Christianitiy
Research has been carried out in this area, both in Europe and the United States, with the following results: only approximately 6% of the ‘speaking
in tongues can be related to any understandable or known language, the great majority of speakers apparently being motivated by emotional stimulus. This produces an incoherent babble which originates in their subconscious minds. If tape-recorded and analysed the ‘babbling’ does display certain patterns, but these are of more interest to psychologists than to theologians. Of the 6% it appears that some 15% have subconscious recollections of a foreign language heard in their lifetime, usually when very small children. Over 55% of those speaking a recognizable language which apparently could not be associated with prior contact during early life, were show to have used that language in a previous incarnation. This was established through regression techniques and corroborated by psychological tests. Of the remainder nothing could be established and in their cases the phenomenon remains an enigma. However, in some instances there are some significant indications that they may have been possessed by some discarnate entity whose natural tongue was the language spoken. This theory is being followed up. The biblical reference to ‘speaking in tongues’ refers to contemporary languages known in those days, such Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic and a few other, with which the apostles were acquainted. To have babbled words intelligible to none would scarcely have made much impression on the biblical writers, other than in a negative manner.
It depends upon what is meant by idols. In any case pure worshippers of idols in any religion are rare indeed. When the early Christian missionaries found various cultures using images as symbols of certain concepts they wrongly assumed that it was the idols themselves which were being worshipped, rather than the concept they symbolized. They never bothered to look beyond what they saw. Similarly the images and statues displayed in certain Christian churches and before which people kneel in worship, symbolize a greater concept than mere idolatry.
Christ gave his life out of compassion for the stragglers, those who would otherwise be lost. This is the teaching of some of the more enlightened modern Christians, and a concept well worth consideration. While the vast majority of human beings is capable of reaching perfection through the law of consequences, that is through reincarnation and kharma, there have always been the few so immersed in their wrongdoings that they would have been lost without help. Christs’s sacrifice was not one demanded by God, but being an entity of extremely high frequency his death in a physical body meant that a specific frequency band was formed, so that his spirit power became available for providing another chance for those who could not otherwise survive in spirit. To these Christ was truly the The Saviour.
The biblical interpreters seem to have been conscientious men and probably the Bible is better translated than the general average of literary works. This does not imply that there are no translator errors, there obviously are and from time to time efforts have been made to correct these, so that we can say that the Bible is a good translation from the original texts. However, it is not free of later interpolations.
Culdians believe that there can be a ‘Doomsday’ and that humankind as a whole appears to be heading towards a world catastrophe. However, they do not believe in an inevitable ‘end of the world’ in the near future, their attitude being one of hope and optimism that Good will prevail in the world. God did not create the world intending that it should end in such manner, which is what ‘doomsday’ doctrines imply.
The various prophecies do not justify the belief that the Bible is the word of God, but the prophets of the Old Testament were certainly inspired men. They tried to convey to the Hebrew people the concept of the one God, a God of all nations, and the so-called prophecies were often admonitions directed at the Hebrew people. The Old Testament scriptures are records of writings done by religious leaders during the Babylonian captivity, in an effort to boost the moral of the Hebrews. These writings and others were later assembled into a book of supposedly infallible teachings.
Unfortunately a considerable portion of the esoteric side of Christianity was submerged and lost in the flood of ignorance which swept Europe after the fall of the Roman Empire. The mundane, the simple teachings which
satisfied the multitude, and the crude interpretations and explanations which unquestioning minds found adequate, replaced the high spiritual truths originally safeguarded by the enlightened few. Some fragments did survive but not as part of a systematic doctrine. The long and bitter struggle between learning and ignorance, between enlightenment and superstition, raged for centuries and one of the casualties was spiritual knowledge and wisdom. What emerged from the conflict is sufficient original Christianity to satisfy those who are preconditioned to accept unquestioningly, but not nearly enough to meet the need of the enquiring intellect.
They cannot be reconciled and so to determine the matter we have to seek some guidelines, some standard for judgment. We exist in a universe of law and orderliness, were it otherwise there would be a chaos in which development and progress would be impossible, and it is doubtful if life itself could exist. It is the inviolability of the laws of constancy and cause and effect that makes science possible. We know that forgiveness is impractical in relation to human law and if it were a principle of the law which directs our everyday lives society would collapse. Whether people consciously recognize them or not the universal laws do exist and it is we who reward or punish ourselves accordingly, as we work in harmony with these universal laws or are foolish enough to disregard them. Undoubtedly our wrongdoings are forgiven by God, even as an earthly judge bears no personal malice towards those he passes a sentence upon.
Actually it is the Christian attitude that prophesy must happen because it is mentioned in the Bible, which is causing the events to come to pass. Understanding the nature of prophesy and the functions of God’s Creative Force and how it works, Culdians would caution that this mostly ‘Christian’ view is the most dangerous and most potent force of danger in the world today. In fact to become part of the apathetic pool of thought is to become the tool of Illuminism, part of the destructive energy field by which the prophesy may be fulfilled.
