Side-Effects.

Religion as we know it - exoteric religion - is a collection of principles which accrue upon spiritual development.

But these principles, which can be adopted mentally, are not the heart of spirituality.

The heart of spirituality is unconditional love.

The rest: goodness, compassion, forgiveness, mercy, honesty, truthfulness, moderation, charity, generosity.....are merely side-effects.

It is when side-effects are adopted as absolutes that religion hardens into bigotry and prejudice, driven by fear.
Morality is not an absolute.
Morality is a side-effect.

St. Paul said, "but if I have not love, I am nothing."  1 Corinthians 13:2b (GNB)

"There is no fear in love; perfect love drives out all fear."  1 John 4:18a (GNB)


[Scriptures (marked GNB) are taken from the Good News Bible published by The Bible Society/Collins copyright American Bible Society.]

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Healing.

May those

who have been

damaged

by drugs

and mental illness

be healed

in

body, mind, and spirit.


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Body, Mind, and Spirit.

One of the reasons that modern Satanism has been so successful is because it guarantees sexual gratification.

The Church on the other hand virtually denies sexual gratification.

The Church bases this teaching on the writings of St. Paul.

St. Paul was originally a member of an extremely strict sect of Pharisees who denied sex altogether (he was never married).

He wrote, "Who will rescue me from this body of death?"  Romans 7:24b (NRSV) and, "To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace."  Romans 18:6 (NRSV)
He also wrote, "so that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil,"  Hebrews 2:14b (NRSV)

So it is clear that these beliefs are based upon the writings of St. Paul.

You will not find any of these claims in Jesus' teachings.

Jesus made no mention of any conflict between Spirit and flesh.

In fact he was known for eating with prostitutes and sinners.

Speaking to the Pharisees he said, "'Truly I tell you, the tax-collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you.'" Matthew 21:31b (NRSV)

So we are justified in challenging this doctrine which gives so much power to the devil.

Better to integrate body, mind, and spirit into a blessed whole - a sacred trinity of Life, Light, and Love.


[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 Salvation of the World.

What is it that drives the money-making machines of the world?

Contrary to popular belief I believe it is fear.

Fear of failure which is fear of poverty.

They have no faith that God will provide.

They are driven like demons and sacrifice any humanity they may have had in the process.

They make money but lose their souls.

So any approach that triggers their fears will make matters worse.
They will resort to violence and coercion.

But how can we deal with such entrenched fears, fears that have petrified into the conventions of business and a culture of greed.

The only real answer is faith.

Pray for them to overcome their fears and open their hearts.

Then salvation will truly come to the world.


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Come!

Bring me

your losers,

your misfits,

your broken-hearted.

Bring me

your failures,

your foreigners,

your forgotten.

Bring me

your hungry,

your disabled,

your refugees.

And I will give them

Love.


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The Closet.

The psychology of the closet is extremely complex.

The gay man in the closet, often a member of the clergy, will hide his true identity.  He may even be unaware of his sexuality altogether.

So he will not do what he says.

He may espouse homophobic opinions or theological positions while at the same time entertaining homoerotic fantasies.

Needless to say this is extremely difficult to deal with.
It may lead to abusive or even criminal behavior.

This is because his erotic nature is so strong that he cannot control it and at the same time he is racked with guilt and fear because he believes it is evil.

Even if we can convince him that there is nothing wrong with his desire he may still be afraid of losing his job.

He will not come out.

Jesus said, "'For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it.'"  Luke 9:24 (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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Pro-Bodybuilders.

Incredible as it may seem professional bodybuilders and supermodels are involved in modern Satanism.

The rock stars in the elite have convinced them that Satan can give them what they want - fame and fortune and the perfection of their art.

Because they believe that the body is governed by death which is in the power of the devil they believe that the devil can help them develop their bodies.

In this regard they resemble sports men and women who use devil magic in their sports.

This can be seen in videos - they wear their caps backwards, the use Satanic rock music, they use images of death and hell.....

So do not be fooled by slick marketing and glamorous campaigns these people are in the grip of evil and desire your death and damnation.


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Restored.

"Was not your sister Sodom a byword in your mouth in the day of your pride?"  Ezekiel 16:56 (NRSV)

"I will restore their fortunes, the fortunes of Sodom and her daughters and the fortunes of Samaria and her daughters, and I will restore your own fortunes along with theirs."  Ezekiel 16:53 (NRSV)

God rebukes Israel for her contempt of Sodom - her scorn of homosexuality.  And He vows to restore their fortunes.

What's more He vows to restore Sodom before Israel!

This is perhaps closer to our modern attitude towards homosexuality than the much quoted line from Leviticus.

Israel is rebuked for her superiority, her prejudice, and her scapegoating of a social minority.

Modern Christians would do well to read this passage in the Bible.....

God defends homosexuals and restores their fortunes.

[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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Hope.

Our world

is covered

in darkness:

greed, fear, ignorance,

violence, cruelty, war,

domination, deceit, evil.....

We are

lied to and controlled.

