| When we look back through antiquity it all gets a little | | | | of the Christian religion. Non-Christians, however, |
| wonky, but there seems to be a consensus that | | | | understand completely. But when one is attached and |
| Zoroaster, from Iran/Pakistan, invented God. As a | | | | have bet the farm on their beliefs, then daylight can be |
| matter of fact, many of the middle eastern religions | | | | as threatening as midnight! |
| such as Judaism and Christianity can trace their roots | | | | Non-Christians view Christianity quite differently than a |
| directly back to this man. Even his pictures -- pale face, | | | | "believer" who has been indoctrinated, usually since |
| brown beard, looking up toward heaven, resembles | | | | childhood, and even here in the Christian US, many |
| very closely the pictures representing Christ these | | | | think (after reading many open minded articles that are |
| days. | | | | all over the internet and backed by compelling historical |
| But perhaps it's better not to look too closely at our | | | | facts) that Jesus of Nazareth may have wondered to |
| religious heritages (myths and legends from thousands | | | | the East during the lost years and picked up some |
| of years ago), because the closer we look, the more | | | | Eastern ways (the Buddhist religion was well |
| uncertain and troubling it can become to a | | | | established for over 500 years with Buddhist monks |
| semi-believer who might be on the fence regarding his | | | | arriving in Jerusalem on the Trade routes by the time |
| or her beliefs, whose numbers are increasing. And | | | | Jesus came along). Buddhist monks, through the power |
| even though belief and blind faith is an obvious | | | | of advanced meditation, could heal, walk on water, plus |
| capitulation to ignorance in light of everything that we | | | | many other powers, etc. (sound familiar?) Jesus |
| know, it can be a benefit to humanity as long as there | | | | formed a group of followers, again in the footsteps of |
| is no violence embedded in its tenants, because like | | | | the Buddhist Sangha of monks, which was very radical |
| any other human institution, religion can be used to | | | | for a Jewish rabbi! |
| justify good or evil. | | | | It's being hinted at, and someday will be resolved, that |
| But not to worry; a true believer would be very | | | | the original church fathers, over 60 years after Jesus |
| reluctant, and fearful, of looking too closely at the roots | | | | of Nazareth's death, were looking for someone to be |
| of his or her religion, because that would certainly take | | | | their savior so that they could say that they have |
| the blush off the rose, so to speak. | | | | fulfilled a biblical prophecy in order to shore up their |
| To live in a fantasy of religious beliefs is to be | | | | fledgling religion. So they ran across one of Jesus' |
| delightfully ignorant, and this is probably the safest and | | | | disciple's writings . . . and the rest is history -- a |
| easiest route for most human beings. And for the few | | | | made-up deification of a hapless rabbi, Jesus of |
| that refuse to believe blindly, well, they can look | | | | Nazareth, even stealing the main story lines of the |
| forward to a life of deep, frustrating inquiry, perhaps | | | | Buddha's birth story and so much more as Christianity |
| never finding answers that they pursue through the | | | | copied so many things from Pagan religions. |
| intellectual process. So, while the believer is happy and | | | | Furthermore, the bible itself, from which the church |
| content, the skeptic is always troubled and unsure. So | | | | fathers were trying to fulfill a prophecy (i.e. a prophet |
| why not be happy -- dumb out! | | | | and savior), is historically a mish-mash of legends and |
| The problem with trying to dumb out, if that is not our | | | | myths carried forward by word of mouth by scores |
| tendency, is that as human beings have advanced, | | | | of different people from thousands of years ago. Add |
| they have learned that the world is not flat, or the | | | | to this editors and organizers, all with different agendas |
| center of the universe. And this opened the door for | | | | and visions, and the bible becomes probably the most |
| some great scientific discoveries and an expansion of | | | | incongruent hoax every played on humanity! |
| our consciousness, because to know for certain that | | | | Yet no one who is a Christian can accept these things |
| some things are not true is what advances human | | | | because Christians, understandably, are attached to |
| understanding. It's called the natural human tendency | | | | their religion. It has become their entire reason for living. |
| toward truth. | | | | And maybe all of this provides a hint why Christians |
| Toward this tendency for truth and transparency, | | | | don't follow Jesus' teachings regarding how they |
| modern man and woman is recognizing that religion is | | | | should live -- in poverty and giving everything away to |
| merely something to use as a warm and fuzzy guide | | | | others -- because Jesus probably never existed as |
| in life, and not necessarily the truth, per se. Arguing that | | | | the church fathers depicted him to live. And if he did in |
| one's particular religion is the truth and all others false is | | | | fact exist as a Jewish rabbi, he was merely a creation |
| becoming quite passé, and you seldom hear | | | | of the church father's minds, and not, in any case, as |
| that kind of stupidity uttered these days. | | | | the religion made him appear to be. Time glories all! |
| Contemporary people, who are religious, are happy | | | | But time will tell, and the truth about religions, as well as |
| and satisfied within there own comfort zones, and that | | | | with everything else, will eventually prevail in both this |
| is what matters most. | | | | present information age, and even more so in the |
| It would be quite troubling for a Christian to look into the | | | | coming age of enlightenment. |
| historical facts of the origin of the Bible and the origin | | | | |