The neglected universal truths of Jesus Christ

The Neglected Universal Truths of Jesus Christ

“Any valuable extension of awareness is directly determined, by the re-discovery of neglected truths”. Marshall McLuhan

"The fault dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves" Shakespeare's play Julius Ceasar. Jesus recognized this and hence his teaching and revelation was all about transcending the duality of the worlds kingdoms.

The Unfinished Revelation

Like the disciples, to whom Jesus said--referring to his teaching--this may be too much for you to understand right now, we to remain in the dark about the essential message of Jesus.

Thanks to Rene Girard’s comprehensive interpretation, we can finally understand and unfold the Truth that, even, a ten year old can appreciate.

Because we all have different, beliefs, experience and conditioning, what passes for truth for one, another will refute, not having the same background, experience and conditioning. But the Universal Truths of Jesus transcend the contradictions above and provide insight, into our hidden motivations; which are the cause of conflict, division and violence universally. You could say the difference in truths at the level of your experience, provides you with a particular point of view, whereas Jesus provides a viewpoint that encompasses the different points of view, and goes beyond them.

Even though an intellectual grasp of these Universal Truths, can open our minds, it can also lead to displacement, so it can be seen as the first step, but other experiences can also lead to conversion, faith, the Grace of God and good works. Conversion can occur, thereby transcending our usual way of acting and re-acting to daily experience, putting into practice, the essential admonishments of the God of Jesus Christ, Forgiveness, Non-violence and Love (compassion) for our fellow man/women, not as an idea but an actual feeling. Those who come to understand the teaching are in danger of feeling superior to those that don't and so continue the scapegoating mechanism unconsciously.

Maybe you can develop an appreciation for others, when you know the joy of being yourself.

Conversion is the deeply felt realization, that much of man’s behaviour and beliefs are based on illusion, especially when they lead to conflict and violence.

Afterwards you experience, it is said a negative capability that allows you, to appreciate this precious moment of life; you no longer feel indignant, persecuted or any feeling, which are all part of the satanic constellation. Conversion returns meaning to life, which is not outside you; life is its own meaning.

What we need is to find something truthful to believe in, seeing that we’re Christians—and I know no other Holy Book that can compare to the Judeo-Christian Bible—we need only look to the wisdom throughout it’s, Old and New Testaments, for proof of that.

The Christian Right Needs to straighten up and fly Straight

Seeing it just as a formula, and paying lip service to its creed, could put you amongst the militant congregations of the Christian right in the USA and Canada. They preach such things as, God wants you to be wealthy, directly contradicting, Mathew 6:19, “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust does corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal”: and “And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God”.

The Christian Right, justify extreme sanctions against those they disagree with, and exhibit what they believe is righteous anger, which comes from their Pastors and scribes love of the God of Vengeance of the Old Testament. They also favour Jesus Christ, but apparently not his father, who is a God of forgiveness, non-violence, love and compassion. They favour the God of vengeance of the Old Testament, because of his strictness and uncompromising demeanour, and so they fall heir to neglecting these three God given qualities.

Their so called charismatic Pastors and Televangelists mesmerize and control their flock, through the fear of hellfire and damnation. Speaking from the pulpit, with righteous anger and indignation, and, using the same bag of tricks, as most pundits use, on Television and talk radio. The pundits provide material, which will satisfy our need and our love of scapegoating and malicious gossip, even though there is a strong element of political correctness and repression of true feelings, in the background. Pundits amongst other things, give us what most of us want to hear, gossip sometimes malicious, and the ability to scapegoat others, which we love to do, thereby strengthening our own self-image. So if you accept, that we live in an unadjusted society desperately, trying to swim against the current, scapegoating and gossip provides an outlet for the stress and tension which builds up and needs an outlet.

When and if you’re gifted with the transcendence then you no longer have need of releasing stress by gossip or scapegoating or any negative way.

Members of the congregation--fearing loss of identity and positive self image-- become unable to think for themselves, having been robbed of the ability to live with proper proportionality. They attempt to speak with the frightening power of the God of vengeance of the Old Testament, and are insiders looking out, judging and condemning all they disagree with outside their solemn temples, and gorgeous palaces.

The Christian Right runs on the negative energy of excessive, righteous anger and divisive polarity, with a vengeance; as exemplified by such a spokesperson as Rush Limbaugh, who is terrified of having the country run by and tainted by any Liberal or Democratic ideals. Lately he has toned down his approach, but still covet’s a large enough audience to demand 20 million or so a year, salary from his talk show. Recently his views are being held in check by most politically correct and less attention seeking Christians of the ultra-Right, who recognize the need to hide their hatred, of Liberal ideas and so appear less militant and are becoming more secretive.

“Violence whether spiritual or physical, is a quest for identity and the meaningful; the less identity the more violence”, Marshall McLuhan, our late internationally famous Media Guru and a devout Christian. Unfortunately non-believers, atheists, agnostics and reluctant Christians generally lack a meaningful identity, while the Christian Right obviously have an identity, albeit one based on illusion. Conversion provides a positive stress free identity, all thanks to Jesus’ love of mankind.

