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Sunday, April 04, 2010

Idol Thoughts for Pesach

Joy and Melancholy

I'd just returned to Moab from Provo when I blogged last. Since then, my mind's been distracted with busy-ness, so I've been itching to have a long retreat at the canyon cave.  But I've only been able to stay up there a few days over the past weeks. Mark Sundeen (the writer) came back to Moab from Montana and took me to my parents' house in Colorado to interview them. He said he was impressed by their charm, sincerity, and Christian compassion. I stayed on at their house for a few days after Mark left, and then they brought me back to Moab. After a few days camping, my friends Damian and Dorina asked me to house- and critter-sit. So here I am for a couple weeks with 2 dogs, 4 cats, and a score of chickens.

The highlights of my time in Moab are the usual Free Meal and Sol Foods organic farm. I work a bit at the farm with my friends Brer, Haila and Chris and others who care to show up. It's more for the sake of community than planting food that I need, and it's splendid. Now that it's Spring, new faces (and old faces from last year) are showing up in Moab, and Free Meal is a daily party. Some days I can't contain the gratitude I feel for friendships here.

However, between times, I find myself going through melancholy - a springtime phenomenon for me. Melancholy is a kind of gift, too, if I embrace it as such. Silent meditation resurrects it into beauty. 

Today I write the thoughts it has given birth to:




Politics

When I last blogged, somebody asked me if I had interest in politics. I usually avoid talking politics. But I got caught up in politics when I was at my parents', with Fox News blaring over the airwaves, planting a ball of nausea in my tummy.
This got me thinking about idolatry and what it really means. I'm thinking of corporations and how we revere them above life.


Today is Passover/Pesach/Pascha/Easter/Ishtar

It's the time of year when the dead seed sprouts, resurrects to new life.  It is the time when the Israelites are liberated from the slavery of Egypt.  And the ancients saw Venus/Ishtar/Easter as the ruling planet for this time, with her ability to cross over from day to night (as Evening Star) and resurrect back to day again (as Morning Star).  Esther (Ishtar) enters the forbidden presence of the King and saves her People from death, as Mordechai (Marduk) looks on.  In ancient Sumer she is Inanna, who gives up all her Seven Possessions to enter Hell , until she is stark naked.  Then she gives up her life, and is hung on a prick.  Then she resurrects after 3 days and 3 nights.  The Seven Seals are broken!  "I am the Bright and Morning Star" (Rev 22:16).

So I'm thinking about how this applies to now and the mess the world is in.  I'm thinking about religions being mostly dead, useless, idolatry.  I can speak from my perspective, my culture, where Christianity is mostly dead, useless idolatry.  "Christians" are zealous in America, but their zeal is for a dead idol, and our religion's fruit is death: greed, war, and environmental destruction.  It appears the same is with Islam and Judaism.  Can life be breathed into a dead idol?.  In the Quran, Jesus breathes life into a clay bird, just as Allah breathes life into clay Adam-Eve and breathes life into Mary.

What Is Idolatry?

Idolatry is revering and serving non-living entities and symbols as if they were alive and feeling beings. Idolatry is mistaking the symbol for Reality, putting the symbol above reality. We become the idol we revere and serve: unseeing, unhearing, unfeeling: both the Bhagavad Gita and the Bible say this (Bhagavad Gita 17:3 and Psalm 134:15-18) as I point out in What Money Is and What Money is Not in the website.

Blasphemy Against the Holy Wal-Mart

You might notice that a few times I've denounced Wal Mart in this blog, and some people have become highly offended, as if I've blasphemed a living, breathing god. I've been noticing how folks who are offended when we call corporations bad names have no problem calling fellow human beings names and looking down on them. Go out and check it out for yourself: experiment in different crowds of people by denouncing the corporation of your choice, and see what I mean. It's a blasphemy to many Americans, right up there with flag burning.

It doesn't matter to people that Wal Mart and McDonalds and Mansanto and Exxon are mega-corporations destroying local businesses, farms, and communities and outsourcing jobs, pulling America apart in the most unpatriotic campaign ever. Wal Mart and others have learned how to create and market a populist image, as if they are your warm family, with their fictitious values of "God and courntry." Morality and patriotism are not on their minds except as devices to snag your money. This is how they're duping religious America. People lap up corporate propaganda and talk about the evils of "big government" even as they feed the biggest government in the world, the Mega-Corporation, the government of all governments.

We now have laws in place in America that grant any corporation the same rights as an individual human being, plus even more rights than a human! 
And the life-blood of the Corporation is the Bank. All our patriotism and talk against big government is hot air if we support banks and corporations  (Check out Is Banking Criminal? on the website).

I was looking for a quote from Gandhi.  He says (my paraphrase) that you'll never see such a look of religious reverence on people's faces as you will when they enter a bank (if somebody can find that quote, please send it to me).



Idolatry crumbles relationships

This idolatry affects not only our politics but our individual relationships. Our relationships don't last because we love ideas of people (idols), not people themselves. We are unable to see or hear each other. We love our American Idol, we love image and flattery and praise and plastic surgery and fictitious ideas of worth. It is even our common vernacular to say, "So and so is worth x amount of dollars."

Idolatry makes war

Conversely, adoring an idol is the flip side of fearing and fighting an idol. We hurt and kill human beings because we see them as ideas, images, not as humans. It is impossible for one human to hate another. We can only hate an unreal image of a human that we create. Just as we become what we worship, we also become what we hate. Unrealness worships unrealness and unrealness hates unrealness. This is why in war, governments create evil caricatures of the enemy - otherwise soldiers wouldn't fight them. No way could the Nazis have exterminated Jews if they hadn't first made grotesque caricatures of them.

In other words, there is no real thing and no real person that is evil.  All that is created is Good. All that is Real is good, and all that is Real is One. There is only One Good, One Reality. When we idolize one object or one book or one person as Guru, or call one thing or one person good we are calling other things and people evil, and we aren't seeing Reality. Nothing or nobody is good apart from Everything. How can you love God (Reality) with all your heart, mind, and soul, and have anything left to love your neighbor as yourself if your neighbor and yourself are not part of God (Reality)?

Imagine

Imagine not putting imagination above people.  Imagine idols crumbling.

Imagine what our world would be like if we loved and served living beings with eyes that see, ears that hear, nostrils that smell, and mouths that speak and taste, as much as we love and serve machinery and ideas and words? Imagine the Seven Seals breaking, the seals blocking our ears, eyes, nostrils, mouth, that seal the Book written on our hearts. Then we stop seeing ideas in our heads and start seeing Reality As It Is. Hear the Seven Tumpets as the seals break, as our disillusion (breaking of illusion) becomes our liberation!

Imagine the Zen mind, the Mind of the Infant, the Buddha (Awakened) mind, that doesn't see ideas but sees Reality.

You can't serve both Reality and Illusion

You either have a mentality that serves and loves non-living entities or a mentality that loves and serves living, breathing creatures. It is impossible for any mentality to love and serve both. You cannot serve both Reality and mammon, for either you will love the one and despise the other, or visa versa.

It's considered patriotic to kill thousands of people for money (for our "economy"), but you are called anti-American if you denounce corporations for the sake of human community and a clean environment,for the sake of love.

What if we got as upset about bombing thousands of people as we get about burning an inanimate cloth with stars and stripes on it? What if we got as upset about people having their lands grabbed and clear-cut and polluted by corporations forcing people into illness and poverty and servitude as we get about somebody saying "fuck"? (What if we could keep reading what I'm going to say instead of getting stuck on the 4-letter word I just said)

Notice how we love the idea of Native American, but not living, breathing Native Americans.  We build statues to and name our states and cities after the Native Americans we conquered and killed and broke our treaties with and pushed onto reservations.  Kill the prophets and build tombs to their honor.

What if we put Reality above symbol? What if we were as apalled about our rejecting our own ten commandments ("thou shalt not kill" and "thou shalt not covet" and "thou shalt not bear false witness") as we are upset about not getting to prop up inanimate plaques of the Ten Commandments on government property? What if we pledged allegiance to living beings instead of to a symbol? What if we were as upset about not keeping Jesus' teachings as we are about burning inanimate Bibles? What if the Word were a Living, Breathing Being, right here and now in the flesh, rather than a book or an unapproachable person who lived thousands of years ago?

Bow Down To Reality, not to Images in our Heads

What if we, whether Christians, Jews, or Muslims, changed the definition of our word "God" to mean Reality rather than a twisted, make-believe image in our minds that causes us to kill each other? What if we became People of the Book written on the Heart rather than written on paper?  "The letter kills but the Spirit gives life."  We fight over books, doctrines, ideas, politics, not Reality.  Reality can't fight over itself, for a house divided can't stand. 

And what if we bowed down in total humility to Reality, come in the flesh, the Word incarnate right here and now, in the form of our neighbor, and we stop bowing to images in our heads? In other words, what if we loved our Real neighbor as our Real self?  Every real creature (angel) bows down to All Humanity (Reality Incarnate) except Satan, says the Quran.  Because Satan is not Reality.  There is nothing but Reality, no One Good but Reality, say both the Torah and the Quran.

132 comments:

  1. Magnificent. I worry about this world often; of its corruption. Men like you make it worthwhile.

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  2. You are sounding tired and distracted (in my humble opinion) and your plans of time alone seem spot on. Don't let all this activity get in the way of what you really want to be doing. It's always easy to rationalize "good deeds" or something that is "worthwhile" but the end results on your "being" can still be as destructive as regular life as most know it.

    This is meant with all caring and kindness. After living 5 years in India, I personally am aware of how easily we distract ourselves-but it's a really good teaching, by someone I haven't seen before,etc,etc...- Be still for awhile.

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  3. This was a great post.

    I think that we all create roles for ourselves and we carry them out in our daily lives. When we get to tied to them sometimes we can only see our good and miss that of others. This even happens for people who are seemingly selfless. If you put yourself on the other side of the fence you'll find only loneliness.

    You know that in posting this it sets you apart and makes you part of the problem you are complaining about. I also know that there is no way to get the point across that you are making without setting yourself apart.

    I still love this post. Thanks.

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  4. Thanks for the above 3 comments. The above 2 observations of me are spot on. This post is a confession, so I decided to swallow my pride and say "we" throughout it - one distracted mind identifying with world distraction. I feel nothing can change if we don't sometimes enter the world and identify with the faults of the world and confess world faults as "we" (The bodhisatva "who knew no sin becomes sin for us"- though there is grave danger in getting trapped in the world by doing that. Perhaps the whole world is a bodhisattva who lost his/her way).

    We're masters at confessing other people's faults, which is why nothing changes. I'm still learning this. Change happens when we take responsibility for our own faults, as all of us in the world together. I s'pose by blogging I'm also revealing my own self-righteousness, but I can forgive myself for that.

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  5. I am a retired psychologist (age 68), married for the past 44 years to Ann my lovely wife, have a son who is a Licensed Professional Counselor (who is my best friend), and one animal companion (Hayden...... my little "sweet heart").

    But now that I am no longer a "wage slave" I am in the process of becoming a poet, and would like to share a few of my poems with you.

