Arkansas Times

A Damsel in Distress

The inimitable Norma Bates

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GAYS, GUNS AND GODS (IV) - FOR BETTER? OR WORSE?

 

Technically, all Myths are Lies if taken literally.

 

 

NOT true, however, that all Lies are Myths.

 

Myths can have compelling positive (or negative) impact on humanity’s “collective unconscious,” as psychiatrist Carl Jung richly explained. Myths indeed underlie all world religions and politics – and wars and prejudice, fears and hatreds.

 

Here on Myrtle Beach this Easter morn, the Sun has risen. A Mimosa “salud!” this Easter morn, Old Sol!

 

 

It IS a Lie – and destructive – to insist that Myths are literal.

 

To assert that Mithra, or Zeus, or Thor were physical human beings immediately registers those Mythical beings in the crosshairs of rational scrutiny.

 

“When and where did they actually exist and undergo those fantastic adventures? Where’s the evidence?”

 

Millennia ago, Faith and Science split as Religious Authorities, to build power and shape nations, realized the observable cosmos (science) had to be anthropomorphized to be believed and accepted by uneducated masses.

 

In Transactional Analysis terms, (“Part II - CAN WE TALK”) from time immemorial, it’s, “We are the Parents. We KNOW. You are the uneducated Children. You don’t know. We are powerful. You are not.”

 

The Sun, Moon, Planets, Constellations became “literal Gods on Earth” – actual human beings with verifiable histories.

 

Natural scientific laws apply to all and fail to elevate one tribe or nation to superiority. Enforced belief in literal human gods is far more effective.

 

Christianity in particular brutally coerced acceptance of its myths and dogma as “real” at the peril of heresy or death. No options.

 

The Scientists / Priests knew the myths’ origins. But dry explanations of phenomena like the Precession of the Equinoxes were over the heads of illiterate populations.

 

Christianity’s been trying to prove the literal existence of Jesus since day one.


Why? Because there is no contemporary or eyewitness historical record of this supposed major figure. The Gospels were written nearly a century (and more) after Jesus’ supposed life, death and resurrection.

 

King Herod? A relative nobody? Plenty of contemporary proof HE existed.

 

As Christianity coalesced around dogma and began to be forced on the global Roman Empire, questions about the historicity of Jesus, as with older deities like Mithra, persisted and grew.

 

Early Christian apologists – caught adopting Egypt’s ancient solar science / religion, making astronomical science “literal” beings, taking over the Roman Empire (the then-World) via a State Religion, reverse-engineered an early forgery to “prove” their mythical dogma.

 

 

Collective questions grew so insistent, the carnage so great, that over decades and centuries the Church was forced to fabricate history by inserting the three notorious forged paragraphs in Flavius Josephus “testifying” to his witnessing the  physical existence of Jesus – a forgery that’s been known and demonstrated repeatedly over centuries to be likely interpolated by Catholic historian Euisebius four centuries into the C.E. 


Since day one, Christians have sought physical proof of the literal existence of Jesus.

 

Flavius Josephus’ “eyewitness” account? Forged. Shroud of Turin? It’s a carbon-dated Medieval fake. No matter. The fearful “faithful” shoot the messengers and denigrate scientific facts that challenge their dogma.

 

The ossuary of Peter, supposed brother of Jesus, “discovered” a couple of years ago? The ossuary carbon-dated to the period, all right; but the carvings on it were proved to be contemporary forgeries. Another scam on the antiquities market and the religiously gullible.

 

The motive behind these fabrications is: prove the myth by making it physical. THEN everybody will believe it, conform, obey, avoid eternal damnation – and we can control the world.

 

It’s worked for a long time.

 

What’s changed? The PARENT-CHILD transactional model. People aren’t ignorant and uneducated any more. Majorities cling to PARENT-CHILD traditions  because Time moves slowly. But growing minorities know better – know more in larger numbers than ever in history. To be informed is just a click away.

 

It was clear at the outset that Christianity was entirely derived and constructed in every detail from pre-Dynastic Egyptian sun worship – which is to say Nature Worship (reverence for) the awe inspiring mathematical intricacies of our physical solar system – and beyond – including complex and arcane phenomena like the Precession of the Equinoxes and the Great Year.

 

So Christianity rapidly and inevitably splintered from science (which threatened and still does to reveal its true origins and destroy its power – with the Contantinople and Nicean Councils in the 300s, CE.

 

Christianity is a continuing myth, based on similar and far older myths, originally constructed and enforced to unite and control the Roman Empire and eliminate all other religious belief systems and authority.

 

As an ADULT, however, you dismiss parts of Christianity’s “collective unconscious” myth at your own loss, severing communion with humanity’s oldest, richest, continuous mind-body source.

