Updated: 04/04/08
CHAPTER 17
What is a miracle? By definition, a miracle is something that cannot happen without a divine intervention that interjects itself between the natural cause and effect of all matter and all actions. A miracle (as described by the religious) is an act or happening that takes place all the time. It is assumed to bypass all cause and effect. A miracle is a presumed supernatural intervention into the natural order of the world or universe. It is supposed to override, nullify and Steal some effect from the natural workings, actions and causes of Nature. In fact, miracles are claimed to work against or in spite of the natural powers and processes of nature.
This
supernatural intervention claims to turn water into wine. It is said to
multiply fish and bread until thousands of people are fed from a small boy's
lunch. This supernatural intervention is reported to cause a man to walk on
water as though it were dry land. This intervention is claimed to respond to
the plea of a Jewish General to make the earth stand still (actually described
as the sun standing still). This supernatural intervention into the laws of
nature is reputed to have caused the long dead saints to come back to life and
walk the streets of Jerusalem. Funny, these fantastic events never made the
headlines or history books in Rome, Athens or Jerusalem. This is not to mention
other examples from the Jewish and Christian Bibles like instantaneous travel
over long distances, an iron ax head floating, donkeys and snakes talking,
using words to control weather and many, many more unbelievable and
unverifiable wonders.
The
believers claim a miracle takes place every time someone asks God in prayer to
let it rain - and it rains. A miracle takes place when the minister asks God to
heal someone's sickness or disease - and they recover. According to the
believer, at man's request God gets rid of bugs that are eating the crops. He
sends food to those who ask for it. He helps people find their way when they
are lost. God stills the storm so the one who begs can return home safely.
There is no limit to the Claims. Of course, people get well, bugs die, help
arrives and storms clear up.
According
to the Catholic histories, during the early Dark Ages or Medieval days, there
were literally thousands upon thousands of miracles claimed. People who had
their heads chopped off, picked them up, put them back on and walked off.
People flew around in the air, voluntarily and involuntarily. People turned
stones into bread, rode flying sticks or horses, turned lead into gold. You
name it and it was claimed by many witnesses to have happened.
The
biggest miracle of all occurred daily. That is literally thousands of people
talked daily to God and more miraculous yet, God talked back to them. God
ordered the deaths of thousands upon thousands during these talks with his
people. He told the Catholic believers who talked with him exactly who were the
heretics and who were not (according to the believers). Through this miracle of
divine speaking, God ordered wars, crusades, burnings, torture, beheadings,
confiscation of wealth and he even ordered ignorance. (Those were Bad miracles.
Yes, if there can be good miracles, there can be bad miracles.)
At
one time in the past, according to the priests and the Pope, God outlawed
reading and writing for all except the highest clerics in the church and those
who were found doctrinally sound (brain washed) enough to be trained as
scribes. The secular and religious historians who covered the period between
the fourth and twelfth century, recorded the Catholic Church's claim that God
went so far as to order the destruction of past knowledge. That is, God
outlawed science, medicine, history, mechanics and all scholarship except that
which agreed with the doctrines of the church. Little did!
These
people who heard God's Voice sworn they heard him speak. They had affidavits,
many of which are still on record. They had eyewitnesses; they had ear
witnesses, all of whom swore that God (using the miracle of divine speaking)
ordered these horrible things when he spoke to those favored men and women.
They all swore God ordered these marvelous and wonderful murders and tortures.
This is the cloth from which all miracles are cut. How then shall we
view these miracle claims?
The
gist of the matter, as Clear Thinkers see it, is some men lie. The more
ignorant a person is, the more unreasonable the lies he will tell - or believe.
It was therefore, Necessary to keep the people as ignorant as possible. And the
church did just that! Remember Adam and Eve? Well, God doesn't give up so
easily. He kept right on instructing his followers to glorify ignorance and to
brand knowledge, wisdom and thinking as "deceiver of mankind.” It does help
the lie if you hide the truth and try to describe ignorance as -
"innocence.”
Even
in those days, when most people would believe anything and did, there were a
few voices raised in defense of truth. Most of them paid with their lives, but
some of their writings have been saved. Some of these writers were at the
miracle site during the time of the alleged miracle. They vehemently denied a
miracle took place. Some claimed to know the person to whom the miracle was
said to have happened. These writers swore that even the person, to whom it was
reported to have happened, denied that the miracle took place.
