"A Course in Miracles" and the Dreamworld

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I like some of the content of the book A Course in Miracles, but the book is seriously over-named. It is clearly not a "course in miracles," for it does not tell how to do miracles, in the accepted definition of that word. So, the title is actually a bit absurd. Despite the "grabber" of a name, no doubt to sell more copies, it does contain some good and useful material. It is largely an adaptation or modification of much of the Twelve-Step program material.

Sadly, a cult is forming around the book. It is seen as the "new Bible." Believers are gathering, and dividing themselves spiritually and socially from "inferior" non-believers. I do not accept the dogma that the book was "written by Jesus Christ," as believers insist.

Nor do I see the book as infallible, as many believers are starting to claim. The book was written by a psychologist, not by Jesus. A realistic, practical assessment tells us that we can include this book in our libraries and sources, but we cannot reasonably join the cult that is forming around the book, without sacrificing our independence and other freedoms.

There is nothing particularly original, and certainly nothing "spectacular," about the book. The writing is clear but ordinary. It contains a few good ideas, but, again, has nothing to do with miracles in the usual definition of that word.

Re your inquiry about the "reality" of the everyday world. It is true that the great saintmystics, particularly of Indian tradition, point out that our world is a "virtual" one, or, a dream. No material object is real. They are all products of Mind. They are dreamimages, or "virtual" reality.

But Mind is real. Since this Mind indwells you, this means that you-- and all other thinking beings-- are real. That is why human and other sentient (self-aware) life is so sacred. All thinking and aware beings are real,and holy.

Life on earth is a great school. We do things, and accomplish tasks, not so that they will last forever (they do not), but so that we can learn from them. Every minute is valuable because we can learn from that moment, and enrich our minds and hearts.

The whole "show" is about Love. Earth is a Love-school. So, every event and situation is designed to help us learn to love ourselves and other creatures. Just as a little child can learn about real estate and real money by playing Monopoly, although it is "just a game," we can learn very much about ourselves, and about compassion, goodness, and kindness from the various environments to which earthly life exposes us.

Every person is of inestimable value. So, we are here to learn to "invest in people," not just bucks and unreal material things. (The reason that they can never satisfy is that, deep down, we know that money and "stuff" are unreal.)

Your friend has gone way too far, and has misunderstood everything important, if he says that human beings are illusions. Instead, they are a part or expression of Mind, or Reality. In an unreal world, human beings are certainly, and very, real indeed.

In spirituality, we are always talking about "sentient" beings. These are self-aware beings. This category includes most of the higher mammals, and certainly, includes all human beings. Any creature who can say, "I am," with meaning, distinguishing herself from other creatures, is a "sentient" being. (This category includes all developed brains of mammals, but does not include reptiles, amphibians, fishes, insects, microrganisms, etc.)

Deliberately harming any of these sentient beings can create terrifying and disastrous karma. This is where the principle called ahimsa enters the life of the wise. For this principle is taking a vow never deliberately to harm any sentient being.

So, your grand-daughter, like yourself, is both real and sacred. She is to be treated with kindness that, in its fullness, blossoms as Love. Love is the most important principle in the enlightened life.
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Thoughts about Gurus

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The ego of others is not a problem. Discerning whether or not a person is still locked in ego is not our problem.

Never has it ever been denied by Love Ministries that there have been several enlightened people from the East. In fact, the Way of Buddhism, Taoism and Hinduism have always been recognized and publicly acknowledged as Ways of truth and wisdom.

It is not necessary for us to declare that any particular individual is either "enlightened" or otherwise. You seem to have several "gurus" whom you feel need "defending" from me, but the honest truth is that I have never "attacked" any that you have mentioned, and have zero plans to do so in the future.

It is good that you have found security in the acceptance and following of these teachers. I would simply ask you for the toleration and understanding of a man who has followed no particular guru, and, again, has no plans to do so. For Light is Light, whatever the source. As Jesus implied, if there were no teaching mystics, God would cry out from the stones! (Much about the Way can be learned, in fact, from crystals!:)

Thanks for your concerns.
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"Masters" and Spiritual Development 2

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In recent years, many have claimed to be "masters" of one spiritual or metaphysical path or another. But a true master will never egoistically call herself a "master," under any conditions. For a master is one who has disclaimed, overcome, and risen above ego. And any claim to be a master only supports and reinforces ego.

It follows logically, even inevitably, that anyone who dares claim to be a "master" is a phony, fraud, or fake.

Jesus said, for example, in the famous "Gospel of Thomas," "I am not your master." For the true master is master of the self only, with its plethora of weaknesses and ignorance, drives and urges.

You can, then, safely ignore anyone who has the audacity to call herself a "master."

But the largest gaffs have been committed by self-proclaimed "gurus." There are true gurus, for the word guru is, in Sanscrit, only a "teacher."

Again, anyone who presents himself (almost all have been male) as a special or superior avatar (incarnation of God) is also a phony. For we are all avatars. What else could a sentient (self-aware) being be? That is why it is so important to treat all sentient beings with Love.

But, although loving them, we do obeisance, offer worship, to none. For to worship any being means that the being is superior to us, and we are all God (Love) in flesh (incarnation).

A "guru" named Sai Baba claimed to be very, very special, and an enlightened master and special avatar. But several of his former followers defected from his cult, and unmasked him as a pedophile. Regularly, he raped many little boys.

The fake Rajneesh was betrayed not only by kinky sex, but by materialism and greed. No true master will, or can, ever exhibit greed, for it is a vast weakness of the lower nature. Rajneesh wanted a Rolls-Royce for every day of the year, a different car for every day.

Then, there is Mahesh Yogi. His system, tm, is an ancient one, and has helped many. But he insisted that the tm people have their own schools, and that a picture of his ego-face be placed in the schools. He, like Rajneesh, also gave into greed: He offered his "meditation services" to municipalities; he would charge each city millions of dollars for this "service."

The list of phony gurus is as long as that of fake ministers, and it is boring. So, we can logically present this principle: Human gurus are unreliable. You are standing on very shaky grounds if you worship, adore, or follow any human guru, minister, elder, or priest.

What was said earlier about your "interior child" applies here: As we become adults, in a spiritual sense, we are supposed to leave behind external "mommies" and "daddies." We are supposed, instead, to cultivate interior personal wisdom and Love. For this is the "interior Buddha or Christ."

We are not supposed to look to outer "daddies" for our answers. For interior "parents" are quite as sick as interior "children." We can seek knowledge, even suggestions, anywhere. But instead, we are supposed to meditate, and study, meditate and study, over and over, until we discover a part of our minds called the "interior Teacher." (This has been called the "Buddha," "Christ," "Krishna," "Holy Spirit," "Lovemind," "Godmind," etc.) We are to continue each day to educate this highest Self by observing, studying, and listening to, our world and our events and situations. It takes time. But, in the meanwhile, while this Self is still developing, we do have the guideline of pure Love. Stainless Love will never mislead you, never betray you. So, create the very highest Love that you can imagine. Picture this as your highest, most perfect Sellf. Then, follow this highest Self when you have questions or complexities along the Way.

For, as has been proved over and over again, without a question or doubt, following human leaders can be a path to disaster, personal catastrophe, and cynical skepticism.
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A new World with New Fuel

In this year's "State of the Union" address, bush told us that it was time to get serious about America's addiction to foreign oil. The next day, we found out that his idea didn't sit too well with the Saudi Royal Family. A few hours later, Energy Secretary Bodman backtracked and assured the world that even though the President said he planned to reduce the amount of oil we import from the Middle East, he actually didn't mean that literally.

If there's a single example out there that encapsulates the ability of unstable, undemocratic governments to wield undue influence over America's national security (just because of our dependence on oil), this is it.

Now, I could stand up here and give you all plenty of reasons why it's a good idea for this country to move away from an oil-based economy. I could cite studies from scientists and experts and even our own State Department detailing the dangers of global warming-- how it can destroy our coastal areas and generate more deadly storms. I could talk forever about the economic consequences of dependence-- how it's decimating our auto industry, costing us jobs, and emptying our wallets at the pump. And I could talk about the millions of new jobs and entire new industries we could create by transitioning to an alternative-fuel economy.

But all we really need to know about the danger of our oil addiction comes directly from the mouths of our enemies:

"[Oil] is the umbilical cord and lifeline of the crusader community." These are the words of Al Qaeda.

"Focus your operations on oil, especially in Iraq and the Gulf area, since this will cause them to die off [on their own]." These are the words of Osama bin Laden.

More than anything else, these comments represent a realization of American weakness shared by the rest of the world. It's a realization that for all of our military might and economic dominance, the Achilles heel of the most powerful country on Earth is the oil we cannot live without.

