THE ORIGINAL SIN: The root of the problem starts with Eve. Blaming her for the fall of humankind is the original sin. Christians struggled to make sense of Jesus’ death and invented the myth that Jesus died to save us from our sins. Women are blamed for introducing evil into the world and even the serpent in this image is portrayed as a female snake. It is this attitude that ultimately led to the rejection of Mary Magdalene by Peter and Paul, not by Jesus. The Gospel of Mary and other Gnostic works clearly captures the tension between Peter and Mary, a narrative repeated in the Gospel of John. Decoding John is the key to unraveling the New Testament.

If Adam and Eve were created in the image of God, then surely God is both male and female. The rib delusion is the second creation when God was created in the image of man.

SHINY HAPPY PEOPLE: We should be thanking Eve, instead of blaming her! Unfortunately some people feel intimidated by strong and intelligent women. 

1 Corinthians 14:34-35

‘As in all the churches of Gods people, the women should keep quiet in our meetings. They are not allowed to speak, as the Jewish Law says, they must not be in charge. If they want to find out something, they should ask their husbands at home. It is a disgraceful thing for a woman to speak in a church. I do not allow them to teach or to have authority over men, they must keep quiet.’ Saint Paul.

‘Paul was the first corrupter of the doctrines of Jesus.’ Thomas Jefferson

IF ADAM PICKED THE APPLE

There would be a parade, 

a celebration,

a holiday to commemorate 

the day he sought enlightenment. 

We would not speak of 

temptation by the devil, rather, 

we would laud Adam’s curiosity, 

his desire for adventure

and knowing. 

We would feast 

on apple-inspired fare: 

tortes, chutneys, pancakes, pies.

There would be plays and songs 

reenacting his courage.

But it was Eve who grew bored, 

weary of her captivity in Eden. 

And a woman’s desire

for freedom is rarely a cause 

for celebration.

Daniel Coffyn poem North Meridian Press.

WHAT WAS THE FORBIDDEN FRUIT EVE ATE IN THE GARDEN? An apple? Some scholars are of the opinion that is was an Entheogen, a psychoactive plant that stirred human consciousness to awaken. Many ancient cultures used magical potions in their rituals, including in the Middle and Near East. The Eleusinian Mysteries in ancient Greece being a prime example, Soma use amongst Zoroastrians another. What was the Burning Bush Moses engaged with? Or what about the substance John was given in Revelations? Even the Holy Grail has been recorded as eliciting visionary experience and union with God. The most prolific use of sacred plant medicines can be found in Central and South America. Ayahuasca, San Pedro, Peyote, Psilocybin, DMT, and a range of other plants and molecules. Eboga in Central West Africa is another very powerful spirit medicine. And last but not least, Cannabis use amongst the followers of Lord Shiva in India and the Rastafarian religion for spiritual purposes.

I’m not convinced that Mary Magdalene needed to be saved. Men projected their insecurities onto her and blackened her name, hence, The Crucifiction of Mary.

Saint Isaacs Cathedral, St Petersburg, Russia. I wonder if Vlad or the Patriarch of the Orthodox Church have seen this mosaic? Like so many other examples, millions of Christians never even take a closer look at what is staring them in the face. They have been conditioned to believe it is John even if the evidence clearly contradicts their assumptions. 

Thank you Espino family CC BY-SA 2.0

Saint Isaacs Cathedral in St Petersburg Russia, contain some of the most beautiful, yet controversial mosaics of the Last Supper. Look at the clear discrepancy between an old and frail Peter, and a gorgeous Mary, or is it John?

Thank you to Pamela CC BY-NC-ND-2.0.

If John was not Mary, then we need to ask some difficult questions about the intimate relationship between Jesus and the person sitting next to him. For the observer it is clear to see that they shared a very deep and loving bond.

I grieve for you, my brother Johnathan; how dear you were to me! How wonderful was your love for me, BETTER EVEN THAN THE LOVE OF WOMEN. 2 Samuel 1 v26. This passage has always intrigued me and led to the study of pederasty, an Ancient Greek custom of homosexual love between an older man, often a soldier, and an adolescent youth. We may frown upon this in our modern society but it is important to understand that it was a totally accepted and not related to pedophilia.