Here are my thoughts on Outer Darkness, which might seem heretical to the orthodox Mormons, who believe it to be a place rather than also a state of mind. The Inner Light of the soul that God created is incorruptible, even when a human being is cast into Outer Darkness by his apostasy through acts of rebellion (sins).
Outer Darkness consists of the behavioral and mental negativity such as hate-love, happiness-indifference, sadness-indifference, anger-kindness, jealousy-equanimity, lying-sincerity, miserly-generosity, lust-chastity, and other dualities.
God is the author of good-and-evil, which is not a duality but complementary opposites, for indifference is the true evil. Thus all things are neutral in essence until MAN judges some of them good and their true opposites evil.
This is why acting amorally is evil and acting morally is good.
However, neither acting good or evil but indifferently is a greater sin than picking either good or evil. Choosing devil over God is only a sin when you worship the devil and forget Jesus is lord of us all, but acting devilishly in ignorance is forgiven when you repent of it.
In the final analysis though, Outer Darkness is like wearing black: when you shed the darkness through prayers of earnest repentance, your Inner Light shines.
Showing posts with label morality. Show all posts
Showing posts with label morality. Show all posts
20140818
Be Discreet in Your Confessions (satire)
Regarding the confession of sins before the clergy by a church member, I find that what a person does in his or her home should not be aired in church, even when such a confession might be warranted in private.
This article is about confessions of sin in religion. If the gentle reader is not at all religious, then this article is still useful as a guide in being discreet when being candid with a trusted family member, friend and even a coworker or a work supervisor.
From what I have been able to understand, the clergy believes moral responsibility implies that they should pressure their members and their children to suppress natural human desires in order to enjoy a utopia in the afterlife. Additionally, some of them would pry into the privacy of one of their members, using the ruse that confession of sin is good for the soul while sometimes using the private information revealed to them unethically.
Personally, I feel that what people do in the privacy of their home is their responsibility. Airing one's dirty linens in a confessional risks the sinner being subject to invasion of privacy and needless shame. It also opens a whole ball of wax, because it's more socially acceptable to be sincere about keeping the faith than to be totally candid about personal privacy.
Indeed, a few unscrupulous clergy may have used their position of authority to make a vulnerable member compliant to what amounts to emotional blackmail, which is a violation of the sanctity of confession of sins.
It is truly unethical for the clergy to take advantage of a church member who is candid about his or her sins. Indeed, it is morally irresponsible for the clergy to force a member to do something against his or her will through the use of emotional blackmail to keep them quiet.
For this is devilish of clergy to behave in such a way, especially when it is excused by declaring that it is done for the member's own good i.e. ensuring one's destiny in the afterlife.
By exercising power and control over a church member in such a manner, the clergy certainly is not behaving ethically, regardless of any justification made.
So I would caution church members to be careful about what sins they confess before clergy. For personal privacy means that any member is free to maintain her privacy about personal questions that the church has no business asking.
Am I suggesting that a church member lie? No, if the questioning gets uncomfortable, then the church member should sincerely declare that she is not there to air her dirty linen without a supportive witness present.
It also is unethical for a witness for emotional support to side with the clergy should the member be candid about her sins. That witness' role is to provide emotional support, not gang up on the sinner.
Even so, it requires much prayer before being candid about one's sins. The clergy is actually practising a form of psychological abuse when demanding a full confession of sins with the threat that lack of candidness means a trip to Hell.
Indeed, warrantless emphasis on the destiny of the wicked as 'damned to Hell' without presenting the strong case of mercy by a loving God through repentance is itself a kind of sin that equally damns anyone else. For it is indeed devilish to needlessly frighten a church member into compliance.
This is why I would caution church members to be ever vigilant when in an interview with clergy or a member of high standing, so as to not complicate the confession process needlessly.
It is far better to confess privately to God your private sins, and pray for forgiveness than to confess about them with clergy, unless you trust them to keep your sins secret and to remain morally responsible in light of your confession of sins to them.
