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Gender: Male
Status: Married
Age: 61
Sign: Libra

City: Hot Springs
State: Arkansas
Country: US

Signup Date: 04/18/06

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Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Gospel of Judas
Category: Religion and Philosophy

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The Gospel Of Judas,
Barbelo & Long-Kept Secrets
By Mary Sparrowdancer
Copyright 2006 - All Rights Reserved
6-7-6

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The truth usually surfaces sooner or later regardless of how carefully concealed it is.  One of the most stunning truths imaginable has been hidden so well for the last 2000 years that we have not caught a glimpse of its light until the recently surfaced Gospel of Judas.  This gospel suggests, among other things, that all generations of people have sat in judgment of Judas based simply on information given to the masses by the most powerful church on earth.  In reading this newly surfaced Gospel, and then reading Bishop Irenaeus' scathing rejection of it in 180 A.D., as well as his scathing rejection of all Gnostic teachings (personal knowing of the divine), one wonders if this is the tip of the most unfathomable iceberg that ever was.  What else has been kept hidden from us by those in control of church and state?  Were we told the truth about the identity of Jesus - or was his identity reinvented?  If his identity was reinvented, then it appears that humanity's spiritual identity was reinvented as well. 

The primary shock and awe caused by the Gospel of Judas has been in the Gospel's suggestion that Jesus asked Judas to betray him.  It appears, however, that this Gospel contains hints of something else far more profound - so profound, in fact, that the implications are staggering, but they seem to have escaped notice thus far.  It hints of something extraordinary that has been hidden for thousands of years, although in existence since the beginning. 

In the "forbidden" Gnostic gospels that have begun to emerge from antiquity, we find we have actually been divinely invited to seek the truth and ask questions, because the truth is never marred or harmed by questions.  Asking questions only serves to make the truth shine brighter.  One might wonder into which direction we should begin a search for the truth at this hour when the truth about anything is very hard to come by.  According to the Gnostic gospels, the answer from above seems to have been, "go within," because there is something within that awaits discovery. 

In the Gnostic scriptures, we learn that blind faith has never been demanded of us.  Instead, the one we now refer to as "Jesus" (the J is relatively new - it is Iesous in transliterated Greek) urged people to go within and seek the truth and not stop seeking until they found the truth.  Only a portion of this appears in the New Testament, but a more complete version can be read in the Gnostic Gospel of Thomas.  It includes a curious caveat of wisdom after the invitation to come seek and find all that awaits us.  The caveat warns that when we discover the truth, we will at first be disturbed as well as astonished. 

In the end, however, it is the truth that will set us free. 

In looking at the Gospel of Judas (Ioudas) there are two words that are the keys to unlocking an extraordinary mystery.  The first key word is, "Barbelo," the word by which Judas identifies Jesus.  "I know who you are and where you have come from," Judas says.  "You are from the immortal realm of Barbelo." 

According to the scholars and editors who worked on the National Geographic translation of the Gospel of Judas, the word Barbelo "apparently comes from Hebrew," and perhaps means God.  Others state it remains unexplained, and some suggest it refers to a divine "emanation."   (1)

The second key word in the Gospel of Judas is, "betrayal," the word by which we now identify Judas.  In looking closely at this word, one finds that its meaning has changed over the centuries - something that is very common.  Many other words have changed in meaning as centuries separate us from the original writings. 

"Lucifer," for instance, a Latin word that means "light bringer," has now become equated with "Satan" or the devil, despite the fact that Lucifer actually appears in the Latin Vulgate as a reference to Jesus.  Most people in the US no longer read or speak Latin, and therefore they are unaware of this.  (2)

The meaning of "Satan" has also changed.  Satan, comes from Aramaic and simply means adversary or opponent.  In Mark 8:33, Jesus refers to Peter as "Satan."  However, most people in the US do not speak Greek, Hebrew or Aramaic, and so they do not understand the meaning of this word, either.  For them, "Satan" has now come to be associated with "the devil," personified these days as Lucifer, no less.  

"Betrayal," has come to be associated with Judas Iscariot, who - as the spin keeps spinning - has in turn come to be known as the most despicable of all villains.  The end result is that currently, no one in their right mind would want to be associated with Lucifer, Judas, satan or a betrayer.  It appears that at least a portion of the truth has been hidden in plain view for almost 2000 years.  During those same years, it became clear to those in power that the masses could be easily swayed by what they were told, and most would not check the facts for themselves because most could not read.  Reading materials were also easily controlled.  It was easy to fill people with fear and misunderstanding of words that were once written, once known and once understood.  From generation to generation, the legacy of fear has been handed down our tradition. 

Betray comes from the Latin word, "tradere."  Tradere means to reveal, declare and make known what is seen, including divine revelations.  Hardly an evil word, tradere is also the root of the word "tradition."  An archaic, Old English word "bewray," appears in Isaiah in the King James Version (KJV) of the bible, and is translated as "to uncover."  "Bewrayeth" is found three times in KJV, twice in Proverbs where it is translated as "to proclaim," and "make known," and in Matthew 26:73, it is translated as "to make manifest, evident."  (3)

Only when one understands what the word "betray" once meant can one understand the simple truth about Judas.  When Judas realized the identity and origin of Jesus - Barbelo - Jesus then asked him to reveal it and make it known to others.  Judas did as he was asked.  But, if one is to understand what Judas was asked to reveal - a truth that would indeed leave most disturbed as well as astonished - it becomes imperative to find a more definite, plausible meaning for Barbelo. 

When I first saw that word, Barbelo, my own impression was that it was not derived from a Hebrew word at all, but that it was possibly coming from an Aramaic phrase, or possibly even referencing a more ancient, Akkadian word.  Anyone who has heard of a "bar mitzvah" might realize that "bar," in Aramaic, means son, and in particular, "son of" the word that follows.  If Bar means, "Son of," and if, as the scholars say, Barbelo seems to indicate the word "God," the logical procession might be to find a time and language when "God" was once known by a word sounding like "Belo."  

One can find some names of gods in the bible, but in order to see what is actually written rather than what has been translated into English, one has to look at the Hebrew.  Starting with the first line of Genesis, one can immediately see that in Hebrew, "God" is another of those words that has also changed in meaning over the ages.  In English, the bible speaks only of one God, but in Hebrew, in over 2600 instances, the word is plural: "gods," or elohim starting with the first line of Genesis.  Since the beginning, the word has been "Gods." 

Some of the gods have been identified by name - such as Jehovah or Yahweh - who is believed to be the only god of the universe by approximately half of the people on earth at this time.  Jehovah is described as a "war god," with an impressive death count including men, women, children, babies and animals.  Although the name of Jehovah only makes it into the English translation four times, in Hebrew it occurs over 6000 times.  In English we usually see this word translated as "LORD."  (Caps theirs.)  Other gods are also named, but as stated, this is translated repeatedly into English as "God."  This in turn gives the impression that the entire bible was only referencing the words of one God - Jehovah - when this is apparently not the case. 

