Pot and Nicotine: A Balanced View

*******

You want to do everything that is reasonably within your power and ability to protect loved ones from the ghastly effects of dangerous drugs. We also feel the same way.:) But there is one solid principle that must serve as a boundary-creator for me in the work of nonreligious spiritual education, and that is this: As much as I might sincerely care for students, I cannot afford, for many good reasons, to try to "parent" them.

Those who are beyond their early twenties, and have good and fully functional minds, must make independent adult decisions in their lives. They must further do so without my playing the part of "daddy" to their "little girl or boy." So, for the sake of their mental growth and spiritual independence, I do not, will not, "impose" rules and regulations upon them-- or anyone else. I will serve as only advisor and consultant if needed in those capacities. So, although I will also try to protect them when that response is appropriate, that role is also limited. They do not need, or want, my "protection" as little girls or boys would want and need it.

The second part of this response is that some mild psychotropics, when used with care and moderation by adults, threaten no harm. It is far too easy for people such as we (pisces), who might have a special vulnerability to certain drugs, to label them all as "evil." In a silly extreme, used only for effect, this implies that a person who uses aspirin is indulging in "evil."

If a person has a job, relationships, and other responsibilities, and is handling all those responsibilities, fulfilling them all in a responsible way, and chooses to use pot once a week, or otherwise infrequently, this might not be harmful at all. Of course, we must balance this perspective with the recognition that, for another, the use of pot only a single time could have a destabilizing, even devastating, effect! Some people should never touch the stuff! For them, only a single use can be disastrous!

Re the source of your worry, the nicotine patch: As was mentioned at the group-gathering, we were discussing using only a quarter of a patch, only once or twice a week, to aid dream-recall. This low dosage does not threaten any toxicity to the system. And it clearly does not threaten addiction. We agree that cigarettes are highly, terribly toxic and very dangerous, but we were not recommending smoking them at all. I have, in fact, tried this experiment myself, with no residual addiction or cravings. So, your reference to smokers, who are in great danger, is a matter of comparing "apples and oranges."

To be clear, for the record: We never, under any circumstances, recommend smoking tobacco regularly, or the regular use of pot; both can have extremely dangerous consequences. In fact, we strongly recommend against the frequent use of any mind-dulling or mind-affecting drug. For this would be spiritually arresting, and might even reverse any spiritual progress. But we also feel that the use of a fourth of a nicotine-patch, used perhaps only once every few days, will result in no damaging effects. It is very good that you asked about this matter, for it gives me an opportunity to clarify it, with crystal lucidity, for other students and clients; this info will be used in our infosheet, "The Universal Love Digest," and will further explain the issue to others.

So, thanks very much for your inquiry; and thanks even more deeply, and sincerely, for your obvious concern for our dear friends. If you have any further questions, or if there is anything that needs expansion or clarification, please do drop another line or two to us.
*******

"Holy Wars"

*******

First, there has never existed, in all of history, anything truly or accurately called a "holy war." This was a cynical phrase created by cruel and spiritually arrested fanatics, designed to justify violence, torture, murder, and greed. It was also designed to mislead the innocent, to get them to support the ghastly agonies of terrible wars.

The horrors of the Crusades, Inquisitions, and others were attempted to be "justified," or at least, dismissed, with the use of this Church-approved but despicable term. But no war in the history of the world has ever had anything to do with "holiness."

And yes, these wars did indeed exacerbate an already nightmarish relationship between the warring parties. War always has precisely this effect, and never improves any situation. This seems selfevident. But the propoganda of any war seeks to conceal this common-sense fact.

While the current war in Iraq, for example, is not usually blatantly called a "holy war" by Christians, many of them think that it is justified, or even commanded, by their god. They are sadly, and radically, on the wrong track here. God (Love) has and had absolutely nothing to do with this horrific conflict, which has resulted in the murder of over one hundred twelve thousand innocent Iraqis, and over twenty-two hundred American girls and boys-- noble children who gave their all in most tender and sincere patriotism for greedy old men, cynics without compassion in their hearts!
*******

More Dreamsymbols

*******

A trip by boat, in a dream, represents the voyage inward, the Journey to the Center of the soul. The ocean is a symbol of the infinite Mind, the One, the Illimitable. This is deep within the Unconscious.

A "storm" always implies a stirring up, sometimes violently, of old thoughts and memories. At times, interior conflict might be involved.

You write, "I could not see outside, but I could feel the movement of the boat." This implies that your "view" of the world (seeing) is not clear, but your "feelings" are guiding you. The "boat" is your mind as the "vessel" that is "carrying" you. You are making progress in your interior journey (you feel "movement.")

You say, "I could hear the people talking about the storm." This is, of course, your mind "talking to itself" about the areas of disturbance-- including its causes. You continue, "However, we got home safely." This is the mind's discovery of stability and peace. It is the mind returning to its "Home," the divine Mind deep within.

You continue, "I was going to pay for my trip, and took a lot of cash in my wallet." The "cash" of the cosmos is time. This sentence is unclear, but it seems to imply that you must "pay" for your spiritual journey by arranging your time. Time that could be used for other pursuits must be used for studying and applying spirituality. Happily, you are "rich," for you have "a lot of cash." So, the dream is saying that you are in no rush to learn spirituality (Love).

You continue, "Someone grab some of the money from my hand." This is the feeling that you are losing time, that it is passing too quickly, or being "taken" from you.

You continue, "I was looking for a big bill to pay the people for the trip...." You are expecting the cultivation of spirituality to take very much time ("big bills"), but real spirituality is accomplished in everyday activities. It does not necessarily take a lot of time to be loving.

You continue with a reference to a "convertible car." A "convertible car" is a reference to your need to adapt or change to meet new situations.

You say, "The baby boy was very dark complected, but his face was very cute." "Darkness" can imply that you simply do not know what this part of personality will "grow into." Or, it can imply something negative. It probably was not negative, however, for you say that he was also "cute." This implies a good and playful relationship with this part of your mind. That is a good sign.

You say, "The house did not look as beautiful as I have seen it before." This implies that, at some time in the past, your self or mind ("house") looked better to you than it does right now.

You refer to "the boys." You seem to be concerned about concealing, or not using, your "interior child" ("the boys") to guide your moves in life. You do not want it to direct your actions, words, or emotions. The interior child should not be used to make decisions, or to regulate emotions or mind, for it is inappropriate for these functions. In fact, it can be used only to cultivate a playful (nonserious) attitude. Then, it serves us positively. So, a mild warning here is given: Be careful not to behave or respond "childishly."

You say, "money has been a problem lately." This means that you have not had the time to do this interior exploration. Perhaps you need to devote more time to spirituality-- or, at least, to understanding and exploring your deeper self.

To make a business prosper, you need to learn all that you can about it, just as you do when you want to succeed in spirituality. Then, you must invest quality-time in it. Always express as much Love and service, in even your business, as possible: Always be honest and honorable, always be kind and friendly. Reach out and help others whenever possible, and the great Mind will multiply your blessings.
*******

The Beginning of the End?

*******

Fools and incompetents now have their fingers nervously perched atop the "secret buttons" that will launch nuclear war. Previously, the use of nuclear weapons was reasonably and correctly regarded as unthinkable, for their use was recognized as the "end of the world."

Now, however, that has changed. There is now serious talk of using "tactical nuclear weapons," the so-called "mini-nukes," against Iran. The United States has already proved that, for greed and financial profit, it is willing to kill enormous numbers of innocent people. Now, is it seriously threatening to try to do to Iran what it has done to Iraq? Can the gov really be insane enough to start a nuclear war?

This administration is indeed inexperienced and greedy enough to do the unthinkable! And ineptitude and greed can prove to be a combustible combination! Ours is now a gov almost completely devoid of compassion, and of common sense. It will do absolutely anything to promote its two main interests-- power and money. It no longer has the interests of the American people at heart, if indeed, it ever did. In fact, it is willing to ignore the welfare of all human beings on the planet if that means fulfilling its greed-based agenda.

This is the most dangerous gov in the history of the world, and it threatens nuclear war at the most dangerous time in human history. Something such as the envisioned "limited" nuclear conflict could very easily get out of control! But even if this did not happen, it threatens the agonizing deaths of tens of thousands of innocent human beings. We should all b very concerned about this "oil-grab," for the people threatened with murder are not "strangers," but spiritual "sisters and brothers." Can we really afford complacency and apathy? Not if we are people of compassion.

We must begin by demanding a sane and balanced gov, which we have not had now for over six years. We must demand a return to sanity, and an end to greed as the director of national and international policies. We must return to the noble principles upon which our fine nation was founded: justice for all, liberty, freedom, and peace. These are the principles that guide true patriots!

It really does not matter when economics over-rode morality, goodness, and compassion. The truth is, this is exactly what has happened. The downslide started way back when we blithely exchanged religion for spirituality (Love). The whole world must now pay for that terrible mistake.

But you, my friend, can keep the voice of the people both strong and alive! How? By speaking up for, and demanding, the return to elevated noble guidelines for behavior, and the abandonment of greed. In fact, you can begin to change the world by altering your own life in these ways: Abandon greed, and return to compassion.

