Missing the Target

Inaccuracies of Recorded Historical Events

     Libraries all over the world are filled with literature that has enhanced the knowledge bank of humankind. Literature of fiction and non-fiction, maps and history, discoveries and inventions, very old and very recent information that maps both the past and present path of our universe. Decisions and choices that have been made by every human on this planet have been influenced and based on information contained in this knowledge bank collection of literature.

     Ten people are seated in a circle in a room sharing a dialogue of a book they are reading together. They are different ages, and differ in several other cultural ways as well. They were born of different families, some had siblings, some did not; some attended public school, some attended parochial schools; some have college degrees, some do not; some are religious, some are not; some are married, some are not; etc. The composite of each one's experience and knowledge has been influenced by their environment, genetics, sex, exposure to learning, ability to understand, and the vision of their culture. Even though these ten people are seated in the same room, they do not possess the same perception or vision of the room, much less a common understanding of the subject in discussion. Each will leave the session with different information and a updated understanding of not only the literature but of the other people in the room. None of their levels of knowledge will remain the same.

     In this scenario, there are a number of variables which have been in play during the hour the group has been interacting which results in different perceptions by each member. This is only a brief example of a current group reading the same literature. How many more variables would be involved with a larger group of people from different cultures reading literature that may be hundreds or thousands of years old?

How are human events recorded and by whom?

     Today, recent events are usually recorded from, or by, eye witness accounts and are fairly accurate, with some exceptions of course. On the other hand, very ancient events which occur during periods before written accounts were common or even possible, would have been shared first through oral traditions sometimes for years or even centuries before details of the event were ever recorded into a written form. Many of these ancient stories have migrated through several languages with questionable interpretations which has also taken a toll on the accuracy of the original event. Adversarial events throughout history have been recorded in the bias or interest of the victors and survivors and do not include a complete and accurate truth.

     Truth and accuracy of events tend to diminish with age. Very recent events are usually described in a more credible and accurate manner, whereas ancient events which have been filtered through oral traditions and languages, then transcribed by unknown authors years or centuries after the event tend to be colored with more embellishment and fantasy than facts.

     Many disciplines have developed over the centuries both out of necessity and an innate curiosity to help mankind decipher truth from fiction. Disciplines such as Archeology, Anthropology, Astronomy, Geology, Philosophy, and many others, have had a natural and continuing growth in the community of sciences to act as filters in determining any evidence of truth.

     Other orders have been created by many less scientific groups in search of meaning through the Black Arts, Astrology, Psychics, Religions, etc. Their search for truth is driven by stories based on supernatural legends and mythological events in a spiritual plane. Ancient doctrines of questionable authorship are the primary basis for their orthodoxy which includes a fantasy origin of the universe, an inherited spiritual curse at birth (original sin), and an afterlife of eternal punishment or reward. The primary tool for their continued existence is to prey upon the superstitions of uninformed and unsuspecting people.

     Stories, myths, and legends of personalities recorded in historical settings; i.e., Adam and Eve, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Job, David the King, Aristotle, Plato, Zeus, Apollo, Jesus, Paul, Mohammad, Francis and Clare of Asisi, Santa Claus, et al, have all been subject to histocratic embellishment and fictitious zeal to impress readers with a desire of believability. The truth, if there be any, cannot be found on the surface of these popular stories, but may exist only after mining through mounds of related literature and documents. A work only few are willing to invest in. The majority of people would rather accept the embellished story spins from pulpits than question the plausibility of their spoon fed Polly Anna diets, comfortable in the myths and legends they choose to believe.

Keith Crowe - 12/2014

What is Creation?

     For hundreds of centuries religions have attempted to describe and placate one or more gods. In earlier times many gods vied for the superstitions of man, a devotion that was more the result of edicts for allegiance by spiritual leaders, witch doctors or shaman. In recent times religions have refined rituals and methods for interpreting the desires and wishes of deities and have used various ancient theologies to collect an obedient assembly of followers.

     Today there are approximately 38,000 Christian denominations, sects, and cults throughout the world, each declaring their description of God as "the" truth. There are an equal number of non-Christian religions practicing as many variations and interpretations of truth as there are Christian denominations. Anyone seeking the real truth will not find it in the tangled web of theologies presented by the smorgasbord of today's religions.

     We are not alone in this journey of seeking knowledge of the nature of creation. Millions throughout history have sought answers beyond the parameters of local dogmas only to be abused, discouraged and branded as heretics by the ruling powers of religious communities. "Don't ask questions, just have faith, all you must do is believe,” have been STOP signs raised for anyone seeking answers beyond ancient texts in light of the current and growing knowledge of the universe. BELIEF is a multifaceted concept which does not require a basis in fact or truth.

     "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Faith is a hope that the stories of ancient superstitions and supernatural events are true. But which texts, if any, are true, and which gods, if any, are real?

     It isn’t faith that allows us to cross a suspension bridge, travel in an airliner, or take an express elevator to the top of the Empire State building. It is the rational confidence we have in the knowledge and experience of the designers and craftsmen who build, and the skill of the operators and pilots who drive. We have a knowledge of the strength of materials used to build, we also have a knowledge and experience that building materials decay with age; the skills and decisions of men are fallible; and natural disasters challenge whatever we do. If we are to have faith in anything, it must be the truth of creation, and it isn’t found in ancient texts.

     Deities did not write or dictate words contained in the ancient collection of written texts of men selected and assembled by a succession of Nicaean Councils to meet their political agendas. A creator of the universe would have been perfectly capable of communicating with mankind in a much clearer understanding than that which has been provided by the legends of men. Ancient texts used to describe supernatural experiences were written some 50 to 2000 years after the alleged events by creatively inspired men with a spiritual fervor producing a collection of stories and legends from many oral traditions, some beautiful, some historical, some inspiring, expressed by a very limited understanding of the nature of the universe.

     Creation has equally inspired mankind to write words of beauty, dignity, truth, both uplifting and damning, as the nature of man continues to be revealed through written expressions. Examples can be found in art, music, poetry, science, the Gettysburg Address, the Bill of Rights, the Constitution, libraries filled with books, all of which are products of inspired and creative minds.

     Creation has given mankind a questioning and exploring curiosity to search, understand and know the truth of his environment and history. The more we understand and know about our past, present and future, the more we understand the character and nature of creation.

     Time does not intend that mankind should live with a mind bound by superstitions of 4,000 year old descriptions of creation, and deny the reality and existence of the magnificent universe we know today. 

Creation would not institute dissension between people by singling out one tribe to designate them as a special or "chosen" people. Creation embraces all people equally with an inspiration to treat each other in the same manner we want to be treated.

     Creation would not issue instructions or laws of deity obedience for all mankind, to a single tribe of people in only one location on a planet which was inhabited at the time by approximately 35 million people of various cultures, clans, tribes, and villages located all around the globe; nor would Creation provide a single act of salvation 200,000 years after mankind appeared on this planet.

     Creation is infinite; our time is infinitesimal. Individually we are no more than a single speck in a dynamic wave of life swelling through time. On the celestial clock we exist for only a fraction of a "tick"; life, on the other hand, continues to evolve indefinitely.

     Creation is a universe of infinite proportions so large that man cannot begin to imagine the whole of it. We see with our eyes the immensity of the heavens; we see with our Hubble and Kepler telescopes the continuing birth and death of distant stars which are reflections of our past, present and future; we learn from exploring space expeditions the nature of neighboring planets and moons. In all of this we are only able to see a fractional dimension of creation.

