If  I want your opinion, I will give it to you, outdoor-citizens?

I have an entire manuscript prepared to respond to an incident that occurred the other day, between I and a long-time, faith-based service provider in the area who is reflective of a few other service-providers and a few of my fellow members of the cloth ... in this region, and it is this: Service-providers, members of the faith community and other would-be helpers of the homeless population in the Southbay region of California, the outdoor-citizens in this region have their own power group.  You cannot tell our organization, that is comprised of outdoor citizens, what it will and what it will not do!  

The reason that we organized, created and incorporated 'our own organization', was and is to help members of our demographic to get going again, as opposed to becoming or remaining, long-term chronic dependents,

something that a few of you seem to prefer, not all, thank God.  

Author Derrick Bell, in his bestseller 'Faces At The Bottom Of The Well', wrote the following:  "If you keep doing, what you've been doing, you will keep getting, what you have been getting".  And that is what, all too often, members of the outdoor demographic, have been getting in this region of the country, what they had been getting before.

Our primary objective, is to help to get our people to get moving again, also to eventually stand upon their own 2 feet again.  Also, to return to economic viability, using their primary resource, themselves, in order to move forward or to regain ground.   We cannot tell you what to do with the resources that you receive or collect from others, so don't tell us what to do either.  On the other hand, if you would like to partner with us, we are available, however, a top-down approach will not be appreciated or tolerated!

Please keep this in mind, the members of our demographic are no different from yours, we are people who hold advanced degrees, are members of the cloth (Jesus would likely be living among us), writers, college students, experts, technicians, engineers, mathematicians, parents, adults, thinkers, planners, doctors, nurses, project managers, engineers  ...

Please be sure that what you are doing, is not being done for yourselves.  And to that I add, most of the monies that are being received, reportedly to help 'outdoor-citizens', ought to be used in a manner, that will help to jumpstart the lives of outdoor-citizens, as opposed to underwriting your protracted programs and long-term dependency.  Unconscious drives and motivations, ask yourselves, why do you do what you do, and who are you doing it for, yourselves, or to help the targeted group?

Sincerely,
President of HOP, Inc., The outdoor citizen's Coalition of Santa Clara County

AND, in the event that you are wondering, we do not claim to speak for all of the outdoor-citizens in the region, some of whom prefer the current supply-side/dependency arrangement.  Any individuals, groups ... who would care to provide seed money, to help jumpstart a few business opportunities that have been engineered by members of our demographic, please phone HOP at 408:216-0711.  We have members who would appreciate minimal one-time assistance!

Two of our slogans are as following;  'Refuse to Give Change (on the streets) To Individuals Who Refuse to Change', instead, "Tell Them Where To Go", places like HOP, where they will be held accountable.  And, if you care to, send your change to organizations that like HOP, believe even in partnering, as opposed to a long-term,  dependency program, that tend to benefit the managers of the program as opposed to the end-user!

If you care to help, I will ask a friend to set up an Escrow Account at the Fremont Bank, from which funds could be dispersed for appropriate and deserving projects!

In Honor of Dr. Martin Luther King's (and his wife) Birthday

Is Tolerance or Being Tolerant Enough?

Any one of us can typically tell when someone is simply tolerating, as opposed to embracing or accepting us, even though that kind of condescension is not always apparent!

The venerable Shepherd of arguably the largest church in the San Francisco Bay Area, pastor Dick Bernal of the Jubilee Christian Center, caused me to think about something earlier today. He mentioned the term tolerance, as he explained the manner in which America and Americans have become more tolerant, as a result of the work of Dr. Martin Luther King. I agreed wholeheartedly, with his conclusion. However, is tolerance enough, that is my question?

Right after he made the comment, it hit me.  I began to think to myself, that is the problem, tolerance, instead of acceptance, became the norm in America.  Why?  Because  acceptance was not something that our government officials could legislate. However, the government could legislate laws against intolerance towards minorities.  Along with the government's actions, and the subsequent assassination of Dr. Martin Luther Jr., the titular leader of the Civil Rights Movement, the majority of Americans became more tolerant of minorities, even if they didn't accept them.  


