THE ULTIMATE SUPERHERO REBORN by William Thomas "Slaves, be obedient to those who are your earthly masters." - Epehsians 6:5  “Let all who are under the yoke of slavery regard their masters as worthy of all honor so that the name of God and the teaching may not be defamed.” - 1Timothy 6:1-4   “Jesus Christ!” I answer the phone. It seems an appropriate salutation. Since I am of the habit on the Sabbath of shutting down electronic distractions, avoiding commerce and spending time in my salvaged rocker reading “religious” books while meditating and scribbling notes – and this being Easter – it seems only “fitting, right and just” for this former altar boy and philosophy and theology major under Jesuit tutelage to pluck three Gnostic hand-grenades from his bookshelf, crack their well-worn covers and pull the pins. In the year of – oh, Lord – 2011, a few well-placed detonations among the most treacherous shibboleths of the last 2011 years seem long overdue. Haven’t we suffered enough replays of bloody mayhem to be wary of any outlandish propositions that require unquestioning magical beliefs in place of (and often in spite of) original documentation and physical proof? Why can’t the alleged Word of God be subject to the same scrutiny as Words of Men when both are, in fact, written by men? How many corpses and oceans of blood will it take to demonstrate the folly of worshiping a tortured and crucified revolutionary as the one and only “savior” of billions of human beings who wish only to tend their children and families, clans, cattle and careers while communing with the supernatural palliatives and pals of their choice? Recall how the use of LSD was persecuted as an “hallucigen” by the full weight of the State after a few outspoken explorers “dropped acid” and saw behind the much bigger hallucination of… the State. So why do we still sanction and shield from every scrutiny a much more dangerous “opiate of the masses” that history has repeatedly shown results in mass psychosis, followed invariably by mass murder under the banner of some loving god? Given recent advances in neuroscience, doesn’t it strike anyone else as passing strange that on this pagan feast day anchored not on an historical date but an ever-changing phase of the Moon, hundreds of millions of people in every place and circumstance across this planet are turning out to celebrate a martyred meme-throwing radical who never lived outside our imaginations? Surely, some might reply, a story this compelling merits memorializing. And they would be right. We’re talking an ancient, archetypal legend of how the only begotten “Son of God” was born in a cave to a virgin, while attended by shepherds on the winter solstice beneath the morning eastern star – then vanished between adolescence and adulthood, only to reappear for his baptism at age 30. Often associated with Pisces the fish, this KRST or “Anointed One”, Good Shepherd, Lamb of God and Son of Man would go on to collect 12 disciples, resist the devil’s temptations in the desert and atop a high mountain, preach a Sermon on the Mount, walk on water, cast out demons, heal the sick and turn water into wine – before being crucified between two thieves, only to resurrect on the third day at the “House of Anu” (Bethany) where his death, burial and resurrection were ritually re- enacted every year. This same compelling tale has been venerated – and understood as a priceless allegory – for thousands of years before the Jews, “Jesus” and the Romans stepped onto the historical stage. Up until around 176 AD, its most faithful adherents repeatedly emphasized that it was never intended to be taken literally. THIS IS IT While it is “fitting, right and just” to celebrate the risen Christ-Within on this special day, it’s quite another matter to blindly worship someone lifted and twisted from ancient mythology by the imaginations and machinations of popes and other fiction writers, who entirely missed the central point of this  inspiring Hero’s Journey. I refer not to the terrible torture and cruci“fiction” so indelibly branded on millions of nervous systems by a race-baiting Mel Gibson and abetted through the centuries by cross-brandishing priests and prelates to intimidate “believers” through horror and guilt for an epochal event that is nowhere documented by nervous Roman overseers who kept written records as meticulous as the KGB on every radical and tribunal of the day. (And this award-winning investigative reporter can attest, there were plenty of both.)    I am speaking instead of this Great Story’s central message: That the “personal salvation” of becoming fully conscious comes only by following the Christ-figure’s often-repeated injunction to find the “Universal Christos” (choose your own synonym) within. WARNING! Such rigorous soul-searching requires courage and persistence. Confronting the death of self and the body without the glib reassurance of heaven or paradise, welcoming gatekeepers and receptive virgins is difficult, often scary work. (Not to mention discriminating toward non- lesbian Moslem women.) Attempting to find your own path to Source, while neglecting teachers and the implications and responsibilities of your human embodiment is not an excuse for vanity or some New Age bromide. OUR FATHERS WHO ART IN HEAVEN Imagine the consternation and angry outcries if churchgoers entered their temples of choice on this most celebrated holy day to find ankhs behind altars and their pastors abjuring congregations to join in prayer to the resurrected… Or Osiris? Or are these prelates really referring to Mithras? Horus? Horrors! The scandal of it all: Pagan gods ensconced in “Christian” churches (just like in Roman times.) In fact, the myths of Christ, Osiris, Horus and the ever-morphing Mitra are completely interchangeable. In point of fact, they are in their primary points identical. The long-suppressed source documents for our current version of this remarkably resonant “God Made Man” Hero Myth are the Gnostic Gospels. They were discovered in the mid-last century on scrolls stored in earthenware at Nag Hammadi in, of all places, Egypt. Thank God. Before being hijacked and distorted for political purposes, the basic message of this long-running Story was simple: “You are asleep and dreaming that you are awake. It is your responsibility to stop dreaming and wake up!”  