This generation has seen the appearance of many teachers in all kinds of disciplines such as religion, eastern philosophies, transcendental meditation and yoga. However, the spiritual teachers of the New Age will follow a different path. As Jesus did a long, long time ago, they will try to rid the Churches of the orthodoxy and the materialistic approach to life, that have, for so long, hindered our spiritual progress and development.

These esoteric teachings are not laws or dogmas, and they are offered in the hope it will trigger a positive response in the human heart, and finally rid humanity of the doubts, fears and anxieties, that have been, life after life, planted in the mind of individuals, more receptive to a materialistic approach to spirituality, than to the call of that 'small voice' within themselves.

This is, by no means, a condemnation of great religions of the world, as they had, and still have, their role to play in the evolution of mankind. It is to remind them, that their mission is to teach and advise, not to limit, or control, the spiritual development of individuals. Their role is to follow in Jesus' footsteps, and, forgetting their own rigid 'human' doctrines and laws, open up to the Universality of all life, and bring about a true Brotherhood of mankind.

You have sought the powers of organized religions throughout your ages, and yet I say to you that each of you now suffers at the portals of despair: for it is all untrue and, as a renaissance of life purpose unfolds before your eyes in life, you see that that religion does not prevail, that your exhortations in Buddhism, Christianity or all other religions fail to increase the flow of God-piety, or to invade the devout sanctity of the soul......I say that the true religion of all life is incorporated within the soul itself, that you as a segment of creative force, that you as a god within yourself, have understanding, have truth, and may command through your thought force the true spiritual understanding of all life. It is your defeat that you cannot see the fullness, cannot have total belief in yourself as a tiny atom focused in the nucleus of all creative force.
Excerpt from THE GOD WITHIN, by Elwood Babbitt and Chs. H. Hapgood

Religions of the world have their place in the evolutionary process of all life. Their role is to guide individuals in their spiritual development, and, seen in that perspective, all religions could exert a powerful and positive influence, on all those who are striving to go forward on the spiritual path, but need an incentive, or a motivation, as to the direction they should take.

Although they have an important role to play in today's society, religions are the kindergarten of spirituality. As such, the first Forefathers of Christianity found it necessary to write down directives that would be used, not as mandatory rules or dogmas, but rather as guidelines, in order to bring a certain consistency in the teaching of spiritual truths, and in the thought process of those who gathered around the spiritual teachers.

These directives, or guidelines, have been the foundations of Christian religiosity. However, as the first Church began to organize itself into a coherent structure, it also began to think in terms of materialism. Once again, humanity needed its own Golden Calf. The earlier directives of the first Forefathers wer gradually transformed into laws and dogmas that became the rigid structure of today's Christian religions. The Head of the Church was granted infallibility, and the meetings of the faithful, originally devoted to the study and the practice of Jesus' teachings, became, more and more, the centre of exterior manifestations and lengthy ceremonies, enhanced with costly canonicals and priceless ornaments. And all these were for the purpose of praising Jesus who became the Christ; Jesus who was born in a manger and lived the simple life of a carpenter; Jesus who mingled, not with the Jewish priesthood, but rather with the poor, the sinners and the Samaritans.

Thus, if we follow a logical reasoning, we can see that the rites, and all the materialistic apparatus of today's churches, are more the legacy and the remnants of pagan and monarchical customs of the world, than the logical consequence of Jesus' teachings. He was a simple man, and the story of his life, and his teachings, are in total contradiction with the stately and munificent display of the Church and its leaders, who praise Jesus as the 'only Son of God' when, by birthright, we are all equally Sons and Daughters of God.

The Old Testament gives us a good example of the distortion resulting from a materialistic approach to life:
While Moses was on the mountain, the people, concerned about his prolonged absence, called on Aaron and asked him to give them a God that they could visualize. They felt lost without Moses, and they needed a material representation of God to soothe their fears and their anxiety. And Aaron built them a Golden Calf and all those who had requested it stood around and cried out: 'Here is your God, ô Israel, the God who brought you out of Egypt.' And God said to Moses: 'Go back to your people, for they went astray; they built for themselves a golden calf, and they bowed down to the ground before it. This people is hard-headed. I will show them my anger and I will destroy them. As for you, you will become the father of a great nation. [Exodus 32, 1-10]

Many will refer to the Old Testament as the Book of God, but it is, for the most part, the history book, factual or legendary, of civilizations that existed before the times of Jesus. Although the Leviticus, the Psalms and the Proverbs are a mixture of human and divine (inspired) teachings, many of the other books are the chronicles of these past generations. They were written by chroniclers and scribes of the times, and are, therefore, subject to the biases and limitations of their authors.

In fact, those who wrote the story of mankind in the Old and New Testament, were very circumspect when relating the heroic deeds, or the failures, of their contemporaries. All these stories were, more than often, censored or embellished, to satisfy the whims of the leaders. We have done the same in our own history books and folklore, where indians were the culprits and whites were the good ones. One has but to leaf through the history books of Canada, France, England and the U.S.A. to realize that, more than often, they present a very different point of view of the same event.

Furthermore, many facts and events have been wrapped in symbolism to avoid the wrath and the retaliation of those in power. The prophecies of Nostradamus are a good example, of the indirect means one may use to prophesy, or report facts, that would otherwise be kept secret. This is why, more than four hundred years later, scholars of all countries are still trying to decipher the centuries, and place each quatrain in its historical context.

