Darkness.

"Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord."  Psalm 118:26 (NRSV)

There is darkness in God's House.

The fear and guilt induced by traditional teachings in the Church is the product of darkness.

Jesus said to the Pharisees: "'You know neither me nor my Father.  If you knew me, you would know my Father also.'"  John 8:19 (NRSV)

So, if the Pharisees did not know the God they worshipped perhaps the priests and ministers of Jesus' Church don't know Him either.

They preach fear and guilt.

But there is no fear in God, neither is there guilt.

God is our loving Father.

He nurtures us and feeds us like our Mother.

And His promise is true.

You have nothing to fear from God.

God will not judge us.

But His priests and ministers may judge you.

They put the principle before the person.

And they enforce traditional doctrines.

Many are sex-phobic and homophobic.

Many are misogynistic.

But the Church is beginning to change.

As the Light from God increases.

We who are witnesses to the Light are blessed.

But: "'You will not see me again until you say, "Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord."'"  Matthew 23;39 (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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Evil.

The upshot of Reagan's accusation that the Hippies were "unconscious agent of the devil" because their rock stars were secretly Satanic was that his allies - the Capitalist Plutocrats - were tempted by the power of this hidden Satanism to control the minds of the masses.

Did you ever wonder why these corporate bosses never exposed Satanism in rock music?

The answer is simple - because they use it themselves.

The temptation to sow hatred and evil using black magic and Satanic curses was too great.

They used fear and smear combined with Satanic hate to poison the image of the political left.

But to do this is to rely on evil to win.

And if you try to use evil to win you will find that it is evil using you.

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Climate Change.

I welcome the bold initiatives taken by President Biden on Climate Change.

His vision and application of the scientific facts are encouraging signs for the future.

Of course this action should have been taken in the 1990s.

But a concerted campaign of obstruction through misinformation has delayed any action.

This campaign of obstruction was orchestrated by Conservative Think Tanks and financed by rich corporations.

But it would seem that at last this campaign of misinformation and lies has been seen for what it is.

And we can move forward with renewed confidence in the science and the resolve to do what must be done.

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No Judgement.

There is no Judgement - personal or collective.

Apart from the fact that Judgement and hell are out of character for a loving God there is Biblical testimony to back this up.

Jesus says: "'The Father judges no one.'"  John 5:22 (NRSV)

And: "'You judge by human standards, I judge no one.'"  John 8:15 (NRSV)

So if : ""the Son can do nothing on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, the Son does likewise.'"  John 5:19 (NRSV) then there can be no Judgment.

This is good news.

[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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Gay is Good.

Homosexuality is good.

Despite the homophobic hatred which followed the AIDS crisis of the 1980s homosexuality is essentially good.

God does not discriminate.

His love extends to all people.

And this includes homosexual people.

The reactive Fundamentalism in the Church is inspired by fear.

Fear of death, fear of damnation.

But now that AIDS is no longer a death sentence their objections are bankrupt.

God loves gay people.

And His mercy and forgiveness are sure.

So do not be afraid of those who call you evil.

Their prejudice is inspired by fear.

Gay is good.

And gay people go to Heaven.

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(Bob Paris and Rod Jackson)

Little Richard.

Who told Little Richard that his homosexuality was Satanic?

Southern Baptists in Georgia.

Little Richard was known to brag about his Satanic lifestyle.

And Little Richard was a mentor to the Beatles and the Rolling Stones.

So Satanism in rock music may in fact derive from the teachings of America's Southern Baptists.

But their belief that homosexuality is of the devil is not true.

It is based on fear and prejudice.

And it is rooted in Biblical literalism.

But there is no devil in reality.

The devil is one explanation for the question: Why is there evil in a world created by a good God?

There are other explanations.

For example: fear and ignorance.

So those who are tempting and cursing us may in fact be victims of false teachings.

And the God they have rejected is not the true God at all.   

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Satanism.

We are used to thinking of Satanism as a fringe phenomenon of little influence.

But my thesis is that Satanism is widespread in rock music, sports, entertainment, literature, and media.

It is hidden by darkness.

But it influences everyone through the collective unconscious.

 

This is why most of it is done using subliminal messages and unconscious images.

They are famous people: rock stars, sporting heroes, movie stars and directors, authors, celebrities.....

But there are warning signs: darkness, night, death (skulls and graves), snakes, spiders, lightning, black, hate, evil..... 

Anything backwards or upside-down is suspect.

So be more discerning in your watching and listening.

We are being deceived.  

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Looking for Love.

When a young gay man ventures out into the gay scene he is not looking for promiscuous sexual gratification he is looking for love.

And as an adjunct of love sex is a bonus.