    Most of my poems tend to deal with life, death, religion, spirituality, God, and/or war. Today, since I first became I acquainted with you on the internet on April 5th, I shall send you one of my poems entitled "Theology"

    I hope you like it. Let me know how you feel about my piece and I will send you another; that is, if you like my piece, and want me to send you another poem.

    Your friend in the name of peace, love, & justice,

    Your friend,

    Doug Soderstrom
    dougsoderstrom@sbcglobal.net

    P.S.

    You cannot know how much I admire your stand for the "pure life" you are living!!!


    Theology

    O perfect kingdom,
    Ancient womb of our souls,
    Born out of love,
    And nurtured by "the giver of life,"
    Ignorant, innocent, unwitting, and unclothed,
    Yet protected from every single stain,
    Spotless…… no blemish to be found,
    But without even a wisp of its own breath,
    A mere reflection of "a much greater part,"
    Born without choice,
    Forced to be a part of Eden.

    And then an alien voice…… an archaic sound,
    A Luciferian call "to know,"
    An offer to be set free…... to be loosed from "all restraint,"
    A cerebral gift of thought,
    The capacity to choose for one's self,
    An "original sin,"
    An urge to leave one's home,
    No condemnation, neither even expelled,
    Just "a simple leaving,"
    A Prodigal Choice,
    A dauntless resolution,
    A decision to become a human being.

    Two separate beings…... an Adam and an Eve,
    A ying and a yang,
    Polar opposites…... pulled together like North to South,
    An inevitable merger, conjoined at the hip….. "belly to belly,"
    By a force much greater than life itself,
    A need to procreate, to extend one's life,
    A search for immortality,
    An excuse, a weakness, an Achilles' Heel,
    A passion to taste of "The Tree's first fruit,"
    An earthly misadventure….. a coital error,
    An orgasmic entrance into life itself,
    Leaving "the kingdom" from whence one came.

    The miracle of two seeds having become one,
    New life….. one more soul added to the vastness of mankind,
    Yet, in the twinkling of an eye,
    The child becomes a man,
    Never knowing why he is here,
    Why he has been allowed to "run rampant upon the earth,"
    Did he forget,
    Or is it that he did not want to know,
    That everyone is a Prodigal Son….. that each has ventured far from home,
    That all "are lost," that each of us is adrift in "a common sea,"
    That every man and woman and child is doomed, that there is no way out,
    Except that we find the "only way of escape,"
    Salvation….. namely, the choice to become "a man of sorrows,"
    A realization that this is truly "a land of sadness," a place we no longer wish to be,
    That there be a choice to leave,
    A resolute rejection of all that constitutes "the world of man,"
    That we long to be crucified, that we yearn for a way of release, that we cry out to be delivered,
    That we learn that death is not to be feared, that it is not an enemy,
    But rather a friend, an ally, a passageway….. an unlocked door,
    One that must be opened in order for us to go back home.

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  6. Doug I think our challenge is to live the same pure life as Suelo even when we are also living within the illusion of a monied economy. Seeing it for what it really is and spreading that awareness in our own way is necessary too.

    I toured the U.S. Mint today in the spirit of bearing witness and loving what is, even as I have an intention to change it. Mint tours are free entertainment and education, by the way, but getting a ticket online meant waiting a couple weeks. I also had to go through a metal detector and couldn't take much with me, which helped me realize how much stuff I normally haul around. The cellphone leash was the one I missed the most, followed by sunglasses. I've been wearing them less of late anyway.

    Before visiting the Mint I had to make a deposit. I have two banks for some strange reason, and don't like either of them much. The man who helped me seemed nice and I told him of my tour plans to make small talk. Before leaving I had to ask him for the time so I could calculate how long I had to eat. Asking a banker for the time was a funny thing. After all, if he believes that time is money maybe I could have just asked him for a nickel?


    Suelo, I appreciate you for your blasphemy. I might claim purity because I don't normally shop at WalMART, but largely that is because I only shop at places I can walk to. I confess I find my sporadic visits into any big retailer something of a fascination. I've read peopleofwalmart.com occasionally, and there is always a strange sort of anthropological experience to it.

    I know of two organizations that have partnered with WalMART to help them improve their relationship to the Earth, and in the end a certain amount of accommodation may be necessary for survival. It is hard to turn the Titanic we are on quickly. Certainly you can't turn it very far from a raft outside (apart from raising the awareness of the people on the ship to take the wheel). If you have any hope at all, you (I) have to get inside the thing we despise and nudge it along. Finding a way to not become the thing you hate is the trick to a lot of life's challenges if you go about it this way as I've done (and often failed, again I don't claim purity even as I appreciate the striving).

    I think I mentioned in a previous post the Rocky Mountain Institute's light-weighting of the WalMART truck fleet as one example of working with them to reduce their energy consumption. Another project of interest is Terracycle which I spotted just minutes before opening my Google reader to read this blog. I admit the Terracycle idea both fascinates and frightens me, since they seem to be reusing containers for crap junk food to make consumer goods. Is that going to spur greater consumption of overly packaged junk food? Is that better or worse than just throwing it all into a landfill? What about all the BPA in that plastic anyway? The bird feeder in particular, though I imagine normal bird feeders people buy have that same problem anyway.

    Last thought on an overly long comment: Blasphemy is the necessary antidote to idolatry. To blaspheme is to mock or challenge a sacred belief that someone holds. My only dogma is that no belief is sacred. I accept that God is reality, and that when we make our beliefs sacred we do desecrate reality itself. I've been pondering the paradox of blasphemy as a form of sacrament this week and your blog here has helped me in that thinking.

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  7. Suelo,
    Thank you. Your blog and website have opened my mind much more than I would have thought possible not long ago. They have helped move me to a point in which I can now honestly question myself; my intentions, beliefs, etc.
    I soon hope to be living moneyless in the Bay area of California. I've just recently been learning about the various edible wild plants around here. I figure I may not be TOTALLY moneyless in the beginning (I'd like a bag of rice and some cooking utensils), but I think it is for the best. I don't want to scare myself away from this experiment for good the first time I try(I know you can identify with that).
    I told my father that I wanted to take the summer off. He firmly told me that it was a bad idea and that I won't want to go back to work. I thought to myself... "What is wrong with that?" I'm 19 years young and possibly have a lot of time before I return to dust. I am almost convinced that I will be unable to truly love and see reality as long as I am working for some reason other than love.
    I have thought about joining you. I would love to meet such an inspirational character as yourself. After I realized how many comments you receive from people wanting to join you, I decided not bother.
    I am hoping that all the comments you get on here keep you inspired and motivated, like your words do for me.

    Love and respect,
    Eric (Sonoma County, CA)
    P.S. I am a little jealous of your cave dwelling near Moab. Especially how hidden it is. The Scorpion in me naturally tends to be a little introverted and secretive (not in a selfish or dishonest way). I hope to find a suitable cave around here. We'll see what happens.

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  8. Suelo,
    Thank you for doing what you are doing and following your god inspired path. Reading your websight and your blogs has once again reaffirmed to me the importance of always following your truth. It has inspired me to strive to get firmly committed to my own truth as I see it to be. Blessings to you and may you always be at one with that beautiful energy that you exude in your writings. Have faith your ARE making a difference. I think that when we give we have to leave it up to God to determine how it is received. I am sure you inspire many others also. Thanks again MJ

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  9. Well said. The corporations are the wizards and alchemist's of this age and have found the root and source of absolute power. They have distilled it to an emotional and spiritual form of crack cocaine and disseminate it via any and all forms of media. They have proclaimed themselves as the new governments and gods. Wrath, greed, sloth, pride, lust, envy and gluttony were once classified as the Seven Deadly Sins or Cardinal sins. They are now virtues. If you tell people what they want to hear they will worship you. We are being sold vice wholesale and everyone wants more. Here is a little quote from a man who knew and understood such methods of control.
    "Through the skillful use of propaganda, whole peoples can be persuaded that Heaven is Hell, and vice versa."
    Adolf Hitler

    Keep up the honesty people need to know.

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  10. About that F-word you used;

    ... fuck you up with my nimble knowledge nunchakus,

    make you sit down and learn lifes' lessons,

    make you work hard to receive your blessings ...

    -Ursula Rucker, Poet, Keep Falling lyrics

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  11. Hi Suelo, I came across this book recommended from a poster that I dearly admire, and I thought it could interest you, 'The Dark Night' by St. John of the Cross, available online on http://www.karmel.at/ics/jonh/dn.html food for the soul kind of thing ... btw it's more that what I can chew myself, : ) probably it is ... Ana

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  12. Suelo: I used to be angry about you for demonizing corporations, money and banking, but finally I have noticed my hipocrisy.

    I noticed I do the same thing towards other institutions, things and people. We all tend to label some things as evil and other things as good.

    We all need a devil, so you have yours and I have mine. We can not have good without evil.

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  13. Suelo,

    Your spiritual insights continue to confound and inspire. I often feel like giving up altogether on any hope of a spiritual life, since I have been so disappointed by the useless idolatry of my childhood Christianity. But a seed still stirs inside me: the seed of a universal existence...

    I don't know. But I love your unified ramblings on reality and spirituality, hypocrisy and idolatry. The thoughts you share here are "spot on", as our friend Simon would say.

    BTW, is it true that Jesse and the twins are coming out to see you in the cave soon?!? I wish I were free to join them. I saw them last night, and I feel almost like a wage slave, even in my alternative, full-time volunteer lifestyle. However, I do not. I am happy, but I won't stay here forever.

    Peace, friend.

    Love,
    Grace

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  14. I agree FunkyP, but you just don't have to give up the spiritual life, it's the institutional religions that has to be abandon, I had a catholic up bringing, and when I moved out of the community, family and country then I was able to break free from it, but it was only when I have try some eatern spiritual practice (yoga, meditation) that I felt completely free. Funny that this religious experiences that I hold very dear to my heart, brought me back to accept and understand more clearly my original Christianity up-bringing specially the Christian mysticism. Ana

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  15. That was hitting the nail square on the head.

    I cannot add another thing to it, or take anything from it.

    Well spoken.

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  16. I would say Suelo incurs in the same problems he is describing. He is biased and labels certain people as evil. And this would be impossible to do without distorting reality.

    Suelo's theory is not Real. Period.

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  17. Miguel, I can't honestly think of a single blog that Daniel has posted wherein he labels any sort of "people" as evil. But, it could be that I have not been following this blog long enough, and missed something from way back.
    Do you know any human being that does not have "problems?" We are ALL sick. Well, I know I am.
    Miguel, open your heart and welcome the healing, my friend.

    -EricD

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  18. I'd like to throw it out there that I finally followed my heart and quit my job.

    -EricD

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  19. Suelo is a grotesque charicature of civilized humanity's twisted idea of spirituality and moral perfection. It consists in the denial of all that is not rational, but makes us human. Denial of desire, of sexuality, of women, of emotions.

    Suelo thinks he is superior to everyone, but in fact he is just a puppet of modern society. He was created to fill the need of a prophet with a twisted mind.

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  20. Hey Miguel,
    I think it's kind of strange that you spend an awful lot of time trashing what Suelo is doing. As long as your passing out psychological diagnosis, why don't you address your own obsessive and repressive disorders.

    All that anger is not healthy bro!

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  21. Suelo called me an exaggerated charicature of the naysayers. I am just returning the favor.

