Greed and Spirituality

We are in one hundred percent agreement about the exclusivity of the wealthy in several religious (but not spiritual) groups.

Jesus made his Message available to all. Holding a religious conference in a luxurious hotel only betrays an economic motive, rather than an honest and more spiritual one.

This can be a real tragedy for an honest heart in search of truth. It is a real shame.:(

This reminds all of us just how pervasive, and hence, invisible, is this kind of conartistry. So-called "teachers" who have their eyes on only the big hbucks are a danger to themselves and to society. Greed is an especially horrible mindisease, and when it infects a "teacher," the infection is spread far and wide. One of the best approaches is to make sure that we never support such greed-mongers. An even better response is to expose them at every opportunity.
*******
____________________________________________________________

Completely Wrong-headed Obstructionist, Socially Irresponsible GOP is Killing America

Thanks to Barbara Baty.

Completely Wrong-headed Obstructionist, Socially Irresponsible GOP is
Killing America
*******

For those who are still interested in reading, learning, and maybe even
changing:

Obama needs to realize the truth about [most] Republicans: "Their loyalty is to a fundamentalist Christian ideology, on the one hand, and American exceptionalism of perpetual warfare and hatred and fear of the 'other' on the other hand. Between the neoconservatives and evangelical Religious Right Republicans you have no friends."
--Frank Schaeffer (see below)
***

Blinded by Greed, Oblivious to Need:
How Socially Irresponsible Republicans are Killing America
***
By Dennis Rahkonen
Feb 12 2009
http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/20266
***

Most of us aren't old enough to remember the Great Depression.

But "The Grapes of Wrath," stark photographs of pathetically poor folk with life's spark absent from their eyes, and Dust Bowl accounts somberly related by Grandpa have given us grim insight into how hard times were for so many back then.

The elders of my family talked about it often while I was growing up.

What I recall most vividly from those retellings is the contemptuous sneering over Republican President Herbert Hoover's response to the staggering calamity unleashed after Wall Street's 1929 crash.

The impoverished masses were expected to sell apples on street corners to survive!

Under left-wing leadership, the American people angrily rejected such absurdity, mustering sufficient militancy to force FDR's enactment of the broadly beneficial New Deal. They also organized the great industrial unions that gave ordinary citizens the means to attain prosperity and protection on a nationwide scale.

Ever since, conservative Republicans have reached deeply into their rotting bag of depravity to constantly come up with increasingly more selfish schemes to try to undo whatever gains workers have won through necessary, arduous struggle.

One particularly vile effort was "Reaganomics," so destructively thrust upon us during the awful '80s.

Prior to that period, the only poverty I'd ever experienced was in the early '60s, when Eastern mining companies abruptly quit Upper Michigan's once-booming Gogebic Iron Range. Everyone was suddenly jobless, Dad included.

We received welfare assistance for several months, manifested most notably by cans of Kennedy-era USDA mystery meat on Mom's pantry shelves. Our local economy eventually rebounded, but not soon enough to erase my lingering memory of that meat's "unique" taste.

The Reagan recession, though, was much harsher. It affected many millions more.

What's worse, it was deliberately contrived, to break the back of union power and thereby transfer American societal wealth to corporate/financial coffers to a degree that made storied sea piracy seem ethical and paltry in comparison.

Members of my extended family and I were unemployed for an excruciatingly long while. The same could be said for most everyone we knew. Packages of generic macaroni and cheese were supermarket shoppers' first pick, and easily half the passengers on our city buses were down-and-out souls either going to or coming from selling their blood plasma, out of desperate need.

Meanwhile, this country's upper crust -- the primary Republican constituency -- flourished like a fattening pig.

Huge tax breaks for the wealthy, coupled with deregulation of all institutions having direct bearing on the quality of our lives, and our very safety, became the American norm.

Most of us finally went back to work, but at jobs that generally paid much less than those we'd held earlier. Former auto makers became hamburger flippers at fast-food joints.

Rapacious class warfare conducted against America's wage-earning majority -- an open plunder thinly disguised by "trickle down" balderdash -- became thoroughly institutionalized.

Along with all this came the rapid growth of deep, ultimately insoluble contradictions that, in the final quarter of 2008, would make a very compelling case for Karl Marx's famous quote that "capitalists are their own gravediggers."

The entire system collapsed, most spectacularly in its finance sector, but chiefly because American labor had been exploited for so long that workers could no longer afford to buy back what they themselves produced. "Consumer confidence" understandably eroded, and store shelves gathered dust in the uneasy months before their final going-out-of business sales.

Giving Marx credit again where it's definitely due, here is the long-predicted "overproduction crisis" for which private-profit capitalism simply has no solution.

Into this impending catastrophe came Barack Obama, a decent man with ultimate loyalties lying with the common people, by whose status he knows that America's societal health must be measured. Not by how flush and plush things might be with a tiny, superrich minority.

So Obama and the Democrats sought to advance a "stimulus package" to "jump-start" the failing economy.

Never mind that it was too little, too late, or that probably nothing can be done, now, to slow our greased-skid slide to disaster.

Republicans resisted this good-faith effort with all the typical, pro-plutocracy nonsense they could shamefully muster. They wanted even more tax advantages and subsidies for business interests, coupled with demands for less regulation, forgetting that the Bernie Madoff rip-off and the current peanut-butter salmonella scare are two salient examples of deregulation's abject bankruptcy.

Cancer-stricken Ted Kennedy had to return to Washington, since his vote was needed by the Democrats to prevent a Republican senatorial filibuster.

All this completely wrong-headed obstructionism occurred as the unemployment rate soared to record levels and mass hardship was becoming epidemic. Elkhart, Indiana will soon be Everytown, USA.

It happened shortly after one of our community's television stations ran a sobering piece on area homelessness, featuring a man who lived in a scrap-built shelter in the woods, when the wind chill routinely exceeded 30 below!

Where is the "Christianity" of those who greedily devote all their efforts to preserving their privileged, luxurious status, derived by a parasitic sucking of working-class lifeblood?

What manner of "human" can see profit and suffering before him, know that relentless pursuit of the former inevitably causes the latter, and still blithely seek more profit, at the painful expense of public welfare and the common good?

Before our sofas and televisions become evicted furniture out on the sidewalks, we need to rise from our torpor and fight back, like our forebears did in the Rebel '30s, using exactly the same tactics.

Get mad as hell. Unite, organize.

This is our country, and we can't allow traitors loyal only to The Almighty Dollar to destroy America.
_______

About author

Dennis Rahkonen, from Superior, Wisconsin, has been writing progressive commentary with a Heartland perspective for various outlets since the Sixties.

