The Search for the True Christ
1) Christ, the esoteric teacher:
P. D. Ouspensky in A New Model of the Universe said:
"Historically the chief role in the formation of Christianity was played not by the teaching of Christ but by the teaching of Paul. Church Christianity from the very beginning contradicted in many respects the ideas of Christ himself. Later, the divergence became still wider. It is by no means a new idea that Christ, if born on earth later, not only could not be the head of the Christian Church, but probably would not be able even to belong to it, and in the most brilliant periods of the might and power of the Church would most certainly have been declared a heretic and burned at the stake.
"Thus the New Testament, and also Christian teaching, cannot be taken as one whole. It must be remembered that later cults deviate sharply from the fundamental teaching of Christ himself, which in the first place was never a cult.
"The New Testament is a very strange book. It is written for those who already have a certain degree of understanding, for those who possess a key. It is the greatest mistake to think that the New Testament is a simple book, and that it is intelligible to the simple and humble. It is impossible to read it simply just as it is impossible to read simply a book of mathematics, full of formulae, special expressions, open and hidden references to the mathematical literature, allusions to different theories known only to the 'initiated', and so on…Every phrase, every word, contains hidden ideas, and it is only when one begins to bring these hidden ideas to light, that the power of this book and its influence on people, which has lasted for two thousand years, becomes clear."
"[St John's Gospel] was written in Greek and probably by a Greek, certainly not by a Jew. One small feature points to this. In all cases in which in the other Gospels it is said 'people', in St John's Gospel it is said 'Jews'."
"The words of the Gospel, 'The Kingdom of heaven is within you,' sound for us hollow and unintelligible, and they not only do not explain the principal idea, but are more likely to obscure it. Men do not understand that within them lies the way to the Kingdom of Heaven and that the Kingdom of Heaven does not necessarily lie beyond the threshold of death.
"The Kingdom of Heaven, the Kingdom of God, means esotericism, that is, the inner circle of humanity, and also the knowledge and the ideas of this circle."
2) The Female Christ
According to Dr Anthony Harris in The Sacred Virgin and the Holy Whore, Jesus Christ was a female suffering from a genetic abnormality called Turner's Syndrome, which gave her a rather masculine appearance.
Consider this rather odd expression relating to the Last Supper (John 13:23):
Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved.
A Muslim has written an article entitled "Did Jesus Have Female Breasts?"
Along similar lines to Jesus being a woman, it is claimed by some people that Pope John VIII was a woman ("Pope Joan") masquerading as a rather boyish man. She fell in love, became pregnant and was torn to pieces by an angry mob when she revealed her deception in the most blatant way by giving birth during a papal mass. This pope was erased from history by the Church, paving the way for the second, official Pope John VIII. History is being rewritten all the time. It is always in flux.
3) The Gay Christ
A number of ancient sects believed that Christ had male lovers.
Consider these statements:
(From the Secret Gospel of Mark):
"And straight away, going in where the youth was, he stretched forth his hand and raised him, seizing his hand. But the youth, looking upon him, loved him and began to beseech him that he might be with him. And going out of the tomb they came into the house of the youth, for he was rich. And after six days, Jesus told him what to do and in the evening the youth came to him, wearing a linen cloth over [his] naked [body]. And he remained with him that night, for Jesus taught him the mystery of the kingdom of God. And thence arising, he returned to the other side of the Jordan."
Luke 17:34 I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.
John 13:23 Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved.
Mark 14:51 And there followed him a certain young man, having a linen cloth cast about his naked body; and the young men laid hold on him:
Mark 14:52 And he left the linen cloth, and fled from them naked.
John 21:20 Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee?
John 21:21 Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do?
John 21:22 Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?
The "beloved disciple" is usually identified as John. What does it mean that he was "beloved"? Why does he have such an intimate and physical relationship with Jesus, even resting his head against his chest in front of the other apostles? Why would the apostles accept this behaviour in what was unquestionably a homophobic culture?
But various sects didn't hesitate to draw the seemingly inevitable conclusion: Jesus and the beloved disciple were lovers. Yet how could such a scandalous relationship involving a major public figure be possible in Biblical times?
4) The Married Christ
Of course there is one way out of this dilemma, but the alternative is every bit as repellent to most Christians as the idea that Jesus was homosexual.
