John of AllFaith, Are you a real Christian?

John of AllFaith's
Questions And Answers
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From time to time I like to share my Q and A's here. Here's another one:

"S" writes:

Dear Rev. John of ALL Faith.
i am a gay Christian and was going through your column here and your website.
from what i gather from both, is that you are as much a hindu or a buddhist as much as a christian and personally i feel it is in truth impossible to be either a hindu and buddhist, a hindu and a christian, a hindu or buddhist simultaneously. while all religions have some good, and should be studied, i don't think its possible to be all and certainly not if one is a Christian.
i wish to know your comments on the same.

Hi "S,"

The question of being "a real Christian" is sort of like the question of being "a real American." You would need to define your terms as to what this means to you before I could answer either question in the context of your belief system.

Here at AllExperts I answer questions according to the category in which they are listed, so in the Christian categories I usually answer from a (Baptist) Christian perspective, in the Hindu section as a Hindu and so on. My name, John of AllFaith, and the direct links to my website makes my personal beliefs clear. I am completely upfront about my beliefs.

I am both (an American and a Christian) AND in both cases I celebrate my God given freedom AND responsibility to be so in terms of my understanding, and to reject what I deem to be incorrect and to embrace what I consider to be good.

When I was 12 years old (in 1969) I "accepted Jesus as my personal Savior" and dedicated my life to seeking God, God's will and the Truth, wherever it might lead.

This on-going quest for God, this devotion to Jesus, led me to seriously study Christendom (Christianity in all its aspects, historic, political, religious, textual, moral etc.) and countless other religions. My findings have convinced me that certain key elements of what we call Christian dogma are later Roman Pagan insertions not believed by Jesus, his followers or the Believers of the first two centuries of the Christian era nor of those who remained steadfast over the next several hundred years.

In other words, the Christianity of today is not the religion taught by Jesus. After the rise of the Universal (Catholic) Church many followers of Jesus' teachings continued steadfast and refused to accept the New Religion ordained by Emperor Constantine (ie the religion we call Christianity in its various forms today). These devout followers were slaughtered by the thousands and forced into hiding. In time their teachings were mainly destroyed and exist today largely in the lists of official "heresies".

Being convinced of this, am I more "Christian" to accept the teachings of Jesus or those of the later ecclesiastical manipulations? So again, what is Christianity? What is true Christian dogma? Does the question, am I a true Christian mean do I accept, for instance, the doctrinal proclamations made at Nicea or that I accept the teachings of Jesus?

My prayers and research have convinced me that the Counsel of Nicea and other official Roman boards deliberately altered the religion of Master Y'shua ben Miriam (Jesus, son of Mary) and replaced them with a largely different doctrinal belief system based on the Roman solar god Sol Invictus (who Constantine openly worshiped until the day he died) and other non-Jewish religions of the empire. This is why Christianity is so very not-Jewish when Master Y'shua and ALL of his followers were Jewish.

So, my devotion to HaShem (the God of Israel Whom Y'shua worshiped) inspires me to embrace his teachings rather than those of the Roman Pagans.

And what are those teachings?

Essentially, to love HaShem with all our hearts, to love our neighbors as ourselves, to be devoted and committed to the Jewish people, Israel and the [soon coming of the] Messiah.

Upon this rests the entire Torah and the true teachings of our Master Y'shua.

This does NOT mean Christianity is without merit. Like other Pagan religions it has been a blessing to the earth in many many instances. It is not however the religion of Prophet Y'shua.

As for Hinduism and other religions, we have a similar question. What does it mean to be a Hindu, a Buddhist, a Sikh and so on and how does this impact the teachings of Master Y'shua?

Hinduism is actually known as the "Sanatana Dharma" or Universal Truth. One who is devoted to the One Truth is a Hindu on what we might call a deeper level. On a surface level no. The same can be said of most all religions. And so in the words of Mahatma Gandhi, "I am a Hindu, a Muslim, a Christian and a Jew and so are all of you.

So are all who seek the One without a second according to the Light thus far given.

Master Y'shua said, "I have other sheep who are not of this fold..." And again,

Mat 12:48 But he [Y'shua] answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?

49 And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!

50 For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.

Likewise Prophet Micah explains:

Micah 6:6 Wherewith shall I come before HaShem, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old?
7 Will HaShem be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth HaShem require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

So again, the question remains. What does it mean to be a Christian? Am I a real Christian? Absolutely!


Deuteronomy 6:4 Hear, O Israel: HaShem, HaShem is our Elohim [God], HaShem, HaShem is one!


May the One God bless and keep you my friend,

Pastor John
~John of AllFaith

Sikhism: The Path of the Masters (Sant Mat) Part 3

Sikhism

The Path of the Masters (Sant Mat) © 1987
By John of AllFaith
Part Three: INDIA BEFORE NANAK

How one views India depends on many things. It is a vast admixture of contradiction, enlightenment, deception, promise disappointment and fulfillment. The French world traveler Madeleine Biardeau has correctly pointed out that, "Westerners arrive on Indian soil in their hundreds more or less persuaded that they will find Enlightenment round the corner. Whereas in fact what they encounter is India, with its dirt, poverty, discomfort, and they never cease reciting what makes this country one of the most backward" (I 5) [see note 9 below].

The first Englishman to visit India (in 1579) was the Jesuit Father Thomas Stevens [see note 10 below]. He wrote a poem in the Konkani dialect entitled the Christian Purana, in which he unsuccessfully sought to convert Indians to his religion (LoI 27). Because of Stevens and two merchants, named Fitch and Newbery, who visited India in 1583, the English developed "a keener desire for trade and exploration in the East" (BI 23). In 1600 Queen Elizabeth granted charter to "certain adventurers for the trade of the East Indies" (SIT XV). They hoped to capture the Indian market and 'make proper Englishmen out of them.' This was the humble beginnings of 'British India' which, with the fall of the Moghul Empire, "brought, province by province, State by State, [India] under the control or under the indirect influence of the British Government" (LoI 394).

Most non-Indians therefore had (and have) unrealistic expectations of India and judge her from their own cultural biases. They generally seek to exploit the country and her people, and hence are disappointed. When one's vision is skewed by ethnocentrism and nationalism, it is impossible to understand another culture, or for that matter, to rightly understand one's own (GSK 24,25). India must be accepted on her own terms. One must allow India to be India, the most unique, ambiguous and seductive land on earth.

According to the fascinating research currently being done by David Frawley, "There is much ground for believing that ancient India was more central to the origins of civilizations than is presently considered, that it may be the source of civilization as we know it ... Though most Western scholars and the current view of history still see a Middle Eastern origin for civilization, much new information is coming out that may challenge this view (GSK 15).

Even Indians view India differently depending upon their cultural and religious projections. It has been said that, from a Western perspective, India should be viewed as the Europe of the East. It is a vastly divergent land with separate cultures and languages and yet is, for the most part, united (or at least related) by a common history of proximity and philosophy.

The Jains and other Indian religions, along with the many Hindu sub-religions, all had critiques to offer. Some viewed India as Bharata-Varsha [see note 11 below], their holy ancestral land, while others saw her as an ancient civilization fallen into degradation and religious harlotry.

