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| Bob Reynolds | profile | all galleries >> A Journey of Awakening - The Spiritual Gatekeepers >> Masters and Servants - Another Look at Organized Religion | tree view | thumbnails | slideshow |
February 9, 2015
How do the corrupt rulers of this world justify their unjust actions? How do the people justify their apathy, their abdication of personal responsibility and their consent to be ruled?
In order to properly understand how psychological programming can effect our actions and inactions, it is often necessary to travel down some uncomfortable roads. In the following examples, I will use some Bible verses to help illustrate how harmful ideas can be transmitted into both the conscious and subconscious mind (often without us even realizing it).
This is not intended to be a personal attack on anyone's beliefs. I am using Christianity here as an example because I grew up as a Christian and, therefore, I am most familiar with it. However, the same type of programming can also be seen woven into many other religious belief systems as well. It can also be seen interwoven into television programs, movies, music, the internet, video games, advertising, military, police and corporate "cult"ure.
Note: All instances of the word "God" below have been changed to "god" (little g). This was done because these are not the words of the Creator or Creation. Rather, they are the words of an imposter "god" that seeks to rule over others through power, fear, control and coercion. My personal notes and commentary are colored in blue.
Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from god, and those that exist have been instituted by god. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what god has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. (In other words, don't question the authorities or you will be subject to the wrath of god)
Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. (In other words, submit to your leaders or risk losing your soul)
Slaves, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. (Fear the "lord", obey your masters, be good slaves)
Slaves are to be submissive to their own masters in everything; they are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative... (In other words, do not rebel against your slavery, be happy and pleased with it)
Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. (It is not enough to just be slaves, we must be respectful slaves to both the "good" masters and to the unjust masters)
Then god said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." (This is one of the primary justifications for the actions of the ruler "gods" who view all creeping things on the earth as livestock which are "subject" to their rule and dominion)
Let all who are under a yoke as slaves regard their own masters as worthy of all honor, so that the name of god and the teaching may not be reviled. Those who have believing masters must not be disrespectful on the ground that they are brothers; rather they must serve all the better since those who benefit by their good service are believers and beloved. Teach and urge these things. (Teach and urge all that slave masters are honorable and that slaves must be respectful to their masters)
Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work... (Be submissive and obedient to the rulers)
2 Timothy 2:4
No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him (In other words, do not question orders or concern yourself with anything outside of military duty...do what you are told...regardless of whether it is right or wrong)
For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous. (Blind obedience is righteous...do not think, obey)
Deuteronomy 17:12
Anyone arrogant enough to reject the verdict of the judge or of the priest who represents the LORD your god must be put to death. Such evil must be purged from Israel. (In other words, do not question "authority" or you will be put to death. To be submissive and apathetic to injustice is righteous in the eyes of the "lord", while standing up against corruption and injustice is "evil")
As for your male and female slaves whom you may have: you may buy male and female slaves from among the nations that are around you. You may also buy from among the strangers who sojourn with you and their clans that are with you, who have been born in your land, and they may be your property. You may bequeath them to your sons after you to inherit as a possession forever. You may make slaves of them, but over your brothers the people of Israel you shall not rule, one over another ruthlessly. (These are the rules of slavery...it is ok to enslave everyone but your brothers in Israel)
When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she shall not go out as the male slaves do (What man would sell his daughter as a slave? But it must be ok since the "lord" said that it is ok, right?)
Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. (Submission and suppression of the feminine)
The women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says. If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church. (Submission and suppression of the feminine)
Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. (Neither male nor female should exercise "authority" over the other)
Nahum 1:2-8
The LORD is a jealous god, filled with vengeance and wrath. He takes revenge on all who oppose him and furiously destroys his enemies! (This is the Creator of All?)
2 Chronicles 15:12-13
They entered into a covenant to seek the Lord, the god of their fathers, with all their heart and soul; and everyone who would not seek the Lord, the god of Israel, was to be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman. (Worship the "lord" or die)
Isaiah 13:15-18
Anyone who is captured will be run through with a sword. Their little children will be dashed to death right before their eyes. Their homes will be sacked and their wives raped by the attacking hordes. For I will stir up the Medes against Babylon, and no amount of silver or gold will buy them off. The attacking armies will shoot down the young people with arrows. They will have no mercy on helpless babies and will show no compassion for the children. (This is just one of the many scriptures in the Bible that describes the "lord" commanding the killing of babies and children, stealing from others and the raping of women. How can anyone think that this entity is the same being as the Creator?)
