Grace is Forever

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Grace comes from God, the ultimate and deepest Mind of Love. One of God's more famous qualities, outlined by both theologians and mystics, is utter immutability. That is, while God, as life, is always changing, growing, and mutating, in the Core or Essence, He/She is changeless.

Therefore, Love, and Its expressions, are also without alterations. Every creature is within God's grace. Otherwise, it would be only partial, not complete or "perfect." But different creatures have differing degrees of realization and awareness.

Once God gives a gift, it is forever. There is nothing that a mere human being can do to remove herself from grace. Even if she sincerely tries, she cannot do so.

People are free to make any honest mistake, with full awareness that God's Love (grace) is more than sufficient to "cover" or to forgive the error. For karma does not result from mistakes, but comes from only deliberate, voluntary, intentional actions.

If you intend to help, and end up hurting, you will still receive good karma because your intentions were good. Look at the nightmare of wars and persecutions that have come from the teachings of Jesus. But because his intentions were only good, he did not receive of the bad energy. But also, if you intend to hurt, and end up helping, you still get negative karma.

In the end, grace covers the cosmos with an infinite "blanket" of forgiveness. God would be very unreliable if He ever withdrew this amazing gift, and God is the Rock, always trustworthy and reliable. When it comes to major items of His will, He does not change His mind.

So, grace is forever, and cannot be withdrawn, canceled, avoided, or reversed. Every Bible-based denomination teaches this; but they do not always realize the implications of the teaching. For the teaching of grace strongly, and inevitably, implies universal salvation, and that is a teaching that terrifies many Christians. But Christ said, "If I be lifted up, I shall draw all to Myself."

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Personal Desire and Sadness

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As is so often the case, Brother Donkey has arisen early to tend to email and other cyberprojects. It occurs that we give each other meaning, for our loving each other here on earth is all that gives meaning to these human lives. That is why it is such a joy to reach out into cyberspace on this so-early morning to touch your heart.

Without the great gift of each other, there would and could be very little substantial meaning to our earthlives. And without the great but secondary gift of cyberspace, many soulconnections and general mindconnections would not be possible. So, we can count ourselves double-blessed.

Thirdly, the desire itself to love arises as a superblessing of human life. Mystics teach that the desire for Love is God acting within, and through, us. It is not only this life's greatest pleasure, but is its core-meaning, to share Love.

These three great, interactive blessings fill our moments with strength and solidarity. They remind us how hollow is a life filled with selfishness and the final emptiness of personal desires. For personal desire is a rude, crude, and vulgar taskmaster, and it has no Love to give. Naked personal desire is stripped of all meaning-- and so is personal accomplishment that does not serve Love.

So, we can all-- you, me, and every other human being-- take a brief moment to stop, still, and center on this one wondrous fact. With all the pain and agony that come with this life, we can find meaning, and delight, in erasing only a moment of sadness or loneliness in our own or another's heart. For this, too, is the service of Love.

If we become sad enough, as micronanoscopic earthcritters, we must open our hearts to the influx of the ocean or galaxy of Love. Then, It can begin to trickle in and heal us. For our sad moments remind us that we are only human, and, secondly, that no mere selfish pursuit can ever make us happy. This is the great, often hidden, gift and blessing of sadness.

Sadness is an opportunity to peer deeply into our own hearts, and to make an inventory of all our Love-activities. A heart filled with Love is self-healing when it focuses upon only that Love.

May you examine your heart today. And may you find it filled with unconditional, universal, and consistent Love.

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Grace

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We all deserve to die, due to sin. And we all do. But, at the soul-level, we can find immortality. Immortality is not a reward for being or doing good.

It is not a "reward" at all. It arises strictly and solely from grace. This is not a reward, but is God's free gift. He may give this grace to whomever he wills. It is free of all demands, and does not come "more" to a good person than to a bad one. But its realization might come more quickly.

Every creature, including, of course, every human being, is already, right this moment, within the boundless grace of God. How can we know this? Because "God is Love" (1 Jn. 4:8, 16), God's Love must be unlimited, boundless. Otherwise, we would believe in a "limited God." This is an oxymoron, a flat contradiction in terms.

Because God is unlimited, forgiveness and Love are unlimited. So, grace, the gift of everlasting life, must also be unlimited.

People do not want to believe this. They want to feel that they are "better" than others, that they know more, that they work more, are more "just" and "righteous" than others. They hate the ideal of equality. They are like the selfrighteous Pharisees.

But Jesus told those "righteous" people that prostitutes and other sinners would "go ahead" of them into the Kingdom. (Mt. 21:31). "What glorious hope that this gives all of us; for Jesus prophesied that repeating and deliberate "sinners" would come "into the kingdom." But Jesus did say this, and he blew their minds.

Why, and how, could "sinners" (chronic and deliberate) even "enter the kingdom" at all? Jesus knew that all sinners, as was God's will, would pay for their karma, and then, someday, even the worst sinners would "enter the kingdom," because of grace.

God loves each one of his children infinitely. This includes you. This is a Love so broad, so deep, so immeasurable, that it is breath-taking. We cannot even imagine it.

God's plans are perfect. So, God has never created any soul-- and He has created all souls-- that will end up a"failure." For if a soul did fail in eternity, at bottom, that would be God's own failure, not just the failure of the soul.

Further, God is smart enough to arrange that, in his cosmos, each and every soul would find a salvation symmetric with his unlimited grace. And God is not only smart; he is also loving enough to desire the equal destiny of Love, light, and everlasting life for all of his children. This is, in fact, how God has arranged the cosmos, through the outworking of the karma of each person. Each soul receives exactly what it deserves; yet, in the end, grace and Love are even greater than sin.

To think otherwise, to deny this, is to propose that some sins exist that are greater than God's Love. And that is utter disrespect, even blasphemy!

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The Mystic "One": Abandoning Jehovah

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Neither I nor any sound mystic would ever disagree about the true existence of only "one God." And I would consider it the highest of ignorance ever to claim that there exist, in reality, more than one God. Mystics go even further: Not only is there only one Mind (God) in the cosmos, but you and I are all a part of, grow from, this One. (Mystics often call God simply the "one.")

This Mind or God is so inclusive that everything and everyone is a part of It. So, when we speak of "many gods," what we literally mean, by this shorthand, is many human-formed images, historically, and as cultural artifacts. In looking at history, it is only a convenient symbol, a kind of "shorthand," to speak of the many gods (god-images) recognized by different cultures/religions at different times. We do not, of course, accept them all as realities.

The mystical one God exists so undivided that the "eating of the forbidden fruit" which keeps us from paradise is the illusion that any thing, or any mind, can ever exist divided from It/Her/Him. There is, was, and can ever be, only one God, one Mind, at the Core of everything. And this One is perfect, unmixed Love. In fact, the entire point of the comments in the email was: Any "god" that expresses hatred, bigotry, anger, and other lower-nature qualities is but a distortion of truth. In the case of Jehovah/Yahweh (of the "Old Testament"), this error later blossomed into an entire theology of misperceptions, or falsehoods. Tragically, and confusedly, most assume that the ancient godimage of the "Old Testament" is the same as the God of Jesus.

It is quite easy to slide or fall into this assumption; most Christians do hold it as a matter of dogma. It is so commonly assumed, in fact, as to be invisible. Even most educators and religious teachers take it fully for granted. But the assumption that Jehovah-Yahweh is God contradicts a couple of important historical issues. For it was the loyal, faithful people of Yahweh who conspired with the Romans to murder Jesus. It was also they who were among the most vicious enemies of Christianity during its first two centuries.

Wise and intelligent people can hold to no stupid or ignorant anti-Semitism because of this, however, for no one is ever responsible for the actions of her ancestors. True, many Christians tried like mad to force Christianity into the mold of Judaism. These were called "Judaizers." They pretended that the Hebrew Scriptures were part of the "Bible" of Christianity, and they, too, made the serious mistake of identifying (and equating) the god of the Hebrews with the Lord of pure Love identified by the mystic Jesus. But the very reason that Christianity split from Judaism is that it had an entirely different set of Scriptures, the Christian Greek Scriptures ("New Testament"); Christianity recognized its own, and separate, prophets; and it had its own teachings. These teachings did not concur with those of the "holy days," "feasts," "sacrifices," and other patterns from Judaism.

Christians ignored all of this fanfare, even though these celebrations and rituals were demanded by the Hebrew Scriptures. Even though the Levitical and other laws of Jehovah were included in the Bible of the Hebrews, they were simply dropped and abandoned by the Christians. It could accurately be said that many if not most Christians simply dropped and abandoned the Hebrew Scriptures as the "Bible" of another religion-- Judaism. Christianity did not evolve from, or originate within, Judaism as a "splinter" group. No, it originated from the teachings of an enlightened man reared in Egypt-- Jesus. To prove that the religion did not have power over free Christians, Jesus altered many of the "Laws of Jehovah," as in Matthew chapter 5. In other words, he did not feel bound to those ancient laws.

