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Christianity was founded in Palestine as a breakaway sect of Judaism by the followers of Jesus Christ around 2,000 years ago. Christianity as a system of Christian beliefs, as a Way of Life, as a communal tradition, has spread to nearly every country of the world. Today there are more than two billion adherents of Christianity, mostly in the Americas and Europe where it has made a significant historical and cultural impact. It is also the predominant religion in large parts of Africa, Oceania and the Philippine Islands. Over the years many divergent denominations or sects of Christians developed because of dogmatic disagreements. Some of the primary denominations were Roman Catholicism including Eastern Catholic and Latin Rite; and, Protestantism including Anabaptists, Anglicans, Baptists, Methodists, Nazarenes, Pentecostals and Reformed Presbyterians. Other denominations included the Restorationists (Churches of Christ, Disciples of Christ, Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh-day Adventists, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints); and, Eastern Christianity including Assyrian (Nestorian), Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox (Armenians, Copts, Jacobites). Most of the divergent denominations; however, do share a core of common beliefs. Only part of the life of Christ was known and that was gleaned from writings by others written long after his passing. Many of the writings available regarding the teachings of the Christ in ancient times were not included in what was considered the sanctioned and official collection of writings known by Christians as the Bible.
There was a period of time from when Jesus was thirteen until he began his ministry at age thirty where there were no written records available to explain where he sojourned or what he did during that timeframe. They were often called the "Lost Years of Jesus". Some speculated that perhaps he lived for awhile as an Essence before he journeyed back to Egypt where he had lived as a child when his parents fled from the wrath of King Herod. After he studied at the hidden ancient mysteries schools at sacred places like Luxor, he made his way to India where he briefly studied Hinduism. Then he sojourned for many years at a Buddhist monastery in the Himalayan mountains where he learned the teachings of Gautama Buddha. The Gospel of Thomas was written in a style similar to that of the Sutras of India. From the gospels we do know that for the most part Christ preferred to give his sermons outdoors in the Natural World like the "Sermon on the Mount". Christ was a benevolent loving man of peace who believed in the diversity and equality of all humans, even sinners who had fallen into bad ways. The Gospel of Philip seemed to indicate that Christ had a very special and loving relationship with Mary Magdalene, similar to that of husband and wife. Christ preferred to teach by the oral traditions method as a Storyteller of parables, similitudes and exemplaries.
Christ was a kindhearted healer
who performed miraculous healings, cast out demons, manifested food to fed the
hungry and calmed troubled and stormy seas. He also was a
mentor and benefactor to his disciples, assuring them that in due course, they
would also be capable of performing the miraculous deeds which he had
accomplished.
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