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Book 3: "Of Truth as related to self and society It is about life and creation from a logical viewpoint; it addresses the problem of understanding a message that, over some thousands of years, has been deformed by memory, interpretation and translation of human bias. Our most important lesson here is that there is no magic in creation; all flows with logical progress that conclusively rules out the Evolution theory. It verifies that there has to be an intelligent creative force! This is shown by the logical matching of science with otherwise unexplainable information that remains in ancient scriptures after the trauma and strife surrounding its passage through time. Creative order is proven by the fact that order now exists in keeping with the total impossibility of its creation by chance and natural selection. The creation of order requires intelligence and the nature of intelligence is logical. To review understanding of our being we: All questions are still not answered but enough are answered to change the common attitude to life and totally restructure behavior and endeavor from that now crippling humanity by philosophy based on evolution theory. Of Truth 2008 EDITED About using our given intelligence to see the Christian Bible and the scientific evidence of the human creation through ‘the eye of reason’. Copyright @ Alan Gourley Books in this series: ”The Hidden Face of Politics” DEDICATION: To Truth: The Bride “Of Truth” was first published in print in 1980. The evolution myth was so well researched that evolutionists have never challenged facts presented, either as the printed editions or later on-line editions; nor have Christian churches used the information to expose ideological deceits. Such is the strength of Globalist brainwashing and the strength of the chains in mind set by modern indoctrination. However the corruption, as we shall see, goes back much further. CONTENTS: Part 1. Chapters: 8. The Development of Human culture Part 3. 14. In Our Times Foreword: Honest search leaves no doubts that there is an intelligent creative force and that only by giving allegiance to truth can humanity develop to maturity and its designed place in the universe. This book will help justify the faith of all those who love truth. The Word that is the Bible V the Word that is the Creation Many now have their intelligence so suppressed by deceits and pride that they are no longer capable of analytical thinking andcannot appreciate the needs of complex order, they therefore adhere to emotional argument in opposition to the evidence that the creation is a work of intelligence. I put it to you that intelligence is not only basic to creation of order but also that, in fact, our Creator is the sole source of intelligence. If you can accept this, then we are well on our way because it is intelligence that underlies our ability to know truth and justifies the Christian faith. I also put it to you that the creation was not created as a plaything; our Creator is not a child – nor petty, arrogant or spiteful. I see the human creation as a serious project: do you? Animals, plants and other forms of life are behavior programmed and response stimulated more as your computer than as humanity, or as is your ability to become human. Most, or all of animal programming seems conveyed through the genetic system; but mankind was given capacity for independent intellectual development. I believe the Creator has a logical plan behind sharing His intellectual capacity with us. Do you? It appears that our analytical ability (intelligence) required a development program because development is what we have, and are experiencing. A mindless program does not drive us! Accepting this appears to be a great problem for many. Today most tend to take for granted that we, like common animals, are complete as we are born; that we develop to a set program; solid evidence says otherwise. Don’t be misled, without human contact we would not even learn a language. There should be no rational doubt that intellectual development is a human potential; exceptional; ongoing and restricted to humankind. Scriptures elementary and advanced: Scripture warned that the developing intellect of man is unreliable; that the wisdom of this world would be refuted! This is now being demonstrated! There are many translations and religions, but people fight and die for beliefs of their emotional choice while giving little attention to logic and reason. So when we look for the truth of life or the true word of God we have first (if we look with honest faith) to admit the rational intelligence of the Creator. If we do not have faith in truth then we will look without seeing, think without understanding. To be true Christians we must look for a scientific level of truth. Jesus said “I am truth” meaning he represented the God who is truth, so if we are open to truth and appreciate the logic of His teachings, then a true scientific level of truth will return us to the original revelation free of human bias. It will also reveal that Christian morals have a real physical substance. The creation, in all its majesty, was created for a purpose: a logical and intelligent purpose and it is structured from universal truths. Our two Bibles! We were not left to rely on the polluted stream running through the biased mind and culture of mankind; back-up was provided! The true “Word” and the Creation are as one! The Creator is truly reflected in “the things He has made”. We have the true Word of God in the creation and we are told to view the creation through the eye of reason (rational intellect) to know all that may be known of God by man. We are warned against our enemies, but we ignore these warnings. Our Creator warns and offers guidance, but we are too proud to take notice. Why do we fall for arrogant deceits and pretend those who deceive us do not despise us? Why is it that we have so little individual faith in our own intelligence or reasoning ability? Is it that we are just too lazy to use our intellectual gift? The following, for our time, is possibly among the most important statements of the Christian Bible: Romans 1: 18-23: “For we see divine retribution revealed from heaven and falling upon all the godless wickedness of men. For all that may be known of God by men lies plain before their eyes; indeed God himself has disclosed it to them. His invisible attributes, that is to say his everlasting power and deity, has been visible, ever since the world began, to the eye of reason, in the things he has made. There is therefore no possible defense for their conduct; knowing God, they have refused to honour him as God, or to render him thanks. Hence all their thinking has ended in futility, and their misguided minds are plunged in darkness. They boast of their wisdom, but they have made fools of themselves, exchanging the splendour of immortal God for an image shaped like mortal man, even for images shaped like birds, beasts and creeping things.” Paul could not have made that up; he would need knowledge more advanced than is evident today: human scientific truth was still far ahead. Given the evidence we still find it difficult to see the natural consequences of foreknowledge and the compounded complexity of life as shown by science; or even the natural consequences of our behavior or of our prides and prejudices. We complain of car accidents, drugs and crime, unable to see that these as consequences of the philosophy we live by. But Jesus told us, John 14:6 “I am the way; I am the truth and I am life; no one comes to the Father except by me.” Christian leaders still ignore the challenge of Galileo to face the truth of the creation – they have no faith in truth! But the way to life is through truth and that is basic! Our culture now degrades our intellectual capacity so that increasing numbers accept simplistic reasoning. Scientists look at a man walking and say, “He progresses one step after another to reach new places, that is evolution by natural selection and see, it can be proven, so that makes it science. They dispute intellectual argument of complexity of movement because they cannot understand it. Pride in their own importance welds many (educated or not) to their mistakes! So leaders of religions, when challenged by the false science of chance-evolution, cannot expose it. They promote humanist, rather than human, social attitudes. They refuse to face truth and refuse to learn! To maintain their pride they remain ignorant of truth; they turn their flocks from “the splendour of immortal God for an image shaped like mortal man, even for images shaped like birds, beasts and creeping things.” This is so well confirmed by our worship of man created ‘idols’ of philosophy, and morals based on humanist caricatures of man as beast. Christianity is not a demanding religion! Truth is Knowledge gained by combination of experience, logic, compassion and courage! The real needs of our times are: Where man-inspired words of the Bible depart