The Mystery

There is religion and there are claims of an historical figure called Jesus. For me there is not enough evidence of his existence. I’ve read several books that have made a study of his purported life and the most compassionate one was The Jesus Mysteries by Timothy Freke and Peter Gandi. It’s not a mudslinging effort but a thoroughly researched study of all the historical evidence available. The conclusion is that given the circumstances around the rise of the legend (abducted from the gnostics and the pagans) a group of fundamentalists stopped at nothing to convey their version of the “truth” Through the ages the convenience of so many people set up (in their family systems) to be open to a “father” who would “save” them from the “enemy” and the ‘wiles of Seth” was apparent to guys like Constantine and King James. 99% of people were illiterate in those times and had no reason for doubting the King’s first hand knowledge on matters of life and death. He could certainly take your life if he was having a bad hair day.

The stage was set. Thousands of years of childlike belief in a love so strong it would take yours if you didn’t accept or confess to your lowliness, your inherent badness, your sinful nature. The tragic irony is that it was all a rouse. A carefully (or maybe not, if you take note of the errors in the book) constructed twist of tricks that still confounds the hearts of men and women today. A friend of mine once remarked that if he had something like Christianity to sell he would make millions. “Buy this! If you do, you’ll be loved and accepted by our whole loving family who give a tenth of everything to us… if you don’t, roast in hell.” Being a father I couldn’t quite or ever make sense of this notion of a “loving father” and that he, in a moment of weakness (?) sent his son to die for our badness? How does that work?

“OK, all you bad mf’s! I’ve had it with you! You’re never going to be good so here’s what I’m gonna do. I’ll send my only begotten son down to earth – he will teach you wonderful things and in return you must string him from a cross so that he can die horribly and you can feel guilty about that for 2000 years!”

Guilt.

Being acceptible.

How many times did I plead with him… it never crossed my mind that I was being had. After all, who would do such a thing.

Centuries of dysfunction will do that. Mothers and fathers conforming to the patriarchy will teach their boys and girls of this phenomenon that will rob you of most of the joy of life. It will teach us that love is conditional. That it CAN only work if you “give up” your life to HIM (?) Why a male… hmmm. Riddled with issues that we in this age are able to see now with startling clarity. How easy it is to fool people. Because they WANT to believe it! They “NEED” it. Or think they do.

But the gnostics were referring to Jesus as an allegorical figure. That also, ironically, became the reason they were all but exterminated. Because they were getting in the way of a great plan that would make a couple of families very, VERY rich and powerful.

The love is inside. Not outside in the form of a fairy tale. The love is you. The love is me. The love is available to all who want it. Without cost. Without condition. Without it running out.

We are all the magnificent majesty that is spoken of.

Life.

And that is The Good News.

Now try and tell that to the world and experience how it feels to suffer for what you believe is true.  For you will be called a child of Satan. End of story. No further investigation.

So be it. (for the time being)