So, when the Bible reports that Aaron built a Golden Calf for the people, it is more than likely that it represents not one, but thousands of 'golden calves' or idols, identical to those we see in today's churches, where there is a huge display of icons and statues to honor Jesus, or those we call the 'saints' of Christianity.

If we extend it a little further, the Golden Calf may allegorically be an allusion to the materialism of the Israelites, and God's threat (if threat there was) to destroy His people, could well signify, that He would destroy (subdue), not their material life, but the materialism and the hardness of their heart, either through sufferings, or enlightenment. God has never threatened His own creatures, as each of us is an intrinsic part of His Divine Energy. The God who threatens His children, the God who seeks vengeance against the enemy, the God of wrath and the God of fire and brimstone, is only a fabricated God, issued from the fears and the misconceptions of materialistic civilizations, of which we are the offspring.

The Supreme Intelligence we call God, did not care about one, or a thousand, calves. It showed concern, not because the Hebrews had gods, but rather becauseunfor confined themselves within a limited representation of the Deity when Moses had taught the Law of One: that God is the totality of All that is, the Pervading Force of the Universe. All things, animate, or inanimate, sprang from, and are an intrinsic part of, that Creative Energy we call God.

Jesus himself tried to convey these truths, but he was defeated by the materialism of the people, who saw in this spiritual teacher, the Golden Calf (or Personal God) they had been expecting for so long. He also tried to rid religion of the commercialism that had infiltrated the Jewish rites, and when, in a moment of anger, he threw out of the temple the merchants who were selling animals and other offerings to be given in sacrifice, the priesthood went after him, and he had to disappear (decorporate) from their view in order to avoid their wrath, for it was a very lucrative trade, and the priesthood received a substantial share of the profits.

In fact, these trades were so profitable that they have lasted up to our days, and the sale of indulgences, oils, medals and what not, has brought millions into the treasury of the various churches of the world. Were we to denounce this 'materialistic' custom, there would be a general outcry against the fool, who would have the audacity to challenge the churches, as Jesus did, on such an important issue and source of income.

The electronic churches have followed in their footsteps. They have found the horn of plenty through their mailing lists, reaching, this way, millions of viewers who find it very comfortable and convenient to 'save their soul' through a mail order form. The scandals that have erupted in the evangelical circuit, are the consequence of a materialistic religiosity, always prone to destroy its 'golden calves' when they no longer come up to its expectations. The true perpetrators are all those who believe that God can be bought with a piece of silver, and these are the ones responsible for the decline of today's religiosity. Only when we change our own approach to spirituality, will we find the true spiritual leaders that we need, in order to grow in wisdom and awareness.

Religions of the world have lost their true purpose. By accumulating riches, and building monuments to the glory of idols, they have desecrated the sanctity of their own temple, thus replacing the reality of the God within, by the irreality of the gods without. The heads of churches are far from following in Jesus' footsteps. By isolating themselves in their ivory towers of rites and ornaments, they have wrapped religion in a veil of mystery, while at the same time promulgating, or enforcing, laws that limit man's free will and experiences on the earth plane. Churches of the world should have been the leaders in the ways of simplicity, equality and justice. Far from reaching that goal, they are run like any other business of the world. Compared to the slums of our cities, their places of worship are palaces, and their table, a continuous banquet. No one is required to live in poverty, but if religions want to follow in Jesus's footsteps, they will have to live, not their way and their life, but his way and his life.

The problem with accumulating riches is that the more we rely on material things, the less we rely on God's abundance, unless, of course, we make a good use of those riches and become our brother's keeper. Rich or poor, each individual will have to answer for the administration of the talents he has received. Whether it is one, or one thousand, talents, each will be judged according to the way he has administered these talents. All religions should set an example, and rid themselves of all useless treasures that ornate their temples, for God will never allow such a display of riches, as long as there will be mouths to feed and people to clothe. Places of worship should be replaced with housing for the needy , and candles and incense with food for the hungry. There will be ample time to praise the Lord, when hunger and poverty will have disappeared from the face of the earth. 'As you give, so you shall receive.'

Around this admonition of Jesus, revolves a whole panoply of moral and spiritual factors, which, when understood and put into practice, form the basis of what the western world calls 'a Christian life.' However, the word Christian has now lost its true esoteric meaning, as it does not address the issue of universality, but is rather limited to those of the Christian faith, meaning by this, the religions of the western world that derive from the First church of Rome.

Yet, Jesus came to teach universal truths, and these truths are at the root of all religions of the world. Jesus, Buddha, Mahomet, and all other Masters of the past, have all appeared in their specific frame of existence, to teach a fearful humanity, that that we are divine beings, that there is no death, and that the greatest truth is the God within. Truth is Law, and through that Law lies the Salvation of mankind. And the truth will make you free. And truth will always be truth, whether it is conveyed by a Buddhist, a Mahometan, a Hindoustani, or those who call themselves christians.

So, because it is limited to a specific portion of humanity, the word Christian has lost its uniqueness and its universality. Instead of uniting mankind, it has become a stumbling block of intolerance, raising barriers between religions, thus being at the root of many discords, wars and conflicts of all kinds. All those who claim themselves to be christians, because they belong to a specific denomination, are no more than redounding cymbals, when they limit the word to their specific creed, or religion. No one can claim to be a 'true christian,' unless he becomes universal in approach and considers all men and women as the brothers and sisters they are.

