What Is This Thing Called Go(O)D?: That's Religion Explained Now Let's Talk Peace!

By Rob Beasley

This book tackles that age old question of meaning and the Question of What is this thing called Go(o)d? by using the analogy of a tree. It first sets out to devise the seed of the research by giving some definitions of what the author thinks Go(o)d is. Or you might say Go(o)d's, reason for being. It's essence. Then the earliest sources of the Jesus story are examined. The roots. Finally, a big picture examination of history, the branches and canopy, reveals a theory with five related corruptions to the religious story.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Jun 5, 2014
• ISBN: 9781496906519

Rob Beasley

Rob is simply an office worker who decided to take time off work to address and record an issue that had been bugging him since the Rwandan Genocide of 1994. Why was it that humanity was continually failing to find a way to live in Peace. The answers he found will challenge you to your foundation, assuming you are prepared to follow Jesus advise and seek and find (Cerca Trova) the answer, rather than just believe. Whilst this work fails to remove that challenge, it may save some of the search effort. Be Go(o)d each and everyone.

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© 2014 Robert Beasley. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system,

or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 06/04/2014

ISBN: 978-1-4969-0650-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4969-0651-9 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014907730

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

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Contents

Dedication

Preface

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Part 1: A Sense Of Go(o)D

What Is This Thing Called Go(o)D?

Characteristics Of Go(o)D

What Is This Thing Called Ego?

Part 2: The Gospel Of Thomas: The First Ten Sayings

Part 3: Confronting History And Challenging Religions

End Of Days Farce

The Apocryphon Of John

Leadership And Empires

A Single Religion?

Part 4: Five Corruptions Theory

The First Corruption

The Second Corruption

The Third Corruption

The Fourth Corruption

The Fifth Corruption

Part 5: Peace Now Has A Specific Path

Conclusion

Appendix 1: The Gospel Of Thomas – Sixty-One Sayings From The Gospel Of Thomas And Their Biblical Equivalent

Introduction

The Sixty-One Sayings

Further Reading

Appendix 2: The Jesus Sayings From The Gospel Of Thomas Not Found In The Bible

Further Reading

Appendix 3: Wisdom Collections

Appendix 4: Some Examples That Demonstrate That Things Can Move From Simplicity To Complexity

Appendix 5: Better Economics – An Opinion Piece

Appendix 6: Using A Conceptual Framework To Contemplate Global Issues

A Model Based On The Logo And Other Things

Appendix 7: One Version Of Dates For The Biblical Contributions, And The Structure Explained

Appendix 8: Biblical Passages Referring To The Mashiach (Messiah)

Appendix 9: Mysterious Da Vinci

Appendix 10: The Plato Excerpt From Nag Hammadi

Appendix 11: A Collection Of Links

Appendix:12 A Speculative Forecast (Wip) Using Of All Things Nostradamus.

Glossary

Further Reading

References

Dedication

To my darling wife,

thank you for your love, patience and understanding.

To our dear children,

I hope world peace is achieved in your lifetime and we have not failed to prepare you with respect to extreme challenges from climate change.

Preface

Science must always win, and so it does! Religion must now change

Through the spite of the King supporting the lesser one, He will be murdered presenting the jewels to him: The father wishing to impress nobility on the son Does as the Magi did of yore in Persia.

Nostradamus – Century X Quatrain 21

Why has my examination of truth, peace and God included Nostradamus (SacredTexts)?

Well, as you’re about to find out, I can give a logical and consistent explanation as to why all Biblical Prophecies are clearly frauds. Something that will come as a significant shock to the Scholarly World.

Those who were in the realm for knowledge

Will become impoverished at the change of King:

Some exiled without support, having no gold,

The lettered and letters will not be at a high premium.

Nostradamus - Century V1 Quatrain 8

What I cannot do though, is easily explain away Nostradamus prophesies.

So I have included what I know thus far in the last of this books Appendices and I am inviting all readers to help me find that elusive, yet logical explanation for the Nostradamus prophecies.

For those that manage to read this entire book, you will come to understand why that last line of Nostradamus Quatrain X:21 is such a compelling and intriguing mystery. Me, I can think of only two reasons why Nostradamus wrote this odd reference about Persian Magi.

Either, he had foreknowledge about a Pharisee corruption, that I explain in this book, or it came to him with no prior knowledge. A gift from a real God. I can think of no other explanations.

You see, Nostradamus is 100% correct that the Magi of Persia performed a deceitful act, and that is his very meaning. A deception at the bequest of Cyrus the Great that leads to an astounding set of corruptions of the religious belief traditions of the Middle East.