I am sure this is why we are selective about who we confess our errors to, lest the empaths try to shame us into repentance, which is different from freely repenting.
We are not perfect, being human. Yet there might be some unscrupulous person to abuse their moral responsibility by violating their sense of professionalism and turning sociopathic, if only to "teach us a lesson".
So be discreet about what you confess to a confident who you trust, and always be open to repentance.
This article is about confessions of sin in religion. If the gentle reader is not at all religious, then this article is still useful as a guide in being discreet when being candid with a trusted family member, friend and even a coworker or a work supervisor.
From what I have been able to understand, the clergy believes moral responsibility implies that they should pressure their members and their children to suppress natural human desires in order to enjoy a utopia in the afterlife. Additionally, some of them would pry into the privacy of one of their members, using the ruse that confession of sin is good for the soul while sometimes using the private information revealed to them unethically.
Personally, I feel that what people do in the privacy of their home is their responsibility. Airing one's dirty linens in a confessional risks the sinner being subject to invasion of privacy and needless shame. It also opens a whole ball of wax, because it's more socially acceptable to be sincere about keeping the faith than to be totally candid about personal privacy.
Indeed, a few unscrupulous clergy may have used their position of authority to make a vulnerable member compliant to what amounts to emotional blackmail, which is a violation of the sanctity of confession of sins.
It is truly unethical for the clergy to take advantage of a church member who is candid about his or her sins. Indeed, it is morally irresponsible for the clergy to force a member to do something against his or her will through the use of emotional blackmail to keep them quiet.
For this is devilish of clergy to behave in such a way, especially when it is excused by declaring that it is done for the member's own good i.e. ensuring one's destiny in the afterlife.
By exercising power and control over a church member in such a manner, the clergy certainly is not behaving ethically, regardless of any justification made.
So I would caution church members to be careful about what sins they confess before clergy. For personal privacy means that any member is free to maintain her privacy about personal questions that the church has no business asking.
Am I suggesting that a church member lie? No, if the questioning gets uncomfortable, then the church member should sincerely declare that she is not there to air her dirty linen without a supportive witness present.
It also is unethical for a witness for emotional support to side with the clergy should the member be candid about her sins. That witness' role is to provide emotional support, not gang up on the sinner.
Even so, it requires much prayer before being candid about one's sins. The clergy is actually practising a form of psychological abuse when demanding a full confession of sins with the threat that lack of candidness means a trip to Hell.
Indeed, warrantless emphasis on the destiny of the wicked as 'damned to Hell' without presenting the strong case of mercy by a loving God through repentance is itself a kind of sin that equally damns anyone else. For it is indeed devilish to needlessly frighten a church member into compliance.
This is why I would caution church members to be ever vigilant when in an interview with clergy or a member of high standing, so as to not complicate the confession process needlessly.
It is far better to confess privately to God your private sins, and pray for forgiveness than to confess about them with clergy, unless you trust them to keep your sins secret and to remain morally responsible in light of your confession of sins to them.
I am sure this is why we are selective about who we confess our errors to, lest the empaths try to shame us into repentance, which is different from freely repenting.
We are not perfect, being human. Yet there might be some unscrupulous person to abuse their moral responsibility by violating their sense of professionalism and turning sociopathic, if only to "teach us a lesson".
So be discreet about what you confess to a confident who you trust, and always be open to repentance.
20140706
Normalizing Mental Illness (satire)
"By foregrounding intrinsic evil (the diagnosis of) psychopathy marginalizes social problems and excuses institutional failures at rehabilitation. We need not understand a criminal's troubled past or environmental influences. We need not reach out a hand to help him along a pathway to redemption. The psychopath is irredeemable, a dangerous outsider who must be contained or banished. Circular in its reasoning, psychopathy is nonetheless alluring in its simplicity." --- Karen Franklin, researcher in ethics of forensic psychology
Though there is intrinsic evil in unsuccessful psychopaths, this is a fallacy because successful sociopaths show that they are not always evil.