Christianity did not hate Judaism. But it insisted upon total freedom from the "written law codes," as Paul made clear in Galatians. These law-codes were the Bible of the Jews. It is most logical that a religion that has a different Bible, different prophets, different teachers, and different teachings has also a different God. The God taught by Jesus was Love, as reflected by his disciple John, who wrote simply, "God is Love," and he wrote it twice (1 Jn. 4:8, 16). The ancient god periodically showed a quality called chesed in Hebrew, "loving-kindness." But he showed this to only those who carefully obeyed all of his laws, and very rarely. Jehovah was a god
bound by law, and was very concerned about "righteousness" and "obedience." The Christianity of Jesus was more concerned with a deeper, more authentic, goodness.

The whole idea of a priesthood, a temple, and a thousand religious laws, binding on the Hebrews, was simply deleted by the Christians. Also, the exclusivity of being the "chosen people" disappeared, as Christianity began to be a universal faith, open to non-Jews ("gentiles").

When you separate the God of Love from the ancient god, it clears up so many mysteries. For Jehovah, says the record, slaughtered women, men, and children. He was a creation of mad and murderous generals and kings of the Middle East, and naturally, he thought precisely as they did. These horrid activities are unthinkable to the omnipotent Lord of Love. They are hideous. So is Armageddon, a God-slandering myth, and so is eternal hellfire, another myth of nightmarish humans, not a creation of the stainless God.

If you have any questions re the misidentification of God that is common to our society and culture, let me recommend my book Jehovah, Good-bye: The "New Theism of Love.

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The Soul and the World

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The great Unconscious can dream up any kind of world in which the in-dividual ("undivided") can become a "person." This is the kind of "dream-world" in which we now exist. (The word "person" is from the Latin persona, and means "mask." You are one "mask" being worn by the Mind, and I am another.)

Why, then, does not the Mind dream up only perfect lives, without problems, challenges, and difficulties?

It did, for billions of years. This might be seen as the "amusement park" phase of earthly history. The Mind dreamed up trillions of lives (probably more), and each one was thrilling, blessed, perfect, content, satisfied, and whole. This "paradise" phase continued for countless eons.

Souls were "emanated" (sent "out" into the world) by the Mind, and each celebrated a fantastically brilliant and unlimited experience of the perfect life. This went on, as noted, for billions of (countless) years.

Everyone loved the "game" of "physical" life. But everyone wanted to make it more exciting. Everyone was interested in improving the "game," making it more realistic and thrilling.

So, one day, a soul (nonphysical, very deep Mind) said, "The ultimate game would be to forget that we are everlasting, eternal, invincible souls." The Mind can do anything, and so, according to God's will, it allowed Itself to forget. In fact, It willed Itself to forget that it was the Being of Love.

When It forgot, it got caught up in the "drama" of life. Falling into illusion and dream, it began to believe, for example, that "death" was real, and that it was the "end of life." This gave rise to all forms of ignorance (avidya).

This fall into illusion is symbolized by the story of Cain having murdered his brother Abel. For, by this time, people thought that they were nothing but animal-bodies. Souls forgot that they were nonphysical Minds or soulminds, and fell into the delusion that they were nothing but "animal" bodies. Indeed, the seeds for this animal-illusion were planted in Genesis, by Jehovah. For, after they fell from their perfect realization of grace ("Eden"), Jehovah "covered" them with "animal-skins."

Once you began to believe in selfishness, as a soul, you believed that you were completely separate from all other beings. (Actually, you were one with them, all "plugged" into the common Mind, Lovemind, Coremind, or Godmind.)

Thus "separated" from God and from all other creatures, you could develop and cultivate the "separate" life, containing the "knowledge of good and evil." This was, in Eden, the "forbidden fruit." (It involved a belief in the true reality of evil, its absolute reality, and a belief that anything or anyone could ever exist "separate" from the One, the Mind, or God.)

This nightmarish belief made it possible to "sow the seeds" of karma. This principle was mentioned by Paul as "that which a man soweth, that shall he also reap." So, once the seeds of karma began to grow, not only was every imperfection possible, but they became inevitable. For all of us, in our dark days of ignorance, harmed many people. (This we did voluntarily or intentionally.)

It is because we all carry around a load of such great karma that the "good news" of Christianity was so delightful. For it was this: "All your sins are forgiven." After the coming, and teaching, of Jesus Christ, we could live without any more karma; the sins of centuries, and mountains of them, simply vanished in the Love and grace of God. For Jesus died a death of "propitiatory" karma, meaning that his life absorbed the "sins of the world."

So, Jesus became a symbol and statement of divine forgiveness, which was one hundred percent. But until, by grace, we grow into the full realization of that grace, it does not, and cannot, affect us.

But the whole situation, this "panbiography" of billions of years, and billions of "individual" minds, is not that simple. Most people come back to earth to work out their karma. But some other, greater, or enlightened, souls also come to earth, to perfect some spiritual quality. (This is called "voluntary karma," for it has been chosen as a "limitation" by the soul, in a "contract" with God.)

Thus, it would be inappropriate and incompassionate for us to look at a problem in life and say that it is due to "sin" or "karma." For there are souls, of many ages in duration, who have chosen or selected a life with certain karmic limitations.

They have come to earth simply to experience being human, or the power of "limitation" to create humility, or to unlock compassion.

This fully explains why some of the greatest, most tender, Love-filled, and mystical teachers-- some of the most humble and enlightened-- have experienced major difficulties on earth.

Any problem that is genetic is, by simple definition and extension, also karmic. So, a person who suffers from this condition might be taking this condition as a supreme "test" or "exam" for the soul. She need not be "guilty" of any karma, and the condition is not due to ordinary karma. (This is called "reflective" or "reflexive" karma.)

So, both the good and the bad "suffer" from the limitations of earthly (biological) life. (It was thinking about suffering that brought the Buddha to full enlightenment. So, this is yet another way that suffering has benefited both people and the entire planet.) For the earth is a great school, and many of its "learning courses" or "lessons" are quite difficult.

At the soul-level, each soul realizes and knows, although deeply unconsciously, that nothing from earth can ever harm it. This world can harm or damage the body, and it can also hurt the mind. But, at very deep levels of mind, such as the soul, it cannot be harmed. For the soul is invincible, meaning that it cannot be harmed or hurt by any earthly event, object, or situation. For the soul is so deep within the Unconscious that nothing can ever harm, or even affect, it.

Knowing that she is an invincible, invulnerable soulmind, and not a body, releases the enlightened into a new universe, with brand-new selfimage. She knows that she is forever, and so, does not take "death" quite as seriously as the "final end," or the "extinction" of consciousness. It is to have this startling Selfrevelation that a person practices meditation. For this is getting in touch with those very profound soul-levels of Mind.

When you can know that the world is not "absolute" reality, you don't have to take its tragedies and disasters so seriously. The world no longer controls you. Instead, you give up your entire Mind to the control of the One, the great Mind; after that, you never have to worry, ever again. For everything is in the "hands of God," or in the one great Mind.

The mystic believes that only Mind is real. The "material, physical, external" world is not. The enlightened realize that the life of a person in this world (70 or 80 years) is but an eye-blink in eternity, and so, she is not crushed, wrecked, dhattered, or ruined by the conditions in this world. She knows that it is all but a dream, and this gives her power and courage that she could never obtain in any other way.

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Sorting "Jehovah" out of your Godimage

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The Hebrew Scriptures (the correct or Jewish name for the "Old Testament," this name reflects a sad Christian bias) have been found useful in lesson-creation, mostly as allegory, even by mystics.

We especially enjoy the Song of Solomon as a metaphoric description of the soul in relation to the Spirit. The Love between the two is very deep, and sometimes sensual, but it leads to the "divine marriage" between smaller Minds and the One, the great Mind.

If we are going to use this ancient document (Hebrew Scriptures) as a guide, however, we must be consistent. You mentioned the "hardness" of Pharaoh's heart, for example. But we must not forget that the Scriptures themselves say that it was "Yahweh" who made his heart hard. So, whose responsibility was it? If it was Yahweh's doing, as the texts themselves say, why did Pharaoh suffer punishment?

No, my friend, no one ever "gets her butt kicked" by my God. For my God has none of the pettiness and triviality of the "god" common to our culture and society. He/She is completely free of all violence, which reflects frustration. Anger also reflects frustration. But it is quite impossible to frustrate a Being who is omnipotent. She/He is billions of lightyears above such pettiness and small-mindedness. The "task" or function of my God is simply to Love, never to punish or harm any of Her/His creatures. That would be as petty as stepping on ants or torturing dogs.

My God is pure Love, and Love plus nothing. He allows people to mess up, and to create karmic retributions for themselves, but She does not directly punish or hurt anybody. His/Her only response is forgiveness. That is why Jesus said, "The Father judges no one."