     Creation did not institute an eternal reward or punishment system in an afterlife. This is the product of a biological will to survive, and mankind’s desire for immorality. The gift of life is the same for all biological life forms on this planet, and we are no exception. Birth and death is the order of the universe. Everything in the universe is under the same edict, galaxies, solar systems, stars, planets, moons, all were born at some point in time and all will end (die) at another point in time. The death of these bodies will provide building material for the birth of new moons, planets, stars, solar systems and galaxies which will eventually take their place. Likewise, we will meet death one day and the material of our bodies (atoms) will be dispersed and recycled again into some other biological form to perform a new service. Everything is recycled to something new, stars, people, plants, etc.

     Deities are not genies whose eternal presence is waiting to hear man's requests and appeals for everything from health to wealth. Creation is not manipulated or bargained with; neither does it manage our individual fates. Every living thing of this planet is designed to succeed or fail on its own merit and abilities to cope with in the environment of its habitat.

     Creation does not reside in a box, statue, Temple, Cathedral, Church, or Synagogue, on special days of the week. Creation exists throughout the universe and available to all who seek truth and knowledge. Creation has provided the conditions for many forms of life to evolve on this and billions of planets much like our own throughout the universe. The third planet from our sun is not the only unique creation of multiple life forms.

     All biological organisms (flora and fauna) have an indefinable connection to each other much like all matter possess a property defined as gravity – an energy possessed by all matter throughout the universe. All biological life forms of this planet are composed of the same types of atoms (oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, phosphorous, & trace amounts of other atoms) all of which are eternal, with a genome controlled structure by an amazingly similar DNA/RNA ribbon of molecules.

     Creation began some 13.8 billion years ago in an instant birth of order and physical laws that continue to exist unchanged forever. All that is on, and in, this planet was created from the death of ancient stars and has developed over 4.5 billion years of evolution.

     Mankind will never know the full nature of creation; as the created can never know the full nature and mind of the Creator.

Creation is forever --------- and we are only briefly, now.

The Malleable Mind

   
The human brain is a mysterious organ which serves its host in a myriad of ways. Besides being a complicated data processing system, it can enhance healing; regulate body temperature, blood flow, translate sounds into data bits, convert optical patterns in recognizable features, as well as many other basic functions. During sleep when most of the body is at rest, the mind continues to function by regulating breathing, heart rate, and produces mental images we commonly refer to as dreams or visions. We don’t actually see anything, but our mind envisions places, people, stories, situations, dialogues, problem solving, etc., that we may never have consciously experienced before. There is much yet to learn about the human brain including the possible sensory perceptions between all forms of flora and fauna, as we continue to explore and discover.

Hypnosis is defined as a “key” that can unlock the deep recesses of the mind.  It is a noninvasive method of peering beyond the conscious mind to tap into the subconscious where hidden files are stored. The subconscious contains information that we didn’t know we had retained and through the use of hypnosis can be accessed and recalled. Hypnosis is a commonly used tool for a number of medical purposes, assisting law enforcement, addictive cessation, pain reduction, behavior modification, etc.  Under clinical conditions hypnosis is usually administered by a qualified person, although it can, with training, also be self-induced.

Through hypnosis, a delayed instruction can be given so that the person being treated will perform a task at some future time without a conscious awareness whenever a specific trigger or circumstance occurs.  These “post hypnotic suggestions” are useful tools for use in behavior modification and is commonly applied in situations where a person desires to stop smoking but lacks the conscious will, to do so.  Under hypnosis, the subject is given information that is stored in the subconscious describing the taste or smell of tobacco as being repugnant to the subject, so whenever the subject is in a tobacco environment, or experiences a desire to “light up,” the subliminally planted suggestion will counter their desire to participate and strengthen their resolve to quit smoking.

Hypnosis can condition the mind to accept what is not real. A hypnotic suggestion can cause a person to believe they are an animal and act accordingly; or it can cause a person to not see or recognize family or friends who are present in the same room (selective blindness); it can cause a person to hallucinate or imagine something that isn’t there. These hypnotic instructions are usually short term in duration, but with repeated imprinting, they can become permanent and realistic. Other related conditions that can influence perceptions of the mind are: the Stockholm Syndrome, Brain Washing, Mob Hysteria, Extreme or Religious Fervor, Torture, etc. The power to override the mind’s normal behavior and instructions is not completely understood but has been well documented.

Many species of animals have sufficient intelligence to be trained in a relative short time period to perform domestic service or tricks for entertainment, from fleas to whales. If at the end of their training and usefulness and there is a period of non-contact with their trainer or their trained environment, the animals will continue to retain some measure of their training. When, after a period of time, they are reunited with their trainer and/or prior use, they will still be able to perform a measure of their trained skills. Although this is the result of only a single generation of animal training, it is held in some point of memory until the animal dies.

Recently, a business engaged in training animals to detect and locate drugs, explosive material, or people buried by earthquake or avalanche debris, discovered a short-cut in the time usually required for animal training.  The usual training time required was significantly reduced when using pups from a mother who had been trained to these skills.  Each generation of pups required less time to learn the skills necessary to perform the task they were being trained for.

During the most recent hundred years, man has been able to increase his knowledge exponentially in the fields of human behavior, science, and the universe. We have expanded the knowledge base of our world more in the last 50 years than during the previous 100,000 years. Today we can read farther into our past and future than ever before. These wide screen visions have enabled us to answer more questions than our ancestors could ever dream of asking. We know more about our neighborhood in the universe, what everything is made of, and where the material came from. We know about the stages of development and growth of biology on this planet. We have excavated in every part of the globe to discover what our ancestors did, and why and when they did it. We don’t pretend to have all the answers, but we have far more answers and knowledge than any of our ancestors could have imagined.

For 100,000 years superstitious, yet seemingly intelligent humans have been conditioned to believe the only answers to unknown phenomena, whether good or bad, is the result of an invisible supernatural power who manipulates the universe as well as their daily lives. Orthodoxies have been developed by witchdoctors, shaman, prophets, priests, preachers, etc. in stories, myths and legends to appease these unknown powers to avoid future individual or cultural calamities. This training has not been instilled in only one generation, as in the case of the trained animal, but engrained over thousands of generations to the point that no one dares question the existence or influence of supernatural powers.

Every culture that has ever existed has met unknown natural phenomena with the same fears and superstitions. Stories were generated to answer the questions of creation; rules of behavior were established to minimize the risk of displeasing the supernatural powers who are able to do bad things to us. If you are not obedient to these rules and laws, you risk not only being ostracized and banished from the herd, and threatened with a curse to suffer everlasting and violent punishment in an afterlife. The instinctive will to survive has produced a fantasy afterlife to accommodate an innate desire for immortality. No matter where you live on the globe or how primitive or sophisticated the culture may be, all have produced questionable answers to perceived supernatural conditions. Many gods, many traditions, and many rules are the results of encounters with natural events that they did not understand and had no means of developing true or accurate answers.

Religions have constructed an artificial bridge between reality and superstitions which is reinforced from pulpits and lecterns in tabernacles, temples, and churches on a weekly, if not daily, basis.  Using unverifiable ancient texts written by unknown authors, handed down from oral traditions of mythology and legends as their sources of truth. Attendant minds subjected to this constant barrage continue to be conditioned to believe these stories to be truth.  The method to convert a myth into an acceptable sounding truth is by retelling it over, and over, and over, until there is no one to question or refute it.

