Celibacy.

Rather than thinking of celibacy as a Christian doctrine that superseded the Pagan attitude, which was much more accepting of sex as a part of nature, we should realize that attitudes involving abstinence from sex are more ancient than St. Paul.

In fact St. Paul's attitude towards sex was nurtured by the strict sect of celibate Pharisees to which he belonged before his conversion to Christianity.

You will not find this doctrine in Jesus' teachings.

Ascetics existed in the ancient world.

In fact they are one of the oldest manifestations of religion.

One of the first characters to appear in the Mahabharata - Bishma - vows to abjure the love of women, for which he is praised by heaven.

But the Bhagavad-Gita states that the way of the heart is greater than those who mortify the body, greater than the learned, greater than the doer of good works.

So it is not essential to abstain from sexual activity to attain spiritual enlightenment.

God accepts us as we are.


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Beyond Dualism.

Dualism is like theological primary school.

It is simplistic and provisional.

If you think about it not all things are dual.

Some things are 1s, some things are 2s, some things are 3s, some things are 5s etc..

For example 5 is considered the human number because there are 5 fingers, 5 toes, 5 limbs, 5 senses.

So to reduce everything to dualism, especially when we are talking about God, is ridiculous.

God is all numbers at once.

God is holistic.

That is He is all things and more in one.

But to say that God is transcendent does not mean that God is a combination of the pairs of opposites.

God is beyond dualism.


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God's Ways.

When we experience God we realize that His ways do not correspond to the ways of the world.

Earthly authorities, including Church authorities, use the carrot and stick approach to the masses.

They seek to control the masses by rewarding some behaviors and punishing others.

In the case of the Church this is the religion of heaven and hell.

But this is not God's way.

God's way is totally benevolent.

It is the way of the heart.

He cares and He helps.

And He seeks to live in relationship with humans.

He listens and He forgives.

His Love is steadfast.

And His joy is everlasting.


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Michelangelo.

For all those musclemen and their gay admirers that populate the Internet.

There is a way to God for you.

No longer will you be monsters.
No longer will you be beasts.
No longer will you be animals.

No longer will God hate you.

This way is through Michelangelo.

The paintings and sculptures of Michelangelo depict beautiful musclemen and their admirers.

Some are angels.
Some are saints.
Some are prophets.

But this blessed beauty is close to God.

It is love.

And its contemplation will save you.


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Pleasure in Heaven.

When I say that gay sex is O.K. with God there are serious implications.

One theory of salvation claims that you cannot have pleasure on earth and still go to Heaven.

As if it was a trade - pleasure on earth for pleasure in Heaven.

But does this mean that married couples - who have sex an average of 2 to 3 times a week - don't go to Heaven?

Obviously not.

So why would this rule apply to others - to homosexuals for example - who are not allowed to marry?

This is a double standard.

And God does not deal in double standards.

So this theory of pleasure on earth for pleasure in Heaven is bankrupt.

I believe that all people go to Heaven.

Regardless of their pleasures on earth.


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Evil.

It has been said that anything someone is doing to others they are doing to themselves.

So Satanists in our popular culture hate themselves and condemn themselves to hell.

They destroy themselves with their own evil.


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Criminal.

The criminal mentality says: "You don't give a damn about me so why should I obey your laws?"

The criminal knows that those who are in positions of power and influence care only about themselves and no one else.

They are corrupt and deceitful.

They oppress and exploit everyone.

So it should be no surprise that people who are disadvantaged in our world choose crime as a way of life.

Neither should it be a surprise that some people in the Third World choose violence and war.

They are only following the example of the rich and powerful.

There will be no peace until the issues of inequality are addressed.

War and oppression are no answers.


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No One Perishes.

Contrary to popular religious thinking I believe that no one will perish.

My experience of God has taught me that He never punishes us.

We make mistakes - this is inevitable.

God forgives us - this is certain.

So it is just a matter of degree.

There will be no Judgement Day.

There will be no Personal Judgement.

God's mercy is infinite.

God's Grace is absolute.

We have nothing to fear.

No one will perish.


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Forgiveness.

Without forgiveness there can be no progress.

Because we are bound to make mistakes.

And when we make mistakes we must ask for forgiveness.

And as we have been forgiven so we must forgive.

"'And forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven our debtors.'"  Matthew 6:12 (NRSV)

Unless there is forgiveness no one would ever be saved.

For we have all made mistakes.

And we must humble ourselves.

And ask forgiveness.

From those whom we have wronged.

And from God.


[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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Could God be Homosexual?

Is it possible that God could be homosexual?

In as much as God is all things it is possible.

Most religious people would dismiss this possibility out of hand.

But is it so outrageous?

God is Love.

And God does not just love the opposite sex.

God loves everyone.

God loves men as well as women.

So before you dismiss the possibility that God may be homosexual think about His love for men throughout history.


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(The image has been slightly modified.)

Free Gift.

We are used to thinking that we have to earn a place in Heaven.

But this is not true.

Salvation is a free gift.

We are not required to earn it.

Neither are we required to do good works.

We are free to behave as we please.

It is possible, however, that gratitude may inspire us to do good for others when we are saved.

