Church Bullies.

The more that the religion of force and violence is preached in the Churches the more their adherents will bully others.

The image of God as the ultimate bully is the cause.
They put their faith in fear.

This is an error.
God is not judgmental or punishing.

God is Love.
He is forgiving, merciful, understanding.
He is truthful, trustworthy, and reliable.

God and Jesus will come and dwell with those who do what Jesus said to do:
Love God and love your neighbor.
Love your enemies and pray for them.

So keep watch and pray.


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The Way of the World.

The reason why most hippies and baby-boomers left the Church was because the older generation (their parents) did not do what Jesus said.  They went to church every week but they did not do it.

My father went to church on Sundays but in his weekly life he did not practice Christianity.  This was because "It is a jungle out there."  "You have to get the next guy before he gets you."

This culture of violence (the jungle) comes from the top.  The captains of industry, the corporate leaders have no faith in the words of Jesus.  "They won't work in the real world."  "You have to compete and beat the next guy."

Superior force and violence was their answer.

The answer to this, of course, is to have faith in the teachings of Jesus.
"'"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all you mind, and with all your strength."'"  Matthew 12:30 (NRSV)
"'"You shall love your neighbor as yourself."'"  Matthew 12:31a (NRSV)
"'Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.'"  Luke 6:27,28 (NRSV)

And do it!

In fact the philosophy of superior force and violence is Satanism.  Being the biggest baddest beast in the jungle is at the core of Satanism.

The basis of witchcraft and black magic is to kill all opposition to your own will.
To kill steal and destroy is the way of the world.
Perhaps this is why Satan says to Jesus that all these things - power. strength and authority - are delivered to him.

This is an illusion.
There is no Satan.
But the way of the world is evil.

In fact the hippies with their philosophy of peace and love were closer to Jesus than the Christians who they considered to be hypocrites.

Peace, love, non-violence, anti-war, counter-culture, anti-establishment.....

But the hippies were betrayed by their rock stars and reconstructed by their enemies.  And now most follow a philosophy of success (follow your bliss) which is selfishness and worldliness.


(Scripture quotations (marked NRSV) are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible. copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission.  All rights reserved.)

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Bullies.

A video of a fat boy retaliating against bullies at school has appeared on T.V..

This has stimulated a debate about how to handle bullying.
The fat boy was suspended for retaliating but many on the internet supported his actions.

Bullies are people who are afraid of being bullied so they strike first in order to scare off potential bullies.  They pick on people more vulnerable than themselves.

This culture of bullying comes from the top.

At the grammar school which I attended the old headmaster was dismissed because the parents thought he was too lenient.  Under his authority the School had had a reputation for children not being bullied.

When the new headmaster was appointed he brought with him an English school tradition of discipline.  Under his authority bullying thrived.

A culture of fear and violence comes from the top.
From the headmaster to the teachers to the students.

The new headmaster may have had a violent father, he definitely had a violent headmaster.

So the fear is passed down from generation to generation.


N.B.  We can see bullying in our politicians and media, also in sports and movies.
While we  are showing our children this example we will never stop the bullying in schools.

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Counter-Culture.

God's ways are profoundly counter-cultural.

Our culture demands that each person or family must be independent and self-sufficient.  (Each home must have its own car, television, washing machine, stereo, microwave, DVD recorder, vacuum cleaner etc..)

This is very good for the economy but not very good for society.
It is also very expensive..

Our culture also demands that people support themselves.
This is to some extent mitigates by the welfare system which is so unpopular with the right wing.  The welfare system is impersonal, i.e. there is no contact between the donor (taxpayer) and the beneficiary (pensioner).  This obviates any feelings of obligation.

We do not expect to help anyone outside of our family circle.
The disabled, the destitute, the marginalized are expected to look after themselves.  Even within families the unmarried and the sick are marginalized.  For them it is cold and lonely.

This is caused by fear.
Fear of obligation, fear of burden.

