Throughout history all paths to “the
divine” were not respected and honored. Indian traditional spiritual practices,
Indian legends, Buddhism, Christianity, and other forms of religion and
spirituality consist of a vast amount of valuable lessons to be learned. Wise
women and men from all races could lead the way to salvation and unlock the
secrets to a life of contentment. The
power of prayer has been known to provide healing and a feeling of comfort
along with a connection to the universe. Perceived superiority instilled by
rigid religious belief systems caused a vast number of people to suffer.
Feelings of superiority breeds
violence. The state of many Native Americans concerning poverty, domestic
violence and other serious challenges is the result of a lack of spirituality
in their lives. The Church and others in authority have wielded discrimination
against women, setting most of the world off balance for thousands of years by
the lack of matriarchal support and guidance. While certain aspects of religion
have their place, oftentimes most religions do not support a strong spiritual
relationship with divinity on a daily basis.
Today, the unquestioning acceptance
of modernization has deterred many from seeing divinity as a significant part
of the modern world. All human societies have manifested a belief system that
explains the story of their creation, and phenomenon such as floods and other
catastrophes. Many of the stories
portrayed in the Koran, Bible and Indian legends for example consist of moral
teachings and the actions of divinity serving as important performers in
unforgettable events throughout history. Many people are too busy to stop and
learn from these valuable resources.
Upon careful scrutiny, it was
proven that Noah’s flood could not have happened as reported in the Bible. Geological factors based on the discovery of
animal skeletons do not support the Noah’s ark happenings. Controversy about the age of this earth and
other scientific data has revealed that this planet may have had a very
different past. Doubts about a belief
system based on a book, the Bible, has shaken the religious and spiritual
foundation for a multitude of people and left them without a source of
spirituality.
Patriarchal domination has wielded
power and control over the masses as far back as early Greek civilization. One
of the most flagrant examples of this is evident in the Church, meaning
primarily the Roman Catholic Church. The Church either served as the sole ruler
over the masses, or worked with the ruling class to provide governance during
the time of the Roman Empire and after the collapse of the Roman Empire.
Interpretations of biblical
messages served as the catalyst for oppression, and are linked to the
historical trauma for Indian people and other subjugated people of many races,
especially women. Bloody skirmishes between opposing factions and acts of
oppression have scarred many in the name of God and religion. A multitude of
Indian people were forced to accept Christianity and abandon their traditional
spiritual practices. However, it is
essential as a part of being fully human to have the freedom to decide one’s
own moral standards. Freedom does not
represent the absence of restrictions, it means finding the most liberating
limitations.
David Marshall in his book The Truth about Jesus and the Lost Gospels makes
reference to Christianity as the most liberating form of religion. He refers to stop lights and stopping at these
lights, which can be proven to be liberating as opposed to traffic jams. Rules
are needed otherwise there will be chaos according to Marshall. However, traditional
spiritual practices provided the freedom for Indian people to seek their own
relationship with the divine, a form of spirituality that lent itself to
guidance and support for Indian youth embarking on their spiritual
journeys. These Indian youth were
instructed on what to do, such as participating in vision quests, and analyzing
their dreams, not what to think.
Traditional spiritual leaders
emerged thousands of years ago from small communal tribes as individuals who
could explain mystical phenomena and offer ways to resolve problems. These
explanations helped alleviate fear, sustain focus on cooperative efforts to
accomplish tasks essential for survival, and maintain cohesion among everyone residing
in those small villages. If one was to
oppose the cultural values of their tribe, they would risk alienating
themselves. Isolation most likely would
result in death. Leaders were selected
and earned the right to lead the village because of their acts of wisdom,
kindness, bravery, and their concern for the well-being of the entire
village.
On the other hand, the hierarchy
that evolved within church leadership created a ‘top-down’ mentality placing
lay members at the bottom. Members were
taught to believe they had to go through the priests to have a connection with
the divine. Today, many Christian people
often believe they possess the absolute truth, and everyone would be better
served if they adopted their form of truth.
This belief in their form of absolute truth endangers everyone’s
freedom. As a result of this
narrow-mindedness, Churches have remained stagnant, and the following
statements hold true for many of these religious institutions.
·
Church is patriarchal: there’s no room for full
participation of women.
·
Church is authoritarian: it attempts and
oftentimes succeeds to enslave its members by deciding what they must believe
and practice in every situation.
·
Church is intolerant of other viewpoints. Individuals with different viewpoints are
considered unsaved.[i]
Indian people did not fight over
religion, and their form of spirituality was of a personal nature with the
Great Mystery. Spirituality is the
essence of one’s soul, an individual’s innermost nature, and represents the
synergy in all things, animate and inanimate. Spirituality does not only
represent tolerance and acceptance, it is the feeling of universal oneness and
unity in diversity. It refers to a
general sensitivity to moral, ethical, compassionate, and existential issues
without reference to any religious doctrine.
