History books casually describe a period in man's history as the "Dark Ages". But how many people living at that time knew they were living in the "Dark Ages"?
And how many people are aware that we are living in yet another and darker age?
An abundance of publications and the technology to produce them by the millions has given man the false impression that he is "enlightened".Primitive cultures have always treasured superstitions and myths which have no basis in actual fact. Although true religion and true science should merge in a common quest for truth, Twentieth Century Western religion and science have collaborated in leading mankind to the brink of disaster through their mutual dishonesty and hypocrisy.
Simple truth has been replaced with a mess of myths!
People choose to be deceived. When they find truth too uncomfortable or too expensive, they begin shopping for cheaper imitations to take the place of what they have rejected. After the choice has been made, myths can become progressively more absurd, and people will continue to accept them rather than return to what they first rejected.
A sensational illustration occurred in Jonestown, Guyana, a few years ago. Almost 1,000 people drank Kool_aid mixed with cyanide in a mass suicide pact. The world was quick to place the blame on their leader, the Rev. JIm Jones.
A host of unsatisfactory explanations were put forward as to how he succeeded in deceiving these people. The truth was that his followers had plenty of opportunities to opt for the truth rather for Jones' demented obsessions ... but Jones made it so much easier to escape personal responsibiltiy by letting him become their conscience. Comitting suicide by drinking cyanide is not very comfortable; but, by that stage, the groups mythology had reached a very advanced stage, and even death was easier than retracing their steps back to reality.
The greater tragedy is that Jonestown may only be a step or two ahead of the rest of the planet earth. While the populations of Russia and America are not lining up to take cyanide tablets, they are lining up to vote for leaders who talk seriously of participating in an all-out nuclear war.
No, the Dark Ages (and Jonestown) are not finished chapters in man's history!
If you are a "Christian", you may feel threatened by what we are about to say. Some of your most treasured beliefs will be examined in the light of the teachings of Christ, and they will be exposed as hoaxes.
But you need not feel threatened. You have two honest alternatives:
Continue to maintain your beliefs, but stop calling them "Christian". OR Read to the end of this article and find out what Christ actually did teach and accept that.
In either case you will have helped us to achieve our aim, i.e. to clear up some of the confusion about what Christ stands for.
The religious world disposed of Christ because his teachings posed a threat to them. And they continue to pose a threat today ... but only if they can be dug from under the tangle of myths that have been used to hide them for centuries.
Although the term "Christian" only appears three times in the Bible, a passage in Acts 11:26 says that the word was used to describe "disciples" or students of Christ. You would be lucky to find one so-called "Christian" in a hundred today who has studued the teachings of Christ sufficiently to tell you even a dozen things he has commanded his followers to do.
If you have been a "Christian" for more than a week and do not know at least ten of Christ's commands, it would be wise to see whose teachings you have been studying and to alter your name accordingly.
The Jesus myth
This myth overlaps with the "Christian" myth. It starts with the assumption that any mention of "Jesus" is referring to the historical Jesus of biblical records. But one need only take a trip to Mexico, where it seems that every second male child is named Jesus (pronounced Hay-Zeus), to discover that there are a lot of Jesuses running around who bear no resemblance ot the Jesus of the Bible. Admittedly, there are references which promise spiritual power if people believe in Christ's name, or if they ask for things in his name. (e.g. John 1:12 and John 15:16) But Christ is clear that he is not looking for nominal loyalty.He says,
"Not everyone who calls me Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that does the will of my father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophecised in your name? and in your name done many wonderful works?' And then will I profess unto them: I never knew you. Depart from me , you that work iniquity!" When my wife married me, she took my name. If, however, she should leave me and live with someone else, and then ask my father for assistance "in my name", my father would say that she had "taken my name in vain", which would make him doubly angry.
Some evangelicals teach that you need only say the name "Jesus" and it will scare away demons and heretics. But there is no more magic in the name than there is in a Catholic crucifix or "holy water" to ward off evil. Such superstitions are totally un-Christian myths. In fact, the devil himself is quoted as confessing that Jesus is "the Holy One of God." (seeLuke 4:34)
What does scare him (and those phoney church leaders) is anyone who is obedient to Christ.