There are Christians in all great religions of the world. They can be found amongst Jews, Mahometans, Buddhists and even amongst Atheists. In its esoteric meaning, the word christian means 'christlike' or 'in the manner of Christ', or 'born again of the spirit'. In fact, we are all potential 'human' Christs, regardless of creed, colour, or religion. Through our selfishness, and our rejection of God as being part of us, we have raised, barriers upon barriers, between us and the spiritual world. Once we remove the veil of these limitations, our eyes open, and we become aware that each of us is the Christ, the Lord-God, with dominion over all creation.

Intrinsically, a true christian is not at the service of his church, and neither is he at the service of what he believes to be a 'personal God.' A true christian is at the service of humanity. The church is only the means through which he can accomplish his task, and God has definitely no need of our praise. He has no need of all our exterior rites and manifestations. All He needs is the simple expression of our own humanity, the love and compassion that we should feel for all living structures of the universe. A true christian is at the service of all those who surround him in his, or her, everyday life. Most christians are convinced that they love God, and they proclaim it openly, but they are liars, if they have but a single grudge against even one of God's creatures, because God is all and encompasses all things.

Being a Christian is more than the adherence to a specific church, or the attendance to mass, or other rites. These are only materialistic concerns. Although they may serve the purpose of bringing people together, it is doubtful that all the apparatus and the lengthy ceremonies are celestial music in the ears and the eyes of God. These precious moments should be spent in the teaching and counselling of others, and the repetitive prayers and invocations, are no more than remnants of Old Testament customs and pagan rites, that do not have their place in our more evolved society of the twentieth century.

Attendance to church may have some value, but only if it brings people together in a oneness of purpose. Unfortunately, the ceremonial that surrounds many of these activities, has pushed into the shade the true purpose of church attendance, which is to know each other, exchange ideas and experiences, thus being part of a community that cares, and a group of people that love each other, not on the basis of faith, income, or social rank, but simply because they are, each and every of them, from the same Universal Source.

Prayer is healthy, and praying and thanking God (the God within the self) is not only a religious devotion, but should extend to all activities of life. Prayer is good for the spirit and soul, and we should all pray, not only on Sundays, as it is commonly done, but every day and every hour of the day. Work is a prayer and a praise to the sanctity of the body we wear. Seen in this perspective, our world would become, not the land of war and desolation it is now, but a haven of joy, happiness and eternal youth.

Prayer, true prayer, is from the heart. It has nothing to do with the repetitive utterances that have been echoing in all churches for the past two thousand years. Not that they are unworthy, but they are childhish in approach, and they denote a total misunderstanding of the true nature of God, the God within the self. God is the Father and we are the sons and the daughters. Would we like our sons and daughters to demonstrate their love by reading from a book, or would we rather have them open their hearts to us in all spontaneity and simplicity? Would we like them to praise us constantly, or be active in the task of building their lives? The key word here is EXPRESSION, and expressing ourselves as true sons and true daughters, is the greatest praise we can offer God, and it is, in fact, the only one that He accepts.

Christians who kneel in front of a tabernacle, or Muslims who bow down, turned towards the Mecca, are, in fact, denying their own divinity. The commandment 'to love the Lord your God' is very explicit if we dare to go beyond the concept of a personal God: the Lord-God is the 'I AM' within the body, the expression and individualization of God on the earth plane. Each of us must love, adore, and be totally impregnated with this trinity of body, mind and spirit. To love God is to turn oneself towards that which is the manifestation of divinity on the earth plane, the Divine Flame that dwells in each human form, the Lord-God of the Old and New Testament.

Nowadays, there is an upsurge of 'Christianity' throughout the world, and a profound desire to save humanity. Issued from Catholicism, Protestantism and Anglicanism, small Christian communities have sprung like mushrooms. Gathering in community centres, or small churches, they sing, study the Bible and praise the Lord. They share each other's experiences., but, unfortunately, they also share the biases and misunderstandings of life inherited from society, and reinforced by literal interpretations of the Scriptures. Although their way of life is more in concordance with the directives of the first Christian communities, they, definitely, lack true spiritual wisdom and understanding, and their teachings reflect a materialistic and childish approach to the spirituality of all life.

The emphasis that these new Christians place on the concept of Salvation, has reached unprecedented heights in TV ministries, where the preacher urges people to stand forth, and become instantaneous 'born again' Christians. So many of these people have seen the Lord, and so many have had experiences of illuminations, or visions, that one begins to wonder about the validity of their experiences. When a preacher relates a vision, where God threatens to remove him from the earth plane if money does not come forth, that preacher is not only deluding himself, he is also, (in a material sense only), undermining true spirituality. God has never blackmailed His creatures, and it definitely takes a disturbed mind to pull such a stunt. The threatening and avenging God, and the hell of fire and brimstone, are myths that have been handed down from generation to generation. In this respect, the Bible has had a negative influence on all those who cling to Old Testament's beliefs and teachings, that are, very often, tainted with bias and erroneous conceptions of life.

Jesus himself never asked for money, and there is no report, in the Bible or elsewhere, that he built a temple, a synagogue, or any other house of worship. Whatever the disciples received in terms of money, food, or supplies, was given to the poor. With Jesus they never had to fear scarcity, but, even then, his followers had much trouble dealing with the concept of God's abundance "as you give, so you shall receive!", and they did not understand how Jesus could live on a day to day basis, careless of what tomorrow might bring him.