God's ways are different.
God wishes us to befriend each other - including the poor, the widow, the fatherless - i.e. the disabled and the destitute, those who are marginalized and excluded.  God wishes us to have them in our homes and feed them.

God wishes that we open our hearts and love one another.
Especially those beyond the church's door (i.e. outside of our circle) who may be lonely and isolated.

God's way is warm and inclusive.
Genuine friendship, compassion, and love.

Brothers and sisters in Jesus characterized by love for each other.
Visiting, excursions, meals not out of obligation but out of genuine friendship and Love.


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Scoring Points.

We are so used to thinking of ourselves as good or bad that it is hard to get out of the habit.
(In most cases, of course, we are good and they are bad.)

In order for the older generation, who have inadvertently placed their personal value in doing good deeds, to be O.K. with the New Paradigm it must be explained that they are valued and loved individuals in any case.
(They are afraid of losing their points.)

Where there is fear of punishment for not doing good deeds it should be explained that there is no punishment in any case.

But, in order to be like God, we should do no harm to others.

As we are encouraged to love others helping them will follow naturally.

So we may do the same things but the motivation will no longer be fear but love.


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The Middle East.

The modern state of Israel was established without the consent of the local Palestinian population.

The two peoples have virtually been at war ever since.

Until we can establish a live and let live attitude between the Israelis and the Palestinians the use of violence and force will continue unabated.

It is antisemitism to the Israelis and Zionism to the Palestinians.

They say,"We are children of God.  They are children of Satan."

Turning the other cheek would break the cycle of violence.

Until we can pray for our enemies, however, the violence will not stop.

"'What is impossible for mortals is possible for God.'"  Luke 18:27 (NRSV)


(Scripture quotations (marked NRSV) are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission.  All rights reserved.)

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Violence.

When a situation arises where someone is being harmed in some way:

- if it is possible to stop this without resorting to violence or harming anyone then we should do so without hesitation.

- if this is not possible we should pray for the perpetrator to overcome the fears and terrors which cause them to act violently and show mercy to their victims.

This extends to war:

- if it is possible to stop the violence without resorting to arms then we should act.

- if this is not possible then we should pray for the aggressors to overcome the fear which drives them in order to stop the killing.

If we resort to arms we become entangled - in violence and revenge.


N.B.  Terrorists are people who are terrified (usually of God).

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What We Need to Know 2.

The Bible says to love God.
How can we love God if we are afraid of Him?
Fear expels Love.

There is nothing to fear.
God will not punish us.

We wish to experience God.
Pray to God.
Love God.  Give your heart to God.
Love your neighbor.  Love those around you.
Contemplate God.
Cry out to God in your distress.
He will hear.

We have been told that God has a right hand where we see the worthy and a left hand where we see the condemned.
This is not so.
His right hand helps and prompts us.  His left hand reconciles us.

Rewards and punishments are human constructs, not divine prerogatives.

We should never fear God.

"'Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.'"  Matthew 7:7 (NRSV)

God is real.

Seek God's face.


(Scripture quotations (marked NRSV) are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission.  All rights reserved.)

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What We Need to Know 1.

Although what you think is important, and we cannot act in the world without first setting our minds in order, your soul is not in your head it is in your heart.

Love has always been of secondary importance in the world's religions.
It is the perennial bridesmaid.
Many have made it second to moral rectitude; others have made it secondary to the powers of the mind, or what we believe; others have made love secondary to what we do in the world.

The Bhagavad-Gita says that the way of love is greater than those who mortify the body, those who seek knowledge, and those who do good works.

Paul says that you can prophesy and know everything but if you have not love it means nothing.

We have been misled.
We have been told that those other things were more important than love.
The world has told us that money and status and possessions will make us happy.
They will not.
It is our relationships that make us happy and what is that but love.

