Posts
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Paul set forth a cosmic principle at Galatians 6:7, when he said, "Whatsoever a man sows, that he must also reap." On earth, in agriculture, you cannot plant beans and get corn. You do not plant acorns and get apple-trees. There is a direct cause-and-effect sequence in nature. Like causes like, and this law cannot be violated.
Paul is suggesting that, in the moral or spiritual universe, there also exists this same cause-and-effect sequence. Goodness produces goodness, and evil, evil. But the problem is, this principle does not work onearth. On earth, the good often suffer, and the evil often enjoy great "blessings." So, since Paul was not talking about the earth and our lives here, he must have been discussing a larger, or cosmic, principle.
He was. For this simple statement is pregnant with profound meaning. For in this simple sentence, he summarized the entire Law of Karma, with all its millions of variations and other complexities.
It is not mere coincidence that he stated the law of karma. In his time, and it is still true today, most of the population of our world believed in "polybiography," or reincarnation. (Many times, people are turned off by this word, and so, we can also use the other word, "polybiography," to mean the exact same thing.)
Either what Paul said was true, or it was false. Paul was a wise, smart, even inspired, man of God. I believe that what he wrote was truth, even though it is not true in our visible, physical world. For it is a spiritual truth. There is no larger explanation of the sowing-reaping principle than the law of karma.
Besides, there is some evidence, as from the ancient Nag Hammadi Library, that almost all early Christians believed; they taught that Jesus taught polybiography.
Right before stating the karmic principle, Paul gave this warning, in the same verse: "Do not be misled." What factors must we beware of, that could "mislead" us? The entire material, visible world does not itself "prove" polybiography, as it is a spiritual, not a physical, principle. So, it is the entire material world against which we are being warned, lest it "mislead" us.
Paul follows this by a second warning: "God is not to be mocked." This means that many people would like to believe that they can "get away with" harmful behavior, and somehow "God will not notice." But this is "mocking" God. For nothing can ever escape God's notice. In other words,the rule of karma is perfect; it perfectly matches every deliberate word, action, and thought.
Where does forgiveness enter? Anything that is a true mistake, a genuine error, an imperfection, or an action which lacks understanding, does not create any karma. Karma is created by only those actions that are deliberate, voluntary, and willful. So, all true mistakes are forgiven, but all purposeful actions do create karma.
Polybiography was a very common belief in Jesus' day, among even the Jews. This is proved by John 1:21, where the people mistook Jesus for either "Elijah" or "the prophet." So, it was a common misunderstanding to see an especially blessed person as the possible reincarnation or rebirth of Elijah or another respected prophet.
But the Christian Scriptures, although denying that Jesus was Elijah, did say that Elijah had returned, in the body of John the Baptizer. In Luke 1:17, it was prophesied that he would have the "spirit and power of Elijah." So, John had the Soul of the ancient prophet. Jesus and his disciples fully believed this, and took it for granted. In Matthew 11:14, Jesus confirmed that John was in fact Elijah.
Jesus was a mystery to the public. When he asked his disciples what people were saying about him, they said, "Some people think that you are John the Baptizer, Jeremiah or Elijah or another of the [great, historical] prophets." (Mt. 16:14) So, the people all around them were believing in polybiography. This makes it even more likely that Jesus and the disciples also accepted it.
In the Jewish Bible, there is at least one crystal-clear reference to Polybiography. The character named "Job," the text says, was an "Asian." As an Asian, he was likely influenced by beliefs similar to polybiography, which by even his time were ancient already. It was Job who said the mysterious words, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return there." This clear statement is found at Job 1:21.
The fact that Jesus and his disciples believed in polybiography is proved by the text of John 9:1, 2:"He saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, 'Master, who sinned, this man, or his parents, so that he was born blind?'" This proves that the man could have "sinned" before birth. It also proves that, in some cases, problems such as blindness can arise from previous activities, even before you are born. In this case, the man had not "sinned" at all, but was born blind in order to bring glory to God, Jesus explained. But the very fact that the disciples thought that perhaps the man had sinned before he was born is yet another clear statement of karma; for without karma, that question could have made no sense whatsoever.
Re hell: Let us not forget the matrix-principle underlying all enlightenment, and that is, "God is Love." (1 Jn. 4:8,16) If God is Love, then he, like Jesus, is a fountain of the richest forgiveness. This occurs, not because we are good, but because God is good; it all occurs because of grace.
A God of Love and forgiveness would never fry a person for ten billion billion years because she "messed up" a single tiny life on earth. It is a principle of all legal justice that the punishment should fit the crime-- or, in this case, the "sin." So, in order to be punished forever, a person would have to have sinned forever. And no one can ever sin forever.
An eternal hellfire is not taught anywhere in the Scriptures. You cannot, for example, "prove" the literal existence of hellfire by the use of a parable, such as the one at Luke 16:23. For a parable is, by its very nature and definition, symbolic: Situations symbolize or represent other situations.
For the same reason, you cannot use the Book of Revelation to prove anything literal, for the entire book is a book of symbols.
Notice how silly it would be to use literalism to understand Revelation 20:14, where it says that "hell [the lake of fire] was cast into the lake of fire." Does this mean that hell goes to hell,and that hell is tormented forever? This is what you must believe if you think that hell is a literal reference.
And the traditional "hell" is for only the bad people. Yet the text of the Christian Scriptures imply that Jesus also went there: Acts 2:27 says, "You will not leave my Soul in hell, or allow your loyal one to see corruption." And in 2:31, it says that "christ" was not "forsaken in hell." This kind of "forsaking" implies that he was already there.
Spiritually, "hell" is a mental state in which you believe that you are separated from Love, and "Christ" comes to this "hell" to rescue those who seem stuck there.
There are yet many more texts that have not been considered here, but these are the ones that truly stand out. If you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to write or call [the number here is (513-)737-LOVE (5683).]
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Monday, October 29, 2007
A Spiritual View of Death
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The spiritual being is not morbidly or chronically obsessed with death. She does not yearn or long for it. She does not fantasize about it. Nor is she always speaking or thinking of it. But, realistically, neither can it be ignored, nor can anyone successfully flee from it. And she does accept it as a natural part of every life-cycle. It is as natural as the sun-kissed dew upon the dawn rose.
Some are so terrified of death that they lie to themselves. They claim that their physical bodies will never die! Others are fanatics of nutrition and exercise, seeking to prolong biological life. These people are living in sheerest fantasy, rejected by the spiritually enlightened. Instead, she seeks to cultivate an accepting view of death. Although it is clearly an apparent "enemy" to biological creatures, it can be a "friend" to spiritual beings. For it leads to a life, or "afterlife," of beautiful and wonderful freedom, a life without pain, suffering, agony, or frustration.
Birth has always been a guarantee of death. Every creature ever born has died. So, death is not some "unnatural" or "astonishing" tragedy. It is an aspect of natural life, its final "crown" or glory. Those who have actually died have, for the first time in human history, been resuscitated by the thousands by biotechnology. They tell a surprisingly beautiful story of death as a survivable experience.
And those who remember anything at all tell essentially the same story: And all agree that, amazingly and contrary to philosophy and expectations of so many, the mind (consciousness or awareness) does survive after the physical death of the body.
However, spiritual beings are compassionate. We do not laugh at funerals, but cry with those who cry-- for their sakes. We are also partly biological, and we too feel the enormous, immense, vast sense of pain and loss (to our world) when any beautiful living creature leaves our world.
But the accounts of survival, brought back by those who have actually died, are just another verification of what spiritual people have taught for centuries, from Jesus to the Buddha.