You say that the "Old Testament" does not confuse you; but I submit that you are already confused, seeing a "god" that is part Yahweh ("butt-kicking") and part Love. The true and real God is all Love, unmixed Love. The cultural and historical assumptions of the ancient Hebrews do not affect or change this God.

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Supernature Talents

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Human beings, as you seem already to know, have catalogued and documented both precognition and telepathy several times over the past few thousand years.

The famous psychologist Carl Jung called the recurrence of a new word, or bit of new knowledge, shortly after having learned it, "synchronicity." This has much to do with the mysterious nature of time, space, and mind, and their many and complex interactions.

It is understandable that you would like to use these rare abilities to help others. That is, in fact, why they are given by the great Mind. The very best way to do this is the practice of mind-clearing, or thought-free states of meditation. For as much as we would yearn to regulate or control such mental powers, experience proves that we can be their recipient, but not their cause.

Meanwhile, you can sharpen your awareness of these mindfunctions by keeping a careful record of their occurrence; and it will also help if you can record and interpret your night-dreams.

Perhaps sadly, there is little that we can do to influence these processes, since they arise spontaneously from a much greater or deeper Mind within. In order to cultivate any "psychic" ability, I often recommend "psychometry." This is the holding of a small object in the left hand, and recording all impressions received from it. Of course, you must work with someone who knows the history of the object, in order to test and validate your "hits" and "misses."

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Why they just don't get it

From Walmart Watch

After a rough 2006, the New Year has not been so good for our friends in Bentonville.

New executive leadership keeps pushing Wal-Mart down a reckless and unsustainable path -- and Wall Street isn't happy. Scores of consultants keep trying to spit-shine Wal-Mart's tarnished image, sinking untold millions into PR campaigns that are immediately exposed as hot air.

Why can't Wal-Mart get a break? Because they won't face reality.

Americans aren't buying the empty rhetoric coming from the store of smiling faces. They're ready for real reform and honest leadership -- and I'm hopeful that 2007 will be the year for it.

As our campaign kicks off its third year, it's clear to Wal-Mart's friends and foes alike that change is needed and long overdue. 2006 holiday sales were down, the stock is in its third year of stagnation, and corporate leadership has lost the confidence of shareholders and employees alike.

Recent news coverage tells the story better than I can:

"Wal-Mart is fighting for its image -- and for its financial future... Wal-Mart is an embattled company and is fighting wars on all sides" -- Business Week, Jan. 9, 2007

"Bad years do happen to good companies. But for Wal-Mart, 2006 was just another downer in period of decline that's lasted seven years...Wall Street is starting to lose patience" -- Fortune Magazine, Jan., 2007

Our campaign began in 2005 with modest means and big intentions. Contrary to Wal-Mart's spin about our deep pockets, we've shamed, embarrassed and bruised them for mere fractions of what they claim we've spent.

But we have magic here -- no tricks, no gimmicks. With your help, and the support of hundreds of thousands of Wal-Mart Watch supporters, we've built a nationwide campaign that continues to hold Wal-Mart accountable for the truth.

And the truth remains:

* Wal-Mart leads the list of companies with the most employees and dependents in taxpayer-funded health care programs.
* Wal-Mart faces the nation's largest class-action lawsuit from 1.6 million current and former female Wal-Mart employees for gender discrimination.
* Wal-Mart stores and parking lots already occupy roughly 75,000 acres in the U.S. -- and the company plans to nearly double its footprint over the next 10 years.

We have so much we need to fight for in 2007 -- and that fight will require fresh ideas, unprecedented energy and renewed passion. So as our campaign kicks off the new year, I'm proud to announce that I'll be handing over leadership to my friend and colleague, David Nassar.

Get ready for something special. Over the coming months, David will take this organization -- and this community -- to new heights. Help him build a strengthened Wal-Mart Watch by asking your friends and family to join our fight today:

http://action.walmartwatch.com/newyear

On behalf of David and the rest of the Wal-Mart Watch staff, I thank you for your commitment to making Wal-Mart a better corporate citizen.

Sincerely,
Andrew Grossman

On the eve of our celebration of the work of Dr. Martin Luther King, I hope you will take a few minutes to read Dr. King's "Letter From Birmingham Jail."

http://www.thekingcenter.org/prog/non/letter.html

It is a brilliant piece of work, and inspires me.

Paid for by WalmartWatch.com, a campaign of Five Stones and The Center for Community and Corporate Ethics

Christianity and Law-codes

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Jesus came to replace, and do away with, the whole code of the ancient "Laws of Jehovah." This is why Christians do not practice the literal sacrifice of animals, and why they ignore the ancient Levitical and other laws of the Hebrew Scriptures ("Old Testament").

Even more deeply, it guaranteed that Christianity would not be simply a "variety" of Judaism. Its voluntary and God-approved ignoring of the ancient Hebrew laws made it plain that God freed Christians from all those laws, and hence, also from the god that had given them.

This is why Christianity exploded brightly into the world: It suggested that the Hebrew god, after thousands of years, was somehow deficient, or was not enough. The new Christians, following Jesus, learned to listen to the direction of the "Holy Spirit" (God) in their own hearts. As Paul wrote to the Galatians, the old 'law-code' was neutralized and broken by 'faith in Christ." In fact, if the laws ("Old Testament" could save you, Paul wrote, "then Christ died for nothing."

Christians lived in the utter faith that their karmic burden (sin) had been erased by vicarious participation in the "death" of Jesus, which also symbolized their "death" to being controlled by this world. For, in some ways, as Paul told the Romans, "we died with him."

The historical effect was that Christianity became a different religion from Judaism. Judaism had a different Bible, different prophets, different teachings, and different laws. It was logical to take one more tiny step and suggest that Christians had also a different God.

And they did. Their God was Love. (1 Jn. 4:8,16)

Jehovah rarely had chesed ("loving-kindness"), but only toward those who obeyed his laws. But God was Love, unbounded by national or genetic concerns. God loved all, even the "Gentiles" (non-Jews).

This is the verse by Jesus that summarizes the irreversible and irrevocable split that forever separated Christianity from Judaism.
*****

Radical Christian Right Targeting Military

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Read America's Holy Warriors
The radical Christian Right is coming dangerously close to its goal of taking over the country’s military and law enforcement.


Note from Mick: ...I am speaking loudly about this dark movement, covertly growing much like the "Brown Shirts" in the 30's under Hitler. This article is written by Chris Hedges.... "War is a Force That Gives us meaning." I remember that he was booed off the stage at a college in Illinois. when he spoke out re the illegal, immoral invasion of a weaker, sovereign nation.

I have heard first-hand accounts from the grunts on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan re "Blackwater Security's" behavior, and cold blooded murder of Iraqi and Afghani citizens. It is widely believed now that they were responsible for much of the false reports of shootings, lootings, and killings in our own New Orleans. The 7 police officers who shot a forty-year old retarded man in the back 8 times are believed to be intertwined with Blackwater Security. They receive $200K annually,
tax-free, for being bodyguards-- but for whom? The corporate wolves, and crooked politicians...
A group of g.i.'s on bbc/pbs/npr reported: Last year, they had hired a group of Iraqi's, as their gardener's, landscaper's,etc., at their compound near Fallujah(leveled twice by us, over 40K killed). One day, a group of jack boot thugs came down the road, asked who "these scum" were. They no sooner had the words out of their mouths, when they were all gunned down....I did not know that they were affiliated with the Christian Right. I now have my new purpose in my "second adulthood."

Everyone I ever meet will now know this. This is complete bull____. These are innocent Arabs, in an 8,000 yr old country. And [these Americans] were going in there, as it's another "Christian Crusade." WE are the "great satan," [according to some Muslims]. How can we even state that we are a "good Christian nation"?
...Also, 9/11 was a staged, "False Flag" black op. It will be proved, someday, when it's too damn' late! The evidence is there--in "black and white"-- as the right likes always to say. (They are ignorant about what their own so-called "leaders" are doing to us, and to other countries. Covertly, in a clandestine manner.) That's why all this is so secretive.... We had better get in the game. For we are losing this
once great Republic, and it isn't a "buncha peace loving liberals" causing it! It's the NRA Police State jackasses.

RET. Col.Larry Wilkerson, Deputy Sec. of State under Colin Powell, has said on record, when asked about radical terrorists in this country: "There are violent groups in this country, but none of them I know of, are Liberal, peace groups. They're mostly the Timothy McVeigh, NRA, Right-Wing Para-Military Types."
This is happening now! People, wake up! [Radio talk-show hosts] and the other propagandist are not just silly entertainment! They are complicit in all of this! They've drunken the Kool-Aid (it equates with their obscene, grossly high salaries.)
Jesus, save us from these savages!

Israel Plans to Nuke Iran!

The Sunday Times of London has run a major news story about how Israel has secret plans to use low-level nuclear weapons to destroy Iran's nuclear enrichment facilities.

