Socialism.

Socialism is not Communism.

Socialism is not anti-religious and it is not totalitarian.

Socialism respects religious beliefs and it is democratic.

This is just another example of blatant conflation by the political and religious right.

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Conflation.

Ronald Reagan called the Hippies and Baby-Boomers "unconscious agents of the devil".

This was because their rock stars secretly practised Satanism.

But you could just as easily say they were unconscious agents of Jesus Christ through their association with Martin Luther King and Mahatma Gandhi and their philosophy of peace and love.

This is blatant conflation.

The association of the Baby-Boomers with Satanism in rock music was transferred onto their fans and left-wing politicians who had nothing to do with Satan at all.

This was also done with gays and lesbians.

Their association with gay rock stars like David Bowie was transferred to implicate all gay and lesbian people.

These practices by the religious and political right are blatantly criminal.

Hippies and gays are innocent.

It is rock stars who are guilty.

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Love is the Fulfilling of the Law*.

Most people in the Church believe that religion is all about obeying the rules.

And while the rules are important if you are obeying them out of fear then you will not experience God's blessing in all its fullness.

But when you see that the Law is a reflection of God's Love then your motivation becomes love and you will experience the ultimate.

Love God and love your neighbor.

Then you will be free!

(*Romans 13:10)

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The White Rider.

In the Book of Revelation the White Rider who defeats the Beast does not brandish a sword in his hand.

"From his mouth comes a sharp sword." Revelation 19;15 (NRSV)

"and his name is called The Word of God." Revelation 19:13 (NRSV)

So it is not by violence that the Beast is defeated but by the Word of 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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Angels.

I have noticed that recently images of angels have begun appearing on my Facebook page.

These images, however, are of both good and evil angels.

And the good angels are exclusive,y musclebound males brandishing swords and fire with which to fight against the evil angels and the devil.

While this is not an uncommon idea of what God's angels do I believe that it is not correct nor is it borne out by the facts. 

If this scenario was true evil would have been defeated centuries ago*.

But there is no evidence that God and His angels act in this way at all.

God is non-violent.

And His angels reflect the Divine Nature.

They are agents of love and blessing.

They are not violent agents of God's wrath.

(* I remember it was supposed to happen at the Millennium.)

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Abundance.

In church this week we had the Good Shepherd (John 10:1-10) that ends with: "'I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.'" (NRSV)

To me this means not that we have many possession, or great wealth, but that we have rich and loving relationships.

For life comes from love.

And love comes from the soul.

Our soul is our true self and it resides in the heart.

But it is imprisoned by fears.

So in order to experience life in all its fullness we must overcome our fears and give the love that dwells abundantly in our hearts.

Then we will have life abundantly.

[Scripture quotation (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 use by permission.  All rights reserved.]

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The Yoke.

"If you remove the yoke from among you,

the pointing of the finger,

the speaking of evil,

if you offer your food to the hungry

and satisfy the needs of the afflicted,

then your light shall rise in the darkness

and your gloom be like the noonday."

Isaiah 58: 9,10 (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 Reality.

In the Reality there is no Satan, no dark powers.

There is only God.

Evil in our world is the result of human fears or the deliberate negation of God's goodness brought about by error.

And so in the end evil must fail.

And God's goodness will prevail.

For the Light that comes from God will reveal their error and evil will disappear like the mist.

But we must wait until the time is ripe.

And they are ready to accept God's Love.

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Hidden Evil.

There is an evil in our world which is leading us all astray.

This is the influence of Satanism which permeates our popular culture.

Rock music, sports, entertainment, literature, and advertising all conceal the works of Satanists.

And they use their influence to corrupt and tempt everyone.

You will see the sign of the horns, tongues poking out, references to the beast, the devil, and hell.....

But this is just the tip of the iceberg.

90% of the influence of Satanism is subconscious.

It will incite hedonism, violence, selfishness, lies, vice, hate, and sin.....

None of these things brings happiness.

They lead to a desert of suffering and bitterness.

And it is suicidal.

Those who inspire these things claim a reward from the devil for your soul.

Or so they believe.

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Yoga.

One of the first steps of Yoga is the Yamas and Niyamas -  the restraints and observances:

"Vows of restraint comprise abstinence from violence, falsehood, theft, sexual excess, and acquisitiveness."*

"Purity, contentment, austerity, self-study, and self-surrender constitute observances."*

At first we wonder why?

But theses steps help to prepare us for the presence of God.

For God is transcendent, sublime, and wholly good.

It is consistent with the Biblical witness:

"Many shall be purified, cleansed, and refined."  Daniel 12:10 (NRSV)

(*Yoga Sutras - Patanjali.)

[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 Beast and the Human.

The Beast is violent, cruel, dominating, boastful, and blasphemous.