So, the spiritually wise seek to embrace death in their "all-embracing" mind. They erase all fear of death, and hatred of death. In embracing God as the "all good," without negativity, they seek to expand even their Love, a gift of God's grace, to encircle even death. In this "Love of death," they can lead more peaceful and trusting lives. Jesus tells his followers to live as the birds, flowers, and nursing infants-- none of whom ever worry about, or fear, personal death.
Spiritually, as Jesus demonstrated, death is the release from this current highly imperfect, often terribly painful, life. With it, the mind soars into immeasurable freedom-- free from worry, anxiety, tension, guilt, fear, and the many assorted agonies caused by biological bodies. That deep subconscious aspect of the Mind that lived before this life, and that survives afterward, is called the "Soul," "Soul-level," or "Soulmind." Non-biological, It lives in a world of pure Mind-- of much greater beauty, balance, tranquility, bliss, and ecstasy. When we leave this world, our real life has just only begun!
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The spiritual being is not morbidly or chronically obsessed with death. She does not yearn or long for it. She does not fantasize about it. Nor is she always speaking or thinking of it. But, realistically, neither can it be ignored, nor can anyone successfully flee from it. And she does accept it as a natural part of every life-cycle. It is as natural as the sun-kissed dew upon the dawn rose.
Some are so terrified of death that they lie to themselves. They claim that their physical bodies will never die! Others are fanatics of nutrition and exercise, seeking to prolong biological life. These people are living in sheerest fantasy, rejected by the spiritually enlightened. Instead, she seeks to cultivate an accepting view of death. Although it is clearly an apparent "enemy" to biological creatures, it can be a "friend" to spiritual beings. For it leads to a life, or "afterlife," of beautiful and wonderful freedom, a life without pain, suffering, agony, or frustration.
Birth has always been a guarantee of death. Every creature ever born has died. So, death is not some "unnatural" or "astonishing" tragedy. It is an aspect of natural life, its final "crown" or glory. Those who have actually died have, for the first time in human history, been resuscitated by the thousands by biotechnology. They tell a surprisingly beautiful story of death as a survivable experience.
And those who remember anything at all tell essentially the same story: And all agree that, amazingly and contrary to philosophy and expectations of so many, the mind (consciousness or awareness) does survive after the physical death of the body.
However, spiritual beings are compassionate. We do not laugh at funerals, but cry with those who cry-- for their sakes. We are also partly biological, and we too feel the enormous, immense, vast sense of pain and loss (to our world) when any beautiful living creature leaves our world.
But the accounts of survival, brought back by those who have actually died, are just another verification of what spiritual people have taught for centuries, from Jesus to the Buddha.
So, the spiritually wise seek to embrace death in their "all-embracing" mind. They erase all fear of death, and hatred of death. In embracing God as the "all good," without negativity, they seek to expand even their Love, a gift of God's grace, to encircle even death. In this "Love of death," they can lead more peaceful and trusting lives. Jesus tells his followers to live as the birds, flowers, and nursing infants-- none of whom ever worry about, or fear, personal death.
Spiritually, as Jesus demonstrated, death is the release from this current highly imperfect, often terribly painful, life. With it, the mind soars into immeasurable freedom-- free from worry, anxiety, tension, guilt, fear, and the many assorted agonies caused by biological bodies. That deep subconscious aspect of the Mind that lived before this life, and that survives afterward, is called the "Soul," "Soul-level," or "Soulmind." Non-biological, It lives in a world of pure Mind-- of much greater beauty, balance, tranquility, bliss, and ecstasy. When we leave this world, our real life has just only begun!
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Saturday, October 27, 2007
Bush and the Environment
Thanks to Chris Finer.
"I'm not a genius. I'm just passionately curious."........Einstein
Last Friday, Martin McGuiness, special assistant to the president for legislative affairs proclaimed "This administration has done more for the environment and addressing energy security and climate change than any other in history."
While the claim that George Bush has done more to address climate change than any administration seems ridiculous, we should always be willing to welcome converts to our movement. If this administration has final come around on the climate crisis, then now is the time for them to take action.
Let's join together and demand the Bush Administration commit to an international treaty that would cut CO2 by 90%.
Send George Bush a message today by visiting:
http://algore.com/talkingpoints
"I'm not a genius. I'm just passionately curious."........Einstein
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Wine Notes
Thanks to Nate Merritt.
HITLER or JESUS? Which brand of wine do YOU prefer?
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HITLER or JESUS? Which brand of wine do YOU prefer?
Hitler Wines Seized In Italy
Posted Sep 28th 2007 11:02AM by Deidre Woollard
Filed under: Wine
An Italian company which specializes in labeling their wine with the pictures of infamous historical figures is in trouble again. Decanter reports that Italian police have confiscated bottles of wine with labels depicting Hitler and other Nazis. The wines from Vini Lundardelli is part of their 'Der Führer' line which feature a variety of labels portraying various figures associated with Nazi Germany. The bottles were seized because they represent a "glorification of the perpetrators of crimes against humanity," according to the Agence France Presse.
Decanter has a quote from Andrea Lunardelli, marketing and distribution director, who says that the move was a marketing strategy (other labels include Che Guevara, Napoleon and Mussolini) and that the Hitler labels were requested by customers in Germany and Austria. The Hitler wines are still for sale through the Vini Lundarelli website and the case is currently with the company's lawyers.
This is far from the first time the wines have caused controversy. There was a major outcry in 2003 at which time Alessandro Lunardelli said that the Hitler wines were the most popular in the series, selling around 30,000 bottles a year.
Using a cute rabbit or a kangaroo to sell wine is old news. Last week I mentioned wines with Hitler on the label; this week comes news of a wine importer going in a completely opposite direction -- it has Jesus on the label. The Grapes of Galilee is a new Israeli wine label aimed at American Christians. The grapes are grown in the region where Jesus Christ is said to have lived, and they are irrigated with water from the Jordan River, where he was baptized. Wine from Israel is nothing new, but most of the Israeli wine sold in the U.S. has previously been to Jewish consumers. In fact, the Grapes of Galilee wine comes from an existing Israeli winery, only the Jesus-themed label is new. As Ad Age reports, the importer, Pini Haroz, sees the chardonnay, merlot and cabernet sauvignon wines as being perfect for holidays and he is marketing it in areas with high concentrations of Catholics. The wine sells for $13.99 a bottle online.
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Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Dubya Attacks Millions of American Children
Thanks to Nate Merritt.
DUBYA ATTACKS MILLIONS OF AMERICAN CHILDREN!
With one stroke of his pen yesterday, bush vetoed the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) reauthorization bill that would have provided health insurance for 10 million children.
Families USA, a partner of the Campaign for Children's Health Care, released a new ad about the veto. It features real kids who need health insurance and could benefit from CHIP reauthorization.
Click here to view the video.
You're one of the first to see this ad. We need your help so that as many other people as possible see it, too. Please forward it to your friends and family, and ask them to do the same.
Second, please sign Families USA's petition urging Congress to fight back and overturn bush's veto. Unfortunately for him, he doesn't get the last word. We do.
In the coming days, the bill will return to Congress for a vote to override his veto. At last count, we were still about two dozen votes short of the amount needed to defeat the veto in the House of Representatives.
The majority of American voters support an expansion of children's health coverage according to recent polls-including voters in Republican-held districts. So why do some members of Congress continue to ignore their constituents and stand by the president to block children's health? The answer is greed; they fear to spend money for kids, and would rather use it to kill innocents.
Click here to view the video.
Families USA: Home
We want voters in every Congressional district in the country to see this ad and tell their Representatives to support kids.
Ten million children are waiting for us to take action on their behalf.
