Tabaco Reviewed (Tabaco sa hiling ko)

There is a belief that the spiritual can never be perceived by our material senses. For example if one opens up a body and look for the soul, he will not find it. But the existence of the soul cannot be disputed in the strength of this practical fact of dissection. For example initially radio waves are so faint that to our naked senses they practically don’t exist and only after special instruments detect them we believe in radio waves.

In the film religion was tried, in the scales of the senses, ie. archeology, anthropology, and other sciences founded upon observation and experimentation as the sole methods of proof. The film “preached” that the most popular figure of modern religion, Jesus Christ, His life and His teachings, is a rip-off from an ancient character in Egyptian myth, and “terrifyingly” similar (as how the film tried to present it) with Dionysius, Mithra, and Krishna. Mithras killed a bull to release its life force for the benefit of humanity, Dionysius had a cult of eating “flesh” and drinking of “blood”, and Krishna, according to the film had a virgin birth, and had 12 disciples, comprising some of the main arguments of the documentary. At first glance the arguments were overwhelming, makes you involuntarily nod your head in agreement, but then, you begin to look for where these facts were taken and the illusion crumbles.

Like the “Historical Jesus”, Krishna is also viewed by the science of taking down history as a mere figure in, guess where, history. In the film Zeitgeist, Jesus was not even a “figure” in History. The film-makers assert that He wasn't’t there, was never there, and the Christians have been engaging themselves in 2000 years of worshiping an imaginary friend. If the worship of Krishna would have been as immediate as the worship of Jesus, the Lord would have suffered a similar offense. Offense or no offense however, the film nonetheless presented false information about the Supreme Lord.

In the film religion was tried, in the scales of the senses, ie. archeology, anthropology, and other sciences founded upon observation and experimentation as the sole methods of proof, yet it was still unable to do it right. It failed to gather the correct information—in its own arena it can’t even absolutely claim truth. What more with the Spiritual?

A scientist-devotee once asked Bhaktivedanta Swami about the reality of evolution and the existence of dinosaurs. His Divine Grace stated that the presence or the absence of fossils, bones or dirt regarding a certain species does not absolutely establish the truth about dinosaurs or that we came from apes. Jesus according to the film was not recorded in any document, at the time of His supposed appearance, therefore for them it is safe to conclude that He is imaginary.

It is our natural tendency to rely on our senses, that’s why in a dark room it is the anxiety rather than the darkness which madden us.

It is illusion, of our supremacy, of our being Lord over everything, that makes us regard our senses, our minds as perfect. But it’s easy to see that they are not. First, we weren't’t there, and second, we have to rely, on a matter of life and death, to the accounts of those who were there or what they had left in books, stones or art. So what right do we have to approach the superior with our inferior means? We can never overcome the steepness of God. That’s why God has to come down, as a form of His mercy. That’s why all we have is a thing called faith. Faith not with the material that makes up cathedrals and mosques, but the simple faith of a child “believing” a picture presented to him by his mother telling him that, “Here is your Father”.

Without faith there is no religion. I cannot say that everything is not science, for science in its most basic form is present in everything. Religion is science, the unfortunate end is that science has not a tinge of religion. Religion in a sense of getting close to God, the ultimate X of science.

I wrote this because I am hurt, as I am not yet strong. I have to say I am still thinking like a mental speculator. My mind is restless, it’s very easy for it to believe in the non-existence, rather than in the existence of God, and His devotees, for it wants itself to be God. And that is my tragedy.