Since so many wise guys (as well as archetypal women like” Sophia” and Mary Magdalene) have been saying this for so long, why not go for the real deal, instead of some constantly updated control trip? What better time than Easter? FABULOUS FABLES Their story is not very convincing. The Bible so often pointed to with bayonets and gunbarrels tells how Abraham came by camel train from Ur to Canaan in 2100 BC, and how his son Isaac sought alliance with the Philistine king. It’s a cool yarn, made for Hollywood. But the Philistines would not enter this region for another 900 years. Ur and domesticated camels did not exist until 1000 BC. What about that angry old man with those graven tablets that the world’s most “Christian” nation  chooses daily to violate and ignore? There is zero evidence for the existence of Moses, the captivity of the Jews in Egypt, or the seemingly noteworthy exodus of “600,000 men on foot” (plus their children and women chattels). In any event, “escaping” into Canaan at the time specified would only have delivered these mythical refugees into another province of Egypt. And if the mighty “King David” actually existed during the period described by the Old Testament, he would have ruled not over “a large and sophisticated civilization,” report Freke and Gandy, but a few dozen scattered hamlets numbering (extensive archaeology shows) perhaps 2,000 people. Nearly everyone “knows” that Solomon was a great king. Richer than Bill Gates, this fierce adjudicator enjoyed (if that’s the right word) the attentions of 1,000 wives and concubines. No wonder it took him over a decade to build his great palace to house the fabled Ark of the Covenant – neither of which has ever been found. (The Ark is currently in Scotland. Or Canada. Or at least safely situated in untold imaginations.) But meticulous Egyptian records never mention this mighty patriarch. Which is hardly surprising. As archeological digs have conclusively shown, Jerusalem was “not the capital of a vast empire” but “just a small village” in which precious objects, gold, jewels, imported goods and even writing are entirely absent. Yet this enduring fabrication drives Zionists today to UN-condemned apartheid extremes against their Semitic relatives (who have long occupied these lands), in order to “return” to a former glory that never was. Some comic books really are dangerous! LOOK AGAIN Let’s not ignore that other Great Story, which today holds more than one-billion believers in thrall. For all its poetic passages, the Qur’an is equally riddled with inconsistencies, poor grammar, endless repetition and at least 50 inserts into this “Word of God” by the decidedly human caliph, Umar. Moreover, this holy book’s divine source variously refers to himself in the first, second and third persons, while constantly contradicting teachings that (given their purported source) must be “perfect”. I am not the only one who admires passages in the Qur’an and still has trouble with this. At least the Prophet Mohammed (Peace Be Upon Him) actually existed. The point on this day of reflection and resurrection is not to denigrate or discard the wisdom extant in humanity’s most revered holy books, but to question such widespread blind faith in and obeisance to their easily manipulated manmade provenance. Not to mention the relevance of centuries-old tribal laws to complex contemporary cultures. When we come to see that myths are not fairy-tales to be dismissed by atheistic jeremiads, but powerful allegories worth re-interpreting in modern contexts, the existence of “God” and “his” alleged emissaries can be stripped of sectarian rivalries and restored to their intended role of timeless teachings. Every culture needs context – a consistent, relevant story that offers meaning to the random insanities, inanities, injustices and death crowding in on every side. Through relentless brainwashing by corporate print and network media, humming Hollywood production lines, and lifestyles propaganda embedded in today’s fully-immersive screen culture – a cultish, sophisticated and nearly seamless myth of prowess, invincibility, entitlement and righteousness is being spun 24/7 in mesmerized minds oblivious to the shrieking alarms of sickening spirits, diseased bodies, crumbling empire and a dying planet. But fissures in this false narrative cannot be ignored. Political, economic and ecological realities are forcefully intruding. Even as the E-Z Credit required to continue consuming the products integral to the Corporate Myth of Endless Plenty Without Consequences evaporates, more and more “units” (in banker’s jargon) are sensing the growing mismatch between alluring virtual realms and the disintegrating realities they actually inhabit. Enticing as they may be, endlessly looped stories of the sex, wealth, fun and fame awaiting every consumer who “plays along” with the destruction of their home planet, personal health and soul are ultimately unsatisfying. Even disturbing. Many hunger for something more.    Yet once-powerful religious stories appropriate to largely pastoral tribes living in distant deserts more than 2,000 years ago are ringing “literally” false and hold ever-lessening appeal today. Can they be resurrected? Can the Osiris/Horus/Mistra/Christ mythos be reinvented as a Redemption Story even more culturally satisfying than “How To Tame Your Dragon”? When we understand the role of archetypal spiritual stories to guide us beyond mere material indulgence, we can begin to look where all those fingers point – instead of arguing, obsessing and spilling blood over the shapes, names and ownership of those ancient digits. To finally “get the point” of a myth so powerful it has not only endured since before the time of the pharaohs but morphed into a compassionate, non-violent revolutionary still capable of stepping easily from Galilee to Gainesville is to fully realize the real message of the Universal Christ.  