led to believe that God is a Jewish or Arab man. However, in other parts of the world, "God" is perceived as having a different ethnicity all together and not as a Jewish or Arab man. And an inhabitant of a desert island doesn't even know that the Jewish or Arab god exists.
The idea that "God" wrote the Bible, Koran or other scripture, spoke only to individuals of a particularly ethnicity, admires and rewards them, mated with a woman and had a son of the same ethnicity, are not reflections of divine revelation at all but of complete and utter ethnic bias and egotism. This is the naked truth. When humanity comes to understand this at last, then and only then can we have peace on earth.
There are No "Chosen" People or "Superior" Races
As long as there are insecure "chosen" fools - of whatever race or ethnicity - running around bragging about how God blesses them over all others, how their country is the Holy Land, or some other idiotic thing, this planet will never be well.
Enough is enough. Humanity needs to get over its childish God trip. It is simply the ridiculous human ego that wishes to constantly assert that "God" is checking out and rewarding above all any particular individual or group.
Humankind needs to drop all such ego identifications as nationalism, racism, religionism. You are not Jews, not Christians, not Muslims, not Buddhists, not Hindus. You are not black, white, brown, yellow or red. You are not Americans, Israelis, Germans or Japanese. You are simply people, human beings, inhabitants of planet earth.
And remember this above all: Your racial or ethnic "history" is not "God's Word."
Holy Days
What are holidays? Year after year, hordes of people of all sects and cults march mindlessly to their temples, churches, synagogues and mosques to celebrate "holidays," the origins of which these same people have not even a clue.
How many "Christians" are aware, for example, that "Christmas" - which they believe is the birthday of a Jewish messiah sent by a father-god figure - is actually the day when the sun begins its journey north again after passing through the winter solstice?
Do all these Christians who take off Christmas to celebrate the little babe in the manger realize they are marking a pagan holiday commemorating the movements of the sun?
Few people realize that Hanukkah, which is taken to be a very important time in the eyes of the Jewish deity, Yahweh, was actually created to "combat" the religious holidays of the Christians, who in turn stole theirs from the pagans.
Look to the Stars: "Religion" is Based on Astrotheology
In fact, all these religious holidays, unless they have a basis in commemorating the movements of the planetary bodies, are simply competitions between the various so-called religions. They are not days of great importance to a white male god person sitting in his castle in the clouds.
All real "religious holidays," if you will, are based on the movements of the planetary bodies, and not on anyone's birth, death, racial history, winning of battles, exoduses out of bondage, etc.
These are all egotistical and ethnocentric moves made by competitors in the fields of politics and religion. There is no god person sitting "up there" watching and nodding "his" head in approval at the commemoration of "his" supposed holy days.
In other words, these holidays are fraudulent. If they were truthfully recognizing the movements of the planetary bodies, such as the "pagans" do still today, they would not be fraudulent, because such were the original "holy days." However, as they are currently presented, they are completely and utterly bogus.
There are many people who can see the egotism and bigotry involved in these "holidays;" however, even they go along with it, perhaps thinking that if there is an anthropomorphic deity somewhere "out there" they may be able to win points in "his" Book of Life and Death.
Let us develop or re-develop truly universal holidays that are not based on how many other cultures we have trounced (such as "Columbus Day") or the day "our Lord" was viciously murdered or some other such thing. Let us abandon such ugly concepts and create beautiful celebrations of humankind, of the rest of the natural world and of the awesome vastness of the cosmos.
Speaking for God
"Have you not seen a delusive vision, and uttered a lying divination, whenever you have said, 'Says the Lord,' although I have not spoken?" Ezekiel 13:7
How many times have we heard some fat, loud-mouthed preacher of a type sputter and howl, "God says this, and God says that?" How many more times do we have to hear that blather until we wake up and realize that nobody speaks for God, not a man dressed in black or in robes waving a black-covered book, not a man wearing a turban shouting "Jihad!," not a man of any kind?
Omnipresence Has No Spokespeople
The point is that even to these dodobirds "God" is supposedly omnipresent and, as such, is not, cannot be and never will be contained in one book, no matter how many times the dimwitted cheerleaders of that book threaten eternal damnation and punishment.
If "God" is omnipresent a device conveniently used by these selfsame "preachers" to scare people into behaving, e.g., "God is watching you at all times" then "God" is contained in everything, and that means every book, every person, every animal and every rock. That is the definition of omnipresence. In case the religionists still don't get that, let's spell it out:
"omnipresent : present in all places at all times" Webster's
Case closed. It is not possible for an omnipresent divinity to be here but not there. It is impossible for an omnipresent deity to be absent from someplace. That is the bottom line.
Therefore - paradoxically to the notion that arrogant bozos who pretend to speak for God are fulla-da-shit every book and every creature that claims to be speaking for God must be right, even those that say God is an utterly bogus concept designed to enslave the human race. Since God is omnipresent, God is also speaking when Bertrand Russell says:
"The whole conception of God is a conception derived from the ancient Oriental despotisms. It is a conception quite unworthy of free men. When you hear people debasing themselves and saying that they are miserable sinners, and all the rest of it, it seems contemptible and not worthy of self-respecting human beings."
Since God is omnipresent, i.e., present in all places at all times, and there is no place that God is not present, then "God" has also said, through the mouth of Ralph Waldo Emerson:
"We must get rid of the Christ, we must get rid of that Christ."
Or of Thomas Carlyle, who said, "If I had my way, the world would hear a pretty stern command Exit Christ."
Or of Nietzsche, who signed "Anti-Christ" after his name. His point was that Christ was a humiliation on humanity, always turning his cheek and shepherding us stupid "lost sheep."
Disagree, Go to Hell
Those who defend their mythological superman, Jesus Christ, and his fictitious father in heaven, constantly reproach such statements by angrily spewing the familiar, "God says !"
This is the only proper defense these parrots have, especially that "God says" those who disagree with such upholders of the faith are destined to go to hell.
Indeed, anytime one dares to disagree with such a self-righteous egoist as a priest, minister, imam or preacher, one is immediately pronounced as being in league with the devil and on the way to H-E-double toothpicks. Such is the mentality of the one who pretends to speak for God.
Those who pretend to speak to the exclusion of everyone else for an omnipresent God, such as those who purport that their god wrote a book a few thousand years ago (as if "He" is now illiterate, mute, dead, disinterested, or just plain lazy), are merely displaying ego deformities of a longstanding nature, stemming from some sick programming received as a child.
Those who think that only their silly, narrowminded, ignorant and uneducated brains can interpret God - by globbing onto a ridiculous, outdated and highly specious document that has been added to, deleted from and forged in every respect are indeed mentally dis-eased. There is no kind way to put it.
Everybody Speaks for "God"
The last word is this - even throwing aside any "New Age I AM God" affirmations - if God is omnipresent, whatever God is, then everybody speaks for God, and nobody speaks for God, in the sense that God is something "out there" to which only priests and the lot hold the key.
All those who pretend to speak exclusively for a god that has no location and no fixed point but is everywhere present and occupies all forms imaginable, are either throwbacks in the evolutionary chain or suffer from mental illness.
The next time somebody shouts, "God says, blah, blah, blah," just remind them equally as loudly and obnoxiously that it is their own cracked ego speaking, not God.
Eternal Life for Everyone?
For centuries people around the globe have believed in divine, immortal beings of one sort or another who occasionally appear to the faithful to bestow blessings and spiritual healings upon them.
In various parts of the world in modern times these entities have taken on the form of the Judeo-Christian messiah and madonna, or the many incarnations of God in the Hindu religion, or of Buddha, or any number of other deities worshipped and believed in worldwide.
In ancient times, believers saw such gods as Zeus, Isis, Astarte, Apollo, Mithras, Horus and many others. There have been thousands of such godly creatures over the millennia; indeed, Hinduism claims 333 million of them in its pantheon.
Divine Qualities are Not Restricted to the Divine
What all of these beings have in common are immortality, supernatural powers, and the ability to appear third-dimensionally now and again. In fact, these qualities have come to define what the average human being considers to be God, or at least an aspect of God, whether as "his son" or some other apparition.
With the attribution of such divine qualities, the human being also bestows a great deal of respect and adulation upon these seemingly divine creatures. Because the average person believes he or she is separate from God, he or she does not believe that he or she has any such supernatural or divine powers.
The common folk believe themselves to be helpless, pitiful creatures who must rely on outside intervention to have a reasonably good life.
The standard "religious" doctrine also teaches that if the lowly human being is very good, behaves himself and "believes unto the Lord," he will earn eternal life.
It is also widely believed that many of the so-called prophets, such as Elijah and Moses, were able to attain to this status of immortality, as their appearance next to the "son of Man" was purported in the New Testament. (Mk 9:4) Thus, it is obvious that even measly mortals can attain to immortality.
Our so-called religions have also taught that numerous people have been able to develop supernatural powers such as those attributed to Jesus. For example, in Acts, the disciples are also able to heal the sick and do other miraculous exploits.
And kooky televangelists are always running about pretending to be doing supernatural healings. So, according to such traditions, it is apparent that "mere mortals" have also been able to develop powers that are considered divine.
In addition, it is evident from "sacred scriptures" that so-called mortals can work on the third dimension after they die. The fable of the appearance of Moses and Elijah next to Jesus is one such example of this as well.
Join the Crowd - Everyone is God
All of this leaves the skeptic and nonbeliever to ask, if immortality, supernatural powers and the ability to appear on the third-dimension are signs of the divinity of an entity, can we not then assume that every human being who "through faith" has attained to eternal life, and/or developed psychic gifts and/or has reappeared in apparitions or voices after death is also to be considered God or "son/daughter of God?"
Many religious people who have been taught to believe that Jesus alone is the true face of divinity also often claim that they have heard the voices of their deceased loves ones or have seen ghosts of them or some other such vision.
Obviously, these "religious" people would also hope that their departed had been "saved," i.e., accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior, and therefore would be guaranteed eternal life. What differentiates their departed love ones from angels or even the son of God or God Himself?
What makes God or Jesus any different from these dead people, who have now attained to immortality, have developed supernatural powers and the ability to contact the living? Aren't they on the same plane as God and Jesus?
Uncle Harry is Immortal!
To say that "God" or the Divine has one face, or a specific gender, or is completely separate from us or our "immortal" deceased, is not only ignorant but it flies in the face of the very notions that believers hold up as "God's Word."
If all of the "true believers," i.e., those who are naive enough to blindly believe what a handful of men wrote down 2,000 or more years ago, who have ever died have been granted eternal life, i.e., immortality, that would pretty well put them on the par with God or his son or his mother or his aunt or any other immortal creature.
If someone were to say that their long-dead uncle Harry appeared to them the other day and conveyed some godly information, and therefore was undoubtedly God Himself, who could prove him or her wrong?
Abusing Women is Not Religion
There are certain buttheads subhuman cretins, really on this planet of vast dementia who believe that subjugating, enslaving and torturing human beings who happen to be in female bodies has something to do with "religion."
These morons like to justify their despicable and disgusting behavior by claiming it to be laid down by some idiotic god monster who is somehow pleased by this wanton abuse of "his" creatures.
In addition to the pervasive and hideous brainwashing and psychological, spiritual and emotional abuse forced upon women that they are "inferior" and must serve basically as servants and slaves to their husband-masters, a number of cultures somehow finds it "godly" or "righteous" to physically torture women.
"Religions" are Mental, Emotional and Spiritual Torture
In nations under the influence of the Judeo-Christian-Islamic conditioning, many millions of women have been taught that they hold no authority, and they must sublimate themselves to their father, husband or a giant male god in the sky who is looming and lording over them at all times.
This subjugation is authorized, naturally, by that obnoxious god person's "holy" scriptures, as in: " the head of a woman is her husband," etc. ad nauseam. For the basic attitude towards women, let us quote the great apostle Paul, whose neurotic mind has had such an influence upon the Western world: "It is well for a man not to touch a woman."
(1 Corinthians 7:1) Of course this is somewhat milder than the Old Testament attitude towards Woman, which is that, first of all, she created the sinful state of mankind and must thereafter be punished for eternity, no less! by the "merciful" Lord. If a woman commits this or that so-called transgression according to the biblical "morals," she is to be stoned or suffer some other bloody fate.
And let us not forget that orthodox Jews start their joyful day by thanking God for not making them a woman! In his infinite compassion, "God" has made woman a simply horrible creature!
And, of course, the worst punishments are those for individuals, male and female, who simply refuse to believe in these concepts; so, mere unbelief is the most egregious transgression of all.
Actions have nothing to do with it, but gender certainly does. Hence, according to all these religious traditions, "God" is utterly sexist - and we wonder why sexism refuses to fade into oblivion? It is dictated from the "Creator" on down. In fact, it is to be practiced as "God's will!"
Genital Mutilation is Not Holy
In addition to the psycho-spiritual abuse, around the globe women are used as beasts of burdens, babymaking machines and readily available sex-toys, and this ghastly attitude and treatment are constantly being justified by men and women alike as somehow being both necessary and righteous.
Over 120 million women mostly Muslim worldwide have been hideously mutilated and disfigured at the hands of deranged fanatics who apparently believe that their Creator screwed up when "he" endowed women with genitals, which must be violently removed in "rituals" that often include the use of rusty knives or pieces of metal, or broken glass.
The women, girls and female infants who undergo these unlovely "rituals" are generally not anesthetized but are often held down by other women, who sheepishly and shamelessly go along with the dictates of men. These women also often receive no post-mutilation care, and they sometimes bleed to death, with cascades of blood showering their feet.
Ankles are a Sexual Turn-on?!
In these same and other parts of the world, women are beaten, imprisoned, tortured, burned and sometimes killed for exposing their faces, hair, ankles or wrists, not to mention any other part of their bodies. Women are viewed as delicious temptresses who, unless subdued, would quickly destroy a man's morality.
The weakness of the man is never blamed. He just can't help himself if he sees a beautiful, "seductive" woman exposed; he must have her or go mad. Thus, instead of learning to control their animalistic urges, these perverts put the blame on the women, who are then subjected to their full fury.
Women are also worked to the bone and must keep reproducing or lose whatever little status they continue to hold. It is also quite logical to suppose that the constant covering up of their skin, thus depriving it of health-bestowing sunlight, would lead to horrible bone problems, osteoporosis, etc. indeed, this is happening to Muslim women, especially in Afghanistan, where they are also starving, because they are viciously prevented from working.
