The Poet.

In church

He sits

Between Priests

And the woman.

Remembering nights

Of romance and sweat.

Registering moments of light

In the darkness,

Moments of bliss

In the gathering pain.


His words intervene

Between violence and tears.

They tear at the heart

With relentless spears.

A moment of hope,

A fragment of light,

A prayer of defiance

In the gathering night.


(For Padraig OTuama.)

Photo Credit: On Being.

Island.

                            

"No man is an island
Entire of itself;
Every man is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main."
                - John Donne (1572-1631)

And so we are all responsible for what we do as a whole.

Our governments are not merely to blame for everything.

We have elected them.

We can replace them.

The cruel and selfish policies of our governments are our responsibility.

Speak out!

Demonstrate!

Let them know we are angry!

Let them know we've had enough!

Enough is enough!

We demand change!


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Shangri-La.

                            

All human beings long for Shangri-La.

The lost kingdom of mysticism, harmony, longevity, and happiness.

And so it is with the Kingdom of God.

We must act out the values of the Kingdom of God as described in the Beatitudes.

Then the Kingdom of God will appear amidst the kingdoms of the world.

And we will be free!


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Treasure.

                            

When we were asked in church what was the most treasured thing in our lives.

I said the Love of God.

Because without the Love of God I would be lost.

No thing is more important than the Love of God.

And because we meet God in other people those who are important to us are manifestations of God.

Jesus said; "'Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.'"  Matthew 25:40 (NRSV)

And God's family includes everyone.


[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 image has been slightly modified.)

Pleasure.

                            

Pleasure is not bad or banned.

Pleasure is not in the hands of the devil.

The devil is not a real being in any case.

The devil is an explanation invented to answer the question: Why is there evil in a world created by a good God?

There are other explanations: ignorance and fear for example.

So we should not be afraid of pleasure.

Moderation is the key.


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Devil-Worship.

                   

And this is why rock stars and celebrities who have turned against God and His Church will be exonerated.

They have rejected a false image of God.

The traditional image of God as a harsh judge and punisher of men and women.

God is seen as such a bastard that even Satan seems more reasonable.

They turn to the devil and do his works in the world.

Or so they think.

For there is no devil in reality.

Only God's Love.


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Free!

                            

Rock stars like to portray religion as a prison from which you can be liberated.

Church is boring and sex is freedom.

But this is backwards.

The promiscuous sex pushed by rock stars ends in chains.

We become slaves to sin.

Or at least that is their intention.

The truth is that religion or a good relationship with God sets you free!

Free to live.

And free to love.

So don't fall for the tricks of rock musicians.

They are agents of the devil and they want your soul in hell.


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Adolescent.

                                        

Most people who reject God and sell their souls are adolescent.

And this is no coincidence.

The reasons for turning from a God who bans sex and opposes success are obvious.

And a contract with the devil which guarantees worldly success and sexual gratification can appeal to an adolescent mentality.

And this is what has happened.

People have turned away from the Church in droves.

But it is the practices of those who have turned to Satan which are destroying our world.

Negative suggestion, dark obsessions, and corruption are hidden in music, videos, movies, literature, even sports.

Unconscious control and subliminal suggestion poison us daily.

This works through the collective unconscious so we are unaware of its effects.

But emptiness, cynicism, burn-out, despair, and depression are the results.

It can even cause mental illness, addictions, alienation, and suicide.

So be more discerning in your listening and watching.

If you want to maintain your peace of mind. 


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Anti-Hero.

                            

The flip-side of the peace and love movement of the 1960s was the anti-hero James Bond.

Bond was selfish, sexist, mercenary, hedonistic, and violent.

He was hardly the example you would want to follow.

But this dark fantasy indulged the shadow side of the Baby-Boomers.

It was glamorous, seductive, and deadly.

And that was just the good guys.


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(The image has been slightly modified.)

Him.

Love awakens!

Welling from within.

Rising up,

Lifting our hearts.

Initiating love for

Him!


This tender passion

Is but a glimpse

Of what awaits,

What bliss unfolds,

When we at last

Come Home to

Him!


Photo Credit: Muscle Gallery.

Don't Need It.

                                      

Most young people will say that they don't need the Church.

And it may seem that way.

But the normal popular culture is saturated with hidden evil.

Rock music, T.V., movies, sports, literature.....

All these things have been infected with Satanic propaganda.

And make no mistake this influence is harmful.

Addiction, excess, depression, suicide, death.....

They deal in negations and their effects are negative.

So some sort of positive spiritual influence is needed to counter this flood of evil.

Not all Churches are perfect of course.

But if you can find a Church that is reasonably compatible with your hopes and ideals then the positive influence from God will protect you.

You will find that your state of mind and your mood improve dramatically.

But it is when you realize that God is love that you really benefit.

Open your heart!