But this is not compulsory.

We can share in the work, but it is voluntary.

We should not allow fear of losing God's love to motivate our actions.

Our motivation should be Love.


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Persecution.

"Jesus said, 'Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age - houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields with persecutions - and in the age to come eternal life.  But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.'"  Mark 10:26-31 (NRSV)

It may surprise many that Jesus predicted that the good news would be persecuted.

But the powers of this world will not give up their supremacy easily.

The good news - the Kingdom of God - is a challenge to their power and authority.

And their response is to demonize and persecute it.

So when persecutions come we should not be surprised.

And we should not be deterred.


[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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Fear 2.

What is it that keeps our world in darkness and corruption?

Contrary to popular opinion, which would say that it is evil, I would say that it is fear.

What appears to us as wickedness and iniquity is fear in disguise.

People compromise their principles and corrupt themselves out of fear - fear of losing their jobs, fear of missing out, fear of poverty and starvation.....

Nice guys come last.

But it is precisely here - last - where we find God.

It might be more precise to say that God comes last.

Fear is the opposite of faith - faith that God will provide, faith that there will always be enough.

So fear makes us hoard money and possession and power.

Because we are afraid that there will not be enough.

It won't work - they know.

So they never try it.

Faith takes away our fear.

Faith enables us to give.

Faith leads us to love.

For Love is the nature of God.


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Fear 1.

We wonder why there is evil in our world.

There are evil animals like spiders and snakes.
There are evil people.
Some even say that nature can be evil.

My idea is that this is fear.

The frightening appearance of spiders and snakes and things like scorpions says be afraid of me.  And there are some people like this.

Their instinct to survive relies on fear.

And fear begets fear.

Whereas squirrels and lambs and doves rely on wisdom and insight, even love.  And there are people like this.

So what happens to the spiders and snakes when they die?

Perhaps they are transformed.


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Schoolyard.

The prevailing climate of the schoolyard is fear.

Fear of what we think others will do to us is the unconscious motivating factor for bullying.

It is well known that the bigger the school the more bullying occurs.  This is because there is less supervision and the students act in response to uncontrolled feelings of threat.

The bully says, "Be scared of me so that the big boys will not bully me."

But it is unlikely that the bully is aware of his own motivations.

It is only after many years of looking back that I can see the fear that motivated everyone.

And this is compounded tenfold for homosexuals.

Fear of being called homosexual has always motivated poofter-bashing.

And since AIDS this has only gotten worse.

So any threatening behavior or fear will only make this situation worse.

The only way to deal with the schoolyard is to address the fear that infects everyone.


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Backlash.

After the Renaissance came Savonarola.

After the Enlightenment came Fundamentalism.

After the Roaring '20s came Fascism.

After the 1960s sexual revolution came Reagan and Thatcher.

After Multiculturalism came racism.

After Clinton and Blair came 9/11.

After Obama comes Trump.

It would seem that whenever progress is made towards greater freedom and tolerance there follows a backlash of fear and violence.

This is a pattern that can be seen throughout history.

It happened with Christianity.

It happened with the Reformation.

It is happening still.

The good news is that it is always 2 steps forward and 1 step back.

With the coming of the New Paradigm we can expect a backlash.

But the key is fear.

If we can allay people's fears we may be able to avoid violence.


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Relevance.

What is the relevance of Christianity in a world that is ruled by brutal plutocrats who own everything and control the media, who even demand our philosophical assent?

These are dark days indeed.

But Jesus is the Light of the World.

He manifests the Light of God in our world.

And what is this Light?

To love God and love your neighbor.

To treat others as you would want to be treated yourself.

To have compassion and mercy for all living beings.

Surely this is needed more than ever.

But it must be remembered that it was the rich and powerful who crucified Jesus.

Sobering thoughts indeed.


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Homophobia and Satanism.

Most Fundamentalist Churches believe that Satan is gay, or more precisely that gay sex is Satanic.

But when I saw a program on Satanism in the 1980s it depicted a young man making a pact with the devil in which he stated that he was prepared to engage in any sexual act except homosexual acts.

This would indicate that some Satanists are homophobic.

The basis of Satanism is that you make a pact with the devil to get whatever you want in this life and then you go to hell forever when you die.

This is trading pleasure for hell.

I believe that this is a ridiculous lie.

You can experience pleasure in life and still go to Heaven.

So don't believe those who tell you gay sex is Satanic.

Gay sex is equivalent to straight sex.

God does not discriminate.


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Malicious.

I am the Walrus, Lucy in the Sky, Strawberry Fields, Tommy, The Real Thing, Stairway to Heaven, Hotel California, Beauty and the Beast, The Devil Inside, Bad and many more rock songs represent malicious attempts to sabotage any spiritual search we may have embarked on.

The intention is to tempt us to transgress the rules of any religious group we may be associated with in order to damn us to hell.

This is the influence of Satanism hidden in all rock music.

So be wary of any influence which suggests that you use drugs to achieve enlightenment.

It is most likely malicious.


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Prayers.

We pray for those who have wealth and power in our world.

The corporate plutocrats, boards of directors, captains of industry, C.E.O.s, and businessmen who rule our world.

