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BalthazarMonastery.com Parallel Observations of Christianity, East and West II New Testament scripture (Gospel of Mathew) records the story of the Three Wise Kings of the Magi representing the beginnings of Christianity, vis-à-vis, their visitation to the infant Jesus Christ baring offerings. And the three king’s story is the foundation of the annual Christmas Day celebration in many countries of the world along with Christmas Day. The Feast of the Epiphany is also observed with Christmas Day, and Three Kings Day, in Eastern Orthodox Churches on January 6. Christmas Day and Three Kings Day (January 6), is referred to in America and Western Europe “Orthodox” Christianity’s observance of the occasions. Interestingly enough many elders from the Caribbean (English and Spanish speaking) refer to Three Kings Day (Jan. 6) as “old” Christmas. As a matter of fact, for the first 325 years of Christianity, Christmas Day was celebrated and observed on January 6. Subsequent to the establishment of the Roman Catholic Church in 325 AD, Christmas Day was officially changed to December 25, in the western world. Subsequent to the excommunication of the Ethiopian Church from Rome’s ecumenical Christian Council, the Ethiopian Church remained in virtual isolation, as the other eastern oriental churches essentially acquiesced to the dictates of Rome and the Papacy. This capsule of early Christian history is of particular significance because in some quarters, Christianity is perceived as a white man’s religion, and conceived of as a white European religious phenomenon. On the contrary, these historical facts underscore the contribution of Africa to the advent of world Christianity. Following the historic Council of Nicaea (325 AD), the Bishops of the Ethiopian Church did not officially meet with the other eastern oriental branch of the faith, for 16 centuries. It was during the reign of the last Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie, when the historic synod of the respective Eastern Orthodox Oriental Communion of Bishops, was convened. The Ethiopian King of the Magi, Balthazar’s presented the Christ child with the offering of Myrrh, a sweet pungent, sticky, resin from a thorny tree, was symbolic of Jesus’ coming sacrifice. Following his visitation and the presentation of his offering, Balthazar returned to Ethiopia, and issued the first call to worship and service of Jesus Christ. Hence, Ethiopia was the earliest among the Christian communities, in the first century. In the 4th century Ethiopia adopted Christianity as the state religion under King Ezana. Africa’s historical contribution to world Christianity is additionally underscored by the heritage of Balthazar the Sabaean, one of the Three Kings who was from Ethiopia. Accordingly, the heritage of Balthazar is a covenant with the Ethiopian Orthodox Church… The tradition and heritage of Balthazar was introduced to Ethiopia in 1,000 BC, when Emperor Menelik I, returned from Jerusalem under the auspices of the Order of the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. Among Menelik’s auspicious entourage was the Oder of the Magi “The east versus west schism in early Christian church history that culminated in the fourth century A.D. resulted in obscuring the African connection and contribution to world Christianity. The subsequent domination of Christianity by the Roman Catholic Church eclipsed or silenced all opposition to their version of Christianity until the ‘Protestant Reformation.’ Although there are still vestiges of the conflict between ‘Catholic’ and ‘Protestantism’ the internal dynamic ultimately resulted in what we understand now to be ‘denominational Christianity.’ There are essentially no theological differences between Christian denominations apart from name and nuance. Unfortunately, popular history of the church is void of the east versus west controversy, but also the issues pertinent to the difference in theology, history, scripture and nature of Jesus Christ and the early church remain unexamined. One of the objectives of this work is to unveil some of the obscurity in the hope of inspiring and stimulating inquiry and interest in this area. The global community is generally informed relative to the contemporary Christian versus Muslim, and the Muslim versus Christian ongoing warfare in particular, and the general animus between the respective religions of Abraham (Judaism, Christianity, Islam). The recent article circulating on the Internet “The Global War on Christians in the Muslim World,” authored by Ayann Hirsi Ali, further informs and enlightens us concerning this ancient religious dilemma. However, the subtitle of the popular author’s piece, “From one end of the Muslim world to the other, Christians are being murdered for their faith,” seems to offer a parochial political point of view… Nevertheless, this writer continues to observe the circumlocution relative to the genesis and contextual nature of this enigmatic religious adversarial phenomenon. Accordingly, it may be useful to mention the historical procession of the religions of Abraham in terms of their linear emergence, Judaism, Christianity and Islam, respectively. Abounding incidences of religious intolerance around the