CHAPTER FIVE

RELIGION
Religion as defined in the World Book Dictionary:
1. A belief in God or gods.
2. Worship of God or gods.
3. A particular system of religious belief and worship.
4. A matter of conscience.

Spirituality as defined in the World Book Dictionary
1. Having to do with the spirit or soul.
2. Caring much for the things of the spirit or soul.
3. Of or having to do with spirits
4. Having to do with belonging to a church
5. A devotion to spiritual instead of worldly things
6. The fact or quality of being spiritual being neither corporeal nor material.

Number of people on the planet who believe in organized religions:

Christian 1,965,993,000
Catholics 100,000,000
Muslim 1,179,326,000
Hindu 767,424,000
Buddhist 356,875,000
Tribal 244,164,000
New 99,191,000
Sikh 22,874,000
Daoist 20,050,000
Jewish 13,800,000
Confucius 5,067,000
Shinto 3,571,000
Parsi 479,991
Total believers: 4,493,864,991
Non-Religion 766,572,990
Atheist 146,499,019

The enigma of religion is that if there are 4,693,864,991* people in the world who according to the above definitions practice a specific organized religion, how is it that constant war, not peace has been practiced for at least 15,000 years? Logic dictates that this total, far out-number those who do not practice, so there must be a reason that religious people condone war. Is it possible that church leaders and governments are the killers and the public is so mesmerized or indoctrinated that they blindly follow or lack the courage to protest? Do they believe that it is the will of God to bring death and destruction to each other? If practitioners believe God is merciful, just and wise, how then do they use His name to justify violence?
All organized religions provide leaders to assist or intervene in communication with God. They also apply specific rules as to how to communicate with God in accordance with their interpretation of the rituals in their scriptures. However, very few religions allow their followers to choose or remove their leaders, whose judgment must be trusted without objection. We will analyze the above definitions, to determine whether a clear understanding of the differences can lead to a method of emphasizing the practice of love, compassion, and human kindness as the best approach to eliminate violence, and to work for peace.
The history of religion could well shed light on whether or not established religion has been more harmful to humanity, than if mankind was left to practice human kindness to satisfy the innate spirit. This would involve direct communication with God without ancient dogma, distorted treatises, ritual and instruction as to the best way to make contact. In fact, a trend is already starting with home-church, similar to home-schooling.
The fundamental truth of Judaism, Christianity and Islam is the belief in the One God theology and that they are descended from the Prophet Abraham. The fatal difference is that two-thousand years ago, Christians added Jesus Christ, not as a prophet but as the Son of God, thus violating Judaism and Islam’s belief in One God. Because of this one difference, believers have been killing each other with extreme violence and cruelty in so-called “Just” wars. An enigma is that there has been two-thousand years of controversy regarding the history of Jesus as a man or as a God.
The third definition of religion as a particular system is correct as far as it goes. What should be added is the truth about how religious leaders dictate the right way to worship.
When people first came together to try to understand the mystery of their surroundings, how life and death occurs, they started the belief in an unseen creative force that later was identified as "God." There were special rules to follow in order to gain favor with this Creator
Different ways were found to accomplish this and in order to be special, various leaders made up rituals and explanations so that everyone could be taught to be worthy of favor. That belief became so strong that they felt everyone should follow exactly as directed. This caused the separation of different beliefs or "religions" and with it came intolerance, chaos, hatred and war.
Changes that are desperately needed are attitudes of true tolerance and respect, whether or not there is agreement as to the creeds and tenets of the various beliefs. Most believers agree that One God is the Creator, and, truly spiritual followers in the New Thought movement have been saying for over a hundred years, "One God, many paths."
It is the second part of religion that fanatical thinking emerges, which is in the methods of rituals, the way we communicate with God, belief in specific Prophets, belief in a Son of God, and belief in Saints. There are different rules for decorating the church altar, specific rules for actions and classifications of sins. Almost all religions, except Buddhism, Jainism and Hinduism believe in Heaven. Christians and Muslims claim they know the way to Heaven, but have yet to behave in a manner to insure acceptance if they get there.
The differing power of church leaders, from monarchs to a Pope, to Cardinals, Bishops, Priests, Ministers, Rabbis and Caliphs is one of the causes of all of the chaos and unspeakable brutality. They enjoy their power and instead of teaching and practicing true spirituality, tolerance and respect, they strive to raise and maintain their positions by sanctioning “just” wars and jihads.
The most devastating wars have been those to force changes in rituals that do not mirror their own. What a terrible price to pay for such insignificant acts.
Buddhists, Jainists and Quakers are the only faiths that have made the attainment of permanent peace a vital part of their doctrine. There is a subtle movement of believers towards adding other doctrine to their creed, humorously identified as Jew-Budd or Buddish, and adopting the theory of Forgiveness as a Healer, presented by Gerald G. Jampolski, M.D. and Diane V. Cirincione, Ph.D; and Conscious Evolution of Barbara Marx Hubbard.
Divisiveness within the same religion was seen early on in history and much suffering could have been prevented had emperors and religious leaders not lusted for extreme power and wealth. Prior to the one God theology, ancient civilizations believed in different gods to take care of all needs from kitchen gods to sex goddesses, which might explain why there were fewer wars.