Money and spirituality do not get along very well, and when mixed together, the consequences are disastrous. TV ministries have been built around the dollar sign, and it has been their downfall. When a preacher spends thirty minutes praising the Lord, and almost as much on appeals of all kinds, one must question the real purpose of that ministry. Unfortunately, today's Christians are all for exterior manifestations of worship, schemes, and abuse of power. It's part of the game, and the greater the goal, the tougher the game, as we have seen with the PTL scandal, where hungry vultures ate their victims alive (the Bakkers), and this in the name of religion. No one has ever seen more hypocrisy than in the evangelic circles. It is appalling to see so many good people literally 'drink' the empty words of many of these 'showmen' who use God, religion, and their fellow-citizens, for the main purpose of making money. Like a serpent, they hypnotize their prey with their threats of fire and brimstone. They galvanize the crowds when they shout: " In the name of Jesus, I command you to walk! In the name of Jesus, you are healed!" They may perform seeming miracles, but their words reverberate in the corridors of their own unbelief. Miracles happen everyday, and there are instantaneous cures all around us. Unfortunately, it is only when they happen on the public scene, that they are recognized as such, and publicized, in order to raise more money. Remember that Jesus said there would be false prophets who would perform 'seeming miracles,' and truly, that prophecy has been realized in our days.

Is it so difficult to understand that God has no need of money; that you cannot purchase a place in heaven; that the more you give to these ministries, the more you encourage their false practices. Instead of sending money to raise th,e lifestyles of these people, give it to the pastor of your own community who will see to it, that the poor are fed and clothed.

True Christians, those centered on the Christ within, never find fault with anyone, they never judge their neighbour, and they never try to force ,on others, their own sets of values and their own perceptions of life, as each of us is a free spirit, expressing, within himself, or herself, that part of God we call individuality.

Being a Christian, is being universal in thought and action, loving the neighbour, the friend, and even the enemy, and accepting all people of all races as true brothers and true sisters of the Universe. We are all on an individual path, a unique experience in the world, and it is to bind all these experiences together in the oneness of life, and recognize that we are all the Sons and Daughters of that Universal Force we call God.

Being a Christian, is expressing, in our life, the total human being that we are, working in accord with the Laws of Order, Balance, Harmony, Growth, God-Perception, Love and Compassion. These laws are immutable, and they supersede all man-made laws. They cannot be falsified, or circumvented,, and, together with the law of Karma, they govern our tridimensional planes, making sure that, as we sow, so shall we reap. It is the only, and surest, way to learn, and eradicate the negativity that has pervaded mankind since the Fall of man.

Religions are not the road to Salvation in the sense that they do not represent the unique means through which one can attain 'Soul Nirvana,' the final reunion with the Godhead. They could become the stepping stone that open our eyes to greater awareness, but to day's religiosity is so engrossed in its exterior manifestations, and its materialistic approach to life, that these have become a hindrance to those who search for a greater reality and a greater expression of themselves.

Although each of them claims to be the true Church, religions are not the Church of Christ, for there is only one Church of Christ, and it is the Christ within the self, ever present, but veiled to our material eyes, because we fail, and fear, to express the true spiritual nature or the God-like qualities that represent our birthright.

Religions of the world should be the guiding light that leads to the true Church of Christ, an oasis for all those who thirst for understanding, but cannot find, within themselves, the inner road leading to the discovery, or the unveiling, of their true spiritual nature. The role of religions is to give expression to spiritual truths, without any bias, and without any kind of restriction, or intolerance, concerning the mental and spiritual behavior of the individual.

Since the beginning of Christianity, missionaries have taught the Word of God, to natives of, what we call, the underdeveloped countries of the world. These devoted and sincere missionaries have brought them our concept of Christianity, replacing their incantations and ritualistic dances with our own ritualistic invocations, icons, medals and ceremonies, and, unfortunately, our own biases and dogmas with regard to life and spirituality.

If we take a closer look, we realize that these natives are much more in communion with nature than we are, and in the simple expression of their life, they believe in a close relationship between man and a Superior Being, whatever form it may take in their mind. It was good to bring them the Word of God. Unfortunately, we have also brought them a materialistic concept of Christianity, the Golden Calf of our fears, anxieties and doubts regarding the physical expression of our spiritual nature. From a spiritual point of view, the dances of the natives, and their rituals, are certainly as valid as the processions and rituals of our churches of the world, as they both aim at the same goal, which is to bring down God's blessings on those who perform these rites, and where the natives will use amulets and magic potions to drive away the 'bad spirits', the churches will use oil and incense for the same purpose.

These kindergarten toys may help the neophyte for a while, and create a favorable atmosphere that will enhance and strengthen his own approach to spirituality. However, these are but crutches, and humanity will eventually forsake all these exterior signs of worship, and express in all simplicity, and in communion with nature, the individuality of man and woman in the world. Humanity must bow, not to the golden calves of materialism, but to the Divine Spark, the Flame that burns in everyone of us, the Life Force that makes us co-creators with that Supreme Energy we call God.

Fear is a negative attitude, and the 'fear of losing our soul,' that has been magnified by an orthodox religiosity, is a total misunderstanding of the relationship that exists between man and His creator. First, what we call the soul, is only the sum of all the lives and experiences we have had, and will have, in the many mansions of God. It cannot be 'lost' for it is forever imprinted on the ethereal substance of the universe. These lives and experiences will remain eternally in the akashic records, constant reminders of our progression towards perfection.

