TAKING THINGS LITERALLY

TAKING THINGS LITERALLY

Every day that goes by we say things in a literal way, but we don't really mean them to be interpreted in a literal sense. Yet, when it comes to the Bible and other ancient Wisdom and scriptures that were written as allegory and metaphor, they are still taken to be literal and historical events, locations, people, and names.

For example, we might say: “I told you a thousands times.” And yet, we didn't really tell anyone one thousands times. It's an expression and exaggeration. We used the statement to infer something that had a deeper message. That message is “I’ve told you multiple times, is there a need to constantly remind you?”

Another example, “It's hotter than hell today, and I'm sweating my butt off.” First of all, it obviously is NOT hotter than the inferno of what some would call hell. Even if it were 100 degrees, this is far from a hellish blast furnace. Also, you can't sweat your butt off because it's attached to your body. One more ... “moving this sofa is gonna kill me, it's heavy as crap.” It's probably NOT going to kill you, unless you have a heart attack ... and even then it's heart failure that kills you, not the couch. Secondly, have you weighed “crap” lately? I'm really not too sure how heavy crap is and what amount would be needed to determine that it's heavy. Heavy to one person may be light to another, etc.

Anyway, I've spent enough time on the examples. I'm sure you get my point. So now let's return to my earlier statement concerning scripture and the dangerous literal and historical interpretations of mythological, allegorical, and metaphorical teachings. These metaphors and celestial astrotheologies have been handed down by one civilization to another since long before biblical times. Even professors at Tel Aviv University in Israel have said the Bible is not meant to be merely an historical document. Many of the geographic places in Israel and all around the Holy Land, were named AFTER the stories had been written.

Just take a moment to think about all of the impossible events spoken about in the Bible. Donkeys and snakes talking, making a human being out of a rib, shouting to knock down the walls of a city, parting the ocean with a cane and command, raising the dead, supernatural healings, demons being cast out of people and into pigs, men dying on a cross, being dead for three days, and then raised from being dead, walking through walls, bodily flying up into heaven, walking on water, stilling the winds and the oceans, multiplying loaves of bread, turning water into wine, etc. I could go on for paragraphs.

These things were never meant to have been taken as LITERAL and historical. They are myths and fables with a deeper inner meaning and Truth meant to be discerned through our spiritual journey here on Earth. All of these events happen WITHIN USE ... where the Kingdom of God/Heaven is located. In our consciousness ... in our Higher-Self ... our Christ Self. The Bible and so many other sacred texts are not meant as HIStory, the are OUR-story. It is the path of the Eternal Soul as it grows and expands knowledge and awareness of the Divine within each of us. We are ALL the Christ and the Begotten Son. Why did Jesus say “you will do greater things than I” if he didn't mean it, and if he was the only begotten Christ?

If Jesus was God, then we are ALL God - collectively. Didn't Paul say that WE are the “body of Christ?” Paul never knew of an earthly Jesus, his was a Gnostic and Mystical Christ/Karest dating from stories 10,000 years before any man from Galilee walked the hillside and hung upon a tree. Only 7 of the 13 Epistles credited to this man named Paul, were actually written by the same person. The others are anti-Gnostic forgeries inserted by the Roman Church many years ago. Ask them, and they will tell you.

Once you grasp the Inner Mysteries of original Christianity (which was Paganism), you will be exposed to the Truth of the amazing and powerful transformational parables and metaphors contained in scripture. Jesus was quoted as saying “you shall know the Truth ... and the Truth shall make you free!” I have never been more free in my life, and have never had a better understanding of the Oneness of God/Source Energy and the oneness of all things in the Universe. Question everything, and you will find the answers.

Just a thought ...

Justin Taylor, ORDM.

LIGHT OF LIFE

LIGHT OF LIFE

When a light bulb burns out, we say that it is “dead.” It becomes inert … lifeless. But the Source of life … light … is endless energy. The filament in the light bulb receives the light, yet when it no longer is able to receive the light … it is considered to be dead. But the Source of that light, the very light itself, is unaffected. 

This is the same for you, and for me. Our bodies receive the light … the light of consciousness … and we live our Life powered by the Source of Life itself. When the body dies, the light of our consciousness lives on. In fact, since energy cannot be created or destroyed, the light that is the true us ... is eternal in nature. 

Our thoughts, our soul, our true Self is the power source that provides light so that we may live. When the light goes out, leaves the body, we leave behind the inert (dead) physical body, but our consciousness never skips a beat.

Just like the light bulb, we are enclosed in an physical environment that allows our presence to be seen from the inside out. The Source of all light, life, and energy … is One. For many, this One is God, or Source. The Absolute. 

When we come to the understanding that all is One, and One is all there is … then we begin to understand that what we do to others, we do to ourselves. We are the aperture for which the Universe is experiencing itself through us … with us … AS US. 

Just a thought ... 

Justin Taylor, ORDM.

SOPHIA: SPIRITUALITY OF LIGHT

SOPHIA: SPIRITUALITY OF LIGHT 

In this writing, we talk a bit about Cosmology and the emergence of our Inner Light. This article involves not just a Trinity, but a Quaternity (union of a group or set of four). My granddaughter has been named Sofiah (Sophia) and it pleases me spiritually. You see, this “Sophia” (Greek for Wisdom/feminine) and her Inner Spark provide us with a completion of the original creation of the Trinity. The actual Quaternity, involves Father (God/Source), Divine Mother (Great Emanation) and then paired with the offspring of the two ... the Logos and His consort, Sophia. The Greek Goddess of Wisdom. 

To say the least, Sophia is vastly important in the role of cosmology. We ourselves awaken the Divine Spark of Light within, and join with our Christ consciousness to complete the cycle of base nature animalistic man, to resurrection as the Divine Christ or Higher Self ... Godman. The Light body of Christ ... as Paul wrote ... “we are the body of Christ.”

Consider this: 

The Unknown God or “Agnostos Theos” (Ancient Greek: Ἄγνωστος Θεός) is a god mentioned by the Christian Apostle Paul’s speech in Acts 17:23. The ancient Greeks worshipped a deity they called "Agnostos Theos"; that reference is to the “Unknown God.” Plato wrote of the One who is “neither named … nor known. The Founding Fathers of the Christian Church were fond of quoting Plato in order to show that the philosopher urged pagans to seek out the unknown god. The patristic tradition of the church is nearly unanimous in recognizing Christ as a type of hierophant of Divine Mysteries.

“Christ had left men with no excuse for ignorance, since he was the visible image of the invisible God and the revealer of the divine mystery.”

-Colossians  1:15

Now, consider this:

“In the beginning, there was Source, an unknown God, All That Is. This being was All that there was, as there was no other. This Being had within all that it knew. The crisis of solitude led this Being to let go and allow for what was within him, to express itself outwards, and this happened in a burst of Light.”

This Great Emanation (Ruach/Pneuma/Holy Spirit) that was the burst of Divine Light came from the original unfathomable Godhead. What She would call “Father” and saw the face of the Godhead who would be known as “The Ancient of Days.” In the amazing writings of Manly P. Hall in the book “The Secret Teachings of All Ages” he depicts the relationship between the original Godhead, “Divine Mind” (which released cosmic thought) - the Cosmic Light which in Greek is "Pronoia" (forethought/feminine) used as Divine Maternal Being in Gnostic texts ... the Thought that emerges from Divine Mind. 

From a union of Love, between the Ancient of Days, and the Emanating Spirit (Father/Mother) came the Logos (Word) which is the Christ (Christos) ... Eternal and beyond any religious system. It is this identity incarnated into the physical vehicle (body/soma) of the Christ that brought to us the Wisdom (Sophia) of the Higher Self. From the Gnostic Mass we find “they say Christ came for all, but instead, he came for her who came for all.” This presents us with the Christ Sophia, two aspects of the Logos ... masculine and feminine, using the Christ to bring Her Light from the Pleroma (heavenly realms) to the outer regions of chaos (material world). 

From deep within the ancient Wisdom of multiple civilizations of Mythology comes the creation of the world, man, and the Divine Spark within all that is seen. I will end this writing with a scripture from the Nag Hammadi Library in The Secret Gospel of John:

“I Sophia, am the Light which exists in the Light.

I am the remembrance of the Pronoia. (Divine Thought / Holy Spirit)”

Just a thought ... 

Justin Taylor, ORDM. 

ABRAHAM SARAI AND BIBLICAL SYMBOLISM

ABRAHAM SARAI AND BIBLICAL SYMBOLISM

Before we go deeper into the metaphysics of this Biblical couple, we need to reflect on their origins. 

There are certain striking similarities between the Hindu god Brahma and his consort Saraisvati, and the Jewish Abraham and Sarai, that are more than mere coincidences. See will cover these similarities in another chapter.

Let's start here with some etymology. 

Abraham, a'-brå-ham (Heb.)--father (source, founder) of a multitude.

ABRAM consists of;

Ab = “father or Mind,” Rham = “Spirit breath.”

The breath has always been associated with ‘“Spirit” and is powerful metaphysical knowledge (gnosis).

So Abram (Abraham/Ibrahim) is a part of us that we need to develop within to find our Divine essence. Biblically stated in a literal sense, God renamed Abram to Abraham (meaning exalted father) because he was to be the father of many nations. Sarai means “princess,” but since she will be the mother of nations, with kings of peoples coming from her, God changes her name to “Sarah” which means “noblewoman.”

Further, Sarai represents our “emotions.” When the emotions become detached from thought and become virgin she becomes Sarah. In that virgin consciousness she will give birth to the child. This is the creative feminine principle. In ancient metaphysics:

Husband = Mind - Wife = emotions

Wife subjected to husband ... emotions subjected to Mind. St. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 11:6 “He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant - not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” There have been many vile acts committed by a literal interpretation of these ancient scriptures.