The human mind is very malleable and has been shaped to traditions and customs of the cultures in which we live. A growing conflict exists between the traditions of stories based upon supernatural events, and the ever-increasing evidence of the history of our universe.  Religions that have been wholly based on ancient truths are increasingly challenged by the growing library of contemporary knowledge and experiencing a decay in membership which is torn between a loyalty to its ancient myths and a new reality of evidence that is emerging at an accelerating rate.  The “NONEs” are growing.

Dancing Bears
Bears in National Parks, do not dance, they live.
Bears in Zoos, do not dance, they exist.
Bears in traveling shows dance, because they are
incentivized by a false discipline - daily.

People, when free, thrive.

People under Oligarchy regimes, only exist.
People attend Glass Cathedrals, Shuls, & Temples
because they are incentivized by
3,000-year-old myths & legends - daily.

Minds are malleable and can be shaped by

treats, fear, threats, or Alternative Facts.

Epilogue:  No person, present or past, has ever produced any substantive evidence of supernatural forces defined as deities.  Religions that depend upon a philosophy of, “Just believing and having faith will make their stories a reality,” have crossed the threshold of the mind manipulation.

FAITH is the psychological state in which an individual holds a supernatural myth to be true.

FAITH is a multifaceted concept which does not require a basis in fact.

Does asking questions and considering the current wealth of accumulated knowledge make anyone an Atheist, Agnostic, or Possibilian (https://possibilian.com)?   OR, Just an Aboriginal Seeker of the 3^rd planet from a sun in only one solar system of the Milky Way Galaxy, among the billions of galaxies throughout the universe?

So, for now, we stand in the middle. We know too little to say a god does or does not exist; and we know too much about our past and future to continue to allow ancient superstitions to limit or control our pursuit of knowledge and truth.  None of the ancient texts remotely depicts or describes a power which has created a universe that has evolved over the past 13.8 billion years.

o

An Improbable Heritage

     100,000 years ago humans as well as the mighty herds of animals grazing on the endless savannas of this planet were familiar with lightning. They grew up with it occurring around them all of their lives. Neither the humans nor the animals understood the cause or purpose of lightning. Today, the animals of the savannahs still do not understand lightning; they just tolerate and bear it. Ancient humans, on the other hand, with no more knowledge of the cause or purpose of lightning than the animals around them developed a theory that lightning was a mysterious force caused by the will of the Gods.^[1] Any destructive natural phenomena was probably regarded as the result of a God’s anger in retaliation for someone or something that has been displeasing, as they had witnessed the result of lightning strikes upon people, animals and trees.

     Today, we know what lightning is and how it is produced and how to avoid it. We have even seen it on some of our sister planets. We know how rain, hurricanes, tsunamis, tornados, earthquakes, etc., are produced. We know how to read and understand trends of weather patterns and how droughts or floods occur. Yet we still cling to ancient explanations for these natural phenomena as if it were the results of a manipulating Deity.

     An ancient text was read from the pulpit recently exhorting natural events as retribution by the hand of God for the iniquities of man (Psalm 107: 33-43), “He (God) turned rivers into a desert, flowing springs into thirsty ground, and fruitful land into a salt waste, because of the wickedness of those who lived there. He turned the desert into pools of water and the parched ground into flowing springs; there he brought the hungry to live, and they founded a city where they could settle. They sowed fields and planted vineyards that yielded a fruitful harvest; he blessed them, and their numbers greatly increased, and he did not let their herds diminish.“

     We have a very mixed heritage that has been passed down to us by our ancestors. We have inherited minds capable of discerning, and an inquisitiveness to search for information and truth in the world around us. Yet we remain chained to ancient fears and superstitions that have no basis in fact or reason.

     The religions listed below by no means represent unified groups; Christianity alone has over 3500 different divisions and sects. Each of the other major religions today is also comprised of multiple divisions, sects, groups and beliefs, influenced primarily by their geographical location. Almost all religions are able to trace their origins to a single person, including Christianity. Exceptions are the Primal-Indigenous and the African Traditional & Diasporic religions which are practices and rituals of oral traditions without much if any written sources. Religions did not begin spontaneously. They were begun by someone with an idea, yet each religion claims to possess the truth of God and our universe.

     Judaism, Christianity, and Islam have many common denominators, primarily stories on which their origins are based, as the Old Testament (with some variations) is held, in part, as a common origin by all three cultures. Two events is all it took to initiate the Jewish culture and Christianity. Stories that read more like fairy tales or legends than reality when measured against the yardstick of probability or fact. When compared to other major religions of the world, they possess no more integrity or validity than does any other religion.

     The malleable mind of man^[2]  is capable of being shaped to believe and accept anything, especially when applied in weekly doses from church pulpits over a lifetime. Information based on ancient knowledge gained through fears and superstitions has been the only message repeated by almost all religions, whose success is often measured by the size and income of the church. By these standards, the more members and money you can collect, the truer the tenets of your religion.

1800 BCE^[3]   (Estimated world population at the time was 30 million.)

According to Jewish tradition, Abraham was born under the name Abram in the city of Ur in Babylonia in the year 1948 from Creation. He was the son of Terach, an idol merchant, but from his early childhood, he questioned the faith of his father and sought the truth. He came to believe that the entire universe was the work of a single Creator, and he began to teach this belief to others. Eventually, the one true Creator that Abram had worshipped called to him, and made him an offer: if Abram would leave his home and his family, then God would make him a great nation and bless him. Abram accepted this offer, and the b'rit (covenant) between God and the Jewish people was established. 

     At a time when there were 30 million people living around the world, a middle eastern merchant’s son announces that he has had a meeting with God to receive a gift. God did not appear to anyone else to verify or make this announcement; only Abram makes the announcement public. No other people in the entire world were made aware of this special covenant. The common belief at this time in history was that only Shaman, Witch Doctors, Medicine Men, Priests, Kings, Rulers, etc., the pinnacle of elite, were capable of personal communication with Deities of the day. The question is, “how credible can this story possibly be?”

1391--1271 BCE^[4]  (Estimated world population at the time was 38 million.)

According to Jewish tradition, Moses is born during the Jewish enslavement in Egypt, during a terrible period when Pharaoh decrees that all male Hebrew infants are to be drowned at birth. His mother, Yocheved, desperate to prolong his life, floats him in a basket in the Nile. Hearing the crying child as she walks by, Pharaoh's daughter pities the crying infant and adopts. It surely is no coincidence that the Jews' future liberator is raised as an Egyptian prince. Had Moses grown up in slavery with his fellow Hebrews, he probably would not have developed the pride, vision, and courage to lead a revolt.

     The story of a Jewish boy born into slavery, is saved by a princess, raised as an Egyptian prince and lives in royalty, is banished from the kingdom after committing a crime against a royal guard, eventually returns to liberate the slaves and lead them to a land promised by God to Abraham and his descendants. Not only did Moses liberate the Jews from Egyptian slavery, he wrote the law and commandments describing how they must live. The story describes how Moses led the slaves for 40 years through the desert of the Arabian Peninsula, while the distance from Cairo to Jerusalem can be completed by a very slow donkey in 3 weeks. When they finally reach the “promised” land, an army of slave warriors is sent to slaughter the men, women, children and all their animals, currently inhabiting the land “promised” to people who claimed to be descendants of Abraham. Again, the question is, “how credible can this story possibly be?”