He rules by fear and he punishes any dissent.

But his time is limited and his dominion will be taken away.

It will be given to the man - the one who is like a human being*.

This means he is humane, gentle, honest, truthful, generous, and loving.

He rules in peace and conciliation.

This is God's Son.

He is non-violent, wise, faithful, pure, and just.

He does not raise a hand or use weapons**.

He relies on the words of his mouth.

And he defeats the Beast.

(*Daniel 7:11-13)

(** 2 Esdras 13:9)

 Photo Credit: autumnleaves.co.nz

Heart to Heart.

When we begin to live from the heart we can discern what others' hearts are experiencing.

Mostly we will find that their hearts are burred deep within a fortress of fears.

But if we relate to them through our hearts we find that they respond, not in kind, but that they relax and open up a little. 

And they will mostly react in a positive way.

So let down your defenses and relate heart to heart.

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Killing in the Name of God.

Despite the fact that "Thou shall not kill" is one of the 10 Commandments God's prophets had a record of killing in God's name.

Both Moses and Elijah killed mauy people who were unfaithful to Yahweh,

Moses killed 3000 Israelites who worshiped the Golden Calf.

And Elijah killed the priests of Baal.

Christians and Muslims are not exempt from this.

The Crusades and the Inquisition killed thousands.

And the Koran has been interpreted as instructing Muslims to kill the Infidel.

So killing in the Name of God is nothing new.

But we thought humanity had grown past that.

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Betrayed!

The Hippies and Baby-Boomers were betrayed by their rock stars into lives of drug addiction and decadence.

And so peace and love became sex and drugs and rock and roll.

This was done quite deliberately by rock stars who had sold their souls to the devil for fame and fortune.

But peace and love are at the heart of Jesus' teachings. 

And so a return to youthful idealism without the corrupting influence of rock music will cleanse us in body, mind, and spirit.

For love purifies and peace is found in God.

Then the search is over.

Photo Credit: (Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here) 

ontheroadagain1970.blogspot.com

Reconstructed.

Generation X and the corporate plutocrats, with the help of conservative Christians, won the battle of ideas by force, violence (psychic and spiritual), and evil*.

And the Hippies and Baby-Boomers were reconstructed.

And so peace and love became money and possessions, pragmatism and consumerism.

This was done by claiming to be right about everything and then forcing everyone to submit.

But "If I have the gift of prophesy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing."  1 Corinthians 13:2 (NRSV)

And so they fall at the last hurdle.

For God is Love.

And without love we are nothing.

(*This is the Black Beast.)

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Life After Death.

So what happens when we die?

I believe that God knows what caused us to make the decisions we made in life.

And some of those decisions were bad.

And so when we die God takes us back to the moment we made those decisions and absolves us.

Because those decisions were made according to the information that was available at the time and many were the consequence of erroneous teachings or pracices.

They may have been the result of abuse or hypocrisy or exploitation or prejudice.

But ultimately they were  decisions made in fear.

So they are always forgivable.

And so our sins, and I know that they are many, are forgiven.

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Bad Girls.

When a good parent has a child who is bad they don't abandon them but try to help them.

This does not mean that they condone their bad behavior but that they try to rehabilitate them.

And so God, as the ultimate parent, will not abandon or destroy bad people but will wait and try to save them when the time is ripe.

For God is Love.

And no one will perish.

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An Evil Influence.

With the light from God we come to realize that there is an evil influence hidden from normal sight.

This is the influence of Satanism which permeates our popular culture.

Rock stars and musicians, sports men and women, movie stars and directors, novelists, commentators, and advertisers..... 

All these prominent areas contain those who have sold their souls to the devil for fame, fortune, and a rock star reception.

While I do not believe that the devil is a real being the evil they do remains.

Spiritual sabotage and killing curses are hidden in their creations.

Death, darkness, cynicism, negativity, sin, vice, hate, hedonism, decadence, and evil.....

These things are intended to induce a spiritual death and damnation.

They want your soul in hell.

Hence all the flames.

References to the Beast and Death are indications of Satanic influences.

And the sign of the horns and tongues poking out are references to the devil and sex.

But sex is not the exclusive domain of the devil.

God created sex.

But moderation is advised.

The devil is excess and extremes.

But sex without love leads to burn-out and emptiness.

Only love satisfies the soul.

So it is love we seek.

The indulgence that devil-worshippers push will not lead to happiness.

Only love can do that.

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Living from the Heart.

Once you realize that your soul - your true self - resides in your heart you begin to live from the heart.

This means that all your decisions are made in love and compassion.

But to do this we must overcome our fears.

If we love God and love our neighbor as Jesus taught us our fears begin to subside.

And we can open our hearts to our brothers and sisters.

Photo Credit: franciscanmedia.org 

Universal Brotherhood.