The end of civilization as we know it might be closer than we think. We are not alarmists, and we are not worldenders; they are fanatics, and their ideas antihuman. For they actually want to see the "end of the world." No, we are the people of Love; and, because we are, we must speak up now for the principles of Love, compassion, wisdom, justice, and balance. We must work and talk to return spirituality to our lives; and many must give up fanatical and extreme religions to do this. Let us return to a world of communication, a world questing for peace, not preparing for war. Let us demand, of ourselves and of our leaders, a return to sanity, before it is too late.
*******

Important News and Political Perspectives

International Jurists From 14 Countries Trying To Nail Bush And His Killer Cronies For Illegal Murder & Torture

If a group of prominent international jurists get their way, a little known Canadian lawsuit could finally spell the end to Bush and his killer cronies.

It is no secret the Bush administration has libeled and defamed the American people's good name, flaunting international law while torturing and slaughtering millions of innocents worldwide.

In fact, the Bush administration's "arrogance and bully-like swagger," when it comes to ignoring long-recognized, established principles of international law, has become an utter embarrassment; it has changed America's longstanding motto from the "Land of the Free" to a country wrapped tightly in chains, called the "Home of the Neocons."

Adding even more embarrassment is the sad fact that any serious legal battle to stop Bush in his tracks from ripping apart the country has not come from American jurists and lawyers, but from legal minds living abroad.

And in response to Bush's illegal torture and killing, ask the insane question why Americans have to look abroad for any legal help!

But that is exactly what is happening with an obscure Canadian lawsuit; in it, a group of international jurists is trying to come to the rescue of American citizens by mounting an attack on Bush and his band of killers. The foreign group of lawyers is trying to stop Bush in his tracks, while others in America have failed to even try, for fear of retaliation.

The group of highly-respected jurists, called Lawyers Against the War (LAW), is a committee of international legal minds from 14 countries. It is a group who banded together in 2001 to oppose the illegalities of the Bush administration's so-called "War on Terror."

And this week in Vancouver, Canada, the Canadian-based legal group filed appeal papers, challenging what they call "the corrupt ruling" and recent dismissal of torture charges filed against Bush in a previous lower court case dismissed in Canada.

The appeal, filed this week, is set to be heard later in the year in a British Columbia Court of Appeals.

Although the American mainstream media gives little attention to foreign cases and legal groups critical of Bush, LAW's spokesman said this week the American people need to be apprised of the "overwhelming worldwide consensus" among legal scholars and practicing jurists that Bush and the American leadership should be jailed for international criminal law violations, including murder and torture.

Anti Terrorism law in the USA has become more Totalitarian.

The USA Patriot Act has been renewed with a terrifying new term. A new permanent federal police force has been created to be known as the"United States Secret Service Uniformed Division." It has Gestapo like powers. Sec. 605 of USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005 empowers these police to "make arrests without warrant for any offense against the United States committed in their presence, or for any felony cognizable under the laws of the United States if they have reasonable grounds to believe that the person to be arrested has committed or is committing such felony."

The new police are assigned a variety of jurisdictions, including "an event designated under section 3056(e) of title 18 as a special event of national significance" (SENS).

"A special event of national significance" is neither defined nor does it require the presence of a "protected person" such as the president in order to trigger it. Thus, the administration, and perhaps the police themselves, can place the SENS designation on any event. Once a SENS designation is placed on an event, the new federal police are empowered to keep out and arrest people at their discretion.
...
Please read the following article respecting the U.S.A law. It is definitely not safe to travel to the USA any more, or even to fly over their airspace. Arbitrary power is unleashed there. Americans are prisoners now in their own land. Canadians await the same fate unless we compel this minority government to stop it here.

Unfathomed Dangers In Patriot Act Renewal

A provision in the "PATRIOT Act" creates a new federal police force with the power to violate the Bill of Rights. You might think that this cannot be true, as you have not read about it in newspapers or heard it discussed by talking heads on TV.

Go to House Report 109-333 USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005 and check it out for yourself. Sec. 605 reads:

"There is hereby created and established a permanent police force, to be known as the 'United States Secret Service Uniformed Division.'"

This new federal police force is "subject to the supervision of the Secretary of Homeland Security."

The language conveys enormous discretionary and arbitrary powers. What is "an offense against the United States"? What are "reasonable grounds"?

You can bet the Alito/Roberts court will rule that it is whatever the executive branch says.

The obvious purpose of the act is to prevent demonstrations at Bush/Cheney events. However, nothing in the language limits the police powers from being used only in this way. Like every law in the U.S., this law also will be expansively interpreted and abused. It has dire implications for freedom of association and First Amendment rights. We can take for granted that the new federal police will be used to suppress dissent and to break up opposition. The Brownshirts are now arming themselves with a Gestapo.

Many naïve Americans will write to me to explain that this new provision in the reauthorization of the "PATRIOT Act" is necessary to protect the president and other high officials from terrorists or from harm at the hands of angry demonstrators: "No one else will have anything to fear." Some will accuse me of being an alarmist, and others will say that it is unpatriotic to doubt the law's good intentions.

Americans will write such nonsense despite the fact that the president and foreign dignitaries are already provided superb protection by the Secret Service. The naïve will not comprehend that the president cannot be endangered by demonstrators at SENS at which the president is not present. For many Americans, the light refuses to turn on.

In Nazi Germany, did no one but Jews have anything to fear from the Gestapo?

By Stalin's time, Lenin and Trotsky had eliminated all members of the "oppressor class," but that did not stop Stalin from sending millions of "enemies of the people" to the Gulag.

It is extremely difficult to hold even local police forces accountable. Who is going to hold accountable a federal police protected by Homeland Security and the president?

Two dangerous Navy proposals threaten the marine environment and require your activism today!

The U.S. Navy has been a major contributor to ocean noise pollution with its use of high-intensity active sonar as a component of its Anti-Submarine Warfare program. Despite irrefutable scientific evidence that noise can be deadly for marine life, the Navy now has two proposals that necessarily will increase ocean noise pollution. The first is a request to establish a 500-square-mile sonar testing range in the Atlantic off the coast of North Carolina. The project has been named the Undersea Warfare Testing Range (USWTR). The second is a proposal to double the number of ships equipped with low-frequency active (LFA) sonar. As you know, Seaflow has long opposed the use of LFA sonar because of the risk to marine life. This technology has reputedly caused the sinuses of dolphins and whales to explode, killing them in agony.

Seaflow advocates for a precautionary or common sense approach to the use of high-intensity active sonar. Since military active sonar is increasingly being shown to disrupt the web of life in the ocean and often has dire consequences for marine mammals, fish and other sea animals, we must work to reduce the Navy's dependence on this dangerous technology.

Under the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) the Navy is required to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) any time it proposes projects that might impact the environment. The Navy has published a draft EIS (DEIS) for the proposed Undersea Warfare Testing Range (USWTR) and a draft supplemental EIS (DSEIS) for LFA sonar. NEPA also requires a public comment period for any EIS.

Seaflow and several of our ocean noise coalition partners, have been preparing statements that address specific concerns regarding the DEIS and the DSEIS. Now, we are asking you to participate by sending your comments in before the fast-approaching close of the public comment period.

For the DEIS for the Undersea Warfare Training Range, please write or fax Keith Jenkins and let him know your concerns about the USWTR. The testing range will be used to train with high-intensity sonar systems and will repeatedly expose marine life to increased levels of noise pollution. Remember to include the federal register number (70 Federal Register 62101- 62103) and request that your comments be included for the "Record of the Decision." The deadline for public comment is January 30, 2006.

Mr. Keith Jenkins Naval Facilities Engineering Command Atlantic (Code EV21KJ) 6506 Hampton Boulevard Norfolk, VA 23508 Fax: 757-322-4894

Here is the link for the Navy's USWTR website: http://projects.earthtech.com/USWTR/ Seaflow's Science Advisor, Michael Stocker, has written comments about the DEIS (pdf).

For the DSEIS for the deployment of the U.S. Navy's Surveillance Towed Array Sensor System Low Frequency Active (SURTASS LFA) sonar, please write or email Joe Johnson, SURTASS LFA Program Manager. Let him know your concern that increasing the number of ships equipped with LFA sonar will only increase ocean noise pollution, putting marine life at further risk. Remember to include the federal register number (70 FR 68443) and request that your comments be included as part of the "Record of the Decision." The deadline for public comment is February 10, 2006

Here is the link for the Navy's LFA Sonar website.

If you would like more information about both of these Navy proposals, please visit Seaflow's newsroom pag, and the International Ocean Noise Coalition (IONC) website. Seaflow is a member of IONC.

Thank you for taking a moment to participate in this process and speak up for the whales, dolphins and all marine life that need our help to
protect their environment.

See also:

Probe Covered Up Possible Sonar Role in Whale Stranding, Documents Show

Letter from David in India

Dear Friends of the Pneumariumfamily, in Ohio and all over the Cosmos,

My name is David Hem Sagar Rasaily. I am from Darjeeling, India. It is my privilege to inform you that The Book, Falling in Love with Yourself has been published as an Indian edition. It is now being distributed free of charge to many in this country.

This book is greatly admired by the people of India. Many people are asking about the author. We are donating a few copies to schools, universities, and libraries. This is to educate the people and increase "Universal Love" within them and teach selflove as well.

We hope that, one day, this book will play a great role in the spiritual re-awakening of India. These teachings are indeed needed in India. And they really match very closely with those of ancient masters and sages. These deep ideas are now, sadly, being minimized, in India as elsewhere. I am always at your service as a brother and an agent of "Love Ministries" and the "Pneumarium Family."

With lots of sneham (cosmic-love)

David,
Darjeeling,
India

Bush Explains Medicare Drug Bill -- Verbatim Quote

WOMAN IN AUDIENCE: 'I don't really understand. How is the new plan going
to fix the problem?'