If a parent neglects a child for "being evil", then perhaps a psychopathy might be accidentally nurtured. However, not all child sociopaths become serial killers.
Therefore, it is a fallacy to assume a sociopath is evil. Rather, the assumption that what we fear in other people denotes evil is magical thinking.
Perhaps the concept of good and evil needs be rethought without reliance on the magical thinking inherent in attributing it to moral character.
Perhaps mental illness needs to be normalized.
Though there is intrinsic evil in unsuccessful psychopaths, this is a fallacy because successful sociopaths show that they are not always evil.
If a parent neglects a child for "being evil", then perhaps a psychopathy might be accidentally nurtured. However, not all child sociopaths become serial killers.
Therefore, it is a fallacy to assume a sociopath is evil. Rather, the assumption that what we fear in other people denotes evil is magical thinking.
Perhaps the concept of good and evil needs be rethought without reliance on the magical thinking inherent in attributing it to moral character.
Perhaps mental illness needs to be normalized.
20140116
Socratic Three Goods Defeats Narcissism (satire)
Socrates was said to have said that the chief goodness consists in the caring of the soul concerned with moral truth and moral understanding, that "wealth does not bring goodness, but goodness brings wealth and every other blessing, both to the individual and to the state", and that "life without examination [dialogue] is not worth living".
As a Buddhist, I take it that by "the soul", Socrates implies the person who has a finite existence. Therefore, the first truth can be rewritten as "The chief goodness consists in the caring of the person concerned with moral truth and moral understanding." This implies that Socrates cared about other people because they were as ignorant as he was, but vain enough to think they knew a lot more than they actually did.
The remaining two goods are as depicted. For the second, by caring for another person's understanding of moral truth and moral understanding, "goodness bring wealth and other blessings".
Finally, the third good can be rephrased as "the unexamined life is not worth living, however each of us are only able to examine their life based on the previous two goods.
However, today's society appears not to have time to examine their life. As a result, people sometimes lack the ability to care for others with moral truth and moral understanding in mind. Instead, they are too busy tweeting or other wise distracted.
Eventually this may lead to a sense of entitlement if they were taught by their parents that they are unique. It also leads to a secret desire for fame, and if they cannot get it, notoriety. They also end up looking like selfish jerks. Such is how narcissists are made.
Thus a narcissist would deny that goodness brings wealth and other blessings. Instead, he would claim that "my good looks and natural charm bring wealth and blessings."
Then what of ugly men who are wealth? Do all of them come from good families? And of the ones who were originally poor, would being a conceited ass make them think they could but goodness for a pretty penny?
No and no, I say! The goodness arising from a person's caring and concern for other people allows him realize that wealth requires patience, perseverance and politeness.
It is these three attributes that mark the man who successfully applies the three Goods to validate the goodness that results in wealth and other blessings.
Do not tempted to give in to the ignorant craving of your ego. Think before you tweet, and above all, correct your typos! I have no desire to see your cleavage or your abs. I would rather let you tell me what's on your mind.
As a Buddhist, I take it that by "the soul", Socrates implies the person who has a finite existence. Therefore, the first truth can be rewritten as "The chief goodness consists in the caring of the person concerned with moral truth and moral understanding." This implies that Socrates cared about other people because they were as ignorant as he was, but vain enough to think they knew a lot more than they actually did.
The remaining two goods are as depicted. For the second, by caring for another person's understanding of moral truth and moral understanding, "goodness bring wealth and other blessings".
Finally, the third good can be rephrased as "the unexamined life is not worth living, however each of us are only able to examine their life based on the previous two goods.
However, today's society appears not to have time to examine their life. As a result, people sometimes lack the ability to care for others with moral truth and moral understanding in mind. Instead, they are too busy tweeting or other wise distracted.
Eventually this may lead to a sense of entitlement if they were taught by their parents that they are unique. It also leads to a secret desire for fame, and if they cannot get it, notoriety. They also end up looking like selfish jerks. Such is how narcissists are made.
