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<p class=CM13 align=center style='text-align:center'><b><span style='font-size:
20.0pt;color:black'>Religion and Common Sense<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=CM13 align=center style='text-align:center'><b><span style='color:
black'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=CM13 align=center style='text-align:center'><i style='mso-bidi-font-style:
normal'><span style='color:black;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold'>Seventeen Religions
to Choose From</span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class=CM1 style='text-indent:18.75pt;line-height:normal'><span
style='color:black'>When I was a child, my teachers told me that my religion,
Catholicism, was the true religion, and all other religions were false. My job
was to defend and promote Catholicism so I could please God and go to Heaven,
after I died. The nuns, the priests, and my mother, all made it quite clear
that if I questioned the Doctrines, I could lose my <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:
normal'>immortal soul</b> and end up in Hell. Furthermore, because I was a
member of the true religion, I was supposed to feel sorr<i style='mso-bidi-font-style:
normal'>y</i> for people who were not members, and try to convert them so they
could also go to Heaven, like me. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=CM2 style='margin-right:8.0pt;text-indent:18.75pt;line-height:normal'><span
style='color:black'>As the years passed, this model of exclusive entitlement
and the burden of maintaining it began to unravel as my <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:
normal'>friendships</b> with people of other faiths began to outweigh my fear
of losing my immortal soul. As the years passed and my mental horizon expanded,
I began to question my so-called beliefs. There was something wrong with them
but I could not figure out what it was. By the time I was twenty, I had made up
my mind to find out. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=CM1 style='text-indent:18.75pt;line-height:normal'><span
style='color:black'>Did you know that we humans have created at least <b
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>seventeen<i style='mso-bidi-font-style:
normal'> </i></b>major religious cults and hundreds of minor ones over the
course of history?<b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'><i style='mso-bidi-font-style:
normal'> </i>A cult is a shared<i style='mso-bidi-font-style:normal'> </i>system
of belief into which some of us are <span style='mso-bidi-font-weight:bold'>born</span>
while others join because it satisfies a need</b>. In my case, I was born into
a family tightly controlled by a poorly educated and strictly devout Catholic
woman. As a child, I had no choice but to accept whatever she told me but after
twenty years of attending religious rituals and memorizing doctrine, I was
weary of Catholic indoctrination and wanted to see what else the world had to
offer. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=CM2 style='margin-right:8.0pt;text-indent:18.75pt;line-height:normal'><span
style='color:black'>When I launched my investigation through <b>Wikipedia</b>,
I discovered that the largest religious cult on this planet is <b>Christianity</b>
- a system of belief based on the miracles and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth.
The New Testament describes Jesus as a Jewish carpenter who became a rabbi,
prophet and holy man. His life and death as described in the New Testament has
attracted the 2.1 billion followers we have today. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=CM1 style='text-indent:18.75pt;line-height:normal'><span
style='color:black'>The second largest cult on this planet is Islam, which
claims 1.5 billion members that follow the teachings of the <b
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>Arab</b> prophet, Muhammad ibn Abd Allah.
According to <span style='mso-bidi-font-weight:bold'>Wikipedia</span>, Muslims
believe that Mohammed is the <b>restorer</b> of the original, uncorrupted,
monotheistic faith of Adam and Abraham, and the last messenger and Prophet of
God.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=CM1 style='text-indent:18.75pt;line-height:normal'><span
style='color:black'><span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>�</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=CM13 align=center style='text-align:center'><i><span style='color:
black;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold'>What is Religion?<b> <o:p></o:p></b></span></i></p>
<p class=CM13 style='margin-right:19.15pt;text-indent:18.75pt'><b
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>The comedian/commentator, Bill Maher,
defines mainstream religion as "A neurological disorder that prevents
people from thinking rationally."<span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
</div>
<span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman";color:black;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:
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mso-break-type:section-break'>
</span>
<div class=Section2>
<p class=CM4 style='line-height:normal'><span style='color:black'><span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'>��� </span>In the broadest sense, religion is <span
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:bold'>a belief in a<b> higher power,</b></span> a
hierarchy of <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>organized worship</b> of
that higher power, and a set of myths or <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>sacred
truths</b> about that power.<b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'> </b>So� religion
is about<b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'> acquiring power.</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=CM4 style='line-height:normal'><span style='color:black'><span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'>��� </span>In order to be successful and attract the
most followers a religious cult must have certain characteristics. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=Default><b>1.</b> It must be <b>socially progressive</b>.</p>
<p class=Default><span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>��� </span>Its founders must <span
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:bold'>create<b> order</b></span> and provide
opportunities for <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>wealth</b>, <b
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>power</b> and <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:
normal'>freedom</b> for its followers. </p>
<p class=Default><b>2.</b> It must <span style='mso-bidi-font-weight:bold'>satisfy
the human need<b> </b></span>for a <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>higher
transcendental truth</b>.</p>
<p class=Default><span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>��� </span>This would include a
belief in a<b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'> supreme, parental authority
that <span style='mso-bidi-font-weight:bold'>rewards good and punishes evil. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=Default><b>3.</b> It must appear <b>true </b>to its followers, which
means <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>other religions must appear <span
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:bold'>false -<i style='mso-bidi-font-style:normal'>
</i></span></b>or simply misguided. </p>
<p class=Default><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=CM2 style='margin-right:8.0pt;text-indent:18.75pt;line-height:normal'><span
style='color:black'>A successful religion must address our lower, animal
nature, our higher, spiritual nature and our social identity called �I�.<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'>� </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=CM6 style='margin-right:19.15pt;text-indent:18.75pt;line-height:normal'><span
style='color:black'>As an individual, �I� feel isolated in a world filled with
people and events that often threaten my survival and happiness. By making up
beliefs and sacred rituals that <i style='mso-bidi-font-style:normal'>distract</i>
and <i style='mso-bidi-font-style:normal'>console</i>, I create hope for
happiness in this life and the presumed life to come. I <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:
normal'>invent</b> religion as a response to my <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:
normal'>fear of death</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'>For twenty years, I participated in
this program before I began to wonder about its beginnings. </p>
<p class=CM6 style='margin-right:19.15pt;text-indent:18.75pt;line-height:normal'>When
I first began to think about <span class=GramE>it</span> I realized that
religion views human embodiment as a <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>problem
</b>that requires a <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>solution</b>. For
Christians like <span class=GramE>myself</span> the <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:
normal'>Original Sin of Adam and Eve </b>described in the Bible caused the
problem and salvation through the Church�s teachings is the solution. </p>
<p class=Default><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=Default><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=Default align=center style='text-align:center'><i style='mso-bidi-font-style:
normal'><span style='color:windowtext'>The Description of God<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class=Default><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=Default><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'><span style='color:windowtext'>The
biblical God that Christians believe in and pray to is a description. This
description consists of the word �GOD� followed by a list of qualities the
brain can assemble into a believable character.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'><span style='color:windowtext'>The
long-ago writers <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>made up</b> this
description of a super human <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>male</b>
who thinks and acts like us but shows signs of mental illness some of the time.
The writers describe this new God as an all-powerful, all wise, all-knowing,
all-loving, Creator that is present everywhere - a description that combines
the highest human qualities with the power of Nature. This new God was a remake
of the Egyptian sun god, Ra and the Roman/Greek god, Zeus. Sadly, the bible
scholars destroyed its potential by adding stories about this new God that
lacks these qualities.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>� </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in;tab-stops:100.5pt'><span
style='color:windowtext'>The authors of these stories describe the new God as a
king, who lives in a <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>place</b> of everlasting
joy called the </span><st1:place><st1:PlaceType><b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:
normal'><span style='color:windowtext'>Kingdom</span></b></st1:PlaceType><b
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'><span style='color:windowtext'> of </span></b><st1:PlaceName><b
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'><span style='color:windowtext'>Heaven</span></b></st1:PlaceName></st1:place><b
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'><span style='color:windowtext'> </span></b><span
style='color:windowtext'>surrounded <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>by </b>mystical
beings called angels. However, this happiness appears less than everlasting
when, according to the narrative, some of the angels that He created tired of
taking orders and decided to seize power for themselves. Fortunately, God and
the good angels prevailed and drove the bad angels into Hell <span class=GramE>�<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'>� </span>a</span> place of pain and suffering and the
opposite of Heaven. This surprise development explains why God never laughs or
tells a joke. <span class=GramE>The insecurity of His kingdom left Him anxious
and worried, even though He is all-powerful and cannot make a mistake.</span> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'><span style='color:windowtext'>The<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'>� </span>writers whose work made it into the sacred
collection describe God as a Holy Trinity, a <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:
normal'>multiple personality</b> called the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit
that consult with one another over what to do whenever something big happens
that could threaten their authority. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'><span class=GramE><span
style='color:windowtext'>This was the reality I learned</span></span><span
style='color:windowtext'> as a child in a Catholic household. The penalty for
doubting this description was the loss of my <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:
normal'>immortal</b> <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>soul</b>, and <b
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>eternal</b> <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:
normal'>damnation</b> in the fires of Hell. In the face of these
inconsistencies, the biblical God <span style='mso-bidi-font-weight:bold'>expected<b>
</b></span>me to love and obey Him without question. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=Default><span style='color:windowtext'><span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'>������ </span>Years later, when my intelligence and
common sense began to recover I thought that since I had never seen or felt my
immortal soul it was reasonable to doubt its existence. I also began to wonder
why this all-powerful "God", who was not threatened by me in any way,
would want to punish me with eternal damnation for thinking my own thoughts. It
made me wonder if religion was just a hustle that people used to gain power and
control one another.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'><span style='color:windowtext'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'><span style='color:windowtext'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=CM13 align=center style='text-align:center'><i><span style='mso-bidi-font-weight:
bold'>Atheism is a Leap of Faith<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class=CM13 style='text-indent:.25in'><b><i><span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'>�</span></i></b>Prior to the eighteenth century, most
people accepted the existence of �<b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>a God�
</b>without question.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>� </span>The very idea that
a person might not believe in a God was unthinkable. It was also common
knowledge among God-fearing Christians that deep down inside, everyone was a
believer - as if we all had a "God" gene built into our DNA. Everyone
knew that the few outspoken atheists that cropped up now and then were
contrarians who made a fuss primarily to attract attention to <span
class=GramE>themselves</span>. When the time came to face death, they would
lose their nerve, abandon their heresy, and ask God's forgiveness. </p>
<p class=CM1 style='text-indent:18.75pt;line-height:normal'>Loosely defined,
atheism is a non-belief in<b> </b>gods, deities, or supernatural phenomenon
assumed to exist <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>outside</b> the body.