Love God and love your neighbor.

Then you will be Home!


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Peter and Paul.

                            

St, Peter and St. Paul did not have the same level of understanding as Jesus..

Jesus knew God.

He knew that God was not a punisher of women and men.

He knew that the Pharisees were wrong.

But Peter and Paul still retained some of the worldly philosophy of the Pharisees.

A philosophy that preached rewards and punishments.

So when Jesus was crucified we were left with a lesser understanding.

And this lesser understanding has prevailed to this day.


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Obstacle.

                            

Although most Progressive Christians agree that unconditional love is the key to the New Paradigm I believe that there is a negative spiritual and psychic influence which must be overcome if we are to develop spirituality.

Satanism in rock music and popular culture poisons us and sabotages our spiritual quest.

This is darkness, death, and evil.

And it saturates our media.

This holds us back, turns us away, and blocks our way.

So unplug your earphones and turn off the T.V..

Listen to sacred classical music.

And meditate on the scriptures.

Then you will begin to move towards the Light.


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Our Father.

                             

Our Father,

Whose Love is Heaven,

May your Name be revered,

May your Kingdom come,

May your Will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven,

Give us today our daily food,

May we forgive others as we have been forgiven,

Save us in the time of tribulation,

And deliver us from evil,

For Yours is the Way,

The Light, and the Truth,

For Ever and Ever,

Amen.


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(The image has been slightly modified.)

God's Name.

                   

In the ancient world to know the name of a god or spirit of the underworld was very important.

If you knew their name they could not harm you.

In the Bible God's name is an enigma.

"I will protect those who know my name."  Psalm 91:14 (NRSV)

And what is God's name?

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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Less is More.

                            

We are accustomed to thinking that more money, more possessions, more privileges is better.

But I say less is more.

Less money is more freedom.

Less possessions is more time for ourselves and others.

Less privileges is more self-esteem.

We feel less weighed down by responsibilities, work, and guilt.

Less lifts us up and frees us.

So don't believe the advertising which tells you that more is better.

More is a burden.

Less is better.


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Human Nature.

                                     

It is human nature to think we are better than others.

It is human nature to claim higher status.

It is human nature to hoard money and possessions.

It is human nature to rationalize privileges.

It is human nature to attack challengers.

It is human nature to kill threats.

History shows humankind returning to these crimes again and again.

But these things are done out of fear.

We will never overcome these problems until we learn to overcome our fears.

And these existential fears can only be overcome by faith.

Faith that the all-powerful Creator of the universe loves us and wishes our well-being.

Faith that our all-loving Father will provide for us.

This is not to say that God showers us with money.

But there will always be enough.

Enough to live.

Then our fears will leave us and we will be free!

Free to give generously to others.

Free to live with less.

Free to give out of humble gratitude.

Free to share.

Free to live.

Free to love.


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No Credibility.

                            

The Religious Right in America has no credibility.

Calling Barak Obama the Anti-Christ and voting for Donald Trump after impeaching Bill Clinton on the grounds of character beggars belief.

Their mentality bears no resemblance to reality.

And, although they say that rock music is the music of Satanism, they blame the victims and not the perpetrators.

They persecute minorities.

They scapegoat gays.

And they endorse the rich.

They think that Christianity is white Capitalist Conservatism.

And this is all done on the basis of politics.

The Religious Right in America has no credibility.


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No One Can See Us.

                            

"Then he said to me, 'Mortal, have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the dark, each in his room of images?  For they say, "The Lord does not see us, the Lord has forsaken the land."'"  Ezekiel 8:12 (NRSV)

And so it is today - the fathers plot and plan against the people and the Will of God.

"The shepherds also have no understanding, they have all turned to their own way, to their own gain, one and all."  Isaiah 56:11 (NRSV)

So now they plot to enslave the people for their own gain.

They say: "No one can see us, God has forsaken the Earth."

And they conspire with evil in the darkness.

Corporate plutocrats and Satanic rock stars.

Subliminal propaganda and black magic.

Controlling the unconscious for power and profit.

Each in his chamber of images.

Hidden from sight.

But God can see them.

He knows what they are doing.

And He wishes to bring His Light and His Salvation.

Not to destroy but to redeem.

Not to kill but to restore to Life!

So pray for the Salvation of the guilty and of the fathers.

Pray for an end to their evil machinations.

Pray for them to overcome their fears.

And have faith in the Living God!

For He will provide.

And open their hearts.


[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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Gay is Good.

                                 

Homosexuality is love.

And as such it is in harmony with God.

God does not discriminate.

God does not have one set of rules for heterosexuals and another set of rules for homosexuals.

God loves everyone equally.

And so gay people will go to Heaven as others do.

There is no rule excluding homosexuals.

And those who quote archaic texts that stigmatize homosexuality are wrong.