This fact could only have come to him through the teachings of his Jewish Grandfather or a mystical revelation.

It was the Magi, at the urging of Cyrus the Great that established the secret and corrupt oral tradition of pharisaic Judaism. In so doing they faked Biblical Prophecy, invented monotheism by promoting Yahweh in the image of an Emperor to the sole universal God and a fake God that would blame innocent Jewish shepherds for the atrocities that the Assyrian and Babylonians had cruelly inflicted upon them. These lies would become something that the real Jesus had tried to expose and are the likely cause for his untimely death.

To give you an early sense of the cruelty associated with the Persian story tellers. Chapter 23 of Ezekiel (Bible), shows one of the most fiendish and heartless examples of the Persian Propaganda. Here two Jewish sisters (in the form of towns) are portrayed as prostitutes to excuse the cruelty inflicted on the people of Judah when they were assaulted by the Assyrians and Babylonians. Appalling stuff indeed. Could this be the birth of thousands of years of female persecution by religions. Simply evoked by the cunning story telling of the Emperors of Persia.

Part 4 - The First of Five Corruptions has more of the details.

I wrote this series of books because I sense we are in deep trouble from a truly evil mindset and that is also a problem for addressing the natural threat of Climate change. I hope to inspire folks to take a good hard and honest look at who we are and what our history reveals about us so that we reconsider our real plight and that which will come to our children. This will be an inconvenient truth for many. Such arrogance and ignorance still exists. No less a major jolt than discovering we live on a globe instead of a flat disk.

This is the second book of three, maybe four. A book of conundrums and strange bedfellows: Jesus, empires and prophets. The first book focused of the true philosophies of the real Jesus, an Essen Jew. The third book explores what happened with these corrupt religions and their empires past AD 325; the times of Constantine the Great. A fourth will cover Nostradamus.

Ultimately the series stemmed from my frustration that our world had been without peace for so long … too long. Where was our civilized maturity over time.

In this book I advocate that a true understanding of spirituality is paramount if we are to realize peace on earth. I firmly believe peace has a very clear path and specific issues to confront. In most cases, organised religion has been a curse for humanity, not a blessing: the victims of religious persecutions (Jews, Assyrians and the Armenians to name a few) come to mind immediately.

My generation, like so many before it, was witness to the shear horrors inflicted by humans upon each other. The Rwandan Massacre ¹of 1994 wiped out twenty percent of a nation, in what seemed like a weekend. I found myself wanting to know why peace and security was ignored in favour of genocide. In my research, I stumbled across the Gospel of Thomas. As Jesus held such a prominent place in spirituality, I began to read and research the history of religions and this Supreme Being called God. Hence the book’s title and subject matter.

What became clear to me was that spiritual ‘things’, in intent, assert they are associated with all things good, promoting better outcomes for humanity, and, in time: peace. To keep this intention in focus, and to highlight the alleged intrinsic and desirable connection between God and good, I have elected to use the word-form Go(o)d throughout this book.

Go(o)d is an idea I borrowed from the Jewish folk and how they ‘respect’ the God concept by using the form G-d. Something I still find strange. My intention is to hold through this book the idea that God is indeed only about the Go(o)d aspects in life. Devils, evil and other such matters are a separate aspect of reality. The other side of the coin if you will.

I also noted that we humans have this propensity of turning simple matters into complex issues over time. I expand on that idea in Appendix 4. Although it may not be immediately obvious, I aim to unravel some of that complexity, as well as challenge some long-standing interpretations. In any search for meaning, one is bound to come across the topic of God.

Perhaps the most fundamental of truths, which I have uncovered from my research and that gradually evolved into this thing I call Go(o)d, is that I am now convinced that we are all born with spiritual potential. In fact, we are all spiritually equal; and we are certainly of equal worth as human beings. Thoughts and ideas inflicted on the less educated by those who seek power have resulted in global inequality and wars between races and religions. The notion of Go(o)d gives breath to peace and to the ‘real’ reality: a selfless ‘love thy neighbour’. Is my meaning obscure? Perhaps … but hopefully the meaning will be much clearer by the end of this book.

They said to him, Tell us who you are so that we may believe in you. He said to them, You examine the face of heaven and earth, but you have not come to know the one who is in your presence, and you do not know how to examine the present moment.

