Anthony Browder: Exploding the Myths- Little Known Facts About Religion

From the book, "From the Browder File. 22 Essays on the African American Experience" by Anthony T. Browder. Published by the Institute of Karmic Guidance in 2000. Available [HERE] 

Years ago, as a youngster attending many weekly Sunday School and church services, I began wondering about the truth of religious stories and teachings. I remember my grandmother warning me that if I didn't go to church, I would burn in hell forever, and if I asked the devil for water, he would put fire down my throat, laughing unmercifully while I suffered.

One day, while trying to fathom the concept of eternity, I let my imag­ination flow and developed some interesting insights. I asked my Grandmother, "Mama, what would you say if you found out there was no heaven and no hell?" Never at a loss for words, this deeply religious woman looked at me in shock and disbelief, and responded, "Nonsense! Why there has to be a heaven and hell! It just has to be true because it says so right here in my Bible!"

For my Grandmother, this thought was just too horrible to bear. But like many other "believers," she would never allow any information to come into her mind that was inconsistent with her present beliefs.

Many people do not, and cannot, accept any statements that do not confirm what they presently believe, even if the beliefs they presently hold to be true are based on false information and are inconsistent with reality. Many of the things that "the mind of man believes, the mind of man has conceived," but these things are not always based on truth.

Years ago, people believed that the sun revolved around the Earth and that the Earth was flat. This belief was accepted as true until proven otherwise. The Earth has always revolved around the sun and it was always round. This is reality. The only thing that has changed is peo­ple's understanding of this reality.

You are the sum total of all of your beliefs, and your beliefs are always subject to change as your knowledge base expands. Most people refuse to accept a new belief simply because it contradicts their present belief system. To continue to believe in a proven falsehood is detrimental to the believer. One must never be afraid to evaluate new information and accept it if it is proven to be true.

In light of this fact, we must be willing to evaluate our belief systems, even if this means exploding the myths that have served as our founda­tion. People fear instability, therefore, it is natural for them to resist the destruction of their old belief system until they have an acceptable belief system to replace the old one.

During ancient times, temples were created as places of worship and environments for the development and perpetuation of a culture's belief system. When a temple outlived its usefulness, it was dismantled and a new temple was built upon the site of the old one, using some of the same stones as "seeds" for the new temple.

Africans were the first people on this planet to develop a system of religious beliefs. Their temples were repositories for knowledge per­taining to themselves and their Creator. Thousands of years after these religious beliefs had been developed and implemented, they were stolen by foreigners and used as the foundation for the development of new religious systems which spread throughout the world.

I'm finding more and more in my class sessions, and during my many workshops, seminars and lectures for The Institute of Karmic Guidance that people are seeking answers. They're questioning and reevaluating their religious belief systems. I'm often asked my opinion about the con­tents of the Bible, and the name of the religious denomination I hold to be the one true religion.

This is such a sensitive, personal and emotional area, that during the earlier days of my career, I held fast to the opinion of the great leader Malcolm X, who maintained that religion is a very personal and private relationship between an individual and his or her "GOD." This rela­tionship should remain very personal and private. I've tried to stay away from these types of discussions, but so many people have inquired that now I find it very necessary to address these concerns.

There are many truths to be learned regarding the lives of some bib­lical personalities, but truth seekers must know the history of all the peo­ple who were custodians of these stories. Knowing that history, truth seekers must attempt to learn how and why the stories were changed Only then can the real truth be known.

Two hundred years ago, Napoleon Bonaparte made a very importanc statement. He stressed the fact that, "History is a lie agreed upon." We must understand that the stories and historical facts have been changes to suit the purposes of the dominating culture.

Once a lie is told, it is often perpetuated. Lies and untruths can be told for so long that they will be accepted as the TRUTH. When some­one comes forward and reveals the real TRUTH, people often don't have the mental capacity to accept and relate to it.

The words Holy Bible are derived from the Greek words Helios Biblos. Helios means sun and Biblos is derived from the Egyptian word for papyrus which means paper. Accumulated papers make books. "Holy Bible" means Sun Book and represents the knowledge of the "Children of the Sun" as contained in The Egyptian Book of the Dead, The Writings of Troth and other books.