from the rational logic of the creation, we should push these humanist interpretations aside to reveal our improved human development and thereby find greater unity with our Creator. We should realize that, had Christianity had faith in the incorruptible Word of Creation and looked to science for understanding of the creation of life, then the deceit of evolution never could have been imposed. Chance evolution is a theory only developed for support of humanist philosophy. Truth is the reality of the creation! Truth is our God for the 21st century and the Creation itself is our Bible for advanced study. When the rational intellect of true science is given freedom from pride and prejudice, then all we need know of our Creator will be firmly established. Think about that! Why did Christianity turn its back on the Word of the Creation? Do we love, too well, our man made image of God? Over the years we have created a god in our own image and it has proved, in light of the intelligence we are given, to be, to growing numbers, an empty image. Yes: Scriptures do contain the Word of God but these have been expressed, interpreted and shaped by man to man’s desire; we can now, with improved intellect and experience, find and accept the true logic of these teachings. This treatise on TRUTH is not based on religion but on the truth revealed in the Christian Testament. Jesus said “The Truth will set you free”. Was there no truth then that would be a lie! But the reality of truth becomes self-evident to humans who are prepared to use the intelligence they were given. Many readers already know that truth can set them free and easily understand why liars, fools and criminals are so desperate to deny truth. Let's see ourselves as we are and repent? We should not allow our emotions to shape our scriptures; if we do not love truth our search for meaning will lead us far astray. The revealed Christian way of life is confirmed by human experience though it seems many professed Christians ignore the advice given and, by promiscuity, destroy and misdirect the formation of the marriage bond and to pass social deformity of their children. Many make great display of their concern for their children but it is pride in themselves that drives them. They really do not care enough to exercise a little self-discipline either in their own lives or the instruction of their children. The result: family break up; children driven to drugs and crime for want of loving discipline and family security. Yes, we claim to care, but few care enough to exercise justice and discipline in their family relationships, or to understand that democracy requires election and choice of honest representatives not quislings chosen by sectional interests. I hope more will see that the meaning of the word “truth”, as when Jesus says, “I am truth” is not different from that truth we mean when we say to someone, “That is true”. Truth is the science of reality! Of Truth Preparation for truth Children are taught that there is no truthAnyone who says, in all seriousness, that truth does not exist must have deceit in mind; be brainwashed beyond intelligence; or be mad! Who knows any such advocate ever demonstrating ability to walk through brick walls or retrieve money from empty pockets? Without truth no intelligent communication would be possible! How will they answer our challenge? Will they have the courage to try; in over twenty years no one has? Will they say that they are not talking about that kind of truth? How many kinds of truth are there? Why do they not explain the kind of truth they are talking about? Do they say it is mystical? That is not what logical science; humanists teach that we can make up our own values – live life as we like. Values, morals – these are not mystical; what is more real to living than life and death, happiness or sorrowing, hate or love. Points I would like to take into this treatise are that humanity is by nature logical and that life is bound by logical boundaries. The way that we live and behave is the result of our most basic beliefs whether false or not. We will be able to live in harmony with nature, creation, and each other, only when we accept beliefs that are in true understanding of our creation and the nature of our human potential. Many will be surprised to find that, when we advance in truth our freedom is incredibly increased. In order that civilizations reach higher and higher levels we have to make periodic ‘breakthroughs’; to advance levels of understanding we need experience the advance of logical understanding. It may be related to fire or the wheel; it may be about bronze or iron, the internal combustion engine or radio. What we now need is a better understanding of why truth is a real and essential necessity of life. Truth may not always be material, but it is always based on principles without which no universe could exist. Truth is important because it is truth in order that allowed us life! Denial of truth destroys physical and cultural order and turns us toward death; when a person begins to search seriously for truth what is sought is not one thing but two – self and truth – to know life, to know our 'self!' An important mistake of many is to seek truth without first preparing the mind for the task. Discovering the nature of truth is essentially concerned with disciplining the mind so that it can recognize truth. Preparing for truth: We learn conventions of ideas and thought patterns, not just conventions of grammar but conventions of fashionable thought. For such reasons, fast readers, inattentive readers bound to educated persuasions or strong fixations, are liable to create or accept self-indulgent interpretations. For serious study: “print out” hard copy. Be warned: communication is no simple matter. The on-line word floats in cyber-space and lacks substance of conviction. It is depends on mechanical creation and is not convenient to carry to a chair in a cool corner, a seat by a fireside or discuss with a friend, in a park! Serious matters need serious thought and instant revision. It takes the efforts of two to communicate and logical attitudes open to development by discipline and practice. As beings we try, continually, to put incoming information into little – predigested – mental filing cabinets. If we cannot do this then we may have to think, and re-think, and keep rearranging items of incoming information, and that, the uncaring find, is an unthinkable chore. When looking for social reality the importance of eliminating mental habits of carelessness and sloth cannot be over-emphasized. In unknowing innocence we err habitually. We tend to see what we want to see, and when we cannot see what we want to see then we interpret what we see to mean what we want (or expect) it to mean. In this way we corrupt our beliefs. No matter where truth is sought our project becomes impossible if we do not first admit the treachery of desire. We need willing sacrifice of our false self for our true self. We can help ourselves out of our self-imprisonment by understanding that it is truth (not emotional sop or animal desire) that is the essential need of successful decision making: add to this a determination not to jump, too soon, to conclusions. A true desire for truth – wanting to see clearly what is there – is essential for those seeking truth. If we seek to defend our desires, we are lost. When our faith is challenged, or we feel it is being challenged, we become defensive – we feel we must be true to – must be loyal to – must be defensive of – our god. As you read you may be led to the greatest challenge of your life but, it may also be your greatest opportunity. Consider the following: When one is being loyal to a belief just who, or what, is one being loyal to? In your mind your beliefs represent you. Would you want to give loyalty to a thief masquerading in your name? People feel compelled to be loyal to ‘their’ sports team or political party. Suppose, the teams decided to swap jerseys and after the game you found you had been barracking for the wrong team, would you feel betrayed? If so, then ask yourself: who are you really being faithful to if you cannot give justice to anything that does not support your faith? Are you being true to your true self or to beliefs created by an enemy? The only real faith – the only faith you can rely on – is faith in truth. Our sincerity in this is revealed by our work. Those not faithful to truth worship ego or ideas, which, by chance or force, were in the past accepted! Do we deserve credit for that? We cannot develop our lives by following beliefs not true to reality. The true God is truth; we were given intelligence so that we would be able to know truth. If we want to live with truth we must always want to know truth better. Seek reality, not flattery. We cannot find truth through effort to please friends! Influencing people should be incidental. Knowledge is free of obligation and gives justice to those who honestly seek it; the work of true humanity is to advance