In some instances, different gods gave conflicting instructions.  In Genesis, for example, there were conflicting instructions pertaining to what mankind may and may not eat.  In Genesis 1, mankind is told by the unnamed elohim that we may partake of all seed-bearing fruits and vegetation on the face of the earth.  There is no mention of anything forbidden, and there is also no mention of Jehovah.  The unnamed gods in Genesis 1 stated we were created in their image. 

Genesis 2 tells a different story.  The Jehovah elohim tell mankind that severe penalties will apply if certain forbidden vegetation is so much as touched.  (The list of forbidden fruits and vegetation continues to this day.)  Unlike the unnamed elohim in Genesis 1 who stated we are in their image, the Jehovah elohim state instead that we are dust - and will return to dust - an insult that until the Gospel of Judas has been unchallenged. 

Of those gods who were identified by name in the Old Testament, there is one who seems to be the chief enemy of the admittedly jealous Jehovah elohim.  The name of the enemy god is "Baal."  Baal means, "Lord," not to be confused with "LORD," which means Jehovah.  People had been acknowledging The Lord for a very, very long time. 

Since the earliest known writings, people acknowledged the presence of gods.  All over the world, people have known that the gods came from above.  Some were very kind and arrived with gifts of food and civil teachings.  According to what has been handed down in some teachings, it appears that at least in some cases, the gods took time to point out the location of their lofty homes that were visible in the night sky, and perhaps this is why the ancients then came to identify certain heavenly bodies with the gods.  This would at least provide an answer as to why certain heavenly bodies, such as Jupiter, were carefully followed and venerated. 

Baal is referred to by name over 60 times in the KJV, and numerous other times in spelling variations.  Baal, or the Lord, is known in other languages as Bel, Belos, Belus, and all of these names were references to what we call Jupiter.  Jupiter is also known in Greek as Zeus, and it has been observed that the etymology of Jupiter appears to be two words, Zeus Pater, meaning God the Father.  Baal is also associated with Dagon, a fish god associated with water and grain.  The ancient root of Baal is in the Akkadian language, reaching back to Babylon and " Babel ," the tower, is yet another word that has lost its meaning over the centuries.  It was reduced to "babble," after it was destroyed by Jehovah, but its meaning prior to its destruction is from Akkadian, "Bab-elu," which means "The Gate of God."  Jehovah destroyed the gate and confused the speech of mankind, and the speech continues to be confused today. 

Jupiter was called "Marduk belu."  "Belu" means "The Great Lord."  This appears to bring us back to Barbelo, which, in following this procession would be:  Son of the Great Lord, or, Son of Jupiter, God the Father.  Since pronunciation changes as a word is spoken in different languages, there is also the possibility that Barbelo might have been reference to "Bab-elu," the Gate of God. 

A daring few have noted that the sound of "son" in Modern Greek is pronounced, Yos and that when it is placed together with Zeus, as in, YosZeus, or even ZeusYos, it seems to have a familiar ring to it.  Still others have noted that Virgil's Aeneid, which was written prior to Virgil's death in 19 B.C., tells of a vision in which Zeus was said to have fathered two sons born of a virgin.  One son was named Dardanus, and the other is referred to as "Father Iasius" - sounding strangely similar to Esau, who, in Genesis 25:30 is also named "adam."  (This word is translated into English as " Edom " although it is spelled in Hebrew the same way "adam" is spelled.)  It means red as well as human.  According to several translations of the Aeneid - but curiously not all - it is said that the blood of "Father Iasius" and his brother represents the most ancient of the bloodlines of Zeus.  (If there were truth in this, it might at least explain why the elusive missing link has never been located by scientists who insist our ancestry is apes, rather than gods.)

We have been told repeatedly of encounters with someone who appears and disappears in a manner that is difficult to describe.  He performs his trademark miracles, he heals the sick and reminds us that we should be performing miracles ourselves.  He appears to be fully human, and at other times he and the others like him are glowing with an extraordinary light.  He seems to have been known by many different names, apparently preferring not to refer to himself by name at all.  Throughout the millennia, his messages have been clear, simple and similar.  He has imparted teachings about civil liberties and civility, and he seems to be somehow connected to fish, water and grains.  In the most ancient times, a similar water deity was referred to as "Ea/Oannes," because he frequently submerged in the waters.  John, (as in Baptist), is spelled Ioannes in Greek.  He repeatedly told those listening to live just, compassionate and forgiving lives, and he challenged laws that he felt were unjust. 

Many believe that Gnosticism predated Christianity.  Indeed, perhaps raising the consciousness has resulted in the divine visits of Iesous - a Shining One.  One can find ancient written accounts about "the Watchers," (or Shining Ones - glowing beings of great wisdom) referred to in Egyptian writings as netjeru.  This word is even mentioned in Jeremiah 4:16 as a warning - the "natzorim" (plural form of ntzr) come from a distant earth to give voice against the cities of Judah .  In fact, it appears that this word is the more likely root of the word, " Nazareth ," when one considers there was no "town" by this name mentioned by historians, it is not mentioned in the Old Testament, and no one but Jesus is said to have come from this mysterious place.  It now seems to have become his descriptive surname. 

The great and ancient mysteries of consciousness, however, seem to have been trampled like a serpent and fear has reigned in their place for thousands of years.  The only ingredient necessary to assure this ongoing oppression of knowledge has been mandatory ignorance.  While we have obeyed, and obeyed, the gates of wisdom and truth were closed, and the Light that is ours by birthright, turned off.  A new time is at hand, however.  Communication and access to knowledge have finally been restored to us for the first time since the Gate of God was turned to babble by Jehovah.  At last, we can finally see that we have been kept ignorant in much the same way that Adam and Eve discovered their nakedness. 

Evidence that divine encounters are ours by birthright can be found in our own bodies.  We have been physically programmed to encounter the divine.  We are born with a pineal gland, two hippocampi, and the mysterious right temporal lobe that some say acts as a receiver.  In addition, and as though making certain we might never, ever, lose our most important way, we also have within our bodies the capability of creating a personal dose of dimethyltryptamine - DMT - which is called the "spirit molecule" by physician and researcher, Rick Strassman, M.D.  Research shows that when the body creates DMT, it washes through the brain and a gate seems to be opened into another dimension.  It is there that many people report face-to-face meetings with very much alive and sentient entities, including Iesous.  It would appear that we truly have been invited to seek the divine truth.  (4)

Unfortunately, however, at this time fluoride has now been found to be forming concretions in our pineal glands.  (The fluoride spin is another one based upon a gamble that people will listen to what is repeated without reading the devastating facts for themselves.)  In addition to our pineal glands being turned into pillars of stone, one does not report encountering the divine without risking life, limb, livelihood, reputation and all else.  If encounters with angels are dismissed as nonsense or even "temporal lobe epilepsy," encounters with Jesus are met with even worse reactions. 

At this time, all vegetation containing substances that might result in a spiritual encounter are as verboten as the Tree of Knowledge in Eden .  As if a further safeguard were needed to assure the worried that humanity's spiritual gates would remain closed, DMT has been labeled a "Schedule 1 Controlled Substance" despite the fact that it occurs naturally within our own bodies. 