There is Nothing Religious About Depravity
Too many people are afraid to actively condemn such despicable behavior, claiming to be "tolerant" and "respecting" of someone else's "religion." This attitude shows how deep the bullcrap has penetrated the human psyche. Millennia have elapsed during which these "memes" or units of mental programming have been passed down from generation to generation.
So insidious is the notion that abusing women is somehow justifiable! The fact that this atrocious behavior and attitude towards women are justified by religion is one of the greatest hypocrisies of the human race.
Indeed, it is a powerful slap in the face of the "Creator" i.e., the Divine Creative Life Principle which has endowed in human beings infinite abilities and creative genius well beyond the simple urges of bonding and reproducing.
If one were truly religious, one would feel compelled to utilize one's "God-given" talents to the fullest, utterly appreciating them and being grateful for them. But no - instead, they are suppressed and denied to the point of nonexistence.
In truth, if one were seriously concerned with living the divine life, in accordance to righteous principles, one would be thoroughly obliged to use any extraordinary skills and talents for the good of humanity and the betterment of all life upon this small planet.
This would be the true fulfillment of the will of any good deity, if one existed. Unfortunately, in many places women are neither encouraged nor allowed to develop any such sublime and godly gifts.
This abusive behavior towards women flies in the face of the real "religious" or spiritual experience. It is "anti-God" and unspiritual, and creates such an enormous amount of suffering and horror as cannot be measured. No intelligent, thinking person could possibly go along with it, yet tens and hundreds of millions do, every day, day in and day out.
A truly spiritual person will strive to end this abhorrent mistreatment, rather than perpetuate it. The perpetuation of suffering is not a religious experience by any stretch of imagination. It is an abomination.
"God" is Not a Man Get It?!!
Much of this stupidity comes from the sexist notion that "God" - the Divine is exclusively male, that there simply is no female aspect in creation.
Obviously, to enlightened people, this is wrong a sickening notion born of men's desire to control and lord over women.
Creation is composed of both male and female, in equal proportions, and until that balance is reestablished, there will never be harmony and an end to misery on earth.
A truly spiritual individual is neither male nor female, black nor white. She or he is nothing and everything. Let us recognize and welcome the variety in the cosmos! Vive la difference!
Celebration of Life
What is the purpose in life? Is it simply to follow rules and rote that make people into robots and clones? It is clear that human beings, free from stifling and enslaving ideologies, can become great, exalted and divine.
While it is crucial and good to engage in the breaking down of these divisive and dangerous ideologies that make human beings less glorious than they truly are, it is also necessary to identify that glory, such that we may all strive to attain to it.
The human experience has always been one of extremes, and we have seen how negative extremes have manifested themselves in the human species and in the natural world around them. We have attempted to destroy these divisions. Now is the time to reveal the beauty and vivacity of the butterfly that emerges when the dead and desiccated cocoon is removed.
When are Human Beings at Their Best?
When human beings have fully blossomed, when they've reached a certain level of soul maturity that is balanced, neither too aggressive nor too ineffectual, they are a wonder to behold, bursting with life and love.
These divine beings have a tremendous sense of humor, knowing well that there is no reason to take this long, strange trip seriously. This wondrous state of being does not require extraordinary intelligence but wisdom, which can be found even within a tiny seed.
The intelligence it does require is that which compels all living creatures to truly be alive. This natural state is in fact the same in which animals live; it is not difficult to attain. Yet, because of ego encrustation, many people cannot regain this experience, which is that of childhood.
People at their best maintain the awe and wonder of a child while developing the responsibility and integrity of true adulthood. They are sensitive and empathetic, sharing in the pain of others and providing remedy.
Yet they are not emotional basketcases who become too debilitated by tragedy for their own good and that of others. Of course, such an experience is necessary for a soul to mature, but there comes a time when one has had enough and demands change for one's own life, those of loved ones and of all life in general.
The metamorphosis into a true human being is propelled by the painful experiences. At the point of blooming, one has truly decided that pain is to be avoided and that one's actions will be designed to provoke the most amount of happiness and bliss.
The ability to change instantly a bad situation into a good one is not so easily gained, yet it is at times like these, when people pull together and bring off masterful miracles, that human beings really shine.
For, during these moments of catastrophe, whether it be an earthquake, other act of nature or human tragedy, all division and prejudice are cast aside, and glorious heroes are created. So, the blossoming individual is a hero or heroine.
But this statement is not to be construed as hero worship or as an encouragement for people to be overly heroic such that they endanger themselves or others; it is simply that when these moments happen, they reveal the best of the human being.
It is not the only time that the best is revealed, obviously. And, obviously, we'd prefer to avoid catastrophes in the first place. As they say, it is unfortunate that it takes tragedy to bring out the best in people.
When human beings take it on their own initiative to right a wrong or better a situation, they are at their luscious best. When they are selfless enough to step in where needed and responsible enough to be concerned about others and their environment. When they have the class to be gracious and forgiving this is when humans reach perfection.
Humans Can Be Radiant and Superb
Human beings are also at their best when they are around animals and babies, which can be perfectly enjoyable in a perfect world. Children are frequently simply amazing beings who express endless joy and love. It is true that although they are not very cognizant, babies are teachers, in that they provide examples of our true natures.
And this is one reason why people have children: to vicariously experience their awe and bliss, which are divine aspects. Of course, not all children are fortunate enough to have this rapturous life. But humans at their best strive to provide all others, including animals, with this ultimate life experience of being surrounded by love and wonderment.
Animals, of course, frequently bring out the best in humans, in many different situations. Pets no doubt give many people much thrill at being alive. Like babies, some animals are truly adorable and can get a smile out of the worst grouch. And baby animals could melt an iceberg.
People are also at their best when they participate in group activities that are pure and raw, not repeating mindless rote as in church, but singing songs of many types, cheering on others, going on nature walks, dancing in ecstasy, or swimming in the nude. :)
Humans are also wonderful when they are creative. When creating, humans are about as divine as they can become, since creativity is the realm of the creator. Creativity is the creator.
As is destruction. And art is both. The greatest works of art move us profoundly, whether they may be paintings, photos, films or literature. But an equation that solves the world's energy needs or a medical technique that allows for normal life are also great works of art.
An environmentally friendly community is art. Art includes beautiful performances that stir us to laughter and tears, such as singing, dancing or figure skating. Even a great athletic competition can be art. As would be a less popular battle of the wits.
And, in a world where overpopulation is not a problem, creating another life is a wondrous work of art. Art can basically be categorized as the striving for excellence in any field, subject or interest. This striving for excellence, however, would not be a neurotic quest for perfection in which one self-flagellates or bludgeons others for perceived small mistakes.
This quest for excellence is a celebration along the way; it is enjoyable in itself. The artist knows there will always be flaws but attempts to reduce them, purely for the pleasure of doing so, of improving, but not out of some frenzied and desperate sense.
When creating art of any sort, humans are sublime and celestial. They are the ideal of the universe, the pinnacle of creation itself. They are angels and gods. And this is one reason human beings are cherished, and why the human incarnation, as bad as it can get, is so desirable.
Another reason the human experience is so alluring is because of love and sex, pure and simple. It would not be an overstatement that every living creature enjoys feeling ecstasy, that blissful rush which dissolves the boundaries of existence.
Thus, the delectable sensation attracts randy souls from around the cosmos. Many are vying for time on this plane, despite its serious pitfalls, because the return to the Void from here is a hell of a ride! Or a heaven of a ride, as the case may be.
But this rush refers not only to the permanent leaving of the body. It can be experienced through the body, by a variety of methods from art to sports to meditation, entheogens and sex. Besides the physical ecstasy, however, there is spiritual orgasm, which serves to reconnect a soul with the Source, and here again is when humans become divine.
This cosmic orgasm reveals the illusion of creation and the oneness of all. It also brings the understanding that while souls may be encased within separate identities, they are all part of the purity and beauty of the whole. And the true love produced between human beings sets the cosmos itself on fire. It lights up the whole universe. This state of evolution is when humans at are their best.
And humans are also at their ultimate best when they are not constantly focused on being with people but can walk through the woods, climb a hill or lie in a meadow, where the aroma of flowers grabs their attention and makes them look closer at their surroundings.
People are fully alive when they are in nature, when their feet are massaged by grass or sand, when they are sitting silently against a tree, listening to the music of the birds and the wind. It is when they are lying under a starry sky projecting themselves into the vast and miraculous unknown. This communion with nature is one with the entire cosmos. It is, indeed, a celebration of life.
Prophecy or Blueprint?
For thousands of years humanity has been fascinated by the study of "prophecy" or predictions of the future.
Politically and in religious circles, it has always been believed that the one who can divine the future holds tremendous power, and even the "little people" have desired to know what the future would hold for them, whether they would be rich or poor, who they would marry, if they would live long and how they would die.
Ascertaining the future has been a pursuit of millions around the globe, from extraordinary diviners and seers such as Nostradamus and Edgar Cayce to the more mundane astrologers who compose general forecasts for the newspapers.
Thus, considering such widespread interest in the future, whenever any prognostication has been accurate, to whatever degree, mankind is held spellbound by the diviner or prediction itself.
The Bible
Such has been the case with the so-called Word of God, the Judeo-Christian bible. Ever since this tome was compiled, people have been attempting to associate its "predictions" or "prophecies" with events occurring in their own lifetimes.
Particular individuals who are especially powerful and may find their way into history - such as politicians or noted religious figures - have often studied the Judeo-Christian bible in order to discern if there is any allusion to their own existence and deeds.
Even those who do not follow the Western bible are so impressed by its supposed importance and purportedly accurate prophecy that they too will determine themselves as characters in the biblical play.
As an example of this, Iraqi despot Sadam Hussein reportedly proudly declared himself to be King Nebuchadnezzar, thus confirming for biblical enthusiasts that the Persian Gulf affair of 1990 would be at least the preliminary to Armageddon if not the actual endtime battle itself.
Obviously, even though the location was ideal and the characters involved seemed to be playing out biblical "prophecy," Armageddon did not occur.
Nevertheless, curious humans continue to pore over the Judeo-Christian bible in order to ascertain the future, and when something happens that can in some way be construed to validate "predictions" from the Bible, its adherents cheer the incident as a great sign of the legitimacy of "God's Word" and the omniscience of its alleged author.
In other words, it is the duty of the biblical prophecy scholar to take any global occurrence he can and make it fit as proof of the "fulfillment of prophecy," thus proving to himself and others that their "religion" and "holy scriptures" are accurate, correct and infallible.
If believers are able to convince themselves that something has been "predicted" by their "sacred book," they can confirm that they hold the correct belief system, as opposed to their neighbors, who may not be of the same faith.
Whenever such an event has been interpreted to conform to the "prophecies" found in so-called sacred scriptures, it proves to the believers and fanatics that their way is the only right one. Thus, it behooves these fanatics and proselytizers to interpret the world's affairs to agree with any perceived prognostication they may be able to find within their chosen book of faith.
Every culture around the world has prophecies and predictions for the future. Each generation will take such a prognostication and determine that it has occurred or will occur within its lifetime. Armageddon and the Second Coming of Christ have been "just around the corner" in every era since the current bible has existed.
The supposed prophecies in Revelation, for example, have been constantly referred to and misinterpreted throughout the centuries. Unbeknownst to the masses, many a ruler has consulted Revelation, as well as the Book of Daniel, to discover whether he was mentioned in it.
These leaders also wanted to figure out where their reign would go according to "God's Word." Few powerful potentates in the Western world have been without a biblical scholar who would check the Book and interpret its findings to apply to said ruler.
It was the duty of just such an expert to find where in the Bible such a leader was referred to, and this obviously would lead to a great deal of skewing of the information found in the Bible.
The questions relevant to us today are: Are biblical prophecies, such as the "Mark of the Beast," coming true today? Have they ever come true? Does this prove that the Bible is the omniscient "Word of God?" Well, yes and no, with the accent on "no".
That is not to say that such a thing as the so-called Mark of the Beast is not a reality that is occurring today - the computer chip is real; however, such an occurrence is NOT a fulfillment of prophecy that proves to believers or nonbelievers that the Judeo-Christian bible is the accurate and infallible "Word of God."
This NO also does not mean that certain happenings in the past have not somewhat concurred with statements found within the pages of the Bible.
Most of the pronouncements people point to in the Bible as "prophecies" have been so obscure and difficult to understand - because they are frequently not prophecy at all that they can be and have been twisted to apply to anything that zealots wish, just so the proselytizers can prove that their scriptures are the only sacred texts in the world, the only books actually written by God "Himself."
A Blueprint for Destruction
The reason why incidents that sometimes resemble biblical predictions are neither fulfillment of prophecy nor proof that the "sacred scriptures" are the Word of God is because, in the first place, such events have habitually been misconstrued and fudged to fit the so-called scripture and, in the second place, the rulers who lived when a particular "prophecy-fulfilling" instance has happened were avid students of biblical predictions and would actually cause events to come to pass so that they, the leaders, could be considered to have been mentioned in the Book.
What this means is that those who have held the power to create on this planet have used the Bible as a BLUEPRINT that they would cause to pass. By adhering to biblical edict, not only could these rulers gain entrance into history but they could also then smugly and self-righteously sit back and pronounce that their religion and their God were correct.
This "validation" of their faith would then give them leeway to destroy other cultures around the globe in the "Name of God." According to these fanatics, since certain biblical predictions had come to pass, this proved their inherent right to rule as upholders of the faith and gods upon Earth.
Israel God Gets His Favorite Vacation Spot Back
Modern biblical scholars point to the formation of Israel as a fulfillment of prophecy that signifies the beginning of the "endtimes" and the Second Coming of Christ. They claim that the re-establishment of Israel was preordained by "God's infallible Word."
To say that this is a fulfillment of prophecy as opposed to a contrived following of a blueprint is to presume that those who contributed to the establishment of the modern Israel had never read the Bible or heard about its "prophecies."
Obviously, considering the import given this book, which is the world's best-selling tome, it is a preposterous notion to presume that these powerful world leaders had never heard of the passages relating to the re-creation of Israel.
Those who had a hand in forming Israel, Hitler and the numerous international industrialists, many of whom were Bible-reading Jews and Christians were well aware of the passages in the Bible regarding Israel.