Let's not let them down the way bush and his allies in Congress have.
Thank you,
Ron Pollack, Executive Director
Families USA
Partner of the Campaign for Children's Health Care
Sunday, October 21, 2007
When Life is "No Fun"
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Many activities, people, events, and even things can contribute to joy. But nothing can "make us happy" if we are subconsciously "refusing delivery" on joy, if we reject it. Psychologists have even described a very serious condition called "anhedonia." This is the catastrophic, tragic inability to enjoy anything.
There can be several contributing factors to the inability to enjoy events, things, and people. If we seriously ignore our spiritual needs-- never read anything spiritual, never meditate, never practice Love or compassion, that can and will lead to anhedonia. So, continually be reaching out to others, multiplying friends and acquaintances! The only way to "love God" is by loving people!
But there is another, related, cause of which people rarely think. This is the absence of forgiveness. For forgiveness is the interior "door to joy" in our hearts. Forgiveness is the factor that allows joy to be planted within the heartmind, and to grow, and to thrive.
So, if we are failing, or refusing (out of pride) to forgive anyone, we are cutting way back on our internal joy. In fact, we are helping to create depression-- in its most serious case, anhedonia.
This is an act of ignorance and real selfhatred. So, the heartmind punishes itself by creating interior "hellstates"-- conditions of agony, suffering, and pain-- when we refuse to forgive ourselves or others.
What can we do? One thing that can be done immediately: Take an honest and thorough interior inventory. Scan and search through the "records" of your memory. If you have found that there is someone from your past that you have never forgiven, immediately email or phone that person, and make sincere, honest peace with her/him.
This will have an immediate and palpable healing effect on both your body and your mind. It will make you feel renewed, refreshed, and rejuvenated! So, don't think about it too long, and do not put it on a "back shelf" in your head! Do it now! You will be very glad that you did!
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Many activities, people, events, and even things can contribute to joy. But nothing can "make us happy" if we are subconsciously "refusing delivery" on joy, if we reject it. Psychologists have even described a very serious condition called "anhedonia." This is the catastrophic, tragic inability to enjoy anything.
There can be several contributing factors to the inability to enjoy events, things, and people. If we seriously ignore our spiritual needs-- never read anything spiritual, never meditate, never practice Love or compassion, that can and will lead to anhedonia. So, continually be reaching out to others, multiplying friends and acquaintances! The only way to "love God" is by loving people!
But there is another, related, cause of which people rarely think. This is the absence of forgiveness. For forgiveness is the interior "door to joy" in our hearts. Forgiveness is the factor that allows joy to be planted within the heartmind, and to grow, and to thrive.
So, if we are failing, or refusing (out of pride) to forgive anyone, we are cutting way back on our internal joy. In fact, we are helping to create depression-- in its most serious case, anhedonia.
This is an act of ignorance and real selfhatred. So, the heartmind punishes itself by creating interior "hellstates"-- conditions of agony, suffering, and pain-- when we refuse to forgive ourselves or others.
What can we do? One thing that can be done immediately: Take an honest and thorough interior inventory. Scan and search through the "records" of your memory. If you have found that there is someone from your past that you have never forgiven, immediately email or phone that person, and make sincere, honest peace with her/him.
This will have an immediate and palpable healing effect on both your body and your mind. It will make you feel renewed, refreshed, and rejuvenated! So, don't think about it too long, and do not put it on a "back shelf" in your head! Do it now! You will be very glad that you did!
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Thursday, October 18, 2007
Ministry and Bucks
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It is an obscenity with what facility greed can manifest even among
"spiritual" pursuits. Many "ministries," and "teachers," are "in the
biz" of spirituality for the sake of greed and fame.
These are invalid reasons, and no one should ever present herself as a
loving, selfless being who has a "service" or "ministry" whose true goal
is money. Spirituality is holy, and is not a mere "commodity," to be
sold like beans or oranges.
Spirituality is priceless. No price can ever be set on a good teaching.
The truly great masters of history, Jesus and the Buddha, never charged,
in any historical record, for any of their sermons.
This does not imply that a modern spiritual teacher cannot receive
Love-donations. But it does imply that any attempt to put a price on, or
to sell, spiritual wisdom is immoral. Spiritual teachers, if they are
the real thing, must and should always be willing to give freely of their
time and energy. Time is a gift from the cosmos, and to try to "profit"
on selling time is a simple absurdity. So-called "spiritual teachers"
who charge for their time are trying to rip off people-- often, those in
most need.
Some "spiritual teachers" are angry because Love Ministries does not
charge anything for its educational work. All lectures, seminars, and
personal consultations of Love Ministries are always given freely, or for
a Love-donation. Other ministries might not like this, because they feel
"criticized" by this policy. Indeed, some of them are operating out of
greed.
But it is not our intent to criticize. It is our intent simply to follow
the best examples possible-- Jesus and the Buddha, and other great
spiritual giants, who did not charge for their spiritual work. We must
follow their lead wherever it takes us, no matter what other "spiritual
teachers" say or do!
*******
It is an obscenity with what facility greed can manifest even among
"spiritual" pursuits. Many "ministries," and "teachers," are "in the
biz" of spirituality for the sake of greed and fame.
These are invalid reasons, and no one should ever present herself as a
loving, selfless being who has a "service" or "ministry" whose true goal
is money. Spirituality is holy, and is not a mere "commodity," to be
sold like beans or oranges.
Spirituality is priceless. No price can ever be set on a good teaching.
The truly great masters of history, Jesus and the Buddha, never charged,
in any historical record, for any of their sermons.
This does not imply that a modern spiritual teacher cannot receive
Love-donations. But it does imply that any attempt to put a price on, or
to sell, spiritual wisdom is immoral. Spiritual teachers, if they are
the real thing, must and should always be willing to give freely of their
time and energy. Time is a gift from the cosmos, and to try to "profit"
on selling time is a simple absurdity. So-called "spiritual teachers"
who charge for their time are trying to rip off people-- often, those in
most need.
Some "spiritual teachers" are angry because Love Ministries does not
charge anything for its educational work. All lectures, seminars, and
personal consultations of Love Ministries are always given freely, or for
a Love-donation. Other ministries might not like this, because they feel
"criticized" by this policy. Indeed, some of them are operating out of
greed.
But it is not our intent to criticize. It is our intent simply to follow
the best examples possible-- Jesus and the Buddha, and other great
spiritual giants, who did not charge for their spiritual work. We must
follow their lead wherever it takes us, no matter what other "spiritual
teachers" say or do!
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Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Elaboration on Face-reading
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Several people have shown a great interest in the Chinese art of face-reading since it was discussed in the uld. To elaborate and clarify: A cleft in the chin includes any kind of indentation, from slight to a "hole." (The more pronounced, the stronger the quality.)
A cleft in the chin does not imply that a person is evil or dishonest. The Chinese say, instead, that it might imply a lack of tenacity in the formation of a reliable, dependable lifedesign. A person with a cleft can make a wonderful and beautiful friend, but might not have the tenacity for the "long haul."
A person should never be judged, or pre-judged (the root of "prejudice") on the basis of physiognomy alone. If she is to be evaluated, it must be on the basis of the totality of her past actions.
The Chinese philosophers held that a person's karma often expressed itself in the face. This is very similar to the palmists' suggestion that the palms of the hand contain a "road-map" to a life even before that life is lived.
Earth is an unpredictable, sometimes scary, place. Due to this, spiritual people welcome all the data that can be obtained about, and from, others. They might use palmistry, astropsychology, and face-reading, for example, to help them better adapt to people in their environment.