JUDAISM

The written theology of One God started with Hebrews in the development of Judaism nearly four-thousand years ago. Hebrew Scriptures provide the stories about people and God, and precise law as to how to behave. It evolved into various sects. They were Zealots and Zadokites descended from King David, who lived near Qumran where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found, and Pharisees, Essenes, Sadducees, Mystics and more.
Judaism prohibits proselytizing, so it is unlikely they started wars to force others to worship in the same way. They defended themselves against Syrians, and later countless times against Christians, relentless Roman wars and the final destruction of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem, in 70 AD. Jews were expelled from Jerusalem and not permitted to reenter.
They moved to Egypt and joined a large community of some 300,000 Jews already established and somewhat influential. Israel had been part of the Ptolemaic empire in the 7th century BCE. They assimilated and learned Greek culture and language. Services in the synagogue were conducted in Greek. Two Jewish generals were in the army of Cleopatra III and Jewish soldiers served the pharaohs. Egypt had removed the border between Israel from 302 BCE to 198 BCE (yes, this can be done in this age to save the planet).
Therapeutae, a Jewish mystic sect founded in Egypt, did not need a temple in which to worship. They prayed at dawn and dusk and every seventh day heard talks from senior members and prayed together outdoors. Every fifty days they had a festival of simple food, prayers and formed a choir of men and women to sing psalms, just as they do today. Their tradition of Jubilee every 50-years includes forgiving all debts, as instructed by God, "to return every man unto his possessions."
The Jewish Temple of Yawheh was built on Elephantine Island in the Nile at Aswan. The town was destroyed 400 BCE., was rebuilt and again destroyed. A second temple built by Osiias III or IV in Egypt was kept almost secret, to avoid any quarrels with supporters of the Temple in Jerusalem. It was led by the Zadokites, descendants of King David, who were sons of the true Levitical priests. The site Tell el-hehudieh known as the Mound of Judaea, is 20 miles from Cairo. It is expected to be covered over soon with the expansion of a nearby suburb, Shibin al Qabatur. It was on the road from Judaea to Heliopolis which is the site of the Cairo airport. It is important to note the location of a functioning temple in Egypt during Jesus’ lifetime.
Judaism continues despite expulsion from England, European countries, pograms in Russia, genocide in the German holocaust, individual acts of anti-semitism in the U.S. and Arab suicide bombers in Israel. The division in ritual further evolved into Orthodox, (strict interpretation of the Hebrew Scriptures), Hasidic, Conservative, Reform, Messianic and Revisionists.