Ministries and Greed; Sincere thanks

We truly want to thank you not only for your gracious and grace-filled generosity, but for your patience. For you and a few others have been tenacity in action re the need for Love Ministries to "take care of business" re finances. This is an area which, quite frankly, is the most troubling to me, for I have seen ministries go very wrong here, trying to turn spirituality into a "market commodity," like beans. And I must make absolutely sure that Love Ministries has "clean hands" relative to this spiritual "crime."

We never will permit the Ministries to become involved in "money-grubbing." As you know, we prefer to err on the side of caution here, and so, have not, in the past, given sufficient attention to this real aspect of the Ministries. Your awareness has compensated for our lack, counterbalancing our ultracautious approach with a realistic awareness of material needs.

Still, we are determined never to become careless in this matter; so, we will stay alert and, when necessary, hypervigilant, so as never to allow greed to contaminate our work or our words. But please let us take this moment to thank you sincerely and personally for your endurance and tenacity in dealing with what can be a rather thick-skulled approach.:):)
We do very much appreciate your kindness as well as your responsiveness
to our needs. Color us grateful.:)
*******

Exchange of Political Views

Thanks to Pat Fields and to Adamaria Francis:

Dear loving Friends of the Heart,

In a recent issue, Boone Posey wrote about some minority political feelings. We feel that we owe it to our readers to give both sides of a controversial issue; but we also owe them a response to every serious inquiry, or any serious challenge.

Thus, we have written the following letter to you, our peace-loving
friends:

[NOTE:] We will place the original letter in quotation marks, and our responses will be outside the marks:

"Dear Barbara,

Over the past few months, I have read your contribution to this newsletter, and I have a few comments. I wish that this type of political comment were a part of this newsletter, as it was intended, I believe, to be a forum for positive and more spiritual banter and good information."

Yes, we do work hard and consistently to keep the uld ["Universal Love Digest"] spiritually relevant. Spirituality implies positivity, but our real world is not some "Pollyannish" dream without negativity. Exposing negativity is a part of the positive path.

The areas that appear political, on first glance, are really not about mere politics at all, but about spiritual principles. We know that the shame and greed of foolish leaders is against not only our country, but crimes against ecology and humanity. They are truly spiritual concerns.

They need to be exposed. And spiritually educated people need to be introduced to these lies, crimes, and acts of horrible violence. Exposing lies and liars has always been a part of truth-teaching. [Jesus set a good example in Matthew 23.]

"I believe it has been used as a political 'soap box' for too many things."

We have tried hard to "cut down" the number of articles that we share with you, our beloved efamily, with the public, and with other friends. We have had much to say about the interfaces between politics and compassion-- especially when the never-elected administration has broken all the rules of decency, resulting in the deaths of four thousand American girls and boys, and perhaps, a million others, including women and children.

You say that "too many things" have been considered in the ezine. But, actually, in the tens of millions of books written about politics and morality, we have considered only one subject: The failure of the present administration, which claims to be "Christian," to live up to simple and clear guidelines of compassion, and to serve greed. That is not many, but only one subject!

For us to keep silent about these issues would make us appear as apathetic, or even supportive of evil-- which we will never be!

"And most of these political statements is to trash our President."

He might well be your president, but he is not mine. I have had no president since the year twenty-hundred.

And those sound and solid, fact-based criticisms were elicited by his behavior. Very few have turned against bush because they simply don't like the man. Instead, he has become the primary representative of greed, of corporation-rule (a definition of "fascism"), division, murder, and general hatred. His policies have made America the most feared country in the world, according to 71% of Europeans. The Europeans and other foreign people have come to hate America, once the "light upon a hill" to the world. For the U.S., under bush, has actually invaded a third-world country, and a very poor one, to steal its oil for a few rich bush-cronies. Do gallons of oil really cost gallons of blood?

"I admit that he made some mistakes and is not one of the best leaders we
have had,..."

It is good as a reality-test that you can at least create some agreement in your heart about this. Jimmy Carter expressed the shared thought of tens of millions of Americans when he said that bush was "the worst president in history."

From the beginning, he was a man unfit for leadership. He has proved beyond the shadow of any reasonable doubt that he is incompetent, inept, and woefully ignorant.

"but I think he deserves some respect in the fact that he still is our President and the office alone deserves some consideration and respect."

Until this monstrous administration began to ruin the environment, give corporate welfare to giant corporations, and to murder American children for oil, I would have agreed one hundred percent with you.

This is a common, and tired, old argument: "If you don't respect the man, at least respect the office." But this is a very fine, and often impossible, distinction. For, during any administration, the officer is the office, for all practical terms. As I was growing up, I went to a public school; in that school, we were drilled thoroughly to be patriotic, to love and respect our country. We were taught to honor the office of president above all. And I did greatly honor it, until it was
revealed that a rich daddy could buy the office for mere bucks, and then, lie it in the lap of an uneducated, ignorant, and foolish son. Any office that can be "bought" does not deserve our respect-- much less, the profound respect that virtually everyone used to share for this high office. And when the office becomes the source of policies and laws that are anti-ecological, anti-economic, and anti-middle class, it is no longer possible to respect that office.

"I don't agree with war as a solution to any problem..."

Well, then, once again, we are in agreement. But can you not see that by supporting a "war-president," you are in fact supporting all the blood, agony, and torture, rape, and starvation that inevitably comes with any war?

"...but he did what he did because of the advisors around him,..."

What a false and manufactured argument! Bush has grandiosely reminded us, more than once, that he is "the decider." You are, for some reason, trying to clear the record of this man, who is more criminal and thief than president. He himself brags continuously about how he personally made all the important decisions. He sees some of his most horrible mistakes as a "legacy," about which he is very concerned. And he should be! Although he is parading around the country, blowing his own trumpet, boasting of what a "great president" he was, no one is really taking this blow-hard seriously. He has worked hard to cultivate the worst record in history; every time that he could have made a major error, by making the wrong decision, he did make that wrong decision.

"and so we are into two wars."

Yes, this is part of the bush legacy. He has made it clear that he would be doing just fine if we entered a third war, in Iran. The man is psychopathic. (He does not have a conscience.) When five hundred thousand women, children, and innocent men die agonizing deaths, they are just numbers on a report to george. His anti-ecology proves that he has no respect for life, and his eagerness for war proves that he does not know the value of human life either!

"The original war, with Afghanistan, was to retaliate for the attack on 9-11,..."

Maybe. But the bin Laden family had close economic arrangements interwoven with bush's own bank account. One of bush's companies even made fire-arms, making war profitable for both him and Cheney (big-buck connections with Halliburton). War was a delightful win-win! Except for all those inconvenient dead bodies. But they really didn't matter; they were "only" bad guys, "only" Muslims.