So when you hear religious people praying to or praising "Jesus", they could just as easily be praying to or praising Satan. The name of their god is not so important as his teachings. (John 8:37-47)
Possibly because of embarrassment by the contradictions of nominal Christians, a fairly recent movement of new, "improved" Christians has arisen...the "born again" believers. For these people, it is not good enough to say you are a Christian. Anyone can do that. To be accepted by a born againer one must say he is "born again".
(It never crosses their minds that people can just as easily lie about being born again as they can lie about being Christian!)
Justification for the myth comes from a statement Jesus made to a religious leader: "Unless a person is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of heaven."
However, explanations for what "born again" means range from mere statements of faith to dramatic behavioural changes. (See the Holiness Myth)
Generally, however, a "born again" mythologist believes that he is a Christian because he said a little prayer, asking "Jesus" to come into his "heart", and stating that he was sorry for his sins. This ritual is often referred to as accepting Christ as your personal Saviour or saying the sinner's prayer.
The fact that there is no support for such a myth anywhere in the teachings of Christ does not daunt the born againers however. As with so many primitive religions, people have religious experience while performing the ritual and credit the ritual itself with powers that it doesn't actually have.To understand what it really means to be born again one must study the rest of what Christ taught. He said we must become like little children, in utter dependence upon our heavenly Father for all our material necessities.
When someone asked Christ what he needed to do to have eternal life, he instructed the man:
"Go, sell all that you have, and give to the poor, and come and follow me." (Luke 18:22)
On another occasion, he told a group of people, "Anyone who doesn't give up everything that he owns cannot become a Christian." (Luke 14:33)
This gives us a clearer picture of what Christ meant by being "born again". There is no hint of a "sinner's prayer", or asking a name into one's heart to be born again.
The Grace Myth
Of all the myths included in this series, the grace myth is probably the closest to the truth. It is not easy to spot the errors in it, and perhaps because of this it has had a very wide spread acceptance.
The grace teaching (since this much of it is not mythological) is that nobody is perfect, and therefore, acceptance by God could never depend on our goodness, but rather on God's grace and forgiveness. The death of Christ on the cross has somehow made that grace available to all mankind.
The myth aspect of the teaching takes two forms. The first has been touched on in comments on the born again myth: People teach some kind of religious act (saying a prayer, attending mass, etc.) as a necessary requirement to receive God's grace. Someone has rightly said that all it takes to preach the grace of God and the cross of Christ is to tell everyone in the world that they are already forgiven through Christ... whether they like it or not. Anyone who believes you is forgiven. Believing is an incredibly simple act and does not require any religious ritual to make it genuine. (In fact, the religious trappings usually result because the faith is hollow and counterfeit!)
The second perversion of the grace teaching is the myth that it is wrong to teach or to seek to obey the teachings of Christ because this would be an attempt to "work your way to heaven". Lets get it clear from the start: The traditional passages of Scripture in support of the grace teaching do not come from the teachings of Christ, but from the writings of the apostle Paul. And yet Paul himself warns against twisting what he has said to excuse ourselves from Christs disciplines. (Galatians 5:13 and 1:8) And St. Peter said that ignorant people twist what Paul taught about God's grace to excuse their lack of diligence to be found obeying Christ when he returns. (2 Peter 3:14-17)
If we are to honestly preach the message of God's grace in Christ, we must let people know that they do not need to go to church, say prayers, stop smoking and drinking, etc. to be forgiven by God; but we should also be aware that if they really believe that Christ has made all of this possible, then they will assume that the commands of Christ are also part of God's good news and they will seek to obey them as well... remembering all the time that, if they do not obey them perfectly, God still loves and forgives.
Can you see how this is significantly different from ignoring Christs commands, or in some other way excusing ourselves from taking them seriously?
The Holiness Myth
Some people who have seen the fallacy of teaching people that they have no need to obey God, have tried to emphasise the need for a change in behaviour on the part of those who have accepted God's grace in Christ. The mistake is that their change in behaviour takes the form of health and social taboos that rarely ever have anything to do with the teachings of Christ.
Some of the disciplines looked for in believers of Christ are: no smoking; no drinking; no use of culturally offensive language; no casual mention of sex; no going to movies or dances; alterations to dress styles; etc. All of this is called "holiness". But it has little if any connection with the holiness that Christ taught.
Besides, true holiness should not have to be legislated in a book of rules. We cannot make ourselves holy. What we can do is respond to Christ's love by following and obeying him. Holiness will grow from this.The word "holy" means "set apart". Early Christians were certainly set apart from the rest of their society, but it wasn't based on the issues stressed by the holiness people. Throughout the Old Testament people had been taught that the way to make one day a week holy was to stop working for money and give one's full attention to the things of God. Christ simply taught that his followers could exceed the Jewish concepts of righteousness by setting their whole lives apart for service to God.