In fact, minorities were tolerated in the public school systems, at institutions of higher-learning, in the work-place, where public accommodations were available, at the voting booths and so on, however, minorities were not always accepted - even though 'we' were being  tolerated.

What is tolerance, and what does it mean to be tolerant? First of all the term tolerate, a transitive verb means to endure (something or someone).  Being tolerant, is the ability to tolerate the beliefs, actions, opinions of others, also to be permissive, patient and able to tolerate extremes, in this context, non-whites. The question that remains to be answered how in a racial context is this: how long will people, and the nation for that matter, remain tolerant, as opposed to taking the next step to full acceptance of people who differ from them in some form or fashion?

Most Americans today, believe that we live in a post-racial society in America. However, if America is truly a post-racial society, it begs the following question, are the two mutually exclusive, tolerance and acceptance? In other words and to be succinct, should a partially tolerant society, be red the equal of a post-racial society, especially when tolerance has been and is being forced upon the citizens  by rote?

Pastor Bernal was obviously correct, given that there are still pockets of resistance in America, where individuals or groups are still resistant to the notion of being tolerant or being forced to be tolerant, whether by a religious, civil institution or some leader. More than a few Americans have even relocated to obscure and distant places in the wilderness or the suburbs, in order to avoid the tolerance police.  


I can recall a number of experiences that I had with individuals 3 or 4 decades ago, who I am certain would tell you that they were tolerant, if not accepting. For example, when our family relocated to the suburbs for the first time, we experienced abject intolerance.   The welcoming committee, that consisted of our new neighbor across the street, hollered over at us and said, “why don't you niggers go back to where you came from”? I was in the eighth grade at the time, and my jaw dropped down to my knees, given the brazenness of this our new female neighbor.

Typically, self-described 'good people' like this woman, would consider themselves to be tolerant, in spite of all evidence to the contrary.  And, even though some members of the inclusive but intolerant group that she was apparently a member of, would likely brag over the fact that they were at the very least tolerant, oftentimes that was not the case.  Some of them did not pretend to be tolerant of anything or anyone that was not a part of their cultural, racial or class group.  One of our therapists, at the Mental Health Center where I used to be employed as a Psychiatric Counselor said to me in anger one day, "if people don't like what's going on in America, they ought to go back to where they came from".  


By most societal standards, this woman, the members of her group and my fellow employee, would have been considered to be decent and upstanding American citizens.   Whatever did they mean, "go back to where you came from"?  Were they referring to the old neighborhood, back to the South (hadn't lived there), or back to Africa, a place where I never lived?  The fact of the matter is that we relocated from the east side of town, and our family was surrounded by white neighbors, and all of us got along just fine.  

Several decades ago, one of my tolerant white co-workers, decided to tell me a racially-tinged joke that went like this.  He said:

1. “A couple of blacks were talking one day, when one said to the other, every other race in America, has done something important, except us. For example, whites have invented automobiles …. have gone to the moon, so why don't we do something? His counterpart replied, like what?  He answered, well, we (black people) could build a rocket ship and travel to the sun. The sun, his friend replied, are you crazy, if we attempted to travel to the sun, we would burn up?  The other black man then replied, well then, we will go at night”. Of course the white story-teller, felt that his racially-tinged joke, given at my expense, was hilarious.
   
   
2. Then there was the Aladdin lamp's joke, and another white jokester-pranxter: He said, “three men were sitting in lawn chairs one day, observing a magic Aladdin's lamp that one of them found. Suddenly the genie in the lamp appeared, and to show his appreciation to the finder of the lamp, the genie offered to fulfill one wish for him and each one of his friends. The first man wished that all of the black people in America, were put back in Africa, and suddenly, all of the black people in America disappeared, and were placed back in Africa. 
   