Gospel of Thomas (Saying 91)

Throughout this book I will refer to the Gospel of Thomas, an ancient collection of 114 Jesus sayings that has been rejected by the Christian Church. A rejection I will vigorously challenge as at best a mistake and worst a deliberate cover-up. Personally, I favour the later.²

These sayings where found in Upper Egypt at a place called Nag Hammadi in 1945, best known for being the site where local farmers found a sealed earthenware jar containing thirteen leather-bound papyrus codices.³ The Gospel of Thomas was found among a collection of fifty-two writings that included, in addition to an excerpt from Plato’s Republic, gospels claiming to have been written by Jesus’ disciples Philip, John, James and other works. I would later conclude this Library may have been related to Valentinius, a near miss Gnostic who almost became a Christian Pope circa 160 AD.

He will come to expose the false topography, the urns of the tombs will be opened. Sect and holy philosophy to thrive, black for white and the new for the old.

Nostradamus - Century VII Quatrain 14

Religious corruptions exposed, perhaps. The discovery of ancient relics reveals the fraud. Dead Sea Scrolls, Nag Hammadi and the Cyrus Cylinder all pointing in one direction. The corruptions of emperors.

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Photo taken from Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Eg-NagHamadi-map.png

As I mentioned previously, the Rwandan Massacre launched me on this quest to try to understand why humanity was continually failing to find a way to live peacefully.

I was forty at the time of this tragic and brutal act of genocide, and my quest coincided with an interest in that age-old question: what is life’s meaning or purpose? Becoming aware of this relatively recent discovery of a controversial, new collection of Jesus sayings was to provide the key to answering those questions.

For me, these sayings from the Gospel of Thomas were like a secret key that unlocked many religious mysteries.

The sayings, and my subsequent search through history, led me to conclude that there is a relatively simple explanation to why we struggle to have peace on Earth. Quite simply, I believe that the masses have been conned by those in power for centuries. The history books are bursting at the seams with power-hungry emperors and their priests; however, the historical period beginning with the Persian emperor, Cyrus the Great (died 530 BC), has drawn my attention to matters pertaining to power and faked biblical prophecies. The small library in which the Gospel of Thomas was found had been hidden for over 1,700 years, possibly around the time of the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great (died 337AD). These two Greats of Empire bookend this books scope.

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© OpenStreetMap contributors

The 5 Corruptions Theory

This book presents evidence from approximately 900 years of Pharisaic Judaism and Roman Christian history dating from around 540 BC to AD 325, to support a theory of five specific and related corruption events that gave rise to the three largest Abrahamic religions that originated in the Middle East—Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

One of the main arguments in this book is that these three ‘belief’ religions are frauds. As Islam was founded around AD 600 my investigation will not extend to a detailed analysis of the religion of Islam. However, it’s worth pointing out that Muhammad claimed to have been inspired by the Angel Gabriel, which is impossible because the Angel Gabriel is an invention of the Pharisees. As you’ll soon see.

Although some may view this corruption theory as a negative revelation (should they be validated), I believe that they hold great promise for humanity. It is an opportunity for religions to get on the same page, and genuinely work together for the benefit of humanity and peace, as it always should have been.

Also mixed in with the Nag Hammadi collection was a very strange piece titled The Apocryphon of John,⁴ which although it holds little authentic spiritual value, it is highly significant in helping us understand the source and true role of the Gnostic (knowing) material in relation to the Jesus story.

Towards the end of my research I discovered Theudas (a Jewish rebel who died c. 46 AD). I am now of the opinion that Gnosticism has not been appropriately used as a classification for texts similar to The Apocryphon of John. Gnosticism is more appropriate for the Gospel of Thomas’ style of spiritual record. That seemingly bizarre theology of The Apocryphon of John provided me with a connection between Zoroaster⁵, Cyrus the Great (who faithfully followed the Zoroastrian creed through his Magi), Kabbalah, a potential pope of the early Christian church called Valentinius, Paul/Saulus, and the Pharisees. This will be explained further in Part 4.

So why do I think the Gospel of Thomas sayings have been ignored by the Christian Church?

On the surface there is nothing mean-spirited or harmful in these sayings; on the contrary, the messages are about personal relationships and personal responsibilities, and there is no mention of magic or prophecy either. In fact, when notions of prophecy and magic are removed, all spiritual pursuits that I looked at look remarkably similar and carry the same wisdoms. They aspire to the creed, ‘love their neighbour’ and that thing called go(o)dness.

I will eventually present a case that explains why biblical prophecies are frauds, whilst suggesting that Michel de Nostradamus (1503-1566) may be an authentic prophet, and one inspired by Go(o)d or at least goodness, if you take goodness to include truths, harsh or otherwise.

Every thing proceeds from the divine power of almighty God, from whom all goodness emanates.

Nostradamus

I will give an historical account that suggests that the three major religions should be closed down whilst honouring Jesus as one of our finest philosophers. Something Nostradamus could be hinting at in these Quatrains of his.