Psalm 112:1
Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in his commandments! (Fear the "lord" and delight in his commandments, no matter what they may be)
Exodus 22:19
Whoever sacrifices to any god, except the Lord alone, shall be doomed. (Sacrificial offerings are okay...just as long as they are done in the name of our jealous "lord")
Luke 1:6
And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all commandments and statutes of the Lord (Obey the "lord" and act without blame, responsibility, conscience or morality)
Proverbs 19:16
Whoever keeps the commandment keeps his life; he who despises his ways will die (Not really much of a choice is it?)
Mark 16:16
Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned (Lets see...believe and be baptized, or be forever condemned...no pressure there)
Jeremiah 51:20
You are my hammer and weapon of war: with you I break nations in pieces; with you I destroy kingdoms (Why doesn't the "lord" do his own dirty work?)
Deuteronomy 20:10-14
As you approach a town to attack it, first offer its people terms for peace. If they accept your terms and open the gates to you, then all the people inside will serve you in forced labor. But if they refuse to make peace and prepare to fight, you must attack the town. When the LORD your god hands it over to you, kill every man in the town. But you may keep for yourselves all the women, children, livestock, and other plunder. You may enjoy the spoils of your enemies that the LORD your god has given you. (Kill all and keep the plunder for yourself...including the women and children. Seriously, is this really the same "being" as the Creator of the Universe?)
Ezekiel 9:5-7
"Then I heard the LORD say to the other men, "Follow him through the city and kill everyone whose forehead is not marked. Show no mercy; have no pity! Kill them all - old and young, girls and women and little children. But do not touch anyone with the mark. Begin your task right here at the Temple." So they began by killing the seventy leaders. "Defile the Temple!" the LORD commanded. "Fill its courtyards with the bodies of those you kill! Go!" So they went throughout the city and did as they were told." (Kill without question...kill all...kill when you are ordered to do so...no matter if it is right or wrong. It is interesting that the "lord" spared those with the "mark" on their forehead. What does it say about the "mark of the beast" in Revelation?)
Deuteronomy 7:16-24
You must destroy all the nations the LORD your god hands over to you. Show them no mercy and do not worship their gods. If you do, they will trap you. Perhaps you will think to yourselves, 'How can we ever conquer these nations that are so much more powerful than we are?' But don't be afraid of them! Just remember what the LORD your god did to Pharaoh and to all the land of Egypt. Remember the great terrors the LORD your god sent against them. You saw it all with your own eyes! And remember the miraculous signs and wonders, and the amazing power he used when he brought you out of Egypt. The LORD your god will use this same power against the people you fear. And then the LORD your god will send hornets to drive out the few survivors still hiding from you! "No, do not be afraid of those nations, for the LORD your god is among you, and he is a great and awesome god. The LORD your god will drive those nations out ahead of you little by little. (In other words, destroy everything that the "lord, your jealous god" commands you to destroy...without ever questioning whether it is right or wrong)
Jeremiah 48:10
Cursed be he who does the Lords work remissly, cursed he who holds back his sword from blood. (Cursed are those who reject the "lords" command, think for themselves and act independently with true morality)
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. (In other words, baptize those who accept the word of the "lord" with water. And baptize those who refuse the word of the "lord" with the blood of war...and continue to "baptize" them in blood until they submit to the word and the command of the "lord". This is history, is it not?)
