Without Question but with Doubt?
In the movie “The Book of Eli,” starring Denzel Washington, his character was the blind guardian of the Holy Bible. The Holy Bible and its teachings were in danger of extinction and were obsessively sought after by the evil antagonist, Carnegie. Carnegie believed that the book’s power rested in its ability to control the hearts and minds of the people.
Ultimately, he believed that the possessor would have tremendous power over the people. The belief of the people in the word of this book, the book’s implied integrity, and the assumed authenticity of the book could be exploited to control them, deceive them, and make them obedient by their dedicated worship.
When the people believed, their belief would be susceptible to engineer justifications and accept otherwise unreasonable assumptions or conditions by a mysterious mandate from an invisible deity who required obedience and would be unquestionable.
The devoted religious stipulations would concede complete submission and worship. It would be reinforced by parents, family, culture, community, and sometimes country as a foregone supposition. It is an indoctrination that integrates with one’s identity and requires the compliance of one’s actions.
I have been conflicted by this topic for quite some time and have tried to avoid it, but it keeps coming back, compelling me to ask the questions I have pondered to further reconcile my indoctrination with my acquired knowledge. Therein lies the dilemma, follow my upbringing of what I was conditioned to believe. Or follow my discoveries that challenge the validity of that acceptance.
Can two things be true that are diametrically in conflict on many levels, and any attempt to merge them still leaves distance and inconsistencies that only raise more questions? What I was introduced to believe from a child was not my choice and maybe not even my people’s choice for them to accept and teach, but it was all they knew.
Having studied and researched religion and history, I can’t help but venture into uncomfortable territory searching for the truth. I seek the truth by definitively deciphering religion without any emotional influence or feeling any betrayal of my ancestral conditioning.
Deductive reasoning leaves me even more baffled. What I was taught was out of love. The best belief and “knowledge” available to them at the time. A belief down to their DNA instilling obedience to and worship of the Lord. It is no doubt that perpetuated beliefs in the devil, prayer, and God has kept people in submission, acquiescing to enduring hardships as a test of faith.
This being the will of the Lord, even if it is in direct opposition to his very “attributed” words and teachings. The concept keeps you in constant subservient despair for a reward to come after death, although no one has verified or bore witness to this “glory” called the afterlife of judgment and salvation. I guess that is why they call it belief in faith.
In theory, you would remain in limbo in some dimension until judgment day, which by our general knowledge includes every human being ever born or at least since the time of Jesus. That would be an astronomical number of people awaiting judgment day at the same time. Imagine the logistics of processing all those souls simultaneously and keeping the records accurate, but that is the power of God or your qualifying explanation which I shall not dare question.
In the movie, Eli was blind, yet he navigated the world and defended himself without any obvious limitation, seemingly having sight and being guided by the vision of faith. That single-purpose vision enabled him to “blindly” commit to the deliverance of the book.
Although the book was physically taken from him, it was intricately fused in his mind and psyche through constant exposure and relentless repetition. His existence, adherence to the Bible’s words, and deliverance of that word to the masses consumed him until his death, even having caused his death. So strong was his belief in the word and his determination to deliver the word that he willingly died for it, accepting that complete sacrifice may be required.
That is a possibility when you are a true believer, knowing that no suffering is too great or too long to satisfy the unquestioned wisdom of God or to submit to the evil of Man by turning the other cheek. Even the Lord needed warriors such as Joshua, but we, the meek, shall inherit the world through our suffering.
Logically and physically, turning the other cheek would conceivably end with you having two swollen and sore cheeks while waiting for them to tire of slapping you, but this is what is required by God, for the love of God, and love of your brothers or sisters. So dare not rise up against someone who is harming you but let the Lord handle it. But what about their accountability for the love of you and their obedience to God?
Would not God deal with the one in violation instead of demanding the obedient suffer under his “protection”? The old testament eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth is to be forsaken for the new testament of turn the other cheek and walk the extra mile. When God tires of nonsense, his wrath is felt to smite you, but you suck it up when you tire. That is the disadvantage of not being the Lord our God. Remember vengeance, be it the Lord’s.
Since the beginning of humanity, or as I prefer humanity, that body of life that demonstrates kindness, mercy, and compassion that is uniquely displayed only by humans, there has been questionable behavior towards others and often decreed by religion in the name of God. Murder, genocide, biblical curses, sufferings, and slavery are prevalent in “Christian” teachings and tolerances while committed for the glory of God?