This is very similar to <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>Zen</b>, which <span
class=GramE>neither affirms or</span> denies the existence of a deity or
deities but attributes all phenomena, high or low, to the <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:
normal'>human nervous system</b>. According to Zen, the job of the nervous
system is to convert the timeless energy that surrounds us and flows through
us, into sensory experience. Westerners have arranged this energy into three
basic patterns. The first we have named <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>�the
body�</b>, which is free energy forming cells, tissue and organs, the second we
named <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>�me�</b>, a reference point inside
the body, and the third we called <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>�the
world�</b>, which includes everything outside the body. Practitioners of Zen
believe that this three-part arrangement is an <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:
normal'>illusion</b> that dissolves at death.</p>
<p class=CM1 style='text-indent:18.75pt;line-height:normal'>This description
differs from the one found in Christian doctrine, which proposes that an <b
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>external</b> <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:
normal'>deity</b> called �God� created the universe<b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:
normal'> long ago</b> and exists apart from it. This separation between God and
His creation is a core belief in Christianity that is based on or supported by
the story of Adam and Eve. Further, Christians have labeled this a single act
with a beginning and end - not an<b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>
eternal process</b>. How can this be true if God is <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:
normal'>omnipresent and eternal?</b></p>
<p class=CM1 style='text-indent:.25in;line-height:normal'><span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'>�</span>The long history of refusal to by so-called
religious people to admit to <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>not knowing
</b>has created a verbal wasteland of conflicting beliefs with no evidence to
back it up. We cannot see God but He is everywhere. He allows us to suffer and
die horrible deaths but He loves us. He is perfect but He makes mistakes. This
is why a rational person must not question these mysteries when making an <b
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>act</b> <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:
normal'>of faith</b>. </p>
<p class=CM13 style='text-indent:18.75pt'>For an atheist, the worship of "<b>a"</b>
God or gods in any form is idolatry because "God" is a creation of
the human brain. Anyone who assigns a high value to this sort of mental
projection and all the baggage that goes with it is practicing <span
class=GramE>narcissism which</span> chooses fantasy over reality. </p>
<p class=CM13 style='text-indent:18.75pt'><b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>Note</b>:
In the Roman Era, loyal citizens of the empire persecuted Christians as
heretics because they did not believe in Zeus. </p>
<p class=Default><span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>������ </span></p>
</div>
<span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman";color:black;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:
EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA'><br clear=all style='page-break-before:auto;
mso-break-type:section-break'>
</span>
<div class=Section3>
<p class=CM13 align=center style='text-align:center'><i><span style='mso-bidi-font-weight:
bold'>Why We Exist</span></i></p>
<p class=CM1 style='text-indent:18.75pt;line-height:normal'>Over the centuries,
people with a gift for storytelling have tried to explain how we came to exist.
The most popular story among bible reading Christians is the ancient tale of
Adam and Eve and the apple tree, which many believe is true. Fortunately, we
have <span class=GramE>more talented storytellers such as Carlos Castaneda and
Ram Dass who argue that the brain transforms energy into reality without
knowing how it does it</span>. George Carlin, the famous comedian and social
commentator, says the reason we exist is to create plastic. The late spiritual
master, Adi Da said that the brain is a step-down transformer that converts
charged energy particles into dreams.</p>
<p class=CM4 style='text-indent:21.5pt;line-height:normal'>I like to think that
nothingness is boring, so we dreamed up the universe. It began as a contraction
of space- a black hole - that finally exploded into the big bang that we see
today.</p>
</div>
<span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;
mso-bidi-language:AR-SA'><br clear=all style='page-break-before:auto;
mso-break-type:section-break'>
</span>
<div class=Section4></div>
<span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;
mso-bidi-language:AR-SA'><br clear=all style='page-break-before:auto;
mso-break-type:section-break'>
</span>
<div class=Section5></div>
<span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;
mso-bidi-language:AR-SA'><br clear=all style='page-break-before:auto;
mso-break-type:section-break'>
</span>
<div class=Section6></div>
<span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;
mso-bidi-language:AR-SA'><br clear=all style='page-break-before:auto;
mso-break-type:section-break'>
</span>
<div class=Section7></div>
<span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;
mso-bidi-language:AR-SA'><br clear=all style='page-break-before:auto;
mso-break-type:section-break'>
</span>
<div class=Section8>
<p class=CM10 align=center style='text-align:center'><b><span style='font-size:
20.0pt;color:black'>Make Me Believe<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=Default><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=Default><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=CM1 style='margin-right:5.0pt;text-indent:18.75pt'><span
style='color:black'>My formal training to become a human being began with my
indoctrination into the Catholic religion. The program taught me the rules of
the game, but failed to bring out the true Catholic in me. At such an early
age, I lacked the ability to accept or reject religious doctrine; instead, I
simply obeyed my mother, a woman of great faith, who made certain that I
adopted her beliefs. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=CM11 style='margin-right:5.0pt;text-indent:18.75pt;line-height:12.65pt'><span
style='color:black'>It was not until much later, when I began to <b
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>think on my own</b> that I discovered that
my mother's beliefs were not mine. Realizing that I had no idea who I was I
decided to find out.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=CM10 align=center style='text-align:center;line-height:12.65pt'><i><span
style='color:black'>Who Creates God? </span></i><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=CM10 style='text-indent:.25in;line-height:12.65pt'><span
style='color:black'>Conservative Christians believe the Bible is the <span
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:bold'>Word of God - God being the all-powerful,
male Creator of all things. Anything you want to know about God is contained in
this compendium of human thought, which has become the basis of the Christian
belief system. As a Catholic, all I had to do was look in the Bible to find the
answers to all my questions. With the Bible as my authority, I was
automatically correct and did not have to figure things out for myself. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class=CM10 style='text-indent:.25in;line-height:12.65pt'><span
style='color:black;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold'>During my teen years, I tried
real hard to read and understand the Bible but in the end, I gave up. The
stories about God contained too many contradictions and the awkward grammar
acted like landmines on a battlefield. The Biblical description of the world
was so different from the world I lived in, that except for portions of the
Jesus story, it was useless to me as a spiritual guide.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=CM10 style='text-indent:18.75pt;line-height:12.65pt'><span
style='color:black'><span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>�</span>After a great deal
of frustration I finally decided that the Holy Bible was an overrated,
outdated, record of <b>human thought and experience</b> and that modern books on
religion and philosophy were much easier to read and understand. I suspected
that the Church scholars and historians that translated these ancient documents
could not decide if they were fact or fiction. Instead, of printing a
disclaimer and admitting they didn�t have all the answers they published this
collection of literature as a <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>�holy�</b>
document known to all as <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>The Word of God</b>
meaning it was beyond reproach. This lack of honesty about the source made it
impossible for me to accept the Bible as a guide.<span style='mso-bidi-font-weight:
bold'><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class=CM10 style='text-indent:.25in;line-height:12.65pt'><span
style='color:black'><span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>�</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=CM10 align=center style='text-align:center;line-height:12.65pt'><i><span
style='color:black'>Who Controls God? </span></i><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=CM4 style='text-indent:21.5pt'><span style='color:black'><span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'>�</span>Devout Catholics place their trust in God's
representative, the Pope, who is <b>infallible - </b><span style='mso-bidi-font-weight:
bold'>meaning he<b> cannot make a mistake in matters of religious doctrine</b></span>.