In
studying the etymology of words, one can sometimes come upon the truth when
they have been blinded to it by the changed usage and interpretation of that
word. Etymology is the study of the derivations and beginnings of a word as it
was originally used in a particular language. The English language is a very
rich language. It takes many of its roots for modern words from other old small
words in the earlier languages and puts them together to make a bigger word,
and therefore, a better symbol or concept for communication. One of the best
sources for the average scholar is the Oxford English Dictionary. The thirteen
volumes take up a whole shelf in my library. The Supplements take up another
shelf.
Take
a word like "awful.” When that word was first coined, it literally meant
"full of awe" and meant something good and grand. Today most people
understand "awful" to mean something very bad. By misuse, people
gradually changed the usage, but not the true meaning of the word.
One
must understand that all Claimed miracles must be either believed or
doubted. If a miracle can be explained, redone, or demonstrated as true, it is
no longer a miracle. There can be No Proof for Any claimed miracle; otherwise,
it cannot be classified as a miracle. Therefore, the key to all miracle claims
is - “Belief.”
The key to all
miracle claims is –BELIEF.
All miracles must have believers who believe
in the miracle claim
before it is possible for it to be classified
or certified by the church as a miracle.
Now
look at the word "believer.” When this word was first used in the English
language, it was made up out of three older small words and it meant to "be a lie lover.”
"Belie" was the first usage of this new word in English.
According
to Webster's International and the Oxford English dictionaries, the root words
that make up the word "believer" and "belief" still retains
its true meaning. These two root words make up the word "belie.”
That word is still correctly used and means to misrepresent, or to tell a lie.
Add the "f" to "belie" and you have "belief,"
which meant, to Accept the misrepresentation (or lie) as though it were the
truth. Originally, the "f" was written to designate the word
"for" and meant, "to be For the lie, to accept, or to
agree with the lie.” The word was first written in early English as
"belief ' r.” This word was then divided into two words. One was shortened
to “belief '” later, to just “belief” as we have it now, and it Still
literally means, to "be for the lie,” or to "be in favor of the
lie." The other division added the “ver” (the shortened form of lover) to
form the word “Believer.” Thus, we have “belief,” which is to be for the lie,
and “believer,” or one who accepts, loves and defends the lie as though it were
the truth.
Today
the religious tell us the word Believer is a good word. The Clear Thinkers say
the word still means Exactly what it did when it was first made up out of three
old commonly used early English words, that is, anyone who will still "be a lie lover.”
As a Clear Thinker, I can comprehend and accept the different and even the weird. But I cannot accept a miracle that simply cannot happen. I cannot accept something that is against all the laws of matter, against all the laws of common sense, and in some cases against all the laws of wholesome morality. I cannot accept that a Good and Just God does something against all of the good moral and ethical behavior held in common by all mankind. I cannot conceive that God aids and abets slavery or rape (as the Bible says he does). I can, however, very easily accept the fact that some men lie about God to gain power, lie about God to gain the upper hand against their enemies, lie about God to gain wealth, lie about God to gain fame and lie about God to gain the prestige of having been favored by God in some special way.
Examine
the miracle of the ass or donkey talking. First, was it some type of ventriloquism?
If a (Super Being) ventriloquist spoke so it seemed to come from the
donkey, this could be considered a great skill, but it could not be considered
a miracle. If ventriloquism was used, there was no miracle and the ass did not
talk. Also, there is no mention of a third party who could have done it.
Second,
for a donkey to actually talk, it would need a soft palate and a hinged tongue.
Third, it would need split vocal cords and a human shaped esophagus. Fourth,
the cells of tissue would have to disassemble themselves then reassemble to
conform to the configuration necessary to produce human sounds. Fifth, the
bones of the head, neck and jaws would have to reform themselves into the
proper configuration. Sixth, it would need a rational brain capable of handling
human concepts and language. Seventh, it would need lots and lots of knowledge
and practice. Eighth, even with all this it would still need a very gullible
listener. Finally, all the process would have to be reversed so this very
unusual, smart beast could be turned back into a dumb ass.
The
Clear Thinker doubts any God or Devil would go to so much trouble just to
impress a rebellious holy man with his instructions and power. It makes one
wonder just who was the real dumb ass and which ass was it that spoke. It is
really a shame for the Christian and Jewish religions that the holy man was not
riding a parrot. I honestly doubt this story can be true.