Spirituality is larger than religion, it includes an awareness of the
connectedness of all that is, and accepts that all of life has meaning and
purpose and is accordingly blessed. It
could be defined as the animating force in life, symbolized by breath, wind,
vigor, and courage and can be considered an active and passive process. Spirituality is inborn and exclusive to all
people, and represents a tendency to move towards knowledge, love, meaning,
hope, transcendence, connectedness, and compassion. [ii]
Before the onset of the European
influence in this country, children were raised with traditional teachings to
bolster their awareness of their personal spiritual journeys. These lessons consisted of what would become
a way of life for them. These lessons
included:
·
“respect for all life forms and further sacred
space
·
love and honor for the Sacred Self
·
responsibility of each individual for their
spirituality, their own voice, and direction in life
·
seeking and following a personal vision or
purpose
·
honoring various transitions in life: puberty
rites, rites of passage, becoming an elder, etc.
·
living in the present moment, learning to manage
fear
·
each person has a right to make choices about
their various journeys
·
every journey has value, and all visions are to
be honored
·
all experiences of life have lessons for us to
learn
·
we learn from both daytime and nighttime
experiences
·
there are no mistakes in life
·
spirit guides and Elders are available to
provide advice and guidance, but the choice belongs to the individual
·
everyone can honor the child and the Elder
growing within
·
the Creator gives us messages and signs to guide
us
·
as we learn more about ourselves (our gifts and
limitations), we're more able to practice self-discipline and maintain personal
integrity
·
like the bear, we must sometimes enter the cave
of inner awareness in order to know ourselves better, find joy in the silence,
and seek our own honey of truth
·
healing means knowing and balancing oneself
·
the beauty of life is in all directions
·
life can be enjoyed fully, and personal power is
strengthened when there is no guilt or self blame
·
we are always connected and related to the
universe” [iii]
Conversely, religion is generally
associated with a body of people adhering to a particular set of beliefs,
practices, rituals and theory, and provides guidance for moral behaviors and
can be limiting in focus.
The commonalities of most religions
are:
·
All major religions basically teach the same
things about moral and good behaviors and explain the rationale behind evil
circumstances.
·
Each religion only sees a portion of the truth,
not the whole truth.
·
Religious belief is culturally and historically
biased.
According to Traditionalists and
others who support the practice of meaningful spirituality, individuals don’t
have to be in elaborate churches to pray.
The term “Traditionalists” was developed to refer to those who believe
in what was considered pagan values including those practiced by traditional
Indian people. The term, “God,”
“divinity,” “the divine,” and the
“Creator” will be used from this point forward to define the higher being in
order to be all-inclusive. Each form of religion and spirituality celebrates
some higher being, and these terms appear to be the most widely used in this
country.
Progress comes with many losses.
Today, spirituality isn’t considered real by many people. More and more people are concerned with the
process of production and its association with monetary goals. Competition for
“bigger and better” as well as the separation associated with competition has
led to alienation. Technological
advances are being developed at an astonishing pace, but rather than giving
people more control of their lives, technology seems to be taking it away. As a
result, what exists is an unhealthy level of dysfunction in most relationships,
and direct person-to-person communication has been replaced by various types of
technology.
Fear and
ignorance has also served as a catalyst for deterring people from establishing and/or
forming trust and healing. Ignorance and
fear prevents the seeking of positive growth and change. Two major fears
continue to be perpetuated: not being enough, and not having enough. A paradigm
shift has occurred for millions of people who have deserted traditional
religions and replaced these conceptual formats with materialism. The fear of
“not having enough” fostered the greed of many religious leaders and rulers
thousands of years ago, creating many of the difficulties existing today. These difficulties include the lack of
community cohesiveness and an overall dissatisfaction with one’s life. Religion came into existence to control the
masses. Patriarchal domination was
another way in which power was utilized to govern those considered weaker and
oftentimes threatening.
Some people believe biblical
patriarchy does not mean that man is dominant.
It means man is to serve as head of his household as a provider and
protector, and to love his household as our higher being loves all of creation;
he should be willing to give his life for his family. Biblical patriarchy does
not mean suppression of woman; quite the opposite. Both men and women were meant to be on a
spiritual path together living out their lives as patriarchs and matriarchs in
equality. The rigidity and control put forth by patriarchal domination has
corroded religious practices, and rendered it meaningless and lifeless in many
ways. All roles including leadership
positions need to take on the matriarchal and patriarchal mindsets, which will
help restore balance in the world.
Matthew
Fox, in his book The Coming of the Cosmic
Christ, proposes that civilization as it is known today has been forced to
succumb to patriarchal domination and has put people out of touch with the core
meaning behind Christianity. A very
important component has been missing, which is the addition of the matriarchal
mindset. The matriarchal mindset involves creativity and emotion, the nurturing
elements necessary for any meaningful relationship. The patriarchal mindset represents the linear
mode of thinking based on intellect.
Intellect requires the balance creativity and an emotional standpoint
can bring to the table. Without the feminine
aspect, what remains can be cold and unyielding.
Fox makes the statement that Indian
people had it right from the very beginning. They had a closer connection to
their higher being, and spirituality was more meaningful for them. Their higher power, the Creator, communicated
often with them through dreams, vision quests, sweat lodge ceremonies, and
other traditional spiritual practices.
