The Good Shepherd

Part II: Revelations

FEATURING AN INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR ACHARYA S.

EXORDIUM

To some in the United States, the lessons of Jesus are as simple and straighforward as they are few: Keep your acts of righteousness humbly to yourself. Do not presume to judge and kill anyone; Jesus came in the first place because God Himself would not kill men for their sins after the Great Flood. Do not run after or horde money, pay your taxes, care for the less fortunate etc. Though their bedrock of faith in a loving power greater then themselves will probably not be shaken by the revelations to come, those who are sincerely trying to “walk” like Jesus may find the apparent facts about the creation of Christianity as an institutionalized relegion profoundly disturbing. These good people should seriously consider reading no further.

At the other end of the spectrum, the far right so to speak, the Christian Bible has become a blunt instrument for political opportunists to beat their sense into everyone else. Wrathful verses of the Old Testament and careful parsing of the words attributed to Jesus are culled to suit the agenda and accomodate the failings of the chosen few. But the moral highground is a slippery place with a steep drop. The priest revealed as a pedophile, the evangleist exposed as a theif or a whoremonger, the moral authorities that turn out to be gamblers and junkies and the political operatives exposed as gay are so common on the ideological “Right” the incidences have become cliché. Women’s birth control is controlled while men’s prophalactics and performance enhancers are indulgently tolerated. If that does not seem at least ironic to you, you need to read this series more than others but you may find the apparent facts exposed extremely upsetting.

When a political “party of god” in a nation with the military power to end life on Earth supports premptive war, uranium bombs, mines, torture (in moderation), limitless “defense” spending and new generation of nuclear weapons one has to ask—the party of which god? As it turns out, that is not a rhetorical question.

Acharya S has been described as a classically trained academic, a multi-linguist and a spiritual leader among other things. The appellations have been less flattering since she wrote two books: The Christ Conspiracy (a TPO Reader’s Choice) and Sons of God. Though many seek to discredit her through personal attacks the information she presents regarding the origins of Christianity seems unassailable. Perhaps surprisingly, Acharya does not expose new facts but rather dares to gather together and repeat some of the oldest “secrets” that have lain in plain view all along. TPO caught up with the intrepid author in November 2004.

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TPO: In The Christ Conspiracy: The Greatest Story Every Sold you say that none of the gospels were written by their purported authors, the apostles, that there is no evidence outside of the Bible such as contemporaneous corroboration, that Jesus as a person ever existed, you debunk historicizers and “pious frauds”, and point out that the New Testament is full of ridiculous historical errors.  People need to read the book but please touch on these stunning charges.

ACHARYA S: It has been well known for centuries that the four canonical gospels were not written by any of their purported authors. (Mark and Luke were not apostles.) It has been scientifically demonstrated--by Walter Cassels--that the gospels were not in existence until the end of the second century, long after those writers were purported to have lived. What documentation we possess from the era is stunningly silent on the subject of Jesus Christ, Christians and Christianity. Outside of the passage in Josephus--a forgery in its entirety--there is nothing concrete from the first century at all. "Pious fraud" is an actual term widely employed by the priesthood to justify lying. If it furthers the work of "the Lord"--which happens to be the most powerful priesthood of the day--then it is just fine to lie through one's teeth. After all, the Almighty, Omnipotent God needs our help to spread the Ultimate Truth--by lying.

It is obvious the writers [of the New Testament] were distanced in time from the actual events--and that they were using the Greek Old Testament, the Septuagint, as well as Josephus, as the "history" books by which to create the gospel topography. They used names of places that no longer existed or were completely different at the time the story supposedly took place. It is evident that these texts were in the main composed after Judea was laid waste in 135 CE. One example of blatant anachronism is the depiction of Palestine as a wilderness in which sheep are roaming about and primitive agriculture was practiced. Palestine was in that era densely populated and more advanced than the bumpkin depiction of the gospels.

Many people may know that the Zodiac is a big part of deciphering the Christ myth from the 12 houses or "ages" of the zodiac relating to 12 disciples (helpers), to the separation of the zodiac into four seasons making a cross on which the sun of god “dies”, stops moving for three days, and is “reborn” on December 25, but talk about the startling correlation between the Zodiac and Jesus' adventures.

