Chapter 8 of Rational Religion: The mystery of Freemasonry and the quest to find the Jesus of history.

An ancient, secretive community (Chapter 8)

The mystery of Freemasonry and the quest to find the Jesus of history. If we strip away the supernatural aspects of the Christ myth and disregard the institutional constructions that arose around him, all that remains is a story of someone born in poverty and raised in obscurity, who dedicated his life to being a voice for the oppressed and abused. His works and words give people the hope of something better, something more than mere servitude and survival. Jesus rebelled against organised religious sects and political structures and gave hope to the hopeless so that the struggles of life are not in vain. This is the tangible legacy given to us by the ‘Jesus of history’. If seen through this perspective, the story of the human Jesus is part of a greater narrative that puts the individual at the centre of all things.
The man-made structures of religion, government, monarchical power, institutional abuse and other mechanisms which ultimately diminish human dignity and agency are again at a critical turning point in Western society. Our achievements in science, art, literature, education, medicine, architecture, social cohesion and secular democracy can only stand if each of us recognises that our personal struggle is part of something greater.

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The mystery of Freemasonry and the quest to find the Jesus of history. If we strip away the supernatural aspects of the Christ myth and disregard the institutional constructions that arose around him, all that remains is a story of someone born in poverty and raised in obscurity, who dedicated his life to being a voice for the oppressed and abused. His works and words give people the hope of something better, something more than mere servitude and survival. Jesus rebelled against organised religious sects and political structures and gave hope to the hopeless so that the struggles of life are not in vain. This is the tangible legacy given to us by the ‘Jesus of history’. If seen through this perspective, the story of the human Jesus is part of a greater narrative that puts the individual at the centre of all things. The man-made structures of religion, government, monarchical power, institutional abuse and other mechanisms which ultimately diminish human dignity and agency are again at a critical turning point in Western society. Our achievements in science, art, literature, education, medicine, architecture, social cohesion and secular democracy can only stand if each of us recognises that our personal struggle is part of something greater.

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An ancient, secretive community (Chapter 8)

An ancient, secretive community (Chapter 8)