| For two hundred years after Christ died, according to | | | | Kingdom of God is inside of you, and it is outside of |
| historical documents, many different and diverse | | | | you. When you come to know yourselves, then you |
| gospels and ideas permeated Christianity, all | | | | will become known, and you will realize that it is you |
| competing for acceptance by the fledgling Church | | | | who are the sons of the living Father. But if you will |
| that was then organizing. One of these was the | | | | not know yourselves, you dwell in poverty, and it is |
| Gospels of Thomas. | | | | you who are that poverty." |
| After 200 AD, Christianity became an organized | | | | Silent prayer, therefore, addresses the need to open |
| religion overseen by priests and bishops who took | | | | up to that which is beyond our small self and really |
| over the doctrines of the Church. They decided | | | | become Christlike ourselves. If we adhere to the |
| which gospels were to be included in the new | | | | original Church father's doctrines and rendition of the |
| testament (only a handful that met their criteria) and | | | | gospels, there is really nothing we can do to |
| which were to be destroyed. They rejected all | | | | proactively change ourselves except to be perpetual |
| Christian alternate viewpoints as heresy regarding | | | | works in progress and sinners who have no chance |
| what Christ said and what he was trying to teach | | | | of ever becoming more than that. Subsequently, we |
| except theirs, and what was lost might have been an | | | | are forced to entirely depend upon the Church for |
| entirely different approach to Christianity from what | | | | our final salvation. Thomas claims that Jesus never |
| we see now. There is the possibility that these | | | | taught this kind of thing; that all of us have the |
| original Church fathers hadn't a clue about what Jesus | | | | potential to become sons and daughters of God right |
| was really trying to teach. | | | | here, right now, in this lifetime. |
| The Gospels of Thomas were discovered in Egypt in | | | | Praying silently is the avenue to the direct insight |
| 1945 and subsequently dated by the script (Coptic) | | | | attained by the Prophets, Christ, the Buddha, and all |
| and the datable materials used in the leather bindings | | | | enlightened beings throughout history. It explains why |
| as being in the era when the New Testament was | | | | people in distant lands who never heard of the Bible |
| being formed. What makes these gospels so | | | | or Christianity can become children of God simply by |
| interesting is that Thomas' impression of who Jesus | | | | going within themselves. Silent prayer is available to all |
| was and what he was trying to teach is contrary to | | | | of us and not just the chosen few, and it is free. We |
| what is commonly believed today, and perhaps | | | | can do it at home by ourselves or with friends in our |
| answers many questions that Christians may have | | | | Church. We can all do it. |
| about their faith. The gospels may even explain why | | | | Don't allow the naysayer to dissuade you, based on |
| the Christian faith, as practiced today, has not led to | | | | the edited gospels of the old Church that had its |
| the results as envisioned, which is peace and love on | | | | agenda. Don't believe that direct insight is too lofty |
| earth. | | | | for sinners. This only keeps you captive within the |
| Using this as a background, silent prayer is more in | | | | confines of closed religious dogma, unable to |
| tuned with what Thomas and Thomas's Jesus was | | | | authentically spiritually grow, and is the reason that |
| allegedly about. | | | | the world is in such a mess. According to Thomas, |
| (Wikipedia - The Gospel of Thomas) "The Gospel of | | | | Jesus was teaching a universal salvation, not |
| Thomas is mystical and emphasizes a direct and | | | | hog-tying Christianity into a closed, "us vs them" |
| unmediated experience of the truth of life. "Jesus | | | | mentality where other religions cannot be tolerated |
| said, "Whoever drinks from my mouth will become as | | | | because they don't "Believe." Jesus was teaching us |
| I am; I myself shall become that person, and the | | | | the way for everyone, regardless of beliefs, by going |
| hidden things will be revealed to him." Furthermore, | | | | inside. |
| salvation is personal and found through spiritual | | | | You can become Christlike, but not by thinking about |
| (psychological) introspection. "Jesus says, "If you | | | | it or reading about it. That simply perpetuates the |
| bring forth what is within you, what you have will | | | | world as we see it today - full of misunderstanding |
| save you. If you do not bring it forth, what you do | | | | and close-minded, opinionated hate. In silent prayer, |
| not have within you will kill you." As such, this form | | | | thought is suspended so that God can fill your spirit, |
| of salvation is idiosyncratic and without literal | | | | and when that happens, you fundamentally change |
| explanation unless read from a psychological | | | | from an angry confused person to a person who can |
| perspective related to Self vs. ego. Jesus says, "The | | | | see clearly and calmly. |