Verbatim response (PRESIDENT BUSH):

'Because the -- all which is on the table begins to address the big cost drivers. For example, how benefits are calculated, for example, is on the table. Whether or not benefits rise based upon wage increases or price increases. There's a series of parts of the formula that are being considered. And when you couple that, those different cost drivers, affecting those -- changing those with personal accounts, the idea is to get what has been promised more likely to be -- or closer delivered to that has been promised. Does that make any sense to you? It's kind of muddled. Look, there's a series of things that cause the -- like, for example, benefits are calculated based upon the increase of wages, as opposed to the increase of prices. Some have suggested that we calculate -- the benefits will rise based upon inflation, supposed to wage increases. There is a reform that would help solve the red if that were put into effect. In other words, how fast benefits grow, how fast the promised benefits grow, if those -- if that growth is affected, it will help on the red.'"

Forward this to others -- so they, too, can understand

Thanks to Terry Smith.:)

Cults of the 1870's, and Traditional "Hell"

*******

A bunch of little groups originated in the United States in the 1870's. They were collectively known as "Second Adventists." For their major teaching was the "Second Advent" (an old word for "coming") of Jesus Christ to our planet. Many believed that Jesus would come, bring Armageddon, murder all the "bad guys," and create a perfect "new world" full of the believers-- the "good guys," or members of the cults.

The glorious and bloody "end" was actually predicted by one group, called the Millerites, for the month of October 1844, based on "Bible-chronology." When nothing happened then, the date was changed. (What else could they do?) So, the leaders kept pushing the date, to 1845, then, further. A group called the Russelites (who later evolved into the Jehovah's Witnesses) predicted the "end" for October 1874. When that did not work out, the date for Armageddon was moved to 1914. Since that was still forty years in the future, it was a "safe" prediction. (Plenty of room to "fudge.") Of course, all these dates were inaccurate. But, since World War 1 did break out in 1914, a lot of Russel's followers seemed to take a "close enough" attitude, and the cult thrived, despite its false prophecies.

These small groups-- Second Adventists, Russelites, Millerites, Wilburites, and Campbellites, all were breathlessly anticipating the "end" of civilization at any minute! Ellen G. White felt, like the other false "prophets" of this time, that she had received information directly from God. In time, this resulted in a book, called The Great Controversy. This contained the basic teachings of the cultgroup that was to evolve into the Seventh-Day Adventists. A farmer named Joe Smith also believed that he had received "revelations" directly from God, and wrote The Book of Mormon. Russel wrote Studies in the Scriptures, which actually had little to do with either true study or with the Scriptures.

These people loved to be as radical as possible. And, despite their frailties and sometimes foolishness, some of them did make some sense. For example, it occurred to both White and Russel that God's Love prevented the absurdity of a literal and "everlasting hellfire." This concept is nowhere clearly taught in the Bible; the Scriptures do not identify a literal place where God burns his children forever. The entire idea was a classic of monstrous and Loveless mythology. Since the nineteenth century, in fact, most Christians see "hell" as symbolic. To the mystic, for example, "hell" is the state of mind separate from Love-- an illusion that torments.

The only reference to this psychotic idea in the Bible is the "lake of fire" of Revelation. And everything in Revelation is highly symbolic, nothing literal. Since a "lake" is usually associated with water, this became a symbol of the combination of the two elements-- water and fire. This is the same symbolism exactly as that of the Seal of Solomon (usually misidentified as the "Star of David"). Two triangles interlace, creating a six-pointed star. The upward-pointing triangle represents fire, and the downward-pointing triangle represents water.

This is the "conjunction of opposites," or conjunctio oppositorum mentioned by Carl Jung. In archetypal language, it symbolizes the coming-together of opposites, the union of yin and yang. For, in cosmic Mind, balance is found only after these "opposites" are united, both as expressions of the One. Then, their "opposition" disappears. In transcendental consciousness, opposites are one.
*******

Radioprogram "High Spirits" Update

Dear Friends of the Heart

We are most delighted to welcome Debbie Riley to our Friendship Support Network, and to the Love Education Team. Debbie came to the Pneumarium Family gathering for the first time Sunday, and we hope to see her there again soon. We are also happy to be working with her son Kyle, who has moved to northern Kentucky.,

Our Network now includes the following list, in which additional stars
(*)
represent additional pledges:

Ramona Abella
"Maribee" butler
Pat Fields
*
*
*
Chris Finer
Adamaria and Richard Francis
*
Sandra Grubb
Richard Mattrella
Cinda Miller
Diann Proffitt
Teresa Ramsey
Kenny and Kathy Rice
*
Deborah Riley
Karleen Sell
Karen Shaw
Michael Shapiro
*
*
*
Barbara and Dale Siler
Terry Smith
Ed and Nancy Theuring
*

NOTE: If you want your name mentioned on the air, that can be arranged.

This represents twenty-seven pledges at $5 each per week. To get the airtime, we need $200 per week. So, the Friendship Support Network has provided $135 so far.

We also have three commercial advertisers who have pledged to support the show. Commercials can be provided for $9.95 per week. Rounded off, their pledges total $30.

So, Victor Paruda, Thomas Winlow, and Barbara Reaman have pledged $9.95 each.

This brings our new total to:

$165

So, the amount now needed to meet our goal is only:

$35.

Please spread the word of this project to other friends. The Revolution in spirituality has begun! And we are determined to be the "voice of the Revolution"! We want to transform religion into spirituality!

NEW NOTE: We have had another radio-opportunity arise recently, to share a program with two other teachers. While this is not our goal, it might be a "foot in the door." And while we will not be able to run all the commercials that we would like, we will make every attempt to mention the names of those of you to whom this is important.

(list accurate as of 01-24-06 tues)

A Dangerous Extreme

Bill Would Allow Arrests For No Reason In Public Place
Citizens Would Also Have To Show ID

One state representative said it resembles Gestapo-style tactics of government, and there could be changes coming on the streets of Ohio's
small towns and big cities.

The Ohio Patriot Act has made it to the Taft's desk, and with the stroke of a pen, it would most likely become the toughest terrorism bill in the country. The lengthy piece of legislation would let police arrest people in public places who will not give their names, address and birth dates, even if they are not doing anything wrong. WEWS reported it would also pave the way for everyone entering critical transportation sites such as, train stations, airports and bus stations to show ID.
"It brings us frighteningly close to a show me your papers society," said Carrie Davis of the ACLU, which opposes the Ohio Patriot Act. There are many others who oppose the bill as well.

"The variety of people who opposed to this is not just a group of the usual suspects. We have people far right to the left opposing the bill who think it is a bad idea," said Al McGinty, NewsChannel5’s terrorism expert.

McGinty said he isn't sure the law would do what it's intended to do.
"I think anything we do to enhance security and give power to protect the public to police officers is a good idea," he said. "It is a good law in
the wrong direction."
Gov. Bob Taft will make the ultimate decision on whether to sign the bill.
WEWS was told that Taft is expected to sign the bill into law, but legal experts expect that it will be challenged in courts.

(Thanks to Chris Finer)

Senators: Lead Alito Filibuster

Attention Senators: The Road to the Presidency is Through LEADING An Alito Filibuster

If you are NOT a U.S. Senator, they need to hear from YOU now in the greatest possible numbers. Please forward this message to everyone else you know, even if you have already done everything else you can do. Especially important are calls and faxes to their LOCAL district offices and you can instantly get all the numbers from the action page below.

ACTION PAGE: http://www.nocrony.com

The page above will send your personal message to both your senators with one click and you can also instantly look up their phone and fax numbers right down to the district level, or call them toll-free right now at
888-355-3588, 888-818-6641 or 800-426-8073.

AN OPEN LETTER TO ALL U.S. SENATORS WHO ARE NOT HAPPY WITH SAMUEL ALITO

In case you hadn't noticed the United States is in the middle of full-blown constitutional crisis. We have a president and vice-president with designs on disabling every check and balance intended by our founders, and who are currently attempting to install the deciding vote to enable that on the Supreme Court. The character you display in the next few days will determine the course of your political career for the rest of your life. Ponder deep what you are made of, for you will be tested and marked in the process by your courage (or your lack of it) in the minds of your constituents in the most indelible way.

The Chinese character for crisis is a combination of the character for danger and the character for opportunity. The danger is all too real. The president has already brazenly declared that he considers himself unbound by any law that the people many pass through you, their Congress. Even the laws he signs himself he signs with qualifying statements reserving the right to ignore those laws. And Samuel Alito imself is one of the primary architects of the so-called "unitary executive" initiative, just a fancy new name for dictatorship. There is no doubt in your mind that Alito WOULD decisively turn the Supreme Court to the dark side for at least a generation.

The opportunity for you is that by your display of leadership you can become a frontrunner for the nomination for president of the United States in every election to come. Historically, virtually all elected presidents were first either members of Congress, governors or top military generals, with senators heavily represented. And there is a growing and overwhelming majority in America today who are crying out for leadership. They are pleading for it. They elected you on the promise you would provide the leadership to protect them and their hard won rights.

There will be eternal gratitude for those who display this leadership, and no possible redemption for those who do not.

There have been many explanations as to why John Kerry lost the last election against an unpopular incumbent with a record of disaster. There have been accusations of significant election fraud, with evidence for that still mounting. Some blame the candidate for not fighting back
harder and earlier against the smears he had to know were coming. But looming like giant shadow over the whole affair were the votes of both Kerry and Edwards to cede to George Bush the authority to start a fraudulent war. As the country turned increasing against the President's crony driven Iraq adventure they simply had no effective comeback to the accusation that "You voted for it."