Through the power of three temporal kings,

the sacred seat will be put in another place,

where the substance of the body and the spirit

will be restored and received as the true seat.

Nostradamus, Century VIII, Quatrain 99

Alas, how we will see a great nation sorely troubled

and the holy law in utter ruin.

Christianity (governed) throughout by other laws,

when a new source of gold and silver is discovered.

Nostradamus, Century 1, Quatrain 53

I will argue that there may be a ‘God’, but that it is something that is an intrinsic part of the human condition rather than a mythical person.

Jesus said, If those who lead you say to you, ‘See, the kingdom is in the sky,’ then the birds of the sky will precede you. If they say to you, ‘It is in the sea,’ then the fish will precede you. Rather, the kingdom is inside of you, and it is outside of you. When you come to know yourselves, then you will become known, and you will realize that it is you who are the sons of the living father. But if you will not know yourselves, you dwell in poverty and it is you who are that poverty.

Gospel of Thomas (Saying 3)

I am not criticising or judging those who follow religion; however, I am critical of religious institutions architected to serve Empires. Institutions, which I believe have brought fraudulent belief traditions upon humanity resulting in devastating and tragic consequences.

I’ve been a monk for sixty-five years, and what I have found is that there is no religion, no philosophy, no ideology higher than brotherhood and sisterhood.

Not even Buddhism.

Thich Naht Hahn (Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk; born 1926)

I now advocate for spirituality as a part of the known or scientific reality, and I will campaign to end all belief traditions.

In order to understand the way our brains behave, we can observe our emotions and their effects. In the past, it seemed as though science and spirituality were opposed to each other. However, it’s not a useful division to maintain, because the one tradition deals with knowledge of the material world and the other with the inner world of the mind; we need to know about both.

Dalai Lama

Here is one of the most enlightened sayings that I have come across in my research:

One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, My son, the battle was between 2 wolves inside us all. One was Evil. It was anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. The other was Good. It was joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: Which wolf wins? The old Cherokee simply replied, The one you feed.

Cherokee Indian⁶

The word ‘Good’ in this context could be easily be replaced with my word, ‘go(o)d’.

Those two wolves inside us all have nothing to do with the fake magic or miracles that were a real driving force behind how religions captured people’s imaginations between the time of Cyrus the Great through to AD 325 and Constantine the Great.

Whilst religious books undeniably hold some gifted wisdoms, prophecies and miracles are clearly fraudulent.

The Gospel of Thomas is a collection of authentic Jesus teachings, including fifty that most religious folk have never seen before (probably because those at the pointy end of the hierarchy of religion consider the messages as containing heretical material).

Those who were in the realm for knowledge

Will become impoverished at the change of King:

Some exiled without support, having no gold,

The lettered and letters will not be at a high premium.

Nostradamus, Century V1, Quatrain 8

The design of fraudulent biblical prophecies and miracles (or magic) may be more sinister than sophisticated. A major feature of these frauds was to convince people to avoid the search that Jesus recommends and to have, instead, blind faith in an all seeing, all knowing improvable power.

This book will not be an easy read. However, once I’ve challenged, troubled or accused you somewhat, I truly hope you will find some genuine peace and rest. And if Nostradamus and my new perspectives are right, there may be times ahead that will require the courage that Plato and Jesus says is within us all.

Jesus said, Let him who seeks continue seeking until he finds. When he finds, he will become troubled. When he becomes troubled, he will be astonished, and he will rule over the All. [And after they have reigned they will rest [peace].]

Gospel of Thomas (Saying 2)

Appendices 1 and 2 provide insight into a somewhat new perspective of the man called Jesus. The rest of the book seeks to prove that this was his true message, a message important for peace.

My aim is to provide the reader with enough information to gain a greater insight into the bigger picture, thereby asking more questions and seeking out possible answers.

Let’s begin, time is limited, our lives are short, and every second of inaction diminishes our chances of peace and offers little to potential troubles that face our children.

For those who venture into these murky waters, a jewel awaits those with patience and persistence.

Rob Beasley

Acknowledgements

This style of book would not be possible without Wikipedia; this free online encyclopaedia has not only allowed me to gather the vast amount of information required for discussion, it provides original sources. Please consider purchasing the works of authors referenced in this book directly from their sources.

A special thanks to Dr Stephen J. Patterson and Dr Marvin Meyer (April 16, 1948–August 16, 2012) for their online translation of the Gospel of Thomas. By the end of this book I hope readers will agree with me that the 114 Jesus sayings of this gospel are where the true value of these works rest.

