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From the Hardcover edition.
Gnostics interpret their teachings as signposts pointing to the experience of awakening.
Literalists see their teachings as literally the truth itself.
Gnostics use symbolic parables to communicate the way to wake up.
Literalists mistake Gnostic myths for literal accounts of miraculous historical events and end up lost in irrational superstition.
Gnostics know that all books contain the words of men.
Literalists believe that sacred scripture is the Word of God.
Gnostics understand that the way the wisdom of awakening is expressed must constantly evolve to address the ever-changing human condition.
Literalists want a fixed canon of scripture which has absolute authority for all time.
Gnostics want us to think for ourselves, so that we become more conscious and wake up.
Literalists want us to believe what they believe, so that we will join their cult.
Gnostics understand that life itself is a process of awakening.
Literalists believe their particular religion is the only way to the truth and condemn everyone else as lost in diabolical error.
Gnosticism is about waking up from the illusion of separateness to oneness and love.
Literalism keeps us asleep in an ‘us versus them’ world of division and conflict, inhabited by the ‘chosen’ and the ‘damned’.
Gnosticism unites us.
Literalism divides us.
Throughout history Gnostics have ceaselessly exposed Literalist religion as a pernicious source of ignorance, division and suffering. This Gnostic message has never been more relevant than today. The three great religions of the West—Judaism, Christianity and Islam—are on a collision course that threatens the security of the whole world. Taking religious myths literally is the root cause of the problems in the Middle East which led to 9/11 and a host of other atrocities since. But there is nothing new about religious violence. The present conflict is just the continuation of a long and gruesome history of killing and dying for God.
The burning of Christians by Pagans as flaming torches to light their games. The brutal Christian revenge on the Pagans. The relentless persecution of the Jews by Christians. The violent expansion of the Muslim empire and the bloody conquest of India. The barbaric crusades by Christians against the Muslims. The horrors of the Inquisition. The genocide of indigenous people in the New World. The mass burnings of witches. All were motivated by the desire to please God. All were justified with reference to sacred texts that not only condoned such behaviour but demanded it. These evils have not occurred because the perpetrators were bad people, but because they were in the grip of very bad ideas.
The Baby and the Bathwater
The time has come to say enough of this madness and consign Literalist religion to the garbage can of history. But we must be careful not to throw out the baby with the bathwater. Religion isn’t all bad. It has answered the profound human yearning to understand the mysteries of life and death. It has inspired people of all cultures to create sublime works of art, glorious cathedrals and temples, transcendental music and songs. It has this power because at its heart is Gnostic spirituality. In this book we want to rescue the teachings of gnosis from under the accumulated debris of religious dogma, so that we can jettison outdated religious Literalism but retain and revivify the perennial wisdom of awakening.
Let’s stop blindly believing in old books and listen instead to those heretical voices that have been drowned out by the cacophony of Literalist war cries. Just imagine for a moment that what Gnostics have been telling us throughout the ages is true. We appear to be separate, but essentially we are all one. The awareness that is conscious in you is the same awareness that is conscious in everyone. And if you recognise this, you will find yourself in love with all.
Imagine what would happen if we actually began to wake up and live by the Gnostic teachings of oneness and love. If we started to truly love our neighbours, and even our enemies, because we recognise that they are actually expressions of our own deeper self. If we saw through to the reality that there are no Jews, Christians or Muslims. There is no ‘us versus them’. There is only us. This is the Gnostic vision that has inspired us to write this book.
In Part 1, ‘The Bathwater,’ we undertake a religious detox to flush the poison of Literalism out of our system. We take a good hard look at the supposedly ‘sacred’ scriptures of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, and demonstrate that these texts are far from divine. We show that they were not written or inspired by God, but created by men. And often by the worst kind of men. Politicians dressed up as priests. In Part 2, ‘The Baby,’ we bring ancient Gnostic teachings to life, using modern language free from worn-out religious jargon. We give the timeless wisdom of awakening a make-over for the twenty-first century, so that you can experience gnosis, here and now, as you read this book. We want you to get the joke and understand for yourself why the Gnostic Jesus laughs.
From the Hardcover edition.
From acclaimed and controversial authors Timothy Freke and Peter Gandy comes this incendiary new wake-up call to the world. The Laughing Jesus is an exploration of the history of traditional religion that not only shows where we have gone wrong, but also offers a new solution that can begin with the individual. These questions are intended as a framework and a jumping-off-point for your discussion of The Laughing Jesus.
