In any theory of science, when there is an inconsistency or flaw, then the entire theory must be questioned, reevaluated and reformulated.

The next step in the Next Reformation is to accept the Old Testament as a combination of Middle Eastern mythology and Jewish history, just as we view Roman mythology and history.

But there is also tremendous allegorical moral and abstract value in these stories.

Why are we not taught this Sunday School? Return to Contents

Now lets try a thought experiment.
Think about God before anything was created. Before men and women, before animals, before earth, before the planets and stars were made. In the beginning.

Now ask the question, what did God make the world from?

If there is only God, and nothing else, then all things in our world are made by God of God. There is nothing else.

We can feel the awe and power of these spiritual matters. We can feel the presence of the Holy Spirit. That is part of our consciousness. And not just “Christians”, but this spiritual awareness is a human condition.

There is also a model trinity in the Hindu religion. Return to Contents

And again Man is at the center of his universe, at least in this two dimensional and not to scale drawing.

Within the unknowable and formless divine essence, we can know a little of the Holy Father Creator, through the Humanity and Consciousness of Christ and through the Life Force of the Holy Spirit that permeates all living matter.

The next Reformation should accept the Nicene Creed as a historical document and re-exam the heresies such as Arianism and Gnosticism.

It should be obvious that there is a mystical component to spiritual matters and that the nature of Christ is mystical with use of such terms as “light of the world”, “keys to the kingdom” and “Son of Man”.

Mysticism studies the mysteries of exoteric and esoteric experiences and is generally a scientific approach rather than a theological approach. For example, we can make hypotheses and try to prove them, rather than accepting things only as a matter of faith. Mystic is not related to mythic, which is mythology, or magic, as is sometimes misused. And the ultimate goal of most mystics is union with the Divine.

The mystical Christianity of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, a French Catholic Jesuit Priest and scientist, is expressed by his use of the terms “Cosmic Christ” and “Universal Christ” and “Christ Consciousness”. Return to Contents

This is not to say that we should disregard Eden and the Fall. But we are not just to be made to suffer for the sins of Adam. We have our own transgressions and imperfections to account for. We can experience our own Fall and eventual redemption. And this is an often told story of human endeavors.

The allegory of Adam and Eve is useful, if somewhat harsh. The imposition of Original Sin by the Church on its members has been cruel. Return to Contents

For the Next Reformation evolution of consciousness through Christ can replace Original Sin and Salvation.

Wisdom was with Yahweh during creation. She was created and then was co-creator. Seeing the Wisdom of Proverbs as part of the “us” in Genesis 1: 26 should change our religion and our world. But countless millions must have read the above passage and have not made the connection with “her”.

Paul and the Church tried to make Christ the Wisdom of God and maybe the Holy Spirit and Christ are all one and the same.

Wisdom was also known by the Greeks as Sophia and by others as God the Mother, the Feminine Principle and as the Holy Ghost. She is the consort or companion to God the Father, as made clear in Proverbs. But somewhere, somehow, She was lost to the Church. Return to Contents

German and Norse pagans named their Spring Equinox festival after Ostara, the goddess of spring, fertility, and rebirth. In England, among the Anglo-Saxon tribes, Ostara was known as Eostre. The modern holiday of Easter is derived from the name "Eostre" and its associated myths.

According to these myths, Eostre was a playful goddess whose reign over the earth began in the spring when the Sun King journeyed across the sky in his chariot, bringing the end of winter. Eostre came down to earth then, appearing as a beautiful maiden with a basket of bright colorful eggs. And as with many of the ancient religions, Eostre was a goddess of fertility, and eggs and bunny rabbits were her symbols.

But what happened to the Easter Goddess cults? They were completely obliterated by the Roman Catholic Church as the Church spread west through the Roman empire. Much was lost during the Dark Ages. The rebirth concepts were adapted to fit the Christian resurrection story. And most of us were none the wiser and completely ignorant of the connection.

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The Church did provide a “law sustaining” government, and a universal peace of sorts within the Christian areas. It was a civilizing force. The Church considered itself a “universal rule of righteousness” but this led to dogmatic authoritarianism, intolerant of doubt and questions, relied on faith alone.

St Francis of Assisi represents what can be considered as an attempted reformation of sorts in the Church of the early middle ages. Movement developed to express real spirituality that was missing in the hierarcy of the Church. Saint Francis of Assisi took a vow of poverty in an imitation of Christ.

However, the Militant Christ is the dominant model in many minds, and is not the Prince of Peace, and is some of the evidence of the need for the Next Reformation! Return to Contents