Whilst Dr Patterson consented to me using the sayings, unfortunately for reasons that aren’t quite clear to me yet, their publisher Polebridge Press would not grant permission to use the Patterson-Meyer interpretation. After much effort I have regrettably replaced the Patterson-Meyer sayings with an online copy that doesn’t appear to be copyright protected. It can be found at Gnosis.org (Gnosis) and is translated by T.O.Lambdin.

Also, a wonderful resource on early Christian writings can be found at earlychristianwritings.com. The author Peter Kirby grants permission to link to any HTML file on this site.

My thanks to Emir Oručević from 99 Designs for his book cover design.

Introduction

Why did Jesus gather so much interest over the years?

More importantly, given that his message was supposed to be about peace and love, why wasn’t his message a more resounding success; after all, Christianity has the largest following on the planet, so there had to be something of value in his teachings. After reading and deriving a personal interpretation for each of the sayings from the Gospel of Thomas, I began to intuitively believe that all the sayings had some value in terms of understanding the human spiritual condition. Unlike the biblical rendering of the Jesus story, the Gospel of Thomas had no third-party interpretations; it is purely a simple collection of Jesus’ alleged sayings. The brevity of this gospel means that one can gain a quick insight into an alternative take on the philosophy of this historical figure called Jesus. Also, in these sayings, Jesus is advocating knowledge, not necessarily a religious (or specifically Jewish) belief. In fact, the first saying of the Gospel of Thomas boldly offers a tantalising guarantee, one that permeates most religious and philosophical studies: an escape from the fear of death. Isn’t that everyone’s spiritual Holy Grail?

And he said, Whoever finds the interpretation of these sayings will not experience death.

Gospel of Thomas (Saying 1)

Plato talks about death in a similar vein, in the following passage recorded some four hundred years before the times of Jesus.

Then how can he who has magnificence of mind and is the spectator of all time and all existence, think much of human life?

He cannot.

Or can such an one account death fearful?

No, indeed.

Then the cowardly and mean nature has no part in true philosophy?

Certainly not.

Or again: can he who is harmoniously constituted, who is not covetous or mean,

or a boaster, or a coward-can he, I say, ever be unjust or hard in his dealings?

Impossible.

Plato, The Republic (Book V1)7

When people critique one part of an historical period, particularly one that embodies religious controversy, without taking the whole into consideration, they risk making assumptions and coming to the wrong conclusions. This book examines a difficult and significant period in history that is full of known deceit, misinterpretations, and corruption.

Out of clutter, find simplicity. From discord find harmony. In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.

Albert Einstein

Life is for living and gaining knowledge and wisdom through asking questions, reading and the experiences that living brings.

Jesus said, ‘There was a rich man who had much money. He said, ‘I shall put my money to use so that I may sow, reap, plant, and fill my storehouse with produce, with the result that I shall lack nothing.’ Such were his intentions, but that same night he died. Let him who has ears hear.

Gospel of Thomas (Saying 63)

Part one of this book attempts to find a reasonable definition of the essence of this thing called Go(o)d. That section is meant to inspire thoughts about what God might be related to so that the study has a point of reference.

In reality, this thing called Go(o)d is held in common with all religious teachings that focus on peace, equality, and truth. Self-interest, the influence of power, and the false notions of magic are all challenged in Part one. Spirituality is a matter for everyone to come to terms with—your concept of Go(o)d will be personal: keep it that way but have the courage to be open to other opinions. This courage, according to Plato, is an innate quality. As a consequence of truly knowing and following this thing called Go(o)d, there are no spiritually derived fears, and as a further consequence, anger should be rare or non-existent. Particularly evident in those graced with positions of power within religious institutions. Or at least it should be. The only thing one should ever worship resides within us all according to the Jesus we meet in the Gospel of Thomas.

A man who is not afraid is not aggressive. A man who has no sense of fear of any kind is really a peaceful man.

Jiddu Krishnamurti (1895-1986) was a speaker and writer on philosophical and spiritual subjects.

A true person of Go(o)d should be able to hear any notion without fear of it harming his or her own interpretation. Therefore heresy is not the work of Go(o)d, neither is persecution. As a follower of the golden rule Love thy neighbour as thyself, and as someone compassionate for their fellow humanity, an authentic person of Go(o)d should respectfully or cautiously point out any potentially harmful aspects of a person’s spiritual understanding.