   
   The second friend thought for a minute, and afterwards requested that all of the Jews in America were put back in the Middle-east, and poof, suddenly all of the Jews in America magically disappeared, and were suddenly transported back to Israel. Finally, the third friend's turn came around, and he pondered and then spake out loud - "now let me get this right, all of the blacks are back in Africa, and all of the Jews are back in the Middle-East"? CThe genie replied, “yes”. The third gentleman without hesitating said, “well, then I will have a coca-cola”, as he settled back into his chair in order to enjoy his libation!

That America has made strides, most of which can be attributed to the epoch and spiritual Civil-Rights movement, along with cooperation from some brave members of Americas white and Jewish communities, is an undeniable fact.  Many Americans seemed to believe at the time, that it was time for a change. But the problem that remains in America, 'a tolerant society', is as Pastor Bernal pointed out is this, “America still has a ways to go”. The question that remains is why is it so difficult to make the short leap from tolerance to acceptance?

None of us should be deluded into believing that the work that needs to be done with respect to civil rights and fair treatment for all Americans, has been completed. The final stage, I believe, will be the most difficult one of them all to attain, because some things cannot, for example morality, be legislated.  And it would appear that not even going to most r ligious institutions will have any effect when it comes to acceptance.  Intolerance, yes?  Acceptance, no?  Even in the Christian Canon, many of God's chosen appeared to be more tolerant than they were accepting.  For example,  Aaron, Miriam, most of the pre and post-exilicJewish culture ...


The prophet Jeremiah, seemed to have problems with the skin of unchangeable skin of darker-hued Ethiopians, although he apparently tolerated an Ethiopian, who rescued him from the dungeonous pit into which he had been lowered, The Chief Apostle Peter (see below) too, these biblical icons and more had to mostly be taught to be tolerant, if not accepting.   Even Jesus' travelling companions, were surprised to see him talking to 'a Samaritan dog.  Some ministers argue that it was not a form of racism that they were practicing,the Jews,  their separation from non-Jews, had more to do with being set aside, ritual purification and sanctification.   


 I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, more specifically in the South Bay. Not only whites, but most people in the Bay Area, when it comes to ethnicity and race, tend to get along much better, than any other section of the company that I am familiar with, in my opinion.

However, in a Christian nation, by believing that we are a tolerant or post-racial society, is that enough? Even the Apostle Peter was corrected, apparently by God, given his internalized racial animus, towards other human beings. His counterpart, the Apostle Paul, even confronted him on one occasion, given the duplicity that he exhibited when he was around members from other groups, Gentiles, to be more specific.

Can anyone be forced to take the next step beyond tolerance, into acceptance, which was what was hoped for by Dr. King and the members of the civil rights movement I believe, along with new laws and codes to replace the old ones.  The answer in this regard, I believe is no, and most Americans would agree that neither morality or acceptance can be legislated.  For example, single-family dwellers, have the right to decide who can live inside of their homes with them.  With rental property, the rules are more relaxed.  

The recent announcement and pronouncement  by some Americans, that stipulates that 21st century America is a post-racial society,  in other words no longer a racist society, has been greatly  greatly exaggerated.   In fact I argued  in the past, that a person of one race could marry a person of another race, and still be racist, in the same manner that a male could have a living mother, sisters or a daughter, and at the same time be sexist. How can that be? Simply ask the relatives of the members of the bi-racial marriage.

America has a long way to go in terms of becoming a post-racial society, but the truth of the matter is this: I suspect that we have gone just about as far as we are going to go, at least for the foreseen future. More tolerant? The answer is yes. Post racial? The answer is nyat, at times it would appear that there has been a retrenchment by some Americans.   The current President of the United States of America, could likely speak to this ongoing conundrum, given his recent experiences in offices, after having been elected by individuals who appeared to be accepting, not just tolerant. 

