By Philip Harris Wherever one turns, basic Christian precepts and dogmas are under attack. From the film THE SECRET, The DaVinci Code, the History and National Geographic TV channels, the Jesus Papers, Gospel of Judas, Gospel of Mary, and the recently released novel, Waking God, the very foundations of the Christian body of churches have been forced into the trenches. Long held beliefs and myths are being exposed and open to close examination, forcing even the most faithful to question the true history of their religions. While there have always been doubters, skeptics and blasphemers, the tenacity of the current onslaught is relentless. The texts of the suppressed Gnostics have finally made their way into the limelight, and their version of Christianity is far different than that portrayed in the carefully selected Church canons. Fundamental questions are being explored. Was Jesus married? Did he have children? Did he really die on the cross? Was there ever intent to truly form an organized church? Was Jesus even Jewish and did he belong to the secret society known as the Essenes? Did Nazareth exist or was Jesus a Nazarene? Have religious authoritys purposely altered or hidden great spiritual truths? Have secret societies preserved a bloodline or perhaps the teachers DNA? Was Judas, in fact, the greatest of the disciples? History shows that from its inception, the Church came under fire. The difference between then, and now, is that in times gone by, the Church wielded totalitarian powers. It was able to suppress dissent at every turn. The Gnostics were ostracized, the heretics burned at the stake, competing religions destroyed or co-opted, and non-believers had to contend with relentless crusades and holy wars. Things have changed. The long arm of the Church has been reduced in size and power by the Age of Information. No longer in control of this information network and lacking the backing of power-seeking monarchies, the dissemination of alternative versions of church histories can no longer be censored. Beginning in the 1920s, works by such men as H. Spencer Lewis portrayed a totally different version of the Passion and the nature of a man called Jesus. Lewis claimed in several works that Jesus was an initiate of a secret society and that rumors of his death were greatly exaggerated. Many of these ideas have been supported by the Dead Sea Scrolls and other documents. No longer in control of censoring its own history, the Church now finds itself on the cusp of a new age of skepticism and doubt. Most of these ideas have been around for centuries, but suppression and censorship have prevented them from being popularized. Is this siege justified? Is the quest for a new Holy Grail warranted? This observer would say that these efforts are long over due. Christian history and that of most organized religions has been one of blood and deceit. While the Messenger of Christian doctrine can easily lay claim to insights on the true nature of life, much of his message has been perverted, hidden, censored and rewritten. This is not just a Christian issue, all of the major avatars who sought to enlighten humanity have had there messages equally distorted. When one examines the similarities of the basic tenets of all great spiritual teachers, it cannot help but raise the question as to why they have caused so much divisiveness. Almost every organized religion has been the root cause of war, human divisiveness, and human misery. The numbers are open for debate but the range of deaths resulting from religious wars range from several hundred million to a billion. Growing sectarian violence in the Muslim world and current tensions between religions only had weight to this argument. The tragedy of loss of life aside, although not downplayed, is the fact that most major organized religions remove the notion of responsibility from human thought. The concepts of do as you will and all will be forgiven as long as you join my church have given humanity a false belief that we do not reap what we sow. The reward of heaven has driven mankind to the extremes of his nature and forms the basis of the worlds current ills. Terrorism, global rape, the struggle of the poor and homeless, and the lack of basic human freedoms can point their fingers at religions as the root cause of their problems. Why? Because we have been taught that our destiny, our gains and our ills are totally out of our control. If we follow the dictates of religious dogma there is a chance that we might be saved. If we do not, it is certain that we face damnation. We do not have to take responsibility for our actions because if we repent and accept the notion that someone else has died for our sins, then we are off the hook. If we kill in the name of God, all is forgiven. It is okay to stand by and witness genocide as long as we attend our churches and pray for their souls. If something wicked this way comes, it is because we have not prayed enough or filled the plate to overflowing. If something great happens, it is not because of human achievement or the power of our own will, it is because Gods grace descended upon us. Does this mean that there are not well meaning members of these churches, mosques or temples? Of course not! But as long as people believe that they do not control their present or future, they will not act responsibly towards each other or towards the environment. Dr. John Demartini indicated that mans number one fear, that which keeps us from creating our own reality, is the belief that we are breaking the moral and ethical standards of some perceived established authority. In this case, that authority has been religious institutions that claim superior dogma and superior interpretation of the words of the worlds greatest spiritual masters. If there is a siege, it is one of the human spirit seeking truths long suppressed and hidden in an attempt to break down the walls of religious hypocrisy. It is said, All that is hidden will be revealed. This revelation will be one that contains the concept that none will be left behind as humanity seeks a greater and deeper understanding of the Universal truths that guide our existence. Has anyone ever heard of a Buddhist crusade or inquisition? The path of self-discovery does not require the dogma of organized moral authorities. Philip F. Harris Mr. Harris was born in Massachusetts. He attended The American University in Washington, D.C. and received his degree in Political Science. His graduate work was done at the University of Northern Colorado and Howard University. While in D.C., he spent several years working for local and regional government agencies. Upon moving to Maine he worked with three governors and served as the Assistant Director of the Maine State Planning Office. He worked on a White House Task Force for the development of a National Rural Policy and later served as Rural Policy Coordinator at the Federal Regional Council of New England. He has worked on gubernatorial and senatorial political campaigns and currently works in Special Education. Mr. Harris is co-author of the novel WAKING GOD and is a nationally syndicated and featured writer for The American Chronicle. He is working on Book II of the Waking God trilogy and writing features for literary E-zines. His second novel, A MAINE CHRISTMAS CAROL has been released by Cambridge Books. Contributing writer for UPI’s Religion&Spirituality web site. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Philip_Harris http://EzineArticles.com/?Christianity-Under-Siege&id=404332 teenager before sex still adult and dating some online such img how onlinedating too thdating on services which doggy while style for anal on dildo too teach at my into male a anal still erotic as art had