To explain it a little further, let us say that the soul is the individualized expression of the spirit acting as a co-creator with God, while the spirit is the individualized expression of the macrocosm, or Life Force, we call God. Thus, the soul refer to all the individualities we have been, and will be, in an infinite present. When religions talk about the 'soul,' they refer to the spirit of man, and, even in this sense, no one can lose his soul, for it is an intrinsic part of God.

If, according to religions, 'saving our soul' means saving it from the fire and brimstone that supposedly awaits us in the after-life, then, we are in for a big surprise, as there are no devils awaiting us but the devils of our own thoughts and our own wrongdoings. There is no fire and brimstone, but there is definitely the fire of anguish, regret, anger and unfulfilled desires, that will burn indefinitely in our spirit and soul. It will be so, until the time we can finally extinguish it with the waters of love and compassion, that gush forth constantly from the inexhaustible reservoir of the God within.

Being the sum of all the lives we have lived, the soul cannot be lost, but it can progress, or regress, according to the gains and the losses of each of the lives we experience on the physical planes. Seen in this perspective, 'saving our soul really means, living the present life in such a way, that it becomes a stepping stone to the state of mind called perfection, and not a stumbling block of negativity where the soul loses the spiritual opportunities of that life, consequence of which, the spirit will have to start that life all over again. So, the individual never loses his or her soul, but the soul loses the gains, or opportunities, of that life.

Whether we call it the soul, or the spirit, or both, the fact remains that the individuality we are is One with all creation, and each of us is, indeed, God. As most religions of the world teach that God has no beginning and no end, and is immortal, it logically ensues that the spirit, or soul, being the individualized expression of God in all worlds and all lives, is as immortal as the Universal Energy it represents. So, it cannot be destroyed, and we cannot, at least in this sense, lose our soul.

Furthermore, 'saving our soul' is not an end in itself. Isn't it Jesus who said: "Whoever wants to save his soul will lose it!" The emphasis must be placed, not on saving our soul, but on living our material life in such a way, that it spontaneously lifts all these various personifications of the spirit the soul represents, and gradually brings all of them in atonement (the karmic balance) with the Creative Force of all life, the Christ within each of us. We must live our life in such a way that it radiates our God-like qualities, thus lifting all those who are also striving to develop and understand their human and divine nature. It is in this sense, that we are 'saving our soul'. It is in this sense that we are truly our brother's keeper. In a cosmic sense of eternal present, all spirits are saved ,and are on their way back (the Prodigal Sons) to the Godhead. It may take one, or a thousand, or a million years, but we will all, eventually, evolve into the Higher Circles of Life, to become, at last, in atonement with the First Principle of Life from which we sprang.

The belief in a future heaven of bliss and happiness, and in a hell of fire and brimstone, stems from a misconception of the evolutionary process of all life. By veiling the importance and influence of past and future lives on the present one, religions have misconstrued spiritual truths and deprived mankind of its most important piece on the chessboard of life.

Heaven and hell are states of mind. Heaven and hell are here and now. They are constant, and they are as much a part of us, as we are a part of them. Heaven and hell are not places prepared for us by a benevolent, or avenging God, but states of mind that we grow to, or become aware of, and if you are blissfully happy at the present time, you are experiencing heaven, just as much as you are experiencing hell, when you are so unhappy that you want to die.

We are the creators of our own heaven and hell, and we must live the present life, not in the hope of a future heaven, but in such a way , that it becomes a heaven for us, and for all those surrounding us in our life. We must strive to erase all negative thoughts and attitudes, the selfishness, egotism and intolerance that are the cause of hate, greed, lust, envy, pride, covetousness and sloth, which, in turn, bring wars and famine throughout the world. We must endeavour to create, not a far in the future heaven, but a heaven on earth, here and now.

Dogmas and the Sacraments, have given the Church a strong hold over the access to Life Everlasting, and catholics consider church baptism an essential tenet of their religion. They were taught, and they firmly believe, that it is the key to what they call Salvation, or Paradise. Baptism, that is, church baptism, is not a pre-requisite to salvation and enlightenment, and neither is it the key that will open the door to the state of mind called Heaven. However, if well understood, it is, or should be, a recognition that we are spiritual beings; that we, the Sons, through the Holy Spirit (the Spiritual Energy in motion), recognize our kinship with the Father. It is, indeed, the Baptism of the spirit, and it should be received, not at birth, but at such a time, when the individual fully recognizes the divine implications it entails, and is aware of his, or her, mission in the world, at the service of humanity. Baptism of the spirit is Illumination.

Thus Jesus, having been illuminated, and being aware of his own mission in the world, accepted water baptism from John, to symbolize the end of the old ways, and the beginning of a New Age of spiritual understanding. This New Age would lead to the spiritual Renaissance of the next age of Aquarius that has just begun, which, in time, will herald the Baptism of the Spirit.

In the same manner that, in the schools of life, graduation recognizes our efforts, not at the beginning but at the end of our studies, so Baptism of the Spirit recognizes our spiritual efforts, and graduates our spirit, soul, and body, to the spiritual school of all life, where we become aware of our ultimate mission in the world.