Oil single-handedly fuels 96% of our transportation needs, and it's also critical to the manufacture of millions of goods and products in this country. As we saw during Hurricane Katrina, this kind of dependency means that the loss of even a small amount of oil and refining capacity for just a few days can cause economic panic and soaring prices. A serious embargo or permanent loss could cause untold disaster.

It would be nice if we could produce our way out of this problem, but it's just not possible. We have only three percent of the world's oil reserves. We could start drilling in ANWR today, and at its peak, which would be more than a decade from now, it would give us enough oil to take care of our transportation needs for about a month.

As a result, every single hour we spend $18 million on foreign oil. It doesn't matter if these countries are budding democracies, despotic regimes, or havens for the madrassas that plant the seeds of terror in young minds; they get our money because we need their oil.

One need only glance at headlines around the world to understand how dangerous this addictive arrangement truly is.

In Iran, Islamic fundamentalists are forging ahead with their nuclear program, knowing full well that the world's response to their actions will be influenced by our need for their oil. In fact, reports of a $100 billion oil deal between Iran and China were soon followed by China's refusal to press for sanctions against Iran over its nuclear intentions.

In Nigeria, militant rebels have been attacking the country's oil pipelines in recent weeks, sending prices soaring and calling into question the political stability of a country that represents America's fifth-largest source of oil imports.

In Saudi Arabia, Al Qaeda has been attempting attacks on that country's poorly defended oil refineries for years. On Friday, they almost succeeded as a truck full of explosives was detonated by the shots of security guards just before it entered the refinery. Even this minor damage caused oil prices to jump $2 in a single day. But a former CIA agent tells us that if terrorists ever succeeded in destroying an entire oil complex, it could take enough oil off the market to cause economic catastrophe in the United States.

Our enemies are fully aware that they can use oil as a weapon against America. And if we don't take this threat as seriously as the bombs they build or the guns they buy, we will be fighting the War on Terror with one hand tied behind our backs.

Now, the good news about the president's decision-- finally to focus on energy independence after five years: It helps build bipartisan consensus. Our reliance on foreign oil is a problem....

The bad news is that the president's energy policy treats our dependence on oil as more of a nuisance than a serious threat.

Just one day after he told us in the State of the Union that renewable fuels were the key to an energy independent future, we learned that the president's budget cuts would force layoffs at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Last week, this made for a rather awkward situation when the president wanted to use the lab for a photo-op - so awkward that the White House actually re-hired the laid-off researchers just to avoid the embarrassment.

This is only one example, but it tells the story of a larger weakness in the president's energy policy: it's simply not commensurate to the challenge.

There's a reason that some have compared the quest for energy independence to the Manhattan Project or the Apollo moon landing. Like those historic efforts, moving away from an oil economy is a major challenge that will require a sustained national commitment.

During World War II, we had an entire country working around the clock to produce enough planes and tanks to beat the Axis powers. In the middle of the Cold War, we built a national highway system so we had a quick way to transport military equipment across the country. When we wanted to beat the Russians into space, we poured millions into a national education initiative that graduated thousands of new scientists and engineers.

If we hope to strengthen our security, and control our own foreign policy, we can offer no less of a commitment to energy independence.

But so far, bush seems as if he is offering less-- much less.

His funding for renewable fuels is at the same level it was the day he took office.

He refuses to call for even a modest increase in fuel-efficiency standards for cars and trucks.

His latest budget funds less then half of the energy bill he himself signed into law-- leaving hundreds of millions of dollars in under-funded energy proposals.

And while he cannot seem to find the funding for any of these energy proposals, he has no problem allowing the oil companies to stiff taxpayers $7 billion in royalties that they owe us for drilling on public lands. These are the same oil companies that are currently enjoying the highest profits on record.

Again, this is just not a serious commitment to energy independence. The solutions are too timid, and the reforms too small. America's dependence on oil is a major threat to our national security, and the American people deserve a bold commitment that has the full force of their government behind it.

...This is an issue that politicians from both parties clamor about when gas prices are the headline of the month, only to fall back into a trance of inaction once things calm down. And so we all need to get serious here. Automakers need to get serious about shifting their technology to greater fuel-efficiency; consumers need to get serious about buying hybrid cars; and Washington needs to get serious about working together to find a real solution to our energy crisis.

This solution is not only possible; it's already being implemented in other places around the world. Countries such as Japan are creating jobs and slowing oil consumption by churning out and buying millions of fuel-efficient cars. Brazil, a nation that once relied on foreign countries to import 80% of its crude oil, will now be entirely self-sufficient (in a few years) thanks to its investment in biofuels.

So, why can't we do this? Why can't we make energy security one of the great American projects of the twenty-first century?

The answer is, we can. The president's energy proposal would reduce our oil imports by 4.5 million barrels per day by 2025. Not only can we do better than that, we must do better than that if we hope to make a real dent in our oil dependency. With technology we have on the shelves right now and fuels we can grow right here in America, by 2025 we can reduce our oil imports by over 7.5. million barrels per day - an amount greater than all the oil we are expected to import from the entire Middle East.

We can do this by focusing on two things: the cars we drive and the fuels we use.

First, the cars. For years, we've hesitated to raise fuel economy standards as a nation in part because of a very legitimate concern - the impact it would have on Detroit. The auto industry is right when it argues that transitioning to more hybrid and fuel-efficient cars would require massive investment at a time when they're struggling under the weight of rising health care costs, sagging profits, and stiff
competition.

But it's precisely because of that competition that they don't have a choice. China now has a higher fuel economy standard than we do, and Japan's Toyota is doubling production of the popular Prius to sell 100,000 in the U.S. this year.

There is now no doubt that fuel-efficient cars represent the future of the auto industry. If American car companies hope to be a part of that future-- if they hope to survive-- they must start building more of these cars.

But that's not to say we should leave the industry to face these costs on its own. Yes, we should raise fuel economy standards by 3% a year over the next fifteen years, starting in twenty-oh-eight. With the technology they already have, this should be an achievable goal for automakers. But we can help them get there.

Right now, one of the biggest costs facing auto manufacturers isn't the cars they make, it's the health care they provide. Health care costs make up $1,500 of the price of every GM car that's made-- more than the cost of steel. Retiree health care alone cost the Big 3 automakers nearly $6.7 billion just last year.

So here's the deal we can make with the auto companies: It's a piece of legislation I introduced called "Health Care for Hybrids," and it would allow the federal government to pick up part of the tab for the auto companies' retiree health care costs. In exchange, the auto companies would then use some of that savings to build and invest in more fuel-efficient cars. It's a win-win proposal for the industry: Their retirees will be taken care of, they'll save money on health care, and they'll be free to invest in the kind of fuel-efficient cars that are the key to their competitive future.

Building cars that use less oil is only one side of the equation. The other involves replacing the oil we use with home-grown biofuels. The Governors in this room have long known about this potential, and all of you have been leading the way on ethanol in your own states.

This coalition also knows that corn-based ethanol is only the beginning. If we truly want to harness the power of these fuels and the promise of this market, we can and must generate more cellulosic ethanol from agricultural products like corn stocks, switch grass and other crops our farmers grow.

Already, there are hundreds of fueling stations that use a blend of ethanol and gasoline known as E85, and there are millions of cars on the road with the flexible-fuel tanks necessary to use this fuel, including my own.

But the challenge we face with these biofuels is getting them out of the labs, out of the farms, and onto the wider commercial market. Every scientific study in the world could sing the praises of biofuels, but you might still be hard-pressed to find an investor willing to take the risk on a cellulosic ethanol plant or a brand-name petroleum company willing to build an E85 fueling station.

The federal government can help in two ways here. First, we can reduce the risk of investing. We already do this in a number of ways by funding projects critical to our national security. Energy independence should be no different. By developing an Energy Technology Program at the Defense Department, we can provide loan guarantees and venture capital to those with the best plans to develop and sell biofuels on a commercial market. The Defense Department will also hold a competition where private corporations get funding to see who can build the best new alternative-fuel plant. The Department can then use these new technologies to improve the energy security of our own military.

Once we take the risk out of investing, the second thing the government can do is to let the private sector know that there will always be a market for renewable fuels. We can do this in a few ways.

First, we should ramp up the renewable fuel standard and create an alternative diesel standard in this country so that by 2025, 65 billion gallons of alternative fuels per year will be blended into the petroleum supply.

Second, Washington should lead the way on energy independence by making sure that every single automobile the government purchases is a flexible-fuel vehicle-- starting today. When it becomes possible in the coming years, we should make sure that every government car is a plug-in hybrid as well.

Third, I'm supporting legislation that would make sure every single new car in America is a flexible-fuel vehicle within a decade. Currently it costs manufacturers just $100 to add these tanks to each car. But we can do them one better. If they install flexible-fuel tanks in their cars before the decade's up, the government should provide them a $100 tax credit to do it-- so there's no excuse for delay.

