Rock Music.

To those of you who can't believe my claim that rock music is Satanism I say this:

I was as disbelieving as you.

Mainly because this claim is associated with right-wing Fundamentalist Christians whose theology and sociology I cannot accept.

God may have revealed this truth to them but they misused this information for political purposes and misunderstood the complexity of their enemies' campaigns.

They took what rock musicians put out at face value - equating Satanism with peace and love and left-wing politics.

But Satanism wears a mask of populism which hides the evil that they do.

In fact Satanism is war and hate and Nazism - the opposite of what appears on the surface.

So I rejected the rumors which were circulating at the time.

But a series of negative spiritual experiences which I eventually traced to the rock music I was listening to caused me to reconsider.

I was as surprised as anyone to discover that the rock legends we followed were evil.

But this did not lead me to a Fundamentalist mentality.

My theology remained Progressive and although I returned to the Church I joined a Church which was relatively liberal in its thinking.

So although I am a Progressive Christian I believe that rock musicians, celebrities, and sports stars are involved in modern Satanism.

They deceive and betray us.

And their activities form a web of evil which spans the collective unconscious and tempts and corrupts us constantly.

This is done through the mass-media.

But I do not believe there is a real devil.

Nor do I believe in hell.

But the damage done through negative suggestion and backtracking of curses etc. remains.

We are poisoned and cursed.

We are distracted and disturbed.

We are brainwashed and controlled.

But God is real.

If we pray to Him with a sincere heart He will deliver us.

And show us His Salvation.


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Discrimination.

Many Christians will tell you to read your Bible.

But the Bible must be read with discrimination.

Violent, perverse, legalistic, contradictory, judgemental, moralistic, and ideological passages must be questioned, even ignored.

This is in conflict with Fundamentalists who claim that the Bible is the literal words of God.

But the Bible is not infallible.
Many passages contradict each other.
Some passages are repeated.
Others are missing.

This is because the Bible is a library of writings collated over hundreds of years.

Each passage is written by an author who can only relate what he understands.

Therefore the image of God in the Bible evolves over time.

From the primitive tribal god Yahweh to the Universal God of Jesus.

And many of the words put into God's mouth in the Old Testament must be considered suspect.

The new revelation of Jesus that God is our loving Father and we are His children transcends the Old testament God of vengeance and judgement.

And now we are realizing that God does not punish us at all.

Therefore there can be no hell.

A father does not condemn his own children.

The carrot and stick religion of heaven and hell is a tool used by ruling elites which is designed to keep the masses under control.

It is not an aspect of God at all.

"'Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it.  How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing.'"  Matthew 23:37(NRSV)

Jesus said that the world did not know God.

And it still does not.

The vision is granted to precious few.

And their vision is soon corrupted.

So read the scriptures with discrimination.

And collect the fragments of light from among the shards of pottery that contained them. 


[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 Churches.

It would seem that young people consider that the Churches have nothing to offer.

The Church is perceived as an evil institution which bullies women and castrates men.

It enforces right-wing politics.

It justifies hatred.

And it threatens you with hell.

The child sexual abuse scandals were just the final straw.

But the Church also does a lot of good:

It funds aid for the homeless and the hungry.

It sends aid to foreign countries.

It advocates for asylum seekers.

And it supports victims of domestic violence.

Unfortunately it also persecutes gay people.

And it supports dictators.

But not all Churches are the same.

The Uniting Church in Australia supports gay membership and leadership.

It has women ministers.

And it supports a strong Social Justice agenda.

So the Church may have something to offer if you are careful which Church you choose.

The reality of a relationship with God is extremely valuable.

You experience hope, joy, and love.

But not without problems.

You many be hindered, obstructed, even attacked.

But the real God will help you.

Pray to God with a sincere heart.

And He will guide you.


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Peace.

How can we bring peace between the Religious Right and the Religious Left.

To make one Temple of the House of Judah and the House of Joseph.

Both are Biblical.

But they differ in interpretation.

The Religious Right is literal.

The Religious Left is metaphorical.

The Religious Right is faithful through obedience.

The Religious Left is faithful through love.

Both seek to establish the Kingdom of God on Earth.

But they differ in their vision.

So, rather than trying to win out over the other, perhaps we should heed the words of Jesus and love our enemies.

We should pray for those who attack and oppose us.

Pray for them to overcome their fears and see more clearly.

That both sides use the words of the Bible.

The Religious Right in and orthodox way.

The Religious Left in an unorthodox way.

But both are Biblical.

To give precedence to the words of Jesus:

"'Blessed are the peacemakers.'"  Matthew 5:9 (NRSV)

"'"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind."  This is the greatest and first commandment.  And a second is like it: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.'"  Matthew 22:37-40 (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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Kenosis.