So overwhelming is this fear of human spiritual encounters, it has caused the truth to be distorted and destroyed. 

According to Bart D. Ehrman, Ph.D, expert in early Christianity, author of Misquoting Jesus, and one who worked on the National Geographic Gospel of Judas project, many of the texts contained in the New Testament have been altered throughout the years.  Because of this, closer attention should be paid to the ancient and more pristine documents now surfacing.  In the lost Gospel of Judas, it is apparent that those encountering Iesous were experiencing something far more extraordinary than a simple carpenter who was the lone resident of a neighboring village.  (5 )

This gospel states that when Jesus appeared on earth, he performed miracles and spoke of mysteries.  "Often he did not appear to his disciples as himself" the gospel states.  On one occasion, when he found his disciples in "pious observance" and giving thanks to their god, he laughed and they asked why.  In his answer, it is made abundantly clear that their god is not his god - he is not the son of their god, and they did not know his identity.  In fact, he does not speak highly of their god.  (This sentiment can be also found in the New Testament in John 8, where Jesus refers to their god as a liar, a murderer, and the devil.) 

Only moments after understanding this, Judas alone makes his observation:  "I know who you are and where you have come from.  You are from the immortal realm of Barbelo.  And I am not worthy to utter the name of the one who has sent you." 

Hearing Judas say this, Jesus asks Judas (to whom he refers as the "thirteenth spirit") to come and privately hear the mysteries.  He tells Judas that Judas will suffer extreme grief and will be replaced with another so that the twelve may "come to completion with their god." 

Judas was indeed replaced and when Iesous and Judas left the picture the thirteenth later became Saint Paul , who was never chosen as a disciple.  It would be Church-selected teachings of Paul that would then become the foundation of Christianity, while the gnostic teachings of Iesous were anathematized.  This is despite the fact that Paul's meeting with Iesous was, as clearly stated, a gnostic encounter.  The writings were selected.  Writings such as the instructions not to form a church with clergy over laity, and instructions to allow women to speak, were discarded.  According to the gnostic teachings, all who had received visions from the divine were already "divinely ordained to speak, whether man or woman."  These teachings were declared a heresy.  (6)

He explains to Judas that god had only "loaned" souls to humanity, thus perhaps churning out workers again and again.  But "The Great One," he states, has ordered that souls and spirits be "given" as a gift to the "great and holy" generation over which there will be no ruler.  That generation, upon physical death, will be "taken up" - set free at last for having found the truth. 

In what can be gleaned from the fragments, Judas is told that all generations will curse him except for one - and at that time, when the truth is known, Judas will be exalted as the greatest of all the disciples for having revealed the truth of Barbelo - and also cursed for having revealed the truth. 

It would seem, therefore, that since the old texts have found their way into our hands, the generation spoken of appears to be this one.  We have new information in front of us - information that is certain to leave us disturbed as well as astonished.  But there is even more information, and this moment seems the appropriate time for it also to be revealed. 

Having been raised a Catholic and finding I could not bear it any longer, I left Christianity 30 years ago and converted to Judaism where I was sent to Hebrew school.  I was unable to find what I sought there either - perhaps because I found Jehovah frightening.  And so I left Judaism as well and became what I assumed was an atheist. 

On September 11, 1988, exactly thirteen years before America 's darkest day, and eighteen years before the Gospel of Judas surfaced, I had my own darkest day and it included a diagnosis of cancer.  I went to bed that night with no spiritual place to hide.  The sun set on that day, marking its end, and at approximately 4 A.M. the following morning, a new sun rose when I was awakened by a bright light shining on me.  I opened my eyes to see a large sphere of light floating in my room.  A man's voice came from the sphere. 

"You're not afraid are you?" he whispered. 

There were unusual properties about this light swirling in the sphere, and I began feeling exceptionally well.  The light seemed to be passing through me and correcting things. 

"No," I replied, "I'm not afraid." 

"Good," he said. "None of this is meant to frighten you." 

He talked for a long time on that night, but I was unable to see the man standing there for most of that visit.  He asked me if I would come with him so that he might show something to me, and I did so.  After accompanying him into the Light, we walked on a summit in what I later identified as Qumran .  We entered a cave where an old but beautiful woman was waiting, and after meeting her - and with no further explanations - I was returned to my physical body.  Shortly after this, I was able to see the man still standing in the sphere of Light.  He was about 33 years old with perfect facial features.  His hair was long, past his shoulders.  He did not have a beard.  He was wearing what appeared to be sun-dried linen, and he had a fragrance of negative ions, myrrh and spices.  I had no idea who he was.  Being an atheist, I assumed he was from another planet. 

Before he left, he told me that my cancer would be healed and that I needed fish.  The sphere of light surrounded him again, and the light swirled as though blown by winds from within and a huge eye came across the surface of the sphere.  I blurted out, "I know what you look like, you look like Jupiter.  Is that where you are from?" 

"Something wonderful is going to happen," he said, a line that is from "2010:  Odyssey Two," based on Arthur C. Clarke's novel about Jupiter.  "Find out all you can about the Tenth Moon of Jupiter." 

I was unable to find out much about the Tenth Moon of Jupiter, other than it was said to be a "perfect sphere" by the astrophysicist I contacted.  Two years ago, I would learn through Robert Temple's book, The Sirius Mystery that a tribe in Timbuktu known as the Dogon, claims to have been visited by fish gods many years ago.  These gods arrived and left in a craft and gave them gifts of grain.  The visitors took the time to explain from where they had come - that they were parked in orbit around one of the larger planets in our outer solar system.  Specifically, the Dogon claim the visitors were from "the star of the Tenth Moon."   Temple interpreted this as being Saturn. 

For over eight months, the man from the sphere of light that looked like Jupiter returned here regularly as a healer and teacher.  I was healed of the cancer and also suddenly appeared younger than usual, with dark auburn pigment returning to my hair.  On many of his visits, small white stones materialized and fell on the floor, many of which I still have.  Three were examined in a laboratory and found to be calcium carbonate - limestone - formed from calcite crystals.  I do not know what their function is other than possibly to have served as affirmation that this was and is all really happening, and could not be dismissed as "temporal lobe epilepsy," etc.  Or, it could be that there is something about limestone that awaits our discovery.  The pyramids were once covered with limestone. 

On one occasion almost eighteen years ago, he came here to tell me a love story about Judas.  It was a stunning story that I had never heard before, and I told him I was anxious to tell people about this.  He said I would be unable to recollect the full story, although he did allow me to recall a part of it - the part in which he explained that we did not have all of the facts about Judas, and that it is never appropriate to judge anyone, in particular Judas, when one does not have all the facts. 

On another visit, he asked me why we were constantly searching for the "holy grail" and why we were digging for it in the dust.  I told him it might have been a valuable cup, and he said, "Oh, then it is a container?"  I answered that it was.  He said, "If you wish to find such a cup, then look into one another's eyes." 