Thus a narcissist would deny that goodness brings wealth and other blessings. Instead, he would claim that "my good looks and natural charm bring wealth and blessings."
Then what of ugly men who are wealth? Do all of them come from good families? And of the ones who were originally poor, would being a conceited ass make them think they could but goodness for a pretty penny?
No and no, I say! The goodness arising from a person's caring and concern for other people allows him realize that wealth requires patience, perseverance and politeness.
It is these three attributes that mark the man who successfully applies the three Goods to validate the goodness that results in wealth and other blessings.
Do not tempted to give in to the ignorant craving of your ego. Think before you tweet, and above all, correct your typos! I have no desire to see your cleavage or your abs. I would rather let you tell me what's on your mind.
20130411
Ten Deeds of Merit
All sentient beings are potential Buddhas; all they are required to do is to realize Buddhahood is to cross over to the Middle Way, by abandoning their worldliness and following the Ten Virtues.
While this seems like a simple thing, few sentient beings are able accomplish it due to attachment to one or all of the Ten Evil Acts. In order to practice the Ten Virtues, the practitioner is encouraged to practice the Ten Deeds of Merit:
Reference:
Ten Evil Acts: http://www.budsas.org/ebud/whatbudbeliev/156.htm
Ten Virtues: to not practice the Ten Evil Acts
While this seems like a simple thing, few sentient beings are able accomplish it due to attachment to one or all of the Ten Evil Acts. In order to practice the Ten Virtues, the practitioner is encouraged to practice the Ten Deeds of Merit:
- Charity (giving without expectation of reward)
- Morality (
- Mental culture (meditation and reading the sutras)
- Reverence or respect
- Service in helping others
- Sharing merits with others
- Rejoicing in the merits of others
- Preaching and teaching the Dhamma
- Listening to the Dhamma
- Straightening one's views
Reference:
Ten Evil Acts: http://www.budsas.org/ebud/whatbudbeliev/156.htm
Ten Virtues: to not practice the Ten Evil Acts
20121206
Commentary on the Burning House Parable
Enshrined in society is the belief that truth telling is highly esteemed, provided the truth being revealed promotes harmony in that society.
However, absolute truth is promoted by taking the natural abhorrence to lying to extremes which promote intolerance and ultimately the practice of shunning the liar.
This however may be due to logical fallacies involved in shunning which creates pariahs and may also condone scapegoating.
Yet within religious communities, be it Eastern or Western, truth is either based on one work of faith or many works of faith, be it belief or works. However, the logical fallacy regarding truth is sometimes used to promote absolute truth despite the natural human tendency to obscure truth and tell a white lie.
When taken to extremes, even a white lie is deemed a lie, and the the believers of absolute truth ignore liars using logical fallacies to justify their ignorance.
Thus white lies and even myths are viewed as lies, rather than as the moderate view that both white lies and myths contain hidden truths which are revealed through careful analysis of the "lie"/myth.
Buddhism is different because I can tell a white lie to persuade you to meditate on an important topic in Buddhism. In order to meditate on this topic, first you concentrate on being conscious of your breathing to stay alert and calm, Then you meditate on the topc (the burning house parable) to develop clarity of mind that results in peace of mind.
The parable of the burning house teaches one about the history of Buddhism, and shows its primary purpose of relieving spiritual suffering is also useful in achieving peace of mind.
For the image of a burning house, and the efforts of a father to help his children escape, is a theme to which most people can relate. As well, the intent of the parable is to relieve a person from mental suffering caused by what the devout among the Christians, Jews and Muslims call decadence (the moral decay of Western society) and hedonism (the practice of carefree enjoyment of the pleasures inherent in such decadence).
Indeed, meditation helps one to manage one's life. More importantly, meditation helps a Buddhist to prepare for the afterlife, because when one is calm, one can understand the three sutras of the Pure Land of Bliss, and guarantees that if I respect the Buddha, practice the Five Precepts, practice the sutras, and meditate on their meaning, I prepare for that afterlife,
For meditation helps a person to develop clarity of mind to act and behave in a harmless manner.
