In Honor of Lady Madonna

5.11.2007

First the Plug that leads to this rant/debate, and the only plug today.
Just Me posted and interesting article about the supposed Jesus come to Earth preacher Jose Luis DeJesus Miranda. It has become and interesting debate that Malach wants to expand upon here.

Got another plug or two also. I updated Andy Randall's Gallery. And I got a new Zazzle Store, more stuff coming soon.

Let's talk religion.
Ok, many of you assume Malach is atheistic or a non believer. That is not trues. Malach was born and raised Catholic, though, even though he works for a Catholic Charities based non profit, he no longer considers himself that. What turned me off to Catholicism was the importance placed on dogma, rites, sacraments, and following certain teachings of less than infallable popes. I am also pretty much diametrically opposed to the Church stances on a number of things: abortion, birth control, lack of women in the hierarchy, their stance on homosexuality, and force man into a celibate lifstyle if he becomes a priest. I am also kind of turned off of the whole church history: the creation of the myth of Christ, the building of the New Testament to support that, the Crusades, the Inquisition, the muffling of thought and science, the whole Christianization of Europe, Central America, The Secret Societies, etc. I do have to give the Catholic Church some credit, with Vatican I and II, a lot of the old dogma, and ideas changed quite a bit. I also find the Catholic Church does do a lot of charitable work in the way of Social Justice, which I like.

As for the rest of Christianity? I find it pretty all pretty stupid; that 1000's of Christian Religions all basically believe the same thing, but they each think the other is wrong and going to Hell if you don't accept their particular thought and way of doing things.

Now Jesus; it is not that I don't believe he was the Son of God, I just don't particularly care. Don't get me wrong, Jesus was a really cool dude. A philosopher, a revolutionary, if all these Christians actually followed the teachings of Jesus, they would not be condeming the world to Hell. Jesus as a philosopher and moral teacher is arguably one of the greatest of all time. As for historical Jesus, I have some opinions of who the man was, but that another blog.

The other thing that gets me is the whole Revelations, Rapture, Second Coming stuff. To Many Christians, that book is the end all be all of their thought. OK, have you ever read Revelations? The dude that wrote it (whether it was John of Patmos or not) wrote this very symbolic, enigmatic, dreamlike, perhaps drug induced story. This book was not only not included in the first collected Gospels by the early church, because early Christians thought it would be too confusing and too easy to apply multiple readings too, it was strangely added around 400AD even with dramatic opposition. Revelation also became a part of not only a reason for the Great Schism 600 years later, also the Protestant Reformation, 1200 years later, as clergy still argued about the book. In a away it is kind of basing your belief systems on reading the symbolism involved in Alice in Wonderland.

What I also find interesting is the people who use Revelation and Bible Coding to predict the future. If you did not realize it, symbolic coded writing makes very interesting prophecy . . . Eventually you can apply a past event to something, it worked for Nostrodamus (I am going to try this someday). This brings me to my first debate. If obviously, one cannot see if prophecy is correct until the events have happened, sometime centuries later, how do you know if the event is currently happening? Example, the Second Coming. How do we not know Jesus has already come back? Suppose he is this Joes Luis DeJesus Miranda? Suppose he was David Koresh? Suppose he was Jim Jones and we all missed the boat? Sound crazy? Suppose there was a street preacher claiming to be Christ, would not think he was a nuts? Now, think of Jesus. Many of the establishment of his day chose not to acknowledge him as the Messiah, many thought him a kook, and many more thought him dangerous. How much different is he say from Koresh? I also made the joke, John Lennon could have been the Second Coming, but would that have made him bigger than himself?

So, I have looked into just about every religion, and read most every holy text. I really have not found anything that has particularly clicked with me. If I was forced to align myself with some religion it would be a Universalist/Buddhism/Humanism mix. I guess the basic problem I have found with organized religions and religious thought is, that they all make claims to be tight with God. So either they are all right, or most are wrong. So if they are all right, then what purpose to they all serve, and if most are wrong, how do you figure out who is right? I also look, and they all teach the same thing just with differnt characters. So to me, the basic thought from earliest religions of Zoroastrianism, and Hunduism to the more modern religions of today is as follows:

1. Love your fellow man
2. Respect the Earth, and live in harmony with it, it is the greatest gift.
3. Know that there is something greater than your life and this world.

So, if we are all learning the same philosophy, why can't any of us get along? If the world followed these three rules, wouldn't it be a wonderful place? Christianity, Judiasm, Islam, Hinduims, Buddhism, Wiccan, etc, all teach this.

Do I believe in God? Yes. To me though, God is a entity that cannot really be understood by man completely. I find God in a number of places. When I am with nature, up in the mountains, playing with my kids, when I paint alot of times I find God. I can imagine climbing to the top of Mt. Everest is like communing with God.

I also find it strange that with a lot of people, science and God don't fit. There is not a lot of difference between a theorectical astro physicists and a devout Christian. And I have always said it is just as bad to be blinded by science as it is to be blinded by religion.

Ahh, I have ranted in a while . .

With that being said.
BIBLE FIGHT! Gotta love [adult swim] games.

The Mood of Red Sox Nation.
First Loss in about a week, to of things the lowly Orioles. S'allright, Schill will right the ship tomorrow. Mood: Whatever.

ATHF in Boston.
So they copped a plea, but what Malach really wants to know is, what did they do for community service?

Who's the leader of the club that's made for you and me?
MOUSTAFA MOUSE! Ahh, this goes back to my rant and people twisting religion to use it for bad.

Stamps go ups Monday.
But they are Forvever Stamps.

The return of McCarthyism?
We will see. Speaking of health care, looks like Moore been spending extra time at the buffet.

Malach's Quote/Video of the Day:
Monotheism is the primitive religion which centers human consciousness on Hive Authority. There is One God and His Name is ------- (substitute Hive-Label). If there is only One God then there is no choice, no option, no selection of reality. There is only Submission or Heresy. The word Islam means 'submission'. The basic posture of Christianity is kneeling. Thy will be done. - Timothy Leary

I am Malach and perhaps I am the Second Coming . . .?