What if the beloved disciple were not in fact a man (John), but a woman - his wife. No one would be surprised in the slightest if a wife laid her head against her husband. Many books, most famously The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail (by Michael Baigent, Richard Leigh and Henry Lincoln) and the spectacularly successful novel The Da Vinci Code (by Dan Brown), have identified Mary Magdalene as the wife of Jesus. Da Vinci's painting The Last Supper famously shows Jesus seated next to an extremely effeminate, unbearded man (nearly everyone else in the picture has a beard), or is it a woman? Both are wearing clothes that are colour coordinated, emphasising their closeness. The Last Supper is an extraordinary picture because it blatantly serves up a startling visual representation of the two most controversial (and mutually exclusive) theories concerning Jesus - that he was gay or married. Every Christian Church should have a reproduction of The Last Supper hung over the front entrance to remind every Christian of what choice they must make: Gay Jesus or Married Jesus.
In the Gospel of Saint Philip, we find:
And the companion of the saviour was Mary Magdalene. Christ loved Mary more than all the disciples, and used to kiss her often on her [mouth] (uncertain due to damage to the manuscript). The rest of the disciples were offended by it and expressed disapproval. They said to him "Why do you love her more than all of us?" The Saviour answered and said to them, "Why do I not love you like her?"
The same gospel also says: "There were three who always walked with the Lord; Mary his mother and her sister and Magdalene, the one who was called his companion."
And some have said that companion can be translated as "spouse".
It has been suggested that Mary Magdalene was a leader of the early Church and that she in fact is the unidentified "Beloved Disciple", to whom the Fourth Gospel (normally called the Gospel of John) is attributed.
There was nothing extraordinary in that time about a man and his partner travelling around together. Simon Magus, the Illuminati's most revered Grand Master, was always accompanied by his companion Helena, a former prostitute.
It should be noted that in coded manuscripts a common "trick" is to use one name to describe two separate people. This allows a constant ambiguity to be maintained. Those who are not aware of the code will be confused, but those who understand the code will easily understand the message. When both people are involved in the same episode, they are referenced by their normal names. In the Gospels, the "beloved disciple" is two people: Mary Magdalene (of Bethany) and her brother Lazarus (Jesus' brother-in-law). John 11:1-2 says, "Now there was a certain man sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, of the town of Mary and of Martha her sister. (And Mary was she that anointed the Lord with ointment. And wiped his feet with her hair: whose brother Lazarus was sick.) His sisters therefore sent to him, saying "Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick."
So, we definitely know that Lazarus is "he whom thou lovest" i.e. the "beloved disciple". But we also know that when the beloved disciple lays "his" head against Jesus' chest, it cannot be a man that is being described since it would never have been tolerated by the other apostles. In that case, the beloved disciple is Mary Magdalene.
Mary and her brother Lazarus are known by the single codename of "John". The context usually reveals which one of the pair is being discussed. The Gospels are full of tricks being played with names to bamboozle those who do not know the code.
5) Christ the Jew
Jesus explicitly tells his apostles not to have any dealings with non-Jews:
Matthew 10:5: These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:
Matthew 10:6: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
Matthew 10:7: And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
To a woman of Canaan, Jesus says (Matthew 15:24):
I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
In other words, Jesus' message is only for Jews; specifically those Jews who have not yet understood that he is the Messiah.
In similar vein, Jesus says to a Samaritan woman (John 4:22):
Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.
How much clearer can Jesus be? He was a Jew and was explicitly saying that only Jews can have salvation. All Christians (non-Jews) are damned out of the mouth of the very person they worship. That's irony for you. What fools choose to worship someone who has condemned them to hell?
When crowds touched the hem or fringe of Jesus' garment, they were actually touching the tassels (the tsitsit) that we see even today being worn by Orthodox Jews. Forget any portrayal of Jesus as a blond, blue-eyed Aryan: he was probably a dark haired, dark eyed, Orthodox Jew with the skullcap, odd hairstyle, big beard and characteristic robes and tassels of an Orthodox Jew of his time.
If Jesus had been portrayed in anything like the manner of his actual appearance, there would have been no Christianity because no Gentile, no Roman, no Goth, no Gaul would ever have worshipped an Orthodox Jew. Even to refer to him as Jesus Christ - a Greco-Roman name - is a political act of propaganda to distance him from his Jewish roots. He should be called by his actual Hebrew name: Yehoshua ben Yosef. Isn't it about time Jesus was depicted accurately? Would Christianity collapse overnight if he were?
Orthodox Jews then, as now, are an exclusive, closed shop: they had and have no interest in non-Jews. They made and make no attempt to convert anyone. They are intensely tribal. Anyone who does nevertheless convert to Judaism is viewed with the utmost suspicion and never truly accepted. In the UK recently, there was a court case concerning whether the non-observant son of a Jewish woman was more entitled to a place at a Jewish faith school than the observant son of a religious-minded mother who had converted to Judaism. The governors of the school were in no doubt that the boy whose mother was born a Jew had more entitlement than the boy whose mother was a convert, regardless of their respective degree of religious devotion. In other words, Judaism is racial, not religious. If you are not of the Jewish bloodline, transmitted via the mother, then you can never be truly Jewish if you convert. No Gentile would ever have been acceptable to Jesus Christ (Yehoshua ben Yosef). To call him "Jesus Christ" is to completely misrepresent him.