While it can be said of Christians, Jews and Muslims that their religion helps their people behave in a harmless manner, might it be the nominal believers who forget such harmless behavior should happen 24/7 that sectarian violence happens?
However, absolute truth is promoted by taking the natural abhorrence to lying to extremes which promote intolerance and ultimately the practice of shunning the liar.
This however may be due to logical fallacies involved in shunning which creates pariahs and may also condone scapegoating.
Yet within religious communities, be it Eastern or Western, truth is either based on one work of faith or many works of faith, be it belief or works. However, the logical fallacy regarding truth is sometimes used to promote absolute truth despite the natural human tendency to obscure truth and tell a white lie.
When taken to extremes, even a white lie is deemed a lie, and the the believers of absolute truth ignore liars using logical fallacies to justify their ignorance.
Thus white lies and even myths are viewed as lies, rather than as the moderate view that both white lies and myths contain hidden truths which are revealed through careful analysis of the "lie"/myth.
Buddhism is different because I can tell a white lie to persuade you to meditate on an important topic in Buddhism. In order to meditate on this topic, first you concentrate on being conscious of your breathing to stay alert and calm, Then you meditate on the topc (the burning house parable) to develop clarity of mind that results in peace of mind.
The parable of the burning house teaches one about the history of Buddhism, and shows its primary purpose of relieving spiritual suffering is also useful in achieving peace of mind.
For the image of a burning house, and the efforts of a father to help his children escape, is a theme to which most people can relate. As well, the intent of the parable is to relieve a person from mental suffering caused by what the devout among the Christians, Jews and Muslims call decadence (the moral decay of Western society) and hedonism (the practice of carefree enjoyment of the pleasures inherent in such decadence).
Indeed, meditation helps one to manage one's life. More importantly, meditation helps a Buddhist to prepare for the afterlife, because when one is calm, one can understand the three sutras of the Pure Land of Bliss, and guarantees that if I respect the Buddha, practice the Five Precepts, practice the sutras, and meditate on their meaning, I prepare for that afterlife,
For meditation helps a person to develop clarity of mind to act and behave in a harmless manner.
While it can be said of Christians, Jews and Muslims that their religion helps their people behave in a harmless manner, might it be the nominal believers who forget such harmless behavior should happen 24/7 that sectarian violence happens?
20100616
Advice to India
http://www.dlshq.org/download/brahmacharya.htm
"If our motherland wants to rise high in the scale of nations, her children, both male and female, should study the important subject of Brahmacharya in all its bearings, understand its supreme importance and observe the great Vrata strictly.
In conclusion, I fervently pray, with folded hands, that you all should sincerely struggle hard to control passion—the enemy of peace and prosperity—by Sadhana. A true Brahmachari is the real mighty emperor of this world. My silent adorations to all Brahmacharins! Glory unto them!
May you be seated firm as the Mahameru in your Satchidananda Svarupa without any impure, lustful thought! May God bless the aspirants with strength and energy for keeping up Brahmacharya! May you, with a pure, stainless mind, unintermittently be in the cognition of your Atmic Reality! May you, without worldly desires and ambition, rest in That which ever is in the midst of the enjoyer and the enjoyed!
May the divine splendour shine in your face! May the divine flame grow brighter in you all! May the divine power and peace abide in you for ever! Om Santi! Santi! Santi" -- SRI SWAMI SIVANANDA
"If our motherland wants to rise high in the scale of nations, her children, both male and female, should study the important subject of Brahmacharya in all its bearings, understand its supreme importance and observe the great Vrata strictly.
In conclusion, I fervently pray, with folded hands, that you all should sincerely struggle hard to control passion—the enemy of peace and prosperity—by Sadhana. A true Brahmachari is the real mighty emperor of this world. My silent adorations to all Brahmacharins! Glory unto them!