    It's chatartic to be able to find someone that represents the hypocrisy of society as well as Suelo does. It's a blessing.

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  22. ...chatartic,"(sp?). Not sure what that word is.

    "It's a blessing."
    Doesn't sound like any sort of blessing to me, but hey who am I to judge?
    "Suelo called me an exaggerated charicature (b.t.w. is it spelled "caricature") of the naysayers. I am just returning the favor."
    Where is the logic in that. Or does questioning your post make me grotesque? Imagine a world in which humans weren't artificially programmed to operate with a team-spirit a.k.a. mob-mentality.
    Who taught you/us to respond with vengeance and not love?

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  23. Sorry, I make some grammar mistakes from time to time. Here are the corrections:

    *caricature

    *cathartic


    Note: I am not a native english speaker and also have never lived in a english speaking country.

    How about that?

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  24. The State, that solves everything by FORCE, is good. Corporations, who create all of the jobs and goods that people can voluntarily purchase, are bad. Same leftist bullshit that all the losers preach. Suck Big Brothers dick.... *yawn*

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  25. Agreed, the only way to get rid of corporations is to create a totalitarian goverment.

    Is that good?. I am not sure of that.

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  26. Why make this an issue of "left" or "right", totally skewing what I am saying? The State has become the corporation, the corporation has become the state. The corporation IS the totalitarian state, which runs by force. Can anybody honestly say our states are run by people's interests and not corporate interests? What president, democrat or republican, Bush or Obama, "right" or "left", has not broken his promises and bowed to corporate interests?

    I couldn't ask for a better demonstration above of what I just posted: Those who bow down to machinery (calling it "who" rather than "it") have no problem putting down living, breathing people, labeling them as losers. Again, you either bow to and love inanimate machinery or you bow to and love life. You can't bow to and love both.

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  27. "What president, democrat or republican, Bush or Obama, "right" or "left", has not broken his promises and bowed to corporate interests?"

    JFK?

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  28. A corporation is an organization of people and as such can create a being greater than the sum of it's parts. Not different from State, Nation, Church, etc.

    If Suelo ever assembled a significant amount of followers, they would label anyone that thinks different than them, living, breathing people as losers. In fact he is already doing it.

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  29. Yes, the Church of Suelo! Has a nice ring to it. By golly, Miguel, what a fun idea you planted in my head! Start another institution (non-"profit" corporation!) to make these philosophies I'm pushing totally useless, yet nicely embalmed in a glass coffin for future generations to venerate! Not to mention, make tax-deductable money off it!

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  30. Don't you claim Money is evil?. Are you planning to do the same trick of the Catholic Church?.

    Actually, the Churches have a brilliant strategy, first they claim money is evil, to make people guilty about having it and thus more vulnerable for being taken advantage from. Clever!.

    Church: Money is evil, please give it to me because I represent God.!

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  31. Actually, your joke has become a reality many times. I am getting bored of "gurus" founding new religions.

    I hope it's only a joke.

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  32. In many ways I admire Daniel Suelo ,I don't know that I would want to live totaly without money ,but less is good. Less forces us to live a less indulging lifestyle,We would walk more eat less and we would eat wild nutritious food in turn we would be thinner and healthier and happier we would be living closer to the way nature intended just like the native american indians before they were kicked out and killed for there land . However ,
    God doesn't promise us freedom from earthly troubles--in fact, just the opposite. Here Jesus warns that trouble lies ahead for his followers. But he follows this with a reassurance that God has already triumphed over sin.
    John 16:33
    "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

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  33. "getting bored of "gurus" founding new religions"
    What gives you this idea? I've always thought this blog followed the adventures and some thoughts of a man experimenting with living moneyless. I must be hallucinating! Pardon me, for not living in the "real world."

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  34. I read the blog entry, dug it, moved on to the comments and started thinking "wow, this is an incredibly thoughtful conversation, none of the usual arguing-for-arguing's-sake stupidity you find on just about every other comment thread out there". Some comments were critical, but thoughtfully so, and debate was taking place at an eye-to-eye level.
    And then the Miguel comments started, and it was immediately clear to me that he just doesn't 'get it' at the same level that most of you do, and has no interest in the kind of respectful discourse that *was* going on, and I dared to hope that you all would just let his comments go by.... I was sorely disappointed to see everybody completely abandon what was going on and engage in trying to argue with him.
    Your witty/pointed retorts are going right over his head - meaning they're a waste of breath, and space, because they can only elicit even more inane argument. I strongly believe that sometimes the most respectful and wise thing - and as such, the most respect-worthy thing, too - is to abide (ie, ignore) and carry on. It's about choosing your battles. Miguel's attitude is largely emotion/identity-driven, and will not be changed by rational statements; therefore, continuing to throw rational statements at him is rather *irrational*, yes?

    I know it's kind of ironic for me to be voicing my two cents, when my idea is that people should sometimes keep their two cents to themselves.... so, fair enough, I'm the pretentious asshole this time around.
    I'm suggesting that, going forward, you know, maybe the next thread we all find ourselves in, we might consider just being silent, when 'discussion' threatens to disintegrate into 'argument'. I think sometimes that's what it means to truly be the bigger man(/woman); not having to win every argument. Instead knowing when to just let it go...

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  35. I admire danial suelo for many reasons .

    1- We are brothers and both have faith in jesus christ the mediator of the new covenant under the new covenant jesus took away the sins of the whole world and we are 100% forgiven !

    THE NEW COVENANT encircles everything that christ has accomplised for us through his death ,burial,and resurrection. That is why it is so important for every believer to understand the New Covenant.
    Heb 8:6 -
    But the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, and it is founded on better promises.
    Heb 8:13 -
    By calling this covenant "new," he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear.
    Heb 9:15 -
    For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance--now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.
    MANY PEOPLE COMMINGLE THE OLD TESTAMENT AND THE NEW TESTAMENT ..... THEY TEACH THE OLD TESTAMENT AND THE PSALMS LIKE IT IS DOCTRINE FOR US TODAY
    The definition of commingle is com·min·gle (k-mnggl)
    v. com·min·gled, com·min·gling, com·min·gles
    v.intr.
    To become blended.
    v.tr.
    To cause to blend together; mix.
    * UNDER THE NEW JESUS TOOK AWAY THE SINS OF THE WHOLE WORLD AND HE REMEMBERS THEM NO MORE **
    Mt 1:21 -
    She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."
    2Co 5:19 -
    that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.
    Eph 1:7 - Show Context
    In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace
    Col 1:14 -
    in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
    Heb 7:27 -
    Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself.
    Heb 8:12 -
    For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more."
    Heb 10:17 -
    Then he adds: "Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more."
    1Jo 2:2 -
    He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
    UNDER THE NEW COVENANT THERE IS NO MORE SACRIFICE FOR SIN JESUS DID IT ONCE AND FOR ALL AND HE IS NOT COMMING BACK TO DO IT AGAIN !
    Heb 10:18 -
    And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin.
    UNDER THE NEW COVENANT GOD WARNS US THAT IF WE DONT ACCEPT JESUS SACRIFICE FOR OUR SINS AND QUIT TURNING BACK TO LEAGALISM than all we have to expect is judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.

    2-The holy spirit opened his eyes to truth, He is an alien in the world and dealing with it honestly and sometimes faces Melancholy
    3-Being judged and criticized for the way he chooses to live and overcoming all the negative

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  36. At risk of causing more confusion, I'll comment on the above. All words (including the words above) are parables and parables confuse most of us. Parables are for outsiders, and every human brain, including my own, is an outsider. All scriptures, all words, all thoughts, are Old Testament: the past, our old self, even our self 2 seconds ago!

    The words I think and write even here are old testament!

    Continual mindfulness (prayer, meditation) is constantly letting go all things past, letting go of the Old, entering the Present (crucifying the ego), the Now Testament (New Testament), the Word written on the Heart! We and all the world must die moment by moment (both the Buddhist Sutras & the Bible state), thus born again ever Now, ever moment by moment. There's no such thing as being born again in the past.

    In other words, the Crucifixion is Ever Today, Eternal, not a single time by a single person in the past, but ever Once and for all, ever happening "since the foundation of the world" and we must ever enter into Today, moment by moment. All dying is One Dying, and all birth is One Birth, Ever Now. Com-passion is realizing all suffering is One Suffering, One Passion.

    If these words are too confusing, just let them go & enter Silence. That's called Forgiveness.

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  37. To the above answer ......WHAT ! Danial You realy seem full of your own BS, and then at the end of your reply you say "if these words are to confusing " like your "above" people who dont understand what you mean. Heres what jesus had to say to people like you in his day

    John 5:39-41
    You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet YOU REFUSE TO COME TO ME FOR LIFE .

    The whole bible points to JESUS his death ,burial and resurrection Its realy quite simple , It has nothing to do with Buddhist Sutras ,Continual mindfulness,Gandhi,Muslims or anything else
    JESUS is god ,he came to earth ,he died as a sacrifice for the sins of the WHOLE WORLD ,His BURIAL is proof of his death And then HE ROSE to give us LIFE .
    Respectfully

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  38. My God can beat up your God!

    Good grief, Daniel why do you bother.

    Bless you anyway,

    Uncle Cracker

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  39. Every experiment has to have a constant to work.
    If your premise is off your findings will be off.
    Either jesus was the biggest liar that ever walked on the face of the earth or he is what he claimed to be GOD

    Daniel suelo claims to be a christian but, he must be a double minded man unstable in all his ways because he takes his doctrine from Gandhi,Muslims,Buddhist Sutras,and jesus commingling them all into one big confusing mess
    James 1 6-8
    6But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; 8he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.

    God isn't in the business of fixing nations and their money systems he's in the business of saving people

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  40. Oh, boy. Now it's the fundie's turn to try and rain on the parade...

    Anybody who thinks that the whole Bible points to Jesus's death, burial, and resurrection, has simply NOT READ THE WHOLE BIBLE. All he or she has done is read certain fragmented snippets and sections of the Bible ripped out of their context, heavily soaked in Christian fundamentalist theological spin, and then finally strung together to fit with the preconceived beliefs of certain church institutions.

    If the whole Bible can be said to have a theme which runs through it, that theme would be the evil of human societies that split into rich oppressors and poor oppressed. It is a book that often condemns the rich, and those who focus their lives on wealth at the expense of other people. This is most evident to anyone who has read the gospels and epistles of the NT.

    Jesus was clearly a Jewish man standing in the tradition of the Hebrew prophets, somebody who cared about societal justice, somebody who was mainly concerned with having people live together with love, respect, compassion, etc.

    The Evangelical "spiritual," inner, individualistic, personal savior Jesus is a
    reinterpretation and misinterpretation by the gentile Christian church institution. They separated people into soul and body. They are the ones who turned Jesus into someone who only came to die so that people could be saved from the guilt they feel over the bad things they do (and will then turn around and do again.) This is opposed to who Jesus really was, somebody who tried to show people a better way of living. How to live in a way so that they wouldn't have to do bad things to other people.

    And, as Suelo has correctly pointed out, the concerns of Jesus have been the concerns of many other sages from various other times and places.

    You people nullify the Bible for the sake of your Christian traditions. You honor Jesus with your lips, but your hearts are far from him. You worship him in vain; your teachings are but dogmas taught by conservative preachers.