CHRISTIANITY

Christianity's path originated with Jesus, a devout Jew, who came to Jerusalem two days before Passover as the Messiah. A seemingly innocuous question as to whether or not he was anointed before entering Jerusalem has created centuries of controversy and chaos. The differing versions of the history of Jesus the man and Jesus the Son of God has complicated understanding of straightforward doctrine. The different versions evolved into intolerance, then hatred, then violence. Jewish followers of Jesus along with non-Jews known as Gentiles, established Christianity two thousand years ago. From that time to this, relentless wars have been waged.
In 325 A.D. Roman Emperor Constantine convened the Council of Nicaea and the divinity of Jesus was made official. Christians added the New Testament according to the gospels of disciples Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John completed in 300 A.D. There are no documents that confirm that Jesus said he was the Son of God. Hebrew Scriptures were retained which are now referred to by Christians as the Old Testament. Jews and Christians both held that worship of God outside their respective churches and synagogues was idolatry.
Later in history, Christians divided into different practices which now consist of Roman Catholic, Protestant, Methodist, Baptist, Lutheran, Episcopalian, Presbyterian, Evangelical, Jehovah Witnesses, Seventh Day Adventist, Pentecostal, Mennonite, Unitarian, Religious Science, New Thought and smaller sects of these divisions.
Recent books promulgate thought-provoking and belief-shattering new information according to newly discovered documents. A whole new profile of Jesus refutes Judas' role in the betrayal of Jesus. The document discovered some ten years ago and recently made public states that Jesus gave clear instructions to Judas to betray him so that he could leave his mortal life. A new book, The Gospel of Judas describes an entirely different history of Judas, not as a betrayer, but as Jesus' friend.
The gospel of Judas describes this conversation with Jesus, "I know who you are and where you have come from. You are from the immortal realm of Barbelo and I am not worthy to utter the name of the one who has sent you." Barbelo is the exalted realm of the divine, beyond this world who often assumes the role of our Mother in Heaven (from Sethian Texts), 'Barbelo' is said to be derived from Hebrew - four is arba, god is el. It is said she conceived from God, in pure light and the Supreme Triad is Mother, Father, Child.
A few weeks later a new debate about a completely different role for Jesus appears April 17, 2006 in U.S. News and World Report. James Tabor, a professor of religious studies at the University of North Carolina says, “Jesus in partnership with his cousin John the baptizer, saw himself as the founder not of a new religion but of a worldly royal dynasty as descendants of King David.” Tabor said it was supposed to occur during their time of life, and that Jesus had established a provisional government with 12 tribal officials and named his brother James, not Peter, as his successor. James later did become the leader of the early Christian movement.
A fictional book by Dan Brown made into a movie recently, The DaVinci Code is the inference that Jesus and Mary Magdalene married which is offensive to Catholic leaders. They urged people to boycott the film, which only added to record-breaking box-office receipts.
Now, in 2006 comes a definitive new book The Jesus Papers by Michael Baigent, author of Holy Blood, Holy Grail who charged Dan Brown in court with plagiarism regarding his fictional plot in the DaVinci Code. Baigent fills in the time that is unaccounted for in Jesus’ life; his teen years and as a young man. The family plan was to move to Egypt so that Jesus could study Judaism and learn what it meant to be a messiah of Israel. As noted above there was a functioning temple and a large, influential Jewish community.
It begs the question as to whether the Therapeuatae mystics who were descended from King David, could have been the source of Jesus’ study of the Egyptian Far-World which they believed existed along with the world of the living. Is this where the idea of resurrection took hold?
Baigent makes an astounding case against the divinity of Christ. None of the early versions or gospels mention a virgin birth. He makes the case that Mary Magdalene as Jesus’ wife could have anointed him. In Jesus's time it was a Jewish man's unconditional duty to marry. If he had been unmarried it could have been used against his teachings.
Margaret Starbird in her book, The Woman with the Alabaster Jar, says that it was prophesyzed that Mary would be given sovereignty and royal power over the House of Israel, and as the wife of Jesus was known as ‘Mary the Great,” which coincides with Tabor's view of Jesus' coming to be King of Israel.
Baigent states that Dr. Douglas Bartlett of Oxfordshire, England in 1982 told him of a manuscript providing proof that Jesus survived the crucifixion and was still alive in 45 A.D. Supposedly Jesus was given a sedative before the crucifixion made of opium, belladonna and hashish known then as an anesthetic.