Matthew and Luke both provide an extremely detailed genealogy for Jesus, showing just how impeccable his Jewish bloodline is (Matthew 1:1-17 and Luke 3: 23-38). Rather comically, the two genealogies disagree. Nevertheless, why should we be told this information if Jesus Christ was supposed to become a god to the non-Jewish world? What non-Jew would want to know of, or care about, the Jewish ancestry of Jesus Christ?
Jesus makes it clear he has no intention of overthrowing Judaism and replacing it with a new religion (Matthew 5:17):
Do not think that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets, I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
6) Christ the anti-Semite
In an extraordinary outburst, Jesus accuses Jews ("Abraham's seed") of being the children of the Devil and "not of God" (John 8: 37-47):
8:37: I know that ye are Abraham's seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you.
8:38: I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father.
8:39: They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham.
8:40: But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham.
8:41: Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.
8:42: Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.
8:43: Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.
8:44: Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
8:45: And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.
8:46: Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?
8:47: He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.
Christian Gnostics have pointed to this passage as proof that Jesus regarded Yahweh as the Demiurge (Satan), and the Jews as his wicked followers, who were deaf to the word of the True God. It's hard to imagine a more anti-Semitic statement.
Jesus rose from the dead on Sunday, the pagan day of the sun. He was therefore announcing himself as a solar god.
Jesus cursed a fig tree, symbolising the Jewish religion and how it would soon be replaced by Christianity (Matthew 21:17-22):
And he left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and he lodged there.
Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered.
And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever.
And presently the fig tree withered away.
And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away!
Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.
And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.
And the same story is told in Mark 11: 12-14 and 11: 20-24
And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry:
And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet.
And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever.
And his disciples heard it.
And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.
And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away.
And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.
For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
Jews wanted to kill Jesus because, on the Sabbath day, his apostles plucked corn and he cured a sick man (Matthew 12: 1-14):
At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were hungry, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat.
But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day.
But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was hungry, and they that were with him;
How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests?
Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?
But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple.
But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.
For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.
And when he was departed thence, he went into their synagogue:
And, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him.
And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out?
How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days.
Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other.
Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him.
The Jews are held solely responsible for the death of Jesus (Matthew 27: 23-25):
And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified.
When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it.
Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.
7) Christ the King
When Jesus was crucified, a sign calling him Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews was placed on the cross. In other words, the most significant fact about Jesus according to the Roman Governor Pontius Pilate who ordered his execution was his claim to be the Jewish King. He wasn't labelled a thief, a rebel, a murderer, a rapist, a looter, a blasphemer, a god, a fraud or anything else; just the King of the Jews. Anyone who made such a claim was committing a capital crime against the imperial power of Rome. Only Rome decided who could rule Israel. To say otherwise was to challenge the authority of the emperor.
John 19:15: Pilate saith to them: Shall I crucify your king? The chief priests answered: We have no king but Caesar.
It's laughable that Christians claim that Jesus was innocent and didn't deserve to be crucified. According to Roman law, his execution could not have been more merited. He was a rebel, an insurrectionist, a man setting himself up as a king and consequently committing high treason against the ruling Roman regime.
The Jews themselves knew the law (John 19:12):
If thou release this man, thou art not Caesar's friend. For whosoever maketh himself a king, speaketh against Caesar.
After Jesus miraculously fed the five thousand, the people wanted to make him king there and then (John 6:15):
When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone.
But rather than trying to play things down, Jesus then walks on water that evening (John 6:16-19):
6:16: And when even was now come, his disciples went down unto the sea,
6:17: And entered into a ship, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was now dark, and Jesus was not come to them.
6:18: And the sea arose by reason of a great wind that blew.
6:19: So when they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they see Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the ship: and they were afraid.
Jesus then seems to teleport the ship to land (John 6:21):
Then they willingly received him into the ship: and immediately the ship was at the land whither they went.
Luke 23:3
And Pilate asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answered him and said, Thou sayest it.
Why didn't Jesus deny it if it were false? Why is "God" playing evasive word games? Why is he pleading the Hebrew equivalent of the Fifth Amendment? He refuses to answer for the very simple reason that he knows he will incriminate himself. What a shifty character, so economical with the truth.
John 1:49
Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.
In Matthew 2:1-12, the three wise men explicitly seek "the King of the Jews".
Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.
And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,
And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.
Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.
And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.
When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.
When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.
And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.