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Several people have shown a great interest in the Chinese art of face-reading since it was discussed in the uld. To elaborate and clarify: A cleft in the chin includes any kind of indentation, from slight to a "hole." (The more pronounced, the stronger the quality.)
A cleft in the chin does not imply that a person is evil or dishonest. The Chinese say, instead, that it might imply a lack of tenacity in the formation of a reliable, dependable lifedesign. A person with a cleft can make a wonderful and beautiful friend, but might not have the tenacity for the "long haul."
A person should never be judged, or pre-judged (the root of "prejudice") on the basis of physiognomy alone. If she is to be evaluated, it must be on the basis of the totality of her past actions.
The Chinese philosophers held that a person's karma often expressed itself in the face. This is very similar to the palmists' suggestion that the palms of the hand contain a "road-map" to a life even before that life is lived.
Earth is an unpredictable, sometimes scary, place. Due to this, spiritual people welcome all the data that can be obtained about, and from, others. They might use palmistry, astropsychology, and face-reading, for example, to help them better adapt to people in their environment.
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The Four Gospels
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Mark is the oldest of the canonical Gospels (those included in the "official" Bible). It goes back, some say, all the way to 80 or 70 CE. Parts of the Gospel of Thomas, not in our modern Bible, go all the way back to about 50, and so, it might be even older, more closely reflecting the teachings of the actual Jesus Christ.
Matthew was written specifically for an audience of mostly Hebrew people, and so, its author (who was not Matthew), or, more probably, authors, highlighted the Jewish texts and tried to fit them into the life of Jesus as "fulfilled prophecies."
Luke was written for a more sophisticated and cosmopolitan audience, and so, does not have all the Scriptural "hedging" and continuous referencing of Matthew. It was written for a Greek audience, of mostly more educated and less Biblical readers.
Finally, the latest official Gospel, John, is traced to about 100. It was written for mystically inclined Christians-- the gnostics-- and emphasizes the spiritual nature of Jesus as a model for followers. It tells of his preincarnational life as the Logos, or "Word," the reasoning Power of God, and emphasizes his oneness with God. (Compare 10:30).
The Gospel-writers were not exacting regarding matters of history. In their writings, it is probable that they mixed symbolic material with literal descriptions. So, the Gospels might be part allegory and part history. (Our modern idea of "historical accuracy" did not then exist.)
The four recognized Gospels are thought to be derived from a more ancient collection of Jesus' teachings and sayings called the "Q" Document. It was similar, in style and age, to the Gospel of Thomas, and was regarded as a very reliable reflection of the original teachings of Jesus.
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Mark is the oldest of the canonical Gospels (those included in the "official" Bible). It goes back, some say, all the way to 80 or 70 CE. Parts of the Gospel of Thomas, not in our modern Bible, go all the way back to about 50, and so, it might be even older, more closely reflecting the teachings of the actual Jesus Christ.
Matthew was written specifically for an audience of mostly Hebrew people, and so, its author (who was not Matthew), or, more probably, authors, highlighted the Jewish texts and tried to fit them into the life of Jesus as "fulfilled prophecies."
Luke was written for a more sophisticated and cosmopolitan audience, and so, does not have all the Scriptural "hedging" and continuous referencing of Matthew. It was written for a Greek audience, of mostly more educated and less Biblical readers.
Finally, the latest official Gospel, John, is traced to about 100. It was written for mystically inclined Christians-- the gnostics-- and emphasizes the spiritual nature of Jesus as a model for followers. It tells of his preincarnational life as the Logos, or "Word," the reasoning Power of God, and emphasizes his oneness with God. (Compare 10:30).
The Gospel-writers were not exacting regarding matters of history. In their writings, it is probable that they mixed symbolic material with literal descriptions. So, the Gospels might be part allegory and part history. (Our modern idea of "historical accuracy" did not then exist.)
The four recognized Gospels are thought to be derived from a more ancient collection of Jesus' teachings and sayings called the "Q" Document. It was similar, in style and age, to the Gospel of Thomas, and was regarded as a very reliable reflection of the original teachings of Jesus.
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The Book of Job
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The Book of Job is unique. The ancient text identifies Job as an "Asian," or, in older translations, "an Oriental." So, Job was not a Hebrew. He might have been Chinese. At any rate, he is famous for his profound wisdom, and Job is a classic in spirituality. Unlike the other books of the "Hebrew Scriptures," it is not simply a product of Hebrew culture.
As an Asian, if he was spiritual-- and he must have been-- it was probably a spirituality more along the lines of Taoism or Buddhism rather than Judaism. These faiths are famous for their strengthening the Soul against suffering and loss. Some varieties are almost fatalistic in their acceptance of suffering. But, at any rate, unlike the Hebrew faith, these Asian Ways do have a valid and fair explanation for suffering.
Job proves that a man can conduct his life in purity and justice even if the universe seems to be unjust. Of course, the cosmos is never unjust, being under the guidance of Love (God). But the working out of karma can make the cosmos appear ruthless, unjust, and unfeeling. Life on earth can seem to be hell.
Job, in challenging Jehovah, actually proves himself more aware of more factors, actually confusing Jehovah, and backing him into a kind of corner. Jehovah ends up "defending" himself with the last-resort argument, "How dare you question me?" Jehovah really has no satisfactory answers to all the suffering on earth-- as indeed the Hebrew faith did not understand why human beings have to suffer so much. For the Hebrew religion made mo room for karma, and hence, had not a clue.
Job is almost Buddhist in its concentration on suffering and its meaning. It is the one book in the Hebrew Scriptures that asks the truly profound questions about this difficult life on earth. I have read it several times, and it is well worth reading and rereading.
*******
The Book of Job is unique. The ancient text identifies Job as an "Asian," or, in older translations, "an Oriental." So, Job was not a Hebrew. He might have been Chinese. At any rate, he is famous for his profound wisdom, and Job is a classic in spirituality. Unlike the other books of the "Hebrew Scriptures," it is not simply a product of Hebrew culture.
As an Asian, if he was spiritual-- and he must have been-- it was probably a spirituality more along the lines of Taoism or Buddhism rather than Judaism. These faiths are famous for their strengthening the Soul against suffering and loss. Some varieties are almost fatalistic in their acceptance of suffering. But, at any rate, unlike the Hebrew faith, these Asian Ways do have a valid and fair explanation for suffering.
Job proves that a man can conduct his life in purity and justice even if the universe seems to be unjust. Of course, the cosmos is never unjust, being under the guidance of Love (God). But the working out of karma can make the cosmos appear ruthless, unjust, and unfeeling. Life on earth can seem to be hell.
Job, in challenging Jehovah, actually proves himself more aware of more factors, actually confusing Jehovah, and backing him into a kind of corner. Jehovah ends up "defending" himself with the last-resort argument, "How dare you question me?" Jehovah really has no satisfactory answers to all the suffering on earth-- as indeed the Hebrew faith did not understand why human beings have to suffer so much. For the Hebrew religion made mo room for karma, and hence, had not a clue.
Job is almost Buddhist in its concentration on suffering and its meaning. It is the one book in the Hebrew Scriptures that asks the truly profound questions about this difficult life on earth. I have read it several times, and it is well worth reading and rereading.
*******
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Responses to Karen and Joe
Karen and Joe made some comments re some recent articles in the uld.
Here are responses:
Dear Karen,
The ancient art of Chinese physiognomy (face-reading) is based upon the study of thousands of faces over many centuries. We need not be dogmatic and claim that it cannot be wrong, that it is always correct, but it is generally a reliable system. If we discover contradictions to its principles, or exceptions, we are free, of course, to believe that the entire system is flawed, or that it does not work. Or, in some cases, we might simply need more knowledge, or a more objective perspective. At any rate, it is a very fascinating system that increases understanding of our fellow human beings.
