Image. Religulous
video. Bill Maher exposes the
irrationality and absurdity of religious beliefs and teachings in a funny way
all his own. But this time, new insights are introduced below that will change
the way you think. A little late, perhaps, but hey, the divine principles are
eternal and operate in all times and climes. What was true in the past is true
even now, and tomorrow, too.
Heck, I’m a fan. So when Bill Maher tells me: “Rational people, anti-religionists, must end their timidity and come out of the closet and assert themselves,” I just have to go and do it. Yeah. Although I am not anti-religion. Just rational.
The film takes up a lot. We had best go through them by the numbers.
1. According to the film, the story of Jesus is patterned after the story told about Krishna, Mithra and Horus who all lived long before him. I wouldn’t know, but it’s probably true based on the available information. Yet, I fail to see how this misrepresentation changes anything. After all, people, even Biblical writers do make up stories. It is for us to discern which is true and which is not.
God sent Jesus, Muhammad and Moses to deliver His divine message and teachings to everyone. So, is the postman more important than the mail he delivers? Is any messenger more important than the message he brings?
There are so many things that really are not that important but serve to misinform, deceive and will lead us astray, if we let them. We should lay them aside and not let them detract from what are truly important – We should focus, instead, on the message and the teachings.
2. The jealous God of the ancient Hebrews, the killings in the name of God and, in general, all the questionable teachings and practices promoted in the Old Testament objected to by many freethinkers were already refuted by the teachings of Jesus. You need only to refer to his actual words and teachings in the New Testament.
Christ revealed the One God of Love and the brotherhood of all men. He taught us to love and serve our fellowmen and love even our enemies. All pronouncements by others that conflict with the Law of Love are false teachings and should be flatly rejected.
3. Blind obedience and irrational behavior such as those committed by Abraham when he offered up his son as a sacrifice to God are, for us today, false teachings.
We shouldn’t be so gullible. No matter what anyone says, we should be practical and use our common sense. It is our best guide. And we should also keep in mind, “It isn’t your sacrifices and gifts that matter; instead, you must be merciful and kind.”
That said, we should understand that during Abraham’s time, the people were mostly ignorant, unschooled and lacked the ability to reason for themselves. So the elders mandated strict obedience from the people for their own good, the way parents even today impose their will on their little children who know no better.
4. Circumcision, like the prohibition on eating non-kosher foods, and the prescribed manner of washing pots and pans are health issues, nothing to do with the things of the spirit. These man-made laws are not God’s laws and apply only to the material and physical worlds. God is Spirit and is concerned only with the things of the Spirit.
5. BM: “Religion is detrimental to the progress of humanity. (The) plain fact is religion must die for mankind to live.”
Whenever something new comes along, a new appliance, gadget, a piece of machinery or tool, it usually comes with an instruction manual that details its proper use and maintenance for best results and longer utility.
Religion is this set of instructions that leads us straight to God in the fastest and most expeditious way. Of course, you may fumble your way along, learning from your every mistake. Many do. But you can avoid much unnecessary hardships, difficulties, pain and suffering if you first read and follow the instructions.
6. A more useful comparison in regard to the Holy Trinity would be any corporate entity that has a CEO and Chairman of the Board, a Board of Directors or Trustees and a COO or Chief Operating Officer. All three – Father, Holy Spirits and Master Teacher of the world – are collectively responsible for our school system and are at-one with its ideals, objectives and practices.
Yes. Earth and the whole solar system is just a school for spirit students.
7. The reported meeting of Muhammad with God, Jesus and the other prophets before he set out on his own mission is likely true but probably not in every detail. It must be noted, as well, that it was the Archangel Gabriel who commissioned Muhammad in the service of Allah. There is only One God and one Truth, after all. And in heaven, there is no segregation.
8. Many things mentioned in the Bible and those that were conceived after are not to be literally interpreted, but are only symbolic, and represent some other aspect of the teachings.
The concept of original sin refers to past actions that we committed in our past lives. Reincarnation is implied but this divine principle must have to be discussed at some other time and place for lack of space.
So is baptism only symbolic of spiritual cleansing and does not in any way actually cleanse us of our sins. All transgressions must be repaid, in full, in compliance with the Law of Karma, or the Law of Sowing and Reaping. Jesus cannot absolve anyone of his sins and transgressions. We must pay our own debts, ourselves.