It is important to get these things straight in our minds before we begin to act.
Jesus said,"'first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor's eye.'" Matthew 7:5 (NRSV)
It is important that we get these things straight.  But that is no end in itself.  That is preparation for what we do next.  Which is how we live our lives.

I am not going to tell you how to live your lives.  That is up to you.
I can only tell you how I live my life.  Which is to be true to those things which I know to be true.
And that is:
That God is near the heart.
That God does not punish us.
There is no enemy.
There are no sides.
God treats us all the same.
And that is with Love.

In the parable of the workers in the vineyard each earns a penny.
We are all equal in the sight of God:
The most intelligent scholar is equal with the community idiot.
The most devout Christian is equal with the Godless.

Bur that does not mean that all receive nothing.  You're forgetting the penny.  And the penny is Love.

But we are not here merely to receive.  We are here to give.

Ask yourself - What does my heart say? - and follow that.


(Scripture quotations (marked NRSV) are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission.  All rights reserved.)

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The World.

God's values are not the values of the world.

The world values: victory, fame, money, possessions, physical beauty, beautiful things, pleasure, intoxication, sex.....

We are fed these values constantly by the mass media.
Even our education reflects these values.
These are the things we are taught to aspire to.

The world loves power and success and achieves it through violence and fear.

But God says what we do to the least matters.

The world cheers the winners and ridicules losers.

At first we expect God to be like the world,
i.e. to reward and punish: to win; to use violence and force
- the God of power and might who conquers.
These are worldly values.

The Book of Revelation with its violence and its hell reflects the values of the world not the values of God.

"'The Father judges no one.'"  John 5:22a (NRSV)

"The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish."  1 Peter 3:9 (NRSV)

We should take heed of the powerless, the losers, the nobodies, the sick, the disabled, the poor.....

Celebrity culture is the way of the world.
To aspire to it is to be of the world.

The world hates God.
It hates: idealism, welfare, equality, meekness, generosity, humility, truthfulness, losing.....

God comes last.
He doesn't win.
There are no sides.

It is the world that killed Jesus
- the powers and authorities of the world.
- Jesus said he was the Son of God and he criticized the religious authorities; they accused him of blasphemy and killed him.

But he did not fight them.
He said nothing to them.
He allowed them to bruise him and kill him.
And he forgave them.

God did not stop them because He does not use force and they would not listen.

But there was a Pentecost afterwards whereby Jesus' message was spread through all the world.  It was only later that the message was changed according to inferior understanding.  That is why the Bible is full of contradictions - because people interpreted things according to their own understanding.

We live in darkness in the world.

Through Jesus we begin to see.

Through prayer we come to know God.


(Scripture quotations (marked NRSV) are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission.  All rights reserved.)

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Reconciliation.

If we intend to reconcile those who have turned away from God we must first make a safe place for them in God's Church.

This means we must teach :

There is no Judgment.
Otherwise they may become violent Christians.

There is no hell.
Otherwise they may turn from dragging people into hell to sending them.

There is no Satan.
Otherwise they may become violent crusaders.

Sex is O.K. with God.
Otherwise they may become fanatical about sex.

Homosexuality is a legitimate form of sexual expression.
Otherwise they may become violently anti-gay.

There is no Fall.
Otherwise they may become fanatical about Jesus.

Christianity is not the only path to God.
Otherwise they may become exclusivists (converters).

God is unconditional Love.
Otherwise they may hate sinners.

In other words we must teach the New Paradigm.

If we can teach the New Paradigm in the western Protestant Churches, i.e. if it is acceptable to believe in this way within the Churches, then there will be a safe place to reconcile the worshipers of Satan who covertly control much of the popular culture around us.

This black web of evil must be replaced by a golden net of love which penetrates deeper into the unconscious than backtracking and subliminal suggestion.

Perhaps this unseen hook is already in place.

Their mentor taught that the Law was Love.

As this is the truth then perhaps this is the Ariadne's thread with which they can be reconciled.

The rest is false knowledge (mostly received).