Not only is it throughout history, but it is also in the book. It continues to be practiced and justified by those in strict obedience and adherence to the Bible and their “Christian” faith of self-declared believers and overseers. If that sounds horrible, perhaps this is even worse as the two-edged sword efficiently cuts sharply in both directions, those who are directed by it and those who have it directed against them. Just as practicing “Christianity” allows them to do it, practicing the same “Christianity” demands that you accept it.
It is recommended that you pray on it regarding any injustice and toss it up to the Lord for review and consideration. You can even assemble your warriors, prayer warriors, that is, and submit a complaint to heavenly HR for review, and a divine sign will be notifying you regarding your submission.
Prayer may take time as the system has not been updated in thousands of years and is believed to have quite a backlog. Prayer can be defined as a solemn request for help or expression of gratitude requiring trust and belief in a controlling power greater than yourself to gain favor or to acknowledge favor received but always from a position below best expressed humbly from your knees. A humble servant remains in no position to demand or even timely expect, only to request obediently.
The Lord is never late but right on time and may not be there when you want him but will be there when you need him. If it weren’t for it being the Lord, these terms of engagement would most likely have to be renegotiated to reflect the price you pay for the services rendered.
We all know that the greatest trick the devil ever pulled was making you think he didn’t exist but what if the greatest trick the Christians pulled was making you believe he did exist? This is not to be blasphemous but to explore alternative concepts that may strengthen our belief and resolve in “Christianity.” I assume we can all stand to have our thoughts be more fully discussed, accepted, and understood without fear that they will be shaken or changed.
If we are true to our beliefs, then our beliefs will not be diminished but increased, and I have no intent or purpose of changing your beliefs lacking the power or will to do so but just request your assistance in clarifying mine. The truth can always stand examination to verify that it is the truth, so fear not, but as I said, it was uncomfortable for me, so I acknowledge that it may be uncomfortable for you as well. Indeed we can move forward to explore not our belief or our right to believe in what we choose but my point about it.
Our beliefs in life cannot be too fragile to forbid discussion even if that discussion is challenging or an opposing viewpoint. My viewpoint is not opposing, but our conviction should not be proven to be fleeting or too weak to process additional knowledge or opinions. This is not about opinion and definitely not about mine but a conversation devoid of emotions and sacrilegious safeguards that discourages historical insight.
This leaves religious interpretations for our own discretions. Our religious interpretations are our business alone but let us explore some things that we all know and some things that we may not all know to more fully understand the context of my point. Just as our “Christianity “cannot be contested, so is it with my point because it is not my declaration of opinion but the expression of historical fact.
Notwithstanding, the time before the written word and the foundation of Christianity. Nor the veracity or content of its teachings or existence of its principal players. Even the events and accounts therein because it is immaterial to my point. It is immaterial to my point, but my point may bring about our further examination of those very concerns. Etymology is the study of the origins and true meaning of words which are the building blocks of language.
Time brings about evolution in the usage and meaning of certain words creating and distorting understanding of these words over time. Before the written word, the reliability of word of mouth was subjected to he say she say accuracy and the limitations of descriptions by the available vocabulary. What an ancient might have described as a fire-belching creature we may very well call a UFO today or aircraft.
There is no direct knowledge, a consensus of acceptance, or rational accounts of much of the Bible, including the Garden of Eden, Jesus’s life, the many books not included in the Bible, and God himself. Do we genuinely know aside from belief alone and acceptance of that which “has been written” and told?
The accepted depiction of Jesus is blasphemous in its presentation and altered over time to reflect the characteristics of the population of the people it influenced, even the existence of a variety of depictions of Jesus’s appearance among other non-white nationalities.
Furthermore, centuries had passed without a portrayal of Jesus revealing his actual physical characteristics because it was forbidden. Finally, a composite portrait was commissioned and introduced called the Head of Christ by Warner Sallman in 1940, which is widely accepted and a portrait of Jesus. So complete is this heresy that just asks any child the color of Jesus, and they will tell you white.
This portrait was an extension of Eugenics to convey Christ with a halo, and angelic Caucasian features as an imaged to be worshipped and an implication that God is white, and whites are Jesus like to be elevated above all races. Thus, the two-edged sword of superiority and inferiority psychologically and culturally established an engineered justification of systemic racism and a race-based hierarchy in society.
It is a contorted interpretation. The Bible does not remotely give this depiction, nor does the geological population of historical accuracy, yet this is still the standard that is accepted as open propaganda. It raises the question of what else might there be to the psychological and cultural collusions unknowingly and widely tolerated or accepted. Glad you asked.
The emphasis on avoiding confusion starts at points that are not open to interpretation or word of mouth but are documented in a time frame that is reliable now and well established in language still in use today. The documentation has put forth its own concentrated rationale and objective to influence and implement philosophies and principles so comprehensively that they still impact society, cultures, and institutions today. Their promotion is so pervasive that it might leave you questioning if your beliefs are chosen or embedded as a matter of survival and manipulation.