He taught:
"Do not think about what you will eat or what you will wear (for all the nations of the world seek these things), but seek God's kingdom."
(Mat. 6:25-34)
Matthew the tax collector did not have to change his language, clothing, or eating habits to convince people that he was "holy". All he did was quit his job and follow Jesus. (Luke 5:27-28)
The holiness myth is a poor substitute for scriptural holiness!
The Prayer and Praise Myth
Weekly meetings of most denominations are referred to as prayer meetings, praise meetings, and/or worship services. Praise is regarded as an essential (if not predominant) element in the Christian community.Unfortunately, we discover once again that Christ had almost nothing to say on the subject. His criticisms of people who say to him, "Lord! Lord!" appear to treat praise with a bit of scepticism. (See also the Jesus myth.)
Human experience has shown that people who say the nicest things about us in public are often the most damning behind our backs. Continual and forced flattery is a very poor cover-up for genuine communication. Anyone who needs (or even desires) an audience when he is praising God must have a very shallow private relationship with him. I do not need to flaunt my relationship with my wife to prove my love for her, or to prove I am not ashamed of her. In fact, if I did, most people would regard it as a sick perversion of a very private matter.
Christ taught, "
Do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray, standing in the synagogues and on the street corners, that they may be seen of men. But, when you pray, enter into your closet, and when you have shut the door, pray to your Father in secret." (Mat. 6:5-6) Where is this being taught and practiced today? Genuine praise and worship are not public acts but continual attitudes. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) And obedience is the highest form of praise.
The Tongues Myth
In recent years literally millions of people have become wildly enthusiastic about a religious experience they call "the baptism with the holy spirit". Because experiences (see also the born again myth) are so hard to identify and categorise, it has become general practice to associate and even equate Holy Spirit baptism with the phenomena of speaking in tongues (To speak in tongues, just concentrate on an idea or feeling you wish to communicate. Make sounds with your mouth, but don't try to form meaningful words. This is helpful in all types of communication, but especially in prayer. The spirit of what we are saying is often more important than the words used.)
Saying that tongues is always a gift from God is like saying that all worship (regardless of who is being worshipped) is good. The experience can be used for good or evil. Tongues-worshippers have had to come up with numerous explanations for the wide divergence of beliefs amongst people who share the same experience: from Catholic Pentecostals who prophesy in the name of Mary, to Children of God who practice religious prostitution; from the Jonestown suicide cult, to sects that worship the devil. One minister in a sect that teaches that one must speak in tongues to be a Christian, said, upon learning that some satanists speak in tongues, "Well, they must have God's Spirit, but they're just using it incorrectly." How blind can people be! Of course they don't have God's Spirit! And the same could be said for most of the more orthodox tongues-talkers as well. Most tongues-talkers worship their bellies or emotions (Philippians 3:19). It's a good feeling to find speech fluency by this exercise. But it should not numb our brains to the need for rationality as well. (1 Corinthians 14:14-20)
The phenomena is totally irrelevant in gauging one's real relationship with God. Christ made only one six-word reference to the phenomena, and nowhere else in the entire Bible is there anything that says a person must speak in tongues to be filled with the Holy Spirit; nor does it say that a person who speaks in tongues necessarily possesses God's Spirit.
On the contrary, Paul says,
"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels and have not love, I am become as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal.
"
(1 Corinthians 13:1) In other words, without God's Spirit of love, tongues is just a lot of noise!
The Church Myth
When backed into a corner, almost every denomination will tell you that there is no Christian basis for calling the building where they conduct their meetings a church. No one wants to take the blame for starting this ridiculous myth, but almost everyone seems prepared to perpetuate it.
When they're not calling building churches, they are calling religious clubs churches. "What church do you belong to?" is one of the first exchanges when religious people meet. Some very progressive church-goers have a concept of all the buildings and all the denominations combined being the "church". But they are wrong.
When factions started in Bible times, St. Paul wrote, "Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptised in the name of Paul?" (1 Corinthians 1:12-13) As long as people are identified by denominational loyalties, they are not Christians. A Christian has but only one loyalty and that is to Christ.