Does the American church community at large, in the manner that Jubilee and many other Churches have done, teach its members not only to be tolerant, but to behave in the manner that Jesus and the Apostle Peter and sexist (Apostle Paul at one time) learned to do? I suspect that many of other churches would prefer to remain tolerant, but not accepting of 'all people". Jubilee Christian Center in San Jose California, on the other hand it is not just a tolerant church, it is a post-racial one.   Also, America needs more churches and a pastor, who happens to be white, like Pastor Bernal. 


Hopefully, Jubilee, will have an impact on other churches who need to become not only tolerant, but God like (or accepting) in terms of their attitudes, behavior and treatment of people who for one reason or another appear to be different in some respect, race, age, ethnicity .... than their members happen to be.

In closing, the Civil Rights Movement brought the nation to a place where America's government and the majority of its citizens, for centuries, refused to go, some to tolerance and others to acceptance.  And even today, America, still has a long way to go.  Sadly, some Americans are retreating in the other direction, and returning to their former ways, even at the church house!

In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Junior's Birthday (and members of the Civil-Rights movement).

You did your parts, it is up to the rest of us to do our parts, and why is it that someone, apparently, has to suffer or die, in order for others to be free?

Is There a Place in Religion, Religious Organizations, Mysticism or Mystery Cults for Thinking or Inquisitive Believers and Inquirers, or for that matter our more educated classes of citizens or skeptics, who simply hunger and thirst after all of the truth, anymore? 

Has religion had its chance to explain cosmology and cosmogony or the who, what, when, where and why of all things?

And what happens when you outgrow retrograde mystiism, dark glasses and religion at the church, mosque, synagogue, or the prelate, pastor, imam, priest, shaman, witch doctor, warlock, spiritualist ... or good and often sincere people who are merely stuck in their preferred or favorite polemic? Jesus, was crucified when he reached this stage in his life, when at first he attempted to stretch his comrades. But the final result was that he was alienated, persecuted, rejected and crucified at the behest of religious-zealots and sycophants who refused to move beyond their fixed paradigms.  History, seems to be repeating itself in religious circles all over the world

We have reached that point 2000 years later, where individuals who have moved beyond the rudimentary principles, and are attempting to grow or to be fulfilled, are being persecuted, made fun of, rejected, castigated and in some instances put to death for merely doing what our sisters and brothers ought to be doing, advancing.

Now some will say that you cannot advance in God, individuals of this sort tend to confuse their personal makeup with the will of God. And by that I mean that some people are conservative, some have fixed ideas and refuse to change them. Others are flatly skeptical of anything that does not jib with their fixed ideas or the conclusions that they have drawn.

Sadly, individuals who I believe are as in love with what we refer to as God, perhaps even more than their contretemps, are being placed on crosses all over the world. My personal belief and manner of life has always been, never permit someone else, who is as human as you are, to limit you or 'box you in', given their understanding of things, fear and a need to control other people and ideas.

Someone once wrote, that we are at the beginning of knowledge, not at the end. And I would add, that religious people, especially religious-zealots of the kind who have fixed ideas, are impenetrable and unmovable worship the god of religious zealotry and fanaticism. Because of their fixed ideas, they never move forward, in fact, oftentimes – they either stand still or regress.

Consider Reverend Camping, a long-time minister and pastor who is clearly in love with his own mind and ideas. However, consider the number of people that he championed. And when you take into consideration their activities, particularly their form of evangelism and proselyting, one can only wonder how many people these folks damaged, or caused to doubt further.

What we refer to as God, the entity that conceptualized, planned and in this place, created a uniform universe, has to be exponentially larger than retrograde religion. If religion organizations don't change, I believe that they are going to be 'left behind', as opposed to other individuals being 'left behind'. In fact, the majority of the intolerant groups that have fixed-ideas and will not grow or permits others to do so are already behind.

What will happen to the individuals who discover one day soon, I believe, that they have been trapped in a mind warp, that has held them in place, while we refer to 'as God', has been trying to bring them forward. Yes, I am saying that religious groups, are possibly, what we refer to as God, it's number one enemy. 