world also reveal geo-political juxtapositions that include respective military contingencies that foreshadow various “end time” eschatological propositions that continue to be advanced. Unfortunately, the diversity within both Christianity and Islam is overshadowed by the sweeping generalities that reference the Christian and Muslim divide and their confrontational disposition and posture. Consequently, the nuanced but relevant question becomes, what Christian’s and what Muslim’s are the subjects under discussion? According to Ayaan Hirsi Ali, “We hear so often about Muslims as victims of abuse in the West and combatants in the Arab Spring’s fight against tyranny. But, in fact, a wholly different kind of war is underway, an unrecognized battle costing thousands of lives. Christians are being killed in the Islamic world because of their religion. It is a rising genocide that ought to provoke global alarm.” In view of this statement, are we to conclude that all Christian’s, and all Muslim’s are engaged in this global “religious war” enterprise? Of the two billion plus Christians in the world, approximately half is Catholic and the remaining half is Protestant. Of these one billion plus Catholics in the world, approximately one third is in the “Eastern Oriental” communion, popularly referred to as Orthodox Christians. On the other hand, there are a plethora of Protestant Christian denominations in the world, comprising the other billion plus Christians. Concomitantly, the world of Islam is comprised of manifold “denominations” or “sects” such as, Sunni, Shiite, Salafi, Wahabi, Ahmadiyya, Alawite, Hanafi among others. Since both the Christian and Muslim communities have their respective diversity and internal dynamic and it is difficult to envisage a religious war between a Christian monolith and a Muslim monolith, we will examine the matter in greater dept to help generate context and perspective, going forward. With this objective in mind let us explore the contradictions and paradoxes associated with the religions of Abraham, Christianity and Islam. Individually, these two purported mutually exclusive religions speak of peace profoundly in their popular narratives, yet each genesis is historically based in war, military exploits, and conquests. The birth of Jesus Christ the “prince of peace,” represents the advent of Christianity which occurred in the first century of the Common Era. Subsequently, communities of Christians proliferated in the eastern oriental region including the “Middle East,” “Northeast Africa” and the “Near East” for three centuries. During the fourth century Roman Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity, following his victory in the battle to unify the provinces that constituted ancient Rome. Constantine attributed the military victory to his vision of the resurrected Jesus Christ that he received during his battle with competing provincial Roman armies. The Emperor subsequently converted to the Christian faith. Following his decisive military victory he convened a meeting of all Christian bishops of the world in 325 AD, known in history as the Council of Nicaea. The objective of the Council was to consolidate world Christianity under the umbrella and domination of the Roman Empire. Bishops that didn’t acquiesce to the domination of Rome and the infallibility of the Papacy were branded heretical and excluded from future Councils. Hence forth, the advancement of Christianity became the subtext of many wars and military adventures of the Roman Empire in the framework of its “western” (Rome) and “eastern” (Constantinople) headquarters. From 325 AD to the sixteenth century the Roman Catholic Church enjoyed a leadership monopoly over the Christian world. The Roman Catholic Church maintained its monopoly over the faith for more than thirteen hundred (1300) years, until the Protestant Reformation in the sixteenth century. In this context, the religious, economic, political and military footprint of the Roman Empire and Catholic Church impacted the known world. The religion of Islam was founded by the prophet Muhammad in the seventh century, more than 350 years following the beginning of Roman domination of the faith, and during a high point of Rome’s influence on the known world. The domination that Rome enjoyed in the world of Christianity and the imperial imperatives of empire were felt in Arabia during the time of Muhammad. Therefore, the advent of Islam had a direct relationship with the imposition of Roman cultural and religious imperialism in the Arabian region. In the wake of Islam’s advent, the Roman Empire and its Catholicism suffered military defeats in the Middle East, Rome lost control of the Holy Land and Jerusalem, and the Muslim military conquests advanced to Spain and threatened other countries of Europe. In the eighth century, Muslim’s conquered Spain and ruled that country for seven hundred (700) years, until 1492. During this seven hundred year history of Muslim rule, the “Jews” and “Christians” of Spain lived in peace. Interestingly enough, Jewish scholars and theologians reference the period of Muslim rule in Spain as the “golden age” of Jewry. “Abraham, the author of monotheism and the patriarch of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, continues