My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness

Dalai Lama

Once you’ve gathered your thoughts about Go(o)d, Part two introduces the first ten sayings from the Gospel of Thomas. This is how I believe the real Jesus may have seen this thing called Go(o)d. The first two appendices have that full commentary on the complete 114 sayings, along with my attempt at interpreting each saying. The work in the appendices, and some of the history, was my attempt to examine the earliest sources of Jesus’ story—the roots. Rather than ‘take as gospel’ what the Church had to say about the Gospel of Thomas— perhaps I sensed it would be a biased account—I decided to compare the Jesus sayings in the Gospel of Thomas with the Jesus sayings in the biblical Gospels: Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John. I investigate over 60 sayings that could also be related to the Bible’s gospels. The second group was made up of the remaining 50 or so sayings that I couldn’t find in the Bible.

If I had to guess at a distinguishing characteristic for the sayings that were not in the Bible, it would be that those sayings were more about that personal relationship with the nature of understanding spirituality. Again, I thought, this is hardly a valid reason for the exclusion of these 50 odd sayings from the Bible. Some notable key differences between the Jesus interpretation you find in the Gospel of Thomas and the Jesus interpretation in the Bible are as follows:

• Miracles, prophecies, devils, and angels are absent from the Gospel of Thomas collection.

• The sayings collection advocates a search for something that could be known with defined outcomes in life rather than a position of faith or an afterlife scenario with dramatic and polar consequences.

• The Bible seems to be a carrot-and-stick approach to spiritual maturity, whereas the Gospel of Thomas seems to be more about guidance, self-awareness, personal effort, personal choice, and karma with similarities to other religious traditions and philosophies, such as the Cherokee and his two wolves, or Zen Buddhism.

After comparing the gospels in the Bible, I was compelled to look at the history for answers.

Part three looks at the history of empires and religion over the nine hundred years that embrace the times of Jesus and include the birth of Pharisaic Judaism and Roman Christian history. The period I examined dates from around 540 BC to AD 325.

In the section on history, I’ll show relationships that I believe need further consideration, such as the relationships between the three ‘great’ ancient empires of Cyrus, Alexander, and Constantine, and how they may have been like powerful and harmful spices in the creation of our current view of spirituality. Other key ingredients in this whirlpool with its centre in Jerusalem are Hinduism and Zoroastrianism.

The interplay between empire and Go(o)d: self-interest and selflessness, mystery and transparency, truth and belief, science and religion, West and East has indeed made for an interesting set of interpretations of a spiritual reality. One simple Jesus saying from the Gospel of Thomas says so much about the nature of power of this history.

Jesus said, When you see one who was not born of woman, prostrate yourselves on your faces and worship him. That one is your father.

Gospel of Thomas (Saying 15)

Our authentic spiritual reality is one of equality, and we should only ever worship our spiritual potential, never another human being.

Instead, what happened over history is that some people with significant self-interest (egos, puts its more precisely) have created in their minds notions of inequality, class, Godlike and specialness. When they convince others that these notions have a reality through faith and belief, then the false reality of power is born in people’s minds. Both the imaginer and the one who chooses belief.

Every person on the planet needs to recognise the cause of all conflict, the smaller self, and resources. The history that we’ll explore in Part Three need not have happened; most events can be traced to a personal agenda related to incorrect interpretations of reality, not to mention self-serving behaviours. I will aim to prove this point.

I have already mentioned Plato’s The Republic; it has value as another go(o)d interpretation of the human condition.

Ego has two representatives: the many-headed beast (or lover of gain), and the lion’s pride (or lover of pride). The two wolves of the Cherokee wisdom story and the themes in the French play, Les Miserables are paralleled in Plato’s story. The character Jean Valjean is similar to Plato’s lover of philosophy; Inspector Javert is the lover of pride, and the Thénardiers represent the lovers of gain. This thing called Go(o)d, the go(o)d wolf, is given the form of the philosopher king, or lover of wisdom. Further, Plato presents a convincing case that argues the models of governance can be understood in the same terms that we would use to explain the behaviours of individuals, aligning the personal to the communal.

The way Plato draws this parallel, is vitally important when it comes time to consider solutions.

At a personal level the way out of the ego trap is truth and forgiveness. Jesus calls it the troubled phase of his path to enlightenment.

Jesus said, Those who seek should not stop seeking until they find. When they find, they will be disturbed. When they are disturbed, they will marvel, and will reign over all. [And after they have reigned they will rest.]

Gospel of Thomas - Saying 2

In fact, There seems to be a very specific path the research recommends we follow, when reconciliation is required.