For the Muslims, India was a land of polytheistic idol worship and henotheistic confusion. They felt it needed radical cultural and religious reform. If India was to become 'civilized' it needed to convert to Islam. Moreover, India was a land of vast riches and these were desirable to the largely nomadic Muslim rulers. Harmonious with the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad, Muslim invaders from Mahmood of Gazni [see note 12 below] in the eleventh century to the Moguls of the sixteenth believed that Indian conversion (and exploitation) would best be achieved peacefully, but if the sword was more efficient, so be it (PWB 445). In the Taj-ul-Ma'asir Hassn Nizam-i-Naishapuri related that when Qutb-ul-Din Aibak (1194-1210) conquered Meerat, "he demolished all the Hindu temples of the city and erected mosques on their sites. In the city of Aligarh, he converted Hindu inhabitants to Islam by the sword and beheaded all those who adhered to their own religion" (quoted in SR 11).

The Punjabis viewed India somewhat differently. They had received the brunt of both Muslim and Hindu aggression. When Guru Nanak began teaching, the Punjabi people were filled with hope that perhaps, at long last, there existed in India a place for them. As Guru Nanak looked at the India of his time (1469-1539) his observations, in brief, were as follows:

• 1) Prior to his day, the atheistic philosophy of Buddhism had degenerated the country by destroying people's faith in God. In time, Buddhism itself waned and was re-Hinduized. Statues of the Buddha and popular boddhisattvas were installed as worshipable murtis [see note 13 below] in Buddhist temples. As the Hindu people saw the Buddhist murtis being installed they did likewise, again placing Images of their own Gods and Goddesses into the mandirs (temples) for public and private worship [see note 14 below]. The Sikhs blame this return to what Nanak viewed as idolatry on the Brahminical priesthood, who "had reduced the religion to a mockery, performing rites and rituals and superstitious ceremonies devoid of any sense and meaning" (SR 10).
• 2) The Buddhist teaching of ahimsa or non-violence and non-resistance were, from Nanak's perspective, making the Indian people weak and unwilling to defend themselves from their various aggressors, especially the Moghul invaders of his day.
• 3) The caste system was another complaint of Guru Nanak. He saw Indian society as so fragmented by castes and sub-castes that "a touch or even a shadow of these untouchables seemed to pollute the higher castes" (SR 10). This racist and classist situation was abhorrent to Nanak.

William Eerdmans says that despite this desire for universal brotherhood, in contemporary Punjabi Sikhism the caste system is still observed in many quarters (WR 199). Pramjit Singh disagrees with his assessment (P).

According to the Sikhs and most other historians, Muslim rule of India was fierce. As stated above [see note 15 below], for the Muslims, peaceful conversion was preferable, but in India the sword proved more effective. They therefore slaughtered men, women and children without mercy, plundering their homes and destroying their temples. According to G.T. Garratt, "The [Muslim] conquest introduced a period of ruthless oppression which went on unmitigated from the thirteenth to the sixteenth century, until the ascendancy of the emperor Akbar" (LoI 371). It was during the reign of Akbar and his successors that Sikhism emerged. In order to understand the Sikh religion, a basic understanding of the Moghul period is essential as the drama of those days had tremendous influence on the Gurus and their teachings.

Notes on Page Two

Note 9: India is about 3,287,590 square kilometers. There are over 746 million people with an annual growth rate of 1.9-2.1%. About 80% are Hindu, 11% Muslim, 2.6% Christian and 2% are Sikh. There are also smaller numbers of Jains, Buddhists, Parsis (Zoroastrians) etc. The average life-span is 50-54 years. The literacy rate is 25-36% (ICS xx,xxi).

Note 10 There is also Sighelmus who, during the reign of Alfred, went on a pilgrimage to the Shrine of St. Thomas at Mailapur but this is not verifiable (PS 414; LoI 27).

Note 11: Bharata-Varsha (India) was named after the Pandava Princes of Mahabharata fame. They were descendents of King Bharata. It was divided into nine khandas or parts: Indra-dweepa, Kaserumat, Tamra-varna, Gabhastimat, Naga-dweepa, Saumya, Gandharva and Varuna (HM 47). See footnote # 9.

Note 12: At the beginning of the eighth century the Arabians conquered the Sind. Two hundred and fifty years later Muhammadan Turks gathered around the north-west mountains of Afghanistan. Ghazni was occupied in 862 and Mahmud, the Sultan of Gazni Afghanistan, made fifteen raids on India, especially Lahore, from 997-1026 (HBI 10).

Note 13: Murtis are visible manifestations of divine beings which are worshipped or meditated upon. They 'channel'the divine presence.

Note 14: It appears that the conjecture is that murtis had never existed in India prior to the birth of Buddhism. This seems untenable. As Danielou explains: However far we reach into the history of Hindu thought we find a coherent use of images to represent abstractions" (GoI 363). It is more likely that the murtis had been removed during Buddhist control of the country and were now being re-installed.

Note 15: See above.

REFERENCES

• BI: History of British India Under the Company and the Crown, P.E. Roberts,
• Fellow of Worcester College, Oxford, Oxford University Press, Great
• Britain, 1958
• CC: Shree Caitanya-Caritamrita, Krishnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami, translated by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, New York, 1975
• EDY: Encyclopedic Dictionary of Yoga, Georg Feuerstein, Paragon House, New York, 1990
• ER: Encyclopedia of Religion, Mircea Eliade, MacMillan Publishing Co. New York, 1987
• G: Bhagavad-Gita As It Is, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, Los Angeles, 1973
• GGS: Hymns From Guru Granth Sahib, Hemkunt Press, New Delhi, 1975
• GiS: The Guru in Sikhism, W. Owen Cole, Darton, Longman & Todd, London, 1982
• GM: The Great Moghuls, Bamber Gascoigne, Harper & Row, New York, 1971
• GoI: The Gods of India, Alain Danielou, Inner Traditions International LTD. New York, 1985
• GSK: Gods, Sages and Kings, David Frawley, Passage Press, Salt Lake City, Utah, 1991
• HBI: History of British India, P.E. Roberts, Oxford University Press, 1958
• HM: A Classical Dictionary of Hindu Mythology and Religion, Geography, History, and Literature, John Dowson, M.R.A.S., Routledge & Kegan Paul, London, 1979
• I: India, Madeleine Biardeau, translated by F. Carter, Vista Books, 1960
• ICS: India: A Country Study, Foreign Area Studies, The American University, United States Government, 1985
• LoI: The Legacy of India G.T. Garrett, Oxford University, Clarendon Press, 1937
• LTM: The Life and Times of Mohammed, Sir John Glub, Stein and Day Publishers, New York, 1971
• M: Mandukyopanishad, Translated by Swami Sarvananda, Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, India, 1972
• NG: National Geographic, April, 1985
• P: Based upon private and public conversations with Pramjit Singh at the El Sobrante Sikh Temple, 3550 Hillcrest Rd. between 10/17/91 and 11/25/91
• PoM: Philosophy of the Masters, Three volumes, Huzur Maharaj Sawan Singh, Radha Soami Satsang, Beas, India, 1972
• PT: The Peacock Throne, Waldemar Hansen, Holt, Rinehart and Winston, New York, 1972
• PWB: The Portable World Bible, Robert O. Ballou, Penguin Books, 1980
• S: Spirituality: What it is? Kirpal Singh, Ruhani Satsang, Sawan Ashram, Delhi India, 1959
• SB: Shreemad Bhagavatam, Translated by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, New York, 1976
• SED: The Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary, Vaman Shivram Apte, Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi, 1989
• SIT: Sources or Indian Tradition, Vol. 2, edited by Wm. Theodore De Bary, Columbia University Press, New York, 1958
• SoS: Ruhani Satsang: Science of Spirituality, Kirpal Singh, Sawan Ashram, Delhi-7, India, 1970
• SR: Sikh Religion, no author given, Sikh Missionary Center, Detroit, 1990
• SW: The Sacred Writings of the Sikhs, Translated by Trilochan Singh, Jodh Singh, Kapur Singh, Bawa Harkishen Singh and Khushwant Singh, Unesco Collection of Representative Works: Indian Series, Samuel Weiser, Inc. New York, 1973
• WR: Eerdmans' Handbook to the World's Religions, Wm. B. Eerdmans, Wm. B. Eerdmans' Publishing Co. Grand Rapids, Mich. 1982