So, bush, for money, refused to attack the Middle Eastern country responsible for 9-11, which was Saudi Arabia. No, too many bucks from bush and company's personal bank accounts. But to appear "tough," he attacked a pitifully puny country with a rag-tag "army" whose "soldiers" were sometimes twelve-year-olds!

"and the Iraq war, was to keep the spread of support for Al-Quaida (sp?)..."

When george was told, by a reporter, that Al Queda (Al Chaida) was not even in the entire country of Iraq until the U.S. Invasion, do you know what he nefariously said? He said, "So what?"

"For all the wrong decisions he made, he still has keep the terrorists on the run, and they have not been able to launch another attack on our soil, since 9-11."

This is a tired and wearisome argument, but it says absolutely nothing about bush's competence or incompetence. It is a medal to be pinned, not on george's chest, but on all the hundreds of thousands of women and men in law-enforcement and national protection-- people who carefully did their jobs, often while george slept, or went on another of his interminable vacations to Crawford, TX.

"Now, the future Obama administration has already said that they will slacken up on the security of this country, by not tapping anyone's phones, or keeping a close eye on suspected terrorists groups in this country."

You seem to be missing the entire point that people are willing to sacrifice their rights in order to feel safe. But, in sacrificing their human rights, they also sacrifice mine. Ben Franklin said that if one were willing to give up her freedom in order to be "safe," then she deserved neither safety nor freedom. Bush has voluntarily and deliberately trashed even the most sacred political document in our
history, the Constitution, only because it was convenient. His profile is one of a dictator, not an elected president. He got away with an administration polluted and corrupted with scandal, bribery, dishonesty of many kinds, and a general attitude that the common person did not even matter. All who mattered were his "crony-buddies," the oil-billionaires, plus the billion--dollar corporations. In all of his legislative history, bush never once stood up for the common man, but did so
repeatedly for the corporations. Far from being "a man of the people," he was the perfect "corporation man."

"He [Obama] will be putting us in more danger by doing this and he doesn't think it is a bad decision."

First of all, you have no proof that Obama is adopting, or considering, any legislation, or any action, that will make the common person less secure. If Obama can raise our level of respect as Americans, if he can open diplomatic relations with Middle Eastern countries, then Americans will be safer than ever-- on their own soil, and around the world! For bush has made it clear that he hates all Middle Eastern peoples, and all Muslims, and so they naturally despise him. A president whose middle name is "Hussein" might do wonders for American International politics. The texture of the geopolitical map is going to change; and it is so pitiably ugly, destructive, anti-human, and irrational that it almost has to get better!

"He has also chosen a man to head up the CIA that has no experience in this type of responsibility, and would probably mess it up worse than it was when the Clintons were in the White House."

Not everybody agrees that the FBI was in worse shape when Clinton was in the White House; many say that it became worse, and weaker, under the lawless attitudes of bush and co. At any rate, when it comes to appointments, let's please keep in mind two principles: 1) Almost never is it possible to "hook up the perfect person wit the perfect job." Everyone is imperfect; everyone lacks education and/or experience in some areas. And 2) You can never please all the people all the time. Even the very best of presidents will, from time to time, have less than ideal people working for her. This is where the art of forgiveness interfaces with politics. In time, we all must learn to forgive even george.

"I hope and pray that the new President will succeed in leading this country on a peaceful path, and show great leadership in solving our economic crisis."

We are in fullest agreement here, my friend. Obama has been left a huge pile of unsolved problems; the stacks of paper are ten feet tall!

"I want him to have every success and hope he governs like he said he would in his campaign, by reaching across the aisle to show cooperation with both parties in Congress."

His history in working with Congress is very promising.

"But, I think he has already made some bad decisions in his choices for his cabinet, and this has shown that he may be in for some long and hard confirmations from the Congress."

Congress is notoriously difficult to please, as it should be, in a polycultural society. But Obama has a fine way with words, and has even written a couple of books. If you have not read them, they do come highly recommended!

"I could be wrong about this, but I think there will be some controversy about the new cabinet and how well they can perform their duties."

No doubt; every new cabinet in history has stirred controversy-- often, not surprisingly, from the losing party. There has never existed a "perfect president," "perfect Congress," or "perfect cabinet." But Obama is, so far, surrounding himself with people largely of wisdom, well-educated, and with shining reputations for integrity. There are no perfect people on this planet, so let us be careful not to demand perfection! But when an honest cabinet replaces the likes of Cheney and Rice, that very honesty can lift our country together into a new feeling
of hope and optimism.

"As you can probably tell from all I have said, I lean toward the republican side of the political spectrum."

Yes, your lean to the right is a part of your pattern of selfexpression. But beware the tendency of rightwingers to see only themselves as right, and to paint all disagreement as "unpatriotic or even "evil."

"I did vote for McCain/Palin, as I thought they had a better chance of achieving the change in Washington that we needed."

Unfortunately, and a bit amusingly, John McCAin stole the theme of "change" from Obama. Johnny, you will remember, first ran on a ticket of "experience," until the inexperienced and comical Palin got on board!

"I hope that Obama will do a good job, as I have said before, and I will support him in his efforts where I can."

I think that this is a healthy and rational decision.

"I also hope that any decisions made about our national security will be made with the utmost of care and that we don't end up fighting the terrorists on our soil and possibly having a major conflict right here in our own back yard."

I am certain that Obama shares this concern, as do the hundreds of thousands trained in emergency-management, law-enforcement, military strategy-- in other words, the large ocean of people who will still be carefully guarding Americans against fanatics and crooks.

"A lot more Americans will be in danger and we will suffer more losses than we ever did on 9-11."

Yes, that would be true; but, at the moment, this is nothing but science-fiction. So, let's keep our heads, and not panic! Terrorists have their reasons for attacking America; but so far, the reasons not to attack have been stronger and more valid. (This has almost nothing to do with who is president, btw.)

"I hope you and your supporters have given this some thought."

Of course we have. We are not idiots! My friends, if anything, are more intelligent, educated, and observant of the world-situation than are average people.

"Fighting on our own soil will change the whole picture of this 'war on terror'"

Yes, but let's always remember that it has not happened. It is the negative illusion, the favorite scare-tactic, of some rightwingers-- nothing more.

"I just hope that the liberals won't do away with gun ownership before this happens."

This is another matrix-threat of the right. They have an almost "armageddonish" approach to the future, bathed in blood and horror. In this scenario, everyone grabs as many dried bananas as she can, and shoots with her handy little machine-gun anyone who threatens her bananas. And there are always "hordes" of mobs trying to get her bananas! It's all just bad science-fiction.

"I have carried on long enough, but wanted to reply to your comments, both the recent ones and the past ones. I feel this country is one of the best in the
world to live in."