This relates back to the teachings of the Church :

Original Sin.
Judgment.
The devil.
Sex phobia.
Anti-gay postures.
Jesus as the only path to God.
God is (sexual) morality.
We earn salvation through good works.

These are the same things that need to be changed in order to make a safe place of reconciliation.

So the cause and the remedy are the same, i.e. to change the negative (false) teachings of the Church.

We should advocate the New Paradigm of Christianity - the teachings of the historical Jesus - as energetically as we can so we can address Satanism in our world.

Once we have created a safe place we can call an amnesty.
A Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
Where the truth will be told to all.
And forgiveness will be granted = reconciliation.

Of course this is voluntary.

They may not (yet) be willing to be reconciled to a God who is judging and punishing people (eternally).

This is a false image of God.

It is the reason that they turn to Satan in the first place.

So this false image of God must be changed.

We must teach the New Paradigm.
A true image of God which at the same time satisfies the intellect and is therefore acceptable to modern educated people.

Then perhaps the reconciled musicians, movie makers, and sportsman and women may spin forwards and advocate a new faith which will lead people back to God.


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The Father Judges No One.

This statement is consistent with my experience.

I have never known God to be angry or to judge anyone.
He is always understanding and compassionate - knowing, as we may not, the reasons for people's actions.

Neither does Jesus judge.
When the woman taken in adultery is set before him and the Pharisees tempt him to judge her, he draws in the sand and will not be moved.  Jesus says to them, "'Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.'"  John 8:7b (NRSV)  Then he says to her, "Neither do I condemn you.'"  John 8:11b (NRSV)

Today we encounter this in such things as ostracism of homosexuals.

Do they realize that they are throwing rocks?

"'Your sins are forgiven.'"  Mark 2:9a (NRSV) is Jesus' refrain.

So we should not look to God for revenge or punishment of our enemies.
This is the mistake that David made - to assume that God is on our side to the detriment of our enemies.

"The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish."  1 Peter 3:9 (NRSV)

What does it mean to love your enemies?
Perhaps it means that we should understand them, understand their motives, their past.
Then we may be able to pray for them.

It is the lesser understanding that thinks in terms of rewards and punishments, or of combating and defeating evil.

The deeper understanding knows that there are reasons for our actions and that all are forgiven.


(Scripture quotations (marked NRSV) are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission.  All rights reserved.)

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Sports Commentary.

While you are watching sports you are subtly absorbing the words of the commentators.

This is riddled with Satanic ideas :

"Bashing them up like the school yard bully.'
"Putting them to the sword."
"A dagger through the heart."
"Kicking them to death."
"Hunting them."
"Hurting them."
"More pain to come."
"A world of pain."
"Making a pact."
etc..

This is done deliberately by some.

Sports obsession, celebrity culture, rock stardom - all these things are sold to the detriment of life's purpose: love, compassion, understanding, mercy, and social justice.


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Prayer.

My experience of prayer is that when you pray (usually for others) you put your mind into a state which is totally benevolent - a kind of blessing - and in this state you become merged with God - a kind of communion.

In this state we wish others well :

that they recover or be made whole (from illness),
that they be helped in their troubles,
that they be comforted (in sorrow),
that they be strengthened,
that they be protected (from danger),
that they be soothed in their pain,
that they be relieved of suffering.....

Some prayers are for improvements in the world :

more love,
more compassion,
more understanding,
peace,
generosity,
wisdom.....

Can we say that these are also God's wishes?

"'Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.'"  Matthew 5:48 (NRSV)

God is sublime, serene, subtle - more refined than us - spiritual rather than spirit.

One of the definitions of the word holy is - free from sin and evil = all good = perfect.

"do not devise evil in your hearts against one another"  Zechariah 8:17a (NRSV)

Our task is to become more benevolent, more spiritual.

The yogis say that you become more refined as you develop and progress.

So, far from being indifferent or ambiguous, God is all good.