Zacharias 9:9
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Sion, shout for joy, O daughter of Jerusalem: BEHOLD THY KING will come to thee, the just and saviour: he is poor, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.
When Jesus enters Jerusalem for the Passover festival, he is treated as the rightful king (John 12: 12-19):
On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,
Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord.
And Jesus, when he had found a young ass, sat thereon; as it is written,
Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass's colt.
These things understood not his disciples at the first: but when Jesus was glorified, then remembered they that these things were written of him, and that they had done these things unto him.
The people therefore that was with him when he called Lazarus out of his grave, and raised him from the dead, bare record.
For this cause the people also met him, for that they heard that he had done this miracle.
The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing? behold, the world is gone after him.
Jesus was quite simply the most famous/infamous person in Jerusalem during the Passover
Matthew 21: 10-11:
And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this?
And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.
8) Christ the Warrior
Jesus tells his apostles to sell their clothes to buy swords (in other words, weapons are to take priority over everything else: Luke 22:36):
Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one.
When Jesus is arrested, Simon Peter (and probably others) fight back (John 18:1-14):
When Jesus had spoken these words, he went forth with his disciples over the brook Cedron, where was a garden, into the which he entered, and his disciples.
And Judas also, which betrayed him, knew the place: for Jesus ofttimes resorted thither with his disciples.
Judas then, having received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons.
Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye?
They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them.
As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground.
Then asked he them again, Whom seek ye? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth.
Jesus answered, I have told you that I am he: if therefore ye seek me, let these go their way:
That the saying might be fulfilled, which he spake, Of them which thou gavest me have I lost none.
Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest's servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant's name was Malchus.
Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?
Then the band and the captain and officers of the Jews took Jesus, and bound him,
And led him away to Annas first; for he was father in law to Caiaphas, which was the high priest that same year.
Now Caiaphas was he, which gave counsel to the Jews, that it was expedient that one man should die for the people.
Jesus preached war, division, civil war and martyrdom (Matthew 10: 34-39):
Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.
He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.
He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.
Ironically, and bafflingly, Jesus also condemns the use of the sword, even though he encouraged his followers to buy them (Matthew 26: 51-52):
And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest's, and smote off his ear.
Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.
9) Christ's appearance
Christ's appearance is never described in the Gospels. The prophet Isaiah prophesied what the Messiah would look like - the ugliest man of all time. Not only that, he would be despised and rejected. He would be a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. (Isaiah 52:13-15; Isaiah 53:1-12):
Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high.
As many were astonished at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men:
So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.
Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?
For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.
And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.
Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
Jesus was reputed by more than one person to be extremely ugly. The Carpocratians were said to possess images of an ugly Christ based on a likeness commissioned by Pilate during Christ's trial. In The Sacred Virgin and the Holy Whore, Jesus is described as being about five feet tall with a hunchback and scant hair. He is dark skinned, with a long face, a long nose, and a boyish beard. This description allegedly derives from the Jewish historian Josephus.
10) Christ the Brother
There is a clear statement that Joseph enjoyed carnal relations with Mary and that they had at least one other son (Matthew 1:25):
And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name Jesus.
Again, we discover that Jesus was the "firstborn son" i.e. not Mary's only child (Luke 2:7):
And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
Christ was in fact a member of a large family, with four brothers and several sisters (Matthew 13:54-58 and also Mark 6:3 and John 2:11):
And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works?
Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joseph, and Simon, and Judas?
And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?
And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house.
And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.
Mark 6:3: Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joseph, and of Judas, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us?
John 2:11 After this he went down to Capernaum, he and his mother and his brethren, and his disciples.
11) Christ the Miracle Worker
The wedding feast in Cana in Galilee is mentioned in only one Gospel (John, Chapter 2). Jesus' mother apparently thought it was a fit task for the "Son of God" to use his power to turn water into wine for thirsty wedding guests. Is that what you would ask the Son of God to do? Does he grant three wishes like a genie in a bottle?
And, amazingly, the Son of God complied. His first recorded miracle was to get people drunk on alcohol. What a start to his miraculous career. Maybe he was trying to appeal to the followers of Dionysus. Some researchers have speculated that this was Jesus' own wedding (to Mary Magdalene), hence why his mother was so anxious for him to address the alcohol shortage (it didn't reflect well on her own skill as a hostess).
Jesus said that his apostles had the ability to perform the same miracles that he could, including raising the dead (Matthew 10: 8):
Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.
His most remarkable miracle is raising Lazarus from the dead. This, like the wedding at Cana, is described in only one Gospel and again it is John's (John 11: 1-57):
Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.
(It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.)
Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.
When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.
Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.
When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was.
Then after that saith he to his disciples, Let us go into Judaea again.
