ONE ENLIGHTENMENT 1

Running head: MANY PATHS, ONE ENLIGHTENMENT

Many Paths, One Enlightenment

David "Toby" Meyers

American Popular Culture

University of Phoenix

July 19, 2009

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Abstract

With this essay my intent is to show that many religions are becoming more tolerant of

one another as spiritual and personal beliefs have become more diverse and accepting. While

ethnic mixture and social hierarchy are becoming blurred, people are becoming more open to

input by a wide range of different beliefs and worship. This is the learning of many paths and one

enlightenment, that everyone is finding their own path to god and their higher self.
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Many Paths, One Enlightenment

Not so long ago in France a very spoiled entitled man, one who called himself a Mason,

though did not build anything but a monarchy; he cast his crown into the fire and pulled out a

ring. (Cyberpoint Limited, 2004) With this he claimed that God set him to be the king of the

earth. (Big Site of History, 2008) His name was Flavius Valerius Aurelius Constantinus (272-

337 A.D.) and he was the first of many, many holy kings of earth. His claim to fame, Christianity

or rather the outlawing of all other religions besides Christianity, was long lived and was held as

an example to Western Europe's Masonic brotherhood of how to attain and keep political power.

Purity and Persecution.

It is a lie that Rome persecuted Christians for any long period of time. Historically the

persecution lasted about twelve years. (Humphreys, 2008) For control of the population the holy

church was formed:

“Wherever we look, bishops were encouraging the landed elites... to take

firm and coercive action to make the peasantry Christian... Miracles, wonders,

exorcisms, temple-torching and shrine-smashing were in themselves acts of

evangelization." (Fletcher, 1998)

How can we forget our own American History? Religious persecution brought a majority of

Western Europeans to America. When they signed the Declaration of Independence they refused

the holy king his divine province in the New World. However grim it looked, the Treaty of Paris

signed in September 1783, meant that there was no hand in America for the European Monarchy.

The first Amendment to the Constitution (Delegates of the Philadelphia Convention, 1787) gave

the peasants who were once persecuted because they were Pagan, or did not accept the orthodox,

a separation of powers and a respect for the individual through democracy and self-rule.
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How the world was converted.

Years of inquisition and coup d’état by literally making men bow down and accept either

death by sword or to kneel before the cross, Christianity swept across Europe. (Fletcher, 1998)

When the American Revolutionary War happened, the Monarchy of Europe, whose precedence

was founded on the tenant that they were picked by God to rule, the inquisitions had bankrupted

and were without funds to side in a war against the new country. Fearless men, haggard and worn

by injustices they had suffered, who believed they would die at the hands of the trained and

obedient, that their plight was futile, marched out to meet the red coats and then slaughtered

them with prejudice.

Tragedy and Triumph.

With a few tragedies like the Salem Witch Trials (1692-93) largely citizens are free to

practice Magick. There are still a few people who do not think they should have to live near

people that do not believe as they do. Just recently I wrote a petition on behalf of a high school

girl who was kicked out of school for wearing a pentacle that her teachers could not

take. (Meyers, 2007) In the "Texas Department of Criminal Justice (T.D.C.J.) Prisoners within

this state are not allowed to study or use the runes in anyway. They are not allowed to receive

publication which contains runes…” (The Odinic Rite, 2008) Unfounded claims of Satanic

Ritual Abuse and razors in Halloween candy still float around despite being completely

incredulous (Midwinter & Allen, 2002; Young, 2004; Aquino, 1993; Ney, 1995). In April of last

year Americans United for Separation of Church and State won in its lawsuit against the U.S.

Department of Veterans Affairs for barring the inscription of the Wiccan religious symbol on

government-issued memorial markers for deceased veterans (Stewart, 2007). Performing

marriage ceremonies for people of Pagan faith has become common place. With the invention of

the internet a wide variety of Pagans have came out of the broom closet in droves. All of the
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sudden so-called family groups are surrounded by people of different faiths as soon as they log

on to the internet (Witches Voice, 2008).

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Conclusion:

We have Grown Up.

We have grown up and have not found it necessary to kill each other because we do not

see eye to eye about who that god is. There are more than just Pagans and Christians anymore;

there are Muslims, Hindu, Sufi’s and just as there are Catholics, Protestants, and Mormons; there

is Odinists, Druids and Wiccans as well. We get along a little better mostly due to this law that

says that we can practice whatever religion that we see fit. Maybe it is a sign from God or

whatever higher power that there are many paths to take there is only one enlightenment, one

truth and that is love and tolerance.

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References

Aquino, M. A. (1993, March 26). The "Satanic Scare" of the 1980s.

Retrieved December 2, 2008, from Official website of the Temple of Set:

http://www.holysmoke.org/sdhok/sat33.htm.

Big Site of History. (2008, June 4). Summary: The Problem of Divine-Right Monarchy.

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http://www.bigsiteofhistory.com/summary-the-problem-of-divine-right-monarchy

Cyberpoint Limited. (2004). Masonic Rings and Watches.

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http://www.letchworthshop.co.uk/products.php?g1=4a52f2.

Delegates of the Philadelphia Convention. (1787). Constitution of the United States of America.

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Fletcher (1998). The Conversion of Europe. London: Fontana Press.

Humphreys, K. (2008). Persecution, Holy Mother Church invents heroic origins.

Retrieved Dec 02, 2008, from Jesus Never Existed:

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Meyers, T. N. (2007). Pagan Children Targeted by School Administration.

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n=subscribe
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Midwinter & Allen (2002). Michelle Remembers: The Debunking of a Myth.

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Ney (1995). True and False Allegations of Child Sexual Abuse. New York: Brunner/Mazel Inc.

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Witches Voice. (2008). Clergy of the world.

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http://www.witchvox.com/vn/vn_index/xclergy.html

Young, M. D. (2004). The Day Care Ritual Abuse Moral Panic.

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