In May of 1989, encouraged by a priest, I asked him his identity.  He revealed it to me.  I was disturbed and astonished.  Dumbfounded might better describe the state I was in.  But, when I came to terms with this I asked him to take me with him.  He said he could not do so at that time, and he had something to ask of me.  I suspected it might be a request to keep all of this quiet, and I was more than happy to oblige, but I was wrong. 

"Tell others everything you have seen and heard," he said. 

"What?" I was disturbed and astonished again. 

"Tell others," he said, smiling. 

"But no one is going to believe this," I protested. 

He explained that I was not being asked to convince people, but merely to tell them what I had witnessed and what I have heard. 

I did as he asked.  I told people.  Then, in 2001, thirteen years after first meeting him, and five years before the Gospel of Judas would come out, my book about this strange and ongoing encounter was published by Hampton Roads.  I called my manuscript "Love Song," because I had been shown that there is an ancient song of love that is singing in our DNA, but we have not been told about it.  It is where God is singing, and it is the root of our identity. 

He told me to send my manuscript to Hampton Roads, specifically "to the person named Eagle."  I sent it to the wrong person and then was contacted by the appropriate editor who stated she had my work in her possession and desired to be the editor.  I thanked her, but told her that I had been instructed to place the manuscript into the hands of "the person named Eagle."   She wrote back and said, "Dear Mary - My last name:  in German it means Eagle.  Have a nice day, Pat Adler." 

She hand-carried the manuscript to the publisher and stood at his door until he picked it up and began reading it.  The book's title was subsequently changed to "The Love Song of the Universe," and when I first saw the cover of the book, I saw that there were thirteen singular stars on it and wondered what that might mean. 

In early 2001, several months before the book came out, the man from the shining sphere began talking about human rights and civil liberties on each of his visits here.  This was new.  I was scheduled to begin speaking on radio programs that year to discuss his book, and I was asked by radio hosts what his most recent messages were. 

"He keeps telling me to 'study the Constitution' for some reason," I would reply again and again while on the air and also while giving talks to groups of people.  I urged all who were listening to read the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, knowing that for many it would be the first time they had ever looked at these exquisite documents that were created in mystery.  The book was scheduled to come out in May. 

On September 11, 2001, thirteen years after my own darkest day, America had her darkest day.  We would learn shortly after 9/11 about the "P.a.t.r.i.o.t. Act" - a burdensome, anti-rights bill that was pushed through Congress, unread.  A number of us finally understood the reason why we had been told to "study the Constitution."

On the morning of September 11, as I stood in my office watching the television in horror, he appeared and stood next to me.  His hair was short on this day.  He was not appearing as himself.  He was covered with dust and wearing a grey jogging outfit and black athletic shoes with dark blue trim on them.  I knew where he had been.  He had been walking among the victims and comforting people.  Not one of those who saw him, worked next to him, or were touched by him would suspect a thing.  He would have simply been a mysterious stranger as he has been on so many other occasions.

"How could this have happened to us?" I asked him on that awful morning. 

He did not answer my question, but instead he shook his head as though in disbelief while watching the events unfolding on the television and he said, "Tell them not to retaliate."

It was my turn to shake my head.  "No," I said, "I can't say that.  Someone's going to have hell to pay for this one." 

He turned and looked at me.  "You are going to have a very difficult time determining who was actually responsible for this," he said.  "You do not have all of the facts.  Tell them not to retaliate.  Do not to harm the innocent."  And then, he left. 

I have wondered if he was there with Father Mychal, the first to officially die on that morning, and then if he was there with the others whose names we do not know.  I learned later that Father Mychal had been a close personal friend of my editor, Pat, for many years. 

I was already scheduled to speak on another radio program when 9/11 happened, and so when I went on the air, I delivered his message although my knees were literally shaking as I said it.  I knew that no one else was making statements similar to this (yet). 

In one of his more recent visits here, he revealed that he has been manifesting completely in the flesh throughout the entire time I have known him - eighteen years - similar to the way he did on 9/11, and I simply never knew when he was standing right next to me.  Not always appearing as himself, he frequently appears as a black man, sometimes wearing a baseball hat.  I have personally sat next to him on a bus as he drank coffee in full view of everyone and no one, including myself, suspected a thing at the time. 

As I complete this paper, it is the month of May again - the anniversary of the month in which I first learned his identity, and now the month when I first learned about the Gospel of Judas.  I learned of it from readers of my book, who saw that the gospel was providing affirmation for what I had written years earlier.  This is also the month in which my publisher, Hampton Roads, sold the last copy of Love Song.  As of May 31, 2006, the publisher has no more copies left. 

I have, therefore, nothing to sell.  I have only a statement to make after writing all of the above. 

It appears that we are a prophesied generation into whose hands a profound truth has been placed.  We have been called "great and holy" by a certain dignitary.  This does not come without enormous responsibility. 

The past 2000 years have been the only years in human history when we have not had free access to the philosophies and encounters with the gods of peace.  These have also been the bloodiest years in all of human history.  The toll of hatred, destruction and bloodshed is beyond comprehension.  In innocence and ignorance, we have unwittingly sworn allegiance to a war god.  We have obediently believed what we have been told, that the war god is the only god of the universe.  Now we learn that this is not true. 

This is a time for us to ask many questions.  What is the real reason that the US is plundering the ancient land of Babylon at this time?  Why were the ancient writings and artifacts in the museums immediately stolen?  And why the bloodbath in Basra ?  The ancient Chaldean name of Basra was "Perat Maishan."  Al-Maisan in Arabic is "the Shining One."  Are there multidimensional portals associated with the "gates of god?"  Is the US , which is currently spearheaded by followers of Jehovah, involved in a frantic final attempt to destroy evidence of the eternal, Shining enemy of Jehovah?  Could it be that there is something other than WMD and oil the US government is desperately searching for in order to forestall the arrival of a long-awaited coming?  Is this why the heads of state keep meeting at the Vatican ? 

But those in the Vatican should have already known some of the above was in progress and moving according to a quiet and ancient plan.  As soon as my book came off the press in the spring of 2001, the man whose name I am unable to pronounce visited again and told me to send the first copy of the book to the Pope.  He told me to include a white stone and a message for the Pope.  I wrote down his words, although I did not understand what the message meant at that time.  The message was, "You have already been forgiven." 

It has always been about his blood - his royal blood - but not as depicted by Hollywood .  It has not been about blood spilled for us because we are evil sinners, but about blood and DNA that is shared with us, given to us in the very beginning.  Why else would the son of man refer to us as his brethren and tell us that what we do to each other we do to him?  There is a message within his message that he is the son of man.  It is not a message that means we must now find tax records to prove his birth.  We will not find those.  Nor do we need to try and track down rare offspring so that we might gaze at in awe.  The message is that if he is the son of man, then all of man is the son of god. 

