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A Brief History of Religion
Mother Earth (Gaia) through Pepper Lewis - August 2002

Dear Mother Earth,

As a child I was adopted by a family that practiced Catholicism. I never really accepted this religion as my own and as an adult explored many other religions, beliefs and philosophies. My research led me to the sacred as well as the sacrilegious and I eventually 'fell' into spirituality, but this has had pitfalls of its own including what is collectively called the New Age. Although I was never exposed to uncomfortable treatment or abuse as demonstrated by recent media events I know others who have. These individuals seem just as troubled as the religions they represent (which by the way also include Christianity, Judaism and Buddhism). With world religions more troubled than ever , I cannot help but wonder what will become of them . . . or us?

C. G. Hillerman, Perth, Australia

Religion began long ago as an attempt to explain the unexplainable. Originally, religion focused upon anything that was done or followed with reverence and devotion. Understanding the importance of religion was synonymous with understanding the importance of the sacred. A little later it also came to include the care and worship of sacred traditions. As populations grew, humanity came to occupy many different lands. New cultures began and these spawned traditions of their own.

Unravel the Past and Learn About Your Divinity

From time to time earth has been visited by beings from different worlds. These beings and their subsequent visits have brought periods of great evolutionary upheaval and growth and the upcoming visits will be no different. While the conscious and unconscious mind both craves and fears contact with other worlds, the soul anticipates the proximate evolutionary leap promised long ago.

Each time that beings have arrived from the stars they have been revered as gods. Each visit has brought new technology and bold advances on medical and scientific fronts; languages have been expanded and boundaries that have contained systems of thought have been dismantled and replaced with new ones. None of those who have visited earth have been gods, but it is not difficult to see how another race of beings can appear superior to an uneducated (not inferior) mind. It is for this very reason that teachers of both physical and non-physical domains have stepped forward at this time to bring forth knowledge of your own unique history and divinity. It is important that you unravel the matrix of the past in order to understand the future that is about to unfold. If humanity does not embrace its divinity, then more faces, names and titles will be added to the pantheon of gods that have preceded this time and the evolutionary leap will be less than what humanity is capable of.

Some of those who long ago came from the stars brought knowledge of the importance of the sun. They opened a unique place of awareness within those who greatly desired it, expanding their capacity to understand and comprehend complex and advanced ideas. They were shown diagrams and celestial maps encoded with mathematical and geometric symbols of importance. They were shown how to read, write and interpret these symbols as well as how to teach them to others by opening their awareness in specific ways. They received instruction on the language of light that is exists within all beings who seek what is already present; they were taught how to seek and expand their own wisdom with or without the presence of a teacher.

The History of the Tablets

These original teachings became the foundation of all that has followed. All that was brought forth was encoded onto tablets made of a unique material not common to earth at that time. The properties of this material became unstable and because of this the tablets were quite fragile. Many wished to see and study the tablets for themselves. A simple library was erected to house them and as word spread many came from near and far to experience the tablets for themselves. A rumor spread that merely being in the presence of the tablets brought about hallucinations that included enlightenment for the worthy and insanity for the unworthy, but this did not detract many seekers from their pilgrimage. Another rumor implied that the moon was jealous of the other stars and would only allow the tablets to be seen when it was bright in the sky; to view the tablets at other times and especially when the moon was dark was to invite personal discord and possible difficulty. These rumors formed the basis and the fear surrounding the concept of lunacy. It does not take much for rumor and fiction to become fact, do you see?

The fragile nature of the tablets made transporting them difficult, yet no one could agree on where they should be kept or who was worthy of keeping them. One day a argument ensued on this very topic and while the argument was in full swing a great earthquake rumbled and shook the ground beneath the tablets. One tablet broke into ten pieces, another into seven, and a third into five. The two remaining tablets were unharmed. The earthquake caused much destruction as well as loss of life as is often the case. For a time no one cared much about the tablets as matters of survival and rebuilding were more pressing.