Fourth, there are already millions of people driving flexible-fuel vehicles who don't know it. The auto companies shouldn't get CAF'E credit for making these cars if they don't let buyers know about them, so I'd like to ask the industry to follow GM's lead and put a yellow gas cap on all flexible fuel vehicles starting today. Also, they should send a letter to those people who already have flexible-fuel vehicles so they can start filling up their tank at the closest E85 station.

Finally, since there are only around 500 fueling stations that pump E85 in the country, we recently passed legislation that would provide tax credits of up to $30,000 for those who want to install E85 pumps at their station. But we should do even more-- we should make sure that in the coming years, E85 stations are as easy to find as your gas station is now.

Make no mistake! None of these reforms will come easy, and they won't happen overnight. But we can't continue to settle for piecemeal, bite-sized solutions to our energy crisis. We need a national commitment to energy security, and to emphasize that commitment, we should install a Director of Energy Security to oversee all of our efforts. Like the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs and the National Intelligence Director, this person would be an advisor to the National Security Council and have the full authority to coordinate America's energy policy across all levels of government. He or she would approve all major budget decisions and provide a full report to Congress and the country every year detailing the progress we're making toward our 2025 goal.

In the days and months after September 11th, Americans were waiting to be called to something bigger than themselves. Just like their parents and grandparents of the Greatest Generation, they were willing to serve and defend their country-- not only on the fields of war, but on the homefront too.

This is our chance to step up and serve. The war against international terrorism has pitted us against a new kind of enemy that wages terror in new and unconventional ways. At home, fighting that enemy won't require us to build the massive war machine that Franklin Roosevelt called for so many years ago, but it will require us to harness our own renewable forms of energy so that oil can never be used as a weapon against America.

From farmers and scientists to entrepreneurs and governors, everyone has a role to play in this effort....

Now is the time for serious leadership to get us started down the path of energy independence. Now is the time for this call to arms.... I also hope that members of both parties and all levels of government can come together in the near future to launch this serious quest for energy independence....

(Thanks to Heather Wiggins)

Note: Source unknown but likely from a speech by Barack Obama, who has introduced the Health Care for Hybrids Act. Comment if you know the reference for this transcript.

"Enlightened Masters" and Your Spiritual Life

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Our world can become astonishingly complex, and earth can be a very confusing place. Also, the "interior child" within is always looking for someone to "parent" her-- to serve as a substitute "mommy" or "daddy." This is an unhealthy attitude.

Why? Because, as we enter adulthood, as psychologically maturing individuals, we are supposed to "internalize" our parents. In other words, in psychological health and wellness, we are supposed to "grow into" our own interior "parents," and to abandon all exterior parental-figures. This is precisely what happens in healthy development, as we learn to live out of the interior "adult" mode.

Some people, for various reasons, never really mature normally, never get in touch with, or live from, the interior "adult."

Illusions

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Nothing real exists outside of Love, or the Mind of the Creator. But some illusions, such as hatred, ignorance, bigotry, dishonesty, falsehood, lies, and similar patches of darkness lack the Light of God.

In illusions is fear created, and so, all fear-- all "devils" and "demons"-- are fear, a part of the unreality that "exists" in mind only, but has no real existence in the real mind. These things exist with the same reality as dream-images in our night-dreams. If we ask whether a dream exists, the answer is yes. But if we ask whether the objects and characters of the dream really exist, the answer is no. It is the same way with our everyday world. God allows us to dream up various illusions, such as fear, in order to put our spiritual qualities to the test. But a big and important part of enlightenment is seeing the fog-critters and phantasms as nothing more than realistic illusions.

Upon close examination, they are all "paper tigers," made of smoke and mirrors.
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The Ego as Servant of Love

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Thank you for an uplifting lettter!:) It was quite sweet. In it, you say that you are not a mystic, but I must gently and mildly disagree. We are all put on earth to cultivate the mindset and attitudes of the mystical Way. The use of "Ifree" is not, of course, a goal in itself. It is simply an exercise in mindful awareness. If it makes you aware, perhaps even a little uncomfortable, during those moments when your mind ennucleates on the self, then it has more than served its noble purpose.

The ego is not "ugly" at all. It is not an "enemy." Instead, it is a teacher. Without at least some cooperation from it, no one can make any progress on the scale of growing awareness.

So, we must elicit its cooperation-- not fight against it. And no one-- including all other people-- can ever make the ego "ugly," although we can allow it to become so. That occurs, for example, when we yield to it as our unqualified master. Then, it must work to replace God (Love) as the Number One in our lives, and it simply is not qualified to handle that job; so, it inevitably fails.

It might be said that the ego is always a failure when it comes to a beautiful life-design. But, being friends and peaceful warriors together on this nanodot called "earth," we all do share the same assignments; and, happily, we can help each other over the many "bumps" in the road.:)
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Special Thanks and Acknowledgment

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To all our Dear Friends of the Heart and of the Light,

We are excited and delighted to fulfill our promise to keep all of you updated re the Shining Sapphire Account-- the funds now being collected for the production of the "abiographical" video. If you have any suggestions for it, please send them along.

We are delighted to report that we have had several pledges from our dear friends, you who so care for the things that are truly important. Thank you so very much! And, so far, we have received our first two donations. [We plan to remind all of you, our friends, from time to time, in the uld ("Universal Love Digest").] This is not an exercise in ego-- our common challenge. It is simply a way of acknowledging, and thanking, our friends for their courtesy, support, and Love. (We hope that, in the days to come, this "list of donors" will grow! Meanwhile, we are starting the list in alphabetical order.:)

The first donations have arrived! They have been sent in by:

Pat Fields, $150

and

Ronda Lambert, $75.

Total to date: $225.
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Donations of any and every size are welcome. If you are using checks, please make them out to Love Ministries, Inc. Our snailmail address is:

Love Ministries, Inc.
5100 Liberty-Fairfield Rd.
Liberty Township, OH 45011.

Thank Love in your hearts, and thank all of you, with deep sincerity and gratitude.

Love,

shi and the
Love Education Team
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High Spirits Radio Shows

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The purpose of Love Ministries, Inc. is to provide practical applications of the vision of the Spiritual World, that can be used in realistic ways in ordinary, everyday life. Far too often, the down-to-earth implementation of Spiritual principles has been ignored, so that the idea comes across as something weird, abstract, indefinable, inscrutable.

Love Donations

Out latest project in the Love Jewels collection is the Shining Sapphire video. Read previous posts for a description.

You can use the PayPal button on the sidebar to contribute.

Please contact me re any questions, at: rmfrancis@juno.com, and please make checks payable to: Love Ministries, Inc., and mail to: 5100 Liberty-Fairfield Rd. Liberty Township, OH 45011.

Our position on donations: MINISTRIES AND GREED

In current society, it is despicable and tragic how religion has become interwoven with money. It is an utter catastrophe, and has led to the ruination of the most spiritual ideas of faith. Greed has corrupted, most thoroughly, the entire structure of most organized religions, whether they be giant, international religions or minor microcults. The church is thoroughly rotten with greed. Often, the actual measure of a church is its size, and churches have come to resemble shopping-malls.

The life and ministries of Jesus were far different. He did not even think it important enough to build a physical church or even mention the idea. The scriptures say, however, that even in the very nonmaterialistic ministry of Jesus, he and his disciples did carry a donation-box, out of which they lived. The poor followers of Francis did the same. As in the time of Jesus, money is a necessary evil. (1 Tim. 6:10) Not that money itself is evil; it isn't. But the ancient Christians did believe that the "love of money" was a "root of evil." . Sure enough, every war, many acts of torture, stealing, lying, betrayal, and murder are usually connected with this evil "love".

So, we renounce money as a goal of any truly sincere attempt to serve God (Love). For Jesus said, "You cannot serve God and money." Some translations render this verse, "You cannot serve God and riches." Either way, its intent is crystal clear: You cannot, must not, divide your timenergy between God (Love) and money. And we have no intentions of ever doing so!

We renounce all riches as an "alternative god" to the real God, the God Who is Love! At Love Ministries, we have never sought to make any kind of "profit" on spirituality, and vow that we will never attempt to do so. Our seminars, lectures, and personal interviews and work with students and clients have always been offered free of charge, and we vow to keep this policy in place. Also, our email work, client sessions, telephone work, and distribution of other educational materials are free. And we promise to keep it so.

Sadly, we have had to charge clients, students, and the public for some of our educational materials. Books are larger than the free printed materials that we provide, and we have been forced to pay for the printing of these. But we have never made a penny's profit on any book. We sell them for exactly the cost that we must pay for them, for we do not want to profit on spirituality.

To see spirituality as a "market commodity" is to reduce it to the level of material objects. And spirituality is never for sale, at any price! Nor should it be, under any circumstances!

