The mighty Roman Empire never collapsed, it simply morphed into the mighty Roman Catholic Church.
In the new dispensation, the Pope replaced the Emperor, the Senate became the Church and the Senators became the Bishops and Cardinals, etc.
In the name of Christ, claiming to save mankind and establish Christendom, the military-political Roman Empire acquired a virtuous religious face and name, 'The Roman Catholic Church'
For all its stated goals, the Church remains an institution created and managed by humans. How then, can the Church, escape the pitfalls of human nature.?
With immense power and great global influence many crimes and sins were committed by the Church, the ends always justifying the means. Now there are more than 30,000 denominations of Churches.
So many, were the failings that, the Pope had to publicly ask for forgiveness for nearly a hundred major sins committed by the Church and its members in past 2000 years.
Jesus taught that each individual possesses 'Free Will' and could therefore exist in harmony with all other beings in a universal brotherhood.
Every great Master, Avatar and Guru, taught and spiritually guided humanity. Whereas all religions that were subsequently founded in their name are nothing more than political-business organisations catering to the material wants of people and their perceived fears.
The end objective of politics is power and wealth. It is but natural that all organised religions will seek to dominate and control the masses. Control and Free Will are incompatible. Religions can therefore never permit people to choose how they will exist, live, work and worship.
This is why, at heart, people are confused and angry. The Guru and Masters taught wonderful things, but the practice of religious organisations appears to be completely opposite and at odds with the teachings of the Masters.
These thoughts and emotions are beautifully captured and narrated by the great Russian philosopher and writer Fyodor Dostoevsky (1821 - 1881 C.E.) in his masterpiece novel, The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky (1879 -1880).
Here in the chapter on The Grand Inquisitor by Fyodor Dostoevsky, he narrates the story of what what happened when Jesus returns.
The story starts off in a town in Spain where Christ has returned to Earth. Being Jesus, he goes around preaching, healing people and performing miracles.
News reaches a Cardinal and soon thereafter he comes over to the town to see for himself this man. He witnesses what is happening and immediately orders his guards to arrest the man and throw him into a dungeon.
Later that evening, the Cardinal known as the Grand Inquisitor, goes down to the dungeons and to Christ’s cell.
The Cardinal kneels before Christ, and begs for forgiveness for his actions, but justifies it by saying that the Church was compelled to do what they did.
Everything was and is going so well, the Church had everything under control and Jesus's presence was only ruining it.
The Cardinal lectures Christ and tells him why he can’t allow Jesus to perform his works on Earth. The Church believes that humans are by nature sinful, and bad. They are unfit to think for themselves, therefore humans should not possess Free Will.
The Cardinal lectured Christ and reminded him about the time [Jesus rejected three temptations from the devil which secured Free Will for mankind. The [inquisitor](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inquisitor) lectured at length about how he disagreed with what Christ did. Because giving mankind the power of Free Will, humans will always fall into the hands of evil, naturally choosing evil over good.
The Inquisitor says that instead of Free Will humans should be ruled with an iron fist. They need some form of a supreme authority and that is what he was trying to accomplish as an inquisitor. That is why the church was secretly performing the works of Satan not because it is evil but because they believe it is just.
After the Inquisitor finished his sermon, Christ who listened all the while without speaking a word, walked up to the inquisitor, and kissed him. Then, the inquisitor told Christ to never return again, or else ......... and then he set Christ free.
While the Cardinal speaking at length, displayed many negative thoughts and emotions, Jesus displayed only one emotion, love, and thus forgiveness.
Spirituality is a matter of the heart and an individual matter. That is why Jesus taught humanity that "The Kingdom of God is within you".
However, when the teachings of Masters moves into the realm of institutions, they become organised religion. Organised religion is a matter of politics, power and control, it can only provide social order, but can never liberate the individual nor provide peace nor happiness.
Come, let us celebrate Easter in a manner Jesus would have wanted.
References:
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