So
again, what is a miracle? The dictionaries describe this word “miracle” as a
supernatural interruption of the natural fabric of the universe. It is an event
that is ascribed to the interference between the cause and effect by a
supernatural agency. There are many events in this world and solar system that
we do not understand. That is not to mention the many events of the universe.
Now answer this question. Is an event a miracle just because we do not
understand all of the natural causes in the universe? The correct answer is,
"No!"
To
some of the natives of New Guinea, the airplane of World War II was a miracle.
They even worshiped it and set up a new religion, which We call
"Cargo Worship." To paraphrase their description and name of their
religion it would be, “Ancestral Watch Care.” The priests and prophets of this
Cargo religion are still active and daily gain new converts to their concept.
They have an exceptionally well thought out theology that was established by a
graduate of theirs from Harvard Divinity School and another who graduated from
Oxford University in England. They have one of the few religions that have
almost no internal conflicts and contradictions such as plagues Islam,
Christianity and Judaism. You should read about it. As religions go, it is
somewhat logical and moral. Their central theme is:
“Do not do to others what you
would not have done to you,
and your ancestors will take
care of you.”
The radio was a "miracle" to those who were not familiar with it. So too are television, lasers and modern medicine. But the question is, are these events really "miracles?” Again, we must answer, no. They are all the working out of sound scientific principles. They are all the results of cause and effect. Of course, there are computers and the Internet. They seem miraculous to me. (I am just expressing my layman’s awe here.)
One
purpose of science is to learn and understand about the way nature works. Then
taking that understanding, scientists and engineers in all areas develop
equipment, devices and methods, which to the uninitiated appear to be miracles.
This includes the sciences of the mind - the healing sciences – about which we
know so little.
The
whole concept and structure of our science is based upon the fact that:
THERE IS NO SUPERNATURAL INTERVENTION
BETWEEN THE CAUSE AND THE EFFECT.
While we are on the subject of science, let us look at what are called "the laws of physics,” or "the laws of nature.” The term "law or laws" is an unusual use of the term. Take the law of gravity. Gravity is one of the most widely known and least understood aspects of the natural workings of nature. The understanding that we do have enables science to place satellites in orbit around the earth. It enables us to calculate the size and weight of suns, planets and other bodies in space. It will one day enable us to send men to the moon and more importantly, bring them back.
But
what we are talking about is not a law that God or man has passed. What we are
simply saying is, by observation, thinking and testing, we have discovered some
Facts about the nature of gravity. That knowledge enables us to predict what
will happen if we do this or that. By observing, experimenting and thinking
hard about the subject, it has been determined, given a specific set of
circumstances, the same thing will always happen. No amount of prayer can
change it. No supernatural intervention has ever occurred, or ever can.
Scientists
have cataloged these observations. That catalog of facts about how matter acts
and reacts has been called the "laws of physics.” By no means has science
made all the observations it can or will. These "laws" are being
amended daily by our scientists. New truths are being discovered ever day. All
of the observations that science has made always turn out the same, given the
same set of circumstances. Some men have seen fit to call these observations
and facts, "laws.”
Using
these observations, science has developed mechanical methods to overcome
gravity. Thus, we have airplanes, bridges, tall buildings, gliders, kites,
rockets and a multitude of other useful items. But so far, there has been no
official break-through in understanding gravity. Many are working, or have
worked on the subject trying to understand enough to either produce artificial
gravity, or to produce anti gravity. So far, there has been little to no
announced progress. However, there are presently some very strong rumors and
witnesses to anti gravity and space-time use. (Personally, it seems to me that
some scientists have actually manufactured and are using anti-gravity and time
devices – now.)
With
these things in mind, what if you go to the lake one Sunday and see a man
walking on the water. What will you think? Will you suspect a miracle in which
the observations (laws) of gravity, nature and physics have suddenly been
suspended by the intrusion of some supernatural power? Or will you suspect some
sort of trick, or science at work? Would you think about glass pontoons, wires
or stumps, or that some scientific device had been employed? Most people will
suspect a trick or science at work. Why? Because normally, water just does not
become solid like that and you know it. This is not to say walking on the water
is impossible, but some sort of anti-gravity device, or scientific molecular
freezing affect would be necessary.
If
Jesus possessed an anti-gravity device, then he might be considered a super
scientist, but this knowledge would not qualify him for Godhood. There are
those in California who claim Jesus Was an astronaut. That is in keeping with
the observations of science. If you have "proof" of such a claim, I
am willing to listen to your proof. If you claim Jesus was a God and that he
walked on the water as though it were dry land, without any science involved
and without getting wet, I will listen to your “proof.” But please, do not
expect me to "be a lie lover."
