THE GOSPEL TRUTH REJECTED BY THE SO-CALLED "CHRISTIAN" WEST
THE REJECTED MESSAGE FROM THE PERSECUTED MESSENGER
Re: Religion, Sociology, and Human Development
BY SWAMI TANTRASANGHA

AN INTRODUCTION TO SALVATION SCIENCE

The past fifteen years have seen the immigration of over a million
Hindus and Moslems to the United States. They, like Christians and
Jews have a popular idolatrous belief and unpopular iconoclastic
scriptures. Notice how all scriptures are practically devoid of
advocacy for worshipping any person or god, while the votaries of
these religions are engaged in the worship of people and gods of
various names. This fact is the dichotomy between unstudied
scriptures and popular religious practice. This is the difference
between idolatry and iconoclasm, and has enormous implications for
sociological development and behavior. For example, those, unlearned
in scriptures, tend to conform to the idolatrous use of names,
forms, rituals, and personality worship, whereas those learned in
scriptures, tend to shun such forms of worship and feel that one is
saved from suffering by studying, understanding, and practicing that
which is in scripture.

Religion is, perhaps, our most cherished "more", and sociology
states that, for that reason, it is the most resistant to change.
If one applies scientific method to the study of religion, no
prejudice should abhor true factual evidence. Since there is little
evidence to support the superiority of one religion over the other,
one may assume that he awaits more information, whereby a superior
knowledge of religious purport may induce a preferable personal
manifestation - physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.
And one must be able to acknowledge what is right about
another "faith" as well as what may be wrong in one's own. Although
implacable irrationality makes its favorite home in religion, it has
no rightful place there. If religious differences cause hatred or
violence, then the world would be better off without religion. As
some wise man said, almost all scriptures are right, and almost all
people are wrong. For example: Jesus performed many miracles and
said, "What I have done, you will do, and more." But in all history.
we have not seen anyone come close to the powers of Jesus, and of
those who did, we are "accidentally on purpose" happily unaware.

This thesis is to reveal the main teaching in world scriptures a
doctrine which the ignorant "Goliath majority" is blissfully
ignorant. And in the Biblical account, Goliath did blaspheme. I
postulate that the main blasphemy in the world's religions (not
scriptures) is the denial of the proposition put forth by the
apostle Paul, "The great mystery is Christ within us." Or, as
another scriptural account states: "They acknowledge God, but deny
the powers thereof." I postulate that these powers are to be found,
for the most part, within us. Needless to say, the presence or
absence of these powers in people has tremendous ramifications upon
individual development and behavior as well as global society and
history, and is the "bedrock" of most problems and solutions.

Therefore, scriptural truth presents powerful possibilities for
advancement and improvement in the fields of psychology, sociology,
medicine, and human development. But one must maintain rational,
objective scientific method, performing experimental research when
necessary, to arrive at a valid conclusion concerning the
hypothetical statements which I now present as quotations from many
scriptures, as well as some scientific and psychological
commentaries. The fact that the subject matter presented here is
unknown to almost all, suggests an aversion, beyond the scope of
this dissertation. Now, prepare to enter the study of the
anthropology of religion, which will lead you into the realm of
the "scriptural counterculture". And, above all, beware the "devil"
of irrational conformity to an erroneous norm, despite your fear of
socio-economic boycott for deviating from that norm.

The scriptural counterculture does not kill. Its concern is not with
keeping the "slaves", but freeing them - not with destroying life,
but engendering it. Never "give up" on the possibility for genetic
rejuvenation. Man made religions, but the God of all religions,
regardless of which name you call it, made that which is
scientifically true. Doubt leads to enquiry, which leads to a
knowledge beyond all blind faith - a knowledge with all perception
open to sensory data Just open your eyes, your mind and, above all.
your heart. Let nothing deceive you. God is well and lives in
Heaven and does not need your help. However, mankind is not well,
lives in Hell, and needs all the help it can get. And Jesus
said, "Whatsoever ye do unto my brethren, ye do unto me." He does
not require praise to know His own greatness. Just feed his flock
with holy food.

THE PROBLEM OF DISHONOR

The dominant ideology functionalist perspective is that religion is
a stabilizing force in society, inspiring people with hope and
morality. And the minority conflict perspective hypothesis implies
that religion is a destabilizing factor, in that it has caused and
is causing many wars because of prejudicial bias, misinterpretation
of scriptural meaning, and public egotism, hypocrisy and ignorance.
I herein refer to the quotes of several illustrious writers.

