Contrary to the wickedness of religious men Yahweh declares: "....man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of Yahweh does man live."
Our Father in heaven wants people to look to Him rather than "old time religion" or "the new science" which claim to have all the answers for humanity but is progressively destroying the earth and setting forth greater and greater immorality.
-- Andrew G. Roth
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Definition of 'religion' from the Webster Dictionary
- the service and worship of God or the supernatural
- commitment or devotion to religious faith or observance
- a personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices
- archaic : scrupulous conformity : conscientiousness
- a cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith
Also defined as:
- the belief in a god or in a group of gods
- an organized system of beliefs, ceremonies, and rules used to worship a god or a group of gods
- an interest, a belief, or an activity that is very important to a person or group
Many of us become aware of the vairous divisions of 'believers' as we journey on His Path of Righteousness. What is causing this division? Could it be Religion - an invention by man supported by Satan whose main goal is to make us 'doubt' the Word of Yahweh Elohim.
Yahweh, our Creator, was never about religions. His Instructions go with His Creation, an Owner's Manual and most people don't read instructions until all else fails.
Matthew 7:22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
What is 'christianity'?
Christianity is a religion created by Emperor Constantine. His copycat religion was based upon a myth (The Persian savior god Mithra), which was based on other similar myths, all the way back to Chrishna of India (a mythical god) and was a tool for political purposes. The belief in the crucifixion of gods was prevalent in various oriental or heathen countries long prior to the reported crucifixion of Christ. Of the 16 crucifixions, most were born of a virgin and about half of them on December 25th.
Who were the founders of the 'church'?
Many religious customs found in christian churches are based on the counsel of early post-apostolic writers, including Ignatius, Marcion and Tertullian. These men have shaped Christianity into what it is today. Most church founders appear to have been unable to distinguish between Rabbinical Tradition and what Y'shua and the Apostles taught, which was Torah observance: living by the Instructions given by our Creator.
Ignatius of Antioch (35-107 AD) pioneered the Greek-based Christian religion and was instrumental in mixing paganism with it. He was packaging Christianity for a Greco-Roman Hellenic culture. He favored the Ishtar sun-rise Lord's Day (Sunday). He promoted the infallibility of the church and taught that deacons, presbyters and bishops were infused with Jesus-like authority to be lords over people. Ignatius appeared to be the quintessential Catholic long before the 4th century (many believe this is when the Catholic Church began).
Marcion (110-160 AD) coined the terms Old and New Testament. He was a wealthy ship owner and the son of a bishop from Sinope, on the Black Sea. He propagated his new concepts of Christianity which took root throughout the Roman Empire. Marcionites set up their own churches in defiance of other Christians and they flourished up until the 10 century. Marcion was inventor and a major contributor to dispensationalism, supercessionism and replacement theology - all of which are still popular today and preached in nearly every church.
Tertullian (155-230 AD) was born into a mainstream Gentile pagan family but became a devout Christo-Pagan. Like Marcion, he found Christianity intolerable and set out to make a broad sweeping reform. he joined with the Montanist (Cataphrygian Heresy) founded by Montanus, who was formerly following the pagan mother goddess of fertility named Cybele where he learned plenty to adapt into Christianity. Tertullian claims to also have picked up an anointing of the "Holy Ghost" and through demonic inspiration he compartmentalized the Godhead and coined the word Trinity - one of the most cherished doctrines of the Christian church today. His theology is akin to the likes of Nimrod, Semiramis and Tammuz who were the original trinity of Babylon - Tertullian simply inserted the persons of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost making him extremely popular among pagan Gentile Christians.
Eusebius was the dishonest Church Father historian of antiquity who made up a lot of Church history: “We shall introduce into this history in general only those events which may be useful first to ourselves and afterwards to posterity”. The research thread (about older Gospels) also leads to the “spurious” writings of Irenaeus. The myth of Mithra, the Persian Savior god, was chosen by Emperor Constantine and Bishop Eusebius as the model to create the new religion, Christianity.
Quote:: There were too many religions in Rome in 325 A.D. A Council was called in an endeavor to amalgamate the many religions of the Roman Empire into one. Christianity plagiarized older myths and legends (and were rewritten) to suit the Roman Catholic Church while combining the numerous religions existing at the time (Krishna, Horus, Mithraism, Osirian, Isis, and many other mystery religions). For unity and (as an effort) to stop all the conflicts between the numerous religions…
Christianity was Invented. Eusebius (Bishop of Caesarea; “Father of Church History“) attended the Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D. and was a friend of Emperor Constantine, who also attended and made the keynote speech. Constantine instructed Eusebius to organize the compilation of a uniform collection of new writings developed from primary aspects of the religious texts submitted at the council.