They are merely looking to justify their own prejudice and fear.

Homosexuality is good.

And homosexual men and women are good also.


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(The image has been slightly moded.)

Gay Spirituality.

                            

Many people think that you cannot be homosexual and spiritual as well.

As if the two are mutually exclusive.

But homosexuality is ruled by the astrological sign of Aquarius.

And it is the Age of Aquarius that we are entering now.

So perhaps it is amongst the gay community that we will find the new revelations.

At the very least homosexuality will be a big issue in Aquarius.

As it is now!

Gay rights and religion are converging in irresistible waves.

The issue of homosexuality and God will be addressed at last.


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Heart.

When your mind

And body

Serve

Your heart.

And love alone

Guides

Your path.

Then at last

We see,

And learn

to be,

Citizens of

Heaven.


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(The image has been slightly modified.)

Paranoia.

                            

Paranoia about the Church has been created since the 1960s by rock bands and celebrities feeding negative messages consciously and unconsciously.

This is why the younger generation will not go inside a church.

The Church is seen as a bankrupt institution which indoctrinates people with false information.

It is seen as coercive and judgemental.

The child sexual abuse scandals were just the last straw.

Young people feel that they have to protect themselves against domination.

Christianity is a dirty word.

Although they may retain a vague longing for God or enlightenment they have no idea how to accomplish this.

So they are prey to all the negative influences in our society.


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God's Work.

Love.

The Heart speaks:

Mercy, compassion,

Prayer in action.

Caring, Sharing,

Giving, Sparing.

Waiting on God,

Creating Good.

Considerate Thinking,

Benevolent Acting.

Our Heats beating

Together

In Brotherly

Love.


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Heaven.

                            

At first when I read the parable of The Laborers in the Vineyard I thought that the daily wage (the penny in some translations) referred to the afterlife - i.e. that everyone would receive the same in Heaven.

But I now think it refers to the recompense that people receive on Earth.

The daily wage (or penny) was a living wage - i.e. it was enough to live on - and everyone was to receive enough to live on no matter how much work (or whatever work) they had done.

It is a model for workplace relations.

The reason that I have changed my position on the afterlife is because elsewhere Jesus speaks about rewards in Heaven.

I am loath to us the word reward because it suggests its opposite - punishment - as well.

I do not believe that God punishes anyone.

So there can be no hell.

But there may still be a Heaven.

It would appear that God makes reparation for our sufferings on Earth.

Undeserved persecutions and attacks which we experience on Earth are repaid in Heaven.

God would also appear to make requital for our services on Earth.

The good and loving actions that we perform on Earth are also repaid in Heaven.

So there is no hell.

But there may be reparation and requital in Heaven.


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Edo.

                            

In Edo - the old name for the capital of Japan - the artists' quarter was known for its cross-cultural, classless community.

Men and women from all stations of society mixed together with artist, geishas, and samurai.

The most swashbuckling samurai were known for their sexual relationships with both men and women.

And women were considered artists as well as men.

It is interesting to note that this phenomenon developed in one of the world's most structured societies.

It was like an undercurrent or release-valve for the pressures of a demanding culture. 


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(The image has been slightly modified.)

Gay Rights.

                            

Whenever gay rights are discussed in the Church they first thing they say is: "We cannot upset the faithful."

Why not?

Bigotry, prejudice, and hatred should be challenged.

If this upsets them then so be it.

"But they might leave."

So what?

Better that they leave than they enforce their bigotry and hatred in the Church.

God is a God of Love.

He is not a God of vengeance.

And He is not a moral wowser.

Jesus came that we could experience life in all its abundance.

For he knew the abundance of God's Love.

Better to please the majority of tolerant people who don't go to church.

They might come.

It is not for us to sit in judgement.

It is for us to reflect the great Love of God.

For God condemns no one.


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Devil-Worshippers.

                            

Make no mistake there are those in our world who have turned to Satan.

Rock musicians, movie stars, sports men and women.....

We are in the grip of their web of evil.

Poison saturates the mass-media.

We are tempted and cursed.

Disturbed and distracted.

But we take it all at face value.

And deny that it exists.

Look a little deeper.

Underneath the mask.

She is dancing with the devil.

They are taking the devil's advice.

You will find poisonous negativity.

Subtle sabotage and sin.

Only then will you be enlightened.


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Paradise.

All the Beauty

Of the Earth,

And all the Purity

Of Feeling.

All the Ideals,

And all the Virtues.

All the Symbolism,

And all the Reality.

Reflected in the

Love of God.

Perfume the Gardens

Of Paradise.


Photo Credit: William Turner.

Democracy.

Echoing

Ancient Athens,

Evoking Liberty,

Establishing Equality,

Respecting Rights,

Reflecting Truth.


Photo Credit: Jefferson Memorial.