But we put

our hope

in the

water jar

of Aquarius.


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Greek.

My experience of Greek men is that they are locked in a cultural prison.

Greek men derive from the most homoerotic culture in history.
The ancient Greek culture was perhaps the only culture in history where homosexuality was celebrated, even idealized.

But the modern Greek culture is captive to the Greek Orthodox Church which is severely homophobic.

So Greek men may encourage gay admirers, even love them, but as soon as you make a sexual advance to them they will reject you out of hand.

The homoerotic subculture in the Greek Orthodox Church can be clearly seen in the Blessing of the Waters ceremony on Epiphany.

The young Greek men strip down and swim to retrieve a cross that has been tossed into the water by the Greek Orthodox Clergy in a state of obvious delight.

But the Greek Orthodox hierarchy is so homophobic that they will not even discuss homosexuality.

It is my prayer that they be blessed and able to express their true nature.


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50/50.

Most people live their lives caught between the values of the dominant corporate plutocracy and the human need for contact, understanding, and love.

Most separate their business lives from their personal lives.
They meet their need to survive by embracing the corporate values of hard work, competitiveness, ruthlessness, self-interest, and profit.
And they meet their human needs through their spouses and children.

Needless to say this does not work very well.

It divides the heart and compromises personal integrity.

It is a recipe for corruption and abuse.

Yet most people live this 50/50 life.

They know no other way.

Pray to God to deliver you.

Pray to open your heart.


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Lake.

Down into

my garden,

through green

and weeping

trees,

I wander

by the side

of a still

and silent

lake.


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Daffodil.

From each

buried bulb

springs

a golden

daffodil.


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Receivers.

Too many churchgoers, and indeed Church liturgies, are receivers.

They constantly ask God to do things for them, even to love them and lift their spirits.

We would do better to ask what we can do for God.

Give love to God and your neighbor.

And be children of God.


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Young People.

What is it that young people need?

Young people are surrounded by darkness - the darkness of materialism, the darkness of corporate inhumanity, the darkness of violence, the darkness of fear.....

And they are caught in a web of evil - the evil spread by rock stars and celebrities - covert Satanism, black magic, and witchcraft - poison, negativity, and living backwards.....

There seems no way out of this darkness, this evil.
They must obey their masters and allow themselves to be corrupted.

Is there no sign of light?
No glimmer of hope?

How can we bring light into their world?
Hope into their lives?

We can only continue to put out our positive messages in the hope that someone will see them, read them, and be touched by them.

There is a God

And He is Life, Light, and Love.

Cry out to Him!

He will hear.

And turn you life around.


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Things of God.

These are the things of God:

Water. Light. Life. Goodness.
Pure. Virtuous. Innocent.
Doves. Turtledoves. Lambs.
Angels. Halos.
Birth. Charity. Creativity.
Joy. Life-saver. Sobriety.
Moderation.
Love.
Trinity. 7. 12.
Flowers. Birds. Bees.
Abundance. Billions. Infinity.
Prophets. The Messiah (Jesus).
Grace. Forgiveness. Deliverance. Salvation.
The Christ (Jesus). Faith. Adoration. Praise. Worship.
Churches. Communion. Mosques. Temples.
Israel. Judaism. Christianity. Children of God.
Truth. Protection. Prayer.
Forgiveness.
Heaven.

These are the things which will counteract Satanism in our popular culture.


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Have You Noticed?

There are certain things appearing in our popular culture which you should take note of:

Fire. Darkness. Death. Sin.
Filthy. Wicked. Shame. Guilt.
Snakes. Spiders. Spider webs.
Devils. Horns. Satan.
Depression. Suicide. Drugs.
Pornography. Nudity.
Hate. Violence.
The Beast. 666. 13.
Funerals. Graveyards. Graves. Skulls. Black.
Negations. Empty. Zero.
False prophets. False Messiahs.
Lust. The Apple of Temptation. The Fall. The Seven Deadly Sins.
Anti-Christ. Denial of God. Faith no more. Blasphemy.
Cults. Swords. Thrones.
Hitler. Nazis. Genocide.
Lies. Murder.
Judgement.
Hell.

This is Satanism in our popular culture.

You should avoid it at all costs.


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The Big Picture.

When it seems that God is not answering our prayers I have come to realize that there are bigger issues involved than the merely personal.

We must look at the big picture.

The issues of prejudice and hidden evil affect the whole of humankind.
These issues must be addressed if relief is to be found.

So do not cease from praying for humanity.

God hears our prayers.


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A New Cosmology.

At the beginning of our universe
God's Love caused a magnificent explosion
which gave birth to the proto-energy
whose inflation created space.

This proto-energy was transformed
into matter and energy
as the universe expanded and cooled
giving rise to light and radiation.

Gravity caused the creation of billions of stars
in the primordial gas
and these stars became
beautiful spiral galaxies.

Cosmic dust condensed into the planets
which circle these stars.

Our Earth is one of these planets.

The earth brought forth green plants,
the first life (which comes from God),
and the oceans gave birth to sea-creatures
which God endowed with consciousness and a heart.