Every
effect must have a cause. Every cause must have another cause and another,
forming a chain of events reaching back and back. We can add our cause at the
present moving end of this chain of events, but we cannot go back and break in
between the past cause and present effects. We can only add our cause at the
end of the moving chain of events. Sometimes we are able to correct the effect
of some cause by injecting our cause. Thus, we are able to fight the effect
(cancer) by using laser radiation (our cause). But we cannot go back in time
and stop the formation of the cancer. It is highly possible that one's own mind
may have the ability to cause the cancer to dissolve. But again, that would be
a fact of the science of the mind.
Nothing happens without
natural cause and effect. Nothing!
All
religions, about which I have read or studied, are based on miracles, miracle
births, miracle lives, miracle healings, miracle deaths and miracle
resurrections. In other words, every religion is based upon these supposed
events that no Clear Thinking person would believe was a supernatural
intervention if they were eyewitnesses to those same events. A big part of the
problem is, all these events were told to us in holy books by unidentifiable
persons who do not even claim to be eyewitnesses.
People
writing many, many years after the so-called events describe the events in
great detail as though they had been there. Some writers even claim they
received the information in dreams or visions. Some claim these things came to
them by "inspiration.” That is, they saw it all "in their heads.” Or,
to be more concise, they “Believed” they were inspired when they saw it in
their heads, or imagined it. So, we are back to belief again.
One
must be careful when thinking about miracles. A civilization that is thousands
or millions of scientific years ahead of us may understand Nature in such a way
so as to manipulate the forces of Nature in the same way we manipulate
chemicals to produce something new from common materials. Some things that we
call miracles may be just the knowledge and use of advanced science by others
(often called angels, spirits, aliens or gods) present with us. However,
nothing can happen unless the knowledge and forces of Nature are used to
accomplish it. Some may understand the body and mind well enough to cause
healing without touching the body. Even we Might can do it, if and when we have
learned, or been taught How. It is called science of the mind.
What
does a Clear Thinker have to say about miracles and this chain of events?
First, there has not been a single miracle observed or certified in any way by
members of the scientific community. This includes the shroud of Christ, the
so-called miracle cures of the sick, the UFO at Lourdes, or any other kind of
so-called miracle. It may be weird but it is real, and therefore, natural.
Second,
by the very definition of a miracle one could not happen without understanding
and using the laws and powers of nature. A miracle as explained by the
believers is a claimed event that sets aside natural cause and effect and
interrupts all the natural functions of the fabric of matter. This has never
happened and never will happen. However, many unusual events have been caused
to happen using the natural powers of nature (often within us.)
Third,
a claimed miracle, since it cannot be proven, is a matter of faith or belief.
If it could be proven or duplicated it would no longer be thought of as a
miracle. It would be an occurrence of nature, or a fact of science. One can
only believe or doubt a miracle claim.
Fourth,
people are generally very gullible. Some will believe anything even with
specific proof to the contrary. Those who believe will repeat the story and
even enlarge upon the details. This is the stuff from which miracles are made;
that is, dreams and visions out of people's heads, tricks, restoration to
health misunderstood, stories told and enlarged upon and sometimes just
outright lies and deceptions.
Which
brings us to a fifth reason. In any scientific study, the simplest and most
believable explanation is always preferred over the more complicated,
unprovable or unbelievable explanation. This means, if there is a simple
scientifically probable or provable explanation for an event, that simple
easily provable explanation is much preferred to the more highly complex
explanation without any proof.
The
situation with miracles is like that. The complex and impossible explanation is
that the natural laws of matter ceased to function for a brief period in one
place at one time. The Effect of some Cause was Stolen by some supernatural
being. No scientific observation has ever been noted of such a single theft of
an effect (or miracles). That unbelievable explanation is rejected in favor of
two explanations, which can be proven, or that are highly plausible.
The
first provable explanation is, "Men Lie." We have great evidence of
this in our society. In every area, Except Religion, we seek to protect
ourselves from the lies of men. Laws, contracts, juries, judges, lawyers,
bookkeeping, accounting, oaths and many other attempts are made to defend
ourselves against liars who are prevalent in our society. An equally provable
explanation for these lies is men seek to deceive others and do it for both the
delight of it and the profit of it.