As have the leaders in the past adhered to the blueprint of the Bible in order to prove its assumed truthfulness, these modern determiners of destiny deliberately created Israel for a number of reasons, including to "fulfill prophecy" according to their chosen scriptures.
There was nothing supernatural or divinely ordained about it. And, by the way, how come there's no mention in the "inerrant word of God" about HOW Israel would be formed, at the point of Hitler's pitchfork? Such a monumental oversight for a book that contains everything that ever has been and ever will be!
Was Chernobyl a Can of Worms?
Likewise, it would be safe to assume that those who named "Chernobyl," which apparently means "Wormwood" in Russian and which has thus been designated as fulfillment of the passage in the Bible regarding the disastrous advent of "Wormwood," were also well aware of this excerpt from Revelation.
Since the ruling parties upon this planet have always heavily practiced the occult, which includes biblical prophecy, it was most likely with tremendous irony that they contrived to name a poorly constructed nuclear reactor after Revelation. However, the wormwood plant purportedly surrounds the Chernobyl plant, and was supposedly the reason it was so named.
This "coincidence" would actually be rather humorous, except that the event is a toxic nightmare. So, if it was an act of God - and we may as well blame it on him as his followers are claiming he ordained it - it would reflect more sadism than humor.
The Mark of the Beast & 666, an Evil Conspiracy?
Today we hear a tremendous amount about the "Mark of the Beast" as it is being applied in computer technology and bar codes that are, according to "insiders," destined to be placed in or upon the hands or foreheads of every man, woman and child on the planet.
Biblical prophecy nuts claim that the bar codes have within them the number "666" (a number, by the way, that was held sacred by Goddess-worshipping cultures before it was demonized by the patriarchy) and that they are designed to eventually be placed somewhere in the human body in order to track everyone on the planet and provide a new monetary system.
The fact that this is already being done with animals, who are being implanted with an electronic chip containing an access number that can be raised on a computer to reveal the owner's name and address, and is reportedly being done with criminals, is being raised by prophecy experts to conclude that their faith and scriptures are not only correct but wondrously omniscient, proof of their divine origin.
What these "experts" always fail to acknowledge is that the originators of these various systems and technologies are often also well enough versed in biblical "prophecy" and are consciously bringing it to fulfillment.
It is quite possible that when this chip technology began to take shape these designers decided the relevant passages in Revelation were a terrific idea for its application. This is not a fulfillment of prophecy but the completion of a BLUEPRINT that has been widely available to all in power for thousands of years.
The keepers of this blueprint the texts that make up the Bible - have always been members of secret societies and brotherhoods that make it their business to follow the Bible and its "predictions." There is nothing mysterious or mystical about it. And their man-made achievements in bringing these plans to fruition do not prove the accuracy of the blueprint.
Since When is Building a Building "Fulfillment of Prophecy?"
If a building is constructed according to a blueprint, is it a great fulfillment of prophecy? No, it is merely a mechanical action taken by those who have the power to build it. To construct a building according to a blueprint implies no supernatural or godly intervention at all.
It simply signifies that some person or persons have complied with a blueprint. In the case of biblical "prophecy," what is the vast temptation for the political and clerical power-mongers to deceive themselves and others by subsequently proclaiming their various deliberate constructions a "fulfillment of prophecy?"
They can then claim for themselves a place in history as has been "predicted" by what is held by millions around the world to be "God's Word" but which is in reality just another book.
The Bible is not the Word of God, nor is it a marvelous prognosticator that we should all heed. The Book of Revelation, which is so often pointed to as a prognostication of the future, is not even a Judeo-Christian text but has its origins in Egypt, Persia and India, as long as 4,000 years ago.
During this long span its "prophecies" have been perceived to have come true many times over, even though the book itself was never meant to be a prophecy but is an astronomical and astrological record.
Peace on Earth Requires Clarity of Perception, Not Belief
It is time for the world to wake up to the manipulations of both the history-hungry political leaders and the zealous religionists on this planet. When it comes to politics and religion, the fanatics in either arena will always interpret incidents in a light favorable to themselves, at the expense of the defenseless and uneducated.
It is easy for a person in hindsight to construe a world event in a manner to fit his or her belief system, and it is even easier for politicos, priests or government agencies to create history in order to suit themselves or prove their chosen faith, creed or party.
Whatever the case, the world suffers for it, because such fabricated and puffed-up renditions of reality are exploitative and repeatedly lead to discord and warfare. There can be no peace on Earth if everything is constantly being viewed through the muddy glasses of belief systems, and belief systems as they apply to "religion" are no different.
It is our destiny to become more universal in our perspectives and behavior, perceiving the cosmos as one yet filled with utterly unique and marvelous creatures. And this prophecy must come true!
The Origins of Good and Evil
Around the world there are a variety of cultures with an assortment of religious beliefs and systems. This is a fact. Within these different cultures and religious systems are varied perceptions of what is real in the universe. Some of them have a deity or deities; some have no god.
The diversity is great. Some of the deities are anthropomorphic, others are animalistic; some are elemental, and others have no form. Many traditions have the concept of good and evil; others do not.
Those traditions that do not separate out good and evil, such as Taoism, consider all things in the universe, whether viewed as good or evil, to be within the cosmic plan or mind that some call "God." In other words, in some views, "God" is simply a term to describe the entire universe and all its aspects, whether good or evil.
The question arises, where have the concepts of good and evil come from, since they have developed so differently around the planet? Why is it that some cultures view some things as evil while others see them as good, and vice versa? How can followers of one so-called religion believe that only those who hold the identical tenets are good and those who do not are evil?
Since no one "religion" is followed by a majority of earth's inhabitants, how can such followers view the rest of the world's population as doing the devil's work? Where did these ideas originate? Are they based in reality?
Is there a good god and an evil devil who take turns influencing the universe and our world? Who determines which is which? How did this determination come about?
Narrow Perceptions Represent Bigotry
For those people who study the subject in depth, and have revelation and expansion of consciousness of their own, the answer becomes frighteningly and sickeningly clear as to how, why and what is going on. What becomes obvious is that each group has brainwashed itself to believe that it holds the only truth, way and path.
Each group, faction or cult believes that those who do not see its way are doomed to hell by its perceived and chosen deity. Every religion holds that if its specific guidelines are not followed, true salvation is not destined to occur.
What becomes abundantly evident to those who seriously involve themselves from as unprejudiced a perspective as is possible say, that of an alien visitor simply observing this planet about every one of these so-called religious systems is that they are in fact not based on any true revelation from any specific deity who is the absolute authority and who gives "his word" to "his chosen people" but are instead based on egotistical and cultural biases that are destined to bring political and material gain to those who can force them upon others.
This statement may seem shocking to those who have not looked into the situation to any extent. Those who are caught up in any given religious tradition will believe that their system is the only true one, the most advanced in the universe.
This is the first sign of egotism and arrogance. This presupposes that no other group of people or individual has ever had an enlightened or wise thought. This assumes that only those who carry the "way, the light and the truth" have any intelligence whatsoever. It also presumes that whoever received "the Word" in the first place is a very egotistical "chosen person," or the arrogant "son of God," or some such.
True Wisdom Can Be Found Anywhere, Not Just in Some Old Book
The fact is that around the world wisdom has been able to penetrate the noggins of a multitude of people, to be revealed in a large array of creative ideas. Contrary to what the brain-dead "religionists" would have everyone believe, there is nothing at all wrong with this variety.
This variety is the spice of life, and those who avail themselves of it are greatly enriched in consciousness and spirit. Those who narrow down their consciousness to reject the wisdom and perception of all other cultures in favor of their own egotistical "religious" beliefs are mean-spirited and lacking in divine spark. They call themselves devout, but they are really out of it.
"Religions" are Recycled Myths
As an example of how religious dogma is derived from political and material gain, let us look at the western tradition of good and evil as held by the Judeo-Christo-Islamic traditions. Most people think that these systems come out of the Hebraic interpretation of God/Devil, which was revealed directly from God.
What few people realize is that the Hebraic interpretation is a direct lift from older cultures such as the Phoenician, Babylonian, Sumerian, Zoroastrian, Indian and Egyptian, et al.
The majority of people have not bothered to study the evolution of religion enough to realize that practically every culture has "borrowed" (stolen) the spiritual traditions of other cultures, reworked them and made them to revolve around itself.
This is particularly true regarding cultures that have merged through invasion. Most folks are not students of history enough to know that throughout the past 6,000 years of known history peoples have migrated and moved all over the place, so much so that it is impossible here to name the migrations.
During these various migrations, which were often caused by the need to find better, less exploited, more fertile territory, invaders absorbed the cultures they invaded. To do this, they usually had to make the presiding cultural gods into either sub-deities under their own god or gods, or into demons and devils. This is precisely what has been done throughout the world, whether one realizes it or not.
God and the Devil are One
In the case of the Hebraic tradition, the Semitic group of people that later became known as the Jews engulfed and incorporated into its pantheon of prophets, patriarchs and deities the gods of other cultures, such as Brahma, the Indian creator god, who becomes the patriarch Abraham; or Mises, the Sumerian/Egyptian superhuman hero-lawgiver, who becomes the prophet Moses.
What few people realize is that the principal God/Devil of the Old Testament are also derived in this way from older traditions, specifically the Egyptian, Indian and Zoroastrian.
In fact, the God/Devil construct comes in part from derivation of the Dual God of Persia, Ahura-Mazda/Ahriman, or the Egyptian Horus/Set. Set and Horus, for example, were the Dark and Light aspects of the one God.
These were the first elements out of the Void, as even the Hebraic bible claims. Set, or "Darkness," was the primary god in a number of very ancient cultures along the Nile River.
It is of the Temples of Set, in fact, that we have possibly the oldest identified ruins on earth. Set eventually came to be the God of the South, where his peoples resided. At that time, Horus was only a vague entity somewhere to the North.
As the peoples migrated towards the North, Set, as symbolized by the South Pole Star, began to become less and less visible, and it came to be believed that Set was descending into the underworld to become God there.
Sooner or later, as the people continued to migrate north and became more focused on the Lord of the North Pole Star, Horus, they began to view Set as less important and Horus of greater significance.
No doubt this led to conflicts. Set continued to be worshipped along the Nile, but it became clear that factions arose who desired to make Horus supreme. This ploy would be, once again, for political and material reasons.
The movements of the astral bodies that corresponded with and symbolized these entities, such as the Pole Stars, and the Moon and Sun, were crucial to life along the Nile.
These heavenly bodies were closely charted and calendared. Such movements provided a semblance of order in what would ordinarily seem like a chaotic and unkind world full of yearly flooding, terrific sandstorms and unbearable heat.
By measuring the movements of such planetary bodies, those who later became regarded as priests of these bodies could determine when would be the most auspicious time for planting, reaping and harvesting. This was intrinsic to life along the Nile, and without it there was no life.
If, as happens frequently in history, some sort of natural calamity or disaster were to strike a particular culture, group or people, the priests would look towards the displeasure of the god behind any one of the various planetary bodies or elemental forces such as wind (which was represented by the Egyptian "Shu").
The priests would then determine that such deity needed to be propitiated so that order would return to the world. The priests would sometimes battle as to which god would be appeased, and during difficult transition times for example, the movement north when Horus came to usurp Set in importance these conflicts could become ugly and violent. Indeed, the priests would resort to all sorts of name-calling and propaganda to make sure their particular interpretation was set in stone, so to speak.
In the case of Horus and Set, Set who was once considered an equal of his twin brother Horus became viewed as something bad or evil. Set, as "Prince of Darkness" and "Lord of the Underworld," came to be seen as an enemy of the people.
This characterization also came about because of the fear of the dark and the insecurities felt throughout the night. But, as can be evidenced by the later story of the Greek god Hades, the Lord of the Underworld was not always, and did not continue to be, viewed by all peoples as evil.
Hades was, in fact, simply another god doing his job. It was a certain bias that eventually led to the establishment of the Prince of Darkness and Lord of the Underworld as an evil and sinister character.
"Evil" is Subjective
And speaking of sinister, how many people realize that the word "sinister" actually means "left" in Romance languages? Here is a classic example of how cultural bias has attached a judgment upon something so simple and benign as a direction, view or aspect.
And how did this judgment come about? Left-handers, for example, were considered dangerous to the social status quo because their use of the left appendage kept the creative, right side of the brain open, leading to new and dangerous ideas indeed, to creativity and union with the creator itself.
But because these new ideas upset the status quo and could lead to its reduction in wealth and position, left-handers, or "leftists," were considered bad and evil. Hence, they became "sinister."
It is possible that the word "evil" itself is also derived from something equally innocuous but through cultural bias has become judged as something bad. Some claim evil has its roots in "Eve," or the primary female.
Things of Eve would be evil. In this circumstance of etymological development, the aggressive male ego actively worked to make things of Eve bad or "evil."
In any event, although it was not previously this way, and in some places he is still worshipped - leading critics to make claims of devil worship Set came to be viewed as something bad and evil. He came to be seen as the cause of all problems to the peoples along the lower or northerly Nile.
That he was not always viewed by all peoples as evil is exhibited by the fact that several Egyptian pharaohs over the centuries called themselves "Seti."
The pharaoh was considered the living embodiment of deity, to rule in the earthly place of the entity, whether it was Ra, Horus, Osiris or Set. The Nile kingdoms have a long and colorful history of such traditions.
Horus and Set, Sound Familiar?
So, where is all this leading us and what does the Egyptian history have to do with the present interpretation of good and evil as defined by our current "religious" traditions? You may have guessed by now that Set, or Set-Anup, or Set-An, came to be called, "Satan."
Likewise, Set's previously equal "brother" and twin aspect of the One God, Horus - also called "Iasus" and "the Krst," the "Light of the World" and the "Sun of God" that rescues the world from Darkness (Set) - has come to be viewed as All Good in the Judaized/ Hellenized/Romanized version now named "Jesus Christ."
As we have seen, the "good" Iasus, or Horus, was not always considered an adversary to his "evil" brother Set, and today's story that the "Prince of Darkness" and "Lord of the Underworld" is an evil demon working against a good "Prince of Light" and "Lord of Heaven" was not always so. At one point, these two aspects of the One were equivalent in divinity.