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  41. To the above :

    Im not the one who said that the whole Bible points to Jesus's death, burial, and resurrection ,JESUS DID

    John 5:39-41
    You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet YOU REFUSE TO COME TO ME FOR LIFE .

    So for the rest of your comment-I detect a bit of self rightiousness You say that people use it to be saved from their guilt ..well sure they do ! and that is how most of us come to be saved !
    Romans 3:23
    23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

    Will People keep doing the same thing ? maby. however ,they probably won't if the consequeces were severe enough .
    Will people keep sinning ? Of coure they will ! We wont quit till were dead .

    Its not study thats important-it will reveal nothing to you Its the holy spirit who teaches truth
    THANK YOU GOD FOR REVEALING THE TRUTH TO ME !

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  42. Yeah, why do I bother? Either you get it or you don't. Yeah, you can't convince an ant to be a spider. But I have hopes there are truth-seekers on the edge of religion who hear, who are tired of meaningless dogma (idolatry) that produces dead fruit.

    To the dogmatists, I dare you to actually practice the teachings of the Jesus you claim to believe, not just call him "Lord, Lord," and then come back and see whether or not I am talking truth. I propose you won't be able to help but see the profound truth of other religions, that "Christ is all and in all" means exactly what it says.

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  43. Will the real dogmatists (danial suelo) please stand up !

    I know why I bother.

    Because JESUS Is the the LORD

    JESUS is god ,he came to earth ,he died as a sacrifice for the sins of the WHOLE WORLD ,His BURIAL is proof of his death And then HE ROSE to give us LIFE .

    john 3 16
    "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

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  44. It’s possible that there are some here who are dabbling in various religions. Perhaps you are taking a little from this belief system and a little from that. You may fashion yourself to be a Christian Buddhist, or a New Age Christian. You may be feel that the teachings of Joseph Smith, Mary Baker Eddy, Mohammed, Buddah or L. Ron Hubbard can lead you to God. Such notions are not Christian! None of these people or systems can lead you to God. Only Jesus can do so. The only way of salvation is through the One who left the throne room of Heaven to become a man and give His life as a payment for your sin and mine. He is the only way.



    I encourage you to take a good look at Jesus. See Him for what He truly is. Recognize that He is your only hope. See that He should be pursued over everything else in your lives. Trust Him completely. Admit the truth about yourself and cling to the offer of forgiveness and new life through Christ alone. It’s not the easy way, it’s not the popular way, but it is the true way to forgiveness and new life.

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  45. Man we are so lucky for being born now. If we happened to be born before Christ we would not have any chance for salvation!

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  46. I don't know who I prefer, the dogmatism of the christian fundamentalist or the arrogance of "Ancient Weaver".

    No, I prefer the humility of Suelo.

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  47. Oh Miguel. You are as endearing as ever. Got any more stories about future robots?

    Re:Anonymous 1:10 p.m.

    There's probably no use in getting into an argument about the meaning of the Bible and Christianity. Besides this isn't a theological debating club. But, I do know plenty of Christians who quote Bible passages and say they believe Jesus is Lord or Jesus is the Savior. It's easy to do. The thing is that these very same people choose to conform to the ways of the world instead following the way of Jesus. They think that believing something is more important than living something.

    I ask, what good are Christian buzzwords and jargon and quotes and beliefs? It's how you live your life, how you treat other people in your life that means everything.

    Why people come here just to condemn somebody's project is a mystery? What could be so threatening about somebody trying to live a simple life in peace who want's to share his ideas and experiences with other people?

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  48. Look, we fight and think each other evil, yet nobody has actually done an evil deed to another in this forum! We (me included) fight over ideas, beliefs, not reality! Not reality!

    I realized last night at bedtime a heart of anger was brewing in me over these comments, and I was playing right into the arguments.

    So I meditated on my anger last night, until Peace came. I realized I must make a confession: I was myself a fundamentalist and I am silly to be angry with fundamentalists when I've done and thought the same.

    Yes, I thought and said and quoted the same things and scriptures above with equal zeal! I loved to proclaim "Jesus is Lord". But Jesus' own words kept haunting me:

    "Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord' but do not practice what I say?"

    I looked around and it finally dawned on me that we fundamentalists with our irrational arrogance ("We're right and everybody else is wrong and going to hell") couldn't be farther from the Jesus we claimed to believe and harped about being "the Way, the Truth, and the Life." Yet we had the audacity to condemn others for not believing in this "Jesus."

    I looked around and realized I didn't see human beings, I saw beliefs. I believed deep down everybody was evil and I walked in mistrust and fear, though I TALKED about love. Everybody who didn't believe in my "Jesus" I said I loved, but I simply could not trust them or simply and truly sit with them as a friend. In my bipolarity, I went back and forth between believing myself evil, too, yet I also saw myself as "forgiven" and "justified" and "favored" by God. Like every fundamentalist of whatever religion, I believe God was on my side. It's comical if you can step back and look at yourself. But my religion wasn't about stepping back and examining myself, it was about examining everybody else, searching for evil everywhere but inside ourselves. We look for AntiChrist everywhere but in the mirror.

    When I finally realized this, I decided to walk away from fundamentalism, even with the threat of eternal hell looming over my head. Walking away from the vice-grip of fundamentalism isn't easy, so, please, you non-fundamentalists, have compassion on fundamentalists. I went through years of intense depression.

    Then I found my liberation. I resigned myself to hell. Yes. I decided I'd rather be in hell with Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Vivekenanda, Ramakrishna, Mother Theresa, Buddha, Kabir, Rumi, Peace Pilgrim and, yes, with Jesus himself, than to be in heaven with the torturous fundamentalist mentality that thinks itself right and everybody else wrong. I decided I'd rather be in hell for love than to be in heaven for bigotry.

    Life gives us all one ultimate test, the test of Love: Love is willing to go anywhere, even eternal hell, for Truth. If it is not willing, then it is not True Love. Mourn for me if you like. Actually, there is no greater hell than going to heaven for the sake of bigotry.

    As the Islamic saint, Rabia, said:
    "True devotion is for itself:
    not to desire heaven nor to fear hell."

    I dare say I'm not even denying the truth of a single passage of Christian scripture quoted above, by the way. Search them with an open heart, with Love as the Ultimate Goal.

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  49. While reading, I was so scared of change, I thought Suelo was leaving something important back, his fundamentalism.

    Anyway, as long as it's a good change, I approve it.

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  50. Danial,
    When I read your words above I can't help but notice that your mind seems to be Confused , You say your a christian so, if your a christian than you are not a christian fundamentalists because all the words of god are true ,What I hear you saying is that you were not doing to good in the "love department" . Well I have news for you , All of us christians have trouble loving others ,It takes time ,but god works on our hearts.

    There is a ORDER in the new testament for how god wants us to live our christian life :

    1- GODS LOVE FOR US 1 john 4:10
    our knowledge of god's love for us brings about....
    2-OUR LOVE FOR GOD 1 john 4:19
    which results in...........
    3- OUR DEPENENCY UPON GOD john 15:5
    resulting in ...........
    4- OUR OBEDIENCE TO GOD romans 12:1 To love others

    There is nothing wrong with you Danial you are just like all the rest of us christians

    And to say you resigned yourself to hell is so
    ridiculous ! Danial, if jesus is your god than you cant go to hell !
    No man will ever go to hell for his sins only for the sin of rejecting jesus .

    Thank you lord that we are 100% forgiven !

    Respectfully

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  51. Ancient Weaver,
    It's not god that people rebel against its legalistic religion

    " Christians are often quick to condem people who are "rebelling against god" without first looking more closely and asking "what are they rebelling against " Usually people are actualy rebelling against the legalistic religion that has kept them in bondage , not against god himself . When the city dog is running up the street ,is he really running away from his master ? No,he's running away from the fence .he nomaly loves her master . he just hates being penned up .More times than i can count i have found myself talking with " rebellious christians .When i say "tell me about this god you are rebelling against", they tell stories of ugly religion , preasure to conform , and man made standards . My response usualy shocks them :Good ! You should be rebelling against those things !They're not the true god ,and that's not what jesus christ meant when he said he came to give us the abundant life ." I find that these "rebels" are some of the most excited , believers i know once the errors of legalism have been corrected .

    I can see why You said :
    You people nullify the Bible for the sake of your Christian traditions. You honor Jesus with your lips, but your hearts are far from him. You worship him in vain; your teachings are but dogmas taught by conservative preachers.
    Because many people do !
    The baptist say you have to get babtised the pentecostals say you have to speak in toungs to be saved and so forth ,THIS IS NOT TRUE !

    I apologize if it seemed that I was condemning somebody's project I like danial and admire alot of things about him .

    Why did I come here ? It was a calling from the spirit, God must have wanted someone here to hear the truth to set them free from religious bondage
    Respectfully

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  52. Danial ,
    I see alot in your writings that you are always running from things like bigotry but when you run from one of those, something else crops up like anger or sexual desire its alike a big bucket with a hole in it , if you can keep enough water in it before it runs out you will be ok .Heres an idea, why dont you just accept your total forgiveness for all your sin and let jesus do the work in you .

    Legalism. It is any effort on the part of man to earn God’s love and acceptance. Legalism has haunted the Church since its formation. This shouldn’t surprise us. We are all natural born legalists. We inherited this trait from Adam and Eve. It is part of our spiritual DNA. If it wasn’t, we would never fall prey to legalistic teaching.

    Adam and Eve performed the very first legalistic act. After eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they realized they were naked and they sewed fig leaves together for a covering. The next verses reveal why: “And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called to the man and said to him, ‘Where are you?’ And he said, ‘I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself’ (Gen 3:8-10 ESV). They sewed fig leaves together and hid from God because they were afraid.

    Our natural attitude toward God is exactly the same. We come into this world afraid of God, and specifically afraid that He is going to punish us. This fear is the root of legalism. It is what drives most religious activity. We come up with rules and regulations to follow in hopes that our efforts will appease God and make us acceptable in His sight. But they never do, and because the fear continues, man hold tenaciously to these rules on regulations.

    So it is no wonder that legalism was the center of the first controversy within the church. Acts 15 tells the story. Men from Judea were somewhat miffed that Gentiles were being saved just as they were. They began teaching that “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved” (Acts 15:1 ESV). This wasn’t true, but many legalistic souls believed it to be true, and they were going to force these Gentiles to follow their rules.

    It was Peter who stood up in that assembly and told the truth. “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith. Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will” (Acts 15:7-11 ESV).

    Legalism does not open heaven’s doors. It does not earn for us God’s love and acceptance. That is a free gift that comes by grace and grace alone extended to us in the person of Jesus Christ. One would have hoped that Peter’s stand would have ended the argument. It may have on that day, but it didn’t put a stop to legalism. It rages on, and the heart of fear will fan its flames until the Lord returns. But it can come to an end in your life. Any natural born legalist can find rest and peace in the perfect love of God.
    Respectfully

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  53. BTW, I don't call myself anything, not even "Christian." If others want to label me, fine. But putting labels on ourselves, including "Christian" ("of Christ") is denounced, causing divisions, according to both common sense and even the Bible itself! Please see FAQ #25 ("are you religious?") in the website. I am who I am, nothing more, nothing less. How wonderful if we dropped all "-ians", "-isms", "-ists", etc! Even Jesus refused to call himself the Christ when the religious folks tried to pin him down. "My actions testify of me" he says (John 10:24-25). Reality, not words, truly say who we are. I am who I am, the way, the truth, and the life, nothing more, nothing less: no other exists.