His disciples say unto him, Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee; and goest thou thither again?
Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world.
But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him.
These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.
Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well.
Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep.
Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.
And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him.
Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellow disciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him.
Then when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days already.
Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off:
And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.
Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house.
Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.
Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.
Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.
And when she had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee.
As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly, and came unto him.
Now Jesus was not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met him.
The Jews then which were with her in the house, and comforted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went out, followed her, saying, She goeth unto the grave to weep there.
Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled,
And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see.
Jesus wept.
Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!
And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died?
Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it.
Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days.
Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?
Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.
And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.
And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.
And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.
Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him.
But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees, and told them what things Jesus had done.
Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles.
If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation.
And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all,
Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.
And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation;
And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.
Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death.
Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews; but went thence unto a country near to the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim, and there continued with his disciples.
And the Jews' passover was nigh at hand: and many went out of the country up to Jerusalem before the passover, to purify themselves.
Then sought they for Jesus, and spake among themselves, as they stood in the temple, What think ye, that he will not come to the feast?
Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a commandment, that, if any man knew where he were, he should shew it, that they might take him.
Lazarus's resurrection from the dead was naturally a sensation. Many Jews abandoned their religion to follow Jesus because of this astounding miracle. Lazarus became so famous that the chief priests wanted to kill him too (John 12: 9-11):
Much people of the Jews therefore knew that he was there: and they came not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom he had raised from the dead.
But the chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death;
Because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jesus.
12) Christ the Man (not God)
Jesus says he does only what his father taught him, thus drawing a clear distinction between his wisdom and God's. He is conceding that he is not part of a Godhead (Trinity) that has equal powers, intelligence, judgement and experience (John 8:28):
I do nothing of myself, but as the Father hath taught me.
Jews accuse Jesus of being a Samaritan rather than a Jew, and of being possessed by a devil (John 8:48):
Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?
John 8:49
Jesus answered, I have not a devil; but I honour my Father, and ye do dishonour me.
Jesus says that it's OK to blaspheme against him (because he is just as man), but not against the Holy Ghost (Matthew 12:32):
And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.
Note that the "Holy Ghost" is the Christian equivalent of the Hebrew Shekinah, the presence of God in the world.
13) Christ the God
Jesus, having said that he does nothing of himself, but only what his father has taught him then makes the declaration, "I and my Father are one" (John 10: 22-42):
10:22: And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter.
10:23: And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch.
10:24: Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly.
10:25: Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me.
10:26: But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.
10:27: My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
10:28: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
10:29: My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.
10:30: I and my Father are one.
10:31: Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him.
10:32: Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?
10:33: The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.
10:34: Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?
10:35: If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;
10:36: Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?
10:37: If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not.
10:38: But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.
10:39: Therefore they sought again to take him: but he escaped out of their hand,
10:40: And went away again beyond Jordan into the place where John at first baptized; and there he abode.
10:41: And many resorted unto him, and said, John did no miracle: but all things that John spake of this man were true.
10:42: And many believed on him there.
Note that John 10:30 is almost certainly a fabricated insert to bolster the notion of a Holy Trinity where God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost are three persons within a unity, sharing one "substance". The Sabellian heresy asserted that God is one person with three aspects/natures/ways of revealing himself to humanity. In other words, according to Sabellius, there weren't three distinct persons in one God, but rather one God revealing himself in three different ways (wearing a threefold mask, so to speak). How many practising Christians have ever heard of Sabellius and would be able to meaningfully debate the complexities of the concept of the Trinity (which amounts to a claim that God suffers from the most extreme form of multiple personality syndrome ever known where three separate persons permanently coexist within one being).
Jesus says that he existed before Abraham and that anyone who follows his teachings will never die (John 8:51-59):
8:51: Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death.
8:52: Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death.
8:53: Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself?
8:54: Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God:
8:55: Yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying.
8:56: Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.
8:57: Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?
8:58: Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
8:59: Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.
Note that in 8:59 where it says that Jesus "hid himself" in the crowded temple, this is taken by some to indicate that he could make himself invisible (in fact there are several places in the Gospel where Jesus mysteriously disappears from the midst of large crowds) and by certain Gnostics to prove that he did not have a physical body but was pure spirit that could appear or disappear at will. (They also claimed that Jesus only appeared to die on the cross since he had no physical body that could perish).
Also note that the Jews were prepared to stone Jesus to death for blasphemy, thus proving that the fact that he was eventually crucified rather than stoned was because he had committed a capital crime against Rome (he had already committed a capital crime against Judaism by claiming to be God).
In Luke 1:32-37, we learn that Jesus is the Son of God and the King of Israel:
In Luke 1:32: He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
Lu:1:33: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
Lu:1:34: Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?
Lu:1:35: And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
Lu:1:36: And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.
