The Christ Principle

[TuningIn]

The whole premise of my start of this thread comes from a quote of someone's reply in another thread. My question is simply, what do you think of "The Christ Principle?" I came upon the understanding outlined in these quotes with no outside source, thus finding it very intriguing someone randomly on here did. What say you!?

Quote:
Jesus said something like "I am the only way." And that has been misunderstood. He was really trying to tell people that what Jesus saw, is also something everyone else can see for themselves inside them. There is a universal Christ consciousness available. Didn't Jesus tell people to not make false idols? And then what happened? Everyone is running around saying your only hope is to believe Jesus as the only way to God. To me that sounds suspiciously like a false idol.


Quote:
This ability to commune directly with God is the most precious gift that any human being has ever received. That gift is also your supreme personal responsibility. You must never allow anything or anyone in this world to take that gift away from you. You must never allow anything in this world to stand between you and your direct inner communion with God.
Quote:
Let nothing come between you and God

It is completely and utterly amazing to me that someone can study my teachings, even the incomplete teachings found in the New Testament, and conclude that the only road to salvation goes through an outer organization and an outer doctrine. How can anyone fail to see that I did not come to create a totalitarian organization or to bring forth a closed and closed-minded outer doctrine?

Why do you think I repeatedly rebuked the religious authorities of my time? Why do you think these religious authorities considered me to be such a grave threat that they repeatedly plotted to kill me and eventually succeeded?

I rebuked those who had set themselves up as the only doorway between human beings and God. They had created a belief system which stated that no human being could get to God without going through the orthodox church and its hierarchy of human beings. They had created a belief system which stated that unless a person believed in the outer doctrines of the church, that person would not be saved.

I came to overthrow that closed system. I came to denounce the people who had set themselves up as the link between God and the people. I came to overthrow the power structures and to expose the power plays. I came to restore the key to knowledge which these people had taken away in an attempt to control the population.

[taylor]

I see it as probable that Christ referred to Himself as an inner communion with God, and even was teaching enlightenment as Oneness with God. But, he did say he was the only way.

You could choose to interpret that many ways, but one way is to say that Jesus Christ the person/entity is the only way to God through the savior role. Most Christians think this way and I don't really have any explicit statements from Jesus that it's not true, therefore they'll never change their mind. It might even be true that Jesus Christ literally intercedes for you if you claim him as savior. This is similar to the teachings of Pure Land Buddhism as I understand it, where Buddha helps you out in the afterlife.

All I have are Jesus' other quotes where he talks about his identity, not as a man, but as light, as everywhere, and within everyone. That sounds extremely close to Nonduality teachings, but most Christians don't know what that is and don't care. You don't really need to understand that to master unconditional love, so perhaps it's not necessary for most Christians right now in their spiritual development.

[TuningIn]

What gets me though, (And I used to be heavily involved in christianity) is the way that through a very literal viewpoint of the bible, many "christians" make up a "new law" so to speak of what to do and what not to do. What is right and what is wrong. Jesus said some things here and there along those lines, yes, but when I look at them, I see nothing but metaphors..... "If your right eye offend thee, pluck it out... " .... I get that.... But the interpretation for most "christians" is, if sin comes near you, do everything to get it away from you.... okay... but what is sin? I understand the concept Jesus was saying, it's kind of like my quitting drinking.... But did I quit because I viewed it as morally wrong? Of course not... during my Christian days I did, but after that, when I quit again, it was for a totally different reason... I quit because I realized I didn't want it controlling me... It was about being free this time, last time it was because I was a slave and told what I could and couldn't do.

the emotional blackmail of a moral law past anything other than the basic principle of "do no harm" is such an evil thing in my mind.... "Oh I don't like you doing that, I'm gonna guilt trip you out of doing it..." .... it makes no sense

I mean, doesn't there come a point that you get close enough to God, the Universe, whatever..... that you realize it was never about right and wrong.... it's about reality and illusion...

Idk, it just bothers me I guess I could say, if I were totally honest how overbearing religion truly is when you really look at it... Religion in general... Christian, Muslim... whatever, the works...

It's all a facade for other people controlling other people... The powers that be and their schemes of keeping the population under control, so they can do what they want with us... Call me a conspiracy theorist, but that's what I see....