To Joe:
Dear Joe,
Yes, my friend, we must admit that evil really does exist in our world. For ours is a world of illusion and duality. Evil does not exist absolutely-- that is, in the perfect Mind of the Absolute, the Supreme, the Ultimate. But in this world, it is a very real factor. It is really an educational guideline, for its avoidance helps the human mind clarify the meaning of the good, by contrast. We can see how hideous, how
horrible, is evil, and that impels us away from it, keeping us more firmly on the path of goodness. To deny the absolute existence of evil is not to deny the existence of evil. It does exist, and is very real, within the context of a world that itself has only a secondary reality.
An ancient mystic wrote, "God is Light, and there is no darkness in Him." (1 Jn. 1:5) So, in the perfect Mind of God, which is stainless purity, "evil" has no reality; most of what we call "evil" might be the outworking of a perfectly good, and educational, karma. This is the spiritual explanation of suffering.
Here are responses:
Dear Karen,
The ancient art of Chinese physiognomy (face-reading) is based upon the study of thousands of faces over many centuries. We need not be dogmatic and claim that it cannot be wrong, that it is always correct, but it is generally a reliable system. If we discover contradictions to its principles, or exceptions, we are free, of course, to believe that the entire system is flawed, or that it does not work. Or, in some cases, we might simply need more knowledge, or a more objective perspective. At any rate, it is a very fascinating system that increases understanding of our fellow human beings.
To Joe:
Dear Joe,
Yes, my friend, we must admit that evil really does exist in our world. For ours is a world of illusion and duality. Evil does not exist absolutely-- that is, in the perfect Mind of the Absolute, the Supreme, the Ultimate. But in this world, it is a very real factor. It is really an educational guideline, for its avoidance helps the human mind clarify the meaning of the good, by contrast. We can see how hideous, how
horrible, is evil, and that impels us away from it, keeping us more firmly on the path of goodness. To deny the absolute existence of evil is not to deny the existence of evil. It does exist, and is very real, within the context of a world that itself has only a secondary reality.
An ancient mystic wrote, "God is Light, and there is no darkness in Him." (1 Jn. 1:5) So, in the perfect Mind of God, which is stainless purity, "evil" has no reality; most of what we call "evil" might be the outworking of a perfectly good, and educational, karma. This is the spiritual explanation of suffering.
Monday, October 15, 2007
Always Double-check!
*******
If you looked up the word Elohim, I congratulate you. It is always good and wise to double-check our sources. It is always possible that I can be in error.
But in this case, I am not wrong. The Hebrew word elohim is definitely a plural word. It does NOT mean "God," even though much tradition, based on the King James Version, supports this falsehood. The word definitely means "gods."
What was the name of the reference-work in which you looked the word up? For fundy churches have produced an entire library of false "reference" works that are unreliable, and it is possible that you used one of these.
Always remember this very valuable principle: Just because a statement appears in a book, that alone does not guarantee that it is correct. In the history of religion, especially, tens of thousands of falsehoods and errors have appeared in print, in books. Still, you are very wise to question everything that I say, and also, that everyone else says.
Thanks for staying "on your guard," and double-checking on this. This is precisely what a good student should do!
*******
If you looked up the word Elohim, I congratulate you. It is always good and wise to double-check our sources. It is always possible that I can be in error.
But in this case, I am not wrong. The Hebrew word elohim is definitely a plural word. It does NOT mean "God," even though much tradition, based on the King James Version, supports this falsehood. The word definitely means "gods."
What was the name of the reference-work in which you looked the word up? For fundy churches have produced an entire library of false "reference" works that are unreliable, and it is possible that you used one of these.
Always remember this very valuable principle: Just because a statement appears in a book, that alone does not guarantee that it is correct. In the history of religion, especially, tens of thousands of falsehoods and errors have appeared in print, in books. Still, you are very wise to question everything that I say, and also, that everyone else says.
Thanks for staying "on your guard," and double-checking on this. This is precisely what a good student should do!
*******
Thursday, October 11, 2007
America Tortures its POWs
Thanks to Nate Merritt.
*******
The article below details the little known truth regarding the Fascist Nazi interests of George W Bush's Grandfather, Prescott Bush, as he and others attempted to overthrow the US government in the 1930s in order to install a fascist dictatorship. This is important in order to understand the true motivations behind The Bush Family and why they need to be stopped.
http://republican.meetup.com/boards/view/viewthread?thread=3317707
Richard Gage presentation: "How the Towers Fell".
This is one of the most well presented, clear cut, honest and compelling presentations regarding evidence as to the Controlled Demolition of the World Trade Center. Please watch if you have any doubts that the Towers were taken down by explosives.
http://911blogger.com/node/10025
*******
AMERICA TORTURES ITS POWS former president Carter reveals
America Tortures Prisoners, Carter Says
CNN
Posted: 2007-10-10 20:01:44
Filed Under: Politics News, World News
WASHINGTON (Oct. 10) -- The United States tortures prisoners in violation of international law, former President Carter said Wednesday.
Photo Gallery: Former President on the Offensive
Alfred de Montesquiou, AP
Former President Jimmy Carter, seen here in the Darfur region of Sudan last week, told CNN's Wolf Blitzer on Wednesday that the U.S. tortures prisoners captured in the war on terror. "I don't think it. I know it," Carter said.
"Our country for the first time in my life time has abandoned the basic principle of human rights," Carter said. "We've said that the Geneva Conventions do not apply to those people in Abu Ghraib prison and Guantanamo, and we've said we can torture prisoners and deprive them of an accusation of a crime to which they are accused."
Carter also said President Bush creates his own definition of human rights.
Carter's comments come on the heels of an October 4 article in The New York Times disclosing the existence of secret Justice Department memorandums supporting the use of "harsh interrogation techniques." These include "head-slapping, simulated drowning, and frigid temperatures," according to the Times.
The White House last week confirmed the existence of the documents but would not make them public.
Responding to the newspaper report Friday, bush defended the techniques used, saying, "This government does not torture people."
Asked about bush's comments, Carter said, "That's not an accurate statement if you use the international norms of torture as has always been honored -- certainly in the last 60 years since the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was promulgated.
"But you can make your own definition of human rights and say we don't violate them, and you can make your own definition of torture and say we don't violate them."
...Carter also criticized some of the 2008 Republican presidential candidates, calling former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani "foolish" for his contention the United States should be open to use force on Iran.
"I hope that he doesn't become president and try to impose his conviction that we need to go to war with Iran," Carter said.
CNN was attempting to get a response from the Giuliani campaign.
The former president didn't spare the rest of the GOP field either.
"They all seem to be outdoing each other in who wants to go to war first with Iran, who wants to keep Guantanamo open longer and expand its capacity -- things of that kind," Carter said.
"They're competing with each other to appeal to the ultra-right-wing, war-mongering element in our country, which I think is the minority of our total population."
Carter declined to say which Republican candidate he feared the most. (I would too. -NJM)
"If I condemn one of them, it might escalate him to the top position in the Republican ranks," he said. (Sounds exactly like the way the hawks think! -NJM)
Democratic Sens. Hillary Clinton of New York and Barack Obama of Illinois also drew Carter's criticism for refusing recently to pledge to withdraw all troops from Iraq by the end of their first terms if they win the presidency in 2008.
"I disagree with their basic premise that we'll still be there; I think the American people want out," Carter said. "If there is an unforeseen development where Iraqi people request American presence over a period of time, I think that would possibly be acceptable, but that's not my personal preference."