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  54. Danial ,
    Wo Now ! sorry for not being "suelo correct" please forgive me
    Anyway its all good no ones perfect I can forgive myself and I know god forgives me
    BTW ,Are you wireless in that cave? because I sure see a lot of post from you and now one at this time of night
    Respectfully

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  55. Danial ,
    I call myself a christian and I think most people can figure it out as one who identifies himself/herself with christ

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  56. Daniel ,
    John 10:24-25 ....I want to point out that jesus was born under the law and TAUGHT UNDER THE LAW this meens that the new testament/new covenant does not begin until the book of acts . Why did Jusus bury us under the law ? To show us OUR NEED FOR HIM that we can not do it on our own .

    John 15:5 5"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

    We are not here to be like christ we are here to let christ live his life through us.

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  57. Christians often spend a lot of energy trying to discern the will of God in their lives. They earnestly seek God's direction in which job to take, how to raise their children, what house to buy, etc. They expect to hear a voice from Heaven with clear, specific instructions for living their lives. If things work out, they attribute it to God's will for them; if they don't, they begin to doubt their faith or, even worse, wonder why God seems unconcerned about them. They become paralyzed with fear and even doubt whether their relationship with God is real.

    Quite simply, the will of God for all believers is to walk by faith in Jesus Christ, allowing Him to live His life through them. As Romans 12:2 explains,

    "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is — His good, pleasing and perfect will

    Romans 12:1-2 is describing an attitude of total surrender. The motivation Paul offers is "in view of God's mercy." What's that? The love and grace of God. In view of God's mercy, the most reasonable, logical thing you can do is to offer yourself without reservation to a God who loves you beyond comprehension.

    Notice that Paul does not talk about commitment. Commitment and surrender are two different things. Commitment is what I am promising to do for God. Surrender is placing myself and my life in His hands to do with as He pleases. We are surrendering ourselves to a loving God and Father, who will take charge of our lives in His perfect wisdom and control. Why would we ever hesitate, once we have learned of His love for us?

    After exhorting us to adopt this attitude, the first thing Paul says is to "be transformed by the renewing of your mind." In other words, allow God to begin teaching your mind His truth to replace the error of natural thinking. Based on His Word, begin looking at yourself and life from God's perspective, rather than from man ?s perspective.

    One of the most fundamental things you are surrendering to Christ is all claim to personal rights. Things like a "right" to happiness, the "right" to be noticed, the "right" for life to be fair, the "right" to be appreciated, the "right" to get your own way.

    There's a very simple reason why this must be so: You can't hold onto your rights and maintain a thankful spirit at the same time. The essence of a life of faith is a thankful heart. It is expressed concisely in a single verse, 1 Thessalonians 5:18, "Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

    Giving thanks is a concrete expression of our faith in God — that our lives are in His hands, and that we are trusting Him to fulfill His promise in Romans 8:28: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." The result of trusting God with our lives and expressing that faith through giving thanks is a freedom and peace that is supernatural:

    Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6,7).

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  58. Continued from above
    If you find yourself wondering whether to accept one job or another, instead of waiting for divine acknowledgment of which to take, spend time thanking God for both opportunities, thanking Him for the choice before you, thanking Him that He will be with you no matter which job you choose, and thanking Him for His promise to work all things together for your good. Then you will begin to experience the peace that comes from living a life of dependence on Him and resting in His good, pleasing and perfect will.
    respectfully

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  59. To all the people that read this blog and comments :

    Don't Take ANYONES word about what the bible says READ THE ....WORDS.... FOR YOURSELF And let gods holy spirit guide you . God bless !

    THE NEW COVENANT encircles everything that christ has accomplised for us through his death ,burial,and resurrection. That is why it is so important for every believer to understand the New Covenant.
    Heb 8:6 -
    But the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, and it is founded on better promises.
    Heb 8:13 -
    By calling this covenant "new," he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear.
    Heb 9:15 -
    For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance--now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.
    MANY PEOPLE COMMINGLE THE OLD TESTAMENT AND THE NEW TESTAMENT ..... THEY TEACH THE OLD TESTAMENT AND THE PSALMS LIKE IT IS DOCTRINE FOR US TODAY
    The definition of commingle is com·min·gle (k-mnggl)
    v. com·min·gled, com·min·gling, com·min·gles
    v.intr.
    To become blended.
    v.tr.
    To cause to blend together; mix.
    * UNDER THE NEW JESUS TOOK AWAY THE SINS OF THE WHOLE WORLD AND HE REMEMBERS THEM NO MORE **
    Mt 1:21 -
    She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."
    2Co 5:19 -
    that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.
    Eph 1:7 - Show Context
    In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace
    Col 1:14 -
    in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
    Heb 7:27 -
    Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself.
    Heb 8:12 -
    For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more."
    Heb 10:17 -
    Then he adds: "Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more."
    1Jo 2:2 -
    He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
    UNDER THE NEW COVENANT THERE IS NO MORE SACRIFICE FOR SIN JESUS DID IT ONCE AND FOR ALL AND HE IS NOT COMMING BACK TO DO IT AGAIN !
    Heb 10:18 -
    And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin.
    UNDER THE NEW COVENANT GOD WARNS US THAT IF WE DONT ACCEPT JESUS SACRIFICE FOR OUR SINS AND QUIT TURNING BACK TO LEAGALISM than all we have to expect is judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.
    Respectfully

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  60. To all ,
    Jesus christ isn't just for the daniel suelos of the world He is for anyone who calls upon his name!

    Daniel perhaps there is the reason you must fight for everyone to see your twisted religious views maby just maby you are afraid to LOOSE YOUR POSITION
    "IF WE LET HIM (JESUS) GO ON LIKE THIS ,EVERYONE WILL BELIEVE IN HIM ,AND THEN THE ROMANS WILL COME AND TAKE AWAY OUR PLACE AND OUR NATION" john 11:48

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  61. Hey everyone look at me, I can copy stuff out of the Bible!

    Yawn,
    Uncle Cracker

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  62. I am amazed at the wisdom of Uncle Cracker. ;)

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  63. Phew, I hadn't been in here for a while and just read through the comments. What the heck happened?

    Pastor Rick Warren was asked by Bill Moyers, what his definition of a "fundamentalist was?"
    Pastor Warren gave the best definition I've ever heard. He said; "a fundamentalist is a person who has stopped listening."

    God inspires various souls for the benefit of us all. Whether it be the Jesus the Buddha or Gandhi, the truth that God reveals in them, is obvious to the soul who has experienced God within. God dwells in us all. If you can't see Him in others, you really don't know Christ.

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  64. What will one sacrifice when he is “in love”? The price is very high when it comes to riches. What would one give in exchange for his soul? Whatever one gives himself to habitually and compulsively is the object of his love. The deception of riches ensnares the one who has a love for it. By what a man is ensnared, by this is he overcome. What has trapped him is his own internal decadence and fallen sense of self-importance.

    Most who attain to great wealth live in their own man-made confines of loneliness and isolation. Private, gated entrances to exclusive properties portray the deeper, underlying reality of what possesses the souls of the rich. Like a top-security prison, the guards of self-centeredness and pride work together as a blockade to those outside its walls. The rich alienate and are alienated by their own insatiable lust for wealth. Their castles turn out to be self-made prisons in which they are beset with many sicknesses from constant financial troubles and anxiety.

    Those who place their confidence in their riches end up spending enormous amounts of time worrying about the potential of losing what they have. They will seek greater investments to secure their wealth. Oh, security! Riches! It is like the wealthy farmer in Luke 12:16-21 who wanted greater and greater wealth in order to guarantee his future prosperity and comfort. In order to secure what he owned, he tore down one barn to build two. “Well done,” the man said to his soul, “Now I have much wealth stored up for many years to come; I can take my ease and eat, drink, and be merry.” What a fool! That night, his soul was demanded of him, and who would enjoy all that he had hoarded for himself?

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  65. Disciples can find no justification in the
    scriptures to be involved in worldly pursuits such
    as personal careers, dream homes, and luxury cars.
    Christ did not concern Himself with saving money
    for retirement or with building an estate. He did
    not strive to have fun, fun, fun, and He did not
    spend money killing time and taking vacations. All
    of His time and energies were spent on glorifying
    His Father in Heaven, establishing the Kingdom of
    God on earth, and fulfilling the purpose He was
    sent to the world to accomplish. Of course, anyone
    who claims to follow Him “ought himself to walk in
    the same manner as He walked” (1 John 2:6).
    You see, without total involvement in God’shouse, we are only living for ourselves, and if
    we are living for ourselves, we have not denied
    ourselves and do not qualify as disciples. Because
    the churches today are not communities of totally
    dedicated disciples, they are instead merely
    religious institutions with professional clergy
    serving their clients, the laity. It is quite inevitable
    that if all are not in full-time service together,
    then others “in the ministry” must meet the needs
    that the part-timers create by being part-timers.
    The result of that system is that the clergy burn
    themselves out and the laity never really have their
    needs met.

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  66. Daniel,
    I thank god for you and your blog ,The communicating here about these issues has helpled me to realise (openend my eyes)to how we are divided ,how the whole dam world is divided about everything causing hate and distrust,Its amazing how god works in our lives thru all people I appolagize for attacking you .
    Respectfully

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  67. The Essence of What's Taught in the Bible

    I'm beginning to think the essence of what was taught in the Bible has to do with the mostly forgotten hunter-gather worldview.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Original_affluent_society

    Domesticated humans over-consume and are burdened with more work than they bargained for. They neglect much in order to maintain what they thought would free them. There's anthropological evidence that the story of the Garden of Eden is one of a transition to agriculture, overpopulation and unsustainable growth.

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1157784/Do-mysterious-stones-mark-site-Garden-Eden.html

    I think we're seeing that now on a larger scale. To be blunt, brainwashed over-consuming corn-fed domesticated cows abound.

    I suggest what we can do now is hold on to very little and hunt for projects that build a network which I describe here:

    http://theperplexity.blogspot.com/2009/12/theory-of-almost-everything.html

    God is looking down on us in this petri dish called Earth. God knows what's evolving. It's been shown that the hunter-gather lifestyle is sustainable but doesn't allow for innovation (aka: evolution of information) quickly. It's also been shown that the agricultural lifestyle does lead to faster evolution (... of information) but the caveat is that our brains have not evolved fast enough to grasp the unsustainable course that agricultural domestication leads to.

    In the Bible, over and over, is the message to lead a simple hunter-gatherer life while at the same time pursuing innovation. Most men would be fine with the hunter-gather-innovation lifestyle. But when it comes to finding a woman to agree to this that's where the human race hits a brick wall. The Garden of Eden story metaphorically recounts the woman picking the apple off the tree of knowledge. The pieces of the story fit. According to UN statistics we've passed the carrying capacity of the Earth in 1987.