The
gist of the matter is, it is very easy to understand and to accept that men
lie. The harder it is to check up on a lie, the easier it is to let one's
imagination run off on a wild and fanciful "goose chase.” It is impossible
to check and see if God spoke to someone. The people who tell these stories
about miracles would make good storywriters. They would not make good science
fiction writers. They possess little knowledge of science.
The
second provable explanation is that one's own mind is capable of much control
over his own body. Under hypnosis, one can become capable of doing things that
he never imagined he could do. The science of the mind is in its infancy and we
all wait to find out what is next in this most interesting branch of our
science. Some day, some events, classified as miracles in the past, may
suddenly become commonplace when we find out how to do these things. Sometimes
our mind does some spectacular things that appear to be miracles, but they are
not. They are the result of natural causes and (consciously or subconsciously)
learned abilities.
Before
concluding this section, a word needs to be said about medical "miracles.”
There has never been a medical case in which a miracle has been demonstrated or
observed. Unusual things have happened, but to classify them as miracles is to
ignore other plausible and possible explanations. No new body parts have grown
back after being removed such as legs, arms, feet, hands or toes. Even now, some
regrowth has been achieved by our scientists using animals and by manipulating
genes. The more we understand, the more we can accomplish in the field of
health.
The
human body has so developed that it will basically heal itself if given a
chance, if it is not interfered with by harmful actions, stress or guilt. Many
seemingly physical problems are proven to actually be psychosomatic. That is,
the problem lies in the mind. Many so-called faith cures or miracles actually
happen. The cancer or disease goes away and sometimes very rapidly. But what
often happens is the guilt or mental stress in the believer's mind is released.
This in turn relieves the body from its depression and allows the natural cure
or restoration to health to begin. Such so-called cures may include paralysis,
speech problems, even cancer and other diseases. A healthy mind goes a long way
toward producing a healthy body. Aliens with advanced science must also be
considered since there have been reports of such happenings (often described as
UFO entities, angels, spirits and such).
Sometimes
a religion can undo a portion of the damage that it has caused in a believer's
mind by taking away some of the guilt it has placed there. By taking away some
of the guilt, the stress of the body is relieved enough to allow and encourage
the body to heal itself.
So
here is one more reason why Clear Thinkers cannot accept miracles. Believing in
miracles produces mental problems. Those who believe God can cure them of a
disease, will also believe God can give or allow them to get a disease. The
guilt that the religions can place in a person will cause that person to
believe he is surely bad enough for God to give him a disease as punishment for
some supposed wrongdoing. Real wrongdoing carries its own results (effects)
because the laws of cause and effect cannot be broken. Belief, as we have seen,
is a destructive and negative force in the life of a person. Belief probably
sends more people to mental institutions, to hospitals and to the graveyard
than any other one thing.
Knowledge
and truth does not send people to hospitals and mental institutions. Knowledge
keeps people in a positive frame of mind. Honest Doubt and knowledge produces
stability. Belief and faith produces instability, not only mentally and
emotionally, but physically as well. The Clear Thinker's advice for good
physical and mental health is to doubt all miracles. They are not and could not
be supernatural interventions into the affairs of the world, or the affairs of
man. God does not “monkey” with man!
Finally, the last reason Clear Thinkers reject miracles is there is no proof of such a supernatural religious God to begin with. Think for a moment! If there were a religious God what would be the purpose of a miracle? The only reasons I can think of would be:
1.
To attract attention,
2.
To add authority to what is being said or done, or
3.
To correct some former mistake, which the God had made.
If there were a religious God like the Bible says, then there is also a religious Devil God like the Bible says. The Bible says the Devil can do miracles as well as God. Indeed, the Devil is called the ruler of this world in the Bible. If one observes a miracle. who did it? God or the Devil? The Devil can lie and deceive so how could one possibly know if the Devil was the author, or if God was the author of the miracle? Who is attracting one's attention? Wouldn't the Devil declare himself to be the good God? How could we tell? By His Teachings! Check and see who (or which God) ordered murders, genocide, stoning of kids, or hatred and hostility against other beliefs and races. And then the God who did this bragged about it in his book! Yes, you need to Think about this!