"'Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.'"  Luke 6:27 (NRSV)

Become a living blessing to all.
Wish even those who hurt you well.

Then you will be like God.


(Scripture quotations (marked NRSV) are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission.  All rights reserved.)

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Heaven?

"for your reward is great in heaven"  Matthew 5:12 (NRSV)

The idea that those who suffer on earth are rewarded in heaven is questionable.

If there is no hell because there is no punishment then perhaps there is no heaven and no reward.

It seems to me that the parable of the laborers who each receive a penny no matter how long they have worked is the key.

There are no woes to suffer and no great rewards.  Each will receive a penny and that will be enough.

Mediums do not describe people in heaven or hell, they describe people with their loved ones - their family and friends, even their pets.  Perhaps this is heaven.

This would support the idea that love is the organizing principle of the universe.

Love is its own reward.

So Love.
Love God and love your neighbor.

Perhaps that will be enough.


(Scripture quotations (marked NRSV) are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission.  All rights reserved.)

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The Churches.

The Churches also do good in the world.
For the poor, the destitute, the sick, and the troubled.

God understands that they are full of fear.
They will not listen.
And He will not force them.

So we wait.
Until the time is ripe.

Until then we talk about fear - fear of God, fear of Satan, fear of poverty, fear of strangers, fear of difference, fear of crime, fear of violence, fear of sex, fear of evil....

We pray that the Churches will see, overcome their fears and open their hearts to men and women and to God.
For we cannot love while we are afraid.
Once our fear is gone what is left is Love.


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Son of Man and Son of God.

Jesus used the epithet Son of Man when he was referring to himself as a product of the world and humanity, i.e. his human personality and body.

When he used the epithet Son of God he was referring to the part of himself which was related to God, i.e. his soul or spirit.

We are all products of both the world and God.

We all have personalities which have been formed by reaction to the world around us and our experiences in the world.

We also have aspects of ourselves which are created and formed by God.

This is where Jesus got into trouble with the Pharisees.  It was O.K. for him to call himself Son of Man because that meant to them that he was born in sin and therefore in need of redemption (through them).

It was not O.K., however, for Jesus to call himself Son of God because that meant that he had some sort of relationship with God which was outside of their control.

"''And call no one your father on earth, for you have one Father - the one in heaven.'"  Matthew 23:9 (NRSV)

And therein lies the problem.  We don't need the Pharisees in order to have a relationship with God.

That is not to say that God is not there - in His house.
He is.
That is why Jesus goes to Jerusalem - to go to God's house.
When he gets there, however, he behaves unpredictably.  He criticizes the authorities.  He says that they have perverted God's message.  Turning love and compassion into privilege and profit.

They crucified him for that.

Why does God not stop them?

Perhaps He cannot stop them.

They will not listen to Him speaking through His prophet.

And God does not use force.

"'For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say,"Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord."'"  Matthew 23:39 (NRSV)

"'Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.'"  Matthew 14:28 (NRSV)

The Pharisees have usurped the power of God (the Temple) for their own profit.

And they do not share power.

So we are all Sons of Man and Sons of God.

Our task is to return the message of love and compassion to its rightful place in God's house.

Until them the blind lead the blind.


(Scripture quotations (marked NRSV) are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of  Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission.  All rights reserved.)

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The Law.

The whole of the law is love.

Those rock stars and celebrities who have sold their souls to the devil have done so on the basis of received knowledge.

This knowledge is told them by religious authorities.

The religious authorities concerned believe that God is harsh and judgmental, that He does not approve of sex, and that homosexuality is an abomination.  They also believe that there is a devil who is constantly tempting humanity with a view to getting them into hell.

The devil worshipers believe that if God does not approve of sex and wealth, then the devil can deliver these things if you sell your soul.

They have made their decision on the basis of false information.

The religious authorities' image of God is false.  It has been handed down from generation to generation through fear and violence.
It is not Jesus' image of God.