The partaking of the Holy Eucharist and the drinking of Christ’s blood (the wine) are likewise just symbolic acts alluding to our emulating the life of Christ, following in his example. This is merely a ceremonial act done in remembrance of Christ and all that he has done.
9. The Bible contains many parables with hidden deeper meanings. They are not to be taken literally. The talking snake and the story of Adam and Eve being cast out of the Garden of Eden explains the true purpose of life on Earth.
10. BM: “In layman’s terms, Jesus was nuts. Moses going up (the mountain) to get the 10 Commandments from God speaking through a burning bush… That guy’s a cuckoo.”
Non-believers would think so. But it’s really the absence or lack of a direct personal experience that divides us. You don’t believe because you have not seen or heard. But others believe because they have. If you haven’t, yet, just wait a bit longer. You will when your right time comes.
11. On the day of Pentecost, as recounted in the Book of Acts, many who were present at the gathering came from different regions where different languages were spoken. So that they also may be able to understand, some of the disciples were empowered to speak in their native tongues. Today, sadly however, many mimic the act but convey no actual message. Without a qualified interpreter who can decipher the utterances, the act becomes a useless exercise.
But God speaks to us in so many different ways – in our dreams, in visions, in our hearing voices, in listening to His prophets, in our reading Scriptures. It is different for different people.
12. BM: “Faith means making a virtue out of not thinking. Those who preach faith and enable and elevate it are intellectual slave holders keeping mankind in a bondage of fantasy and nonsense that has spawned and justified so much lunacy and destruction.”
The accumulation of knowledge and skills is gradual. A mechanic undergoes an apprenticeship training. A medical student must pass a period of residency. While under training, they commit many, sometimes serious and fatal mistakes.
Not being perfect, or completely knowledgeable, man has no recourse but to rely on faith, in the meantime. But as he gains more experience, he becomes more knowledgeable and skilled in his craft. He commits lesser and lesser mistakes.
Faith then becomes irrelevant and unnecessary. Faith is only a temporary condition that everyone resorts to in the absence of certain knowing for lack of the appropriate validating experience.
13. BM: “I promise you, you don’t (know what happens when you die). How can I be so sure? Because I don’t know. And you don’t possess mental powers that I do not.”
Most people don’t know how to pilot a space ship to go to the moon, but our astronauts do. We know what we know only from what they tell us. Most of us don’t know how it is up on Mount Everest, but we know from the accounts of those who have climbed up its peak.
Many now claim to have had near-death-experiences. And they tell us what happened to them. What is the difference between their experience and those of the astronauts who have walked on the moon? There are supporting evidences for both claims. Why would you accept one’s testimony and dismiss the other’s?
But there are other corroborating accounts, as well. Some of us are clairvoyant and sense non-physical entities and things. Some are telepathic and hear voices. Others dream dreams. Still others are able to astral travel and bi-locate.
In regard to these spiritual abilities, it is not mental powers that are involved but the developed sensitivity to apperceive non-physical vibrations according to our level of spiritual development.
Should you dismiss all of their accounts simply because you have not really looked seriously enough into the matter? Those who will seek will find, if they persist.
14. BM: “God is powerful. Why doesn’t He just obliterate the Devil and therefore get rid of all the evil in the world? What’s He waiting for?
“What was the Holocaust? Why was that good?”
In “The parable of the Garden of Eden,” it is revealed that in order for man to learn what is right and what is wrong, he must leave heaven, and live and die, where else, but on Earth.
But how can we understand what is good if there is only good and no evil to compare it with? Therefore in this world, evil is given free rein to afford us the necessary instruction.
But God being All-knowing and All-wise, devised a plan whereby His creations, you and me, would not come to any harm while they pursue their development. He clothed us in a flesh body that, for all intents and purposes, would even fool us into thinking that it is the real you and me, but is really counterfeit and disposable, to be cast aside after it has served its purpose.
As we undertake our lessons here on Earth, our physical body may suffer harm and even die, but the indwelling spirit entity within will have learned and developed in every instance.