Second,
how could a miracle add authority to anything even if there were miracles? If
you saw the so-called miracle, you would most likely not believe it to be
supernatural. Would any Honest thinking person to whom you told it, believe it
to be a miracle? I doubt it. Only the gullible, weak minded and credulous would
believe it. Doesn't God know this fact? The gullible do not need a miracle to
convince them. All one has to do is just tell a little lie and they will
believe it. Clear Thinkers cannot accept any so called miracle as a
supernatural intervention into nature, nor an intrusion into the affairs of
man.
Does
God waste his time like this? Would God seek to use a method that would Detract
from his authority with thinking people instead of enhancing it? That is not
good advertising anywhere or anytime. If you actually witnessed a miracle and
told other thinking people about it, they would think something had happened to
Your mind. Why would we think any less about God's mind if He decided to work
miracles on the earth at the expense of his wisdom, justice and truthfulness?
Finally,
if a miracle were needed to correct some mistake which God had formerly made,
or let happen, would he wish to make a big deal out of it in front of
witnesses? Would he not rather take care of it on the quiet and not draw
attention to his former mistake? He could make it look natural and take care of
the problem over a little time and no one would be the wiser. Would any God (or
Devil) advertise his mistakes?
Who
wants to admit God makes mistakes and has to use miracles to correct them?
Religion goes blindly on in its self-deception, never stopping to think about
what great and dreadful harm it is doing to mankind. To lie to mankind is one
thing. To scare men into believing, or at least into living the lie is the
worst sort of slavery. If there is an honest, just God, he doesn't make
mistakes that would require miracles to correct them.
There
is one other point to list under miracles. Every single religion has enormously
long lists of miracles. All of course, were written long after the supposed
events by writers unknown. Thus, each religion seeks to show divine approval
and verify its teachings by claiming a vast array of these divine miracles.
There
has never been a religion whether modern or ancient, western or eastern,
Christian or Pagan that has not claimed innumerable miracles. If miracles were
a sign of divine approval, then All religions would have an equal claim
to the backing of God. But remember this, each religion “Disclaims” All
miracles except the ones belonging to Them. Since it is just as easy to
disclaim a Christian miracle, as it is a Hindu one, God picked a very poor and
dubious method to certify his favorite religion.
the
less Truth that religion has to stand on.
In the final analysis, all miracles are started either by the ignorant (who misunderstood) or by liars. That is, by people who knew a miracle did not occur. There is no greater proof that our religions are false and full of falsehoods than the reliance upon miracles to prove divine favor. If there were a God and he wanted to separate his favorite religion from all the false religions, he certainly would not use the same identical method that all the false religions use to prove that their religion is from God. A wise and honest God would use some other method to prove the validity of his religion and his approved philosophy.
A Just, Wise and Honest God
Might use
Honest Clear Thinking as His
stamp of approval.
All
of the religions are exactly alike, false and futile in all of their claims.
If we read the New Testament leaving out the miracles, what do we have left? Next to nothing. If we leave out the miracles, what then do we know about the Man, Jesus? Nothing, absolutely nothing! So, we are forced to draw some conclusions. The New Testament was not originally written about the Man, Jesus. Rather, the New Testament was first written about the God called Christ. The early New Testament writings were not about a man called Jesus. Rather, they were about a God called Christ who worked his saving miracles and defeated Satan (the evil) in the spiritual realm, not on the earth.
The
stories about this Anointed (Christ) were told or written First. I doubt if any
Jew would have forsaken his religion for a Man. But for a Spiritual Christ God
that was revealed by their Own God in their own scriptures, some could. This
New Testament Spiritual Christ was First revealed by some Gnostic and Jewish
scholars who found it Hidden in their own Old Testament scriptures. They
declared this Gnostic Spiritual Christ was the same Son of God described and
preached by the Escenes and the Hellenists.
The
death, burial and resurrection, the defeat of Satan and the victory over Death
by this Spiritual Christ was something that happened in the spiritual world.
This is the spiritual Christ taught by Paul (or Pol of the Gnostic or Mithraic
faith) in the New Testament.
It
was only in the second through the fourth century AD when these stories and
concepts were rewritten to make this Spiritual Anointed God (Christ) into a
human man. It was only when they wanted to appeal to the Greeks and Romans.
They had to find some man in a historical setting who could be counted as
fulfilling some of the claims made in the Old Testament about this Spiritual
Christ. It was only then that this Spiritual God (Christ) became the Man
Jesus and was given a human history. They also gave this newly created God Man,
a mama and two daddies.