Now lets move to the deeper symbolism of all these names and people. We move to a scripture quote from Galatians 4:24 from the Bible:

"Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants ..."

Right here were are told in plain simple terms, that the story of Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar, is an allegory. It is metaphorical. Myth ... with a hidden deeper meaning rather than just a physical, literal, and historical event. Science and biology tell us 90 years old women cannot have babies. This is a story of highly symbolic value. It isn't commentary, it is saying to us that it is allegorical. There is symbolism in this myth that is intended for discovery by those who have eyes to see, and ears to hear. 

This goes hand-in-hand with us being told in scripture NOT to take the letter (scripture/hand written letter) literally, by reminding us to NOT be a “Minister of the letter.” The Bible communicates to us in Parables, Proverbs, Allegories, metaphors, and Dark Sayings. Modern day Archaeologists from the University of Tel Aviv have even told us the Bible stories are intended to be symbolic and allegorical. Consider the captivity in Egypt. Egypt is a metaphor for our own dark ego animal based mind. "Aigyptos" in Greek meant "dark place." Egypt, was a symbol of base nature man. 

The Exodus, was an allegory for leaving the darkness (Egypt) and entering the Promised Land (Is-Ra-El) and Jerusalem (yeru-shalom) the place of peace. Again, what takes place within us as we transmute from base nature to Divine. Generations have searched for the literal places in the Bible but to no avail. Either they were built and named in honour of the symbolism, or they simply did not exist. The Ten Commandments (the negative commandments) were derived directly from King Hammurabi's Code. A list of negative commandments of things NOT to do that preceded the Hebrews by hundreds of years. These codes are currently on permanent display in the British Museum. 

Joshua of the Old Testament, the one who conquered Israel, is the same story as Jesus of the New Testament. The very name itself is the same. Joshua from the Hebrew, and Jesus from the Greek, are “Yehoshua, Yeshu, Yeshua” literally a word composed of Hebrew aleph-bet (alphabet) symbols that mean “God is Saviour.” There was wandering in the desert for 40 years in the OT, there was a flood of 40 days and 40 nights in the OT, Jesus wandered in the wilderness for 40 days in the NT ... this is ALL symbolism. “Forty” weeks is the gestation period of a human being (9 months). From conception, to birth ... marking a new person with new beginnings. A “born again” time frame. Everything is symbolic. 

Even top officials from Universities in Israel today will tell us the Bible stories and the history of the Hebrews are not considered as merely literal historical events, if at all. Joshua could not have knocked down the walls of Jericho because Jericho didn't exist at that time. Jesus could not have been “of Nazareth” because there was no Nazareth at that time (it meant Nazarene/Nozrim). Camels were not domesticated at that time. 

So if so many of these stories never literally or historically happened, then what do they mean? There must be something deeper than the surface story. These secret Truths were taught to initiates into the Mystery School of old. And by taking these stories to be only literal, it has wreaked havoc all over the world for centuries. War and violence, degradation of women, child abuse, lies and deceptions, and a total misunderstanding and mistranslation of the true nature of Life, and of ourselves as being the “Light of the world.”

The Bible characters, locations, stories, miracles, crucifixion, resurrection, raising of the dead, ascension, transfiguration, crossing of the Red Sea, Mt. Sinai, are all intended to be taken as allegory and metaphor. All Myth ... “Mythos” in the Greek. In the Greek, mythos means there is MORE to the surface story ... a deeper Truth to be discovered. Joseph Campbell put it wisely when he described “myth” as “something that never was, yet always is.” We must go beyond the name, places, and events ... deep between the black and white letter, and find the pearl of great price. The Truth, that lies in waiting ... for Revelation - to be revealed, uncovered, unhidden. The letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth Life. 

Just a thought ... 

Justin Taylor, ORDM.

YOU ARE AS AN ACTOR

YOU ARE AS AN ACTOR

Everything we experience in our lives, has culminated into what we are at this present moment. All that we have seen, heard, smelled, tasted, and touched; has formed our opinion of what and who we are. But all of these things, are someone else's opinions, Truth's, Lies, etc. that we have experienced. But remember, the most important part of all of this - we are NOT our experiences. We are the WITNESS to the experiences. We are the one experiencing, NOT the actual experience. 

For example, when you go to a movie theatre, everything that is taking place on the screen is an illusion. It's an image ... a projection of what appears to be form. But if you turn around and look behind you, everything that you are watching from the screen is projecting from the bright white light coming from within the projection booth. In this way, we as Light beings - Spirit - are projecting into matter/form from within ... to without. Our thoughts, calculate and ultimately conclude this process into a decision. Then, the decision leads to a belief. This belief can be Truth, or deception. True, or a lie. But we have made a decision to believe it. To “decide,” literally means to “cut-off.”

Most of us believe our lives are what we see on the movie screen (the projection), rather than the projector ... the point of origin. The Actors, the events on the screen, the screenwriters, producers, editors ... they are all YOU projecting outwards into form ... as you experience YOUR Life. You are as the Actor in a play. Life is the stage. You write the script. Remember that the word “personality” comes to us from the Latin word “persona” which literally means “the mask of an Actor.” So, your personality, is an Actor. It isn't really you. 

When we take ownership of our experiences, we actually become the experience. This is an error in thinking. If you make an error, you are NOT the error. You are the one experiencing the error - the WITNESS, or Observer. If you accept the error as actually being you ... then you accept yourself as being flawed. This is when we begin to feel guilt and fear. These “experiences” are our teachers in Life. These experiences we witness, teach us lessons that are intended fo us to know in order to evolve and involve as better humans and to elevate to a higher level of consciousness. 

When you drive your car, you are not the car but you are having an experience as the driver. You are witnessing and observing events from within the car. In life, your body is your vehicle for the driver (your Soul / Higher Self /Spirit) to sojourn in a foreign land/form. We are in Earth School, and we are all students. Except that in Earth School, we are given a test first, then we learn (and re-member) our lessons.

Just a thought ... 

Justin Taylor, ORDM. 

RESURRECTION SAVIOUR AND ANTI-CHRIST NOBODY TOLD YOU ABOUT

RESURRECTION SAVIOUR AND ANTI-CHRIST NOBODY TOLD YOU ABOUT

In this writing, I AM going to offer you a different view from what you have been told from the pulpits and church teachings about the New Testament Christian Gospel.

Before the Roman authorities intervened, usurped, hijacked, and literalized these biblical allegories and created a “literal and historical” based religion, there were many groups such as the Gnostics who denied an actual physical bodily resurrection of Jesus the Christ. 

Instead they believed Christ’s body was of a spiritual nature. In other words, the Gnostics, and many other Pre-Roman Church Christians (Krestiani) argued that Jesus Christ was not raised from the dead in a literal physical body.

Mainstream Christianity today considers this statement to be blasphemy. And here’s the scripture that they often use to put the final nail in the coffin:

“For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ came in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist” 

~2 John 1:7

Based on this scripture, the typical Christian argument states that John was aiming this scripture at those who denied Jesus was resurrected in a physical body.

Most Gnostics and early Christian sects, did not view any of the scriptures literally. They were never intended to be taken literally and historically. 

As such, John’s statement is in perfect agreement with what these people would have believed. The resurrection story of Christ wasn’t only about the literal man who walked the hills of the Galilee; it was about the spiritual awakening of the Divine nature that can happen within each individual. 

This awakening happens while “still yet in the flesh” … while still HERE ... and ALIVE in matter, in the flesh. So John’s statement rings true after all. Christ DOES come in the flesh. But this coming of Christ (the anointing - the Christ-ening) is the gnosis (mystical insight - knowingness) attained by the individual going through a profound experience in higher states of consciousness. 

This entire process happens while being in a physical body. It is the born again experience of the spiritual nature which rules over the physical nature. This spiritual nature is the Christ. Our Christ Consciousness ... the Divine Spark of the All. Scriptures remind us “the Kingdom of God/Heaven is WITHIN.” This is the temple ... this is Golgotha ... the place of the skull. 

This entire concept was taught among the Egyptian Mystery Schools and throughout the ancient world of spiritual mythology long before Christianity was formed. The Christ (crestus/krishna/chrestos) is the begotten Son of God … the Divine Spirit/Life force within every person. The breath (pneuma/spirit) that is the giver of Life. Based only on goodness and righteousness, not self serving as the base human ego is. 

Based on this view, the words credited to the Jesus of the New Testament ring true. “The Kingdom of Heaven/God lies within you … and is at hand”

The allegorical beauty of these empowering Truths have been lost on a “literal” belief system. We have lost 2,000 years of advancement, involution, and evolution. While church may offer you community and a social environment, you're missing out on the power, the Truth, and the reality that we are all ONE organism working in unison as the Universe/God/Source Energy. 

The “tomb” is your body … where the Christ awaits resurrection and release. The ancient Greeks would said “soma/sema” meaning “body/tomb.” Ancient Sanskrit defines “Manu” as Mankind/Mind, so The “Son of Man” means "son of Mind." 

When the ego remains attached to the natural man, it cannot be purified and transmuted into the spiritual ego/Higher Self. When it does, it once again becomes a “Son of God” as it was before the descent into a world of physical matter in form.

Always question everything … the Truth will speak to your Soul, and to your Spirit within. 

Just a thought ... 

Justin Taylor, ORDM. 