Eusebius then arranged for scribes to produce fifty copies to be written on parchment in a legible manner, and in a convenient portable form, by professional scribes thoroughly accomplished in their art.
He then ordered earlier presbyterial manuscripts and the records of the council burnt and declared that any man found concealing writings should be stricken off from his shoulders (beheaded). These orders, said Eusebius, were followed by the immediate execution of the work itself we sent him [Constantine] magnificently and elaborately bound volumes of three-fold and four-fold forms (Life of Constantine, vol. iv, p.36).
They were the New Testimonies, and this is the first mention (c. 331) of the New Testament in the historical record. With his instructions fulfilled, Constantine then decreed that the New Testimonies would thereafter be called the word of the Roman Saviour God (Life of Constantine, vol. iii, p. 29) and official to all presbyters preaching in the Roman Empire.
This newly revised testament was the official book of the new Unified Religion of Constantine. All other books to be burned included the Torah and the writings of the prophets, known today as the Old Testament, and included burning the great library in Alexandria, Egypt in 391 AD.
According to Eusebeius (260-339), Constantine noted that among the presbyterian factions "strife had grown so serious, vigorous action was necessary to establish a more religious state", but he could not bring about a settlement between rival god factions (Life of Constantine, pp. 26-8). His advisers warned him that the presbyters' religions were "destitute of foundation" and needed official stabilization. Constantine saw in this confused system of fragmented dogmas the opportunity to create a new and combined State religion, neutral in concept, and to protect it by law.
When he conquered the East in 324 he sent his Spanish religious adviser, Osius of Córdoba, to Alexandria with letters to several bishops exhorting them to make peace among themselves. The mission failed and Constantine issued a decree commanding all presbyters and their subordinates "be mounted on asses, mules and horses belonging to the public, and travel to the city of Nicaea" in the Roman province of Bithynia in Asia Minor. They were instructed to bring with them the testimonies they orated to the rabble, "bound in leather" for protection during the long journey, and surrender them to Constantine upon arrival in Nicaea (The Catholic Dictionary, Addis and Arnold, 1917, "Council of Nicaea" entry).
Their writings totaled "in all, two thousand two hundred and thirty-one scrolls and legendary tales of gods and saviors, together with a record of the doctrines orated by them".
Thus, the first ecclesiastical gathering in history was summoned and is today known as the Council of Nicaea. It was a bizarre event that provided many details of early clerical thinking and presents a clear picture of the intellectual climate prevailing at the time. It was at this gathering that Christianity was born, and the ramifications of decisions made at the time are difficult to calculate.
About four years prior to chairing the Council, Constantine had been initiated into the religious order of Sol Invictus, one of the two thriving cults that regarded the Sun as the one and only Supreme God (the other was Mithraism). Because of his Sun worship, he instructed Eusebius to convene the first of three sittings on the summer solstice, 21 June 325, and it was "held in a hall in Osius's palace" (Ecclesiastical History, Bishop Louis Dupin, Paris, 1686, vol. i, p. 598).
In an account of the proceedings of the conclave of presbyters gathered at Nicaea, Sabinius, Bishop of Hereclea, who was in attendance, said, "Excepting Constantine himself and Eusebius Pamphilius, they were a set of illiterate, simple creatures who understood nothing" (Secrets of the Christian Fathers, Bishop J. W. Sergerus, 1685, 1897 reprint).
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Can you trust the leader of the church you attend? Can you trust the origins of the religion you believe in or belong to? Have you ever even thought about it? I pray that after you have read this study you will take a closer look at your life and your beliefs. Many have accepted what they have heard from people they trust: parents, friends, ministers, teachers and preachers, for example. But when you start asking these trusted sources simple questions and get that 'empty' feeling when no real answer is offered, it is time to seek Yahweh Elohim as if looking for treasure. All answers can be found in Scriptures. There are many good sources online to use in your study time, but always keep your feet firmly rooted in His Word. Then you will recognize 'answers' as you recognize the Good Shepherd's Voice.
All Religions are man made belief systems using just enough recognizable Scripture to seem legit and get your attention to gain your trust. Our Creator was never about a personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices. His Instructions for us are the standard in righteous living, guiding us that we should do well. It boils down to Faith.
Below are links to places from whence I have quoted or gleaned info, provided for your own research and further study. Please note I have no control over the advertisements or other annoying side bars in the links I provide, nor do I suggest you make any purchases from these sites. I will not share links that are overloaded with ads or other mumbo-jumbo but will provide quotes from them when suitable. As stated, I provide links for your own study and further research ~~