We have heard some senators of late complain that they have no power, perhaps pointing to the way the current congressional majority has bullied members of the house. But there is one power that you still retain if only you will exercise it, the power of a filibuster. It is not enough to vote "No" on Alito or to express your "strong opposition." You have the unilateral power to stop him and stop him cold. Some have looked for the support of undependable moderates on the other side. You don't need them. This is your fight, and your responsibility. TAKE THAT RESPONSIBILITY.

For those who have ambitions to be president, there is a time for leaders to lead. This is one of those leadership moments, perhaps the most defining one you will ever experience. On the one hand you have people like Karl Rove who took time off from waiting for his own indictment long enough to spew some pejoratives at anyone who would dare challenge their Stepford nominee. Are you afraid that someone on the other side might call you an unflattering name if you take a stand now? On the other hand you have a majority of your citizens who cannot understand why their voices are not being heard by their elected representative when they tell you they will accept nothing less than a filibuster against Alito. For they fear that is the only thing that will save them. And their fears in this are most certainly well founded.

The people are especially annoyed at talk about a "fair" up or down vote. The constitution provides that it can only be amended by a super
majority. Is that by definition "unfair?" So it is with the tradition of the filibuster rule, established so that a slim majority cannot simply ignore the concerns of the rest of the people. And irrespective of the current division of members of the Senate, with the president's approval rating back down to 36% he is hardly in a position to argue any kind of sweeping mandate.

Perhaps there were those who triangulated their vote on the original Iraq resolution thinking that was the safest move to preserve their presidential hopes. Wiser voices pleaded with them to not surrender their Congressional authority. Now those with too much power already are trying to bully you into abdicating your power yet again and the stakes are even larger. On the line is the faith of every generation at least since the New Deal. By your vote on an Alito filibuster you will either honor or break that faith for all time. No other vote matters.

The American people are waiting for you to say these words.

"I SUPPORT A FILIBUSTER OF THE ALITO NOMINATION AND I WILL LEAD THAT FIGHT"

Now get out there and say it. Otherwise, it will be just like the Iraq vote. Both sides will throw it in your face for the rest of your life. As their rights are systematically revisited and struck down the people will cry out, "We elected you to protect our rights. Why did you not protect us?" You were less than wise in not demanding the full records of nominee Roberts with a filibuster to back it up (as you did with Bolton). And now you see the radical votes Roberts is already casting. But this is the one which could finally shift the balance of the Supreme Court in the most fundamental way.

The worst case scenario is that the other side will reap the wrath of the American people if they try to pull some nuclear option stunt. For the
American people do have a sense of fairness, and if one side tries to change the rules to win one cheap victory, they will be punished in the
next election. And if by their own misfortune they succeed in disrespecting and killing the filibuster tradition, neither will they have that procedure when you take back control of Congress in 2006. There is no shame in fighting whether you prevail or not. The only shame is in not fighting at all.

Please take action NOW, so we can win all victories that are supposed to be ours, and forward this message to everyone else you know.

If you would like to get alerts like these, you can do so at http://www.usalone.com/in.htm

Restore the Roadless Rule

Take Action by signing the EarthJustice.org's petition.

Earthjustice is part of a national coalition of 75 environmental groups committed to saving our last unprotected pristine forests from roadbuilding, most logging, and other harmful development. Nearly 60 million acres of roadless forests hang in the balance.

On May 13, the Bush administration repealed the widely supported Roadless Area Conservation Rule, opening nearly sixty million acres of America's last wild national forests to logging, road construction, mining, oil exploration, and other forms of development.

Hikers, fishermen, hunters, and millions of other Americans considered the 2001 Roadless Rule one of the greatest forest conservation measures in U.S. history. Now, conservation-minded Americans throughout the country are joining together to file an official petition with the Bush administration demanding reinstatement of the original Roadless Rule.

The petition declares that:

* America's last roadless national forests belong to all Americans.

* All of our remaining roadless areas should be protected, completely and permanently, through the reinstatement of the Roadless Area Conservation Rule of 2001.

Please sign your name today! The conservation community wants to collect half a million signatures to present to President Bush and the Department of Agriculture on the fifth anniversary of the signing of the Roadless Rule – January 12, 2006.

Hope, Grace, and Spiritual Education

*******

Yes, my friend, there is plenty of hope for those who do not "understand spiritual things." For ultimate "salvation"-- being "saved" from ignorance and from the lower nature-- depends not upon our personal education, but upon "grace." This is the motivation (desire) of Love (God; Godmind; Lovemind) to "save us" from the wretched "hell" of Love's absence. (The "absence of Lovemind or God is impossible; herefore this "hellstate" must be illusion. It is being lost in ignorance.)

Spiritual education can rescue or save us from this ignorance. It can allow us to act in voluntary Love, deliberately and consciously cooperating with the will of God. It can bring us, and enormously expand, Love, joy, peace, goodness, and the other "fruits of the Spirit" in our lives. (Ga 5:22)

But as good, beautiful and enriching as spiritual education is, it is not the ultimate root or cause of our salvation. For the ultimate cause is the Love that liberates us in a way that mere intellectual understanding never could. We are saved not by understanding, but by loving. And we are saved not because we are "good" or "smart," but because God (Love) wills or wants it. We are saved not because of what we know, but because of what we become, under the Power of God's grace. For we are saved when we become beings of Love, incarnations of Love, as the masters did.

No matter what mistakes we make, no matter how stupid or lost we become, the Mind of God is not limited by our lack of knowledge, understanding, or wisdom. So, if we must spend centuries lost in "sin" (error), and spend some time even in the "hell" of illusion, the will for our ultimate salvation is not changed by these side-trips into foolishness. So, while we cannot say that "sin" is ever the active will of God, we can see that errors are permitted to exist as teaching-elements or learning-components of our lives.

Is this a "license" to sin? No, for error always brings the karma of agony, pain, loss, and suffering. Sin creates such utter nightmare that everyone with half a brain wants to avoid it whenever and however possible. Even the promise and knowing of infinite forgiveness does not make sin "fun" or even tolerable; it still creates the agonies of various "hells," which must then be outgrown through education.

This "education" is life itself-- not intellectual assimilation or understanding, which is the usual definition of "education." So, it is not limited to intellectual or "smart" people. This vital form of education comes to everyone, all the time. It is the education of touching a hot stove, and being burned, so that the stove is not touched again while it is on.

Spiritual education is the very best investment in your self and in the world possible. Why? Not because it produces salvation, which it does not. But because it lessens the time that we must spend in confusion, darkness, agony, and hell. The more that we know what is really going on, the greater our understanding of God (Love), the better becomes our quality of life. We can welcome more Love, tranquility, and bliss into our lives, and make each day better, for ourselves and for everyone else. For true spiritual education teaches us Love, including forgiveness. It has no other goal.
*******

Radioprogram "High Spirits" Update

Date: 011906thurs

Dear Friends,

Barbara Reaman has now joined with us, in cooperative effortts to get our new radioprogram off the ground. She joins us as a commercial sponsor, and thus, her pledge is $9.95 per week.

She now joins our list of other friends who have made the pledge. This now includes the following list, in which additional stars (*) represent additional pledges:

Ramona Abella
"Maribee" butler
Pat Fields
*
*
*
Chris Finer
Adamaria and Richard Francis
*
Sandra Grubb
Richard Mattrella
Cinda Miller
Diann Proffitt
Teresa Ramsey
Kenny and Kathy Rice
*
Karleen Sell
Karen Shaw
Michael Shapiro
*
*
*
Barbara and Dale Siler
Terry Smith
Ed and Nancy Theuring
*

This represents twenty-six pledges at $5 each per week. To get the airtime, we need $200 per week. So, the Friendship Support Program (Network) has provided

$130 so far.

We also have three commercial advertisers who have pledged to support the show. Commercials can be provided for $9.95 per week. Rounded off, their pledges total $30.

So, Victor Paruda, Thomas Winlow, and Barbara Reaman have pledged $9.95 each.

This brings our new total to:

$160

So, the amount now needed to meet our goal is only:

$40.

So, please spread the word of this project to other friends. The Revolution in spirituality has begun! And we are determined to be the "voice of the Revolution"! We want to transform religion into spirituality!

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Richard Francis and the Love Education Team

"Antichrist"

*******

Contrary to common assumption, and to many ignorant teachings, the "antichrist" is never mentioned a single time in the entire Book of Revelation! The only mention of "antichrist" is by the disciple John in his Epistles.

John writes, "It is the last hour. And just as you have heard that antichrist is coming, even now, there have come to be many antichrists; this is how we know that it is the last hour." (1 Jn 2:18) And "Who is the liar if it is not the one that denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one that denies the Father and the Son." (1 Jn.2:22) And, "For many deceivers have gone forth into the world, persons not confessing Jesus Christ as having come in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist." (2 Jn. 7) So, here, we have a crystal-clear definition of what and who an "antichrist" is. It is not a "bionic" ruler of a multi-nation kingdom of the future. This is a totally non-Biblical usage and definition. Instead, the Bible itself speaks of antichrist as simply defined as its name implies, "against Christ."

For an antichrist was any person in the first century who denied that Jesus was the incarnation of Christ. And there was not one, but "many"
Biblical antichrists. And the "antichrist" convinced early Christians that they were living in the "lastt hour," or at the end of the world.