ALL IS ONE AND ONE IS GOD

ALL IS ONE AND ONE IS GOD

Today, we reach again into the deeper esoteric substance of what has been wrongly taken as literal and historical rather than allegorical within Biblical scripture. The NT confirms to the believer that there is nothing existent other than God. This is a difficult pill to swallow, unless you know and understand the deeper Truths and Inner Mysteries.

“Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word (Logos) of God, so that things which are seen are not made of things which do appear.”

Hebrews 11:3

Now let's break this down. God/Absolute/Source does not appear. He is immaterial, unseen, invisible. No man has ever seen God. So, this verse is telling us that EVERYTHING is made out of God.

“For originating out of Him (being made out of Him), and existing through Him, and returning back into Him are ALL things.”

Romans 11:6 (Literal correct translation)

This verse is telling us that everything came out of God, is made out of God, everything is maintained in existence by God, and all things go back to God.

“As He is, so are we in this world.”

1 John 4:17

In the above verse, the correct language translation would be the word “as” meaning “just as, or exactly as.” This scripture is literally telling the reader that we are just exactly as God in this world. This is because, everything in the Universe, including mankind, is made out of God/Absolute/Source. God is simply playing every role, and man is simply God wearing a mask. The word “personality” as we call ourselves, comes from the Latin word “persona” which literally means “mask of an Actor.”

We are as rays of the sun, beaming individualized light rays originating at the source of the sun itself. A ray of sunlight cannot exist without the sun. Each ray is an integral part of and an essence of the sun itself. If it were to come from the pulpits of our churches that WE are God collectively experiencing human form, that God is IN you AS you, experiencing life WITH you, there would be no need for the multi-billion dollar religion industry. The Bible scriptures even say “you are the temple of God” and “we are the body of Christ.”

When we awaken to the realization that we and God are ONE in the same, as ALL things are, then we come to the realization that the Divinity of God is not only alive in ALL THINGS, but IS all things. “I am the vine and you are the branch” it is written in the Bible. The branch and the vine are ONE. The branch is a manifestation of the vine. So, man, is a MANifestation of God. We are not born INTO this world, we are born OUT of it ... as a leaf from a tree.

Jesus said “I and the Father are one.” Imagine rain falling from a cloud. Clouds are water vapour. So clouds and rain are water. It is the same as when the Source/God fragmented and manifested into all things. The reason and purpose for us to come here, is to realize and awaken to the reality that we are collectively God, and that we should think, act, and create as God ... and to evolve and involve as One ... ever growing. The “Kingdom” is consciousness, and the awakening has begun ... worldwide. Soon, we will all re-member who and what we are, and we can spread the word of Divine power among mankind as was the original intent of so many sages, shamans, hierophants, avatars, and wise men and women who had great inner Wisdom and Knowledge. All things that proceed from a single Source, can be made of nothing other than the same thing as the Source. All is One, and One is God/Source Energy/Absolute.

Just a thought ... 

Justin Taylor, ORDM. 

PERSONIFICATION OF SATAN

PERSONIFICATION OF SATAN

The characterization and personification of “Satan” (Greek: σατανάς) (Hebrew: ha-satan) is portrayed to humanity in ever changing and varied images. The diversity of the images should be noted, particularly the diversification of forms “Satan” has taken on throughout history depicted by the images which have been catalogued, is not coincidental. 

Either these extremely varied pictures are all true to some extent and represent the “Satan” creature’s ability to morph like some kind of “shape shifter,” or there is no Truth to his being a real entity. 

In his poem, Dante portrayed the Devil as a grotesque, winged creature with three faces - each chewing on a devious sinner - whose wings blew freezing cold winds throughout Hell’s domain. In The Bible, there is no description of the Devil in any physical detail, and Historically by the end of the Middle Ages, the Devil had taken on the appearance of the horned, trident-wielding figure with a tail that has endured to modern times.

All the images of Satan are just many different depictions of many different imaginations that are based on imagery borrowed from ancient mythological creatures ... such as Pan. Pan being the nature demon that frightened everyone at that time. Pan’s fearful presence has carried on into our English language through words such as PANic and PANdemonium.

The primary meaning of the Hebrew word שָׂטָן (satan) is “an adversary, an opponent.” So in the Old Testament, satan (ha-satan) is commonly used to mean “an enemy”, either within or without. Biblically, in many of the places where this word is traditionally translated “Satan,” it should really be translated as “enemy or adversary." The Greek word σατανάς (satanas), comes from the Hebrew word satan, and has the same meaning: an adversary or enemy. 

We also find the use of the other word known as “Devil” in ancient texts. In the Greek of the New Testament, the word  “devil” (διάβολος/diabolos) most of the time meant a ruling evil figure. The underlying meaning of this Greek word is “false accuser, slanderer.” So once again, when we read “the Devil” in the New Testament, it refers to a very human reality: those who slander others and make false accusations.

These different graphic depictions can only be mental fabrications and constructs with no real model to base them on. So too is “Satan” himself ... a mental fabrication. Albeit, one in which many people believe to be real, in a physical sense.

The medieval period has been the most profound period of artistic depictions of what it is believed Satan looked like. The graphic images played a huge part in the conciousness of unsuspecting and unquestioning citizenry throughout that period, and assisted in setting up a belief that “Satan” was a physical being with a physical form ... and this horned being may well be the oldest deity reconized by humankind. 

Just like the fabrications of creative pagans and superstitious Christians of the past, the demons of the present day and of the New Testament period, were little more than mental constructs used to strike fear in the heart of mankind. That being said, know that the very word “demon” in the original Greek simply meant “spirit” (δαίμονας/daímonas), or Divine power. Nothing more. 

Although every culture assigned images to their concepts of their evil deity, the Truth of the matter is that the pagan nations each had their own multiplicity of Gods to worship, but that doesn’t make them real. These are non-existent, fabrications of men’s minds and were often made into statues and idols by the very hands of men. It is these “Gods” who were known as diamons/demons by the Ancient Greeks.

Although not specifically good or bad, they were believed to be “spirit energies” but eventually the Christians of old rejected the concept of “good spirit energies” and concluded ... these must be evil demons.

Today, many Christians believe the Devil was once a beautiful angel named Lucifer who defied God and fell from grace. This assumption that he is a fallen angel is often based the book of Isaiah in the Bible which says: “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations.” It is important to note that “Lucifer” isn’t a proper name but a descriptive phrase meaning “morning star or day star,” and can also be properly translated as “light Bearer or light bringer.” Lucifer is Latin, and in the Greek we find “Phosphorus” (Greek Φωσφόρος Phōsphoros) ... the Morning Star, the planet Venus in its morning appearance. 

The Latin word lucifer, corresponding to Greek φωσφόρος, was used in Jerome’s Latin Vulgate translation of the Hebrew word הֵילֵל (helel), meaning Venus as the brilliant, bright or shining one, in Isaiah 14 (Isaiah 14:12), where the Septuagint Greek version uses, not φωσφόρος, but ἑωσφόρος. As a translation of the same Hebrew word the King James Version gave “Lucifer,” a name often misunderstood as a reference to Satan. Still, the name stuck and the Devil is often referred to as Lucifer.

By the time the Christian movement had swept across the Western world, our language would reflect that reversed perception, the Greek term daimones, “spirit energies,” would become in the English language, “demons” ... and are considered to be evil. These spirit-energy creatures, had become Satan's little helpers. 

Throughout history, the Devil’s reputation as an evildoer hasn’t changed much. Most followers of the Christian Religion still believe he has literally wreaked havoc on the earthly plane, and is responsible for much of the world’s corruption and chaos. To find the real satan though, we must look within ... and find our own sensory based ego-driven choices that bring consequence rather than benefit to humanity. This, is the “Opposer,” the enemy, false-accuser, and adversary - and, in many ways - the Antichrist. 

Just a thought ... 

Justin Taylor, ORDM.

SYMBOLS OF CHRIST AND NEPTUNE

SYMBOLS OF CHRIST AND NEPTUNE (POSEIDON)

Symbols of Christ and Neptune (Poseidon) 

Lord of Pisces

Sign of the Fish

Wine

Sacrifice and Holiness

All ancient faiths and beliefs, with no exception, were based on the oldest science, astrology - the influence of the planets. The planets were representative of the gods in ancient Greece and Rome, Egypt and Babylon, India, and virtually all over the inhabited world. Our current world faiths originated in the very same ancient world. It should not be a surprise to find they are also all based on astrology, all recognizing One God/Source of all things (Astrotheology).

The Christ is a portrait of the great Neptune, the higher, Divine dimension of this Spirit, beyond the personal astrology of the horoscope. This recognition, based on the Kabbalah, gives us the rational, credible, scientific and multi-faith/Interfaith understanding of God/Source that we need in modern times. It strongly supports the esoteric allegorical/metaphorical message of the Bible, especially the Synoptic Gospels - the message of love and peace - but avoids the literal and historical exoteric interpretation and presentation.

The “Tree of Life” symbol (search the Internet for a graphic) is the basis of the Kabbalah, the esoteric tradition behind the Bible. The Tree is quite clearly an astrological map of the solar system with all the planets and Signs of the zodiac. This tree was, and is also followed by the Gnostics.

The Tree of Life reveals the astrology/astrotheology and cosmogony at the heart of the biblical tradition, beginning with Genesis 3.22 and continuing all the way to to Revelation 22.2, where its astrological character is confirmed, as to its role within ancient and modern Christianity. “The Tree of Life which bare twelve manner of fruit (the twelve Signs) and yielded her fruit every month.” This references the monthly cycle of the moon through the Zodiac. This is the annual precession of the Sun and moon through it's cycles and seasons.