In the gospel of Mark, Joseph of Arimethea was said to have gone to Pilate to request the body of Christ. According to the gospels of Luke and Mark, the wealthy and influential Joseph, who with Nicodemus, quickly removed Jesus from the cross and brought Him to the nearby tomb which was owned by Joseph. They returned late that night and brought spices, myrrh and aloes. None of these items was known to be used in embalming. Mary Magdalene and Mary, “mother of James”, came to the tomb after the Sabbath with spices and ointments. Mary Magdalene disappears from history after the crucifixion. We are to understand that Jesus ascended to Heaven, but Baigent says the family fled into Egypt and then departed a few weeks later for an old Jewish community in the town of Narbonne, France.
. Other writers and archaeologists also have hinted at the inaccurate history of Jesus as the Son of God, and the Vatican’s attempts to deny other versions of Jesus as a man, causing researchers to search for other sources.
A very important discovery of jars in Nag Hammadi Egypt in 1945, contained previously unknown gospels about Jesus' teachings in different words from those of the New Testament. Researchers trust the authenticity of documents such as the Dead Sea Scrolls found in Qumran in 1947 that are original and untouched by leaders of opposing religions. Countless documents worth millions of dollars are held in private collections, in various museums, universities, monasteries and in the Vatican library which is the guardian of teachings about Jesus. It is a mystery that no documents written by Jesus himself have been discovered. As a teacher is it possible that he could not write or cause his dogma to be written?
Baigent makes no pretense of trusting the Vatican as guardian of documents that do not agree with their accepted doctrine. He clearly states that the Jesus tradition is Jewish, the Christ myth is not. He says that the Vatican maintains its position through suppression and manipulation of expression. He thinks, "at some state the pressure will become too much and the entire construction will collapse under the weight of erroneous assumptions, blatant untruths and deliberate misreadings."
He points to the first record of 386 A.D., when Pope Damasus I orders his secretary to revise the text of the Bible to support his claim that the 'apostolic see' is a continuous descent from the apostles. In 367 A.D. Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria, declares that all non-canonical books in Egypt be destroyed.
In 1902 Pope Leo XIII established the Pontifical Biblical Commission to control the work of theologists. This commission was linked to the Inquisition of the 12th century that acted as an investigatory body and then became the executioners of heretics in Spain in 1492. In 1907 Pope Pius X banned modernists from access to Christian documents. In 1908 the Commission became the Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office. In 1965 it changed again to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. The current Prefect, Monsignor William Levade, followed Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger who became Pope in 2005.
The history of the Inquisition is as shameful as modern day genocide. Their first major battle was the destruction of the Cathar Church in 1244. They then turned to a campaign of eradicating those who did not practice as the Vatican instructed; earliest was the Knights Templar; in the 14th century against Franciscans and a hundred years later against Jews and Muslims in Spain. They were especially brutal in seeking converts who returned to their previous beliefs. The Inquisitors condemned witchcraft all over Europe and in over 150 years burned 30,000 women.
Baigent cites the present Pope's dogmatic approach that no new material will change the Catholic belief, "Revelation terminated with Jesus Christ....Truth cannot be created through ballots," (if arguments arise regarding putting ideas of theology to a vote)." Baigent says further,"There is little hope that Ratzinger (the current Pope) will pull back from the stance that the Vatican provides the only path to hope."
In a recent book, What Jesus Meant by Garry Willis,Professor of History Emeritus at Northwestern University, Jesus is depicted as poor, coming from illiterate parents, who was not a model son, and a problem for his brothers and sisters. When he was 12 years of age, he slipped away from the family in Jerusalem. His distraught parents find him three days later in the Temple. When his mother asks how he could do this, Jesus answers, "why would you look for me?" Willis writes, "We are told that his brothers and sisters later considered him "mad." Jesus spoke Aramic and needed to learn Hebrew in order to study the Scriptures.
According to the gospel of Mark, Jesus appears out of nowhere when he was about thirty and announces "That God's reign has arrived." The gospels contain nothing about the intervening years. Willis believes that what Jesus meant is clearly laid out in the gospels. "He did not found a church or advocate politics. The reign of heaven is himself, the avenue of access to the Father." Willis adds, "but heaven's reign makes deeper and broader demands, the demands not only of justice but of love."
It is interesting too, that Jesus called upon married men to carry his message. Women were active along with their husbands as Peter and his wife; and Prisca and Aquiline. There are no documents to prove that he advocated celibacy. Jesus also warned people to not pray in hiding and to not babble like pagans. This coincides with the Therapeutae Mystics who needed no temples but prayed outdoors.
The above citing of new books is not meant to stir dissent of any personal beliefs. It is meant to urge that thought be given to cease obedience to religious leaders' dogma, and concentrate on individual spirituality which is the most likely path to communicating with God.