May you be seated firm as the Mahameru in your Satchidananda Svarupa without any impure, lustful thought! May God bless the aspirants with strength and energy for keeping up Brahmacharya! May you, with a pure, stainless mind, unintermittently be in the cognition of your Atmic Reality! May you, without worldly desires and ambition, rest in That which ever is in the midst of the enjoyer and the enjoyed!
May the divine splendour shine in your face! May the divine flame grow brighter in you all! May the divine power and peace abide in you for ever! Om Santi! Santi! Santi" -- SRI SWAMI SIVANANDA
20071225
Shin Buddhism And The Value of Humility
I've never heard of Shin Buddhists founding an order, only discussion groups.
And, I'd like to think the founder Shinran never wanted to make a name for himself, because of what he had learned by becoming associated with Honen.
Even when offered the opportunity to head a temple late in life, he refused.
Yet, for lesser men, the ego is sometimes so hard to curb.
So, because in these times ordinary people in the West have been inculcated in the public school system to fear any religious or spiritual feeling, and remain ignorant of such things in general, the awakened may decide instead on a life of poverty and obscurity over a life seeking status and wealth.
In Shin tradition, it is more about people who are very ordinary; calling attention to one's good works is like bragging about one's merits.
If a founder of a Buddhist order, whose ordination is suspected to have materialized out of his imagination, was really deserving of his yellow robes, then his works will not declare this. Instead, it'd be shown by his humility when exposed to the light of public opinion.
I suppose that I talk like this because of my culture. For humility maintains anonymity.
And, I'd like to think the founder Shinran never wanted to make a name for himself, because of what he had learned by becoming associated with Honen.
Even when offered the opportunity to head a temple late in life, he refused.
Yet, for lesser men, the ego is sometimes so hard to curb.
So, because in these times ordinary people in the West have been inculcated in the public school system to fear any religious or spiritual feeling, and remain ignorant of such things in general, the awakened may decide instead on a life of poverty and obscurity over a life seeking status and wealth.
In Shin tradition, it is more about people who are very ordinary; calling attention to one's good works is like bragging about one's merits.
If a founder of a Buddhist order, whose ordination is suspected to have materialized out of his imagination, was really deserving of his yellow robes, then his works will not declare this. Instead, it'd be shown by his humility when exposed to the light of public opinion.
I suppose that I talk like this because of my culture. For humility maintains anonymity.
20070330
Masturbation as Protest Against Rejection
I was reading the sexuality issue of Visions, put out by the Canadian Mental Health Assn BC members.
(See page 22 of http://www.cmha.bc.ca/files/08.pdf)
They said a person should seek help if their means of sexual gratification leads to social isolation.
Specifically, one should seek help if one's behavior "has become a substitute for, rather than part of, a meaningful relationship with another person; that is, the solitary behaviour allows you to avoid intimacy."
Masturbation alone appears to fit this criteria since a typical chronic masturbator usually is socially isolated from potential partner of relational sex.
Consequently, the solitary behavior involved around masturbation allows one to "avoid intimacy."
So, intimacy involves a willing partner? Only in a culture where individualism honored and paraded around is this so.
Methinks Western society stil has hang-ups about masturbation.
I think the fact that it is mainly associated with gay male sexual behavior on the Internet is part of this Western cultural hang-up about masturbation.
Well, I am gonna be anal and in denial about masturbation.
I am not avoiding intimacy; I am trying to be *my type*.
To me masturbation is a protest against hundreds of women suffering "not my type" reaction to me.
(See page 22 of http://www.cmha.bc.ca/files/08.pdf)
They said a person should seek help if their means of sexual gratification leads to social isolation.
Specifically, one should seek help if one's behavior "has become a substitute for, rather than part of, a meaningful relationship with another person; that is, the solitary behaviour allows you to avoid intimacy."
Masturbation alone appears to fit this criteria since a typical chronic masturbator usually is socially isolated from potential partner of relational sex.