Does this speak to the issue of defection, that is occurring among our current generation, a trend that is the opposite of what has occurred historically in religion, that young people are more prone to believe in God during adolescence and pre-pubescence?

I do not believe that we have to loose another generation, because sincere and vintage stalwarts, are incapable of moving forward, and that is my proposition!

Solomon

More on this ... I assure you!  Thank God for religious icons like Mendel, Sir. Isaac Newton ... who helped civilization to get as far as we have, even though it appears that we appear to be stuck all over again!.  

This Ain't Me Talking to YOU IT's GAWD TALKING TO YOU!

As a result of several discussions that I have been in with sincere religious people of late, ministers and non, it caused me to think of an occasion, some years ago, when I was watching the ComicView program on Black Entertainment Television.

A comedian, Arnaz I believe was his name, a black American, who was obviously raised up in the black church, centered his styche and hilarious comedic routine around his experiences at a black church. At the time, his pastor when preaching often injected the phrase: “This 'ain't me talking to you, it's GAWD talking to you”, when attempting to get 'his' point of view across during a sermon or polemic!

I was more than amused.  On the other hand, individuals who believed what the minster said, that it was God talking to them, would have reached the conclusion that his routine was sacrilegious, because God was in fact speaking through their beloved minister. His comedic performance, reminded me of all of the years that I spent growing up in the church, full-gospel for some of you who need to know, and believe that your group either invented or discovered full-gospel religion.

When our preachers preached, it was never them preaching or talking to you, either.  In other words, what they believed, and were saying or teaching at the time, had been channeled through them by God, who was in turn talking to us the audience-members.  However, is it always true that God is talking to you via a minister, even during those times times when the minister is preaching? Some ministers believe that what they say or have learned to say, given their years of Bible study, growing up in a church, or under the intensive years of indoctrination that they have received, comes either directly from God, or others who received direct revelation from God and passed it on to them.

I angered a dear friend-minister of mine, in the manner that I seem to be doing with most everyone else of late, when I said: "The bible does contradict itself"!  And of course he gave the perfunctory, "no it doesn't, you simply have to know how to interpret it", the implication being that anyone else who reads some of what is written in the the bible, and notices the contradictions, is dumb, lacks understanding or is apostate or the devil!  Now if you are from that school of thought, you will agree with my friend that the Canon is for example, unadulterated.

But to my way of thinking believers, is it any wonder then, that the world has so many different religious groups, denominations, sects and schools of thought, not just in Christianity alone?   If the bible was consistent, there wouldn't be so many of the above, because every word or phrase would agree.  However, all of us know that is not the case, is it?  In addition to the preacher whom, "Gawd is talking through", most sincere Christians have 5 or 10 bibles, a commentary, a concordance, biblical helps, tapes, favorite television teachers and preachers ... yet they cannott seem to find common ground, within their specific religious circles.  Why would a loving God, create such a high-stakes game, wherein the majority of people, if Christianity is correct, are going to burn forever and ever and ever?  Doesn't that sound like something that a human would conjur up, and write or say that, Gawd told me that?

Now, to be honest, which one of us at one time or another, has not believed that God was either talking directly to or through us, and on the other hand that something that we read, or a revelation or illumination that we received at the time, came directly from God itself?  In the church that I grew up in, FULL Gospel for those of you who are on a need to know basis, the church decided that we should no longer say, "something told me", when referring to some new revalatory knowledge that we had received.  Instead, we were taught to simply say this, "Gawd told me"!

Were the people of the church that I grew up in and with sincere and wonderful people?  Answer, of course they were, even if they believed that just about everyone else in Christianity was going to hell, who didn't understand every jot and tittle, in the manner that they did.  Let's be fair now, for if Gawd is talking to you, then who is talking to the other so-called but fake or ignorant Christians or members of other religious groups?   Disappointment, often comes later in life when we understand that what we took to have been a message from God has been debunked. Ministers, can be very quiet about what they previously taught during those times, er herm!