Christ did not come to start a religion. He came to announce that God is capable of reading the thoughts and intentions of every heart and can judge each person according to their own honesty and sincerity.When a woman argued with Christ about which synagogue was the right one to attend, Jesus said, "The hour comes when you shall neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem worship the Father in spirit or in truth, for the Father seeks such to worship him. God is a spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit..." (John 4:21-24)
Religious people too often put their faith in what they can see. They like to be able to package things up into neat little boxes. It is easier to accept or reject people on the basis of a denominational title than it is to honestly listen to them as individuals.
To Nicodemus, Jesus said, "The wind blows where it likes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is every one that is born of the Spirit." (John 3:8) And to the religious leaders Jesus said, "The kingdom of God does not come through observation; neither shall they say, Come here! or Go there! for the kingdom of God is within you." (Luke 17:20-21)
Jesus also preached that, unless we become like little children and start all over again with non-religious concepts of spiritual matters we won't be able to see his kingdom, or church, at all. (John 3:3)
Speaking of the period just before he returns to earth, he said that there would be many religious leaders claiming to have God's anointing (Mat. 24:4-5), and they would teach that the way to find Christ is to come to where they meet. (Mat. 24:23-26) His instructions are: "Don't follow them."
The Baptism myth
No issue in Christian history seems to have caused more problems in proportion to its size than the issue of water baptism.
As mentioned in the church myth, St. Paul had discovered by the time he wrote his first letter to the church at Corinth that baptism, and particularly who performed the baptism, was becoming an excuse for divisions. Paul exclaims in exasperation, I thank God that I baptised none of you... For Christ sent me not to baptise, but to preach ..."(1 Corinthians 1:14-17) But how does this line up with Christ's great commission in Matthew 28:19-20? "Go teach all nations, baptising them, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you."
The problem comes from confusing John the Baptist with Jesus. John taught, "I baptise with water, but he (Christ) shall baptise with the Holy Ghost." (Luke 3:16) Are we disciples of Christ or disciples of John?
Water baptism was a Jewish symbol of commitment to God, and, as a Jew, Christ fulfilled the symbol by being baptised in water by John. (Mat. 3:13-15) Jesus later taught, "The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time, the kingdom of God is preached." (Luke 16:16) So, John's baptism has nothing to do with Christianity. (See also Luke 7:28) Although Christ tolerated water baptisms on the part of his disciples, he refused to perform them himself. (John 4:2)
Paul taught that there is only on Christian baptism (Ephesians 4:2), but after the early Christians were baptised (or "covered") with God's Spirit on the day of Pentecost, they still tried to make Jews out of Gentile Christians. Non-Jews (e.g. the Ethiopian eunuch and Roman centurion) were expected to be circumcised, water baptised, and to follow Jewish health rules.
Later, however, the requirements were shortened to two simple rules: avoid fornication and idolatry.
So how does a Christian baptise someone with the Holy Spirit?
Look again at the great commission quoted above: Teach them what Christ taught us. Jesus said, "The words that I speak unto you are spirit and life." (John 6:63)
WE baptise (or "cover") people with Christ's teachings; THEY accept what they hear; and GOD gives them his Spirit. But this is all too simple for the baptism mythologists!
The Heaven Myth
Religionists see everything in black and whites, especially when it comes to one's eternal destiny. Either one is "saved" or one is eternally "lost". This is why so many simplistic formulas (e.g. sinners' prayers, various baptisms, speaking in tongues, joining the right church, etc.) have been created to determine who is saved and who is lost.
The heaven myth teaches that something can be done in an instant of time which will assure a person of a ticket to heaven after they die. To prove their faith in the myth, people are encouraged by their various religious leaders to proclaim loudly and longly that they know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are "saved".
This arrogant attitude in itself is proof of a lack of real confidence on the part of these people, and it is what puts most people off conversations with religionists. A self-righteous, know-it-all attitude rarely attracts honest, intelligent listeners.
Jesus Christ spoke of eternal life, but he never spoke of "going to heaven when you die." He taught much about going to the kingdom of (or from) heaven, which is here on earth right now in the form of the truths that Christ taught, and the people who accept and practice them.
This kingdom is only a revolutionary force now, but when Christ returns, he promises to establish visible rule over the whole earth.