Apart from the valuable lessons and the opportunities to develop our character that conditions of war provide, individual Jews were also provided the means to work out their karmic debts. All debts must be repaid, in full.
15. BM: “If God wanted to communicate something to the world, He is All-powerful, He would just talk to the whole world. It seems like He picks out a prophet in private and tells him: Okay you’re the prophet and you go tell the rest of the world. We just have to take it on faith. We have to believe you, you know.”
Yes. God is All-powerful. Yes. He could talk directly to the whole world. But He wants each of us to experience life and be self-fulfilled through our own efforts. Hence, He teaches and trains us, and He delegates most of His work to those who are qualified so that we may learn to do things for ourselves and we will be able to do them well, eventually.
Does a physics teacher teach elementary grade school pupils physics? No. The pupils are taught the subjects they need to learn by the teachers who are closest to their level of development, the better for them to understand their lessons.
Hence, at different times and ages, different prophets and messengers are sent to teach the people precisely what they need to know. And upgrades are administered, periodically, at least every 2000 years, depending on the progress made by the student, according to his needs and just deserts.
16. Regarding the state of Catholicism, the comments of Father Reginald Foster, a senior Vatican priest, are especially revealing. After mentioning that 10 books he read recently are all saying that religion or religious beliefs and teachings are “stupid”, Bill remarks that the naysayers will roast in Hell. But Father Foster corrects him saying, “That’s the old Catholic thing. That’s all gone. That’s all finished.”
On the unresolved controversy surrounding the actual date of Jesus’ birth, he dismisses it saying, “It’s all nonsense.”
He decries that based on recent surveys asking Italians who they pray to in times of crisis, Jesus placed only 6th on the list.
And on how to convince the people against false beliefs and practices, in exasperation, he replies, “Forget it! Let them die with their stupid ideas.” Then apologetically, “I’m sorry. (But) What are you gonna do?”
Educating the people, helping to wean them from their superstitious and false beliefs, is really a daunting task. But slowly, gradually, with persistence, the Truth will win out in the end.
17. Armageddon, the Rapture and the end of world
prophecies relate to the old Biblical teachings that are now gone past and are currently
undergoing a process of revision and upgrading. Heck, I’m a fan. So when Bill Maher tells me: “Rational people, anti-religionists, must end their timidity and come out of the closet and assert themselves,” I just have to go and do it. Yeah. Although I am not anti-religion. Just rational.
The film takes up a lot. We had best go through them by the numbers.
1. According to the film, the story of Jesus is patterned after the story told about Krishna, Mithra and Horus who all lived long before him. I wouldn’t know, but it’s probably true based on the available information. Yet, I fail to see how this misrepresentation changes anything. After all, people, even Biblical writers do make up stories. It is for us to discern which is true and which is not.
God sent Jesus, Muhammad and Moses to deliver His divine message and teachings to everyone. So, is the postman more important than the mail he delivers? Is any messenger more important than the message he brings?
There are so many things that really are not that important but serve to misinform, deceive and will lead us astray, if we let them. We should lay them aside and not let them detract from what are truly important – We should focus, instead, on the message and the teachings.
2. The jealous God of the ancient Hebrews, the killings in the name of God and, in general, all the questionable teachings and practices promoted in the Old Testament objected to by many freethinkers were already refuted by the teachings of Jesus. You need only to refer to his actual words and teachings in the New Testament.
Christ revealed the One God of Love and the brotherhood of all men. He taught us to love and serve our fellowmen and love even our enemies. All pronouncements by others that conflict with the Law of Love are false teachings and should be flatly rejected.
3. Blind obedience and irrational behavior such as those committed by Abraham when he offered up his son as a sacrifice to God are, for us today, false teachings.
We shouldn’t be so gullible. No matter what anyone says, we should be practical and use our common sense. It is our best guide. And we should also keep in mind, “It isn’t your sacrifices and gifts that matter; instead, you must be merciful and kind.”
That said, we should understand that during Abraham’s time, the people were mostly ignorant, unschooled and lacked the ability to reason for themselves. So the elders mandated strict obedience from the people for their own good, the way parents even today impose their will on their little children who know no better.