Those who doubt this claim know from personal experience that <b
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>all</b> <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:
normal'>human beings make mistakes</b>. The world is a complex tapestry of
events, which no single person can understand or control. The infallibility
doctrine was an effective way to end the arguments regarding salvation. It was
better all around if everybody stopped arguing and simply accepted the Pope's
decision.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=Default><span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>������� </span>Unfortunately
for the Church, a quick examination of the long line of popes reveals a history
of <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>corruption</b>. During the periods of
greatest power, the pope could order the arrest and torture of anyone who
openly criticized the Church for wrongdoing. This begs the question; to who did
good men and women look for guidance if the Holy Father was a sinner?</p>
<p class=CM3 style='text-indent:18.75pt'><span style='color:black;mso-bidi-font-weight:
bold'><span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>�</span>Tyrants throughout history know
that putting the <b>fear of God</b> into illiterate, superstitious people is an
effective way to control them. The warnings of hellfire and damnation delivered
by an angry God are still as popular as ever among modern day evangelicals.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=CM3 style='text-indent:18.75pt'><span style='color:black;mso-bidi-font-weight:
bold'><span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>�</span>This is the right time to mention
that <b>I</b></span><b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'><span
style='color:black'> was not born with a belief in God<span style='mso-bidi-font-weight:
bold'>.</span></span></b><span style='color:black;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold'> I
received my belief in God from the nuns at a Catholic school that pounded
Catechism questions and answers into my brain each school morning. This
training program strategically began before my common sense and logical
thinking could develop, which made it impossible for me challenge it. My
teachers made me repeat after them that </span><span style='color:black'>God
was a powerful, invisible man in the sky that watches over all and knows all. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=CM10 style='margin-right:5.0pt;text-indent:18.75pt;line-height:12.65pt'>As
the years passed, I began to wonder why this invisible God, who was supposed to
be present everywhere, never appeared or spoke to me - even though I prayed to
Him every night.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>� </span></p>
<p class=CM10 style='margin-right:5.0pt;text-indent:18.75pt;line-height:12.65pt'>When
I finished Catholic school, I had received Baptism, Holy Communion and
Confirmation. I had read some of the Bible and gone to church. I had done
everything they told me to do but nothing happened. Each day was much the same
and the feeling that something wonderful would happen as a reward for obedience
began to diminish. I began to worry that the ceremonies, rituals and prayers in
which I had invested so much of my life were a waste of time. Perhaps only
special people such as my mother, the priests and the nuns got something out of
it. Otherwise why go through all that trouble?</p>
<p class=CM10 align=center style='text-align:center;line-height:12.65pt'><i><span
style='color:black'>The Two Great Commandments<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'>Devout Christians believe that the
Ten Commandments God presented to Moses on Mount Sinai are the only true guide
for living a spiritual life and that without them society would destroy itself.
Later, Jesus reduced the Ten Commandments to two Great Commandments. </p>
<p class=CM4 style='text-indent:.25in'><span style='color:black;mso-bidi-font-weight:
bold'>The First Great Commandment,</span><span style='color:black'> states, <b
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with
thy whole heart and thy whole soul and thy whole mind and thy whole
strength." <o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class=CM4><span style='color:black'><span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>������
</span>This commandment does not make any sense to me because love is a <b
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>feeling</b> that can only arise <b
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>spontaneously</b>. How can I <b
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>�command� </b>myself to love someone I have
never seen or spoken to and who, when you think about it, exists only in my
imagination? <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=CM3 style='text-indent:18.75pt'><span style='color:black'>The second
half of this commandment<b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'> </b>says,<b
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'> "and thy neighbor as thyself."<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class=CM3 style='text-indent:18.75pt'><span style='color:black'>Jesus cannot
<span style='mso-bidi-font-weight:bold'>order me</span> to love my neighbor any
more than I can order you to love your neighbor. Love does not work that way.
The person who wrote these words should have said, "Treat your neighbors
with the same respect you afford yourself".<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=Default><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=CM3 align=center style='text-align:center;text-indent:18.75pt'><i
style='mso-bidi-font-style:normal'><span style='color:black;mso-bidi-font-weight:
bold'>The Failure of Bible and Catechism Classes</span></i><span
style='color:black;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold'>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=Default><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=CM3 style='text-indent:18.75pt'><b><span style='color:black'><span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'>�</span></span></b><span style='color:black'>The
stories, psalms, and parables in Bible class are like painted cakes at a
birthday party. The cakes appear real but they do not satisfy the needs of the
life force inside each person. The <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>memorizing</b>
of Catechism questions and answers is not the same as <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:
normal'>asking your own question</b> and finding your own answers. Memorizing
the words of the Bible does not lead to freedom or protect you from suffering
and death. Instead, it creates an obsession with the thoughts of other people
as if their thoughts were any better than yours were. Stories that encourage
freedom, happiness and responsibility written in easy to understand language
are curiously absent from the Bible; instead, it is full of threatening
messages telling you to obey God and fear the Devil � or face eternal damnation.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=Default><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=CM3 align=center style='text-align:center'><i style='mso-bidi-font-style:
normal'>The First Law of Thermodynamics<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class=Default><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=CM10 style='text-indent:.25in;line-height:12.65pt'><b><span
style='color:black'><span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>�</span></span></b><span
style='color:black'><span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>�</span>The first law of
thermodynamics states: Energy cannot be created or destroyed. It can only
change from one form into another. The word "energy" is by far a
better choice than the word "God" to describe the process of creation
and destruction. Energy is present everywhere; it is all-powerful and it is not
owned or controlled by any person or group of persons. It is indestructible,
gender free and flows freely everywhere. If the word "energy is too
impersonal then use the word "Nature."<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=CM10 align=center style='text-align:center;line-height:12.65pt'><i><span
style='color:black'>Jesus </span></i><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=CM1 style='margin-right:5.0pt;text-indent:18.75pt'><span
style='color:black'>Jesus gained most of his fame through the performance of
miracles. Miracle are events or actions that ordinary humans cannot accomplish
or explain, therefore we look to Jesus because He could do those things.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=CM1 style='margin-right:5.0pt;text-indent:18.75pt'><span
style='color:black'>I find it curious that none of Jesus' miracles lasted very
long. Everyone he cured ended up dead. It appears that Jesus cannot reverse the
process of aging and death. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=CM3 style='text-indent:18.75pt'><span style='color:black'>This makes
me wonder about the story of Jesus rising from the dead. Was Jesus in fact,
really dead? <span style='mso-bidi-font-weight:bold'>If the Roman soldiers had
dismembered Jesus' body, and buried them in different locations, would he have
reassembled his body parts? Supposing Jesus had not publicly antagonized the
authorities. Would he have lived to a ripe old age and died an ordinary death
like the Buddha?</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=CM3 style='text-indent:18.75pt'><span style='color:black'>The popular
notion among the faithful is that Jesus died erase the debt incurred by our
collective sins against God the Father, beginning with Adam and Eve. This makes
good copy but it fit the alibi. The real story is - I was not there so I could
not have and would not have participated. Please remember that Jesus was a <b>threat
to the authorities</b> because of his popularity as a gifted speaker and
performer of miracles. He publicly criticized the high priests and government
officials. He created a mood of messianic excitement especially among young
Jews who wanted to free themselves from the authority of </span><st1:City><st1:place><span
style='color:black'>Rome</span></st1:place></st1:City><span style='color:
black'> and establish an independent Jewish state - with Jesus as their King.