Unfortunately the culture of the gay scene which is driven by rock bands and divas encourages casual sex as an end in itself.

Sex first maybe friends later.

This is not a healthy atmosphere.

And it is not satisfying.

We need somehow to encourage young people to be more aware of their own needs and not just follow the lead of the prevailing culture.

This culture was created when homosexuality was illegal and most gay men married.

Therefore most men were looking for casual sexual encounters not lasting relationships.

But things have changed. 

Homosexuality is legal and gay men can marry.

So the culture of the gay scene needs to change to catch up with the new circumstances.

Gay men are looking for love.

And they are looking for a long-term relationship, even marriage.

This is the new reality.

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Sex-Objects.

It pains me to observe that most young girls see themselves as sex-objects for men.

This is the attitude promulgated by Satanists in our popular culture.

Rap music, rock, and pop music invariably promote sexual excess and addiction to pleasure.

But don't get me wrong I am not anti-sex.

Sex is a natural part of life and we should accept it as such.

But seeing yourself as a sex-object is not good for your self-esteem.

It submerges you in guilt and shame.

And it does not bring happiness.

Rather sex should be seen as an adjunct of love.

Sex as love does not result in guilt and shame.

Sex as love brings a kind of blissful happiness because it is love that brings us life.

What you are looking for is not pleasure.

Pleasure indulged for its own sake leads to burn-out and misery.

What you are looking for is love.

And sex is the consummation of love.

So open your heart and give love to your partner.

Then you will know happiness.

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God's Steadfast Love.

He who has no one to love is loved by God Himself.

"For your maker is your husband,

the Lord of hosts is his name;

The Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer,

The God of the whole earth he is called."

Isaiah 53:5 (NRSV)

And everyone is his brother and sister.

"To the eunuchs* who keep my sabbaths,

who choose the things that please me,

and who hold fast my covenant,

I will give, in my house and within my walls,

a monument and name better than sons and daughters,

I will give them as everlasting name that will not be cut off."

Isaiah 56:4,5 (NRSV)

So do not despair if you are rejected or abandoned, the Lord God will not reject you and He will never abandon you.

"If my father and my mother forsake me,

the Lord will take me up."

Psalm 27:10 (NRSV)

His love is steadfast and everlasting.

(*Eunuchs referred to any male who was not married.)

[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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Judas.

Nothing could be more obviously Satanic than Lady Gaga's song Judas. 

The video is full of Hell's Angels.

She says she's beyond redemption.

And she says she's in love with Judas. 

The song is blasphemous, dark, and evil.

She'll betray you.

Be warned!

Photo Credit: Lady Gaga.

Weapons.

The reason that the Fundamentalist campaign against Satanism in rock music and popular culture has failed is because they used the information as a weapon against their political enemies.

Ronald Reagan said that Christianity contained "unconventional weapons".

And one of those weapons is demonization of your enemies.

Another weapon is damnation of your opponent which Reagan inspired with his Last Judgement of the Millennium.  

He also used blame and shame of the left-leaning Hippies.

This is the religious component of the Culture Wars which have so blighted our society.

Most people think that the Fundamentalists' approach to God is out of date - rooted as it is in the Old Testament.

But the emergence of Progressive Christianity gives us an alternative perspective.

Progressive Christianity is non-violent, non-judgemental, and rooted in unconditional love.

A new way of interpreting scripture gives us permission to reject the vengeful, judgmental, violent passages of the Old Testament and base our faith in the Gospel of Love preached by Jesus of Nazareth.

The problem still remains that the negative influences in rock music and entertainment sabotage our spiritual quest.

But a non-violent approach ensures that our faith does not become a weapon. 

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Temptation.

Ronald Reagan was tempted to use religion for his own political purposes.

He and devil-worshippers in the popular culture tempted Generation X to judge, condemn, bash, and torture the Baby-Boomers.

And they tempted the Religious Right to damn the Hippies, demonize the Left, and scapegoat gays and lesbians. 

They also tempted big business to use hate and evil against any opponents to their domination.

This is the legacy of Satanism in rock music, sports, and entertainment.

And it is hidden by the darkness.

Spells inducing blindness cover up their activities.

But with Aquarius comes the Light from God.

And by that Light we begin to see.

We see the malice and evil of their words and images.

We see who is doing it and why.

So do not retaliate or take revenge but pray for them to see.

Then the torment will stop.

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Temple.

In church we had the reading 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 - St Paul on fornication, prostitution, and the body as a temple of the spirit.

Unexpectedly our leader said that this wasn't an admonition against sex but a refutation of the practice of temple prostitution.

Temple prostitution was practised in most pagan temples of the period as a method of union with the god or goddess.

But St. Paul says that this is not necessary because we are unified with God though Christ and our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit within us.