truth! If you want to live in the true life – find your true self. If you want to live in human community – find your true self and help others to do the same. How can you find your true self'? To start – be truthful. You cannot find your true self unless you are true to yourself. If you are honest with yourself you will be honest with others because it becomes difficult, if you are genuinely truthful with yourself, to be untruthful with others. The true “self “ is part of the universal self. Self and Society. As it will become apparent, to become human is a desired-to-learn truth of life. We are not born with a human nature we are born with a human potential. That potential is driven by our intellectual abilities and cultural experience. There is meaning behind our creation; our creator gave us abilities for making of ourselves complete humans; humanity is a progressive development program. To overcome challenge is part of that development and at this stage our social order has been corrupted by powers that manipulate by pride and prejudice. Along with this; ego is seduced by pride and helps the blindfolding of intelligence. NOTE: The idea of teaching that there is no truth will strike normally developed people as crazy; just too ridiculous to take seriously. Many may find it hard to believe that such teaching exists. However, it is part of our education system and many children accept it to the point of letting it ruin their lives. To help doubters accept that it does exist here is what Leonie Kramer, then Chancellor of the University of Sydney, said of this teaching, “This way madness lies”! Of Truth. Finding the truth in Gospels: Those who seek life’s reality must be prepared to leave self behind. The truth seeker will learn that a substantial being can only exist when its intelligence accepts reality to see that the self of emotional desire is only a virtual reality. The true self can only be free to act in its own true nature when it accepts the reality of truth. This is not a story of my search for truth but a few things for perspective. Memories of my fascination with life, creation and desire for truth are among my earliest memories. I observed behavior and wondered about it. My mother was the intellectual of our family but I quickly learned two very important lessons: To start young is important because you have not developed fixed ideas; you see no urgency; you can look for clues but you can also wait. Your everyday life needs freedom of time to allow your mind to ruminate; quiet time for contemplation is very important. By age seventeen I had left my country home to gain access to a first-class capitol city Library. Lifetime decisions were urgently needed; was life created by chance or by intelligence? If the answer was “by chance” then I could live as I liked – if the answer was “by intelligence” then life had meaning and it was essential to find out more about it. Study of evolution soon showed this theory, contrary to the claims of its supporters, to be disproved by science; it is a religion driven by primitive desires and based on faith; a fine example of the lesson of the Emperor without clothes. Would other religions have useful answers? Religions in general were strong on wisdom but only in the New Testament were revelations of a truly superior understanding. These, as we shall see, also attach to “Old Testament” writings. There was much to discover. An Indian philosopher, on some subject, said: Truth is, in many ways, like that. Searchers have preconceptions of total revelation – of uncovering an all-empowering mystery. Well it is and it’s not. Do we fail because we do not start from the beginning or because we start with beliefs that lead us to misunderstandings? Yes, truth is of vital importance and yet it is, in a way, mundane. How can I put it? You are a child. You awaken in a dark room. You hear a faint noise. You think you felt something move. Is someone creeping up to grab you? Is there a snake in your room? What if ... ? You pull the blankets over your head and shout “MUMMY”. The light comes on. You uncover your head and look around. The cat has decided to sleep on the end of your bed. You know the TRUTH; there is nothing to fear. You are older. You are married and have children. Someone you love is killed. What happened? What were they doing? Why were they there? Was it an accident? Was it …? What if …? Losing a loved one is bad enough, not knowing the why, when or how of it is devastating. You desperately want the TRUTH. Can you now conceive of anyone being so crazy as to claim that there is no truth? Can you imagine you can make up any belief you like and it will do? Can it be that the importance of truth is to just know it? Understanding of life and creation is not difficult. In fact we know the basics, we just have to put everyday knowledge into words and think seriously through the implications. Truth is the most important need and revelation of life. Once having existence and life, no progress is possible without the accumulation of life's truth and, having civilization, advance and decline will accord with the advance and decline of truth just as the passing of numerous civilizations has confirmed. In times of stress we DEMAND the truth; indicating that NOW, in this time of crisis, the TRUTH is essential; we cannot make rational decisions without it – we HAVE to KNOW the TRUTH. Suddenly it seems we are faced with the undeniable reality that without truth no rational decision can be made; no communication is possible; no rational act is performed. Without truth, living is futile, intelligence helpless. Lives are wasted in frustration, or petty, useless endeavor – wasted in trying to achieve what may be impossible, horrific, or self-destructive if attained. In time of crisis we see most clearly the need and urgency for truth. But is a time of crisis different from other times? If we used intelligence wisely then we may understand that truth is always urgent, always necessary. Had we truth always, then decisions would be rational and crises rare. If not misled, people instinctively see that truth is essential to rational decision-making; it is only by deliberate deceit that truth, in twentieth-century society, has become something of a dirty word: a fear in our darkness. Why are we afraid of truth? It has been said: "Who kicks my dog, kicks me." The dogs that are closest to each of us are our dogmas of belief. Each life is a model of a person's beliefs and everything that person achieves is a reflection of that person’s nature. We are best known by our works. Our lives are the product of our structure of beliefs – beliefs that have been accepted in a pattern that has seemed to suit our hopes and be acceptable to our friends. Academic position or respectability may be on the line if we challenge, or depart from, our conventional beliefs. So HOW CAN we look for the real truth? Our beliefs may have misled and made futile the lives of many others – mostly loved ones. It is easy to see why important new discoveries and upsets to established beliefs and scientific theories – are so strenuously resisted. The most educated and the most passionate in reform feel they have most to lose – but why? Do they not also realize that they have most to gain! This is why mankind so strongly resists ‘outside’ ideas when these challenge religiously held ideas and ideals. Everyone (admitted or not) has a religion! Any ideal not based on fact is based on faith and that is a religion whether ideologues admit it, or like it, or not. Ideological dogma, religious dogma, cultural dogma: our divisions give ample opportunity for the observation of just how strongly we resist ideas which pose – or even seem to pose – a threat to our attitudes. We willingly risk death to defend our beliefs. The Common attitude. Stop! If that is your reaction you are still not thinking. The life built on false concepts is without substance, a mere virtual reality. You really have nothing to lose! You have everything – your true life, your true self – to gain. Yes! We willingly risk death out of a misguided loyalty to our beliefs – but IS that rational? Would it not be far better to sacrifice our false beliefs to become a part of the real-life adventure? Let us not surrender to those who would lead us astray! Corruption, as we shall see, is a deformity of the true order of life and creation. Corruption creates depravity, cruelty and injustice. We feel compelled to defend our ever-narrowing cage because we desperately need to defend the small space we are being crushed into. Can we really call that freedom? Our perceptions of reality are deformed by seductively introduced deceits. When we open our minds and begin to see life in the context of the freedom of truth then the imagined freedoms being worshipped today will be gladly discarded for the true, more rewarding, freedoms of reality. As arrogant authorities work hard to convince us (in childhood) that there is no truth and we are tricked into doubting the reality of truth, our life