Lu:1:37: For with God nothing shall be impossible.
But how can Jesus' father be "David" (i.e. the royal line of King David) if his father was the "Holy Ghost"? He is to be given the throne of David and to reign over the house of Jacob forever. This is a specifically Jewish reference. It has no relevance whatever to Gentiles.
Matthew 28:18
And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
In Matthew 14:61, Jesus explicitly acknowledges that he is the Son of God.
14:61: But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed God?
14:62: And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.
14) Christ as on Old Testament Extremist
Despite being regarded as gentle, tolerant, peaceful, loving and forgiving, Jesus proves that he is anything but with his deranged statements in the style of an Old Testament prophet (Matthew 5:28-30):
5:28: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
Note that here he introduces the concept of the "thought crime" long before George Orwell introduced the term i.e. you sin simply by thinking sinfully. Whether you actually act on your sinful thoughts is neither here nor there; you have already committed the sin (hence you might as well go ahead and do it because you will be punished for it anyway).
5:29: And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
5:30: And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
15) Christ and the Higher Self
Jesus says that at moments of crisis, the Higher Self will take over (Matthew 10: 17-19):
10:17: But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues;
10:18: And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles.
10:19: But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.
Some Christian Gnostics have argued that the event known as "The Transfiguration" was symbolic of Jesus' first encounter with his Higher Self (Matthew 17: 1-5):
17:1: And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,
17:2: And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.
17:3: And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.
17:4: Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.
17:5: While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.
Gnostic Christians say that Jesus preached that everyone could be a "son of God" or a god (John 10: 34-36):
John 10:34: Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law: I said you are gods?
John 10:35: If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God was spoken, and the scripture cannot be broken;
John 10:36: Do you say of him whom the Father hath sanctified and sent into the world: Thou blasphemest because I said: I am the Son of God?
Jesus is referring to Psalm 81 (or 82 in some Bibles): 1 and 6:
81:1 God hath stood in the congregation of gods: and being in the midst of them he judgeth gods.
81:6 I have said: You are gods and all of you the sons of the Most High.
Gnostic Christians claim that Jesus is saying that everyone can be a "Son of God" and enjoy the same relationship with God that he did; everyone can be part of the "congregation of gods".
Jesus makes the Gnostic statement that anyone can become perfect like God (Matthew 5:48):
Be you therefore perfect, as also your heavenly Father is perfect.
16) Christ the Unknown
Virtually nothing is known about Jesus Christ. Outside of the Gospels, the few historical sources that seemingly refer to him are so vague or ambiguous that they may not be about him at all. Several researchers have concluded that he doesn't exist at all beyond the pages of the New Testament. He is a fabrication, a fiction, they say. However, these researchers would have equal difficulties with many other figures whom no one doubts existed. For instance, outside of the Gospels there is almost no mention of Pontius Pilate, the Roman Governor of Judea. It might be expected that a Roman Governor's life would be well documented, but this is simply not the case.
Even within the Gospels, there is meagre information about Jesus. New Testament scholar Burnett Hillman Streeter said that apart from the forty days and nights in the wilderness, of which we know practically nothing, everything we know about the Gospel Jesus cannot occupy more than about three weeks of his life. There is little mention of his mother, virtually none of his father, and controversy rages over whether he had brothers and sisters.
The Gospels are full of contradictions, inconsistencies and improbabilities, leaving ample scope for innumerable heresies to spring up. Jesus spoke in Aramaic, but none of his teachings have been preserved in that language. We are always dealing with translations and translations of translations. Ambiguity and inaccuracy are inevitable.
The Gospel Writers: Eye Witnesses or Fiction Writers?
All writers are familiar with the concept of "Point of View". For example, the birth of Jesus was witnessed, according to the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, by Mary, Joseph, three wise men and some shepherds. Matthew and Luke certainly weren't witnesses. Presumably, it was from Jesus that they heard the story of his birth, and Jesus must have been told about it by Mary and Joseph. However, none of this is actually explained. The "facts" are stated by a so-called "omniscient narrator" who has full knowledge of everything that happened. Many old-fashioned novels employ this style of narration, but most modern novels use a limited point of view where the author tries to inhabit the heads of a small cast of characters. Only what is known to the character can be described. For example, an omniscient narrator might say, "John was watching TV. Outside his front door, a SWAT team was getting ready to smash it open." But "John" has no knowledge that the SWAT team is outside so if an author is using the limited point of view of that character, he can only write something along the lines of, "John was watching TV. Some sitcom junk. He wasn't paying attention. God, how had he managed to get himself in this situation? Suddenly, he froze. He was certain he'd heard voices outside his door. Cops? Instinctively, he reached for his pistol. The bastards won't take me without a fight, he thought." You see how different the two styles are?