CNN's Alexander Mooney contributed to this report.
*******
The article below details the little known truth regarding the Fascist Nazi interests of George W Bush's Grandfather, Prescott Bush, as he and others attempted to overthrow the US government in the 1930s in order to install a fascist dictatorship. This is important in order to understand the true motivations behind The Bush Family and why they need to be stopped.
http://republican.meetup.com/boards/view/viewthread?thread=3317707
Richard Gage presentation: "How the Towers Fell".
This is one of the most well presented, clear cut, honest and compelling presentations regarding evidence as to the Controlled Demolition of the World Trade Center. Please watch if you have any doubts that the Towers were taken down by explosives.
http://911blogger.com/node/10025
*******
Love (God) Calls to Love
*******
Religion has taught people, for so many centuries, that "understanding the Bible" is what spirituality is all about. But, in history, people who were "experts" at understanding and explaining the Bible have been pedophiles, thieves, liars, political manipulators, warriors, rapists, and murderers (such as those who murdered Jesus).
So, "understanding the Bible," or particular teachings, is not what true "Christianity" is all about.
No, instead, Christianity is about living with as much Love as possible. Jesus himself said that his true followers would be marked (identified) by only Love. (Jn. 13:34,35). Jesus was not an expert on the Bible; for our modern Bible did not even exist during his lifetime.
No, pleasing God is not about understanding everything, or even understanding many ideas, concepts, teachings, or doctrines. It is all about Love.
A very simple man (let us use the parable of a mentally arrested person) who truly showed kindness and gentleness to all, who did the very best that he knew how, but never picked up a Bible, would fare better at Judgment than A Bible-expert who was a "walking encyclopedia," but who did not "have time" for others.
God does not care if we learn much about dogmas and teachings. People are always arguing over the Bible precisely because it is not clear in these matters. If God really cared about intellectual teachings, he would have written a ten-volume encyclopedia, explaining everything.
God uses the earth, not a church, as our "school." The church should energize us to remember the holiness of Love, and it should encourage the activities of Love.
Every act of Love is an act of worship.
And there is no "small" act of Love.
All involve God, Who is Love.
God could not care less about our intellect or our beliefs. He cares about only our Love, and Jesus always encourages Love-- mostly, through non-judgment (never saying that any Soul has no good), and endless forgiveness.
To please God, you do not have to belong to the "right" church. Jesus and the apostles did not belong to any of the modern churches-- neither Catholic nor Protestant. They did not exist in those days. So, we must do what Jesus did-- according to our limited ability. We cannot cure the sick, but we can perform acts of loving-kindness everywhere that we go. Sometimes, a simple smile can change a whole day; sometimes, you can help by doing errands; sometimes, you can listen on the phone; sometimes, you can write emails or snailmails. A kind word can help a person through a tough day.
Every action of Love is an act of service to God.
The only Way to "love God" is to love human beings and other creatures.
God wants us to love ourselves and to help (aid, assist, give to) each other. Our world needs a billion acts of Love every day. It is better to lay a single brick than to dream of a thousand palaces. An act of Love is worth a thousand sermons. So, do something "small," some small acts of kindness, every day. For kindness is Love; kindness is true religion. Forget about all the complicated ideas of religion. They can be interesting, but, when they become a burden, drop them and lay them down. But never stop loving!
*******
Religion has taught people, for so many centuries, that "understanding the Bible" is what spirituality is all about. But, in history, people who were "experts" at understanding and explaining the Bible have been pedophiles, thieves, liars, political manipulators, warriors, rapists, and murderers (such as those who murdered Jesus).
So, "understanding the Bible," or particular teachings, is not what true "Christianity" is all about.
No, instead, Christianity is about living with as much Love as possible. Jesus himself said that his true followers would be marked (identified) by only Love. (Jn. 13:34,35). Jesus was not an expert on the Bible; for our modern Bible did not even exist during his lifetime.
No, pleasing God is not about understanding everything, or even understanding many ideas, concepts, teachings, or doctrines. It is all about Love.
A very simple man (let us use the parable of a mentally arrested person) who truly showed kindness and gentleness to all, who did the very best that he knew how, but never picked up a Bible, would fare better at Judgment than A Bible-expert who was a "walking encyclopedia," but who did not "have time" for others.
God does not care if we learn much about dogmas and teachings. People are always arguing over the Bible precisely because it is not clear in these matters. If God really cared about intellectual teachings, he would have written a ten-volume encyclopedia, explaining everything.
God uses the earth, not a church, as our "school." The church should energize us to remember the holiness of Love, and it should encourage the activities of Love.
Every act of Love is an act of worship.
And there is no "small" act of Love.
All involve God, Who is Love.
God could not care less about our intellect or our beliefs. He cares about only our Love, and Jesus always encourages Love-- mostly, through non-judgment (never saying that any Soul has no good), and endless forgiveness.
To please God, you do not have to belong to the "right" church. Jesus and the apostles did not belong to any of the modern churches-- neither Catholic nor Protestant. They did not exist in those days. So, we must do what Jesus did-- according to our limited ability. We cannot cure the sick, but we can perform acts of loving-kindness everywhere that we go. Sometimes, a simple smile can change a whole day; sometimes, you can help by doing errands; sometimes, you can listen on the phone; sometimes, you can write emails or snailmails. A kind word can help a person through a tough day.
Every action of Love is an act of service to God.
The only Way to "love God" is to love human beings and other creatures.
God wants us to love ourselves and to help (aid, assist, give to) each other. Our world needs a billion acts of Love every day. It is better to lay a single brick than to dream of a thousand palaces. An act of Love is worth a thousand sermons. So, do something "small," some small acts of kindness, every day. For kindness is Love; kindness is true religion. Forget about all the complicated ideas of religion. They can be interesting, but, when they become a burden, drop them and lay them down. But never stop loving!
*******
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Freelance Spirituality (Independence)
*******
You have made the smart and reasonable move, in avoiding entanglement in the cult called the "School of Metaphysics." Your Soul is very glad that you "missed a bullet."
Yes, it does seem that gurus are always trying to take sexual advantage of students. This is both deplorable and despicable, but it is also very powerfully human. So, our best bet is genuinely to forgive them, pray for them, and move on with our lives.
As you know so well, the path of the spiritual free-lancer is followed here. There is no "belonging" to any group, organized religion, cult, or denomination. It is attempted to be a Christian, but not only a "Christian." And this is not the historical, or orthodox, Christian, but a gnostic Christian. The path is that of the "Jesus-Christian."
There are still goodness and integrity in our world, my friend. If you look around, you can find them. But be careful to expect people-- even the best-- to be spiritual only, and not perfect. For all human beings are imperfect, rather poorly constructed by a very complex karma. But the truly "good" ones are those who are doing their honest best; no one can do more, and we dare not demand more!
*******
You have made the smart and reasonable move, in avoiding entanglement in the cult called the "School of Metaphysics." Your Soul is very glad that you "missed a bullet."
Yes, it does seem that gurus are always trying to take sexual advantage of students. This is both deplorable and despicable, but it is also very powerfully human. So, our best bet is genuinely to forgive them, pray for them, and move on with our lives.
As you know so well, the path of the spiritual free-lancer is followed here. There is no "belonging" to any group, organized religion, cult, or denomination. It is attempted to be a Christian, but not only a "Christian." And this is not the historical, or orthodox, Christian, but a gnostic Christian. The path is that of the "Jesus-Christian."