Kenosis is the mystical science of becoming a channel of God's Love on Earth.

This involves humbling the self and indeed denying the personal ego and becoming totally submissive to the Will of God.

The Buddha described Nirvana as a snuffing out.

This means the end of the personal individual which is completely subsumed by the Divinity.

As if this were possible.

Alternatively we can become co-creators with God.

This involves maintaining the personal individuality and harmonizing it with the Will of God.

The opening of our own heart to give love to everyone from an infinite source within us rather than becoming a passive channel of God's Love.

This may sound like the same thing.

But there is a subtle difference.

And it is the difference between self-denial and self-expression.

It is the difference between the way of self-denial and the way of love.

The difference between the head and the heart.

I choose the heart which is the way of love. 


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A Humane World.

How can we make a more humane world?

Only by becoming more humane ourselves.

And that is to practise mercy, forgiveness, and love.


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Beatitudes.

Feed the poor.

Comfort the afflicted.

Assume humility.

Strive for justice.

Show mercy.

Give love.

Make peace.

Have faith.

Endure.


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Death and Love.

When a fan discovered hidden messages and backtracking in the Beatles' music it was all about death.

And this is the secret of 1960s rock legends.

Death is a spiritual state which equates to separation from God.

St, Paul says, "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)

Death is the basis of Satanism and black magic as taught by Aleister Crowley - the icon of 1960s rock bands.

But this is not restricted to 1960s artists.
These practices continue up until the present day.

Rock music encourages sin in the hope of death and damnation.

But when the waters of Aquarius come it is all about love.

The mysterious waters of Aquarius are thought to be the secrets of spiritual knowledge.

And this is all about love.

The concept of unconditional love is the doorway to the heart.

The symbol of the sign of Aquarius is the Egyptian hieroglyph for the water.

And the jar which the Water Carrier holds is the Egyptian hieroglyph for the heart.

So the water which flows from the water jar is the love which flows from our hearts.

This is none other than the water of life which the Bible speaks of.

"'Out of the believer's heart shall flow rivers of living water.'"  John 7:38 (NRSV)

"Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb."  Revelation 22>1 (NRSV)

So open your hearts and give love.

And you will live.


[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 Kingdom of God.

A few weeks ago we had the reading from 1 Samuel where the people of Israel wanted a king like other nations.

Previously Israel had been ruled by Judges who were instructed by God Himself.

God says to Samuel, "'they have rejected me from being king over them.'"  1 Samuel 8:7 (NRSV)

This throws a whole new light on the Lord's Prayer where Jesus says, "'Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.'"  Matthew 6:10 (NRSV)

Was Jesus proposing a return to the rule of God?

It is interesting that the early Christian martyrs were mostly executed for refusing to bow down to Caesar.

They insisted that Jesus was their king.

So what does it mean to accept God as king over you?

It means accepting the ways of God which are the ways of mercy and compassion.

And rejecting the ways of the world which are materialistic, self-serving, egotistical, ruthless, cold, hard, and violent.

It means that every decision we make is informed by the Love of God through prayer and devotion.
 
This is what it means to build the Kingdom of God on earth.


[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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Hearts of Stone.

Contrary to the opinion that hearts of stone are the result of toughness and strength I say that hearts of stone are the result of fear.

So if your heart is hard and unforgiving.

If you are selfish and miserly.

You are most likely afraid.

This is why it is important not to preach fear.

Fear of judgement, fear of punishment for sins, fear of hell create a heart that is cold and hard.

The result is violence and force.

But contact with the true God softens our fears and softens our hearts.

We feel love and compassion.

We care and we help.

We have hearts of flesh.


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Fear.

There are only two things in the world:

Love and Fear.

Whether directly or indirectly all evil, violence, and hatred in our world comes from fear.

Whether it be deliberate evil chosen as an alternative to a fearful image of God.

Or force and violence in response to fear of hell and damnation.

All these abominations stem from fear.

But God does not punish us.

God is our loving Father.

And a father does not condemn his children.

The traditional image of God as a harsh and vindictive punisher of men and women is false.

It stems from fear.

But "perfect love casts out fear".  1 John 4:18 (NRSV)

The Love of God overcomes our fears.

Love God and love your neighbor.

And your fear will dissolve like the mist.


[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.]

(Rock Band: Primal Fear.)

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Satanism in the World.

There is Satanism in rock music, sports, and entertainment.

It curses and poisons us.

We are disturbed and distracted.

But it is hidden behind a mask of glamour and celebrity.

It is disguised as harmless fun and pleasure.

But it is not harmless.

Drugs, divorce, depression, hedonism, excess, insanity, suicide.....

All these things derive from Satanism in our world.