This is consistent with the Old Testament tradition of likening the worship of foreign gods to prostitution. 

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Flipping.

Flipping an argument which Donald Trump learned from his lawyer Roy Cohn is based in Satanic magic.

Satanic magic is backwards and upside down.

It flips arguments.

And it reverses charges.

This exposes the evil nature of Donald Trump himself.

 

And it explains the chaos of his presidency.

In light of this knowledge we have been lucky that his reign has not produced worse results.

But his behavior at this last election exposes him for what he is.

An evil narcissistic despot.

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"Fear Not."

How many times does it say in the Bible: "Fear not"?

God knows that many mortals' reaction to God is fear.

Guilt and shame inspire fear in us.

Fear of punishment, fear of condemnation.

But God says: "Fear not."

Do not fear punishment; do not fear judgement.

God loves you unconditionally.

He does not withdraw His Love if we make a mistake.

And it is inevitable that we will make mistakes.

So "Fear not."

God's Love is reliable.

And His forgiveness is sure.

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Love and Fear.

There are only two things in the world: Love and fear.

And this applies to scripture.

If we apply this method to the interpretation of scripture it becomes apparent that the violent, vengeful, judgemental passages of scripture are inspired by fear.

What remains if we remove these fear-inspired passages is The Love of God.

And this is the Reality:

God loves us.

He does not punish us or judge us.

His mercy is infinite.

And His forgiveness is everlasting.

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My Father's Business.

When Jesus went missing at the age of 12 his parents Joseph and Mary found him in the Temple debating with the priests.

And he said to them, "I must be about my Father's business."  Luke 2:49 (KJV)

It is clear from the context that the Father's business is the study and interpretation of the scriptures.

And this is where Progressive Christianity is strong.

The discussion of the history and context of each passage of scripture is scrupulous and intelligent.

Contemporary scholarship that takes into account the worldview and beliefs of each writer of scripture is now available to everyone.

So we must be about our Father's business.

[KJV - King James Version]

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Rock Stars.

Rock stars are not modern day prophets.

Rock stars are dark seducers and black magicians.

False prophets.

They present themselves as saviors and messiahs when in fact they are perfidious traitors.

They are dogs (gods backwards) and divas (evil goddesses).

This is the hidden influence in our popular culture which has turned everything to the dark side.

And this is no accident.

They sell their souls to the devil as set out by Aleister Crowley in his writings.

They then set about leading us astray and damning us.

They may seem glamorous or even wise but they are subtle deceivers and their words are poison.

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The Devil.

Because there is no supernatural devil does not mean that there is no evil in our world.

Evil can be caused by human ignorance and fear.

But real evil is the deliberate rejection of  God's goodness.

Because God is seen as harsh, irrational, and vindictive some people will reject good altogether and embrace evil and its master the devil.

The devil is seen as more sensible than God.

These people will do evil in our world in the hope that the devil will reward them.

And it may seem as if he does.

But most of these benefits accrue because of talent and hard work.

They are not rewards from the devil.

But they persist.

And they believe.  

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The Ultimate Weapon.

Napoleon said that if the Catholic Church had not existed he would have to have invented it.

And this is because the Church's threat of hell is the ultimate weapon which keeps the masses under control.

And it's promise of Heaven is the ultimate enticement to obedience.

And this is the practise of ruling elites from the Pharaohs of Egypt to Ronald Reagan.

But God does not judge us.

God is our loving Father.

His Love is steadfast, reliable, constant, and unconditional.

We can call on Him for help.

But God's Love is uncompromising.

He will not endorse violence or hate.

He will withdraw from error.

But He will answer our sincere prayers.

So do not be discouraged.

Persevere.

And the door will be opened to you. 

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The Dark Side.

The Religious Right maintain that hate is a Biblical imperative.

They quote The Psalms of David where he says that he hates the enemies of God with perfect hatred.  (Psalm 139:22)

And so they hate sin.

What happens in effect is that they hate sinners.- those they presume to be disobeying God's Law.

And they justify violence against them.

But violence and hate are the Dark Side.

They are not part of God at all.

The Light is characterized by love, by mercy, by forgiveness, compassion, and understanding.

And God's methods are wholly non-violent.

So the Religious Right are their own worst enemies.

They feed the Dark Side and enforce evil.

  

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Hidden.

There may not be a supernatural personification of evil but there are people in our world who identify with evil and tempt and corrupt all of us.

This is the hidden catalyst of corruption.

The secret seed of suffering.

It is subtle and sinister.

It tells you to do all those things which will end in suffering. 

It is wisdom backwards.

It is indulgent and seductive.

It is evil.

And it is hidden in our popular culture.

Darkness, evil, violence, hate, vice, death.....