Neptune rules the Sign of the Fish (Ichthus), the Traditional symbol of Christianity. Neptune is identified with wine, holiness, suffering, sacrifice and Pisces (Vesica Pisces), the age of Christianity. Neptune was the god of the fish and the seas, and Christ is constantly associated with the Sea of Galilee and fish. He guides his fishermen disciples to a miraculous catch, walks on the water and calms a violent storm.

Jesus The Christ is repeatedly ‘the true vine’ and the “lord of the vineyard.” Wine is the special sacrament, symbolizing within Christianity, his blood. Many more Kabbalah images throughout the Gospels confirm this identification. Far too much to cover for this one writing, but we will go into other details at another time. Remember also, that Neptune/Poseidon (Latin/Greek) had a weapon of choice ... the “Trident.” In Hindu Myth, it was the weapon of Shiva and was called “Trushula,” which is Sanskrit for “triple-spear.” This in many ways is representative of a Trinity. In Hindu, it represents Deity in three aspects: Creator, Preserver, and Destroyer. The Trident was symbolic among many ancient civilizations and myths. 

In religious Taoism, the trident represents the Taoist Trinity, the Three Pure Ones. In Taoist rituals, a trident bell is used to invite the presence of deities and summon spirits, as the trident signifies the highest authority of Heaven. Both Poseidon's trident and Zeus' thunderbolt were originally a sacred labrys, but later distinguished from each other when Poseidon became god of the sea, while Zeus claimed the right to the thunderbolt. 

Spiritually, Planet Neptune is most closely linked with the work of the Soul in manifestation and is the vehicle for the Christ consciousness, which is at the Heart of Divinity. On the personal level, the indwelling Christ Principle is our Soul - more particularly, that aspect of the Soul which is Love. The Divine Spark of God. It is this facet of our self that we pray to and evoke for healing, nurturing and spiritual sustenance. Collectively, it is the indwelling Christ Principle in humanity which, when evoked, brings forth these healing properties from mankind. In the New Testament, Jesus defines “Love, Peace, and Joy” as the Kingdom of Heaven/God. 

All the Universe is contained not just without, but WITHIN. This was the message of The Christ. In the Book of John 14;9 we are reminded: “... he that hath seen me, hath seen the Father.” The microcosm/macrocosm refers to the structural similarity between the human being (the microcosm: the small order or the small Universe) and the cosmos as a whole (the macrocosm: the Great Universe). Given this spiritual analogy, the Truths about the nature of the cosmos as a whole, can further explain the Truths about human nature, and vice versa. 

Just a thought ... 

Justin Taylor, ORDM.

IS-RA-EL

Is-Ra-El

This is going to be a bit long, but then again, it needs to be. There is much to cover on this topic. Do You Think Israel Is A Geographic State ... A Conscious State ... or is it both? We will start with a short scriptural review, according to Old Testament texts: 

In Genesis we find the story of Jacob, a grandson of Abraham, and a son of Isaac and Rebekah. He is most commonly known in the Bible for his cunning and deceitful ways, especially towards his twin brother Esau. From the time of his birth until his wrestling encounter with an Angel (Genesis 32:24-29), Jacob was associated with trickery and deception ... until he changed his ways, and his name. 

“ISRAEL, comes to us from the Hebrew name יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisra'el) meaning “God contends,” from the roots שָׂרָה (sarah) meaning “to contend, to fight” and אֵל ('el) meaning “God.” In the Old Testament, it was Israel (who was formerly named Jacob; see Genesis 32:28) who wrestles with an angel. Jacob (Greek: Yakobos) was then given a new name by the Angel. That name was “Israel.” Jacob means “heel.” He was born holding his twin brother Esau's heel, and his name is explained as meaning in Hebrew: “holder of the heel.” And also meaning: “to follow.” The ancient Nation of Israel, and the modern State of Israel took their names from him.”

You might be surprised how much more there is to this story when presented with a deeper mystical view, and one you more than likely have never heard from a pulpit before ... 

Now, time to go metaphysical. Bear with me, it gets deep. Let’s start with a fast breakdown of the symbolism contained in the actual word “ISRAEL” before we go any further: 

“Is Ra El” - ISIS/RA/ELOHIM ... (ISIS) the Divine Feminine (Mother), (RA) the Divine Masculine (Father), and (EL) the Spirit or God. 

To clarify these three elements: 

“Is” or “Isis,” the Egyptian Goddess, also seen as the Moon Goddess. 

“Ra,” the Egyptian Sun God.

And “El,” generally was meant to signify ... “God/Deity.” 

“EL” was a name inscribed to the chief deity in the Semitic world. Examples of “EL” in use biblically: ELohim, ELijah, ELeazar, ELi, ELizabeth, etc.

Now we move to Mind and the function of consciousness. The lower Mind (moon), is integrated with the higher Mind (sun), by the Spirit or electromagnetic energy from above/within. Remember that the physical moon has no LIGHT of its own. It's LIGHT comes from the Sun. This is important symbolically. 

Now the Metaphysics: Esoterically, Jews are not just a race and Israel is not just a country ... biblically speaking that is. It's esoteric mythology, and is symbolically describing one who has reached the higher consciousness, by way of meditation, by becoming a Jew INWARDLY. That is to say, once having reached a union with the Divine within, a person BECOMES a JEW or - IAO (Latin), IEW (Greek) - the enlightened state, or “Ascension.” Geographically, Israel was the Northern Territory, and Judah was the Southern Territory. Jerusalem was not in Israel. It was located in Judah.

A geographic “Jew,” is one who was from the Southern Kingdom of Judah (Judaic), or the land of the Tribe of Judah, or an actual bloodline Judahite. Much in the same way an Italian can be a Floridian, or a Washingtonian. It was not necessarily specific to a person of Hebrew descent. 

The “Chosen People” (JEW, IAO, IEW) is an esoteric title given to initiates into the great ancient mystery schools of old through several processes. Upon completion of the curriculum, they had learned and accepted - through personal experiential evidence - that the Divine Spark of what we call God/Source was to be found within each and every human being on Earth. In other words, this is where the term “The Jews are the chosen people of God” originated. 

The “Chosen Land” or Promised Land that is spoken of in scripture, is the human brain, but first the Canaanites have to be driven out. The lower Mind quality is overturned, and then: 

“Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed (metamorphosis) by the renewing of your Mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

-Romans 12:12

The Seal of Solomon (Star of David), is a six pointed star, was used as a symbol of deep spiritual meaning. Some Kabbalists say it symbolizes God’s complete rule over the Universe, and that the two triangles represent duality, a principle that brings us closer to the Truth. The Star of David consists of two triangles, one standing upright, the other facing downwards. 

These symbols are also used in alchemy and astrology to represent masculine and feminine principles and the four elements, each of which represent attributes of character and emotion. The symbol also represents “as above, so below” with the two interlocking triangles. A representation of higher and lower consciousness, and Spirit/matter joining. The Star relates to the Mind and healing. The two triangles represent the masculine and feminine parts of the thinking Mind, and the left and right membranes of the brain that dictate how we think, act and perceive. Our creative aspect. 

The right side of the brain - symbolically - is the feminine side, because it mostly deals with emotions, creativity and nurturing. The masculine left side of the brain is analytical, logical and active. From a spiritual point of view, a balanced mind opens up the pineal gland - your third eye, or all-seeing eye - through which spiritually enables you to see things clearly. Also, our conscious Mind is the “Father,” the subconscious Mind is the “Mother.” What begins in thought, manifests in form. Much more on this aspect can be found in other writings. 

Now, back to ancient Biblical scriptures. The earliest and greatest of the framers of Christian theology, Philo, Clement and Origen - and now new research - make it positively clear that the Old Testament narratives - are in their entirety - rewritings of old Egyptian material, distorted and obscured as it passed through later Hebrew hands. 

Some portions of Jewish history are utilized as the base and frame of these spiritual myths. According to Eusebius, one of the three chief formulators of Roman Christian theology, the Gospels of the New Testament are themselves old dramatic books of the Essenes in pre-Christian days.

Ancient scripture, Egyptian, Hebrew, or otherwise, was never meant to be merely historical and literal. It was spiritual symbolism, pure and complete ... allegories and metaphors. The phenomenon of altered history transpired when the Egyptian writings were usurped and then converted into a literal narrative, rather than the esoteric, allegorical, and metaphysical. And the thinking of the whole western world has since been based on the discovery of historical and literal events and timelines, rather than the greatly more powerful lessons contained within, beneath, and above the veil of scripture. Question everything.

Just a thought ... 

Justin Taylor, ORDM. 

TRUTH IN LIES

TRUTH IN LIES

I once asked a friend of mine if he believed there could be Truth in a lie. He said “of course not, it's a lie.” But, there actually can be Truth in a lie, if what is being said has a deeper meaning that contains Truth. We must learn, to discern.

For example, what if my son came home from school and forgot to close the front door and our puppy got out. We spend the afternoon searching to find him, and fortunately we do. Now, I can sit my son down and tell him how irresponsible he was for leaving the door open ... which would go in one ear and out the other ... or I can tell him a story. Something like this:

“When I was your age, my friend Tommy left his door open and his family looked for hours to find their puppy and they never did. Imagine how sad they all were when they lost their puppy, Can you please do your best to make sure to close the front door when you come home from school?”

Now THIS ... will stay with him. He'll remember this story because it speaks to his heart and emotions rather than just his Mind. The lesson here, is that I never had a friend named Tommy who lost his puppy. It was a bold-faced lie. But not a lie as we see it, there was Truth hidden within. It was a fable, a myth, an story designed to teach a deeper lesson. 