Deuteronomy 17:2-5
Suppose a man or woman among you, in one of your towns that the LORD your god is giving you, has done evil in the sight of the LORD your god and has violated the covenant by serving other gods or by worshiping the sun, the moon, or any of the forces of heaven, which I have strictly forbidden. When you hear about it, investigate the matter thoroughly. If it is true that this detestable thing has been done in Israel, then that man or woman must be taken to the gates of the town and stoned to death. (The jealousy of your "lord" is not to be taken lightly)
Malachi 3:8-11
"Should people cheat god? Yet you have cheated me! "But you ask, 'What do you mean? When did we ever cheat you?' "You have cheated me of the tithes and offerings due to me. You are under a curse, for your whole nation has been cheating me. Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do," says the LORD Almighty, "I will open the windows of heaven for you." (Stay on the good side of the "lord"...make your "offerings" that the "lord" is due...do not "cheat" the "lord")
Deuteronomy 22:20-21
But if this charge is true, and evidence of the girls virginity is not found, they shall bring the girl to the entrance of her fathers house and there her townsman shall stone her to death, because she committed a crime against Israel by her unchasteness in her father's house. Thus shall you purge the evil from your midst. (Virgins may live, but non-virgins will be stoned to death)
When you go out to war against your enemies, and the Lord your god gives them into your hand and you take them captive, and you see among the captives a beautiful woman, and you desire to take her to be your wife, and you bring her home to your house, she shall shave her head and pare her nails. And she shall take off the clothes in which she was captured and shall remain in your house and lament her father and her mother a full month. After that you may go in to her and be her husband, and she shall be your wife. But if you no longer delight in her, you shall let her go where she wants. (Another example of how the "lord" condones the taking of women and children as plunder to do with as one pleases)
Zephaniah 3:6-10
"I have wiped out many nations, devastating their fortress walls and towers. Their cities are now deserted; their streets are in silent ruin. There are no survivors to even tell what happened. I thought, 'Surely they will have reverence for me now! Surely they will listen to my warnings, so I won't need to strike again.' But no; however much I punish them, they continue their evil practices from dawn till dusk and dusk till dawn." So now the LORD says: "Be patient; the time is coming soon when I will stand up and accuse these evil nations. For it is my decision to gather together the kingdoms of the earth and pour out my fiercest anger and fury on them. All the earth will be devoured by the fire of my jealousy. "On that day I will purify the lips of all people, so that everyone will be able to worship the LORD together. My scattered people who live beyond the rivers of Ethiopia will come to present their offerings. (In other words, worship the "lord" or die by the jealousy, anger and fury of the "lord")
Zephaniah 1:2-6
"I will sweep away everything in all your land," says the LORD. "I will sweep away both people and animals alike. Even the birds of the air and the fish in the sea will die. I will reduce the wicked to heaps of rubble, along with the rest of humanity," says the LORD. "I will crush Judah and Jerusalem with my fist and destroy every last trace of their Baal worship. I will put an end to all the idolatrous priests, so that even the memory of them will disappear. For they go up to their roofs and bow to the sun, moon, and stars. They claim to follow the LORD, but then they worship Molech, too. So now I will destroy them! And I will destroy those who used to worship me but now no longer do. They no longer ask for the LORD's guidance or seek my blessings." (In other words, you better worship the "lord" or all will be destroyed...not just the humans, but the animals, the fish and the birds too. A jealous god indeed)
Deuteronomy 7:1-4
When the LORD your god brings you into the land you are about to enter and occupy, he will clear away many nations ahead of you: the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. These seven nations are all more powerful than you. When the LORD your god hands these nations over to you and you conquer them, you must completely destroy them. Make no treaties with them and show them no mercy. Do not intermarry with them, and don't let your daughters and sons marry their sons and daughters. They will lead your young people away from me to worship other gods. Then the anger of the LORD will burn against you, and he will destroy you. (It is perplexing that one can actually even consider that this "lord" is this the same "being" as the Creator of the Universe)
How is it that these books have become the religion, moral code and "salvation" for billions of people in the world today? I guess that fear and coercion are powerful motivators.
The canon of the Bible was said to be divinely inspired. However, did this inspiration come from the same "lord" who commands us to kill infants, make sacrificial offerings in his name, plunder the riches of other nations and take women and children as booty? How can this be considered to be divine? In the olden days, those who heard voices from the heavens were considered to be seers and prophets. However, today we call these same people alien contactees and channelers of demonic entities. What has changed?
Who is this "god" of the Old Testament? Is this really the true Creator? I would suggest not. How is it that with all of our "progress" people are still not able to see that this is an imposter god? Why, after 2000 years, is the Human race still following this corrupted "entity" and its warped ideologies? Where has this led us today? How have these teachings affected us individually, culturally and globally?
Below are a few teachings from the modern Church (actual quotes):
To summarize:
Do not eat from the tree of good and evil. Do not attempt to understand right and wrong. Do not think for yourself. Do not question. Do not know. It matters not what you do. God has everything planned out already. You are helpless to change anything by yourself. Fear the "lord" and blindly obey his commands.
Questions and answers:
Question: Why didn't the "lord" want us to eat from the tree of good and evil?
Answer: Because it is much easier to command and control a population of followers that are ignorant of knowledge and unaware of the difference between right and wrong.
Question: Why doesn't the "lord" want us to grow, to learn and to understand?
Answer: Because ignorance keeps us bound to this world, lifetime after lifetime, so that we may continue to be ruled over and exploited by the dark "lord" and his earthly "gods".
Question: Why does the religion of the "lord" need a "savior" figurehead?
Answer: Because those who are
willing to follow
the piper into the cave, must believe that there is a reward waiting
for them at the end of the
trip.