As I finish this, there is something new happening on Jupiter.  The large eye of Jupiter is not alone.  There is another smaller swirling storm on Jupiter, and it has been called, "Red, Jr."  As pointed out above, "red" in Hebrew is adam, and it means man.  I will leave the translation of "Jr." to the reader.  Astronomers feel that Red, Jr., will move closest to the Great Red Spot on July 4th

.  (7)

If the truth is upon us, and it appears to have been placed in our hands, then this is a time like no other in history.  It is time for those who are brave enough to do so to stand up and say that the age of war is at an end.  Bring all troops of war home, forever.  It is time for us to educate ourselves as though our lives depend upon it.  It is time to focus on Jupiter, and the gifts given.  We are no longer dust. 

There is a song in our DNA that has never stopped singing despite the fact that we stopped hearing it thousands of years ago.  It is time to finally listen and let the truth set us free. 

------------------------------

Mary is a science and health writer, and the author of The Love Song of the Universe.  At this time, the publisher has sold all copies of Love Song, and while it is hoped that a second edition with updates will be forthcoming, the plans for doing so have not yet been made.  You are welcome to contact Mary at sparrowdancer1@earthlink.net, or visit her website at www.sparrowdancer.com

Mary wishes to thank the numerous people, including friends and scholars who helped with and gave input in the preparation of this paper. 

--------------------------

References

1.         "The Gospel of Judas," 2006, National Geographic Society.  Editors: R. Kasser, M. Meyer, G. Wurst.  Commentary:  B. Ehrman.  "Barbelo," p. 23.

2.         "Lucifer" - New Advent, The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume IX, copyright 1910, Appleton Company.  May 2006. 

            http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09410a.htm

3.         "Tradere."  The Latin Mass; The Journal of Catholic Culture and Tradition.  Fr. Ripperger, 2001.  May, 2006. 

            http://www.latinmassmagazine.com/articles/articles_2001_SP_Ripperger.html

4.         The Spirit Molecule - Rick Strassman, M.D.  June, 2006.

            http://www.rickstrassman.com/

5.         "Misquoting Jesus, The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why," 2005, Bart D. Ehrman.  HarperCollins. 

6.         "The Gnostic Gospels," Elaine Pagels, PhD, Vintage Books, 1981, p 78.

7.         Jupiter's new storm, "Red, Jr." and possible cosmic show.  June, 2006

            http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/space/06/05/jupiter.storms/index.html

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Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Creation vs Evolution
Category: Religion and Philosophy

 
> Creation vs. Evolution
> by Owen Waters
>
> Life is hard. Species can die. In fact, the human race would
> have died long ago if it weren't for the fact that our bodies
> are designed to adapt to a constantly changing environment.
>
> Evolution could be called adaptation, because the ability to
> adapt is the one feature that keeps all life upon Earth alive
> and functioning. In the laboratory, it has been noted that a
> frog can be heated in a beaker of water to a degree that would
> normally be fatal, but it remains alive because it has had the
> time to adapt to the increasing temperature. Had the frog been
> suddenly exposed to water of such high temperature, it would
> have been unable to survive.
>
> Charles Darwin, the pioneer of evolution theory, was a trained
> minister of religion as well as a naturalist. He thought long
> and hard about releasing his findings about the natural
> evolution of the species because he was keenly aware of the
> materialistic element in society which would use this
> information against religion. He was right, of course.
>
> Others used his work to claim that there was no need for
> divine selection when natural selection occurs automatically.
> They have since gone on to claim that all life could have
> risen from prehistoric sludge completely by accident. What
> they don't even begin to explain, however, is the existence
> of consciousness in all of this.
>
> Consciousness is necessary for natural selection and
> adaptation to occur. If you move from a hot climate to a
> cold climate, you will adapt to the new environment,
> but first you had to have the consciousness to decide
> upon the move.
>
> What is consciousness? It is certainly more than a few
> electrical signals bouncing around inside a brain.
> Computers can mimic some limited aspects of the brain
> such as human logic, but they are not self-aware.
> There isn't a computer in the world that can think for
> itself. Computers just follow sets of preset rules, and
> they do so as quickly as possible.
>
> Beneath all forms of consciousness is awareness. A sense of
> being is fundamental to all life because all life is
> constructed from consciousness. Even a solid object like
> a rock is composed of original thought and original feeling
> set into motion. All of life is contained within the
> consciousness of the original Creator, including the
> prehistoric sludge from which the first biological cells
> were formed.
>
> Materialistic science today is in a cul-de-sac.
> There is no way forward for branches of science which
> fail to include consciousness in their theories.
> Consciousness is the most fundamental aspect of life.
> You can't have a universe without it.
>
> Human beings were originally designed and then evolved
> within the framework of a conscious universe, one created
> and developed by the original Creator. It took billions of
> years for planets to form and biological life to emerge and
> evolve, but remember this: Time is a creation of the Creator.
>
> The Creator does not have to wait billions of years to see a
> biological process emerge. Everything happens in the now,
> just in different parts of the tapestry of time, which the
> Creator sees as a whole.
>
> The whole design, inception, development and evolution of the
> universe is happening right now, within that overview, as
> seen by the original Creator. A little tweak here and there
> along the timeline can produce a perfect rendition of any form
> of biological life. Life is too interesting to create in one
> big bang and then just watch it unfold, as if on auto-pilot.
> Life is a work in progress, a true work of art, and the
> Creator has the ability to make adjustments at any point
> along the timelines.
>
> Science today searches for answers, but what it really needs
> is a valid search path. Life did not begin by accident.
> It began by design. Those branches of science which include
> the presence of consciousness will find the answers that
> they seek when they include the existence of original
> consciousness and intelligent design in their search.
>

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Tuesday, August 07, 2007

Yearly Kos
Category: Religion and Philosophy

..

.. Author info --> .. Title and meta -->

Report From Yearly Kos: The Intersection of Science and Progressive Values

Posted August 6, 2007 | 10:29 AM (EST)



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I've been quite fortunate in the past year or so to have appeared not once, but twice, on the central science related panel at the progressive mega-conference Yearly Kos. As a result, I've been able to observe closely the ongoing integration of science into the broader agenda of progressive political advocates and the candidates they support.

In 2006 in Las Vegas, none other than General Wesley Clark headed up the Kos science panel and provided a powerful speech about the centrality of scientific research to our quest for national advancement and social progress. Clark's talk -- paralleled by recent efforts on the part of the Democratic Congress to draw attention to abuses against science by the Bush administration and to ramp up our national competitiveness in science -- showed just how much this sleeper issue has, in the past several years, gone mainstream and merged with core concerns of progressive voters and those who represent them.

The reason for this development is simple: our reality-challenged president. George W. Bush and others in his administration have repeatedly ignored fact and expert analysis on anything from global warming to the war in Iraq to the cost of Medicare prescription-drug reform. So it has fallen to those of us who oppose the direction the country has been heading to simultaneously champion a way of thinking that would have averted so many blunders and disasters: empirical thinking. Scientific thinking. Critical thinking.

In other words, you might say that now more than ever before, we're finally waking up to the fact that the practices of science themselves encode a set of values -- a way of approaching the world, understanding it, and acting within it. At its core, it's a world view that is humble about what we know and don't know, flexible about what we do and don't decide to do, and open about admitting past mistakes and listening to contrary opinion. In short, it's the utter opposite of Bush's stubborn, inflexible, unwavering certainty about everything.