The Master Jesus was no fanatic. He took a moderate position. He did not call his followers to poverty. But, on the other extreme, he actually discouraged the popular quest for unlimited wealth. When a rich man expressed a desire to follow him, Jesus said, "Go, sell all that you own, and give it to the poor; then follow Me." (Mark 10:21)

This was not a literal command, so that we have to follow it. But it was a giant test of the man's sincerity. To "sell everything" is to let go of the heart-entanglement with riches, the obsession with material wealth- as common in ancient times as it is today. For this path makes greed (fear) your master, and fear is Love's opposite.

But this does not mean that money itself is "bad." We all need to live and to do anything in our world. So, at present, Love Ministries is reaching out for your help. Because of our belief in simplicity, some minimalism, and our anti-materialism, Love Ministries does not have any money for even the best causes.

Open Letter To Our Friends

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Dear Friends of the Heart,

A Spirit of willingness and support can be every bit as important as money to the accomplishment of any project. This includes, of course, the Shining Sapphire Account. In the future, we plan to announce, here in the uld ("Universal Love Digest") the pledges and donations that you, our dear friends, have given so willingly for the video-project. Your words of appreciation and solidarity are very, very much appreciated.

So many people are in the "spiritual business" for bucks that it can set your teeth on edge. We hate it when people try to turn "truth" into a "commodity," and sell it like apples. We never, ever want to do this, as it is a particular form of destruction of the sacred.

But we are sure that you know us, and so, we can be honest with our needs without falling upon the up-turned knives of materialism-- deadly to any good cause. So, thanks for your understanding, my friends.

In the note, we said that we will accept donations as small as a single dollar. Beggars cannot be choosers, and we are ourselves often "turned off" by a charity that prohibits donations less than twenty-five dollars, or even fifty!:)

Thanks very much for your understanding and patience. Good friends such as yourselves make all our work possible. We will always reach back a hand to take yours, in cooperation and compassion, even if neither hand contains bucks!:)

Love,

shi and the Love Education Team

Embracing Material Simplicity

*******

Thanks so very much for your support, from the heart. That is, in some ways, even more important than the bucks. Many hypocrites and even evil people use money, and claim that this proves that they are "blessed" by God. Does that mean that, as they imply, Jesus, the Buddha, Brother St. Francis, and other saintmystics were disapproved because of their (sometimes voluntary) poverty? We surely both know that this was never the case. (Hitler, at his death, had millions.:)
*******

Another Letter to Our Friends

*******

031407wed

Dear Friends of the Heart,

Please keep in mind always that faith in the Tao (pattern of the world) precludes worry. Worry is simply another, often well-disguised, form of fear. We are indeed "always-moving" creatures, and that is why exercise-movement is also good for us. Thanks for your kind offer to be of any assistance in the Shining Sapphire Account.

We expect nothing from all of our friends, but are also aware that each can give as much as her circumstances permit. There are many fine uses for money in this world; we do not expect to be "first" on your list. At any rate, whatever you can do, whenever you can do it, is very much appreciated.:)

Love,

shi and the Love Education Team
******

The "Dangerous" Teaching of Grace

*******

The text about which you ask is one of my favorites. It is John 12:32, where Jesus said, "If I be lifted up, I shall draw all unto myself."

In the ancient Greek, the phrase "all" is a rendition of pantou anthropou, and means literally "all men," or "all people." This is one of several Christian Greek Scriptural ("New Testament") texts that imply the universality of salvation. So, with some Christians, it is not very popular or beloved.

Salvation, the Scriptures make absolutely clear, does not come to us because we are "better" than others, because we work harder, or because we know more. No, all salvation has only one single Source, and that is the free gift of grace. This comes from the non-judgmental heart of God. Jesus said, "The Father judges no one."

We are saved from the lower nature, from pain, ignorance, hatred, and even death by this great and unlimited gift. Over and over, the Scriptural texts of the Christians use the Greek word charis ("grace") to refer to this enormous and immense gift. This gift originates, not with our behavior, or even our choice, but is rooted solidly, and exclusively, in the horizonless Love of God.

So, as with many deep questions, we are forced yet again into the great pleasure of examining the Love of God. First and foremost, we must ask whether this Love is limited or unlimited.

I think that you will be happy to agree with me, and with the Scriptures, that God's Love is unlimited. In fact, It is so illimitable that a "limit" on Love is a "limit" to God. This makes God a twisted, distorted limited thing; and It is no longer God, by simple definition. For, because "God is Love," this Love must be also unlimited, since a "limited God" is an oxymoron, a contradiction in terms. God must forever be
recognized as both unlimited and illimitable.

But can it ever be fair that Jesus draws unto Himself "all men"? Yes, it can be fair if not all people are drawn at the same time. Jesus himself illustrated the situation in a parable like this:

A rich man agreed to hire people to work in a field for one hundred dollars a day. People came to him all during the day-- some came at 9 am, others at noon, others not until three, and others not til the very end of the day, at 5 pm.

When he started to pay them, the ones who had come early were delighted and excited to see the "five-o'clockers" get a hundred bucks. For, they thought, we shall certainly get a lot more, since we began the day much earlier. But when they were paid, they grumbled and complained, since they received only a hundred dollars.

Early in the day, they were thrilled, because a hundred dollars was pretty good money; but they felt ripped off now, because the employer paid them now "only" a hundred dollars! But Jesus pointed out that the man had been fair and just: He had promised a hundred dollars, and he had given a hundred dollars.

So it is with the kingdom of heaven: God gives the same grace to everyone, whether she was enlightened a thousand years ago, or just this morning. God has promised grace (including total forgiveness) to all, and He gives it freely and equally to all. Some, especially super-religious types, do not have sufficient Love in their hearts. They grumble and complain, despite the wonderful fact that they also are receiving the abundance of God's free gift-- this very same grace.

They do not want God to "pay" all people the same salary; they feel that they deserve more, as they might work harder and longer. But, as Jesus said, the money belongs to the rich man; he can give it to whomever he chooses.

Often, religious types do not just bitch and complain that the later workers are being paid the same amount; they do not want God to "pay" the later workers at all. In fact, they teach that their "god"-- worse than any devil or demon-- wants to torture in horrible agony his own misled children.

For, as noted, perfect grace is also perfect forgiveness. Many do not come to God until very "late in the day," and some have not found a relationship with Him even yet. But God has forever to educate his children, and we also have forever to learn. So, no one is really in a big hurry.

Our challenge is to cultivate a grace-reflecting Love which is like the Love of God. (In fact, all real Love is God living within and through us.) Then, we will welcome with smiles and loving hearts those who turn to God (Love) and receive of his grace, exactly the same as we have received of it.

All salvation comes from grace. This is such a "dangerous" teaching that the cult to which I used to belong, Jehovah's Witnesses, have completely removed the word "grace" from their Bible. It does not appear a single time.

Many religious people want to ignore or even deny the Power of grace. They do not believe that it is fair; but Love goes far, far beyond fairness. The disciple James wrote, "Mercy exults triumphantly over justice."

God does indeed believe in justice, but Love can go much further than
mere justice or fairness. Grace is an undeserved or unearned gift. No
one really "deserves" it. It is the overflow of the galactic Love of the
Supreme heart. And, because it is from God (Love), It misses nothing and
no one.
*******

Giving Up and Giving In

*******

Jesus was "built" exactly like you and me, except his life had grown into pure, total, absolute wisdom. That is, he was both "true man and true God (Love)," as the Church was later to say. He was part human. So, he was able to surrender completely to the guiding will of Love (God) in his life. Every moment, he actually lived out the prayer that he taught: "Thy will be done."

Like every enlightened person, he had stripped himself of all personal, selfish desire, grasping, clinging, and attachment. He had trained himself to want only what Love (God) wanted. He had set down all the "baggage" of selfish personal desire-- a factor that enslaves most people to the very end of their lives. And, as he himself said, he had recognized his oneness with the much greater Supermind of the Father.
(Jn. 10:30)

But he still had a human body and a human nature. From all appearances, he knew that this body, and the whole body-world, was a mere illusion. But he did allow himself (that human part of himself) to express doubt. He did not fall for this lower-nature trick, and was never misled completely by its many illusions.

But he knew that he would forever after be an example to human beings. So, at his darkest hour, he was thinking of us: He allowed the fear-nature and the doubt-nature to express themselves, indicating and implying that it is okay for an imperfect human being to doubt God. It is natural and normal, and is by no means an "unforgivable" sin. It was to express this lower, but human, nature that he said, from the Cross, "My God, why have you forsaken me?"

People live in enormous pressure-cooker, screaming-point tensions, and it is "permission" to give in to the stresses. But he also proved that we should not, need not, give in to the doubts, fears, and pressures of our lives. We have permission to fall on the road, to collapse beneath our burdens, but we do not have permission simply to lie there. As Jesus' life and ministry proved, after we collapse and fall, we must get up again, and once again start walking the path.