to be exalted by the faithful… Abraham was proven to be absolutely faithful to the command of God… According to Old Testament scripture, Abraham paid tithes to Melchizedek, the Priest-King of Salem. Jesus was a priest for life after, the Order of Melchizedek.” While Roman Catholicism enjoyed an exclusive monopoly over Christianity in the western hemisphere, the branding of the Ethiopian communion by Emperor Constantine was the impetus for the Faith to continue in effective isolation. Nevertheless, the relationship with the Egyptian (Coptic) Orthodox Church in particular remained in operation. Ethiopia and Egypt have enjoyed a mother and daughter relationship dating back to the Pharaohs, when the ancient Egyptians traded with “Punt” the “Land of God.” Subsequent to the excommunication Ethiopian bishops were confirmed by the patriarch of the Coptic Church. Moreover, the Ethiopian Church did not have a formal relationship with the Orthodox Christian Communion and it was in the 20th century under the government of Emperor Haile Selassie that the Ethiopian Orthodox Church would convene a Synod, 1500 years later. Also, Christianity became the official state religion in the 4th century and they established a formidable monastery tradition, system and monasteries of great distinction. In the 20th century there was a reemergence of Ethiopian monastery heritage and traditions that embody the spiritual and religious qualities associated Judeo-Christian theology. The theology advances the messianic expectation that is peculiar to the ancient Hebrew philosophy and mysticism. New Testament scripture alludes to the story of the Three Wise Kings of the Magi, and their role prior to their visitation with the infant Jesus. The offerings that the Wise Kings brought to Jesus were symbolic of the profound role that he was destined to live out. Balthazar offered myrrh, Melchior presented gold, and Gaspar had frankincense. The sweet and pungent myrrh represented the impending sacrifice that he would ultimately have to endure. Balthazar was the Ethiopian King of the Magi and the Balthazar Monastery continues to animate the JudeoChristian theology, philosophy and mysticism. The esoteric science of the Magi can be traced in the ancient cultures of Persia, Assyria as well as in the Old Testament in the context of Melchizedek. Accordingly, monks in the Order of Balthazar are priest for life after the order of Melchizedek. The philosophy of the Order presents a fundamental duality throughout the world of phenomena which positions the “material” world and the “immaterial” world as two sides of the same coin. In terms of religion, there is a material reality and an immaterial reality, each operating independent of each other. In context, the material reality is associated with organized religion on the contrary immaterial reality is associated with the esoteric invisible world of the spirit. Organized religion is limited and circumscribed by human nature and therefore overtime the shortcomings, weaknesses and motives associated with the organization and its relative leadership over time are made manifest. Concomitantly, the esoteric immaterial or spiritual being of a religion remains consistent and immutable. While the material realm and the immaterial realm operate independent of each other, they are not separate form each other because of their organic relationship. The organic relationship between the material and immaterial realms is that of an inferior and superior relationship. The material realm is subordinate to the immaterial realm. Accordingly, the material realm is physical representation of the spiritual or immaterial idea. Something is always lost in the translation that is directly related to dynamics of human nature. The organization of Christianity (Roman Catholic, Protestants & denominations and Eastern Orthodox), is a material phenomenon and operates in the physical world, of phenomena. Concomitantly, as a religion, Christianity has a spiritual component that is embodied in the esoteric immaterial world. Therefore the respective Christian religious organizations have an organic invisible, or spirit component. The Christian religious organizations espouse great virtue and claim fellowship and adherence to their respective points of view relative to the message and mission of Jesus Christ. The respective records of the various Christian Churches over the millennia, centuries, decades and years speak volumes for themselves. And according to biblical prophecy the Churches will be accountable to their legacy based on “end times” eschatology. Hence the physical and material world will receive judgment. Correspondingly, on the other side of the same coin the immaterial and spiritual analogical dynamic is also in process. Be that as it may, just as the history religious organizations have a colorful as well as a legacy infamy, the spiritual realm has a profound adversarial dynamic. The adverse energy generated in the spiritual dynamic can be diabolical. Accordingly, the engagement in, or to countenance gratuitous brutal and inhuman treatment of human beings has a pernicious diabolical invisible and spiritual component. Christian scripture, speaks to the realm of adversarial energy in dark graphic, eternal, and unequivocal language.