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Sikhism: The Path of the Masters (Sant Mat) Part Two

Sikhism

The Path of the Masters (Sant Mat) © 1987
By John of AllFaith

Part 2: THE GURU IN SIKHISM

Sikhism has not one founder, but ten. Guru Nanak, in the form of ten Gurus, founded this religion between the years 1469 and 1708 (WR 198). By virtue of his realized unity with God, Who is the true Guru, Guru Nanak created Sikhism over a span of 239 years. It is believed that each of the ten Gurus was born 'non-karmic.' In other words, they were born as perfect beings and live sinless lives (GiS 86,87). During these years of establishment the ten Gurus were each accepted as Guru Nanak, not just in name, but in essence. "Each was Guru Nanak; the First Guru Nanak, the fifth Guru Nanak, the tenth Guru Nanak, each was Guru Nanak" (P). It is said that they presented the identical truth, possessed the same distinctive insights into the nature of reality and the way to God, and even held a basic common identity. 'They were candles which have been lit from each other' (WR 198). The ten Orthodox Sikh Gurus [see note 3 below] are as follows:

THE ORTHODOX SIKH GURUS

Guru Nanak	1469-1539
Guru Angad	1504-1552
Guru Amar Das	1479-1574
Guru Ram Das	1534-1581
Guru Arjan	1563-1606
Guru Har Govind	1595-1644
Guru Har Ra	1630-1661
Guru Har Krishnan	1656-1664
Guru Tegh Bahadur	1621-1675
Guru Gobind (Rai) Singh	1666-1708

Indian spirituality has long been based upon the teachings of gurus and Sikhism is often known as the Religion of the Gurus (WR 195). In order to understand Sikhism therefore, we must understand both the meaning of the word "guru" and its somewhat unique application in Sikhism.

The word "guru" is a compound Sanskrit term: gu = darkness and ru = light. It is therefore understood that a guru is one who replaces darkness with light. In other words, it is through the grace of a guru that one attains enlightenment. It also means "heavy" or "weighty" and refers both to the one who removes the student's burdens (of ignorance and karmic debt) [see note 4 below], as well as the difficulty involved in carrying out the discipline to accomplish this. Equally conveyed is the idea that the 'reliever of burdens' is a venerable and respected teacher. The title is applied not only to a spiritual teacher (siksha or diksha) [see note 5 below] however, but also to "any venerable or respectable person, an elderly personage or relative, the elders." It also means, "Great, large, long, extended, important, arduous, excessive, violent, haughty, proud ... (technically, a guru is one who performs the purificatory ceremonies over a boy and instructs him in the Vedas)" [see note 6 below]. There are, as with most Sanskrit words, many definitions. In essence however, a guru is "Particularly, a religious teacher, a spiritual preceptor..." Indian dictionary entries for this word indicate the diversity of Bharat thought on the subject and would make a fascinating study in its own right (SED).

It is precisely because of the inexact meanings of the word that Sikhism developed a more specific definition, although it also added a few applications. In essence, Sikhism defines Guru [see note 7 below]. as "The light which dispels all darkness, and is called JOT (Divine Light)" (SR 7).

The true Guru (Satguru) is God (WR 197; GiS 44). Since mortals require an enlightened person to lead them to God, "Guru Nanak is the embodiment of the Light of God" and is therefore called Guru (SR 262). He was "Murshid-i-Kamek" ('Perfect Master') and "Rahbar-i-Haq" ('Guide to the realm of Truth'). Without such a Master, one cannot "travel on the God-way" (S 53). Likewise, as the nine Gurus who came after him are viewed as non-different from Guru Nanak, they too are Gurus. They are not classified as such due to personal knowledge, veneration or compassion; they are called Gurus because they were perfect channels of the Divine Light ('Jot') which emanates from the true Guru (God). This point is crucial in understanding Sikhism (GiS 94). The tradition is based on the siksha or teachings of God, not upon the wisdom of human teachers and seers.

In essence, the Sikh concept of Guru is simple, as are most of their teachings: The Guru is a Sikh, the Sikh is a Guru; they are both one, but it is the Guru who giveth instruction. He putteth the spell of God's Name in the heart, O, Nanak, and then God is easily obtained (Asa Mohalla 4; quoted in SR 265). The Gurus were not and are not viewed as Divine Incarnations or avatars in the classical Indian sense. Indeed, Guru Gobind Singh warned that, "Whosoever calleth me God may fall into hell" (SR 256). Their role in Sikh society is as bearers and imparters of the Holy Light ('Jot'). The faithful approach them with respect and receptivity to the Light, because it is understood that, "Through him [the Guru], God speaketh Himself" (SR 8).

While modern Sikhism has no living, physical Gurus [see note 8 below], there are, of course, many advanced teachers who train the less experienced in the ways of God. This is essential, because by merely reading the Scriptures it is not possible, according to the Sikhs, to unlock their deeper purports (SoS 2; GiS 41). There is no priesthood of any kind; all Sikhs are equal before God. Any initiated Sikh (a "Singh" or "lion for God") can conduct the ceremonies. Everyone depends on everyone else. In this, Eerdmans says that Sikhism is the most congregational based religious system in India, with the possible exception of Islam (WR 203). I would add that they are among the least hierarchical in the world.

The tenth Guru ended the Guru lineage. Since that time the Sikh community, which continues the faith of Gobind Singh, is itself considered the Guru. Likewise, Gobind Singh proclaimed that after him the Sacred Book, the Granth Sahib, which presents the teachings of the Gurus, would itself become the Guru. Hence, since 1708 it has been known as the Guru Granth Sahib (SR 244). This Scripture is largely the product of Guru Arjan, although the final version was prepared by Guru Gobind Singh. Gobind Singh added the works of the Gurus who were interjacent of Guru Arjan and himself. Guru Arjan's edition is known as the Adi Granth or "First Book of Scriptures." Gobind Singh's writings are recorded in the Dasam Granth.

The Guru Granth Sahib is the focal point of all Sikh ritual and endeavor (GiS 59). Sikhs bow before the Book as Hindus bow before murtis (physical deity forms). Names are chosen for initiates and babies by a random reading of the Scripture. At weddings the bride follows the groom in circumambulation of the Granth four times while songs of duty and obligation are sung by the congregation. Death is commemorated by seven or ten day readings from the Granth and many festivals include two day readings. In short, the Guru Granth Sahib is the center of and reason for the existence of the gurdwara ("Guru's Door") or temple (WR 202, 203; P).

Notes for Part Two

• Note 3: Some Sikh traditions reject the idea that Guru Gobind Singh was the final Guru. Groups such as the Ruhani Satsang insist that living Gurus are necessary for spiritual survival and attainment (SoS 15).
• Note 4: 'Karmic debt' refers to past reactions which keep one bound to transmigration.
• Note 5: Siksha: an instructing spiritual master. Diksha: an initiating spiritual master. This Hindu distinction of grades of teachers is not found in Sikhism.
• Note 6: The Vedas are the principle Hindu Scriptures.
• Note 7: Guru is always capitalized in Sikh literatures.
• Note 8: See also footnotes # 2, 9 and 11.

