Hypocrisy.

What is it that makes people say one thing (in church) and do another (during the week).

Quite contrary to the popular belief that these people are wicked or sinful, I believe the reason is fear.

The fear that what they espouse on Sundays will not work in the world drives them to behave differently in their work environment and even in the family life.

And then the fear of ostracism causes them to mouthe agreement with Jesus on Sundays.

The fear of hell causes them to say one thing and do another.

So, rather than thinking of these people as the enemy, we should have compassion for them, so ruled are they by fear.

Their fear makes them do what everybody else does - at work and in church.

How can we reduce their fear?

By removing the threat of hell to begin with.

And increasing their faith.

That God will deliver us, and God will provide.

Pray for this.

Whited Sepulchers.

Rock musicians cover up their music of death by whitewashing their image.

This serves two purposes:
1.  To hide the dark nature of their mission.
2.  To draw people in.

Have you ever noticed the sweet, innocent music of one album becomes the dark, suicidal music of the next?

Look more closely.
You will see a pattern.

Lure - Darkness - Cover Up.

Many of them use nudity and sex to lure people into their web of evil.
Then they poison and curse them to death.
In the hope that they will go to hell.

It is a subtle game of temptation and damnation.

The inverse of orthodox religion.

It is dark.
It is negative.
It is superficial.
It is sabotage.
It is anti-Christian.

But they are whited sepulchers.

Religious Authorities.

Was I to speak with those in religious authority I would argue that the absolutes inherent in their versions of Christology are at odds with my experience of God.

God is not angry or judgmental.
He does not condemn or punish us.

These are explanations for what happens to us in life which is merely the actions of human beings with free will.  It is not the will of God.

The angry, judgmental, punishing God of the Old Testament is a projection of our experience of earthly authority figures - fathers, kings - who reward and punish us.  This is not part of God.

God's nature is wholly good.
He is not subject to the dualities of our world.

We project our human traits onto God.

Hear the good news:
God is Love.
All are forgiven.

Unconscious Projections.

What we are and what we think are to some extent created by the projections of others.

This is why stereotypes and prejudices should be addressed.
They tend to create the kind of behavior projected.

"'The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes.'"  John 3:8a (NRSV)

Projections from others in the collective unconscious will create thoughts that are in line with those projections.

So we should always be aware of what others think of us.
Albeit without manipulation.

We can counteract negative projections with positive thoughts.
But we must be constantly vigilant.

This is particularly true of gays and lesbians who are despised and demonized by the religious right.

Gays and lesbians should be constantly reminded of their innate goodness and their acceptance in heaven.


[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.]

Suffering.

The cause of suffering is sin.

The cause of sin is fear.

Faith helps us overcome our fears.

But it is Love which leads us to God.

Virtues.

Honesty.

Truthfulness.

Compassion.

Tolerance.

Charity.

Patience.

Love.

These are the virtues we show when our fear is gone.

They lead to the goodness of God.

Holy Communion.

What we celebrate in the Church today as Holy Communion is based on a real event - the Last Supper - but it is unlikely that it took the form which we use today.

In the ancient world the meal was a symbol of communion with the god.
It was the culmination if the initiation rites in the mystery cults.

The cult of Dionysus for example used the meal as a reminder of the death of Dionysus and his being eaten by the giants.
Some think that this myth is the basis of the Eucharist.
Dionysus' heart was taken to Olympus and he was given a new body.

That being said, the event which we call the Last Supper was a Passover meal.
And as such it was a celebration of the covenant between God and the people of Israel in Egypt.
The blood of the sacrificial lamb was painted on the door of each Israelite's house and the plague of death passed over them, sparing the lives of their firstborn.

It was the commemoration of this meal which Jesus and the disciples engaged in that night.

As a reminder of the covenant between God and Israel, Jesus may have used this meal as a symbol of the new covenant centered in him.

It is unlikely that he would have used the words my body and my blood.
This is much moire likely to be an overlay which was added later, after his crucifixion.

But this Passover meal remains a covenant with God and we are right to commemorate it as Holy Communion.

The Book of Revelation.

Far from representing the imminent end of the world, I believe that the Book of Revelation which ends the Bible represents the fall of Rome, the end of the ancient world, and the establishment of Christendom.

It states that the seven heads of the beast are seven hills - these are the seven hills of Rome.
The ten horns are Roman Emperors.
The three little horns are the Triumvirate.
The blasphemy is that Caesar is a god.

The cavalry are the barbarian hoards - the Vandals, the Visigoths - who destroyed Rome.

The Christians are then given thrones - the thrones of Europe - following Constantine: Charlemaine, the Christian kings of England and Germany.....

So there is no need to fear the end, it has already happened.
It was imminent at the time of Jesus.
And it established the Age of Pisces.

We are now leaving the Age of Pisces and entering the Age of Aquarius.

But there is no need to fear war, although there is always conflict between the old and the new.

Pray then that we can achieve the transition without violence.

Up to Date.

I am now more or less up to date.

I will only be posting every 3 or 4 days from now on.

Bad Behavior.

Because God does not punish bad behavior does not mean He condones it.

He withdraws.

Murder, violence, stealing, lies, adultery, blasphemy, greed, oppression.....
God does not condone these things.

Most of them have causes, and those causes are fears.

So God does not judge them.

Non-violence, forgiveness, honesty, respect, charity, generosity.....
God delights in these things.

But most of all God delights in Love.