So "heaven" is not where we go, but rather where the kingdom (and its king) come from. (John 3:13-21)
Believing in Christ cannot be completed in a moment of time (as though one could dispense with that chore and then get back to what really interests him). It is an on-going relationship which may either deepen or dissolve as we get to know more about him and his teachings. (John 8:30-31)
Salvation (or being saved) begins right now, as the truths of Christ save us from the lies, fears, greed, and hatred of this present evil world. The more one gets away from the teachings of Christ, the more lost he becomes in the mess of myths and confusion that exist in a godless world and in man's counterfeit religions.
The Bible myth
The Bible myth is that the Bible is the complete and infallible "Word of God". It teaches that every word of the Bible carries equal authority, and that nothing done or said since its 66 books were completed can properly be termed "inspired".
When we challenge this myth, we are, in fact, showing more faith in the Bible than those who teach the myth.
The Bible itself says only that Jesus Christ is the Word (or perfect revelation) of God. (John 1:14 and Revelation 19:13-16) And the Bible itself proclaims its lack of inspiration in some passages. (e.g. 1 Corinthians 7:12, and 25)
The Bible also instructs Christians: "If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God," making it clear that followers of Christ can be just as inspired today as they ever were.
Certainly the Bible is the best record we have of the teachings of Christ, as well as the writings of many great men of God. But the real purpose behind the Bible myth is to convince people that knowing God's will is a very difficult task, requiring years of training in the Greek and Hebrew languages, an intimate knowledge of Jewish holy days and ceremonial laws, expertise in church history, and familiarity with Greek, Roman, and Jewish customs at the time of Christ.
In actual fact, a little bit of honesty will put you miles ahead of most theologians, who seem to be more interested in scoring points for their denominational viewpoints than in finding the truth.
The proof text for the Bible myth is Paul's statement that all Scriptures (holy writings) are inspired by God and are helpful to followers of God. (2 Timothy 3:16)
However, when Paul reminded Timothy a few moments later to bring the cloak and parchments he left at Troas (2 Timothy 4:13) it was clear that he did not see this as a "holy writing" inspired by God with eternal significance to men of God everywhere!
Many holy writings are, indeed, found in the Bible; and prophetic books such as The Revelation must be treated with special care (see Revelation 22:18-19), since true prophets do not write opinions, but relay messages just as they receive them from God. (See 2 Peter 1:20-21) Often these messages are not clear until they actually come to pass, and altering them to fit an imperfect interpretation can be quite dangerous. But to be inspired and to be profitable are not the same as to be infallible. Nor do all passages rate equally with regard to their profitability. For example, we no longer stone adulterers, or practice polygamy; so why should we place the rest of the Jewish Old Testament on a par with the teachings of Christ? And why rate an apostle's writings equal to Christ's teachings?
The healing myth
A particularly tempting myth is the one that teaches it is never God's will for anyone to be sick. According to this myth, one need only believe hard enough and all sicknesses will disappear. Of course, if they do not disappear, then it is proof of some spiritual weakness on the part of the sick individual.
This myth has led to all sorts of dishonest trickery. (According to 2 Thessalonians 2, it is called "lying signs and wonders".) People try to convince themselves and others that they have succeeded in bringing about a miracle through their own faith.
Certainly any God who can create the universe and all that is in it would have no problem healing any sickness. But believing that God is able to perform miracles is not enough for the healing mythologists. They insist that you "claim" your healing as a God- given right this very moment. (As though God could be bluffed into following your orders!)
Jesus obviously did miracles, and he even promised that his followers would do greater things than he did. (About the only thing greater than raising the dead is giving eternal life to someone, something Christ's disciples could only do AFTER his resurrection and ascension.)
What people seem to miss is that Jesus taught almost nothing at all about healing. You don't teach healing; you just do it. And Christ did it. We might point out that he also told people not to say anything about it when he did. (eg. Matthew 9:30) However, the healing myth is mostly talk and sensationalism and very little quiet action.
What Christ did teach about healing and other miracles was that they are not for everyone (Luke 4:23-29), and that it is only evil, selfish people who put their faith in them. (Matthew 16:4 and John 2:23-25)
The favourite proof text for the healing myth comes from an Old Testament prophecy about Christ: "He was bruised for our iniquities...and with his stripes we are healed." (Isaiah 53:5) But one might just as well say that Proverbs 12:18 teaches that a wise man can heal sickness by licking your body!