[TuningIn]

This calls to mind a poem I read..... Or something.. it was called, "All religions are the same..." by some poet... I forget the name...idk

[taylor]

Originally Posted by TuningIn

What gets me though, (And I used to be heavily involved in christianity) is the way that through a very literal viewpoint of the bible, many "christians" make up a "new law" so to speak of what to do and what not to do. What is right and what is wrong. Jesus said some things here and there along those lines, yes, but when I look at them, I see nothing but metaphors..... "If your right eye offend thee, pluck it out... " .... I get that.... But the interpretation for most "christians" is, if sin comes near you, do everything to get it away from you.... okay... but what is sin? I understand the concept Jesus was saying, it's kind of like my quitting drinking.... But did I quit because I viewed it as morally wrong? Of course not... during my Christian days I did, but after that, when I quit again, it was for a totally different reason... I quit because I realized I didn't want it controlling me... It was about being free this time, last time it was because I was a slave and told what I could and couldn't do.

the emotional blackmail of a moral law past anything other than the basic principle of "do no harm" is such an evil thing in my mind.... "Oh I don't like you doing that, I'm gonna guilt trip you out of doing it..." .... it makes no sense

I mean, doesn't there come a point that you get close enough to God, the Universe, whatever..... that you realize it was never about right and wrong.... it's about reality and illusion...

Idk, it just bothers me I guess I could say, if I were totally honest how overbearing religion truly is when you really look at it... Religion in general... Christian, Muslim... whatever, the works...

It's all a facade for other people controlling other people... The powers that be and their schemes of keeping the population under control, so they can do what they want with us... Call me a conspiracy theorist, but that's what I see....

I know what you mean. It's so much about obedience that it make you wonder if it's all a conspiracy to serve the ruling powers. Nietzsche referred to Christianity as "slave morality" and that actually seems fairly accurate based on many of the teachings of the New Testament.

If you read a book like The Bhagavad-Gita though the conspiracy theories break down and I think you can see the true intention behind these slave-like ethical codes. In The Bhagavad-Gita it basically teaches that your goal in life is perfectly dispassionate action and focus on God. It also teaches you to be off by yourself, alone, not serving any human master, but surrendering the fruit of all your actions to God. I don't see how this can be construed as serving the interests of those in power. It's actually rather iconoclastic and subversive to society, just as Christ's teachings were.

It's interesting to see the radical ideals of Christ get repackaged as moderate, polite, and productive. Now much of modern Christianity makes the church itself the beneficiary of self-sacrifice by taking collections for fancier church buildings, maybe claiming it's your religious duty. So these codes can be exploited, of course. But it seems like the underlying intention of the religious founder's is to free you from your own cravings as an ego by giving up all the ego's selfish desires.

[imtim]

Originally Posted by TuningIn

I came upon the understanding outlined in these quotes with no outside source, thus finding it very intriguing someone randomly on here did. What say you!?

Quote:
Jesus said something like "I am the only way." And that has been misunderstood. He was really trying to tell people that what Jesus saw, is also something everyone else can see for themselves inside them. There is a universal Christ consciousness available. Didn't Jesus tell people to not make false idols? And then what happened? Everyone is running around saying your only hope is to believe Jesus as the only way to God. To me that sounds suspiciously like a false idol.


Quote:
This ability to commune directly with God is the most precious gift that any human being has ever received. That gift is also your supreme personal responsibility. You must never allow anything or anyone in this world to take that gift away from you. You must never allow anything in this world to stand between you and your direct inner communion with God.
Quote:
Let nothing come between you and God

It is completely and utterly amazing to me that someone can study my teachings, even the incomplete teachings found in the New Testament, and conclude that the only road to salvation goes through an outer organization and an outer doctrine. How can anyone fail to see that I did not come to create a totalitarian organization or to bring forth a closed and closed-minded outer doctrine?

Why do you think I repeatedly rebuked the religious authorities of my time? Why do you think these religious authorities considered me to be such a grave threat that they repeatedly plotted to kill me and eventually succeeded?

I rebuked those who had set themselves up as the only doorway between human beings and God. They had created a belief system which stated that no human being could get to God without going through the orthodox church and its hierarchy of human beings. They had created a belief system which stated that unless a person believed in the outer doctrines of the church, that person would not be saved.