I, and most of my friends, might surprise you when we agree with you. We also love America. The right has no monopoly on this, whatever they tell you about those "evil liberals who hate our country." This is sheerest nonsense, and anyone who is a "liberal" or who has "liberal" friends will deny this false accusation. In fact, it can be strongly argued that we progressives care more for our country than those who care only for dollars. For those on the right, anything can be justified-- war and ecological ruin, for example-- if it brings in enough dollars. This utter consumption by materialism and bucks is a major disease that severely infects the Republican Party. Until they relax a little, and loosen up, they will continue to drive away the young, and anyone else with a conscience. (Did you notice that almost everyone in the McCain/Palin crowds were white and old? There's a reason for this!:)

Anyway, we progressives are not from another planet. We share the strongest values with most Americans. We believe in the sacredness of life; kids should not be murdered out of greed for gold, nor should others.

We are delighted with the great blessings of this country; in fact, the way that we celebrate that freedom is by speaking our minds. Those who celebrate freedom, and yet, would like for the progressive side to shut up and sit down are mere hypocrites. For the founding fathers and mothers of our country were often "radical liberals," from the vantage point of the Crown. And, at any rate, they lived-- and died-- so that all voices could be heard.

We love and treasure our country so much that we work every day to preserve laws that guarantee liberty. We also work to save our country-- its ecology, clean air, and pure water. There are no better ways to love one's country.

Joy and Peace,

the staff of the uld

Love Ministries Support

Thank you for staying "spot on" with the uld, and especially for your awareness of the needs of Love Ministries. We do want our friends to be alerted to our real needs in this materialistic world; but we must make absolutely certain that we do not become materialistic (greedy or money-hungry) during this task. We have seen this tragedy occur to several ministries, and "ministers" or "spiritual teachers." It is so very common, in fact, that the Ministry which does not devolve into a money-grubbing, endless request for funds is the shining exception! So, we almost never mention money; everyone knows that publishing is very expensive, don't they? (If they are relatively educated, they should!:) Postage is also a major expense.

The Ministries radically consume time, which is given freely. I do not believe that a true servant of the people should be "paid" for spiritual work; let her/him earn money from other sources. We are highly distressed by the tendency for ministries and ministers to try to turn spiritual education into a mere "market commodity," like potatoes or beans. For pure spirituality should ideally be a gift, heart-to-heart, not one of the "things bought at the market today."

So, we refuse to follow others in endlessly, repeatedly "begging" for donations. To keep you informed, we do publish, in the uld, regular reports for the Love Ministries Federation, and, of course, you can always donate through this. But a ministry should exist to teach and to share; if it starts to exist only to gather funds, it is already corrupted with greed, which our Eastern sisters and brothers identify as a "gateway to hell.":)

Other teachers sometimes complain bitterly because we have always done all our spiritual work for Love-donations alone; we do not ever charge fees. We have no record that Jesus or the Buddha ever set up a toll-booth.:)

So, let's always work to stay as far from that as life will permit us!

Thanks for your continuing interest in, and support of, Love Ministries as we strive to teach the Message of Love.
*******

Thoughts on bush and bushies

The bushies and their ilk not only ignored the middle class, but made actual, deliberate attempts to destroy it, leaving in our country only the very rich and the very poor.

They tried to dissolve the very backbone of our society and culture.

What might be even worse, they did everything possible to destroy, or to allow the destruction of, the ecology, our very Mother Earth. (As it is right now, it will take at least fifty years to undo all the damage done by bush and bushies.)

That was the administration ruled by greed alone, without a single thought of "compassion" for the people. Not only are bushies responsible for a million deaths in the Middle East, but for over four thousand American girls and boys in their insane oil-war, also based on greed. And they will kill many more Americans, through activation of respiratory diseases and toxic reactions to chemical pollution. These include allergies, emphysema, bronchitis, asthma, lung cancer, and others.

If there is anything to the old superstition of "demons," the bushies fill the bill completely. While strutting and parading, at every opportunity, their "pro-life" position, they have been violently and consistently anti-life from the beginning. The most "pro-life" position is Love, and their activity has been antiagapic since the beginning. The figures that we have heard, for example, take the tally of this insane war to over three trillion (three million million) dollars!

The ecological costs have been even more absurd and destructive in many ways, on many levels. When corporations rule the government, that is the very definition of "fascism." So bush et al are fascists. It will be an enormous joy and relief to get this monster and his brainless cronies out of office! The entire world will heave one gigantic sigh of relief!:):)
*******

Twenty-oh-eight Store Closings

The notorious materialism of this country and culture has finally caught up with us. Greed can be limitless, but resources on planet earth are not. So, let us use these limited resources with wisdom. Let us stop being so wasteful. Let us stop pretending that Mother Earth can support lives of boundless greed. Let us give up greed and embrace compassion. Let us do more than talk: Let us vow to simplify our lives and give our excess excess to the poor.

Thanks to Mark Franzen.

Rightwingers and Compassion

*******

much like Prez. Clinton's term...he tried to have more even handed wealth
distribution, instead of the 2nd gilded age of robber barons we have today. But--it seems the right does not like sharing much. I thought they were compassionate conservatives?

I agree with what you said: the "redistribution of wealth" is a positive, and economy-supporting, idea, if applied carefully and judiciously. The extreme right is absolutely terrified of certain words, including "distribution." Some fanatics are so deeply infected by selfserving greed that they feel threatened even by so gentle a word as "sharing."

These types used to be called, in pop-psych, "anal retentives"-- just another way of poking fun at their greed. They were the kind who squeaked whenever a penny escaped their desperate grasp. They can usually be recognized because their lives are completely drained of all joy.

Their greatest terror is a "welfare state." They believe correctly that everyone should work to earn her own bread. They have a special loathing and fear for "welfare moms"-- young girls who have several babies in order to increase checks from the government. And they also have viable and reasonable complaints against young men who are perfectly healthy, but insist on drawing welfare checks.

In this, they are right: In a perfect world, each person would do honest work to make and earn her own way, her living. But terrible fanatics would eradicate absolutely all programs designed to alleviate poverty, every one designed to help an honest and good person who has fallen on "bad times."

These extremists just say, "Let them get a job, pick themselves up by their own bootstraps." And that is fine, and true, when it is possible. But some unfortunates have also had their "bootstraps" removed.

The probllem with these humorless rightwingers is not only their loss of a sense of humor, but complete loss of compassion. "Compassionate conservatism" is one of their favorite myths; it makes them feel at least slightly human. But it is a myth precisely because they are behind it only if it does not cost a cent! In the real world, compassion can get expensive. (Just ask the Love Ministries Federation!)

But compassion is nothing but an emppty shell if it is only pretty words. True compassion must express as actions actually to aid those less fortunate than ourselves.