They became judged and deemed to be either good or evil because of political, environmental and egotistical motives. Hence, those of the South, the Dark Ones, became of the evil Set, or Satan, and those of the North, the Light Ones, became of the good Horus, or Jesus.
As it turns out, the entire notion that Darkness is evil (therefore South is bad) and Lightness is good (hence North is good) is revealed to be racist and political, and not at all based on revelation from any divinity.
As has been shown, the entire good and evil, light and dark, God and Devil scenario has come about wholly through cultural and political bias, also not through the revelation from a purely good deity.
The lesson of all of this: Don't be too sure you know what good and evil are - and don't judge a person by the contents of The Book.
The Gospel According to Acharya S
The Devil is Divine
To state the thing in brief, priests and politicians "colleagued together," and invented the Devil and his domicile as scare-crows to frighten the ignorant superstitious masses into quiet, submissive allegiance to the ecclesiastical tribunals, namely, "the powers that be."
Kersey Graves
Do you know where the word "devil" comes from? Do you know how the Devil was created? Yes, created, because that is precisely what has happened. As opposed to something real and set in stone that mankind has merely perceived, the Devil is a creation of man's mind.
Take, for example, the current impression of a man with horns and a pitchfork. This is a compilation of characters from other mythologies, incorporating elements of the Greek god of nature Pan, for instance. What this means is that the Devil is a not a real person of demonic nature running around the universe terrorizing people with "his" godlike but evil powers.
Although there is evil in the cosmos - even Absolute Evil - the current construct that humans perceive as the Evil One is an anthropomorphic version based in mythology. True evil is not personal, not a single being. It is merely a quality that can be possessed by anyone.
The Origin of Evil
If you ask a believer the question, "If God is so good, why is there so much evil in the world?" he or she will invariably answer, "Because of the Devil." If you ask that believer, "Who created the Devil?," he may then splutter and say that the Devil has always existed, not really wanting to ascribe such a malevolent creation to the all-good God.
Of course, that eternal existence puts the Devil on par with God, who was the original being from which all creation comes. Well then, the faithful may say, the Devil was one of God's creatures that "got away from him" or rebelled the evil angel, as it were.
But that nonetheless makes the Devil one of God's creations, hardly a handiwork to be proud of. It also implies that God is not very powerful, in that "he" can lose control of "his" creatures so easily.
How Religions Are Made
In reality, the formed beings currently portrayed as both God and the Devil are creations of the human being, not vice versa. That this is so can be shown quite simply by using as illustration the evolution of religion.
So-called religion, as it turns out to those who have eyes to see and ears to hear, is not a divine revelation from any god person who created everything and knows all. In actuality, "religion" is a construct that takes centuries and millennia to complete, beginning with various perceptions of the natural and "supernatural" worlds around us.
The first perception we have of the "supernatural hand of God" is elemental: the wind, the heat, the cold, the light, the dark, the rain, etc. Because the elements seem to have a mind of their own, human beings love to anthropomorphize them and give them human qualities.
Thus, purely atmospheric phenomena come to be viewed as expressions of a humanlike entity with a mind of its own. We ascribe personality characteristics to the various entities we build up around the elements. For example, Zeus, the Greek sky-god father-figure, takes on a thunder-and-lighting personality.
This is how "religion" evolves. Although "religious" fanatics may violently oppose this notion, all religion is basically mythology built upon limited human perceptions of what is in the universe, and not upon concrete and absolute truths. Absolute truth has no form; hence, whenever "God" is portrayed as having form, whether human or animal, male or female, black, white or polka-dotted, it is not the Truth.
In looking at religion, what we find around the globe is a core mythos based on atmospheric elements and planetary bodies or other natural forces with a variety of forms they take on.
In places where the skin of the inhabitants is red, the god may have red skin, and where the skin is white, the god may have white skin, and so on. It is completely arbitrary and not based on actual fact.
What happens is that different groups of people - and there have been very many on this planet - bring their distinct interpretations of deity to each other, whether through friendly merger or violent conquest, the latter of which seems to be the norm.
During this merger process, the predominant people will force their particular, ethnocentric, egocentric and gender-centric interpretation of deity upon the conquered peoples. At the same time, they will also either make the conquered deities into lesser gods, godmen, heroes or patriarchs in their own pantheon, or they will turn the conquered deity or deities into demons and devils.
The Origin of the Words "Demon" and "Devil"
In fact, the very words "demon" and "devil" have been vilified in just such a way.
Before cultural judgment turned these words into something wholly other than their original meaning, both words represented entities that were considered sacred and holy. The word "devil" comes from the Sanskrit/Hindi word "deva," which refers to the good angels of the Hindu pantheon.
The root of both "devil" and "deva" means "divine." It was only after Zoroaster and the Persians conquered Hindu territory that they felt compelled to make the Hindu gods into devils! Thus, the Hindu devas became the Persians devils. As Rev. George Cox says, in Mythology of the Aryan Nations (Longmans, 1870, pp. 355, 363):
"The Devas of the [Hindu] Veda are the bright gods who fight on the side of Indra; in the [Zoroastrian] Avesta the word has come to mean an evil spirit, and the Zoroastrian was bound to declare that he ceased to be a worshipper of the daevas.
"the word devil passed into an immense number of forms, the Gothic tieval, diuval, diufal, the Icelandic djofull, Swedish djevful, all of them, together with the Italian, French, and Spanish forms carrying back the word diaboloV [diabolos] to the same root which furnished the Latin Divus, Djovis, and the Sanskrit deva."
Likewise, the word "demon" comes from the Greek word "daimon" or "daemon," which originally referred to beings of divine, godly nature - gods, not evil spirits. "Daemon" was also corrupted and changed into having a evil connotation through the same religion-making process.
It had nothing to do with an accurate discernment of any genuine evil spirit. It was simply Christian propaganda used to brainwash the followers of the Greek and Roman religions into rejecting their old gods in favor of the newly created Christian character. As has been shown, this is a very old trick. It was done rather well this time, with the subsequent burning of millions of books that would have revealed this ruse.
In God's Name, Not the Devil's
In light of the fact that so-called holy scriptures record one barbarous, murderous act after another attributed to "God," it is not surprising that the "Devil" was once considered divine! Perhaps the Devil brings peace, and not a sword, to humanity.
Considering how many people have been killed in the name of God and not the Devil, maybe the world is worshipping the wrong entity. Perhaps the Indians and the Greeks were right in the first place. Think about it: No army has ever marched off to war in the name of the Devil.
Praising the Lord
"Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!" Traditional "religion" teaches us that there is a God person somewhere "out there" who demands that we constantly praise "him" and give thanks to "him." We must, in order to be worthy inhabitants of "his kingdom," exalt this God fellow in all "his" glory, which we must consistently mention.
In order to be deemed "religious" under the terms of these so-called religions, we must never praise ourselves or bask in our own glory but we must defer all such compliments and ego-stroking to "the Almighty," who will reward us for our groveling by giving us lodging in Heaven.
The "Lord" needs to be stroked all the time in order for us to secure such a room with a view.
Is Kissing Ass a Religious Experience?
It is a very strange concept indeed that such an entity as the monotheistic God dude - who, as an enlightened being, one would suppose is beyond ego and the need to be honored - requires our fawning and adulation. Yet, this is precisely what our "authorities" dictate is a "religious" experience.
If we were to apply such obsequious behavior to a human "king of kings" or "lord of lords," we in any self-respecting society would consider this to be scaredy-cat brown-nosing and ass-kissing. But when this same behavior is done in terms of pacifying an invisible and imaginary deity in the sky, then this is considered excellence.
It is truly a topsy-turvy world when we have to unceasingly praise the being who, according to these belief systems, shoved us - against our will - into an existence on a planet that these same "religious" fanatics frequently regard as "purgatory" if not outright hell.
How many times have we been told by the same idiotic authorities priests, preachers, etc.. that we are "born in sin" and must spend our entire lives making up for it, principally by slobbering at the feet of the one who created us in the first place?
Should we not, in a sane society, be chastising and rebuking "him" who forced us to be "born in sin" against our will, rather than glorifying "him" all day long? And there are some cults that smooch "his" butt several times a day.
Is God a Megalomaniac?
The idea that the Creator of the Universe and Ruler of the World needs to hear us praising "him" all the time is positively foolish and childish. Even an awakened human being, so paltry and minuscule when compared to the Great One that these priests have made up, does not need his or her ego continually stroked in this manner.
In fact, it is a sign of an enlightened person that he or she does not require this kind of praising and worship. Only gigantic egotists suffering from deep feelings of insecurity crave this sort of praise, and yet we are told that our presumably self-sufficient "Lord" needs it all the time or "he" will throw us into Hell! How preposterous!
God is a Murderous Tyrant
Any entity that would punish another being because he or she failed to praise that entity is not a god at all but a sadistic tyrant who could be easily compared to the most evil of despots, Satan. This supposedly good God likes to pass "his" days squeezing humanity for praise or else "he'll" toss us into eternal hell.
This fascist egoist we call "God" is a bully, coward and insecure sadist who demands constant approval. It is foul. Then we are told to put our responsibility on this fictitious monster, who flattens cities, murders millions and tortures women.
This concept of a male deity who needs to be exalted, thanked, honored, praised, worshipped, adored, venerated, adulated, extolled, complimented, admired, glorified and idolized is completely out of date and belongs to the Stone Age, when so-called savages were afraid of their own shadows and attributed everything that happened to them to a deranged god creature somewhere in outer space.
This kind of thinking does not belong to this age, when humanity must stop putting responsibility for its own messy creation on such an imaginary creature as the white male god who sits on a throne in a nebulous heaven.
God is a Deranged Crackpot
Any being that demands constant praise or else it will hurl its creatures into an eternal inferno is not divine or godly; indeed, it is sick and demented. Anyone who would portray divinity in such a way is also not mentally sound.
Clearly, if there were a god with the kind of power that such silly preachers attribute to "him," and "he" needed and/or desired the whinings and grovelings of such mealy creatures as human beings to feel worthy and good, we should say that "he" is an egoist of the highest order yet, this is precisely how our "religious" ministers are presenting "him."
In fact, if there were such a creature as this God person, it would be highly insulting to "him" to suggest that "he" has such beggarly needs as this.
Enlightened Behavior
Let's get off this warped interpretation of God. God, which is simply Great Spirit, the Tao, the Cosmic Yin/Yang, the Creative Life Force, the Schwartz, or the Big Nothing, has no need for praise of any kind, because it is an entity complete unto itself.
It is not a sickly human being who feels as if nobody loves it if other petty and puny human beings don't suck up to it and tell it is loved. No intelligent person is buying this rubbish anymore. No thinking person with any self-esteem is falling upon his or her knees to lick the boots of a giant old man with a white beard who has the power to bestow accommodations in Heaven. The game is up.
Enlightened people do not see themselves as separate from their own creator. They are the creators of their own dramas. Thus, they do not go around praising any "Lord" person who they believe is governing their lives. Awakened ones know conclusively that they are running their own lives.
Illuminated beings are not separate from the authority that dictates how they live. They are their own authority; they have their autonomy to decide what they will do with their lives. And they praise nothing and everything.
What Is God?
Beware of the man whose god is in the skies.
George Bernard Shaw
The idea that God is an oversized white male with a flowing beard who sits in the sky and tallies the fall of every sparrow is ludicrous. But if by "God" one means the set of physical laws that govern the universe, then clearly there is such a God. This God is emotionally unsatisfying. It does not make much sense to pray to the law of gravity.
Carl Sagan
I just read your essay titled "What is God?", and before I look any further into your site, I'd like to tell you that I found it the most truthful piece of spiritual writing I have ever read. So concise, a real stimulation unhindered by myth, parable and occult symbolism.
S, Australia
What is God? Is God a giant man who once incarnated as his own son 2,000 years ago through the womb of a woman in the Middle East? Certainly not. Is God a man who created everything we see? Wrong again. These stories are just perceptions filtered through the limited human mind. They are not ultimate truths. Is God male? No way. This is an erroneous interpretation by the male ego.
"God" is the Life Force
One can think of God as the life force or sentience that permeates the cosmos, gravity or levity, it matters not. As an example of such an energy, one can take a plug and stick it into an electrical outlet - this is what becoming spiritual is all about. One becomes plugged into "God." But think about that electrical life force: It has no form.
In other words, it's not a human being. It has no gender; it's not a male. It has no color; it's not white. It has no size and no container. That life force, or "God," is not a giant white man, as we have been told, who can mysteriously incarnate himself through the womb of a virgin of any particular ethnicity. Rather than being historical, these are myths that are merely symbolic for the creation of matter out of spirit.
In the Far East, this life force has been discerned as and termed "the Tao." The Tao is the "thing" that makes birds chirp, cats purr and the sap of the trees run. We can also call it cosmic consciousness.
It is simply an energy, sentience or spirit that pervades all things. Far from having gender, as we have been led to believe, it is the magnetic principle between the male and female potencies.
It is also the male and female polarities themselves. This Great Spirit, Tao, or God, encompasses all things. If it is not all-encompassing, it is not God. Anything less than the total is not God. The definition of "God" is omnipresence itself. Nothing is outside of "God."
The Cosmic Mind
The creative/destructive mechanism of this all-encompassing life force can be called the "cosmic mind" or the "universal mind." This cosmic mind projects its thoughts into form; hence, reality could be called "God's Dream." But this dream includes the fragmentation of the Divine into seemingly dense objects and entities that have a will and independence of their own.
As separate entities, we are nonetheless connected atomically to this life force, but the individual ego separates itself into a deluded state. This delusion, or maya, can become so strong that the creative life force is limited and the entity in which this spark exists no longer knows that it is "God."
This delusion, which can be called "Satan" if personified, is how existence creates, by separating itself out of the whole and presenting the illusion of the many.
But this delusion/ego/Satan is not anything bad until it is so separate and dense that it no longer sees itself all around but sees "other," which it is then free to harm if need be or desire arises.
True Spirituality
True spirituality is defined not by separation but by union, union with the whole, union with the life force, Great Spirit, Tao, or God, that lies behind creation and binds it together.
Of course, the separation itself could also be thought of as a spiritual experience, in that it provides an opportunity for an individual soul to truly develop itself. Yet in that development, we come back to the omnidimensionality of being one with the cosmos.