EITHER OR…? It is regrettable and in the end perhaps even more debilitating that the long-overdue dismantling of such easily deconstructed religious fables is framed in a “choice” that is just as false: “Either cling to tribal desert beliefs that worshipped a vengeful, misogynist, male sky god. Or affirm the “rational” conclusion that there is no higher power than human folly.”  For those of us recovering religious survivors who have outgrown such dangerously parochial and patriarchal superstitions and no longer choose to worship the demonstrably hollow idols of these establishment fronts – and yet who everywhere and always acknowledge the sacred, while seeking constantly to re-align ourselves with the innate “intelligence” of the readily discernable life- force flowing through all things – this false dichotomy between a bearded geezer occupying a  throne in the clouds and a life drained of miracles and mystery is no choice at all.    Yet, how will we awaken from our dreams by clinging to even more seductive superstitions? If “God” by definition can only exist beyond definitions and gender, then (as our best theologians kept insisting) – this divinity cannot be named. Anyone who speaks assuredly of “God” is blowing smoke. Beware the mirrors of human needs and projection that invariably follow. The Christ Story teaches that “sins” are not the necessary lessons we arrange for ourselves and then call “bad” deeds. As Magdalene reported in the fragments of her suppressed Gospel, the hero of the Christ-Story taught that sin is ignorance. Ignorance of who we really are. “Repentance” is to be found not in dissing ourselves for being human, but by the “change of heart” that can free each “One” of us from identifying with our temporary temporal self. When we finally grok that “God” is a finger pointing not to our petty personified projections but to the Ultimate Mystery forever calling us home, we will experience this inseparable shared divinity that Freke and Gandy call (and we instinctively know) – the “awesome, incomprehensible miracle of life.” So check out the Gnostics. Take a fresh look at the Bible, Torah and Qur’an. And above all, do not neglect the Buddha’s “religion-free” precepts, too. Beyond so many words, on this day of resurrection we can partake of this Great Return by looking deep within. Not as some narcissistic nabobs estranged from an “inferior” humanity, our nurturing Earth and other creatures great and small – but as an awakening hu-man “spirit person” as co- joined with the rivers and ravens and traumatized children of Afghanistan and Iraq as our pulse and respiration are to the heartbeat and breath of the Source that exists beyond our limiting notions of “God”. THE POINT OF THE GOD GAME IS AWAKENING The Real Practice is Unconditional Love & Compassion The crucifixion allegory is only a shortcut to the real message of an ageless story: Resurrection = Return Human Incarnation = Voluntary Incarceration Until we free ourselves from the bonds of the self. (If you can’t quite manage it, don’t worry. Death will assist.) In the Christ Story, Mary Magdalene – whom he “often kissed on the mouth” – was Christ’s closest confident, the only disciple (he told the other apostles to their jealous dismay), who understood his teaching. Christ’s message, Magdalene informed his troubled followers after his symbolic death, lay not in his martyrdom (which would soon be expropriated as an ancient central symbol by “literalist” churchmen opting not for timeless truths but coercion through editorial deceptions, execution of all “heretics”, “witch”-burning misogyny, and the long-proven master manipulations of guilt and fear). The culminating point of the Christ’s poignant drama, Magdalene emphasized, was a glorious resurrection that points the way to our own awakening from the dream of self. Beware beliefs and those who loudly proclaim their faith. They will soon be insisting that you proclaim it, too! Those who live with right intention in right action have no need nor wish to diminish their practice by speaking of it. They simply go on being it, moment-by-moment, choice-by-choice in a constantly renewed serenity broken by constant gasps of wonder and oft-spoken gratitude to the miraculous manifestations of spirit around them. And of course, by music, dance, good conversation, laughter, hugs and song! You will know the truth of a religion not by the beliefs it espouses, nor the unquestioning allegiance it demands, but by its embrace of the feminine and the self-discovery it encourages and enables. When you look upon the stars and recite their Latin names and distances in red-shifting light-years, you are scientifically enlightened. When you look at these same constellations and see the hand of “God”, you are spiritually aware. Why not look through both eyes at the same time and let each realization enhance the other? TRUTH BE TOLD Though buffeted by the constantly veering winds of fashion and political censorship, the compass of authentic spirituality points unwaveringly not to True North (where so much hubris “lies”) but to True Unity. Any religion preaching “Us vs. Them” stands instantly exposed as yet another false front promulgated for the usual earthly ends of cash, illicit sex, power and control. No wonder the two biggest competing Fundamentalist “faiths” are steeped in anti-Christ bloodletting, vicious rhetoric and fanatical intolerance. No greater threats to civilizations exist today than the shared Fundamentalist thirst for Armageddon, the “return” of a sadistic Terminator God, and the exalted enabling role of the chosen few. Call this savage avenger “Christ” or “Mahdi”. It makes no difference. What sort of God exults in such sadistic torture and the gruesome deaths of so many innocent lives and species of his own Creation? And what does this say about those who follow “him”? 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