1000–900 BCE^[5]  (Estimated world population at the time was 50 million.)

Solomon succeeds King David, builds Jerusalem temple. After Solomon's death, kingdom divided into Israel and Judah. Hebrew elders begin to write Old Testament books of Bible. Phoenicians colonize Spain with settlement at Cadiz.

     While in captivity in Babylon, Hebrew elders begin a written record of oral stories and traditions, 800 years after the Abraham event, and approximately 300 years after Moses and the Exodus legend. They included stories which describe the creation of the earth, an ark and a destructive flood, etc. The source of many of these stories came from much earlier periods and cultures during the Sumerian and Gilgamesh Epic. The intention of these writings was to establish credible roots of Jewish heritage by including stories of Adam and Eve, Noah, Abraham, Moses the Prince of the Egyptian Slaves and editor of Jewish law, and feats of their most beloved king, David, all legends and heroes of the culture. Ancient 800 year old oral traditions have a way of embellishing themselves with each telling and retelling. After 300 to 800 years of aging, there is very little left of the original tale.

400–300 BCE^[5]  (Estimated world population at the time was 100 million.)

Pentateuch—first five books of the Old Testament evolve in final form. Philip of Macedon, who believed himself to be a descendant of the Greek people, assassinated (336 BCE) after subduing the Greek city-states; succeeded by son, Alexander the Great (356–323 BCE), who destroys Thebes (335 BCE), conquers Tyre and Jerusalem (332 BCE), occupies Babylon (330 BCE), invades India, and dies in Babylon. His empire is divided among his generals; one of them, Seleucis I, establishes Middle East empire with capitals at Antioch (Syria) and Seleucia (in Iraq). Trial and execution of Greek philosopher Socrates (399 BCE). Dialogues recorded by his student, Plato (c. 427–348 or 347 BCE). Euclid's work on geometry (323 BCE). Aristotle, Greek philosopher (384–322 BCE). Demosthenes, Greek orator (384–322 BCE).Praxiteles, Greek sculptor (400–330 BCE).

     The final form of the Pentateuch has now aged 1,400 years since the Abrahamic story, and 600 years since Moses and the Exodus event. With a world population of approximately 100 million, and perhaps a hundred different religions with their own stories and legends, it is difficult to accept these stories with any more validity or integrity than any of the religions of the rest of the world.

1–49 CE^[5]  (Estimated world population at the time was 200 million.)

Birth of Jesus Christ (variously given from 4 B.C. to A.D. 7). After Augustus, Tiberius becomes emperor (dies, A.D. 37), succeeded by Caligula (assassinated, A.D. 41), who is followed by Claudius. Crucifixion of Jesus (probably A.D. 30). Han dynasty in China founded by Emperor Kuang Wu Ti. Buddhism introduced to China.

     It has now been approximately 4.5 billion years since the formation of the world, and after 200,000 years of human existence, which now numbers a worldwide population of approximately 200 million people. Why would there suddenly be a need to provide a human sacrifice for the atonement of “sins,” to a small group of Jewish peasants in a place as obscure as Nazareth? The Old Testament was a script to establish an exclusive race of people who claim to be the “chosen people of God.” Now begins a legend to form a new religion from the roots of Judaism; a new branch of the tree.

300–349 CE^[5]  (Estimated world population at the time was 250 million.)

Constantine the Great (rules A.D. 312–337) reunites eastern and western Roman empires, with new capital (Constantinople) on site of Byzantium (A.D. 330); issues Edict of Milan legalizing Christianity (A.D. 313); becomes a Christian on his deathbed (A.D. 337). Council of Nicaea (A.D. 325) defines orthodox Christian doctrine. First Gupta dynasty in India (c. A.D. 320).

     During the past 300 years, independent Christian sects of various kinds have proliferated throughout the Roman Empire. Each possesses its own written literature from dubious sources which they use to enlist and educate new converts into their sect. The friction between the various sects has grown and results in violent disputes over who possesses the true writings for Christianity. As these sects are independent from each other, there is no central agency to control or discipline their growing numbers. Most other sects of any kind tolerated in the Roman Empire, whether religious or secular, had a central agency to which they must answer; such as the Sanhedrin which rules over all Jewish activity in the Roman Empire.

      Constantine decides to convene a Council to organize all of the troublesome Christian sects under one central authority, which, to no one’s surprise, is located in Rome instead of Jerusalem. This new agency will become responsible for maintaining the peace among the various Christian sects, and is answerable to the Emperor of Rome, Constantine. This new Council collects copies of all of the written material used by the various churches and decides which ones will be retained for canonization to be used in all Christian churches, and which written materials will be destroyed.

     Since there is no way only one meeting of any Council can settle all disputes, a series of Council meetings is held over the next 400 years^[6] to hone the tenets for all Christianity, as well as the undisputable authority of the Roman Church. [First Council of Nicaea (325); First Council of Constantinople (381); Council of Ephesus (431); Council of Chalcedon (451); Second Council of Constantinople (553); Third Council of Constantinople (680–681); Second Council of Nicaea (787)]

     A quasi religious empire within a political empire was created and is politically supported, sanctioned and enforced by the Emperor of the Roman Empire. The rest of the 250 million people in the world are left clueless and are not included in this alleged new Salvation.

     Meanwhile the world in search of a Deity, a religion, a unity with nature, etc. marches on, led by Shaman, Witchdoctors, Medicine Men, Priests, Preachers, Bishops, and Charlatans selling holy relics and indulgences while hawking the carrot of immortality in an afterlife. The religious tenets of obedience, chastity, charity, compassion, allegiance, etc., have not only been repeatedly broken by members of the various flocks, but by many of the Spiritual Leaders in gross dimensions.

     The common theme among all religions is, “Don’t ask questions, just believe what we tell you. We are your spiritual leaders. If you begin asking questions, you risk the loss of your soul on a slippery slope.” A fictitious descent from the side of an artificial hill religions have created.

     I believe in man’s creativity, curiosity and search for knowledge and truth. We have evolved into a unique species more by accident than design. And in this state, have gained a knowledge never before attained. During the last 50 years, we have learned more of our planet and universe than at any time during the past 200,000 years. We know what we are made of and how we will end. All life forms, not only of this planet, but on any planet in the universe, both flora and fauna, share not only a common ancestry, but a common assortment of elemental building blocks.

     Animals live from day to day and do not anticipate or fret over death. On the other hand, humans have been groomed to fear death as if it were a horrible sentence pronounced on us by a vengeful God. Yet, at the same time, also believe that if we are obedient to this God, we will pass through death into immortality with rewards of mansions, streets of gold, jeweled crowns,72 dark eyed virgins, to join our ancestors and continue to live in eternal bliss. This is better known as the ancient practice of fear mongering to sell snake oil.

     Death is a natural event and comes to everything in the universe including suns, stars, planets, galaxies, vegetation, insects and humans. When death comes, the material of which we are all made is released to be used in the reconstruction of new suns, stars, planets, galaxies, vegetation, insects and humans. The only afterlife experience is the use of our elemental building blocks (atoms) in the growth and formation of new life forms. The ancient fears and superstitions of death by our ancestors was fed by spiritual leaders (Shaman, Witchdoctors, Medicine men, Priests, etc.) to justify tales of immortality. Unfortunately for mankind, current spiritual leaders continue to promote the same ancient fears and superstitions of death over the mounting knowledge discovered everyday by our continued search for the nature of our universe.