Jesus never gave up on his "heavenly Father." But he said these words in order to show us that it was okay, just fine, to give up. In fact, faith is not complete until we completely give up and give in. Faith is truly an act of grace, and so, we are not fully responsible for its actions in our hearts. But even when this faith appears to give out, or up, this is not the end. The higher path continues to call us back to Love-- the same Love for even cruel strangers that Jesus expressed in his prayer, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."

We have God's (Love's) permission to collapse and fall, but we are also called back by that same Love, to a faith renewed, powerful, and guiding.

*******

Psychomodification and Homeworld Education

*******

I must agree that the sweet and kind Susan [pseudonym] does not "deserve" her life as it appears to be right now. But we should never forget that a life-pattern for any life is designed by the immense intelligence/wisdom called the "unconscious Soulmind," so her tests and exams are not happening "at random."

A few souls incarnate on earth, from time to time, to accelerate vastly their spiritual growth. Many wise mysticsaints suffered, in their human manifestations (and dream) from incurable, often complex, challenges. These challenges were never easy or fun for them, or for the souls to whom they were so solidly bound in Love.

Trials of this nature can be quite trying. But, in the end, they can drive one to the very limits of human spirituality, and even beyond those apparent limitations, pushing one into the interior realms of the superhuman.

These things barely ever occur to "evil" people. So, they also drive all of us to seek their deeper, practical, and more realistic meanings and origins. Far, far too many childish minds simply dismiss the entire cosmos as "unjust," blind, or even evil. These shallow thinkers cut themselves off from God (Love), "eat of the tree of good and evil," and get whacked out of "paradise" (Eden means "pleasure.") All joy is sucked rom their heartminds, leaving them to die of spiritual thirst on a superheated desert. This dreamed "separation from Love" can never be real; but it is the very definition of the psychogenic state of "hell."

On the other hand, it can take some fancy footwork, as well as profound cognition (combined with acognitive therapy) for us to develop the hypersensual awareness of the meaning of Love in all this. The "easy way out," the lazy "cop out" is simply to deny that the cosmos has any meaning, and to die a horible, selfchosen, agonizing death in that spiritual desert.

Love is not "joking" with these earthlives. Before incarnation, at special classes in the Homeworld, we are prepped for the horrors and nightmares that earthlife might well bring us. In that preincarnational life, we are quite thoroughly grounded in the single fact that Love is in control of our life-designs, and never, never to forget this one fact, no matter how "terrible" our lives seem to become. This deep spiritual
education is also designed, precisely, by experts thousands of years old, to keep us from falling into hopeless panic. And blessed is she who can remember, and know.

You, like us, are being forced down the ghastly road to soulical memory, to recall your own powerful education, to call upon, and draw upon, every single interior resource to which your Soul has access.

*******

Shining Sapphire

As we are always coming up with new ideas around here, there is one that we want to share, and get your feedback:

My friend Steven McDaniel is a semiprofessional film-maker, and works on video-projects and similar activities. His ema is: mcdproductions@abcglobal.net

The reason that this is shared with you is so that you can provide feedback to either him or to me about our latest project, hatched in one of those "brainstorming" sessions for which some odd and creative people are notorious.:)

Here is the idea: We have long discussed, in several informal interviews, the events and actions that have made up this personal life. This life has had very much to teach, about patience, acceptance, resilience, strength, and general spirituality. Its presentation would make an excellent life-lesson for anyone interested in spirituality.

Steven also expressed interest in our latest publishing project, the book called Walkin' On Sunshine: An Abiography of a Mystic, and he has even designed the cover! (It is being published right now.)

With, or close to, the release of this "abiography," we thought that it would also be good to release a video of complementary content.

As a mystic, it is important that the video reflect the same non-egoic theme of the book. The book might be the first ever to be written in "Ifree," in which the words "I," "me," "my," and "mine" are not used, or used only minimally. The purpose of the video, after all, is not to create fame (or infamy), but, like the book, to tell a story. In fact, beyond the use of the name "shi," with no surname, the video is planned to be anonymous. We want to insist on mystical anonymity, and, at the same time, to tell the story of a life that has been a roller-coaster between gentle, lovely heavens and nightmarish hells. We feel that the story has very much to say about life-- yours, and everyone else's.

This letter is just a gentle "feeler," sent to selected friends who are trusted, and in whom I have confidence, to see what the levels of psychological, social, and even economic support might be for this kind of undertaking. Neither Steven nor I have a lot of money, and we would have to solicit some donations or Love-offerings for us even to get started.

So, if you could find it in your heart to make a "one-time" donation, or else, a "monthly donation," for a period lasting for six months, these Love-donations could immediately go into the "Shining Sapphire" Account. (This is the name given to this project. We really can barely stand to ask for your help, but know that, at times, we must lean upon each other for support.)

And we live in fullest confidence that, if the Spirit of Love wants this video to be produced, the means and the funds will likely come from the hearts of our loving friends. Donations as small as one to five dollars are welcome!

So, if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions re the details, please just send me or Steven an email, and we will be very glad to address your inquiries. At any rate, please send along your good and powerful heart-energy in support of our plan.:)

Response to Nuclear Disaster for Profit

Thanks to Mick Gallegar, who sent this letter to the "Universal Love Digest" Efamily (in response to the previous post on nuclear disaster for profit). If you can "plow your way through," it's worth reading!--

editors
*******
Date: Sun, 11 Mar 2007 10:44:08 -0500 (GMT-05:00)
Subject: Fw: The Universal Love Digest Digest Number 803

It's A Corpratocracy,and always has been. And I must say that bush wasn't the first stooge to carry the water for Wall Street, and lie us into immoral wars. Remember LBJ. The Tonkin Gulf Incident never happened. But they needed a catalyst to get it all started. The Industrial Military Complex was pushing really hard for that. It was the same with the Joint Chiefs wanting to bomb the hell out of Cuba. Years later, we learned what even most of them didn't know: They were loaded up with nuclear missiles. Also, we didn't know that Castro was more upset with Kruschev than with JFK for putting the weapons there. For he knew that Cuba would become a target for U.S. attack. Remember, Castro came to the US first--for help. The US rejected him; and then, he went to the USSR. ... Mobsters--and all their Gambling, prostitution, drug running, etc.,etc/{Myer Lansky(Zionist Mob), Traficanti, Gambino, etc}.

2nd one, if true, {Dem-stonewalling}--solidifies belief that both parties are complicite..in the corp warmongering(oil/gas), and the Likudniks, through Zionist Lobbyist groups...pushing us into eliminating Israels enemies,etc. Re-shaping the M.E., A New Jerusalem', etc Drive the Arabs out, and in the extreme--Armeggedon. The Christian Zionists mixed with the hard liners in the Likud party of the Knesset...have been gaining ground--and were the driving force, along with Fortune 1000 companies, bankers, Military Ind Complex in to this fiasco in Iraq, Afghanistan,
Iran next, then Syria, Lebanon, possibly Saudi Arabia...sometime in the future.

Nothing to do with a terrorism threat. That was the 'Manufactured Crisis'---to enable this insane Imperialist Hegemony--that began during Ford's time, with Kissinger, Cheney, Rumsfeld, who brought in Paul Wolfowitz, Richard Perle, Douglas Feith, Robert Kagan,etc., etc

Oh ya--Wm. Kristol...they all were protege~ of Leo Strauss (Univ Chicago) 1938...lineage of--'The Protocols of the Elders of Zion'. Don't take my word for it--look it up, then pass the word, please.

It's all public record---including the collusion of the Bush Dynasty with these folks--including trading with the 3rd Reich right up to mid-1942....through Hamburg Steam Lines, Wall St. Bankers (Bush's, Walkers); Thysson-Krup Steel Companies. G.O.P. Strategist Kevin Phillips great book: "American Dynasty: Aristocracy, Fortune and the Politics of Deceit in the House of Bush".

is but one of many great books that expose the true people's history of the U.S. mercantile madness...and great achievements as well. That's why Hitler really admired people like Henry Ford, etc.

One of the Bush brothers ya don't hear much about was Samuel Bush--who owned Buckeye Steel in Col., Ohio---and they all had connections, {esp Herbert Walker, who really carried the heavy change-back then}--with early oil companies in good old Oil City, Pa. Also--the big railroads based around Pittsburgh, PA.!!! Yeowzza!!

Have a splendidly Sunday--fellow time traveler's!!

Nuclear Disaster for Profit?

NUCLEAR DISASTER FOR PROFIT?
Thanks to Teresa Ramsey.

Urgent: OHIO - Global Level Crisis - IMPORTANT!