Jesus’ major attributes and adventures (and many of his minor ones as well) are those of a sun god. The story of the sun, as widely known in bits and pieces worldwide, follows a basic, logical path. In the northern hemisphere, the sun is "born," "born again" or "resurrected" on December 25^th, which is celebrated as Jesus’ birthday. Because the sun god is thus born in the sign of Capricorn, the goat, it was said that farm animals attended his birth. At the time the sun rose on December 25^th, he was back-dropped by the constellation of Virgo, so it was said that he was born of the Virgin. The Virgin, not a virgin, referring to the constellation and the Goddess. Also present at the sun's birth are the "Three Kings," stars in Orion's Belt. The gifts brought by the "wise men" in the gospel story are all typical symbols of the sun or gifts offered to it. As in the Jesus tale, the sun's myth forwards to the "age" of 12, representing high noon, when it was said that the sun was in the Temple of the Most High. As the sun moves into the sign of Aquarius, in January-February, which was the rainy season in some places when the zodiac was developed, the sun was said to be "baptized" by the Waterman. Here's the solution to the enigmatic scripture (Luke. 22:10) about following the man with the water jar into a house. It also explains why John the Baptist was placed in art in the position of Aquarius. And so it goes. The fish motif in the gospel tale represents the Age of Pisces. March or Aries is the Lamb of God. The vernal equinox--spring--occurs during Aries, which is why "Easter," or Christ's Passion, is set at that time: At the equinox, when the night and day are the same length, the sun was said to be on a cross. There is much more to the sun story, a significant amount of which can be found in The Christ Conspiracy and Suns of God: Krishna, Buddha and Christ Unveiled

The god/man Horus of ancient Egypt seems a clear early prototype of the Jesus myth from Horus' birth of a virgin to raising El-Azarus to being called KRST or "anointed one" but Horus isn't the only Christ character in world history is he?

Horus' tale incorporates many elements of that of his father, Osiris. Osiris is a biggie in the world of mythology. An attempt at fusing cultures by fabricating gods occurred with the creation of the Egypt god Serapis, from Osiris and Apis, designed to unify the Alexandrian populace but especially the Greeks and Jews. In form and function, Serapis is a prototype of Jesus Christ. The Greek god Dionysus is another [prototype], as are Apollo, Hercules, Hermes, Jason, Mithra, Adonis, Tammuz, Krishna, Quetzalcoatl, and so on. It is clear that elements of the Jesus myth were direct lifts from the stories revolving around a number of these gods. The Jesus character also integrated qualities of the Goddess. When one studies in depth comparative religion, it becomes obvious that the gospel tale--including its numerous contradictions--comprise bits and pieces of Pagan and [Semitic] mythology melded together. This conglomeration, which incorporated a significant amount of themes and motifs from a wide variety of cultures, has made for an extremely powerful religion and priesthood. It is unique in its magnitude but was simply an end product of centuries and millennia of doing the same priest craft.

Tell us about 666 the "mark of the beast"

The mark of the beast is no big thing. Numbers have been considered magical, so they've been used in a variety of ways. Three, seven, 12--these are well-known mystical numbers. Six was the sign of the Goddess, who was widely worshipped and was frequently the major competition for the creators of Judaism and Christianity. As part of the vilification of Goddess--in order to usurp her power--her potent number 666 was labeled the "mark of the beast." The mystery school initiates who heard that degradation probably shuddered and it had the desired effect of demoralizing them. "The beast" is the "whore of Babylon," the Goddess, locally called Ishtar. Now, the Goddess was revered for millennia--can you imagine the outcry?

In the United States some politicians describe themselves as belonging to a "party of god".  Children reportedly receive message telling them that God has chosen the President.  Does this pattern ring any alarm bells for you?

The question needs to be asked--by what appalling arrogance do you think that you above all others understand the nature of God, "his" desires and wants (as if an omnipotent god has desires and needs!) and that you above all have the right to impose your personal perspective of this god on the rest of us? It needs to be stopped. The entire world is at peril from this dementia.

We know that there are good people who characterize themselves are Christians but we are often amazed by the selfish and especially -violent people who claim to follow Christ.  You point out this has been the case from the very beginning

The priesthoods worldwide have a long, sordid history of defrauding the public with absurd tales and myths that if understood properly have value but that the priests have corrupted endlessly in order to befuddle the masses. The American fundamentalism has been on an upswing for the past 25 years or so, ever since the Reagan Era. Although it is not very new, especially when you factor in how this country was founded, it is always alarming because some of its fervent adherents are indeed nasty, violence-prone people. We live in a sick world where we need to pray to God to protect us from his followers.