Is there any such thing as a God. I believe that there is something that exists, that we refer to as God. I am not so sure that the modifiers used to describe God, are what God really is – most of them are very sophomoric descriptions of a super-human or supernatural being.  And the problem with sophomoric interpretations of God is this, that we teach others about a sophomoric God and that they are to believe in a sophomoric God, and by so doing, we limit God to a superficial framework that we have created or imagined.

Then God becomes limited and defined by our understanding or interpretations of what we believe God to be.  And that is essentially what happened to the entities, machinations of our minds and imaginations, that we refer to as God ...  Have you ever experienced someone to tell you man or woman, I always thought that you were this way, and you are nothing like that at all"?  I suspect that is will happen when and if people ever figure out what God is, or if we were to meet God, on the other hand, face to face, spirit to spirit or in the ethereal.  

Most Christians who have known me for years, if you were to speak with them, would say, I have known him for years and he was raised in a full-Gospel church from the time that he was born. He was born again at the age of 21, spoke in tongues, has remarkable gifts in the spirit, is a gifted preacher, teacher, evangelist, radio personality ... but similar to Carlton Pearson and others who have fallen by the wayside, somehow he has lost his way.  

And why might they say that? Let me give you an idea of why someone who has known me for years would say that? It is because I am saying something different from what I once believed and taught, or that contradicts what they believe. And the other reason is this, how can I be right, when I am contradicting what God (the one that talks to them), or their interpretation of what they read in the Christian canon!  Keep in mind that the power of belief can be very powerful, in and of it self. Most action, is predicated upon belief. 

Let me list some of the things that I really believe:

Most religions that I know anything about, are not much different from Christianity in this since, their followers read from books, have teachers to dispense 'true knowledge' to them, are organized around a particular framework and are locked into that framework and they are typically monotheistic. But beyond that, they cannot agree upon what God is, refuse to accept the fact that they could be wrong or that their counterparts in other religious faiths could be right, as well or apart from what they believe and teach..

I believe that religion, most religious groups and their incumbent ministers, pastors, members ... are stuck at the principle phase; which is to say, that they are not making up what they believe or claim to believe as truth.  It is not that not they are not sincere, they are simply stuck in the principle phase, and cannot get out of the first grade, and their teachers won't allow them to get out of the first grade,lest they be accused of being heretics, apostate, backsliders or individuals who have fallen away.  And what does that do to 'the doctrine of eternal security?  That not even God, could move them away from their entrenched belief systems or indoctrination, is a fact.

Do you recall what happened to Jesus, when he attempted to do so with his Jewish ancestors, brothers and sisters, in other words, to take them to the next step?  Can you say, "crucify him"?  I believe that there is something much bigger than what religious organizations, who have stopped somewhere along the way on or their individual religious crusades, believe.  Simply, consider how Reverend Camping, ministers like the late Reverends Armstrong, Jones and others made and have made complete fools out of themselves.  Reverend Camping, who does not live to far from here, declared that he didn't rely upon any source, other than the Canon, in order to arrive at truth.  He was wrong.  Consider the 17th Century Church, that placed scientist, Sir. Isaac Newton, a man who proved that 'the church can be and often is wrong, under house, or if you prefer, church arrest!!

I don't believe that God is talking to most religious people or religions of the world, or why is it that they cannot get along even within their own ranks, religious organizations, parishes, local churches?  Why is it that they believe that they can repeat the same behavior, year after year and arrive at a different destination?

I believe that religion, if anything, can be a stepping stone, one that could be useful in launching an individual or organization to even deeper understanding, if they were to take the next step.  However, the latter happens to be something which most of them resist, that is to take a step on the wild-side.  Jesus had to do so with the Jews and Judaism, (and look where that Got him)?  But he still taught them to leave the principles, and to be fulfilled! it.

I believe that any one who believes or claims to be a believers, ought to open up and have their entrenched beliefs, doctrine and indoctrination challenged that they should step away from believing that everything that comes into their minds or from their own limited understandings or preferred channels, is God talking to them.  Religious substrates, can be as dangerous as any other kind of substrate, if not more dangerous.  For example, how many sane reportedly, and insane individuals go crazy, and kill someone in the name of God, or because God told them to do it?