attitude is deformed. It then becomes easy to not reason too much about our beliefs – truths of everyday living can then exist alongside religiously held convictions. This is more complex than it may seem. Christian religion today tends to believe that when Jesus said “I am truth” he meant something different from ‘everyday truth’. Given this evasion the Christian may feel that everyday lies do not compromise his faith. By adopting vague emotions of truth as part of our religion we can choose ideas to suit ourselves; we can hold them firmly or lightly, or bend them or break them when it suits. All very convenient but, unfortunately, in the end, we are left with an empty shell of life and a culture of distress and suffering. The way of “No truth” seems easy but is a blindfold, a wonderful help to those who want to rob and destroy us. Do not be misled into thinking that life is not a real “life and death struggle” or that we can rely on the natural goodness of strangers to help us out when we need it. Of Truth Let’s identify truth Who knows what truth is? What is Truth? Life is a process from which we can learn. We can learn about ourselves and we can learn about life. We can learn from our own experience and also from the experience of others. Mankind has the ability, both morally and technically, to start each generation a little higher up the ladder of humanity. That civilizations fail is not because mankind lacks ability to learn and to teach, but because pride and timidity makes mankind a little more afraid of truth than of greed. Is that not strange? Greed forgets truth; greed imposes restraints, clouds vision – Truth offers discipline and reward for effort. Discipline to truth returns everything we need for a pleasure of achievement that brings lasting rewards. So greed for truth is the only greed that passes the test of intelligence. Understanding of living truth, then, is something the world has never had enough of. It is something that has never been given the attention it now so urgently needs. To advance, we must be sufficiently aware of basic truth to make mostly right decisions. When a culture becomes alienated from fundamental reality, then it begins to make mostly wrong decisions and, as we are not aware of the reason, these compound until social order disintegrates. It happens: tribes, cultures, civilizations: there have been human extinction’s along with birds and animals; decay will always progress if left alone with time. So let us get to know truth! First: begin at the beginning. What is truth? Truth is 1+1=2. If you can accept that then you know a truth. It follows then that truth extends into all the complications of mathematics. The entire structure of life relies on the one basic truth: 1+1=2. We may look in a book about engineering and see an algebraic expression; we don't need to know what it means but if we wanted to prove it true we could work it out and check that it agreed with the proposition that 1+1=2. If it did not do this then it would not be a true formula; and if algebra were not a true method of mathematical problem solving only the most foolhardy would ever trust their lives to any technology based on algebraic method. An evidence of truth is its ability to forecast. That our engineers are able to forecast as confidently and accurately as they do is evidence that present engineering beliefs are predominantly true, and also that mathematics is an expression of truth. (For contrast, consider economic forecasting. Or road law that attempts to reduce accidents.) The equation 1+1=2 is among the oldest and most universally provable, of scientific facts. Any cave man or woman could place one stone alongside another and observe that the result would always be two stones. All logic, science, rational description – all communication of intelligence, depends on this. No rational communication would be possible were this not consistent. You think this is simplistic; I know you know the obvious. But many now going through education will not know the obvious because mathematics, for the commonalty, is being downgraded to extinction. So what chance do they have of understanding truth if those who do know, do not appreciate life’s basic nature? Because we start with wrong ideas we look for complexity rather than simplicity. In fact we often do not know what we know until we fix it by personal effort into writing. Were we taught the importance of truth from childhood there would never be a problem. Religions must take some responsibility for this because, to emphasize their majesty, they like to create mysteries where there are none. But the main culprit is a personal ego that may believe it can formulate an ideology that will create a better human nature than that which, in their ego, they are blind to. If we are to understand truth, then we MUST lay the foundation for our reasoning on the firmest possible base. So far as is scientifically known, everything directly related to life is bound by the one system of logic – the logic that tells us that 1+1=2. Though there may, in science, be theories that appear illogical, one may assume that such theories are incorrect or based on wrong assumptions. The speed of light is one that appears to contradict logic so do not be surprised when it is found to be not yet properly understood. Although there are many things that are not at present well understood we may reasonably assume that, when and if they are understood, they will exist within the area of life’s common logic. We may make these assumptions because every understood order within our life area obeys the same logic. Some will say we do not properly understand anything. In perfection this may be; however life is not lived in perfection; truth is fixed but life is flexible: we advance in truth. Order is at the base of creation and we are given the intelligence to understand that. It may be possible that not ALL the universe is confined to a common logic, but all things relevant to our living do. This means that any rational reasoning being, given clear under-standing of any particular matter, will come to a similar answer as another rational reasoning being in possession of clear understanding. The common logic integrates all individual truths. So truth (in our area of existence) is the reality of a creation based on mathematical laws and within reach of logical intellectual processes. Human truth is not different from any other truth – it is not an alien logic. Life, as lived in the environment of this universe, must obey its laws, or pay a price. Although the human has a personal freedom (as allowed by the ability to reason and choose) and a spiritual substance not yet scientifically isolated, life’s freedom is both allowed by and confined by, the order of our creation. The truth of human life is based on 1+1=2. nSo “Of Truth” is about the truth of cause and effect: the natural mechanics of life. We already know that this is relevant to bridges and TV sets, but how many see that it also relates to such things as life and death; justice and injustice; joy and sorrow; love and hate. A culture of corrupted order creates all the negatives so rapidly escalating in our human world today? To advance, we have to see that life is based on a standard logic – a standard intelligence. Our Creator has pure intelligence and pure truth, we have polluted intelligence and polluted truth, but intelligence and truth are the same everywhere. We have been created to achieve a high level of purity of intelligence but it takes time and dedication to achieve our rewards. Our Creator does not see time as we do, the time taken to achieve our present level appears incomprehensible to us but to our Creator, it is of little concern. NOTES: We may only reach truth if we approach it with innocence free of demand or preconception; it will not be found through searching to support personal preferences. It is not a matter of magic or mysticism; life is both built by, and confined by, cause and effect. Of Truth AUTHORITY – “The reality of the Order in which we exist”. Do we need authority for truth? Would not truth be its own authority? Well it is and it's not. It is true of the truth discussed in chapter four: let us call that the “Universal Truth”. Universal Truth is true in the abstract: that is, even if no thing at all existed, the logic of numbers is valid; no life can exist without its containment in the order of living truth. Now look at another aspect of truth; the truth of the reality of things that exist – the things we create. When we talk about “created truth” then we need also talk about “authority”, and with authority comes order/discipline/ structure/and so on. That is because we cannot have created truth (the truth of things we create) without involvement of their order/structure/discipline/or whatever. But let’s not confuse the issue with many words of similar use. Example: To construct a chair we place various materials into an ordered or disciplined relationship; or structure, or organization; and if