I will list the main points of the Church of Thomas. It may help answer a few questions that have been coming up.

1) We believe that there is one God. God is everywhere, and in everything. God has no name or gender. (we are the ones who have to cubbyhole everything) God is not divided in to “Aspects” or a pantheon. God made a promise to bring an example of the ideal for people, through the children of Abraham.

2) That example has been here teaching through his example and the way he lived his life. That person was Jesus. We do believe that he was conceived with out sex. We believe that Jesus was a man, who lived with hunger, pain, joy, love, and betrayal. We believe he died after torture, on the cross. In doing this he represented the last “Blood Sacrifice” that God would honor. He was the “Perfect Scape Goat”, and in dying the way he did he wiped the slate clean for humanity. We believe that those who live by his example and ask for forgiveness will be forgiven.

3) We believe that Jesus had a brother documented as Judas. Because Judas was his twin he was called either Didymos or Thomas by John the Apostle. Both of these names mean twin in Greek and Roman. We believe that Thomas was relaying what he heard from Jesus in the oral tradition of Gospel of Thomas that was then written down.

4) We accept the People of the Book as kin in the eyes of God. These are the Jewish people who found our tradition. And the Moslem people because they use the tradition started by the Jewish people, and because they accept Jesus as a Prophet. (I will not get into comparative religion here at this time.) Christianity is still the best way.

5) We believe that Revelation through Dreams and Visions from God continue today. We understand this as a way to update our understanding of God as we gain the ability to understand the information. We do not believe any written word including anything we write, to be infallible and unchanging. We do study the Bible, and other Revelations from God, testing them with the rules set out by Jesus to discern truth. We believe they are written by men and women, who were inspired, but being human are not infallible.

6) We do not think that souls are constantly created by God. As a result we accept that not all but many people are born multiple times. This is not the same kind of idea as Hindu belief that to come back is a punishment. We look at this as voluntary, and a learning process. Some times it is to a special job for God. These jobs are rarely pleasant but help people to be inspired to try harder.

7) We think that some of those who are hear inspiring us are human, but with the souls of young Angels. These are some of the “little ones” that Jesus talked about. The ones that if one of them was harmed or led astray, the persecutor would suffer grievously.

8) We believe that some of the people who have come to help God many times are becoming a new generation of Angels.

9) We feel that all members are called in their own way to be Ministers of God. As Ministers they should aim for the highest standards of conduct with everyone in the world. They are called to lead by examples of Jesus’ Teachings. We do not think Clergy should be paid. We have nothing against Ordained Ministers. Some are excellent examples of Jesus’ Love. It is possible to over analyze the pearls of wisdom until all beauty has been destroyed. Heart can not be replaced by a lecture about the history of the Gospels.

10) We meet in homes, tents, campgrounds, but not in fixed places. This is partly because we want resources to be given to the community, not spent maintaining a staff, building, or office for Clergy. Some Churches accumulate vast amounts of money only to spend most of it on upkeep of an infrastructure. It can be a great temptation for misappropriation of funds. Also we feel that there is less incentive for the unscrupulous to gather with us. It greatly raises the quality of our members.

11) We take turns leading our worship, and we vote on mutual projects. Some times there is someone who enjoys leading that can be asked to lead worship on a regular basis. We love to sing, share stories, and give support to the extended family of the congregation. The congregations are generally small. I think 30 is average, 50 is huge and very rare.

12) We believe in giving in secret to needy people. We do not stand people up to say, Wow what a wonderful thing you just did, as some Churches do today. We think that if you did it out of compassion, for God, you have already gotten a big hug. That does not mean we can not share what we do to inspire others. Testifying to Miracles, what God is doing with your life is ok, as long as it is not a bid for attention.

13) When we pray we always add, “if it is Gods will“. Who are we to know what the plan is, or what is best. We can always ask for discernment, and strength to handle life’s problems. Prayers are short and to the point. God knows what we need. A long winded prayer is either out of fear that God won’t hear you, or for show. Short blessings at worship are great, however Jesus encouraged prayer at home in private. It certainly removes the incentive to pray loud and long at church to show how devoted to God you are.

14) Judging truth is sometimes a hard thing to do. No Minister in the Church of Thomas would say, “just believe me“. If there is any uneasiness, or doubt, always ask God if we have been told the truth.