And it is from this that we need Salvation.


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Dogs and Divas.

People who have sold their souls - rock stars, celebrities, sports men and women - believe that because they have paid with their souls they are entitled to fame and fortune and the perfection of their art.

They expect "money for nothing and their chicks for free".

They have confidence in the power of Satan to deliver these things and also to hide them in the darkness.

This is the arena of the dark arts: black magic, witchcraft, and Satanism.

But they are false prophets.

Dogs and divas.

They distract and they disturb.

They divert and they deceive.

So beware!

We have been betrayed.


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The Beatitudes.

When we first hear the Beatitudes they seem enigmatic, even unreal.

They seem to turn our experience of the world on its head.

But the key to understanding the Beatitudes is that they represent the values of the Kingdom of God not the values of the world.

These are the attitudes and values which come from God.

And it is these that Jesus was attempting to establish on earth.

So as disciples of Jesus of Nazareth we should strive to embody the values of the Kingdom of God,

As set out in the Beatitudes.


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Traditional/Progressive.

The Church has traditionally taught the Fall/Redemption model of Christianity.

That is: we are all condemned because of the Original Sin of Adam and Eve but Jesus has paid the price for our sins on the cross.

We have been told that sex is a sin.

And that we must earn our place in Heaven by doing good works.

It is no coincidence that these good works, as set out in Matthew 25, are accompanied by terrifying threats of damnation.

Progressive Christianity, however, teaches that Jesus commandment was to love.

To love God and love our neighbor.

To love one another as he loved us.

And that Matthew 25 teaches us that everyone is our neighbor.

Many Progressive Christians believe that God does not judge us.

So there can be no hell.

Hell is totally out of character for a loving God.

And God is Love.

So we seek to replace the motivation of fear with a motivation of love.


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Gay.

What do you see when I say the word Gay?

Do you see an effeminate?

Do you see a prodigal?

Do you see a libertine?

Do you see a devil?

Or:

Do you see a sensitive soul?

Do you see a creative genius?

Do you see a free spirit?

Do you see an angel?


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Her Career.

Some women will sell their souls for fame and power.

They will consort with Satanists in our media who will advise them how to sell themselves.

They can be good girls or bad girls.

They can be spiritual divas.

Or they can be sex kittens.

Either way she is promoting her career.


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One.

Although countering the negative messages put out by Satanism in our popular culture is worthwhile we should avoid splitting everyone into two camps.

The temptations of Dualism will perpetuate endless conflict between us and them.

Better to be mindful of the fact that all these things are done by people.

And as such we are all equal in the sight of God.

Even those who follow Satan.

God does not battle against them.
Or try to destroy them.

God offers Light to them as He does to others.

They will stop when they see.

God is One.

And so we enlighten everyone.


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Rock Music.

The Religious Right say that all rock music is Satanism.

But they associate this with liberalism and left-wing politics.

This is why they call Obama the Anti-Christ.

But this is to take what rock music presents at face value.

In fact Satanism is right-wing (Nazism) and Orthodoxy backwards.

What they present on the surface is a lure.

Evil is hidden beneath.

For example: peace and love are important teachings of Jesus of Nazareth.

Social Justice is a strong aspect of Old Testament prophets.

But rock legends turned peace and love into sex and drugs and rock and roll.

And Social Justice into license.

So they are wrong to treat the Hippies as agents of Satan.

They are the victims of Satan.

And they are wrong to treat Socialism as godless Communism.

Their assumptions have missed the mark.

And they have resulted in much evil in our world.

The time has come to make peace.

We can all pray for that.


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After-Image.

After spiritual teachers have died their disciples and followers apply their limited knowledge to the memory of that teacher.

This is why the original vision, which is transcendent and free, is subjected to ideas of barter and atonement.

Fantastic stories grow up around them and their message is compromised.

Good News becomes condemnation.

And forgiveness becomes penitence.

The message may even be usurped by the teacher's enemies and modified to meet the needs of the establishment.

In this way the carrot and stick religion of rewards and punishments is re-established as the norm.

They put words into his mouth and write back their Machiavellian philosophy into the legend.

But all of this is a perversion of the original revelation which was good news indeed.

And that news is that we are all forgiven and loved by God.

He does not punish us or judge us.

He loves us like a Father.

And therefore there can be no hell.

Hell is the weapon that the conservative establishment uses to subjugate the masses.

It has nothing to do with God.

God loves us.

And we go to be with Him when we die.


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Good Works.

If we are acting mostly out of fear of damnation and hell then are our works good at all?

Are we not just spreading fear in the world?

And if we are acting out of compelling mental principles are we not just spreading ideology?

But if we open our hearts and do what our hearts say we will be acting out of love.

And spreading love throughout the world.