This revolutionary yearning for freedom pushed the local authorities to take
action against Jesus to prevent a popular uprising. They knew if they allowed
the situation to get out of hand, it could force the Governor of Judea to send
in the Roman army to restore order. This could lead to a massacre and serious
consequences for the Jewish authorities who had allowed it to happen. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=CM1 style='margin-right:5.0pt;text-indent:18.75pt'><span
style='color:black'>The nuns and priests in charge of my religious education <b
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>never</b> mentioned the danger Jesus faced
when he chose to publicly criticized those in power. Under Roman rule,
political agitators faced dire consequences, and crowds of people poured into
town to watch them suffer the consequences. The penalty was crucifixion,
carried out by a profession crucifixion team hired by the Romans.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=CM1 style='margin-right:5.0pt;text-indent:18.75pt'><span
style='color:black'><span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>�</span>Because Jesus was
crucified, the followers of Jesus have decided that crucifixion is the ticket
to Heaven. They believe the more pain you endure on Earth the greater will be
your pleasure in Heaven. In a northern Philippine village, this belief is so
strong that a small group performs an annual Crucifixion on Good Friday ritual
with real nails and live participants in order to experience firsthand the
agony of Christ, fortunately not to the point of death.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=CM3 style='text-indent:18.75pt'><span style='color:black'>The
Christian preoccupation with suffering is in stark contrast with Buddhism, a
much wiser and older system of knowledge that examines suffering and how to get
rid of it.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=CM3 style='text-indent:18.75pt'><span style='color:black'><span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'>�</span>According to the four evangelists, who began
to piece together the story of Jesus forty years later, the Savior of Mankind
completed his task and now sits at the right hand of the Father in Heaven. </span><st1:City><st1:place><span
style='color:black'>Mission</span></st1:place></st1:City><span
style='color:black'> accomplished.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=CM3 style='text-indent:18.75pt'><span style='color:black'><span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'>�</span>If Catholic parents truly believe that Jesus
paid the debt between Adam and Eve and his Father over the sin of knowledge,
why force innocent children to feel shame and guilt through the re-enactment of
the <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'><i>Way of the Cross </i></b><span
style='mso-bidi-font-style:italic'>ritual<i> </i></span>on Good Friday
afternoons? <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=CM3 align=center style='text-align:center;text-indent:18.75pt'><span
style='color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=CM3 align=center style='text-align:center'><i style='mso-bidi-font-style:
normal'><span style='color:black'>What Did Jesus Look Like?<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class=CM3 style='text-indent:18.75pt'><span style='color:black'><span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'>�</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=CM6 style='margin-right:9.9pt;text-indent:.25in'><span
style='color:black'><span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>�</span>Those of us who make
a living creating religious art, like to depict the Boss's Son as a six-foot
tall, white American male in his early thirties with long brown slightly bobbed
hair, parted in the middle - and a beard. We have all seen pictures of the baby
Jesus, the child Jesus, the teenage Jesus, Jesus the religious leader and Jesus
nailed to the cross. Despite the popularity and global distribution of these
idols, not a one of them is Jesus since the Son of Man was <span class=SpellE>Jewish<span
class=GramE>,and</span></span> most likely smaller in stature with short black,
curly hair and maybe a beard, but who can say for sure.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=CM6 style='margin-right:9.9pt;text-indent:.25in'><span
style='color:black'><span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>�</span>The Shroud of Turin
is the only evidence we have that such a person as Jesus of Nazareth actually
existed. Unfortunately, we have no way to prove or disprove its authenticity.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=CM6 style='margin-right:9.9pt;text-indent:.25in'><span
style='color:black'><span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>� </span>So what are we left
with � a make -believe character we invent and worship through our collective
imagination?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'>The truth is - knowing or not
knowing what Jesus looked like makes no difference.<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'>�� </span></p>
<p class=Default align=center style='text-align:center'><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=Default align=center style='margin-right:3.25pt;text-align:center;
line-height:12.65pt'><i style='mso-bidi-font-style:normal'><span
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:bold'>Unwise Sayings of Jesus<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class=Default style='margin-right:3.25pt;text-indent:.25in;line-height:12.65pt'><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=Default style='margin-right:3.25pt;text-indent:.25in;line-height:12.65pt'><span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'>�</span>Based on the number of wars that followed His
exit from the earth it does not appear that the teachings of <b
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>Jesus, the Jewish rabbi, the Son of God and
the Second Person of the Holy Trinity</b> penetrated too deeply into the human
psyche. </p>
<p class=Default style='margin-right:30.25pt;text-indent:.25in;line-height:
12.65pt'>Despite the unquestioned wisdom of His teachings here are some quotes
attributed to Jesus that could prove difficult, if taken literally. </p>
<p class=CM1 style='margin-right:5.0pt;text-indent:18.75pt'><b><span
style='color:black'>"If thy right eye offends thee, pluck it out and cast
it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should
perish and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell; and if thy right
hand offend thee, cut it off�" </span></b><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=Default style='margin-right:21.15pt;text-indent:21.5pt;line-height:
12.8pt'>If you were a person who believed in the literal interpretation of
scripture, should you not be plucking out your right eye, and chopping off your
right hand? </p>
<p class=CM6 style='margin-right:9.9pt;text-indent:18.75pt'><b><span
style='color:black'>"But I say unto you, that ye resist not evil: but
whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other
also." </span></b><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=CM7 style='margin-right:7.65pt;text-indent:18.75pt'><span class=GramE><span
style='color:black'>Will this work with Nazis?</span></span><span
style='color:black'><span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>�� </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=CM3 style='text-indent:18.75pt'><b><span style='color:black'>"Therefore
I say unto you, take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, what ye shall
drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on." </span></b><span
style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=CM3 style='text-indent:18.75pt'><span style='color:black'>If I took
this literally, I would become a homeless person wandering the streets - or
better yet, sick or dead.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>� </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=CM3 style='text-indent:18.75pt'><b><span style='color:black'>"He
that is not with me is against me. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'>It�s "my way or the
highway" time. Do as I say or burn in the flames of Hell. This is the kind
of ultimatum that drives me away. </p>
<p class=CM3 style='text-indent:18.75pt'><b><span style='color:black'>And
whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him: but
whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him neither
in this world, neither in the world to come." </span></b><span
style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=CM8 style='margin-right:18.5pt;text-indent:18.75pt'>I have never seen
the "Son of Man" or the "Holy Ghost" so I cannot speak
words against either one. </p>
<p class=CM8 style='margin-right:18.5pt;text-indent:18.75pt'><b>"Every
idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of
judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt
be condemned." </b><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=CM1 style='margin-right:5.0pt;text-indent:18.75pt'>When I read this, I
think of all the thoughtless remarks I have uttered throughout my life and
regretted later. Too late - my words have already condemned me. That is why we
have <span style='mso-bidi-font-weight:bold'>freedom of speech and, at least on
paper, separation of church and state.</span> <span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in;line-height:12.65pt'><b>"The </b><st1:place><st1:PlaceType><b>Kingdom</b></st1:PlaceType><b>
of </b><st1:PlaceName><b>Heaven</b></st1:PlaceName></st1:place><b> is within
you."<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in;line-height:12.65pt'><span
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:bold'>This famous quote has puzzled me </span>all
my life. The word "kingdom" is a medieval term and Heaven is a place
or mood of happiness. I believe the author of this quote intended it to mean
you will be happy if you live a spiritual life.</p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in;line-height:12.65pt'><b
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>"Judge not that ye not be
judged."<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in;line-height:12.65pt'><span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'>�</span>I tried to practice this but finally gave up
and went back to judging people.<span style='mso-bidi-font-weight:bold'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=Default><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=CM10 align=center style='text-align:center;line-height:12.65pt'><i><span
style='color:black'>The Second Coming of Jesus <o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class=Default><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=CM3 style='text-indent:18.75pt'><span style='color:black'>Ever since
the death and resurrection of <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>The Boss's
Son</b> 2000 years ago, Christians have waited for Jesus to return one day to rescue
them and take them to Heaven. It sounds like a wonderful idea but it
contradicts the promise that Jesus made to his disciples when he said, <b>"I
am with you always, even to the end of the world." </b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=CM3 style='text-indent:18.75pt'><span style='color:black'>How can
Jesus return if he never left? <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=CM3 style='text-indent:18.75pt'>These "second coming" groups
come and go with regularity, organized by people blessed with charisma but
devoid of historical facts. Sometimes it is not their fault, especially when
anxious followers pressure their leader to �predict� when the Redeemer will
come. Once that date is set, the countdown begins and the future of the leader
and the cult followers is on the line.</p>
<p class=CM3 style='text-indent:18.75pt'>When the deadline passes (as it always
has) and Jesus fails to appear as expected, the cult leader must decide how to
maintain his authority over the group. The wisest choice is to admit he or she
made a mistake and misread the clues then quickly choose a different date far
into the future. A second choice is to steal the group�s money and disappear.