Eventually those who were still interested in the tablets attempted to repair them, but the chore proved too great. Several attempts were also made to recreate the tablets, but the reproductions were poor and did not generate much interest. A few of these replicas still exist as unknown artifacts in the lesser known collections of those who believe they can hoard ancient wisdom. The beings who originally received the initial instruction had long ago departed for parts unknown, speaking wise words to those who could or would hear them and making a difference in ways both small and large.

The earth has known many periods of light and many periods of darkness. It is easier to believe that light begets more light, but that is often not the case. Darkness shows off the light, it focuses and intensifies it. Does the light seem more important at noon when the sun is at its brightest, or at dawn when it reemerges from the darkness of the night, do you see? When the tablets broke, the earth plunged into a period of darkness, not simply because of the tablets as these were only a symbol of the inevitable, but because it is the nature of the light to advance and recede even as the seasons do. The Dark does not bring evil, it brings mystery and invites discovery. Those who can feel their way around in the dark require very little light in order to see. Gifted are those who can see and feel in the dark. The blind can and do lead the blind and many others as well. Long ago the blind were revered and exalted because it was believed that they could see into realms that others could not.

Seekers Keep the Mysteries Alive

The disappearance of the tablets symbolized a loss of empowerment. Humanity became more interested in building bridges that crossed rivers instead of bridges to reach the stars. All too quickly did the majority abandon all attempts to interpret the ancient symbols of wisdom and enlightenment, even simple evening meditations were left for another day and then another until they were forgotten altogether. Still, the light is the light and never stops calling those who will hear. Those who continued to study the great mysteries without the tablets were both ridiculed and revered; ridiculed because no one was certain what they could or could not understand and revered because it was obvious that there devotion, dedication and sincerity was beyond that of most.

Seekers gathered together as often as they could to meditate upon what clarity each had gained and how to make that available to others. They came upon the idea of inviting others to these mediations on specific days and on celebrational occasions. They took turns attempting to explain what seemed to them simple truths about the fundamental laws that guide this universe, but even simple truths are difficult for the simple minded for in darkness it is difficult to see and one must try very hard. At first there was great interest in these new community based programs, but eventually only the most devoted and the most guilt ridden remained. The others deemed it all too boring or too time consuming. Only a few of the original beings who could touch a being just so in order to open the centers of power and knowing remained and they were less apt to offer the touch than they once were.

Seekers were for the most part also scholars, they could write, count and interpret symbols. They became the teachers of the young, not only because others could not be bothered, but because this endeavor also allowed them time for their own meditations and studies. Scholastic activities eventually became schools and these included time for meditation and contemplation. The community gladly handed over this responsibility to those who accepted it. They did not notice that young minds and hearts were being shaped, molded and poised to affect the future of all things, but such is the nature of hindsight.

Permission freely given was later freely taken. Implied permission became implied power and many who came to understand the great mysteries deemed it appropriate to keep the knowledge for themselves. They believed that simple minds could never fathom much less comprehend universal truth; they believed that wisdom for the wise not the ordinary. They spoke in riddles and titillated those who sought deeper truth with parables and stories that strayed from the center rather than to it. They discouraged those who sought wisdom on their own, setting themselves up as intermediaries who could intercede on behalf of those who did not feel adequate for one reason or another. They asked for tokens (donations) in return so that they could continue their devotions and so they received coins, clothing, animals, and other items of value making them very wealthy indeed. Eventually they asked for and received housing as well as other buildings designed to support their efforts as intermediaries of the community. Communities began friendly rivalries which later became more fierce as more and more elaborate buildings were erected at great expense to the community. These later became opulent temples and shrines dedicated to gods and goddesses too numerous to name.