And what rightwingers never "get" is that compassion, by definition, is given freely from an open heart; it is not "earned." These rightwingers have sacrificed compassion, and even all goodness, in the name of greed, usually expressed as their personal pocketbook or bankaccount. Slamming shut the heart makes us less, less human, less divine. It also makes us less joyful, and less tranquil.

Rightwingers pay a very high price, in terms of the interior "jewels" of the universe-- such gems as goodness, compassion, positive selfesteem, and psychological wellness and balance-- for their greedy, gritty view of the world. It is a joyless expression of animal survivalism, and can never bring any joy or satisfaction, for it leaves the heartmind empty and arid, a spiritual desert, in which all the flowers perish.
*******

The Shame of Greed

*******

In every one of his speeches, and in many of his writings (he has written several profound books), Barack Obama encourages community, community-awareness, and community-action. He encourages Americans to think of ourselves as interactive and interdependent people. And he always makes a special effort to think of the poor and the middle class.
This "ordinary American" is something that the Republican Sarah Palin has tried to fake, but, due to her $150,000 clothing, make-up, and jewelry (she also paid a professional cosmetician $11,000 a week to make her look better), she has never managed to pull this one off; she has fooled almost no one. McCain has from seven to ten houses, and even he is not certain how many he owns. And the Republican Party has been the puppets of corporations for the last eight years, under the bush regime.
It is thus not at all surprising that the Republican Party has emerged, and continues to define itself, as the party of the coddled, spoiled, and rich elite. "Common, average" people are rare among them, and the poor virtually non-existent within Republican ranks. For decades, this party of greed and materialism has appealed to the lowest nature within human beings-- territoriality and survivalism.
In stunning contrast, Obama regularly calls upon people to exercise compassion through service; he even has a plan for National Service for young people, to help pay for college. In summary, Obama calls upon us, challenges us, to think of others as well as of our own families; we all stand together, not only as Americans, but as human beings.

This is a cohesion infinitely more powerful than mere money. Compared to this wise
and wide calling, the Republican focus on personal dollars appears as almost an illness, an unhealthy obsession. Indeed, greed has been the root of virtually every major conflict and war in the history of our poor little planet. It is time for all of us to seek to outgrow this childish, self-serving trend, and to give more to the poor. At the very least, if we do nothing else, we can support them in our hearts, prayers, thoughts, and actions. We can lift our political agenda towards compassion and away from the consuming and dreaded disease of greed.
*******

Love and War

*******

We are also fervently praying that the God of Love will guide our nation, the U.S., from its present path of foolishness, greed, and violence towards the Way of compassion. As the people of Love, God has told us how foolish is the way of war, and how stupidly incompetent are leaders who lead their countries into war. Unlike our leaders, most of our people are not foolish, but do believe in the Power of Love.
*******

Notes on Politics

*******

For in the "circle of balance" in life, the Republicans have had the most disastrous and most hideous and murderous administration, led by the incompetent Bush, who "bought" the office, or whose daddy gave it to him on a silver platter. I used to have, growing up, a tremendous respect for the office, but no longer, if it can be purchased by unqualified and disastrous fools who create a monstrous caricature of America the beautiful.

This is a man who, for the right amount of bucks, would gladly start World War III. He has proved that he cares nothing for the environment or for human life (responsible for over a million deaths with his oilbased war). Women's rights over their own bodies mean nothing to this dull and dumb administration. And animal rights, which I know are sacred to you, mean less than nothing, as this administration has acted in ways that have seriously threatened the very existence of many species. Ecology means nothing, and ecological laws have been reversed-- all for a fistful of dollars in the shorterm. This myopic administration still continues in the McCain ticket, with its false and superficial "feminism" in the antifeminist Palin. Since politics is people, and Love is all about people and other creatures, we do have some rather passionate views on the subject.
*******

IS EDWARDS RUINED?

By a passionate observer
*******


With the admission of Jonathan Edwards' adultery in 2006, many are speaking as if he is a completely useless man. Edwards did more damage to himself than to anyone else. Certainly he hurt his wife, and he deserves blame for this; he also let down his loyal followers.

But his error does nothing to neutralize the great vision-- the eradication of poverty-- that he shared with the country. It also does nothing to erase his victories in legal battles against greedy, fat corporations.

His error was immense; but let not this one mistake blind us to the rich and deep good that still remains within the man. Instead, we can work to practice the highest ideal of Christianity and other faiths-- forgiveness. We can forgive the horror of the error and invite this man back into the "fold" of decision-makers. For he reminds us that people, even with all our many weaknesses, can do great good.

*******

RUNNIN' ON EMPTY: THE "POLITRICKS" OF ENERGY

RUNNIN' ON EMPTY: THE "POLITRICKS" OF ENERGY,
By a traveling visitor
***

During John McCain's very long political career, he has stood firmly against off-shore drilling; and now, he stands as strongly for it.

Drilling will not affect gas-prices for at least ten years. And then, it will lower the price two cents!

If it had not been for the dishonest financial manipulations from the corporate oil giants, their buddy Bush in their collective back pocket, we would all be driving clean electric vehicles. So, let's stop filling the planet with poisons, killing our children-- quite painfully and slowly-- for a fistful of dollars; it is time to take survival seriously, when earth is gasping her final pant due to relentless greed.

*******

The Hebrew Scriptures ("Old Testament")

*******

Note: In the Jewish faith, their Bible is called the "Hebrew Scriptures." They do not accept the perjorative "Old Testament," which is a title created by Christian prejudice.

If the Hebrew Scriptures are not accepted as the "infallible Word of God," then their teachings, including Creation, the Flood, etc., become optional. This means that we do not have to reject them, but we do not have to accept them either. Many mystics (enlightened people) throughout history have accepted the first chapters of Genesis, for example, as an allegory of the "Fall from Grace." In fact, mystics love to write about this chapter. It is quite popular.

Others love the Proverbs, and still others, the Song of Solomon. Ecclesiastes is also quite popular among many who have turned away from the Hebrew Scriptures in general. (These three were written, legend says, by Solomon, a great mystic.)

So, the fact that we decide to turn away from a full acceptance of every verse of the Hebrew Scriptures as the "infallible Word of God" does not imply or mean that we must reject every verse. We can still recognize the Jewish literature as containing moments of great beauty and wisdom.

We need never hate these Scriptures; we simply must recognize that they are the Scriptures of a different religion, i.e., Judaism, often in its most ancient form.

And, of course, there is absolutely nothing wrong with Judaism. It is a faith with much good to offer. But in its most ancient history, contained in the Hebrew Scriptures, it fell into a godimage created by generals and soldiers. This god, created in the image of soldiers was, not surprisingly, a soldier! As a soldier, even a general, in the army of ancient Israel, their god was bristling with power. He was fierce, ferocious, unmerciful, and guilty of mass-murder, several times, according to their own sacred record in the Hebrew Scriptures. This bloodstained, bloodsoaked god made a marvelously powerful image for a wargod.