But antichrist was never one special person. Instead, it identified a group or class of people who shared a skepticism, an unbelief, in the nature of Jesus as the Christ. There have, of course, been many antichrists since; entire political groups have been atheistic, and thus, antichrist. Any person, even a good person, can be an "antichrist" in ignorance. So, the "antichrist," working in darkness, is not the "puppet of satan" that "he" is often presented to be.

The notorious "antichrist" is not a historical person or ruler. Nowhere is this even indicated in the Bible. This is just a part of the massive amount of superstition that has developed around the "science-fiction" scenarios of Revelation promoted by modern preachers.

Revelation is an "allegory." This means that it is a symbolic account, which means that the characters and objects described in Revelation all represent something else. Revelation is the story of our personal spiritual development, from alienation to unity. The angels, crowds, armies, beasts, etc. all are representative or symbolic of parts of our own minds. The events are not about the world, and Revelation has nothing to do with geopolitics and the struggles between nations. For it is not about the outside world at all. Revelation has nothing to do with the "end of time," "last days," or "end of the world" (another phrase never found a single time in the whole book).

This cannot all be explained in an email. It takes a book to explain all of this. I have written this book. It is called The Apocalypse of Love: Mystical Symbolism in Revelation. It takes over four hundred pages to explain this complex document in some detail.

If you would like a copy, just let me know your snailmail address, and one will be put in the mail for you this week.
*******

First Lessons in Spirituality

*******

First, it is a great pleasure and privilege to be working with you as a new student. Again, please let me remind you that, in deciding to study the Way seriously, you have just made the most important decision, and the best, the most joyful, of this life! We will make sure that it is also the most fun!:)

You do not have to feel any pressure to respond quickly to these emails. Here is the best way to work together: No demands, no expectations. If we both follow this laid-back approach, it will prevent misunderstandings.:)

Re your past lives, I do not feel that it is best for me to outline them for you. It is much better, stronger, clearer, and more certain if they come from deep within your own mind. So, the best way to retrieve these memories is not for me to recall them in vision, but for you to do so, in a process called "pastlife regression." This is like a game that we will play together. In this, you will very deeply relax, and I will make suggestions, and you will respond. This is also called "guided visualization." We can set up a time for a come-together to do this when it is convenient for you. We will need only about an hour together.

Then, we will explore together your "imaginemory"-- the name for the body of data that will be retrieved. For it is never absolutely certain what is memory, and what imagination, but even imagination must come from the deep Unconscious, and so, is not merely "random."

Your eating-disorder is, to some extent, a quest for freedom in this life. That is its psychological cause. But it also has pastlife components, for our entire tribe, including you and me, died from starvation in that life. So, at times, even merely eating can make you feel guilty, since food became so scarce. We have come to earth again to learn that food is the gift of the Goddess through nature. Each particle of food is to be eaten with awareness that it is a gift from the universal Mind, and with awareness and gratitude.

"Transcendental meditation" is a very ancient technique of meditation, and has helped many. But most of those who practice it today are locked into a cult-- destroying their freedom-- and so, the method that is recommended is "pervasive meditation."

In this form, you choose a four-syllable mantra. The one that you have chosen for yourself is fine; please use that one. Then, all during the day and night, when your mind is not engaged actively in driving, reading, adding figures, or doing another activity-- all the "free" seconds and minutes that you have during the day-- you return to the repetition of your mantra. You might practice only ten seconds, here, two minutes there, but it will add up. So, with this method, you might spend two hours, or more, in meditation every day!! Please begin this practice at once.

What does this do? It gradually, and gently, "erases" the lower, egomind, and "makes an empty space" in your mind that can be filled by the great Mind or Spirit, the perfect Lovemind that is in your Unconscious. For now, let's go with the mantra, "Love and be loved." Please stay with this mantra for at least a year-- until January of twenty-oh-seven; and if you want to change it then, you can work that out in your mind.

The random images that you see in meditation are not really "brain garbage." Everything-- every image-- in the mind is valuable, and potentially educational, even if it is different from what you might want to "see." So, the Mind does not really contain any "garbage" in terms of its images. All that, in the mind, which could accurately be described as anything like disposable material is the substance of fear. Our goal is to become, in time, fearless beings.

Your Love for animals has been a carry-over from our former shared life, and we will expand on that. Do you also love spiders and snakes? This is a very important part of cosmic (universal) Love, and we will work on it together.

What you call "worldly worries" is indeed a "block" to meditation, but the practice of pervasive meditation should, in time, drain energy from those types of thoughts; and then, that newly freed energy can be invested in spiritual (Love-) thoughts. For you can use Mindenergy only once; and once you have used it for "worldly" thoughts-- those of the lower nature, including materialism-- that energy is gone, used up, and cannot be used for higher thoughts or ideas. You are also correct in identifying a cause of this mental meandering as "lack of practice," and practice, starting right now, should begin to solve, and dissolve, the problem.

It's great that you are planning to "block out" a period of time each day to read Journey. As a taurus, once you have decided to read it, little can stop you! That is the best use of taurus energy! In your note, you asked about several items. They will be addressed here, one at a time:

When you are doing spiritual or deep reading, you do not want to "speed read." Just the opposite: You want to be relaxed, and in no hurry at all. Savor the words, bask in the ideas. Read slowly, and enjoy the ideas as if each were a delicious cookie. You cannot enjoy them if you "wolf them down" in a hurry. Feel the idea, as you would a delicious flavor; let "delicious" ideas settle gently and quietly on the "taste-buds" of your mind. Never speed-read any spiritual material.

Secondly, you asked about crystals. These do indeed have a psychoreactive but very subtle energic effect on the mind. Collecting crystals would be a good idea. Surrounding yourself with crystals helps to settle and to clarify the mind. You might also get a small crystal to wear on a necklace or bracelet, or to carry in a pocket. Crystals also add beauty to your life, reminding us of the beautiful bounty of Mother Earth and Mother Nature. We have a nice crystal-collection here in the Pneumarium. Have you ever seen it? There are also many crystals here in the office, and in the livingroom. Be careful not to spend too much money on crystals, but, yes, the use of crystals can have a mild but real effect on your spiritual growth, as can the use of colors and music.

Your next inquiry was about "healing hands." This is a form of Love designed to help a living creature tap into its interior Mind, or its supply of bio-energy. It is called "hands-on" healing, and has been with us since very ancient times. As a mother naturally holds her baby when it is hurt, so we can convey or transfer Lovenergy with intent by physical contact. This was the method preferred by Jesus and many other great healers. It can be expanded as shiatzu , acupressure, or massage, but this still remains its basic method-- the hand-transfer of Lovenergy.

Reiki is not recommended, for it is a kind of cult, and the so-called "Reiki masters" (not "masters" at all) charge a lot of money for their "certified" training. This is largely a fraud, although it is based on the sound principle that Love can be transferred through touch. This whole system needs to be avoided by a person getting acquainted with the spiritual path; but you need not at all avoid the Love-transfer by "hands
on" healing.

Next, you ask about meditation. This is the most important spiritual exercise, for beginners as well as for those who have been on the path for years. It is absolutely vital to still and clear the mind, to seek "stillmind" or "crystalmind," which will tie you into Lovemind from time to time. There are essentially two kinds: structured meditation and pervasive meditation. "Structured" is when you take fifteen or thirty minutes, set it aside, and go to a special place, adopt a certain posture, or light incense, play music, etc. None of these is necessary with pervasive meditation.

This is closely related to your next question, re intuition. To use intuition, you must know that intuition is never thought; it is always a feeling. To learn to use it as a guidance-system, you must become sensitized to its presence. You must sense it, and then, you can follow it as a guiding force in your life. Love guides us through feelings, but this does not mean that the mystic acts without thinking; that can be perilous in itself. Instead, the mystic seeks good harmony and balance between thought and feeling, and uses both. As intuition, however, feeling is often much stronger, and over-rides the mere intellect.

Finally, your last question was the most important: We all are born to "become Love." God is Love, and we are to follow the lead of the interior Master in the heart to become the "incarnation"of God, which is the incarnation of Love. This is the most important aspect of your spiritual Journey: Express Love whenever and however possible. This does not mean sexually, of course, which leads only to excess, obsession, and confusion. It means the higher Love of the heartmind. The mystic is more cautious than average when it comes to sex; for that is a very special form of Love that should be shared with only your chosen Love-partner. The mystic, out of true Love, is never promiscuous, and is very cautious against sexual betrayal, which is antiagapic (against Love). This faithfulness to her sexual partner keeps her mind clear and her heart pure.

But Love, in its thousands of other forms and expressions, is the "job" of the mystic. She is a career-lover, a "Love-specialist," when it comes to Love for all living creatures, all people. She will never allow an opportunity for goodness, kindness, aid, or help to pass her by. She will do anything possible to aid another person, or another living creature. So, starting right now, love at every opportunity; love wisely and widely, every chance you get! For, in the final analysis, Love is the only healing energy in the universe!
*******

The Great Spiritual Traditions

*******

The jewels of the world's great spiritual traditions are many and bright. Only the very largest can be outlined here, for the smaller ones are so
many.

Buddhism is the world's richest source of spiritual psychology. Buddhists realize that everything is all about Mind. Even ultimate Reality (God) they define in terms of Mind. Mind, as in mysticism generally, is the only Reality ("truth"). Everything else comes from that.