There is no devil, neither is there a hell.

Satanism is the inverse of traditional Christianity.  And traditional Christianity, as formulated under Constantine and Augustine, is false theology.

If there is no devil he cannot deliver wealth and sex.
If there is no hell they cannot get us into it.

Most of their beliefs and practices come from traditional Christian beliefs - sin, temptation, damnation - backwards.

But these are false beliefs.

That is why I can feel some sympathy for them.  They have been misinformed.

Talent and transits account for the success that comes to some of them.  Failures they ignore.  The same things happen to stars who have not sold their souls.  Sex and wealth.  There is no need of Satan.

So God will not blame them.  His heart is full of compassion.  He does not destroy them.

It is a gigantic misunderstanding.

Neither will He destroy the religious authorities who informed them.  Their beliefs came from fear, fear handed down from father to son for generations.

So love your enemies, understand them and understand God.

God is a father, He does not punish His children when they act out of ignorance. Ignorance of the law is an excuse.  The law in any case is love.

Do sex and wealth bring happiness?

What bring s happiness is our relationships.  And our relationships are the love in our lives.

God is love.
The whole of the law is love.

So those who have turned to the devil can be reconciled like the prodigal son.

And those who have informed them, the usurpers of Jesus' Church, can be saved. Their fear can be overcome once they see it for what it is - man-made.

Then perhaps we can love God and love our neighbor.


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Dis-ease.

(a)  When there is pain in the body it is a sign that something is wrong which needs attending to.  Dis-ease it is called.

When there is suffering and pain in the world it is a sign that there is something wrong with humanity that needs attending to.

For what is humanity but a vast interconnected body.
The body if humanity.

If there is pain here or suffering there it is a sign that the flow of love is not reaching that area.  It may be that there is a blockage.  It may be that news is not reaching others.  It may be that some are not listening.  It may be that others do not care.

It is fear that blocks the flow of love.
Fear of losing our privileges, fear of strangers, fear of difference, fear of obligation.

It is time to begin to break down the invisible walls that separate us and see the suffering of others - in our society and in the world.

(b)  If we are to do this effectively we must challenge business conventions and corporate culture.  For what is this but petrified fear: fear of poverty, fear of justice, fear of revolution, fear of idealism, fear of losing money, fear of need.

This causes business leaders to use their media - television, radio, newspapers, magazines, movies, sports - all of which they own - to control public opinion, politicians, and employees so that they don't have to be accountable to anyone.

Perhaps it is time for us to regard them as corporate citizens who are accountable to society as others are.  To do this we must look at the conventions and the laws relating to business and corporations.
There, hidden beneath, we will find their fears.

It is this we should address.


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Dogs.

It is hard to believe that since the 1960s there has been a resurgence of black magic and Satanism in rock music that has cast a spell over the whole world.

This web of evil is all but invisible to normal sight, indeed the perpetrators of this crime are seen as saviors and role models, especially by the young.

What this does is backwards.  They take the astrological aspects of their audience and propagate the negatives of those aspects, thus entangling their fans in chains.

Whilst posing as helpers they poison their listeners with negativity.  The most obvious of these is suicide.  Note how many rock musicians write songs about death.

Death is a theological negative which they believe gives them immense power over humanity.  At once sabotaging any spiritual quest and hiding the truth about themselves.

This is not magic so much as propaganda.

It works on the unconscious level.  Backwards under the music.  Negative suggestion.

This practice has spread to sports and movies, T.V. and books.
Black, death, magic, monsters, vampires, drugs, insanity, promiscuity, transgression, materialism, money, sex, corruption, evil, hell.....

They believe that they have killed any spirituality in human beings and separated them from the Church.

They prey on people's rejection of traditional religion and believe that they have severed their fans connection with God = Death.

They have always been obsessed with image - their image with the public - they manipulate images and words, even going forwards in order to appear good or wise, which is the height of deceit.  Then they spin backwards into evil.  It is diabolical and difficult to see.  They lie and deceive.  They are whited sepulchers. Worldly cynics, they laugh all the way to the bank.