The Bible is the collection of books which Christian people regard as sacred. Here they find the record of the teachings that are the basis for their beliefs. History documents that these teachings are actually derived from the writings of ancient African priests, rulers and philoso­phers.

Ancient African texts document the first stories of the Annunciation, the Immaculate Conception, the Virgin Birth and the World's First Savior, who was proclaimed as the Son of God. All of these narratives were written 4,000 years before the birth of the Christian Son of God, "Jesus The Christ." Documentation for this can be found in the books of the ancient Egyptians and inscribed on the walls of their temples.

It was at the Council of Nicea, in 332 A.C.E. that the Emperor Constantine made Christianity the official state religion and abolished all competing religious ideology. At this conference, European images replaced the African images of the Madonna and Child.

Also at this conference, all original references to astrology and rein­carnation were deleted from the European Helios Biblos and rewritten in allegorical form. This literary style of writing gives another meaning to each character, object and event to symbolically illustrate an idea, a moral or a religious principle.

In the sixth century A.C.E., the Emperor Justinian issued an edict abolishing the last vestiges of the African religious systems, and closed the last African temple at Philae in Upper Egypt. At this temple, one can find inscriptions on the walls proclaiming the closing of the temple of Justinian, and the removal of scenes of the African Madonna and Child, Isis and Horus.

The Europeans then occupied numerous temples as their places of worship, etched crosses into the walls and erected statues of the "new" Madonna and Child. Other historical escapades such as the Spanish Inquisition and the British Crusades, were attempts to impose this newly created religious ideology throughout the world.

These undeniable historical realities help to explain the existence of over 125 versions of the "Holy Bible."   The word version is from the Latin word, vertere or versum which means to turn, to change or to trans­late.

Webster's dictionary defines the word version as meaning, a change of form, a transformation, a conversion of a translation or rendering; an account or description from a particular point of view especially as contrasted with another account or point of view.

So many of our religious beliefs are influenced and determined by the particular version of the Bible we read.

One of the most common versions of the Bible is the Authorized King James Version which was first published in 1611. Its creation was neces­sitated, in 1534, after King Henry VIII and the Church of England sepa­rated from the Vatican. The closing years of the reign of King Henry VIII were characterized by restrictive measures regarding who could read and use the Bible.

As prohibited by an act of Parliament, no woman, unless she were a woman of the noble class, was allowed to read the Bible. Also, no apprentices, journeymen, serving men or laborers, were allowed to read or use any part of the Bible without risking the pain of fines and impris­onment.

In 1604, King James authorized a committee of more than 50 learned men and scholars to write one uniform translation of the Bible. By royal authority, the whole Church of England would be bound to this new Bible, and no other version could be read.

Clearly, it was during the writing of this particular version of the Bible that old English pronouns and verbs such as "Ye," "Thee," "Thou," "Shalt" and other such terms, were written into "The Good Book." Among the English scholars assigned to this committee was the great lit­erary giant of that time, none other than William Shakespeare.

Shakespeare was forbidden by King James to publicize his involve­ment with the writing project, but the writer found a way to cleverly hide his "signature" within the material he wrote. Evidence of this can be found in the book of Psalms 46:3 and 46:9.

At the time of the writing of this version of the Bible, William Shakespeare was 46 years old. If you look at Psalm 46, you will note the 46th word from the beginning of the psalm is "shake," and the 46th word from the end of the psalm is "spear." This clearly establishes Shakespeare's role in the writing of this important piece of literature.

One reality that must be faced is that no matter what version of the 3ible you presently read, the stories in the Bible are stories about African oeople. Over 70 references to Egypt and Ethiopia are mentioned in the Bible, more than any other nation. Much of what was written about Christianity originated in Africa because Europe, as we know it now, did not exist during that time.

The story of Jesus Christ is the story of conflict and rebellion against the invading forces of the Roman armies. At that time, Rome was the most powerful military force in the world. This story is the history of the oppression against people of color.