Fox posed the question about the current existence of problems, such as
drugs, alcohol and entertainment addictions, perhaps resulting from feelings of
emptiness due to the lack of connection to the divine.[iv]
When something is feared and
enhances insecurities, the abolishment of the fear causing elements becomes
probable. The spiritual practices of the Indian people were outlawed until the
1970s. The mystery of these ceremonies led to feelings of fear for the
Euro-Americans. During this prohibition
period, harmful sanctions were put into place to punish any Indian person who
disobeyed and participated in traditional spiritual practices. Many Indian people secretly continued their
spiritual practices. Others felt they had no choice, but to adopt Christian
religious beliefs.
Concerning traditional spiritual
practices, the spirit must come first and be nurtured in a way that creates a
permeable wall for the divine to breach.
Traditionalism involves a partnership with oneself. When things are in need of improvement, the
solution is inside the individual’s mind, soul and heart. Traditionalists believe everyone has everything
they need inside of them to secure a relationship with the divine and to heal
oneself in the following areas: spiritual, physical, emotional, and
intellectual. Today, many Indian people
are feeling a loss because they do not have a connection to the divine.
The Roman Empire’s expansion
covered most of present day Europe and the Mediterranean area. The Roman Empire
was in control of this land base and its resources before the appointment of
Julius Caesar in 44BC until 1453, when the Ottoman Turks (Muslims) took over
Constantinople. The size of the empire and its lengthy existence led to Roman
influence on language, religion, architecture, philosophy, law and government
of countries around the world to this day.
The Roman Emperors controlled the
religious institutions and participated in the imperial cult system, which consisted
of deceased emperors serving as demigods to be worshipped by all. Their successors would appoint demigods to
enhance their own status. People have
worshipped the Pope as if he were a deity.
When false gods are worshipped, it was and continues to be easy to
convert and covet “things” and these things such as gold begin serving as false
gods. God, Jesus, and other higher powers become less and less real. [v]
The Roman Catholic Church did
everything in its power to sequester and control all pagan sacred documents. In
1945 an Arab peasant, named Mohammed Ali, found a whole library of Gnostic
gospels hidden in a cave near Nag Hammadi in Upper Egypt on the bend of the
Nile River. He uncovered a three foot
tall red jar that contained 12 papyrus books bound in leather and additional
book stuffed inside another. The books
were written in an Egyptian language called Coptic, letters based on the Greek
alphabet. These documents included the teachings of Christ and his disciples
and speculations were made that they were written by Jesus’ first disciples.
The authors of these documents were followers of an ancient group called
Gnostics. [vi]
Gnostics were considered mystics and progressive thinkers for that time period,
which went against the Roman Catholic Church hierarchy. Throughout history, other groups who went
against the Church were punished for their beliefs.
The Gnostics existed before and
during the onset of Christianity. The
word “Gnostic” was derived from the word “Gnosis” meaning knowledge of
God. Marshall in the book The Truth about Jesus and the Lost Gospels claimed
that Gnosticism can be described as “salvation by knowledge.” Marshall referred to knowledge of the self
being the means to freedom according to Gnosticism.[vii]
The Gnostics were considered outrageous and even dangerous by the Roman
Catholic Church. They did not support
the idea that those who were seeking a relationship with their higher power had
to do so with the aid of a priest. Their beliefs were based on a mystic
knowledge and did not fit with the monetary and political wishes of the Church.
However, the publicity the Roman
Catholic Church gave the Gnostics served only to feed the interests of many of
the inhabitants of the Roman Empire. The Roman Catholic Church took their own interpretation
of the Jesus story as a literal account of historical events, and thus they
were referred to as Literalists. The
Gnostics were imprisoned and/or put to death because they went against the
beliefs of the Church. Another historical reason the Gnostics were obliterated
was because some of the Gnostic divinities were female. [viii]
One of the beliefs of the Gnostics
involved their conviction that Eve was a courageous woman. As a result of Eve’s
acceptance of the apple, she moved humans closer to the attainment of many
divine gifts. The eating of the apple represented the obtainment of knowledge.
The false perception promoted by the Church was Eve was weak and brought her
own bad luck by coercing Adam to partake in the eating of the apple delivered
by Satan. Myths can have great power.
Because of the impact of this
creation story, women have had to endure a great deal of blame, shame and have
been associated with darkness and evil. The story in Genesis, the first book of
the Bible, with God’s six-day creation, and inception of Adam and Eve portrayed
God as tyrannical and trivial. Nakedness associated with sexual sin, female
vulnerability and God’s wrath were paramount in the message derived from this
story. [ix]
The concept of a vengeful God has also caused a separation between people and
God.
Another belief of the Gnostics was
reincarnation, which was vehemently denounced by the Church. Reincarnation was a belief also supported by
Jesus. According to various written works, Jesus also propagated the term
karma. Part of the lost teachings of
Jesus involves karma, and making the right choices. People determine their own destinies. It is
also a part of free will. If people do
awful things to others, bad karma will knock at the doors of these individuals.
These terrible things usually happen if people do not take responsibility for
their actions and/or do not see their harmful actions as wrong. [x]
Indian people coined the term “red road.”
One must do good things for all or one has fallen off the “red
road.” Falling off the right path can
lead to bad things happening during the course of one’s lifetime.
