What Your History Books Won’t Tell You

The Vatican stands as one of the wealthiest institutions globally, with billions in luxury goods, while millions of Christians struggle with hunger and poverty. Islamic scholars have issued bizarre religious rulings, like forbidding women from watching football or sitting on chairs. In Burma, Buddhists have carried out violent campaigns, committing genocide in the name of Buddha, with Muslim children being burned alive. 

Across all these faiths, the pattern is unmistakable: mainstream religion has become a farce. Those in power twist religion to serve their own ends, often at the expense of their followers. But how did we get here?

To understand the way the world is today, we need to accept an uncomfortable truth: history - and consequently religion - has been changed and distorted by those in power throughout time. Rulers have deliberately altered records to hide uncomfortable truths, erase certain people, and protect their own power.

Altering Historical Records - A Tool for the Powerful

One example is Queen Hatshepsut of ancient Egypt. After she died in 1457 BCE, her successor, Thutmosis III, tried to erase her from history. He had her name removed from monuments and her images defaced because her reign challenged the traditional role of women in power. For centuries, Hatshepsut’s name was forgotten until she was rediscovered by archaeologists in the 20th century.

This wasn’t just an Egyptian tactic. In ancient Rome, the government had a process called damnatio memoriae—where people who fell out of favor had their names scratched from records and their faces removed from statues, as if they never existed. Many people were erased this way, and most of them vanished from history forever.

Even in more recent times, we see the same pattern. In the Soviet Union, under Joseph Stalin, a man named Nikolai Yezhov was executed, and Stalin had his image removed from official photos. Yezhov, once close to Stalin, became known as "The Vanishing Commissar" because he was erased from history in a way similar to Hatshepsut.

Changing History, Changing Religion

This kind of erasure doesn't just happen to political figures—it also happens in religious history. Many prophets and religious leaders were revolutionaries who stood up to the powerful systems of their time. For example, Moses defied Pharaoh, the most powerful man in Egypt, and led the Israelites out of slavery. Jesus Christ harshly criticized the religious leaders of his time, calling them corrupt and referring to them as “children of the devil.” He caused such a stir that he was handed over to the Roman authorities to be executed. The Prophet Mohammed was also a radical figure. In a society where alcohol use was widespread and women had almost no rights, he banned alcohol, gave women the right to divorce and inherit property, and fought against the practice of burying newborn girls alive. His teachings were revolutionary at the time and made him very unpopular with the ruling elites.

The pattern is clear: prophets and revolutionaries often face harsh resistance from those in power during their lives, sometimes being imprisoned or killed. After their death, their messages are often twisted or watered down to fit the needs of those in power.

This kind of distortion isn't unique to any one religion or culture. The Greek philosopher Plato talked about a similar problem in his allegory of the cave. In the story, a man escapes from a cave where people have only ever seen shadows on the wall, and he discovers the real world. When he returns to tell the others about the truth, they laugh at him and reject what he says. Plato writes:

"Would he not be ridiculous? Men would say of him that up he went and down he came without his eyes... and if any one tried to lead another up to the light, let them only catch the offender, and they would put him to death." (Politeia, Book 7, 106)

The message is simple: when people present new ideas that challenge the way society is run, they are often met with rejection or hostility. People in power use history, religion, and culture to protect their status and keep things the same, even if it means distorting the truth.

In the Quran we read:

"And if you obey most of those upon the earth, they will mislead you from the way of Allah. They follow nothing but assumption, and they are not but falsifying." (6:116)

The corruption of history is not a mistake—it’s a tool used by those in power to maintain control. If we want to understand the present, we need to uncover the truths that have been hidden and question the systems that have shaped the way we see the world. Only then can we begin to challenge the structures that hold us back.

The Corruption of Christianity - From Paul to the Council of Nicea

After Jesus’ death, the forces that opposed him took control of his message, and today, the Catholic Church is a religious institution with immense wealth while millions suffer from hunger. 

The transformation of Jesus' teachings began early, particularly through the work of the apostle Paul, a figure who had a profound impact on Christianity as we know it today. Paul, who wrote almost half of the New Testament, never met Jesus. In fact, during Jesus’ life, Paul, known then as Saul, was an enemy of his Jesus’ followers. He actively persecuted Christians, dragging them from their homes and putting them in prison. Paul himself admits to being obsessed with hunting down followers of Jesus, even participating in their executions.

Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished, and I tried to force them to blaspheme. I was so obsessed with persecuting them that I even hunted them down in foreign cities. (Acts of the Apostles: Chapter 8, 11)

Paul’s sudden conversion is said to have come from a vision of Jesus on the road to Damascus. After that, he became a leader in the early Christian church, and his writings shaped much of Christian doctrine. But Paul’s teachings often conflict with what Jesus taught. It raises the question: Was Paul a man who sincerely repented, or did he continue his mission to undermine Jesus’ teachings from within?