In the twenty-first century, it is good and healthy for a modern person to recognize that Jehovah/Yahweh was precisely this: a local wargod.

This is very, very different from any modern meaning that we would ever give to the word "God." For us, "God" is the Fountain of Love, compassion, gentleness, comfort, healing, tenderness, and gentle forgiveness. This is the polar opposite of Jehovah, and of other wargods.

What was the purpose of a wargod? It was one, and it was only this: to intimidate and frighten the enemies of your country. In the ancient Middle East, each small nation had its own "god." They had such names as Molech, Chemosh, and others.

The earliest Hebrew Scriptures were polytheistic: They recognized the existence of many gods, but insisted that Jehovah was the "best" (meaning, "most powerful").

War was the major way of life for the nation as a whole. The nation of Israel experienced so many wars, with so many enemies, that many scholars say that the entire nation has known only forty years of peace. (This occurred during the reign of King Solomon, an enlightened ruler.)

Among the ancients, everything was about war. So it should be no surprise that their religion, and their god, were also about war. One of the most famous designations for their god was "Jehovah of armies." And the Israelis used to dance in celebration to the heinous words, "Saul has killed his thousands, and David, his tens of thousands!: The more of the "enemy" that a soldier could kill, the better and more powerful man he became! As in other ancient and primitive cultures, the soldier was the best kind of man! So, naturally, it was the best kind of god!

Life in those days, not unlike modern times, was all about greed among nations. Greed was all about land. And war was all about land. Each nation wanted to "grab" as much land as possible. This is what the whole monstrous idea of the "promised" land was about! To get land, you had to kill its inhabitants. To do that, you had to be a good soldier.

Even in the Hebrew Scriptures, Jehovah is never presented as the god of all people. Those who followed the ancient Jewish way saw their Jehovah as "belonging" to their nation, exactly as other gods were national deities. Each nation was said to be the "chosen people" of its god, and each god did belong to a single nation. The idea of a universal God, a God for all people, was far beyond their ability to understand. So, it was never conceived by the ancient Israelis. They took it for granted that Jehovah was their personal and national possession. Jehovah was, historically, the god of Israel alone.

So, when early Christians went universal, opening to the Gentiles (non-Jews), the first thing that they had to do was renounce Jehovah.
So, they abandoned or rejected huge chunks of the Hebrew Scriptures. No Christian, for example, struggled to follow all the laws found in the Pentateuch or Torah-- the first five books legendarily ascribed to Moses.
(These are Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.) These ancient books contained literally hundreds of laws regulating sacrifices, clothing, the trimming of the beard, interactions with the "nations" (Gentiles), and dozens of other minor details. Christians saw all these "laws of Jehovah" as trivialities, unimportant to salvation. Paul argued to the Galatians that they had no need of "the Law," which was, essentially, the Hebrew Scriptures.

So, all early Christians, following the Law of Love of the master Jesus, felt completely free to reject any text of the Jewish Bible that they chose. We today, whether Christian or other, live under a similar freedom. We have one law and one only: Love as much as possible. This law includes kindness, compassion, charity, goodness, service, friendship, and several other factors. If we do follow the law of Love, then we have no need for all the "laws of Jehovah" recorded in the Hebrew Scriptures. This is why no Christian anywhere has built a temple, or sacrifices a bull when she makes an error ("sin"). The Jews recognized it as part of their sacred law that something had to be slaughtered to satisfy the bloodlust of their god. Sacrifices were very common with the ancient gods and religions; so here, as in many other places, the worship of Jehovah resembled other primitive and tribal societies. Sometimes, they would kill doves; but a really serious sin required them to kill goats, sheep, and cows (or bulls).

Thus, enlightened people view the Hebrew Scriptures with the respect that they deserve, as semi-historical documents. We might even love some of the ancient writings. But when they talk about "God" or "the Lord," they are not referring to the Lord of Love or to the God of the universe; they are referring to Jehovah.

Since Jehovah is a false god, we do not derive any of our theology or philosophy from the Hebrew Scriptures. This avoids the almost universal confusion in the average Christian church, in which these documents are mistaken somehow for a "Christian Bible," which they clearly are not.
Even the famous "Ten Commandments" are mistaken, by the ignorant or uneducated as a "Christian" document-- which, again, they are not.

Studying the Hebrew Scriptures, which can be interesting, has no effect on our spirituality. Therefore, the great burden of studying them is lifted off our backs. (As a fundamentalist, I studied them for over twenty years.) We simply do not need the texts of an ancient religion to guide or direct us in the modern world.

The Christian Bible, with its teaching of "Christ in you," is much more mystical. Christianity's founder Jesus was clearly a mystic, for he taught his own oneness with God. But Abraham and Moses were not enlightened mystics. The Christian Scriptures are more than enough to satisfy the spiritual needs of modern people.

But we mystics have far more, not fewer, spiritual texts than the average Christian. For we also accept as spiritually valuable texts from other cultures, including some of the Sutras of historical Buddhism and Hinduism, as well as the writings of Lao Tzu and Chuang Tzu in Taoism.

Thus, turning away from the Hebrew Scriptures does not impoverish our spiritual tradition. In fact, it greatly enriches us and leads to spiritual clarity and certainty. Our spiritual lives are greatly simplified when we no longer have to accept every word of the Hebrew Scriptures. The words of Jesus are relevant: "You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (Jn. 8:32) So, whether or not we are Christians, we have a joyful freedom that most people never taste! And it is deep and sweet!
*******

The Sigh Heard 'Round the World

*****

On 060308, yesterday, the world's largest sigh of sheer relief was heard around the world. For after that historical day, it became a real possibility that we, as Americans, would and could replace the worst president in history! George w. bush, also known as "dubya," or, "the shrub," has been the most dishonest, corrupt, and incompetent of any public official in our history. He made it impossible for an aware person to respect the office of the president, for he proved that it could be bought with money, and then, prostituted to corporate management. In doing this, he ignored, and even reversed, hard-won laws determined to protect our planet, Mother Earth, and showed that he was willing to end the world as we know it for a fistful of dollars in his personal bank-account.
Now, it appears that it will at least be possible to replace this mindless, heartless greedmonger and warmonger with a simpler man. This man has perhaps not been "tested" yet by the Office, but, at present, is a relieving alternative to the crooks and criminals who have "bought" the U.S. political system for years. Perhaps, someday, the "people" will once again have a "voice."
For the common person-- the average, middle-class worker-- has been ignored if not abused for years, while corporations and the filthy rich have put the president in their "back pockets." Bush has been but the puppet of rich oil-men and other wealthy supporters. Thus, he has been useless-- and, worse, harmful-- as a legislator. From the start, he and his Republican Party have been studies in dishonesty, secret procedures, and operations for money. (As president, bush has stowed away millions.)
Dare we hope that a new president might speak, and work, for the common people-- for you and me? This is the high ideal of this country, although it has been stomped into the mud, and hidden under filth, for years. Is the sunlight of this pleasant vision starting to shine again?
Are we starting to wipe away the thick filth of greed?
We do hope so. Let us have at least the courage to dream again; for without its dream, a people is nothing.
*****

The Poorest People in the World

*******

Dearest Friends of the Heart,

Recently, you, our dearest friends, have responded with the Love of God to a request to give aid to the poorest people on our planet-- orphans in the third world, made homeless and hopeless by the horrific violence of wars based on greed. The gross evil that these kids have seen is partly compensated by your Love for them. This is how God (Love) gains victory over fear on our tiny nanoplanet.