1. The Nicean Creed, or Apostles' Creed as it is commonly known, forms the backbone of the belief system of most modern Christian churches and is repeated at every service. Look closely at the words of this statement of belief, and think about it in light of the story Freke and Gandy tell of its origins on page 78. What is your opinion of the men who composed these words? Does knowing this about their origin change the meaning of their repetition for you? Did you grow up repeating the Apostles Creed in church services? Why did you say these words? Did you believe them completely, or were you following along out of habit? Haveyou ever written your own statement of belief? If you did, what would it say?
I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
the Creator of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:
Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He arose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty,
whence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and life everlasting.
Amen.
2. Discuss the story of Muhammad as Freke and Gandy describe it. Does the image of Muhammad as a self-aggrandizing prophet making self-serving proclamations bring to mind any other famous prophets you have heard of? What are the dangers of prophecy? Do you think that the idea of a man speaking for God is inherently corrupt?
3. A common explanation for the current wave of Islamic fundamentalism that led to 9/11 and other recent atrocities is that the terrorists are perverting the true message of Islam, but Freke and Gandy contend that this is not the case. Do you agree with this?
4. The "spiritual supermarket" approach to belief is often criticized by Literalists. Why do you think this is? Why do we feel the need to search out and cling to one version of the truth? Is it inherent in human nature, or a product of years of Literalist teaching that has made this the way of the world? Do you feel that the spiritual supermarket is less valid than a single story that explains existence?
5. Discuss the two approaches to old and new that Freke and Gandy describe: the Literalist view that the old is holy and the new is heretical, and the Gnostic view, which is described by Carl Jung as, "All old truths want a new interpretation." Which makes sense to you?
6. On page 131, Freke and Gandy write: "Most people have experienced at least brief moments where they have found themselves catapulted into the mystery of the moment." Describe a moment in your own life when you experienced this flash of perspective that made you aware of the hugeness and mystery of existence.
7. What do you think of Freke and Gandy's answer to the big question of the meaning of life: the universal desire for all to feel good and enjoy life? Does this resonate for you? Why or why not?
8. In the Gnostic tradition, the journey to become more conscious is never-ending and Freke and Gandy tell us that the journey itself is the destination. Where do you see this way of thinking in other spiritual traditions?
9. On page 198, Freke and Gandy discuss the traditional images of the Literalist Christian God. What visions of God have you had through the years as your spirituality has developed?
10. Unconditional love is a theme that has made its way into many religious traditions. What do you find most difficult about this task? Where do you feel like you fall short and need to most focus your energy? Personal perfectionism? Dislike of other people? Accepting the whole of what life offers? Loving your enemies?
11. On page 202, Freke and Gandy question whether Literalist Christians are unfit to deliver justice because of their unquestioning belief in the Jesus fable. Do you think this is the case? What is your opinion of the intersection of faith and policy in the United States today? Is separation of church and state a possibility, given the advent of fundamentalism?
12. Gnosticism puts a good deal of emphasis on embracing duality: intuition and rational thought, good and evil, death and re-emergence, the "I" and the "it." Where do you see this concept in the teachings of traditional religions? Where do you find an absence of acceptance of duality?
13. Faith (as defined by Freke and Gandy as irrational belief in the face of the unknown) is the cornerstone of Literalist religion. Freke and Gandy redefine faith in a Gnostic context as "pronoia." In what ways do you feel this is different than blind belief? Do you think we can live without some faith in our lives? What does the Literalist version of faith give people, and how else can we fill this need?
14. Freke and Gandy state that "authentic teachers are self-confessed phoneys" who are conscious of the duality of self and work to empower their students, as opposed to those who will create a cult of personality around themselves. Do you think this is an accurate description of a good spiritual teacher? Who are some false teachers you've known, and what are they like?
15. Describe the image of the laughing Jesus--what does this mean to you? Why does this image resonate so strongly with Gnostics? What message does it portray?
16. What other stories from the New Testament can you recall that can be interpreted in a Gnostic context?
Anonymous
Posted February 17, 2006
I enjoyed the book and what had to say about the history of religious literalism and Gnostic philosophy. I especially liked what it had to say about waking up to 'Big Love' and how this could become Global spirituallity. Gnosticism is beginning to be looked at under a new microscope due to psycological research as a truer spirituality/psychology. The ancients seemed to have known more than we thought they did and I can see how this could be a threat to current religious establishments. However, the authors could have done more research and could have taken a look at Nicolas Nicovitch's book, The Unknown Life of Jesus Christ, instead of flat out saying that Jesus was just a myth and the 'most famous man who never lived.' From new evidence discovered in India it seems that Jesus did live and was what the New Testament claims him to be but did actually teach a form of Gnostisism. Well, I do agree with the authors in the idea that the world does need to wake up with eyes of love and forgive our enemies and love our neighbors as ourself.
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