The Age of Aquarius will be an age of Universal Brotherhood.

The egalitarian nature of Aquarius will eventually win out over the prejudice, bigotry, and elitism that now rules our world.

All we need to do is tell the truth.

And the injustice and inequality in our world will be discredited.

It will be relegated to the scrapheap of history.

And Universal Brotherhood will reign.

Photo Credit: ar,inspiredpencil.com

Man Love.

Contrary to popular opinion love between men is not a danger but an answer for all humanity.

If men loved each other rather than competing and making war the world would be a different place.

But love between men is inhibited by powerful fears:

Fear of being called homosexual, fear of effeminacy, fear of violence, fear of vilification and ridicule.....

So few men are strong enough to show love towards other men.

But most religions are based on love between men.

Love for God (the Father) and (male) disciples is the heart of most religions.

But few put this into practise.

And so we have a world torn by conflict and war.

And a human race crippled by broken hearts.

Photo Credit: Pinterest.

Fakes.

Rock stars (Dogs* and Divas) are fakes.

They pose as heroes and icons but they are false messiahs and saviors.

Secretly they have sold their souls and made deals with the devil for fame and fortune.

They deceive everyone and lead us all astray.

Their music is subtle sabotage - death, darkness, negativity, and evil lurk beneath a facade of pop culture.

Even their love songs are about lost love or sex.

Rock music is the devil's music.

It is cynical, hedonistic, and decadent.

Sex and drugs and rock and roll betrayed peace and love.

And it will betray us again unless we unmask their true identity.

(*Gods backwards)

Photo Credit: GQ.

False God.

What good is it to be faithful if you are faithful to a false image of God?

If you worship a God of vengeance, punishment, and judgement you are worshipping a false god.

And if you tell those who worship a God of mercy, forgiveness, and grace that they are wrong then you are hindering those who know the truth.

"'you did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering.'"  Luke 11:52 (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 Glittering Prizes.

In life we chase after the glittering prizes:

Wealth, fame, status, pleasures, possessions, power, kudos, supremacy.....

But the glittering prizes are empty boxes.

They do not bring happiness.

Only love can bring happiness.

It is love that we truly seek.

And to be loved is good.

But to love is even better.

And when we give our love to the One True God our love is requited. 

And we are Home!

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Secret Sabotage.

With the rise of the Millennials (born 1996-2010) we see a shift to the political left.

With planets in Sagittarius and Aquarius the new generation are positive and open-minded.

This is in stark contrast to Generation X who were politically conservative and worldly-minded.

But it is no use merely returning to the rock culture of the 1960s and 70s.

Sex and drugs and rock and roll ruined a whole generation.

And they will do it again unless we uncover the secret sabotage hidden in popular culture.

Popular culture contains a dark secret.

Rock stars, sportsmen, and celebrities turned to evil to in the belief that the devil can grant them fame, sex, and wealth.

And they think that their creations are magic.

So look closer and see through the darkness.

Midnights, murder, violence, and evil lurk beneath the mask of glamour and popularity.

The devil, the beast, witchcraft, death, and hell follow after them.

Their creations are poison.

And their intentions are evil.

And so we will not enter into the Age of Aquarius until we have left behind those creations that were inspired by Scorpio (the accursed sign of the Zodiac).

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Fire From Heaven.

When a Samaritan village rejected Jesus the disciples asked Jesus: "Do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?"  Jesus rebuked them saying: "You do not know the manner of the spirit you are of.  For the Son of man has not come to destroy men's lives but to save them."  Luke 9:54-56*.

By this Jesus meant that God is not violent and destructive but gracious and forgiving.  And that he, as God's messenger, was not an agent of punishment but of Salvation. 

(*NB Jesus' response is omitted from the NRSV Bible.)

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Peacemakers.

"'Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.'"  Matthew 5:9 (NRSV)

The Hippies have been called "unconscious agents of Satan" because of their rock stars.

But the Hippies were peacemakers.

They opposed war and employed non-violent methods to bring change.

So they could equally be called Children of 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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Everyone.

It is the same for everyone.

No matter what your color, race, religion, status, or sex it is always the same.

The soul is the Divine Spark that resides in the heart.

It is this soul that is your true self.

And it is this soul that is the source of love.

But this true self has been buried deep within the ramparts of fear that we have erected to protect ourselves.

So we must unlearn the lessons that fear has taught us and return to a state of childlike innocence.

Not with the naivety of childhood but with all the knowledge and wisdom that life has taught us.

And when we turn this love toward the God who created us we find that our love is requited.

For God is Love.

And Love is the source of Life.

Then we are Home!

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Evil.

Human beings invented evil.

Animals and plants cannot be evil, they may be hungry or afraid but they cannot be evil.

And God is wholly good.