REFERENCES

• BI: History of British India Under the Company and the Crown, P.E. Roberts,
• Fellow of Worcester College, Oxford, Oxford University Press, Great
• Britain, 1958
• CC: Shree Caitanya-Caritamrita, Krishnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami, translated by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, New York, 1975
• EDY: Encyclopedic Dictionary of Yoga, Georg Feuerstein, Paragon House, New York, 1990
• ER: Encyclopedia of Religion, Mircea Eliade, MacMillan Publishing Co. New York, 1987
• G: Bhagavad-Gita As It Is, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, Los Angeles, 1973
• GGS: Hymns From Guru Granth Sahib, Hemkunt Press, New Delhi, 1975
• GiS: The Guru in Sikhism, W. Owen Cole, Darton, Longman & Todd, London, 1982
• GM: The Great Moghuls, Bamber Gascoigne, Harper & Row, New York, 1971
• GoI: The Gods of India, Alain Danielou, Inner Traditions International LTD. New York, 1985
• GSK: Gods, Sages and Kings, David Frawley, Passage Press, Salt Lake City, Utah, 1991
• HBI: History of British India, P.E. Roberts, Oxford University Press, 1958
• HM: A Classical Dictionary of Hindu Mythology and Religion, Geography, History, and Literature, John Dowson, M.R.A.S., Routledge & Kegan Paul, London, 1979
• I: India, Madeleine Biardeau, translated by F. Carter, Vista Books, 1960
• ICS: India: A Country Study, Foreign Area Studies, The American University, United States Government, 1985
• LoI: The Legacy of India G.T. Garrett, Oxford University, Clarendon Press, 1937
• LTM: The Life and Times of Mohammed, Sir John Glub, Stein and Day Publishers, New York, 1971
• M: Mandukyopanishad, Translated by Swami Sarvananda, Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, India, 1972
• NG: National Geographic, April, 1985
• P: Based upon private and public conversations with Pramjit Singh at the El Sobrante Sikh Temple, 3550 Hillcrest Rd. between 10/17/91 and 11/25/91
• PoM: Philosophy of the Masters, Three volumes, Huzur Maharaj Sawan Singh, Radha Soami Satsang, Beas, India, 1972
• PT: The Peacock Throne, Waldemar Hansen, Holt, Rinehart and Winston, New York, 1972
• PWB: The Portable World Bible, Robert O. Ballou, Penguin Books, 1980
• S: Spirituality: What it is? Kirpal Singh, Ruhani Satsang, Sawan Ashram, Delhi India, 1959
• SB: Shreemad Bhagavatam, Translated by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, New York, 1976
• SED: The Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary, Vaman Shivram Apte, Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi, 1989
• SIT: Sources or Indian Tradition, Vol. 2, edited by Wm. Theodore De Bary, Columbia University Press, New York, 1958
• SoS: Ruhani Satsang: Science of Spirituality, Kirpal Singh, Sawan Ashram, Delhi-7, India, 1970
• SR: Sikh Religion, no author given, Sikh Missionary Center, Detroit, 1990
• SW: The Sacred Writings of the Sikhs, Translated by Trilochan Singh, Jodh Singh, Kapur Singh, Bawa Harkishen Singh and Khushwant Singh, Unesco Collection of Representative Works: Indian Series, Samuel Weiser, Inc. New York, 1973
• WR: Eerdmans' Handbook to the World's Religions, Wm. B. Eerdmans, Wm. B. Eerdmans' Publishing Co. Grand Rapids, Mich. 1982

Benazir Bhutto is dead!

This official report is ABSURD!

Why on earth would the Taliban/Islamic Ummah kill the former Prime Minister? It makes no sense!

Musharraf' is a well known US puppet. HE had every reason to oppose her. She wanted democracy!
US Junta leader Bush had every reason to oppose her. She wanted democracy!

The Taliban had NO reason to kill her! Democracy in such an area would be a weak form of government that could much more easily to be toppled for the Islamic Ummah than the harsh dictatorship of the US puppet. They had NO reason to do this.

Don't believe the spin being weaved by the New World Order!

Bhutto buried as Pakistan unrest spreads

By ASHRAF KHAN, Associated Press Writer 4 minutes ago

Hundreds of thousands of mourners thronged the mausoleum of Pakistan's most famous political dynasty in an outpouring of emotion for Benazir Bhutto. The government said al-Qaida and the Taliban were responsible for her death, claiming it intercepted an al-Qaida leader's message of congratulation for the assassination.

But many of Bhutto's furious supporters blamed President Pervez Musharraf's government for the shooting and bombing attack on the former prime minister, Musharraf's most powerful opponent. They rampaged through several cities in violence that left at least 23 dead less than two weeks before crucial elections.

"We have the evidence that al-Qaida and Taliban were behind the suicide attack on Benazir Bhutto," Interior Minister Hamid Nawaz said.

Interior Ministry spokesman Javed Iqbal Cheema said that on Friday, the government recorded an "intelligence intercept" in which militant leader Baitullah Mehsud "congratulated his people for carrying out this cowardly act."

Cheema described Mehsud as an "al-Qaida leader" who was also behind the Karachi bomb blast in October against Bhutto that killed more than 140 people.

Bhutto was killed Thursday when a suicide attacker shot at her and then blew himself up as she left a rally in Rawalpindi. Authorities initially said she died from bullet wounds, and a surgeon who treated her said she died from the impact of shrapnel on her skull.

But Cheema said she was killed when she tried to duck back into the vehicle, and the shock waves from the blast knocked her head into a lever attached to the sunroof, fracturing her skull, he said.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

GARHI KHUDA BAKHSH, Pakistan (AP) — Hundreds of thousands of mourners thronged the mausoleum of Pakistan's most famous political dynasty in an outpouring of emotion for Benazir Bhutto. The government said al-Qaida and the Taliban were responsible for her death, claiming it intercepted an al-Qaida leader's message of congratulation for the assassination.

But many of Bhutto's furious supporters blamed President Pervez Musharraf's government for the shooting and bombing attack on the former prime minister, Musharraf's most powerful opponent. They rampaged through several cities in violence that left at least 23 dead less than two weeks before crucial elections.

"We have the evidence that al-Qaida and Taliban were behind the suicide attack on Benazir Bhutto," Interior Minister Hamid Nawaz said.

Interior Ministry spokesman Javed Iqbal Cheema said that on Friday, the government recorded an "intelligence intercept" in which militant leader Baitullah Mehsud "congratulated his people for carrying out this cowardly act."

Cheema described Mehsud as an "al-Qaida leader" who was also behind the Karachi bomb blast in October against Bhutto that killed more than 140 people.

Mehsud is regarded as the commander of pro-Taliban forces in the lawless Pakistani tribal region South Waziristan where al-Qaida fighters are also active.

At the funeral, some wept and others chanted "Benazir is alive," as the plain wood coffin was placed beside the grave of her father in the vast, white marble mausoleum in southern Sindh province near the Bhuttos' ancestral home.

Sikhism: The Path of the Masters (Sant Mat)

Sikhism

The Path of the Masters (Sant Mat) © 1987
By John of AllFaith

Part 1: Introduction

Nanak says:
Sing the praise of God and you shall know the Unknowable Lord

(GGS 13).