This year at the Yearly Kos science panel -- set in Chicago -- we were not graced by the presence of a famous politician. Yet once again we had a very large crowd, I would guess over 200 people. And once again, the talks honed in on this intersection between a scientific approach to understanding reality and the set of values that flow from that approach.

I opened the panel by airing some lessons from my new book Storm World. The scientific relationship between hurricanes and global warming, I explained, remains murky and incompletely understood. But that hardly means that we ought to throw up our hands and ignore the subject, or simply wait for more research to come in. On the contrary, we have quite a lot at stake; so I argued that we have every right to be worried that storms might be getting worse, and ought to move now to better protect ourselves against them.

That highlights a fundamental truth about most science policy issues: the inescapable fact of both science and reality is that that we never know everything, and never will. Yet this pervasive state of uncertainty hardly lessens the moral imperative to take whatever it is that we do know and use it to improve our lives; and if we fail to do so -- because the issues are too politicized, say -- in the end we will have only ourselves to blame.

After I spoke, physicist Sean Carroll of Caltech and Cosmic Variance addressed a vastly different subject that, nevertheless, led him back to a similar theme. Sean's talk was about, well, the nature of the universe. Mystery solved: It turns out that it's roughly 5% stuff like us, 25% "dark matter," and 70% "dark energy." Or as Sean joked: "The good news is that we understand a lot about the universe. The bad news is that it makes no sense."

But even as Sean gave us a complete and highly entertaining tour of reality, he hit on a much broader theme. The latest research in cosmology suggests that the universe is friggin weird. Indeed, there's probably no bigger blow to the human ego than the fact that because it is of an incomprehensible "dark" nature, "most of the universe can't even be bothered to interact with you," as Sean put it. Nevertheless, he concluded that there's something deeply uplifting about a way of thinking that allowed us to not only uncover but embrace this jaw-dropper of an inconvenient truth -- something that we would never have expected to find, but that becomes inescapable once you survey all the evidence. And by the same token, Sean pointed out that there's something rather shallow and small about an outlook that can't be bothered to confront facts of this unsettling nature.

The final speaker, Ed Brayton of Dispatches From the Culture Wars, brought us back from distant galaxies and into our own communities: He focused on the religious right's extraordinarily successful campaign to pack school boards with anti-science ideologues, a strategy that has resulted in continual legal explosions across the country. In particular, Ed honed in on the well-known Dover, Pennsylvania "intelligent design" case from 2005 as well as a lesser-known example that he's been following closely: The decision by a public school board in Odessa, Texas, to put in place a plainly unconstitutional Bible course.

In contemplating these case studies, Ed drew a distinction between "mundane ignorance" (everyday not-knowing-something, of which we're all repeatedly guilty) and what he called "virulent ignorance": the willful disregard for contrary knowledge and opinion in favor of a set of dubious "facts" that are the result of ideology and indoctrination. To rescue our school boards (and children) from the often virulently ignorant candidates of the religious right, Ed noted that it is long past time for the "people of reason" to run for these offices and provide a little competition. In short, in the face of these repeated assaults, we have to stand by our own set of values.

And if the three Yearly Kos science talks highlighted the values implicit in the scientific world view, they also showed that science is anything but stuffy and boring -- au contraire, it's a heckuva lot of fun. Indeed, I'd venture to suggest that ours may have been among the most entertaining panels at Yearly Kos. Without retelling any of our jokes -- which can't really be recaptured -- suffice it to say that there were many moments when the audience was all but rolling in the aisles. Ed Brayton is trained in stand-up comedy, so this we expect; but I'm happy to say that Sean Carroll and I also drew our fair share of laughs.

A number of folks deserve thanks for helping this panel happen: Tara Smith was our very able moderator; DarkSyde of Daily Kos helped set the whole thing up; Lindsay Beyerstein did a great job snapping pictures (see her blog for examples, including the one below); and Jennifer ("Unstable Isotope") helped ensure that all the technology worked.

My thanks to you all for defending the values of science, reason, and the Enlightenment.


2007-08-06-YKOSscience.jpg


(Separate multiple addresses with commas.)
</DIV>


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Thursday, May 31, 2007

Ozymandias

 

Daily Kos

The New Ozymandias

Fri Apr 14, 2006 at 02:09:17 PM PDT

Ozymandias

- by Percy Bysshe Shelley

I met a traveller from an antique land

 

Who said: -Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert.

Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk, a shatter'd visage lies,


whose frown,

And wrinkled lip,

and sneer of cold command,

Tell that its sculptor well those passions read,

Which yet survive

stamp'd on these lifeless things,

The hand that mock'd them,

and the heart that fed


And on the pedestal these words appear:

"My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings:

Look on my works, ye Mighty,

and despair!"


Nothing beside remains:

Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare

..

The lone and level sands stretch far away.

(Hat tip to thereisnospoon, whose diary inspired me to post this reflection on arrogance.)

Tags: George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Condoleezza Rice, Iraq, Hurricane Katrina, legacy, arrogance, megalomania, sanctimony, Recommended, Percy Bysshe Shelley (all tags)

 

 

 

 




       

      6:48 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

      Saturday, May 19, 2007

      Gnosis
      Category: Religion and Philosophy

      http://www.gnosis.org/gnintro.htm

       

      The Gnostic World View:
      A Brief Summary of Gnosticism

       

      GNOSTICISM IS THE TEACHING based on Gnosis, the knowledge of transcendence arrived at by way of interior, intuitive means. Although Gnosticism thus rests on personal religious experience, it is a mistake to assume all such experience results in Gnostic recognitions. It is nearer the truth to say that Gnosticism expresses a specific religious experience, an experience that does not lend itself to the language of theology or philosophy, but which is instead closely affinitized to, and expresses itself through, the medium of myth. Indeed, one finds that most Gnostic scriptures take the forms of myths. The term "myth" should not here be taken to mean "stories that are not true", but rather, that the truths embodied in these myths are of a different order from the dogmas of theology or the statements of philosophy.

      In the following summary, we will attempt to encapsulate in prose what the Gnostic myths express in their distinctively poetic and imaginative language.

      The Cosmos

      All religious traditions acknowledge that the world is imperfect. Where they differ is in the explanations which they offer to account for this imperfection and in what they suggest might be done about it. Gnostics have their own -- perhaps quite startling -- view of these matters: they hold that the world is flawed because it was created in a flawed manner.

      Like Buddhism, Gnosticism begins with the fundamental recognition that earthly life is filled with suffering. In order to nourish themselves, all forms of life consume each other, thereby visiting pain, fear, and death upon one another (even herbivorous animals live by destroying the life of plants). In addition, so-called natural catastrophes -- earthquakes, floods, fires, drought, volcanic eruptions -- bring further suffering and death in their wake. Human beings, with their complex physiology and psychology, are aware not only of these painful features of earthly existence. They also suffer from the frequent recognition that they are strangers living in a world that is flawed and absurd.

