The way to enlightenment is very frightening. In the pursuit of ultimate truth, one has to face that God is actually EVERYTHING . . . not just the pleasant stuff of hymns and fairy tales. It was my sincere belief, for a long time, that God was a sadistic torturer. I expected him to rip me to shreds and keep me in pain for eternity. I suffered intensely for knowledge of this God . . . experience of this God. I wanted to understand completely the nature of this God. In the end, I see that this God is as tired and as shell-shocked as I am . . . in fact, this God is intimately connected to me, and is everything that I also am. This God has been unhappy and lonely and desperate. This God has been abused and neglected. This God is a survivor. This God refuses to give up. This God chooses to see the best he can in every situation, forgives the gravest of insults and faults, and loves all of creation as if everything in the Universe was his very own child. It is hard to accept a child who is a deviant or a mass murderer, and yet our environment is full of these. Our God can see himself in these people, and will love and forgive all. For the strict Christians among us, the only way to describe this kind of love is to imagine that Satan is actually your own child . . . a child that you lovingly wished for and planned to create. A child that was a true joy when he arrived, the fulfillment of all your desires. A child that you have hope for . . . one that you continually pray for and help as much as you can. Our God loves Satan . . . despite what is portrayed in the Bible or among many “hellfire and brimstone” preachers. I have direct experience of this undying and overwhelming love. I know it, because I experience it, every minute of every day. I have reached the enlightenment that I have sought for so long. I have it, and I would like to help others achieve it.
But, you must be warned. It is a treacherous, frightening desire to wish for God and God alone. There is no other purpose to life, and yet we fill our time with so many false pursuits. We wish to avoid the pain of this journey, and so wish for the world to fulfill us with accolades and possessions. I approached life in this way for many, many years. We fool ourselves into thinking that this is correct living, simply because everyone does it. A deeper look into our true being will show clearly that grasping for worldly rewards is never fulfilling. Satan teases us with false promises. The only recourse is to shed the need for worldly happiness and accept the suffering that comes with defeat. Satan has no hold over an empty vessel. If you cannot be swayed, you can find that your are truthfully saved.
Strict Christians believe that Jesus Christ is the only way to this end. But, every culture on Earth has within its structure a valid path to salvation. A broader view will show that God does not neglect anybody, no matter what religion or neighborhood. Jesus Christ promised to “come again.” He also chastised us for not recognizing him when he came as Elijah. There is no questioning this promise from him. The Christ is always here, one way or another. The Muslims find him in Mohammed. The Buddhists find him in Gautama Buddha. The Zoarastrians find him in Zarathustra. The Hindus find him in Krishna and other manifestations of the Highest of the High. For Jews, regardless of conventional thought that they do not embrace a messiah, the life of Abraham in their history represents a compassionate father and teacher. Moses was also a highly revered teacher to the Jews and the legacy of the Old Testament prophesies provides a path to them through the Ten Commandments, no matter what. Jesus Christ is a culmination of all expectations for Jews and Christians alike, but doubt and uncertainty is always present in the mind, for everyone until experience.
Meher Baba was born in 1894. To many worldwide, he is the descent of the Messiah, once again. There is no reason to fight over this claim. As Meher Baba himself conveyed, and I am paraphrasing, ‘Everyone is an atheist until he or she has direct experience of the Infinite One.’ There’s nothing to fight about. There’s no profit in religions crusading to make converts. There is only ONE reality on this subject, and that is TOLERANCE.
To me, it all is important, and I study the stories, myths, biographies, and scriptures of all that I am capable of understanding. Certain subjects in the study of spiritual history are lost to me because of language barriers. But, I do my best to ask the questions that burn within me whenever I am given a chance. A Muslim friend of mine suggested a website on religious tolerance to me. I promptly told him that my greatest challenge with Islam was the lack of emphasis on monogamy. To my mind, we have moved ahead in social understanding and the same Noah from his mythology is the teacher from mine. We are only going to succeed over lust if we are committed to partnerships built on trust and loving kindness. This is why, even though many religions today deny homosexuals the right to marry, I am a fierce advocate for this to change. Our dear friends everywhere deserve to be held in their communities with respect and dignity. When homosexuals are advanced within their homes and neighborhoods by the challenges they accept in loving monogamous union, they will find healthy environments in which to live and raise families. They will be rewarded with friendly neighbors and welcoming churches. The Bible vilifies homosexuality in many places, especially in older books in the history of religious thought. But, in Matthew, one of the Gospels of the New Testament, Jesus assures his apostles that, and I’m paraphrasing, ‘it will go easier on Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than it will on a town that does not welcome you.’ Sodom and Gomorrah were Old Testament cities that fell because of sinful living, and many have interpreted this to mean that homosexual sex was the cause of their destruction. But, we are told over and over that promiscuity and adultery and covetousness are all sinful, and there is no border between the homosexual community and the heterosexual lifestyle when it comes to these issues. The stamp of approval that society gives to a heterosexual marriage does not ensure that the sins of lust will be eradicated within that home. We see evidence of this all the time.
A marriage for the public face of a narrow minded neighborhood does not equate with a moral certainty. I feel we need to embrace each other in wholeness and fair treatment. That includes the women of every nation. It is not fair to be held as a third or fourth wife to a domineering individual. Fair treatment for both sexes is the only moral path. In true monogamy and true spiritual living, both partners work to eliminate selfish behavior and bend to the needs of the other. Our problems with pornography and prostitution and sex trafficking and slavery of all kinds are a result of imbalanced respect for the “other.” I cannot allow myself to participate in these evils. I cannot find happiness in sexual gratification, even in marriage, because the selfishness that arises always kills my spirit. But, I know how the majority of people feel, and loneliness becomes such a miserable state for so many people, that partnership is a requirement. I have tried this path, too. Divorcing from problematic marriages and relationships was my only option.