Whether we receive church baptism, or not, will not alter the fact, that we will all eventually find ourselves in the same transitory world (the astral), when we depart from the physical life. There will be no admission fee, and no segregation of race, color or religion. There will be no guardian at the gate, and no God sitting on a throne. In this transitional world, we will find Jews, Catholics, Protestants, Buddhists and atheists, and there will be those of the white, red, yellow, brown and black races. Those who, in their righteousness, feel they deserve a better place, or a better condition, than the others, will be surprised to realize that there is no judge awaiting them; that they are their own judge and jury, and they will eventually find themselves in the place, or state of mind, they have prepared for themselves while on the earth plane. As Jesus repeated so often: 'The first will be the last.'

When Jesus shared the bread and wine with the disciples, he was not establish a new rite, or instituting a Sacrament, but merely explaining the interrelationship that exists between the physical and ethereal body: the bread representing the physical body, and the wine, the etheric body that flows over the blood stream of the body. He simply asked his disciples to remember how he gave of himself, how he shared the bread and wine of his own spirit to enlighten mankind; to remember that the multiplication of the bread and fishes which he gave the multitudes were the workings of natural laws, which, when understood, would allow them to manifest whatever they wanted from the Universal Substance, and perform the same so-called 'miracles'.

Eucharist, or Communion, is a mandatory rite, and an intrinsic part of the Church's doctrine. Although it stems from a materialistic concept of the Deity, it remains nevertheless a symbolic gesture for those who observe this rite. However, in order to retain its spiritual value, the Host should be a reminder that the Christ spirit is an intrinsic part of the human form. Instead of representing the body and blood of Jesus, (which is a form of idolatry) it should be a reminder that, just as the physical body needs food in order to sustain physical life, so does the soul need spiritual food in order to sustain its continuous progression towards the Godhead. Communion may possibly enhance concentration and meditation, but it is, by no means, a necessity, and, whether we receive it, or not, does not alter, or diminish, our own approach to life, and our own spirituality. All these visible means of worship, are but crutches that religiosity will eventually have to forsake, if it ever wants to progress spiritually. We are unique individuals in the world. We develop at our own pace, and through the means that are more conducive to our own inner development.

The Sacrament of penance is surely another misinterpretation of Jesus' teachings, for it is an insult to the spirit of man, and the worst deterrent to spiritual development. Spiritually, the concept of 'sin' is a total misunderstanding of the law of cause and effect, or karma, which states (even in the Bible) that 'as you sow, so shall you reap.' We have been given dominion over all creation, and free-will to experience materiality, as long as we conform to the laws of creation and procreation. The autonomous system that we are is a replica of the universe, and, as such, it has its own laws and its own system of retribution. Each mistake, as well as each good deed (the cause), is indelibly recorded in the ethers. In due time, it triggers a mechanism of retribution (the effect), so that all actions are eventually accounted for in a present, past, or future life. And one has but to look at the many diseases of mind and body in the world, to realize that the law of karma is immutable ,and that, indeed, we reap what we sow.

Thus, the spirit has no need of such a 'palliative' or instantaneous 'sin eraser', as confession, as each individual answers only to himself. On earth as in all the galaxies of life, no one is allowed to stand in judgment of another individual's spiritual behavior. No one should be subjected to the humiliation of confessing what is erroneously called 'a sin'. It is an intrusion in God's affairs, and the saying of Jesus "Render unto Caesar what is Caesar, and unto God what is God's," finds here its true meaning and application. And, instead of feeling guilty of 'sins' that are, in fact, shortcomings and errors that we all make along the highway of life, one should start the day, any day, with a clean slate, absorbing, and making the most of all previous experiences, good or bad. We are gods, we sit on our own throne of judgment, and this is a judge we cannot fool.

In the same manner, the Last Rites are used as a means to soothe the fear and the anxiety of the dying, who have been conditioned in such a way that they are terrified at the idea of leaving this world without some kind of religious talisman, or passport to heaven. Because of their upbringing, they look upon these rites as a necessity, or a magic formula, that will erase the slate, and open the door to Life Everlasting.There is, unfortunately, no magic formula. Although the rite may soothe the fears and anxieties of the individual, and bring him temporary peace, it is, by no means, a door opener, and there are no short cuts to the state of mind called Heaven, or Paradise. Everything is accounted for in the great beyond. What is called grace, is only the recognition of our own shortcomings, and the intense desire to become a better person, in this, or a future life. In that sense we become our own savior. No one should fear death. There is no death. There is only constant rebirth, and one should welcome each rebirth as an extension of his, or her, former selves, an opportunity to progress ever higher, or inward, into the Circles of Life.

The belief that Jesus said the first mass, stems from the materialistic concept that the supper where he shared the bread and wine with his disciples, was in fact the first mass of Christianity. This belief was reinforced, when, in a Council of the Church, it was stated that Jesus was the Only Son of God and the Savior of the world, thus giving birth to the greatest demonstration of worship since the Golden Calf. Mass has become the center of Church's doctrine, and it truly exemplifies the need of humanity to rely on visible manifestations of worship, and its craving for a personal God, who can soothe its fears and ratify its misconceptions of life. It is, however, a personal experience for those of the Christian faith. All life experiences are valid, and, although it is not of the enlightenment, even church rites are part of the evolutionary process of life, as they were the stepping stones of the Age of the Fish, which lead to the greater awareness of the Age of Aquarious which is now dawning upon us.