The third choice is the one chosen by the cult members who are the most extreme
in their beliefs � which is to kill one another, commit suicide, or both. The
astonishing fact about this fascinating drama is that rich, educated, highly
intelligent people elected to public office secretly join these doomsday cults,
which proves that civilized people still carry within, a black hole of
primitive fear and superstition. </p>
<p class=Default><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=CM1 align=center style='margin-right:5.0pt;text-align:center;
text-indent:18.75pt'><b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'><span
style='font-size:20.0pt;color:black'>Religious Programming Begins with the
Genesis Myth<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=CM10 align=center style='text-align:center;line-height:12.65pt'><i><span
style='color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p>
<p class=CM10 align=center style='text-align:center;line-height:12.65pt'><i><span
style='color:black'>Me and God</span></i><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=CM1 style='margin-right:5.0pt;text-indent:18.75pt'><span
style='color:black'><span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>�</span>Catholic Theology
starts with the story of Genesis and the <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>presupposition</b>
of a male, Creator God that rules over the Earth from a place called the </span><st1:place><st1:PlaceType><span
style='color:black'>Kingdom</span></st1:PlaceType><span style='color:black'>
of </span><st1:PlaceName><span style='color:black'>Heaven</span></st1:PlaceName></st1:place><span
style='color:black'>. Every Catholic must believe this or else face the
alternative � responsibility for one's own existence.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'>The confusion over who is in charge
can be resolved to some degree by asking the following questions.</p>
<p class=CM1 style='margin-right:5.0pt;text-indent:18.75pt'><span
style='color:black'>Who is digesting my food, circulating my blood, replacing
my cells and forming dreams? Is it <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>�I�
or <span class=GramE>God</span></b>? What exactly is <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:
normal'>�I�</b>? Is <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>�I�</b> the whole
body or something inside the body? If God is everywhere as the Bible claims then
where <span class=GramE>do</span> <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>�I�</b>
fit in?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'>It seems to me the more �I� take
responsibility for my own actions; the less I need to depend on God. Better
still, why not simply<b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'> leave God alone</b>
and observe what happens?</p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'>The fact that I do not know <b
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>how</b> I digest food, circulate blood,
form new cells and create dreams does not mean I am not doing it. It only means
<b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>I do not know how I do it.</b></p>
<p class=Default align=center style='text-align:center;text-indent:.25in'><i
style='mso-bidi-font-style:normal'><o:p> </o:p></i></p>
<p class=Default align=center style='text-align:center'><i style='mso-bidi-font-style:
normal'>The Origin of Humanity<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class=Default align=center style='text-align:center'><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=CM3 style='text-indent:18.75pt'><b><span style='color:black'>"In
the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. </span></b><span
style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=CM3 style='text-indent:18.75pt'><b><span style='color:black'>And God
said let us make man in our image, after our likeness." </span></b><span
style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=CM3 style='text-indent:18.75pt'><span style='color:black'>The word <b>"us"
</b><span style='mso-bidi-font-weight:bold'>is an unfortunate choice of words
that reminds the reader that this God is</span> a <b>multiple</b><b
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'> personality</b> that talks to
Himself.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>� </span>Perhaps this unfortunate
description was a compromise between the monotheists who favored a single God
and polytheists who preferred many gods. In any case, this single God with
multiple personalities decided to create Adam and Eve, the first humans. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=CM3 style='text-indent:18.75pt'><b><span style='color:black'>"And
the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his
nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. And the Lord God
caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his
ribs, and closed up the flesh... and the rib which the Lord God had taken from
man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man�..</span> "And on the
seventh day God ended his work� and he rested�"</b><span style='color:
black'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman";color:black;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:
EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA'><br clear=all style='page-break-before:auto;
mso-break-type:section-break'>
</span>
<div class=Section9>
<p class=CM3 style='text-indent:.25in'><span class=GramE>This incredible story
of the origin of the species might win over a three-year-old but what can we
hope for from a mature adult with a college education in science?</span> Even
if you concede that the <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>seven days
decided by the author</b> could mean <span class=GramE>seven millennium,</span>
or even seven million years, the fact remains that the <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:
normal'>time</b> factor is irrelevant � merely a human invention that does not
apply because God lives in <b>eternity</b>. It is useless to argue this with
people who fear that if you change even one word of scripture, it could throw
the entire Bible, and their faith, into doubt. </p>
<p class=CM3 style='text-indent:.25in'>After the seven days of creation,<b
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'> <span style='mso-bidi-font-weight:bold'>God
became tired</span></b> and needed to rest.</p>
<p class=Default>This portion of the story is a contradiction meaning you
cannot have it both ways or it becomes meaningless.<b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:
normal'> An all-powerful God by definition cannot use up His power and become a
tired God.</b> The author loses credibility and the story is now fiction. </p>
<p class=CM3 style='text-indent:18.75pt'>As the narrative continues, God
creates the <st1:place><st1:PlaceType>Garden</st1:PlaceType> of <st1:PlaceName>Paradise</st1:PlaceName></st1:place>
and turns dust and a rib into the first humans, which he names Adam and Eve.
Apparently, there is nothing much for them to do except wander around and enjoy
the beauty and perfection of the Garden. The only restriction God places on
them is to stay away from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil � the first
Prohibition.</p>
<p class=CM3 style='text-indent:18.75pt'><span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'>�</span>Eventually Eve grows bored with eternal
happiness and becomes curious about the tree. Her curiosity is encouraged by
the appearance <span class=GramE>of<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>� </span>a</span>
talking snake <span class=SpellE>aka</span> Lucifer, God�s arch enemy who urges
her to try one of the apples. The talking snake is also Satan the rebellious
angel whom God cast into Hell, but who mysteriously escapes at just the right
moment to promise Eve that if she eats the apple she will become as wise and
powerful as <span class=GramE>God</span>. With such a persuasive argument from
this magnificent, <span class=GramE>bejeweled<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>�
</span>serpent</span>, Eve gives in to her desire for power and knowledge. When
Adam shows up, she persuades him to have a taste of power and knowledge, also.
By eating the apple and disobeying God, they have gained the knowledge of good
and evil. They have also become aware of their nakedness and decide to cover
their private parts with fig leaves. Before long, God, shows up and wants to
know what is going on. He is shocked as He listens to their story and then
orders them out of the Garden and into the real world. Having completed his
mission, Satan returns to Hell - and here we are.</p>
<p class=CM9 style='margin-right:27.25pt;text-indent:18.75pt'>As I read this
story, I cannot help but wonder: Why would a loving, caring God put the Tree of
Knowledge of Good and Evil in the garden in the first place<span
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:bold'> if did not want His beloved children to eat
the fruit? Why does God need to <b>run a</b> <b>test</b> if He is omniscient?</span>
Why did He send Lucifer on such a mission and then pretend He did not know what
was going on? </p>
<p class=CM10 style='margin-right:9.9pt;text-indent:.25in;line-height:12.65pt'><span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'>�</span>God cannot make a mistake. He knew exactly
what He was doing.</p>
<p class=CM10 align=center style='margin-right:9.9pt;text-align:center;
text-indent:18.75pt;line-height:12.65pt'><i>Cain and Abel<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class=Default><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=CM3 style='text-indent:18.75pt'>After God evicted Adam and Eve from
the Garden of Eden, they began a life of struggle and suffering. They
discovered sex and Eve gave birth to Cain and Abel, who became a farmer and a
herdsman. Apparently, God preferred slaughtered sheep to vegetables and favored
Abel over Cain. This seemed unfair to Cain who settled the score by killing
Abel. Once again, God was <span style='mso-bidi-font-weight:bold'>not there to
save Abel</span> so we have another contradiction from God who is channeling
His account of what happened through the writer. Later, when God finally
arrives and "<b>discovers"</b> what happened He becomes angry, places
a mark on Cain and banishes him to the <st1:place><st1:PlaceType>land</st1:PlaceType>
of <st1:PlaceName>Nod</st1:PlaceName></st1:place> where he meets his wife and
starts a family. And <span class=GramE>its</span> all true!</p>
<p class=CM10 style='margin-right:18.5pt;text-indent:18.75pt;line-height:12.65pt'><span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'>� </span></p>
<p class=CM10 align=center style='text-align:center;line-height:12.65pt'><i>Noah
and the Flood </i></p>
<p class=CM3 style='text-indent:18.75pt'><b>"And it repented the Lord that
He had made man on the earth and it grieved Him at his heart. And the Lord said
I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man and
beast; and the creeping thing and the fowls of the air; for it repented me that
I have made them." </b></p>
<p class=CM3 style='text-indent:18.75pt'>Instead of a well thought out Plan
with a <span class=GramE>happy ending</span> that one might expect from a
Perfect Supreme Being, the Genesis Project has become God's personal nightmare.
First the angels in Heaven, then Adam and Eve, and now this. In His own words,
God breaks down and confesses that He is not perfect; instead, <span
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:bold'>He<b> </b></span>makes mistakes and<b> </b>suffers
just like His creations. <span style='mso-bidi-font-weight:bold'>He</span>
becomes angry and destructive. God behaves like a child. </p>
<p class=CM3 style='text-indent:18.75pt'>God now decides to destroy all life on
the planet except for a man named Noah and his family whom he orders to build a
large seagoing vessel called the Ark and �<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>�
</span><b>"every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou
bring into the ark, and keep them alive with thee. Of every clean beast thou
shalt take to thee by seven, the male and female; and of the beast that are not
clean by two, the male and the female." </b></p>
<p class=CM10 style='margin-right:5.0pt;text-indent:18.75pt;line-height:12.65pt'>God's
new plan is to re-seed the earth with a mated pair of every living thing by
storing them aboard the <st1:State><st1:place>Ark</st1:place></st1:State> while
He floods the earth with water. Common sense tells me that Noah and his family
cannot build a vessel large enough to hold a pair of every living thing, much
less persuade them to board the vessel. Keeping them alive for forty days
without running out of food and the animals eating one another is another
problem solved through faith.</p>
<p class=CM10 align=center style='margin-right:5.0pt;text-align:center;
text-indent:18.75pt;line-height:12.65pt'><i>The </i><st1:place><st1:PlaceType><i>Tower</i></st1:PlaceType><i>
of </i><st1:PlaceName><i>Babel</i></st1:PlaceName></st1:place></p>
<p class=CM3 style='text-indent:18.75pt'><b>"and the whole earth was of
one language and of one speech. And they said, let us build us a city and a tower,
whose top may reach unto heaven� and the Lord came down to see the city and the
tower� and the Lord said� go to, let us go down, and there confound their
language, that they may not understand one another's speech. So the Lord
scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left
off to build the city." </b></p>
<p class=CM6 style='margin-right:9.9pt;text-indent:18.75pt'>The author of this
tale tried to explain why we have a variety of languages. The plot centers on a
group of people who are trying to reach Heaven by building a tower. </p>
<p class=CM10 style='margin-right:5.0pt;text-indent:18.75pt;line-height:12.65pt'>This
time, God, who is up in the sky has to come "down" to Earth to find
out what kind of mischief human beings are up to this time. Instead of laughing
at their folly, the three Persons in one God have an angry discussion and
decide to alter the language of the workers so they cannot understand one
another. The story sends the reader the message that the variety of languages
we have developed is a punishment from God for arrogance.</p>
<p class=CM10 align=center style='text-align:center;line-height:12.65pt'><i>The
Bible Bangers </i></p>
<p class=CM3 style='text-indent:18.75pt'>I am beginning to think that genetic
engineering plays a major role in how people think and act. Apparently, some of
us have such a short attention span we cannot follow a single idea to its
logical conclusion and must rely on others to do our thinking for us. This
happened to me in parochial school where I memorized a great deal of
information long before I began understood its meaning. </p>
<p class=CM1 style='margin-right:5.0pt;text-indent:18.75pt'>In 1980,
Conservative Christians began to regroup from the shock of the hippie drug
culture and losing the Vietnam War. Concerned parents and shrewd politicians
joined forces against the Indian Gurus, reality-altering chemicals, and the
Eastern religions that threatened traditional Christian family values. </p>
<p class=CM3 style='text-indent:18.75pt'>Evangelical Christians appeared on
television, speaking in tongues, performing faith healing and swooning in the
spirit.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>� </span>They broadcast the Word of God
through a global network with the promise of a heavenly reward in exchange for
cash.</p>
<p class=CM3 style='text-indent:18.75pt'><span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'>�</span>TV viewers could reach the "<st1:Street><st1:address>Inner
Circle</st1:address></st1:Street>" by competing with one another to
pledge the most money. Men and women with a gift for showmanship and deep
pockets could put on robes, stand before a television audience and deliver the �Word
of God� to an eager audience of Christians. </p>
<p class=CM6 style='margin-right:9.9pt;text-indent:18.75pt'>In the beginning, I
was merely curious about this emerging media phenomenon and wondered how long
it would last but I had no idea how powerful it would become and how quickly it
would spread. As more players entered the <span class=GramE>game</span> some of
these hucksters began to appear in the news on charges of tax evasion,
misappropriation of funds, statutory rape, prostitution, and homosexual activity.