the order/structure/discipline/or what-ever we call it, breaks down, then our chair breaks down. For simplicity I will try to confine those to the word “order”. “Created Truth” requires an “authority”; it is the “truth of its order” that gives it authority. If order creates authority, then what is the authority for “order"? As a substantial truth depends on a substance, the “authority” of the substance comes from Universal Truth. Universal Truth is in the order of mathematics and what we really have before “created order” is a “plan”, or “concept” or Biblically the “WORD”. This plan, concept or “word” is authorized by Universal Truth; i.e. the truth of mathematics. The ‘order’ created by chance is “disorder” even if it does represent something it is not planned for some purpose. So: as my grandfather told me one day when in the garden I saw him weed out a plant that was a flower - "A weed is just a plant in the wrong place." Order – authority – truth, all pre-exist but in non-physical form. The seed of a plant could be used for illustration: The truth of the plant does not exist, but the plan for its creation is there in the seed. The intellectual concept always precedes the physical order; any order of meaning to come is predetermined by its concept; by its birth in intelligence. Witness: JOHN 1-7. "WHEN ALL THINGS BEGAN, THE WORD ALREADY WAS. THE WORD DWELT WITH GOD, AND WHAT GOD WAS, THE WORD WAS." The Word preceded the creation. The Word: the design of the Creation, was translated into the creation. Mankind is given intellectual spirit to become humanity, and humanity creates its social order. For humans the “WORD” is truth in ORDER, and the LAW is to maintain truth in the creation. John 14:6. “I AM THE WAY; I AM THE TRUTH AND I AM LIFE; NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER EXCEPT BY ME”. We can know the creator through the truth of the creation. We cannot know the intelligence until we understand the creation. Repeat: “For all that may be known of God by man lies plain before their eyes: indeed God himself has disclosed it to them. His invisible attributes, which is to say His everlasting power and deity, have been visible, ever since the world began, to the eye of reason, in the things He has made”. The Creator is God! The “WORD” is ORDER and order, the design within the LAW imposed by truth, pre-existed the creation. Truth is the name we use to express the reality of order in the created universe. Truth is our God in the created universe. Order is meaningful achievement: the re-structuring of chaos into order in keeping with the law of truth. We are not just referring to order as of a universe; we are talking of order that is planned to result in intelligent life for intelligent purpose. We now see that the truth of things that exist depends on the authority of their order. In our world the authority and order come into being simultaneously. The “Word” is the pre-existing concept of intelligence for a creation in universal order. Universal Truth is the truth of all original order but, when we humans are left to construct things we may depart from the best order. To be perfect the orders of things created need to comply with the authority of truth and when our creations depart from Universal Order we have corrupt and unreliable creations to the extent of their non-compliance. The truth of the creation is therefore the reality of the order in which it exists. Worldly authority: Authority is created by the order of the things created so these do not have to be perfect. All things existing have an order in their construction including computer, human, government and atom. Everything exists in an order. Everything we construct is an ordering of materials that are themselves created of order-disciplined substances. Each element has its own fixed order. So what exactly is authority? Suppose we order some materials so as to create a machine gun and a motorcar. The raw materials used may be similar but it is immediately obvious that the two are of different order. As they are ordered differently they therefore have differing authorities. One provides authority for the firing of missiles at people 'over there', but is quite useless for transporting us over there. The car has a very efficient authority for transporting us to places such as ‘over there’, but only so long as we obey the authority of the order. The roadway itself is also an order; its order gives it authority to help traffic flow. In truth you may use the order of the roadway and you may also drive your car off the roadway. BUT, if you try to drive where there is no authority for your car to go, you are liable to have to pay a penalty – a penalty such as damage, fine, or restraint. In addition you should take note of the order of road transport rules and regulations. Again you have free will to obey or to disobey; if you do not obey then again there is likely to be a penalty. Each 'order' is authority for its own truth and some orders overlap and intermingle: as with car, road and law. It is seen that the authority doesn't force us to obey, but that when we depart from obeying the truth of an order, we are liable to penalty. It is also noted that different orders might demand different kinds of penalty; a penalty may be ill health; damage to property; wealth; pain; pride or whatever. Even that most insubstantial of things - chance - has its order/law and authority. Should you be out driving and decide to pass on a blind corner, it will probably be the law of averages which will decide your penalty for not obeying the order of the roadway or the authority of intelligence. Chance itself is not a 'thing' but is the name given to a kind of adjudicator, which probably results from the need for flexibility in combinations of order. Chance is the tax collector of order and ensues that infringements of order are paid for. Every person is not made to pay instantly, or at all, for every anti-social act; but every infringement of social order will be paid for by someone, sometime – that is the law of the order of nature. Our culture is an order and natural laws ensure payment to life's nature while human laws are devised to punish those who break culture’s law, and, by nature of bad design or chance may transfer penalty to those innocent. The cost of disorderly behavior, (‘wrong-doing’ or stupidity) that escapes penalty by its perpetuator has to be paid for even at the cost of injustice to another, but, because we all commit anti-social acts we are all responsible for injustice. In attempt to maintain natural balance with justice, cultural laws attempt to fill the gap. This is a challenge for human intellect; justice is our responsibility to each other. Whether or not this is achieved, the universal balance (justice) is maintained. Changing worldly order? We may be able to dismantle or change an offending order if it is an order created by human authority. However benefit will only come if the new creation is of order more compatible with truth. An orderly example This is the way it always is: if we want to change the authority, then we have to change the order. The order creates the authority. As with other things, so, also, with ourselves: whether we count the human body as complete in itself or as just a vehicle for the spiritual self, the principles still apply. To take care of our bodies we have to obey the authority of the body's order; we can do little to change the order and we cannot, beneficially, make emotional decisions as to what is good for it and what is not. If we take care of our bodies in ways in agreement with the truth of their order, then they give good service; if we treat them in ways less compatible they give less satisfaction, or perhaps none at all. The satisfaction a body gives will be in direct relation to how well we support the authority of its order. Today we have to allow for abuse suffered as a result of political planning and the ignorance of past and present generations. The highest order created by humans is the human culture and to advance that we must conform to order. If we believe that there is no truth then we become blind to the order and law in life. When we create a culture opposed to truth’s order the result is a corrupt and increasingly disorderly culture. Law begins to enforce law rather than justice. Citizens become increasingly frustrated. Violence expands as restrictions become irritating. Culture disintegrates! Change becomes more rapid and obvious to the honest eye but the eye that knows no truth sees no evil. In relation to life evil is breakdown of order. The human body is an orderly creation based on universal principles that also apply to life; surely we can see that our social order is open to the same benefits and restraints! We have intellect to learn, observe and create. We can open the door to an incredible future or throw life away. That is our challenge. Behavior, morality, corruption and justice all react with equal certainty in our social activities? Every created thing is a