ISLAM

Muhammad, who founded Islam (“to submit”) in 610, did not represent himself as a god and is considered by Muslims to be a prophet. Like Moses, he received his communications or visions from the one God Allah, and related the revelations so they could be written by a scribe. Muslims accept this as being God’s perfection of the beauty of Arabic writings, which became the Quran, meaning “recitation” The Quran which is a book of instructions of how to live in obedience to God, is different from the Bible which tells stories about the acts of God.
Mohammed recognized the legitimacy of both Judaism and Christianity and did not force conversion to Islam when they invaded and conquered Christian nations. They did demand that their political power be accepted by the vanquished and levied a tax on those who remained.
Islam adhered to Hebrew Scriptures in strict teaching of the necessity to yield to God for everlasting peace. They believe unequivocally all that is necessary is an Islamic ruler who will enforce the law to achieve the order created by God. They were ruled by caliphs who succeeded Muhammad and ruled until 750. It is an accepted conclusion that they followed the Prophet for political, not entirely religious reasons. A document called the Medina Charter, Khilafah al-'Alam al-Islami, was created by Muhammad to provide rules for the conduct of war. There are 57 clauses. In pertinent part, it starts with, "This is a document from Muhammad the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), governing relations between the Believers i.e. Muslims of Quraysh and Yathrib and those who followed them and worked hard with them. They form one nation - Ummah."
Following are some of the principles that pertain to present-day conditions that if honored by Muslims, would force terrorists and insurgents to immediately cease their killing and destruction in the name of Allah.
Third: "In case of war with anybody they will redeem their prisoners with kindness and justice common among Believers. (Not according to pre Islamic nations where the rich and the poor were treated differently)."
Fifth: "In case of war with anybody all parties other than Muslims will redeem their prisoners with kindness and justice according to practice among Believers and not in accordance with pre-Islamic n[a]tions.
Tenth: "The Believers, who fear Allah, will oppose the rebellious elements and those that encourage injustice or sins, or enmity or corruption among Believers."
Eleventh: "If anyone is guilty of such act all the Believers will oppose him even if he be the son of any of them."
Sixteenth: "Those Jews who follow the Believers will be helped and will be treated with equality.(Social, legal and economic equality is promised to all loyal citizens of the State)".
Seventeenth: "No Jew will be wronged for being a Jew."
Eighteenth: The enemies of the Jews who follow us will not be helped."
Thirtieth: "The Jews of Bani Awf will be treated as one community with the Believers. The Jews have their religion. This will also apply to their freedmen. The exception will be those who act unjustly and sinfully. By so doing they wrong themselves and their families."
Thirty-first: "The same applies to Jews of Bani Al-Najjar, Bani Al Harith, Bani Saeeda, Bani Jusham, Bani Al Aws, Thaalba, and the Jaffna, (a clan of the Bani Thaalba) and the Bani Al Shutayba."
Thirty-fourth: "Those in alliance with the Jews will be given the same treatment as the Jews."
Thirty-eight: "If anyone attacks anyone who is a party to this Pact the other must come to his help."
Thirty-ninth: "They (parties to this Pact) must seek mutual advice and consultation.
Fifty-two: "The Jews of al-Aws, including their freedmen, have the same standing, as other parties to the Pact, as long as they are loyal to the Pact. Loyalty is a protection against treachery."
This document is especially important in that Muslims are clearly obligated to come to Israel's side against Hamas, Fatah and all other Muslim terrorists. It means, too, that Muslims are obligated to stop Sunnis and Shiites from killing each other in Iraq, specifically as decreed in the tenth.
Muhammad fled to Mecca then to Medina in 632 when his life was in danger because he would not compromise his belief in strict adherence to God's message. It is thought that the revelations changed during that time to allow defense of one's home, but not to initiate violence.
This change is later reflected in the portions of the Quran referring to Medina and Mecca. At this point, politics and religion merged because it would become necessary to reform society to obey God’s law. It started out to respect the rights of other religions, but Muslims are less tolerant of Christians because their disciples diminished the meaning of One God, by worshiping Jesus not as a prophet but the Son of God. They were more tolerant of Jews as the “people of the Book” who maintained the One God theology. It is remarkable that from 600 until 1948 Jews received better treatment under Muslim rule than in Europe.
After Muhammad’s death, Arab conquests transformed the world almost within the span of one generation. Syria fell in 634-36, Egypt in 642, India in 664, Carthage in 697; and, Spain in 711-12. However, the Byzantine Empire was not conquered until 1453 by the Ottoman Turks.
The division of Muslims into Sunni and Shi’a resulted from a rift regarding the succession of Muhammad. Sunnies supported Mohammed's father-in-law, Shi'a favored descendants of Ali, the prophet's son-in-law. Their descendancy was from the clans of Abbasids and Umayyads.
Sunni, the orthodox party was in control and drove the Shi’a out of Damascus. Sunni’s influence dominates in Egypt, Saudi Arabia and North Africa.
The Shiites, largely Persians, moved the capital from Damascus to Baghdad. This new dynasty appealed to fanatical sections of Islam and are now in the majority in Iraq, Iran, Bahrain, Lebanon, Syria, Azerbaijan and south Asia. They are further divided into the Ismailies and Druze sects.
An Islamic moderate group has emerged to seek reconciliation of the sects and to co-exist with secular governments. They know the value of education and believe in a more liberal treatment of women. It is a wonder that they have not yet prevailed. As far back as the 7th century women were granted political, legal and social rights that were unheard of in ancient Europe. Countries with the largest number of Muslims, Indonesia, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Turkey have elected a female head of government Israel, too, elected a female. Of the Christian nations, England, Ireland, and Germany have elected females as head of government. The U.S. and France have not.