Not wishing to <span class=GramE>be left</span> out the Catholic Clergy made their
headlines with a bumper crop of pedophile priests.<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'>� </span></p>
<p class=CM11 style='text-indent:18.75pt;line-height:12.65pt'>Apparently,
anyone can become <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>a spokesperson for God</b>.
All you have to do is <span class=GramE>graduate</span> from a seminary or
appear in public with a microphone and start reading scripture. If you wish to
attract a global following and collect enormous amounts of tax-free cash, just
talk to God right in front of a live camera that broadcasts the signal
worldwide.</p>
<p class=CM11 style='text-indent:18.75pt;line-height:12.65pt'><span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'>�</span><b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>Talking
to God is a euphemism for talking to <span class=GramE>yourself</span> - </b>an
indicator of a mental disturbance, especially in public. Zen masters practice
inner silence to quiet the internal dialogue - not engage it in conversation. </p>
<p class=CM11 align=center style='text-align:center;line-height:12.65pt'><i>The
Partnership of the Corporate Church and State</i></p>
<p class=CM3 style='text-indent:18.75pt'>Over the last thirty years, a groundswell
of Christian activism has moved traditional values of God, country and family
to the top of the political agenda. Church supported politicians began to win
elections by promising to get rid of drugs, pornography, homosexuality,
abortion, gay marriage, alternative lifestyles and non-Christian religions. </p>
<p class=CM3 style='text-indent:18.75pt'>Evangelical ministers urged the
faithful to donate money and volunteer their services to convert faith-based
doctrine into government policy. The ultimate goal of the movement was to <b>gain
control of congress and the White House</b> by electing candidates that
promoted Christian values. The fact that this violates the constitutional
separation of church and state did not matter. Under the growing pressure from
the Christian Right, God became more important than the Constitution.</p>
<p class=CM3 style='text-indent:18.75pt'>One way to assist this process was to
force <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>tax-supported public schools</b>
to include Creationism in their science courses. Creationism is a religious
doctrine that presumes the existence of a Creator God. Because Creationism is a
familiar religious term, the promoters of this plan <b>changed</b><span
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:bold'> <b>the word "Creationism" to
"Intelligent Design." </b></span></p>
<p class=CM1 style='margin-right:5.0pt;text-indent:18.75pt'>Intelligent Design
says, "Certain features of the universe and of living things are best
explained by an "intelligent cause", not an "undirected
process" such as natural selection." <span style='mso-bidi-font-weight:
bold'>On the surface, this appears to be splitting hairs but if you examine it
closely, it presumes the universe lacks intelligence and <b>needs someone or
something to be in charge</b>. Since Fundamentalist Christians have a deep
seated fear of a life without purpose or meaning they invented a Creator God
and put Him in charge. T</span>his Creator God is none other than the biblical
God in Genesis. </p>
<p class=CM6 style='margin-right:9.9pt;text-indent:18.75pt'>Intelligent Design
lost its bid to enter<b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'> public high school
science courses</b> in the 1990 <i>Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District </i>case
when U.S. District Judge John E. Jones III ruled that intelligent design is not
science and "cannot uncouple itself from its creationist
antecedents." </p>
<p class=CM3 style='text-indent:18.75pt'>Undeterred, right wing political Christians
continue to push their religious agenda. The founding fathers made it clear
that<b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'> tax-supported public schools</b>
that educate children from <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>different
religious</b> <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>backgrounds</b> should not
teach any religion in their classrooms. Religious instruction can be taught at
home or in <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>privately funded</b> schools
and churches. These institutions are already tax exempt and perfectly free to
carry on these activities with their own money. </p>
<p class=CM10 style='text-indent:18.75pt;line-height:12.65pt'>Our founding
fathers knew that religion was a powerful form of indoctrination that had
caused untold human suffering throughout history. During the time of the
Catholic Inquisition, and the Star Chamber, the Church Government could have
burned <st1:City><st1:place>Darwin</st1:place></st1:City> at the stake for
publishing his observations in the <st1:place>Galapagos Islands</st1:place> and
Galileo paid a heavy price for his discoveries with the telescope. Today,
because of Constitutional protection, religious extremists such as Fred Phelps
and Darwinian scientists like Richard Dawkins can legally pitch their arguments
to the public without facing arrest. </p>
<p class=Default align=center style='text-align:center'><i style='mso-bidi-font-style:
normal'><o:p> </o:p></i></p>
<p class=Default align=center style='text-align:center'><i style='mso-bidi-font-style:
normal'>Corporate Religion, Politics and the Media<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class=Default align=center style='text-align:center'><i style='mso-bidi-font-style:
normal'><o:p> </o:p></i></p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'>When I was a child, I remember how
boring it was to watch Catholic Mass on our 12" black and white TV. On
Saturday, my mother would iron clothes and watch Bishop Fulton J. Sheen give
his weekly sermon called "Life is Worth Living." He was a strikingly
handsome gray-haired man dressed in his red robe and cap. He was also a
brilliant speaker who was so confident in his beliefs that millions of Catholic
viewers viewed him as a living saint. </p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'>However, things have changed since
then. Religion has become a billion dollar media circus that broadcasts
infallible Bible quotations over worldwide networks. The Word of God does not
have to make sense as long as the size of the audience, the righteousness of
the preacher and the special effects added by the graphics team crew convinces
viewers to send in their pledges. The contributions finance the building of
churches and Christian universities, where each new generation of students
learns to replace thinking with scripture. </p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'>The Conservative Christian movement
began around 1980 and within ten years, it had become a powerful
political/corporate force that could elect officials to public office and pass
legislation that favored faith-based initiatives. The founders of these new
religious corporations hired experts to study human behavioral triggers. They
discovered that frightened, lonely people respond well to singing, talking, and
consoling messages from authorities such as Jesus and God, in exchange for
contributions. </p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=Default align=center style='text-align:center'><i style='mso-bidi-font-style:
normal'>How Religion Began<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class=Default align=center style='text-align:center;text-indent:.25in'><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'><span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'>�</span>Becoming human is a slow and difficult process
that requires effort, intelligence and guidance. </p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'><span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'>�</span>Just as a child playing in a sandbox will
create imaginary playmates, so will adults create imaginary characters that
will console and guide them through difficult times. The founders of ancient
civilizations understood the need to invent <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:
normal'>external deities</b> to whom they assigned tasks that were beyond the
reach of human beings. What began as a mental product of the imagination took
shape as temples, statues, paintings and other "holy" objects. The
intent of the worshippers turned these fictional characters into powerful
beings that could influence human affairs. Through repeated rituals, what was
once <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>inside</b> the human brain now
appeared <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>outside,</b> in the external
world.</p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=Default align=center style='text-align:center;text-indent:.25in'><i
style='mso-bidi-font-style:normal'>Religion is a Response to Not Knowing<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class=Default align=center style='text-align:center;text-indent:.25in'><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'>.</p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'>Religious authorities promote the
idea that they have<b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'><i style='mso-bidi-font-style:
normal'> the answer </i></b>to the mystery of <i style='mso-bidi-font-style:
normal'>Being</i>. The game begins when the seeker <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:
normal'><i style='mso-bidi-font-style:normal'>wants</i></b> to know the answer.