two-edged sword. Human means responsible, intelligence allows us to understand and advance life in our best interests. Of Truth Social & Political Authority Today we live under corrupt authority! Were we willing to seek out true authority and make understanding of truth common then, in the nature of life, room for conflict would wither along with misunderstanding and hatred. The order of humanity gives us authority to create order but unless based on Universal Order the creations will be corrupt. Order creates its own authority, if the order is corrupt then its truth will be personal and in conflict with universal truth. Suffering, in a world of manipulation and deceit, is a simple matter of cause and effect. We, given intelligence and freedom, are responsible. Authority of leaders. We have human authorities based on force because we are free to obey or disobey universal order. Given freedom to disobey we seek to avoid or ignore. The result is confusion and a power gap that human law making seeks to fill. Every area of existence is dependent on order; be it a brain or thinking process, a rock or a child's toy. The order, authority, and truth, are inseparable. We can never enjoy our full potential in life, sport, business or any intellectual pursuit without embracing the self-discipline of orderliness. We are given intellect for self-development so why do we allow our thought processes to be seduced to avoid discipline? Why do we allow our intellect controlled and used for ignorant, selfish and destructive purposes? The great triumph of humanism was to persuade people that loving physical punishment of children (the efficient discipline) was a crime against humanity. We allow ourselves to be seduced to give priority to our animal instincts and ignore that animals are behavior programmed; we are responsible; they are not. Over generations we learned basic human disciplines, most tried and succeeded in one man, one woman, relationships to the lasting benefit of human culture. We are now seduced to deliberately destroy the loving family bond of our children by inciting them to promiscuity before teenage. We cannot warn them of the consequences because we, as adults, have accepted our corrupt state as normal but in consequence irresponsibility grows. If our political system obeys a corrupt authority or philosophy then our option is to reform the system. BUT AGAIN: if what we do is based on a corrupted (self-indulgent) decision, the new system will also be corrupt. Neither you, nor I, nor government – nor mankind as a whole – can arbitrarily decree that life is best lived in one way or another. It is the order of life itself that decrees what is good, or not good, for it. Humanity has choice within limits. Greater corruption brings greater penalty. At some point, social order disintegrates. The laws came into force with the creation of the universe and, as our Christian Bible tells us, even God cannot change this without destruction of the creation. MATTHEW 5-18. "I TELL YOU THIS: SO LONG AS HEAVEN AND EARTH ENDURE, NOT A LETTER, NOT A STROKE, WILL DISAPPEAR FROM THE LAW UNTIL ALL THAT MUST HAPPEN HAS HAPPENED." LUKE 16-17. "IT IS EASIER FOR HEAVEN AND EARTH TO COME TO AN END THAN FOR ONE DOT OR STROKE OF THE LAW TO LOSE ITS FORCE." Do these Gospels not witness something to you? Can we not see now that if the atomic order (the base of the universe) were to be changed the existing system would disintegrate back to primordial chaos? Total destruction is the alternative to retaining the order on which our creation is based. Two thousand years ago someone knew things we still refuse to learn. Not only have we failed to learn but now let thieves rob us of our ability to learn. What a price for sloth, pride and prejudice! Basic guidelines for living are not only fundamental, but well within human ability to understand and use. However, despite their simple logical nature they are facts of life that, because we fail to use our intellectual abilities, have been poorly understood; we prefer not to question our animal pleasures. The most reliable, teacher of social order has been the Christian Bible, but religions increasingly turn this to dead dogma to give it emotional bias and corrupt interpretations. The meanings of Gospels’ quotations above should hardly have needed explanation. Their meanings are not expanded on, so far as I know, in common religious teaching. Today, social science works with eyes closed to both science and social consequences. Will Christian religions complain that equating the creation to maths is belittling? If, in their eyes it is, then they know nothing of God. God is neither egotist, simpleton nor magician! The creation is within a natural order! Life was meant to be easy but only by living within the truth of the order can we enjoy its full benefit. Now you may say: “If life is based on mathematics/geometry how can we possibly work out such compound complexity as our best social order?” Remember LOGIC? Logic is perception of principles allowing sight of relationships between truths. Logic can be “short-cut” maths or “instinct”. Do you think a tennis champion works out in a split second the combined relative speed and trajectory of the ball, the angle and trajectory of the racquet and the court position of himself and opponent so as to hit a winning shot? No! Be it tennis or culture, logical perception takes account of experience, skill and practice – of our own experience and the experience of others (we have had time and coaching to back up our experience). Whatever our chosen role in life we advance our understanding by accepting truth and then building on principles: instinctive or otherwise. If we ignore the reality of truth then we just descend into self-destructive confusion. Why are we left to develop our humanity and our culture? Well your guess may be as good as mine but, can we agree with the evidence that human life is a planned development of life and logically has meaning beyond mere existence? The New Testament is very impressive. An archaeologist on a dig may uncover a beautiful mosaic damaged by scars of battle and the accumulated grime from countless feet, but there, still visible, are parts of the pattern of a fantastic revelation. “How could people, for so long, be so blind”? It was truly said that the blind would lead the blind. Was it just chance that I had recently read some wisdom of old religions such as: "If you wouldst know the secret of the True, "Study the linked words, no doubt, but look "Let not grammarians scrutinise How young the child learns to remove the wrapping from the sweet! But how many years does it take for educators to learn and to teach, that, though we need learn to use and spell words correctly, they are only the wrappings of understanding. Quotations above are from: “The Essential Unity of All Religions”, by Bhagavan Das. The New Testament told me that to find truth I should be as a child. I had been saved the full trauma of this because I had begun my search as a child, but still the message was relevant; I must remain as open to truth as a child: there is always a long way to go. Others remind me of lessons to be remembered! There was truth to be found in “The Revelation of John” and mysteries hidden in its language. The same message seems to be repeated in different forms, possibly as security against inevitable biased translation. I do not pretend that all is revealed to me. The GLORY of LIFE: What life can create is wonderfully complex while life itself is so beautifully simple – and yet – the source of it may be forever beyond us. Certainly our science today does not approach any answer as to origins. We do not need to be afraid of truth. Truth is the source of our existence. Yet the Christian Bible says we should fear God. It is not that we should fear that Truth, or God, may harm us but fear the consequence of moving away from Truth. The description of God and heaven given in Revelations may seem unreal until we understand that God is truth: that our welfare depends on a continuous acknowledgement that truth is the reality if we want to discover the adventure and beauty life offers. We should understand that we are not created perfect except in the meaning that we are created perfect for our journey to full humanity and to experience all that the wonders and mysteries creation allows. The Creator did not create humanity to be merely ornamental, a toy or, like the common animals, biological robots. Could we believe that God wanted to create a sterile meaningless humanity with nowhere to go – nothing to achieve? Could it be that we are being offered a part in a creation process? We, I am confident, will be not only able to recreate the things that have been created but also some of the infinite possibilities unknown in our world. Why would anyone ever want to sacrifice the life adventure we are offered for the nothingness of chaos? Of Truth Meeting Jesus! Many years ago I met Jesus in a dream. Can there be no description of Jesus? I accepted that, as