Revealed: Israel Plans Nuclear Strike on Iran - The Sunday Times

Conducting interviews on this issue is Richard Hellman, founder of Christians' Israel Public Action Campaign (CIPAC), a political action committee and lobbying organization that encourages evangelical Christians and the current Presidential administration to continue to support Israel, but maybe not with their nuclear weapon plans!

bush bumperstickers

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1/20/09: End of an Error

That's OK, I Wasn't Using My Civil Liberties Anyway

Let's Fix Democracy in This Country First

If You Want a Nation Ruled By Religion, Move to Iran

Bush. Like a Rock. Only Dumber.

If You Can Read This, You're Not Our President

Hey, Bush Supporters: Embarrassed Yet?

George Bush: Creating the Terrorists Our Kids Will Have to Fight

America: One Nation, Under Surveillance

They Call Him "W" So He Can Spell It

Whose God Do You Kill For?

Cheney/Satan '08

Jail to the Chief

No, Seriously, Why Did We Invade Iraq?

Bad President! No Banana.

We Need a President Who's Fluent In At Least One Language

We're Making Enemies Faster Than We Can Kill Them

Is It Vietnam Yet?

Bush Doesn't Care About White People, Either

Where Are We Going? And Why Are We In This Handbasket?

You Elected Him. You Deserve Him.

Impeach Cheney First

Dubya, Your Dad Shoulda Pulled Out, Too

When Bush Took Office, Gas Was $1.46

Pray For Impeachment

The Republican Party: Our Bridge to the 11th Century

What Part of "Bush Lied" Don't You Understand?

One Nation Under Clod

Twenty-oh-four: Embarrassed
Twenty-oh-five: Horrified
Twenty-oh-six: Terrified

Bush Never Exhaled

At Least Nixon Resigned


(Thanks to Chris Finer)

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The Shrub Starts to Shrivel

From the shining, white-hot pen of Mick Gallagher:

The Shrub Starts to Shrivel
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Do you think that a Democratic president would be given such easy treatment as this guy [the shrub]? Carte Blanche, lie after lie, deception after deception. Orwellian newspeak, double-talk, double-mindedness.

Imagine a Carter, Clinton, Kerry, or our true actual president-- President Al Gore -- sitting on all these deaths & destruction? [The shrub] lied us into an illegal, immoral, unjust war, with no clear definitive mark of what "victory" is? And do you think this is the true Christian thing to do? Kill, maim over 650,000 innocent Iraqis -- who never hurt one American, who had no way, or any reason to attack this country, and no means to do it, even if they did hate us that much.

And 1 last thing: If we are to believe are mis-leaders, who were the men on those planes in Sept 2001? Egyptians, Saudi's, Yemenese-- right? Any Iraqis? Afghanis? Lebanese Christians? Palestinians? Somalians? Hell, no!

As most of you realize, 091101 was the catalyst for this perpetual war plan, written by... Corporate wolves such as Cheney, bush, Rumsfeld,etc. But if there are ever International War Crimes Trials, the Zionist Neoconservatives must be put on trial AS WELL. Wolfowitz, Perle, Kissinger, Kagan, Feith,etc. And don't forget the Billionaire Boyz Club of such behemoth defense contractor clubs as the Carlyle Group, which features such luminaries as gw bush, Jeb Bush, Frank Carlucci, John Majors(UK dummy). They have been profiting smartly since the beginning of these faux invasions and occupations.

If we don't stand up, and speak truth to power, this will only get worse. Iran is on the planning board, of coarse, pushed by the conservative think tanks, American Enterprise Institute,etc.

Can you imagine Clinton lying us into this,and the media giving him a free pass to escalate it after 4 failed yrs of bull____? [The notorious] liberal media just ain't there!! Ya boy--they got all kinda power!! Bull____ -- pure & simple. More Orwellian brainwashing. Hitler, Himmler, Goebbels, Heydrich would be proud.
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Time for Impeachment Now

The fastest way to bring the troops home from Iraq is to impeach bush

IMPEACHMENT ACTION PAGE: http://www.peaceteam.net/impeachment_now2.php

Before the coming of george bush and his shadow president Dick Cheney, the greatest military blunder in American History was thought to be Custer's Last Stand. It did not take a lot of hindsight to know that general Custer's vain assault on a much larger force of better-armed native Americans would come to no good end. His own Indian scouts told him that the encampment at Little Bighorn was far too large to be attacked. But in his supreme arrogance, Custer believed that HE knew better than his own best sources of intelligence. We all know the result of that one.

How uncanny are the parallels to the current situation in Iraq? The neocon ideologues who seized dictatorial control of our government brushed off all contrary advice, and manufactured intelligence to support their case. They dismissed any challenge to their vision of the absolute power of American military dominance as a matter of right. They fired any underling who dared to try to tell them the truth, that
deposing Saddam would lead directly and inexorably to an Islamic theocracy, if not a sectarian civil war. They used the power of their crony associates in the corporate media to smear any public critic. And they are still doing it.

In case you had not noticed, the very first act of the new secretary of defense was to order more troops to Kuwait. [This was] to enable sending more to Iraq. In other words, the self-anointed "decider" has already decided-- to defy the will of the American people, their Congress, and the entire rest of the world, for all it matters to him. In his mind, this is another one of those "done deals." The only thing that's taking so long to make the official announcement is the difficulty of yet another con job on us, with public opinion moving ever more forcefully in the opposite direction. Most of the remaining rubber stamp members of Congress are already coming down with a major case of cold feet, thanks to your voices, but george bush does not care.

They've even had problems this time finding strategists to sign on to this surge of stupidity. The best that they could come up with was some chest pounder talking about "choosing" victory, as if this was just some kind of personal motivation seminar, and the Iraqi people themselves were to have no say at all in the matter. Why don't we have George Custer tell us that the number of Indians was of no consequence? The primary difference between him and what bush has done is that Custer did not wreck the ENTIRE U.S. Army, Custer did not mortgage our whole economy for generations to come, and, unlike bush, he actually had the courage to enter mortal combat himself.

You see, our child king has already declared that, as long as he is president, he is not budging an inch from Iraq. Take him at his word. You heard him say it. He is determined to take this country down with him in a pique of stubborn ignorance. He will not go out without a final surge of insanity and horror. And the only thing that can possibly save us all, and our future, is to finally stand up and hold him accountable for his high crimes and misdemeanors. [These are] enough to impeach every president who has ever served.

IMPEACHMENT ACTION PAGE: http://www.peaceteam.net/impeachment_now2.php

It is impossible to read the Constitution and not see george bush's name writ large in every reference to the salvation of impeachment. If the founders had known his actual name, it certainly would have been expressly stated there, just as they enumerated the many outrages of their own king George. And all that is required for it to happen is for enough of us to speak out at the same time, to our members of Congress, in letters to the editors of our newspapers, and it WILL be so. When Custer's Crow scouts told him in unison that he was out of his mind, he let them go. It's not only time to let george bush go; but we must MAKE him go-- NOW.

Please take action NOW, so we can win all victories that are supposed to be ours.

To be added to the list, go to http://www.peaceteam.net/in.htm
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More Innocent Blood in Iraq

(thanks to Mick Gallagher)

A BUZZFLASH NEWS ALERT
New Bush Iraq Plan Presented by Neocon Think-Tank Friday.
Troop Boost will be "Long and Lasting," not a "Surge"
Created 01/05/2007 - 11:33am

The American Enterprise Institute (AEI) - the think-tank at the heart of the Neocon movement - held a presentation Friday on what should be the foundation of the new Iraq strategy President Bush is expected to unveil next week. Sens. Joe Lieberman and John McCain will also speak at the event on the topic.

Basically, this is the whole "surge" thing we've been hearing about. The only problem is that it is not a surge at all; it's a lengthy boost. Frederick Kagan and Jack Keane, the authors of the AEI report, actually wrote an article last month explaining that "any troop increase must be large and lasting" (a short surge, of course, would "play into the enemy's hands" and "virtually ensure defeat").

Looking deeper into the study, the Kagan/Keane strategy is not a plan to move forward so we can leave, it's a plan to start all over again from scratch. They actually advocate abandoning political development and Iraqi forces training to focus solely on what they call "clear and hold" by American forces of "critical terrain." Only then, they say, can we start thinking about transferring control to Iraqis.

Solely under this plan will the 3000+ American and countless Iraqi deaths thus far have been completely in vain. Worse, even more people will die. Even Kagan and Keane predict in their study "increasing casualties to levels higher than before the start of security operations" - and that's in response to the fourth and final phase of their approach! Ironically, they even use the word "surge" to describe the rise in deadly violence they predict by extremists in the other phases. Those looking for Vietnam comparisons will find the prediction of an insurgent "Tet Offensive" on page 31 of the draft report.