It is a paradox, yet one we like to live with, one that we ourselves created, as directors of our own drama. To be separate yet infinite now, this is "God." This is ecstasy.
Anything that imposes limits on an infinite divinity is not a complete spiritual system or experience. Anything that projects form upon this genderless, raceless, formless and nonhierarchical godliness is not the ultimate truth. The ultimate truth, which is "God," cannot have any form whatsoever, no gender, no race and no hierarchy.
"God" Has No Form or Gender
In the gnostic or esoteric systems of any religion, the Ultimate is always perceived as utterly formless. The realization of such formless Ultimate is considered within these systems to be the flowering of consciousness, the maturation of the soul and psyche. Thus, the definition of "God" as a father-figure in the sky is a lower understanding upon which lies man's puerility and immaturity.
Creation has no gender, nor does the creator. "God" is not only father but mother, and grandfather and aunt and grandmother and uncle and cousin and sister and brother, etc. If the "Mother of God" can give birth to "God," She must also be God. Can an imperfect, unholy being give birth to a perfect, divine one? She must also be divine, which makes her God.
In reality, behind the fables, the truth is that the "Mother of God" also has no form but is simply the female aspect of creation, when the neutral Spirit-Atom begins to divide itself. The first elements out of the formless creator/destroyer/ balancer are male and female, in equal proportions.
The perfect yin/yang balance is the basis of creation. There is no hierarchy in spirit; hence, the female is never in reality lower than the male, as certain "religious" traditions teach. In humans, the density grows so strong, the ego so potent and intoxicating, that the gender aspect becomes all-consuming.
One is nearly completely defined by the gender of the material vessel in which the genderless consciousness is carried. While this illusion is remedied spiritually, in this earthly dimension these differences remain between male and female. The remedy is that the consciousness of the individual, through enlightenment or "God-realization," recognizes that it is both male and female and neither.
It is an impartial observer or "witness." Yet, we need not be so hasty in maintaining a genderless state for ourselves, as we are rather fond of the play between polarities, which is in large part why we take birth.
The Ego, Consciousness and Enlightenment
The ego will perceive itself as having a gendered experience, but the witness behind the ego is a clean slate of pure sentience. In this dualistic creation, both experiences will happen simultaneously, where one can know the union of existence, the genderlessness and egolessness, and one can enjoy the separation.
The difference is one of consciousness. The conscious, awakened individual will know in her/his inner being that she/he is "one with creation," but will also know that as the creator of her/his own drama she/he has chosen to incarnate into the denser, more deluded realms, for the sake of the experience itself.
He or she has no other reason for incarnating, just as "God," or the universal mind, has no reason for creating except for its own amusement. Once an illuminated soul knows this, then he or she is free to create his or her own experience and purpose for incarnating. This is liberation.
This is enlightenment.
Enlightenment, which seems to many to be so nebulous, awesome and scary, is very easy. It is not miracles or magic tricks, although those can be developed if desired strongly enough. Enlightenment is simply the realization of who is pulling the strings of one's puppet.
It is the revelation of autonomy to the individual. It is the bestowal of the ultimate god-authority over one's own being. It is when the cosmic creative mind and the individual consciousness merge, when one's mind becomes united with the Cosmos.
This mental merger goes beyond the mind and penetrates the very cells of the being. This penetration is possible because the god-force resides within the soul-cells of every entity.
Perceiving the Divine
There are many practices that can lead to union or reunion with this life force, Great Spirit, Tao, God. We can use yoga or prayer, meditation, chanting or sex. We can play basketball in the Zone. We can eat good food or engage in intelligent, funny or meaningless conversation. We can run up hills, climb mountains and swim seas.
Or we can sleep. Ultimately, no practice is needed, when one becomes united with this "godhead," when one has returned to the natural state, from which the human ego has created separation. Reunion with this life force is the mark of true religious experience and system.
A true religious system is not one that demands slobbering at the feet of a separate god-ego - however large and frightening, whatever race or gender - but one that leads to communion and union with the quality of divinity itself.
GOD IS BORG RESISTANCE IS FUTILE
The cosmic union of which we speak, however, is voluntary and not dependent on the grace or force of another. It is not the soul-enslavement prescribed by religious ideologies that say one must surrender to "God." It is merely the experience of Totality, of the Cosmos, which we think is a pretty big rush.
This "coming back to God/Godhead" is not the BORG experience, wherein one is assimilated against one's will to an uncreative group of drones linked to a central mind. Indeed, that totalitarian despot is the classic description of "God" provided by theists and religionists.
All we're talking about here is when your mind is blown, such that your whole world dissolves and you are in another plane altogether, one that contains the plentitude of the void, with its infinite worlds - the ultimate paradox and the biggest amusement park.
Now, this Cosmic Orgasm is "God," not the creature that priests portray who wants you to be begging him all the time, while sleepwalking through life, like BORG. Knowing this Cosmic Orgasm actually allows you to be free from GOD/BORG.
It allows you to become the creator. And from there you come back down to Earth and actually relish the separation, which is also divine, for it allows you, me, us and them to exist - individuals having a vast array of often exquisite experiences. Knowing we are the creator of our own dramas, however, allows us to make those experiences even more exquisite and ecstasy-filled.
Oligarchy is Not Democracy
The first and second definitions of democracy in Webster's dictionary are: 1 : "a government by the people; esp : rule of the majority 2 : a government in which the supreme power is held by the people."
Now, this sounds very appealing to people who are interested in freedom and justice for all. Indeed, it is a great a concept, one held by the majority of enlightened cultures that have appeared in the past 2,500 or so years. Unfortunately, life has not been so utopian, and in many places and eras, power has been held by what have been called tyrants and despots, feudal lords and egomaniacs who sat in power because of "divine right to rule."
Contrary to such a flowery notion, most of these "leaders" came into power through physical force and an array of atrocities. This trend continues to this day in too many parts of the world, with banana-republican dictators scattered here and there like so many weeds.
In the popular version of history, the righteous human struggle has been to destroy these autocracies and replace them with the ever-liberating "democracy," so that civil rights will be mandated and enforced, and all people will have a chance to lead a decent life.
This urge to create some sort of governing body and principle that will provide for the participation of individuals and hoi polloi in their own destinies is indeed a noble and righteous one. It is absolutely on the right track, and it has been supported throughout the ages by the most exalted thinkers that this planet has produced.
There can be no argument there. So, knowing this, these venerated minds have consistently set about first planning such a government and then finding a way to execute it.
Democracy is Ideal and Idealistic
Thus was born the idea of democratic government, which calls for a majority of people to vote on how they wish to be treated rather than having it decided for them. In this day and age, the common perception of such a democratic government is of a structure that has a variety of levels from local to state to federal.
On the local level, there can be boards of supervisors, boards of education, boards of selectmen, etc. On the state level, there can be legislatures and representatives.
On the federal level, there can be a parliament, senate and/or house of representatives. These divisions are set up to share the power so that no one aspect becomes out of balance, so that no one individual or group holds the reigns for the rest and can make decisions for the whole.
This is the ideal of this governing structure, and on paper it may be virtuous. But in real life, because of a tendency in human nature, it often happens that this noble ideal becomes warped and distorted such that the governing structure turns out to resemble what it was designed to replace.
The Needs of the Few or the One Outweigh the Needs of the Many?
When a small group of individuals wields a large portion of power and dictates the lives of the majority, it is called an "oligarchy." According to Webster's, oligarchy is "a government in which power is in the hands of a few."
To those who have been educated to believe in the ideal of a democratic government, i.e., one that ostensibly spreads the power around even to the smallest "little person," the idea of an oligarchy seems abhorrent and straight out of the Dark Ages.
After all, "all men are created equal," so how dare anyone else attempt to dictate how someone should or shouldn't lead his or her life? Ideally, citizens of a democracy would never allow a handful of individuals dictate policy for the rest.
Yet, what is held on this planet at this time to be a democratic government is, upon inspection, in reality an oligarchy, with a small percentage of citizens establishing and enforcing policy.
Although many citizens of so-called democratic societies may believe they are living under a majority rule, they truly are not.
In fact, in large communities, this direct democracy would be impossible, even with the best voting techniques and technology, because every day there are hundreds of decisions that governing bodies face without the input of the "common people."
The sheer volume of the decisions required to keep a governing system together is so enormous that it is not viable to take into account the opinions of each and every citizen of that government. So, in these systems of representative democracy, citizens ostensibly elect people to fairly represent their individual opinions.
In truth, they have no choice. They cannot do it themselves. Is representative democracy, then, a truly democratic process? Not exactly, but, as they say, "Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the rest."
Indeed, a better question would be, is the electing of one person - usually but not always a man - to head or lead a country or governing body a democracy? In other words, what is so democratic about having a president or prime minister or any other singular head of state?
Is this not the definition of at least an oligarchy, if not an autocracy? How can one man be representative of a million or a billion others? Indeed, he cannot, and this form of government is not really a democracy in its highest ideal. It may attempt to approach the mark, but it falls short.
Fortunately, the "democratic" singular-head-of-state governing system has generally been designed with a system of checks and balances that carefully weighs and incorporates the opinions of others, so the rabid and egregious abuse of power inherent in a true autocracy is not usually found within such a system.
However, even this "democratic" system is flawed, in that there are loopholes that do allow for a concentration of power in the hands of the few.
Paradoxically and fortunately, at the same time there are so many vested interests, corporate juggernauts and the like, that the top people in authority really don't have the concentrated power that they or the citizens they supposedly represent believe they do.
What this means is that the "democratic" singular head of state is not truly in charge, as he is constantly influenced by aggressive self-interested outside parties.
Since it is the case that these so-called leaders do not really have the ability to enact either their own will or that of the people, the question arises, "Why maintain this type of system?"
Indeed, why would a "democratic" government have a president or prime minister in the first place? Why wouldn't it have a council of elders, in which a larger number of people are considered heads of state? This concept has been practiced in a variety of cultures around the globe throughout history.
To be truly democratic, this governing system would include representatives of both genders and all ethnicities within a given territory, regardless of class or financial status.
Elected Official or Egomaniac?
Considering all of this, don't the offices of prime minister, president and the like seem rather egotistical? What is the motivation to become president, something most mothers and fathers fantasize about for their children?
Is it because it would be in the best interest for all the people involved, because the little chip off the old block is a fantastic visionary whose wisdom and knowledge would vastly improve the lives of his or her constituents? Or is it because it would make Junior, Mummy and Daddy feel very good to have Junior be a leader of peoples?
Since Junior has hardly proven himself a great and wise leader by the age of two, when Mummy and Daddy are already planning his illustrious career, such ambition cannot be motivated by an altruistic desire to save the world but by egocentricity.
In truth, for the most part, "democratic" countries do not elect the wisest or best qualified, as those individuals usually do not wish to lose their privacy and be inspected under a microscope. To become wise and gain depth of soul and mastery over life, many people have experienced events that are not within the boundaries of the commonly held perception of morality.
Hence, they would not be considered squeaky clean enough to pass public muster. Unfortunately, that means that those who do pass muster are often robotic and dull, having lived strictly according to society's rules and laws - no great daredevils here but fearful geeks.
Until they do actually inhale (or at least admit to it), we will not see any great visionaries in office. And until we stop esteeming egotistical positions of power, we will not have a true democracy. Indeed, it might be best if we established a "meritocracy," whereby individuals would earn a position, rather than buy or inherit it.
Is Life Really Just One Scam After Another?
Ah, life used to be so easy when we were children, well at least for some of us. We didn't have to worry about bills. We didn't have a time clock or a boss - a bully perhaps, but not a work boss.
We didn't have to constantly chase a buck (I realize that there are hundreds of millions around the globe who are consumed with chasing a grain of rice, but let's pretend we're addressing an ideal childhood). Other than getting other children's toys, we didn't have many cares back then.
Of course, some might argue that times have changed, and now children have to worry about all sorts of predators and perverts. It is true that children have been and continue to be vulnerable to sickos and wackos in any given society in any given time period.
It doesn't necessarily seem to be on the increase, perhaps just more widely reported. Nevertheless, thankfully there have been children who have lived relatively stress-free lives happily playing about as children. Naturally, this is how we would really like to see them.
Be Innocent, Get Ripped Off
For those who have grown up in this type of sheltered, protected and nurturing environment, the "real world" may come as quite a shock, and such a child may have an extraordinarily difficult time adjusting, perhaps remaining in naivete and innocence his or her entire life. There will be those who will know what I am addressing here, those who out of generosity of spirit and innocence find themselves constantly getting scammed in one way or another, for time, money, love, sex, you name it.
Each time they get ripped off, they will optimistically look toward the future when the "real" deal will be coming along - after all, they're good, aren't they, so don't they deserve it?
Indeed, good, innocent people do deserve to be treated kindly and fairly. But all too often, they are on the receiving end of a scam, such as nice, little old ladies or gentlemen who have thousands of dollars ripped off from them by "caring" hardselling "telemarketing" con artists who have no conscience and are soulless.
Sometimes, the rest of us titter at such silly people, who would allow themselves to be victimized time and again for seemingly weak reasons such as loneliness and despair. We think it could never happen to us, we could never fall for that tired old scheme.
But, alas, we would be wrong, whatever our age and financial adeptness, because we have been falling for it on a larger scale since we moved out of our innocent childlike state into fending for ourselves.
Meaningless Work A Scam
The first and most obvious scam is the constant exhortation that we need to work, work, work for a few dollars an hour, while fatcats sitting higher up the corporate pyramids fly off to the south of France or lean back in their hightech Lazy-Boys, smoking their Havanas and watching their 400-foot screen TVs.
That's the first scam. Of course, we are told that with hard work we too can be Mr. Bigwig, that opportunities abound, that Mr. Bigwig started in exactly the same position we are in now. But is this all really true?
If we put in hard work, will anyone really recognize it and reward it? Or will we be scammed again when someone else takes credit for our efficient work and good ideas?
Sometimes we do receive recognition for our work, but it becomes abundantly clear to some punching bags as they mature that they have to vigorously and viciously fight for both recognition and reward, otherwise it will never be a-comin'. We will be ripped off yet again.
Now, this is not to say that we are all victims of society, or other people or even ourselves. This is to bring this subject to light so we can stop being victims.
This is to talk about something that goes on day in and day out, something that isn't addressed, something that is taken for granted, and that is, that there are predators among us who are constantly on the lookout for patsies and suckers, for naive, sweet people who simply want to be helpful - in other words, for marks.