Of all the religious systems born in India, perhaps none is so misunderstood as Sikhism. Their turbaned heads, long beards, and the ever-present sword which hangs from their sides creates an intimidatingly exotic mien which few, especially in the West, see beyond. Yet despite this facade, behind their fierce presence, beats a heart of love and justice, a religion of intense joy. Sikhism is a path of bliss, devotion, austerity and determination. It is, in short, the Path of the Masters (S 50).

The discipline of Religious Studies, it seems to me, is vitally important. As the world becomes a smaller place in which to live, its cultures and religions are losing their ability to exist as in a vacuum. All too often violent confrontations arise between good-hearted people simply because they do not understand one another. Religious Studies, as a discipline, can do much to remedy this situation by presenting information to the public that rightly reflects the various Traditions. In this way all may see that 'religion is fundamentally one, though the sages call it by different names,' to paraphrase the Upanishadic wisdom.

In this attempt there are two (at least) schools of thought. There are those who approach religions and texts critically, academically. Such people call into question all the traditional doctrines and beliefs, demanding that they be validated by contemporary scientific and philosophical methodology. The other view is that the traditions should be honored, and not subjected an excessive amount of critical analysis from another discipline. According to this view, religio/spirituality is based on entirely different premises than contemporary philosophy, archeology, science etc. If theories such as natural selection or determinism were subjected to religious criteria, they would not fair so well either (of course with the advent of the new sciences such as chaos theory, it is quite possible that science will confirm the religio/spiritual understandings and dispose of its own) [note 1 below].:

There is, in my opinion, room and need for both methods of inquiry. As the Hindu Swami Vivekanada so aptly said:

"One thing should be especially remembered here, there is no connection between these historical researches and our real aim, which is, the knowledge that leads to the acquirement of Dharma. Even if the historicity of the whole thing [in this case the Mahabharata] is proved to be absolutely false today, it will not in the least be any loss. Then what is the use of so much historical research, you may ask? It has its use, because we have to get at the truth; it will not do for us to remain bound by wrong ideas due to ignorance. In this country [India] people think very little of the importance of such inquiries ... But our duty should be to convince ourselves of the truth, to believe the truth only (SV 101, 102).

I am in basic agreement with this statement and, as the Swami, prefer to work from the religious perspective. What follows therefore is an attempt to introduce the reader to Sant Mat, the Path of the Masters, not to a critical analysis of Sikhism. Herein I seek to speak from within the tradition. It should be noted perhaps, that I am not a Sikh and personally can not accept several of their basic premises. I simply intend to present the tradition as it is.

The Sikh religion is not old by Indian standards [note 2 below]. and yet as it reaches into the heart and exemplifies the Truth which is ever-present within each of us, it is, by those same standards, the primordial philosophy. It claims to be "not a blend or reproduction of earlier religions but ... a new revelation altogether. The teachings that the [founding] Gurus gave to this world, came DIRECT to them from God, which the Gurus confirm: This word comes from Him, Who hath created the world" (SR 3, emphasis theirs).

Part two Coming Soon!

Interested in this series? Let me know!

Notes for Part One

• Note 1: For more information on the New Sciences see: Algeny by Jeremy Riffkin (Viking Press New York, 1983) or The Turbulent Mirror by John Briggs & F. David Peat (Harper & Row, New York, 1989).
• Note 2: At various times in Indian history the country was divided and subdivided into various kingdoms. For simplicity sake, I will refer to India as a single country. For information on these divisions see footnote 11.

References for the entire series:

REFERENCES

• BI: History of British India Under the Company and the Crown, P.E. Roberts,
• Fellow of Worcester College, Oxford, Oxford University Press, Great
• Britain, 1958
• CC: Shree Caitanya-Caritamrita, Krishnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami, translated by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, New York, 1975
• EDY: Encyclopedic Dictionary of Yoga, Georg Feuerstein, Paragon House, New York, 1990
• ER: Encyclopedia of Religion, Mircea Eliade, MacMillan Publishing Co. New York, 1987
• G: Bhagavad-Gita As It Is, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, Los Angeles, 1973
• GGS: Hymns From Guru Granth Sahib, Hemkunt Press, New Delhi, 1975
• GiS: The Guru in Sikhism, W. Owen Cole, Darton, Longman & Todd, London, 1982
• GM: The Great Moghuls, Bamber Gascoigne, Harper & Row, New York, 1971
• GoI: The Gods of India, Alain Danielou, Inner Traditions International LTD. New York, 1985
• GSK: Gods, Sages and Kings, David Frawley, Passage Press, Salt Lake City, Utah, 1991
• HBI: History of British India, P.E. Roberts, Oxford University Press, 1958
• HM: A Classical Dictionary of Hindu Mythology and Religion, Geography, History, and Literature, John Dowson, M.R.A.S., Routledge & Kegan Paul, London, 1979
• I: India, Madeleine Biardeau, translated by F. Carter, Vista Books, 1960
• ICS: India: A Country Study, Foreign Area Studies, The American University, United States Government, 1985
• LoI: The Legacy of India G.T. Garrett, Oxford University, Clarendon Press, 1937
• LTM: The Life and Times of Mohammed, Sir John Glub, Stein and Day Publishers, New York, 1971
• M: Mandukyopanishad, Translated by Swami Sarvananda, Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, India, 1972
• NG: National Geographic, April, 1985
• P: Based upon private and public conversations with Pramjit Singh at the El Sobrante Sikh Temple, 3550 Hillcrest Rd. between 10/17/91 and 11/25/91
• PoM: Philosophy of the Masters, Three volumes, Huzur Maharaj Sawan Singh, Radha Soami Satsang, Beas, India, 1972
• PT: The Peacock Throne, Waldemar Hansen, Holt, Rinehart and Winston, New York, 1972
• PWB: The Portable World Bible, Robert O. Ballou, Penguin Books, 1980
• S: Spirituality: What it is? Kirpal Singh, Ruhani Satsang, Sawan Ashram, Delhi India, 1959
• SB: Shreemad Bhagavatam, Translated by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, New York, 1976
• SED: The Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary, Vaman Shivram Apte, Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi, 1989
• SIT: Sources or Indian Tradition, Vol. 2, edited by Wm. Theodore De Bary, Columbia University Press, New York, 1958
• SoS: Ruhani Satsang: Science of Spirituality, Kirpal Singh, Sawan Ashram, Delhi-7, India, 1970
• SR: Sikh Religion, no author given, Sikh Missionary Center, Detroit, 1990
• SW: The Sacred Writings of the Sikhs, Translated by Trilochan Singh, Jodh Singh, Kapur Singh, Bawa Harkishen Singh and Khushwant Singh, Unesco Collection of Representative Works: Indian Series, Samuel Weiser, Inc. New York, 1973
• WR: Eerdmans' Handbook to the World's Religions, Wm. B. Eerdmans, Wm. B. Eerdmans' Publishing Co. Grand Rapids, Mich. 1982

How To Be Perfectly Miserable

From a friend. Lots of wisdom in this one folks!

HOW TO BE PERFECTLY MISERABLE

1. Think about yourself.
2. Talk about yourself.
3. Use "I" as often as possible.
4. Mirror yourself continually in the opinion of others.
5. Listen greedily to what people say about you.
6. Expect to be appreciated.
7. Be suspicious.
8. Be jealous and envious.
9. Be sensitive to slights.
10. Never forgive a criticism
11. Trust no one but yourself.
12. Insist on consideration and respect.
13. Demand agreement with your own views on everything.
14. Sulk if people are not grateful to you for favors shown them.
15. Never forget a service you may have rendered.
16. Be on the lookout for a good time for yourself.
17. Shirk your duties if you can.
18. Do as little as possible for others.
19. Love yourself supremely.
20. Be selfish.