There are many examples where Paul’s views directly contradict Jesus’ teachings. One key difference is their approach to the laws of Moses. Jesus stated clearly that he did not come to abolish the Law of Moses but to fulfill it. He emphasized that not even the smallest part of the law should be set aside. Paul, on the other hand, claimed that Christ was the end of the law, encouraging his followers to abandon practices like circumcision, which were fundamental to Jewish law.

Perhaps most troubling is Paul’s stance on worldly rulers. While Jesus made it clear that his kingdom was not of this world, Paul taught that all governing authorities were established by God and should be obeyed. This teaching gave early Christians a reason to submit to oppressive rulers and has since been used to justify collaboration between the church and corrupt political powers. Moreover Paul had just recently witnessed Jesus being executed by the Romans. How could he support worldly rulers after witnessing this?

Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. (Romans 13:1-2)

Paul also introduced ideas about women that contradicted Jesus' teachings. While Jesus treated women with respect and even included them in his ministry, Paul limited their role, forbidding women from speaking in churches or holding authority over men. He also introduced the religious head covering for women and promoted celibacy, laying the groundwork for many of the Catholic Church's more controversial practices, which have led to abuse scandals over the centuries. Paul writes:

Women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the law says. If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church. (1 Corinthians: Chapter 14: 34-35)

Paul’s influence didn’t stop at changing Jesus’ teachings. Several centuries later, the Council of Nicaea, in 325 AD, further distorted the Christian message. The council, led by the Pope of Alexandria, introduced the doctrine of the Holy Trinity, which claimed that Jesus was not only the Son of God but God Himself. This concept, which is now central to Christian belief, was not something Jesus ever taught. In fact, many early Christian scholars, like Arius, strongly opposed this idea. Arius and his followers argued that Jesus was a prophet, not God, but they were exiled, and their writings were destroyed.

The manipulation of Jesus' teachings goes beyond theological distortions; it extends to Christian customs and traditions that are often rooted in pagan practices. One well-known example is the Christmas tree. Long before the birth of Christianity, decorating homes with fir branches was a common practice in pagan traditions. The Romans, for instance, would adorn their homes with fir branches during Saturnalia, a festival held in honor of Saturn, which took place between December 17th and December 23rd. This practice had no connection to Jesus or the Bible.

Because of these pagan origins, some U.S. states went so far as to ban Christmas decorations, including fir trees, in the 18th century, referring to them as a “pagan mockery” of the holiday. Yet, over time, such customs were integrated into Christian celebrations, with little reflection on their non-Christian origins. 

The Corruption of Judaism - Pagan Idol Worship

Judaism, as recorded primarily in the Torah, traces the history of the "Children of Israel," descendants of Abraham through Isaac, who saw themselves as God's chosen people. But the Torah records the internal struggles of the Children of Israel—both against political enemies and against their own disobedience to God’s commands.

A striking pattern in the Torah is the repeated defiance of the Israelites against their own prophets and their tendency to adopt foreign gods. As recorded in the Psalms, the Jewish prophet David lamented about his ancestors:

“How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness and grieved him in the wasteland!” (Psalms: 78:40)

This disobedience, far from being occasional, seems to have shaped much of Jewish history.

One example comes from the book of Ezekiel. Here, God says:

“But they rebelled against me and would not listen to me; they did not get rid of the vile images they had set their eyes on, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt. So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and spend my anger against them in Egypt.” 

The Israelites, despite being led out of Egypt by Moses, could not fully shake off the Egyptian cultural and religious influences they had absorbed during their centuries of captivity. A striking symbol of this is the Ark of the Covenant, one of the most important Jewish artifacts, which clearly shows Egyptian design elements. The Torah itself proves that foreign influences crept into Jewish customs, shaping the religion over time.

Even after their Exodus, the Israelites continued to fall into idol worship. They adopted the god “Baal,” as mentioned in Hosea: “I will punish her for the days she burned incense to the Baals; she decked herself with rings and jewelry, and went after her lovers, but me she forgot,” declares the Lord. (The Torah: Hosea 2) The worship of Baal, along with practices like the sacrifice of newborns, represents one of the earliest infiltrations into the Jewish faith.

Modern scholars widely agree that Moses did not write the Torah. The text bears the marks of multiple authors over different periods. In fact, the language, tone, and even entire sections of the Torah are sometimes repeated, suggesting two versions of a single story were merged together. Many historians point to the Babylonian exile, around 450 BC, as a crucial moment when Jewish writings were nearly lost. It was the priest Ezra who is said to have "brought the modern Torah to Jerusalem" after the exile, having rewritten much of the text that had been corrupted during the centuries of Babylonian influence.

Even most rabbis today acknowledge that the Torah has undergone modifications, and there is widespread consensus that many passages have been altered. Therefore Judaism is another religion that has been corrupted throughout the course of history.