Question: Why does "god" (little g) need to use fear and coercion to rule over his followers?
Answer: Because few people would freely
choose to worship such a manipulative and corrupted entity otherwise.
Question: Why does the "lord" want us to act as if we are helpless without him?
Answer: Because only those that
are blind, would be willing to worship and follow those that are blind.
And we wonder why the world is in the sorry state that it is today? What if Christ were to return to the world today? Would Christians recognize "him"? Or would they brand him a heretic and crucify him all over again?
Footnote
I want to make it clear that I am opposed to dissecting the scriptures and presenting them into convenient "sound bytes" in order to serve or reinforce a particular position or agenda. In my view, this practice can be very misleading because it almost always distorts the true spirit of the message that is contained within the whole of the Bible. It is only within the whole that the deeper esoteric and occult (hidden) aspects of the Bible (and other religious, spiritual and philosophical texts) can be properly discerned, understood and decoded.
However, that being said, it is very difficult to ignore the blatant psychological manipulation and social engineering/conditioning that is contained within much of the Old Testament (and some of the New Testament). Since the most common and accepted practice in Christianity is to dissect and present the scripture in pieces, I feel that it is valid (for this purpose) to examine the Old Testament in this manner (because this is how many Christians are taught to understand the Bible and because this is how this information usually ends up getting retained in both conscious and subconscious memory).
I have heard some people argue that the culture was much different back in those days and that is why we see so much barbaric behavior and unenlightened attitudes expressed within the Old Testament. However, this makes no sense. Weren't the Books of the Bible supposed to be inspired by God? Therefore, shouldn't they contain the knowledge and the wisdom of the Creator (developed through billions of years of experience, learning and growth)? But this is not what we see. Rather, what is expressed is the child-like behavior and psychological manipulations of a power-hungry, blind and jealous entity that believes itself to be God.
What if the true message of the Old Testament is not contained within the literal translation of that text? What if it is much deeper than that? What if the Old Testament is intended to serve as a stern warning to all those who blindly aspire to be "gods" by exploiting knowledge (in order to gain power and control over others), while simultaneously ignoring (separating) the aspects of understanding (true morality), compassion and wisdom that comprise the underlying foundation that is necessary to properly use that knowledge?
What if the Old Testament were viewed as a "case study" (intentional or unintentional) of the inevitable danger of psychosis that exists when one arrogantly removes themselves from Nature/Source/Creation in the blind pursuit of "godhood"?
How can we expect a heaven to be created (or realized) by using the tools of "creation" that makeup and define that which is known as hell (ignorance, fear, coercion, jealousy, apathy, abdication of responsibility, forfeiture of free-will, blind obedience, hatred, aggression, slavery, imbalance, war, pathological destruction, etc)?
Why does the human race unconsciously
create a hell on earth and then long for the day when they might finally escape from that hell and "arrive" in a mystical place called heaven? Worse, why do we
think that it is the responsibility of someone else to save us from our
own actions and inactions? Is this really the purpose of our existence here? Where is the learning and growth in this process? What if our true purpose in life is to create a heaven on earth right here, right now, so that we may avoid living in our current and future hell?
The old books of the Bible are a true testament
to the level of cognitive
dissonance that is possible within the human mind.
Learn to Fly
(Foo Fighters)
The light can teach us, and the dark can teach us. The angels can teach us, and the devils can teach us. It is only when we become truly aware of all (through knowledge, understanding and wisdom), that we finally have the opportunity for flight.
Who is the "devil" in organized religion? The devil is the heretic. It is the person that attempts to bring light (awareness) into the darkness of dogma. It is the person that tries to bring truth (discomfort) into the lies and illusions of the Church. It is the person that disrupts the status quo. It is the person that remembers (and knows) that the "Kingdom of God" is within all of us (and all around us). It is the person that challenges the power (and the profits) of the Church. It is the person that understands that relying on faith alone is what leads us into apathy and slavery. And that faith (true belief) and righteous action (not religious action) is what helps to lead us towards true and lasting freedom.
The old and the new. The above and the below. The inner and the outer. The right and the left. The light and the dark. They are all connected.
Right Now
(Van Halen)
The Virtues and Sins of Religion
Unified Theory of Spirituality
Numbers Paths and Destinations
Journey of Awakening - Epilogue
Communicating With Nature and Creation
The Tree of Life and the Roots of Destruction
A complete index of all segments in this series
can be found here:
The most recent posts in this series
can be found here:
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