I don't believe that God is religious by nature, the Canon seems to report that in numerous texts, for example, many writers in the Hebrew scriptures, reported that God got tired of religious sacrifices, ceremonies and oblations, of the kind that are being foisted upon most people in religious organizations to this day. 

Now for Christians … how come God, as you interpret God and have predicted that God would do, has not returned yet?  And how come none of the eschatological positions and predictions, as stated in apocalyptic texts, the ones that Christians have been waiting for over a 2000 year period to come true, have not come true yet?

Could it be because you are wrong, or the person that taught you was wrong as well?  Again, Reverend Camping, comes to mind.   Let me be clear, based upon what I have studied, even the Apostle Paul's prediction about what we refer to as 'the Rapture, that he discussed in  his letter to the Church at Thessalonica, appears to have been wrong.  Depending on your conclusion about the article that he used when he wrote, he apparently did not expect to die at the time, but instead, expected to be raptured, along with individuals living at the time.

On the other hand, in another context, he seemed to understand that his departure was eminent, and he looked forward to it?  Another contradiction perhaps?  Could it simply be possible, that God intended for humans, for example, to be participants in what humans refer to as eternal life? Most Christians cringe when you mention terms like evolution. However, from all indications, it would appear that even what the Canon and most Christians refer to as God, was the creator of a divine evolutionary life-cycle.

Most Christians are waiting to be transformed, changed or transmogrified and afterward to be placed into a new body, while retaining a knowledge and the character of who they happened to be before. Again, could God, be waiting for us to make it happen, as opposed to our waiting for God to come back and change everything in a 'twinkling', not a 'blinking' of an eye?  We are just about at the place now, where we can remove human consciousness and the personality of an individual from the body, and place it in another body.  What did he say?  Is it possible that the knowledge is already, mostly available, but humans cannot see it, because their religious beliefs, some of them based on mere superstition is holding them back from attaining to the principles of knowledge and understanding that they should had several years after appearing on the earth, much less thousands of years later?    

I do not question the sincerity of most religious people in religious organization or denomination that I know of and the ones that I don't know anything about, why not? All too often, they are sincere and seeking answers just as most other religious groups are doing. However, when so many different organizations insist that they are the one that is correct or all knowing, then that leaves room for doubt, because the other group down the street, across the pond … believes the same thing about their group, and the 2 of them contradict what the other one has to say.  Do I have an answer to this conundrum?  Yes, but you wouldn't like it. Religion?  Opiate?  Er herm!

Yes, each of us has the right, apparently, to seek for'the truth' as some put it, but instead understanding for ourselves. Who can deny anyone that right? And what if those of us who believe that there is a problem with religion and most religious texts, do turn out to be wrong? Answer: Our contretemps, will be happy, because they will have received their most treasured prize, the ability to say the following, 'I was right", when everyone else was wrong", and that my friends is called 'ego'.

And by the way, if you are wondering if this is me talking to you or God talking to you, it is I. But I suppose that my learned opinion and experiences (a student of religion itself ...) is just about as good as anyone elses.  I suggest that you seek the truth, and let it find you. And, to beware of closed minded, limited teachers and preachers.  Finally, whatever you do, don't confuse your understanding, an understanding that has been shaped from limited experiences, time on earth, texts and limited frameworks, with God speaking, uniquely, to you, for that is also ego.  Yes, I know that you can read for yourself, but it is not necessarily true that what you have read and have put so much weight upon, is entirely accurate!

In conclusion:  I am not attempting to 'shake your faith', I am hoping to 'rewaken it', by that I mean your faith in something other than religion or the god of religion

Peace and grace, 

Scriptural quote: They said that I said, and I never spoke to them. It makes you wonder, for what length of time have people spoken and written, even though they didn't know what they what they were writing about or talking about?