You are "a mind." So, you are part of this Mind. God lives in your heart as Love. The Buddhists call this karuna (compassion), metta (unreserved friendliness), or maitri (Love). These are the paths to "Buddha-nature," or "Buddha-mind," the deep Mind that is already fully enlightened. So, at some deep level of mind, you are already an enlightened being (a "buddha"). For "Buddha" refers both to ultimate Reality and to your own enlightened mind. Discovering that the world is maya ("illusion," or a dream-image) frees us from being controlled by the world, and, instead, makes us "masters" of our world instead of servants to it. (The "Buddha-nature," or Love-nature, within everyone, is the same as the "Christ-nature" of Christianity.)

While the strength of Buddhism is spiritual psychology, including that of transcendence, mysticism, and freedom from suffering and karma, the powerful jewel of Hinduism is its recognition of the great beauty, diversity, and variety of the infinity and immeasurable nature of all the universes. God, as the great "Dreamer" of the universes, manifests the Mind in countless, innumerable forms. The Mind spills out into a quadrillion quadrillion forms in this and every other universe. But God ("Brahman") is the Actor playing all roles. That is why the rich and beautiful mythology of Hinduism has so many "gods and goddesses." Hinduism is NOT polytheism; it is polymorphic monotheism. That is, there is only one real, true God; but that God manifests in many forms as Mind. You are Mind, I am Mind, the trees, fruits, flowers, crystals, rainbows, and stars are also Mind. God is in everything. But the universe is not God (as in pantheism), but it is the dream of God, the great mind or Spirit. All the countless "gods and tgoddesses" of Hinduism are simply symbols of this one Mind.

Taoism is the path of effortless flowing, cooperating with the forces and events of the universe. This saves so much wear and tear on the nervous system! There is a great Power, called "Tao," which we generally call "God," which regulates and controls all things. If we have true faith, we will not always be worried, and not always be trying to control everything. We can simply relax and trust. Jesus' sermon was very Taoist when he said to imitate the birds and flowers. For they, he said, do not worry or frantically scramble to control, yet they are cared for.
Early Christians said that God worked through nature to do this. Most do not know that the earliest Christians recognized nature as a Goddess," whom they named "Sophia." God works through nature to control us, our friends, the events of our lives, and everything else. Jesus was also Taoist when he commanded, "Never worry about tomorrow." Taoism teaches that you do not have to do most things, because they are not a part of your "job-description." In fact, most things are "God's job." This is the "Tao" in action. Full faith allows us simply to love whenever possible, without seeking to control, and makes our lives very easy and bright.

Islam is one of the youngest, and often, most legalistic, of the world's religions. Much of it is mechanical, such as the recited prayers and rituals. But even Islam has a transcendental movement within it, called "Sufism." Sufism emphasizes the great Love that binds God personally with the learner. Sufism is famous for its Love-poetry, not only between women and men, but between the learner and God, who is called the "Beloved."

Judaism also has a mystical (enlightenment) component called "Kabbalism." It is famous for its "Tree of Life," a diagram which shows the Mind manifesting in ten different forms. These include "justice," "loving-kindness," "beauty," and the "material world." Kabbalism outlines many "paths" to the One, and also, like Hinduism, has a very rich mythology of angels. Kabbalists might be seen as spiritual "angel-specialists."

Nature-faiths, such as the native American, emphasize as their jewel the richness and fullness of "Mother Earth" and "Mother Nature." They make us aware of how indebted we are, every minute, to nature and to the earth, reminding us that nature, and so, ecology, is sacred. At times, they can emphasize Goddess instead of male God, but since God is neither "male" nor "female," it is all the same.

These are the giant jewels at the heart of the world's major spiritual traditions; within each are dozens to hundreds of subtraditions. Within and among those are many denominations, sects, and cults. Each has its own points of emphasis, and each its own strengths and weakenesses; some are spiritual, some unspiritual, and some, even antispiritual (antiagapic).

This is only the most microscopic outline of a vast spiritual cosmos; entire libraries have been written on each of the spiritual traditions.

So, if you have any specific questions about any of them, please feel free to inquire further. Drop me a line, or give me a call, at 513-737-LOVE (5683).
*******

John 3:16

*******

John 3:16 is one of the most famous texts in the history of Christianity. It is even used by some to condemn others who do not "believe" in a
particular version or vision of Jesus.

The text, in the old King James Version, translated in 1611, says, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten son, so that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

God has only one Son. But how can this be? Are not all people the children of God? Yes, but, in the spiritual realm, he has directly
produced from Himself, from His own Mind ("begotten") the spiritual Son called the "Christ."

This "Christ" is shared by many, for it is an equivalent phrase with, a synonym for, the Holy Spirit. In turn, "Christ," and "Holy Spirit" are
just different names for the One, for God, for Love.

God is the deepest, most real, Mind in the cosmos. Mystics say, in fact, that God is Reality. God is the only absolute Reality, and all else exists within, and because of, His will and His Mind. The level of Mind called God is deeper even than the "collective Unconscious"-- a level containing both positive and negative, good and bad. But this Mindlevel is shared collectively, telepathically, by all human beings. Since the level of Mind that contains only the good, pure wisdom, uncontaminated Love, unsullied joy, unmixed tranquility is the Mind of God, it is even deeper. So, God, or cosmic Mind, is also a shared, or collective, Mind.

This text is not specifically about only Jesus, although it is also about him. It is about all of us, and our relationship with this deep "Spirit" within the heartmind.

Since God is Love, the text's theme is how the cosmic Mind, Love, loves the world. And this text is not about necessarily the social world of people, although it also does include that "world." The Greek word used here for "world" is kosmos, nd this does not mean only the "world" of people. It means the entire material, physical world of all of nature. This includes the world of ecology-- the world of rivers, oceans, plains,
mountains, forests, living creatures, etc.

So, this text is about the relation between the cosmic Mind and the world of nature, and that is a relationship of purest and manifested Love. "For God so loved the world..."

What is God's greatest gift to all of us, to all of nature? It is His "only-begotten Son," the Spirit of Love that dwells in the heart of each and every one of us. This Spirit is "in Love" with all of nature.

That is why very early Christians, the mystics called "gnostics" ("gnostic" means "mystic") said that nature was a Goddess, with whom God was in Love. They called her "Sophia." (NOTE: These were not the "capital G" Gnostics, cultlike groups in the first two centuries, but generic "small g" gnostics or mystics. The difference is important.)

So, God is in Love with the world! This is the world of rainbows, flowers, crystals, and stars. But it is also the world of spiders and snakes, who are not left out of God's universal Love.

The second part of the famous verse says that those who "believe" in this Christ will not "perish," but "have everlasting life." This means that, when you discover that this Spirit of Love lives within your heartmind, and know that It (He) is everlasting, you establish a mystical bond between your own soul and this Holy Spirit. In this bond of Love, because He is "everlasting," so is your deeper Self, this soul.

The actual Greek word used in this verse, however, does not literally mean "everlasting," although that also works. It literally means "timeless." (The Greek adjective is aionian.) God or Jesus does not have to promise "everlasting" life. Why? Because all souls, all life, is by nature "everlasting." So, Jesus, and God, promise a certain special kind of life to those who follow Christ. This is "timeless" life-- a life that transcends, rises above, exists outside of, time altogether! This, btw, is the literal meaning of "eternal." ("Eternal" and "everlasting" are related, but not synonymous.)

When any person, Christian or otherwise, recognizes this eternal Spirit dwelling within the Mind, that being "does not perish," but enjoys a state of pristine timeless life in which "death" is not a reality-- not even a possibility!
*******

Radioprogram "High Spirits" Update

Date: 011106wed Dear Friends,

Our loving friends from Dayton, Kathy and Kenny Rice, have just joined the "Friendship Support Program" for the support of our proposed new
radioprogram "High Spirits." So, welcome, Kenny and Kathy, to the Love Education Team! This means that they have pledged five dollars each per week to aid in the buying of airtime for this program.

They now join our list of other friends who have made this same pledge. This now includes the following list, in which additional stars (*)
represent additional pledges:

Ramona Abella
"Maribee" butler
Pat Fields
*
*
*
Chris Finer
Adamaria and Richard Francis
*
Sandra Grubb
Richard Mattrella
Cinda Miller
Diann Proffitt
Teresa Ramsey
Kenny and Kathy Rice
*
Karen Shaw
Michael Shapiro
*
*
*
Barbara and Dale Siler
Terry Smith
Ed and Nancy Theuring
*

This represents twenty-five pledges at $5 each per week. To get the airtime, we need $200 per week. So, the Friendship Support Program
(Network) has provided $125 so far.

We also have two commercial advertisers who have pledged to support the show. Commercials can be provided for $9.95 per week. Rounded off, their pledges total $20.

So, Victor Paruda and Thomas Winlow have pledged $9.95 each.

This brings our new total to:

$145

So, the amount now needed to meet our goal is:

$55.

So, please spread the word of this project to other friends. The Revolution in spirituality has begun! And we are determined to be the "voice of the Revolution"! We want to transform religion into spirituality!

Peace, Joy, and Love,

Richard Francis and the Love Education Team
Karleen Sell

Closed for Christmas, Open for Love

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Dearest Friends of the Heart,

A few friends have inquired as to why the Pneumarium discussion group was closed for Christmas. First, just a few words of intro: The Pneumarium family, or discussion group, is a small (five to ten) group of students of spirituality that meets once every two weeks in a room in our garage. It is a very nice and pretty place called the "Pneumarium," which means "place of Spirit."