All scholars were not priests and all priests were not scholars. Many beings of great wisdom were present then as they are now. They made their way quietly through villages and townships sharing a crust of bread and a bowl of fare when it was offered and shedding light where shadow was all too common. Their youth was marked by a pilgrimage that guided them through the shadow and into the light; because they sought wisdom, enlightenment followed. As ancients they became the sages that other pilgrims would seek, completing the cycle that began in their own youth and beginning the next. Ancients lived in caves symbolic of both the light and the great mystery that is the dark. The treasure they guarded was the gift of their own acquired knowledge, but knowledge does not become wisdom until it is uncovered and claimed. That is why so many scrolls and tablets have been found in caves, a minute quantity compared with what is still buried. Many of these will be uncovered this century, the rest will wait until the next millennium. It is unfortunate that many recent discoveries have been withheld from the world to which they belong simply because they contradict present beliefs and agreed upon histories. These finds are currently sequestered where it is believed they will not be exposed, but this will not be the case for long.

Religions and Compromises

Religions were born of customs, traditions and beliefs. They were compromises and appeasements made in hopes that the unseen would smile favorably upon the seen. Religion began as an attempt to explain, define and comprehend universal and spiritual laws, but spirit cannot be contained and neither can Creator/All That Is; all attempts to do so result in limitation of physical and non-physical expression. In essence, humanity settled for restriction rather than expansion, religion instead of spirituality, and the laws of men instead of the laws of All That Is. Humanity reveres those who bring expanded awareness and truth to mass consciousness, but it also limits and prohibits that which is exists in contrast to beliefs that are deeply ingrained in the linear mind.

What spirit sought to unite religion could only divide, because it was for the few rather than the many. Where spirit invited leadership religion could only offer a following, because intermediaries stood between All That Is and humanity interpreting and deciphering messages which ranged from hope and faith to doom and gloom. Those who could see the truth that existed beyond the crumbs that were offered to most were labeled disbelievers, faithless, renegades, heretics and more. Of necessity, splinter groups, secret societies and fringe systems of thought found their way and their place in humanity's history. Humanity desperately wanted to believe in a greater force and a deeper reality, but in so doing it forgot to believe in itself; it did not remember that one consciously directed thought contained the power of a thousand suns. Instead, it created a thousand sons, many of whom thought or considered themselves to be God. History transitioned from monotheism to polytheism and humanity's story continued to evolve.

Certain time periods in earth history have made evolutionary growth conducive for humanity as well as for all other life forms. These time periods are as time warps, allowing that which is sentient or near sentient to evolve to the next level of conscious understanding. It was during one of these time waves that my own sentience became conscious, and the present wave is awakening and elevating consciousness in all places and within all beings. Individual and planetary evolutionary leaps are not uncommon during these times although they are dependent upon the willingness of the species to move beyond its existing boundaries. Time waves (specific bands of light) bring new systems of thought and awareness to worlds and beings who welcome them. Time waves can be accepted or rejected, welcomed or not. They are attuned to a higher frequency than what is considered the norm for any given world. They extend far beyond linear time hence the term, evolutionary leap.

As humanity continues to write its history it must also now right it, not because it has been wrong but because it is the next natural thing to do. In order for the time waves to effectively transform this world all that is false or artificial must be exposed to the light. This phenomena makes the present moment appear as if a camera lens is focused upon one false moment after another, exposing or recording truths for all to see. Humanity is currently experiencing the detangling of its complex strands of consciousness so that it will remember its own divinity and find less reason to ascribe it to others. Today the camera lens seems to be focused upon one aspect of one religion, but this is only temporary. Tomorrow it will be focused elsewhere and the day after it will change again because sunlight will continue to define shadow in its attempt to expose truth. Until recently, sunlight passed through many filters and much of the light was dispersed here and there creating invisible veils, distortions and other boundaries to knowledge and awareness, but that is no longer the case.