HOW TO BE PERFECTLY HAPPY

1-20 Do everything opposite of the above..

Isn't it better to be happy than miserable?

Life is 10% of what happens to you, and 90% of how you respond to it.

Sent to me by Running Fox (Cherokee Elder)

Where do you come up with stuff?

John of AllFaith's
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Hi John,
Where do you come up with this? Particularly the EU origins of the antichrist?
Thanks.

In the future, I believe in the near future, all nations will gather in the Middle East to wage war. To understand this coming war one must consider all the related verses and synthesis them. Simply stated however, at this point in time, the Anti-Christ (a world ruler known as the Dijal in Islam who will rise to power from the EU) will be ruling most of the earth harshly. Following seven brutal years, which will begin with a peace treaty between Israel and its enemies, the armies of many countries, including China, Russia, parts of Europe and the Muslim Ummah based in Ethiopia, etc. will turn against this global ruler and a world war will result, the main battlefield being the Field of Meggido. To save the remaining Jews, the Messiah will come and fight the armies of the earth in what is known as the War of Armageddon. These armies are "brought" to Jerusalem by the sovereign working out of history as foretold by the prophets of Yah. These coming atrocities are 'God's will' but are a natural course stemming from human events and choices. These events are leading up to the coming of Shiloh, Messiah and his thousand year reign.
=====================

Hi Gregory,

This information comes directly from the pages of the Bible. Explaining it in depth would require a book, but in brief...

First, I agree with you that the fulfillment of the prophecies are already under way.

The beginning is near!

Daniel chapter seven discusses the rise of the kingdoms of Babylon, Medo Persia, Greece and Rome.

Of the fourth Kingdom, Rome, Daniel tells us previously (at 2:40-43) that it, the Roman Empire, will crumble into ten ('completion') countries. The Roman Empire crumbled into the nations of Europe as is known.

2:44- tells us that it will be in the days of those "ten kings" that Messiah will come and establish the earthly Kingdom of God.

Back to chapter seven. 7:6 again tells us about Rome. The "ten horns" are the "ten kings" of 2:3. In verse 8, from among the domain of these "10 kings" (ie Europa) the Little Horn will rise. This "little horn" is the Anti-Christ or Dijal, the world leader or Rex Mundi. Thus, the Antichrist will arise from Europe.

Now notice verse 8 a tad later. We read that three of these ten kings will rebel against the Little Horn when he rises but that the Rex Mundi will be successful in establishing his kingdom in their domain (ie in Europa). This today is known as the EU. Thus far the countries of Europa maintain some dwindling autonomy but once the Rex Mundi rises this will partial independence be surrendered as the kingdom of the Beast is solidified in Europe.

The identity of this ruler is confirmed as we look at Rev 13 where John sees the Rex Mundi rise out of the sea of humanity with seven heads and ten horns. While the identity of the ten horns are firmly established by Prophet Daniel (ie Europa and the EU), it is my opinion that the seven heads refer to the seven economic unions currently being established by the NWO (the EU, the North American Union etc).

Hence I am convinced the Antichrist will rise from the EU.

That the Antichrist is the same leader referenced as the Dijal is evident when one reads the Islamic prophecies. Their roles and fundamental activities are virtually identical.

I Thessalonians 5
1 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.
2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

This references the peace treaty between Israel and its neighbors. When this treaty is signed, then destruction will ordered upon the Jews around the world. This is referenced by Jesus at Matthew 24:15- and Daniel at Dan 9:24-27. The Rex Mundi will order a global Jewish genocide (as referenced in the Islamic scriptures, 'the trees themselves will cry out, "There is a Jew hiding behind me! Come and kill him!").

This desecration takes place when the Rex Mundi rebuilds the Jerusalem Temple (as he must for the Jews to accept that he is their Moshiach). Upon the signing of this peace treaty he will:

II Thess 2:4 ...opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.

The Rex Mundi will killed for this blasphemy and rise from the dead:

Rev. 13:12 And he [the false prophet] exerciseth all the power of the first beast [antichrist] before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.

When he does this, then Jesus tells those Jews in Jerusalem to flee into the wilderness where they will wait out the Tribulation. It will be to save these Jews that the Messiah will come Matt 24:21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.

China and Russia are referenced:

Ezekiel 38 and Zech 12:1-4; 14:1-9; 14-20; 16:12 refers to the invasion by Russia and China. They, along with "the Kingdom of the South" (Dan. 11) (based to the south of Eretz Israel) will gather their forces in the Valley and Megiddo and invade the Jerusalem intending to overthrow the global government (Rev 16:14). This will be the battle of Armageddon.

It is at this time that the Revelation tells us the Moshiach will come (who has a name written that no one knows) and redeem Israel and establish God's Kingdom:

Rev. 19:11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;
18 That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.
19 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.
20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
21 And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.

Following this war:

Revelation 20
1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

Note that those who accept the coming Mark of the Beast (now being previewed today as the RFID chip, the REAL ID program etc) will be excluded from the Kingdom.

This should answer your questions in brief. If you have further questions feel free to write back.

Maranatha,
~John of AllFaith

I'm sure this doesn't mean what it looks like, but...

Is this our future?

Does God Exist?

This was sent to me from a friend....

A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed.

As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation.

They talked about so many things and various subjects.

When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said:

"I don't believe that God exists."

"Why do you say that?" asked the customer. "Well, you just

have to go out in the street to realize that God doesn't exist.

Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick people?

Would there be abandoned children? If God existed, there

would be neither suffering nor pain. I can't imagine a loving

God who would allow all of these things."

The customer thought for a moment, but didn't respond because he didn't want

to start an argument. The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop.

Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with long,

stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard. He looked dirty and unkempt. The

customer turned back and entered the barber shop again and he said to the barber:

"You know what? Barbers do not exist."

"How can you say that?" asked the surprised barber.

"I am here, and I am a barber. And I just worked on you!"

"No!" the customer exclaimed. "Barbers don't exist because if they did, there would

be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed beards, like that man outside."

"Ah, but barbers DO exist! That's what happens when people do not come to me."

"Exactly!" affirmed the customer. "That's the point! God, too, DOES exist!

That's what happens when people do not go to Him and don't look to Him

for help. That's why there's so much pain and suffering in the world."

It's so obvious!

God is ONE

The Sages Use Diverse Names!

What's A Poor Sheep To Do?

What's A Poor Sheep To Do?

In my study entitled "Understanding the Sheep and the Goats" (Click Here) I explained that the Sheep are actually powerful representatives of the Ek Devata (the One God). As such they have a very specific raison d'être (reason to exist) in this world.

That reason is to advance the Kingdom of the One on earth. To that end they resist the influences of the "Goats" who seek to counter the advancement of the Kingdom. The service of the Sheep includes things like giving charity, demanding and maintaining justice and so on. Yet good activities are mere outward manifestations of the real calling of the Sheep. In biblical terms their function is as follows:

II Thessalonians 2:
1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.

What does this mean? Jews throughout the ages have been waiting for the coming of their Moshiach or Messiah. The followers of Master Y'shua hoped, despite the many unfulfilled prophecies, that he would still prove to be the long awaited Moshiach. As I've discussed at various places (for example), the essential role of the Moshiach is to establish global peace by implementing the Kingdom of the One. In this effort the Sheep are on the front lines.

The Jews are the chosen vessels through which the Kingdom will be established, but not for their own sake:

"I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you. In you will all of the families of the earth be blessed."

