Fear and Love.

My thesis is that the evil in our world is caused by fear.

And what is the antidote to fear?

Love.

Fear makes us attack.
Fear makes us hoard.

Fear makes us retaliate.
Fear makes us defend ourselves.

But love makes us forgive.
Love makes us pardon.

Love cares.

Love is compassionate.
Love is kind.

So if we are serious about lessening the evil in our world we must absorb evil and return love.

And this is precisely what Jesus taught.


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Garden.

God has given us a beautiful garden in which to live.

But what have we done with it?

We live by the law of the jungle - the dominance of the strongest, dog eat dog.

Men of violence inhabit the darkness.

Their supremacy is established by violence and maintained by fear.

Their savagery is inspired by fear.

Fear of starvation.
Fear of want.

Their privileges are justified by rationalizations.

They cannot give.

They say, "God has forsaken the earth."

If they had faith the size of a mustard seed they would know that God provides - there will always be enough.

The earth produces enough food for everyone.

But we hoard and we waste.

We cannot give.

Cry out to God:

An end!


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A Human Face / A Human Heart.

Aquarius has a human face.

Not only does Aquarius treat everyone as a unique human being but it shows: the human face of Jesus, the human face of Buddha, the human face of Mohammed, the human face of God, it even shows the human face of our enemies.....

So do not be concerned if people call you a Humanist.

The essence of spirituality is to become fully human.

And the key to this is the human heart.


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Priscilla - Patron Saint of Gays.

Priscilla was a woman of great faith who lived in Corinth in Greece.

She and her husband Aquilla were Jews who had been expelled from Rome by Claudius.

St. Paul stayed with them and worked as a tent maker.

Priscilla and her husband risked their lives to harbor Paul and showed great faith in the early Christian Church.

As we know Priscilla is also the name of the famous Queen of the Desert - a movie about three drag queens who travel across the Australian desert in a pink bus called Priscilla to a venue in Alice Springs.

So I think that Priscilla - which means worthy - would be a good patron saint for the gay community.


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Restore Us.

"I will restore their fortunes, the fortunes of Sodom and her daughters.....As for your sisters, Sodom and her daughters shall return to their former state."  Ezekiel 16:53a,55a (NRSV)
"Was not your sister Sodom a byword in your mouth in the day of your pride?" Ezekiel 16:56a (NRSV)

Lord restore our fortunes.

Not as they were - driven and betrayed - slaves to the rhythm.

But without promiscuity, without drugs, without cruelty.....

Restore our fortunes.

As a blessed tribe of your children innocent and free.

Bind us firmly in your steadfast Love.

And shelter us from evil.

Wash away all doubt.

And lead us to the Crystal Fountain.

Where we drink of the Waters of 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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State Religion.

Were Progressive Christianity ever to become the State Religion it would be essential that we challenge any attempts to return to the carrot and stick religion of rewards and punishments with its heaven and hell.

These things are Machiavellian mass control techniques which are more in the interests of the State than God.

God does not punish us

The State may punish us.

But God does not.

There is no devil.

There is no hell.

These things have developed from attempts to explain our experience.
They are based on outmoded dualistic thinking.

God is One.

And His nature is Love.


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The Temptations of Power.

When people gain power they are subject to various temptations which result in evil in our world.

They can be tempted to profit at the expense of others, betray their neighbors, consider themselves superior, use propaganda and brainwashing techniques to control people, use violence and war to win, gloat, cheat, and justify inequality.

They are tempted to harden their hearts and take advantage of people less fortunate than themselves.

And this is what has happened in our world.

But they are motivated by fear.

Pray for them.

And forgive them.

They don't know what they are doing.


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