With this thought in mind, it seems strange that the oppressors of a religious movement would kill the Christian leader, and embrace their religious concepts. Later, they would designate themselves as the custo­dians of that religion and then move the religious faith to their home­land.

This would be the same as, stretching your mind to imagine, the South African government proclaiming Nelson Mandela as a national hero, and then erecting a shrine in his honor in Pretoria. Anytime a rul­ing class embraces its enemy as the religious leader, it's probably due to a change of political strategy as opposed to a change of heart.

When the invading army moved the newly formed Christian religion from Africa to Rome, other changes took place. Probably the most significant of these changes was the use of different physical features in representations of the images of Jesus.

In 1508 the famous artist and painter, Michelangelo was commissioned to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Rome. His relatives were used as models. For example, his aunt and uncle posed for renderings of the images of Adam and Eve, who we all know were born in Africa, and his cousin was the model for the painting of Jesus. Therefore, the image that many people now accept as the portrait of Jesus The Christ is a totally inaccurate one.

Many religious leaders acknowledge the biblical references to Jesus which describe him as having hair like lamb's wool and feet like burnt brass. Even to this day, Europeans in Poland, Russia, Germany and Italy still worship at the Shrine of the Black Madonna and Child.

Even in churches where the statues are no longer visible, the black fig­ures have not been destroyed, but are stored away in hidden places in the church where they are worshipped by a select few.

The story of the Virgin Birth originated, over 4,000 years ago, in ancient Kemet (Egypt). Osiris, Horus and Isis were prototypes for the contemporary versions of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Unfortunately, Christianity has limited the significance of the female and reduced her role to the vague and nebulous position of a Holy Ghost.

Much of the bible is written in allegorical form. These writings are stories in which people, places and things symbolically represent higher moral truths which were known only to a select group of men.

The word "Christ" is a title, not a name, just as the word President is a title or King is a title. The word Christ means the anointed one or one whose head is anointed with oil. Bethlehem means brain or house of God. And the word Jerusalem means heart. So what do they mean when they speak of Christ coming down from Bethlehem into Jerusalem?

Christ becomes the Anointed One when oil is secreted from the brain, through the circulatory system, into the heart and is distributed through­out the entire body. So the allegory of this event involving Christ, Bethlehem and Jerusalem, symbolizes a transformative process which takes place within the human body.

In ancient African religion, the heart was viewed as the seat of the soul. This is important. The "Anointed One" refers to any person who has manifested within their bodies, special talents and abilities. Throughout the ages, many persons have been given the title "Christ." The existence of at least 16 has been documented.

The first Christ in recorded history was an African named Imhotep who lived around 2800 B.C.E. Imhotep is the first recorded multi-geniuj in the history of mankind. He was a doctor, lawyer, grand vizier (prime minister) for King Zoser. He was also the architect of the Step Pyramid. Imhotep was a poet, the man responsible for giving us the phrase "Eat, Drink And Be Merry, For Tomorrow You Will Die." He was the first Christ in recorded history and he lived almost 3,000 years before the birth of Jesus, the "Anointed One."

The date of the birth of Jesus has long been regarded as a day of deep religious significance. Allegorically, it speaks to the birth of this trans­forming process within the mind and body of man. The birthday of the Sun-God (Son-God) was also celebrated 4,000 years ago in the Egyptian temple of Abydos on the 25th of December.

From December 21st (the winter solstice) to December 24, the length of the days is approximately the same. On December 25, the Sun is sym­bolically born as sunlight increases approximately one minute per day. At the midnight hour during the first minute of December 25, the birth of the "sun" was seen in the astrological sign of Capricorn, which was known as the Stable of Augeus. Therefore, the infant Sun-God (Son-God), or the "New Sun," was said to have been "born in a stable."

Shining brightly on the meridian was Sirius, the Star from the East, while rising in the east was Virgo, the virgin, with the horizon line pass­ing through her center. From the positioning of this star developed the story of the famous star in the East which led the three Kings to worship the newly born Son-God who was born in the stable.