This was the way most ancient scripture among many civilizations was written. It was not written to be taken as only literal and historical. These stories were written as parables, metaphors, allegories ... stories containing deeper lessons for a people that had no books, DVD's, Internet, and most ... without any ability to read or write. They told stories ... passion plays. Dramatic campfire tales. What scripture calls “dark sayings of old.” Many of these “stories” contained a hidden teaching “for those who had eyes to see, and ears to hear.”

So before we can determine a lie versus Truth, we have to first discern the difference between what we are really talking about - fact versus fiction, and Truth versus illusion. An illusion is a necessary presence and appears to be real, but will dissipate and dissolve in the presence of Truth. It is the duality of one. Fact versus fiction is simply it happened or it didn't. 

Here's an easy way to understand the difference. When you look into a mirror, the mirror is necessary for you to see the image of yourself. But the job of the mirror is merely to show you ... you. Once you see yourself, you realize the mirror is an illusion, and it is you that is the reality. The illusion is no longer needed but was a lesson for you. You have learned what you needed to know and only the Truth of you remains. The two, have become one, but there needed to be seen “TWO” (duality/polarity) ... in order to become ONE. 

Ancient scripture and myth, including the Bible, tell many stories that were never to be taken merely as historical and literal events. They were using people, places, and things as part of an allegorical myth to explain them in a way that would be both entertaining, and that would hold remembrance for us. We may not easily remember what a teacher writes on the blackboard or prompter, but if the teacher told us a story that contained within it “a lesson,” we would retain and understand it's meaning better, and longer. We may even pass it around and share it. It's kind of like telling or hearing a joke, we may not remember it exactly line for line how the story goes, but we remember the gist of it, the subject matter, and the punch line. 

To wrap up this writing, it is important to know that - other than math - none of us will ever experience Ultimate Truth in this incarnation. But we will experience Personal Truth. And we do this through experience. When we actually experience something, witness it, we accept it to be true ... at least for us ... because it is OUR experience. All else is assumption and opinion. The only way that I would know that you keep water bottles in your refrigerator, is if I look inside and see it for myself. Much the same with our spiritual experiences. We have to look inside, and see for ourselves ... rather than simply accept someone else's opinion. Simply put, if you weren't there to experience an event or happening, then you REALLY don't KNOW that it happened or not. So you must ask yourself ... DID it happen, or DOES it happen? And then apply the deeper metaphysical message of goodness that you received within, to all that you say, think, and act upon. 

Just a thought ... 

Justin Taylor, ORDM.

STUDY OF THE WORD LIFE

STUDY OF THE WORD LIFE

What is the meaning and etymology of the word: “Life?” The answer to this question is almost five thousand years old and leads us to the Proto-Indo-European word “lip” meaning, “to remain, persevere, and continue.” When this word was adopted into the English language as “lif” about 1500 years ago, it stayed true to its original meaning but still closely resembled its Germanic predecessors meaning of “body.”

Root Meaning of Life

Before we delve further into the English, let's look at the Greek word for “life” which is translated in English as “Zoe.” This is the root of the English words “zoo, zoology, and even “Zodiac." Zoe is used for the state of existing and being animate which is common to all living things. From early times, “Zoe” (living soul) was adopted by Hellenized Hebrews as a translation of the Ancient Hebrew name/word translated into English as “Eve.” 

This word EVE is from the Hebrew name חַוָּה (Chawwah), which was derived from the Hebrew word חוה (chawah) meaning “to breathe” or the related word חיה (chayah) meaning “to live.” I once had a white German Shepard that I named “Chaia” for the same reason. Knowing this, we can see why Eve is described as the “Mother of ALL living” when looking at the Biblical allegory of creation in the Book of Genesis. This statement makes perfect sense when understanding the meaning of the word and it’s symbolism, rather than being associated only with a literal person. 

The New Testament Bible, which was originally penned in Greek before being translated, and uses the word “Zoe” 134 times as an indication of eternal life ... the actual eternal life-force. “LIFE” ... therefore, is the force which animates ALL living things. This force is what many would call God, or Source Energy. 

Old English Use Of Life

Since Old English times, the word “Life” has meant: “the condition, quality, or fact of being a living organism.” This includes the capacity for growth and development characterized by continued functional activity. It is natural then that from its very beginnings, “life” has been used as the opposite meaning of “death” (or the cessation of animate existence). The word Life also meant to describe the existence of an individual in respects of its physical duration: “the period from birth to death, from birth to a particular time, or from a particular time to death.” It becomes clearly evident that the meaning of the word “life,” has not changed much, in over 1500 years of use.

Middle English Use Of Life

There were however added meanings that were attached to “Life” during the Middle English period. Life began to mean not only the living organism itself, but the cause or the Source of living, as in: “the animating principle which keeps a thing alive.” The natural extension to this meaning was that people began to believe that Life was a possession which was deprived by death - a meaning that can be constantly witnessed in the media.

From the mid 16th century “Life” was used to describe the chance to live after a narrowly escaped death - this originated from the myth of cats having nine lives. From the late 16th century the word began to mean the vitality embodied in an individual person who was very energetic and animated. From this later meaning the sport of cricket adopted the word to describe the quality in the pitch which causes the ball to rise abruptly or unevenly after pitching. From the early 18th century “Life” included the activity and presence of living things as well.

Life Today

By the 19th century the term “lifer” or “life sentence” was used for a number of different things ... sporting events, battery duration, a person who was imprisoned for the rest of his existence, and even the term “get a life” used for someone with not much to focus on and as a result, at times just cause trouble. 

The bottom line is easily discerned as being descriptive of the force and Source of that which animates living creatures. Even down to a cellular level. Remember, we raise a glass and toast “LIFE” ... not yours or mine ... but LIFE itself. It is that which gives us consciousness, the very breath we take in and out with each moment. All that exists in this physical realm in which we are animated, is powered by that energy source, or Source Energy that all is dependent on for our very being. 

The New Testament Book of Acts scripture summed it up quite nicely in it's esoteric and metaphorical presentation:

" ... for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His children.’”

~Acts 17:28

We are ALL a living part of this great organism called the Universe. We share all things in this Life. Not just Mother Earth and all her natural resources, but the very breath within you and within me. We truly are ONE in this LIFE. 

Just a thought ... 

Justin Taylor, ORDM.

ALLEGORY OF PARDISE

ALLEGORY OF PARADISE

Most of us are familiar with the Genesis story of Adam and Eve. So the story goes, Adam and Eve are living in Paradise ... The Garden of Eden. Everything is provided for them. They have all they need and are living in fantasyland. No worries, no concerns, just good times. Until ... they defied the warning of God/Absolute. 

They were told they could eat from among all of the trees in the garden, including the “Tree of Life,” EXCEPT for one ... the “Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.” In fact, so forbidden was it that the day they were to eat of THIS tree, they were told they would DIE. Now, if we were to take this story literally, we would have to wonder why God would place such a tree in Paradise in the first place, and why Adam and Eve didn't die when they ate the forbidden fruit. We would also have to ask “how did they know about death in the first place?” But this story, as is the entire Bible, is allegory and metaphor. The tree is needed to fulfill the deeper message of the myth. 

One day, a talking serpent (obviously metaphorical, since snakes don't talk) appears to Eve at the Tree of Knowledge, and says don't worry about the warning from God. On the day you eat of the fruit of the tree, you will NOT die. This ... is a metaphor for Eve having a inner battle with her ego/serpent. Now before we go any further, we must understand that Eve represents the feminine principle of creation both in body and Mind. Eve is our subconscious Mind. Birthing whatever our conscious Mind wishes - and asks no questions or has any determination of right from wrong. It just does. Thought, to form. 

Adam, is the masculine principle and the conscious Mind. Whatever our conscious Mind impregnates into our subconscious Mind, will be birthed ... brought forth into reality and manifest form. Conscious Mind, should be implanting good thoughts (thinks/things) into the garden of our subconscious Mind so as to bring forth goodness ... but, as is evident by the present world condition, this is not always the case. 

So, Eve now presents Adam with this fruit, and they both eat of it. In doing so, the God(s) are quoted as saying “now that they have eaten the fruit of that tree, they have become as us (yes it says plural Gods).” So they get thrown out of the Garden ... out of Paradise. But wait ... what about the death part? From the pulpits your will hear “well they died spiritually” or you will hear “they committed the original sin and became dead to God”, etc. But let's go a bit deeper on this. 

This entire allegorical meaning of this story is designed to speak of the development of consciousness among mankind. And there are multiple labels of consciousness, each having purpose and meaning. In the early formation of man, our subconscious Mind ran everything. Everything was like the Garden. It was provided for mankind with no conscious thought needed. But as mankind developed conscious thought, and reasoning, things began to change ... and things drastically changed. Man became as God, and could now think, create, discern, be led by Ego self, or Divine Self. We had a choice ... we now had free will. We no longer ran solely on our perfect and Divine pre-programmed subconscious and superconscious Mind that runs our entire body without us even knowing about it. We developed the conscious Mind ... and could now cross the line into egotistical sensual fulfillment. In other words, we could now choose from the path that had already been paved, or we could wander off into the desert or wilderness. 

Allow me to stray for a second. I learn much from my dogs. They are with me all day every day. One thing that always fascinated me is the freedom they have to live each and every moment without ever knowing they are going to die. One day, I will be left with one, and the other will carry on never knowing what happened to the other. You see, on the day we ate the fruit (developed conscious thought and reasoning) ... we LEARNED about death. We became AWARE of our own mortality. This was a devastating revelation. We knew not death, and now ... we fear it more than anything else. 