 

The apparent weakness at the heart of religious faiths is that, if they are not literally and physically true, they are considered hollow lies and their believers fools.

 

But that isn’t true either.

 

Ironically, it is religious literalists who are terrified their faith will fall apart if the Shroud of Turin is a Medieval forgery: if the myths aren’t physical.

 

Without that shroud, that splinter of the True Cross, that ossuary, faith is lost, they fear.

 

Simply, that is idol worship. It’s about as far from the inner reality of experiencing God, or All That is, as you can get.

 

Instead of communing with God as Matthew 6:6 suggests – privately in your closet, shutting the door behind you – ALL organized religions seek to rob you of that most transcendent personal experience and establish themselves as the middlemen – at a price.

 

Refill my mimosa. Stroll along the sunrise surf. Sign-in to God’s Chat Room. Trod soft sand in my flip-flops. All Joan Collins in “Land of the Pharaohs.”

 

Here’s the BBC’s documentary take back in the ‘80s. Ignore the helmet-hair on host Derek Partridge. The information is fact. ‘Course, it’s nearly two hours long, so only the choir will watch it.

 

This stuff used to take years of determined research to uncover, if ever, so successful was Christianity at suppressing it.

 

This information separates the girls and boys from the women and men in any contemporary discussion of Christianity and religion in general. (As does familiarity with Tom Paine’s “Age of Reason.”)

 

 

I’ve never known a brain tumor patient to insist on 2,000 year old surgical techniques in O-R.

 

I’ve never known a religionist to insist on anything BUT 2,000 year myths to relate with God.

 

I have NEVER known anybody to actually study the ORIGINS of the religions they so vehemently “believe” with such certainty.

 

Those dogmas they want to force on the rest of us? Don’t look too closely or start questioning.

 

“Bible classes” train better parrots. Serious questions and discussions based on outside sources – contradictory facts and arguments about Myths vs. Lies, the supposed historical existence of Jesus, the ancient Egyptian Astro-theosophic origins of contemporary religions, the astronomical origins of Christmas or Easter or the Cross itself? Those questions are never even raised in Bible Class indoctrination.

 

Thomas Paine, again, nails it.

 

Followers of Krishna also claim he was historical, yet his advent predates that of Jesus by hundreds to thousands of years. If we assume both are historical, and both are teaching nearly the identical thing, why should we not go to the source and become Krishna followers? Here we see clearly the ugly head of cultural bigotry, when the Christians claim their godman superior to one already in existence that is virtually identical. Why not go with Krishna? Because he was not of the "right" ethnicity. The question is moot, however, since both characters are mythological and, by the arguments of the Christians, should then be dismissed. However, we must not dismiss the Mythos upon which they are formulated, as it is true revelation of the workings of the cosmos.

 

YOURS is the only one religion of 30,000+ around the world that ISN’T  brainwashing. YOURS is the only one that’s really true.

 

We get it.

 

Are you catching on how PARENT-ADULT-CHILD ego-states work in real life? Look around the world at the wars, the pettiness, the pollution, the irrational hate, the now-irrelevant nationalism – and speak up, Adults! The human family is dysfunctional. Time for rehab.

 

By now I’m back in my lawn chair on Myrtle Beach bonding with the pan-Atlantic Easter morning sunrise, emptying the thermos of Mimosas and pondering the Mormons and the Catholics sinking some $83 million in California to legislate religious discrimination against same-sex couples through Prop. 8. Why not interracial couples? Why not Jews? (Oops! Sorry. Christianity already tried those and lost there too.)

 

But religious discrimination against same-sex couples won in California!  (So far.)

 

$83 million to write religious bigotry into California’s constitution.

 

That’s the BEST Mormons and Catholics can do for American society with $83 million. Spend $83 million to deny full Federal equality to those Americans who  don’t accept Mormon or Catholic religious dogma.

 

Religionists = PARENTS. Faithful = CHLDREN.

 

Where in the world are the ADULTS – the ones who’re supposed to be running things?

 

Over on “South Park.” That’s where.

 

 

Here’s South Park’s infamous – true – episode about the origins of Mormon.

 

(Click, give it time to load.)

 

Since this is all about religion and same-sex equality and religion and shiz, we must revisit what happens when Scientology, Tom Cruise, John Travolta and Xenu descend on South Park!

 

These, Razorbabies, are the “religious” mentalities and maniacs hell-bent on shaping our laws and our world.

 

Dysfunctional, irrational, superstitious psychotic PARENTS and CHILDREN.

 

Where are the ADULTS?

 

In Europe.