4. Circumcision, like the prohibition on eating non-kosher foods, and the prescribed manner of washing pots and pans are health issues, nothing to do with the things of the spirit. These man-made laws are not God’s laws and apply only to the material and physical worlds. God is Spirit and is concerned only with the things of the Spirit.
5. BM: “Religion is detrimental to the progress of humanity. (The) plain fact is religion must die for mankind to live.”
Whenever something new comes along, a new appliance, gadget, a piece of machinery or tool, it usually comes with an instruction manual that details its proper use and maintenance for best results and longer utility.
Religion is this set of instructions that leads us straight to God in the fastest and most expeditious way. Of course, you may fumble your way along, learning from your every mistake. Many do. But you can avoid much unnecessary hardships, difficulties, pain and suffering if you first read and follow the instructions.
6. A more useful comparison in regard to the Holy Trinity would be any corporate entity that has a CEO and Chairman of the Board, a Board of Directors or Trustees and a COO or Chief Operating Officer. All three – Father, Holy Spirits and Master Teacher of the world – are collectively responsible for our school system and are at-one with its ideals, objectives and practices.
Yes. Earth and the whole solar system is just a school for spirit students.
7. The reported meeting of Muhammad with God, Jesus and the other prophets before he set out on his own mission is likely true but probably not in every detail. It must be noted, as well, that it was the Archangel Gabriel who commissioned Muhammad in the service of Allah. There is only One God and one Truth, after all. And in heaven, there is no segregation.
8. Many things mentioned in the Bible and those that were conceived after are not to be literally interpreted, but are only symbolic, and represent some other aspect of the teachings.
The concept of original sin refers to past actions that we committed in our past lives. Reincarnation is implied but this divine principle must have to be discussed at some other time and place for lack of space.
So is baptism only symbolic of spiritual cleansing and does not in any way actually cleanse us of our sins. All transgressions must be repaid, in full, in compliance with the Law of Karma, or the Law of Sowing and Reaping. Jesus cannot absolve anyone of his sins and transgressions. We must pay our own debts, ourselves.
The partaking of the Holy Eucharist and the drinking of Christ’s blood (the wine) are likewise just symbolic acts alluding to our emulating the life of Christ, following in his example. This is merely a ceremonial act done in remembrance of Christ and all that he has done.
9. The Bible contains many parables with hidden deeper meanings. They are not to be taken literally. The talking snake and the story of Adam and Eve being cast out of the Garden of Eden explains the true purpose of life on Earth.
10. BM: “In layman’s terms, Jesus was nuts. Moses going up (the mountain) to get the 10 Commandments from God speaking through a burning bush… That guy’s a cuckoo.”
Non-believers would think so. But it’s really the absence or lack of a direct personal experience that divides us. You don’t believe because you have not seen or heard. But others believe because they have. If you haven’t, yet, just wait a bit longer. You will when your right time comes.
11. On the day of Pentecost, as recounted in the Book of Acts, many who were present at the gathering came from different regions where different languages were spoken. So that they also may be able to understand, some of the disciples were empowered to speak in their native tongues. Today, sadly however, many mimic the act but convey no actual message. Without a qualified interpreter who can decipher the utterances, the act becomes a useless exercise.
But God speaks to us in so many different ways – in our dreams, in visions, in our hearing voices, in listening to His prophets, in our reading Scriptures. It is different for different people.
12. BM: “Faith means making a virtue out of not thinking. Those who preach faith and enable and elevate it are intellectual slave holders keeping mankind in a bondage of fantasy and nonsense that has spawned and justified so much lunacy and destruction.”
The accumulation of knowledge and skills is gradual. A mechanic undergoes an apprenticeship training. A medical student must pass a period of residency. While under training, they commit many, sometimes serious and fatal mistakes.
Not being perfect, or completely knowledgeable, man has no recourse but to rely on faith, in the meantime. But as he gains more experience, he becomes more knowledgeable and skilled in his craft. He commits lesser and lesser mistakes.
Faith then becomes irrelevant and unnecessary. Faith is only a temporary condition that everyone resorts to in the absence of certain knowing for lack of the appropriate validating experience.
13. BM: “I promise you, you don’t (know what happens when you die). How can I be so sure? Because I don’t know. And you don’t possess mental powers that I do not.”
