Thursday 21 September 2017

Be Perfect! - You Who Consider Your-selves To Be Spiritual/Christian...



It is annoying when "Christians" excuse them-selves by saying "the church is made up of imperfect people". This is in response to any criticism about the hypocrisy of "Christians". The quotations are used to stress the over-use or misuse of the term "Christian". So what did Christ, the founder of this religion say on the subject of lame excuses and imperfection?

In perhaps the most radical part of the gospels, the beatitudes, Jesus stresses the ethical and moral demands of the gospel. He goes far beyond the Jewish Law, though he does not invalidate it, to stress the righteousness and love of those who want to follow him. Christ condemns the religious leaders [why don't "Christians"/others do this today? Rather, they follow them without question - the very thing Christ condemned]. Demanding a righteousness greater than the leaders, Jesus called for a total sacrificing of the ego - the self - to give - to love the other.

As the meme says, love, not retaliation must dominate the spiritual person's life. But it's so hard! Did Christ say, "oh it's okay, you're not perfect...don't worry about it"? No! Rather he said "Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect". [Mt. 5:48 NIV]. No excuses. No whining. No choice.

This is the gospel. It is not some lame prayer etc. It is living - be-ing right-eous. Reading the bible, going to church/temple etc. are not righteous acts, nor do they necessarily "bring about" righteousness.  It is about love. It is love. The Jews didn't see a separation between "spiritual" and everyday life. We need to be "holy" in all we do. We need to love our neighbours in all we do. That includes big issues like driving, flying, having two homes, polluting, trying to make society equal [eg. increase taxes on rich/corporations], getting involved in community/political actions, etc. And, of course, our righteous acts need to take into account the nonhuman population, the air, land, water...and our impact on "them".

We need to feel un-comfortable. We need to be perfect. It is work. It is necessary. It is love [a verb].

Monday 7 August 2017

Super Easy Spirituality: Come Fly With Us!


Feigned spirit-u-ality
applied to any-thing
one desires
key word: desire

You can fly to California
to some "holy" mountain
and "erase" the pollution
by sending "positive" thoughts

And if somebody points out the contra-dict-i-on
you attack them for being negative
and mock them
and tell them how great and good you are

Masked greed and self-ish-ness
passed off as better, higher, holy
yet the act-i-on devours
the air, land, water

Some think conscious-ness
comes through revelation and suffering
evolving to DENY the self
and to serve the rest of Creation

Yet many others follow the mantra:
123 I can surpass real-i-t-y
I can fly above the masses
I am invincible

Yet the poor may differ in their perspective
1000000000 without food DAILY
Their land, air, water ripped up
So you can fly

Be-come a shaman or goddess
a few QUICK easy steps
you have reached en-light-en-ment!
yet your eyes are blind to the suffering

You cause
you justify
you lie to your-self
and all of creation

Peace be with you
you are [a] god or goddess
you are shame-full
you need to repent

You need to listen
to the cry of creation 
gasping 
suffering

You need to suffer
to learn com-passion [feel with]
to give up privilege 
to give up ego

Buddha, Jesus, Micah
tell us to deny our self-ish desires
to put the other [and Creation] first
to fly above desire

Then perhaps we can be spiritual
then we will be living truth
then we will not lie to our-selves
then we will stop murdering

Monday 22 May 2017

Dirty Girl: Purity Cults "Exposed"!

It is amazing that some still think sex is dirty...oh, I mean unless in marriage. So how is it that suddenly it becomes "holy" or acceptable. What is the logic here? There is not any logic here - it is dogma taught by religions, parents, nations that want to control. Sex is very power-ful and fills the controlling with fear.

So how can it be "wrong" to show love? Most religions say to love one an-other. Hmmm. So it's ok to tease, go "so far" etc. = torture. But it is wrong to give your-self to another? Hmm.



Of course, we need discretion. With all the date rape [about 4/10 girls in Canadian universities experience some form of sexual abuse or rape], precautions need to be taken [like putting chastity belts on men]. This huge topic can't be explored now. So in a loving  relationship, how can it be wrong to show love through touch?

Some may cite a few - yes - only a few exist - passages in the New Testament. Of course the verses will be taken out of context - to support the doctrine. But once again, most of issues like culture, language, history, power, etc. will be ignored. The entire bible will be dismissed in favour of a few verses.Good ole PAC theology [Pick and Choose].

