The Way of the World.

The reason why most hippies and baby-boomers left the Church was because the older generation did not do what Jesus said.  They went to Church every Sunday but they did not do it.  They were asleep.

My father went to Church but in his weekly life he did not practice Christianity.  "Its a jungle out there!"  You have to compete and beat the next guy or he'll do it to you.

This culture of brutality comes from the top.  Captains of industry, our corporate leaders, have no faith in the teachings of Jesus.  They won't work.  You have to outdo the next guy.

Intimidation and threat is their answer.  They rule by violence (implied) and fear.

The answer to this of course is to have faith in the teachings of Jesus :
"'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all you mind.'"  Matthew 22:37 (NRSV)
"'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'"  Matthew 22:39 (NRSV)
"'Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.'"  Matthew 5:44 (NRSV)

And do it!

The more that the religion of force and violence is taught in our Churches the more their adherents will bully others.

Their image of God as the ultimate bully causes them to put their faith in violence and force.

This is an error.
God is not a god of judgment and punishment.
God is love.
God is forgiveness, mercy, understanding.
God is truthful, trustworthy, and reliable.

God and Jesus will come to dwell with those who do what Jesus said.

In fact the philosophy of superior force and violence is Satanism.
The biggest, baddest, bully in the jungle.

Winning by violence is the basis of black magic and witchcraft - to kill all opposition to your own will.

Perhaps this is why Satan says to Jesus that all these things - power, strength, authority - are delivered to him.

This is an illusion.
There is no Satan.
The way of the world is evil.

In fact the hippies with their philosophy of peace and love were closer to the teachings of Jesus than the Christians.
Peace, love, non-violence, anti-war, counter-culture, anti-establishment....

But the hippies were betrayed by their rock stars and reconstructed by their enemies. Most have sold out their original philosophy of peace and love and now worship selfishness and worldly success.


(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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