    World Footprint Do we fit on the planet?
    http://www.footprintnetwork.org/en/index.php/GFN/page/world_footprint/

    Accord to many scientists by 2030 well begin to see serious shortages due to overpopulation.

    Averting a perfect storm of shortages
    http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8213884.stm

    The hunter-gather-innovation lifestyle rarely happens with most people and because of it we're essentially doomed as The Book of Revelations predicts.

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  68. Suelo:

    Because you are an idealist, I recommend you read the following practical essay about how to manage yourself.

    http://academy.clevelandclinic.org/Portals/40/managingoneself.pdf

    What do you think about it?.

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  69. Beware ,Daniel Suelo Is A Confused man He has his foot in evolution and many religions! Its all about JESUS read the bible for yourself

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  70. Does Daniel Suelo Realy live in a cave ? Have you ever noticed that he post replys here And On other bloggers sites alot! And he even post at night when he supposedly is living in his cave ?
    Daniel suelo is such a doulble minded man and a fake ,Setting himself apart from something none of us can escape! what a dork !
    We can all see thru you daniel

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  71. to anonymous @12:15am;
    Why is it that people like you,who don't seem to have a clue themselves, are always calling people like Suelo a fake?? If you don't like Daniel, or this site, your are more than welcome to leave;and should you decide to stay, climb out from your cloak of anonymity,and have the courage to take responsibility for your childish insults!

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  72. >Anonymous said...
    >Does Daniel Suelo Realy live in a cave ? Have >you ever noticed that he post replys here And >On other bloggers sites alot! And he even post >at night when he supposedly is living in his >cave ?

    Did it ever occure to you that Daniel doesn't spend 24/7 in a cave, and the public library has computers, not to mention the homes of his friends where he sometimes house sits?

    Hope this helps

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  73. You anonymous folks are welcome to come to Moab & meet me or live with me & discuss with me, if you like, to see who I am, what I do. My life's an open book. Of course that would mean giving up your anonymity.

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  74. Suelo did you read the essay by Peter Drucker?. Do you find any use in it?.

    I had my doubts because you are an idealist, anyway you could learn a few things.

    For instance are you a listener or a reader?. And what is your learning style?.

    I am guessing you are a reader and your learning style is talking with yourself. Am I right?.

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  75. Be impeccable with your word.
    Don't take anything personally.
    Don't make assumptions.
    Always try your best.
    Toltec wisdom.
    Free yourself.

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  76. Wow! The floodgates of dogmatic Christianity have opened onto this site! I guess Suelo committed the sin of attempting to integrate a variety of belief systems into something that's meaningful and functional for him.

    I have trouble understanding how any Christian could object to the suggestion that it's more important to live by the Ten Commandments than it is to plaster them all over public places. I'm not a Christian, but the only problem I have with the Ten Commandments is that Christians don't do a better job of applying them to their own lives. After all, how many Christians ignore the "Thou Shalt Not Kill" commandment when they vote for warmonger politicians, eat meat, or drive a car (think of all those insects and other forms of road kill).

    All I'm saying is that true Christians should apply the concepts of the Bible to their own lives rather than getting wrapped up in all the stuff that has accummulated in the Bible over the centuries (much of it for the sake of political expediency rather than because it's the inspired word of God). They should also concentrate on their own relationship with God rather than worrying about the perceived shortcomings the rest of us have in our relationships with God.

    Namaste, Y'all!

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  77. I agree with most of what you say Ken, but I would like to make a couple of points.
    The Ten Commandments are from the Old Testament and apply to Jew and Christian alike, and I may be mistaken but, also the Quran.
    Also, the commandment you speak of, "thou shalt not kill" is actually "thou shall not murder" according to all the ancient texts. In other parts of the Bible it clearly states that God put animals here for our nourishment and sustenance.
    Not trying to be a hair splitting prick and what I have written may also be in error.

    Just as you have said, "every time you point your finger at someone else, ya got three pointing back at you!"

    Uncle Cracker

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  78. You beat me to it Uncle Cracker. Christians are not vegetarian, to celebrate Easter Sunday they eat lamb, and remember the multiplication of the fishes mention in the bible etc.

    With Jesus Christ was added a new commandment 'you shall love your neighbour as yourself', but the difficulty it's alway came applying them in the real life. I talk alway from the Roman Catholic point of view as where my upbringing, but I'm not an expert in Christianity. The problem is that RC church let people in ignorance, not long ago the mass was only in Latin language, and the mysticism is completely out of the equation, that IMHO it's where the real wisdom came from and we don't need religious institution as intermediaries. I've to learn about mystic from easter religions. Ana

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  79. Excellent points Uncle Cracker!

    I don't think you're splitting hairs- it's useful to discuss the distinction between "kill" and 'murder".

    From my secular Buddhist perspective, life should be valued regardless of the species that embodies that life. Taking life is necessary in order to live, but it's not something to be taken lightly.

    Also, I realize that I was doing some finger pointing as well. That's okay though, because I could stand to do a better job with applying the same principles to my life.

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  80. Either you believe jesus is GOD or you don't - No one knows if there is a god, let alone if the bible is real or jesus is god and the savior of the world . If you decide to enter this world of the bible god says we have to enter by faith ...I believe jesus is god so only someone who is ANTICHRIST would call me a dogmatist .......Think about it.....
    Either your in with us or your not

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  81. daniel ,
    Im the " Anonymous" so called dogmatist guy who has been posting here ....My name is john and I live in an apartment in portland oregon I don't care if you know who I am LOL , I would love to meet you .
    Please don't get me wrong I think it's pretty cool the way you choose to live in a cave and I have seen pictures and the videos of you, You are a realy good guy !,You got your point across and I agree that money is just an illusion but, That will never change, We are not here for that, we are here to let jesus live his life thru us ! faith expessing itself thru love thats whats important! Jesus isn't in the business of fixing nations or money systems he's in the business of saving people .

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  82. Jesus Is god . Think about that ....JESUS is the ONLY way! If you believe what the Holy Bible says ..... Pastor Rick Warren, Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Vivekenanda, Ramakrishna, Mother Theresa, Buddha, Kabir, Rumi, Peace Pilgrim .These people will never get you into heaven

    It baffles me why people turn JESUS away ..he loved us first and he loves us so much

    1- GODS LOVE FOR US 1 john 4:10
    our knowledge of god's love for us brings about....
    2-OUR LOVE FOR GOD 1 john 4:19
    which results in...........
    3- OUR DEPENENCY UPON GOD john 15:5
    resulting in ...........
    4- OUR OBEDIENCE TO GOD romans 12:1

    Unbelief seems to run deep for those folks that "think they are smart"

    One of Albert eisteins students once asked him how smart the smartest people on earth wher his reply "the smartest people to ever walk on the face of the earth Knew about 3% of the knowledege to be known in the universe "

    Sory to say that None of us are to smart .

    Either we believe in the bible or we throw it out ...each has to make his/her own choice

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  83. Who are alex jones ,jesse ventura and the other so called constitutionalist are working for , are they realy for the people or are they working for ther elite ? why are people required to register to get access to alex jones web site ? my opinion is that its a trap for the powers to identify hard core patriots .
    The new world order is REAL It would take millions and millions all on the same page to stop it But ,that won't happen ,the mainstream media (owned by elite powers ) have been programming us for years . Many People are freaked out about loosing freedom and becoming slaves of tyrants But ,I say "whats new ?" You and I and all of us have been slaves all our lives ,Slaves of our bosses 'bosses are slaves to customers ,slaves to taxes ,slaves to our landlords,slaves to mandatory car insurance ,slaves for love . The only thing that will change (other than being rounded up and taken to FEMA camps) that will make us total slaves is taking "the mark" so they can completely controll our lifes ....

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  84. Just another type of reality check. When we were all young children, before we could talk, before we could form concepts, there was a basic pure consciousness that we all had. When undisturbed by the body's numerous needs like: food, sleep, changing, attention etc., we all reverted to a sense of wonder and amazement, witnessing this world of consciousness. When we all enter stage 4, delta sleep (deep sleep) there is no consciousness of 'I' or of existence. So there is no consciousness of this body or a world or a universe.

    The entire human identity world, including the idea of an 'I' or 'me' requires what we call waking consciousness for any of it to have any relative reality.

    In fact all reality in the human world is based on the thinking or concepts that are built on this idea of an 'I'. Emotions also are concepts, fear being one of, if not THE most powerful concept.

    The idea of love and the idea of oneness and the idea of salvation are also concepts. The images and concepts that dance through our thoughts when a name such as Jesus, Mohammed or Gandhi can be powerful, indeed. But still just images, concepts, labels.

    Going back into deep sleep where I disappear and a luminous silence reigns is the end of all this superficial imagery which starts all the bickering. Here we are all the same and there is no one to say any different.

    One who remains deeply in the silence of their own existence, absent thought, for an extended time will have amazing experiences that are pretty much indescribable. Some (trying to describe it) call this state meditation, others like the Carthusian monks in France call it the, "Prayer of Silence".

    The description that almost all have of this state (if authentically entered) is usually something along the lines of: Love, God, Christ, Tawheed, beauty, eternal etc.. etc...This is the state that prophets exited and described as a oneness with God.

    Enough humble surrender and enough practice, (which is true faith), and this state is present in waking consciousness at all times. Then "Love God, Love your neighbor as yourself" is no longer something to try but it becomes a description of who I am. Then life gets real simple, real easy.

    We all have this inside of us, like it or not it's our reality minus thought. Being close to this unites, straying far away divides and causes judgement.

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  85. Ditto, Michael.

    Jesus said, "By their fruit you will know them." He didn't say, "By their vocabulary you will know them." Gandhi, a Hindu, lived Jesus' teachings. Pat Robertson talks about Jesus being God, yet shits on his teachings. Jesus' parable: One son says and acts not. One son doesn't say and yet acts. Read your own Gospels and ask yourself if you've ever heard any televangelist anywhere preach them, much less live them. How often has Billy Graham implored anybody to distribute his or her possessions to the poor? The Gospels are called the Evangels, yet why won't most "Gospel preachers", "Evangelists", even touch the Gospels with a ten foot pole?

    Have you ever wondered why, if other religions are so evil, there is no record of Jesus ever denouncing any other religion, even though Palestine was a melting pot of bizarre religions? In fact, he told the "Bible believers" more than once that publicans and sinners would enter the kingdom before them, and that he saw more faith outside his own religion (Israel) than within it. This enraged the "Bible believers." Today Jesus(common sense Reality) says the same: there is more faith outside of Christianity than within it. Jesus gave the parable of the Good Samaritan (Samaritanism was another religion despised by the orthodox) to drive home the point that a heretic knew the way of Eternal Life.

    The Word comes to its own, and its own does not receive it.

    So let's run with the idea that Jesus is God. If Jesus is God, then Jesus is Omnipresent, meaning there's no place Jesus does not exist, that Jesus is Existence itself, "the Word by which all things consist," "the same yesterday, today, and forever." No human being was or can ever be the same one moment to the next. The baby in a manger became an adult! If Jesus is a single human, why is Jesus called the first to rise from the dead when Lazarus & droves of others resurrected before Jesus the man? Why does Jesus say, "All who preceded me are impostors?" Did Moses & Jeremiah precede Jesus?