This is what was meant by “if you eat of the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil you will surely die.” We DID become as god(s). And, the knowledge of death became not only an inescapable reality, but has ruined our lives ... not so much by witnessing it, but by fearing it. It follows many people as a dark shadow waiting to take away their very last breath. So many people are consumed by worrying and fearing death. When they will die, how they will die, will I suffer, how long will it take. etc. Even though we are eternal Spiritual beings having a physical experience, we still have much we would like to do in this journey. So many things to see and do. No one WANTS to die ... to leave this Life for another. So the knowingness of death came with the expansion and evolution of mankind's conscious awareness.

So when we were earlier ancient base nature man, we had no knowledge of death. We experienced Life every day without ever having a clue that one of those days - would be our last. Not knowing you would die, would have been paradise would it not? But the process of involution and evolution must move forward ... must progress and grow. We now have the option to choose what Adam feeds Eve and so forth. What our conscious Mind feeds our subconscious mind ... will manifest into form. Good, or evil. We now have the knowledge (gnosis), and we have to power to know good ... from evil. Choose rightly. 

Just a thought ... 

Justin Taylor, ORDM. 

COMING OUT OF EGYPT ALLEGORY

COMING OUT OF EGYPT ALLEGORY 

The word “Egypt” comes to us from the Ancient Greek “Aegyptos,” which is a Greek transliteration of the Kemetic phrase:  “Het-Ka-Ptah.” Het means place and Ka means: “the physical projection of the soul,” which is the character or aura that attaches itself to the body ... and IS NOT the body. It also meant black/darkness and referred to the rich, black alluvial soil deposited by the Nile River, which allowed the agricultural basis of that civilization to flourish. 

In Ancient Hebrew, whenever Egypt or “Mitzraim” is mentioned, it is synonymous with physical and mental Bondage (Slavery). When dealing with geographic references, the indigenous tradition of the Land of Egypt tells us the civilization was called Khemit, and the people and language were called Khemitian. Egypt in the esoteric and metaphorical Biblical Scriptures in not a place, but a state of being ... Representing the body/Mind experience. 

When the Ancient Mystery School initiates identified with only the body and the flesh, they were considered to be in “captivity.” Therefore, To “come forth out of Egypt” was understood as leaving behind the idea of being merely a body and discovering the Soul. This was the beginning of the Spiritual experience and discovery of “God” ... the Divine within. 

Hippolytus wrote about “those who are ignorant” ... “Egyptians in need of departing Egypt” ... that is - from their body-centered existence - believing themselves to be merely physical matter. Allegorically, the ignorant Egyptians represent those “without Gnosis,” ... without the knowledge of the Divine Spark within them awaiting resurrection. This ignorance was to be without the light, and in darkness. It was this group of people who remained identified with their physical selves (not Higher Self) and who did not possess the “knowledge/Gnosis” ... that they we are all Divine Sparks of God entrapped in these fleshy and carnal bodies. Among the ancients Greeks was the phrase “soma/sema.” This translates as “the body is the tomb.” 

Just a thought ... 

Justin Taylor, ORDM. 

WATER AND GOD SOURCE

WATER AND GOD/SOURCE

If you were to take a bottle of water from the store and trace it backwards to its origins, it would go something like this. Store, carton, truck, warehouse, bottling plant, stream/rivers/lakes/well/reservoir, clouds, and all the way back to the very origins of the universe. This is all part of a process called The Water Cycle. All water is derived to one source ... One Source.

Water in oceans, rivers, ponds and lakes is heated by the sun, which turns it into water vapor, (basically invisible water) and this vapor forms a cloud in the sky. When a cloud gets so full of water that it can't hold anymore, it rains. The rain water travels back into our rivers and oceans, and soaks down deep into the ground, creating more groundwater. It's an endless cycle ... and all life bases life itself, on the sun and water. 

Now, further consider mankind specifically. We are born out of a material world of form/matter, and prior to this physical birth, was the birth canal. Then the womb, the umbilical cord, the egg/seed, our parents, their parents and so forth all the way back to the very origins of the Universe. This is all part of a process called The Life Cycle. All life is connected to one source ... One Source ... And will always be ONE. 

In fact, At the time you are born, the percentage of your body made up of water is about 78%. As you age, it drops to about 60%. This still means that we are made of mostly water. According to H.H. Mitchell, Journal of Biological Chemistry 158, the brain and heart are composed of 73% water, and the lungs are about 83% water. The skin contains 64% water, muscles and kidneys are 79%, and even the bones are watery: 31%.

To break this down into the point I am making is that in it's most basic form, there exists ONE Source, or Point of Origin, which for the sake of unity, I label as “God.” And Mankind is the offspring or “Sons and Daughters” of that God. That's all there is to it, in a nutshell. The essence of the Creative Archetype is in ALL of us just like water is in ALL water ... as the essence of the ocean is in every droplet of water removed from it. 

That is NOT to say that Man is God, but rather, that God is Man. God is everything, and since ALL THINGS (thinks) begin as thought (Spirit/energy) before they are manifest into form/matter, or become the result of cause and effect, everything that exists ... exists WITHIN the Mind of God. And yes ... all world religions accepted this at the very core of their ancient Wisdom. 

All are One, and one is ALL. The Universe is one gigantic living organism and you are it. You're not in it, or a part of it, you ARE IT. Inseparable. Everything is ONE. If you can grasp this ... it would change your life and the life of everyone in this world of ours. It is only our ego that believes us to be a separate creature or entity. There is ONE Spirit, ONE body, ONE mind, and ONE humanity. Stop the circus long enough to think about this. I promise you, when you tear down the walls separation, and rip the veil of fear and unknowingness ... you too will come to the same conclusion. Your Spirit already knows, and it's waiting for you to RE-member.  

Just a thought ... 

Justin Taylor, ORDM. 

DEEPER LOOK AT THE LIGHT OF LIFE

DEEPER LOOK AT THE LIGHT OF LIFE

“No one has ascended into heaven but he who has descended from heaven, the Son of man.”

-John 3:13

In the outer interpretation (exoteric and literal), according to most leaders and followers of modern day Christianity … the “Son of man” ... is Jesus.

According to this modern Christian interpretation, Jesus came down from Heaven, was born into a human body, and only HE can ascend back up into heaven. Jesus is a Divine being, not like the rest of us mere mortals. We certainly cannot do what Jesus has done right? And yet, in the New Testament he is quoted as saying “you will do greater things than I.” How do we rectify this?

In some of these outer/exoteric/literal interpretations, Jesus is actually God, not just the Son of God. We are considered to be lowly sinners, forever enslaved by Original Sin, and can never be what Jesus was.

In the inner interpretation (esoteric), the “Son of man” is the Spirit within, specifically, the awakened Spirit within.

Among the ancient traditions, there are TWO aspects of God; a masculine, and a feminine. The feminine aspect is referred to as Sophia, meaning Wisdom, the creative aspect, also referring to the emotional aspect of God, which is unconditional love. The masculine aspect, refers to knowledge and knowing (gnosis).

When the feminine and masculine aspect of God combine, a third component is created; the pure white light ... the anointing, Christ (the child/offspring). This pure white light is the living light of Spirit (Christ Consciousness), the very same Spirit within every living thing. This living light of Spirit is the SOURCE of our personal Life.

“Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.”

-Matthew 5:14

“While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

-John 9:5

“You, LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light.”

-Psalm 18:28

“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

-John 8:12

“Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light.”

-John 12:36

“Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are healthy,your whole body also is full of light. But when they are unhealthy,your body also is full of darkness.”

-Luke 11:34

What is born of Spirit, IS Spirit. We are ALL born of God/Source. The Spirit within us is the very substance of God/Source Energy, and as such, cannot die or be destroyed. Our Life-force Energy will leave behind the body. We have eternal Life because the Spirit within us IS the substance of God, which also has eternal Life. It is a function of what we are. Jesus was quoted as asking us to “follow him,” NOT worship him. He expected us to do the things he did, and to become like him.

John 14:12

“Timeless truth, I tell you: whoever believes in me, those works which I have done he will also do, and he will do greater works than these, because I am going to the presence of my Father.”

And I close with this quote from the the Book of John:

“... because as HE is, so are WE in this world.”

-1 John 4:17

Just a thought ... 

Justin Taylor, ORDM.

ALLEGORICAL INTERPRETATION

ALLEGORICAL INTERPRETATION

An allegory is a symbolic representation of one thing, through another. Most ancient scriptures are allegorical in nature - certain physical people, places, things, or events of an earlier time have an ultimate spiritual application in the present or future. For example, the Old Testament high priest Aaron was an allegory, or symbol, of the spiritual High Priest. The Bible claims its own authority for these metaphorical interpretations. Man has always tried to figure out what “God” would want for humanity.  Mankind would also find it opportune, to have God/Source stand upon a pulpit and also have the network news broadcast it. Unfortunately, this is likely not to happen. 

Over the centuries since The Bible was written, some occasionally well-meaning interpreters, and some not so well-meaning, have applied the translations and meanings of parts of the Biblical scriptures to their own time and circumstances, far removed from what is truly found in the deeper ancient teachings and metaphors. 

Some today even believe that the ultimate fulfillment of Biblical Scriptures is actually currently taking place literally, even though it was never meant to be literal or historical. They deny the Inner Mysteries of what the Bible and other ancient scriptures say, and they have usurped the Sacred Truths for their own self-serving purposes. They have used them as a means of glorifying themselves, controlling the general public, and not sharing the mystical Truths contained in the teachings ... simply because this would empower the people and then the church and its hierarchy would no longer be in power, or even be needed. 

Allegorical and metaphorical interpretation is the correct and legitimate usage, its self-centered approach is actually more ancient than Christianity, having originated with  pagan mystics of Egypt, Greece, Persia, the Far East, and then adopted, revised, and customized by some Hebrew and Christian Philosophers, hierophants, and “thinkers.”