Again, all this may look like a sacrilegious attempt to sap Christianity, but only because Christians are convinced that Jesus is the founder of the Church, as it stands to day, with all its rites, ceremonies, and invocations. In reality, except for some of his teachings that are still part of the doctrine, Jesus has nothing to do with the pomp and the complicated apparatus of the Church. Rituals are of pagan origin. They are definitely not the legacy of the first Fathers of the Church, whose main concern was the teaching of spiritual truths and the betterment of mankind.

The rites are the direct consequence of evangelization, for, as christianity set out to evangelize the pagan world, it could not but borrow, for obvious reasons, from the many cults and pagan customs that were prevalent in those days. For example, the idea of a savior was not new, and many pagan deities were considered as saviors of humanity . The Jews of the times of Jesus, expected a savior who could free them from the bondage of Rome, not a Savior-God who could erase their sins. Their Messiah was a messenger from God, not a Deity. So, even though Jesus is the first begotten Son of God, he is, by no means, the savior of humanity, as no one can atone for the sins of others. The first Christians knew nothing about a savior. They knew only Jesus the teacher, the Enlightened One. It is much later, at the fourth century's Council of Nicaea, that he became the Son of God and the Savior of mankind, thus supplanting Mithras, Adonis and Osiris, the pagan deities who were also considered as saviors of humanity. The Sacraments themselves may have been borrowed from pagan customs.

In 'The Meaning of The Dead Sea Scrolls' by A. Powell Davies, we find:
It was when Christianity spread out into the Pagan world that the idea of Jesus as a Savior God emerged. This idea was patterned on those already existing, especially upon Mithras. It was the birthday of Mithras, the 25th of December (the winter solstice) that was taken over by the Pagan Christians to be the birthday of Jesus...In these cult, were found the same sacrements later to be called Christian. The Last Supper (Eucharist) belonged to Mithraism, from whence it was borrowed to combine with the sacred meal of Palestinian Christianity. Not only sacraments, but concepts such as 'the blood and the lamb' (or of Taurus the Bull) were likewise taken from Mithraism. And not only cultists concepts, but ethical teachings, too, were absorbed from the cults which entered into Christianity.

The pomp that surrounds all these various rites, is another proof they do not originate from Jesus, who would never have approved of such a display of power and munificence. Worshipping of idols is now a thing of the past. Just think of all the things that could be done, if all these rites were replaced by a new form of worship, the worship of the God within the form, thus giving birth to a new humanity, not the humanity of egotism and intolerance we now have, but a humanity that cares for each other, a humanity of love and brotherhood.

In Christian teachings, there is a greater emphasis placed on Jesus' crucifixion than on his teachings. The Church even consecrates a period of Lent, and a whole week, to commemorate his death that, according to the doctrine, he accepted to save humanity. Remember that, in those days, crucifixion was the capital punishment, and many died on the cross. If it did occur as stated, the death of Jesus did not have the impact that was felt later on, when it was promulgated in a council of the Church that he was the only Son of God and the Savior of the world who, through his death, erased the sins of the world.

Thus, Jesus became the scapegoat, the Lamb offered in sacrifice for the redemption of humanity. Yet, his defeat was to be considered as a Savior and a Unique Son of God, for he knew that all his teachings made sense, only if we accepted him as the simple man and the teacher he was, and not as a unique Son of God.How can we pretend to do greater things than someone we consider as a Unique Son of God? Didn't Jesus say:

I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. [John 14: 12]

On the other hand, if we recognize that Jesus was a human being of flesh and blood who, through intense development, became a Christ of God, then there is hope for all mankind, and we can all, as he did, become enlightened human beings. We can all express the same God-like qualities of the Christ of God we were, in the beginning of creativity. The fact that Christian religions represent Jesus as the only Son of God, one of a kind in a Trinity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, is, again, a misinterpretation of the Scriptures, which meant to represent the Oneness of All Life. In TALKS WITH CHRIST, by Elwood Babbitt, the Trinity is thus defined:

The trinity represents the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost: the Father being the Creative Force of All Life which you call God; the Son representing each individual as a Son of All Creative Energy, with the same equality, understanding, and ability, to direct all spiritual creative forces into the full balance of life; and the Holy Ghost, as the etheric, or spiritual garment, worn by all things which makes possible the flow of life that is felt and known throughout all living structures.

Such a Trinity makes sense. The Trinity of the Father who keeps a tight rein on His flock, the Son who gives his life to save the world, and the Holy Ghost who gives sudden enlightenment to the disciples are all misconceptions of the relationship that exist between God and His creatures. And it all comes back to the fundamental truth: the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost are within the self, incorporated in the body, mind, spirit which becomes, when in total balance, the God that we are searching for.

In order to keep their flock under tight reins, churches of the world have emphasized the importance and the necessity of religious rites and ceremonies. By promulgating laws, and instituting sacraments to stimulate people's faith, and give them an incentive to remain in the bosom of the church, they have taken the longest road to God, supplying crutches to otherwise healthy spiritual beings.

Furthermore, by granting infallibility to a man, the Church has placed a heavy burden on one individual, and enormously increased the danger of spiritual chaos. This was shown in the schisms that shook its powerful structure, and divided Christianity into numerous denominations, that suddenly became, each of them, individually, the true champion of the Christian Faith. We have created a society of worshippers, who truly feel, within themselves, that they must absolutely praise a Lord high above, and soothe Him with prayers, supplications, and materialistic demonstrations of piety. All that is required of us is that we love and serve each other, recognizing that we are in the Father, as the Father is within each and every one of us.

