| When you study early history, what you often | | | | the tribe. Restricting freedom runs counter to the |
| study is how tribes formed and developed in an | | | | ways of nature as well as the prevailing systems |
| effort to use their common strengths to evolve | | | | of tribal order. The trick then is to disguise the |
| and grow. As they grew in numbers, they usually | | | | new paradigm intended to control people by |
| formed a system of rules by which the tribe was | | | | making it look like nature. |
| to evolve, according to the customs and dictates | | | | The traditional belief system honored nature and |
| of the way the tribe had evolved in the past. | | | | held that man was a part of nature and nature |
| The elders of these early tribes were thought to | | | | was a part of man. Nature provided the means |
| be wise enough to direct the tribe because they | | | | for man to exist and man in turn gave thanks for |
| had learned from their past experiences what | | | | nature's abundance. Man's natural allegiance is one |
| worked and what didn't. They also had some | | | | of communion with that which sustains him. When |
| form of spiritual council, usually a shaman or | | | | man is clear on this concept, he is hard to control |
| naturalist, who was well versed in the ways of | | | | because he understands that freedom is one of |
| nature and our innate ability to coincide with | | | | the basic tenets of nature. |
| nature's ways to help us live better lives. | | | | To control people you need to make it appear as |
| These early tribes respected all members of their | | | | if you are not a part of nature but separate from |
| community and survived by making sure that | | | | it. This would not be easy to do unless you put |
| everyone had adequate food, shelter, and access | | | | forth a belief that the masses could interpret as a |
| to healing remedies. They understood that there | | | | benefit to them. |
| was enough for all and by working for the | | | | Man's love affair with nature was the prevailing |
| common good, the tribe would survive and grow. | | | | paradigm, so those who wished to control the |
| As population increased, a need to travel and | | | | masses knew that love was not the method to |
| trade with other tribes developed as a means to | | | | be used for change. They needed to devise a |
| acquire the services and goods tribes could not | | | | method of fear, disguised as love, that would |
| produce on their own. This exchange expanded | | | | appear to be of benefit to man but would allow |
| the ability of the tribes to experience a variety of | | | | those in leadership positions to control the |
| worldly things. These early ventures used a barter | | | | population. Under the rationale of governance, |
| system that said, "We have these things, you | | | | they would also be able to accumulate wealth and |
| have those things, and we can exchange them | | | | dictate tribal policy. |
| for our mutual benefit". | | | | And thus our current belief systems emerged. |
| As the world population grew, we were able to | | | | Not as a way to understand the oneness that we |
| travel more extensively to satisfy the thirst for | | | | share with God and each other, but as a belief |
| things beyond our reach. Accordingly, the barter | | | | that we are separate from our God-source. If |
| system had to evolve into a system of exchange | | | | you can get people to believe that they are |
| that would give value to all items, yielding universal | | | | separate entities on this earth, and have them |
| instruments of value that people would accept in | | | | buy into a system that says, 'you may be |
| exchange. Voila! Money. | | | | rewarded in death by entry into heaven (but only |
| The evolution of trade, barter, and money | | | | if you follow the rules),' you can then control |
| changed people's perceptions of possessions, and | | | | them. |
| what evolved, in the minds of people, was the | | | | These rules were the earliest form of religion |
| feeling that there was no longer enough of | | | | because the rules were purported to have come |
| everything. People could see that some of the | | | | from the source of all things (God), and sent to |
| material possessions they desired could only be | | | | us through the interpreters of these rules (the |
| obtained through a concerted effort of | | | | religious leaders). By allowing the religious leaders |
| accumulating enough money. At the same time, | | | | to interpret God's rules we surrendered our |
| the various forms of governing bodies also | | | | individual interpretations and subjugated ourselves |
| experienced the idea that the accumulation of | | | | to somebody else's interpretations. In so doing we |
| money was not only the best way to provide the | | | | gave up the control we possess to believe as we |
| services that their society required, but was also | | | | choose, and allowed others to make critical |
| an excellent way to provide the trappings of | | | | choices for us. |
| affluence in order to best represent their tribe to | | | | Once the religious leaders convinced enough |
| the world. | | | | people that their interpretation of God was the |
| Spiritual counsel evolved into an extension of the | | | | right one, their ability to control the population was |
| government as a way to keep the citizenry under | | | | complete. We have been at their mercy ever |
| control. The powers that be understood that, | | | | since. The original precept changed from the |
| without the ability to control the populace under a | | | | concept that the source of all was love and that |
| united belief system, they would not be able to | | | | freedom is our nature, to the perception that you |
| control them at all. | | | | had to fear God in order to receive God's love. |
| Their traditional belief system was one that | | | | This fear led us to believe that a controlling God |
| aligned with nature and allowed individuals freedom | | | | had the ability to restrict our freedom. |
| to pursue their own interests under the | | | | The world has been conditioned to believe in this |
| magnanimous umbrella of the tribe. This system | | | | "Separation Mentality" for over 2000 years of |
| of respect for nature's ways and acknowledging | | | | recorded history. It is time to take back our |
| individuality worked great in honoring freedom of | | | | freedom by understanding the immutable truth |
| autonomy, but it didn't work very well to control | | | | that we are all one with the source of our |
| people. | | | | existence and this source knows only unconditional |
| To control people they needed to devise a belief | | | | love. That is who and what you are. Unconditional |
| system which restricted individual freedom and | | | | love. |
| could be claimed to benefit both the individual and | | | | |