These thinkers attempted to overcome the problems posed by literal interpretations of ancient Greek myths, and the allegorical method was further developed by scholars, such as Philo, Clement, and Origen of Alexandria. Though other methods were often used, particularly by the formation of The Holy Roman Universal (Catholic) Church, the original allegorical method was still around until late medieval times, though mostly underground and in secrecy. The Protestant Reformation of the 16th century rejected, for the most part, the allegorical method and they returned to a literal historical interpretation of the Bible ... not having the understanding and foundations of the ancient Wisdom of Egyptian and Greek Mystics and Philosophers. 

The allegorical and metaphysical method of mythological teachings of these spiritual Truths attempts to overcome the difficulties of perplexing Biblical passages, and to harmonize them with certain traditions and accepted teachings of the symbolism within the ancient temples. By assigning to each text - a hidden, symbolic, or mystical meaning beyond the primary meaning that the words convey in their literal sense - these allegorical interpretations make the scriptures more comprehensible, acceptable, relevant, and applicable regardless of time and era. In other words, it is more important to ask ourselves DOES it happen, rather that DID it happen. Seek within, and listen for the voice of reason to guide you on your path.

Just a thought ... 

Justin Taylor, ORDM. 

ORIGINS OF THE WORD MOTHER

ORIGIN OF THE WORD MOTHER

The English word ‘mother’ was first derived from the Greek ‘mētēr’, whose name was also connected to the Greek goddess Demeter. She is the mother of the gods. Mother in the Greek language, is “Mitéra (μητέρα).” Examples of other such goddesses include Isis, Astarte, and Cybele. The Latin word was a shorter “MATR/MATER” and you will find it everywhere in English when words are motherly. 

Have you ever visited the MATERnity ward at a hospital? This is for new “mothers” who are experiencing “MOTHERhood” with a new born infant. Maternity and MATERnal feelings are often not far from MATRimony, the state of being married or the marriage itself after which women often decide to become “mothers” in order to raise a family.

A similar root-word of meter, means the “womb.” Another similar Greek word is “metra” meaning uterus. All our mothers are named after the Goddess of the Earth (Gaia) because she gives us all Life, and from whose dark womb, comes the light of creation. These are all the origins of where we get “matter,” or physical form. There is also MATERial, MATRix, MATRon, MATRiarch, etc. You get the point by now.

The Latins had called their supreme goddess “Magna Mater,” which in English is Great Mother. Their word for love and desire is ‘amo.’  A similar word is the the Hebrew word for mother, ima (אמא, pronounced /ˈimä/). Almah is a term for “mother” in several different languages. During the T’ang Dynasty in China, the word Amah was used as an informal and poetic title for the Taoist goddess Queen Mother of the West. (Wikipedia)

Mother in Old English is mōdor, and in Old Irish, all the words Momo, Muhman, Mamman, Nang, and Ama signify mother. The Dutch say moeder, and German Mutter. In France, the French word for “mother” is “mère”, but most French call their mother “maman.”

Most Russians call their mothers mama, but the formal word is Мать ( Maht’). The Russian goddess of the earth is known as Mati-syra-zemla. The Fijian word for mother is nana, and here in America many people call their grandmothers nana.

There you have it. All our mothers are named after the Mother of the Gods, and the etymology of mother first comes to us from the Greek word meter, which simply means womb. Our word for physical life, or matter, is also rooted in the same etymology. 

Also, be mindful that the term used for a school you once attended is “Alma Mater” ... which literally means “nurturing Mother.” And now you know.

Just a thought ... 

Justin Taylor, ORDM. 

COPING WITH GENERAL BETRAYAL

BETRAYAL

Let’s begin with the simple meaning of the word BETRAYAL from the English Dictionary:

be·tray·al

/bəˈtrāəl,bēˈtrāəl/

- “the act of not being loyal when other people believe you are loyal.”

- “violation of a person's trust or confidence, of a moral standard.”

The etymology of the word is:

Early 13th Century: “violate by unfaithfulness, mislead, deceive, delude, a violation of confidence.” 

Have YOU every been betrayed? In you personal Life, in your business Life? It would be rare to find someone who has not experienced this type of treachery. It’s hurtful, it’s damaging, and it’s long-lasting. The emotional trauma manifests in both Mind and body. Being betrayed, is a traumatic experience, and not one to easily get passed. It can manifest in emotional and physical illness. 

Once someone has betrayed you, it is difficult to simply forgive and forget. Though we are told forgiveness is not about the other person, but about releasing the burden that WE personally carry. Still, a difficult task, no?

“Stab the body and it heals, but injure the heart ... and the wound lasts a lifetime.” 

- Mineko Iwasaki

“It is easier to forgive an enemy, than to forgive a friend.” 

- William Blake

“Only those you trust can betray you.” 

- Terry Goodkind

The act of betrayal has been around since the beginning of mankind, and his thirst for money, power, and greed continues to feed its existence, and growth. Though Karma will eventually catch up with the offender, it may take much longer than we are willing to wait. 

Personally, I have been betrayed many times in my Life. Relational betrayal from lifestyle, to business. It is painful and not so easy to let go of. I once spent five years chasing down a business partner who betrayed me. I went through the court system, only to be told “move on with your life” at the final hearing. You see, his Lawyer, was now a high ranking official in the State legal system. I had lost the battle, before it even began. The entire hearing was like a bad dream. More of a nightmare.

I did however, have a chance to talk with my ex-partner in the hearing room ... in front of his Counsel. I said to him “I played with your children, I slept in your home, I fed your dog, and I legitimately cared about your family. I considered you not only a business partner, but a friend as well.” He shrugged, and turned his head to leave. Crushed. I was simply crushed to say the least. Not one bit of remorse did he display. 

That was nearly 40 years ago, and I can still recall everything as if it were yesterday. Why haven’t I put this down and walked away yet? It’s the burning scar, and the void that was created. “How could he do such a thing?” I ask repeatedly. But I’m coming to terms with how I deal with it. I do my best to replace those thoughts, with more positive and loving thoughts about Life. 

I had an extensive 40+ year career in broadcasting and worked at countless radio stations and networks. There is no way I can count the times I had to deal with betrayal. In fact, I’m probably guilty of it as well. Nature of the beast I suppose. Competition, ratings, bonuses, and celebrity can twist reality into a different kind of experience. One in which people become anesthetized to their wrongdoings, and the ladder of success placed before them. I really wish there was a way people that I knew and worked with back then, could remember me not for who I was, but for who I have become. 

More recently, I have been over-ruled and ignored in other business ventures. A different kind of betrayal. One in which my trust and confidence that someone else would actually agree with me and align themselves with my reasoning would be tried again, and again. Rather than consideration for ALL who are involved, there was only self-consideration without the care of others and how it would affect them on a grander scale. It was a display of money, power, and greed. This MPG combination has brought down many a man. 

So then, what do we do about it? 

Put your energy into bringing yourself closer to where you want to be. Let’s say we each get 100 gallons of fuel at the start of each day. Where will you spend yours? Do you want to burn your fuel settling scores, or would you rather create the Life and business you truly desire?

Each gallon spent on negative thoughts or actions toward people who betrayed me would take gallons away from the positive work I really desire. I work on choosing to direct my energy in ways that make my Life more fulfilling, and the lives of others. Its my desire to refuse to give a single gallon of energy to the negative events in my past. You can do the same. 

In forgiving  and healing yourself, you can use visualization, where you feel all of your energy returning to natural balance. Start at the top of your head and imagine wonderful healing energy coming in ... direct from Divine Source. Let this energy slowly move through your body as you feel it heal and empower you. Then, imagine that its going out through the soles of your feet into the ground, and then through the center of the earth, and finally release it into the Universe. In this way, you are creating a pure energy link that replenishes from the Divine Source. 

All of us will have times of positive and negative events and issues through our lives. The sooner we learn to take responsibility for how we respond to events and turn them into a positive use of energy, the less we will suffer, and the more we will experience times of peace and joy. And along the way one never knows when what appears to be such a bad experience becomes the event that opens the door to manifest goodness.

The betrayal happened for a reason, so we could learn some hard lessons and then, move forward ... and look back only in reference. If we have trouble getting rid of our frustrations, try writing them out on a piece of paper and then burn them. Whatever your course of action, you need to start letting your negative feelings go,  but not before learning from them. There is much to be gleaned, if you look hard enough. Listen to that still small voice within for Divine direction.

Just a thought ... 

Justin Taylor, ORDM.

ANCIENT MYSTERIES REVEALED

ANCIENT MYSTERIES REVEALED

Religious and philosophical teachings are divided into two main categories - the esoteric (inner), and the exoteric (outer). Historically, the esoteric teachings have been held close and kept in secret, given only to those who were deemed ready by Teachers who held the “keys to the Kingdom of God.” This could take years in the Mystery Schools of old. Many years before the Truth was revealed to those deemed worthy enough to understand it, and to protect it. 

Whereas a spiritually mature person recognizes that these “keys” are symbolic of revealed Truths (unveiled), someone less spiritually mature would picture in his or her Mind, actual keys made to fit an actual lock, albeit ... one not of this world. This is the difference between esoteric and exoteric students of religion and philosophy.

The esoteric student understands that religious icons and symbols represent Principles and Laws of nature, including both the seen and unseen realms. The exoteric student takes the symbols literally, as in Moses actually parted the Red Sea; Jesus, the man, actually sits at the right hand of the Father, etc. 