You probably know someone like this, a wolf in sheep's clothing. These people might not look like the typical Simon LeGree villain with a long, curved moustache and a nasty snigger as he catches you off guard and causes you to willingly be ripped off.
Indeed, you might even now and again participate in the predatory scam without realizing it; you might, in fact, be an unknowing perpetrator, since this quality can be found in the mass human psyche and is certainly not limited to a few bad apples.
Get Rich Quick Get Scammed!
Every week millions of people receive dozens of "Make $7 zillion in just seconds a day!" offers in the mail. All of them look tempting, of course, and some of them seem easy. But, after we've sent in our $39 "registration fees" or some other such thing, we find out that in order to make that $7 zillion, we will have to run out and mug people on the street, because what we've received is some old bogus plan that would take 100,000 years to pay off.
Naturally, in the "inspirational" tape that might come with any cheesy product we might receive for our hard-earned money, we are told that if we don't make $7 zillion, it is because we aren't working hard enough. "It all depends on how much you put into it!" we are cheerfully reprimanded.
Then there're the happy, happy MLM companies that also promise us $7 zillion if we simply make all of our friends and families buy dozens of bottles of whatsamagigs and whooseywhats, so that they can then make all of their friends and families buy some, and so on and so forth. "Then you tell two friends, and then they tell two friends," etc., ad nauseam. Sure, some people have become rich through MLM, but far more people have been left holding the bag(s).
Life is a Big Pyramid Scheme
It seems that all life is simply a pyramid scheme. If you're incredibly lucky, you can get through without having been burned more than a few times, but there are many people who get burned dozens or hundreds of times before they finally return to the dust from which they came.
Why is this? Is it because they are incredibly stupid and foolish? Or is it something about how society is set up that says, "The only way you will make it through life unscathed is if you constantly are on the lookout for the endless spider webs and wolf traps that others are laying out for you?"
It seems there is something of a scam artist built into the "normal" human experience. Although as youngsters we are taught to be truthful and honest, meek and unpredatory, when we go off on our own, we then have to immediately become experts at spotting infinite pitfalls, many of which are deliberately contrived by another aspect of the human psyche, that which derives pleasure off of "gotchas."
Fool Me Once, Shame on Me? Shame on You!!
How do we remedy this situation? Well, besides the fact that these qualities of predation and scamming are inherent in the human psyche, they are also encouraged in part by the emphasis in our various societies placed on competition, whether in sports, money, love, religion or war.
Competition in itself is not a problem; it helps to push human beings to levels of excellence. Who really doesn't like the Olympics or at least what they stand for? Many a tear has been shed while watching them.
But the typical person seems not to know when to turn off the competition, when to just be real and not to be trying to win at all costs. Thus, although competition should not be discarded from our training, more emphasis must be placed on knowing when to cooperate rather than compete.
There has to be a line drawn somewhere. Life cannot be an endless scam, whereby we must keep on our toes at all times or get gotten. It is tiresome and exhausting to live like this, and it causes turmoil in every aspect of our lives. How can one truly be at peace, how can one rest, if one is continuously on one's toes, if one can never let one's hair down?
Now, there are those who actually thrive on this constant edgy state. That is fine, but they must make sure that they are getting their thrills with integrity and not by ripping people off, or degrading people or cheating people in any way whatsoever. It is nearly impossibly to make it through life with one's integrity and honesty intact.
If you try to improve your life by attempting some sort of money-making program, you may find yourself smack dab in the middle of some untoward scheme, you may end up losing your friends and all that you have worked for, just because, with good intentions, you linked up to something that turned out to be sleazy and deceitful.
The only way to make it through, it appears, without getting caught up in something sleazy, would be to live like Walter Mitty, in fear and meek servitude. It is a pathetic situation, but one that must change.
On Nationalism
Note: The following essay was written in response to the rise of "patriotic," anti-government militias within the United States who hold up the notion of American supremacy. It is not meant to denigrate the concept of America, i.e., liberty and human rights.
Nor is it meant to validate irrational anti-American sentiments of other nations. The criticism of arrogance herein applies to all nations that claim cultural superiority. The fact is that the USA remains one of the better places in the world in which to live, as is validated by the large numbers of people from around the globe who wish to immigrate to America.
Residents of the USA often hear in a context of great pride and boastfulness people loudly declare, "I'm patriotic," or "I'm a good American," or "I believe in America." They are led to believe that this is very good thing to be and say.
They are taught this from when they are very young children, when they are forced, through threat of punishment, to "pledge allegiance to the United States of America one nation under God, etc."
Their parents, priests, principals and authority figures beam great smiles as the wee folk burble and lisp their way through this oath. If they do not participate in this patent cult activity, however, they are either sent to the corner or ridiculed.
Americans then grow up saying this cult oath for what often amounts to over a decade of recitation. Along the way, they are indoctrinated into various other peculiar ideologies, such as God is a nice old white man who has a Jewish carpenter son by virtue of immaculately conceiving with a virgin just normal, everyday ideas like that. Later on, after being thoroughly filled with such odd and weird ideas, we hear cries of "cult" and "brainwashing" from our mainstream media whenever some group arises that does not share the same bizarre beliefs.
"Patriotism" is a Cult
In fact, all of these oaths, dogmas and creeds regarding nationalism or religionism are indoctrination or brainwashing into a cult of one sort or another. Those of us who have traveled and/or bothered to explore various cultures around the world often find ourselves too expanded to share in such limited concepts of reality.
For someone who has lived in a variety of countries, absorbed and studied much of the cultures and traditions of those countries, and learned the languages of such countries, it is impossible to declare, "I'm patriotic," or "I'm American," or "I believe in America."
To do so would be to negate the wisdom of every other culture and to hold one's own above the rest, as if it is the only worthy place on earth. One who has traveled extensively can justly say that is simply not the case.
Isn't Pride a Deadly Sin?
An openminded, intelligent person could not possibly consider him or herself to be a proud member of any nation exclusive to all others. The fact is that every culture around the world has some interesting and colorful contribution to make to humanity, and those who are the wisest will explore all such contributions.
This is not to say that there are not some places where life is hard and others where life is better. But it is often a question of perspective.
It Could Be Worse
Nevertheless, there are most definitely repressive and hateful governing bodies that do not provide a "superior" quality of life. In that case, we can look to such a document as the Constitution of the United States as being fairly good in its ability to allow for "liberty and justice for all."
The Constitution is also flawed, however, and the USA is not heaven on earth. Nor is any other place. Even the smallest island paradises are going to have their problems now and again. As they say, "Democracy is the worst form of government - except all the others."
No, Virginia, the Constitution is Not "American"
But with all this arrogant and egotistical "we are the superior nation of the world" and "I'm a patriotic American" stuff, one should be firmly reminded that the glorious-'though-imperfect Constitution is not a purely "American" construction but is based on the wisdom of many cultures, including those of ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, Renaissance Europe, Persia, Native America, et al.
The Constitution is a pinnacle in that it is built upon past cultures and experiences, and as such it is an improvement over such governing bodies. But this is also not to say that today we are much more advanced than we have been in the "barbaric" past.
There is a great deal of evidence to suggest that life goes not in constant linear improvement but in cycles, reaching great peaks of evolution and falling back to primitivity and savagery. This is evidenced by the past "Golden Ages" of Greece, Egypt and Rome, which were followed by such unlovely times as the Dark Ages, where nearly everyone was toothless and illiterate.
Keeping all this in mind, that ancient peoples have had a great deal of wisdom, as do peoples of nations other than the United States, and that this is a small planet, of which we are all citizens, let's drop the nationalistic rubbish - wherever we live - once and for all and declare, "We are all members of the cosmos." This is the only way we can end separation between peoples and have peace on earth - if that will ever be possible.
An Atheist Here to Destroy?
"Oh, he tears down, but does not build up," is another criticism about my work. It is not true. No preacher or priest is more constructive. To build up their churches and maintain their creeds, the priests pulled down and destroyed the magnificent civilization of Greece and Rome, plunging Europe into the dark and sterile ages which lasted over a thousand years.
M. Mangasarian
It has been suggested that I am an "atheist" and am "very destructive."
I am neither a theist nor an atheist, although, for the most part, I prefer atheists because they can think for themselves and are not as vicious as "believers."
Their morality comes not from the outside, imposed by some supernatural figure, some repressive puppetmaster in the sky, but from within, as dictated by their own autonomy, wisdom and maturity.
My only problem with extreme atheists is that they are sometimes too cynical and rigid, dismissing all "paranormal" or non-third-dimensional events often without proper investigation. They see nothing sacred to the universe.
I have many more problems with theists, however, as they consider humans to be pathetic, born-in-sin pieces of shit in the face of a glorious God. Real, tangible human beings are to be treated very badly and with tremendous condescension, because they are mere lost sheep and stupid children!
The god of their choice, of course, who is invisible and intangible and, presumably, unable to feel pain (or pleasure), unlike humans must be praised and complimented to high heaven! Do not love your fellow man, who can actually feel it and who needs it, but "love the Lord your God with all your heart. Extreme theists and atheists both share a certain attitude towards creation: to wit, it is not divine or awesome.
I categorize myself as neither of these, since I prefer to view the entire cosmos as divine and awesome. I may thus be called "pantheistic." I may also be considered a mystic, a "homo novus," or, as it were, a new woman.
The mystic or gnostic does not reside in the realm of belief or disbelief. She or he knows, rather than believing. I do not need to believe in the sun.
I can see it and feel it. I know it exists. I also know that there is a sentience that pervades the cosmos. I am it. You are it. The birds singing in the trees and the trees themselves are it. This sentience could be called "God," but it is not a giant man somewhere in outer space apart and aloof from creation. As Joseph Campbell said:
"The idea of God as the absolute other is a ridiculous idea. There can be no relationship to that which is absolute other."
By definition, "God" is OMNIPRESENT, which means it is everywhere, in me, in you and in all creation. Behind the creation is the Great Void, where there is no separation and all is one.
This idea - this perception of the mystics and sages of ages - is backed by science, in that ALL IS ATOMS VIBRATING, and we are exchanging atoms with everything around at all times.
All is connected, and we are breathing the air exhaled by others from around the globe. We are washing with Buddha's sweat, so to speak. Or Jesus's, or Hercules's, or that of any other of the millions of deities man has created.
The human ego has created an artificial separation that makes it as dense as the material world can get. We are all one; we are the Cosmic Being, yet the human mind creates "other."
This is no different from the animals, who constantly play out the roles of predator and prey, of "other" and "alien." But as humans, we have the capacity to go beyond the deluded animal state and realize that we are spiritual beings condensed into an illusion of materiality and separation. We are That Which Is.
This is the language of a mystic, and it would seem that only other mystics can fully grok (understand) it. To attain to the mystical is to know "God" and all its fullness. The mystical is paradoxical. It does not take a solid platform. That is why it is MYST-ERIOUS. The mystical lives in the herenow and says neti, neti, neither this nor that. It dictates totality.
So, no, I don't believe in any god person. I know myself as That Which Is. This is not a new concept to those who bother to think for themselves and check out the astounding amount of information found around the globe on this all-important subject of "God" and the cosmos, instead of blindly going along with some other person's prescribed path, which is usually very cultlike, sectarian, racist and sexist. The blind leading the blind is dangerous.
And yes, I am here to destroy. I am the intellectual aspect of Kali, the destroyer, of Shiva, of Zeus the thunderer, and of Jehovah the flattener of cities. But I am also a part and parcel of the Creative Life Force that permeates the cosmos, and upon the ruined foundations of dead and rotten ideologies I build anew.
I construct a better creation with a more solid and universal foundation, one not built upon the mental quicksand of racism, sexism and "chosen people" of one ethnicity or another. I build anew atop this foundation that wisdom is found in every culture, race and creed, and even throughout the cosmos, as it cannot be and never has been contained in one person, one book, one race or one gender.
The living truth cannot be constrained by borders and artifice. This universal foundation cannot be chipped away by niggling little forces of racial, political or "religious" ideologies that teach separation and division.
For, when one proudly declares he is a Christian, he is also equally proudly declaring that he is NOT a Jew, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist or any other "devilish" thing. Plain and simple, this is ugly, and this is what I'm here to destroy.
Let us think back to when we were children, before we started getting conditioned - or, more appropriately, brainwashed - by those around us. We did not see race, gender, ethnicity or religion. We saw other children, beings with smiling faces exuding innocence.
The unbridled, radiant love of life beamed from our souls and flowed from our hearts. Then we started to learn that we were no longer one empathetic being but were part of a variety of groups that separated us from each other. Suddenly, we were "boys" or "girls," "blacks" or "whites."
We were "Americans" and "Russians." We were "Christians" or "Jews." And those over THERE were not like us over HERE. Again, this is extremely ugly and is at the root of all kinds of prejudice and bigotry that go on day in and day out. These are, in reality, false separations.
The truth is that we all have wisdom, and my wisdom is telling me that now is the time to wake up to our universal selves, as we sit on the edge of global chaos. Because of the various ideologies that are blinding humanity from its true nature, from living in the present, from being awakened, most of humankind is oblivious to what is going on all around.
They are frogs in the pot of water, waiting to be cooked and not feeling the heat. Their minds are twisted, and they cannot think for themselves here and now but must constantly look for answers elsewhere. When you are in such a state, you are not truly living, because you must first wait to close one transaction to begin another.
Also, you're stumbling about, somnambulating, without being fully present. Such is not the state of life but of catatonia. Thus, like Kali, I am hacking away at the veil that keeps you sightless and asleep to the ethereal and awe-inspiring nature of the cosmos.
Does the Cosmos Know the Pope Exists?
Picture yourself in a universe so vast, so boundless that it is beyond the perception of the average mind. Expand your consciousness as far out into infinity as you possibly can. See the immensity and depth of the cosmos, with infinite billions of stars all around, massive spans of milky debris, six-trillion mile high clouds of gas that give birth to stars, stupendous black holes that suck in everything in their path.
Imagine that you could cruise through this universe for eternity with no end in sight, that you could never run out of worlds to visit or the pure blackness of space.
Now feel the energy underlying that mindboggling vastness; become one with the creative source behind that immeasurable creation. Familiarize yourself with how unbelievably tremendous is that creative life principle in its scope and breadth.