Consequently, the solitary behavior involved around masturbation allows one to "avoid intimacy."
So, intimacy involves a willing partner? Only in a culture where individualism honored and paraded around is this so.
Methinks Western society stil has hang-ups about masturbation.
I think the fact that it is mainly associated with gay male sexual behavior on the Internet is part of this Western cultural hang-up about masturbation.
Well, I am gonna be anal and in denial about masturbation.
I am not avoiding intimacy; I am trying to be *my type*.
To me masturbation is a protest against hundreds of women suffering "not my type" reaction to me.
20050521
Spirituality Scares the Ignorant Masses
It's amazing that when faced with even a mention of spirituality, the ignorant ridicule the messenger.
My suspicion is that the unenlightened have persecuted the enlightened more often in history than we care to admit.
This may be at the root of the persecution of Gnostics since the Third Century by the Church.
It may even explain the Inquisition (jealousy of the syncretism of Judaism, Islam and Christianity in Spain) and modern-day Protestant myths about other sects and religions, especially the myths about "satanism."
Little does the average Christian know that satan has been bound since the Christ's death. For Christ dealt with the devil's work and bound him.
To believe that satan is bound is supported by Christian doctrine; to believe otherwise - that a personification of evil walks among us is a myth of mass media and diabolic fear-mongering.
Persnally I don't believe in satanism, I believe in Buddhism, and its traditions are free of belief in satan.
For the concept of non-self suggests that satan does not exist, being a spiritual being purported to "live forever" i.e. an exceptionally long time described as "immortal".
Since immortality as a form of permanence is impossible due to the Buddhist concept of non-self, satan does not exist except as an archetype or a symbol of Christian dualistic thought (the symbol of evil versus God as symbol of good).
For I do not view satan as a personification of evil but as a symbol of diabolism.
Within the confines of reality, satanism is a mass media myth that people believe in either for "thrills" or social control.
Regarding social control, belief in satanism helps solidify group dynamics within a religious organization provided checks and balances are observed to prevent abuse of power by religious leaders.
However, it is diabolism to abuse the trust of members of religious bodies including any groups of religious instruction formed by Christians in positions of authority, whether it is a home meeting or a church.
To further emphasis my point on diabolism, I present this website called Children of the Matrix, and its page on "Spiritual" satanism and "christian" conmen for review.
Please note how important maintaining disbelief when viewing it as it may induce a strong denial regarding the topic material.
Any suspension of disbelief that promotes antipathy towards Christianity is not my intent as I do not believe a religion is responsible for what "wolves in sheep's clothing" do behind closed doors.
http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/biggestsecret/matrix/matrix16.htm
Commentary:
Note: see http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net for disclaimer. This article appears to be propaganda.
Illuminati is a code word for the 1 percent that want to profit from mass media propaganda.
With regard to the charges again Prescott Bush, I looked up the Union Banking Corporation and found this article on wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Banking_Corporation
The bulk of the article linked in this article is wrong about the Bush family.
"Rumors about the alleged Nazi 'ties' of the late Prescott Bush ... have circulated widely through the internet in recent years. These charges are untenable and politically motivated. Despite some early financial dealings between Prescott Bush and a Nazi industrialist named Fritz Thyssen (who was arrested by the Nazi regime in 1938 and imprisoned during the war), Prescott Bush was neither a Nazi nor a Nazi sympathizer.”
However, they are right in criticizing Billy Graham for manufacturing the religious propaganda of "the immortal soul", which is a syncretism from neo-Platonic sources that the early Church fathers borrow, and then instituted as dogma.
This particular syncretism gets condoned by resorting to the Bible to back up a pagan idea called "immortality". Immortal life is not mentioned in the Bible but "eternal life" in heaven with Jesus is mentioned in that strongly symbolic chapter called "Revelations".
I do not endorse anything David Icke wrote, as the link regarding Children of the Matrix is his work of art, and looks like he cherry picked all the dirt on his targets of derision regarding the richest people of America.