      Many religions advocate that humans are to be blamed for the imperfections of the world. Supporting this view, they interpret the Genesis myth as declaring that transgressions committed by the first human pair brought about a "fall" of creation resulting in the present corrupt state of the world. Gnostics respond that this interpretation of the myth is false. The blame for the world's failings lies not with humans, but with the creator. Since -- especially in the monotheistic religions -- the creator is God, this Gnostic position appears blasphemous, and is often viewed with dismay even by non-believers.

      Ways of evading the recognition of the flawed creation and its flawed creator have been devised over and over, but none of these arguments have impressed Gnostics. The ancient Greeks, especially the Platonists, advised people to look to the harmony of the universe, so that by venerating its grandeur they might forget their immediate afflictions. But since this harmony still contains the cruel flaws, forlornness and alienation of existence, this advice is considered of little value by Gnostics. Nor is the Eastern idea of Karma regarded by Gnostics as an adequate explanation of creation's imperfection and suffering. Karma at best can only explain how the chain of suffering and imperfection works. It does not inform us in the first place why such a sorrowful and malign system should exist.

      Once the initial shock of the "unusual" or "blasphemous" nature of the Gnostic explanation for suffering and imperfection of the world wears off, one may begin to recognize that it is in fact the most sensible of all explanations. To appreciate it fully, however, a familiarity with the Gnostic conception of the Godhead is required, both in its original essence as the True God and in its debased manifestation as the false or creator God.

      Deity

      The Gnostic God concept is more subtle than that of most religions. In its way, it unites and reconciles the recognitions of Monotheism and Polytheism, as well as of Theism, Deism and Pantheism.

      William BlakeIn the Gnostic view, there is a true, ultimate and transcendent God, who is beyond all created universes and who never created anything in the sense in which the word "create" is ordinarily understood. While this True God did not fashion or create anything, He (or, It) "emanated" or brought forth from within Himself the substance of all there is in all the worlds, visible and invisible. In a certain sense, it may therefore be true to say that all is God, for all consists of the substance of God. By the same token, it must also be recognized that many portions of the original divine essence have been projected so far from their source that they underwent unwholesome changes in the process. To worship the cosmos, or nature, or embodied creatures is thus tantamount to worshipping alienated and corrupt portions of the emanated divine essence.

      The basic Gnostic myth has many variations, but all of these refer to Aeons, intermediate deific beings who exist between the ultimate, True God and ourselves. They, together with the True God, comprise the realm of Fullness (Pleroma) wherein the potency of divinity operates fully. The Fullness stands in contrast to our existential state, which in comparison may be called emptiness.

      One of the aeonial beings who bears the name Sophia ("Wisdom") is of great importance to the Gnostic world view. In the course of her journeyings, Sophia came to emanate from her own being a flawed consciousness, a being who became the creator of the material and psychic cosmos, all of which he created in the image of his own flaw. This being, unaware of his origins, imagined himself to be the ultimate and absolute God. Since he took the already existing divine essence and fashioned it into various forms, he is also called the Demiurgos or "half-maker" There is an authentic half, a true deific component within creation, but it is not recognized by the half-maker and by his cosmic minions, the Archons or "rulers".

      The Human Being

      Human nature mirrors the duality found in the world: in part it was made by the false creator God and in part it consists of the light of the True God. Humankind contains a perishable physical and psychic component, as well as a spiritual component which is a fragment of the divine essence. This latter part is often symbolically referred to as the "divine spark". The recognition of this dual nature of the world and of the human being has earned the Gnostic tradition the epithet of "dualist".

      Humans are generally ignorant of the divine spark resident within them. This ignorance is fostered in human nature by the influence of the false creator and his Archons, who together are intent upon keeping men and women ignorant of their true nature and destiny. Anything that causes us to remain attached to earthly things serves to keep us in enslavement to these lower cosmic rulers. Death releases the divine spark from its lowly prison, but if there has not been a substantial work of Gnosis undertaken by the soul prior to death, it becomes likely that the divine spark will be hurled back into, and then re-embodied within, the pangs and slavery of the physical world.

      Not all humans are spiritual (pneumatics) and thus ready for Gnosis and liberation. Some are earthbound and materialistic beings (hyletics), who recognize only the physical reality. Others live largely in their psyche (psychics). Such people usually mistake the Demiurge for the True God and have little or no awareness of the spiritual world beyond matter and mind.

      In the course of history, humans progress from materialistic sensate slavery, by way of ethical religiosity, to spiritual freedom and liberating Gnosis. As the scholar G. Quispel wrote: "The world-spirit in exile must go through the Inferno of matter and the Purgatory of morals to arrive at the spiritual Paradise." This kind of evolution of consciousness was envisioned by the Gnostics, long before the concept of evolution was known.

      Salvation

      Evolutionary forces alone are insufficient, however, to bring about spiritual freedom. Humans are caught in a predicament consisting of physical existence combined with ignorance of their true origins, their essential nature and their ultimate destiny. To be liberated from this predicament, human beings require help, although they must also contribute their own efforts.

      From earliest times Messengers of the Light have come forth from the True God in order to assist humans in their quest for Gnosis. Only a few of these salvific figures are mentioned in Gnostic scripture; some of the most important are Seth (the third Son of Adam), Jesus, and the Prophet Mani. The majority of Gnostics always looked to Jesus as the principal savior figure (the Soter).

      Gnostics do not look to salvation from sin (original or other), but rather from the ignorance of which sin is a consequence. Ignorance -- whereby is meant ignorance of spiritual realities -- is dispelled only by Gnosis, and the decisive revelation of Gnosis is brought by the Messengers of Light, especially by Christ, the Logos of the True God. It is not by His suffering and death but by His life of teaching and His establishing of mysteries that Christ has performed His work of salvation.

      The Gnostic concept of salvation, like other Gnostic concepts, is a subtle one. On the one hand, Gnostic salvation may easily be mistaken for an unmediated individual experience, a sort of spiritual do-it-yourself project. Gnostics hold that the potential for Gnosis, and thus, of salvation is present in every man and woman, and that salvation is not vicarious but individual. At the same time, they also acknowledge that Gnosis and salvation can be, indeed must be, stimulated and facilitated in order to effectively arise within consciousness. This stimulation is supplied by Messengers of Light who, in addition to their teachings, establish salvific mysteries (sacraments) which can be administered by apostles of the Messengers and their successors.

      One needs also remember that knowledge of our true nature -- as well as other associated realizations -- are withheld from us by our very condition of earthly existence. The True God of transcendence is unknown in this world, in fact He is often called the Unknown Father. It is thus obvious that revelation from on High is needed to bring about salvation. The indwelling spark must be awakened from its terrestrial slumber by the saving knowledge that comes "from without".

      Conduct

      If the words "ethics" or "morality" are taken to mean a system of rules, then Gnosticism is opposed to them both. Such systems usually originate with the Demiurge and are covertly designed to serve his purposes. If, on the other hand, morality is said to consist of an inner integrity arising from the illumination of the indwelling spark, then the Gnostic will embrace this spiritually informed existential ethic as ideal.