They call themselves Dogs - that Gods backwards.

They make the mistake, however, of identifying God with the Church. The religious authorities of the Church are closer to the Pharisees and Sadducees than they are to God.

Rock musicians have internalized the theology of sin and death and, believing God to be some kind of patriarchal bully, turn to the devil for what they want: sex and drugs and rock and roll.

They sell their souls to the devil and do the devil's work.

So they tempt you and try to get you into hell.

But there is no hell.
Their image of God is completely wrong.
They are wasting their time.
But the negativity and sabotage still has an effect.
It ruins people's lives.
It distracts people from their purpose.
It turns people away from God.
It tries to kill you.

Our task is to break the spell.
You can tell people what they are doing.
But people take things at face value.

Perhaps the best way of stopping them is to pray for them to see their errors, the errors which caused them to rebel in the first place, and be reconciled to God.

Then the overwhelming machinery - which is whirling backwards into darkness - can move forwards at last.


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The Flower of Love.

When I set out to put down on paper my revised beliefs about Jesus, the Bible, and religion I began with What I do not Believe.

It seems to me that the popular movement of progressive theology is at first a demolition of traditional Christian doctrine.

The Fall/Redemption, Penal Substitution, supernatural interpretation of the Bible, which has dominated Christianity since the time of Constantine, is being systematically dismantled.

The cry goes up that we are destroying people's simple faith and if we take that away there is nothing left.

First of all I would say that there is rubble.  We can pick and choose what we wish to retain from the rubble.

But even without that what remains is not nothing.

What remains is unconditional love.

The teaching, the theology of unconditional love has always been the bridesmaid not only in Christianity but in all the world's religions.

I believe that what remains, when you strip away the concepts with which we clothe our religious figures, is unconditional love.  This is the true religion.  And it is universal.

Whether the purveyors of the old religion of fear and guilt will allow this new flower to bloom is problematical.  They will not give up their power easily.

What the future holds is yet to be seen.  


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The Problem.

The problem is Fear.

Fear of:

God - punishment.
        - hell.
offending God.
losing love (jealousy).
poverty.
losing privileges.
losing money (profit motive).
strangers (racism).
difference (homophobia).
being different (conformism)(the closet).
pain (cowardice).
suffering.
losing (win at all costs).
rejection.
domination.
rebellion (dictators).
justice (injustice).
humiliation (ridicule).
missing out (opportunism).
violence.
idealism (cynicism).

All these things inhibit our capacity to Love
- which is both the cause and the purpose of life.


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In Holistic Language.

GOD :

is unconditional love.
is unmixed good.
is light without shadow.
is fire that does not consume.
is innocent.
sees good in us.
is non-violent.
is sublime.
will not force us.
is never angry.
is never vengeful.
does not judge us.
does not punish us.
is truthful.
is trustworthy.
cares.
is reasonable.
is compassionate.
nudges us in the right direction.
helps.
is unpredictable.
will not be manipulated.
shows us.
interprets the time.
waits.
withdraws.
answers prayers.


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The Age of Aquarius 2.

What improvements could come with the Age of Aquarius?

(a) 1. Liberty:   an end to dictatorships and control machinery (fear and guilt).
                          reduction of fear (of socialism, immigrants, homosexuals etc.).
                          less authoritarianism (more circular power structures).

    2. Equality:  an evening out of the class system (more middle class).
                          equal opportunity (women, gays, aboriginals).
                          an evening out of world wealth (China, India, Africa).

    3. Fraternity: if God is our Father then all men and women are our family.
                          altruism.
                          philanthropy.
                          humanitarianism.

(b)  People in the west may lose some of their privileges as the world becomes fairer, more even.

The aim, however, is to bring the second and third worlds up to first world standard, not the lowest common denominator.