When you are reading the Gospels, you should always think to yourself, How does the author know this? Consider Matthew 1:18-25:
1:18: Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
1:19: Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.
1:20: But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
1:21: And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
1:22: Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,
1:23: Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
1:24: Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:
1:25: And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.
So, how does Matthew know any of this? He wasn't a witness. Who told him? Is his source reliable? Isn't it all just hearsay? This type of narration readily lends itself to fabrication and fantasy. It would have been far more credible if Matthew had written, "One day I was talking to Jesus and asking him about the circumstances leading up to his birth. He said that Mary and Joseph had told him that one day etc etc… I was astonished and said to Jesus, 'Do you really believe that?'"
But that doesn't sound very authoritative, does it? Quickly, the whole thing would dissolve if it were written from anything other than an omniscient viewpoint. And note that the omniscient viewpoint if often referred to as the "God" point of view because the narrator knows everything. But these Gospels aren't written by God, so they should be viewed with the utmost circumspection. If Pilate and Jesus had a private conversation hours before Jesus' death, how can anyone other than those two possibly know what was said?
How can anyone know what took place between Judas and the chief priests? This is complete fiction (Luke 22: 3-6):
22:3: Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve.
22:4: And he went his way, and communed with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray him unto them.
22:5: And they were glad, and covenanted to give him money.
22:6: And he promised, and sought opportunity to betray him unto them in the absence of the multitude.
How would anyone know what message Pilate's wife sent to him (Matthew 27:19)?
When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him.
(Many of the articles featured on this website are also written from the omniscient point of view and every reader is entitled to question the veracity of each statement. The difference between us and the priests and preachers of mainstream religions is that we do not demand that you treat everything as holy scripture. We deny that there is any such thing. Make up your own minds. Be skeptical. We have ancient, secret scrolls of a similar type to those found at Nag Hammadi, but that doesn't make their contents infallibly true. All documents must be interpreted. The question is usually one of which interpretation is most credible, and everyone judges credibility in their own way.)
Much of the Gospels is fabricated. Who are the authors of the Gospels anyway? People often assume that the authors knew Jesus personally. Two and perhaps three of them didn't. Matthew may have been one of the Apostles, but some scholars insist he was not. Mark definitely didn't know him: he heard about him from Peter. Luke didn't know him either: he was a companion of Paul who also never met him. "John", the "beloved disciple" did know him, but we have already mentioned the issues concerning John's true identity.
Paul said (I Corinthians 9:22), "I am made all things to all men." In other words, he was prepared to say anything to whoever happened to be listening. The Gospels are of similar ilk. Anyone can take whatever they like from them. Jesus himself is all things to all men. As we have shown in the sections above, he can be anything anyone wants him to be. He provides quotations for and against any position you care to choose. Christians don't seem to find this a problem, which says all you need to know about them. Every contradiction, every inconvenient fact is simply ignored.
Christianity was designed to be acceptable to Romans. Anything that was problematic in the Gospels was simply altered. The "big picture" was all that mattered. The fine print could be argued about later by theologians (and that's exactly what happened).
Religion, in the past as now, was not only psychological but also political. A religion, for example, that says that Jews are the chosen people will not be adopted by anyone other than Jews. The Roman Empire certainly wouldn't have embraced it. "Jewish" Christianity had to be Romanised, and Paul, the pagan priest of Mithras from a Jewish background, was the perfect person to do the job. Christianity was founded after Christ's death and burial, not during his lifetime. Christianity is much more closely related to pagan gods than it is to Yahweh of the Jews.
As for Jesus being "God", this was only established by a vote at the Council of Nicea in 325 CE. In other words, for three centuries there were many people who called themselves Christians who did not necessarily regard Jesus as God. The Jehovah's Witnesses of today are of similar ilk. They call themselves Christians but they follow the tradition of Arius that Jesus is God's first and greatest creation, but is not himself God. If Christians understood the history of Christianity they would stop being Christians. It is the biggest fraud ever perpetrated against humanity.
Worthwhile Sayings of the New Testament
Not everything in the New Testament is anathema. Amongst all the lies and poison are pearls of high wisdom that can be used by all decent people. (The Demiurge is a master psychologist. Obviously, he did not create religions that were full of nothing but manifest evil. All of his religions contain beauty, truth, morality etc, under which is a hidden underbelly of evil that, Satan knows, will rise to the surface and overwhelm any goodness in his religions. Just look at the violent and evil histories of Christianity, Judaism and Islam. Where is all the goodness, where is the consideration towards others, the love, the tolerance, the peace? Nowhere to be seen. Only the evil is visible.