It
was done to make the Spiritual God called Christ (Anointed) by the Gnostic
Jews, seem like all the Other God Men of history. Those earlier God Men also
did all the things that the Bible Jesus God (or Christ) is claimed to have
done. This “New Physical History” was written so that the New Holy Catholic
Church could appeal to the ignorant and gullible people. And it worked! Then
the church spent hundreds of years destroying the evidence that proved what
they had done. But they didn't quite complete the job. Thank goodness!
So
the miracles of pregnancy, birth, the shepherds, the star, the wise men,
healing the sick, walking on the water, feeding a multitude from a small boy’s
lunch, raising the dead, cursing the fig tree, cleansing the temple, great
drops of sweat running down like blood, death on a tree, burial in a tomb, the
resurrection, the ascension and all the rest belong to the Anointed (Christ the
God Man). And all of these miracles were also claimed for All The Rest of the
God Men who preceded Jesus in history. Were these miracles real for all the
rest of the Christ Gods? I honestly doubt it and I'll bet you doubt it too.
Therefore, shall I postulate that the miracles of the Christian Physical “Jesus
God” are made from the same stuff from which the miracles of the other Christ
Gods are made? I conclude that is the case.
Look
how indefensible is the miracle story of the Devil God taking Jesus (the God
Man) to the top of the Temple to show him all the kingdoms of the earth. Did
the Devil grab Jesus and force him to fly up in the sky with him? Did Jesus
volunteer to go with the Devil? Why? Did they have a nice conversation? How did
the religious reporter find out what the Devil said to Jesus and how did he
find out what Jesus said to the Devil? If you were on the ground, could you
have seen them flying through the air? Did Jesus hold on to the Devil so he
would not fall? The top of the Temple was a very small rounded place. Could two
people even stand on the pinnacle together without scaffolding? Could the
people below see them? The Devil finally took Jesus to a high mountain instead
of the temple, which is not very high? Could they see All the kingdoms of the
earth as the Bible says? Even China? Is this not based on the concept that the
earth is flat?
Some
holy men say, "Well, it didn't actually happen. It is an Allegory (a made
up story). It only happened in the mind of Christ when the Devil entered the
mind of Christ to tempt him." Oh! The Devil entered the mind of Christ
(The God)! How odd. So, Jesus didn't actually See the Devil. They didn't
actually talk. The New Testament is in error when it says that they actually
did talk and fly up to the top of the temple. Then the dialog is also
fabricated. Did I get that right?
Why
is this nonsense in the Bible? I will tell you why. It is because All the other
past God Men in history had this very same type of temptation with the Evil God
(or Devil). Why is the story of the crucifixion and resurrection in the Bible?
I will tell you the answer to that also. All the other Gods claimed this very
same thing in one form or another. If you are going to create or make a God,
then you must follow the acceptable and often used, “God Blueprint.” Your God
has to do all of those things, which Gods do. Otherwise, Your God would Not qualify
for Godhood.
Men
still create Gods today using only the twenty-six letters of the English
alphabet!
One
type of miracle that pervades the whole of the Old Testament and the whole of
the New Testament has to do with the quotes of Jesus and God. The religious
reporters who wrote these quotes were Not present and in many places God or
Jesus were By Themselves. In this instance, all of this took place only in the
Mind of Jesus. How do they do that?
Mt.26:39, Mk.14:36 and Lk.22:42, all quote Jesus' prayer that he made in the garden while his followers were asleep. “Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine be done.”
Immediately
thereafter, Jesus is captured and held away from his followers until he was
(claimed to be) killed on a pole (cross). I have read of no theologians or Free
Thinkers who have asked and answered this question. How could anyone
Know what prayer Jesus prayed, or what God or Jesus said while they were by
themselves, or what they Thought? Of course, in the earlier copies of the
Gospels the quotes were not the same. However, they now match not only each
other, but they also match the quotes of Mithra and some of the other Christs.
Is this a miracle?
If
the miracles are left out of the New Testament, you have nothing left. There is
no man, Jesus, no God (Christ), no religion, no Paul, no Peter, no John, no
gospel. And that is the number one problem with (and for) Christianity.
There are absolutely No secular or civil
records that point to the truth of
Any of the miracles and happenings of the New
Testament. Think about, None!
The historians (Greek, Roman and Jewish) during those early times knew
absolutely nothing about the world being turned upside down by the apostles or
by Paul. They knew nothing about a Jewish Christ God called Jesus. And believe
me the Romans were as bad as we are in recording everything that happened. They
recorded minute details of trivial things; yet, there is no mention, not even a
hint, of any of the Religious things written in the New Testament about Jesus
or the early church. Of all the Religious Bible characters, only John the
Baptist and Apollo (Pol of Tyana) are mentioned by these civil historians. Why?