     The conflict we have in this new age is whether to continue to live under the fears and superstitions of our ancient ancestors, or accept these myths and legends of our past as stepping stones into our future. I see churches (not the religions) of today as social organizations of “like minds.” Where personal interaction exists to facilitate a desire to support each other and corporately provide outreach charities that are not easily accomplished on an individual basis. I see the stories of ancient texts as models of inspiration for a noble lifestyle and charitable behavior as opposed to superstitions of salvation into an immortal afterlife in order to avoid the damnation of a netherworld.

^[1] http://keithcrowecorpus.blogspot.com/2012/10/a-genesis-of-gods.html

^[2] http://keithcrowecorpus.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-mallible-mind.html

^[3] http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/abraham.html

^[4] http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/moses.html

^[5] Ancient History | Infoplease.com http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0001198.html#ixzz2bU6g36JQ

^[6] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecumenical_council

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An Accident of Birth

    I was born and raised in a Christian culture.  I was indoctrinated in a protestant denomination.  The community in which we lived included various representations of the Christian world, Methodists, Presbyterians, Episcopalians, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Lutherans, Catholics, Baptists, etc.  My religious education included the “what and why” we believed as we did, as well as a brief summary of how our beliefs differed from other denominations, and why we felt confident in our interpretation of truth. 

    My being a “Christian” was not a decision of choice made by me.  It was “expected” of me to follow the precepts and rituals in which I was raised.  For many years of my early life I never questioned this allegiance.  It was, for the most part, comfortably easy to accept.  All of my early questions had been met with appropriate answers all neatly tied up in packages that coincided with the theology of “my” denomination.

    As I grew older, my interests and quests began to expand beyond my denominational world which fed my curiosity about other cultures and people.  My primary sources of research became the scientific disciplines of Archeology, Anthropology, History, Astrophysics, Geophysics, Chemistry, Flora & Fauna research, many allied sciences, and the forever educational, National Geographic magazine.  Soon questions began to arise concerning my cultural and religious instruction and its answers.

    How can so many denominational branches of the same tree (bible), claim to possess an exclusive knowledge of truth? If I had been born into another culture such as, Chinese, Indian, Islam, Mayan, Aztec, Viking, or Cheyenne, I would have more than likely embraced the dominant religion of that particular culture.  Each of these cultures, and all others, has their own stories of god(s), creation, history, and the rituals they practice.  So, the truths we claim and live by are nothing more than an accident of birth, not a result of a personal search for truth.

    The Bible upon which both Judaism and Christianity base their foundation and religious authority is an enigma of myth, legend, and fiction, and suggests its truth is only contained in the act of acceptance and belief by adherents.  There is no method to verify the source or veracity of these stories as facts because almost all of them existed first in oral traditions, 50 to 1000 or more years before they were ever written in words on parchment, then rewritten many times over before they became words now found in today’s texts.  In almost all cases, the original stories were not written by first hand witnesses but by later unidentifiable scribes.  Stories written in the “first person” suffer incompatible aspects, and stories recorded in the “third or fourth” persons were written as if they were a fly on the wall observing and hearing events in real time.

    To compound the inaccuracies of transition from years of oral tradition into many written accounts, councils of the many Christian sects were first convened by Constantine 1, in the 3^rd Century AD, and were commissioned to collect and consider all of the miscellaneous texts being circulated and used by the many disconnected Christian sects scattered throughout the Roman Empire.  (The most recent group to consider material collected for a final canonization of the New Testament was begun by the Council of Trent held in 1545 AD.)

    The commission by Constantine was not only to make a selection of texts to comprise a common written authority (the Bible) for all Christendom, but to gather the various churches under one central authoritative body.  As in any quasi-political assembly, the 300 plus voting Bishops were heavily weighted by delegations favoring the Church of Rome as the seat of authority, instead of Jerusalem, the cradle of Christianity.  The decisions made in Nicea were backed up not only by the authority of the presiding council but by edict of the Emperor of the Roman Empire, and everyone attending these councils knew the pressures to consolidate under one flag; the Flag of one religious authority which was answerable to the Emperor.

    I believe in the creative and imaginative minds of men far more than I believe in the accuracy of stories included in ancient religious texts.  The Judeo/Christian Bible is not the only canonized book of its kind.  Almost every culture has its own written form of religious history and instruction which uses similar myths and legends to guide its adherent’s understanding of truth in their religion.  Each has been enhanced by creative minds through oral traditions before there was any inspiration to set the words in written forms.  Many cultures share some of the same recorded events, such as portions of a much earlier Sumerian Epic which have been included in both Muslim and Hebrew records.

    Almost everyone familiar with these religious books believes them to be interesting and remarkable.  They contain all manner of examples of life morals and ethics filled with great stories, parables, myths, legends, and heros.  They, and many non-religious books, are worthy of consideration when taken in light of Aristotle’s, Doctrine of the Mean, “Moderation in all things.” Unfortunately, most religious texts provoke dissention, violence and separation between people, denominations, and cultures when used as an authority for absolute truth. 

We have discovered more about the nature of creation and the universe in the last 50 years than man could have imagined during the previous 100,000 years.  Yet we continue to cling to ancient texts from a very single point in time as our prevailing knowledge of creation, ignoring current information gained through scientific discoveries in nature and the universe.

    The Old Testament was a script to establish a new culture and tribe.  It was written to answer all of the normal human questions of the time, about the creation and social relations using heroes and legends to model an allegiance to a tribe and their god of choice. 

    The New Testament created a new legendary hero.  Although he was born a Jew who lived by Jewish law, practiced Jewish rituals, and honored the Jewish God, for the most part he was bent on confronting hypocrisies of human nature that had corrupted the rulers and leaders of the Jewish tribe.  He led a social ministry to denounce corruption and hypocrisies of many Jewish practices and restore the primary edict of, “Treat your neighbor as yourself,” from the book of Leviticus.  This was such a bold move at a time when the Jewish nation was not only occupied by the Roman Empire, but the Empire had a strangle hold on the Jewish leadership, holding them responsible for infractions of Roman law by members of the Jewish tribe.  After Jesus’ execution for inciting insurrection, the seeds of his revolutionary thoughts continued to take root and spread.  Again, we are dealing with the human nature of oral traditions long before anything was ever recorded.  When the stories of Jesus were finally written, it was after much telling and retelling before it was finally penned by people who had no firsthand knowledge of events.

    Many people, both before and after Jesus, have made an equal effort to call questionable ethics and corruption into question.  Prophets of the Old Testament, as well as more recent prophets such as, Martin Luther, John Knox, John Calvin, John Wesley, Abraham Lincoln, Dietrich Bonheoffer, Martin Luther King, Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, etc.  Many of their efforts have also taken root in often unintentional movements by ardent followers. 

