Evil?

If there is no devil and no dark forces then where does evil come from?

What we call evil is mostly the actions of ignorant human beings with free will, usually inspired by fear.  Or the indifferent actions of Nature.

Some human beings will embrace a kind of Spiritual Dualism and choose evil over good.

But I believe that Dualism is a false theology.

God is One and His creation is good.

Then how do we explain creeping things and serpents and scorpions, and wild animals like lions and tigers?

My thesis is that these things are manifestation of fear - they say, "be scared of me".

And they have evolved by way of that fear.

Fear drives violence and greed.
It results in war and economic oppression.

But contact with God assuages our fears.

And propagates peace.

"The wolf and the lamb shall feed together,
the lion shall eat straw like the ox......
......They shall not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain."  Isaiah 65:25 (NRSV)

So the problem is not evil but fear.

So what becomes of them after they die?

Perhaps, like the larvae, they are transformed into beautiful butterflies.


[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 Miracle.

In his Avignon Quintet Lawrence Durrell wrote about a fictitious schizophrenic patient called Sylvie.

She lived in an asylum under a tapestry of a wounded doe.

And she enquires, "Is there any news from India?"

An Indian Yogi once said to me, "I may not be able to help you but I can send someone who can."

In his book Captain Corelli's Mandolin Louis de Bernieres wrote of a mental patient, "'Go to the monastery of the saint and wait for the miracle.'"

The saint of Cephalonia regularly provided miraculous cures for mental patients.

I am reminded of the Gersasene demoniac in the Bible, Jesus heals him and he is found "clothed and in his right mind."  Mark 5:15 (NRSV)

So there may not be any news from India but there is news from Israel.


[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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Angels.

There is no devil and there are no dark gods.

Evil in our world does not have a supernatural origin.

It is caused by fear and ignorance.

But there may still be angels:

Beings emanating from God's Love:

Messengers, protectors, helpers, healers.....

"And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled away the stone and sat on it.  His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow."  Matthew 28:2,3 (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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Utopia.

Utopia is a novel written in 1516 by Sir Thomas More.

It is about the ideal society.

Our local church discussion group read an article about a contemporary panel debate on the subject.

We compared Utopia with Jesus' vision of the Kingdom of God and found much common ground.

The conversation then turned to the concept of the common good  which, most agreed, has gone out of fashion.

The group concluded that our modern politicians would benefit greatly from a renewed commitment to the common good and the resurrection of ideals.


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Good versus Evil.

If you go to the movies or watch T.V. at all you will be familiar with the Good versus Evil storyline.

The good guys win in the end through superior violence but not until evil has lasted just long enough for us to indulge our dark side.

This is standard fare for our entertainment.

It has little to do with what is truly good or what is truly evil.

This is the way of the sword which the world endorses.

But the true way is the way of Jesus.

Jesus said not to oppose evil but to pray for those who abuse us.

This is because evil is inspired by fear and God does not destroy evil people but seeks to redeem them.

So don't take your lead from popular entertainment.

Follow the non-violent lead of Jesus of Nazareth.


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Infinite Love.

Love is the only thing that actually increases the more you give it away.

Once we find our soul - the divine spark within our hearts - we reconnect with the source of love.

Our soul is the part of us that loves.

And once we learn to give love we find that the source of love is infinite.

So open your heart and give love to others.

And your life will be transformed.

Jesus said to love God and love your neighbor.

Do this and you will be Home at last.


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Death.

Death is the basis of black magic and Satanism.

It is the "death to God" referred to by St. Paul.

St Paul said, "the wages of sin is death."  Romans 6:23 (NRSV)

And, "the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil."  Hebrews 2:14 (NRSV)

So the devil tempts us to sin and then imposes death upon us.

This is Paul's thesis.

And those who have sold their souls to the devil do the devil's work.

That is: temptation and damnation.

This is what modern rock bands and others do: tempt us to sin and then damn us to hell.

But the basis of it is the power of death.

However, there is no devil in reality and no death.

This is a theory invented to explain our experience.

So all their attempts to get us into hell are in vain.

But that is not to say that it does nothing.

Their curses and sabotage still affect us.

It causes suffering, depression, and suicide.

We drink their poison and blame ourselves.

But God will forgive us.

And grant us eternal life.


[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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Religious Homophobia.

Some people have internalized religious homophobia to such an extent that they assume that any homosexual activity is damned.

Once again the key is fear.

Fear of AIDS. Fear of death. Fear of punishment.

But now that AIDS is no longer a death sentence they can overcome their fears and address the false image of God which inspired them in the first place.

Truth and Reconciliation.

Confession and Forgiveness.


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Internalized Homophobia.

Some homosexual men have internalized society's homophobia and buried their sexual feelings deep beneath a manly mask.

