Triumph.

The triumph of good over evil does not involve merely suppressing evil.

This will result in repression of evil impulses which will find expression in other ways through the unconscious.

The triumph of good over evil entails the transformation of evil into good.

This can be done by addressing the fears that are at the root of evil.

Then the energy which drives evil will be transformed into Love.

And we will be free.

Photo Credit: Pinterest.

Fear No Evil.

I do not fear evil.

Because there is no supernatural element to evil.

There is no devil and no dark powers.

So what we are dealing with is people like any other.

Those who have chosen evil over good are misguided and mistaken.

They have rejected a false image of God in favor of a deal with the devil.

Or so they think.

And the evil they do is in the hope of some reward.

So they try and convince you that the devil is desirable - the master of worldly success and sexual gratification. 

But this is not true.

Worldly success comes from talent and hard work.

And sex was invented by God.

So do not listen to rock stars and sporting heroes who try to turn you to evil.

There is only one supernatural power:

And that is God.

And God is Good.

Photo Credit: Pinterest.

Generation X.

Generation X (born 1960 - 1970) hate God because they blame Him for their pain and suffering.

They hate good and they love the devil.

They have chosen evil because the devil seemed the more reasonable choice.

And they have abused the power in their horoscopes to curse humankind.

Their campaign of hate was endorsed by corporate plutocrats and right-wing political forces for their own benefit.

And their evil was whitewashed by Fundamentalist and Evangelical Christians.

But there is no devil in reality.

So their mission will ultimately fail.

Psychic power, language, and technology are neutral - they can be used for good or evil.

And so when Generation X realize their mistake they can use their powers for good instead of evil.

But before that they may be seen for what they are - an evil generation.

And they may have to face the consequences of that.

Photo Credit: pinterest.com

Give Love.

"'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.'" Mark 12:30 (NRSV)

And "'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'"  Mark 12: 31 (NRSV)

Give love.

Then you will be in touch with the Most High God whose inmost nature is Love.

Photo Credit: zastavki.com

Poisoned Fruit.

"'The tree is known by its fruit.'"  Matthew 12:33 (NRSV)

What are the fruits of 40 years of Neo-Liberal Economics and Generation X.

The world is more divided than it has ever been.

The disparity between rich and poor is the greatest in history.

Work conditions have regressed to the point where workers have no job security, no penalty rates, no holiday pay or sick leave, and no power in the workplace.

The big corporations own everything.

And we wink at corruption.

Evil is cool.

And Fascism is the fashion.

Enough!

We need a new way.

A way that respects every individual.

A way that observes justice for all.

A way that empowers everyone not just the rich.

A way that tells the truth and respects the facts.

A way that protects the vulnerable.

A way that is based on love not hate.

[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.]

Photo Credit: World Atlas.

Amazing Grace!

Contrary to popular opinion God does not judge us or punish us for our sins.

This is because sin is caused by fear.

Fear results from our experiences in life.

And it is the root of our bad decisions.

But God is Merciful and Forgiving.

He knows the causes of our mistakes.

And He forgives them.

Such is the nature of God's Amazing Grace!

Photo Credit: amazon.ca 

My Father's Business.

What is my Father's business?

My Father's business is the interpretation and application of Scripture.

My Father's business is Social Justice, Peace, Charity, and Faith.

My Father's business is Mercy and Forgiveness.

But most of all my Father's business is Love.

Photo Credit: robertagrimes.com

Blind Guides.

"'Can a blind person guide a blind person?  Will not both fall into the pit?'"  Luke 6:39 )NRSV)

"'You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor's eye.'"  Luke 6:42 (NRSV)

When we see the evil that lurks in our popular culture we instinctively react by returning to the Church.

But when we do we find fear, judgement, punishment, guilt, and shame. 

How can this be?

They are blind guides as Jesus told us.

And so we must navigate between evil and hypocrisy.

Orthodox Christianity is not what Jesus taught.

Jesus taught love and forgiveness.

He was gentle and humble.

His way is the way of non-violent love.

But those in positions of earthly authority preach punishment, shame, guilt, and judgement.

They try to stop sin by force.

And they put their trust in fear.

But "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment. and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love."  1 John 4:18 (NRSV)

God is Love.

And love is our Salvation.

[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.]

Photo Credit: hoshanarabbah.org

Reactionary Fascism.

After a period of social liberation, which may have gone too far, we see a reaction of right-wing hypocritical moralism.

We saw this after the 1920s.

And we saw this after the 1960s and 1970s.

And to a lesser extent after the 1990s and 2000s.

This backlash has been exploited by cynical political forces to create political power.

We saw this in the 1930s.

And we saw this in the 1980s.

And we saw this in the 2010s.

This is Fascism.

It creates a scapegoat - the Jews, gays and lesbians, liberals, immigrants.

It is based on prejudice and hate.

And it is evil.

Photo Credit: Storyblocks Video.

Born to Rule.

The ruling elite has traditionally used fear to control the masses and maintain their position of privilege.

And since the Church has been part of the conservative establishment they have used fear to control us.

Thus the Church preaches punishment and judgement, heaven and hell.

This is the carrot and stick approach of the ruling elite.

Also you will find that they claim Divine Right to rule.

That is they claim the God Himself has given them the authority to rule on Earth.