The insanity of Bush's acceptance of these ideas is that they are coming from the very people he listened to from the beginning that got us into this quagmire. After their predictable failure, nearly everyone else in the world - including even many conservative Republicans - knows we need to finally redeploy our combat forces. Yet Bush is giving the AEI Neocons a mulligan they sorely do not deserve and the voters resoundingly rejected last November.

Walking On Water

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In harmony with the article in the uld about the Gospels' being symbolic, I believe that Jesus could, under the Power of God, walk on the water, literally. But I believe that the story might also be symbolic of our "walk through life." For we must rise above, and at the same time use as our Source and support, the great Unconscious. And in dreams and mythologies, the symbol of the Unconscious is always presented in the form of water.

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Two very different gods

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Writing is about the best "autotherapy" that has ever been discovered. It helps to clarify your own ideas: You write what you need to learn. So, writing down your thoughts can be a great exercise in mental clarity, and can help even in small matters.

Use of the Scriptures can be a wonderful "shorthand" for self-expression. But too much dependence on the Hebrew Scriptures ("Old Testament") has been found to be only confusing, for they teach a completely different god-- the ancient cultural wargod of the Hebrews. For the "God" of the Christian Scriptures ("New Testament") is Love Itself, and is healing and healthy. So, my advice would be to abandon the confusing, cruel, and loveless god of the Hebrew Scriptures, and to focus all attention on the God of pure, unsullied, unstained, perfect Love and forgiveness. That will keep you on track, especially in dealing with confused and confusing Christians.

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The "bread of life"

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The bios of Jesus, given in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, are accounts that might be partly symbolic and partly literal. If the spiritual psychologist Dr. Carl Jung was right, they are written as allegories or symbolic statements. For example, the famous "Christmas story " has Jesus born among the animals in a manger. This could be interpreted as meaning that the Spirit of Love (Christ) must be "born in the heartmind" among the "animals" of the lower nature.

In the Temptation story, during his forty days fasting in the wilderness, "Satan" approached Jesus. This means that he was, as we all are, "assaulted" and challenged by the lower nature (fear, Love's opposite).

"Satan" then challenged him: "If you are the Son of God, turn these stones into bread."

The "stones" can be seen as earthly (lower) thoughts, for stones come from the earth. These thoughts or ideas are not flexible, but rigid; and they are often quite heavy, as well. Bread can signify life, especially life in Christ. (He said elsewhere, "I am the bread that came down from heaven.") So, the lower nature ("Satan") tries to convince us that, by our own self- (ego-) generated thoughts, thoughts of the lower nature, we can become enlightened and enjoy a truly spiritual life. Of course, this is a lie, and we never can. Jesus' repudiation of this premise shows that it is wrong, and that only by yielding to thoughts of the higher nature (God, Love) can we become alive spiritually.

This, btw, is the meaning of partaking of the bread of Communion (Eucharist). Only by letting the Christ into our heartminds, and never by simply filling the mind with ego-thoughts, can we find the wisdom of Love.

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The Unconscious and pictorial language

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As dreams demonstrate, the unconscious Mind is far more likely to use pictorial images than mere words. The creation of words, and word-formulas, is largely the intellectual creation of the conscious mind. The conscious mind (that of which we are aware) is only a small part of Mind, most of which is unconscious. One goal of enlightenment is to make the mind a crystal-clear mind through which the higher Mind (soul) or highest Mind (Spirit) can shine as Love (goodness, kindness, compassion, etc.) This is the purpose of meditation.

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Lies about Democracy

Thanks to Mick Gallagher.

Lies about Democracy

From: m.coyn*****

There is nothing in the US Constitution about the "separation of church and state." That is a fallacy.

*****

Mick wrote:

Democracy relies on the separation of powers and secular education.

Posted by: thoughtcriminal on Jan 4, 2007 8:27 AM

The original framers of the US Constitution included the separation of Church and State for a number of reasons. The primary one was European history, which had been dominated by religious wars for centuries. There was a long record of individuals using religion as a route to political power and wealth, and they wanted to put an end to that.

They also believed in a separation of powers, which is why we have the legislative, judicial and executive branches of government. They clearly recognized that religious institutions already had more then enough power, and they were opposed to the notion of empires and dictatorships (having just won independence from the dictatorial and imperial British Empire [under a king named "george"].

Clearly, what Bush&Co. have been attempting to do for quite some time is to take over all three branches of government in their quest for a totalitarian state.

These people hate democracy. As part of this strategy, they are also trying to break down the barriers between religion and the state.

I imagine what Bush would like to see is something like what his Saudi Royal friends have-- a dictatorship backed by a fundamentalist religious authority, with all wealth and power in the hands of a small elite who also exert absolute control over the press and the educational system.

The educational system is pretty critical, since it can either brainwash young minds into rigid conformity with authority, or teach them to think critically and independently. A healthy democracy requires the latter.

This is all pretty obvious, but our corporate press still trots out rubbish like, "Bush's plan to spread democracy in the Middle East" - when that's the absolute last thing that these elitist international thugs (Baker and Cheney, for example) would ever want to see.

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Human Teachers

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It is traditional in most schools of true mysticism not to recommend any particular human teacher. As stated in the article, "The True Buddha," last week, true mystic masters tell us to "kill" the idea of an "external" Buddha or Christ.

Of course, as mystics, we do well to study the lives and teachings of people in history who have proved to be real mystics. We often quote from Jesus Christ, Siddhartha Gautama (the "Buddha"), Lao Tzu, Al Hallaj, Solomon, Patanjali, and others whose lives have demonstrated Love, joy, peace, and wisdom.

But the genuine mystic learns most by living, and by consulting with the great Spirit that lives within her heart. Mystics do not point to ego-personalities. They do not elevate personalities or egos. For to do so would betray the core of their mysticism. To point to human teachers, to elevate and glorify them as egos, is to miss the whole point that each mind contains the entire great Mind (God, Buddha, Christ, Krishna, etc.) We must always look beyond mere personality, ego-selves (identified by individual names) to the Spirit; and we must never forget that the Spirit of Love dwells not in others-- gurus, priests, pastors, and ministers-- but She/He lives in your own heart. It is with the heart that the mystic confers, and it is to the Instructor or Teacher in the heart that she turns when she needs advice, knowledge, or wisdom.

But, if this is so, why are some mystics "called" to teaching? The teacher-mystic-- and these are real-- serves only as a "crutch," or "band-aid," while the person is doing her own interior growing/developing. A teacher-mystic is like a doctor: Doctors never cure anything; they simply set up a body-environment that makes it more likely that the body will heal itself.

The teacher-mystic never causes anyone to grow. She simply sets up the situations/events/environments/questions/challenges that make interior growth more likely, or more rapid. All growing is done from within the person.

Student and teacher are reversible and interchangeable. Every true teacher recognizes, in humility, that she is also a student, and that all students are also teachers. There is no permanent "clergy class" in the "body" of God. A finger is not "better" than an ear. So, each is simply a different "part of the body of God." But, in this case, fingers can become ears!

We are all equal, intrinsically. None is better than another. But, just as a fool can be taught, in time, to become a doctor or lawyer, so an ordinary person can be taught, in time, to become a "teacher," if her interest is great enough.

But if you find yourself speaking about a human teacher instead of a fine teaching, CAUTION: You are already on the dangerous, slippery path of destructive cult-psychology.

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Translations of the Scriptures

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It is fascinating to follow the histories of versions (translations, renditions) of the Bible. It is probably true that there was a great deal of good scholarly research that went into the King James Version of 1611. Its scholarly and academic heritage is impressive.

Nevertheless, later scholars were to find the King James Version to contain numerous errors of translation and rendition, despite all its care and scholarly cautions. Some have estimated the number of errors at about twenty thousand.

Thus, the need for later translations of the Scriptures.

A single example among many is Genesis 1:1, at the very start. KJ says, "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." But all scholars of Hebrew know with certainty that this is a mistranslation, although very universal. For the noun used in Hebrew was elohim. This word does not mean "God." Instead, it is plural, and is correctly translated as "gods." So, the text should read: "In the beginning, the gods created the heavens and the earth."

Due to these and comparable errors, the modern spiritual student is open to using many versions of the Scriptures. The Jerusalem Bible and The New International Version spring readily to mind as tools for understanding. Only fundamentalists, who are not known for scholarly accuracy, insist on the "absolute fidelity" or "correctness" of the KJV. More progressive Christians and Jews are open to many other translations, some of which are demonstrably clearer, or better, than the KJV.

Hort and Wescott produced, in 1881, an excellent and reliable text of the ancient Greek manuscript of the Christian Scriptures ("New Testament").

The translation of J.B. Phillips, and those of Rotherham and Moffat, depend upon these texts. So does the New American Bible, and the Revised Standard, and the New American Standard. (The latter is corrupted by the error of mistaking the "Jehovah" of the ancient Hebrews for God, and has thus inappropriately and incorrectly inserted this name, illegitimately, into the texts of the Christian Bible.)

