Christianity: The Great Lie

It is difficult to understand why it was included in the New Testament. By the time the New Testament was created the prophecy was already redundant. Certainly many mainstream theologians regard it as a curiosity. However, the situation in America has been somewhat different. During the 19th century a few rogue Christians began to read Revelation as a genuine prophecy that was yet to be fulfilled. A number of sects arose around this idea and thrived in the naïve and tolerant religious climate of the US, particularly the Jehovah’s Witnesses, Seventh Day Adventists and a number of Baptist, Pentecostal and evangelical groups. Given that tolerance of absurdity feeds even more absurdity it is not surprising that Revelation theology is a growing movement and regular conferences are held on the most ridiculous of topics, such as debates between the pre-tribulationists, mid-tribulationists and post-tribulationists. The truly frightening aspect of this is that these ‘Revelationists’ are also politically active, particularly in the Israeli/Palestine conflict. Some Revelationists believe that the second coming will only occur when the Third Temple has been built and they are therefore very active in supporting extremist Jews who seek the same objective. What is even more disturbing is that some of these fools seem to look forward with sickening glee at the prospect of Armageddon – a final battle that will take place in the valley of Megiddo. They talk with anticipation at seeing the valley filled with the blood of the unbelievers. It is a sad indictment of Christianity that such a violent and cruel image of Christ should be tolerated at all.

May, 2006

BIBLIOGRAPHY

I highly recommend these following experts and their books.

Karen King – Winn Professor of Ecclesiastical History at Divinity School, Harvard University.? What is Gnosticism. Belknap/Harvard Press. ?The Secret Revelation of John. Harvard University Press

Elaine Pagels – Harrington Spear Paine Professor of Religion at Princeton University. Beyond Belief – the Secret Gospel of Thomas. Random House?. Adam, Eve and the Serpent. Random House. ?The Gnostic Paul: Gnostic Exegesis of the Pauline Letters. Random House.

Robert Eisenman – Director of the Institute for the Study of Judeo-Christian Origins and Professor of Middle East Religions and Archaeology at California State University.? James the Brother of Jesus. Watkins (Faber and Faber). ?Co-author of The Facsimile Edition of the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Tom Harpur – former Anglican priest and Professor of Greek and the New Testament at the University of Toronto.? The Pagan Christ. Allen and Unwin

Also recommended:

Esther Kaplan, With God on their Side. The New Press.

Jim Wallis, God’s Politics. Harper.