Hyper Real

Merry meet and blessed be! I always see this day as the begin of 'real' summer as it marks the midpoint between spring and summer (summer being actually the highpoint of summer).

Good Friday commemorates the crucifixion and death of Jesus. What does it mean to me: A human being, like us, who meant well for the world, who wanted to bring a good message, to all, but in particular to those in need, the sick, the desperate, the poor. He told of a kingdom of God, not some kingdom in the afterlife, no, a kingdom that is here and now. We all are so used to the material world that sometimes we forget there is more than just matter. I mean the spiritual world, a place, well not really a place, but let's call it a place where we all are one and merge with God, we become God, there we are God. I know each person has his own ideas about Jesus' death, perhaps to some it is a sacrifice, to others a political question, to yet others the death of a great visionary or philosopher or perhaps for some the death of a cynic. To me it signifies we can overcome, just like Jesus did, the evils of this world. My flesh can burn, my soul can be hurt, but never can my spirit be touched.

Buddhism does not have any of the 'worship and obey or else' philosophy as Yahweh based religions have. I believe Jesus was put to death because Yahweh did not like his message of the spiritual God and his kingdom. I believe the Christian Kerygma ('he died for your sins') was setup by Yahweh to create a new religion for gentile followers. Jesus message I believe was simple, it was about finding the kingdom of God. All I believe that is authentic from the Gospels are the sayings. The whole 'dying for sins' or the alleged connections with Yahweh were all made up. I believe Jesus and Buddha talked about the same thing, but Jesus spoke in terms of Father and God while Buddha did not. Just a case of a 'rose' by another name. I believe God does not require or is even capable of forgiving sins. I believe God is not some guy with a beard constantly watching, punishing and frowning over the actions of his believers. How could anyone possibly feel free under such a yoke and voluntarily choose to worship such a God? No, Jesus spoke of freedom, he said: the truth will set you free. Find the truth about Yahweh and the truth about the spiritual God and his kingdom.

Good wishes to all who celebrate this day! Personally I have no reservations to finding nature beautiful, it's beauty revealed in complexity I find unsurpassed, however, to borrow a Christian phrase, it is still 'of the flesh'. I believe that spiritual enlightenment cannot be achieved by wallowing in materialism, be it golden bathtubs or Yellowstone. I say: Rejoice in the spirit not in the flesh!

I agree with that but that does not mean no ritual should be held. I believe rituals are like funerals, they are not for the subject but for the bystanders.

In a very interesting article the following was stated: "In old Kabalistic texts they say that the Messiah was Son of Man, and dwelled not in his fathers house, the Demiurge, but his mothers, the Shekinah, a.k.a. Sophia, a.k.a. Lilith. The one who would first have guided mans genetic ancestry, but Adam was very much the Demiurges creature and would not permit Lilith prominence in sexual union so that failed. Lilith instead being painted as being a whore and evil. Supposedly the whore of Babylon. Babylon being the unity of man." Now I know next to nothing about the Kabbalah so I wonder if anyone make any sense of this in terms of Kabbalism. Here is the article: http://dragonintuitive.com/hold-of-the-demiurge/

And the respect is mutual. I believe that honoring the traditions of one's ancestors is not wrong unless harm is done. For instance if one has objections to real lamb's blood then one could take some red paint.

No, I care too but that is not the point of passover. Example: Say God tells you to do something in order to prevent your first born to be killed and suppose you listen and do it. Then would you think it unreasonable for your ancestors to celebrate your wise action many generations later? I believe the Jews cannot possibly be blamed for Yahweh killing first born children, it was not their responsibility. At all times. No.

Happy Passover to all the Jews who celebrate this event! It is a celebration, for the parents of the first born children who listened to Yahweh and put the blood on the side posts did the right thing, their children survived! Many Egyptian first born children died but I believe also many Jewish first born died as well.

Passover: From Exodus Chapter 12: 7 And they shall take of the blood, and put it on the two side-posts and on the lintel, upon the houses wherein they shall eat it. 12 For I will go through the land of Egypt in that night, and will smite all the first-born in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the LORD. 13 And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and there shall no plague be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt. 14 And this day shall be unto you for a memorial, and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD; throughout your generations ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.

A question that might mainly interest Gnostics but others are of course most welcome to give their thoughts. The sacrament of redemption from Yahweh, the final step in freeing our imprisoned souls, could we call it baptism?

To me to have a (spiritual) love for others does not require the others must have the same religious convictions, or are open to my beliefs. And friendship to me is a connection that includes respect but not necessarily agreement for each of our beliefs. To me even when people have diametrically opposed views that does not imply they must hate each other.