All these things saturate our music and entertainment. 

They are seditious.

And they are malevolent.

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Good vs Evil.

After the flood of violence, horror, and evil stimulated by Generation X in the 1980s we saw a huge turnaround in the 1990s:

Instead of devils and racism and homophobic hate we saw angels and fairies and positive gay characters in movies and theater.

This was followed by good versus evil in Star Wars and Lord of the Rings. 

But these battles between the powers relied on violence to resolve the conflict and violence is never the answer.

From this point we must turn to Jesus of Nazareth.

Jesus' message was non-violent benevolence.

Love your enemies and pray for those who abuse you.

So lay down the sword and cry out to God.

He will answer.

And deliver you from evil.

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40 Years.

40 years in the political wilderness.

40 years as political prisoners.

40 years of blame and shame.

40 years of guilt.

40 years in hell.

Now we are free.

Now we can see.

But we must not be vindictive.

We must not take revenge.

We must not dictate to our enemies.

We must ask them to cooperate.

We must listen.

We must live and let live.

We must do what is best for everyone.

No one should be marginalized.

No one should be persecuted.

No one should be left behind.

We must govern for all.

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President Reagan.

When he was elected President in 1980 Ronald Reagan set about demolishing the ethos of the left-leaning Hippie Generation.

Hellbent on revenge he demonized them and the political left symbolized by the Soviet Union.

All left-wing thinking was labelled Communist totalitarianism and the work of the devil.

To do this he relied upon the hatred and hypocrisy of Generation X who blamed and shamed the Hippies.

He also enlisted the support of the Religious Right notably the Polish anti-Communist Pope John Paul II.

He was quoted as saying that Christianity contained "unconventional weapons".

He weaponized religion and whitewashed the guilty.

But Reagan was no Messiah.

Reagan was a politician.

He used religion and rebellion to create a political victory.

A victory symbolized by a Last Judgement invoked by the Millennium.

This was intended to establish the reign of Conservative Capitalism forever.

Whether Ronald Reagan believed what he was doing was the Will of God or whether he cynically used religion for his political purpose is not clear.

But one thing is certain:

He was wrong.   

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Sex is Love.

Now that AIDS is virtually cured we can return to the belief that sex is life.

But that is not to say that we should return to the promiscuous sexual practices of the 1970s.

The lessons leaned from the AIDS pandemic should teach us to be cautious in our sexual experimentation. 

And the institution of gay marriage has given us a viable alternative.

But the vital belief is that sex is love,

And as the consummation of love sex is faithful.

So feel free to express your sexuality as an adjunct of love.

Then you will be safe.

.

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Curses.

The right-wing political machine is in league with evil. 

They poison their political opponents' images.

They blacken their names.

And they sow hate.

They trigger fears.

They cast their opponents as the guilty party.

And they reverse charges.

These are Satanic curses.

And they are transmitted through the media.

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Blaming God.

Generation X turned to the devil.

They suffered as we all do but they blamed God.

Internalizing the Church's image of God as a harsh and vindictive judge, they rejected God and turned to the devil because the devil seemed more sensible than God.

Believing that the devil controlled money and sex they sold out to the highest bidder.

They hate God and they blame Him for their suffering.

This is why they blaspheme and desecrate holy images.

This is why they wear horns and make the sign of the devil.

They don't understand that the Church's image of God is false.

And if they do accept God they are judgemental and hypocritical.

So don't just explain away their apostasy.

This is the reality about Generation X.     

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Cursed.

The modern obsession with witchcraft and wizardry contains a Satanic curse which damns a whole generation.

Soul fragments and evil powers, snakes and spiders, vampires and werewolves.....

Everything about them is evil.

And the temptation to practise witchcraft is a trap set to trigger damnation.

Why call a play The Cursed Child? 

There is only one reason.

She is cursing them all.

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East and West.

In a garden near my home there is a pond in which grow lotuses and water lilies.

It seemed to me that these symbolized Eastern and Western spiritual traditions.

The lotuses for the East.

And the water lilies for the West.

And so Australia is the intersection of Eastern and Western cultures.

Lotuses grow wild in Australia's Kakadu National Park.

The Aboriginal people of Australia have been linked to ancient emigrants from the sub-continent of India.

And Yoga is still very popular in Australia.

The water lilies represent the modern emigrants from Europe who brought with them the religion of Christianity during the Age of Pisces.

And so the two cultures - the Aboriginal and the European - converge in Australia's heart.

There are also many Asian immigrants in Australia.

And they bring their own spiritual traditions.

Buddhism (which also originated in India) and Chinese traditional religions.

Also Islam from Indonesia and South-East Asia.

And so we in Australia have the unique opportunity to harmonize the cultures of East and West.  

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