HINDUISM, JAINISM, BUDDHISM

Hinduism, the major religion of India, worships a plurality of gods, looks upon the cow as a sacred animal, regards certain rivers and pools as holy and accepts Brahmanical supremacy in a caste system. It has divided into different sects, some believe in Vishnu, the sustainer, Shiva the destroyer or bringer of grace, and Sakti the Goddess. Some acknowledge the other’s deities, such as Ganesa, a patron of learning and new enterprises, and Varuna, upholder of moral law. Hindu Scriptures called “hearings” consist of the Vedas, the first and most sacred Hindu text, and the Puranas, “remembering,” the Mahabharata, and the Bhagavadgita.
Hinduism is dominated by the mystical understanding of the Atman; the eternal self inherent in all beings, the essence of life, or spirit itself. Hinduism provides a profound explanation of how everything fits together. Brahman is the contact that opens the way to inner awareness of the self, on the same level as contact with Yahweh, God, Allah of other traditions. Atman is Brahman and Brahman is Atman. Brahman is also perceived as intelligence. In Hinduism, the person who passes through this life.


is an immortal, divine being who slowly awakens from ignorance of self and remembers one's true identity which is to be Brahman
Where other traditions are waiting to meet up with God, or the second coming of Christ, Hindus seek and complete their spiritual journey when they find god within themselves.
Jainism, another division occurred when Hindus who rejected sacrificial rituals as cruelty to animals and the caste system of the Vedas, created the Upanishads as scripture. Jains do not believe in the power of gods to intervene in human aspects of life and that there is no god as creator.
Buddhism, also formerly Hindu, came into existence from the teaching of The Enlightened One Gotama Siddhartha’s principle of nonviolence. He did not claim to be a divine being, but his message was to follow the middle path as the only way to reach Nirvana. His followers renounced the power of war, and to live according to law (dharma) Only with the absence of greed and anger, could there be permanent peace, happiness and security.
Religious wars were equally devastating and long-lasting, as seen in the chapter Cost of the Madness of War. There were battles as described in the Bible, and then more frequently and more brutal starting with the coming of Christianity, as follows:

170 BCE Ruler of Syria invades Judaea and Egypt. Onias III, high priest of the temple flees to Egypt with many priests. Establishes a Jewish temple in Egypt.

169 BCE. Syrians invade Judaea a second time. Temple is looted.

167 BCE. Syrians again invade, massacre populace of Jerusalem and rededicate the Temple to Zeus. The Temple Priest Mattathias and his sons begin a revolt against the Syrians.
A.D.
66-73 Roman army under Vespasian invades Judaea

115 Revolt in Alexandria is led by Lucuas, the "King of the Jews."the Jewish community in Egypt is destroyed.

131 Simon Bar Kochba leads revolt in Judaea. (133) Nine to twelve Roman legions invade Judaea from the north. (135) Jewish forces are defeated. The Roman emperor Hadrian changes the name of Judaea to Palaestina (now Palestine).