Let yourself flow in all its directions, its omnidimensionality, its ever-present sentience. Study the variety of this creator's innumerable creations, the limitless colors of its palette.
See that this creation has no end to it but is inexhaustible and unbounded. Know that such a creative force can produce whatever it so wills, in any form it so wishes, in any shape it so desires, at any time it so needs.
Are you beginning to get the picture? Can you grasp the sublime infinitude of what we call life? Of our cosmos, our universe, our creation and "creator"?
Can you grok that such a vastness cannot be contained in any one form, shape, gender, book or thing, but is contained in all forms, shapes, genders, books and things? Do you realize that such boundless void transcends and incorporates all dimensions and aspects of existence?
Does Anything Matter?
Now, do you honestly believe that such an immeasurable creation/creator is a nice old white man with a long white beard sitting on a cloud alternately smiling and scowling over the behavior of a bunch of smaller-than-minuscule creatures parading about on an quark-sized particle way off in the middle of nowhere?
In other words, does this illimitable universe really care about microscopic human beings residing on a fleck of matter floating in an endless ocean of space? Indeed, does the cosmos give a fig about the pope?
On the one hand, since there are infinite worlds in the eye of a shrimp, one could say that even the minutest bit of matter has significance and an effect on its surroundings and, perhaps, the universe itself. But, on the other hand, let's get real.
The cosmos/creator will exist, nonchalantly and unattached, whether or not any of us lives or dies. There has never been a single human being upon whose life or death the universe depended for its sustenance and continuation. Nobody is that important, not even what are perceived as "godmen" or "godwomen." No one is that big; nobody matters that much.
Such is not to instill in one a sense of insignificance to the point of depression and disillusionment, but rather to point out that no matter how pompous and vainglorious we become, how serious we take ourselves, how important we deem ourselves, we are really simply small, frail creatures in a creation beyond the scope of the average mind.
All Pumped Up with Nowhere to Go
In light of this, those who pretentiously parade around this teeny speck of space dust in grandiose and megalomaniacal self-importance, whether political, religious, industrial or celebrity figures, appear rather humorous and pitiful, not to mention egotistical and just plain silly.
We can guarantee that such characters have never been heard of even as a rumor by anyone outside of this solar system, much less beyond this dinky orb. They matter not an iota in the cosmic scheme of things.
Thus, it would seem reasonable - even amusing - if those who can see the folly of such behavior were to point it out, much as the boy who saw through the emperor's nakedness. Indeed, we would do well to tell the pope that "God" - the universe - has no idea who he is.
RELIGION IS MENTAL ILLNESS GOD IS A PSYCHOPATH
The following is the legacy of "religion": Christianity The Roots of Anti-Semitism
"With the wrath of an Old Testament prophet, historian Dagobert Runes (whose mother was killed by the Nazis) blamed the Christian church for the Holocaust. He wrote:
"'Everything Hitler did to the Jews, all the horribly unspeakable misdeeds, had already been done to the smitten people before by the Christian churches.
The isolation of Jews into ghetto camps, the wearing of the yellow spot, the burning of Jewish books, and finally the burning of the people - Hitler learned it all from the church. However, the church burned Jewish women and children alive, while Hitler granted them a quicker death, choking them first with gas.'
"Dr Runes said Christian priests and ministers still were inculcating hostility to Jews as the Third Reich arrived.
The clergymen don't tell you whom to kill; they just tell you whom to hate,' he wrote. 'The Christian clergymen start teaching their young at the tenderest age that THE Jews killed the beloved, gentle Son of God; that God Himself, the Father, punished THE Jews by dispension and the burning of their holy city; that God holds THE Jews accursed forever.
For all the 2,000 years, there was no act of war against the Jews in which the church didn't play an intrinsic part. And whenever there was a trace of mercy, charity, or tolerance to be found amid the savagery, it came not from the church but from humanitarians in the civil world, as in Napoleonic France or during the American Revolution.
Some fancy that these brutal outrages occurred only in the Dark Ages, as if this were an excuse. Nay, when George Washington was president, Jewish people were burning on the spit in Mexico Wherever there are Christian churches there is anti-Semitism.
Source: Holy Horrors by James Haught.
Judaism 4,000 Years of Massacring Neighbors
"The massacre at Dueima in 1948 was perpetrated by the official Labor Zionist Israeli army, the Israel Defense Forces (Tzeva Haganah le-Israel or ZA-HAL).
The account of the massacre, as described by a soldier who participated in the horror, was published in Davar, the official Hebrew daily newspaper of the Labor-Zionist-run Histadrut General Federation of workers:
They killed between eighty to one hundred Arab men, women and children. To kill the children they [soldiers] fractured their heads with sticks. There was not one home without corpses. The men and women of the villages were pushed into houses without food or water. Then the saboteurs came to dynamite them.
One commander ordered a soldier to bring two women into a building he was about to blow up. .Another soldier prided himself upon having raped an Arab woman before shooting her to death. Another Arab woman with her newborn baby was made to clean the place for a couple of days, and then they shot her and the baby.
Educated and well-mannered commanders who were considered "good guys" became base murderers, and this is not in the storm of battle, but as a method of expulsion and extermination. The fewer the Arabs who remain, the better.'"
Proof That God Doesn't Exist, Prayer Doesn't Work And Religion Creates Psychosis
"A believer is a bird in a cage. A freethinker is an eagle parting the clouds with tireless wing."
Robert Ingersoll
At the top of this website is a prayer: "God, protect me from your followers." Well, needless to say, it doesn't work, thereby providing concrete proof that God doesn't exist and that prayer doesn't work. And those who have squeaked through the supernatural protective net have expressed psychosis, which proves that religion creates it.
Some of the nutty messages received include the following. I could provide the names of the people who sent them, but these comments are so generic and typical that they apply to basically any blind believer, with the emphasis on blind.
"Your time will come!" This could be taken two ways: The friendly interpretation is that someone is wishing me luck in my teaching. The hateful interpretation is that I am being condemned to judgment by a monstrous god person.
"Eternity is a long time to be wrong!" All freethinkers have heard this idiotic retort, which is a more refined version of "You're going to hell!" This comment is completely psychotic, in that these blind believers believe there is a "loving" and "forgiving" god person who will hideously punish anyone who dares to question "his" existence.
Obviously, we reject such an ugly concept, so this threat doesn't scare us. Also, what if YOU'RE wrong? You have condemned millions of people to hell in your thoughts and words, not to mention that, if you're a Christian, you believe the Jews are guilty of killing God!
These are pretty heinous accusations, so you had better be sure that you're not wrong. Blind belief is not a win-win situation. Indeed, it is intellectually dishonest and harmful.
"When you die, you will meet your Maker and fall down on your knees before Jesus and ask His forgiveness." Ditto with the above. Why would the "omnipotent" Jesus and "His Father" be so threatened by our unbelief?
Did "He/They" not provide us with intelligence? Yet, "He" wishes us to spit on "His" gift and not use it? This asinine comment also means that the hundreds of millions of Buddhists and others who don't believe in the Jewish godman are diabolical and will be severely punished. Those who subscribe to such bigotry are already living in hell.
"Have you read the Bible cover to cover?" Actually, I have, and the hypocrite who asks such a question obviously hasn't, because the Bible is full of dreadful stories about genocide, murder, adultery, incest, deceit, greed, arrogance, megalomania, sexual perversion, and all sorts of despicable behavior. On second thought, perhaps the people who ask such a question HAVE read the Bible, as we are sure it creates dementia.
"Who made you so angry?" This one is full of implications, and I could answer in a variety of ways. ONe favorite is "Who made you so dumb?" But I could focus on the "made" part and say, "Well, God made me, so he must have made me angry."
I could also point out that the question itself is extremely angry, and that those who see anger everywhere are themselves seething with anger but are repressing it and are thus not mentally balanced. Human beings SHOULD be angry, because their situation is atrocious.
If there were such a god person directing everything, they should be very angry at "him," because this world is a mess and every day abominable things are happening to millions of people. Of course, the standard stupid response to this is that "God gave us free will." (See A Question of Free Will.)
"I'll pray for you!" This comment sounds like an alien language to freethinkers. It comes out something like this: "BZZZPPFFFFTTT."
When interpreted, it becomes clear that the person who is making such a comment feels quite smug and superior in that he/she has chosen the RIGHT god, compared to whatever it is you do with your consciousness, such that he/she now has a direct pipeline, whereas you do not, and he/she will put in a good word for you, you lowlife scum.
Since the concept of "God" is completely arbitrary, we could respond that we will pray to the Cosmic Mickey Mouse that our well-wishers become intelligent. Naturally, we are not talking about loved ones who make this heartfelt prayer comment in times of true trauma.
We are addressing the condescending offer presented by missionaries and proselytizing fanatics who have never even met us but who feel they know we are sinners who need prayer to their "Father in heaven." Theirs is a rather unctuous and smarmy mentality.
Now, just in case you think I'm being a bit harsh in pronouncing these statements and sentiments psychotic, I offer up the following email - you decide. Do you truly want to live in a world dominated by this kind of mentality?
"Alas, your vile vulgarness comes out. It's obvious you and your mind belong to Satan. The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing. You are a very sad excuse of a human being. You babble about things you know nothing about.
The Jews aren't Christkillers. Whoever told you that. Jesus died for all of us, so we all are Christkillers. . . . Whether or not you like it, or admit it, you were created by God, you will be judged by God, and you will be punished by God. You can play all the games you want to until that day of judgement, but it's coming."
To these loving, advanced concepts, I respond, "You and your mind obviously belong to Ahriman the Devil! Ahura-Mazda the Almighty will judge and punish you! My Persian boogeyman is bigger than your Judeo-Christian one! You barbarian with a bone in your nose! Ooga-booga!" Then I follow this with much saber-rattling, teeth-baring and chest-beating.
All of these comments reflect that the believer is angry, volatile, primitive, arrogant, mentally unbalanced and does not display critical thinking. Let us now spell it out:
If you believe there is an invisible giant man of a particular ethnicity in the sky who is directing everything and who is so hateful he will viciously punish us for challenging his existence
If you believe that this invisible giant man got a 13-year-old virgin girl pregnant, who then gave birth to him as his own son
If you believe that this god person wrote a book and one book only
If you believe that "confessing the Lord" will instantly remove your sins, thus allowing you to commit more
If you believe that a stone will remove your sins, thus allowing you to commit more -
If you believe in vicarious blood-atonement, i.e., that "the Lord died for your sins" and thus you can commit as many as you wish -
If you believe that merely believing in such a god person makes you righteous, no matter what atrocities you commit and what hatred and intolerance you carry and spread -
If you believe that some "good" god person is going to reward you for killing living, breathing human beings "in his name" -
If you believe that going to church, temple, synagogue or mosque, making pilgrimages, or wearing particular clothes or headdresses, makes you a righteous person, even though you don't behave like one otherwise -
If you believe that you are special and chosen because of what you believe
If you believe that it is good to mindlessly go along with whatever anyone tells you about the nature of God and religion -
If you believe that believing in one God makes you better than and superior to those who don't
You are NOT displaying critical thinking, not using your mind. You are also uneducated as to the world's cultures and history. It is not a sign of great intelligence to blindly believe what someone else has told you is true, especially when such beliefs basically condemn hundreds of millions of other people.
Many of these blind believers are simply not very bright, yet they assume that their belief equalizes them with those who are smarter. "Jesus loves you just the way you are!" is the hypocritical hue and cry of those who feel inferior but who will not recognize it and admit it.
Yet, according to these same cheerleaders, Jesus DOESN'T love you just the way you are - you must thoroughly change, surrendering your mind and soul to him. A bit of a psychotic extortion racket.
The bottom line is that those who dare to question and challenge cherished beliefs which are not rational and reasonable, and who live relatively righteous lives without such irrational and intolerant beliefs, should be recognized as being the epitome of what any god person would wish in "his children."
They are utilizing all of the gifts that such a god person would provide, were "he" real. And if they have utilized these "God-given" gifts, they know that the interpretation of "God" is a cultural artifact, not an absolute truth that must be defended and beaten into other people.
In using these gifts, they will discover that over the millennia, hundreds of millions of people have held differing opinions as to the Infinite, which is only common sense, since it is, after all, Infinite.
Humans need to lighten up! Their gods and religions are dreary, humorless, wrathful, intolerant, oppressive and generally unpleasant. There is no love, no joy, no fun! Humans are under the dominion of ideologies that are slowly but surely killing them. They need to release them and be free! No one is going to punish them for enjoying life, and there is no point to living if they can't enjoy it.
No good god person wants to see people stumbling around in dread seriousness, doing cockamamie rituals and constantly beating up themselves and others. Life is a joke. There is no purpose, so everyone is free to create his or her own, making it as amusing, joyous and scrupulous as possible.
Religion is Mental Illness
"Philosopher Bertrand Russell wrote:
"Religion is based mainly upon fear fear of the mysterious, fear of defeat, fear of death. Fear is the parent of cruelty, and therefore it is no wonder if cruelty and religion have gone hand in hand . My own view on religion is that of Lucretius. I regard it as a disease born of fear and as a source of untold misery to the human race.'"
Source: Holy Horrors
NEED I SAY MORE? RELIGION EQUALS RACISM, SEXISM, SPECIESISM, SELF-HATRED, EXPLOITATION, SLAVERY, WAR. WE THE PEOPLE OF THE EARTH ARE ONE. NO RACES, NO RELIGIONS, NO DUALITY, NO WAR.
ALL BELIEFS ARE DOUBTS. KNOW THE TRUTH. STOP THE KILLING!! GO BEYOND BELIEF INTO THE KNOWN! BECOME RELIGIOUSNESS. MEDITATE.
FAMOUS QUOTES
To be awake is to be alive. I have never yet met a man who was quite awake.
Henry David Thoreau
All great truths begin as blasphemies.
George Bernard Shaw
If man had created man, he would be ashamed of his performance.
Mark Twain
No progress of humanity is possible unless it shakes off the yoke of authority and tradition.
Andre Gide
Darwin was wrong. Man's still an ape. His creed's still a totem pole. When he first achieved the upright position, he took a look at the stars, and thought they were something to eat. When he couldn't reach them, he decided they were groceries belonging to a bigger creature. That's how Jehovah was born.