What would be the purpose of
denouncing the concepts of reincarnation and karma? If someone was considered saved by accepting
Christ as their savior at the 11th hour, a need did not exist to
take full responsibility for one’s actions and all individuals could be
accepted into the kingdom of God no matter how horrible their actions. Were
these beliefs propagated by the priests and others in power embraced and
enforced to excuse their personal wrongdoings?
The Quakers, originally from England,
came to the new world during the mid 1650s.
Similarities existed between the spiritual practices of the Quakers and
the Indian people. One of their beliefs
purported that one did not have to be in a church to establish fellowship with
others and the divine. Everyone has the
light within them. Also, people who were repelled by the rules and rituals of
religion discovered the Quaker views were more refreshing for the times. It was their philosophy that they had a
responsibility to become friends with people of all races. The Quakers were
known to be very respectful of the Indian people. They worked alongside the
Indian people and did not try to change their form of spirituality.
In 1681, William Penn met with the
Indians under the great elm of Shackamason and made friends with the
Indians. Trees often serve as sacred
meeting places for Indian people. Robert Hodgson, a Quaker missionary, was
arrested, imprisoned and treated harshly because he was drawing a large crowd
at his meetings. [xi] The
Quakers, Indian people and other groups such as the Gnostics were persecuted
for their spiritual practices and beliefs because their beliefs differed from
those who were self acclaimed Christians.
Despair relates to sin because it
sets people up to be taken over by evil doers.
Those with dark souls prey on individuals during their most vulnerable
moments. Many of the children who
attended the boarding and residential schools, while their parents were left to
reside on reservations and reserves, were very vulnerable and lived in a
constant state of despair. These
children were often subjected to cruel and harsh treatment. The dark souls who perpetuated the abuse were
feeding off the spirits of these innocent children like parasites. Much harm was caused to the children’s souls
and their entire beings as a result of the sexual abuse committed by the
priests, nuns, and others in authority.
Leon J. Podles described many
scenes in which children were sexually abused at the hands of Catholic priests
in his book entitled Sacrilege: Sexual
Abuse in the Catholic Church. Only a portion of the sexual abuse was ever
reported. Because this crime was committed
in private, it was difficult to determine the actual number of victims. The number of alleged victims was 10,677 in
the John Jay Report. This number was raised to 12,257 by later reports, and the
number is most likely much higher than that; Podles estimated at least 100,000 children
fell victim to these pedophiles. As mentioned earlier, a number of sexual abuse
cases were never reported, which may have resulted because of the shame
experienced by the victims.
Podles
noted that the individuals who perpetrated the sexual abuse on these naïve
children can be labeled as narcissistic, and this label was not only reserved
for abusive priests. The diagnosis of
narcissistic personality disorder was given to the Catholic bishops as well,
because these bishops worked diligently to cover up the wrongful acts of the
priests. It was all about appearances and not about the harm caused to the
children.
Podles also referred to these
pedophiles as sociopathic. The priests were noted as having an indifferent
conscience filled with apathy for the truth. They preached what they felt was
the truth concerning the word of God and what best served their self serving
wishes. Sadly, many of the staff members placed in charge of the boarding and
residential school students did not differ from these reprehensible
individuals.
The abusive priests lacked the
ability to assume social responsibility.
If wrongful acts were brought to their attention, it would elicit an
attitude of nonchalance. Although these
narcissistic individuals were completely self-involved, they were skilled in
the ways of social seduction, often with an air of dignity and confidence. These abusive priests were skillful in
enticing, coercing and tantalizing the needy and the naïve.
Those pedophile
priests also possessed a pathological sense of entitlement. During the period
of time when this country was being settled, the Euro-Americans also felt they
had the right to take over anything that came across their paths simply because
they were white and European. People who exhibit narcissistic personality
disorder characteristics also express grandiosity through their obsessions with
fantasies of success. They are convinced they are unique and in turn require
excessive admiration and adulation.
Several examples were given by Podles of occasions when pedophile
priests would be given public recognition for their heroic acts of generosity
and other forms of public service. At the same time, they were sexually abusing
children. They were known to exploit others for their own ends, lack empathy
for the feelings of others, could be envious of others, and were arrogant and
became enraged when they felt frustrated or contradicted. They had to get their
way.[xii]
Attempts
have been made to explain the existence of evil. It’s been somewhat impossible
to reconcile that God is good; God is all-powerful; and that terrible things
can happen to good people, especially children.
Christian Science correlates evil with an illusion of our mortal
minds. It doesn’t really exist. Buddhism equates evil to the bad karma one has
created in a past life, especially concerning acts like the rape of a young
child. That child must have carried to
his or her current life a bad karma debt.
Christianity doesn’t offer any plausible explanation except that there
is not an act so heinous that God cannot turn it into good. Concerning the three prepositions mentioned
above, such as God is all-powerful; all three cannot be reconciled in the case
of specific situations.[xiii] In turn, this dilemma has led many to
challenge their faith when horrible things do happen.