When you make inquiries into a Christian group, they will offer you Bible based
religious literature, which contains all the answers you seek. You may talk for
a while before you take the material home and begin reading. If you read with
an open mind you will soon notice the narrative contains passages, which make
you think to yourself, "This makes no sense." You must decide to
question the literature<b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'><i
style='mso-bidi-font-style:normal'> or </i></b>accept it on faith. The Bible
cult has a large following because it is easy for symbol-minded folks to
believe in Bible stories than to question them. After all, the Bible is the
product of centuries of research by professional historians and religious
scholars. Who am I to question the authorities?</p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'><span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'>�</span>The men and women of long ago who wrote the
manuscripts that scholars assembled to create the Bible, based their work on a
simple premise � that a <u>white,</u> super-human, male monarch called God
created the human race and that we had rebelled against His authority. So here
we are, stuck in the middle of nowhere carrying on with our sinful ways.</p>
<p class=Default align=center style='text-align:center;text-indent:.25in'><span
class=SpellE><b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'><span style='font-size:
20.0pt'>Entheogens</span></b></span><b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'><span
style='font-size:20.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=Default align=center style='text-align:center'><i style='mso-bidi-font-style:
normal'><o:p> </o:p></i></p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'>Freedom is the right to explore and
experiment with consciousness in a way that does not endangers others.
Consciousness altering is not a crime but a normal and healthy activity
practiced by people in all cultures. There is and always will be a percentage
of society that fears this activity and tries to prohibit it. Ancient
mind-altering plants such as cannabis, magic mushrooms and peyote can change
human perception to such a degree that the experience may forever change a
person�s outlook on life.</p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'>Devout Catholics condemn the use of
these <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>power plants</b> and insists that
swallowing a round white wafer and pretending it is Jesus, God, or the Holy
Ghost is the correct path to salvation. Based on years of personal experience,
I saw no benefit from this practice.</p>
<p class=CM1 style='text-indent:.25in;line-height:normal'>Entheogens change the
way the brain converts energy into sensory data. Entheogens release huge
amounts of energy that can trigger profound changes in thinking and behavior
especially in people with a strong desire to explore the Zeitgeist, the known
limits of human experience and knowledge. Traditionally, shamans used
Entheogens to induce visions in themselves and in their clients � to transcend
normal awareness and confirm the presence of "God within". </p>
<p class=CM1 style='text-indent:18.75pt;line-height:normal'>It is the endless
prayers, sermons, and Bible classes spent �trying, yet failing� to believe,
that often leads spiritual seekers to search for truth outside mainstream
downtown institutionalized religion. The fact that the left-handed path to
enlightenment is forbidden and illegal makes it even more attractive for some.
Adam and Eve were the first to disobey and sampled the <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:
normal'>forbidden fruit</b> from the <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>tree
of knowledge.</b> For those willing to risk arrest and a possible prison term
under today�s puritanical drug laws, Entheogens offer an experience far beyond
anything offered by the Church. </p>
<p class=CM1 style='text-indent:18.75pt;line-height:normal'>Despite their
differences, Entheogens and esoteric religion share a common goal - to reveal
the true wonder and mystery of existence. A carefully planned episode can shatter
long-standing beliefs and alter forever the course of one's life. Of course,
anyone can alter reality by starving yourself or subjecting your body to
extreme measures or by getting drunk on legal alcohol, but this cannot compare
with witnessing the innermost structure of your body and the world around you
with the aid of power plants. In fact, many people give up drinking after such
an experience. </p>
<p class=CM1 style='text-indent:18.75pt;line-height:normal'>For centuries,
religious institutions have condemned and persecuted those who used Entheogens,
and with good reason. Once you sense the underlying unity of all things, you
are more likely to view the world as an extension of yourself. A dramatic shift
in perception is therefore a huge threat to the socially constructed ego called
�I� that is built on separation from God and which dissolves at death.<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'>� </span></p>
<p class=Default><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=Default align=center style='text-align:center'>***</p>
<p class=Default><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=CM1 style='text-indent:18.75pt;line-height:normal'><span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'>�</span>Catholic theologians argue that prayer and the
Eucharist (the body of Jesus taken symbolically at Communion in the form of a
round, flat, white wafer) and not drugs, is the correct way Jesus taught his
disciples to communicate with His heavenly Father.</p>
<p class=CM1 style='text-indent:18.75pt;line-height:normal'><span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'>� </span>As a former Catholic and participant in the
Sacrament of Holy Communion for nearly twenty years, I can assure you this is
not the case. Swallowing a compressed wafer of white flour manufactured in <st1:State><st1:place>Rhode
Island</st1:place></st1:State> by the Cavanaugh Company and then using my
imagination to turn it into the body of Christ will not change anything. </p>
<p class=Default><span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>������ </span>It is true that
Entheogens are dangerous if taken in an unsupported environment by people who
are not prepared. Most of us have no understanding of the mechanism we call
consciousness. We learn about particle theory in physics and chemistry, yet we
never include ourselves in these descriptions. In my case, I was willing to
experiment with chemicals to find out if science was telling the truth. When I
discovered <span style='mso-bidi-font-weight:bold'>my<b> </b>nervous system was
a mass of living circuits, composed of electrically charged particles </span>I
could not believe it. It left me to wonder, what exactly am <b
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>I</b>, anyway? </p>
<p class=CM4 style='text-indent:21.5pt;line-height:normal'><span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'>�</span>In my opinion, those most likely to have a bad
reaction to heightened awareness are people who believe the condensed and
separated world of matter is the foundation of reality. When that begins to
dissolve into the underlying unity and transparency of all things the change
may come as a shock. </p>
<p class=CM4 style='text-indent:21.5pt;line-height:normal'>The <b
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>casual and irresponsible</b> mixing of
entheogenic compounds with alcohol or other drugs has caused deaths and
injuries. Recently the Justice Minister of Amsterdam, a city well known for its
liberal drug policy, called for an end to the commercial sale of fresh magic
mushrooms - after reports of over one hundred mushroom related trips to the
emergency room and one death (from a fall) in one year. Most of these panic
attacks happened to British tourists. </p>
<p class=CM4 style='text-indent:21.5pt;line-height:normal'>Lawmakers sometimes
ban a substance from the legal market when a bereaved parent launches a
national campaign after losing a son or daughter to an overdose. (Notice that
doctor prescribed pharmaceuticals, tobacco and alcohol <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:
normal'>kills hundreds of thousands</b> each year but remain legal - with
warnings.)<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>� </span>Banning a popular substance without
removing the demand simply shifts production and sales to the black market
where entrepreneurs reap the profits. The demand for a commodity does not go
away because lawmakers in Congress pass a law to ban it. People who are making
millions of tax-free dollars on prohibition don't give a damn about the law and
law enforcement officials know they can never enforce it.</p>
<p class=CM4 style='text-indent:21.5pt;line-height:normal'>The <st1:country-region><st1:place>U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region>
government has already listed LSD, peyote, magic mushrooms and cannabis in
Schedule 1, <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>next to heroin</b>.
According to Federal officials, Schedule 1 drugs have no medical value and a
high likelihood for abuse.</p>
<p class=CM13 style='text-indent:21.5pt'><span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>�
</span>The hostile attitude of international lawmakers toward mood-altering
drugs is largely the result of decades of <st1:country-region><st1:place>U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region>
anti-drug propaganda. After 1914, with the passage of the Harrison Narcotics
Act, congress began to dismantle a long standing, rational policy of
regulation, taxation and treatment and replace it with one of zero tolerance.
We now have a budget busting, unwinable war filled with drug gang violence,
police corruption and loss of privacy that benefits only drug war politicians,
cops, prison builders and black market entrepreneurs.</p>
<p class=Default><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=Default align=center style='text-align:center'><i style='mso-bidi-font-style:
normal'>Freedom of Choice<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class=CM13 style='text-indent:21.5pt'><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'>During my years as a heavily
programmed Catholic, it was impossible for me to imagine a life outside the
Church because every avenue of escape both real and imaginary was guarded by
threats of punishment. During this period, it never occurred to me that freedom
was as much mental as physical and it would not become available to me unless I
changed my thinking. That change took place when I smoked the leaves and
blossoms of the cannabis plant and under its influence, my brain transformed
the world into a magnificent sensory experience. For the first time in my life,
I had tasted forbidden fruit �and I liked it.</p>
<p class=Default align=center style='text-align:center'><i style='mso-bidi-font-style:
normal'><o:p> </o:p></i></p>
<p class=CM3 align=center style='text-align:center'><i style='mso-bidi-font-style:
normal'>Accepting Responsibility<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class=Default><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=Default><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'>The only way to free yourself from
religious indoctrination is to <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>assume
responsibility</b>. The process begins with a <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:
normal'>desire for</b> <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>greater freedom</b>
and a <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>willingness</b> to do whatever it
takes to acquire that freedom.</p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'><b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>Requirements
for freedom from religious doctrine<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'>1.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>�
</span><b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>Practice a healthy lifestyle</b>
to build strength. Higher consciousness requires more energy.</p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'>2. <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:
normal'>Trust in reason</b> to answer tough questions. The answers provided by
religion offer little or no evidence to support its claims. Instead, much of
it, though not all of it is superstition that rides on blind faith in symbols
and long ago people you will never meet.</p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'>3. <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:
normal'>Study the origin of all religions</b> to see how they came to be what
they are today. Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia is a great source for quick
answers.</p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'>4. <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:
normal'>Develop calmness of body/mind</b> through daily meditation. An agitated
body/mind cannot hold the attention steady long enough to acquire a thorough
understanding of complex issues. Memorized information no matter how relevant
is only a precursor to understanding.</p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'>5. <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:
normal'>Let go of God and Jesus </b>and think for yourself. If you lack
intelligence, common sense or a conscience, then you have no choice but to
depend on God and Jesus for guidance. Just remember - you create them inside
your head.</p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'>6.<b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:
normal'> Develop a sense of humor</b> about everything, especially religion.