I don’t believe in scapegoating, but seeing that we're are at the 11^th hour, I am called to speak against illusory ideas, customs, beliefs and myths, "ICBM,s", and reveal how they are able to trigger division and violence; while the triggering mechanism of their effects(division and violence), remain hidden from consciousness.

As far as being a hypocrite for seeming to scapegoat the Christian Right, I can only say I have nothing personal against anyone in particular. But I challenge their stated and unstated ICBM's and their version of truth, which seems to be dominated by protocol, prohibitions and principles instead of what actually works. I welcome them to challenge my words and interpretation of what Christianity is and what Jesus meant?

They do have some relevant criticisms of society that can be argued, but they assume their right across the board and are not open to truth, but reflec to me what Jesus called the Kingdoms of this world". The revelation and teaching of Jesus can be seen as a formula for proper living ,I can only repeat what Jesus said from the cross and this applies to all Mankind, “Forgive them Father for they know not what they do”.

Three Universal Truths Leading to Conversion

1/ “Forgive them Father for they know not what they do” Luke: 23: 34,

Well known by Christians, but usually taken as a platitude by most, because of its familiarity, it is a Universal Truth, and the “first use of psychology in history”, as stated by Rene Girard. According to Science—like, our use of correct grammar when having a conversation is a sub-conscious process--the triggering of conflict, division and violence, is also an unconscious process. So we are not as guilty as we may think, the trigger that ends in conflict and violence is in the pre-conscious aspect of consciousness. We call this repository, the Satanic Constellation™ in order to answer Rene Girard’s call for a way of integrating all the negative conflict and violence causing elements of human behaviour into a logical framework; and transform it into real formal knowledge, enabling it to be taught in school. We use that term the Satanic Constellation, because of our familiarity, however poorly, of the role of Satan in the Holy Bible, so we could assume that those elements--see below--are a result of Satan having possession of us.

So under this umbrella of the SC, there are in our sub-conscious, memories of physical and emotional pain, quickly erased from consciousness, for our protection, by the brains protective mechanisms. Elements like—but not limited to--envy, jealousy, rivalry, resentment, hatred, racism also dwell there, some acting as triggering devices for the “Flight or Fight” response, usually unnecessarily. We will elaborate on the SC on an upcoming post.

2/ Jesus’ Revelation encourages followers to imitate and follow his example throughout the Gospels.

It proves that Jesus knew, and his understanding has since become common knowledge, that Humankinds most important characteristic is our need to imitate. Without imitating, we could not have learned language nor created culture. Jesus knew that imitation was a double edged sword, depending, who and what we imitate. So in order to protect us from falling victim to the many dangers inherit in imitation, he urged us to imitate him, for he imitates no man but his Father, in the Kingdom of God.

“But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right check, turn to him the other also”. Math. 5: 39 Don’t imitate the attack and fight back, you are willing to die before fighting back, fight back by revealing the truth.

3/ Jesus revealed the scapegoat mechanism, throughout the New Testament--citing the many Prophets that were murdered from the foundation of the world-- and allowed himself to be scapegoated, to expose and bring Satan out in the open, and make this evil, universally recognized for ever. “Now is the judgement of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me”. John 12: 31, 32. Thus revealing forever, mankind’s hidden love of the scapegoating mechanism. See “I see Satan fall like lightening” by Rene Girard, for further elaboration on the scapegoat mechanism.

Scapegoating today, can be recognized by how quickly we condemn another or another race, group or country, when they have done something untoward, but quickly rationalize our own indiscretions. See post number 1 Road Rage.

A further Universal Truth that is not mentioned, that I know of, is Proverbs 21: 2, “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes; but the lord pondereth the hearts”, aptly describes our behaviour, except we usually don’t ponder the hearts! See, “Mistakes Were Made but not by me”, a book by Elliot Aaronson, on how we hate to admit to mistakes or bad decisions, that proves the correctness of the Proverb, using George Bush as an example. You could compare its effect on you, by the analogy of being between frequencies on radio, to the feeling you get when you tune into the proper frequency.

But between us and the Truth, are three stumbling blocks, which first must be understood, before we can move ahead to the possibility of freedom from the negative philosophy of the Kingdoms of this world, and the conflict originating in ourselves, and our interrelationships.

Impediments to Recognizing Truth in Post-Modernity

1/ Because, over many years, ideas, and religious beliefs, have not solved our conflict and violence ridden, international and inter-personal relations, we’ve become weary of any new ideas, prescriptions, or proscriptions that purport to do so. The Social contract for instance, is no longer workable, ‘you leave me alone and I won’t bother you’, “but we need your oil”!

Many Academics, Scientists and scholarly types, attack Christianity and any new theories in the field of human behaviour, not unlike Rene Girard’s unbelievable breakthrough in the field of human behaviour. You need only Google his name and discover a wealth of knowledge, which was previously unknown and unstated. The pessimism of most of our intellectuals, scientists and academics, are not ready to lead us into ‘a golden age’, by any means, because there in the ivory tower, looking in the rear view mirror again!