Many of the
boarding school employees mocked, belittled, and prohibited the Indian form of
spirituality and denounced these ways as evil and savage. Moreover, if the
children did not accept Christianity as it was forced upon them, they were told
they would be doomed to hell. Hell meant
the devil, his pitchforks and extreme heat that could melt the skin off their
bodies. Those in authority who condemned others to hell considered those who
were condemned as being unequal and worthless. A forced form of religion drew
these children in, gave them hope, and then damned them for their perceived
sins while they were being abused over and over again.
People who attended the Holy
Childhood Boarding School reported they possessed a fear of the dark. One individual stated he believed he may
become evil and dark if he did not convert to Christianity. These children were
told they would be thrown in a deep dark hole if they did not change their ways
and become Christianized. They were taught to despise their families’ histories
and that these histories had no value. Indian people working with the
Aboriginal Healing Project in Canada referred to the losses of their culture
that occurred at the residential schools as spiritual abuse. They were forced to reject their native
tribal languages, and obey only those in authority at the boarding and
residential schools. Their only viable future was a “white” future.
Those in authority at the boarding
and residential schools taught the children about a false God, one who was
merciless and cruel. The fear of God propagated by the Church caused further
separation between individuals and their higher beings. It is difficult to
determine when the fear of God was initiated and instilled as a part of
Christian practices.
The Church
and others who assumed authority began a quest to dominate women and later
people of color over 2000 years ago. The
Greek religion, from which much of Roman beliefs evolved, was one of dominance
through acts of cruelty and barbarism, such as rapes of goddesses and mortal
women. The Roman Empire followed suit.
Women were listed as property in the Old Testament of the Bible 11 times. Women
were not given the right to vote until 1920 in the U.S. and were treated with
cruelty, including imprisonment and forced feeding, when they marched to obtain
that right. In current times, women continue to be portrayed in demeaning ways
in the media as sex objects.
Jesus has been described as having the
utmost respect for women and people of all races, and valued others’ opinions
and leadership abilities. He was open to
learning about the various cultures.
Jesus was known to have traveled with 72 women at one point. Mary of Magdalene was portrayed as a woman
with seven devils and a woman with deep seated problems. She was referred to as
a prostitute who washed the feet of Jesus with her tears and other disparaging
accusations.[xiv] Other
sources reveal that Jesus and Mary of Magdalene had a committed and intimate
relationship and Mary was a gifted individual like Jesus and none of the
derogatory descriptions applied. Some
sources portray Jesus as a rabbi, meaning teacher. One of the most logical arguments for the
relationship between Jesus and Mary was that Jesus would have been regarded
with suspicion if he were not married.
Rabbis were required to be married.
Marshall referred to Jesus as a rabbi when he was describing events that
led up to Jesus’ crucifixion. [xv]
Because of
these prejudices against women the theologians and scholars justified the Salem,
Massachusetts witch trials that took place between 1692 and 1693. However, witch trials had also occurred in
Europe from the 1300s to the end of the 1600s.
Hundreds of thousands of people in Europe, predominantly women, were put
to death. Joan of Arc, an astounding
woman who assisted France in armed combat during the Hundred Year Wars, was
charged with witchcraft and burned at the stake. These lethal witch hunts
happened for many reasons and multiple theories were established to explain
this phenomenon.
·
The Church Oppression Theory involved the Church
falsely inventing the concept of witches to eliminate opponents who threatened
the Church’s credibility and to gain wealth.
·
The Greed Theory implicated the elites in their
quest to seize the property of others.
·
The mental health condition of the people
involved in the hunts led to mass hysteria.
The peasants became neurotic and psychotic, and in a group panic went
after individuals believed to be witches.
·
A Social Control Theory involved the desire to
maintain control over the masses, and instill cultural uniformity. Administrative officials linked specific
individuals to a dangerous conspiracy involving witchcraft.
·
The Confessional Conflict Theory was associated
with reformation and the conflict between the Protestants and Roman
Catholics. Each group used witchcraft as
an excuse to attack one another.
·
The Pagan Religious Rebellion Theory is another
reason why the witch hunts may have happened in Europe. Ancient spiritual practices were blamed by
the Christians for causing disasters such as plagues, famines, and storms.[xvi]
Approximately 200 people, again
mainly women, were killed in Salem. They were accused of practicing the devil’s
magic. The witch hunts occurred in Massachusetts as a result of a war that was
started in 1689 by the English rulers William and Mary. The war of 1689 was
fought against the French by the English and took place in the American
colonies of upstate New York, Nova Scotia and Quebec. People in exile escaping
the ravages of this war fled to the Salem area.
These additions to the population of this area put a strain on the
resources of the original inhabitants.
Competition existed between the wealthy and the farmers over resources.
The squabbling in the village was also considered the work of the devil. To rid the village of evil, those individuals
who were associated with witchery were put to death, again mainly women.
Much
speculation about these events occurred as a result of extensive modern
studies. One of the theories associated with some recorded bizarre behaviors of
accused individuals was linked to the fungus ergot found in rye, wheat and
other cereal plants. This fungus can
cause muscle spasms, vomiting, delusions and hallucinations. In later years, the colony came to the
conclusion that those who were convicted were innocent and the colony
compensated the families of those found guilty. [xvii]
Although the witch hunts were terminated, discrimination against women
continued.