This homophobia can come from parents, peers, religious or political leaders.

But the fear of being discovered is so great that they are locked in an iron closet.

These fears include: fear of being disowned by parents, fear of ridicule and violence from peers, fear of damnation and ostracism from religious leaders, and fear of persecution from political leaders.

This repression of sexuality causes great psychological problems and can lead to severe mental illness.

But fear is the key.

Somehow they must overcome their fears and emerge like a butterfly from the closet.


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Children.

Children are now being placed in a loveless environment from as young as 6 months.

It was bad enough when children went to school at 5.

But now they are deprived of their parents' love almost from birth.

It was never meant to be like this!

Children were supposed to receive love from their parents until at least adolescence when they formed loving relationships of their own.

Children were supposed to learn from their parents.

We were never supposed to live for long periods without love.

In the schoolyard children learn fear.

And this fear can rule you for life.

I am not suggesting that family love is perfect but it's better than nothing.

I dread to think how these young children will react when they become teenagers.

They may be rebellious, even hateful.

Parents rationalize their selfishness by thinking early education gives their child an edge.

But they are not thinking about the child's emotional and psychological development.

And children are being subjected to Satanic rock music, entertainment, and toys from birth.

This all adds up to a very disturbed and mixed up teenager who may never escape the negativity of this early training.

I hope and pray that they find love. 


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Hugs Help!

In a world that is cold, impersonal, and cruel.

Any sign of warmth and love is welcome.

Hugs help!


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She Said.

She said:

"The only time he ever touched me was when he wanted sex."


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Choose Love.

It is the way of the world to accumulate money and possessions.

It is the way of the world to grab power and privilege.

It is the way of the world to exploit others and feel superior.

The way of the world is driven by fear.

But God's ways are the ways of equality.

The ways of compassion.

The ways of mercy and forgiveness.

God's ways are driven by Love.

So we have a choice:

To follow the way of the world - which is fear.

Or:

To follow the way of the Kingdom of God - which is Love.


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Opening the Scriptures.

When we encounter the real God He opens the scriptures to us.

Then we can read the Bible with discrimination.

Seeking God's face helps us to know which words are from God and which words are the messenger's fears and assumptions.

Any violence, judgement, or oppression is not from God.

God is Love.

And He condemns no one.

It is our job to separate the fragments of Light from the shards of pottery which contained them.


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Homosexuality.

The fact remains that some people are born with a homosexual orientation.

Inconvenient and awkward as this may be it is a fact of life.

So any attempts to demonize homosexuals is tainted with hate and betrays its basis in fear.

Fear of AIDS, fear of difference, and fear of the alien drives some people to persecute homosexuals.

It may even cause them to act violently towards them.

But any attempt to justify violence and hatred using texts from the Bible is a perversion of the spirit of the Bible - which is that all people are loved by God.

God loves gays.

Like a father loves his gay sons.

He will not reject them.

He will not betray them.

And He will welcome them into Heaven when they die.


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Everyone.

I was surprised and impressed when a friend of mine who suffers from mental illness who had been in hospital said to me, "Everyone has their story, I know that."

This opened my eyes to the reality that everyone suffers in this world and that no one is exempt from growth.

To see each person in a mental institution as a unique individual who is no less human than ourselves is quite a revelation.

Even those who are mentally ill and written off by society can teach us important lessons in life.

I am indebted to Virginia for her wise and gentle insights.


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Finding Favor.

Finding favor with God is not being favored in the sense of preferential treatment.

Finding favor with God is being nearer to His Nature and His Will.

It is being close to God.

The Bible says that certain people found favor with God.

One of these was Job.

And Job certainly did not come in for preferential treatment.

There are certain individuals who from time to time find favor with God.

And these are people who have a certain mission to fulfill.

But it does not indicate prosperity or good fortune.

It may, in fact, result in the opposite from a worldly perspective.

Jesus, Mahatma Gandhi, J.F.K., Martin Luther King, Bobby Kennedy, Anwar Sadat.....

All of these were assassinated.

Because they challenged the Status Quo of our world.

Jesus said that the way of the world was evil.

So, far from being God's Will, God challenges the way of the world: the worship of money, the custom of privilege, the persecution of minorities, the oppression of the poor.....

God is on the side of the weak, the poor, the marginalized, the alien.....

So cry out to God!

He will hear.


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Make Love.

Rather than being passive channels of God's Love we should learn to use our own hearts.

In this way we will fulfill Jesus commandment to love and increase the love in the world.

So open your heart and give love to those around you.

Make love.

And live.


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God's Nature.

"To love is to know me,
My innermost nature....."
          - Bhagavad-Gita.

Love God and love your neighbor.

Give love to those around you.

For God is Love.