Thus we have seen the Divine Right of Kings and the Born to Rule attitude of the aristocracy.

These things are not true.

But because they are enforced with violence they inspire the fear in the masses that they require.

My friend Ruth would say this is human nature.

Others might say it is the way of the world.

But Jesus said the way of the world is evil.

And this inequality and privilege which is enforced with violence and fear is evil itself.

Photo Credit: blogspot,com

Jesus' Church.

"'Truly I tell you, the tax-collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you.'"  Matthew 21;31 (NRSV)

This is what Jesus said to the religious authorities of his day.

This is because they were part of the domination system of the time.

And they served the purposes of the Romans.

And this is what has happened in Jesus' own Church.

When Christianity became part of the State under Constantine it began to serve the purposes of the domination system.

And so the Church began to preach punishment and judgement as a deterrent to sin.

This is the carrot and stick approach of the ruling elite.

And it is these abuses of power that people react to in our modern world.

People who reject God are reacting against this false image of God as a punisher and judge.

They are not reacting against the forgiveness and love of Jesus and God.

And so they will go into the Kingdom of God before the religious.

[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.] 

Photo Credit: greekboston.com

Power Couple.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce is a classic example of the alliance between rock music and sports.

And their celebrity status typifies the prominence of the power couple.

One wonders what happened to her last beau.

He seems to have been dumped in favor of this new hunk.

This typifies the behavior of rock stars and celebrities.

Their example is not worthy of our idolatry.

Photo Credit: billboard.com

Subliminal Advertising.

Have you noticed the appearance of advertisements at the bottom of your screen during unrelated television programs?

This is subliminal advertising.

It goes straight into your unconscious mind while you are watching T.V..

It used to be illegal.

But this is just one of the regulations which was abandoned during the era of Economic Rationalism.

Subliminal messages race across your screen every day during news broadcasts.

And now they are appearing in sports broadcasts and reality T.V. etc..

So beware!

We are being brainwashed.

Photo Credit: ebaumsworld.com

Vice and Virtue.

Have you noticed the prevalence of negative moral role models appearing in our popular culture?

Villains, scoundrels, rogues, despicable, abominable, evil, sin, beasts, monsters, bad guys, bad girls, a bit of both.....

This is a deliberate campaign to corrupt you.

It is conducted by Satanists in our entertainment and sports.

But God epitomizes virtue:

Wisdom, truth, moderation, faith, devotion, hope, charity, and love.....

So do not listen to those who would corrupt you.

Listen to the angels who turn us to the goodness of God.

Photo Credit: Ranker.

The Hippies.

The Hippies were right!

God is about Peace and Love.

God is non-violent, compassionate, and tolerant.

God is non-materialistic and favors the poor.

But the Hippies were betrayed by their rock stars into lives of degradation and drugs.

Sex and drugs and rock and roll ruined their attempts to save the world. 

And Generation X bashed the idealism out of them.

Now we holiday, watch, follow, spend, and enjoy.

But the Hand of God is entering history in the Age of Aquarius.

And the waters of Aquarius will wash us clean.

If we can leave rock music and popular culture behind we can manifest the ideals of Aquarius:

  

Equality, freedom, altruism, humanitarianism, tolerance, brotherhood, and unconditional love.

And the Age of Aquarius will begin.

Photo Credit: Pinterest.

Forgiveness.

"Your sins are forgiven."

Every week we hear these Words of Assurance in church.

So what of shame and damnation?

These things have no place in the Church.

Yet conservative Christians delight in shaming and damning people, especially LGBT+ people.

They judge people and condemn them in the name of God.

Jesus said to forgive seven times seventy.

But his followers condemn.

  

Conservatives use condemnation and damnation as weapons in the Culture Wars.

And Generation X judge the Hippies in their war against that generation.

These things were in fact designed by Ronald Reagan who said: "Christianity contains unconventional weapons."

He instructed Christians and Generation X to damn Hippies and Gays in his war against the Left.

      

And these things were justified by Pope John Paul II - the conservative anti-communist Pope.

So what happened to "Your sins are forgiven"?

The answer is that conservatives and Generation X and their descendants are wrong - Ronald Reagan was wrong!

God forgives.

And the war is over.

Photo Credit: colindye.com

The Church.

The Church was never supposed to be a conservative social club.

It is one thing to serve the needs of the congregation.

It is another thing to serve the community.

Jesus was not rich.

He did not go on overseas holidays twice a year.

He did not have a beach house.

And he did not have shares in blue-ribbon stocks.

The Gospel was supposed to be good news for the poor.*

Not a bonanza for the rich.

Sell your possessions and give the money to the poor.*

Then follow Jesus.

[*Luke 4:18]

[**Matthew 19:21]

Photo Credit: Pinterest.

Fear of God.

Fear of God in religion is the cause of much trouble in the world.

The fear of punishment and eternal damnation inspire force, violence, and domination.

The Ten Commandments, for example, are sensible guidelines for living,

But the language in which they are cast is extremely threatening.

There is no punishment attached to the Ten Commandments but the language inspires fear.

And the false image of God as a punisher and judge inspires some people to turn to Satan as a more viable alternative.

So the answer to Satanism in our world is not Spiritual Warfare but to remove the fear of God that inspires Satanism in the first place. 

Photo Credit: youtube.com