Bishop John
Selby Spong has attributed men’s antagonism towards women as being linked to a
primal fear, the fear of blood, which has not been addressed. He made reference
to five places in the Bible relating to women and blood during menstruation and
child birth. The blood of women during these times was considered unclean. Indian males also had a fear of blood because
it was related to death. They were
puzzled how a woman could bleed for four days and still be alive.
Indian people considered women’s
menstruation time a time when women were closest to the divine and were very
powerful. Indian women had to sleep and
live separately from their husbands during their menstruation time because of
their perceived powers. They could not
participate in ceremonies. Menstruation
was referred to as a cleansing time for women, which enhanced their status even
further within tribal communities. In
the Bible it was stated there were restrictions placed on women as to when they
could join others after childbirth or following menstruation. The period of
time when women had to stay away from others was longer if a female child was
born.
Spong
speculated that women were referred to as the weaker sex because of lack of
bodily strength, their inability to protect their families as well as their
male counterparts, and their vulnerability during the last month of pregnancy
and while nursing. The connection mothers of newborns had with their offspring
is associated with a form of weakness. The statement “women and children first”
also depicts dependency. The
interpretation of the story in Genesis in which woman was created from man has
paved the way for the idea that men are superior and women are subservient.[xviii] During the earlier days when the Roman Empire
was in full swing, many Roman women became Christians because of the protection
it provided them. Christians were considered to have a higher status; thus,
were not as readily killed.[xix]
The Church has had a major influence on labels, definitions and role models of
the underdogs in the modern world.
When listening to a tribal drum
group, take notice of the higher pitched voices of the men when they begin
singing and then how their voices became deeper for the latter portion of the
song. It was mentioned by an Indian
singer and drummer that in order to seek balance; they celebrate their feminine
side by singing in a higher voice for the first part of a song. Indian people who have managed to return to
some of the traditional practices and have the ability to live in two worlds
have found more of a sense of balance.
A vast number of similarities exist
between the ancient Hebrew beliefs and that of the Native Americans prior to
the arrival of the Europeans. According
to ancient Hebrew beliefs, to practice Christianity in its true sense meant one
needs to be modest, sensitive, loving, kind, empathetic and understanding,
similar to the practices of traditional Indian people. The entity of Satan did not exist with the
early Hebrew beliefs. Importance was
placed on building a personal relationship with God independent from the community
in which one resides. Native Americans
fostered this same belief with their children at an early age during the
traditional period.
The interpretation of dreams was
encouraged. Dreams symbolized the
connection and communication between individuals and the Creator. Fasting and
vision quests were another way in which Indian people would explore their
relationship with the spirit world.
Fasting is also mentioned in the Bible as a way of communing with God. Ancient Hebrew beliefs referred to sex as
healthy, spiritual, and not sinful.[xx] The union between man and woman, according to
the beliefs of the Traditionalists, is not fraught with sin. It is considered natural, and there is an
expectation that it will lead to creating life’s most precious gift,
children.
In the
past, for those practicing their faith based Roman Catholic literalist
standpoint, a stage of violence was set up against those who did not
participate in their religious beliefs because the Roman Catholic Church
considered themselves superior to those who did not support their viewpoints.
Today, this country is suffering from massive cultural divisions. Those who defend Christianity are out to
impose their beliefs on others, and those who do not support Christianity are
considered enemies of the truth. What
has been created is an impasse, which can oftentimes be intense and
unfriendly. Many Indian people have
foregone the traditional spiritual practices of the past, taken up some other
form of religion, or do not practice any form of religion or spirituality at
all. When an individual lives without
taking care of the spiritual self, one becomes lost in an abyss of doubt and
uncertainty.
Books describing religious beliefs
are filled with religious ideas, symbols and attitudes primarily depicting the
beliefs of the times in which they were written. A religious book is meant to
be a canvas or a transparency.[xxi] The one viewing this work is suppose to
develop their own perception about the meaning behind the images. The Bible was
enforced as the word of God due to the authority of those who were behind its
original inception and promotion. The
word for Bible is derived from the Greek word biblia, or “the books,” which is the plural term of biblion, a word taken from the Semitic biblos, meaning “papyrus,” or scroll.
Today, the term Bible symbolizes a collection of sacred texts that include:
Torah, prophets, wisdom literature, Gospels, and epistles.[xxii]
Christians predominantly believe the Bible contains all of God’s messages about
creation, His personal nature, desirable behaviors and sin, liberation and
salvation. The purpose of the Gospels were to delineate Christ’s life, his
teachings and the sharing of good news about Jesus, concerning what he has done
for all mankind.
The past as described in the old
testament of the Bible has been laced with stories of destruction in the name
of God. Again, Indian people did not
fight over religion or spirituality. The term religionistic has been used when
describing organized religion. Religionistic
practices include, but are not limited to; ritual, confinement, persecution,
dogma, sins, rights and wrongs.