I came to overthrow that closed system. I came to denounce the people who had set themselves up as the link between God and the people. I came to overthrow the power structures and to expose the power plays. I came to restore the key to knowledge which these people had taken away in an attempt to control the population.

TuiningIn, You read my mind. I could have written your OP word for word.

After years of hearing all the differing opinions and interpretations of the bible, I had to know for myself what the truth was and realized there was no man/woman to go to or book to read.....I had to hear from within.

It is indeed intriguing that so many people seem to be coming to the same understanding on their own....hmmm....may be we are more connected than we thought

From what I've read, many on this forum seem to have been involved in christianity at some point and moved on from there to a different understanding of God, Jesus, and the bible.I rather think the time and purpose of religion is drawing to a close but it may have been the catalyst propelling us into this new powerful understanding of all that is.

[TuningIn]

I honestly believe, in it's purest form, "Christianity" was never the problem... It was men who wanted to classify something they couldn't classify, thus, the created the religion we now call Christianity, out of the teachings of Jesus the Christ.

Why would they do such things? In my mind, I think, it began as a simple wanting of some structure, something to follow easily, something the carnal mind could grasp.... Some guidelines in the physical to adhere to.

I honestly think, that yes, piety can be a great tool to help one get to a place of spiritual enlightment. Morality has a way of cleansing the soul at first, but it turns into something very dark shortly after.

I spent a while, deeply, deeply involved in Christianity. My aim was always God though, and eventually, I wound up getting close enough that the church no longer wanted me. I lost my mind so to speak for a while, because I identified God with the church, and the church with God. I felt as though I would run away from God, then the guilt came, pushing me further and further away from myself really... Back into the drugs and all sorts of negative things that did nothing but control me and keep me back... When God, or the universe, whatever you wanna call it, came back into the picture (Though it never really left) or rather, I began to look within, I started to realize all of my guilt was based on outward things I was doing, and not on the inward realities of my heart. The fact that I wasn't as evil as I made myself out to be.

I recall going to church one time during my stint there, and saying to all of my closest friends, "Look guys, I think we're all missing the big picture here.... We all follow these rules and honestly you all, I can adhere to them better than any of you.... But you know what I can't do.... I can't create this inner peace, joy, love, patience and kindness within my soul that this book speaks of when it talks of fruits of the spirit..... What are we really doing? Does God care more about us not watching certain shows on tv or saying certain words, or does he care about us loving him and each other as much as we love ourselves.....????"

Needless to say they disregarded what I had to say, but eh... thus it goes with church folk, i've found....

I was struggling at one point, "Is Jesus the way?" "What does it mean when He says he is the way?" "I don't want to go to hell!" "I know that I know God and He knows me, but what about this Jesus character!? All I've heard my whole life is that He is the ONLY WAY!? What to do!?"

and then one day, a voice said to me, "Look, if you wanna call me Jesus, Bhuddah, You, That person, Lemonwinkle.... You go ahead, but I'm gonna keep being who I am, and pushing you to simply BE!..... So confuse yourself if you want, but I'm within you, and you within me." and it all became some clear at that point.... Jesus meant, "Look at me... God lives inside of me.... Look!.... Look!!! It's wonderful!" and men ask him, "how Lord?" and he says, "Because...." men say, "When will the kingdom of heaven come?" and Jesus replies, "It does not come with observation... the kingdomof heaven is within you..."

There's a man walking amongst a room full of doors, and in the back corner he sees a small wooden red door, poorly painted, kind of hidden, and walks over to it. Upon it's door, it has a word upon it... "SECRET"... he knocks, and a man answers, "Who is it?" the man replies, "The one who wants to know the secret..." the guy inside flings the door open, inviting the man inside, yet stands at the doorway. the man walks in, then turns around in complete bewilderment, he asks, "Um... sir... there's nothing in here. I don't get it... What's the secret?" the guy who answered the door, smiles, and slams the door shut, and from behind the door he shouts, "You are!" and goes about his way....The man's then left to ponder that thought until another comes along looking for that secret...

Now, go read Colossians 1:26-27.