The insinuations and meanings are not like visions where the totality of sight consists of the voids being filled in by assumptions. These declarations of law and practice left no uncertainty of how they were to be viewed and applied. This creates a context for some to overvalue themselves in a very complimentary and flattering delusional image while forcing others to cling to oppressive obedience.
It is misery laden with the nightmarish despair of beliefs still waiting for permission while conforming to a context that devalues our humanity by our own actions and acceptance despite any words of protest. Accordingly, praying for the burden to be removed instead of psychologically disrobing ourselves from the burden consuming us by unconditional acceptance and pure design.
Let the distortions begin steeped into laws based upon biases, mutilated revisionist history of absolution and false achievement, forced faith, and unjustifiable hope disguised as belief. Keep in mind that we do not have time to go back farther or expand beyond what is sufficient for this contemporary discussion.
There are critical distinctions in the development of Christianity that popularized it and its manipulations, which were weaponized for oppressive purposes. Translations that shaped or obscured some essence of the Bible favor interpretations consistent with particular objectives of various rulers and nations that furthered the objective of devotion without question.
Constantine The Great Nicea Council, Theodosius Decree, King James I Bible, and The Black Code are a few examples of who was more influential on Roman Flavian Christianity than the actual teachings. Consequently, the instructions were more tailored to an agenda than to the core of biblical teachings. It was then forced upon those who would resist these Titus manipulations by either incorporating some of their beliefs or flat out murdering them. Conversion to Christianity was often a life-saving measure, your own life. Historically Christianity is a religion of conquering from a personal level to a national level.
Historically Christianity has been used to persecute the Jews and create distance from Christianity’s association to Judaism and establish itself as the preeminent religion. Constantine permitted Christianity to be recognized as a legitimate religion changing its believers from being persecuted to protected in Roman society.
Theodosius later made Christianity the only religion of the Roman Empire but incorporated other beliefs to solidify believers where Constantine had solidified what was believed in the Nicea Council. Jews who attempted to prevent conversion were sometimes burned alive. Forced baptisms and conversions were commonplace. Burning and destroying knowledge of anything contrary to this time or belief when something else was believed or worshiped occurred.
Christianity was used to justify and establish the racial superiority of white Europeans over all others. It was further expanded to the new world to institute colonialism and slavery as a moral duty to subdue, exploit, and exterminate dark-skinned people on religious grounds.
King James I furthered his narcissism under royal absolution and slave trade activities by his association with the Bible. Christian faith and belief have long been used to oppress targeted populations while simultaneously justifying cruel treatment by religious doctrine and often accompanying legislation.
Black Codes rooted in colonialism, patriotism, and Christianity after the civil war were explicitly created and imposed in support of slavery, validating the despicable treatment of blacks under the cloak of Christian beliefs. The civil war was supposedly in part to abolish slavery, but afterward, this code was pervasive to maintain the discount of white supremacy.
It was the predecessor to Jim Crow and maintained a pseudo system of slavery and indentured servitude. Today’s vigilante-armed militias are an extension of black code enforcement. They are often your most ardent believers of Christianity and the most passionate demonstrators of racism while genuinely denying being racist under their Christian faith. They are often the same going hand in hand, being a proud Christian and a staunch racist. Not stated to offend anyone, but if the shoe fits, if not, it is not your shoe.
Revisionist history cannot conceal how the indoctrination of Christianity, distinct from Christian principles, has and is still being used to promote and justify oppression and injustices by some oblivious of their tarnished indoctrination’s origin and purpose. Dred Scott, by law, made it your Christian duty to return slaves and oppose their freedom giving birth to modern-day law enforcement injustices. Thus, the population control was two-fold: what should be done and what cannot be done under Christian principles.
Being raised under Christian principles had very different meanings based on race and class. It was not about religion but the manipulation and weaponizing of our beliefs. These beliefs have been so contorted and perverted that the only choice we have is blind faith or humanity that will not allow us to practice this brand of Christianity.
The salvation of our souls was not the goal. The goal was and has been the complete indoctrination of our minds to defy humanity and logic by intrinsically embedding programming to be beyond reproach, change, reasoning, or questioning. It becomes fundamental to our existence and identity, which otherwise would require us to fully denounce ourselves, which sounds a lot like white privilege denial.
The presumptions of Christianity as practiced today might leave future and more advanced civilizations that may come after this one has destroyed itself to look back on the primitive and pagan worshipping rituals asserted to be following the belief that was wholly practiced outside the doctrines of that belief.