This lion that is within me I have strangled I have turned him away from my soul Him who pollutes me at all times. I will pass through the skies And leave this body upon the earth The trumpet sounds, I hear They are calling me up to the Immortals I will cast away my body upon the earth From which I was assembled. The days of thy life are running from thee; Why dost thou vainly waste thy zeal On the wings of the earth And puttest behind thee all the [things of evil]? Thou hast spent thy life sunk in the worries and cares of the world Working thyself into a decline through the pains and the sorrows. Thou art a stranger housed in a body of the earth Defiled, how long therefore hast thou been heedless Of what thou ignorantly dost? Blessed art thou, for the path of journey is open to you. Do not entrust your journey to oblivion. Lo, the time has drawn near May I return to my habitat Thou art the way, thou art the way of life eternal. A Manichaean Psalm

I believe until people stop believing that wars can be just.

Also contrast Yahweh's divisions of people with Jesus' encounters with Samaritans.

On death row and incarcerated for almost two years. Just Horrible! And the only 'crime' committed (if even true) was blasphemy. Does it matter to me the woman is a Christian? No, if she would have been a Jew, Wicca, atheist or whatever belief I would have found it just as horrible. http://www.suite101....now-ill-a364750

Pete, I think John definitely contains good things. Is the spiritual God (not Yahweh) love? I believe we cannot equate God to love, e.g. I do not believe God = love. To me the love comes in the understanding that our spirits are connected, however not through the material realm and most certainly not through Yahweh. Why not through Yahweh? I believe Yahweh wants to divide not unite the peoples of the Earth. First Yahweh divided the Jews from the gentiles, then he divided the gentiles in Muslims, Christians and some smaller Yahweh based religions. And Christianity is divided yet again. The more division the more wars, the more bigotry. In John we can also read about judgement. So how loving is that? I will be one of those who will forever burn in a lake of fire, perhaps the angels will push me in, or who knows perhaps faithful Christians feel compelled to help for the 'good cause'. A lake of fire! Do you think loving Christians tell their children that will happen if they don't do what is told of them? I mean Pete how can one possibly spin 'burning in a lake of fire' in a positive and loving way? I would say if one has enemies then first make up with them and then talk about the spiritual love between each other! Also, I think many Christians (but not all) qualify the term brother and sister. For some only a select group is considered brother and sister, perhaps only fellow Christians or people form the 'right' denomination. It is said one can judge the branch from the fruits. Well we received a division between Jews and gentiles, and between gentiles yet another division. We can witness tribal wars, crusades, jihads. Yahweh caused it and did he say it was good?

I do not have it in for anyone. Jew, Christian, Muslim, people of any other faith, agnostic or atheist I think we are all equal and all have the right to believe whatever we feel is right. I believe believers in Yahweh refuse to see the raw truth about their God. I think that is not due to ill will but they are under Yahweh's spell. Even if you show them a bible text with an atrocity committed by Yahweh they refuse to believe it and find interpretations to make it look like it is a good thing. That is the common thing for his followers, all that Yahweh does must be good even when the bible clearly states things that I think really cannot in in any way be called good.

Christians do indeed good works, but not only Christians do good works. I am convinced that if those people would be Jewish, Muslim, Asatru or whatever religion they would still do good works.

So the message is convert or else? I believe nothing has changed, Yahweh has always been a God of 'do as I say or else', and he will always be. I do not believe Jesus is the messiah or Christ. He did speak of God but not of Yahweh but of a spiritual God. I believe Yahweh killed Jesus but Jesus showed he overcame the material world. Christianity is a Yahweh based religion, and unfortunately it shows, crusades, holy inquisitions and now an announcement of punishing humans in a lake of fire. Not very loving.

Yes I agree. Hmm Alison Krauss and Union Station, like that too! Funny I once imagined a duo recording with the angelic voice of Alison Krauss and the mysterious voice of Norah Jones, their musical worlds are quite different but I think the combination would be smashing.

"I am a man of constant sorrow" - A true American song, and well performed.

And from Nina I go to Nana: A great piece, music by Vladimir Cosma, words by Norman Gimbel Only love can make a memory. Only love can make a moment last. You were there and all the world was young and all it's songs unsung. and I remember you then, when love was all, all you were living for, and how you gave that love to me. Only then I felt my heart was free. I was part of you and you were all of me. Warm were the days and the nights of those years. Painted in colors to outshine the sun. All of the words and the dreams and the tears live in my remembrance.Only love can make a memory.