While helpful to an undeveloped, uneducated, or non-inquisitive Mind, such literal interpretations are surface stories used to conceal the more sophisticated and abstract principles they were designed to portray in their parables, myth, allegory, and metaphors ... the deeper revelatory Truths. 

But as we fast-forward into this Internet Age, when all knowledge and information is freely available to nearly everyone, the time has come to speak more openly of the deeper Truths of this Ancient Wisdom, thus preventing the possibility ... through misunderstanding, that the ideas themselves become merely symbols, hiding the very Truths of which they have always stood for.

Add to this the need to integrate the astounding growth in scientific knowledge into the body of thought called “The Ancient Mysteries.” Scientists and intuitive thinkers of all disciplines have brought new meaning to the old maxim, “Man, know thyself.” 

Neuroscience and Cognitive Science, along with the science of Linguistics and also quantum physics, have revealed much about how the human organism works, especially the brain. And while this new knowledge (doubling itself nearly every few years) has enabled us to understand the concept of consciousness more than ever before, the sciences have yet to acknowledge the existence of the Universal Creative Mind of God/Source. And I stress ... yet. Eventually, it will be inevitable.

Mystics and sages throughout the millennia have understood more about the nature of Mind than present-day scientists, but they have not - for the most part - been able to articulate their knowledge using today’s language. 

Combined with science’s inbred prejudice against mysticism in general - which is the gap between science and religion that widens everyday - we are being brought us closer and closer to an evolutionary catastrophe. This materialist view that human beings are machines whose software developed on its own through random, selective processes and not downloaded from a superior intelligence ... is a issue to be dealt with. 

As long as scientists believe that consciousness is a product of the brain and not the other way around, they will continue to seek ways to enhance this flawed mechanism by external means. Mystics, on the other hand, want to develop what is already there. The universal unconsciousness is the Matrix (The Field) that is the glue of the Universe. Tying everything together as One.

The Ancient Mysteries have always taught that the human organism is a vehicle for consciousness, and that the notion of a separate self is nothing more than an illusion. They did not preach against individuality, as is commonly believed today, but rather understood that it is through individual choice that spiritual progress can be made. 

Every time we make one choice over another, whether based upon logic or intuition, we rewire our brain in a way that supports further choices along the same lines. Thus does humanity evolve. If through technology, that fundamental process is preempted and people begin to rely on artificial, implanted devices to enhance awareness, spiritual consciousness will devolve into greater and greater materialism, the belief that the physical world and its senses are all there is to the human experience.

The Ancient Mystery Teachings were given to the world as tools with which humanity can realize its own potential. These tools lie within the individual heart and Mind. But, while scientists tend towards the material understanding of life, spiritually minded people tend toward the opposite pole, regarding science with as much suspicion as scientists regard mysticism. 

Science, by the very nature of the word ... is proof knowledge. These bilateral grievous suspicions are a dangerous error. It is only by marrying these two paths ... in an enlightened awareness ... that humanity can make the next leap in evolution and involution, bringing the best of the rational Mind and the intuition together into a collaborative whole (holy).

The greatest of the mystics from the dawn of human history up to our present day have achieved this marriage of the inner and the outer WITHIN themselves. Hence, the ancient mantra “as above, so below.” Such enlightened people have brought humanity its greatest discoveries in science, philosophy, art, and social justice. 

It was the Egyptian principle of the One God (monotheism), brought forth and articulated by Moses (and Akhenaten), that enabled science to envision a world governed by Universal Immutable Law, and thus open the door to unprecedented technological advancement. 

It was Paracelsus who intuitively unlocked the secrets of pharmacology, extending the lifespan of human beings by decades. And it was Pythagoras who, through his Wisdom and depth of vision, gave us the profound understanding of numbers and geometry that enabled us to achieve countless advances. In fact, Math has proven to be the one constant Truth. 

These people were mystics who, along with countless others, acted as the mediators between Heaven and earth - the seen and the unseen - providing humanity with priceless knowledge of the cosmos and the meaning of human Life. The discoveries of the ancient teachings of Thoth, Hermes, Enoch, and a myriad of Avatars, Hierophants, and Sages, have brought us out of the Dark Ages ... and into the Age of Aquarius. New information, based on ancient knowledge. Question everything ... it is the time of reason my friends. 

Just a thought ... 

Justin Taylor, ORDM.

ATHEIST OR AGNOSTIC

ATHEIST OR AGNOSTIC

“If man cannot begin to make a human eye, how could anyone in his right mind think that eyes formed by mere chance? In fact, man cannot make anything from nothing. We don't know how to do it. We can recreate, reform, develop... but we cannot create even one grain of sand from nothing. Yet, the eye is only a small part of the most sophisticated part of creation - The human body.”

~Charles Darwin

Keep in mind, the eye has 40,000,000 nerve endings, the focusing muscles move an estimated 100,000 times a day, and the retina contains 137,000,000 light sensitive cells.

If you are a reasonable person you will have to say that “Having limited knowledge” that we all have at the present time ... we don't have the absolute proof to say that “There is no God.” In other words, you actually don't know if God doesn't exist, so you are not an “Atheist” but rather you are what is called an “Agnostic” (not knowing). Gnostic is Greek for “knowing.”

You are as a man who looks at a building and says he doesn't know if there was a builder ... or sees a watch, and doesn't know if there was a watchmaker. I have met many Atheists, most of them highly intelligent and knowing more about world religions than those who practice it. The Truth is ... in my personal opinion, it isn't that Atheists don't believe in God ... they just don't agree with you on who or what God is ... to them. The don't believe in the God they were raised with or taught about. 

There are people who have faith in the existence of a god, and there are people that have NO faith in the existence of a god. These are just two different belief systems ... or blind faith ... both knowing not the actual Truth of each others faith. It is simply a belief. A belief, is formed from a decision you have made. You cannot resort to defending scripture by simply saying “the Bible says” ... because God is Spirit, not flesh/matter and therefore can write no book. The Bible is a book written by men, believing it to be the Divine inspiration that guided their quill. 

According to research at the time of this writing, there are an estimated 38,000 denominations in the world today that claim the name of Christianity, and 12,000 of them are in the United States alone. Now remember, of all the world's religious systems, with all of their doctrines and dogmas, only ONE can be right ... if even that one is right at all. Like the classic line from the movie “Highlander” during the epic battle scene ... it concluded with "there can be only one, at the end there will be only one. If that one is good, the world will see a golden age. If that one is evil, the world will fall into anarchy.” This is the choice humanity makes every day, with every thought, idea, decision, belief, and action. 

In the 1972 film, The Exorcist, Father Merrin says “There is only one” when referencing the “demon” within Regan. They key here, is ONE. One belief, one demon, one Spirit, one world, one Universe ... all is one. And at the root of this oneness, is the animating force of Life. At this very basic and elementary level of understanding, we find the Truth to all that is. One point of origination, one animating force, one one Life, and one existence. 

Without this understanding, there are so many choices on what exactly we are to believe. How can we make certain that our believe system will not fail us at some time in the future. First, we all need to realize that when we take our last breath ... all of these worldly theologies, doctrines and traditions of men labeled as “Religion” will end, and only the Truth will remain. It is then, that we will find out for sure. But physical death, cannot exist at the same time as physical life. There is either one, or the other. 

Plain and simple ... it is an impossibility to prove a negative. But we can prove an positive through absolute evidence. For example, I cannot prove there are no black dogs in Virginia ... since I cannot possibly know or see every nook or cranny, alleyway, basement, stairwell, or forest, I cannot logically disprove the non-existence of black dogs in Virginia. However, if I set out to PROVE the positive EXISTENCE of black dogs in Virginia, the first one that I come across proves that they in fact exist. Search over.

Other propositions, however, can be disproven - and conclusively. There are two ways to do this. The first is to see if the proposition leads to a logical contradiction; if so, then the proposition must be false. Examples of this would be “a married bachelor exists” or “a square circle exists.” Both of these propositions entail logical contradictions - pointing this out is the same as disproving them.

Obviously disproving a god requires an adequate description of what it is, and what characteristics it has in order to determine either if there is a - logical contradiction - or if any testable implications hold true. Without a firm basis in reality - with an explanation of just what this god is - how can there be a substantive claim that this god is? 

In the end, concerning our personal spiritual beliefs, all one has to ask is “did it matter?” or “does it matter?” Do we ask “did it happen?” or do we ask “does it happen?” Confused yet? Let's move on.

My own personal observation is that there is in fact a Universal organism of which we are an emanation, and essence. It is ONE ... and we exist within it. Call this organism God, Source, Universe, Life, All That Is, Allah, Creator, etc. There is something much bigger than we are ... and we have barely begun to understand it. 

I will conclude with a couple of quotes from Karen Armstrong:

“I say that religion isn't about believing things. It's ethical alchemy. It's about behaving in a way that changes you, that gives you intimations of holiness and sacredness.”

-Karen Armstrong

“Look into your own heart, discover what it is that gives you pain and then refuse, under any circumstance whatsoever, to inflict that pain on anybody else.”

-Karen Armstrong

“If we don’t manage to implement the Golden Rule globally, so that we treat all peoples, wherever and whoever they may be, as though they were as important as ourselves, I doubt that we’ll have a viable world to hand on to the next generation.”

-Karen Armstrong

Our journey here, and our quest for answers, began a very long time ago. Perhaps one day we will know the absolute Truth. Until then, we’re doing the best we can with the tools we have. Clearly, there is an animating force in the Universe. There is a Field of Consciousness that connects everything within its web. It is our unified progress that will one day bring Heaven on Earth. Unity without uniformity. Love, peace, joy, and acceptance of all Life.

Just a thought ... 

Justin Taylor, ORDM.