First, know and face yourself and this thing called Go(o)d with genuine integrity. Know what your ego is. Do go(o)d to prove your commitment and to end the lies you speak or have spoken. Sabbath means meditate, not a day of the week. Meditate – it’s important. Forgive yourself, and what was dark will now be light. When you’re ready and at authentic peace, ask forgiveness. Sharing your experience and the lesson is a gift you can choose if you wish. Live, love, and be loved. Be forever authentically go(o)d to live and rest in peace. For those that understand all 114 Jesus Sayings you will see, this is close to true.

Communally this translates into full and frank Public Confessions sweetened by forgiveness. We never forget our sins, contrary to the claims of forgetfulness. How details may truly fade. But equally, karma always wins. True personal liberty will not be attained through half truths. Nor deaths final judgement escaped.

Does Plato’s proposition remain valid to this day? Peace also has these two aspects, the communal and the personal. Can both be understood in similar terms? This should mean that if we can successfully find a commonly agreed definition or explanation for personal peace, then that model will be the exact same model that one would consider applying at the community level. For this reason, I have dedicated a chapter to discussing my observations of the state of our substantial communal maturity towards peace.

It’s not surprising that the Nag Hammadi library had a section of in its midst with key passages from The Republic, although the original version is of greater importance. The fragment from Nag Hammadi seems to be more of an analysis rather than a rendering of the original. A comparison of a modern interpretation of Plato and the Nag Hammadi fragment can be viewed in Appendix 10. Others have noted (CCEL) the connection between Plato and Jesus. A second source for Plato’s The Republic (Plato) in a text-only form is go(o)d for rapid searches.

In the opening stanza of The Republic, Plato presents an old man who relates to experiencing the fading of the pleasures of the body whilst also expressing a greater delight in the charms and pleasure of conversation. Socrates says the old man’s experience is an aid to his own journey. Then the old man explains how it’s a person’s character and tempers, not the character and temper of others, that cause the complaints of life for both young and old. Plato then relates the four qualities of justice, temperance, courage, and wisdom, with the philosopher king holding all in abundance while the lover of gain tends towards injustice, ill temper, cowardice, and ignorance. The philosopher king is of a go(o)d nature whilst the lover of gain is bound by selfish and insatiable desires. It’s the same dilemma we see regarding the choice between the big fish or the multitude of little fish from the eighth saying in the Gospel of Thomas sayings. It’s also that choice between the two wolves. According to Plato, we are in possession of a soul with common characteristics made up primarily of three styles. The style that is held in the highest regard and is most just and happy is the philosopher, the lover of wisdom. Through Plato we have the opportunity to contemplate the similarities between justice at both community and personal levels and how each is related. ⁸

Trying to understand religion from the historical record, which is distinct from trying to understand the meaning of the original message, is difficult for a number of reasons. Put plainly, it’s like trying to understand the nature of a seed by looking at a tree and its many branches. The essence is there, but it can be so difficult to discern, much less find, that true and go(o)d interpretation with any measure of confidence. So many contradicting and confusing interpretations, as well as missing or misleading records, accompany religion’s history.

The branching effect seems to be a trend in most religions. When one authoritative person leaves, just like in party politics, there are claims made to the vacated seat of authority, and those who aspire to that seat can bring additional or new ideologies. The ideas not only may be different to those of the rest of the group, but they may even impact the original person’s inspiration and interpretation. The effect of that branching event depends on the level of self-interest versus community-mindedness of the individual. Old ideals can be changed or lost. The quality of the variations usually cannot be tested with the source; often the sources have passed on, clouded by the mists of time.

Judaism had many branches such as the Samaritans, Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, Kabbalah. This branching trend is no more apparent than in Christianity, which tops the list with forty one thousand denominations.⁹ For one Go(o)d, that’s a lot of interpretations. With the passing of its founder, the Islamic religion also saw new factions born¹⁰, yet they all profess the same Go(o)d. Why don’t we see a convergence of interpretations over time? One possible explanation for branching could be ego. I’ll leave it to Part 3 to speak to that possibility.

The tree analogy is also a go(o)d description for how this project evolved. It was through this rather long journey that I came to understand that if I want an answer to an elusive mystery, I should at least come at it from different perspectives and then step back and examine the big picture. More specifically, I chose three perspectives. Using the tree analogy again, they are the seed, the roots, and the canopy.

Finding the seed means first trying to identify the golden rule(s) of the thing by which one is intrigued. What is its core reason for being? Or at least, what is the best one can make of its reason for being? You’re after the simplest statement or framework that defines its essence. In my opinion, adopting this as the first step is very valuable to any discovery process. As an example, if the subject was accounting, the seed would be A = L + P (R - E), where A represents assets, L represents liabilities or what is owed, P is proprietorship, R is revenue, and E stands for expenses. Most everything that relates to accounting can be expressed in terms of this foundation formula, and the bigger picture is kept in context by this seed, when one studies elements of accounting and how they relate to each other and that bigger picture. Truth should be preserved by a test against the seed. Or at worst, the seeds definition matured.