Perhaps The New American Bible or Today's English Version, or The Way go much too far in looseness and playing with the language. They veer far from the original, and contain much illicit paraphrase. But there are many others that cling much more closely to the ancient Greek, and hence, many of the modern Bibles are more accurate than the KJV.

Only extremist fundies cling to the idea that the KJV is "divinely inspired," or "the Word of God." [In the Scriptures ("New Testament") themselves, the "word" (Greek, logos) never refers to a book of any kind, but to the living Spirit that is God. (John 1:1, Heb. 4:12, etc.)]

Language itself is incapable of describing the core-realities, so there might never be a "perfect, flawless" translation of the spiritual texts. Still, a balanced, cautious, and wise study of the text implies that many versions can be used, without being dogmatically stiff and unbending about any particular one. Openminded flexibility is a mark of a true scholar, as well as of the balanced, growing spiritual person.
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Jesus and Christ

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Jesus, as a true human being, like you and me, was the "son of man." But his soul/spiritual nature was produced by the Holy Spirit of God. So he was, again like you and me, the "son of God."

The later Church formula stated that Jesus was "true God and true man." He did share in our human nature. He was "born of a woman," like all of us, and did share in genetic or biological heritage, again, as we all do.

But, in what must have been a fantastic mystical experience, he realized, with the power of a lightning-bolt, that he shared in the mental divine nature. Like all of us, his mind grew from, and was a part of, an infinite and limitless Mind-- the Mind of God.

Although Jesus never said, in the formal Scriptures, "I am the son of God, I am the son of man," this statement does clearly reflect the teachings of the Holy Scriptures-- for he was both.

This is probably the central teaching of Christianity. But it does not present Jesus as a "freak," or one-of-a-kind. Instead, it portrays him as a model. Jesus, says the text, was "a model, for you to follow his footsteps closely." (1 Pet. 2:21)

"Jesus Christ" was not his name. He was born with the Hebrew name Immanuel, which he later changed to "Jesus." (It is not uncommon for people to change their names after spiritual rebirth.) But the name "Jesus" referred to his human side, and the word "Christ" described his spiritual side, his enlightened Self.

If we are truly to "follow" him as a "model," he must partake of our human nature. That is, he must not be a totally supernatural being, far above our nature and capacity. He must, in short, be a "son of man." And we, in turn, must be, or become, "sons of God."

This is the spiritual interface between Jesus Christ and you and me. Of course, his spiritual growth is far in excess of our own; but we must nevertheless reach for his perfection of Love. We must fill ourselves with God-- or, more correctly, allow God to fill us. For this, like all spiritual mysteries, is all about Love.

In his person (human self), Jesus set forth the greatest teaching of all truth: That human nature is, very deeply in the Unconscious, also love-nature, or divine nature. As he expressed Love, and became an incarnation of Love, through the abandonment of his "human self" (ego), so we must work to allow this grace to be implanted and cultivated within our personal hearts. This is the very meaning of the word "Christian" (which means "like Christ.")
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Egoless Teaching

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Truly spiritual people-- those partaking of Love-enlightenment-- strive not to draw attention to themselves as egos. So, the claim to be anything "special" or "chosen" does not mark them. You can recognize a truly spiritual person by humility. You can usually spot the phonies, or those who are "off-course," by their claim to be some kind of "special prophet," or some kind of "anointed" by God.
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Dialogue Between Mick G and Friends

Mick G wrote:
When you can..give me your opinion on this, I didn't know how to respond to my sister...or if I should at all? I was thinkin' starting with the native American Indians, the Euro white male was one of the most barbaric conquers, in history--much like the Crusades.....and Inquisition,etc. The anti-semitism back then wasn't from the Moors/Muslims, so much as from the "Good Christians." I'm not totally sure of that--but that's what I've read, from a Jewish author, no less. Lou, Louise, I know you know your world history much more than I, I would appreciate any input on this. I know--it's immature to answer--tit 4 tat, but....I dunno, my sister is a conservative Catholic, Bush-Cheney supporter, and feels like it's all 'Black & White' that we have to kill evil, and were ALL so good, and their bad, and it's Like Jesus steppin' on the head of the serpent, blah, blah..we've had heated exchanges many times, but not lately though---we gave up on each other--God Bless—Happy New Year!!

*****

From: Louise R
To: Mick G
Subject: Jesus test

As my Catholic relatives and Catholic friends have always said "If the priest holds something that is definitely white and says it is black – WE know that it is DEFINITELY BLACK.

Good luck if you can convince your sister in [changing] anything that she believes-- but keep trying anyway! [Keep resisting] bush, cheney, etc. you have your work cut out

I believe that all people should start understanding other religions, respecting everyone's right, not trying to convert, but to teach peace-- not killing! I feel like a hypocrite whenever I go into churches of any religion as I [no] longer believe in everything they
teach us to believe.

Too many wars were done as religious missions. Centuries ago, soldiers from Ireland, Scotland, Wales, [and] England fought their way to Jerusalem for[centuries] to "rescue the Holy Grail." Missionaries in Vietnam were responsible for convincing us to send [more] troops to prevent Communism spreading. France left Vietnam. I watched TV as they were talking, sending pictures.

We should support the Dayton Peace Museum, support the Peace Movements. I read Hitler's Mein Kampf. My father told me to "get that book out-of-[the-] house," burn it. But he [Hitler] did have some points-- Jewish Attorneys & Bankers favor[ed] Jewish people, but other religions also favor their own people. We need to get people focused on the individual - not their group. In the Depression, the Jewish family next door gave my father work, gave my brother a job. [But they also] told my family (and we knew it was true), that their family was unhappy that my neighbor helped us instead of helping another Jew.

At least, I, and most of my relatives and friends, (Catholic and Protestant) have left the Republican ranks and opened eyes and ears to what is going on. Fortunately I listened to my father and in the 1930s, Father Couglin on the radio from the "Little Church of" I forgotten what the name of his church was in Detroit, Michigan. He tried to tell fellow Americans of the abusers of truth in politics and religion, Capital vs Labor. I'm surprised that the Catholic Church did not shut him down, maybe they finally did.

My Mother baked every week, made soup, etc. and my father would take it over to what is now John Carroll University in University Heights, Ohio (suburb of Cleveland) to two elderly Jesuit Priests who were living in the first building under construction. The priests had little money and no central heat. One Saturday morning, my father found them dead, their bodies frozen as they tried to keep the seismograph [?] warm from their bodies. My parents were so angry, as they notified the police and Catholic authorities, and there was no reaction. [The response was] only like a "So what?" The Diocese in Cleveland, Ohio has always had plenty of money. Two sisters in our neighborhood worked in the Diocese, one as head of Catholic Welfare and my father prepared her federal/state income tax. The Church also owned the National Broadcasting Station. Why could the Church and my Catholic relatives not see that it was wrong to not provide the Jesuit Priests with food and shelter.

On the other hand, my Protestant grandmother saw no wrong in ministers, they were above reproach, always right, to be respected, listened to, followed, even when a woman reported she was raped.

"Ministers could do no wrong" Ha, Ha - they are still human beings, can be good, can be bad. Look at the recent Cincinnati area news, regarding ministers, the religious organization involved in placing children in questionable foster homes.
GET RELIGION OUT OF POLITICS
Currently I think we should believe in ourselves, (think about what we are, character, read, listen, question

When I was in grade school on Armistice Day (11th hour, 11th day, 11th month) day to remember World War I as the war to end all wars, I came home from school and asked my mother "why were the Germans and Americans fighting?" They believed in God, we believed in God. I think that is the time that I started questioning everything, especially religion and politics. At the church where we attended, my father opened a telegram from Washington DC, telling the church what to preach on Sunday. I recall Newton D. Baker was the name, believe he was the Secretary of Warr (later changed by politicians to "Defense".

My parents were the product of family arguments on religion, history of abuses, believers that 'instances did happen in the family", and non-believers, 'just a story". Therefore they made it a point to be friends with everyone, talk about beliefs, customs. My father started the Cleveland Conference of Christians and Jews. Every month, a Priest, Minister, or Rabbi from each church and temple would meet for lunch and discuss community issues. We also would have in each community, a community Thanksgiving Service to be held each year in a different religious church/synagogue. That continued until a new Pope in Rome ordered that Catholic Priests could no longer attend or join a community organization. There would now be catholics and non-catholics.

After I told someone about my maternal grandmother's having gone into the Chicago saloons and being a charter member of the Women's Christian Temperance Union, that passed the Prohibition Amendment, he said no wonder you are the way you are. My Dad, descending from a[n] Austrian-Holland generation who made their own wine/beer, refused to go into a speakeasy during Prohibition. We made homemade root beer. When [Prohibition was] repealed, the first day was the date of my brother's Senior Prom. My Dad warned him not to drink, as it would still be "bootleg", and not inspected. My brother did, and almost died. My paternal grandmother marched in Evanston Wyoming to get [the] Suffrage Amendment passed; and Wyoming was the first state to give women
the right to vote. So, I really should (and have not) get more active in politics.
BUT if I ever, ever get my house organized-- still have boxes to unpack, go thru, throw out, file, [and] shred-- will get active in the World Peach [Peace] Movement. Oh well, when younger, i noticed that old people talk too much, too long - and I am now doing the same; [I] admit that I am indeed 'old.