So it can only be that some ancient human, confronted with the goodness of God, chose to believe that its opposite - evil - was desirable, even powerful.

The figure of a supernatural Devil developed from humans' experience of suffering and pain.

But these things are caused by ignorance and fear; there is no need for a supernatural Devil.

But once the concept of supernatural evil entered human consciousness there were always people disillusioned enough with God to choose evil.

And this continues to this day.

Rock stars, sportsmen, entertainers, writers - many of these have sold their souls and do evil in our world.

But they cannot win.

Because in the end the Devil does not exist.

But the evil they do remains.

This evil is hidden in rock music, on sporting fields, in entertainment and literature.....

This is the religion of death.

And it is hidden by darkness.

Most of it is subconscious.

And it wears a mask of glamour.

So look beneath the surface.

And uncover the negativity and evil that lurks beneath.

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A Clear Choice.

There is a clear choice between the mentality of the Beast and the mentality of the Kingdom of God.

The mentality of the Beast endorses violence, intimidation, force, lies, hate, hell, and evil.

The mentality of the Kingdom of God endorses non-violence, tolerance, respect, truth, love, heaven, and good.

The Beast represents ego and brutality.

The Kingdom of God represents humility and harmlessness.

The way of the Beast is the way of excess.

The way of the Kingdom of God is the way of moderation.

The Beast encourages vice and sin.

The Kingdom of God encourages the Beatitudes. (Matthew 5:3-12)

So there is a clear choice.

Make your choice.

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Fear of Homosexuality.

What is behind the persecution of gay and lesbian people is fear.

People are still in the grip of an irrational fear of homosexuality.

Despite the fact that AIDS is virtually cured and the fear that AIDS is punishment from God for homosexuality is disproved, people still cling to their fears.

So look at your attitude to homosexuality and ask yourself: What am I afraid of? 

Because there is nothing to fear from homosexuality.

And there is nothing to fear from God.

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After the Beast.

The Beast is materialistic, self-seeking, and shallow.

But it is also obsessed with power and control.

And it uses violence, intimidation, and force to achieve its ends.

But the Beast is not a thing or a being.

It is people.

People who embrace the mentality of the Beast.

But the time of the Beast is limited.

And there will come a time that is after the Beast.

This is a time when society returns to ideals and principles - to mercy, tolerance, and justice.

So we must endure the excesses of the Beast and look forward to a time when sanity returns.

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Winners and Losers.

Winners and losers.

Rich and poor.

Success and failure.

Power and slave.

These things dominate our world.

And people will use violence, hatred, and evil to win.

But at the root of this is fear.

Fear of losing and being humiliated, fear of poverty and starvation, fear of being called a loser.

But God is with the least and the last.   

He is not with the winners of this world.

He is with the poor, the meek, the failures, the powerless, the slaves.

So do not think you have to win to gain God's blessing.

God loves all His children.

And do not think you have to be tough and hard to survive in this world.

God loves a tender heart.

A heart full of compassion. mercy, and love.

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AIDS.

AIDS was caused by a virus.

It was not punishment from God.

The only guilt of the Gay Community was that promiscuity is a health risk.

And promiscuity was the result of Satanism in the popular culture.

Satanism sells sex and drugs and rock and roll.

And this is the source of promiscuity.

So Moderation is the solution to these problems.

If we practise Moderation there should be no further problems in relation to homosexuality.

Because AIDS was caused by a virus.

It was not punishment from God.

Photo Credit: The Conversation.

Evil.

Evil is an idea.

It is the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

If Adam and Eve had not eaten the fruit they would never have thought that evil existed.

Because there is only one supernatural power and that is God.

And God is wholly good.

Ideas of evil based on Dualism have no substance in reality.

Satanism is based on a lie.

And those who worship Satan are sorely mistaken.

But that does not mean that there is no evil in our world.

There is sin caused by error and fear.

And there is evil caused by blaming God for suffering and turning out of hatred to an assumed opposite - Evil.

But if we didn't have the knowledge of good and evil we could not turn to evil.

So the knowledge of good and evil is the original sin.

Because evil only exists in the minds of humans.

There is no evil in Reality.

Because there is no evil in God.

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Gay Church.

I am an openly gay man and I go to church.

Not because church is perfect but because I want to show church people that gay men can be spiritual people and that gay men are OK with God.

I am a member of the Uniting Church in Australia.

And their policy is that gay people can be ordained as minsters and gay couples can be married in their churches.

So officially I am OK.

But I still encounter pockets of entrenched prejudice and a general apathy towards gay rights.

I don't get much sympathy from the parishioners.

There is more resonance with some ministers.

But not all.

And so the fight goes on.

My spirit is undaunted.

And my prayers will be answered.

Photo Credit: pulpitandpen.org