HaShem, the Ek Devata or One God, is God over all, both Jews and Gentiles. This Being is not only the God of Israel but the God of the whole world and beyond. According to the biblical record, as this present age dawned the first covenants were made with all of mankind, not only with the Jews. These are known as the Seven Noahide Laws (Click here for more on this). In time Abraham and his descendants were selected for a specific task, to lead in the establishment of the Kingdom. The biblical record is the account of God's dealings with this particular body of people.

Why? Because through their efforts all the world will be blessed.

3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

"The Son of Perdition" is the soon coming Rex Mundi (or "world king"), head of the world government we today know as the New World Order or Novus Ordo Mundi. Note that "that day," the establishment of the Kingdom of God, can not come until after the Rex Mundi rises to power. Of him we read:

4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.

This is the nature of the Rex Mundi or Antichrist, known by the Muslims as the Dijal and in the Hebrew Tanach as the Little Horn.

5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?

This instruction was fundamental to Paul's teachings. It was not simply a side issue for discussion at dinner parties! As I've stated elsewhere, the Bible is fundamentally the Story of Paradise Lost to Paradise Restored. That is the Bible's central message and central to this message is that the Rex Mundi must be resisted throughout our generations. Now that his direct reign is clearly in sight, this instruction has never been more timely.

Those who claim the first century followers of Master Y'shua believed the Kingdom was to be established soon are herein shown to be mistaken. They were waiting for and actively resisting the establishment of the Kingdom of Darkness that they knew would come first. That Kingdom is now being established in our generation as the New World Order, just as Mater Y'shua and others foretold. ”Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?” What were they told? They were given their instructions!

6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.

Note that there is something "withholding" or hindering the coming of the Rex Mundi.

This is the role of the Sheep!

Weymouth's has it like this: "And now you know what restrains him, in order that his true character may be revealed at his appointed time."
Even the popular New Age paraphrase the NIV tells us: "And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time."

The message is that an individual will one day reign over a dark global kingdom. That kingdom will exalt itself above God and proclaim a new secular world view. And this is precisely what is now happening.

The Novus Ordo Mundi (New World Order) is the repositioning of the nations of earth into economic unions (the European Union, the North American Union and so on). Once these unions are established the Rex Mundi (world king) will unite the economic unions under his own authority and the Novus Ordo Seclorum (the New Secular Age) will be realized. The Sheep oppose this as they can.

But this move toward world government did not begin with the attacks of September 11, 2001, nor with the Federal Reserve Board in 1913/17, nor yet with the Templars. This battle has raged on since the beginning of our age.

7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.

Note that there exists a movement to increase iniquity and that the goal of this iniquity is the empowering of the Son of Perdition, the Rex Mundi and his New World Order! Who are those wielding this iniquity? They are the Goats, those whose influences the Sheep seeks to counter.

8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

So here we have it. Two powers: the Sheep and the Goats. The Sheep seek to encourage goodness, the Goats seek to encourage iniquity. The goal of the Sheep then is to "hinder" the powers of darkness. When Goats act, the Sheep react. When Sheep act, the Goats react. This interplay between the groups is the history of our present age. It is the role of the Sheep to stand and resist when evil rises. This struggle, as I say, has been the history of the past 6000 some odd years.

Remember too that the goal of the "Goats" is to increase iniquity and bring in the reign of the Rex Mundi and his Dark Kingdom. Paul tells us clearly in this section that the establishment of this kingdom was not in sight in his day (first century CE) and he warned his hearers of this fact. But one day it would arise!
Today is that day.

11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:

For what cause? For the cause of establishing the reign of the Rex Mundi. In order to achieve this end "strong delusions" would be employed. Strong delusions like "global terrorism?" Strong delusions like arguments against God's existence? Like archaeological findings that draw into question various traditionally held assumptions? Yes and more! And... strong delusions like the powers the Rex Mundi and his false prophet will manifest during his reign according to the Prophets. For instance:

Rev. 13:13 He (the false prophet) performs great signs, even making fire come down out of the sky on the earth in the sight of men.
14 He deceives my own people who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to do in front of the beast [ie in front of the Rex Mundi]; saying to those who dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast who had the sword wound and lived.
15 It was given to him to give breath to it, to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause as many as wouldn't worship the image of the beast to be killed.

Signs and wonders! Wonders so amazing that even many of the Sheep may be deceived! As certain as the prophecies that have already been fulfilled, these will be as well. The Sheep are those who stand in opposition.

17 Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.

Even as the darkness descends over the earth, even as our nations fall before the coming king, so too take comfort in knowing these very days were foretold and that in time they too will pass.

This then is the job of the Sheep: To Stand!

Are you a Sheep? Are you a holder of the Light? Then your job is to Stand! Stand against injustice! Stand against racism! Stand again infanticide! Stand against antisemitism! Stand against homophobia! Stand against warmongerism!

Stand!

Not sure if you're a Sheep?

Stand!

Stand and be counted and you are a Sheep!

I will bless those who bless you [Israel], and I will curse him who curses you. In you will all of the families of the earth be blessed."

There are two kingdoms:
One Light.
One Dark.
There are two camps:
The Sheep and the Goats.

"And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold:
Them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice;
And there shall be one fold, and one shepherd."

There are those who maintain that only Christians are the Sheep. That only they have the blessing of the One God. But what does Master Y'shua say to the Christian Church of the Last Days?

Rev. 3:15 "I know your works [Christian church], that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were cold or hot.
16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of my mouth.
17 Because you say, `I am rich, and have gotten riches, and have need of nothing;` and don`t know that you are the wretched one, miserable, poor, blind, and naked;
18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, that you may become rich; and white garments, that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes, that you may see.
19 As many as I love, I reprove and chasten. Be zealous therefore, and repent.

So who are the Sheep? Master Y'shua continues:

20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will dine with him, and he with me.
21 He who overcomes, I will give to him to sit down with me on my throne, as I also overcame, and sat down with my Father on his throne.
22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies."

It's not a question of religion

It's a question of Will and intention.

Micah 6:6 How shall I come before Yahweh, and bow myself before the high God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?
7 Will Yahweh be pleased with thousands of rams, [or] with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my disobedience, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
8 He has showed you, man, what is good; and what does Yahweh require of you, but to do justly, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

Will the Good!

And Stand!

KKK Candi!

Like White on Rice

Condoleeza Rice is quoted as having said at the close of the Annapolis conference that she had grown up "as a black child in the South, being told she could not use certain water fountains or eat in certain restaurants".

I guess she feels empowered now that she gets to decide on which group of people have to know their place. In her mind, a "whites only" area is anathema, but a Jew-free neighborhood, town, or country is apparently "just fine".

Read about Dr. Rice's latest "No Jews Allowed" effort here.

KKK Candi!

Like White on Rice

Condoleeza Rice is quoted as having said at the close of the Annapolis conference that she had grown up "as a black child in the South, being told she could not use certain water fountains or eat in certain restaurants".

I guess she feels empowered now that she gets to decide on which group of people have to know their place. In her mind, a "whites only" area is anathema, but a Jew-free neighborhood, town, or country is apparently "just fine".

Read about Dr. Rice's latest "No Jews Allowed" effort here.