Gene Kelly, "Inherit the Wind"
In a child's power to master the multiplication table there is more sanctity than in all your shouted amens and holy holies and hoseannas. An idea is a greater monument than a cathedral. And the advance of man's knowledge is a greater miracle than all the sticks turned to snakes or the parting of the waters.
Spencer Tracy, "Inherit the Wind"
The religion of one age is the literary entertainment of the next.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Religions impose their dogmas, bend conscience under their laws, deny freedom of discussion and of judgment to their clients, and, in the name of God, proscribe all thought which they do not control, all liberty except the liberty to bow down and believe.
Louis Jacolliot
It is my firm opinion that the whole batch of religions with their aims and claims are a barrier to world peace. Religion does not unite people. It divides them. Religion is not only a barrier to world peace but a thwarter and a stumbling block to world progress.
G. Vincent Runyon
I condemn false prophets, I condemn the effort to take away the power of rational decision, to drain people of their free will - and a hell of a lot of money in the bargain. Religions vary in their degree of idiocy, but I reject them all. For most people, religion is nothing more than a substitute for a malfunctioning brain.
Gene Roddenberry
Religion and its practices have consistently been one of women's fiercest enemies... The fact that many women do not realize this shows how thorough the brainwashing and intimidation have been.
Arnold Toynbee
To religious despotism, imposing speculative delusions, and class-legislation, may be attributed the decay of nations.
Louis Jacolliot
There was a time when religion ruled the world. It is known as the Dark Ages.
Ruth H. Green
since the power of the printing press has risen, the influence of the priesthood has diminished.
Dr. Thomas Inman, British Royal Physician, Ancient Faiths and Modern, 405
It seems immodest for me to discuss my career or to claim any accomplishments. If you think surviving 67 years on a brutal, backward and superstitious planet ranks as an accomplishment, I've done that.
Robert Anton Wilson
Static religions are the death of thought.
Alfred North Whitehead
The world is my country, to do good my religion.
Thomas Paine
No religion can rise to power quickly without vast promises, fierce threats, and the doctrine of imminent disaster.
Martin Larson
Honesty, like charity, must begin at home. Unless we can tell the truth in our churches we will never tell the truth in our shops. Unless our teachers, the ministers of God, are honest, our insurance companies and corporations will have to be watched. Permit sham in your religious life, and the disease will spread to every member of the social body.
If you may keep religion in the dark, and cry "hush," "hush," when people ask that it be brought out into the light, why may not politics or business cultivate a similar partiality for darkness?
If the king cries, "rebel," when a citizen asks for justice, it is because he has heard the priest cry, "infidel," when a member of his church asked for evidence. Religious hypocrisy is the mother of all hypocrisies. Cure a man of that, and the human world will recover its health.
M.M. Mangasarian
In religion, they become "holier than thou" types filled with terrible hatreds which in turn cause guilt complexes that drive them deeper into their religious frame of reference. The outlet for their scrambled emotions is to try to foist their beliefs - and their fears - onto the rest of us.
John Keel
Hell is other people.
Nietzsche
Hell is useless to sages, but necessary to the blind and brutal populace.
Polybius
The Judeo-Christian-Moslem-Hindu complex of religions is so troublesome because these religions are moralistic, absolutist, sex-negative, patriarchal, exclusionary, supremacist, hierarchical, legalistic, militant and imperial in nature.
Historically, these religions have been used as tools for the construction, conquest, justification and maintenance of centralized political empires (or conversely, these empires have been used as tools to spread the religions.)
Religion and Empire are part of the same historical/political complex and have co-evolved for millennia. They're components of a more general pathological process in history and human organization.
Mark Thompson
Religion can never reform mankind, because religion is slavery. It is far better to be free, to leave the forts and barricades of fear, to stand erect and face the future with a smile. It is far better to give yourself sometimes to negligence, to drift with wave and tide, with the blind force of the world, to think and dream, to forget the chains and limitations of the breathing life, to forget purpose and object, to lounge in the picture-gallery of the brain, to feel once more the clasps and kisses of the past, to bring life’s morning back, to see again the forms and faces of the dead, to paint fair pictures for the coming years, to forget all Gods, their promises and threats, to feel within your veins life’s joyous stream and hear the martial music, the rhythmic beating of your fearless heart.
And then to rouse yourself to do all useful things, to reach with thought and deed the ideal in your brain, to give your fancies wing, that they, like chemist bees, may find art’s nectar in the weeds of common things, to look with trained and steady eyes for facts, to find the subtle threads that join the distant with the now, to increase knowledge, to take burdens from the weak, to develop the brain, to defend the right, to make a palace for the soul. This is real religion. This is real worship.
Robert Ingersoll
The Creed of Science
To love justice, to long for the right, to love mercy, to pity the suffering, to assist the weak, to forget wrongs and remember benefits—to love the truth, to be sincere, to utter honest words, to love liberty, to wage relentless war against slavery in all its forms, to love wife and child and friend, to make a happy home, to love the beautiful in art, in nature, to cultivate the mind, to be familiar with the mighty thoughts that genius has expressed, the noble deeds of all the world, to cultivate courage and cheerfulness, to make others happy,
to fill life with the splendor of generous acts, the warmth of loving words, to discard error, to destroy prejudice, to receive new truths with gladness, to cultivate hope, to see the calm beyond the storm, the dawn beyond the night, to do the best that can be done and then to be resigned—this is the religion of reason, the creed of science. This satisfies the brain and heart.
Robert Ingersoll
From the Pope, who makes the people reverentially kiss his big toe, from the Lama, who makes them reverence his excrements, down to the last juggler, all the agents of religious imposture have held Man in the most shameful dependence of their power, and have amused him with the most chimerical hopes.
There is not a spot on Earth where he could have securely enough hid himself, in order to escape the illusions and the prestiges with which these impostors surround all those who lent a willing ear to their lying promises.
Charles Dupuis
Quotes on the Bible
The Old Testament, as everyone who has looked into it is aware, drips with blood; there is, indeed, no more bloody chronicle in all the literature of the world.
Henry L. Mencken
The Old Testament is a chronicle of horrors, describing an egocentric collection of supernatural beings who were always doing rotten things to gentle souls like Job.
John Keel
If a man would follow, today, the teachings of the Old Testament, he would be a criminal. If he would strictly follow the teachings of the New, he would be insane.
Robert Ingersoll
There would be no need for the women's movement if the church and Bible hadn't abused them.
Father Leo Booth
The mass of people who are Bible-taught never get free from the erroneous impressions stamped on their minds in their infancy, so that their manhood or womanhood can have no intellectual fulfillment, and millions of them only attain mentally to a sort of second childhood.
Gerald Massey
To me it is astonishing how thoughtful men, who have read accounts of the Mexicans and the Peruvians, can continue to believe that the Bible is the book of God, written by holy men, whose thoughts and diction were essentially those of the third person in the Trinity.
Who can assert that Abraham and Jacob, Moses and Aaron, were taught of God, and that to the Hebrews alone has the Creator revealed His will? Who can see, in the sensual king David, a man after God's heart, and applaud the brutal murder of Agag, the destruction of the priests of Baal, by the orders of Elijah, and the extermination of the Baalites in Israel by Jehu?…
Ah, it is time for civilized men to cease their admiration for a book which has produced such frightful fruits, and which has converted millions of human beings into incarnate fiends.
The Vedas and the Shasters the writings of the Buddhists, and those of the Parsees and the Chinese, contain, nowhere, such a justification of wholesale murder, as do the scriptures of the Jews and of the Christians.
From these have been drawn the power to persecute, and, if possible, to exterminate those who worship God in a different fashion to those in power. Calvin was as bad as Torquemada… Everywhere the professed followers of Jesus assume the power to torment their opponents, whenever they can do so without breaking the civil law, and there are few pulpits from which the voice of revilement, contumely, and denunciation is not repeatedly heard.
Dr. Thomas Inman, British Royal Physician, Ancient Faiths and Modern, 61-62
If you believe that exposing your children to violence is a problem,by all means keep them away from the Bible.
Rev. Charles Henderson
("our Christianity Guide, offers his startling take on kids, violence, andculture in the wake of Columbine and Kosovo.")
The Hebrew Pentateuch has not only retarded the growth of science in Europe for eighteen centuries, but the ignorant believers in it as a book of revelation have tried to strangle every science at its birth.
There could be and was but little or no progress in astronomy, geology, biology, or sociology until its teachings were rejected by the more enlightened among men - the free thinkers and demonstrators of the facts. The progress has been in proportion to the repudiation; and, for myself, the nearer I draw towards death the more earnestly nay, vengefully do I resent the false teachings that have embittered my life not for myself only, but more for others, and most of all for the children.
Remember, the education of English children to-day is chiefly in the hands of the orthodox teachers, who still give the Bible all the preference over nature and science, and who will go on deluding the innocent little ones as long as ever they are paid or permitted to do so.
But what a dastardly shame it is for us to allow the children to be taught that which we know to be false, or do not ourselves believe to be true! The present calls upon you with an appealing voice to protect the unborn future against this terrible tyranny of the past. Do not any longer let the winding-sheet of death be the swaddling-bands put on the helpless little ones for life at their intellectual birth.
It is appalling to think of the populations that have already passed on victimized, the lives that have been wrecked, the brains that have been bruised, and the hearts broken of those who have dashed themselves against these barriers to human progress and the freedom of thought, which were ignorantly erected and then made sacred in the name of God, by means of this Hebrew Book of the Beginnings; in short, by a literalisation of mythology.
Gerald Massey
We can now say with considerable confidence that the Bible is not a history of anyone's past. The Bible's "Israel" is a literary fiction.
Not only have Adam and Eve and the flood story passed over to mythology, but we can no longer talk about a time of the patriarchs. There never was a "United Monarchy" in history and it is meaningless to speak of pre-exilic prophets and their writings... The Bible deals with the origin traditions of a people who never existed as such.
Thomas L. Thompson
Dr. Colenso, Bishop of Natal, stands out conspicuously. Of the highest intellectual attainments, trained to close and scientific inquiry; able, far better than men of meaner capacity, to weigh the value of "evidence," whether "ancient or modern," he has drawn the conclusion that the Bible is not what it is generally supposed to be; in other words, that its historical portions are not trustworthy, and that there is grave reason to believe its writings to have been produced for a purpose, which involved dishonesty in the scribe, and in the promulgator of his writings. The learned doctor was honest in his investigation, and fearless in announcing his conclusions.
Dr. Thomas Inman, British Royal Physician, Ancient Faiths and Modern, 444
Such was the power of the world's theocracies that, despite the publication of thousands of scholarly books and articles refuting every part of the Judaeo-Christian bible, to this day the existence of unchallengeable proof that the bible is a work of fiction is unknown to ninety percent of the population in Christian-dominated societies.
William Harwood, Mythology's Last Gods: Yahweh and Jesus, 16
Who actually wrote [the Pentateuch or "five books of Moses"] remains unknown, though the theories are endless. Scholars attribute the first two to a pair of unknown authors they refer to as "J" because he calls his god "Yahweh," originally a pagan Canaanite deity, and "E" who calls his god "Elohim."
These writers, writing in the 8th to 10th century B.C.E., were writing four to five centuries after the events they were describing. They clearly revised some of the doctrine, removing the lesser gods from the Hebrew pantheon, and establishing rituals that set the Hebrews apart from their neighbors.
These writers are describing events which allegedly occurred about 1200 B.C.E. I say allegedly, because there is considerable doubt that the events described in Exodus ever took place at all. Myth making looms large in religions of this time and region, and was often used as a device to make a point, without regard to historical accuracy.
The fact is that with all that is known of Egyptian history from this time (since scholars can now read the records the ancient Egyptians with the ease of a modern newspaper), and the fact that the history of Egypt in this period is well documented, there is no evidence from the records of Egypt itself that the events of Exodus ever occurred, either archaeologically or documentarily.
The reality is that if a series of plagues had been visited upon Egypt, thousands of slaves escaped in a mass runaway, and the army of the Pharaoh were swallowed up by the Red Sea, such events would doubless have made it into the Egyptian secular record. But the reality is that there isn't a single word describing any such events.
In fact, we have no record of the Hebrews from Egyptian sources at all, until two centuries later, about 1000 BCE, where they first appear being mentioned in passing as a neighboring culture. Not a word about those escaped slaves over there in Palestine.
Scott Bids
Quotes on God
A new idea is the result of the dethroning of a reigning God.
Christopher Hyatt
In spite of centuries wasted in preaching God's omnipotence, his omnipotence is contradicted by every Christian judgment and every Christian prayer.
George Santayana
Man is certainly stark mad; he cannot make a flea, and yet he will be making gods by the dozens.
Montaigne
A one-planet deity has for me little appeal.
Harlow Shipley
The density of matter in the Universe is only 20 drops of water in a billion cubic miles. That's all the creation the good Lord's come up with, and it's no big thing.
John Dobson, Astronomer
As far as I can determine, God is an abstract noun that refers to the general set of singularities resulting from any process of extrapolation based on incomplete information.
Mark Thompson
Men have believed in a God who was an omnipotent fiend, a demon quite unknown to the devil-worship of the past - a curse that sat enthroned amid the universe, breathing horror all abroad, and brooding down in blackness on the souls of men. And the ascending smoke of torment was to magnify the features of his monstrous majesty.
Gerald Massey
The God of the Bible can only be adored by individuals whose minds are not emancipated wholly from the thralldom of barbarism, and who regard Jehovah as a man, and not a good one either, or, as we have before remarked a devil.
Dr. Thomas Inman, British Royal Physician, Ancient Faiths and Modern, 255
The Jehovah of the Jews is a suspicious tyrant, who breathes nothing but blood, murder, and carnage, and who demands that they should nourish him with the vapours of animals. The Jupiter of the Pagans is a lascivious monster.
The Moloch of the Phoenicians is a cannibal. The pure mind of the Christians resolved, in order to appease his fury, to crucify his own son. The savage god of the Mexicans cannot be satisfied without thousands of mortals which are immolated to his sanguinary appetite.
Paul Henri Thiry, Baron D'Holbach
And so I believe today that my conduct is in accordance with the will of the Almighty Creator. In standing guard against the Jew I am defending the handiwork of the Lord.
Adolf Hitler, Mein Kampf, 46
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