he represented every-man, then every-man might fail to see anything to excite memory. Or was it perhaps a necessary disguise to stop people drawing cultural or racial conclusions? Or did this mystery only apply to those open to conviction: would a passing stranger stopping to look at this man addressing a crowd see differently and would what he saw be the true image? As an immortal, is the true image of Jesus meaningless to us? I don’t know but those who are afraid to face truth will still believe what they like and, to save their pride, might claim that He never existed or was just an ordinary person married to one of his followers. However, those capable of honestly weighing the evidence and reaching logical conclusions, will ignore the foolish escapists while still accepting that mysteries remain. Jesus of Nazareth was a genuine historical being! Apart from physical presence His authority is proven by the fact that he was also a person with understanding far above that of humans. Many (Christians and non-Christians alike) appear not aware of all the evidence. He may well be the best-documented person of his time? Jesus lived in the time of one of the great empires of history! This was no barbarian empire and Governors had to send written reports back to Rome. Religious leaders also wrote reports of events to their Priests and congregations. As Jesus was a well-known person of that time he was, as we would expect, mentioned in dispatches. We can thank Mr. D. J. Pinwill and his book “Knowledge Without Wisdom” for the following research and quotations. “ …the President of Judea about 33AD, one Publius Lentulus, to the Roman Senate. This letter was part of the civic records of the Romans who were the rulers of the Holy Land at the time. Some prints of the King James Bible have this physical description of Jesus included in their Biblical notes. He rebukes with majesty, counsels with mildness; His whole address, whether in word or deed, being eloquent and grave. No man has seen Him laugh, yet His manners are exceedingly pleasant, but He has wept frequently in the presence of men. He is temperate, modest and wise; a man for His extraordinary beauty and divine perfections; surpassing the children of men in every sense. " “Another well accepted source of information from the times of Jesus is Josephus. He was a priest, scholar and historian of the first century and he wrote several books that contain valuable information including "The Antiquities of the Jews." His works are often quoted by modern day scholars. Josephus was not a follower of Jesus. “The Roman Empire was not just a mighty war machine. Law was established in the conquered lands and government records kept. Many of these are available to this day and can be researched in places like Constantinople and the records of the Senatorial Docket taken from the Vatican in Rome. … "As you can imagine, Rome was a little nervous about all the unrest caused by Jesus and His followers so, naturally, there are government reports and letters dealing with this subject. One such letter is a report written by Pontius Pilate himself (who was the Roman Prefect of Judea at the time of Christ) and it is addressed to "Tiberius Caesar, Emperor of Rome." Here is an extract as written in "The Archko Volume," translated by Drs. Mclntosh and Twyman. Page 131. "One day in passing by the place of Siloe, where there was a great concourse of people, I observed in the midst of the group a young man who was leaning against a tree, calmly addressing the multitude. I was told it was Jesus. This I could easily have suspected, so great was the difference between Him and those listening to Him. His golden colored hair and beard gave to His appearance a celestial aspect. He appeared to be about 30 years of age. Never have I seen a sweeter or more serene countenance. What a contrast between Him and His hearers, with their black beards and tawny complexions. Never have I read in the works of the philosophers anything that can compare to the maxims of Jesus. It was on account of the wisdom of His sayings that I granted so much liberty to the Nazarene. This unlimited freedom granted to Jesus provoked the Jews — not the poor, but the rich and powerful. " “There are various other reports of Jesus by important historians who have written of the events that happened only a few decades before they were born. Pliny the Younger, Cornelius Tacitus and Suetonius (none of whom were Christians, in fact they used to execute Christians) would have had access to recent and reliable information. The above offerings are sufficient to prove that Jesus Christ was indeed, a very real visitor to this Earth. Even the Encyclopedia Britannica states, "Independent accounts prove that in ancient times even the opponents of Christianity never doubted the historicity of Jesus” "Birth and Resurrection "She (Mary) seems to be about forty or forty-five years of age, abounds with a cheerful and happy spirit and is full of happy fancies. She is fair to see, rather fleshy, has soft and innocent eyes, and seems naturally to be a good woman. "I asked her if Jesus was the son of Joseph. She said he was not. I asked her to relate the circumstances of the child's history. She said that one day when she was grinding some meal there appeared at the door a stranger in shining raiment, which showed as bright as a light. She was very much alarmed at his presence and trembled like a leaf; for he said, "Mary, thou art loved by the Lord and He has sent me to tell thee that thou shalt have a child; that this child will be great and rule all nations of the earth. " "She continued; "I immediately thought of my engagement to Joseph, and supposed that was the way the child was to come; but he astonished me the more when he told me that cousin Elizabeth had conceived and would bear a son, whose name would be John; (John the Baptist) and my son was to be called Jesus. I asked the messenger if Joseph knew anything of the matter. He said that he told Joseph that I was to have a child by command of the Holy Ghost, and that he was to redeem his people from their sins, and was to reign over the whole world; that every man should confess to him and he should rule over all the kings of the earth." “I asked her if at the time of the angel, as she called him, visited her, was she 'almah' (that is, virgin). She said she was; that she had never showed to man, nor was known by any man. I asked her if she at the time maintained her fourchette'; and after making her and Joseph understand what I meant, they both said she had, and Joseph said this was the way he had of testing her virtue. I asked her if she knew when the conception took place. She said she did not. …" “The next question that must be dealt with is - Did Jesus really die or was he taken down from the cross and revived secretly at a later time? "All the evidence points to the fact that Jesus must have been dead. Crucifixion is a cruel and torturous death but it was a common punishment at the time. It's hard to imagine anyone lasting very long in this situation before the relief of death would come. The accounts in the Gospels are adamant that Jesus "gave up the ghost." "The soldiers that came to break His legs, as was done to the thieves on either side of Him, decided not to bother because they could see He was already dead. “Remember, soldiers of this era were very familiar with death and what it looked like, so it is hardly likely that they would be mistaken. "Common sense also dictates that Pilate himself had a vested interest in being sure the main focus of the recent riots and civil unrest was gone forever. The Roman Empire did not want any self-proclaimed 'king' coming back to challenge Caesar's authority and start stirring up more trouble. Jesus would have been certified dead as was normal practice. “Add to this the motives of the local political masters, the Sanhedrin. They were in the position of having forced the hand of Pontius Pilate to condemn the innocent Jesus to death and they were very aware that Jesus had promised to return alive after three days. The last thing they wanted was to have this person, whom they despised, pull some magical trick and fool the populace that he had returned from the dead. They were watching all proceedings very closely and had posted their own guards to prevent just such an occurrence. "Obviously, they were 100% convinced that Jesus was deceased before they would have agreed to letting Him down from the cross. It's not likely that Jesus could have survived all of this. ..." “It is astonishing how evidence can turn up in the most unlikely places. Caiaphas was the head of the Sanhedrin and the main accuser of the innocent Jesus. This was the man that was the instigator of crucifying Jesus and yet, as it turns out, he is also one of the main witnesses (apart from the Bible) that Jesus did rise from the grave. There seems to be a certain justice in that. Once again we can go to the St. Sophia Mosque (as mentioned earlier) and there we can read the actual