Halloween.

As I walk the streets I see t-shirts with: stormtroopers. wild animals, witches, Satanic rock bands, everyone wearing black as if it was a funeral.

I see billboards for movies: Doom, The Evil Within, Dead Red, The Walking Dead, Maleficent, Despicable Me, Abominable and more.....

Evil is everywhere.

People are embracing it.

And it's not just today.....It's every day and night.

I want to say to them: "You're on the wrong side!"

They don't seem to realize.

They are embracing evil.

Where is the good?

Where is God?

I cry out to you Lord!

"Save us from this madness."

Only you are Good!


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The Myth of Redemptive Violence.

Spiritual Warfare seeks to destroy evil.

It may lead to killing evil people.

But the perception of evil in our world is highly subjective and this may lead to killing innocent people.

Our culture is saturated with the Myth of Redemptive Violence.  That is the idea that there is Good and there is Evil and Good wins by killing Evil.

It is the basis of powerful modern mythology in movies like Star Wars and Lord of the Rings. 

It appears in fairytales and ancient mythology.

It inspired two World Wars and it completes the Bible with the Book of Revelation.

But the Myth of Redemptive Violence is not true.

Violence is never the answer.

It just leads to more violence.

And this myth is in direct contrast to the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth.

Jesus said: "'You have heard that it was said, "An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth."  But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer.  But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also.'"  Matthew 5:38,39 (NRSV)

And: "'You have heard that it was said, "You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy."  But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven.'"  Matthew 5:43-45 (NRSV) 

Not only does Jesus recommend non-violent love as a response to evil but he suggests that this is the nature of God Himself.

Jesus' parables are full of examples of the King writing off debts.

This is fortunate for us because we all make mistakes.

And we all need forgiveness.

So do not seek to kill and destroy evil.

Seek to redeem evil through Love.


(*The term Myth of Redemptive Violence was coined by Walter Wink in his book Engaging the Powers.)

[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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Temptation.

Contrary to the popular belief that temptation is all about sex I believe that the temptations of power and religion are far more damaging.

Those in positions of power - either political or financial - have been tempted to betray their contemporaries and use mass mind-control techniques to disempower and subjugate the workforce.

This creates a two-tier society where those with money have all the power and those who work for them are powerless.

The temptations of religion to judge others, damn your enemies, and demonize anyone who disagrees with you are even more damaging because they claim the authority of God Himself.

So unconscious influences which tempt the powerful and the religious should be recognized for what they are: agents of evil.

And their effects can be seen in the world.   


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Too Much Power.

An investigation into the CEO of a major corporation concluded that he had been given too much power.

At last we are beginning to see what has happened in our world.

The corporate bosses have been given too much power.

They have ruled like gods over us.

But power corrupts and no regulation leads to corruption and crime.

It has resulted in the huge disparity between rich and poor in our world.

And it has led to oppression and war.

But because we had no power to stop them the corporate plutocrats ruled.

The time has come to roll back some of the power that deregulation has given to the corporations.

It is up to new leaders to re-regulate the economy to save them from themselves.

But it is not just a matter of swinging wildly from one extreme to the other.

A sensible approach to re-regulation must take into account other economic factors.

But tax avoidance and greed should be wound back.

So that we may live in a more just, more humane world. 


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Fashion.

Stars are obsessed with fashion and glamour.

They seduce us with their beautiful images.

But these images are purely cosmetic.

They hide the evil and malice beneath.

So don't take everything at face value.

And don't follow superficial fashions.

They may not be as harmless as you think.


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Suffering.

The main reason that I warn people about Satanism in rock music is because it causes suffering.

If you look back to the 1960s and attribute drug taking and promiscuity to Satanism in rock music you will see the damage it has done.

The suffering caused by drug addiction and divorce, which was mostly because of adultery, is incalculable.

Crime, violence, addiction, and death.

These are the results.

And that was just the beginning.

The next generation openly embraced Satanism and evil.

And Satanism has spread to all areas of entertainment and sports.

Life was never meant to be this hard.

The evil influence in rock music and entertainment creates untold unnecessary suffering.

Once we are free of it our lives improve dramatically.

And if we appeal to God for help our lives will be blessed.


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Why?

Why would Generation X turn to violence and evil to defeat the Baby-Boomers?

The answer is simple:

Fear!

They were so afraid of unemployment and poverty that they coined the slogan No Future to describe their generation. 

They believed that the left-wing politics of the Baby-Boomers was responsible for the economic recession of the 1980s.

And they were so terrified of missing out that they embarked on a campaign of violence and hate against them.

Financial mismanagement became an election issue.

And Labor was labelled The Guilty Party.

Even if this was true it does not justify the use of violence, hatred, and evil.

Intimidation and reconstruction were inspired by fear.

Time will tell what history will make of Generation X.


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