    Yes, worship a single man in history and you worship a package Jesus came in, not the true Jesus. This is why Jesus says to those who claim to believe him, "I was hungry, and you didn't feed me; I was in prison, and you didn't visit me."

    The Way, the Truth, and the Life is right in front of you, in the flesh. It's the Name above all names, un-speakable by human lips. "The name that can be spoken is not the Eternal Name" the Tao Te Ching says.

    My whole point is that if we actually practice Jesus' teachings, we can't help but get this. We can't help but see, as the Bible states, that "Christ is all and in all." What could be more pantheist than that! We can't help but see that Christ is Buddha is Krishna is Allah. We can't help but keep the Golden Rule, to consider that others' religious beliefs could be true, with the same open mind we expect them to look upon our own! Miss the Golden Rule and we miss everything, regardless how much we harp on Jesus being God. We can't help but see our very neighbor is Jesus, come in the flesh, right now. If you don't love your neighbor as yourself, you deny Christ in the flesh, and you are antichrist. This is the entire message of 1 John. This was Mother Theresa's message. You can't love God whom you can't see if you don't love your neighbor whom you can see. You must see your neighbor as your Self as Christ. There is no other way, no other truth, no other life, to God, to Reality. This is the fundamentals of the very Bible the "fundamentalists" reject.

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  86. I would not put Pat Robertson and Billy Graham at the same level. Besides, asking people to renounce their wordly posessions is extreme, eccentric and offensive. Except for a few lucky souls ready for that kind of message.

    I understand Suelo's extreme views, but asking everyone to share his views is abusive and ridiculous.

    Life is diverse, otherwise it would be boring as hell. It would be intolerable to see millions of people like Suelo walking the earth, there needs to be balance in everything.

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  87. "If Jesus is God, then Jesus is Omnipresent, meaning there's no place Jesus does not exist, that Jesus is Existence itself, "the Word by which all things consist,"

    "Christ is all and in all."





    'I' (everyone's sense of 'I') is an illusion,
    Only Christ is REAL.

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  88. I must admit, I like Billy Graham, always have. But any literate who reads Jesus' teachings knows Billy doesn't preach the Gospel Jesus preached.

    Perhaps you're right, Miguel; but why do droves of people in the West claim to follow the one who says many things like, "No one can be my follower who does not give up all he owns." The Bible is the most popular book in the whole world, for God's sake. And droves of people in the east claim to follow the Buddha who taught the same.

    Facing this question & our own honesty is what this is all about.

    The fruit speaks for itself. We know the world already can't tolerate our lifestyle of possessions, extremist beyond extremes. Nature's creatures, without possessions, are extreme relative to our extremist society.

    Ironically, it was Buddha, who lived without house & possessions & taught simplicity, as Jesus did, who coined the term "the Middle Way", the way between extremes.

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  89. Interestingly, many great souls. Ramana Maharshi, Bankei, Hakuin. Huang Po, even Buddha and many others renounced their comfortable lives for something greater. After the something greater was attained they all said that extreme renunciation was unnecessary, but renunciation of the 'I' was absolutely necessary. The Middle Way indeed.

    Yet we seldom hear of the great householder renunciates of the 'I'. Maybe Vimalakirti in the Zen tradition is all that comes to mind.

    I still naturally move towards simplicity. I'm pretty damn close to to living in a cave. The less possessions I have the more time & space for simply Being. A self fulfilling paradise.

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  90. Jesus didn't oppose money either ,and the word consciousness isn't even in the bible.
    God created all things But , thats not what will get you to heaven .We are spiritualy dead and only jesus can give life Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned— Ephesians 2:1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins

    jesus is the bridge to spiritual life ,No one but jesus can give spiritual life
    John 11:25-26
    25Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

    26And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?


    john 3 16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,[a] that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

    John from portland

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  91. Ramana Maharshi, Bankei, Hakuin. Huang Po, Buddha ........I wouldn't elevate these people and call them "great soals " No one is good not even one ...There is not one good person on earth. No one is good but God. (Luke 18:19)

    When we die we won't be measured by the good deeds we have done in our own power ,by how many people loved us and said good things about us at our funeral ,or even that we got drunk 100 times after we became a follower of jesus
    We will be measured only by what we allowed jesus to do through us . The chaff will be burned
    Matthew 3:12
    His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire."

    In the new testament/new covenant Its all what he did and none of what we do
    We arn't in the equation

    John from portland

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  92. Here is a great article and overview on the institution of debt http://www.eurozine.com/articles/2009-08-20-graeber-en.html

    It seems quite relevant to this blog.

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  93. I concur, Michael :)

    It seems to me that many hard core Christians confuse Jesus the man with Jesus the concept. Suelo keeps saying: "By their fruit you will know them." which I interpret as meaning that it's what we do with our lives that shows what's in our hearts. It's more important to me to follow Jesus' example in how I treat people and live my life than to profess belief in Jesus.

    Jesus was one of several exemplary people in the course of history who set great examples that we can follow to do the best we can in this existence, which means coming as close to heaven as possible. As someone who believes in reincarnation (even if it's just the nutrients in our bodies being recycled into other life forms), I think that heaven and hell only exist in terms of what we make of this existence. (I'm speaking from experience: I've been to both heaven and hell in this lifetime.) Following Jesus' example would go a long way toward making making the worldly aspects of this existence conducive to reaching a state of heaven in this and future lives. It's my understanding that Buddha provides a better example of how to produce a state of mind that's conducive to experiencing heaven in a greater variety of worldly conditions.

    I'm not "antiChrist" as one of these anonymous posters suggests- I simply don't believe that Christ is the only way. Also, as far as being with you or against you, I am with you even if you don't recognize it.

    Also, I know that no one here really cares about my beliefs, but I feel a need to offer them in the interest of furthering understanding. There are a lot of good, decent people out there who want the salvation of all beings, but who believe that historical figures other than Jesus have something to contribute to that end. I simply wish to offer my own beliefs as an example of that type of perspective.

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  94. John from Portland said,
    "Jesus didn't oppose money either..."

    He gives verses to support his other points but doesn't spend anytime defending this one. I think this discussion would be well served if we focused on all the verses in the Bible that people might use to support amassing more than they need.

    If myself and others have a complete catalog of these Biblical verses I think it would go a long way to help all of us understand the role of over-consumption in the Bible and our world.

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  95. I agree Michael. I know that there is a trend toward seeing material wealth as a blessing from God in American Christianity today. This article in the Atlantic describes it: http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2009/12/did-christianity-cause-the-crash/7764/

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  96. Jesus was very tolerant with people of other religions, as can be read in the Bible.

    Interestingly this doesn't happen with some people who call themselves christians.

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  97. I was reading about politics for the last few months I have never realy been into politics never paid much attention,I found it amazing how much these people in politics outright lie to us ,using propaganda to pursuade us. Anyway it seems that EVERYONE(including me at times ) has a reason to lie to protect something they value .Arnold Schwarzenegger Has been comming under fire lately people have been exposing the person that he realy is ... I was reading an article and, in an interview he said:

    "At that point, I didn't think about money. I thought about the fame, about just being the greatest. I was dreaming about being some dictator of a country or some savior like Jesus . . .

    I couldn't help not to think about Daniel Suelo after reading that part of the interview that Arnold gave and I had to ask myself these questions .

    Does Daniel love the attention that he gets ?

    Does Daniel have some grandiose dream of being a legend ?

    Why does daniel realy do what he does ?

    From everything I have read from daniel I sence that its all about "daniel the great " and none of jesus death, burial and resurection
    No disrespect
    John from portland

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  98. The people here seem to be on a vision quest. The bible says to make every effort to enter gods rest
    WHAT IS THE BELIEVERS REST? It is a deep sense of satisfaction, contentment and piece in who we are in Christ.

    We are 100% forgiven ! All our sins past present and future god remembers no more

    He came to give us LIFE !

    Thank you jesus !
    John from portland

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  99. It's fun to assume the worst in people.

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  100. Its fun to assume that everyone involved in corporations and banks can't be doing it right if their not doing it the suelo way .
    John from portland

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  101. Daniel ,
    You are the definition of a true hypocrite.
    No disrespect
    John from portland

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  102. John, we are all hypocrites. It's impossible to don't have a bias of some sort.

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  103. Miguel,
    You are right. You admit it ,I admit it ,Im not sure if daniel has admitted it.

    Jesus had harsh words for the Self rightious hypocrites

    "But woe unto you, scribes and pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.

    Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters

    of the law, judgment, mercy and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.

    Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.

    Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

    Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, and say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.

    John from portland

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  104. I should have said that daniel is the definition of a proud, conceited, Pretentious, haughty, hypocrite.
    No disrespect
    John from portland

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  105. I don't know, I still have the doubt if Suelo is a true sage or a fame seeking pretender.

    At least he seems honest, intelligent and a man that respects his principles. Besides that, I don't know.

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  106. self-righteousness is no respecter of persons. It reaches to the religious and the irreligious; the “buttoned down” and the “untucked.” The entire Bible reveals how shortsighted all of us are when it comes to our own sin. For example, it was easy for Jonah to see the idolatry of the sailors. It was easy for him to see the perverse ways of the Ninevites. What he couldn’t see was his own idolatry, his own perversion.

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  107. The second most infringing entity this world has created to separate man from even knowing his Creator are the religious systems themselves. Religions were started with the good intention of helping individuals get closer to their Heavenly Father, but unfortunately, the forces against the Level Above Human (Next Level) came in very quickly to distort any truth or reality of what the Kingdom of God is -- so much so that when His Representatives (Ti & Do) came, they were ignored and mocked. They simply restated the same information brought 2000 years ago -- that all aspects of human mammalian behavior must be overcome and replaced with the ways of the Kingdom of Heaven. The Creator does not need humans or those in service to him to use primitive techniques to create vehicles for the mind. That is what is meant by there is no marriage or giving in marriage in the Kingdom of Heaven. There is no gender and no need to reproduce because new members are those who graduate from the human kingdom into the Next Level. So, logically, an individual needs to drop reproductive desires and replace them with desires to be of service to their Heavenly Father. In the Bible, it quite aptly explains how when two individuals marry, their concerns must be on pleasing their mate and taking care of their offspring instead of completing any personal change necessary for membership into the Kingdom Heaven. I know I don't understand all the reasons why so many humans have felt to ignore the signs and warnings of what is about to occur, but I know that when they awaken from their sleep to the reality of the Next Level, it will probably come as a very harsh awakening.