The most common mistake religious seekers make is to go overboard in their zeal
to attain holiness. In extreme cases, individuals become insane and engage in
holy wars, church bombings and persecutions in the name of Jesus who said
"Love your enemies" and "Though shalt not kill." The best
way to prevent violence is to take time out for a good laugh.<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'>� </span></p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'>7. <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:
normal'>Stop expecting a reward</b> for doing the right thing. Mature men and
women do the right thing because it feels good. The reward is in doing it.</p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'>8. <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:
normal'>Treat death as an ordinary and natural event</b>. Death is our best
adviser because it gets rid of the guff and reduces us to nothingness.</p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'><b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>Requirements
for dependency on religious doctrine<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'>1. <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:
normal'>Join</b> a religious group and believe everything they tell you. </p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'>2. <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:
normal'>Do not trust</b> your own thoughts if they conflict with dogma.</p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'>3. <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:
normal'>Denounce</b> other religions. </p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'>4. <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:
normal'>Ignore</b> <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>contradictions</b> -
just keep plowing ahead.</p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'>5. <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:
normal'>Pray</b> constantly to God and Jesus for guidance.</p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'>6. <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:
normal'>Never joke</b> about religion.</p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'>7. <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:
normal'>Expect</b> a reward for obedience.</p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'>8.<b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:
normal'> Regard death as an enemy</b>. Seek eternal life in Heaven.</p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=Default align=center style='text-align:center;text-indent:.25in'><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=Default align=center style='text-align:center;text-indent:.25in'><i
style='mso-bidi-font-style:normal'>A Short History of Sin<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class=Default align=center style='text-align:center;text-indent:.25in'><i
style='mso-bidi-font-style:normal'><o:p> </o:p></i></p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'>Webster�s Dictionary defines sin as
"an offense against God, religion or good morals." This also includes
"an offense against any law, standard, code, etc. including a sin against
good taste."</p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'>Over the centuries, the Catholic
Church has compiled a list of offenses that cover nearly all human impulses
including those that are natural and pleasurable if properly managed.</p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'>One of the first written references
to offensive human behavior appeared in the<b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>
Book of Proverbs</b> called "seven things the<b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:
normal'> </b>Lord<b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'> </b>hated." Other
spokespersons for the Lord modified the list until the 4<sup>th</sup> century
when the monk Evagrius Ponticus detailed them in his writings as the <b
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>eight</b> <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:
normal'>evil thoughts</b>.</p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'>The list reads as follows. Gluttony,
lust, greed, sorrow, anger, despair, envy and pride.</p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'>I have indulged all of these
impulses at one time or another in my life so I know what they do. <b
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>They cut off the flow of energy</b> - a
condition I call <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>"sin"</b>.</p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'>The term "deadly sins" is
an exaggeration used by writers in a culture trapped in fear and superstition.
Here they are:</p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'><span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'>�</span><b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>Gluttony</b>
is eating more food than you can digest. It creates toxic waste, which weakens
the body. You do not need to be punished by God for engaging in this activity
since it creates its own punishment.</p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'><span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'>�</span><b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>Lust</b>
is a normal expression of sexual energy for the creation of more children
(which we do not need) - or simply for pleasure. For those who have no interest
in marriage or children, consensual safe sex between unmarried adults or
guilt-free masturbation is neither a crime nor a sin. Overpopulating this
planet with human beings is a sin. �I will make you stewards of the Earth.� (God)</p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'><span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'>�</span><b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>Greed</b>
is the driving force behind our economic system of wealth and power, which we
call Capitalism. However, unrestrained greed is dangerous and can destroy
economic systems.</p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'><span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'>�</span><b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>Sorrow</b>
is a normal reaction to pain or loss. No one can eliminate sorrow from human
existence, but those who practice Zen - the art of detachment - can reduce it
to the point where happiness becomes more possible. Struggling to survive in a
world of violence, hunger and disease is painful. Even love is a cause for
sorrow when the loved one dies or leaves you. Learning to let go of the world
is essential to happiness.</p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'><span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'>�</span><b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>Anger</b>
is a normal response when faced with loss of control or self-esteem. A short
burst of anger relieves stress but <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>protracted
</b>anger damages the nervous system and destroys happiness. </p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'><span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'>�</span><b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>Envy</b>
is the driving force behind consumerism. Example: Your neighbor shows you her
big screen HD TV, so you want one too. What is wrong with that?</p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'><span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'>�</span><b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>Despair</b>
is a normal reaction to a life-threatening situation. It is not an offense
against God.</p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'><span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'>�</span><b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>Pride </b>in
one's achievement is normal and healthy. Arrogance or false pride is pride
taken to excess.</p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'>None of these impulses is bad in
moderation. The danger lies in trying to suppress them completely. Trying to
crush impulses that arise spontaneously can lead to depression. Moderation is
the safest course to follow. Gotama Siddhartha the founder of Buddhism taught
his followers to follow the middle path.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>��
</span></p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'><span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'>�</span>Sin is built into the game of life to provide
us with entertainment. Without sin there would be no victories or defeats and
the news media would have no crime stories to report to its eager audience. <b
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>We need sin</b>. Even so, avoiding sin
increases the flow of energy, - which is happiness.<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'>����� </span></p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'>My definition of sin does not
involve guilt or punishment. Sin is a failure to conduct and store energy in
the body. Think of the body as a rechargeable battery. Any action or inaction
that<b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'> depletes or obstructs</b> the flow
of electricity through the body runs the battery down. Death is a dead battery.</p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'>There are no universal rules in this
game that apply to everyone. Action that weakens the life force in one body may
not affect another. Everyone is unique and must determine through trial and
error what constitutes an optimum lifestyle. This is why I do not follow a
fixed set of rules.</p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=Default align=center style='text-align:center;text-indent:.25in'><i
style='mso-bidi-font-style:normal'>Out of the Jungle<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class=Default align=center style='text-align:center;text-indent:.25in'><i
style='mso-bidi-font-style:normal'><o:p> </o:p></i></p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'>One of my favorite pastimes is to
read crime stories posted on <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>crimelibrary.com</b>
especially those in which human beings kidnap, torture and kill other human
beings. I have always wondered how this situation fits the description of a
Creator God that cannot make a mistake. It seems that God gave us the means to
kill one another while at the same time forbidding us to do it. Theologians
call it free will but it makes no sense to me.</p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'>The Bible maintains a strict
separation between the animal and human world, which helps to explain why our
animal behavior presents such a mystery to crime investigators. When I was a
child in Catholic school, the nuns made it clear to us that we are not animals.
I now know that we <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>are</b> animals. We
are part of a food chain that involves slaughtering and eating other animals -
a process that differs from the jungle environment only in its mechanization of
food delivery systems. We no longer snap the chicken's neck, chop off the goats
head or electrocute a cow. We hire others to do it. This separation from the
killing process makes it easier to believe that God created us special and
independent of the animal kingdom.</p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'>Devoutly religious people have a
hard time accepting the reality of serial killers, human sacrifice, child
molesters, and the government sanctioned mass murder we call war. It is only
when I accept my status as an animal in the human form that everything begins
to make sense. My fascination with people who resort to violence is evidence of
an animal gene in my DNA. As a person who wishes to get along with my fellow
men and women I have built mental barriers (filters) against certain impulses
that I know would damage my reputation as a �good� person. A small percentage
of people in a civilized society breach these barriers we collectively refer to
as a <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>conscience</b>. In order to
experience the thrill of power and control over their victims, they have to
destroy the conscience and become con artists in order to hide their true nature.
</p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'>As an individual develops more
awareness, the lower reptilian brain plays a diminishing role in making
decisions and the upper mammalian brain becomes dominant. The desire to
experience pleasure by inflicting suffering and death on others is replaced by
a desire to experience happiness with others.</p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'>This is just a theory but I believe
that a lifetime of intelligent, conscious action<b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:
normal'> </b>changes the structure of DNA, which affects the entire gene pool.
In other words, we are both slaves and masters of Nature.</p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'>James Wiley</p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'>May 2011</p>
<p class=Default align=center style='text-align:center;text-indent:.25in'><i
style='mso-bidi-font-style:normal'><o:p> </o:p></i></p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'><i style='mso-bidi-font-style:normal'><o:p> </o:p></i></p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'><span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'>�</span></p>
<p class=Default style='text-indent:.25in'><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=Default><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=Default><o:p> </o:p></p>
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