At the winter solstice, the sun is at its southern most position in the celestial sphere. After that date, it begins to travel northward along the ecliptic and at the vernal equinox (Spring), it "passes over" the celestial equator. This passing over the sun from the south to the north of the equator was the origin of the Easter festival for the Passover.

References to astrology in the Bible can be found by understanding the movable feast called Easter, which is the first Sunday after the first full moon following the spring equinox. After the equinox, the "Sun" is resurrected and the number of daylight hours increases steadily until the summer solstice.

The resurrection of the "Sun" activates the life-giving properties within all vegetation and restores life to the planet. In ancient Egypt, Osiris was viewed as the first symbol of a resurrected savior, and his image was often painted green to represent the growth of vegetation.

When the sun reached the equinoctial point and crossed over or passed over the equator 3,000 years ago, it was situated in the astrologi­cal sign of Aries, the Ram or the Lamb. Thus the symbol of the Passover Lamb representing God, gives a clue to the origin of the Passover Lamb as a type of crucified Christ. When Christ was born 2,000 years ago, the sun was in the astrological sign of Pisces the Fish. Thus Jesus is sym­bolically presented as the Fisherman of Men.

The African influences on European religion are numerous. An early temple of the Goddess Isis (Para Isidos) erected in France, is the origin of the word Paris. It is at the site of this former temple that we now find the Cathedral of Notre Dame and the Grande Dame that was referred to as none other than Isis.

At the Vatican in Rome, we find an African obelisk in the center of St. Peter's square. The Pope's crown and staff are patterned after the crown and staff of the Pharaoh of Upper Egypt, who was regarded as God's representative on Earth and The Good Shepherd. The cross, symbol of the death and crucifixion of Christ, is quite similar to the Egyptian Ankh, the symbol of life.

It is interesting to note how people of other nations responded to the imposition of certain religious doctrines on their culture and society. The Protestant Church evolved out of the struggle of people who "protested" against the religious beliefs that were imposed upon them. What began as a political, revolutionary and spiritual movement almost 2,000 years ago, has been grossly misrepresented and over-commercialized to manipulate the minds and pocketbooks of the masses.

I'm very concerned about the commercialization of Christian holi­days. Other major religious organizations strictly forbid the exploitation of their sacred rituals and their divine doctrines. Western religions seem to thrive on commercialization and exploitation of their deity.

The creation of Thanksgiving as a national holiday was lobbied by merchants who wanted to stimulate spending during the weeks prior to Christmas. The day with the highest retail sales is the day after Thanksgiving, which also marks the official beginning of the Christmas season.

In 1938, President Franklin Roosevelt shifted Thanksgiving Day from November 30 to November 23, to give retailers a longer Christmas shop­ping season. Roosevelt's actions created a storm of protest that caused many citizens to refer to November 30 as the "Republican Thanksgiving Day," and November 23 as the "Democratic Thanksgiving Day."

Department store merchants became increasingly wealthy as many "pre-programmed" consumers spent a small fortune on gifts just to make their loved ones happy. The irony of this shopping mad­ness can be witnessed the day after Christmas when sales reduce prices for all merchandise purchased at higher rates before Christmas.

A similar shopping phenome­non can be witnessed in the days leading up to Easter. Everyone must make certain that they're dressed to kill in their new shoes, new dresses, new suits and new hats, all to be worn to Church for Easter Sunday Service.

I don't mean to sound like a spoilsport, but it seems to me that the religious significance of both Christmas and Easter are over­shadowed by emotions of materi­alism. These same emotions are passed on to our children through the fabrication of such fictitious individuals as Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. This lays the emotional foundation for another generation of "pre-pro­grammed" consumers. But this is not the first time that religion was used to make a fortune at the expense of other people.

The history of Christianity should be of particular note to African Americans because of its key role in the development of the slave trade. In 1411 A.C.E., Portuguese slave traders present­ed the first slaves to the Pope, who deemed these Africans to be soulless individuals. Is it a coincidence that the same mentality that created organized crime, the Mafia, also created organized religion and sanctioned the beginning of the slave trade?