Speaking of Horus, though we are stunned and appalled to find the great Eye of Horus associated with George Washington, the Freemasons and embedded in the very symbols of the United States is this connection between "secret" societies and powerful people really so mysterious?  Washington, at least as he is remembered, may not the best example but weren’t the Freemasons, the Templar, the various Churches all just a core group of almost unimaginably rich or powerful people lying, inciting and committing violence and sowing confusion among the people, particularly their followers just to continue lying and stealing? Beyond all the supposed mystery isn’t this just Man as a savage and uniquely sophisticated beast?

Knowing [parts of] the history of the world somewhat intimately, I didn't find it surprising that secret brotherhoods are responsible for the creation of religions, including and especially Christianity. Let's give one concrete example: In the ancient Greek of the New Testament, the word for carpenter used in describing Jesus and Joseph's occupation is "tekton." In modern Greek the word tekton means "freemason." Not just "mason," as in a stonecutter, but freemason, as in the brotherhood. Now, how did that happen? Could it be that to be a "tekton" meant you were an initiate in the brotherhood? We know for a fact that, long before the Christian era, there were carpenter gods and goddesses, as well as guilds, priesthoods and tribes that revered them; ditto with masons.

As concerns the mean, rich people, yes, they are perpetrators, and they enlist the rank and file to do their dirty work--I'm not talking just about masons but the public at large, through politics and religion. And, these people are vicious. It seems to be intimidating if viciousness is associated with religion, kinder, gentler souls will back off and say, "its okay, man I respect your beliefs." Well, I don't! Your nasty beliefs are always trying to tell everyone else how evil they are, no matter how exemplary a life they may have led, because he or she doesn't believe exactly as you do. Like I say, I'm sick of it. The operations that support, create, foster and nurture this deranged mentality need to be shut up or shut down. No audience, no money, no energy bye-bye!

As the song goes “this is the dawning of the age of Aquarius”. Do you have any hope that human beings have grown up enough to face issues of morality without blaming some unearthly force or can at least reject the greed, divisiveness and violence that are often cloaked in religious terms and embrace the miracle of their own lives? 

I wish I could say I had a great deal of hope that humanity's sickness will be healed. I may have a little hope. I don't dislike myths--in fact, I love them, once they're explained and understood as myths. But to spew abuse, torment, and torture and/or kill a living, breathing, feeling human being over a myth is beyond immoral. I don't think that the average religious fanatic is capable of that understanding, as he's too sick. The average person? Maybe, and that's what I'm counting on, an appeal to common decency. It's the commonly decent folks who keep these nutters--dangerous loonies--in check. If humankind does somehow "break on through to the other side," finding its utopian equilibrium --that will be a miracle indeed. You'd think an all-powerful god could pull that off at any time, wouldn't you?

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History is a recitation of an interpretation of a story- literally old news with the added filter of years and national bias. Religious history is particularly vulnerable to manipulation because the nature of faith is it resists and defies scrutiny; not seeing is Believing. It is clear the story of Jesus is an echo of numerous older god-man stories including Horus the son of Osiris and the US is literally built on the symbols of ancient Egyptian astrotheology. Washington DC the seat of government and inarguably the city that rules the world appears to be a Masonic wonder. Even if the mind refuses to accept the notion that US leaders and a significant portion of American citizens are lost in a distorted echo of a sun-cult we can agree that greed and violence is anti-Christ and survive by holding a Christian nation accountable to the merciful, tolerant teachings attributed to Jesus.

Even now Babylon, present day Iraq is become a killing field -that is what it means when soldiers go to war without being able to tell friend from foe -its cities are being razed to the ground. Some reports say napalm, a weapon that sears the flesh is being used on the people. Obtaining fire more directly from heaven (the fantastic missile-defense scheme) is a Republican (“the party of god”) priority and ID cards, including DNA or finger-prints, will -it appears -soon be mandatory and in conjunction with mass data-mining and constant surveillance determine who is an enemy of the State. All of which will sound very familiar to many Christians who might rejoice at first at what could easily be seen as signs of the imminent apocalypse and their Rapture. On more consideration they will realize the problem –the United States is on the wrong side.

Revelation 18
²³The light of a lamp will never shine in you again.
   The voice of bridegroom and bride
       will never be heard in you again.
Your merchants were the world's great men.

:

By your magic spell all the nations were led astray.
²⁴In her was found the blood of prophets and of the saints,
       and of all who have been killed on the earth."

NEXT: THE ONLY STORY EVER TOLD