The Corruption of Islam - Power Struggle After the Prophets Death

Much like what happened to Judaism, Christianity, and other faiths, Islam was altered after the death of its prophet, Mohammed. To blame modern extremism, violence, and intolerance on Mohammed himself would be akin to blaming Jesus for the child abuse scandals of the Catholic Church. The core teachings were transformed, misunderstood, and exploited by individuals who wanted to reshape the religion for their own purposes. And Islam today is completely different to what it once was. 

Before his death, Mohammed made clear who should guide the Muslim community after him. According to the Sahih Muslim, Mohammed left two critical things for the believers:

"I am leaving for you two precious things. First, the book of Allah in which there is light and guidance. The other one is my Ahlul-Bayt." ( Sahih Muslim: Volume 4, page 1873, narration 36)

This was a clear directive that Mohammed's family, the Ahlul-Bayt, including his cousin and son-in-law Ali ibn Abi Talib, were to continue his work. However, there was resistance from Mohammed's companions, who sought control after his passing. A well-documented moment occurred when Mohammed, on his deathbed, asked for writing materials to leave final instructions. Umar, one of his close companions, objected, dismissing the Prophet’s request.

"When Allah’s Messenger was on his death-bed... The Prophet said, ‘Let me write for you a statement after which you will never go astray.’ Umar said, ‘The Prophet is seriously ill and you have the Quran; so the Book of Allah is enough for us.’ The people present in the house differed and quarreled." (Sahih Al-Bukhari 1: Chapter 76, Hadith 5669)

Because of this tragic episode Mohammed’s instructions were left incomplete, and his family was sidelined.

The Rise of Abu Bakr and Umar

Immediately after Mohammed’s death, two of his companions, Abu Bakr and Umar, took control, appointing themselves as leaders. Abu Bakr became the first caliph, though he was not Mohammed’s appointed successor. In a controversial move, Abu Bakr even denied Fatima, the Prophet’s daughter, her rightful inheritance. The breach of justice was stark, especially given Mohammed’s words about his daughter:

"Fatima is a part of me: whatever upsets her upsets me, and whatever hurts her hurts me."  (Sahih Al-Bukhari 3714)

The early actions of these so-called “rightly guided caliphs” led to deep fractures in the Muslim community. Abu Bakr’s aggressive campaigns against those who refused to pay taxes and his denial of the Prophet’s family marked the beginning of a long era of corruption and violence in the name of Islam.

Uthman and the Corruption of the Quran

The third caliph, Uthman, is often remembered for his role in standardizing the Quran, but this action also led to significant alterations in the text. The discovery of the Sana Manuscript in 1979, one of the oldest versions of the Quran, revealed significant differences between it and the current version, challenging the comprehensiveness of today's Quran. This manuscript, written in “Rasm” script with only 18 distinguishable letters, predates the 28-letter Arabic alphabet in today’s Quran. Over time, this led to significant errors, as seen in the controversial verse about the punishment for theft. The word “faqata’u” means “cut off,” but with one letter change, it could mean “discolor,” indicating that thieves' hands were meant to be dyed, not amputated.

Questions also arise about the arrangement of verses in the Quran, with the first revealed verses placed in Sura 96 rather than Sura 1. And about Islamic Sahih traditions stating, that verses were eaten by goats:

“The verse of stoning and of breastfeeding an adult ten times was revealed, and the paper was with me under my pillow. When the Messenger of Allah died, we were preoccupied with his death, and a tame sheep came in and ate it.” (Sunan Ibn Majah 1944, Book 9, Hadith 100)

Moreover, the third Islamic caliph Uthman ordered the burning of versions of the Quran that he did not approve - which bears a striking similarity to what happened after the Council of Nicea. 

“Uthman sent to every Muslim province one copy of what they had copied, and ordered that all the other Quranic materials, whether written in fragmentary manuscripts or whole copies, be burnt.” (Sahih Al-Bukhari 4987. In book reference: Book 66, Hadith 9)

The Division of Islam

This attempt at distorting Mohammed’s message caused Islam to  split into two main factions: the Sunnis, who supported the rule of the caliphs, and the Shiites, who wanted to prevent the corruption of Islam and follow the successors that Mohammed had appointed in his will. The conflict between these groups escalated, culminating in the massacre of Mohammed’s grandson, Hussein, at Karbala by the forces of Yazid, the ruler of the Umayyad dynasty.

Charles Dickens, reflecting on Hussein’s martyrdom, once said:

"If Husain had fought to quench his worldly desires… then I do not understand why his sister, wife, and children accompanied him. It stands to reason therefore, that he sacrificed purely for Islam."

How could so-called Muslims justify brutally murdering the prophet's grandson, who he himself had described as “the master of the youth of paradise?"

What happened to Hussein was also inflicted upon his descendants. According to Twelver Shia traditions, nearly all of the Imams were assassinated by the orders of self-proclaimed caliphs. Most were said to have been killed by poison. Some were abducted and imprisoned for years before their eventual demise.

We can see that the story of humanity is the story of a battle between the oppressor and the oppressed. Those who win will write history and establish their narrative as the “historical truth”. Only those who question, research and verify the facts for themselves will be able to understand the full picture.