But any good religion would certainly incorporate these wise sayings:
James 1:22
But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only.
It's not enough to read, to listen, to be passive. One must act.
James 2:20
Faith without works is dead.
This is a scriptural refutation of all those scriptural Protestants who say that only faith matters. Everyone must do their bit, must contribute positively to the community.
Titus 1:15
Unto the pure all things are pure.
Many Gnostics hold a similar view. Once you have attained your Higher Self you are incapable of sin.
I Timothy 6:10
The love of money is the root of all evil.
Every Wall Street banker should be branded with this.
Acts of the Apostles 20:35
It is more blessed to give than receive.
This is something else that should be branded on the super rich.
Matthew 16:26
What is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
Yet another sign that should be inscribed over Wall Street and all the temples of capitalism, for capitalism is the worship of Mammon.
Matthew 6:24
No man can serve two masters…Ye cannot serve God and Mammon.
Mark 19:24
It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.
This should be an inscription placed over every bank in the world.
Acts of the Apostles 10:34
God is no respecter of persons.
And no human being - such as princes and kings, preachers and popes, the rich and famous - should demand or be given respect that they have not earned.
John 14:2
In my Father's house are many mansions.
In other words, everyone doesn't have to behave the same way to come to God. There is no need for uniformity, for rigid rules and regulations, for blind, mindless obedience. There is a unique door to salvation for everyone, not a single door through which everyone must pass like sheep or cattle.
John 15:13
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
There is a greater love: laying down your life for strangers.
Mark 3:25
If a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.
In other words, society should be united: it should not comprise "them and us", rich and poor, strong and weak. It should be based on community, not on selfish families all desperately trying to get one over other families. Our world is a divided house because families (especially the dynastic families of the Old World Order) choose to divide it.
John 1:6
The light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not.
Christianity and the other Abrahamic religions are that very darkness. Illumination is the light that shines in the dark.
Matthew 26:52
All they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.
A motto for all Christian armies?
Hebrews 13:2
Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
And people also encounter Archons and Phosters without knowing it.
Matthew 22:14
For many are called, but few are chosen.
...to succeed in the quest for the Holy Grail.
Matthew 19:19
Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
A good moral principle, rarely sighted on this earth.
Matthew 19:30
But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.
Another good moral principle. The Old World Order, who have so arranged the affairs of the world so that they are always first, should be given a taste of what it's like to be last.
Matthew 7:1
Judge not, that ye be not judged.
Yet most people spend most of their time judging others. We should judge ourselves instead. Why is religion full of rules and commandments if it is not about judging? The ultimate society is one that needs no rules, no commandments, no laws because good and rational conduct is internalised in everyone.
Matthew 7:15
Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves.
The Abrahamic religions are the wolves, seeking to control everyone, to exert a universal tyranny.
Luke 6:31 and Matthew 7:12
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
Do as you would be done by.
The ultimate statements of morality.
Religion and the Movement
One of the objects of The Movement is to bring about a religious reformation and renaissance, to escape from the religions of control, tyranny, fear and power to those of self-expression, creativity, liberation, diversity and enlightenment. First and foremost we mean a religion of psychological well-being that can be shaped by each and every person in their own image i.e. in terms of what makes sense to them and what they enjoy. They can turn to religions of the past (as the Illuminati do), or devise their own new religions. It doesn't actually matter what "outer form" religion takes so long as it prepares the person to seek the truth. Anyone who demands that you follow rules, regulations and commandments, who demands that you wear certain clothes, eat certain foods, pray five times a day, perform certain religious tasks each week, do nothing on the Sabbath etc, is a false prophet working for the Demiurge. Let no one control you. Each person should approach the True God in their own way. There is no prescribed way of seeking God, no holy book cast in stone, no prophet whom everyone must obey. Reject them all. Religion is yours, not theirs. You are in control of it, not them. And once you have freed yourself of the control of others then your mind will be free to turn to God and to comprehend his true nature.
The religion of absolute truth is the religion that succeeds the religion of psychological well-being. You cannot find the former until you have achieved the latter.
Can you make a contribution? If you were starting a new religion tomorrow, what message would you want the world to hear? The quotations from the Gospels that we have highlighted above are universal principles. They are not the property of Christianity. All religions, even those controlled by the Demiurge, have good things to say. The important task is to filter out and refine the good and reject the bad.
Wouldn't the world be a much healthier place if each and every person had their own religion, based on the collective wisdom of all the world's religions, ancient and modern?
The First Commandment is this: Let no one give you any Commandments. It is for you to create your own. If you are a good and decent person you will come up with good and decent rules by which to live your life.
In the second part of this article (The Jesus Plot), we will reveal the true nature of the "mission" of Jesus.