 

It’s OLD news, Razorbabies. Did you see THIS awhile back in the D-G? No, you didn’t. They would lose their advertisers if they reported it.

 

“Societies Worse off with God on their Side”

 

Or THIS more recent news? It wasn’t in the D-G either.

 

Decline in Religion in America

 

Or, God forbid, did you see THIS in the D-G?

 

Gay Marriage Strengthens Heterosexual Marriage

 

When was the last time you seriously talked with anybody about this stuff? Seriously informed yourself before voting to harm — or not harm – adults and children you disagree with religiously, who disagree religiously with you?

 

When did you last behave as an ADULT instead of a CHILD or PARENT?

 

Miss USA runner-up Carrie Prejean told judge Perez Hilton and the audience in TV-land that she wasn’t being “politically correct” but “biblically correct,” trying to justify her anti-gay bigotry.

 

SERIOUSLY, Carrie? “Kill your disobedient children?” Also biblically correct – but – darling –  actually KILL people – your own disobedient children – because it’s “biblically correct?”

 

Millions in many countries ARE serious about religious “honour killings,” Carrie. Women and gays top the victims lists, but  . . . .

 

Biblically correct? Oh, Carrie, Carrie.

 

You HAD me at blond California Caucasian!

 

Then you blew it with, “I think I believe in opposite marriage because that’s the way I was brought up. No offense to anybody.”

 

You’re 23 and never “thought” to ask questions or look into anything?

 

You coulda been a contender, Carrie, and I’m just heartsick. (Well, as heartsick as I’m gonna get over a dumb 23 year old beauty contestant. Perez was right.)

 

Has American Democracy and our Republic – not to mention the Miss USA Pageant – come down to a religious litmus test based on dogma supposedly transmitted by an angry, bigoted, tyrannical, contradictory, genocidal God 2,000 years ago – who then shut up and refused to play any more?

 

Turns out God is Adolph Hitler?

 

Just blond Aryan males go to Heaven? No Jews, blacks, Arabs, Asians, etc.?

 

Heaven is pretty much closeted square-jawed Germanic blond hunks in military uniforms and boots or brocaded robes and Prada flats eying each other and striking up small talk?

 

Eternity is a gay bath house . . . ?

________________________

 

Uh, let’s walk on through the wind, Razorbabies . . . walk on through the rain of the Gathering Storm . . . finally . . . through Part V (up next) and out of here.

 

 

Comments

I agree with your assault on organized religion. It's a business just like any other - get the butts in the door, tell them what they want to hear OR scare the shit out of them, and get them to empty their wallets.

I've been leery since I was a child, and it wasn't because I was gay. It was because I was female. I remember sitting in the pews with my Mother - who was a forward-thinking woman for the early 1970s in the heart of the old Confederacy - and asked why there were no female deacons or elders. She searched long and hard for an answer before dismissing me with a response she knew wouldn't be satisfactory.

"It's just not done, honey,'' she said, obviously praying I wouldn't issue a follow-up question.

I knew even then I didn't really fit in because I had as much - or more - to offer as my male counterparts but that it would never matter in the eyes of the church. When I came to the conclusion I was gay in my late teens, I knew once and for all there was no place for me there. I had two strikes against me, after all.

I know all churches aren't the hell-fire and brimstone in which I was raised. And I do subscribe to the passage you cited in Matthew...my relationship with God is between God and me.

As a wanna-be businesswoman, I was initially suspect of the marketing plan by the Mormons-Catholics pumping $83 million in to the passage of Prop 8. Wouldn't they see more of an immediate financial windfall if gays were to start getting married in all 50 states? (Roll Fox News footage of the guys in their tuxedos and the bull dikes in their leather). Wouldn't people be repulsed and flock to their nearby 'church' to re-affirm their total disdain for such an 'unnatural' act, and in turn, empty their wallets?

Ah, therein lies the rub. They would be repulsed in the short-term, clutching their bibles and googling Fred Phelps. But the Mormons-Catholics aren't stupid...they're running a business.

They know that when gay marriage is fully accepted by all 50 states, it will be just like every other 'forced' social act - from giving women the right to vote in 1920 or the Civil Rights Act of 1965. Americans felt pretty freaking stupid to have opposed these things in the first place. And yes, the 'church' was against both.

Therefore, I'm surprised it was only $83 million. They're going to have to pony up much, much more in the ensuing fights because it will ultimately be their last stand.

When gay rights come to fruition - and they will - it will be the end of the antiquated, patriarchal church that is still widely embraced by at least 80 percent of the 60-and-over bunch living south of the Mason-Dixon line.

These people will be dead in 15-20 years. Where will the Fundamentalists be? Dead as well.


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