It's about 3:30am as I write this. I am unable to sleep.... All of you in this mailing group know me personally.... Only something that has struck to the very core of my being could persuade me to communicate in the terms I am now groping to formulate into a clear and concise message---I chose to send this email to those of
you who:

• 1. Care about nature and the environment


• 2. Uphold your personal spirituality and truth with integrity


• 3. Feel deeply a sense of responsibility towards all life and the future generations to come


• 4. Are connected to other such people, through personal community, and professional contacts.

On an errand run into town yesterday morning, I "happened" to see a bright yellow flyer saying that there was going to be a public hearing with representatives from the (Federal) Department of Energy, in Piketon, Ohio, at 6pm, regarding the placement of a Nuclear Waste Site in that vicinity.

Here are just a few of the most pertinent and terrifying FACTS, gleaned from a "meeting" that was over four hours long:

Piketon, Ohio is approximately 80 miles from the Dayton area, and not very far from The Great Serpent Mound in Adams county, and just north of the town of Portsmith which is directly on the Ohio River.

Piketon is located next to wetlands, a medium-sized river (which of course flows into the Ohio River), and is over an ENORMOUS GROUND WATER SOURCE, the Teays Aquifer, the largest aquifer in North America-- a geologic fact.

The Federal Department of Energy has side-stepped legal environmental due process in order to "Position the Community" of Piketon into becoming the site for a 3700-acre nuclear waste "processing" (in essence, read STORAGE SITE) plant. This proposed plant would NOT MERELY ACCEPT NUCLEAR WASTE FROM Ohio,BUT FROM ALL OVER THE UNITED STATES AND FROM OTHER COUNTRIES.

Imagine, if you will, trucks, boats, and perhaps even cargo planes, loaded with deadly spent plutonium rods, traveling over water, continents, via the interstates, all converging on southern Ohio! One accident is all it will take for the destruction of not only the immediate region, but all the areas touched by the winds and waters!

The DOE has laid the foundation for this site far in advance, pre-planning their moves, and taking steps AHEAD OF TIME TO ENSURE THAT THIS NEVER REACHED THE MEDIA-- and therefore--NEVER REACHED THE PUBLIC AWARENESS SO THAT OUR VOICES OF OPPOSITION MIGHT BE HEARD.

The DOE (department of energy) has hired an "Environmental Research Corporation" called "TetraTech," to "validate" the "SAFETY" [????] of such a plan. So, the "watch dogs" of the environment, in other words, are being PAID BY THE D.O.E. I spoke personally to their chief representative from the Washington, D.C. region. She claimed never to have heard of the Teays aquifer. THIS is an environmental protection agency?

The DOE is dangling the promise of jobs in front of the economically depressed residents of Piketon as an incentive for local acceptance of this plant. There were a frightening number of local people who were completely in the pocket of TetraTech and the DOE at this meeting. The DOE's strategy has been, in part, to make promises and guarantees to the locals-- and make it look as if this is simply a matter of small town local interest.

This "Public Hearing" was a travesty of the "Democratic Process". The DOE put forth a lengthy (approximately an hour-and-a-half long) power-point presentation in a room TOO SMALL TO ALLOW EVERYONE IN ATTENDANCE TO FIT INSIDE THE ROOM. The DOE did NOT allow there to be a Question and Answer session. The DOE allowed speakers to present their viewpoints in time slots limited to THREE MINUTES-- often with the "one minute" warning interrupting the flow of material.

* * *
Now. Why did I burden you with this? I will tell you: I am asking you to please do one or more of the following things:

• 1. PRAY and act for the protection of our world-- and for the Power of Truth to
  empower those who are currently standing up to this ill-conceived proposition.
  Pray your conscience, and obey it.



• 2. SPREAD THE WORD. Forward this email if you choose to, speak out in your community, call the TV stations and newspapers, do whatever you can. A fire must be lit---and now!



• 3. CONTACT the following group: SONG "Southern Ohio Neighbors Group". They are actively seeking to legally stop this thing, they have done the research, and sent (at least) three very impressive and dedicated speakers to that meeting last night. They are gathering signatures on petitions, and have been attempting (with only marginal success) to get this information made public. Please HELP THEM.

http://ohioneighbors.org/SONIC.aspx_


*******

Democratic Leaders Plan to Betray Antiwar Movement - Occupy Washington beginning March 12

ALERT ALERT ALERT ALERT ALERT ALERT ALERT ALERT ALERT ALERT

Democratic Party Leaders Plan To Betray Anti-War Movement
Phony “Withdrawal” Plan is Just a Cover for Funding Bush’s War

DON’T LET THEM
GET AWAY WITH IT!

Antiwar Encampment in Front of Congress Starts on Monday

DON’T BE FOOLED, the “withdrawal from Iraq” plan that Democratic Party leaders in Congress have just announced is nothing more than a cover for them to approve Bush’s request for $100 billion to fund the war and occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan-- in other words, to continue the war.

CUT OFF THE WAR FUNDS - END THE WAR NOW – BRING THE TROOPS HOME

Democratic Party leaders propose to begin withdrawing troops in a year to 18 months. Over the last 18 months, more than 1,200 U.S. soldiers have been killed, and about 7 times that many wounded and maimed. Do the math: a year or 18 more months of war is a death sentence for untold numbers of soldiers and an even greater number of Iraqis.

CUT OFF THE WAR FUNDS – END THE WAR NOW – BRING THE TROOPS HOME

The “withdrawal time tables” along with the “goals and conditions” that Democratic leaders are proposing are not fundamentally different than the ones that Bush proposed in his “State of the Union” address. The real stink bomb hidden in this new “withdrawal” legislation is that Bush and his generals have the authority to “waive” any part of these so-called timetables and conditions, any time he wants to. The fact is that these new proposals amount to nothing more than political posturing by Democratic leaders in order to get some of the antiwar heat off of them while they continue to fund the war. This plan is not a plan to end the war--it is just another non-binding resolution. Representative Jerry Nadler had it right when he said “All of this is just an excuse funding another year of war”.

CUT OFF THE WAR FUNDS – END THE WAR NOW – BRING THE TROOPS HOME

Democratic Party leaders can end the war right now if the exercise their power to simply cut off all funding for the war. If they don’t do that, then it’s not just Bush’s war, or just the Republican Party’s war, it’s the Democratic Party’s war as well and now is the time to demand that they put up or shut up.

CUT OFF THE WAR FUNDS – END THE WAR NOW – BRING THE TROOPS HOME

On Monday, antiwar activists from around the country will begin camping in front of the Capital building at 3rd St. right on the Washington DC National Mall. We will be there with tents, banners, placards, signs, noisemakers, etc. demanding that Congress stop the BS and simply cut off the war funding, end the war now and bring the troops home. We need you to join us. We need you to march on the Pentagon on March 17. Moreover, if there was ever a time to be in the streets, blocking traffic, occupying bridges, organizing walk-outs from coast to coast to stop this criminal war! THIS IS THE TIME!

The Encampment to Stop the War will start in just a few days - Monday, March 12 - and there is an enormous amount of work to be done in a short period of time. We have an opportunity in the next few days to have a major impact, if we work together--here's how you can help:

Let us know if you are coming to the Encampment. Use the Volunteer form
at http://troopsoutnow.org/march12volunteer.shtml.

Volunteer at the Encampment - we will need hundreds of volunteers during
the week of the Encampment let us know how you can help (logistics,
security, medical, greeter, etc) -
http://troopsoutnow.org/march12volunteer.shtml

Donate to help with the enormous costs of the Encampment -
http://troopsoutnow.org/donate.shtml.

If you are not able to come to the encampment, help send a youth activist to the Encampment to the week- donate for transportation and housing costs here.

*******

Jury Duty Scam

SNOPES concurs that this is genuine. Their website is below.

JURY DUTY SCAM. PLEASE READ!

This is actually a real one. And it is nice that the person sending it included the verifying links to prove it. Anyway, what a great scam to get your social security number. This has been verified on Snopes.com (link listed below) and by
the FBI (their link is also included below). Please pass this on to everyone in your email address book. It is spreading fast, so be prepared should you get this call.

Someone calls pretending to be a court official who threateningly says a warrant has been issued for your arrest because you didn't show up for jury duty. The caller claims to be a jury coordinator. If you protest that you never received a summons for jury duty, the scammer asks you for your Social Security number and date of birth so he or she can verify the information and cancel the arrest warrant. Give out any of this information and bingo! Your identity just got stolen. The scam has been reported so far in 11 states, including Oklahoma , Illinois and Colorado.