      To the Gnostic, commandments and rules are not salvific; they are not substantially conducive to salvation. Rules of conduct may serve numerous ends, including the structuring of an ordered and peaceful society, and the maintenance of harmonious relations within social groups. Rules, however, are not relevant to salvation; that is brought about only by Gnosis. Morality therefore needs to be viewed primarily in temporal and secular terms; it is ever subject to changes and modifications in accordance with the spiritual development of the individual.

      As noted in the discussion above, "hyletic materialists" usually have little interest in morality, while "psychic disciplinarians" often grant to it a great importance. In contrast, "Pneumatic spiritual" persons are generally more concerned with other, higher matters. Different historical periods also require variant attitudes regarding human conduct. Thus both the Manichaean and Cathar Gnostic movements, which functioned in times where purity of conduct was regarded as an issue of high import, responded in kind. The present period of Western culture perhaps resembles in more ways that of second and third century Alexandria. It seems therefore appropriate that Gnostics in our age adopt the attitudes of classical Alexandrian Gnosticism, wherein matters of conduct were largely left to the insight of the individual.

      Gnosticism embraces numerous general attitudes toward life: it encourages non-attachment and non-conformity to the world, a "being in the world, but not of the world"; a lack of egotism; and a respect for the freedom and dignity of other beings. Nonetheless, it appertains to the intuition and wisdom of every individual "Gnostic" to distill from these principles individual guidelines for their personal application.

      Destiny

      When Confucius was asked about death, he replied: "Why do you ask me about death when you do not know how to live?" This answer might easily have been given by a Gnostic. To a similar question posed in the Gnostic Gospel of Thomas, Jesus answered that human beings must come by Gnosis to know the ineffable, divine reality from whence they have originated, and whither they will return. This transcendental knowledge must come to them while they are still embodied on earth.

      Death does not automatically bring about liberation from bondage in the realms of the Demiurge. Those who have not attained to a liberating Gnosis while they were in embodiment may become trapped in existence once more. It is quite likely that this might occur by way of the cycle of rebirths. Gnosticism does not emphasize the doctrine of reincarnation prominently, but it is implicitly understood in most Gnostic teachings that those who have not made effective contact with their transcendental origins while they were in embodiment would have to return into the sorrowful condition of earthly life.

      In regard to salvation, or the fate of the spirit and soul after death, one needs to be aware that help is available. Valentinus, the greatest of Gnostic teachers, taught that Christ and Sophia await the spiritual man -- the pneumatic Gnostic -- at the entrance of the Pleroma, and help him to enter the bridechamber of final reunion. Ptolemaeus, disciple of Valentinus, taught that even those not of pneumatic status, the psychics, could be redeemed and live in a heavenworld at the entrance of the Pleroma. In the fullness of time, every spiritual being will receive Gnosis and will be united with its higher Self -- the angelic Twin -- thus becoming qualified to enter the Pleroma. None of this is possible, however, without earnest striving for Gnosis.

      Gnosis and Psyche: The Depth Psychological Connection

      Throughout the twentieth Century the new scientific discipline of depth psychology has gained much prominence. Among the depth psychologists who have shown a pronounced and informed interest in Gnosticism, a place of signal distinction belongs to C. G. Jung. Jung was instrumental in calling attention to the Nag Hammadi library of Gnostic writings in the 1950's because he perceived the outstanding psychological relevance of Gnostic insights.

      Carl Gustav Jung, 1875 - 1961The noted scholar of Gnosticism, G. Filoramo, wrote: "Jung's reflections had long been immersed in the thought of the ancient Gnostics to such an extent that he considered them the virtual discoverers of 'depth psychology' . . . ancient Gnosis, albeit in its form of universal religion, in a certain sense prefigured, and at the same time helped to clarify, the nature of Jungian spiritual therapy." In the light of such recognitions one may ask: "Is Gnosticism a religion or a psychology?" The answer is that it may very-well be both. Most mythologems found in Gnostic scriptures possess psychological relevance and applicability. For instance the blind and arrogant creator-demiurge bears a close resemblance to the alienated human ego that has lost contact with the ontological Self. Also, the myth of Sophia resembles closely the story of the human psyche that loses its connection with the collective unconscious and needs to be rescued by the Self. Analogies of this sort exist in great profusion.

      Many esoteric teachings have proclaimed, "As it is above, so it is below." Our psychological nature (the microcosm) mirrors metaphysical nature (the macrocosm), thus Gnosticism may possess both a psychological and a religious authenticity. Gnostic psychology and Gnostic religion need not be exclusive of one another but may complement each other within an implicit order of wholeness. Gnostics have always held that divinity is immanent within the human spirit, although it is not limited to it. The convergence of Gnostic religious teaching with psychological insight is thus quite understandable in terms of time-honored Gnostic principles.

      Conclusion

      Some writers make a distinction between "Gnosis" and "Gnosticism". Such distinctions are both helpful and misleading. Gnosis is undoubtedly an experience based not in concepts and precepts, but in the sensibility of the heart. Gnosticism, on the other hand, is the world-view based on the experience of Gnosis. For this reason, in languages other than English, the word Gnosis is often used to denote both the experience and the world view (die Gnosis in German, la Gnose in French).

      In a sense, there is no Gnosis without Gnosticism, for the experience of Gnosis inevitably calls forth a world view wherein it finds its place. The Gnostic world view is experiential, it is based on a certain kind of spiritual experience of Gnosis. Therefore, it will not do to omit, or to dilute, various parts of the Gnostic world view, for were one to do this, the world view would no longer conform to experience.

      Theology has been called an intellectual wrapping around the spiritual kernel of a religion. If this is true, then it is also true that most religions are being strangled and stifled by their wrappings. Gnosticism does not run this danger, because its world view is stated in myth rather than in theology. Myths, including the Gnostic myths, may be interpreted in diverse ways. Transcendence, numinosity, as well as psychological archetypes along with other elements, play a role in such interpretation. Still, such mythic statements tell of profound truths that will not be denied.

      Gnosticism can bring us such truths with a high authority, for it speaks with the voice of the highest part of the human -- the spirit. Of this spirit, it has been said, "it bloweth where it listeth". This then is the reason why the Gnostic world view could not be extirpated in spite of many centuries of persecution.

      The Gnostic world view has always been timely, for it always responded best to the "knowledge of the heart" that is true Gnosis. Yet today, its timeliness is increasing, for the end of the second millennium has seen the radical deterioration of many ideologies which evaded the great questions and answers addressed by Gnosticism. The clarity, frankness, and authenticity of the Gnostic answer to the questions of the human predicament cannot fail to impress and (in time) to convince. If your reactions to this summary have been of a similarly positive order, then perhaps you are a Gnostic yourself!

      + Stephan A. Hoeller (Tau Stephanus, Gnostic Bishop)

       

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      5:58 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

      Tuesday, May 01, 2007

      interesting website