It was wonderful growing up in our home. At sometime or [other], every priest, rabbi, and minister had come many times to talk with my father. They talked freely, as they knew my father respected their confidence. (But as a child, I listened, remembered, and never told until now.) I knew almost every priest, minister, and rabbi in Cleveland. Later when I played the harp for a wedding or other occasion, they remembered me, to my surprise.

When my father was in the hospital before he died, radio advertised that the blood bank was low, and my father's name was mentioned. The hospital was surprised at how many ]responded,] and the identity of the donors. As I told my father, you have to get well, you have Catholic, Protestant, and Jewish blood all fighting for you.

At his funeral, the funeral director asked me "who was your father". I questioned "Why do you ask?" Because they were both in the Rotary Club. My father had sold him advertising and funeral paper supplies for years. Funeral homes had had funerals for 3 Cleveland Mayors, and not one of them had had as many flowers, wreaths, cards as my father's funerals. Flowers were in every room (floor to ceiling), [and] on [the] porch that encircled the funeral home (from floor to ceiling). My father stressed "logic", think "logic".

Before I left California, there was a documentary: [In it,] the "good Christians" took Indian children from their villages into San Bernadino, California from as young as 2-3 years old. [They] made them wear our clothing styles, cut their hair, eat our type of food, talk only English, go to our churches, [and] learn our religion. Those poor children and parents! Only in the past few years has this knowledge been published. Only recently have the American Indians been allowed to govern themselves and have their own schools and native teachers, etc.

On TV last year I saw a documentary. A man in Australia decided to go to England and look up his family. He could not get a passport because of not having a birth certificate. In investigating, [it was] found that the Queen of England, Prime Minister, Church of England (Episcopal) and the Catholic Church in England were equally guilty. [They were] knowledgeable [and] responsible for taking all children in the orphanages during World War II, put[ting] them on ships, [taking] them to Australia. [This was] to build up English blood among the Aborigines. As small children, they were used as laborers to build schools and dormitories. The children were divided up between the Episcopal and Catholic dormitories and schools. I talked with people at work the next day. They told me the TV story was untrue, England could not have done anything like that. There were even pictures of the men and women now finding their identit[ies] and families. One mother said that when her husband was killed, she put her children in the orphanage until she found a job. When she went to get her children, [she] was told that they had been adopted by a "wonderful family" and were "better off." [She was told that] she should never try to find them.

Again, how we are manipulated by politics and religion I should write a book-- save some of [these] ramblings to be published after my death; or, I could be sued [over] some things I could write about.

*****

From: Mick G
To: David L
Subject: Jesus test

-----Forwarded Message-----
From: n b
To: Mick G
Subject: Jesus test

I am highly offended that you misinterpreted the forward (Jesus? So, you believe in whom?) I thought this was one message with which most Christians would agree, that Jesus is the answer. No, you take it personally, like a real a$$h@le, and embarrass me with your misrepresentation of this and of me. You who espouse tolerance for all thoughts, beliefs and faiths except, of course, MINE, are really hopeless, that's what I think. YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME, SERIOUSLY!

*****
From: David L
To: Mick G
Subject: Jesus test

We, as a country, have no right calling ourselves "Christians," when our government has gone out and slaughtered innocent civilians in a foreign country. Having prayer in school or posting the Ten Commandments in a courthouse is just as hypocritical as saying [that[ we trust in god. The Republican party has used these tactics to get elected, and only the stupid fell for it. That's why they are not in power now. The people have spoken. There are only two types of Republicans: The very wealthy and the stupid.

*****

From: Louise R
To: Mick G
Subject: Re Jesus test

We are the ones who are stupid. We talk among ourselves, do not get involved.

WE DO NOT write, or call the politicians.

Congress needs to change immediately--separate Church and state, and tax all religions. Religion has become a business. Anyone can get a diploma, have a friend or 2 over, [and declare it a "church"]. [Forever after, she] can deduct [her] home, car, etc. With all the property that religious institutions have, tax revenue from those would fund the schools, [and] fund welfare agencies

Need to change immediately that "babies born are not immediately American Citizens, only if BOTH PARENTS ARE LEGAL CITIZENS.

The 'minister' in Indianapolis started out helping people. Then, [he was] a good man. Then, [because] power corrupts, ]things changed]. He moved his congregation to San Francisco, then to South America. And we should remember how all those people "committed suicide"! Their relatives could not convince family members to leave that church [more exactly, cult].

Look at the corruption in all religions. But religion appears to hypnotize people, cloud their thinking. (Or [they are] told) , not to think, but to accept.

*****

The "Jesus Test"

*******

The "Jesus test," an email that was to be forwarded, is completely meaningless. For any fool, or hypocrite, could easily forward this message-- anyone, without the Love of the Father in their hearts. The real "Jesus test" is how you treated yourself, your family, and your friends today, and yesterday, and tomorrow.

Sending along silly messages over email is simply too "easy" to prove, or even to indicate, anything at all. A person filled with ignorance and hatred could send this message to a hundred people. It would be hollow, meaningless, and empty, signifying nothing. In a very few minutes, you will be taking the real and genuine "Jesus test." A friend, or relative, or yourself, will put your patience and Love to the test. Now, that will mean something. That will matter. That will count.
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This World and the Real World of Mind

*******

Crying, in moderation, can be good and healing. But we must work not to allow negative emotions to dominate us. Thinking about our spiritual origins and nature can be very healing: When we, as nonphysical and invincible souls, agree to come to earth, and live within "physical" or "material" bodies, in a dream, we subject ourselves to experiences which are more than challenging. Earth can be an amusement park in the cosmos, but for most, it is more like an unsettling movie. The lower nature wants us to believe that we are bodies, rather than invulnerable minds using bodies as their instruments.

No soul ever loses anything-- any good event, any memory-- from the deeper Mind (soul) or deepest Mind (Spirit). For the world cannot affect, or change, deeper levels of Mind.

When we grow into this realization about ourselves and others, it does not immediately remove all pain, but it certainly does help greatly. The Core or Essence of any soul has never changed, and will never change, even though some items are inaccessible to the conscious mind at present. Everyone is, deep within, an infinite Lover with an infinite abundance of Love. And the world, the body, or other factors can never change that eternal Love. For It is God within.

Love, in time, does indeed heal all conditions, and nothing can ever stand against It. You have seen, in your own case, how much time can alter things and bring interior healing.

Also, spirituality is totally transformative in our views of "death." The great spiritual classic the Bhagavad-Gita likens death to taking off an old shirt and putting on a new one. To the conscious mind, death is a tragedy and disaster; and we do indeed seem to lose much. But from the view of the deepest Mind (Spirit), death can take away nothing, for it does not alter the basic structure or contents of the heartmind. From the view of eternity, death is a liberation. It is really as if our dead friends travel to another country, fairly far away; but we shall all go there. It is just a matter of time until we are fully and completely re-united with them, in the majestic bonds of undying Love. So, the same Spirit of Love that sustains you through this often-troubling world will also sustain you no matter what occurs in the future. And it is all-powerful and all-knowing.

"Never is such a mind-boggling long time. That is why they commonly say, "Never say never." For, in time, you will become such an immense, wise, and profound being that you will make ordinary human consciousness look like the activities of an ant-colony. Nature, life, and experience will use Love to reform you into this massively powerful and spiritual being. They are working their "magic" upon you at this very moment.

It is great to see how your mother is, at least in part, "reincarnated" in your offspring, and this beauty is part of her continuing gift to you. What could ever be a more beautiful manifestation of the Goddess than your dear and sensitive daughter?

Wherever there is beauty, there is Goddess, and beauty in all its forms is a true form of sacred worship.

Sweet, tender Love is an "oasis of Goddess" in the middle of the "desert" of this world. We are so glad that you have this "harbor" or "haven" during the storm, for this, too, is God in action. Love reminds us that there is nothing sweeter in any universe than pure and simple Love.

And our Love bounces back multiplied by the Light and laughter of the care-free parts of our shared natures; they alone can rise, and lift us, above the conflicts of this world, purifying and cleansing us with joy and faith. For our only Reality is the world of Mind, so much more harmonious, beautiful, and fulfilling than the illusions and passing dreamscapes of this world.
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The True Buddha

*******

Several people, obsessed with ego, have claimed, in various cults, to be the "Buddha reincarnated." Spiritual people depend upon the inner Spirit of Love (Christ or Buddha) to guide them. They-- we-- do not seek gurus on the outside. This helps us to avoid phonies, frauds, fools, and cultists. The masters said, "If you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him." That means that the true Buddha can never be "on the road," outside of yourself; the true Buddha is the spiritual nature deep within your mind.
*******

Reincarnation

*******
"Reincarnation," or multiple lives, is a teaching that is universal. Most of the population of our planet, for most of its history, has believed in "polybiography," or multiple lives for the same soul.