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1955.

If Jesus saves.

And the churches were full every Sunday.

Why then was it: "a jungle out there".

Either they were teaching them the wrong things.

Or they were just not doing it.

Or both.


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Christian Countries.

How could it be that Christian countries claim to support the poor when the majority of the economic development which reached the Millennium Development Goals took place in godless Communist China and idolatrous Hindu India?

Evangelical Christians in America voted for millionaire Donald Trump and called Barak Obama evil.

Donald Trump has just slashed corporate taxes increasing the inequality of wealth in our world.

Obamacare supported health care for the poorest in America.

And yet Christians claim to worship God.

How can they worship God and oppress the poor, and persecute minorities, and call evil good, and good evil*?

Even the Pope was called a Marxist by Fox News.

The rich (Christian) countries of the world must look to their practices and conventions if we are to address poverty in our world.

We need look no further than our own System.


*(See Isaiah 5:20)

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I'm Alive!

I am a gay man.

I am sexually active.

And I'm Alive!

By Alive I mean in a loving relationship with God.

Homosexuality is not a sin.

So it does not induce death - i.e. separation from God - if that were possible.

Neither does it warrant hell.

I know that I will go to Heaven when I die.

God has promised this.

And not just me but all gay men.

I am a gay man.

And I'm Alive!


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Pharisees.

The Religious Right is made up of Fundamentalists, Evangelicals, Pentecostalists, Orthodox Christians, and some elements of the Catholic and Anglican Churches.

In the story of Jesus the Religious Right is represented by the Pharisees.

And the Pharisees conspired with the dominant power - the Romans - which is now the Corporate Plutocrats - to kill Jesus.

So, far from representing God on earth, the Religious Right has conspired against God to establish their own position of power and privilege in the world.

This can be clearly seen in their attitude to authority.

The first thing they talk to you about is authority.

By which they mean their authority over you.

In the Bible it is the Pharisees who question Jesus about authority.

"'By what authority are you doing these things?  Who gave you this authority to do them?'"  Mark 11:28 (NRSV)

To which Jesus responds with a question: "'Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?'"  Mark 11:30 (NRSV)

When they answered that they did not know Jesus refused to tell them by what authority he was acting.

So the issue of authority was central to the philosophy of the Pharisees because it was by this authority that they established their power and privilege on earth.

It is the same with the Religious Right. 


[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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Voices.

My thesis is that the voices which torment people with schizophrenia are evil.

They come from evil around us in society and work across the collective unconscious.

Rock music is secretly Satanic.

This has been the case from the beginning.

Who was it who told young people to take drugs in the first place?

It was the rock bands of the 1960s and 1970s.

And the mental illness which resulted is not all chemical in nature.

Schizophrenia is a kind of clairaudience.

And the voices they hear are the result of evil which is hidden from us.

So a spiritual approach in conjunction with medication can be helpful.

Prayer and contemplation and study can help to counter negative voices.

Sacred choral music may be helpful.

You may even experience helpful voices.

This may be the key to schizophrenia.

But a word of warning.

Anyone who says that you are possessed by evil spirits is mistaken.

The voices are to do with the collective unconscious and as such relate to real individuals and perceptions around us.

Exorcism is not an appropriate response.

This approach can be quite damaging to people who have voices and hallucinations.

A spiritual blessing may help.

But archaic worldviews will not.

We must stay with modern psychological realities if we are to have any success.

 
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New Wineskins.

"'And no one puts new wine into old wineskins, otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost, and so are the skins; but one puts new wine into fresh wineskins.'"  Mark 2:22 (NRSV)

Just so, we do not seek to preach the new vision to elderly people who are too old to change their ways.

We seek to enlighten young people who have never heard the Good News and can accommodate it without prejudice.

And so we do not preach in church but on the Internet where we can reach fresh minds and 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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Gold.

An Indian Yogi once said to me, "At the moment you are like a barren field.  But if you strike Gold....."


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What Remains.

Some people say that once you start changing things and getting rid of the negative doctrines of the Church that there will be nothing left.

But this is not true.

Once we replace the rigid rules associated with religion what is left is not nothing.

What remains is the unconditional Love of God.


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The Church.

Before there can be any religious revival in our world we have to make sure that the Churches are O.K..

It's no use telling people to go back to church if the Churches remain sexist, sex-phobic, homophobic, irrational, dictatorial, unreasonable, and exclusive.

That would do no one any good.

So we have to work to open the Churches to progressive ideas.

Ideas like: dialogue, openness, a healthy image of the body, acceptance of sex, Original Blessing, unconditional love, and the celebration of gay weddings etc.....

Once we have opened up the Churches to these new ideas it will be safe for people to return.

But not before.


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