    So, who was Jesus? He was one of those rare individuals who had an eye for injustice and a heart for getting involved.  He lived his principles and died modeling them.  Jesus was never reported to have baptized anyone, nor did he ever start a Christian church.  He spoke as a Jew to Jewish people in synagogues, on the street, in the hills, from a boat, in a language using simple stories and parables his listeners were familiar with and could understand.  The friends who followed him were so taken with his wisdom and bold manner that they began a movement which has resulted in what we know today as Christianity.  Unfortunately, none of the first hand witnesses of Jesus’ activities ever recorded any of their experiences.  Again, these stories were left to the embellishments of human creativity after many years of oral traditions which have a tendency to make anyone larger than life, before someone decided to start writing these stories into words.  One of the first to do this was a very literate and a prolific writer, the Mission minded Paul, but even he had no first hand witness or knowledge of Jesus or his activities.  All Paul had to rely on were the oral stories that were circulating about Jesus.  Later, written accounts began appearing in the names of people who may have had first had knowledge, but were written by unknown authors who again, heavily relied on stories circulating in the oral tradition. 

    When the Bishop’s Council of Nicea began collecting written accounts of stories about Jesus, 300 years after his death, they too sought to continue the larger than life legend of Jesus by selecting only those ancient texts which they believed contributed to this purpose.  Many texts used by the early churches and not included in the final canonized collection were banned and attempts were made to quickly destroy them in order to discourage their use as an authority for religious teaching.  Another purpose of the Bishop’s Council was to select texts that related to construed and vague predictions recorded in the Old Testament of a future Messiah.  Old Testament references to a Messiah were made after King David’s reign, and were only hopeful expressions for another King, like David, who would rebuild the temple in Jerusalem, end Roman occupation, and restore Israel to its former glory and protection from Israel’s many surrounding enemies.

    Was Jesus the super hero depicted in the Bible, or was he another of those once in a great while extraordinary men in history that have made a positive footprint to emulate? This has been an intimidating question for two thousand years. 

Is God a reasonable deity?

    In the year 1 AD, there was an estimated population of 300 million people living all around the world.  Is it reasonable that God would suddenly decided after 100,000 years of man’s existence on this planet, that the people on planet earth needed a “Get To Heaven Card,” and took the steps outlined in the New Testament to provide a special “Pass Key” to only a small fraction of the world’s population living in Judea? Is it also reasonable to believe that in order to provide this “Pathway to Heaven,” he had a son produced by a Jewish virgin, who would eventually be crucified on a cross as a means to immortality in either a heaven or a hell? In light of the extraordinarily complicated universe he had created, would this even have been a reasonable story about anyone, least of all, a God?

    Stories such as, a universe created in 6 days, man created from dust, woman from the rib of a man, a tempting talking snake, a son of God produced by a Jewish virgin, may have been acceptable answers to questions of ancient superstitions, but they don’t fit in today’s knowledge bank.  The current and growing knowledge man has of the past, present, and future of our place in the universe far and exceeds any attempts to describe a God based on primitive 10,000 year old concepts by any religion or accident of birth.

    The question of religious truths is not bound to the accident of our birth.  Nor does the location of our birth confer the element of truth in our cultural and religious practices.  Truth lies somewhere in the ever expanding knowledge of our planet and universe, and questions are the tools of our search.

o

Dubious Origins

      All it takes is 36 characters, a zero and the numbers one through nine, and twenty-six letters of the Latin alphabet to fill libraries all over the world with books. Books of technology, science, geography, history, art, fiction, etc., were all written to educate and entertain, affecting the lives of people all over the world. Most books have verifiable sources upon which their information was published leaving little doubt as to their authenticity. Few books in any library have as many questionable origins as do books upon which religious dogmas have been founded.

     All major religions are based on books which were compiled from bits and pieces of ancient stories collected over as much as two-thousand years. Some bits and pieces originated from oral traditions while others were written by unknown authors who had no firsthand knowledge or eyewitness experience of events they wrote about, and whose writings were credited to familiar names for purposes of credibility.

     Not all bits and pieces were retained and used to compile the canonized publications in use today, there were as many bits and pieces of stories discarded as were eventually used. Someone, or someones, made decisions by a majority of votes to determine which information was to be retained and used in the compilation of a final canonized book, and which were to be omitted. The official process of material selection began with the Council of Nicea in 325 AD, and lasted until the Council of Trent in 1545 AD, before a common consensus was committed to the final selection of material. Today most Protestant denominations accept a New Testament of 27 books, while the texts of some Orthodox denominations use as many as 35 books.

     This begs the questions, “Who were the editors of these canonized books, and how did this compilation take place?” Yet, even with the dubious origins of questionable myths and legends by unknown authors, kingdoms have been created and destroyed, people abused, tortured and killed, wars fought, all based on books that possess questionable claims of authority, and prohibit their examination for truth.

     Before the advent of moveable type and the printing press, access to religious material by the common people was essentially prohibited. Only priests, clergy and religious leaders were permitted to read and interpret canonical writings. In 1439, when the first printing press was developed in Western Europe, Johannes Gutenberg was summarily criticized by the Church of Rome for making Bibles affordable and available to the proletariat. Centuries after Bibles have become economically accessible parishioners continue to be discouraged from reading and interpreting its contents for themselves.

     It seems almost unbelievable that so many generations of people have had their lives controlled by such a questionable and unverified collection of ancient stories. In today’s world, claims made by products of any kind must be backed up by a common standard of verification before being allowed on the market for general public use or acceptance, or face legal consequences.  Yet, when it comes to religion, ancient myths and legends are continually being adapted to contemporary conditions on a weekly basis from rostrums, and have been unquestionably accepted without a shred of proof.

     There are many reasons why the source of religious dogmas have not been questioned or investigated. Obviously, one claim is that the source of words contained in canonized books came directly from a deity, which unfortunately cannot be verified or questioned. If the conflicting, contradicting, confusing words included in canonized books are from a deity, how is it possible that the creator who made an infinite universe of billions and billions of galaxies of suns, stars, planets, and life, was not able to communicate with mankind in such a way that there would be no confusion of truth; a communication that would not have resulted in thousands of religious sects, cults and denominations of conflicting dogmas; a message that would have been delivered to all 30 to 35 million people living all over the world at the time, and not to just a handful of middle eastern, semiliterate, nomads living in a tiny corner of the planet?

     Another reason dogmas have not been questioned is we really don’t want to know the truth. Myths and legends of all kinds, both biblical as well as secular, have been entwined into our cultures in such a way that to question their reality is perceived to be a threat to civilization and the fantasies we want to retain.

     Two admiral qualities common to all major religions are the tenets of social interaction and justice. Although the details and practice of these two primary tenets may not be identical in all religions, the threads of both are woven into the fabric of their beliefs. However, these two traits were not inaugurated with the origins of religions; they have existed for millions of years throughout the animal kingdom before man existed. When man came into the scene through evolutionary channels, these two traits became refined as cultures and civilizations developed. Not only did man’s mental acuity continue to develop, but so did the imaginative answers he devised to explain phenomena which confronted his everyday world.

     Since the beginnings of mankind, we have searched for answers to questions. Questions have been the key to learning, and questions seldom remain unanswered. Even in the void of technology to provide accurate answers, superstitions demand the most available answer, not necessarily the most reasonable or correct answer.

     Before there were any religious rituals to explain death, animal kingdoms, as well as early man were acutely aware of the finality of death. Mankind, however, by the urging of unanswered questions, superstitiously developed the concept of an afterlife. There is, among all cultures of the world, a belief in a place where a person’s identity continues to exist or live in a paradise beyond death’s door. Some cultures even expect the bodies of the deceased to eventually rejoin their spirits in an afterlife at a prescribed time when all the dead are raised. Religions evolved to enhance and promote the rituals of the spirit’s passage into an afterlife. Myths and legends were developed to support this belief and have been accepted as truth without question.