Health and healing mean much more than physical fitness. (eg. Proverbs 13:12)
The apostle Paul taught that our physical bodies have not yet been redeemed, and that God's Spirit has come to comfort us in our sicknesses. (Romans 8:22-26)
One can ask for healing; but no one can claim or demand it, as taught in the healing myth. Real faith is like that of Job: "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him." (Job 13:15) Job was not trusting that God would heal him. Real faith is not in healing, but in God. Job trusted that whatever God allowed to happen would be best for him. That's real faith!
The Prosperity Myth
One of the most fervently espoused and financially profitable myths in religion today is the prosperity myth. Basically, it teaches that Christ came to bring economic prosperity to his followers.
It is a cross between the New Guinea "cargo" cults (which look for God to drop wealth from aeroplanes in the sky) and the Hindu caste system (which teaches that it is the will of God for poor people to be poor).
The prosperity teaching claims non-Christian nations are poor because they are non-Christian, and Western powers are rich because they are Christian.
The role that multi-national corporations play in stripping the poorer countries of their resources is either ignored or is identified as an expression of God's will.
Within a capitalistic economy, the prosperity myth says that religious zeal on the part of the individuals will be rewarded with economic success. A good Christian will work hard for his employer, thus winning promotions over non-Christians, and it will inspire employers to hire Christians because they are the most eager to make money.
A few obscure Bible passages are quoted in support of this myth. In John's third epistle he writes: "Beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers."
The assumption is that prosperity must mean an abundance of material possessions.
However, the Oxford Concise Dictionary makes no reference to material wealth in its definition of the word prosper.
It gives only two words as a definition: succeed; thrive.
Tradition, however, has told us that success has something to do with things that money can buy. And the prosperity myth draws heavily on that tradition.
If there is any serious doubt as to whether John was talking about wealth, one need only compare his letter with other New Testament records.
St. James says,
"Has not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he has promised to them that love him?
Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgement seats?
Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by which you are called?
Go to now, you rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.
You have heaped treasure together for the last days." (James 2:5-7 and 5:1-3)
St. Paul warns against men who teach that wealth is a sign of God's blessing, saying, "anyone who wants to be rich falls into a trap that drowns men in destruction. For the love of money is the root of all evil." (1 Timothy 6:5-10)
And Christ taught, "Blessed are the poor, for the kingdom of God is theirs... But woe unto you that are rich, for you have received your consolation!" (Luke 6:20-25)
The missing piece
If a personal enemy of Christ had unlimited power to discredit him, he could not do better than to create a religion that opposed and contradicted everything that Christ taught, and then claim that Christ founded it. And that is precisely what has happened.
Jesus said that the religious builders have been trying to put their building together without the most important piece: the cornerstone. (Mat. 13:24-30; and Luke 20:17-18)
It isn't that they haven't tried to find a cornerstone, or criteria by which to assess truth and error. It's just that they have tried everything except the teachings of Christ.
At the conclusion of his sermon on the mount, Christ said, "Whoever hears these sayings of mine and does them, I will liken him unto a wise man who built his house on a rock. And everyone that hears these sayings of mine and does not obey them shall be likened unto a foolish man who built his house upon the sand." (Mat. 7:24-27)
Many of the teachings of Christ have been referred to in this booklet, but in case the positive side of what he taught has been lost in criticisms of the myths, we will state at least some of it here. Jesus said that the whole world lives in fear of starving to death, little realising that the Creator of the universe has the ability to see that everyone has everything he needs. (Matthew. 6:30-33)
He says that if we will stop working for food (John 6:27) and spend our time spreading this message of God's providential care all over the world (Mark 16:15), he will take care of our needs.
That is what we are doing, and we have found that, by starting here, our "building" has fitted together, the Bible has made sense, and God has amply provided for our needs.
Sound interesting? Why not contact us if you are interested in more information, or if you'd like to work with us.
(John 4:35; and Luke 10:2)
Religionists see everything in black and whites, especially when it comes to one's eternal destiny. Either one is "saved" or one is eternally "lost". This is why so many simplistic formulas (e.g. sinners' prayers, various baptisms, speaking in tongues, joining the right church, etc.) have been created to determine who is saved and who is lost.
The heaven myth teaches that something can be done in an instant of time which will assure a person of a ticket to heaven after they die. To prove their faith in the myth, people are encouraged by their various religious leaders to proclaim loudly and longly that they know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are "saved".