The first ship to transport slaves from Africa to America was named "The Jesus" (in photo) Slave masters used religion to control their slaves, promising eternal salvation in exchange for strict adherence to the laws of GOD. Slavery was sanctioned by the church through "Divine Providence" as a means of bringing salvation to a "soulless people."

The influence of religion on African Americans has been extensive. From Malcolm to Martin, from Powell to Young, from Jackson to Farrakhan, many of our political and civil rights leaders have come from religious backgrounds. As we enter the 21st century, we are at a point in our lives where we must consider both new spiritual leadership and a new political direction. In reality, one fact stands out clearly for African Americans—there is no separation between Church and State.

The term RELIGION comes from the words RE which means back and LIGON which means to hold or to bind. So the process of religion is the process of binding back to the source of your creation. Religion should provide correct rules of daily living that will help you understand, strengthen and maintain your association with your Creator and your fellow man.

Ironically, the African concepts of spiritual liberation were distorted and used to impose physical and mental bondage. Originally religion was viewed as the path to salvation, it later became the deification of man and was used to enslave and manipulate. We must all be aware of the strong influence that religious doctrines, principles and symbols have on all aspects of our lives. 

        Just consider this information. Think about it. Read additional resource materials. Do your own research and then....DON'T BE AFRAID TO DECIDE FOR YOURSELF. 

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                                    Commentary

        Throughout the years, this particular essay has generated the greatest "relief" and "disbelief" among my readers. Those who always had questions about the Bible found relief in my explanation of its mythic origins. Those who believe that the Bible is the "unwavering word of God" and was written by "inspired men," were made a little uneasy by what they read.

       My intentions were, and still are, to present historical facts to help explain our reality, and trust that the reader is capable of using that information to understand why they do what they do. When people are presented with information that conflicts with their belief system, I have come to expect three basic  reactions.

       1. They will reject all of the information, often before considering it.

        2. They will sift through the information and embrace that which they are most comfortable with.

        3. They will consider all of the facts with an open mind and accept the conclusions they reach.

         Truth will never be validated by ignorance or denial. Sometimes truth is easily recognizable and other times you may have to dig deep to uncover it. You'll never find truth if you are afraid of the dark, afraid to search the thoughts in the inner recesses of your mind, and don't want to get your hands dirty.

         When you find truth, it may not be easy to recognize it because it's all covered with crud. You may have to chip the crud away, and wash and polish your new- found truth before you can recognize its intrinsic beauty and value.

          But all of that takes work, and a lot of people don't want to do the work. They may be afraid, lazy, ignorant or any combination of the three. This is not criticism because everybody has been afraid, lazy or ignorant at some point in their lives. But there comes a point in our lives when we must "get busy," "know ourselves" and move throughout life without fear. This takes work..... hard work.

           One simple basic truth about the Bible is that it is a book which was written in code. The ancient Hebrews and Greeks devised the codes which were written in both the New and Old Testaments. These codes consists of allegories, symbolism and numbers. They were devised in order to prevent certain information from falling into the hands of the people who were ill prepared to use it.

            One thing is certain- the Bible was never written to be taken literally. It has been interpreted literally over the last 1000 years but that was not the original intent. Rev. Peter Goins, Dean of Harvard School of Divinity, reminds us that the book we have come to know as the Bible is actually a compilation of 66 books. "written by 66 authors over a period of 2000 years."

            One point in this essay which aroused considerable interest was my reference to William Shakespeare and his role in re-writing the King James Version of the Bible. Biblical  scholars, Egyptologists and historians have know for years that stories and passages in the Bible were copied from texts which were written over 4000 years ago in Africa and Asia. The Shakespeare story gives us an indication of one man's handiwork in re- writing a specific version of the Bible.

            Whenever a ruler commissioned the writing of a new version of the Bible, they sought the best minds available to complete the project. King James was no exception. He wanted the best, and the best writer at that time was William Shakespeare. Shakespeare, who lived from 1546 to 1616, is still considered " the greatest dramatist the world has ever known and the finest poet who has written in the English Language."