     Now, there is a third trait which has been added to the fabric of mankind’s religious dogmas, the idea of an afterlife. A mysterious spiritual existence where justice is meted out to the departed based on their social interaction during their lifetime, gave religions additional power and control and has become a unique selling point. Without it, religion becomes just another social club. Some religions practice a “get your loved one out of hell” opportunity to the surviving family and friends of the departed by making sacrifices or the purchase of indulgences which can be granted for the forgiveness of any and all transgressions committed by the departed prior to their demise. The addition of this third trait to the cultural fabric discourages most people from pursuing any questioning of religious foundational dogmas, as they want it to be true. It is psychologically comforting to imagine that we, or our departed loved ones, will experience carefree happiness and rewards in an afterlife, while our enemies will be served endless suffering. Myths and legends continue to be exploited as reinforcement of this afterlife possibility.

     Billions of dollars are spent annually to maintain religious property and promote religious dogmas. Additional billions are spent in “missionary” causes all over the world to “evangelize” unsophisticated and unsuspecting people. Remote tribes that have survived thousands of years with their own creation stories and gods are suddenly the target for modern religions and a foreign morality. With this exposure to a new world come risks for which they have no immunity. Do they hear the “good news” to recognize the nature of their sins, or are they victims of questionable dogmas? Almost every religious denomination or sect is in the market to capture a share of unsuspecting souls with dogmas that are based on ancient and questionable sources. Could this possibly be the intention of a universal creator?

     Two thousand years ago, man had no idea about the age or composition of the universe or the source of energy generated by the sun. Early man had no idea that all living things, flora and fauna, were composed of basically the same five types of particles (atoms) with almost identical DNA. Early man had no idea that viruses or bacteria existed and were responsible for illnesses and plagues, and had no concept of the source for schizophrenic behavior. These maladies were thought to be caused by demons or sins of the persons afflicted. Early man thought natural disasters such as droughts, floods, earthquakes, etc., were caused by the wrath of gods. Yet, with the advanced knowledge we have of our universe today, we continue to rely on ancient superstitions as the foundational source of material for religious beliefs and practices.

     We will never know the amount of deviation our superstitions have taken civilization to on this mythical train ride. We haven’t found the answers because we have been afraid to ask the questions, as if a search for truth would offend God. We continue to advance dogmas based on superstitious beliefs, completely disregarding the truth that we are a part of a creation immensely grander than any religion or denomination. The creator did not initiate multiple religious dogmas; these rituals and rules are manmade based on erroneous answers to ancient superstitions and the migrating stories of supernatural myths and legends.

     We are made of the same noble material as the creator of the universe, whose image is life and whose singular truth will endure forever; a truth that will continue to elude us until we have the courage to question the reality and accuracy of books of supernatural myths and legends upon which religious practices are based.

o

Questions

    Today, as at no other time in the history, mankind has achieved the potential ability to destroy all biological life forms of this planet. We have amassed enough lethal chemicals, lethal viruses, lethal radioactive material; and perfected delivery systems sophisticated enough to annihilate every living organism on our island in the universe. The obsession to obtain more “stuff” and power, greed, has created a potentially destructive atmosphere of social relations between people, theologically and politically. More money is spent worldwide on military armament and wars than on humanitarian needs of education, food, or medical services for all 7.1 trillion persons on the planet.

     During this destructive drive to the brink of a potential disaster, we have had the available counsel and guidance of many gods, yet here we are. It is exceedingly difficult to point to any one religious philosophy as an example to be emulated that could, or would steer mankind onto a path of responsible stewardship of our world. Although religions have espoused a respect for natural resources as well as for life, most have contributed to the conditions we see today by turning a blind eye to the devastating effects of our lifestyle choices on nature. The depletion of rain forests and other natural resources; the increased contamination of oceans; irreversible damage to our ultraviolet radiation protection from the sun; the genocide of races and cultures have existed for centuries, and continues unabated even among today’s enlightened and religious generations.

     So, how do we stop this runaway stampede of self destruction, like lemmings marching toward the sea? One way might be to become better acquainted with the gods of the 1% as they seem to be far more responsive than any of the others. Considering the fact that the 1% has the money and power to control just about everything in the world, there is probably very little that can be done without their consent or cooperation. There is no doubt that we need to become more responsible for the humane treatment of each other, for the responsible use of the resources of this planet, and care for the global environment we live in. The political divisiveness between nations and within nations continues to be a stumbling block. One of the major sources of this political divisiveness has been, and still is, unbending religious dogmas, founded on dubious myths and legends recorded thousands of years ago without any corroborating evidence, that have been engrained in the traditions of cultures whose tenets prohibit any questioning of the reality or truth of those dogmas.

     People have been persecuted and condemned by religious orders for suggesting the earth was round instead of flat; people were put to death by religious orders for suggesting the earth was not the center of the universe; people were persecuted for developing printing methods that provided public access to religious books and materials; people are persecuted and ridiculed by religious orders for suggesting that life forms may exist on other planets throughout the universe. Religions seem to cringe in fear at the suggestion that there may not be a god who directs their daily lives, hears their prayers, or has an afterlife awaiting the faithful. Questioning the practices and truths of ancient religious traditions is prohibited as if it would threaten their very existence to do so.

     Questions without convincing answers have haunted most of us all our lives. Questions concerning the integrity or accuracy of stories included in the Bible, and HOW this one book became the sole source for such fervent devotion and sacred authority. Why is there no corroborating evidence of these stories from other sources? How were the stories in the Bible collected and selected to be included in a single edition, and by who(m), and who were the many authors? What happened to the material that didn’t make the “cut” and was not included in this sacred canonized compilation?

     Why did communications and events between God and an obscure semi-literate people take place in only one tiny geographical area of the planet; in such a brief period of time, and produce a Christian tradition when there were approximately 30 to 35 million other people living in all parts of the globe during this same period?

     The gods of ancient ancestors were not as busy as those gods would be today. Ancient gods ruled over a very small world of visible stars, a sun, a moon, the earth, the seas and the people of a tiny corner of the world. These ancient gods were reportedly prone to punish individuals and tribes for any number of misdemeanors, and demanded unquestioned obedience and sacrifices for atonement of violations. Ancient creation stories were simple and designed to satisfy questions of the simple minds of the era. Today we know more about the infinite size of the universe we live in and the variety of infinitesimal sized particles of its composition. The lights we can see in the heavens with our eyes and our telescopes are not only stars, but billions of galaxies filled with billions and billions of stars and even more planets than all of the grains of sands on all of the beaches on this planet. The god(s) of today would seem to have their plates full with so vast a universe to look after, leaving little time to manipulate the winner of a sports event, a lottery, or a war.

     All manner of scientific disciplines, from historians, archeologists, anthropologists, physicists, chemists, biologists, and on, and on, have developed evidence and a consensus that the earth came into being some 4.5 billion years ago in a very violent and fiery birth. Space debris, a product of the death of ancient stars, drifting through space began to collide and stick together resulting in the formation of larger and larger pieces of debris until the planets of our solar system had swept their orbits clean of debris. Thus began the formation of our planet and the solar system we are a part of.