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  108. We are simply the plants in a huge garden plot and we are experiencing all aspects of that garden from the birds and animals that peck at us to the insects that in some ways help us to propogate by spreading our seed to those that eat our bodies as well as consume and strangle us, that in a real sense help us to grow stronger if it doesn't kill us and if it were not for the humans (next level workers seen but not evident by the eyes we don't have - as plants, but felt to degrees by their breath and caring upon us) who kill some of the bugs and create barriers against the birds and animals (including humans as humans are animals, thus why some think humans are less evolved than animals is really because they are not more evolved, though they as opposed to other strains have a greater capasity to "know better" and change their less than constructive behaviours and to really understand, if they bust through the confusion that they are superceded by beings that are significantly "above" them and have been given many examples from which to draw to that affect) so to allow those plants that are doing their best under the circumstance to thrive and yeild fruit/sprouts, become beautifuly flowers and provide aromas that heal and colors that heal and even nourishment in "service" to that which planted them to begin with (though they only come to KNOW that when they have been given that knowledge) but that their essence, their soul that is growing along side their temporary container then by the amount of "faith" (evidence of things unseen) are able to join the gardeners in a NEW LIFE everlasting - no longer limited to the same things a plant is limited to and thus an entire new experience BUT for those that never received which is actually no one as all received something related to recognition that the gardeners exist but over many opportunitys chose to NOT keep looking for the evidences of it as they got so entrenched in their ways to include mental pathways with walls and filters to keep from changing, that for all intents and purposes they have imposed a final death sentence to themselves not knowing the key to the door that can allow them to leave the garden when it's time to turn over the soil.

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  109. Say to yourself, "Everyday my vehicle is getting healthier and happier and in better
    control." And follow up the words with imagining yourself having a healthier body, a
    happier body and in perfect control of it.

    Ask yourself, "What can I do to make my classmates happy?" Forget about your personal
    problems, try to make someone else happy. Be magnetic-What is magnetism? It’s the Power to
    give out! It is vitality, it is sincere interest in your classmates-You cannot be
    self-centered and be magnetic. You cannot think only of the gratification of your own
    desires and be magnetic. Goodness gives out a current of Goodness, and all who come within
    its aura are attracted to it. Selfishness, jealousy, hate, are layers of insulation around
    a magnet. They not only shut off all Goodness from going out, but they keep any from
    getting in. A selfish person, a jealous person, and angry an angry person, has no
    magnetism. He has shut off his own current, and insulated himself against any goodness
    from the outside.

    Release the feeling of goodness toward each and every annoying thing as though it was the
    best thing that ever happened to you. You will be amazed at the results that come from
    this little game, because in goodness, no matter how tiny the grain of it, there is
    unlimited power for good, and it is never wasted.

    You have heard the old saying that a soft answer turneth away wrath? This game has the
    same principle incorporated in it, with a lot more added to it. Non-resistance is one
    thing, but by itself it is negative. Add your thoughts of praise and thoughts of blessings
    to it, and you turn it into a positive force for good.

    Don’t forget that it is the Next Level’s way to approach everything that you do with your
    best and most positive effort, and then whatever comes as a result of that effort can only
    be a positive lesson.

    I am a member of the Kingdom of Heaven. I am only a member of the Kingdom of Heaven. I was
    sent here to do a task. I want to complete that task as quickly as possible. I want to at
    all times remember who I am, what that task is and its urgency until we sit together again.

    My body is not a house for any negative or lower thoughts-or minds of this planet-most
    especially any critical or negative feelings directed at my Teachers or any of my
    Classmates.

    It(my body) is only a house for positive, healing and happy thoughts for it is performing
    a task for the Next Level.

    Put yourself in a frame of mind that would make you feel what a member of the Next Level
    feels. Make yourself feel that you are in the actual presence of an Older member. Yearn to
    be like Him, to emanate what He emanates. Force your mind to soar to such height that your
    thoughts and conduct are pleasing in His sight. Feel that He can see right through you and
    make yourself hold onto a calmness, a humility and a deep joy knowing you are a child in
    that same Kingdom. Don’t let any worries or thoughts of the human world distract you or
    enter your mind. Just sit there until you actually feel what it feels like to be in His
    presence-hoping He is pleased with your efforts. Hold onto this feeling for some minutes
    until you actually feel that your vibrations are acceptable to Him. Then very carefully
    and slowly as you leave your spot of meditation take that feeling with you. It should
    cause you to have a strong-quiet glow in your countenance. Learn to hold that glow with
    you and when it begins to dissipate it’s time to repeat the meditation and restore that
    feeling. Each time it should get stronger and last longer.

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  110. The Evolutionary Level Above Human, the true Kingdom of God, the "Headquarters" of all that is, is a many-membered Kingdom which physically exists in the highest, most distant Heaven - a non-temporal place (outside of time, and therefore with eternal life). It is the only place from which souls, life, and all creating originates. Being non-temporal, it was, is, and forever will be - a concept that temporal creatures are not designed to comprehend. This "Next Level" Kingdom designed the "temporal" world outside its "borders" and designed temporal creatures for souls to inhabit while in the human "classroom." If the soul survives and moves forward through all its tests along the way - it can, with the help of a Member of the Level Above Human, lose its temporal characteristics and become a part of their non-perishable, non-corruptible world.

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  111. Where in the world did you come up with all this stuff anonymous lol I have strange thoughs to, heres one that Ive had - I was gazing up at the stars and thinking, with a universe so vast with billions of galaxies maby we came from another planet maby every living thing was carried in to earth on a comet .
    I have had all kinds of thoughts like this And if we are intellectually honest ,no one knows if there is a god but, I have decided to believe by faith (Hebrews 11:6 NIV
    And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.)in the holy bible therfore I can't go by my thoughts ,I have to READ THE WORDS of the bible .
    I became a believer of christ about 3 years ago and the holy spirit has taught me that after jesus died a new covenant came into affect

    Hebrews 9:16 17NIV
    16 In the case of a will, it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, 17 because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living.
    Hebrews 15
    15 For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance--now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.

    Under the new covenant Christ died and took away the sins of the whole world once and for all
    1 John 2:2 NIV
    He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

    Jesus is the final sacrifice for sins
    Hebrews 9:26 NIV
    Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.

    We are 100% forgiven by god because of what jesus did for us.
    Mt 1:21 -
    She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."
    2Co 5:19 -
    that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.
    Eph 1:7 -
    In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace
    Col 1:14 -
    in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
    Heb 7:27 -
    Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself.
    Heb 8:12 -
    For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more."
    Heb 10:17 -
    Then he adds: "Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more."
    1Jo 2:2 -

    Jesus came to give us life !
    john 5 39 40
    You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me to have life

    2 Corinthians 3:6 NIV
    He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant--not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

    John 10:10 NIV
    The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

    What you or anyone else decides to believe is your business ive decided to believe in jesus and have been called a "dogmatist " here but, im used to it jesus said it would happen

    Matthew 24:9 NIV
    "Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me.

    John from portland

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  112. I don't think you will be persecuted or hated here John. Just don't get pissed if Suelo's Karma runs over your dogma!

    Try to keep an open mind and chillax !!!
    Uncle Cracker

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  113. If we could apply this wonderful quote to our daily life it could transform the world; A Eistain in 'The World As I See It':"How strange is the lot of us mortals! Each of us is here for a brief sojourn; for what purpose he knows not, though he sometimes thinks he sense it. But without deeper reflection on knows from daily life that ONE EXISTS FOR OTHER PEOPLE - first of all for those upon whose smiles and well-being our own happiness is wholly dependent, and then for the many, unknown to us, to whose destinies we are bound by the tyes of sympathy. A HUNDRED TIMES EVERYDAY I REMIND MYSELF THAT MY INNER AND OUTTER LIFE ARE BASED ON THE LABORS OF OTHER MEN, LIVING AND DEAD, I MUST EXERT MYSELF IN ORDER TO GIVE IN THE SAME MEASURE AS I HAVE RECEIVED AND AM STILL RECEIVING ..." amen : ) Ana

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  114. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  115. "God can not be grasped, except through love." Author of "The Cloud of Unknowing."

    If you know God, you will come to love as he loves, because you will become one with him.

    To know God is to see God in others.

    I'm a Catholic, but I see the truths in other religious teachings. Even Pope John Paul II said, these religions although not Catholic, have germs of truth that we can learn from.

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  116. Let's see, we have all these Anonymous detractors and we have Suelo whose life is an open book. I can be 99.99% certain that Suelo is not after my money but I have no such certainty with the others. If I had something really important I wanted to share or discuss who would I choose. Miguel, Portand John or Suelo. Jesus please give me the answer!

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  117. If you need to ask a man that died 2.000 years ago...

    Good luck.

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  118. I'm saying the end result of this discussion is that I would trust Suelo more with things that matter to me. I would imagine that many others faced with the same information would conclude the same. Certainly not to the Portland Bible-Jack.

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  119. Good for you, it probably has to do with the fact your values are similar or compatible with Suelo's. It's easier to confide in someone who shares your way of thinking.

    However not everyone would feel the same as you do, myself included.

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  120. Michael,
    I know it's hard to love some people but, you will know when you are on the right track when you hear gods word saying-

    "Come now, let us reason together,"

    "The foremost is, 'Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is one Lord; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.' "The second is this, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." (NAS, Mark 12:28-31)

    That is if you believe in JESUS.

    John from portland

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  121. I confess that I am guilty of lacking in the love department, I hated people that I was threatend by ,I laughed at people who were suffering because it made me feel better and much more but, God never lets me get away with it , The second I do it I can hear the words of god saying JESUS loves you and he loves them to! I died for them all , Get off your self rightious high horse !

    John from portland

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  122. Michael,
    I bet you would like me if we ever met ,god has done so much work in me over the last 3 years, I am a very humble loving man I have so much compassion and love for all people just welling up inside me ,ITS INCREDIBLE! . Jesus is so good and he loves us so much.

    However , Im not out to be a people pleaser ,I tell the truth of the bible, Jesus death, burial And resurrection because thats what the holy spirit taught me , and im not going to buy into all the commingling of all these other religions BS but,like ive said many times here "Im not trying to tell you how to believe thats your business "

    Get your bible (if you have one ) and read the scriptures that I have posted God will show you your complete 100% forgiveness in jesus christ.
    Thats right, god took away the sins of the WHOLE WORLD ! all of your sin past ,present and future god will remember no more ! Thats the kind of god we have a LOVING god !

    If you need more information I will send it to you

    John from portland

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  123. I have to say that Miguel has many great points but ,I think I have an Idea why so many rejected and attaced him for his point of view instead of learning from it Because , He's right .
    John from portland

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  124. Ah, finally! I've been waiting for a person like you to acknowledge this, John!

    I've felt endeared to Miguel all along because he has an unusual honesty. I missed him when he was gone for a bit. I get a kick out of his swinging back and forth between deriding me and flattering me. He has admitted all along that he loves money and he doesn't mask his love of money under religious words of piety. He doesn't pretend to love both God and Mammon. That's rare. You and he have recognized your kindred spirit, though a total difference in vocabulary.

    I'm astonished how beautiful it is how all the players in the drama have come to splendidly act out what is talked about in the post above! It's an ancient drama, over and over.

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  125. I was wrong when I said Miguel was right about everything he has said but, he has hit on many truths and exposed some bull shit , sometimes people don't like to hear the truth and they attack or stand up for the person being attacked . It is interesting how we deride people then turn around with a change of heart .
    There is good in us all
    John from portland

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  126. "There is good in us all."
    Ah, Yes!
    "There is only One Good":
    in us all.

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  127. Satan is not Reality? Satan never punished humans for being human...unlike God, who wants them to be puppets and then dangle the "free will" carrot in front of them just to perpetuate the illusion of freedom. "You all have free will, but break a rule I pulled out of my butt at a whim sometime last week and the lot of ya are going to burn!" It's like that rant George Carlin had on religion, the one that ends in "--But he loves you!"

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