             According to the World Book Encyclopedia, "Shakespeare originated familiar phrases such as fair play, a forgone conclusion, catch cold and disgraceful conduct- Shakespeare also invented such common words as assassination, bump, eventful and lonely."

             Shakespeare was a poet who wrote about fiction and history. His greatest talent was the ability to infuse his work with a vitality which made it appear larger than life. He was a man of the people and knew how to connect with them on an emotional level. Shakespeare did not create many of his most famous works, they were actually revisions of the works of others. He knew how to sample and he sampled well.

             Everyone of us has viewed history through thru the lens of Shakespeare's imagination. Much of what we know of Julius Caesar, Cleopatra and Mark Antony, was made up by Shakespeare. Mark Antony never said. "Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your ears," and Cleopatra never committed sucide over his death.

            It just didn't happen that way. We believe it because we've heard the story over and over again.

            There were no camcorders or Memorex tapes to record those historical events- this technology is less than a 100 years old. There were no reporters following Moses, Noah or Jesus around recording their every word and deed. What we know of these men was compiled from the myths, history and poetry of men who lived long after their deaths. Much of what they wrote, they either made up or borrowed from literature which was thousands of years old.

          When artist, writers and poets were commissioned to re-write or illustrate the Bible, they were often not allowed to sign their work or list it on their resume. Those artist who were shrewd enough, found creative ways to sign their work in order to claim bragging rights among their peers. That is exactly what Shakespeare did in Psalms 46:3 and 9

         If you compare the King James Version of the Bible with the many other versions, and read Psalms 46, you will see significant differences between them. The King James Version is the only one which has the words shake and spear strategically placed in the text. This is not a coincidence, that is creative writing.

        Throughout the centuries people have taken liberties with the sacred words and images in the Bible. During a recent trip to Bahia, Brazil, I toured several churches which were built by the rich so that their families and friends could worship in private, away from their enemies and the poor. The wealthy hired arthitects to design these churches and oversee their construction.

        Artist were employed to paint and sculpt images of the saints and angels inside the completed churches. The faces of these saints and angels were often portraits of the family members of men who paid  to have the churches built. Needless to say, there were no black faces to be found anywhere, even though some of the historical characters were of African ancestry.

          But that was then and this is now. On December 24,1999, 

the National Catholic Reporter announced the winner of its international contest to update the image of Christ for the new millennium. The winning portrait was selected from almost 1,700 entries submitted by artists from 19 countries.

         The winning image was of a black Jesus which was painted by a white woman who used a female as her model. The artist, Janet McKenzie, describes herself as a "devout agnostic" with an interest in many faiths.

         This contest was conceived by Michael Farrell, editor of the National Catholic Reporter, who stated that "The era of the blond, blue-eyed Jesus is over." Farrell , who is white admitted that, "When the church was overwhelmly a Western institution, we made Jesus in our likeness....This work of art may be prophetic of where and how Christianity will flourish in the next millennium or two."

Anthony T. Browder

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                  References and suggested Readings

ben-Jochannan, Yosef, Chronology of the Bible, New York, NY, Alkebu-lan Books Associates, 1972.

ben-Jochannan, Yosef, Black Man of the Nile, New York, NY, Alkebu-lan Books Associates, 1981.

Campbell, Joseph, The Power of Myths, New York, NY, Doubleday, 1988.

Cooper-Lewter, Dr. Nicholas C., Black Grief and Soul Therapy, Richmond, VA Harriet Tubman Press, 1999

Drake, St. Clair, The Redemption of Africa and Black Religion, Chicago, IL, Third World Press

Emerge Magazine, Is Jesue Black?, (Cover Story), April 1995.

Graves, Kersey, Sixteen Crucified Saviors, New York, NY, The Truth Seeker Company, 1960.

Jackson, John G., Christianity Before Christ, New York, NY, The Blyden Society, 1938.

Jackson, John G., Man, God and Civilization, Seaucus, NJ, Citadel Press, 1972

Mosley, William, What Color Was Jesus, Chicago,IL,African American Images, 1987