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Light.

"God is light and in him there is no darkness at all." 1 John 1:5 (NRSV)

God is not subject to our human concepts of dualism.

God is transcendent - beyond the pairs of opposites.

"God is light and in him there is no darkness at all." 1 John 1:5 (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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The Galactic Center.

There was an article today on the Internet claiming that scientists had proven that there was a cluster of black holes at the center of our galaxy.

Despite the fact that all they had discovered was x-ray emissions close to the Galactic Center which indicated the possible existence of binary systems they still insisted that this proved the black hole theory.

But black holes suck in light from stars so the center of our galaxy would be dark.

But in reality it shines with beautiful light.

It is not necessary for a black hole to attract clusters of stars at the center of our galaxy.  All that is required is a huge mass of some sort.

For example the center of our Solar System is not a black hole but the Sun.

The dark matter - the planets - revolve around the light.

So the black hole theory is bankrupt.

It cannot withstand scrutiny.

Our Galactic Center shines with heavenly light.


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Idee Fixe.

In astrology the fixed signs are: Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius.

This is significant because these signs are typified by fixed ideas.

So the fixed idea that homosexuals are evil which dominates the generation born with Neptune in Scorpio is in direct conflict with those who have planets in Aquarius which accepts, even glorifies, homosexuality.

And we are entering the Age of Aquarius not the Age of Scorpio.

This is why the issue of homosexuality is prominent in our time.

AIDS has not dealt a death blow to gay rights.

We have weathered the storm and are now emerging to take our place in the Age of Aquarius.

The idee fixe which typifies Aquarius is the acceptance and celebration of gays.


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X-Fear.

The intense homophobic fear which was stimulated in Generation X by AIDS has resulted in violence, cruelty, torture, arrest, and mass-murder.

And this homophobic fear includes both sides if the religious divide.

So that Fundamentalist Christians, Muslims, and Hindus, Buddhists and Satanists in rock music and sports are equally violent towards gays.

This inspires damnation, torture, violence, hate, ostracism, and rejection.

It has even caused murder and persecution.

Scapegoating of gays is common in Generation X.

But Generation X are no longer young.

They are over 50, overweight, and out of date.

The new generation of young people, the Millennials, are much less homophobic than Generation X.

The results of the Same-Sex Marriage Survey in Australia put the rate of approval among people under 24 at 84%.

So we are due for a change.

Generation X's draconian attitudes are no longer the norm.

It is up to surrounding generations to re-educate Generation X by addressing the fears which drive them.

Violence, hate, and evil are driven by fear.
 
AIDS is no longer a death sentence.
HIV can be stopped from developing into AIDS.
So as long as we are tested AIDS is over.

So the fear of homosexuals is over.

And once the fear is gone the evil reaction will be gone.


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Write-Off.

God does not hold us accountable for our mistakes.

He writes off our debts.

How many parables did Jesus tell of the master writing off debts?

How many times did he say, "'Your sins are forgiven.'"  Matthew 9:5 (NRSV)

It is inevitable that we will make mistakes.

We cannot know everything from birth.

So it is really just a matter of degree.

Jesus said, ""Those who are well have no need of a physician but those who are sick.'"  Matthew 9:12 (NRSV)  "For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.'"  Matthew 9:13 (NRSV)

He also said that he who is forgiven more will love more.


[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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Spiritual Healing.

 

Jesus healed the Gerasene demoniac whose name was Legion - "for we are many."  Mark 5:9 (NRSV)

"They came to Jesus and saw the demoniac sitting there, clothed and in his right mind."  Mark 5:15 (NRSV)

Thus Jesus healed a man with severe schizophrenia - he had many voices*.

In Louis de Bernieres' novel Captain Corelli's Mandolin the Patron Saint of the island Agios Gerasimos heals the mentally ill.

On his feast day the preserved body of the Saint is passed over the sick in the hope that they will be cured.

"'You should send him to the madhouse at the monastery of the saint, and wait for the miracle.'" says Father Arsenios.

So there is a history of spiritual healing in Christianity.

Jesus said to him, "'Go home to your friends, and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and what mercy he has shown you.'"  Mark 5:19 (NRSV)


*NB Schizophrenia is not demonic possession so exorcism of the mentally ill is not recommended.

[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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Lifequake!

Instead of the Satanic association of sexual orgasm with death I suggest that we refer to the pleasure of orgasm as a lifequake!

Sex is an expression of life itself.

We experience a surge of life through our body.
And a climax of love for our partner.

Sex leads to life not death.

And the experience of sexual orgasm makes us feel fully alive.

So a lifequake is an appropriate term for sexual orgasm.


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Sex.

If you truly love someone you will want them to experience the pleasure of sex.

And anyone who says otherwise is merely jealous.


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