250 Christians are persecuted under the Roman emperor Decius Bishop Fabin of Rome executed.

258 The Roman emperor Valerian orders the execution of all Christian clergy.

303 Persecution of Christians by the Roman emperor Diocletian followed by death and destruction.

390 Army of Gauls lay siege to and destroys much of Rome.

410 Visgoths sack and destroy Rome.

The Crusades began in 1083, to bring Christianity to Arabs and the established Islamic religion. Muslims had little knowledge of Western Europe and did not differentiate between the Franks, English, Germans and saw all as part of the Byzantine Empire.
Christian Europe attacked Jerusalem in the Third crusade led by Germanic Holy Roman Emperor and Kings of France and England. The Ottoman Turks saw their expansion of the realm of Islam that brought their armies to the gates of Vienna in the sixteenth century as a jihad.
Crusades as military expeditions authorized by the Pope to retake Jerusalem came to end in 1291, having little significance in the Muslim world. Christian mentality that saw Islam as an inferior religion to be countered by force, continued in Spain until 1492 and in the Austrian and Russian wars against the Ottoman Turks.
The era of religious turmoil in Europe began with the Lutheran Reformation in 1517 and ended with the Treaty of Westphalia. It was the first formal recognition that a state is absolutely sovereign within its borders and that all states are legally equal irrespective of size.
Lutheran and Roman Catholics within the multitude domains and city-states of German kings, ended with the Peace of Gusburg which recognized the unity of Christendom and initially eased conflicts.
The major religious wars came later, the French war of religion in 1528; the Thirty years war in Germany 1618-48 and the Puritan Revolution in England 1641 - 1649.
Wars of Religion had long been seen as a just cause for war against heretics and kings who corrupted their people from true to false religion. Spain's Philip II, Austria's Ferdinand II, Sweden's Gustave Adolphus, and England’s Oliver Cromwell saw their wars as battles for God. Scottish Calvinist theologian John Knox 1514-1572 used Old Testament examples to provide a theological defense of tyrannicide of England’s Catholic Queen Mary. In excommunicating Elizabeth I of England, the papal secretary wrote that she “was the cause of so much injury to the Catholic Faith and loss of so many million souls, there is no doubt that whosoever sends her out of the world with the pious intention of doing God service, does not sin but gains merit."
Dynasty rivalries, the Dutch and Swiss seeking independence, and the efforts of the Jesuits to recover lost lands and the Calvinists waged wars to extend their influence.
The history of religion in America is astonishing in view of primary school information, that it was founded by immigrants seeking freedom of religion. Thomas Jefferson was the most effective advocate for separation of church and state. As the author of the Declaration of Independence, he mentions God four times, however, there is no mention of God in the Constitution.
There was no freedom of religion in the lives of early settlers. Connecticut's legal code said, "Whoever shall worship any god other than the Lord shall be put to death." The penal code of the Massachusetts colony called for the death penalty for a Catholic priest who returned there after being banished. Of course, we all know the history of the Salem Massachusetts witches who were severely punished by zealots. In the 1880s Seventh Day Adventists paid fines and served time in jail for working on their farms on Sunday. Rhode Island was the only colony to allow Quakers inside its borders
While Americans give the public impression that we are a tolerant people, the truth is as shameful now, as it was in early history. We have church burnings, swastikas painted on synagogues and violence against Muslims who are not terrorists, but good citizens. There are racial, ethnic and economic divisions in society. Anti-semitism erupts in violence in attacks on individuals.
The U.S. has its religious demagogues in the likes of Jerry Falwell and his "moral majority," Pat Robertson, and Louis Farakan. Presidents make no pretense of their reliance on God to make decisions. President Eisenhower started an annual prayer breakfast. Congressmen make their belief in religion a cornerstone for seeking reelection.
As governor of Texas, George W. Bush, when he was campaigning for the presidency, declared "Jesus Day" on June 10. His recent hypocritical decision to veto the bill to fund stem-cell research which has the potential of saving millions of lives by curing diabetes, Alzheimer's, multiple sclerosis, diseases of the nervous system and countless other disabilities, currently incurable, is based on his religious belief. He said he was not going to allow a poor moral decision during his presidency. However, he also said "we must be very careful to not destroy life to save others. All lives are precious." When asked how many civilians died in his war on Iraq, he answered off-handedly, "30,000 (pause) more or less." His ignorance of the Constitution's separation of church and state, goes unchallenged.