We meet at eleven am, share a lunch at noon, and close at two. The format is a combination of lecture, q&a, and general, open free discussion. Our topics are widely diverse and varied, but they all have something to do with spirituality. Both attendance at the group, and the meal, are free; no collections are ever taken. And we serve continuous coffee and tea.

Our first session is from eleven to noon, and then, an hour for lunch and talk, and then, our second session goes from one until two. That still leaves most of your Sunday free.

We closed for Christmas. It was Sunday, December 25. The reason is simple: Would it make more sense for us to gather, and discuss the Way of Love, or to get with our families, and actually experience and create Love!

We do not want Love to become a thing of mere words. Love is living activity! And it must never degenerate into a mere idea. So, whenever we get the chance to exercise Love, we are encouraged by the group to actually Love-- not just to talk about Love.

Love is spirituality, and its practice is enlightenment. So, if you have a nephew who is going to graduate on a Pneumarium-day, or a sister needing a visit in the hospital, or a friend who has called you for help, we encourage ou NOT to come to the Pneumarium at that time. For it is much, much more important to exercise Love, to do the activities of Love, than simply to learn about Love. Please don't misunderstand: Learning about Love is a very necessary part of the long interior Journey, and getting together helps us all remain strong. Otherwise, if we never got together, we might become discouraged and inactive. But if a chance to exercise Love comes along, and you say, "Sorry, I cannot do that for you, because I must go to the Pneumarium today," you are learning nothing. And, in fact, you might actually let down your Lovemind, deep in the Unconscious.

So, we love to have all of you come during every gathering! It is always the greatest pleasure to share the wonderful wisdom of the Way together! We all leave "high"! Everyone is fully welcome at every gathering that we have! So, please, come on by! But never allow a gathering to get in the way of an act of compassion, or real Love. For if you do that, you have missed the whole point!

Fyi, the next Pneumariumgathering will be on January 22, 2006, and each of you is welcome, and you are all invited! For more info, please call
me at 513-737-LOVE (5683).

Peace,

Richard

Karma, Dreams, and Idealism

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"Mercury in pisces" is an astrosign (Mindforce) that forms a gleaming pattina of idealism that covers and tints the worldlenses. This part of the chart describes the "incurable dreamer" within, and this, too, can be positive in its effect. Pisces is a mindforce about which this life is destined to teach very much, and it has been a good teacher! But it is useful only if it does not get out of control, and cause a person to soar into unrealistic dreams. Dreams are a source of real and spiritual power, but if we get lost in them, let them dominate, instead of using them as tools to beautify our worlds, then, they are no longer productive. This is clearly "too much of a good thing," which always becomes a 'bad thing.'

So, even while emphasizing all the positivities within the human nature (and they are very many and powerful), we want to counterbalance this idealism with the realistic recognition that people are capable of, not only ignorance, but deliberate and voluntary evil. In fact, because the Buddha said that all karma arises from intention, it is arguably only these deliberate, voluntary, or even planned activities that create karma. We do not, in other words, have to "pay karmically" for true and genuine mistakes. Mistakes are good; they are gifts, for they are the only way that we can ever grow.

The reason that this is not a "license to evil" is that there can never be any such thing as a "deliberate mistake"! For an intentional action can never be a mistake.

All of us must go through an idealistic period. With exposure to the real world, we soon enough learn to balance this positivity with the real negativity that is in this world. Meanwhile, we need more people to emphasize the positive. With a normal intelligence, the message will and must get through: Embrace and celebrate the good, but know when you are in a "shields up" situation! This is part of the gentle, nonagressive philosophy of "kung fu," which is a Chinese phrase meaning "mastership of life."
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Friendshipthoughts

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It seems that we have all had to learn to "let it go," during our lives on earth. Idealism used to be so strong, and wisdom so weak, that attempts would be made actively to forge and continuously repair links with others, even though they did not necessarily want them. This might have to do with libra energy.

But it was soon discovered that no friendship can be maintained unilaterally. And it is not even desirable to try. For if the other is not actively reciprocating, she is no true friend. And perhaps, she never was.

It is important to invest energy, time, thought, and compassion (Lovenergy) in a friendship-- to practice regular repair and maintenance. For friendship is one of the two major manifestations of practical Love (the other being service).

But when another has made it clear that she no longer wants the friendship, it is futile and foolish to hang on for dear life. It is also pathetic. People come into your life "out of nowhere," it often seems. And sometimes, sadly, they often leave your life just as abruptly.

The hopeless and unrealistic idealism used to be that, if a person became a friend, she would always and forever be a friend. Life itself flatly contradicted this illusion.

Friendship, meanwhile, is both fun and holy. So, we owe it to ourselves and to our friends to do all that we reasonably can to maintain and strengthen good friendships. This includes emailing, visits, phone-calls, parties, gatherings, invitations, and other funstuff! So, let us celebrate each and every day our real and true friendships, and fully plunge into them in the "now."

And never forget that the very best friendships can and do last forever, life after life!
*******

Defending Wildlife Starts in Ohio

From Defenders of Wildlife:

For more than 30 years, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) has protected magnificent creatures such as the bald eagle, Florida panther, sea otter, and American alligator from extinction.

In September, the House of Representatives passed Congressman Richard Pombo's (R-CA) "Wildlife Extinction" bill, which would gut the ESA. The fate of the Endangered Species Act will ultimately be decided in the Senate. Help us ensure that the Pombo “Wildlife Extinction” bill does NOT become law. Send a message to your Senators now!

Take Action Now

If you live in Ohio, your participation is very important!

Help us save the Endangered Species Act. Sign up today to become a part of our Ohio Wildlife Defense Team.

As you may know, this September the U.S. House of Representatives passed the "Wildlife Extinction Bill" (H.R. 3824), legislation sponsored by U.S. Representative Richard Pombo (R-CA) which virtually dismantles the Endangered Species Act. Now our only hope is to stop this bill from passing the Senate.

The good news is that, with your help, we can win.

The beginning of 2006 is an important time for our wolves, bald eagles, and other wildlife. The Senate will be making important decisions about this bill and the Endangered Species Act.

Ohio senators will play a vital role in the outcome. In fact, Senator Voinovich sits on the Environment and Public Works committee, the committee that would be ultimately responsible for any Endangered Species Act legislation.

Help us succeed by signing up to become an Ohio wildlife advocate today. Never forget that your voice matters.


Here are just a few of the ways you can help:

• Communicate with your elected officials. Tell Senators Voinovich and DeWine to protect the Endangered Species Act.
• Sponsor an activist event. Host a house party, bringing together friends and family to discuss the Wildlife Extinction Bill and the harm it would do to the Endangered Species Act and write letters to your elected officials, or provide a forum for Defenders staff to come to talk with members of your community.
• Speak in your community. Take the wildlife and wild places protection message to groups and organizations in your community. This can include local Rotary or Kiwanis Clubs, schools, religious institutions, or other community groups.
• Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper. Raise awareness about the Endangered Species Act and the Wildlife Extinction Bill both in the media and the public by bringing these issues to light in your local papers.

Defenders of Wildlife is only as effective as our activists and supporters make us. Only with help from individuals like you, can we save the Endangered Species Act and prevent the reversal of the positive strides it has made for wildlife over the past 30 years. Working together we can make a difference! Please sign up to be an Ohio wildlife advocate today!

Nearer, My God, to the G.O.P.

Nearer, My God, to the G.O.P. , by JOSEPH LOCONTE
NYTimes, Editorial Jan 2, 2006

If Democrats give religious progressives a stronger voice, they'll only replicate the misdeeds of the religious right.
...

When Christians-- liberal or conservative-- invoke a biblical theocracy as a handy guide to contemporary politics, they threaten our democratic discourse. Numerous "policy papers" from liberal churches and activist groups employ the same approach: they're awash in scriptural references to justice, poverty and peace, stacked alongside claims about global warming, debt relief and the United Nations Security Council. Christians are right to argue that the Bible is a priceless source of moral and spiritual insight. But they're wrong to treat it as a substitute for a coherent political philosophy.

...

There is another worrisome trait shared by religious liberals and many conservatives: the tendency to moralize in the most extreme terms.... "I think," [said one liberal], "he [Bush] should remember that it was the devil who tempted Jesus with unparalleled wealth and power."

This trend is at its worst in the misplaced outrage in the war against Islamic terrorism. It's true that in the days after the Sept. 11 attacks, some Christian conservatives shamed themselves by blaming the horror on feminists and gays, who allegedly incited God's wrath. But such nonsense is echoed by liberals like the theologian Stanley Hauerwas of Duke University. "The price that Americans are going to have to pay for... arrogance... is going to be terrible indeed," he said of the United States' response to the [Al] Qaeda attacks. "People will exact some very strong judgments against America - and I think we will well deserve it." Professor Hauerwas joins a chorus of left-wing clerics and religious scholars who compare the United States to Imperial Rome and Nazi Germany.

Democrats who want religious values to play a greater role in their party might take a cue from the human-rights agenda of religious conservatives. Evangelicals begin with the Bible's account of the God-given dignity of every person. And they've joined hands with liberal and secular groups to defend the rights of the vulnerable and oppressed, be it through prison programs for offenders and their families, laws against the trafficking of women and children, or an American-brokered peace plan for Sudan. In each case believers have applied their religious ideals with a strong dose of realism and generosity.