This arrogant attitude in itself is proof of a lack of real confidence on the part of these people, and it is what puts most people off conversations with religionists. A self-righteous, know-it-all attitude rarely attracts honest, intelligent listeners.
Jesus Christ spoke of eternal life, but he never spoke of "going to heaven when you die." He taught much about going to the kingdom of (or from) heaven, which is here on earth right now in the form of the truths that Christ taught, and the people who accept and practice them.
This kingdom is only a revolutionary force now, but when Christ returns, he promises to establish visible rule over the whole earth.
So "heaven" is not where we go, but rather where the kingdom (and its king) come from. (John 3:13-21)
Believing in Christ cannot be completed in a moment of time (as though one could dispense with that chore and then get back to what really interests him). It is an on-going relationship which may either deepen or dissolve as we get to know more about him and his teachings. (John 8:30-31)
Salvation (or being saved) begins right now, as the truths of Christ save us from the lies, fears, greed, and hatred of this present evil world. The more one gets away from the teachings of Christ, the more lost he becomes in the mess of myths and confusion that exist in a godless world and in man's counterfeit religions.
The Bible myth
The Bible myth is that the Bible is the complete and infallible "Word of God". It teaches that every word of the Bible carries equal authority, and that nothing done or said since its 66 books were completed can properly be termed "inspired".
When we challenge this myth, we are, in fact, showing more faith in the Bible than those who teach the myth.
The Bible itself says only that Jesus Christ is the Word (or perfect revelation) of God. (John 1:14 and Revelation 19:13-16) And the Bible itself proclaims its lack of inspiration in some passages. (e.g. 1 Corinthians 7:12, and 25)
The Bible also instructs Christians: "If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God," making it clear that followers of Christ can be just as inspired today as they ever were.
Certainly the Bible is the best record we have of the teachings of Christ, as well as the writings of many great men of God. But the real purpose behind the Bible myth is to convince people that knowing God's will is a very difficult task, requiring years of training in the Greek and Hebrew languages, an intimate knowledge of Jewish holy days and ceremonial laws, expertise in church history, and familiarity with Greek, Roman, and Jewish customs at the time of Christ.
In actual fact, a little bit of honesty will put you miles ahead of most theologians, who seem to be more interested in scoring points for their denominational viewpoints than in finding the truth.
The proof text for the Bible myth is Paul's statement that all Scriptures (holy writings) are inspired by God and are helpful to followers of God. (2 Timothy 3:16)
However, when Paul reminded Timothy a few moments later to bring the cloak and parchments he left at Troas (2 Timothy 4:13) it was clear that he did not see this as a "holy writing" inspired by God with eternal significance to men of God everywhere!
Many holy writings are, indeed, found in the Bible; and prophetic books such as The Revelation must be treated with special care (see Revelation 22:18-19), since true prophets do not write opinions, but relay messages just as they receive them from God. (See 2 Peter 1:20-21) Often these messages are not clear until they actually come to pass, and altering them to fit an imperfect interpretation can be quite dangerous. But to be inspired and to be profitable are not the same as to be infallible. Nor do all passages rate equally with regard to their profitability. For example, we no longer stone adulterers, or practice polygamy; so why should we place the rest of the Jewish Old Testament on a par with the teachings of Christ? And why rate an apostle's writings equal to Christ's teachings?
The healing myth
A particularly tempting myth is the one that teaches it is never God's will for anyone to be sick. According to this myth, one need only believe hard enough and all sicknesses will disappear. Of course, if they do not disappear, then it is proof of some spiritual weakness on the part of the sick individual.
This myth has led to all sorts of dishonest trickery. (According to 2 Thessalonians 2, it is called "lying signs and wonders".) People try to convince themselves and others that they have succeeded in bringing about a miracle through their own faith.
Certainly any God who can create the universe and all that is in it would have no problem healing any sickness. But believing that God is able to perform miracles is not enough for the healing mythologists. They insist that you "claim" your healing as a God- given right this very moment. (As though God could be bluffed into following your orders!)
Jesus obviously did miracles, and he even promised that his followers would do greater things than he did. (About the only thing greater than raising the dead is giving eternal life to someone, something Christ's disciples could only do AFTER his resurrection and ascension.)
What people seem to miss is that Jesus taught almost nothing at all about healing. You don't teach healing; you just do it. And Christ did it. We might point out that he also told people not to say anything about it when he did. (eg. Matthew 9:30) However, the healing myth is mostly talk and sensationalism and very little quiet action.