report that Caiaphas wrote to the Sanhedrin on this very event. This is a fairly lengthy report so only the sections that impact directly on the subject we are dealing with have been quoted. It is an amazing read. “To You, Masters of Israel; I feel duty bound to communicate to you some facts that have come to my knowledge. A few days after the execution of Jesus of Nazareth the report of his resurrection from the dead became so common that I found it necessary to investigate it, because the excitement was more intense than before, and my own life as well as that of Pilate was in danger. I sent for Malkus, the captain of the royal city guard, who informed me he knew nothing personally, as he had placed Isham in command of the guard; but from what he could learn from the soldiers the scene was awe-inspiring, and the report was so generally believed that it was useless to deny it. He thought my only chance was to suppress it among the soldiers, and have John and Peter banished to Crete, or arrested and imprisoned, and if they would not be quiet, to treat them as I had treated Jesus. He said that all the soldiers that he had conversed with were convinced that Jesus was resurrected by supernatural power and was still living, and that he was no human being, for the light of the angels and the dead that came out of their graves all went to prove that something had happened that had never occurred before. He said that John and Peter were spreading it all over the country, and that if Jesus would appear at the head of the host, and declare for the king of the Jews, he believed all the Jews would fight for him. “I sent for the lieutenant, who gave a lengthy account of the occurrence that morning, all of which I suppose you have learned, and will investigate. From this I am convinced that something transcending the laws of nature took place that morning, that cannot be accounted for upon natural laws, and I find it is useless to try to get any of the soldiers to deny it, for they are so excited that they cannot be reasoned with. I regret that I had the soldiers placed at the tomb, for the very things they were to prevent they have helped to establish. “After questioning the soldiers and officers to my satisfaction, my mind being so disturbed that I could neither eat nor sleep, I sent for John and Peter. They came and brought Mary and Joanna, who are the women that went to embalm Jesus' body the morning of the resurrection, as it is called. They were very interesting and they related the circumstances. Mary said that when they went day was just breaking. They met the soldiers returning from the sepulchre and saw nothing strange until they came to the tomb, and found that it was empty. The stone that covered the sepulchre was rolled to one side, and two men dressed in flowing white were sitting, one at each end of the sepulchre. Mary asked them where was her Lord; they said, 'He is risen from the dead; did he not tell you he would rise on the third day and show himself to the people, to prove that he was the Lord of life?' Go tell his disciples, they said. “They both say that as they returned they met the Master, who told them he was the resurrection and the life; all that will accept will be resurrected from the second death. 'We fell at his feet bathed in tears and when we rose up he was gone.' Both these women wept for joy as they were relating this story, and John shouted aloud which made me tremble in every limb, for I could not help thinking that something that was the exclusive work of God had occurred, but what it all meant was a great mystery to me." “This section of the Caiaphas report is followed by John and Peter answering questions about Jesus and giving account of some of the miracles that Jesus performed. It then continues. "Thus argue Peter and John. If Jesus had such power over nature and nature's laws, and power over death in others, he would have such power over death that he could lay down his life and take it up again, as he said he would do. As he proposes to bring hundreds of witnesses to prove all he says, and much more — witnesses whose veracity cannot be doubted - and as I have heard many of these things before from different men, both friends and foes (and although these things are related by his friends — that is the friends of Jesus — yet these men talk like men of truth, and their testimony corroborates other evidence that I have from other sources that convinces me that this is something that should not be rashly dealt with), and seeing the humble trust and confidence of these men and women, besides, as John says, thousands of others equally strong in their belief, it throws me into great agitation. “I feel sure that if 1 should meet Jesus that I should fall dead at his feet; and it seemed to me that if I went out I should be sure to meet him. ”In this state of conscious dread I remained investigating the scriptures to know more about the prophecies concerning this man, but found nothing to satisfy my mind. I locked my door and gave the guard orders to let no one in without first giving me notice. While thus engaged with no one in the room but my wife and Annas, her father, when I lifted up my eyes, behold Jesus of Nazareth stood before me. My breath stopped, my blood ran cold, and I was in the act of falling, when he spoke and said, 'Be not afraid, it is I. You condemned me that you might go free. This is the work of my Father. Your only wrong is you have a wicked heart; this you must repent of. This last lamb you have slain is the one that was appointed before the foundation; this sacrifice was made for all men. Your other lambs were for those who offered them; this is for all, this is the last; it is for you if you will accept it. I died that you and all mankind might be saved. “At this he looked at me with such melting tenderness that it seemed to me that I was nothing but tears, and my strength was all gone. I fell on my face at his feet as one that was dead. When Annas lifted me up Jesus was gone, and the door still locked. No one could tell when or where he went. “So noble masters, I do not feel that I can officiate as priest any more. If this strange personage is from God, and should prove to be the Saviour we have looked for so long, and I have been the means of crucifying him, I have no further offerings for sin; but I will wait and see how things develop. And if he proves to be the ruler we are looking for, they will soon develop into something more grand in the future. His glory will increase; his influence will spread wider and wider, until the whole earth shall be full of his glory, and all the kingdoms of the world shall be his dominion. Such are the teachings of the prophets on this issue. Therefore you will appoint Jonathan, or some one to fill the holy place." “How can anyone who reads this not be convinced about the resurrection? How can you argue against this compelling evidence -evidence that comes from the most notorious enemy of Christ? Only those who steadfastly refuse to accept the obvious, those who are determined to maintain themselves in a mental state of truth denial, will continue unconvinced. It is so much easier to argue 'for' the resurrection than against it. We will, if we are honest, believe it –Jesus lives.” Here ends the quote from “Knowledge without Wisdom”. I have added nothing but deleted a little not needed here. The important thing we can know about Jesus is that He represents truth and the order of truth that represents life. It can be claimed He said this or that, even with scriptural reference, but if it is not true to the “eye of reason” and to the creation itself, then it must be doubted. Let’s repeat: “All that may be known of God by men lies plain before their eyes … to the eye of reason in the things He has made”. Jesus made enough scientifically correct social statements that are still not accepted by today’s authorities. His knowledge and understanding was not only beyond His times but also ahead of the social teaching of today. That is all the evidence we need, I offer witnesses as a matter of interest only. And on the Seventh day He rested. Back to Top ^ |
"There lives at this time in Judea, Jesus Christ, whom the barbarians esteem as a prophet, but His followers love and adore Him as the offspring of the immortal God. He calls the dead from their graves, and heals all sorts of disease with a word or a touch. He is a tall man and well shaped, of an amiable and reverend aspect. His hair of a color that can hardly be matched, falling into graceful curls, waving about and very agreeably crouching upon His shoulders, parted on the crown of his head, running as a stream to the front after the manner of the Nazarites. His forehead high, large and imposing; His cheeks a lovely red; nose and mouth formed with exquisite symmetry; His beard thick and of a color suitable to the hair and parting in the middle like a fork; His eyes bright blue, clear and serene; look innocent, dignified, manly and mature. His hands and arms most delectable to behold.