It doesn’t have to be a correct or precise statement, either. The seed’s value to the research lies in its ability to remain the focal point of the inquiry. Of course, if you’re lucky enough to start with a good golden rule(or collection of golden rules) or a good seed, it may help speed up the discovery process. No matter, though. If you honour truth, you should end up in the same place, providing you can persist and are prepared to adjust for new or improved truths. There is perhaps a hint of the ‘hare and tortoise’ scenario in these complicated matters, so patience and persistence are important, or as Jesus says, seek and you will (eventually) find.

Finding the seed for a spiritual inquiry means determining or making a common-sense interpretation of what your best guess is about the essence of Go(o)d based on either your instincts, other people’s opinions, or a summary of several interpretations, religions, and spiritual pursuits. Or it can be a mix of all three.

When you have a definition, you use it as a mental reference point, making adjustments to the ‘seeds’ formula or model as you study the roots and the canopy of the topic. If you learn something new that corrects the original model, then make an adjustment. Reiteration may be required, but at least you’re not searching blindly in the dark and without a point of reference. In the case of spirituality, where you have to deal with multiple interpretations, it becomes even more important to have this seed or model. If truth has been the mantra, then there should eventually be a common thread, a pattern that makes sense. If not, put that piece of information or interpretation to one side and keep searching. I have divided the analysis sections into four parts in the spirit of the tree analogy I spoke about earlier.

The disciples said to Jesus, Tell us what Heaven’s kingdom is like. He said to them, "It’s like a mustard seed, the smallest of all seeds, but when it falls on prepared soil, it produces a large plant and becomes a shelter for birds of the sky.

Gospel of Thomas (Saying 20)

The seed of Go(o)d is authentic selflessness: love thy neighbour as yourself.

Pharisaic wisdom was compiled in one book of the Mishna, Pirke Avot.

The Pharisaic attitude is perhaps best exemplified by a story about Hillel the Elder, who lived at the end of the 1st century BCE. A gentile once challenged the sage to explain the law while standing on one foot. Hillel answered him with the rebuke, "That which is hateful to you, do not do to your friend. That is the whole Torah; the rest is the explanation – go and study it.¹¹

So then, what is this thing called Go(o)d? To my understanding, at least three things will need our attention: this thing called Go(o)d; this thing called ego and the roles of magic and secrecy.

Part 4 has a short introduction and is broken into five subsections covering each of the corruption events that make up the 5 ‘great’ corruptions theory. As you’ll see when you come to the sections covering the first four corruptions, the prophecies and miracles of the Bible are most likely fabrications.

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I challenge readers to look at religion, belief and history from different perspective; a pattern will surely emerge, and the reason why our world is without peace. I contemplate the possibility of world peace in Part 5.

For me, peace is about following a go(o)d and true interpretation of reality that is not clouded by the bias of self-interested, conditioned, or egoic thinking. Many spiritualists believe that the egoic human mind opposes its natural character and innate divinity. Consequently, many humans are blinkered by what they have been taught since childhood, upholding these views throughout life. The egoic mind constantly looks for proof and evidence that supports what it believes.

Part 1: A Sense of Go(o)d

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Spirituality that advocates peace rests comfortably on both an undeniable reality and its reflection of all things go(o)d. One only needs to look at Nature to gain some sense of this thing called Go(o)d. Suspicion, conspiracy and rage are misunderstandings that spring from an egoic mind. Secrecy, heresy, apostasy,¹² persecution, reformation and inquisitions are foreign to this concept called Go(o)d; instead, they are associated with the preservation of authority and have been used by the unjust to protect notions of identity, control and power.

He buries gold who hides the truth.

Pythagoras

Hopefully, as the meaning and purpose of life builds due to the increase in our experiences we will reach an acute understanding of these things called go(o)d and ego (and I refer again to the good and evil Cherokees wolves that I mentioned in the Preface). If this is achieved then, hopefully, this mature understanding should be allowed to guide our choices, and we will become more authentically selfless, personally responsible and community focused. It is action, not pondering, that then creates the meaningful experiences that we associate with Go(o)d and give it its reality through the experiences that our good choices generate.

Jesus said, Whoever has something in hand will be given more, and whoever has nothing will be deprived of even the little they have.

Gospel of Thomas (Saying 41)

What Is This Thing Called Go(o)d?

‎My own view, for what it’s worth, is that in the realm of what can be known the thing seen last,