Religions were created by humanity to explain, understand and discover order within the universe. Religion was designed to assist humanity in finding its own divine place within the ordered dominion of physical reality. The fact that there are many religions only emphasizes that there are many paths to the Source of All That Is. A religion is a path and those who serve each religion are no more than light bearers upon that particular path. Mistakenly, some have chosen to obstruct the path rather than to keep it well lit; surrendered power and will is then left to be interpreted, used and usurped by others. No one being and no one thing can stand between humanity and All That Is because anything that stands between Source and You casts a shadow and creates a distortion, do you see? The world around you seems distorted because it is; today more thoughts, laws, concerns and illusions than ever before have been juxtaposed between you and Source creating disproportionate distortion on all levels and within all realities. This distortion manifests as gross manifestations of madness upon the physical dimension which is the densest of all. Matters not, the time waves of light that emanate from the One Source will expose all shadow to light. Just as with film, once it is exposed to the light it has little value other than to the past.

Science Needs Religion, Religion Needs Science

As was said earlier, religion is an attempt to define God and although that is not possible there will be escalated attempts to do just that. Those who turn away from the menu of present day religions will not abandon their search, they will simply look elsewhere. Where will they look? The assumption will be that if the past cannot reasonably explain God and the present is in turmoil, then the answer must surely lie in the future. Science and Religion will merge of necessity, each needing and relying upon the other for followers and believers. Science needs religion to believe in a God of Science based upon mathematical equations and probabilities in order to stave off what it believes may be the total annihilation of the planet. Religion needs Science to explain what it has withheld from itself and from others, without this merging both will suffer as leaders and followers alike fall by the wayside.

How will this merging take place? After an initial theological skirmish it will be accomplished more easily than you might imagine, because the catalysts will come from the stars lending plausibility and reason to both Religion and Science. In case you have not already guessed it, certain extra-terrestrial races hold the key to both the future and the past, as well as the keys that unlock the mysterious doors to Religion (spiritual truth) and Science (empirical evidence/undeniable proof). Beyond the shockwave of first contact there will be a struggle to embrace or deny previous knowledge regarding the first extra-terrestrial race to make contact. Religion, Science and World Power will make a poor attempt at showing a united front in order to maintain an already diminished foundation. Struggles within and without these hierarchies will lead to a dissolution of ties before their united name (an acronym) has even been committed to memory. Chaos will reign temporarily as some embrace the new while others cleave to the old. Sales of all forms of iconographic items will skyrocket. Recorded texts from all religions and all forms of spirituality will be studied, memorized, quoted and then dismissed; obscure sects and occult beliefs will temporarily find renewed interest. A millennia of texts and documents long hidden from public awareness will surface as claims regarding their origins and authenticity are questioned and studied.

An international time for contemplation will be declared and quiet unrest will define the mood of most of the world's population. While minds continue to expand and hearts reach out to one another, battles will still rage in the name of the one god and in the name of the many. An influential body that combines government, theology and science will emerge in answer to world unrest. The United Nations will eventually fold into this new organization in an effort to maintain some of its authority. The new organization will later include representative members from many cultures as well as from other worlds.

Listen and Hear the Voice of Spirit

New religions based upon a limited understanding of human galactic heritage will find popularity among the young and among those who have become otherwise disillusioned and disenfranchised from organized religions. Religions that worship the sun and other celestial bodies will also find followers as the distinctions between God and Sun fade. A resurgence of interest in ancient cultures and mythology will lead to the reappearance of certain documents, treatises and tablets. Scholars will once again decode these, this time with a different slant. That which has long been hidden will be revealed by a less than likely source. All spiritual beliefs and world religions will be held up to both scrutiny and ridicule, few will be left untouched. The principles which govern all life will be understood by those who seek the quiet wisdom that exists within all beings, but who will be present to hear it?

The longevity of religion as it is understood today is limited because the foundation upon which it has been built is tenuous at best. The burdens of the many will soon overtake the beliefs of the few, and the faithful as well as the faithless will demand answers from religious leaders who have little to offer but empty coffers. Endings are always disguised as beginnings; with nothing to be gained or lost, Truth will whisper softly to those who will hear the voice of spirit. Deny yourselves nothing so that everything will be yours, including the earth. Look to the horizon for answers that do not come easily. In the sunrise and the sunset you will find them.

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