True Religion Serves Humanity
In the name of God, we divide our world and destroy the humanity. The divisions made in God’s name have been the worst horrifying crimes against our human race. Youngbloods are shed in the endless wars, and LGBTQ are dehumanized. Healing humanity is only possible when religion serves the humankind. Jesus originally taught this simple truth in the beginning, and world’s prominent religious leaders have agreed with him.
Unlike the oppressing practice by organized religions, the founder and prominent leader of each religion originally taught their disciples to serve the humanity. Their original teaching was on the humanity over religion by all means.
Be kind to all creatures. This is the true religion. -Buddha
Be a good human being, a warm-hearted affectionate person. This is fundamental belief. -Dalai Lama
No religion is higher than humanity. -Abdul Sattar Edhi
Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
-The Book of James 1:27 in New American Standard VersionWhen you see one who was not born of woman, fall on your faces and worship him. That is your Father. -Jesus in his earliest sayings collection, The Gospel of Thomas, Line 15.
The Gospel of Thomas is the earliest sayings of Jesus and unfabricated but raw sayings of Jesus. Early churches denounced it as a heresy. It was vanished by the 4th century. The written Gospel was discovered in an ancient jar near the Nile River, by an Egyptian farmer, in 1945. Several scholars have translated its Coptic code into modern English, but its interpretation has been either unacceptable by Orthodox churches or unsuccessful because of missing pieces of the writing.
Its contents are not parallel to that of synoptic gospels and the Bible. However, it contains the sayings of Jesus solely without others’ insertions. Each saying is more like a short note that was written either in hurry or incompetent writing skills. The sayings of Jesus was recorded by Thomas with limited writing skills, unlike other gospels that were written by Jewish scholars and professional scribes. Its interpretation is not only an ultimate challenge to scholars but also conflict with churches who cannot abandon the religious tradition of more than 2000 years and build new “house” from the findings.
Mostly, no religion will embrace the message that nullifies the existence of religions, and that rebukes them as thieves. Unlike traditional belief that Jesus is a Messiah who came to save believers and condemns unbelievers, in his sayings, Jesus tells the world that he came to free the world from religious oppression. Only if his pure and simple message had been preserved, there wouldn’t be divisions between humankind.
Jesus said, “When you see one who was not born of women, fall on your face and worship him. That is your Father.” The Gospel of Thomas, line 15.
In his saying, Jesus is practically telling his disciples that no one on earth shall be worshiped including himself thus no religion shall be organized to worship him. Jesus surrenders himself to the inclusive Creator of all. Since God was invisible, believers gathered in the name of Jesus and worshipped him as the exclusive deity. This is wrong to Jesus, and wrong to the Creator. Absolutely wrong and divisive to fellow humans. No religion shall reign over the humanity.