ISN’T THE POWER OF RELIGIOUS DOGMA ON THE DECLINE?

The answer to that question is both yes and no.  Throughout history there have been those secret organizations that have preserved the inner teachings of past spiritual leaders.  These societies have remained obscure and hidden in order to avoid the heavy hammer of persecution.  Religions have been fond of killing heretics and of destroying libraries of ancient texts that contradict theological dogma.  Since the late 1800’s and early 1900’s to the present, mush has been revealed regarding the inner teachings of past spiritual avatars.  The “cat is out of the bag.”

However, there has certainly been a backlash to New Age thought.  We are all familiar with the Moral Majority and Rome has clamped down on more liberal ideology.  The evangelists are still out there making millions as they try to convince the world of its evil ways.  Headlines are certainly filled with news of fundamentalist activity in the Middle East and like a trapped rat; religious institutions are fighting back-an oxymoron.  Growth in the “Secret” phenomenon has brought old wisdom to TV and there are some 86 million web sites devoted to the topic of spirituality.  So, while adherence to religious dogma is on the decline and schisms are occurring in a number of Christian denominations, the trend has been for religions to “dig in” rather than to relinquish.

Die hard dogma adherent’s use the current trend towards a broader concept of spirituality as evidence of the approaching “end times.”  By raising the specter of the Apocalypse they use fear to keep their flocks in an unwavering holding pattern.  Of course, what they fail to understand is that “apocalypse” means revelation or the revealing.  It does not mean the end of the world.  Truly, we are entering a time of revelation and part of that revelation will spell the end of religious dogma.

A P.S. Clearly, recent events in the Middle East is evidence that religious dogma is not dead. Even the Pope is getting a bit nervous, calling for an end to fundamentalism.

WHAT IS RELIGIOUS DOGMA

WHAT IS RELIGIOUS DOGMA AND WHO CARES?

In a theological context, dogma is not only religious doctrine; it is a set of statements that represent the core of any religion.  To disagree with the dogma of a chosen religion or faith means that you no longer adhere to that faith.  With respect to the Catholic Church, dogma is generally found in the Nicene Creed and various pronouncements of ecumenical councils and the infallible Pope.  Protestants call their dogma doctrine or statements of faith and for Islam; one is referred to the “aqidah.”   Each organized religion has some sort of official set of “something” which is at the heart of their teaching and which also require strict conformity.  The key is that to question dogma is to question the very basis of institutionalized belief.  To do so often leads to expulsion.  This is a heavy hammer to hold over ones head. 

Is there little wonder that people are afraid to question the dogma of their usually inherited religion?  Question pronouncements of the Ayatollah and you may forfeit your life.  Argue with the Pope and be excommunicated.  Denounce a minister and be labeled the spawn of Satan.  History has shown that to question dogma has often led to the burning stake, torture, being outcast, shunned, abused, ridiculed and cast out of society.  Up until the Enlightenment, questioning was usually a death sentence. 

It is critical to remember that institutions only have power if you give them power.  Early man gave most of his power to religious institutions and reclaiming that power has been an uphill battle.  Despite the enlightenment, the scientific revolution, the Age of reason and the failure of most religions to effectively solve any of humanity’s laundry list of problems, religious dogma still enslaves the majority of the world’s population.  While there is no question that many do not actively follow the dogmatic religious creeds, we live in a world where the influence of such creeds affects everyone.  Religions have money and that means power. 

Whether you are among the faithful or among the non-believers, your lives are greatly controlled by the religious elite.  Despite all claims to the contrary, there is very little separation between dogma and the state.  Perhaps the only major world power that is not greatly swayed by religion is China, its government must still deal with countries that are.  Policies of the United States and Europe as well as those of the Middle East are dominated by religious influence.  Even the most ardent atheist feels the effects of the power of religion.  From domestic social policies to foreign policies, the “church” wields tremendous influence.

SO WHERE DID ALL THIS RELIGIOUS BAGGAGE COME FROM?

CHAPTER I

 No one really knows how religion began.  Traces of ritual date back at least 40,000 years but for early religions, their roots remain an anthropological mystery.  Modern theory goes so far as to suggest that there is actually a “god gene” that pre-disposes humanity to spiritual revelation.  One thing is certain; every culture has some form of deity worship.  From Tasmania to the Andes and from remote islands to the cradles of civilization, religion has found fertile ground in the human imagination.

Once upon a time in a land bounded by forests, there lived a clan of simple people.  Their main food source was the stag.  To pay respect to the stag they painted its picture on cave walls.  In gratitude for giving of its life force to sustain theirs, they celebrated its existence by wearing its antlers and clothing themselves in its hide.  There were times when the stag was plentiful and times when it could not be found.  Life was a basic crap shoot.