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Religious beliefs alone did not cause all wars. Except for Buddhists, Jainists and Quakers, leaders of all faiths have been responsible for sanctioning or supporting so-called “just” wars. What is unthinkable is that their motives were not to preserve their faith, but to safeguard their positions of power and privilege. Other than the religious organization of Friends, few have made the attainment of permanent peace a vital part of their doctrine.
In his book The Mystic Heart, the late, beloved Brother Wayne Teasdale, a lay monk who combined the traditions of Christianity and Hinduism in building common ground between religions, censures spiritual and religious leaders for remaining silent when human rights are abused. He courageously rebuked the Catholic Church and the Vatican for absenting itself from the moral struggle with Hitler's regime. Under the leadership of Pope Pius XII (1939-1958,) the Church adopted a policy of complete silence regarding the Nazis and the Holocaust. "Rome's lack of leadership in this area represents the worst, most inexcusable moral failure in the history of Christianity. Had the Vatican given a vigorous witness against the evils of anti-Semitism and the policies of the Nazis, Hitler's war plans may have been derailed and the Holocaust might never have happened!"
He points out, too, that Christianity had actually nurtured anti Semitic sentiments since the first century in the break with the Jewish community in Jerusalem. These feelings through nearly twenty centuries of hatred for the Jewish people, was the soil in which Hitler's obscene brutalization of the Jews developed. Brother Wayne wrote ,"unfortunately the Vatican is repeating this same mistake with Tibet and its much-oppressed people. It has done the same with East Timor and a number of countries in Latin America where it has embraced ruthless dictatorships. The same Pope Pius XII who presided over the Catholic conspiracy of silence on the plight of the Jews, was reigning when the Chinese army overran Tibet in 1950. No Vatican official has ever addressed the sufferings of the Tibetan people or what the Chinese have done to Tibet."
If established religions do not come together to intercede in indescribable national tragedies, and do not take the opportunity to contribute substantially to the merging global cry for peace, then religion is of no use to its over four billion adherents.
As of this moment, a religious war is taking place. U.S. President, George W. Bush declared war on Osama bin Lauden and his al Qaeda terrorists in response to their attack on the World Trade Center in New York on September 11, 2001. Three-thousand Americans were killed. Similar terrorist attacks have occurred in other major cities; London, Madrid and in Indonesia since then. It is not known if bin Laden survived bombardments in Afghanistan, where he was reported to be living in caves. If bin Laden is still alive, he is determined to force everyone to follow all of the rules of the Quran.
On June 6, 2006, the deadliest terrorist, Abu Musab Zarqawi was killed by U.S. bombs when he was located in a remote farmhouse in Baqubah in Iraq. Zarqawi did not join al Qaeda, but started his own gang in Iraq to fight against U.S. troops and Iraqi Shiites who support the U.S. invasion of 2002. Another terrorist has already taken his place.
As mentioned earlier, it is still puzzling as to why George W.Bush gained Congress' support for a speedy invasion of Iraq at the same time he was at a war with al Qaeda terrorists in Afghanistan. The report of Iraq having weapons of mass destruction negated by United Nations inspectors was ignored by the Bush-Cheney administration and when it was established that there were no such weapons, they changed the reason for the invasion, "to bring democracy to the Iraqi people."
The Constitution of the United States gives power to Congress to declare war to defend the United States, but it is questionable as to whether it gives power to the government to wage war in order to change another country's political or religious ideologies by force.
The planet is on the verge of a huge catastrophic conflict. Completely new nonviolent action must be taken, not ineffective reform, nor for the same people at the same world-wide conferences who only agree to come back next year to solve the problem of intolerance and war. Therefore, we need to practice spirituality in its true form of devotion to spiritual instead of worldly things, and to remember the fact or quality of spirituality is "being neither corporeal nor material."
Knowing the difference between religion and spirituality is the path to saving mankind's life on the planet. The key action is to find the love, human kindness and compassion that was put into our hearts and minds when we were born, which is the basic thinking of Hindus.
Intelligent separation from those who will not be reconciled to any form of cooperation and tolerance can be accomplished through repopulating special regions on the continents for those who would voluntarily choose to live among like-minded people only.
If all of the church-going fervor could be channeled into human kindness and compassion, there would be happiness and joy throughout the planet. This condition is already in progress, thanks to the people who volunteer their time to help others. They raise funds for poverty-stricken nations, provide care to the sick and elderly, to be mentors to troubled children, made possible the enjoyment of the arts and hundreds of others services to young and old. In fact, these are the people who should come together to become the nucleus of the planetary and continental panels to administer the change to self-government.
In the transition period, believers can worship with their families and friends at home or in open areas. Leaders of established religions should begin to turn the wealth of their respective ownership of real estate and works of art into providing funds to aid children, the chronically ill, the homeless, the elderly and those in poverty.
With all of the bad news of the world in danger, the best news of the century is the announcement on June 26, 2006 of the loving generosity of Bill and Melinda Gates of the Microsoft Corporation, and the famous financier Warren Buffitt, the wealthiest people in the world. They will be spending most of their billions on helping the poor and especially treating malaria which kills thousands of children and HIV/AIDS victims each day. They are expecting to allocate $3 billion per year for inoculations, supporting research of tropical diseases, and medical treatment of known illnesses and advanced education. Blessings of God, Jesus, Allah, all of the Gods and Goddesses of Hinduism, Jainists and Buddha, all of the prophets, spirits, and angels, as well as people of the world, upon them.
The most important message is that if together we recognize and respond to the guidance of the spirit within us, we can bring more love, compassion and peace to all living creatures in the world, than any ritual or sermon, not for appearance of our goodness, but for what comes from our hearts.