Failing to grasp a truth beyond our ill-fated conditioned upbringing and refusing to understand that believing does not make it true, just as disbelieving does not make it false. Maybe the rituals of Christianity began in the Garden of Eden with the tree of knowledge. It was forbidden to have specific knowledge from the tree, which could have been the subconscious mind as the source of that knowledge.
The subconscious mind is the only thing that can be so fundamentally controlled to produce the total belief and obedience required of the conscious mind. To believe without confirmation through repetition and constant reinforcement. The confirmation of Christianity is the worship and devotion to it and that God is real and his wisdom absolute but often baffling.
So, in the end, it is the unquestioned belief that brings salvation and eternal reward. The refusal to stray from that belief and the rejection of any other religion is how this belief evolved. Otherwise conditioned differently, we would believe wholeheartedly in a different religion. There are many beliefs, and everybody can’t be right. Someone has to be wrong, but God’s word altered to the whim of man or powers in vogue is worshiping those entities and not God. Maybe that is why faith is required without validation. This not to slam Christianity, just manipulating it disguised as glory to God, remembering to keep the faith.
Perhaps what is should not have been, what should have been wasn’t, and what could have been will never be was a quote I heard as a young man that sums up a lot. The judgment day for the sins of mankind, both individually and collectively, cannot be pleasing to God despite repenting on our deathbed. Atrocities committed God’s name, the adherence to his law mangled, and the complicity of those who knuckled under for their own prosperity and convenience contributed to the perversion of his glory.
Dare not associate God with nonsense executed in his name and the misleading of those genuinely seeking his knowledge and comfort. Christianity teaches suffering while those who impose it prosper. Being a child of God, imagine your father who vows to protect you, then let unconscionable acts be committed against you.
What wisdom or benefit would that be? By inquiring and seeking knowledge without restriction but to exhaustion enables us to expose deceptions and illuminate truth. So conflicted by what we are and what we should be or should have become more apparent with research and inspection and not by simply accepting that is just how we were conditioned. It is acceptance in the knowledge that is required.
Many wars are predicated on ideology and religious differences. One side adamantly declares their right to practice theirs while denying the other the same freedom to practice the one of their choosing. Death forced baptisms and repressive conversions should not be the tools of religion. Hitler’s Aryan race propaganda came from America’s Jim Crow, which was based on religious teachings and eugenics.
He was only practicing what America practiced, but the hypocritical home of the free and land of the brave must have felt Americans are the only ones who could commit such atrocities and righteous indignation claiming racial superiority. Therefore, America was somehow compelled to galvanize to stop Hitler while even using blacks in the process. Still, it was not compelled to discontinue the heinous acts and horrendous treatment of blacks in America or racial superiority declarations.
Religious justification for slavery has survived for over four hundred years in a nation that has been Christian during that same period. It was right to stand against the holocaust of the Jewish people and not tolerate their condition. It would have been nice if America had thrown Black folks a bone with some meat on it, letting us wet our beak with the American dream enjoyed by whites, or a heaping helping of some of that privileged brand of Christianity.
There can be no doubt or denial that religion and Christianity, in particular, have been deformed and weaponized for a more sinister purpose more aligned with capturing souls than saving souls. Faith and hope require that you pursue a sign delivering only subjective explanations, but seeking subjective explanations reveals some objectively revealing signs.
The right question brings about the correct answer just as the correct answer discloses the appropriate question. Only then can faith be fortified, not by refusing to ask or refusing to answer the questions or denying the answers. On the contrary, being forbidden from this tree of knowledge sows confusion, reaping contempt or, more shockingly, maybe the truth.
Let me ask you a question. If forced acceptance of something for the benefit of one segment of the population to which others must be coerced into accepting and adhering to, what is its validity to not stand alone on its merits and prevail?
Today’s so-called conservative Christian values are often used to cloak status quo exercises of exclusion and self-aggrandizing judgments of moral superiority based on faith often closely aligned with discriminatory beliefs. In a country that supposedly values freedom above all other virtues, why is another’s freedom the first thing to be trespassed on for your convenience and conformity?
Morality by your determination and standards is required to sustain your authority and dominance to dictate how others should act in a range agreeable to your beliefs without regard for their choice within a socially acceptable range but not compliant to your chosen standard.
The principles of morality are contrary to your arrogance to oppose someone else’s right to choose outside your confinements, leading to you imposing a greater injustice upon them than the lack of morality that you would accuse them of displaying. With that said, shouldn’t the example you set is the one to follow, not the one to reject. Which do you project by your actions, morality or immorality in compliance with the principles of each virtue?
Thurston K. Atlas
Creating A Buzz