Most people don’t know how to pilot a space ship to go to the moon, but our astronauts do. We know what we know only from what they tell us. Most of us don’t know how it is up on Mount Everest, but we know from the accounts of those who have climbed up its peak.
Many now claim to have had near-death-experiences. And they tell us what happened to them. What is the difference between their experience and those of the astronauts who have walked on the moon? There are supporting evidences for both claims. Why would you accept one’s testimony and dismiss the other’s?
But there are other corroborating accounts, as well. Some of us are clairvoyant and sense non-physical entities and things. Some are telepathic and hear voices. Others dream dreams. Still others are able to astral travel and bi-locate.
In regard to these spiritual abilities, it is not mental powers that are involved but the developed sensitivity to apperceive non-physical vibrations according to our level of spiritual development.
Should you dismiss all of their accounts simply because you have not really looked seriously enough into the matter? Those who will seek will find, if they persist.
14. BM: “God is powerful. Why doesn’t He just obliterate the Devil and therefore get rid of all the evil in the world? What’s He waiting for?
“What was the Holocaust? Why was that good?”
In “The parable of the Garden of Eden,” it is revealed that in order for man to learn what is right and what is wrong, he must leave heaven, and live and die, where else, but on Earth.
But how can we understand what is good if there is only good and no evil to compare it with? Therefore in this world, evil is given free rein to afford us the necessary instruction.
But God being All-knowing and All-wise, devised a plan whereby His creations, you and me, would not come to any harm while they pursue their development. He clothed us in a flesh body that, for all intents and purposes, would even fool us into thinking that it is the real you and me, but is really counterfeit and disposable, to be cast aside after it has served its purpose.
As we undertake our lessons here on Earth, our physical body may suffer harm and even die, but the indwelling spirit entity within will have learned and developed in every instance.
Apart from the valuable lessons and the opportunities to develop our character that conditions of war provide, individual Jews were also provided the means to work out their karmic debts. All debts must be repaid, in full.
15. BM: “If God wanted to communicate something to the world, He is All-powerful, He would just talk to the whole world. It seems like He picks out a prophet in private and tells him: Okay you’re the prophet and you go tell the rest of the world. We just have to take it on faith. We have to believe you, you know.”
Yes. God is All-powerful. Yes. He could talk directly to the whole world. But He wants each of us to experience life and be self-fulfilled through our own efforts. Hence, He teaches and trains us, and He delegates most of His work to those who are qualified so that we may learn to do things for ourselves and we will be able to do them well, eventually.
Does a physics teacher teach elementary grade school pupils physics? No. The pupils are taught the subjects they need to learn by the teachers who are closest to their level of development, the better for them to understand their lessons.
Hence, at different times and ages, different prophets and messengers are sent to teach the people precisely what they need to know. And upgrades are administered, periodically, at least every 2000 years, depending on the progress made by the student, according to his needs and just deserts.
16. Regarding the state of Catholicism, the comments of Father Reginald Foster, a senior Vatican priest, are especially revealing. After mentioning that 10 books he read recently are all saying that religion or religious beliefs and teachings are “stupid”, Bill remarks that the naysayers will roast in Hell. But Father Foster corrects him saying, “That’s the old Catholic thing. That’s all gone. That’s all finished.”
On the unresolved controversy surrounding the actual date of Jesus’ birth, he dismisses it saying, “It’s all nonsense.”
He decries that based on recent surveys asking Italians who they pray to in times of crisis, Jesus placed only 6th on the list.
And on how to convince the people against false beliefs and practices, in exasperation, he replies, “Forget it! Let them die with their stupid ideas.” Then apologetically, “I’m sorry. (But) What are you gonna do?”
Educating the people, helping to wean them from their superstitious and false beliefs, is really a daunting task. But slowly, gradually, with persistence, the Truth will win out in the end.
The much-awaited Second Coming is almost upon us. According to Nostradamus, Edgar Cayce and Lobsang Rampa, Christ, having been born prior to the turn of the millennium, is here, now, waiting to make his public debut, very soon.
He promised: “Today, I speak to you in parables, but the time is coming when I will speak to you plainly.”
All your questions will be answered. Everything will be made clear.
The Huffington Post Page
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