Fear of socialism is the main obstacle:
     - counter revolutionary movement is counter productive.
     - conservatives and plutocrats must lose their fear of equality and justice.      Otherwise the world will remain ruled by money and profit.
     - the purpose of business must change from profit to providing (employment, livelihood, food).    


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The Age of Aquarius 1.

The age of Aquarius is approaching.

(a)  It is characterized by:
Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity.

If God is our Father then all men and women are our brothers and sisters.

It is Liberal Humanism (philosophically).
It is Progressive (not regressive).
It is true Equality (not one size fits all).
It is Freedom (not oppression).

(b)  We are still, however, effected by Satanism in the entertainment industries.

Unless we unmask this pervasive influence the Age of Aquarius will be manifested as the negatives of Aquarius: promiscuity, drug abuse, and insanity.

Astrologically Satanism is governed by Scorpio (hidden things, secrecy, evil). Aquarius considers Scorpio dark and sinister.  But it is disguised as Aquarius itself and accentuates the negatives of Aquarius (backwards).

The right-wing religious influence merely uses their knowledge of Satanism to demonize their political opponents.  They claim that it is Aquarius itself which is evil.  They have failed to unmask Satanism.  It is not Aquarius but Scorpio.

So the right-wing blames the victims of Satanism, i.e. the Hippies - who characterize aspects of Aquarius - rather than the perpetrators who are characterized by Scorpio.

The Hippies and Baby-Boomers have been sabotaged by Satanists in the music industry and manifest the negatives of Aquarius: promiscuity, drug abuse, and insanity.

So if we don't want the Rainbow Children to finish up like the Hippies (i.e. a mess) then we had better unmask the Satanic influence in the music, movies, sports, and literature they consume.

We can pray for this - for Satanism to be unmasked.
So that everyone can choose for themselves the positives of Aquarius: Liberty, Equality, Fraternity, i.e. Freedom, Egalitarianism, Brotherly Love.

As for the Satanists, we can call an amnesty, a Truth and Reconciliation Commission.  Then they can be reconciled to God.

Meanwhile we can pray for the Satanists to see their error, i.e. there is no Satan to reward them, and go forwards rather than backwards.


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What People Don't Know 2.

1.  The right-wing political machine is what the Bible calls a beast because it uses violence and fear to achieve its ends.

2.  The right-wing political machine uses evil against its political enemies by casting them as the devil.

3.  Rock stars and other celebrities sell their souls to the devil and do the devil's work in the world.

4.  Business leaders conspire with Satanists in the media.

5.  Religious leaders conspire with business leaders to oppose socialism.

6.  Business leaders use their media outlets to attack socialist leaders and socialist ideas.

7.  These three attack anyone who is in contact with God.
Tempting them in order to accuse them (entrapment).


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What People Don't Know 1.

1.  Our present religious authorities are the sons and daughters of the Pharisees and Sadducees who killed Jesus.  But because their actions are caused by fear they are not to be condemned.

2.  What the religious authorities say is not necessarily what God says.

3.  There is no hell.
The concept of (eternal) punishment is totally out of character for a loving God.

4.  There is no Satan.
Satan is an explanation for the question - Why do bad things happen to good people?

5.  God does not punish evil and reward good.
(Natural justice is a human concept).
(a)  God is a father and treats all people as his children.
(b)  God does not wish anyone to perish.
(c)  All men and women are our brothers and sisters.

6.  Suffering is not required by God but is what it takes to melt our hearts (ransom).

7.God is Love.
(i.e. not moral law or divine justice).


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Poison.

Satanists use the phone* to poison and demonize people's images much like the media of which they are a part.

They will make one of God's servants look evil to another of God's servants and thereby inspire them to fight and destroy each other.

This is what Jesus referred to when he said, "'Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand.'"  Matthew 12:25 (NRSV)

(*The phone is the term they use for telepathic communication.)

(Scripture quotations (marked NRSV) are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission.  All rights reserved.)

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