Religion.

In the beginning religion was about observance of rituals.

Animal sacrifices and offerings to the gods were universal.

And recitation of mantras and prayers was encouraged.

But from the time of the Buddha in India and the time of Jesus in Israel the practice of animal sacrifice was largely abandoned.

In Greece the civilizing influence of the Olympian gods replaced the primordial Titans during the first Millennium BCE.

And so we can see that religion or the idea of spiritual development evolves over time.

And now, after the Second Millennium CE, we are due for an update.

But what will the Age of Aquarius bring?

Aquarius is a human sign, it is also an air sign, it deals with our concepts, but Aquarius is the Water Carrier!

The meaning of this enigma will be revealed as time goes on.

But we can say that modern humanism* as a development of our thinking is relevant.

No longer will we subscribe to violent or illogical concepts.

And this extends to our concept of God.

The Eastern concept of Ahimsa or harmlessness/non-violence has influenced our thinking since Yoga and Buddhism have reached the West.

And so violent and outdated passages in the Bible and the Koran will need to be revised.

Old concepts of punishment and judgement will disappear and be replaced by tolerance, fraternity, understanding, and love.

We will glimpse a transcendent God who is beyond Dualism and Natural Justice.

A God who is without fear and wholly good.

(*This developed from The Enlightenment.)

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Generation X.

Under Ronald Reagan and his allies in the corporations Generation X became the most favored nation.

Bad, delinquents, attitude, X-Factor.....

All these things became the flavor of the month.

This was spread through the corporate owned media and Reagan's allies in Hollywood.

Violence, horror, darkness, and evil followed.

The previous generation - the left-leaning Baby-Boomers - were demonized, shamed, and blamed.

But Reagan was a politician.

His campaign was political 

Religion was just a political tool.

  

He played on the rebellious nature of Generation X.

And he used the right-wing Christian lobby.

But nothing lasts forever.

A new generation has arisen who are politically aware and active.

They do not subscribe to the psuedo-religious rhetoric of Generation X and the Conservatives.

But they look to the future with vision and hope.

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Millennium and the Last Judgment.

From the mid 80s Fundamentalist and Evangelical Christians claimed that the Millennium would see the return of Jesus and the Last Judgement.

This resonated with Generation X who claimed that God smacks His children. 

And it was used by right-wing Republican President Ronald Reagan in his campaign against the Left.

Reagan then recruited the Polish, anti-Communist Pope John Paul II to demonize his political opponents.

This resulted in blaming and shaming of the Left which caused pressure which was relieved by reconstruction.*

But Generation X still believe that it was an act of God to damn the left-leaning Baby-Boomers forever.

There was no appearance from Jesus, however, no fire, no hell.

Only condemnation from a violent generation.

So there was no Last Judgement in reality.

It only exists in the minds of those who retain it.

Ronald Reagan was not an agent of God's vengeance. 

God does not smack His children.

God loves us all.

And His Mercy and Forgiveness are for everyone.

(*This is a well known brainwashing technique.)

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Angels.

May God send out His Angels.

Not with swords and spears to slay Beasts and Dragons.

But as agents of Love to counter hate, lies, prejudice, fear, and oppression.

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Vices.

Cupidity, avarice, lying, dishonesty, stealing, violence, intimidation, extortion, exploitation, hate.....

All these things are vices.

Not because they are wrong.

But because they cause human suffering.

They are aspects of selfishness.

And they are inspired by fear.

So look at the fear that underlies this behavior.

And have faith that God can remove it.

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The Blame.

Right-wing Fundamentalist Christians believe they are in a war against evil.

But they invariably blame the wrong people.

They blame Liberals instead of Satanists.

They blame Hippies and Baby-Boomers instead of rock musicians.

And they blame Gays and Lesbians instead of their stars.

Hippies and Baby-Boomers don't even believe that their rock legends are secretly Satanic, so how can they be perpetrators of Satanism?

They are its victims at worst.

 

And Gays and Lesbians are scapegoats for Satanists in our popular culture, but Gays and Lesbians are not evil.

Fundamentalist Christians use the concept of Satan to demonize their political enemies and that is why their efforts continue to fail.

They are blaming the wrong people.

Satanism in rock music and popular culture is thriving because they exploit the weaknesses of Conservatives who scapegoat Liberals and Gays for political purposes.

And the true agents of evil escape unscathed.

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The Nature of God.

God is not angry.

God is not a dictator.

God does not punish us.

God does not judge us.

The Bhagavad-Gita states that God's inmost nature is Love.

And to love is to know God.

The Bible says: "God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them."  1 John 4:16 (NRSV)

Think of your mother's love for you and multiply it.

God will never abandon you, nor will He forget you.

Speak to Him.

He will answer.

And show you His Salvation.

[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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