Perhaps we’re at a tipping point, when we have to ask the question, which logos (word) shall we believe? Either we choose, the logos of Heraclitus, a pre-Socratic philosopher, who said, that all good things come through suffering, conflict and violence, and who eventually became a village idiot. His philosophy was adopted by Nietzsche, who also ended up one card short of a deck. The logos of Heraclitus inspired such aphorisms as, “get as much as you can, as fast as you can, and let the devil take the hind quarter”. Nietzsche became the patron saint of the Nazi party. Capitalism has become, over time, heir to its philosophy; the Religious Right became its mentor, business, and political partner. In its pursuit of profit, business will attempt to defend its right to despoil the planet and lay waste to the world.

Or we choose the logos, the word made flesh in the body of Jesus Christ, who revealed the scapegoating mechanism of Satan and brought him out in broad daylight, revealing his rouse forever. His father the God or Creator of all that is, was, or ever will be, is a God of forgiveness, non-violence and love (compassion). Because we left the Bible and the Revelation of Jesus Christ unfinished, we have not completed our understanding of the Universal Truths that Jesus revealed.

When Leonard Cohen used that line in his 94 CD, “when they said repent, repent, I wondered what they meant” he was referring I think to the Christian Right, not to the Christianity of Jesus Christ. Moses gave the law, John the Baptist required atonement and remorse, Jesus Christ, brought grace and the freedom of conversion, through his revelation, and required only that you go and sin no more. Jesus recognized that, we don’t know what triggers division and violence, so we’re not as guilty as we think, not having understood his revelation, see first U.T. above.

Here’s what singer, songwriter, poet and reluctant seer, Leonard Cohen had to say about Jesus in his song “the Future” on his 94 album of the same name.

“When they said repent, repent, I wondered what they meant,

You don’t know me from the wind, you never will, you never did,

I’m the little Jew who wrote the Bible, I’ve seen the nations rise and fall,

I heard their stories heard them all, but love’s the only engine of survival,

Your servant here he has been told, to say it clear, to say it cold,

It’s over; it ain’t going any further,

And now the wheels of heaven stop, you feel the devil’s riding crop,

Get ready for the future it is murder.”

2/ Mankind as a whole cannot face the fact that we’ve been wrong about a lot of things, having filled our minds with knowledge that enables us to expound on whatever, and have little room therein for anything else. The point being any admission by us of having erred would, to our mind, do damage to our self-image. See Proverbs 21:2. Needing to be right in our own eyes has, as is documented in Aaronson’s book, makes us do the most stupid things imaginable, because of that need to be right. They see people’s disagreeing with them as a personal attack, and re-arm themselves for more argument, instead of researching what the new buzz is all about. Being unable to bend in the wind, they often break down.

Three famous Atheists, whom are responding to criticism of their views, and attacks, on the Bible--for which they’ve become famous throughout the world—have, instead of investigating the latest unprecedented interpretation of someone like Rene Girard, or any of the Girardians, seek only to “throw the baby out with the bathwater”. Again they must be responding to the Christian Rights interpretation of the Bible, which leaves a lot to be desired, as far as common sense, and unfolding truth goes.

3/ Culture with its ever improving technology, has to some extent adapted to the city of Cain, after having killed his brother out of jealousy, and being banished from God’s presence he founded the first city, Canaan. Over time, the free market and Capitalism began to become popular as a means to create a sustainable society, and provide man with a means to provide for his family.

Man’s selfish greed and insatiable appetite for wealth and power soon created a disparity between the rich and the poor, who remain to this day underprivileged and easily forgotten. In other words we have evolved to become corrupt throughout society. Today we’re lost to the more popular religion of celebrity, self-interest, entertainment, greed and the demands created by the mass media, not to mention its effects on our sensorium, and the resulting pressure put on our traditional values and codes of behaviour. It might not be without its merits, but its philosophy no longer serves us well enough, to ensure our survival and eliminate the possibility of rapidly approaching apocalypse.

It’s time to consider, and understand for the first time, the essential revelation and teaching of Jesus Christ, which has become a lot easier through the interpretation provided by Rene Girard. Who had this to say about us, “Human relationships are seen as normally good, peaceful and so forth, whereas in reality, there competitive in a war-like fashion”. And that, “True Christianity is not about peace, but truth”.

“Come unto me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart,

And you shall find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Mathew 11: 28, 29, 30.

In case some of you think that Jesus was a softie, “If anyone scandalize (abuse) these little children, it were better that he had a millstone placed around his neck, and was tossed to the bottom of the sea”, a hell of a lot, of that going on today, abuse that is. And to clarify his reason for coming, he said “I come not to bring peace to the world, but a sword; “I will turn those of their own household against each other”

He said this because he knew that you have to fight for Christianity; “pick up your cross daily and follow me”. And don,t forget this verse, when asked by one of his followers if he could attend a funeral of one of his relatives,Jesus said "Let the dead bury the dead", that illustrates the passion he had for his calling. Unfortunately for us he was taken by the Religion of his time and crucified as a common criminal.

2nd draft, subject to revision.

Fri. Oct. O2 /09