We are personally and deeply, sincerely grateful for whatever aid that you have been able to give. Please keep in mind that donations as small as three dollars can make a real difference. In order to keep you posted, we plan a public acknowledgment of our givers, periodically, in the "Universal Love Digest."

By this generosity, you prove that your Love is genuine. For kindness is a real form of Love. This is a great way to help real people, and to give yoursjavascript:void(0)
Publish Postelf the only gift that really counts-- good karma! So, in alphabetical order, we wish to acknowledge our dear friends; we have received the following funds, as of 051308:

Anonymous $20
Stephen Doran $150
lmiusa $25
Tim McConnell $30
Kathy Moulton
and Boone Posey: $100
Alice Phillips: $25
Diann Proffitt $50

___________
Total, 052808: $400.

This fund was received at

Love Ministries
5100 Liberty-Fairfield Rd.
Hamilton, OH 45011.

It will be evenly distributed, one hundred percent of it, to our affiliates: Love Ministries of India, Love Ministries of Kenya, Love Ministries of Pakistan, Love Ministries of Tanzania, and Love Ministries of Uganda. This is the gift of bread, of life, to people who otherwise might have perished without hope in total desperation.

Again, thanks, dear friends. We will keep you alerted as the fund grows, by God's (Love's) working in and through you.

Love,

the Staff of Love Ministries USA

A Nightmarish War

*******

Today is March 19, 2008. That means that today is the fifth anniversary of the beginning of the war in Iraq. I am not one of those extremists, who can be both dangerous and wrong, who say that the U.S. is always wrong, that it is the "big bad guy."

But in this case, the U.S., a military giant, did attack pre-emptively, a third-world country. (Among its "soldiers" were twelve-year-olds.) The U.S., in other words, began this war. That in itself is indefensible.

During the war, its aftermath, and in conflicts, skirmishes, and other extenuating circumstances, it has been estimated that a full one million people-- many of them women and children-- have been murdered during the "shock and awe" of this nightmare. Also, four thousand American girls and boys (never to become women and men) have been slaughtered. These will, tragically, never again kiss their mothers or hold their babies.

They will never contribute a penny to the struggling American economy; they will never make important discoveries that could help the world.

They will never again do anything on earth. Each of these four thousand could have changed history for the better.

And, on top of those Americans murdered senselessly by this war, there are tens of thousands who have suffered permanent and irreversible injuries-- including many serious, incurable brain-injuries. These will live the rest of their lives in hell-- in institutions and/or in bodies with brains that no longer serve them.

And, speaking of the struggling economy, in which two million plus families are being thrown out on the street (73% are African or Hispanic American), this nasty, wasteful, destructive war has sucked a full one trillion dollars from the American economy! That is one thousand billion, or one million million, dollars! This is enough money that the government could afford to send you, me, and each and every other American man, woman, and child a check for over three thousand dollars!

It is also enough to rebuild most of our roads, bridges, schools, libraries, and other infrastructure within our country.

So, in terms of both human and financial resources, this war has been hideously expensive! Nothing can un-do the horrors created by it, or its irreversible effects on millions of lives.

As george bush's recent defense of torture proves, war is the opposite of Love. We need to embrace in Love our Middle Eastern sisters and brothers, not to label them "enemies," and then, slaughter them!

In the end, we must ask, Why was this war even begun?

A couple of viable and reasonable answers are suggested by the available
data:

The war did rid our planet of a cruel dictator. But why was this dictator selected from among the dozens of others that stain our world? Simple: He put out a contract on the life of george bush, sr. This is never mentioned, but it was a major reason, imperialism aside, for the war. The incompetent georgie wanted to make sure that his daddy was not in trouble.

Also, secondly, there was the weird fantasy that, if the U.S. could grab the land, its leaders would own the oil beneath it! So, they grabbed the land, expecting to get millions of barrels of free oil, which bush and his buddies could sell for a whopping, immense, gigantic profit! (They will not rest until we are all paying $10 for a gallon of gas.) It was as if the naive attackers/invaders actually believed that the whole population would welcome them with garlands of roses! It was as if they believed that there would be no resistance, no so-called "insurgents,"
which might be called "patriots" in Iraq. (If this country were invaded by a greedy foreign country, would not our "best patriots" resist with everything that they've got?)

It was because of these two, and other, sick fantasies that the American people were lied into this nefarious and greedbased war. And it was the "commander-in-thief" himself who lied us into it. For bush cares nothing for Americans generally; he cares,and has always cared, for only the very rich, and for corporations, as well as for his own bank-account. (He has become enormously, but secretly, very wealthy as president.)

So, the U.S. started a war; it did it for all the wrong reasons; and it ruined the economy in order to pay for it. Our children's children will look back on us, laughing and crying, and wonder what plague of insanity infected our brains that we could ever have stupidly followed a very stupid leader into an extremely stupid war.

Let us think, meditate, and pray seriously over this matter. For thousands of girls and boys have paid the ultimate price for the greed of a few old men. And that is so very sad that words cannot even express it.
*******

Materialism, Greed, and "New-agers"

*******

There are many, and some immense, spiritual principles-- such as karma and its associated linkages with lifedesign-- that people do not realize.

If they did educate themselves in these matters, their interior universe would expand breath-takingly!

There are many items in the traditional (and now, paradoxically "old") "New Thought" Movement that are questionable from the mystical perspective. For the main "objection," much of it is virtually obsessed with the ego-- the opposite of truest and deepest spirituality. Many new-agers are very much like their business or "worldly" counterparts, for they are both obsessed with the impressive home, career, new car, best computer, etc.

And so many, directly contrary to Jesus, in his famous "Sermon on the Mount," are also obsessed with egofame! These are not only nonspiritual, but, much worse, antispiritual concepts.