Something all too often overlooked by Bible students is the fact that the teachings of Jesus are divided into two parts – the revealed and the unrevealed, or the mundane and the esoteric. The Mysteries were for disciples and the parables for the multitude. Thus Jesus said to his disciples, “Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them underfoot”. All religions having traditional roots in the past, going back beyond the last few centuries, have what is called their esoteric mysteries which are confined to a few. William Kingsland, in his book ‘The Gnosis or Ancient Wisdom in the Christian Scriptures’, states, “There Always has been and there always must be an exoteric doctrine for the masses, and esoteric teaching for those who, as Plotinus says, are fortunately able to receive it”. Clement of Alexandria, one of the early Church Fathers, is quoted as saying, “The Mysteries of the Faith are not to be divulged to all. It is requisite to hide in a mystery the wisdom spoken”. Knowing just what is hidden – the Secret of the Centuries – one can well understand why this should be so.
To answer this question here is a rather amusing story about the Guru, the White Cat and the Pole. It will give some idea as to how such things can come about. There was once an Indian spiritual teacher who eventually became a great enlightened master. His reputation spread far and wide as the appeal and depth of his teachings became known to the people. They came from hundreds of miles to sit and listen and give him ‘darshan’; to meditate and bring the power of the divine into the midst of the group. The great Yogi had a large white Persian cat which was always at his side and always looking for an opportunity to nestle on the guru’s warm lap, as the latter sat in the lotus position with a blissful expression on his face. This was all very well for the cat, but quite unsatisfactory for the teacher who simply could not concentrate and go into ‘samadhi’ with the bundle of fluff on his lap. So it was that whenever he was to go into meditation the guru would tie his cat to a pole, so that it would not disturb his concentration. He followed this procedure for many years during which some eminent disciples arose to carry on the essence of their master’s teachings. Each disciple had his own particular grasp of the teachings and emphasized certain aspects as being more important that others. As inevitably happens, after the master’s demise a number of factions arose in the group, so that many schools of the master’s thought developed. The disciples who headed the schools argued and squabbled among themselves, each one maintaining that the others had gone astray from the real essence of the master’s teachings. In fact bitter disagreements
followed. However, all eminent leaders of the thriving yogic schools agreed on one point: that is was absolutely essential to tie a white cat to a pole in order to meditate! This story, set in India, and of course having no basis in fact, illustrates a serious point and principle which is applicable to the ministry of Jesus. Think about it.
The words ‘reincarnation’ and ‘kharma’ are relatively new additions to the English language and therefore do not appear in the Bible as such. Undoubtedly Jesus and his disciples were aware of their implication, for in Matthew, Chapter 7 Verse 2, the Master states, “With what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again”. That is a stern statement implying neither salvation by proxy nor forgiveness. There are a number of other such statements.
The inducing of a trancelike state wherein the subject is unable to maintain conscious balance is not without danger. It is a common feature of many primitive rituals and prevalent in European witchcraft.
It would be wholly wrong to denigrate the good work done by Healers at meetings such as you mention, but the atmosphere there is not generally conducive to lasting benefits. The principles of spiritual healing are now quite well known and understood and the most effective results are obtained in an atmosphere where emotions are more subdued. Certainly more spectacular results appear to be obtained in a place where there is a highly charged emotional atmosphere, but the effects are almost always transient. It should be noted how this emotional atmosphere is built up by the speakers, by emotive affirmation and loud voiced exhortations. The singing also follows a particular format, with repetitious assertions and specific cadences. The whole induces a semi-hypnotic effect. Persons being treated will fall back in a hypnotic trance state and although this may be impressive it has nothing whatsoever to do with the effectiveness
or otherwise of the healing. Actually a trance state induced under such circumstances can be positively harmful.
The writers of the Gospels presented honest pictures of Jesus as they saw, remembered or had learned of him, and as their concepts of those distant events were affected by their subsequent acceptance of Paul’s theology of Christianity. These records, imperfect as they are, have been sufficient to change the course of the history of Earth for almost two thousand years.
There are many dangers of hypnotic states and although the state induced in such meetings as you refer to is only that known as a light trance state, nevertheless every authority on the matter condemns induction by those inexperienced in hypnosis. It should be emphasized that there is no connection between this trance state and actual healing, apart from any benefits which may be derived from subconscious suggestion. The falling effect is due to the person’s own proneness to hypnotic influence and their sensitivity; generally speaking these person have a high potential for supersensory development. It is not to be inferred that there is any conscious practice of hypnotism; the Healers, at such meetings, have probably little idea of the principles involved. This does not imply that they are not good Healers, most of them are, but they would be better still without the ‘stage dressing’.
The only answer that can be provided is that a Christian is someone who believes in, and follows, the teachings of Jesus-Christ. However, having said that it must be stated that such belief and what follows as a consequence, are subject to many interpretations. There are many religions and sects claiming to be based on the teachings of Christ, but this very multiplicity shows that there is no common accord, and disagreement and schism are the rule. There is no means of establishing which of the many is the closest to the original teachings.
The answer is wholly dependent upon the words, “Such as me”, for certainly it is purely a matter of individual choice. The objective must be to find the religious expression which caters for your particular needs and with which you personally feel comfortable. It has to be remembered that religions are tailored to suit the spiritual needs of people, therefore no religion or creed will fit comfortably on everyone.