This (scam) is particularly insidious because they use intimidation over the phone to try to bully people into giving information by pretending they're with the court system. The FBI and the Federal court system have issued nationwide alerts on their websites, warning consumers about the fraud. This has been around for over a year. Just tell the callers to put their warrant where the sun don't shine. Such matters are not handled by telephone. Check it out here:

http://www.snopes.com/crime/fraud/juryduty.asp
http://www.fbi.gov/pressrel/pressrel05/092805.htm

(Thanks to Maribee Butler.)
*******

"Let him who is without sin..."

********

When Jesus used the words, "Let him who is without sin cast the first stone," he was referring to a barbarian form of utterly painful and agonizing murder called "stoning." In this nightmare form of murder, approved, even recommended, by the ancient "law of Jehovah," a person had sharp, heavy rocks thrown at her, breaking bones, blood-vessels, muscular, and other tissues while dying the most agonizing and ghastly, slow death. Rocks were thrown into her eyes, breaking her teeth, and hurled with force at the most tender and sensitive parts of her body.

It was a ghastly and primitive way to kill a human being-- probably one of the most utterly primitive ways ever created to murder another person. But it was practiced by the utterly primitive, semi-literate desert-dwellers in the ancient tribal group.

Even a young child could be murdered in this horrific way-- for disobeying her parents. In fact, the "law of Jehovah" recommended this nazi-like torture.

Jesus' intention was to prove that the stoners, the murderers, were, in their own way, just as guilty of many imperfections ("sins") as the woman whom they lusted to murder in this bloody and painful way. He could see in the hearts of the people that they felt guilty carrying out this horrible "law of Jehovah." They were essentially good people caught in a nightmarish system-- the system of "execution" (murder) enjoined by the Mosaic and other backwards, unmerciful laws. So, Jesus gave them an "out," so, sharing his own mercy, they would not "have" to be "forced" by customary law to kill her.

He used this hideous form of merciless "execution" as a form of mirror. He reminded them that, someday, they would be the one facing the crowd ready to throw the rocks, to bash their bodies into bloody pulps without mercy, kindness, or goodness. Indeed, karma would make sure of it.

He wanted people to see that a horrible and disgusting murder, even if it is "prettied" up with the name "execution," was cold, barbaric, and evil, for it was murder. And fetid swampwater still stinks even if you call it "oil of rose." So, their "execution" was nothing more than ghastly murder, and Jesus stripped the gory activity of its "mask" of "righteousness," exposing the evil blood-lust beneath.

This could be expanded to a condemnation of all executions in principle, but it certainly rejected forcefully the application of the horrors of stoning. It was also a great opportunity to remind the "righteous" and "respectable religious" people that, just a millimeter below the surface, they were savages, and Jesus never missed the opportunity to point this out.
*******

Love, Fear, and Memory

*******

If your question is understood, the "all fear" that is cast out by completed Love (in 1 Jn. 4:18) does include memories as well as "right now" events. The ideal is to clear the entire system of fear-- the major "tool of the devil"-- and to replace it with Love.

As Jesus pointed out, the divine Love covers both the righteous and the unrighteous. So, we must work to make real Love what it always is, by nature and by definition: Unconditional. Any item labelled as Love, but saying, "I will love you if..." is a phony and a fake. There can be no "if" attached to a statement about Love.

We love others, not because they are good, but because of our own interior goodness, God in the heart. If we claim to love a person, and that Love is withdrawn after she changes her looks, behaviors, or attitudes, what we felt was not real or genuine Love.

Because this Godlove is pervasive, it fills the whole heartmind, and does cover memories, letting go of all fears from the past.
*******

The True Master

*******

When anyone calls another "Lord" or "master," the one being addressed is being acknowledged to have a Self of Love within. It is not the body of the person being addressed, and not her ego-identity, and not even the higher Self (soul), but the highest Self (Spirit).

When Jesus was called "Lord," it was not the man Jesus who was being addressed, but the Spirit indwelling his mind at the Core or Center. This was an address to the Spirit of pure Love that indwelled him. Jesus had erased his ego-self and "disappeared" (by absorption) into the infinite Mind of Love deep within him. As evidence of this change, he early changed his name from "Immanuel" to "Jesus."

People who say that they want to be "like" Jesus are always saying "Jesus... this" and "Jesus.... that," but Jesus himself never once used the name "Jesus" in his public teaching all during his life. So, people who are really being like Jesus are not your average "Jesus-people."

To be "like" Jesus is to draw all attention to the "Father," as the Master Himself did. It is to talk about the Infinite Immeasurable Reality at the Center of all Mind and all the cosmos. It is to speak about the One, the Ineffable, God.

Everyone is, deep within, this same "Lord" and "Master," as we manifest that deep interior Spirit. But a true master will never, under any conditions, refer to herself as a "master." This is one of the marks, in fact,of a fake, fraud, or phony. For this would divert attention away from the invisible Spirit and redirect it to ego, and to ego-praise. This is to miss completely and entirely the place of humility in the Way.

For deep humility, even silence, marks the true master. And a real master is never the "master" of others, or of people. A real master is she who has mastered the self, with its lower energies, weaknesses, and imperfections. A true Master has tamed her "lower nature" or "animal nature." She has under control her appetites, for food, sleep,sex, and other biodrives. She turns all energies heavenward, or heartward, towards the indwelling Godmind.

She never brags, boasts, or selfdisplays. She has no interest at all in "impressing" anyone, and does not even try. Instead, she finds peace and deep tranquility in silence and service. A mystic will teach if she is called to teaching. But outside of that talking, she will find great comfort in silence. A master avoids all extremes, and need not be silent at all times, but neither can she talk all the time, hogging conversation and grabbing the spotlight. she sows the seeds of Light and truth, but is never worried when people ignore her, as that is also part of their path to growth.

A true master will exercise gentle but firm control over her speech and actions. She will practice courtesy, friendliness, openness, kindness, goodness, and compassion. She will try not to eat too much or too little, sleep too much or too little, sexually engage neither too much nor too little. she will strive to find the moderate Way of balance in all bio-activities,and in all other areas of her life. She will not obsess about her self, or her career, or her accomplishments. Indeed, the true master will usually refrain from speaking about herself at all (unless she is directly questioned, and the answer can aid a student).

*******

Message from Arnold White

Thanks to Arnold White.

Dear Friends,

Hello,

My name is Arnold Joseph White. I was born in Nashville, TN on July 7th, 1948. And as with most people, from time to time in my life, I have had experiences that could have possibility been the ~“Spiritual Realm”~ of ~“God”~ at work in my life ~ or not. I never had an experience that did not have a rational explanation behind it ~ until ~ 1996 or 1997 ~ when I began to experience “things” that at that time I concluded were “things” I thought were from the ~ “psychic realm” ~ of ~ “psychic phenomena” ~ as ~ “psychic ability” ~ and ~ “psychic power” ~. Then on Dec. 15th, of 000, I witnessed ~“something”~ that as I tried to come to a rational explanation of what I was witnessing, the first thing that came to my mind was “witchcraft"... What do I do with this ~“Revelation”~ of this ~“Epiphany”~? Were ~ these things ~ given to me to experience for my own personal knowledge and mine alone? Or was I supposed to share that ~ “My God! There actually is a God!” ~ with the world?... So over the course of the next five years, I wrote a book that you can read and download (free) at Love-God-Is-Love.org....And ~ that thought ~ was ~ "I hope that I hope." ~. To which ~“God”~ replied to me through Job 6:11 on page 715 of my ~“SPIRIT FILLED LIFE BIBLE”~....Many of you, if not most of you, will have a very real problem with much of what ~"God"~ has ~"called"~ me to ~"speak"~. But that is not my problem....You can see this very, very, very strong evidence on pages 31, 32 and 40-42 of my book, on my website. Recently I saw the following message on two different Church signs near
my house:
“God does not call the qualified. He qualifies the called."...

And again ~ you can read and download my entire book (free) at: www.Love-God-Is-Love.org.

My book is entitled "DIVINE 9/11 INTERVENTION"...

@ JUNCTURE / NOSTRA 1999 DAMUS 9111 / ~"LOVE!"~ ~"GOD IS!"~ ~"LOVE!"~.

Call me. ~"God"~ has.

~ “Love is the answer.” ~ ~“God is love.”~

Arnold Joseph White

Cheney Impeachment

Cheney Being Targeted for Impeachment

"Around the world, as a second carrier group moves toward the Persian Gulf, and White House threats against Iran are repeated on a daily basis, it is recognized that the only certain path to stopping the planned attack on Iran is the impeachment of Dick Cheney, who today, just as in the case of the Iraq War, is running the "team" and the policy for "regime change" in Iran."

"Together with the vice-president, Mr. Libby launched the push to invade Iraq .... And, together with Cheney, Libby has "worked hard to block signs of engagement with Iran, resist direct talks with North Korea, and undermine U.S. legislation prohibiting torture and degrading treatment of detainees."