The New Age that dawns upon us is, indeed, the age of transformation. The Age of the Fish, that saw the appearance of the prophet Jesus, was the beginning of this transformation, and even though their rites and exterior manifestations are not of the enlightenment, churches were the logical outcome of that transformation. What is important is that the seed of truth has been planted in the minds of earth people, and it does not matter that it took two thousand years to grow. What matters is that this seed of truth has now grown into a tree of life, that extends, not only throughout the world, but throughout all the galaxies of life. The rites and ceremonies of religions, were the kindergarten toys that humanity used to understand the concept of unity and purpose. They have kept mankind afloat on the rough waters of life. Now that we begin to understand the concept of creativity, now that we have raised above the conception of a personal God, we have no need of tangible expressions of worship and love, for we know, that the God we worship and love, is not a God far out in the sky, but a loving Father hidden within the temple of the body.

This clarification on Sacraments and church doctrine was made, so that all those who left the church do not feel lost or deserted by their God, because, wherever they are, He is always there in the Temple of the body, ever loving and forgiving, always ready to greet and comfort all His children. Although it may seem harsh towards the Church and other religions of the world, this chapter is not an attempt to undermine religiosity, It tries to show that, beyond these doctrinal differences that divide Christianity, there is a oneness of purpose in the search for God. The main purpose, here, is to bring home the fact, well established in the Bible, that Jesus did not institute anything but the Sacrament of Love, Understanding and Compassion, at the service of humanity, He simply reminded the disciples that the laws given to Moses were meant for the spirit of man, and were not to be used as scarecrows to keep a tight rein on humanity.

Of its own volition, and possibly in good faith, the Church instituted the Sacraments in the hope it would strenghten the faith of the people, and give them the incentives to carry on with what they felt was their religious duties. If we look at it closely, we realize that all these various rites, mandatory or not, are but hypnotic processes, designed to reinforce the doctrines of the world. In the course of centuries, they have become powerful tools that churches use, and not sparingly, to control their flock. This may have stemmed from a genuine desire to please a benevolent, or avenging God, but, in the process, man has, unfortunately, erected a Golden Calf, by glorifying the idol rather than exalting the ideal.

Thus, in his desire to please what he considered a God of wrath and vengeance, man has estranged himself from his own inner and divine nature. Governed by fear, such a limited religiosity has led to flagrant injustices and persecutions ,where the Church chased without respite all those who did not comply with its rules. The days of the Inquisition are things of the past, but there are still people who would do anything in the name of religion. If humanity does not come out of its apathy, these atrocities may well repeat themselves in a near future. No one can coerce the Divinity that resides in the human body. Until it recognizes that Divinity, humanity will cling to the human gods, idols and rituals, to soothe its anxieties and its fear of the unknown, using these as a shield, against all the devils of its negative thoughts and ideas, with regard to the evolutionary process of all life.

Jesus taught the Law of 'Love one another, and Love the God within the self,' that supersedes all other laws. If, instead of being hailed as a unique Son of God who looks down on us, and a savior who took on his shoulders the sins of the world, he had been listened to, the world would now be free of wars, famines and upheavals. A whole new race would have replaced the decadent societies of the past, and the earth would be, once again, the Garden of Eden it was in the beginning.

Unfortunately, humanity has not learned its lessons, and, forgetting the Law of Love, it has fallen back into its old ways, habits, and materialistic concerns. In the past fifteen centuries, religions have confined themselves within an orthodoxy of stagnation, clinging to their idols as one clings to a lifebelt. They have lost sight of humanity's true purpose on earth, purpose that can be resumed in just one word, EXPRESSION: the expression of our own individuality, our divinity and our alliance and covenant with God, as sons and daughters, and co-creators with Him.

All the Masters who visited us, and that includes Jesus the greatest of all, came in concern of our spiritual welfare, but they were all defeated by the materialism that has pervaded mankind for so many thousands of years. The decay of the Roman empire, the Inquisition, the two World Wars , the cold war, and all the small wars that break out all over the worldt; the earthquakes, the famines, the natural cataclysms and the breach in the ozone layers of the athmosphere, these are all signs that we are now at the dawn of a period of hardships that will be necessary to erase the negativity of the planet. The oppressor is everywhere on the face of the earth, but the most despicable and dangerous oppressors, are those who do not allow human beings the freedom of their own individuality and their own expression in the world. Destroying the body is worst enough, but destroying the spirit of man, is the ultimate 'sin,' as it may take years and centuries, even in the astral, to erase the negative effects of all these religious crusades that are fought in the name of God.

Spiritual teachers will be here, to bring help during the changes. These teachers will not be prominent figures. They will not build churches, or towering monuments. They will not raise huge sums of money for their own aggrandizement, or material purposes. They will not be scholars, for their teachings are not of this world. They do not come to establish a new religion, or a new cult. They come to lay the foundations of a new Christianity of love and understanding throughout the world, a Christianity devoid of all orthodoxy, where all religions will join to establish the spiritual Church that was spoken about by the greatest of the prophets, a simple man named Jesus. Pay heed to the teachings of these masters, and open your minds, as the Christ Spirit will invade the earth and the heart of all those who will be ready to accept Its transformational vibrations, thus giving birth to a new race of spiritual beings.

Listen to them, for they have come to prepare the way for the New Age and the New Renaissance, and humanity is now in the throes of a very painful birthing process, that will open the doors to Life Everlasting, here and now.