Dogma is defined as a set of
principles declared as truth without proof. The dogma portrayed as the fear of
God has permeated throughout history to control people, and create a hierarchy
between those preaching the word and the rest of the population. Personal interpretations of religious dogma
rested on authority regarded as competent to decide and determine law based on
the tenets of religion, and cannot be construed as the absolute truth. Traditionalists often wondered why Christians
only participated in spiritual activities once a week. Traditional Indian forms of spirituality
relate to a way of life and are ongoing.
Bart D.
Ehrman in his book entitled Jesus
Interrupted, Revealing the Hidden Contradictions of the Bible, stated that
many reasons existed to serve as a rationale behind perceived forgeries based
on personal interpretations, relating to the Bible and religious dogma. Forgeries, a term introduced by Ehrman to
define biblical discrepancies, relate to the interpretations of biblical texts
by individuals who were not qualified to do so, or did so under the pretext of
hidden agendas. Those forgeries were put into place to oppose a particular
point of view; to make a profit; to oppose an enemy; to defend one’s own belief
as divinely inspired; and/or to provide authority for one’s own views. Keep in mind the fear of God was propagated
to create a larger attendance for church services, and to exert control over
another’s spiritual beliefs. Another
point to make as described by Marshall in his book The Truth about Jesus and the Lost Gospels, the Gospels in the Bible were not selected because
they were better or based on truth. The
Gospels were chosen to serve as a way to establish and secure the authority of
male church leaders. [xxiii]
Ehrman describes many
contradictions and falsifications in the Bible. The Old Testament was written
over six hundred years by dozens of authors and included 39 books. The New Testament consisted of 27 books
written by 16 or 17 authors over a period of 70 years. The chance of there being a high level of
ambiguity and differing viewpoints is quite high considering the vast amount of
time and individuals who contributed to the writing of the Bible.[xxiv]
If one reads the books of Matthew,
Mark and Luke from beginning to end, these books closely resemble one another
with similar stories and similar words.
Differences in the messages being portrayed start occurring with the
book of John. [xxv] No
writings exist dating from Jesus’ actual lifetime or shortly after Jesus’
death. The original sources that were
put together long after his crucifixion no longer exist. Instead, what survived is renditions entitled
the four gospels and other Christian writings, which have gone through many
alterations over a long period of time.
It would be a mistake to believe in the complete legitimacy of these
written works.
In order for the Bible to be
considered the absolute truth there needs to be consistency in the information
being portrayed. It has been considered
by many people that the Bible is a historically untrustworthy compilation of
legends. During “the Jesus Seminar” a group of scholars stated that only
approximately 20 percent of the Jesus sayings were correct. It was also
reported that the accounts of Jesus’ life were written many years after the
events may have happened. These accounts cannot be considered remotely
reliable.[xxvi]
The
Lost Teachings of Jesus by Mark and Elizabeth Prophet and the Gnostic
gospels that were discovered in a cave near Nag Hammadi in Egypt could prove to
be very interesting reading and may be closer to the truth. Some of the books in the Bible, like the
legends passed down from generation to generation by the Traditionalists, are
filled with life lessons that can provide guidance on how to live a life of
goodness coupled with how to address problems as they arise. So much destruction has occurred at the hands
of those who believed there was only one source of truth that many do not know
where to hang their hat when it comes to seeking a form of spiritual and
religious practices.
An on-line survey was conducted by Parade Magazine in October 2009 for a
CBS News Sunday Morning program entitled “A Matter of Faith.” The results of
this survey were:
·
Twenty-five percent of the respondents reported
not being religious.
·
Approximately seven out of ten believe in God.
·
Half rarely attend religious services or they
don’t attend at all.
·
Half practice the religion they grew up with.
However, the polls printed in the
New York Times article dated April 27, 2009 stated that the number of atheists
in the United States is steadily growing.
During the last 50 years instability has been on the rise within many
institutions including religious domains.
The hidden agendas of these institutions are being exposed. The accuracy
and authenticity of the massive amount of data that is made available today is
in question. Christian dogma falls
into this same category, which continues to be fully entrenched within many
religious denominations. [xxvii]
Traditionalists practiced a form of
spirituality closely associated with a more meaningful relationship with their
higher beings. Civilization can be renewed by once again introducing the
importance of dreams, visions, and the feeling of connectedness promoted by
Traditionalism and the original Christian beliefs, exploring the deeper meaning
of the great mysteries. Fox promoted a
pattern, which connected divine love and justice. All humans have within them
the ability and promptings to do what is right for others and themselves. The community way of life in which everyone
is treated the same and everyone looks after one another is strongly supported
by Fox. Mother Earth and her children have suffered greatly and continue to
suffer under patriarchal domination. There continues to be a need to move
towards a spiritual vision that prays, celebrates and lives out the reality
that there is a God and all humans are his children. According to Fox, He exists in living and
nonliving entities of all shapes and sizes.
The
worshipping of a false god by seeking material goods, the addiction to alcohol,
drugs and entertainment, all tie in with the vast emptiness many people
feel. The missing connection is with the
divine and not with those items that quickly lose their worth. The core of Christianity at its very
beginnings was its sense of mystical practice and cosmic awareness before it
was taken over by patriarchal domination and the Church. Mother Earth, the mystical brain in reference
to dreams and visions, creativity, wisdom, youth, Traditionalism, and Mother
Church are dying, according to Fox. [xxviii]
The boarding and residential school
attendees’ hair was cut, hair symbolizes power and other meanings denoted by
various tribes and Native American men only cut their hair to show grief or
shame. These Indian children were given Christian names and were forced to wear
Euro-American clothing, and were also coerced to embrace patriotism for a
country who did not respect their existence.