Baha'U'Llah (1971), founder of the Bahai faith states:
"Leaders of religion in every age have hindered their people from
attaining the shores of eternal salvation...some for the lust of
leadership...have been the cause of the deprivation of the people...
And the people also, utterly ignoring God and taking them for their
masters, have placed themselves unreservedly under the authority of
these pompous and hypocritical leaders, for they have no sight, no
hearing, and no heart of their own to distinguish truth from
falsehood... With all their power and strength, they strive to
secure themselves in their petty pursuits, fearful lest the least
discredit undermine their authority or blemish the display of their
magnificence." (pp. 63,64)

This is the classical theory in sociology, that we take the
"dramaturgical approach" to the "looking - glass self", in which we
modify our actions to elicit rewards for conforming to society's
norms, using their responses like a mirror to fashion the way we
look at ourselves. Scriptural truth thus becomes a secondary
priority, or perhaps, even inconsequential.

Swami Sri Yukteswar (1971), guru of the founder of Self Realization
Fellowship in Los Angeles, reports:
"The practical principals of sexual health are not taught, because
the public regards the subject as unclean and indecent. Thus
blinded, mankind presumes to clothe Nature in a veil, because she
seems to them impure, forgetting that she is always clean, and that
everything impure and improper lies in man's ideas, and not in
Nature herself." (p.47)

This is pure Freudian Psychology, all too similar to the Biblical
account of the "fall" of Adam and Eve.We become ashamed of our
bodies, leading to sexual frustration-aggression syndrome,
displaced and transferred onto others.

Shah (1974) quotes Jalaludin Rumi:
"I am giving people what they want. I am reciting poetry, because
people desire it as an entertainment. I have long searched for
people who want action, but all they want is words. I am ready to
show you action; but none will patronize this action. So, I present
you with words." (p. 117)

Shah (1974) then quotes Ali:
"You probably seem to yourself to be a believer, even if you are a
believer in disbelief. But you cannot really believe in anything
until you are aware of the process by which you arrived at your
position. Before you do this, you must be ready to postulate that all
your beliefs may be wrong, that what you think to be belief may only
be a variety of prejudice caused by your surroundings, including the
bequest of your ancestors, for whom you may have a sentiment. True
belief belongs to the realm of real knowledge." (p.181)

The above is one of my favorite quotes, because it is an excellent
description of scientific method, which, I hypothesize, is necessary
in order to arrive to spiritual truth. Recall that the early church
of Jesus Christ was called "Gnostic", from the word "Gnosis",
meaning knowledge. Adding further weight to this theme, Shah quotes
the dying words of Mansur: "I recommend you to seek...the knowledge
of what is true - true science." (p.190). He died from being stoned
by those of false beliefs. This theme continues in Shah's quotation
of Sufian Thauri: "A learned man who has many friends may be a
fraud, because if he were to tell them the truth, they would no
longer be his friends." (p.204). Selfish pride breeds jealousy
against those who have something better than ourselves. Thus, we
destroy that which could benefit us - a common theme in the stories
in the Holy Bible.

Continuing on this theme of "love of ignorance and hatred for
knowledge", Shah quotes the Caliph, Ali: "I have here a sufficiency
of knowledge, but I cannot find anyone to whom to entrust it. There
are plenty of people, but they too quickly become uncertain or
skeptical. How I yearn for the really learned." (p.206). Then Shah
quotes the Hadiqa of Sanai: "Everyone in the ordinary world is
asleep. Their religion - the religion of the familiar world - is
emptiness, not religion at all." (p.208). Shah then quotes Hazrat
Ali, who hints at a secret teaching: "Your medicine is in you, and
you do not observe it. Your ailment is from yourself, and you do not
register it." (p. 244). Shah concludes with a quote from Alauddin
Attar, who bewails the mindless unscientific nature of
religion: "Because of the difficulty of maintaining the science of
man, religion was instituted as a means of approaching truth. The
means always became, for the shallow, the end, and the vehicle
became the idol." (p. 261).

Helena Blavatsky (1975), founder of the Theosophical Society, with
headquarters in London, Wheaton, Illinois and Adyar, India, wrote
this, publishing it in 1877: "...While the clergy, following their
own interpretations of the Bible, and science its self-made Codex of
possibilities in nature, refuse (truth) a fair hearing, real science
and true religion are silent, and gravely await further
developments." (p. xfl).

Paul Twitchell (1998), founder of the famous Eckankar (soul travel)
movement, made the following observations:
"In the lower worlds, men rule by politics, and thereby with orthodox
religions. Hence, religions become a system of socio-economics to
control man's mind and body. Most world religions have a foundation
in the economic systems of their times. Every social order since the
start of man in this world, has had a religion for it own followers.
It has promised the glories when one dies. Suffer on earth, and get
the reward after death. This is the creed for keeping an exploited
society quiet. It has formed consumer societies throughout history,
which have created wars and left man in poverty. It has destroyed
the natural resources of man and formed a spiritual desert on
earth." (vol. I. p. 152). "The root of all bondage in this world
is egotism." (vol. 2. p. 173).