Let's look at most of the "great" men of the bible. Certainly having more than one wife and as many concubines [unmarried baby machines] was the goal. Why? This showed wealth and power. Women had no rights and men most often were disgusted to even have sex - such as St. Augustine. Regardless, having sex was not some moral sin like some extremists say today.

So to stay pure, you don't have premarital sex. So if you don't exercise, smoke, eat crap food, polluting your body, you are still "pure"?

So you drive and pollute the air but you are still pure?

So you bomb Iraq and kill 2000000000 for oil and for hegemonic reasons and you are still pure?

James says "true and pure religion is controlling  your tongue and caring for the poor and widows". Nothing about sex - but about giving of one-self to help others.

Jesus stresses giving of one-self, sacrificing for one an-other. We are to die to ourselves daily. Yet the church diverts attention to things that will enforce the status quo. This diversion results in a legalistic destructive religion. Let's see the churches stress selling their possession to give to the poor [cf. Acts 2, 4]. And let's see religious people get on the bus, bike or feet and try to stop polluting their brothers'/sisters' air, land and water [actually God's land: Lev.25]!

Sunday 16 April 2017

Easter: Bunny Rabbit Or Assassinated Dude? Your Choice!


So which story
Would you like to tell your kids
And broadcast from
The roof tops?

One about some dirty peasant dude
Un-educated, unshaven, illiterate
Charged with sedition
Hugging prostitutes and Outcasts

Or one about a cute 
Little bunny rabbit
[AKA Santa in a bunny suit]
Merry Easter

Oh, btw, the bunny
Also poops out chocolate
AHHHH gottcha!
Yum

I remember years ago
A Jesuit from El Salvador was
Sharing the meme thought
How dare he!!!

Coming from a war torn country
Trying to instill/in-spire com-passion [feel with]
In this land of peace, tranquility
And blind-ness

The Christ did this and more
He embraced the ugly, the stinky, the home-less
And even women! [considered less than garbage then]
How dare he!

Christ didn't poop chocolate,
That I know of
But he didn't talk
no poop either!

Perhaps he was silly
Telling the RICH to sell all
And that God's kingdom
Belongs to the poor

Maybe he could relate
Since he was a vagrant,
A peasant he was
Some might say an Anarchist!

The authorities hated him
Assassinating him on a cross:
Like all those charged with treason
They clearly had good reason!

But as we search for bunny poop [yum]
Remember some dude was assassinated
For the oppressed
And that we, likewise, are to

Die to our-selves
Our greediness, lust of material goods
And to sacrifice 
And stop the oppression

Both of humans
And  of nonhumans
And "mother earth"
The SHELTER with which we all live in

But, most of all
Let us not forget
The bunnies:
Especially the ones that have yummy poop!

Thursday 9 March 2017

Worth-less Spirituality: Control Your Tongue


If anyone considers himself religious [or spiritual]
and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue,
he deceives himself
and his religion [/spirituality] is worthless.

James 1 makes it "pretty" clear that you are not a Christian or Jew if your words/you are out of control. No ifs and or buts. It's not about going to church, reading the bible, praying: it's about your words.

Let's hear that preached! James says your whole religion is worth-less! I hear the echoes "but we're sinners....saved by grace...not by works..." Okay - so ignore James then. This book almost didn't make it into the canon because it mirrors the shallow-ness of most peoples' ideas about what being religious means.

How can one 'love his neighbour' if s/he doesn't control his tongue? Impossible! So go to church, sing "songs of praise"...but it's all worth-less: UNLESS you control your speech.

So how do we keep a tight rein on our tongues? Do we just say sweet things to one another? We certainly should do that but we still need to speak the truth - but in love - and with gentleness. We need to check our egos at the door and sacrifice for the good of the other. Our words impact very deeply. They heal or hurt. We need to be healers! So we need to work on our character - to be more loving - both in words, actions and in our inner most be-ings.

How few Christians are willing to suffer! It takes patience and kindness not to just spew out words that may hurt another. But we are COMMANDED to die for our brothers - we are to serve - not to look to be served.  Let us care more about impact of our words than about expressing what/how ever we want. We still need to be 'real' but with the benefit of the other as a priority. This is love. This is religion worthy of praise.

If we don't "live" our religion - PRACTICE in every aspect of our lives - it's worthless!