We pray that they overcome their fears and treat their workers and employees as human beings - not as units of productivity.

We pray that the small percentage of individuals who own most of the world's wealth share what they have gained with the poor and the starving.

We pray that they make our systems and workplaces more humane, more human-friendly places.

We pray that they abandon their evil plans to subjugate the masses to their will.

We pray that they abandon the use of slave labor.

We pray that they cease the practice of land-grabbing.

We pray that they reject nepotism and corruption.

We pray for their health and well-being.

But most of all we pray for them to open their hearts.


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Violence.

Violence is never the answer.

It merely replaces one oppressive system or individual with another.

Jesus said to bless those who curse you and pray for those who abuse you.  Pray for them to open their hearts and allow people to live.  Pray for them to overcome their fears and share what they have gained with others less fortunate.

Only then will we escape the cycle of violence.


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The End of History.

Communism is a violent totalitarian system.

It was defeated in Russia by the efforts of the Reagan administration and Pope John Paul II.

Unfortunately the victory was not claimed by democracy but by capitalism.

This is why the Western capitalist captains declared The End of History.

The expression The End of History comes from the writings of Carl Marx who claimed that the end of history would see the victory of the common people.

The captains of Western capitalism hated Marx so much that they used his own expression to describe his defeat.

Socialism, however, is neither violent nor totalitarian.
And the defeat of Soviet Communism has not seen its demise.

The victory of Western capitalism has seen the world become a colder, more violent place.  The disparity between rich and poor is at the greatest level in history.

The common people have no power.
Governments are in thrall to rich corporations and individuals.

Democracy is almost dead.

It is to be hoped that the plutocrats who now rule our world will modify their behavior sufficiently to allow people to live in peace.

If not, however, we may see people taking up arms once again to overthrow corrupt elites.


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Three Steps.

Step 1:  Love Your Enemies.

When you stop battling against evil and begin to return love for hate things improve.

Step 2:  No Rock Music.

When you realize that all rock music is Satanism and throw away your C.D.s and D.V.D.s and only listen to classical music things change.

Step 3:  Love God and Love Your Neighbor.

When you follow Jesus' teaching to love God and love your neighbor you are home.


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Salvation.

In fact Jesus is the savior of the world.

If people practised what Jesus taught the world would be saved.

But they don't.

Even his own Churches teach something different.

So look to the teachings of Jesus and put them into practice.

Then you will be saved!


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Business as Usual.

In the past the Church taught that Jesus was a human blood sacrifice to atone for the sins of the world.

We were all saved through the blood of Christ.

So why did we have to earn our salvation through good works?

We're already saved, right.

Umm.....

We are all born absolutely in sin.

But Jesus has paid the price.

So we are no longer born in sin.

Make sense?

In the past this kind of questioning was answered with a belting or torture (the official equivalent) so people shut up.

And the world went on as it was.


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No Fear.

You have nothing to fear from God.

God does not punish us.
God punishes no one.

God loves us.

We are His children.

Even children who have gone bad are still His children.

You can make a mistake and be forgiven.

You might even learn something.

In fact it is inevitable that we will make mistakes.

So do not be afraid.

God knows us.

His mercy and forgiveness are forever.


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No Hell.

Could it be that there is no hell?

Hell has always been out of character for a loving God.

Hell comes from dualistic thinking.

God is good and if we are good we go to heaven.
But if there is a heaven for good people there must be a hell for bad people.

This is simple dualistic thinking.

It also contains a temptation.
The temptation to threaten people with hell in order to get them to do what you want.

The old Machiavellian carrot and stick.

But God does not punish us.
God punishes no one.

So there can be no hell.


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Fear of Hell.

Fear of hell (which is fear of God) may be the driving force behind radicalization.

When we introduce liberalization and freedom there is often a backlash.

This backlash is motivated by fear of hell.

Usually more conservative religious people are terrified that we will all go to hell.

So they use violence and hatred to force us to return to moral purity.

But this violence and hatred betrays its origins in fear.

God does not use violence or hatred.

God loves us.

And "perfect love casts out fear"  1 John 4:18a (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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Priests and Ministers.

When I say that those who have sold their souls to the devil will be exonerated because they were told by their priests and ministers that God was a sex-phobic moral dictator, you may ask then what becomes of those priests and ministers?

Although the ultimate responsibility for these things lies with priests and ministers it is not really their fault either.

They have an understandable belief in natural justice which they project onto God.  They also have a belief in tradition and these things have been handed down from generation to generation from ancient times.

But these things do not correspond to the reality.

God does not punish us.
He does not punish sinners and He does not punish priests and ministers - even if they are corrupt and selfish.

He gives everyone another chance.

And this includes the Pharisees and Sadducees.


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A Voice in the Wilderness.

"'Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.'"  Luke 3:11b (NRSV)

John the Baptist recommended honesty in dealing with money (Luke 3:12-14) and communism in dealing with possessions.

This was practised by Jesus' disciples (Acts 2:44,45 & 4:32)

But you don't hear this preached in church very often.

It is indeed "'The voice of one crying out in the wilderness.'"  Luke 3:4b (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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