(Thanks to Mick Gallagher)

New FBI Invasive Internet Surveillance

The FBI appears to have adopted an invasive Internet surveillance technique that collects far more data on innocent Americans than previously has been disclosed.

Instead of recording only what a particular suspect is doing, agents conducting investigations appear to be assembling the activities of thousands of Internet users at a time into massive databases, according to current and former officials. That database can subsequently be queried for names, e-mail addresses or keywords.

(Thanks to Chris Finer)

Poetic Fragments

*******

Every small nail
Driven in for the sake of Love
Is the service of the
One.
There is no such thing
As an "insignificant" act of Love.
Every
act of Love-- mowing lawns, digging holes, listening to a friend--
Is an act of true "worship."
Every thought of Love
Is a prayer,
Worth a thousand Lents.

True faith is
Allowing our lives to unfold naturally,
Without concern
Or manipulation.

The voice of God is heard,
Not in the thunder, or in the ocean's mighty roar,
But in the squeal of puppies,
And the silence of desert canyons.
Every touch of every friend
Is God reaching out to you.
Every aid, every help, every assistance,
Of any person who reaches out a helping hand,
Is also God.

Serving God is the quiet mind.
God's glory is not found in selftrumpeting,
The blast of the tuba,
Never in selfdisplay.
Instead, the greatest is the least:
Infinite power and talent
Manifest in the quiet,
Self-abnegating, self-effacing person.
Glory and splendor cry out
In her silence;
The most beautiful diamonds shine
Also in silence.

The good man
Is self-erasing,
The ignorant self-spotlighting.
God's real beauty
Shines in the silent emerald.

There is no glory
Like the silent and tender,
Quiet splendors of the night-sky.
Stars the size of a million earths
Speak most loudly and clearly
The language of sweet silence.
When all are shouting,
Only the most quiet whisper gets attention.

God moves into thee
When there is deep silence.
Otherwise, She is pushed out
By all the self-talk,
All the thoughts and busy-ness.
Holy Spirit settles
Like sun-kissed morning dew
On the silent rose,
And on the silent person.
In deepest equanimity,
Most profound tranquility,
God as Love
Permeates the unspeaking
And untroubled heart.

Relax into God,
And God will relax into you.
Let the Captain
Guide his ship
Of your life.
Do not try
To take over
And drive it yourself.
It will find its home-port,
But only if you let the Captain drive it.
For the heart knows well
Where is its home.

*******

"Newcomers" in the "Homeworld"

*******

When people die, for the first time-period (about a subjective year, although time is very different there), they are called "New-comers." One of the first things to which a New-comer in the Homeworld is exposed is "psychoreeducation," a kind of combination of therapy with education.

This is very necessary for people to learn to live in a world filled with total trust, in which all evil has disappeared and in which no betrayal can occur.

The granting of every wish to a person has a remarkable, unbelievable effect. Not only does she get everything that she has ever wanted, but there is never any lack, and she need never worry that it will be taken away. Under these conditions, people-haters of all sorts rather easily become people-lovers.

People with sexual hang-ups are quite common, from worlds such as the earth, and they, too, undergo some fairly powerful and radical re-adjustments involving the structure of the light-bodies. Alterations in biochemistry can make some of these problems vanish. In some cases, this occurs instantly, but in others, behavior-modifications are also needed.

When your friend is again drawn to the karmic constellation (incarnation-group), she will again meet her parents and brother, but all will have long been cured. They will then begin the process, which can ast for subjective years, of learning to love and trust each other. Of course, all the pressures of heavy biological and genetic connections will be gone, blessedly, and they will meet as contemporaries. Each will have had a very thorough education in agapology (understanding Love) and practice.

Each person in the Homeworld undergoes the most thorough and meticulous training in self-acceptance, compassion, kindness, goodness, honesty, and the other gentle arts of Love. Until people are so trained, they do not deal with the public, but must stay in the most beautiful, heavenly spa-like area until their training is completed. By the time that three earth-weeks have passed, it is likely that your friend has already successfully undergone the training, and is even now, peacefully and lovingly, reintegrating with her former family, sharing utter ecstasy and total peace.

*******

The "Second Coming" of Christ

*******

The "second coming" of Christ has long been an excuse for quibbling and cantankerous squabbling among many Christian denominations. It means many things to many people, and Christians have long disagreed in their interpretations.

When Jesus spoke with his disciples, he did not always speak in "ordinary, everyday" talk. At times, he spoke in symbols-- just as he did indeed also in his parables.

The "first coming" was in the flesh, as a man. (Actually, the Greek word translated as "coming" is parousia, which more closely resembles "Presence" in meaning.)

So, his first Presence in history was as a human being, in time, limited to one body, etc. Since that first Presence did not do all that he might have done, spectacular and joyous as it was, he promised a second Presence.

Since, the first time, he "came" to an entire nation and to a whole religion, to show them the imperfections of their faith, and was rejected, renounced, and even murdered, many Bible-scholars believe what I now do also:

They think that his second Presence is a personal revelation to the individual heart. True, the Scriptures do say that "every eye will see Him," but they do not say that "every eye shall see Him at the same time." So, the second Presence is not like the first. In the second, Christ does not reveal himself to thousands, but to each-- one at a time.

In other words, he comes to the individual heart and reveals Himself. So, for some, Christ has already revealed Himself-- his great Love, his compassion, his forgiveness. He has revealed that all who know him in this intimate way are in "grace," and covered and forgiven by God's grace.

But there are soul-minds of darkness to whom he has not yet revealed himself. At the end of time, he will, of course, have revealed his Presence, Love, and Splendid grace to everyone, and all will find that they are filled with the Lovelight of God and sweet forgiveness, beautiful wisdom. But this will not occur quickly, for many are still in training, and some will have a training-course that might last centuries. But still, there is no sin in the universe greater than God's Love, or God's will to forgive. God has worked it all out through the "Second Presence" of the Lord.
*******

War with Iran?

(Thanks to Mick Gallagher.)

Dear Friends of the Heart,

On Tuesday, a second US aircraft carrier arrived in the Sea of Oman off the southern coast of Iran1 giving a whole new meaning to the term "escalation." The bush administration is hell-bent on sending 21,000 troops to Iraq against the wishes of most Americans, but now it seems as if it might not stop there.

While the war in Iraq grows worse by the day, the White House seems to be turning its sights toward neighboring Iran, which could escalate the current conflict into a regional one. This reckless move comes despite the fact that most experts believe diplomacy is the way to go with Iran. President bush is out of control, and Congress needs to step in immediately to rein him in. Please sign this petition to Congress asking that it require the president to seek its authorization before taking
military action in Iran. Clicking here will add your name to the petition.

The President claimed that Iran is aiding the Iraqi insurgency, but analysts continue to cast doubt on the evidence. Even General Peter Pace of the Joint Chiefs of Staff has questioned the claims that the Iranian government is directly involved. After all, we are already in a war founded on disproved claims of WMDs.

But the reporting of this news is just the latest. Already we have two aircraft carriers in the region--unprecedented outside of war--and Patriot missiles have been deployed. Neither of these will help to protect our troops in Iraq, where most of the fighting is on the ground.

One thing is clear: Military action in Iran would further endanger our troops in Iraq, and threaten to destabilize the entire Middle East. It could even prop up the Iranian president, who is quickly losing popularity in his own country.

We have options: Experts say that sanctions and diplomacy can work. They just worked with North Korea, where we reached a deal last week for them to disarm. And we owe it to our troops to use all of our resources before sending them into harm's way. UN sanctions just went into effect yesterday; we need to give them a chance to work before provoking a regional conflict. It would be a mistake of historical proportion if the Administration thought that the 2002 resolution authorizing force against
Iraq was a blank check for the use of force against Iran-- without further Congressional authorization. Nor should the President think that the 2001 resolution authorizing force after the terrorist attacks of 9/11, in any way, authorizes force against Iran. If the administration believes that any use of force against Iran is necessary, the president must come to Congress to seek that authority.

Can you send a message to your representatives in demanding that Congress check our out-of-control president?

Clicking here will add your name to the petition:

Please also support General Wesley Clark and Iraq veterans, who have also mounted a petition against war with Iran, just announced today at:
http://www.StopIranWar.com

General Wesley Clark helped them launch their effort with these words:

War with Iran is not the answer now. We must work with our allies, talk with Iran, and use all diplomatic, political, and economic options at our disposal. Military force in Iran is not the solution.

Thank you for all you do.
Ilyse, Wes, Mari, Justin and the MoveOn.org Political Action Team
Thursday, February 22nd, 2007

Sources:

1. "USS Stennis Carrier Group Deploys Into Gulf Region," Bloomberg News,
February 20, 2007

2. "Pace Questions Whether Iran Arming Iraq," ABC News, February 13, 2007

3. Hillary Clinton for President. Transcript of floor speech. February
14, 2007

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