A completely secular public square is neither possible nor desirable; democracy needs the moral ballast of religion. But a partisan campaign to enlist the sacred is equally wrongheaded. When people of faith join political debates, they must welcome those democratic virtues that promote the common good: prudence, reason, compromise - and a realization that politics can't usher in the "kingdom of heaven."

(Thanks to Mick Gallagher)
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"Devil," "Evil Spirits," and "Possession"

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"Evil spirits" are superstitions from ancient times used to describe, and to try to understand, what we today call "mental forces in the unconscious mind." There are a number of things that can go wrong with neurochemistry, neuroanatomy, and the overall structure of the brain. In very rare cases, a person can suppress or repress for many years all that she believes to be negative or harmful. After many years, all the forcenergy of these thoughts explodes like a mental volcano. By extreme repression ("swallowing" all negative thoughts), one can, in time, create even structural damage to the brain. Then, in compensation for such ruthless repression, the character becomes not only evil, but "super evil." In psychology, this is called "compensation."

It happens, but more mildly, to all of us. If we try to restrict our minds too much, try to be "only supergood all the time," we put into a pressure-cooker our lower nature. We neglect and deny it. Then, it comes to life suddenly, in uncontrolled thoughts, and even compulsive behaviors.

When this becomes truly extreme, it becomes a serious mental disorder, disease, or dysfunction. When it happens repeatedly, and gains much power over decades, it results in a longlasting altered state that was called, in the Dark Ages, "possession." The idea behind this illusion is, "I could never be that bad; so, someone else must be taking over my mind." In the Dark Ages, everything from eclipses to plagues was blamed on "evil spirits." This was just a prescientific "catch-all" that was used to "explain" anything, or everything, that seemed the least bit mysterious. And, of course, in that misty and obscure time, nothing was known about brain-structure.

What is the solution? First, we must recognize that we all have a lower nature. It can be sleazy or smarmy. But, because it is natural, we cannot help ourselves by denying that it even exists. Indeed, to deny a part of the self is a sickness of the mind.

So, we need to accept the less-positive aspects of our selves, including especially the sexual, and learn to see, and accept, them as natural and normal. Then, we must embrace them as friends or teachers. Loving the "uglier" parts of ourselves is an absolutely indispensable aspect of selflove. And, as always, Love is the answer.

When we love the lower nature as natural, it loses all its power against us. Your resistance gives it power. This is why Jesus said, "Resist not evil." We do not want to resist it, but to "oppose" it; this means to become its opposite.

When it begins to lose power, it weakens until it is but a tiny spark, not a huge bonfire! Then, when it has been weakened and "conquered" by Love, it is no longer a dominant master. For Jesus said that you can serve only one master. If we make Love our master, and love everything within us, we can "love away" the less-desirable parts of our mind or
nature.

As truth thrives on this Love, so illusion-- vanity, hatred, violence, bigotry, unhealthy sexuality, and many more lower aspects-- thrive on fear. So, we must not indulge in fear. Fear is Love's conceptual opposite, for Love has no real opposite. In the mystical perspective, God is Love. So, the "devil" is not a person, but is the quality of fear. And "evil spirits" are just a part of superstitious mythology created to support the idea of a "devil" who is a "person."
******

The "New Age"

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We have extensively studied the current "new age" movement. Although we realize that many traditional religious people have strong feelings of bigotry against the "new age," and that much of the "new age" is simple nonsense, we have also found much of true value in it. The people involved, if not after only money and fame, tend to be truly spiritual,
sincere, and open-minded types.

They are very interested in "experimental spirituality," and have proved themselves open to mysticism, to which many traditional faiths are closed. This is due, not to the philosophies of those religions, or worldviews, but usually, to only ignorance. They are not "anti-mystical." They simply have not a clue as to what "mysticism" is!

We have many "new age" friends. Jesus and his disciples spoke of the "end of the age" in Matthew 24:3, showing that early Christianity was itself a kind of "new age" movement in its own time. (In this verse, the notorious phrase used is "end of the world," but that mistranslates the Greek noun aion, "age," as "world. The real Greek word for "world" is kosmos.) So, the disciples were really asking about "the end of the age," not "the end of the world."

So, we are open to discussion, exploration, and the various paths of the "new age" spiritual community. It has much of real value to offer. But we are not open to the gullibility that marks some "new-agers." For example, we have found no genuinely compelling objective reason to believe in "channeling." People can and do get in touch with the Unconscious, and often, provide valuable data and useful advice. But this is not at all the same as "channeling" angels, dead people, or extraterrestrials. Channeling is a fad, and people are abusing it to get rich, and to develop unhealthy cult-followings. (We are consistently anti-cultic.)

We also do not accept new-age fads re nutrition and healing. We are different from new-agers generally because we must see some scientific or medical evidence before we accept an idea. Many are gullible, and desperate to believe anything! This is spiritually unhealthy, as it does not support a "stand on your own two feet" independence. And that which resists independence tends to support unhealthy dependency. This is similar to overdependence on gurus, pastors, priests, dogmas, institutions, cults, etc. It is, in a word, unwise; it is also unhealthy. For personal freedom is a foundational principle of real spirituality.

So, the "new age" is a mixed bag. Try to explore it openly, without fear. Remain openminded, but avoid gullibility. Do not accept every concept that comes along, without criticism or any doubts. (This will send you straight into gullibility.) On the other extreme, do not deny anything simply because our physical sciences (primitive) cannot prove it. Strive to be moderate, believing neither everything, nor nothing. Always use reason, and reasonable verification, to evaluate any claim. For example, just because a person says that she is "channeling" a superior entity does not make it so!

If a person claims to have special knowledge, test her to determine whether she is telling the truth, or is selfdeluded. If she claims to know the past, ask her, "What did I have for breakfast?" If she claims to know the future, ask her, "What will I be doing tomorrow morning at ten o'clock?" If she claims to know what is happening in distant places, ask her, "What is my wife doing right now?" In short, use simple and practical questions to which you can find real answers. Do not ask, for example, "What kind of life did I have in Atlantis?" for anyone can say anything; and no one can either prove or disprove anything.

If an "extraterrestrial" is being "channeled," ask basic questions about physics, astronomy, or chemistry. If another kind of extradimensional is being "channeled," ask a technical question about cytology (cell-processes), etc. Most "channelers" could not likely answer a question taken from basic high-school chemistry. So, they have no credibility.

The "new age" movement is a fascinating field for exploration. But, in examining it, you must use some common sense and much "reality-testing." Similarly, when reading, look for genuinely new or original concepts. Avoid books that only recycle platitudes, or that take ten pages to say a single sentence. Avoid meandering and unfocused writing, as it is a way of avoiding or evading clarity.

Spirituality should be practical and useful. It should also reflect clarity of thought, and not be hesitant or "fuzzy." It should not meander. So-called "spirituality" that is about extraterrestrials, extradimensionals, planes, lost civilizations, and similar abstract issues can be interesting, but are practically useless.

Some systems even emphasize "Love." These might seem rich, and safe. But if "Love" is not applied to real-life situations, if it is too abstract, it is nothing but a buzz-word. Hypocrites, fools, and frauds have spoken of "Love" for centuries, but have not brought a microparticle of enlightenment to our poor little planet.

So, examine widely and wisely. Use discernment, discrimination, wisdom, reason, and common sense as your yardsticks. Seek evidence; and remember, the more outlandish the claim, the more evidence you need to demand in order to buy into it!
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Diversity in Spirituality

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Diversity and variety are good aspects, blessings, of the spiritual Way. In that great Way, there is a path for everyone. Different people are attracted to different aspects of spirituality, and it is wide and wise enough to accommodate them all! For example, there are many varieties of yoga, some involving physical positions (asanas; this is hathayoga), and some involving only meditation (rajayoga), some only devotion (bhaktiyoga), and some, everyday, practical work (karmayoga).

Spirituality, in this way, imitates nature. There are tens of thousands of varieties of butterflies and roses. Including all flowers, there are hundreds of thousands of types. The same diversity (variety) is true of crystals, stars, human beings (fingerprints, etc.), and most other phenomena. Nature hates monochromaticity (boring similarity) and loves diversity.

So, in truly following the Way of Love, a person can choose from a broad spectrum of kinds of Christianity (forms of gnosticism), Judaism forms of kabbalism), Islam (forms of sufism), Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, nature-faiths, etc. You have the God-given freedom to study any or all of these paths, and select which most appeals to you. You can also create your own personal spirituality, by selecting all that is good from all traditions, and weaving them together into your personal "spiritual tapestry." This path, which is followed by many mystics, is "spiritual eclecticism." It is perhaps the richest and deepest of all paths, for it contains the jewels of many traditions.

Many religious groups are myopic and exclusive. This means that they practice bigotry, and exclude others from wisdom, knowledge, or even Love. Any religion that does this is practicing harmful judgment, and the very mystical definition of "evil" is "deliberately harming sentient beings." So, these paths are selflimiting, and they are definitely harmful to good and innocent people. Many of the newer denominations and cults are this way. People of Love avoid them due to this hurtful teaching. For true spirituality, being Love, is the opposite of exclusive; it is inclusive. That is, it includes all our sisters and brothers all over the world, and, for that matter, all through the galaxies. Real spirituality is ttruly universal, and has abandoned all forms of closemindedness and parochialism. It has also left behind dependence on certain Scriptures, human leaders, dogma, and other constrictive factors. It is not historical, and is not bound or limited by any historical event, or series of events. Spirituality cares nothing for history, but is a "here and now" expression of the highest Love. This universality is why it embraces all, is open to all, and welcomes all.