They always talk about "abundance," but this can be a secret code-word for greed. Jesus commanded the opposite, again, by saying, "Do not store up treasures upon the earth." He called us, not to a pressure-filled life in which we tried to control everything mentally, but to a pressure-free life in which we did not try to control anything! For "faith" is trusting Goddess (Tao) to control Her universe! Some of the material written by Ernest Holmes does fall, or has slipped, into these sad categories. The ego is sneaky and subtle; and if all else fails, it will disguise itself and its message as "spirituality."

Yes, many followers of his Science of Mind Church are wonderful, openminded, tolerant, giving, compassionate people! Some do not even realize that the ego sits at the very heart of the philosophy. But the ego thrives on fear, and this is the subtle, often hidden, fear that they will not be able to control the world mentally. So, people who put all their eggs in the basket of "positive thinking" live in perpetual fear of having "bad" thoughts. Happily, however, our conscious thoughts are not that powerful!:)

This kind of pseudospiritual material soon becomes an endless rerun all about "prosperity," "abundance," and "right thinking." Soon, Love gets pushed aside, and ultimately, ignored. Jesus spoke much and often about Love; but it is significant that he never gave a sermon on "right thinking," and never implied that the conscious mind could control the world. In fact, he said quite the opposite: We cannot change the color of a single hair on our own heads.
*******

God, the U.S., and Forgiveness

*******

The "Ten Commandments" were never, and never meant to be, a "Christian" document. They are the ancient, primitive laws that guided a very old and archaic culture. They were not created to guide people of the twenty-first century, but groups of tribal savages living near the twenty-first century BC!

Not that they are not great and fine ideas for all people. They likely derived from the more ancient Code of Hammurabi of Babylonia. And it is a good idea not to kill, steal, and go after your neighbor's wife!:)

But most of the modern defenders of the Ten Commandments are also supporters of the noxious and obscene war for greed and oil in Iraq. So, they cannot be taken seriously as "defending" or "being on the side of" Jesus, in this or any other matter. For this sick and nightmarish war, they have trashed the most important of Commandments, "Thou shalt not kill."

It really doesn't impress a person of even moderate intelligence that they hang it up, with a kind of boastful superiority, on their walls, or in their courts. For they advocate and defend trashing this Commandment.

They support, often enthusiastically, the utter merciless slaughter of our Middle Eastern sisters and brothers. A high percentage of the nearly one million that have perished through the "shock and awe" of this ghastly bloody war have been women and children. This is the most ugly and insane behavior, and God does not approve of it, is never behind it.

The true God is Love and perfect forgiveness. He does not rain punishment upon his beloved children. The United States has some gigantic problems, at the top of which it is being run, and ruined, by a lawless, greedy, tyrannical regime controlled by a backwards incompetent.

But although the U.S. has many challenges, they are not, and can never be, the "punishment" of a petty, trivial god who is "offended" by human actions. Stupid human mistakes are not important, or potent, enough to "offend" the God of infinity. They are not even a blip on the "radar" of life!

Human beings who think that human mistakes are so terribly important base this on the assumption that their lives are the obsession of God. But God has a billion other planets, in a billion other galaxies, to run.
Our activities, including our mistakes, are simply not Number One on an endless, limitless agenda!

Earth is a school. A school is a place designed to make mistakes, for that is the only way that we ever learn anything. Only rightwing fanatics, without a particle of Love, compassion, or forgiveness in their hearts, try to present the beautiful Lord of Love in the violent, ignorant Jehovah-image of the Old Testament. This false "god" is always angry; he is violent, murderous, and completely unforgiving. He is a petty and trivial deity.

More advanced and sophisticated people realize that the sweet Infinite does not waste time with anger. We recognize this as a serious weakness among people; so why should we project it onto the immeasurable Mind of Love?

People who feel that the Ruler and Guide of the universe wastes time with unforgiveness and punishment, vengeance, and pettiness, are wrong. They betray that, although hyper-religious, they have absolutely zero knowing of the true God of profound wisdom and deeper Love. For the Love of God is infinite, and he is never petty. It simply does not matter to him whether we, on a planet so tiny as to be invisible, hang up the Ten Commandments in our courts, or put, "In God we trust" on our money. For, in the greater scope of eternity, none of these trivialities add up to a single molecule.

What is important is that we learn to love and to forgive. So, the person of wisdom does not waste time with hollow, superficial, and artificial public activities, so that she might be admired by microscopic people. She does not fight and argue about symbolic actions that are inconsequential, such as placing religious documents in public. Instead, every day, she works on the interior Self, renewing it in the healing Power of Love and compassion.
*******

America the Beautiful and America the Terrible

*******

I grew up in America the Beautiful, a country that was part idealization.

But it was a system that respected international law and order. It was a massive, mighty, many say "blessed," country that would never, under any conditions, stoop to invading a third-world country whose "soldiers" are often twelve-year-olds. And it would never have engaged in this nightmare of mass-murder of women and children for the evils of oil and greed.

I love America. But I do not always love or embrace her behavior under the tyranny of ignorant and greedy men. I do not respond with "shock and awe" to the slaughter and massacre of hundreds of thousands of innocent women, children, and men in a single day. This is the evil twin of America the Beautiful; her name is America the Terrible.

In America the Terrible, it is a place where elections were fixed and dishonest. In both twenty hundred in Florida, and in twenty-oh-four in Ohio, hundreds of thousands of valid votes were disenfranchised-- mostly votes of native Americans, African Americans, Asian Americans, and Latino Americans. Huge boxes of their valid votes were simply thrown away.

Why? Because they did not want the government to be led by men who trashed personal rights and civil liberties. They were rejecting a government that practiced regular torture and mass-murder. They turned away from a government that spied on its own citizens, and took away civil rights and freedoms. In short, they insisted on a simple democracy, which the U.S. claimed to be exporting, while in reality, it was suppressing here at home.

The rulers of America the Terrible were the pygmy-puppets of corporate America. They stood by the greedy and destructive corporations while they ruined the environment, and defended their absolute greed even as they poisoned innocent citizens. And when opportunities arose to help people-- whether senior citizens, children, students, or the common person-- the leaders stood squarely opposed to programs that could assist. This was done not once, but over and over again. America the Terrible believed in war-- even in starting it, and in the defense of pollution; and "anything for a buck" was its guiding philosophy.

In America the Terrible, an unqualified man could, with the aid of his father, "buy" the highest position in the land, and end up in the White House even if the citizens did not want him there. He could buy his way to power by becoming a weak puppet of vast wealth, again, mostly corporate. He could then reverse laws that the wisest people had developed for decades. He could not only start a nightmarish war, but could threaten the beginning of another-- this time, nuclear. By simply ignoring the poor and supporting the rich, he could come dangerously close to eliminating the middle class-- the traditional strength of America the Beautiful. In sum, everything that could go wrong in America the Beautiful did go wrong in America the Terrible.
*******