Understanding the Sheep and the Goats: A Q and A

The following question (from my previous entry on the Sheep and the Goats study) is a very good and important one. I will re-post it along with my reply here:

John, you know how you can easily go back and forth between "the book" and say, the Tao Te Ching (my preferred text). And in this type of comparison it is pretty apparent what the Universal Truths are,
I am wondering where there are supporting texts outside of "the book" for launching off into the New World Order stuff, and the Real ID, yada, yada.
I'm not making any judgements here.
I just think that where all the texts from all the traditions agree, you find a nexus of that which is reliably true. Where they diverge, is where I think we find that which is less reliably true, and therefore less prophetic.
Are there parallel texts supporting all the "end times" doctrines from "the book"?

Hi Politijunkie,
Good comments that deserve a detailed reply.

The reason I seldom refer to my beliefs as "eclectic" or "interfaith" is that many of my views on these things are my own, which is to say, I am not aware of any groups of people who would agree with me completely (about anything!). I do not seek to be "fair and balanced," although I always seek to be accurate in the material I share. My quest then is not "interfaith" but Truth, wherever IT resides and what IT is.

My AllFaith beliefs come from personal study, from prayer, from asking questions, from meditation, from out-of-the-body Work of various kinds and so on. I do not claim to possess special knowledge etc, I merely express my views with those who are interested and I encourage everyone to do the same. Where we agree, wonderful! When we do not, variety is after all the spice of life! I deeply believe this, even if I do sometimes seem annoyed. hehe.

Now then, most religions/traditions have end time prophecies of some sort. In some cases there are similarities (for instance between the appearance of "Jesus' second coming" and the Visnu avatar Lord Kalki who arrives on a white horse and smites the evil doers with the sword etc.). Some traditions speak of "a coming period of great evil" that will give way to "a period of light" that seems to fit in with the basic notion of the Anti-Christ (Christian), Dijal (Islamic) or Little Horn (Tanach, although not universally Jewish by this interpretation).

So, while there are countless co-existing threads, the direct parallels are not always there. As you say, the most important for Soul development are found in most traditions and those who seek Param-Atman have unlimited offerings to to explore and apply to their personal Quest from all the Great Paths.

When we move into more specific topics however we must tighten our field of source material. For instance, I can learn about "submission to God" from many sources, such as the Qur'an, the Bible, etc. but if I wish to explore the sweet depths of bhakti-yoga (which produces in my opinion a deeper, more intiment level of spiritual submission) I wont look to the Tao te Ching, the Qur'an or the works of Madame Blavatsky. I'll look to the Gaudiya Vaisnavas or to the Sikhs, etc. If you see what I mean. Specialized information generally requires specific sources. This in no way limits the relavancy or dependability of these sources!

Likewise, when we look at the Mayan Calendar Prophecies for example, they speak of the end of a cycle (not the end of the world). The Biblical prophets speak of "the end of the age" (not the end of the world as is sometimes mis-translated). According to the Mayan calender, as we reach 2012 our advancements and our consciousness "speed up" dramatically. The developments that once took us hundreds of years to acheive now take us only six months! As we progressively enter into new periods, we raise to new level of awareness. A major jump in consciousness will occur around 2012 according to these prophecies. And the I-Ching, the Maerlyn prophecies etc. support this basic view.

According to the biblical prophets, as I read them, after the Beast (who is not specifically referenced in the Mayan prophecies) is destroyed, we enter into a 1000 year period of peace and develpment where our consciousness will be expanded beyond anything we currently imagine possible. This Kingdom Period will bring us into a New Age and a New Consciousness known as the New Heaven and the New Earth -- for the former Heaven and the former earth have passed away -- (which I see as a return to the First Age of Satya Yuga. While we could knit-pick at the details of these two prophetic versions, I don't see much fundamental difference here.

Here's what I believe, in a nutshell...

I believe there are eternally revolving cycles of ages (yugas, sankalpas etc). We are currently, by general reckoning, in the fourth and final of these yuga sets known as Kali Yuga.

According to standard post-Vedic calculation, this yuga has about 400,000 years left to go. According to this version, in the later periods of this cycle average lifespans decrease horrifically and righteousness all but vanishes from the face of the earth. It gets so bad that spiritual people must hide in caves to avoid detection by the demonic (world) government. This is almost the exact thing the Qar'an says is going to happen and is suported by other ancient sources as well. Again, one could knit-pick but the basic account is the same.

Master Y'shua (Jesus) said that if the days following the re-establishment of Israel (and the rise of the Beast that soon follows) were not shortened, no flesh would be saved... and here's the important part, "But for the Elect's sake those days will be shortened."

Biblically speaking who are the Elect? Despite certain unbiblical protests to the contrary, they are clearly the Jews.

What is one of the main things the New World Order System has been trying to accomplish since 1913/17 (when the Federal Reserve/NWO usurped the United States government)? Trying to destroy the Jews! The Elect.

Even in 1948 when the US and other countries agreed to the establishment of Israel they refused to defend the decision! According to many reports of the day the West fully expected the Arab Muslims to easily destroy the new country of Israel, thus wiping out a million plus Jews and stopping Zionism dead in its tracts. "At least we tired!" they would have said, "Its not our fault they fell!"

But the One had other plans for the elect!

Why?

Because the ONLY chance we have to avoid 400,000 years of hell on earth is to stand with Israel! This I believe.

As I suggest in the previous study, the "Goats" or Novus Ordo Seclorum side want to establish a global secular reign. Such a reign would result in the realization of the post-Vedic and similar prophecies: 400,000 years of human deprivation and enslavement!

"...but for the Elect's sake those days will be shortened..."

The biblical prophets talk like its a done deal ("calling the things that are not as though they were" is a powerful tool when done wth Knowlege), like the war is already over and the Light Side wins ... but the war continues for now! The Sheep could lose if they don't resist! If the Sheep allow Israel and the Jews to be wiped out we will lose!

In this the Mayan (and similar) prophecies are more accurate in my opinion because they suggest a choice and the need for personal decisions to be made. If we wish, the dark days will come. If we wish, there will be Light. My take on the Mayan and similar prophecies is that they end at 2012 because we, humanity, must make a decision by or near that point. How do we wish to proceed? It is up to us! Will we unite for the Light or the Dark?

It is my belief that following the Kuruksetra War, described in the Mahabharata and highlighted in the Bhagavad Gita, our present Kali Yuga began. The Ek Devata (the One) chose Abraham, basically as described in the Torah, to establish a global Kingdom of Light that could cut this age short. Master Y'shua was one of the historic Masters responsible for furthering the Kingdom along. From the time of Father Abraham a mere (by comparison) 4000 some odd years have past and because of those years over 400,000 years of "hell on earth" can be avoided... IF... we so choose. If not, if we choose the "Dark Side" then the coming King, the New World Order's crowned Rex Mundi (world Ruler) will be enthroned over the word and his reign will not be interrupted as foreseen in the Bible, and we will have nothing to look forward to other than 400,000 years of de-evolution until, in the end, the Holy One will say, "Enough! and send Lord Kalki."

I sincerely believe we are now at the point of Decision.

ALL of the world's religions share light and hope and warning... ALL of them. But because of the charge laid on the Jewish progenitor, Father Abraham, none are as informative ON THIS TOPIC as the biblical prophets.

For enlightenment, for spiritual development, for development of mystic abilities and so on, MANY other religions have more to say than the Bible. The Bible is essentially the Sacred Book of Politics and it has the most accurate prophets by far of any.

The Truth however: This Too Will Pass!

We are eternal beings and the goings on on this little rock we call home are not nearly as important as they now appear to us to be. At the same time though, we ARE here, in this place at this time for a reason... and so our experiences here DO MATTER.

What will we do?
Speaking for myself, I will Stand!

Shalom