These are my concerns for the new life. They are very simple. I feel that acceptance for the “weird kid” in your family or neighborhood will change the world. When we truthfully ‘love our neighbor as ourself’ it is impossible to shun the needs of those around us, no matter how distant. Your neighbor is your fellow Earthling, my friends. Do not allow him or her to live in poverty of hope or hearth ever again.
But, you must be warned. It is a treacherous, frightening desire to wish for God and God alone. There is no other purpose to life, and yet we fill our time with so many false pursuits. We wish to avoid the pain of this journey, and so wish for the world to fulfill us with accolades and possessions. I approached life in this way for many, many years. We fool ourselves into thinking that this is correct living, simply because everyone does it. A deeper look into our true being will show clearly that grasping for worldly rewards is never fulfilling. Satan teases us with false promises. The only recourse is to shed the need for worldly happiness and accept the suffering that comes with defeat. Satan has no hold over an empty vessel. If you cannot be swayed, you can find that your are truthfully saved.
Strict Christians believe that Jesus Christ is the only way to this end. But, every culture on Earth has within its structure a valid path to salvation. A broader view will show that God does not neglect anybody, no matter what religion or neighborhood. Jesus Christ promised to “come again.” He also chastised us for not recognizing him when he came as Elijah. There is no questioning this promise from him. The Christ is always here, one way or another. The Muslims find him in Mohammed. The Buddhists find him in Gautama Buddha. The Zoarastrians find him in Zarathustra. The Hindus find him in Krishna and other manifestations of the Highest of the High. For Jews, regardless of conventional thought that they do not embrace a messiah, the life of Abraham in their history represents a compassionate father and teacher. Moses was also a highly revered teacher to the Jews and the legacy of the Old Testament prophesies provides a path to them through the Ten Commandments, no matter what. Jesus Christ is a culmination of all expectations for Jews and Christians alike, but doubt and uncertainty is always present in the mind, for everyone until experience.
Meher Baba was born in 1894. To many worldwide, he is the descent of the Messiah, once again. There is no reason to fight over this claim. As Meher Baba himself conveyed, and I am paraphrasing, ‘Everyone is an atheist until he or she has direct experience of the Infinite One.’ There’s nothing to fight about. There’s no profit in religions crusading to make converts. There is only ONE reality on this subject, and that is TOLERANCE.
To me, it all is important, and I study the stories, myths, biographies, and scriptures of all that I am capable of understanding. Certain subjects in the study of spiritual history are lost to me because of language barriers. But, I do my best to ask the questions that burn within me whenever I am given a chance. A Muslim friend of mine suggested a website on religious tolerance to me. I promptly told him that my greatest challenge with Islam was the lack of emphasis on monogamy. To my mind, we have moved ahead in social understanding and the same Noah from his mythology is the teacher from mine. We are only going to succeed over lust if we are committed to partnerships built on trust and loving kindness. This is why, even though many religions today deny homosexuals the right to marry, I am a fierce advocate for this to change. Our dear friends everywhere deserve to be held in their communities with respect and dignity. When homosexuals are advanced within their homes and neighborhoods by the challenges they accept in loving monogamous union, they will find healthy environments in which to live and raise families. They will be rewarded with friendly neighbors and welcoming churches. The Bible vilifies homosexuality in many places, especially in older books in the history of religious thought. But, in Matthew, one of the Gospels of the New Testament, Jesus assures his apostles that, and I’m paraphrasing, ‘it will go easier on Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than it will on a town that does not welcome you.’ Sodom and Gomorrah were Old Testament cities that fell because of sinful living, and many have interpreted this to mean that homosexual sex was the cause of their destruction. But, we are told over and over that promiscuity and adultery and covetousness are all sinful, and there is no border between the homosexual community and the heterosexual lifestyle when it comes to these issues. The stamp of approval that society gives to a heterosexual marriage does not ensure that the sins of lust will be eradicated within that home. We see evidence of this all the time.
A marriage for the public face of a narrow minded neighborhood does not equate with a moral certainty. I feel we need to embrace each other in wholeness and fair treatment. That includes the women of every nation. It is not fair to be held as a third or fourth wife to a domineering individual. Fair treatment for both sexes is the only moral path. In true monogamy and true spiritual living, both partners work to eliminate selfish behavior and bend to the needs of the other. Our problems with pornography and prostitution and sex trafficking and slavery of all kinds are a result of imbalanced respect for the “other.” I cannot allow myself to participate in these evils. I cannot find happiness in sexual gratification, even in marriage, because the selfishness that arises always kills my spirit. But, I know how the majority of people feel, and loneliness becomes such a miserable state for so many people, that partnership is a requirement. I have tried this path, too. Divorcing from problematic marriages and relationships was my only option.
These are my concerns for the new life. They are very simple. I feel that acceptance for the “weird kid” in your family or neighborhood will change the world. When we truthfully ‘love our neighbor as ourself’ it is impossible to shun the needs of those around us, no matter how distant. Your neighbor is your fellow Earthling, my friends. Do not allow him or her to live in poverty of hope or hearth ever again.
