Liberalism and Satanism.

Conservative Christians often equate Liberalism with Satanism.

Although the two may seem similar on the surface there are basic differences which set them apart.

Satanism may disguise itself as Liberalism, but its purpose is not to gain freedom, it is to cause us to transgress.

This is temptation with the purpose of damnation.

Liberalism seeks to free us from restraints.
Restraints that hamper us and stunt our growth.

Liberals may well question traditional doctrines and dogmas, but their purpose is to search for the truth.

Satanism on the other hand questions in order to create doubt which cancels Salvation.

So Liberalism and Satanism differ in their purpose.
Liberalism seeks to free us, Satanism seeks to damn us.

Interestingly these two are ruled by different planets and signs in astrology:
Satanism is ruled by Pluto and Scorpio.
Liberalism is ruled by Uranus and Aquarius.

Church and State.

The reason that the religion of rewards and punishments has throughout history dominated the more pacific forms of religion is because this harsh form suits the needs of the established authorities - kings, aristocrats, dictators, plutocrats, and governments.

So the official forms of religion have always tended to be punitive.
And, like the elites' rule on earth, this was defended by violence - crusades, trials, and inquisitions.

Anyone who deviated from this orthodoxy was subjected to torture and death.

So it is little wonder that this negative form of institutional religion dominated.

Napoleon said that if the Catholic Church had not existed he would have to have invented it.  So compatible was it with his dictatorial rule.

Religion has always, since the time of the Pharaohs, been used to subjugate the masses.  This is the reason that the Communists declared themselves atheists.

But this is throwing out the baby with the bathwater.

It is yet to be seen whether modern democratic societies can maintain a religious spirituality which is not based on rewards and punishments.

Can Aquarius resist the temptation?

Love.

The reason that the world is as it is - unsatisfactory, imperfect, and broken - is because humankind does not follow God.

"He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?"  Micah 6:8 (NRSV)

If we all did this the world would be a different place.

But we don't.

We dominate others out of fear.
We don't believe that God will provide.
We close our hearts to others.
And we refuse to help when needed.

Even those in positions of religious authority fail to follow God.
They even deny the teachings of their own prophets.

The blind lead the blind.

But if you open your heart to God and humanity you will find the door to the sanctuary open.

God is the lover of humankind.

"We love because he first loved us."  1 John 4:19 (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.]

Jesus' Teachings.

Some would say that if you don't believe in Original Sin, the Virgin Birth, Salvation through the blood of Christ, the Second Coming, the Judgment, and Eternal Damnation then you don't believe anything and cannot call yourself a Christian.

But I would assert that Jesus' teachings of love and forgiveness, mercy, compassion, and faith are the heart of his message, not the doctrines and dogmas which grew up around the figure of the Christ.

So, far from not believing anything, what we believe is the heart of Jesus' teachings which lead to his vision of the Kingdom of God on earth.


Photo Credit: Darladirladada (Film) Flickr via Compfight cc

Visionary.

I believe in Original Blessing.
We are all part of God's good creation.

I believe that everyone has a divine spark within them.
But this spark is not in the mind, it is in the heart.

I believe in an afterlife for everyone.
Not heaven and hell but some other realm where the learning process continues.

I believe that God is one.
A holistic entity that is more than the sum of His parts.

I believe that God is our loving Father.
We are all His children and He will not reject us.

I believe that Jesus was the guiding spirit of the Age of Pisces.

I believe that we are now entering the Age of Aquarius.
The New Paradigm of Progressive Christianity is the model for the Age of Aquarius.

Heretic.

I don't believe in Original Sin.
The myth of Adam and Eve was created to explain why men toil and women suffer in childbirth.

I don't believe in the Virgin Birth.
Jesus had a mother and father like everyone else.

I don't believe in the Divinity of Jesus.
Jesus was a normal human being who made close contact with God.

I don't believe in the Second Coming.
Jesus will not return to judge everyone.  He refused to do so in life so why would he do so in the future?

I don't believe in The Judgment.
God judges no one.  And the son follows the Father.

I don't believe in hell.
Hell is totally out of character for a loving God.

I don't believe in Satan.
Satan was invented as an explanation for why bad things happen to good people.

Damage.

Each generational group has signs of the zodiac in common.
These house the generational planets - Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto.
And the signs that they fall in are the generational signs.

Satanists in the popular culture, especially in the music industry, use the negative attributes of these generational planets and signs to sabotage the development of each successive generation.

This is astrology backwards.

They hope that the negative behavior they inspire will lead to damnation.

God will not punish us for behavior instigated in this way.
In fact God will not punish us at all.

So don't follow your rock stars and sporting heroes, the damage they do is astronomical.

Looking for Jesus.

"'I am the way, and the truth, and the life.'"  John 14:6 (NRSV)

My generation - the baby boomers - rejected the moralistic teachings of the Church in favor of a more liberal philosophy.

The result, however, has been that we are imprisoned in the world, held captive by darkness and fear.

In fact my generation is looking for Jesus.

Which Jesus?

The Jesus that inspired Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jnr..


[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.]