Monday, July 2, 2012

The Gospel of Judas- documentary

This nearly one and a half hour long documentary answers some of the most basic questions concerning the discovery of the codex. Only 15% of it is missing; not bad after 1,800 years and withstanding so much abuse after being 'found' once again!

I do have to say, though, in response to the makers of the documentary: it's not really all that difficult to see why Irenaeus left out this Gospel. I don't know why they've stated it's a mystery. I think it's rather blatant. The four main gospels chosen to be 'canon' demonize Judas while the other Gnostic gospels he reject do the exact opposite- they show what Judas did to be what paved the way for Literalists to have a way in the door to Christianity from Judaism. Those Christians who study even just the four canon gospels will eventually come to the same conclusion if they look beyond the story and look into the metaphors and past the head-spinning lies. It's still difficult to get past all the obsequious bloodshed, though. Personally, this was the first thing which tipped me off that something was wrong and I was only ten years old when I spotted it.

Once a person tires of beating their head against the same four walls of Mark, Mathew, Luke, and John(and trying to keep their lies straight!) and then begin reading things outside the 'box' of Literalist texts they will understand just how narrow minded they've been trained into being. When four gospels contradict one another so many times and in so many ways you have to wonder- what in the world are we doing still swearing by that book? Irenaeus did us no favors in being so deceitfully selective.

Why put shackles on our hearts? Why do we have to be so literal? Why can't we let our aiúa wander in prayer to soak up the love and teaching the Good God has to give? It's not for sale. There is no bargaining necessary and no need to enslave yourself to some sort of dogma.

Here's one of the most heated exchanges found in the Gospel of Judas(PDF)

Jesus said to them, “Why are you troubled? Truly I say to you, all the priests who stand before that altar invoke my name. Again I say to you, my name has been written on this […] of the generations of the stars through the human generations. [And they] have planted trees without fruit, in my name, in a shameful manner.” Jesus said to them, “Those you have seen receiving the offerings at the altar—that is who you are. That is the god you serve, and you are those twelve men you have seen. The cattle you have seen brought for sacrifice are the many people you lead astray [40] before that altar. […] will stand and make use of my name in this way, and generations of the pious will remain loyal to him. After hi another man will stand there from [the fornicators], and another [will] stand there from the slayers of children, and another from those who sleep with men, and those who abstain, and the rest of the people of pollution and lawlessness and error, and those who say, ‘We are like angels’; they are the stars that bring everything to its conclusion. For to the human generations it has been said, ‘Look, God has received your sacrifice from the hands of a priest’—that is, a minister of error. But it is the Lord, the Lord of the universe, who commands, ‘On the last day they will be put to shame.’” [41]

2 comments:

Paul said...

I think it's been a couple of years now that I post conflicting accounts of the thieves next to Jesus on the cross. I wondered why we only choose the story that suits our purpose. I had heard The Gospel Of Judas had been written but hadn't actually taken the time to pursue it. Admitting my laziness. I never understood why Judas got the bad rap anyway. Jesus basically told him to do it. Thanks for the post

Angel said...

Something about this guy inspires procrastination... lol. I had been meaning to post this article for while; it'd been sitting there in my blogger box for I don't know how long. Saw something about Judas the other day and it made me remember to do more research. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the full document(as much as could be salvaged, anyway) was available online.

Judas got the bad rap because it was convenient, I think. It's just too convenient to say that it was all about money or greed instead of analyzing the relationship between the two men before it all hit the fan.

Why do we choose the story that suits our purposes? hmmm... I just got chewed up and spit out on a literalist's blog the other day about this very thing: selective reading and comprehension. The rationale behind it is very simple- because it's easy. Yup. Because it's easier. But there we go again with the layers of understanding. The literalists are where they are meant to be at that time in their life. We are where we are meant to be. Doesn't mean that they can't grow and climb up the ladder a step or two, just that the literalist take on the cosmos is what they can understand for the moment.

I'll post that article tomorrow. Quite amusing. And I couldn't even bring myself to respond after the blogger's closing comment to me. It was just too blinded by the Cult of the Pope.