There are still goodness and integrity in our world, my friend. If you look around, you can find them. But be careful to expect people-- even the best-- to be spiritual only, and not perfect. For all human beings are imperfect, rather poorly constructed by a very complex karma. But the truly "good" ones are those who are doing their honest best; no one can do more, and we dare not demand more!
*******
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
Gifts of the Spirit
*******
The Pentecostal Movement (including the "Assemblies of God") are very "charismatic." This means that they emphasize, much more than other denominations, the element called "charisma." In the Biblical sense, this word implies not a stimulating personality, but the supernormal, supernatural "gifts of the Spirit."
These include healing, speaking in tongues, prophecy, and other spiritual gifts.
In your note, you mention others:
1. saving, 2. sanctification, and 3. speaking in tongues.
Re the first, when it comes to salvation, no human being can ever "save" another. No church, cult, denomination, or teaching can ever "save" anyone. This is God's job, His responsibility, and His pleasure. All salvation -- bar none-- comes from grace only, and this is the Love that can come, and does come, from only God. No human being, no human church, can "give grace."
"Sanctification" means "making holy." This is a state that also comes from grace. A person is "sanctified" when she is forgiven from sins, and lives in a state of graceful purity. This does not occur because she works harder, or knows more, than others. It occurs in her heart because she has fully recognized herself as a sinner," and has cast herself upon the mercy of God. She surrenders entirely to His will. She is then forgiven by grace.
Speaking in tongues can occur because, in a past life, a person spoke another language. But, in a church-setting, it is seen as evidence of the blessing of the Holy Spirit. In some cases, it probably is; in others, it probably is not. This all depends upon the Presence of Love in all other areas of the person's life. This special gift is called "glossolalia," and can be either spiritual, a gift of grace, or paranormal (it has occurred in hypnosis and other non-religious contexts).
*******
The Pentecostal Movement (including the "Assemblies of God") are very "charismatic." This means that they emphasize, much more than other denominations, the element called "charisma." In the Biblical sense, this word implies not a stimulating personality, but the supernormal, supernatural "gifts of the Spirit."
These include healing, speaking in tongues, prophecy, and other spiritual gifts.
In your note, you mention others:
1. saving, 2. sanctification, and 3. speaking in tongues.
Re the first, when it comes to salvation, no human being can ever "save" another. No church, cult, denomination, or teaching can ever "save" anyone. This is God's job, His responsibility, and His pleasure. All salvation -- bar none-- comes from grace only, and this is the Love that can come, and does come, from only God. No human being, no human church, can "give grace."
"Sanctification" means "making holy." This is a state that also comes from grace. A person is "sanctified" when she is forgiven from sins, and lives in a state of graceful purity. This does not occur because she works harder, or knows more, than others. It occurs in her heart because she has fully recognized herself as a sinner," and has cast herself upon the mercy of God. She surrenders entirely to His will. She is then forgiven by grace.
Speaking in tongues can occur because, in a past life, a person spoke another language. But, in a church-setting, it is seen as evidence of the blessing of the Holy Spirit. In some cases, it probably is; in others, it probably is not. This all depends upon the Presence of Love in all other areas of the person's life. This special gift is called "glossolalia," and can be either spiritual, a gift of grace, or paranormal (it has occurred in hypnosis and other non-religious contexts).
*******
Monday, October 08, 2007
Safire and St. Francis
*******
I know that your world has been rocked by all the changes. If I may assist in any way,it is perhaps by pointing out and highlighting the Changeless and Immutable within you. This Lovemind has infinite opportunities to love, and just because a person removes himself temporarily from the Love-process does not have any effect on this great, immense, vast Lovemind.
It sounds as if you are in the full swing of psychospiritual recovery! That is excellent!:) Keep up the fine work!
Love keeps you as liberated as you can possibly be.:) Real Love never binds, but shatters the shackles and breaks the chains!
My friend Safire the llama has left our planet today. He left in utter tranquility and deep peace. This was an especially auspicious day to exit; did you know that October 5 is the Day of Brother St. Francis? (It was on this day, in 1988, that we legally changed our surname to "Francis," in honor of the beautiful man. But we found out only later that it was the special Day of the critterlover.)
*******
I know that your world has been rocked by all the changes. If I may assist in any way,it is perhaps by pointing out and highlighting the Changeless and Immutable within you. This Lovemind has infinite opportunities to love, and just because a person removes himself temporarily from the Love-process does not have any effect on this great, immense, vast Lovemind.
It sounds as if you are in the full swing of psychospiritual recovery! That is excellent!:) Keep up the fine work!
Love keeps you as liberated as you can possibly be.:) Real Love never binds, but shatters the shackles and breaks the chains!
My friend Safire the llama has left our planet today. He left in utter tranquility and deep peace. This was an especially auspicious day to exit; did you know that October 5 is the Day of Brother St. Francis? (It was on this day, in 1988, that we legally changed our surname to "Francis," in honor of the beautiful man. But we found out only later that it was the special Day of the critterlover.)
*******
The Evil Clown
*******
If Dr. Frank Burns, the notorious dysfunctional doc of M*A*S*H*, combined personalities with Alfred E. Newman, of Mad magazine fame, the result would be hilarious! It would be a clown of immense, hysterical proportions! But this kind of caricature, guiding the world's most powerful and destructive army, is not funny!
As a caricature of incompetence, george bush has transformed the world's most beautiful experiment in democracy into a hideous nightmare bristling with murder, torture, and ghastly weapons, including nuclear. America, the hope of the world, has become the horror of the world. This transformation occurred because the world's greatest, and only, superpower offensively and violently attacked a third-world country whose "soldiers" are often twelve-year-old boys!
And why? Bush tried to lie, and say that it was all about terrorism. But the entire world saw through this transparent tissue of lies. Everyone now knows that the war was always about oil-- getting an ocean of free oil because the U.S. "owned" the land under which it lay.
This naive and simplistic notion had bush and billionaire-buddies laughing and lapping up all the free oil that they wanted, and then, selling it for huge profits. But this occurred only in twisted imaginations. Their great, greedy dream never materialized.
Also, another real reason for this despicable war is that bush's father had a price on his head, threatened by Saddam due to the previous war. To accomplish their dark, evil task, bush and buddies were willing to sell out the environment. And they did, ignoring sound ecological laws that went back decades, and even reversing them, giving us all a blacker and bleaker world.
Today, it is not as easy to breathe in the U.S. as it was in twenty hundred. And Americans are suffering from bronchitis, emphysema, and asthma in record numbers-- a bonanza for bush's buddies in the pharmacology industry! For bush's pocketbook, ecological Armageddon is a win-win!
For this incompetent and sociopathic man suffers from the belief that he is Caesar or Napoleon, when in actuality, a village in Texas is missing its resident idiot! This one regime has done more damage than any of America's enemies. His war has been solely and singly responsible for the death of over three thousand American girls and boys, and for an estimated over one million Middle Eastern men, women, and children. Many young Americans have died, and will never again give anything to their country-- or to their horrified husbands, wives, or kids, still, and permanently, shell-shocked!
His "Shock and Awe" campaign, which rained down fire and terror from the skies, had the surrealistic feeling of a video-game being played by a madman. One has the compelling intuition that these dead and ruined Americans are just numbers in the "score-card" of bush's calculating, frigid mind. He refused even to attend the sad funerals of most.
Bush seems personally untouched by the death of thousands, or by the ruination of tens of thousands of irreversibly ruined American lives. (These were survivors who lost eyes, brains, arms, and legs.)
It is time that, as a people, we worked to restore America as a shining land of peace-- not the world's greatest terrorist organization or bloodiest "empire." It is time that we called murderous greed to task, recognizing that unleashed greed has terrible --often, irreversible-- consequences. It has already irrevocably ruined lives; and it threatens to ruin our planet.