     As our molten planet cooled a thin crust began to form and slowly float around on the planet’s molten core until continents were created. Billions of years of continental collisions, earthquakes, and volcanoes eventually resulted in the geography we live on today.

     Our scientific disciplines again have established that life began approximately 1 billion years ago as something like single cell bacteria. This crude life form was subjected to the various forces of this planet, heat, ultra violet rays of the sun, water, cold, massive electrical storms, etc. which made micro changes in the developing DNA of each generation of life forms. These changes either improved the life forms to become better equipped to cope with the changing environmental conditions, or they became extinct. The life forms that could adapt continued to evolve and become better equipped to survive. In short, this kind of evolution eventually resulted in the many life forms of today, including humans.

     Man began to evolve from the Hominoidea branch of the evolutionary tree some 2 million years ago. As their numbers grew, they began to spread and by approximately 50,000 years ago were to occupy almost every corner of the planet. Many scientific disciplines have worked in concert to give us a glimpse into their lives, creativity, diets, migrations, etc. In the last 50 years we have been able to answer more questions about our ancestors than mankind has asked since the beginning of time. We can see farther into our past, our present, and our future, than at any other time in history.

     Many stories in the Old Testament can be found in the traditions of much earlier cultures by some 1 to 2 thousand years before the Old Testament writers claimed ownership. The story of Abraham was not recorded from an oral tradition into words on pages of clay and parchment for more than 800 years by Jews in Babylonian captivity. Moses, who is revered as the highest ranking religious leader by the Jews, and who is credited with authorship of the Torah, the first five books of the Old Testament, also known as the Mosaic Law of the Jewish culture, was not recorded as words on the page for more than 400 years after the death of Moses.

     Could the ancient practice of passing information on to succeeding generations by oral traditions across 800 years have been superior to the oral communications of today? Could their devotion to accuracy without exaggeration or fact bending be greater than any found among any present cultures?

     If modern man has existed for 50,000 years as our best scientific disciplines confirm, why did a Deity suddenly feel the necessity to communicate important information about him or herself to only one person, the son of Terach, an obscure Middle Eastern idol merchant, only 4,000 years ago? The world population at the time of the God’s alleged covenant with Abraham was around 30 to 35 million people living in all parts of the globe.

     Why are all of the biblical stories and events set in only one tiny part of the Middle East? The obvious purpose of the Old Testament was to develop a collection of stories to establish a tradition for a people that did not exist before Abraham, who is recognized as the first Jew.

     The New Testament was written by unknown authors 50 to 200 years after the death of Jesus by people who had no eye witness accounts or firsthand knowledge of his life and times. Even the prolific letters of Paul are not first-hand accounts of Jesus or his teachings. Paul never met or knew the human Jesus. His alleged knowledge of Jesus began during a mysterious experience while on his way to Damascus, on a mission authorized by the Sanhedrin to arrest and persecute Christians.

     Three hundred years after the death of Jesus, there were many groups of his disciples scattered throughout the Roman Empire. Each group had its own letters and documents describing the life and teachings of Jesus, and interpreted the information in their possession in different ways, in the same manner as denominations do today. Constantine 1, came upon the scene to be Emperor of Rome as a somewhat benevolent ruler who allowed the practice of many cultural religions and customs. In February, 313 CE, Constantine played an influential role in the proclamation of the “Edict of Milan,” which decreed religious tolerance throughout the empire.  He recognized that it was easier to rule an occupied land by making concessions than it was to attempt rigidly enforced allegiance and worship of Roman Gods. That is, as long as they continued to pay a monetary tribute to the Roman Empire and did not threaten a rebellion. Most of the major cultural groups and religions had central authorities which were responsible for supervising activities of their own people or members and were accountable to the Roman Empire for any violations against Rome. The Sanhedrin was the central authority for the Jewish culture, who’s Chief Priest, like the leaders of all other central authorities, had to be approved by Rome before they were allowed to sit in the highest seat of Jewish authority.

     The Churches which had sprung up throughout the Roman Empire under the banner of Jesus disciples were independent in nature and had no central authority for supervision or control. For 300 years they had guarded their letters and texts with a spirited devotion which led to many disputes between the various groups. Some disputes had turned into violent clashes over disagreements of true accounts of Jesus teachings. These uncontrolled eruptions threatened to upset the tranquility of the Emperor, Constantine, and threatened to create rebellions among the Christians.

     In the year 325 CE, Constantine ordered the 300 plus, independent groups of Jesus disciples to send representatives to a meeting in Nicaea for the purpose of establishing a central authority and to determine which texts and documents would be selected for a final canonized collection. The result of these series of councils was that the church of Rome was voted to become the central authority for Christianity, and the selection from the collected documents for the single canonized material was begun. Documents that did not make the “cut” were immediately ordered to be destroyed so as not to compete or be confused with the canonized documents, as it was hoped the newly canonized texts would help unify the diverse beliefs and practices of the many groups involved.

     These Council meetings not only settled for Constantine his goal of establishing a central authority and the selection of common doctrinal materials, but they were also used to decide questions of whether or not Jesus was actually the son of God; born of a virgin; the definition of the Trinity; established a universal Creed; and determined the appointed dates for which Christian festivals and celebrations would be observed, etc. In short, they began making all of the decisions concerning the future practices of Christianity, 327 years after the death of Jesus.

     If the God who created the universe had a message he wanted mankind to know and understand I sincerely believe he would have been able to deliver it in such a way there would be NO misunderstandings. The message would not have resulted in 3000 different Christian sects and cults, and as many non-Christian denominations and religions in the world today. Mankind would not be left to guess what truth is. Controversies over religious differences have been responsible for more wars and human abuse than any secular ideological or political controversy in the history of mankind.

     The Bible has been the sole source of religious events and personalities for Christianity. There has not been any corroborating evidence of the existence of any of the Biblical characters or stories, only the names of some familiar geographical locations. Almost all fictional novels ever written have used fictional characters to spin a story, and often use non-fictional geographical locations that are commonly familiar with readers in order to add a spirit of reality and interest.

      There is no evidence of a garden of Eden; there is no evidence of fallen walls around Jericho; there is no evidence of the thousands of chariots at the bottom of the Red Sea which had been in pursuit of Moses; there is no evidence of a large population of people living or wandering the Sinai Peninsula between Egypt and Israel for 40 years; there is no evidence of Noah’s ark, or an Ark of the Covenant.

     The Bible is a collection of stories written to convey understanding of specific cultural persuasions, by humans. When the councils of Bishops established a central religious authority for the Roman Empire, they also performed an editing agenda in the selection of documents for canonization which supported their decisions.  The Bible, along with many other good books, is a great resource for social guidelines and moral lessons. Churches today are more about social gathering places of common interests than about expressions of a belief in questionable supernatural events. They are places where people seek corporate support for their own physical and mental well being because we are by nature “herd animals.”

     The creed most people in the world aspire to live by, excluding the 1% who are not satisfied with incomes of billions of dollars and possess more disposable income than they could use in several life times, is to treat everyone the way we want to be treated. This is basic to the human survival instincts of nature and contributes to the moral and physical wellbeing of mankind and our environment for the benefit of our progeny.

     We all continue to have questions and a desire for truth. The sky will not fall and God will not be offended for asking questions as he has given us the tools of reason. So I invite you to pursue answers to your questions and seek truths. It is improbable that we will be able to find all of the answers we seek, but in the pursuit we will find a new knowledge of what truth is.

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