Conspiracy theories like this are great for people who have biases against American organized religion, rich people, and televangelists. I don't believe anything that I can't find anything to debunk. It's not propaganda to give people choices, for it's important to not make a choice but to dance like David.
YMMV
Originally written: May 21, 2005 at 1052H
Edited and updated: February 4, 2013 at 1017H
My suspicion is that the unenlightened have persecuted the enlightened more often in history than we care to admit.
This may be at the root of the persecution of Gnostics since the Third Century by the Church.
It may even explain the Inquisition (jealousy of the syncretism of Judaism, Islam and Christianity in Spain) and modern-day Protestant myths about other sects and religions, especially the myths about "satanism."
Little does the average Christian know that satan has been bound since the Christ's death. For Christ dealt with the devil's work and bound him.
To believe that satan is bound is supported by Christian doctrine; to believe otherwise - that a personification of evil walks among us is a myth of mass media and diabolic fear-mongering.
Persnally I don't believe in satanism, I believe in Buddhism, and its traditions are free of belief in satan.
For the concept of non-self suggests that satan does not exist, being a spiritual being purported to "live forever" i.e. an exceptionally long time described as "immortal".
Since immortality as a form of permanence is impossible due to the Buddhist concept of non-self, satan does not exist except as an archetype or a symbol of Christian dualistic thought (the symbol of evil versus God as symbol of good).
For I do not view satan as a personification of evil but as a symbol of diabolism.
Within the confines of reality, satanism is a mass media myth that people believe in either for "thrills" or social control.
Regarding social control, belief in satanism helps solidify group dynamics within a religious organization provided checks and balances are observed to prevent abuse of power by religious leaders.
However, it is diabolism to abuse the trust of members of religious bodies including any groups of religious instruction formed by Christians in positions of authority, whether it is a home meeting or a church.
To further emphasis my point on diabolism, I present this website called Children of the Matrix, and its page on "Spiritual" satanism and "christian" conmen for review.
Please note how important maintaining disbelief when viewing it as it may induce a strong denial regarding the topic material.
Any suspension of disbelief that promotes antipathy towards Christianity is not my intent as I do not believe a religion is responsible for what "wolves in sheep's clothing" do behind closed doors.
http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/biggestsecret/matrix/matrix16.htm
Commentary:
Note: see http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net for disclaimer. This article appears to be propaganda.
Illuminati is a code word for the 1 percent that want to profit from mass media propaganda.
With regard to the charges again Prescott Bush, I looked up the Union Banking Corporation and found this article on wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Banking_Corporation
The bulk of the article linked in this article is wrong about the Bush family.
"Rumors about the alleged Nazi 'ties' of the late Prescott Bush ... have circulated widely through the internet in recent years. These charges are untenable and politically motivated. Despite some early financial dealings between Prescott Bush and a Nazi industrialist named Fritz Thyssen (who was arrested by the Nazi regime in 1938 and imprisoned during the war), Prescott Bush was neither a Nazi nor a Nazi sympathizer.”
However, they are right in criticizing Billy Graham for manufacturing the religious propaganda of "the immortal soul", which is a syncretism from neo-Platonic sources that the early Church fathers borrow, and then instituted as dogma.
This particular syncretism gets condoned by resorting to the Bible to back up a pagan idea called "immortality". Immortal life is not mentioned in the Bible but "eternal life" in heaven with Jesus is mentioned in that strongly symbolic chapter called "Revelations".
I do not endorse anything David Icke wrote, as the link regarding Children of the Matrix is his work of art, and looks like he cherry picked all the dirt on his targets of derision regarding the richest people of America.
Conspiracy theories like this are great for people who have biases against American organized religion, rich people, and televangelists. I don't believe anything that I can't find anything to debunk. It's not propaganda to give people choices, for it's important to not make a choice but to dance like David.
YMMV
Originally written: May 21, 2005 at 1052H
Edited and updated: February 4, 2013 at 1017H
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