THE SOLUTION WITH HONOR

Due to man's revulsion for scriptural truth, it is written in
allegories, or in such a manner as to explain it theoretically,
while remaining vague concerning the actual practice of it.
Parrinder (1980) quotes from Taoist scriptures: "The union of man
and woman is like the meeting of heaven and Earth. It is because of
their correct mating that Heaven and earth last forever. Man,
however, has lost this secret. Therefore his age has gradually
decreased." (pp. 113, 1l4). And Zolla (1981) states: "The Baptized
would put on...the Androgyne...from whose phallus flow the waters of
life." (p.23). He then quotes the ancient philosopher, Asclepius:
"Both sexes team with reproductive power, and their binding power,
or rather unity...is beyond understanding - highest charity, joy,
mirth, desire, and divine love are innate in it." (p. 26).

Blavatsky (1975) explains her "secret doctrine" thus:
"Endowing his fluid with a bisexual (androgynous - not homosexual)
force, he will become the greatest magician living. Thus the astral
light is androgyne... The result of this is Life. (p. xxvi). The soma
(moon) makes a new man of the initiate; he is reborn and
transformed...it gives the divine power...and develops the
clairvoyant factor to the utmost." (p.xl).

The world-renowned psychologist, Dr. Carl Jung (1977), quotes
Petrus Bonus of Ferrara, from the enormous alchemical anthology,
"Bibliotheca Chemica Curiosa":
"The body will become wholly transfigured, incorruptible, and almost
unbelievably subtilized, and it will penetrate all solids. After the
Resurrection, a man becomes stronger and younger than he was before.
The old philosophers discerned the Last Judgement in this art,
namely in the germination and birth of this stone... Begetter and
begotten, old man and boy, father and son, all become one. 0 what
miracles of nature that have changed the soul of the old man into a
youthful body, and the father has become the son." (pp. 374, 375).

Then, Jung (1977) quotes from Ch. IX of the "Codicil1us" of the
alchemist, Raymond Lully: "And as Jesus Christ...took on...the
deliverance and redemption of mankind...so likewise in our art, that
which has been wrongfully defiled...is absolved by its opposite;
cleansed and delivered." (p.358). In "Mysterium Coniunctionis", Jung
(l977) quotes from "Die Gnosis des Christentums" by Georg Koepgen
(1939): "In the person of Jesus, the male is united with the female.
It is the fulfillment of the Androgyny that was made manifest in
Christ." (p.373). The mystery of this Androgyny" may be seen in the
embryo, before the gestation of distinct sexual characteristics. The
embryo is androgynous. Charles Darwin noted that the embryo is not
only androgynous, but also has gill slits. He thus theorized that
our species "descends" not only from fish, but also from primordial
androgynous beings. If a man or woman should somehow become
androgynous, it merely implies that one has attained genetic
rejuvenation.

In 1945, near the village of Nag Hammadi, in southern Egypt, some
fifty early Christian texts, written in Coptic, were found in a
cave. Two of them are original gospels of Jesus, written by his
disciples, Thomas and Philip. We know from another Coptic
scripture, "The Pistis Sophia", that Jesus had three scribes:
Thomas, Philip and Matthew. Mark and Luke were not disciples, and
their gospels were obviously copied from Matthew. I presume that
John wrote his gospel after they lost Jesus. These fifty Nag
Hammadi texts were translated into English and can be found in "The
Nag Hammadi Library" by James M. Robinson, published by E. J. Brill
and by Harper & Row. This concept of the Hermetic Union of man and
woman, is the obvious main theme of these texts, which originate in
the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ.

REFERENCES

Baha'U'Llah. (1971). Baha'I world faith. Wilmette. IL: Baha'i
Publishing Trust.

B1avatsky, H.P. (1975). Isis unveiled: A master—key to the
mysteries of...science and theology. Los Angeles: Theosophy.

Jung, C.G. (1977). Mysterium coniunctionis. Princeton: Princeton U.
Press.

Jung, C.G. (1977). Psychology and alchemy. Princeton: Princeton U.
Press.

Parrinder, 0. (1980). Sex in the world's religions. New York: Oxford
U. Press.

Robinson, J.M. (1977). The Nag Haammadi library in English. Leiden:
E.J. Brill.

Shah, I. (1974). The way of the sufi. Harmondsworth, Middlesex,
England: Penguin Books.

Twitchell, P. (1971). The shariyat-ki-sugmad. (2 vols.). Las
Vegas: The Illuminated Way Press.

Yukteswar. (1974). The holy science. Los Angeles: Self-Realization
Fellowship

Zolla, E. (1981). The androgyne: Reconciliation of male and
female. New York: Crossroad Publishing.