Over time, one very observant clan member figured out the migration route of the stag.  He told his people where they should hunt and when.  To their astonishment, he was right.  Out of gratitude for his prophecies, this man was given an extra portion of the kill.  He became known as the “Stagman” and the largest of head ornaments and the finest of skins were given to him for his service.  Several clan members wanted to learn his ways and the source of his knowledge.  He took them on as apprentices.  Stagman and his inner circle were often asked for advice on other clan matters and they became a source of power and leadership.  One season the stag did not appear as was foretold.  The clan began to complain since the winter would see empty bellies.  To save face, Stagman actually blamed the people for the poor hunt.  He said that their offerings to him and his inner circle were too meager and that the people had missed the mark in their showing of gratitude.  It was for this reason that the stag did not come as usual.  None knew that wolves had entered the forest and were taking a growing share of the stag. 

Stagman demanded that the clan conduct certain rituals and fasting if they wanted the return of the stag.  Little did they know that one of the inner circle had spotted a pack of wolves and Stagman now knew why the hunt was sparse.  He told the people to give him a greater share of their wealth and that he would make the stag appear in greater numbers.  In the meantime, his little band of followers went on the hunt and killed the wolves.  Soon, the stag appeared in greater numbers and the clan decided that their leader had some mysterious relationship with them.  It was in this way that Stagman and his group became the most powerful of the clan members.  Gratitude and respect was given to him rather than the stag and the relationship of the clan and nature was forever altered. 

Can you see how religion may have had its start?  This same scenario may have been repeated regarding the life giving flow of rivers and their flooding that created rich farm land.  The one who figured out the cycle became a powerful and often revered leader.  Is this how it happened?  It is possible.  It is also possible that a Universal creative force pervades all of existence and the bond between that force and its creation can never be severed.  The problem is that over time, people looked to leaders for answers and forgot the stag and forgot the creative force. 

If you Google “list of gods” you will find hundreds of deities and religions and each lays claim to the truth.  Even within Christianity there are least 120 sects or denominations that have their own ceremonies and rituals.  Over the millennia these religions have been able to fine tune their show and to impose strict rules and observances for their followers.  When things went wrong it was easy to create a demon to blame or to find fault with the people or those who were not faithful.  In all likelihood, most religions started as a way of looking at and explaining life, but with the passage of time, the message became consumed by the institution and its preservation became more important than early truths.

Every now and then an avatar would come along and try to steer people back to the fundamental laws of the Universe.  These avatars were either killed or their teaching transformed into a new religion.  So what does all of this have to do with you?  Basically, your religious programming has been fine tuned over thousands of years.  Any religion worth its salt has figured how to counter dissent and how to answer the most probing of questions.  Of course, when there was no logical answer, it was very easy to eliminate the blasphemer.  It is not my intent to present a history of religion or even to explore the depths of their teachings.  Suffice it to say, the game has been stacked against you, at least until now.

ECONOMICALLY FUBAR!

The world economy is "f*&%#* up beyond all repair" and it's time we all wake up to that fact. I would direct your attention to: http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/are-the-government-and-the-big-banks-quietly-preparing-for-an-imminent-financial-collapse . Not that this guy is necessarily totally right, but on this one, I think he nailed it, "The truth is that a massive worldwide financial collapse is coming." And, sooner than later. Too much is going on not to think that we are in deep trouble. Yes, you have to hunt for the stories, but when you put them together, connect the dots, there is no way the pieces will ever fit back together.

You walk into a room and see that your best china lays in a million pieces on the floor. Your two children point to each other as the culprit. One says, "He put the dishes too close to the end of the table." The other replies, "But you're the one who bumped the table." They continue their accusations, the argument getting more heated, while you come to the understanding that no matter who the blame, nothing will be able to put the china back together. You also realize that if you had only put them away last night, nothing would have been broken.

Our economy is the china. Making everything private will not solve the problem. Putting everything in the hands of the government will not solve the problem. The economy is FUBAR. It will not, cannot, every return to what it was was. Those who tell you they can fix are lying. In has to be replaced, not fixed. The greatest economic minds on this planet have NOT been able to find the answer since 2008. No matter how hard they try, the millions of pieces of china simply cannot be glued back together. There are alternatives. They are 'out there' and people are talking about them. Wake up, start looking and be ready for you will soon have to make some real choices, and that's what WAKING GOD is all about!

God Was The First Notan Artist

"... and God divided the light from the darkness."