What Christ did teach about healing and other miracles was that they are not for everyone (Luke 4:23-29), and that it is only evil, selfish people who put their faith in them. (Matthew 16:4 and John 2:23-25)
The favourite proof text for the healing myth comes from an Old Testament prophecy about Christ: "He was bruised for our iniquities...and with his stripes we are healed." (Isaiah 53:5) But one might just as well say that Proverbs 12:18 teaches that a wise man can heal sickness by licking your body!
Health and healing mean much more than physical fitness. (eg. Proverbs 13:12)
The apostle Paul taught that our physical bodies have not yet been redeemed, and that God's Spirit has come to comfort us in our sicknesses. (Romans 8:22-26)
One can ask for healing; but no one can claim or demand it, as taught in the healing myth. Real faith is like that of Job: "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him." (Job 13:15) Job was not trusting that God would heal him. Real faith is not in healing, but in God. Job trusted that whatever God allowed to happen would be best for him. That's real faith!
The Prosperity Myth
One of the most fervently espoused and financially profitable myths in religion today is the prosperity myth. Basically, it teaches that Christ came to bring economic prosperity to his followers.
It is a cross between the New Guinea "cargo" cults (which look for God to drop wealth from aeroplanes in the sky) and the Hindu caste system (which teaches that it is the will of God for poor people to be poor). The prosperity teaching claims non-Christian nations are poor because they are non-Christian, and Western powers are rich because they are Christian.
The role that multi-national corporations play in stripping the poorer countries of their resources is either ignored or is identified as an expression of God's will.
Within a capitalistic economy, the prosperity myth says that religious zeal on the part of the individuals will be rewarded with economic success. A good Christian will work hard for his employer, thus winning promotions over non-Christians, and it will inspire employers to hire Christians because they are the most eager to make money.
A few obscure Bible passages are quoted in support of this myth. In John's third epistle he writes: "Beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers."
The assumption is that prosperity must mean an abundance of material possessions.
However, the Oxford Concise Dictionary makes no reference to material wealth in its definition of the word prosper. It gives only two words as a definition: succeed; thrive.
Tradition, however, has told us that success has something to do with things that money can buy. And the prosperity myth draws heavily on that tradition.
If there is any serious doubt as to whether John was talking about wealth, one need only compare his letter with other New Testament records.
St. James says,
"Has not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he has promised to them that love him?
Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgement seats?
Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by which you are called?
Go to now, you rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.
You have heaped treasure together for the last days." (James 2:5-7 and 5:1-3)
St. Paul warns against men who teach that wealth is a sign of God's blessing, saying, "anyone who wants to be rich falls into a trap that drowns men in destruction. For the love of money is the root of all evil." (1 Timothy 6:5-10)
And Christ taught, "Blessed are the poor, for the kingdom of God is theirs... But woe unto you that are rich, for you have received your consolation!" (Luke 6:20-25)
The missing piece
If a personal enemy of Christ had unlimited power to discredit him, he could not do better than to create a religion that opposed and contradicted everything that Christ taught, and then claim that Christ founded it. And that is precisely what has happened.
Jesus said that the religious builders have been trying to put their building together without the most important piece: the cornerstone. (Mat. 13:24-30; and Luke 20:17-18)
It isn't that they haven't tried to find a cornerstone, or criteria by which to assess truth and error. It's just that they have tried everything except the teachings of Christ.
At the conclusion of his sermon on the mount, Christ said, "Whoever hears these sayings of mine and does them, I will liken him unto a wise man who built his house on a rock. And everyone that hears these sayings of mine and does not obey them shall be likened unto a foolish man who built his house upon the sand." (Mat. 7:24-27)
Many of the teachings of Christ have been referred to in this booklet, but in case the positive side of what he taught has been lost in criticisms of the myths, we will state at least some of it here. Jesus said that the whole world lives in fear of starving to death, little realising that the Creator of the universe has the ability to see that everyone has everything he needs. (Matthew. 6:30-33)
He says that if we will stop working for food (John 6:27) and spend our time spreading this message of God's providential care all over the world (Mark 16:15), he will take care of our needs.
That is what we are doing, and we have found that, by starting here, our "building" has fitted together, the Bible has made sense, and God has amply provided for our needs.
Sound interesting? Why not contact us if you are interested in more information, or if you'd like to work with us.
(John 4:35; and Luke 10:2)
