The following information was provided on 10/6/08 and 10/7/08. This is my 9th posting to Mark’s Corner. I strongly suggest you read the earlier postings first, preferably in chronological order.

Greetings, I am Flavius, another incarnation of Mark’s cumulative oversoul. I was on Earth during the time of the Roman Empire, more specifically the time of Emperor Constantine.

My full name is Flavius Antonius Regatta. I was born in the town of Gandolfo in what is now known as Italy. In those days it was a small town, an agricultural center. My father was a government official, a Senator to Rome, as well as a local government official. My mother was Judicia. I had three brothers; all were younger. When I was a boy, my family would travel to the seacoast to play and relax. We were wealthy by the standards of those days with a large house and substantial grounds. My father had slaves who worked the land, growing olive trees, fruits and vegetables. I was schooled by a tutor who taught me many things, including honor for the traditional Roman gods. My family honored all the ancient ways of Rome, and that which was conventional at that time.

According to family tradition, I went into the army. As the son of a Senator, I was accorded the rank of centurion. I worked hard to be a good soldier and quickly rose in the ranks. I was but a young man when I became a tribunus laticlavius, the second in command of a legion of six thousand men.

When I was about twenty, Emperor Constantine decreed that the Christianity would become the state religion. This was over the vigorous objections of my father and other members of the Senate. After that decree, all who would not give up the old ways, the worship of the Roman gods, were punished. My father lost his estate because he refused to give into Constantine’s demands.

As a member of the Roman army I was pledged to carry out the will of my emperor. I was ordered to use my men to enforce the new religion. It was not a pretty sight as we entered homes to remove the old idols and crush resistance. Many people were killed in the name of the new religion. This was all done to appease the leaders of the new religion who demanded obedience from all in the name of Constantine. Rather than oppose the new religion, I went along with it.

Eventually I could stand no more and requested that I be transferred away from Rome. Because I had followed orders, my request was granted. I marched with one thousand fresh troops from Rome to Gaul. A caravan who supplied the army followed in our wake.

At that time Gaul was divided into several parts. Eventually I was given command over the part known as Belgica. It was the area of Europe that now encompasses Belgium, Holland, and part of Germany.

There at last I was free of the dark cloud that was sweeping the whole of Italia, a dark cloud of forced obedience to the will of the new state religion. In Gaul I was free to worship as I wished, and I did so. I had secreted some of the old idols of the Roman gods with me and I now displayed them in my tent.

I should mention here that life in this new command was very harsh. I had not experienced much snow before and the winter in northeastern Gaul was quite difficult, both for me and for my men. We inherited only rudimentary fortifications. My first order was to build a number of buildings in what is now know as Brugge. In those days it was a small town on a river leading to the northern sea. (Mark, you have visited Brugge and wondered at your connection to the place. That is because it was my home for several years.)

Homosexuality was quite common in the Roman army, particularly among the men of lower rank. It was accepted as a common practice; it was not viewed as abnormal or evil. In fact, sexuality was fairly open within all of Roman society, prior to the restrictions placed upon it after the church became the official religion of the state.

It was quite common for a married man in the army to have a mistress, for he would be gone for many years at a rime, leaving a family in Italia. Only the men of higher rank, usually of noble birth, were allowed to marry when they were in the army. Because those of lower rank could marry only when their term was finished, and because opportunities for mistresses were reserved for the officers, they turned to homosexuality.

The easy sexual mores of the nobility were accepted because many of noble birth were part of the army and the men were away for long periods of time. This was condoned by the native religion of Rome with its many gods and goddesses. In fact, the roman orgy, with its wine, was a part of life.

The Christian church saw the power of the army and wished to control it. They viewed homosexuality as an evil, and set out to exploit it. This church adopted the role of enforcer of mores, against the army. It was an attempt by the church bishops to grab more power, and it worked.

After the church became the state religion, a priest was sent to accompany the army when it traveled. The purpose of the priest was to minister, and to uphold the ban on homosexuality. It was a very divisive matter. Those who wished to practice homosexuality clung to the worship of the older gods and goddesses, rather than embracing Christianity. It made for much discontent among the ranks of the army.

I offer this as typical of the things that were imposed upon the people by the Christian church as a means of gaining control over the total populace. All of this was done with the consent of Constantine who had made an unholy alliance with the church leaders.

Constantine was interested in gaining better control over the populace. The popularity of the followers of Jesus was a disturbing factor in his rule. He was smart enough to encourage Christianity to become the state religion thereby gaining control over all segments of the population. He already had control of traditional Roman society through the nobility and through the army. However, forcing the new religion on people who opposed it was a bloody experience. I have already described how the army was used to root out those who did not embrace the new religion. Constantine did not fully appreciate what he had initiated, until it was too late.

The church has rewritten much of the history of this era to portray it as the will of the people; it was not. It was the desire of an emperor to impose control over an unruly segment of his populace. It had many unforeseen consequences.

I did not know what was included in the official text of the church, or what was left out. I had no first-hand knowledge of that, and had little interest of that in those days. I can attest to the bloody, ruthless ways in which it was imposed on the population. Christians were a minority at the time I was growing up. Constantine used this vocal minority to impose his will. Now, from my position as one who has ascended from Earth, I can now tell you that certain key points of dogma were fabricated and/or distorted.

I communicate with you as one who witnessed the bloody institution of the Christian church during the reign of Constantine. Mark, you are now witnessing the end of Christianity; it is fitting that we should collaborate. As the existence of extraterrestrial life becomes apparent, the enormity of the Christian imposition, based in the papacy, will be disclosed. This will tear Christianity apart as many paint ETs as evil. Fundamentalists will become so dogmatically non-accepting of their brothers and sisters from other star systems that many of their number will come to reject their dogma as too extreme.

There is some hope, among those of us who watch this process that the true meaning of Jesus’ life on your planet will come forth. It would be a beautiful experience for you to behold the love in which he carried all people. Jesus was walking love. He loved Earth, loved humanity. He came, amidst the darkness imposed upon the pla
net, to uplift the common man. He succeeded, until the Christian church was formalized. His teachings were largely intact until the church leaders who wished to control the people contorted them at the time of Constantine.

I am Flavius, one who experienced life on your planet in human form. Those of us who reside at the higher realms wish only the best for the many incarnations of our cumulative oversouls. May you fulfill the agreements under which you incarnated, may you be of service in the days of the transition. We support the revelations of both celestials and of your brothers and sisters from other planets.

That’s all for today folks, stay tuned for more.

(Some of what has been communicated here will make more sense after you read my new book, “One, Toward a Civilization of Light.”)

In Truth, Love and Joy,

Mark