Terrorism, tyranny and religion thrive on threats of extreme punishment (satanic torture that lasts for an eternity) and extreme reward (eternal bliss with vestal virgins). Both rely on the premise that God solves problems through punishments that exceed any human crime.
Author Archives: loudmouthinthebalcony
Father Everyday
In a world where an increasing number of us are declaring ourselves “spiritual, not religious,” aren’t we really defining the way we see the eternal God, our Father?
Love as real as an avatar
It was no mistake that Jake had been sent to Pandora instead of his twin brother. Neither he nor Neytiri was aware that the eternal soul within Jake’s manufactured avatar and physical body had a destiny.
Eywa: Someone you should know
Part Two of a three-part seriesSitting here in the balcony, playing with the “Real 3D” glasses I received when I entered the movie theater to see “Avatar,” I am reminded again that each of us looks at Life through different lenses. Some lenses help us see things more brilliantly; others completely block the light. My …
Eywa: Someone you should know
From where I sat, “Avatar” was all about me. OK, ok! It was about you, too—a story about how we treat each other, our planet, and every living thing on it. To me, “Avatar” was about our relationship with the Allness that is God, or as the Na’vi, the blue striped black folk on the distant moon Pandora called it: Eywa.
Are YOU an avatar?
By now, practically everyone has seen the blockbuster movie “Avatar.” The special effects, the lush rainforest foliage, the terrifying wildlife and the 3D experience were absolutely spectacular; if you saw the movie in an IMAX theater, even more awesome. But with all that visual stimulation, you might have overlooked the real beauty of this movie: …
Are YOU an avatar?
If you’re among those who believe that we are spirits having a physical experience, the symbolism in “Avatar” didn’t escape you. Just as the consciousness of characters Jake Sully and Dr. Grace Augustine shifted out of their human bodies into their avatars when their bodies slept, spiritual masters believe that our consciousness also leaves our physical bodies and enters other dimensions when we sleep. We perceive those other-worldly experiences as “dreams.”
Valentine, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with you
As far as I’m concerned, God is good all the time, and all the time God is good. Holding to that principle, scriptures that portray God as sadistic fall through my strainer; however, I honor others’ right to capture those images of an angry vindictive God in their bowls and cling to them. Similarly, I respect those who believe that material prosperity reflects a heightened level of spiritual consciousness. To me, they’re on different planes, parallel and distinct.
Peek-a-Boo!
If I remember correctly, Jesus was also quoted as saying, “Condemn not.” The “I will be ashamed of you before my Father” verse certainly is a condemnation. Would Jesus really say something so un-Christlike?
Pat Robertson is the REAL “blessing in disguise”
I’m glad I’m not a gambler. I would have bet my lovely new sofa that some fire-spewing fundamentalist would say that the earthquake in Haiti was caused by an act of the brutal and vindictive God of his particular religion. It never occurred to me that a fire-spewing fundamentalist would blame the devastation on a satanic curse! Ha’ mercy. It appears …
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