Some of these sea-creatures
migrated to the land
to become animals and birds.

The green plants
suddenly bloomed
and our planet was covered
with millions of multi-colored flowers.

Then the apes
evolved into humans,
the first self-conscious beings,
whom God gave intelligence and imagination.

With God's help
we learned
the secrets of the earth
and invented agriculture.

Humans co-created culture:
art, and writing, and religion.

We invented the wheel
and eventually fathomed
some of the secrets of nature
through science.

God led humanity and guided us,
sending messengers,
men and women who had drawn close to God,
to instruct and advise us.

And now we must leave
the old, violent, and punitive concepts behind
and take the next step
towards the unconditional Love of God.


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Out of Darkness.

For those of you who are trapped in the power of the corporate media culture with its news, education, and popular entertainment (which is nearly everyone) let me tell you there is an alternative to the work-hard/play-hard ethic of the corporate/popular world.

For those of you who cannot see out of the darkness that surrounds us there is a way out.

There is a God.
And He is good.

He is not the god of the established religions - the punitive tough guy waiting to punish you - that is a reflection of the established authorities themselves.

He is the merciful, compassionate God of steadfast love, forgiveness, and faithfulness who will answer your sincere prayers.

So cry out to God!

He will deliver you.


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Ideals.

In the 1960s the baby-boomer generation set out to change the world through peace and love.

Little did we know that the rock bands and superstars who hijacked this revolution would sabotage our efforts and sell us out.

Hedonism, promiscuity, drugs, and divorce flowed from the music we listened to.

After the 1980s when the political climate turned against us the idealism of our generation was almost dead.

Now we hear about materialism and pleasure, hard-line politics and sin.

The only glimmer of hope is activist sites on the internet.

Environmental campaigns and political challenges appear every day.

Although the effectiveness of these campaigns is limited at least there is some hope.

Not all of our ideals are dead.


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Poison.

The people of our world are being poisoned.

Our minds are subjected to a saturation of darkness, hate, evil, and hell.

If it is not the news headlines it is the popular culture.

If it is not the T.V. and movies it is rock music and videos.

There is no escape from the negativity unless we turn off, unplug, and shut down.

So turnoff the T.V., unplug your earphones, and shut down your computer.

Seek some positive messages.

Pray and beseech God.

He will deliver you.


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Lasting Peace.

One way to establish peace between the Christian West and Islamic extremists is to follow the example of Tony Blair in Northern Ireland.

Tony Blair manufactured a political solution to the violence.
By engaging the political wing of the I.R.A. (Sinn Fein) he was able to offer them power.  And all parties retired to their churches to pray for peace.

This model could be followed in the struggle between the West and Islamic extremists.

The first step is to engage their leadership, or their political wing, in dialogue.
First we must listen to what they truly believe.

[I believe that the problem is more economic than religious.  Which target did they choose on 9/11?  The World Trade Center (symbol of Western economic wealth) and the Pentagon (symbol of Western military supremacy).  This is the Western military/industrial machine which oppresses the rest of the world.]

But we must listen to what our enemies say.

Then we will be in a position to manufacture a solution - political or otherwise.

And then all parties should retire to their churches, their mosques, their synagogues and pray for peace.

This is one way, perhaps the only way, to establish a lasting peace.


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Love.

Love has always been taught in the world's religions.

But she has never been the most important feature.

There has always been something more important.
Whether it be morality, or reason, or knowledge, or enlightenment, or good works, or sacrifice, or virtue, or goodness there has always been something more important than Love.

Love has been the perpetual bridesmaid.

And Love has often been ignored altogether in the quest for God's favor.

But the time has come for Love to become the Bride that she was born to be.

Love is at the heart of all that is spiritual and all the spiritual principles: morality, reason, knowledge, enlightenment, good works, sacrifice, virtue, and goodness flow from Love.

So seek to Love and all the rest will follow.


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Exoteric Religion.

It is the privilege of few to enter the sanctuary of esoteric religion - the heart of hearts where the Lover is united with the Beloved.

And so the side effects of Love have become hardened into the principles which make up exoteric religion.

These principles are usually reinforced by the concept of Natural Justice - i.e. rewards and punishments.

Fear and duty replace Love as the motivating factor.

This is the bane of religion.

Religion has become frozen in the exoteric understanding and failed to embrace Love as the essential ingredient.

Love - the perennial bridesmaid - transcends all mental principles, all knowledge, all morality, and all works.

To practice Love is to engage all virtues, all goodness, all morality, and all action.

So do not get hung up on principles and laws.

Practice Love and the rest will follow.


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Religion or Spirituality?

Commandments, obedience, rewards and punishments, judgement, heaven and hell.....

These are the things of religion.

Love, compassion, forgiveness, goodness, trust, faithfulness.....

These are the things of spirituality. 

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Selfishness to Sacrifice.

We live in an agony of self-interest.

Until we find love.

Love leads us to the other.

And ultimately to sacrifice for the other.

So love leads us from selfishness to sacrifice.


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