A multitude of Indian people were lost in a world laced with a foreign
form of religion coupled with abuse, homesickness and other disturbing feelings
without the support and guidance of their parents and other loving
caregivers.
Everyone would benefit from
honoring all paths to the divine. The power and control exerted by patriarchal
domination and the Church have continued to serve as catalysts for a massive
amount of oppression that has been inflicted on Indian people, other people of
color, and women. Validation for many of
these harsh actions was derived from false interpretations of a book that needs
to be examined for its authenticity, the Bible. Throughout history women have
had to pay a high price for these faulty interpretations. Many of the Indian
children, who were forced to attend the boarding and residential schools, were
often too young to possess the ability to think abstractly. In other words, they could not formulate
concretely the concept of what role the Creator or God occupied in their
parents,’ and others’ lives, or even their own.
As a result of various religious sanctions that have been carried out
for thousands of years, many people are experiencing feelings of
disconnectedness and imbalance because their spiritual needs have not been and are
not being met. The perceived superiority of those propagating their religious
beliefs as the absolute truth has led to vast spiritual voids.
[i]
Howard-Brook, W. (2001). The Church
Before Christianity. New York: Orbis
Books, 2.
[ii] Corey,
G., Corey, M., and Callanan, P. (1998). Issues and Ethics: In the Helping
Professions. California: Brooks/Cole
Publishing Company, 82-83.
[iii]
Williston, R., (2003). Native American Spirituality:A Walk in the
Woods. Ohio: Rainbow Light and Company.
[iv] Fox, M.
(1988). The Coming of the Cosmic Christ.
San Francisco: Harper
Collins, 11-34.
[v] Blond,
A. (1994). The Private Live of the Roman
Emperors. London: Constable and Robinson Ltd., 178 – 185.
[vi]
Marshall, D. (2007). The Truth About
Jesus and the Lost Gospels. Oregon:
Harvest House Publishers, 6.
[ix] Freke,
T., and Gandy,P. (1999). The Jesus
Mysteries: Was the “Original Jesus” a Pagan God? New York: Three Rivers
Press, 6-8.
[x] Prophet,
M., and Prophet, E. (1988). The Lost
Teachings of Jesus: Missing Texts, Karma, and Reincarnation. New York: Summit University Press, 173-179.
[xi] Thorn,
J. Early Quaker History. Retrieved on August 9, 2010 from
http://thorn.pair.com/earlyq.htm.
[xii]
Podles, L. (2008). Sacrilege: Sexual Abuse
in the Catholic Church. Maryland:
Crossland Press.
[xiii]
Buechner, F. (1993). Wishful Thinking: A Seeker’s ABC. San Francisco: Harper Collins Publishers, 27-28.
[xiv]
Greeley,A. (2007). Jesus: A Meditation of
His Stories and His Relationship with Women. New York: Tom Doherty
Associates, LLC, 58-106.
[xv]
Marshall, D. (2007). The Truth About
Jesus and the Lost Gospels. Oregon:
Harvest House Publishers, 49.
[xvii]
Bonfanti,L. (1992). The Witchcraft
Hysteria of 1692: Volume 2. Massachusetts:
Old Saltbox Publishing.
[xviii]
Spong,J. (2005). The Sins of the
Scriptures: Exposing the Bible’s Text of Hate to Reveal the God of Love.
New York: Harper One, 68-100.
[xix]
Marshall, D. (2007). The Truth About
Jesus and the Lost Gospels. Oregon:
Harvest House Publishers, 124.
[xx] Williston, R., and Williston,M. (2009). The Ancient
Roots of Christianity: A Native American’s Look Through Christianity. Ohio: Rainbow Light and Co.,178.
[xxi]
Buechner, F. (1993). Wishful Thinkig: A Seeker’s ABC. San Francisco: Harper Collins Publishers, 96.
[xxii]
Marshall,M. (2007). The Truth About Jesus
and the Lost Gospels. Oregon:
Harvest House Publishers, 44-45.
[xxiv]
Ehrman, B. (2009). Jesus, Interrupted:
Revealing the Hidden Contradictions in the Bible. New York: Harper Collins
Publishers, 19-20.
[xxv]
Ehrman, B., (2009). Jesus Interrupted:
Revealing the Hidden Contraditions in
the Bible. New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 6-7.
[xxvi]
Keller,T. (2008). The Reason for God:
Belief in an Age of Skepticism. New
York: Riverhead Books, 103.
[xxvii]
James, R., and Williston, M. (2009). The
Ancient Roots of Christianity: A Native American’s Look Through
Christianity. Ohio: Rainbow Light
and Co., 30-32.
[xxviii]
Fox, M. (1988). The Coming of the Cosmic Christ.
San Francisco: Harper
Collins, 11-34.
Chapter VI: The
Realization of Manifest Destiny