I'll tell you that too. Eusebius and Constantine had not yet created the New
Holy Catholic Church, the New Holy Bible and the new Sacred History.
Maybe you should stop right here and think about these things for a bit.
Almost
without question, miracles are tied closely with prayer. This means the
greatest deception (miracles) is tied directly with the most belittling and
insulting practice one could render to the Deity (that is, prayer). The reason
for this is, in spite of man's absurd claims, he has not yet claimed man
himself can perform these miracles. Instead, man claims the Supernatural
performs these miracles at man's own begging prayers and selfish requests. That
is, some holy man begs and the Deity is honor bound to perform some minor
miracle upon hearing certain magic words spoken or written on paper. Some
believe the Deity will heal the misinformed believer while the beggars pray and
place their hands upon the sick. Clear Thinkers (who know how men have
developed modern medicine and medical treatment) feel pain for the ignorance of
both the layers and the layees. However, there is some evidence that healing can
take place through the concerted efforts of a group of people Even If They Are
Not Christians. (Science of the mind at work?)
One
of the worst evils practiced upon the believers by the religions is the claim
that if after prayer and a visit to some holy person or healing place, the
victim is Not healed by some miracle, it is because that person did not have
enough faith, or had an impure heart. The holy men are then absolved from
failure. Plus, they have tightened their grip upon the unfortunate gullible
person.
The
unfortunate faithful believer now feels obligated to get closer to his religion
and his God. He is more burdened with guilt than ever. "What terrible sin
have I committed to deserve this disease and this rejection from God and his
Church?" This is one of the most cruel and inhumane types of crime and
chaos that organized religion pulls on its own faithful. Is it any wonder Clear
Thinkers seek to expose these so-called healers and the chaos they create?
Even
if there were a God and a Devil, we would have to conclude that the miracles
were the work of a deceiving Devil God rather than those of a Just and Wise
God.
There
is an old story that has many versions. It goes something like this. Once a
wise and holy man told a bankrupted king and his court (for a price) how to
make gold from lead. The only two problems were, the process would not work if
the mind was not pure, or if one thought of a purple and yellow spotted demon
while using the magic formula. He even drew them a colored picture of this
demon and placed it on the same paper with the formula. To activate the
formula, the corner (by the demon picture) had to be dipped into the vat.
Needless to say, no gold was ever made. Finally, in frustration, the king
assembled several young innocent and pure girls. They were not told about the
purple and yellow demon. When they went through the procedure, nothing
happened.
Several
holy men in the king's court demanded the young girls be examined by torture to
find out what their impurities were. One of the girls being the king's own
innocent and pure daughter, the king forbade it. And then the king engaged
himself in some Clear Honest THINKING! Where upon he made a proclamation.
"From
hence forth, be it known and practiced in all the kingdom, that no magic or
miracle may be sold in the kingdom for money or service. Any and all magic and
miracles shall be free. Anyone proven to have charged for, accepted contributions
or service for the performance of magic or miracle shall be beheaded before all
the people.”
There
being no more profit in magic and miracles, they disappeared from the kingdom.
In their place, honesty and education flourished and soon a time of peace and
prosperity, unknown until that time, was experienced throughout that kingdom.
It lasted many, many years until the death of the wise king.
The
new king was only a young man and did not remember when magic and miracles were
allowed to bleed the people of their money, their honesty and their thinking.
So once again, miracles and magic silently and deceptively entered the land and
the kingdom fell into times of crime, poverty, chaos and trouble. Ignorance and
dishonesty returned. While the treasury of religion grew, the revenues of the
kingdom shrank. One day a wise and holy man appeared before the new king and
offered to show the king how to turn lead into gold for a certain price. The
king . . .
How
much better it would be in our time if people did not expect, hope and wish for
Something For Nothing. How much richer and wiser the people would be if they
did not give so much time and money to superstitions that destroy their ability
to think and act wisely. How much better would mankind be if he stopped
believing and started using Honest Doubt and Honest Logical Thought? There is
no “something for nothing” to be obtained by prayers or miracles!
THERE ARE NO SUPERNATURAL
MIRACLES!
Copyright: 1989
Updated: 04/04/08
Next: Good Religious Teachings