*******
If Dr. Frank Burns, the notorious dysfunctional doc of M*A*S*H*, combined personalities with Alfred E. Newman, of Mad magazine fame, the result would be hilarious! It would be a clown of immense, hysterical proportions! But this kind of caricature, guiding the world's most powerful and destructive army, is not funny!
As a caricature of incompetence, george bush has transformed the world's most beautiful experiment in democracy into a hideous nightmare bristling with murder, torture, and ghastly weapons, including nuclear. America, the hope of the world, has become the horror of the world. This transformation occurred because the world's greatest, and only, superpower offensively and violently attacked a third-world country whose "soldiers" are often twelve-year-old boys!
And why? Bush tried to lie, and say that it was all about terrorism. But the entire world saw through this transparent tissue of lies. Everyone now knows that the war was always about oil-- getting an ocean of free oil because the U.S. "owned" the land under which it lay.
This naive and simplistic notion had bush and billionaire-buddies laughing and lapping up all the free oil that they wanted, and then, selling it for huge profits. But this occurred only in twisted imaginations. Their great, greedy dream never materialized.
Also, another real reason for this despicable war is that bush's father had a price on his head, threatened by Saddam due to the previous war. To accomplish their dark, evil task, bush and buddies were willing to sell out the environment. And they did, ignoring sound ecological laws that went back decades, and even reversing them, giving us all a blacker and bleaker world.
Today, it is not as easy to breathe in the U.S. as it was in twenty hundred. And Americans are suffering from bronchitis, emphysema, and asthma in record numbers-- a bonanza for bush's buddies in the pharmacology industry! For bush's pocketbook, ecological Armageddon is a win-win!
For this incompetent and sociopathic man suffers from the belief that he is Caesar or Napoleon, when in actuality, a village in Texas is missing its resident idiot! This one regime has done more damage than any of America's enemies. His war has been solely and singly responsible for the death of over three thousand American girls and boys, and for an estimated over one million Middle Eastern men, women, and children. Many young Americans have died, and will never again give anything to their country-- or to their horrified husbands, wives, or kids, still, and permanently, shell-shocked!
His "Shock and Awe" campaign, which rained down fire and terror from the skies, had the surrealistic feeling of a video-game being played by a madman. One has the compelling intuition that these dead and ruined Americans are just numbers in the "score-card" of bush's calculating, frigid mind. He refused even to attend the sad funerals of most.
Bush seems personally untouched by the death of thousands, or by the ruination of tens of thousands of irreversibly ruined American lives. (These were survivors who lost eyes, brains, arms, and legs.)
It is time that, as a people, we worked to restore America as a shining land of peace-- not the world's greatest terrorist organization or bloodiest "empire." It is time that we called murderous greed to task, recognizing that unleashed greed has terrible --often, irreversible-- consequences. It has already irrevocably ruined lives; and it threatens to ruin our planet.
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Energy- and Face-reading
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You can indeed learn the "feel" of negative energy; and, in time, you can cultivate this perception into an "early warning system" that is fairly accurate. (Perhaps no intuition is one hundred percent, but many are reliable. Some women, for example, famously saved themselves from mass-murderers because these guys just did not "feel right" to these fortunate ladies.) So, although we do not need to be dogmatic about the "rightness" of our intuitions, we can generally trust them, as they rise from a deeper level of mind.
The Chinese and native American wisdom agree that you can tell things about a person by reading her eyes, famously the "windows to the Soul." Native Americans say never to trust a person with "dead eyes."
And the Chinese have developed an entire system of "face-reading," called "physiognomy." One little tidbit that has proved true repeatedly in our experience: They say that you can never really trust a person with that little "butt" in the chin.:)
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You can indeed learn the "feel" of negative energy; and, in time, you can cultivate this perception into an "early warning system" that is fairly accurate. (Perhaps no intuition is one hundred percent, but many are reliable. Some women, for example, famously saved themselves from mass-murderers because these guys just did not "feel right" to these fortunate ladies.) So, although we do not need to be dogmatic about the "rightness" of our intuitions, we can generally trust them, as they rise from a deeper level of mind.
The Chinese and native American wisdom agree that you can tell things about a person by reading her eyes, famously the "windows to the Soul." Native Americans say never to trust a person with "dead eyes."
And the Chinese have developed an entire system of "face-reading," called "physiognomy." One little tidbit that has proved true repeatedly in our experience: They say that you can never really trust a person with that little "butt" in the chin.:)
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Correct Use of Words
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I have always known, as a parapsychological phenomenologist, the singular to be "phenomenon," and the plural, "phenomena." I believe that, outside of some rather extraordinary poetic or prosaic usages, this is still the rule that applies in ordinary (everyday) English writing.
Re the quotes at the end of sentences, I am aware that, literally, a period, for example, might not be technically a part of a quote. But for me, it looks, and feels, so much better to include the punctuation within the quotes. The jws teach that the Kingdom returned 'invisibly' in 1914." is somehow so much more satisfying than, "The jws teach that the kingdom returned 'invisibly' in 1914". With the period on the outside, it as if the sentence is hanging there, waiting to be wrapped up; no
closure. The inclusion of punctuation is general standard usage in many, if not most, books and articles.
I guess that this proves that we can't all, or always, be literalists!:) But my main pet peeve, since we are discussing correctness, is the virtually ubiquitous mispronunciation of "processes."
The word is simply pronounced "pros-esses," with a short "O," exactly as it looks. But there is this pseudo-intellectuallism that is quite popular that renders it "pros-eseez," as if it were pluralized in the same way as "crisis," "diagnosis," etc. The word does not fall into this category. This displays, not erudition, but ignorance.
Also, bitch number 2: If "2007" is a number (quantity), it is "two thousand seven." You can have "two thousand seven cars on a lot, and no one might know the year-models." For, as a date, 2007 is correctly read "twenty-oh-seven." How our grandchildren are going to get a good laugh out of this one!
Meanwhile, these traversities make a logophile grimace, and then laugh. Human communication is so very flawed at its best!
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I have always known, as a parapsychological phenomenologist, the singular to be "phenomenon," and the plural, "phenomena." I believe that, outside of some rather extraordinary poetic or prosaic usages, this is still the rule that applies in ordinary (everyday) English writing.
Re the quotes at the end of sentences, I am aware that, literally, a period, for example, might not be technically a part of a quote. But for me, it looks, and feels, so much better to include the punctuation within the quotes. The jws teach that the Kingdom returned 'invisibly' in 1914." is somehow so much more satisfying than, "The jws teach that the kingdom returned 'invisibly' in 1914". With the period on the outside, it as if the sentence is hanging there, waiting to be wrapped up; no
closure. The inclusion of punctuation is general standard usage in many, if not most, books and articles.
I guess that this proves that we can't all, or always, be literalists!:) But my main pet peeve, since we are discussing correctness, is the virtually ubiquitous mispronunciation of "processes."
The word is simply pronounced "pros-esses," with a short "O," exactly as it looks. But there is this pseudo-intellectuallism that is quite popular that renders it "pros-eseez," as if it were pluralized in the same way as "crisis," "diagnosis," etc. The word does not fall into this category. This displays, not erudition, but ignorance.
Also, bitch number 2: If "2007" is a number (quantity), it is "two thousand seven." You can have "two thousand seven cars on a lot, and no one might know the year-models." For, as a date, 2007 is correctly read "twenty-oh-seven." How our grandchildren are going to get a good laugh out of this one!
Meanwhile, these traversities make a logophile grimace, and then laugh. Human communication is so very flawed at its best!
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