Notan: Design in Light and Dark by Sharon Himes
What is dark is not light and what is light is not dark. This is the basis of all design and an important guiding principle of art. It seems so simple but an artist can spend a lifetime exploring the possibilities of light and dark.
"Notan" is the term used by the Japanese to express "light-dark" as an element of design. In the west we use separate terms such as positive space and negative space, dividing the idea of light-dark into separate components. On paper it is easy to see that dark shapes cannot exist without a surrounding area of white. White shapes cannot exist without dark to define it. The two elements are really one. This is an eastern concept of yin-yang that each is what the other is not.
It is usually the dark aspects of a design that we see first and we are intrigued by optical illusions that seem to switch from one picture to another in our minds. We speak of negative space and mean the white holes in a dark design. In using the term "negative" we are giving it a connotation of null-ness or even sinister aspects. A dark pattern is considered "positive" and therefore dominant when that is not always the case. Sometimes the primary subject is light against an area of dark and thus a positive element. (http://www.artcafe.net/ah/Notan/).


Oh how so many decry the darkness in the world, and yet, without it, we would not know the light.

The picture above is the universe. But wait, I don't see anything. This is actuality. It is not until we have darkness, that the world becomes manifest, and reality is created.

Is, therefore, darkness bad---evil? 
In THE WAKING GOD TRILOGY, Lucifer, a.k.a. Mantrella, is the champion of humanity. Not because he is darkness and evil, but because he shows us the true meaning of the LIGHT!

DEPROGRAMMING DOGMA BREAKING THE THOUGHTS THAT BIND

Myth busting your thoughts towards freedom

Abraham Lincoln's famous American Civil War plea is more appropriate than ever. He observed that “The dogmas of the past are inadequate to the stormy present. As our case is new, so we must think anew and act anew.”

INTRODUCTION

            There have been many successes, failures and near misses with respect to unlocking the doors to the Law of Attraction.  For some, creating their own reality and attracting all of the positive aspects of life have been relatively easy.  There are those who either consciously or unconsciously have placed their life on the road of positive vibrations and all that they desire effortlessly flows their way.  If you are one of those people, you do not really need to read this book.

 Then there are those who intuitively know that the principles of the Law of Attraction feel right and its conscious use can break the chains that bind their lives.  This group has managed to experience some success in its use but the major breakthrough in creating and attracting life transforming events still remains elusive.   For you, this book will eliminate those final barriers of thought patterns that have brought you to the promised mental land, but which have not let you enter the mental land of “milk and honey.”

For the majority of you who desire change in your life, you must come to understand a basic truth.  All of the spiritual principles; all of the self-help books; all of the life coaching and positive talk on TV shows and in books will be of little value to you unless you de-program your mind of dogma and break the thoughts patterns that have kept you bound in a never ending cycle of frustration and even misery.  For you this book is, to use a cliché, a “must read!”

When one hears the term “dogma,” the tendency is to think in a religious context.  Generally speaking, that context is correct.  However, while attention will be given to religious dogma in this book, it is necessary to go beyond the mental theological chains to totally free the mind so that it may properly and convincingly utilize the basic precepts of the Law of Attraction.  In order to consciously and actively create one’s own reality, it is necessary to examine ALL of the roots of dogma that act as a barrier to success.

dog·ma  

NOUN:
pl. dog·mas or dog·ma·ta     

1. A doctrine or a corpus of doctrines relating to matters such as morality and faith, set forth in an authoritative manner by a church.
2. An authoritative principle, belief, or statement of ideas or opinion, especially one considered to be absolutely true.
3. A principle or belief or a group of them: "The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present" (Abraham Lincoln).

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ETYMOLOGY:
Latin, from Greek, opinion, belief, from dokein, to seem, think; see dek- in Indo-European roots

It is clear from the above definition of dogma that it goes beyond religious dictums.  Any set of beliefs that appear authoritative and which are considered to be “absolutely true” create the base of binding thought forms that act as a lock on the door of personal and spiritual freedom.  It is in this context that we will examine religious, political, economic, social and even scientific/medical dogmas that have kept the human mind in a perpetual state of slavery.  By some, these dogmas have been called “thoughts that poison” the mind.  For many, this mental poison has caused undo suffering, misery, frustration and even death in both historical and contemporary times.  It is the intent of this book to expose this poison and to bring it into the light of reason and spiritual truth.  The goal is not to treat the symptom of this mental slavery, but rather to find the cure that will eliminate mental barriers and enable and empower you to weed your mind of these ideas and beliefs that have historically kept the majority of humanity from the Promised Land.  When you finish reading this book you will be able to shout Martin Luther King’s words, “FREE AT LAST, FREE AT LAST, THANK GOD ALMIGHTY, WE ARE FREE AT LAST!”

***

LET MY PEOPLE GO!

JUST SAY NO!

QUESTION EVERYTHING!
Religious, social. economic, political, environmental and economic dogmas are collapsing. Want to ensure that you get through 2012? Be a part of the choice and just say no to dogma. Demand a new answer!