If the soul is immortal-- and all faiths agree that it is-- it must be doing something. Since it is God's will that all souls discover Christ-- and the Scriptures teach that it is-- this does not mean that all souls will know Christ at the same time. Indeed, we can see easily that they do not. Different souls obviously grow at different rates, and some souls are in "pre-school," while others have graduated at the university-level. But, with the passage of time, all souls can move into enlightenment.

Early Christians almost universally taught the idea, and many ancient references ascribe this teaching to Jesus. Indeed, the current "official New Testament" teaches that "John the Baptizer was Elijah." Also,in John chapter 10, the disciples asked Jesus, about the blind man, "Who sinned, this man or his parents, so that he was born blind?" This indicated that they must have believed in karma, for the man was recognized as possibly sinning before he was born.

And when Jesus asked his disciples who they thought he was, they answered that he might have been "Isaiah... or one of the prophets." So, they must have believed it possible that the "prophets" could return. This is the teaching of reincarnation. Paul wrote, "Whatever a man soweth, that he must also reap." But in our visible world, this does not occur. Many mean, evil, dishonest people prosper, and seem "successful," even though they clearly do not deserve the "reward" of success. The implication is that this "sowing and reaping" must occur in the afterlife.

As far as the Scriptures of the Jews ("Old Testament") are concerned, it is well-known that polybiography was a very common teaching among the Jews. As one example, Job said, "Naked came I from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return there." Polybiography is the only system that makes pure justice possible. If we come from "nowhere" at birth, and return to "nowhere" at death, there can be no justice. But God is just in all His ways, and so, the overall picture of the cosmos must be larger than just the events of this one microscopic planet.

Entire books have been written on the fascinating subject of Christianity and reincarnation, so I will not be able to address the whole question exhaustively in a single article. But I have carefully examined every philosophy from every variety of Christianity (having attended over fifty churches), and I have spoken for hours with ministers from many Christian denominations. No one has been ever able to make sense of the cosmos, without including some form of reincarnation. It is the only view that truly makes sense of all the "evil" in the world.

As for Jesus, reincarnationists believe that his soul's reincarnation as Jesus was the end of a long line of incarnations. (This word comes from Latin, and means simply "in flesh.")

It does not change the idea of reincarnation, no matter what the origin of his physical body. When the egg meets the sperm, in the womb, and forms a "zygote," it grows biologically in that environment and becomes a separate and true "individual" upon taking its first independent breath.

After that point, the soul is irreversibly, irrevocably locked into the body, and can never leave it except for short periods.

I'll check around and see whether I can find a good book on this subject, as your question is very deep and important, and it deserves a thorough answer.

*******

Articles of Impeachment Filed

Congresswoman McKinney Files Articles of Impeachment

By Matt Pascarella (December 8, 2006)

On Monday, gathering in a conference room in Washington D.C., Georgia Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney and her advisors worked on a draft copy of the articles of impeachment against President Bush.

At the heart of the charges contained in McKinney’s articles of impeachment, is the allegation that President Bush has not upheld the oath of presidential office and is guilty of high crimes and misdemeanors.

Article I states that President Bush has failed to preserve, protect and defend the constitution. Specifically cited in this article is the charge that Bush has manipulated intelligence and lied to justify war: “George Walker Bush … in preparing the invasion of Iraq, did withhold intelligence from the Congress, by refusing to provide Congress with the full intelligence picture that he was being given, by redacting information … and actively manipulating the intelligence on Iraq’s alleged weapons programs by pressuring the Central Intelligence Agency and other intelligence agencies.”

This manipulation of intelligence was done, the charge continues, “with the intent to misinform the people and their representatives in Congress in order to gain their support for invading Iraq, denying both the people and their representatives in Congress the right to make an informed choice.”

Article II, “Abuse of office and of executive privilege,” states that President Bush has disregarded his oath of office by “obstructing and hindering the work of Congressional investigative bodies and by seeking to expand the scope of the powers of his office.” The President has “failed to take responsibility for, investigate or discipline those responsible for an ongoing pattern of negligence, incompetence and malfeasance to the detriment of the American people.”

This article continues by indicting Vice President Dick Cheney and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, in their actions to manipulate or “fix” intelligence and mislead the public about Iraq’s weapons programs. Ultimately, this article calls not only for Bush’s impeachment and removal from office but also asks the same actions to be taken against Cheney and Rice.

Article III states that President Bush has failed to “ensure the laws are faithfully executed” and that he has “violated the letter and spirit of laws and rules of criminal procedure used by civilian and military courts, and has violated or ignored regulatory codes and practices that carry out the law.”

Specifically, McKinney cites illegal domestic spying as a result of failing to obtain warrants thereby subverting congress and the judiciary in the process: “… by circumventing the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act courts established by Congress, whose express purpose is to check such abuses of executive power, provoking the presiding judge of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to file a complaint and another judge to resign in protest, the said program having been subsequently ruled illegal; he has also concealed the existence of this unlawful program of spying on American citizens from the people and all but a few of their representatives in Congress, even resorting to outright public deceit.”

The article continues by citing public statements Bush has made that were blatantly contradictory to his policy and actions regarding domestic spying.

While the staff was editing the document, one advisor told me, “As we sat down and worked on this, a pattern became very clear … a pattern to specifically undermine the constitution and establish a unitary presidency.”

The charges addressed in McKinney’s resolution are nothing revelatory or new. Rather, they are issues which have been in the public eye for quite some time and have increasingly been covered in the media over the last year.

Despite winning the congressional majority, the Democrats have yet to put forth a plan to investigate what have become somewhat ubiquitous allegations.

Speaker-elect, Representative Pelosi, dismissed any possibility of impeachment, saying it is “off the table” and that it is “a waste of time … making them lameducks is good enough for me.” Although, in the November election, 60% of the voters in her own district cast ballots in favor of Proposition J, a measure calling for the impeachment of President Bush.

In 2005 Representative John Conyers sponsored a resolution, HR 365, to create a special committee to investigate allegations against the Bush Administration – a move that would likely lead to the discovery of impeachable offenses. This resolution was passed to the House Committee on Rules and was never brought up for a vote.

At that time it was widely believed that if the Democrats took control of congress, Conyers would reintroduce the resolution as would have subpoena power if selected as leader of the House Judiciary Committee.

A few days after the Democrats won control Conyers echoed Pelosi’s statement saying, “I am in total agreement with her on this issue … impeachment is off the table.” Last week a spokesperson from Conyers office said that the resolution would not be reintroduced and that the Representative had no intention to pursue the matter.

Will other members of congress support the action Congresswoman McKinney has brought forth?

At the table in what could be considered her impeachment “war room” the question is brought up a number of times.

Mike, an advisor to McKinney, mentions, “Conyers was supposed to have investigations. They were chomping at the bit 6 months ago to do subpoenas.”

McKinney quietly replies, “Now they say they aren’t even going to issue subpoenas.”

Looking up from her papers she takes a deep breath, “I’m going in alone on this one because now it is all about them playing majority politics.”

This is McKinney’s last week as a member of congress and this act, to impeach the president, is the final resolution she will enter into the Congressional record.

For those who know anything about Cynthia McKinney it may come as no surprise that she would file this resolution as her parting gift to Congress.

McKinney is no stranger to being attacked by the media and has been isolated from her own party.

From her inquiries into election fraud in 2000 to her calls for a transparent and thorough investigation into 9-11, not to mention the widely covered run-in she had with the Capitol Hill Police, the congresswoman is aware that this resolution will likely be ignored and that she will be ruthlessly attacked upon its filing.

“What do you think they are going to do to me this time?” she asks her staff. Everyone uncomfortably shifts in their seats and after no answer comes McKinney explains, “We have to do this because this is simply the right thing to do. The American people do want to hold this man and his office accountable for the crimes they have committed and if no member of congress is willing to do it, than I will.”

It is questionable as to how effective this move could be in gaining support because of her reputation as a firebrand congresswoman and because, ultimately, she is on her way out of office.

The Congresswoman and her staff realize this but hope that by filing the articles of impeachment it will, at the very least, open up a discussion on whether or not President Bush and key members of his administration have committed impeachable offenses and whether our officials should be held to account.

“My duty as a member of Congress is merely to uphold and preserve the constitution and to represent the will of my constituency. Ultimately, it isn’t up to me or any other member of congress – it is up to the American people to decide.”
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Matt Pascarella is a freelance journalist & producer who was present during the drafting of the Articles of Impeachment that Congresswoman McKinney filed today.

See also Cynthia McKinney's blog entry.

(thanks to Mick Gallagher)