January 22, 2016
Dear Readers,
We are dedicated to the absolute co-equality and balance between men and women! Our premise is that God created us this way to be whole, complete, unified – as One, through one another, masculine and feminine. That is what Jesus taught men. We are discussing how the Word of God as taught by Jesus of Nazareth was willfully or inadvertently misrepresented or misunderstood such that men came to believe they were somehow more equal. God is One! We are one! Jesus said,
“Hear O Israel – The Lord our God is One Lord. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’
This is the first and great commandment.
The second is like it, namely this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Pages 305 – 306)
Whether or not you agree please be our “Friend” and “Share” us with your friends!
You are reading one in a series on the “Feminine-ist” teaching of Jesus of Nazareth.
~~~~~~~//~~~~~~~
“The Word 2.0“ References are to pages in the book. And our many thanks to Wikipedia!
~~~~~~~//~~~~~~~
Post #28
Jesus was not a Hellenist, and indeed spoke out publicly against Hellenism. But why were men drawn to Hellenism so long ago? Especial men of the Greek elite? Even by men in conquered and occupied territories like Judea-Israel? Why are men even today drawn to the vestiges of Hellenism? Perhaps because men are ego-driven, selfish, and self-centered? And Hellenism legitimizes their more aggressive, brutal and violent tendencies? While we don’t have any pat answers, like Jesus we have some relevant thoughts that make for lively discussion.
Part of the first question might best be answered, as Jesus rightly pointed out, is because of men’s natural tendencies toward selfishness (synonymous with what we comprehend as sinfulness), self-will (sin) [def: from Hebrew originates in archery and literally refers to missing the center of a target; missing the mark] or ego (with reference to the first-person singular “I” or “me” or “myself” and also “mine”, synonymous with what we comprehend as evil) [def: unbalanced behavior involving selfishness, ignorance, or neglect]. Men are selfish – self-seeking, self-involved, self-centered, and also egoic. They tend to only view the universe, Creation if you will, from their very limited point-of-view. As such they are naturally predisposed to certain urges, thoughts, words, and actions that promote their own worldview and self-gratification.
These traits often manifest as men forcing their will on everyone around them, trying to control them. Especially women, but also children, and other men they perceive as weaker than themselves in some way. Back in Biblical times, even Jesus might have referred to this state as “possessed“, specifically “by a demon”. Today we seem to have a somewhat better understanding of what goes on inside a man’s brain. An unbalanced man’s head. This manifested behavior, let’s call it an “affliction”, was first sub-divided in Scripture in the Proverbs of King Solomon (6:16-19), itemized later as the “Seven Deadly Sins” – all “abominations before God“.
We tend to trace this perhaps overly simplified perspective to what might best be described as fear. Men are afraid. Men are especially afraid of other men they perceive as stronger than they are, women, and even children. Like in the children’s story, “The Emperor’s New Clothes”, that same fear Adam exhibited in the Garden of Eden of being caught “naked” before God. Rather than accept responsibility for his own acts, be accountable, or even just apologize, like all men do, he reacted defensively. One could say he first blamed God, but then threw Havah ‘under the bus‘ so to speak.
This reactive nature of men to defend their position – whatever that might be in any given moment, seems to range from mild annoyance to problematic behaviors like aggression and violence. This of course includes sarcasm, arrogance, denial, neglect, gluttony, conceit, lust, and so forth. All to conceal their “shame”. Looking around the world of men today this seems especially true of men’s violence toward women, whom they seem to fear most. Men do not seem to want or care to change – repent as Jesus would say; come into balance.
In Jerusalem in those days Hellenism legitimized all these different sorts of male traits and behaviors, so men are attracted to it. After all, when a man is god, then elite men could invent ordered hierarchies organizing other men by status or wealth into categories of importance they defined. Visualize a sort of pyramidal structure. Jesus saw this too. Of course in those days, women did not even rate in most men’s larger organizational scheme. But then neither did men other categories of lesser men. However, to sort of simulate some illusion of commonality, other designated men were positioned to extend the man-as-god’s authority offering absolution for so-called transgressions. Jesus had a word for such men.
In these days all over the world of men, the structure and belief system of Hellenism is still with us, but is now institutionalized if you will. Incorporated into the very fabric of typically masculine organizations. Hellenism has demonstrated itself to be an especially effective and powerful tool of control and the maintenance of male-dominance. With it men have even been able to exert control over the worship of our One True God – something it failed to do 2,160 years ago in Jerusalem.
Again, Jesus was not a Hellenist! Jesus taught what is best described as God’s Divine Balance of masculine and feminine energy, particularly emphasizing “Feminine-ism“.
L’chaim – to Life!
Miguel
~~~~~~~//~~~~~~~
This weblog, our pamphlets, study guides and other materials are inspired by Miguel’s book, The Word 2.0, a new biography of Jesus of Nazareth in his own words, based upon a single, unified timeline.
Find us at Amazon.com or our website: www.whatifjesuswasawoman.com
~~~~~~~//~~~~~~~
God is undifferentiated masculine and feminine energy in perfect balance, whole, complete, unified, and co-equal. God is neither male nor female, and yet both – inseparable! And as a reflection of God’s Divine Balance, God made each of us manifest as male and female, man and woman, in God’s perfect likeness! Truly a state of grace.
How Adam’s actions brought about the fall from this state of grace is something we will discuss elsewhere. Suffice it to say that long before Jesus was born, men and women were already out of balance. In the more immediate sense of events which took place in Israel before Jesus was born, I found the Seleucid Greek invasion critically important because of the belief system we call “Hellenism” the Greeks forced on the children of Israel at that time.
It may not be especially well known today but the Seleucid Greeks from Syria outlawed our One True God! They forbade the worship of God under the penalty of death. Their King Antiochus IV Epiphanes (Antíochos D’ ho Epiphanḗs, “God Manifest”), believing he was god, decreed the people would have no other god before him.
Coin depicting King Antiochus IV: “Image of (G)od; bearer of victory”
Hellenism did cause divisions among the people though. On one hand identifying with the Greek empire and culture could enrich certain elite Israelites, but on the other hand their man-worship violated God’s Law. This divided not only those who were “Hellenists”, their supporters and adherents, from those who were “Traditionalists“, but also, apparently, men from women. Why? Because it is also in the nature of Hellenism that women be subordinate to men.
But our One True God was definitely not a Hellenist, right? Given that, Jesus was not a Hellenist – quite the opposite. We might characterize Jesus’ ministry as anti-Hellenist – teaching men in particular about the Divine Balance of God’s Feminine and Masculine aspects, specifically “Feminine-ism“. I briefly outline some basic principles of Jesus of Nazareth’s life and ministry, as they are revealed in “The Word 2.0”:
1. Jesus was a “Traditional” Hebrew-Jewish teacher and Rabbi – to say the very least!
2. Jesus was not a “Hellenist” in any sense of our understanding the word.
3. Jesus espoused and promoted that our One True God – the God of Israel, is a perfect co-equal balance of both masculine and feminine, as is reflected in all Creation.
4. Jesus said that we must love the Lord our God first and foremost, and then love one another as we love ourselves.
5. Jesus taught that love, beginning with God’s “Ruach HaKodesh” – the Breath of Life and Holy Spirit, as aspects of God’s Divine Feminine, is the only way that men can experience the Kingdom of God.
6. Jesus rejected the kind of egocentric, selfish, self-centered thinking and behavior of men that characterizes “Hellenism”.
We will discuss each of these points in much greater detail as we continue, and, look for my study guides they will soon also be available!
