Jesus life was hell, and heaven, Agony, and joy. Mine too. Aug 30

 

Rauschenbusch, theology, the fall.

"It is important to realize that the story of the fall is incomparably more fundamental in later theology than it was in biblical thought. The conspicuous place given to Genesis in the arrangement of the Hebrew canon, itself concentrated the attention of later times on it. The story now embodied in Genesis iii was part of the Jahvist narrative, a document of Ephraimitic origin dating back to the ninth century B.C. The original purpose of the story was not to explain the origin of sin, but the origin of 40 A THEOLOGY FOR THE SOCIAL GOSPEL death and evil. There are scarcely any allusions to the story in the Old Testament. The prophets were deeply conscious of the sins of men, but they did not base their teachings on the doctrine of the fall. Not till we reach post-biblical Jewish theology is there any general interest in the story of Adam's fall. Even then the story of the fall of the angels in Genesis vi attracted more interest. In the synoptic sayings of Jesus there is not even a reference to the fall of Adam. In the fourth gospel there is one allusion, (John viii, 44). Jesus, of course, had the clearest consciousness of the chasm between the will of God and the actual condition of mankind. The universality of sin was a matter of course with him ; it was presupposed in all his teaching. But he was concerned only with those sources of sin which he saw in active work about him: first, the evil heart of man from which all evil words and actions proceed ; second, the social stumbling blocks of temptation which make the weak to fall ;.... 

Trump, conservatives, fundamentalists, GOP, Divine Justice, or Poetic Justice, if you like.

Of the movie Dogma, the vague recollection I have is that part of it is a angel gone bad? Ben Affleck? Wrecks and destroys everything.
Trump is a brilliant sociopath, clinically, buffoon. The Republicans are totally mutilated Souls, our fault, and they are succeeding and will succeed in the total Destruction of everything decent. It is Armageddon that will not be stopped.

And it is completely just. Is it not? Who Among Us can look in the mirror and say, I have completely followed, I have aggressively followed, I have substantially followed, what I know in my soul to be good, above all else?

Not one in a million in the last seven thousand years can say this. What the f*** did we think was going to happen?

No, and I do not believe in the evil destructive thought of some Sky man God that is orchestrating this. We deserve all the credit, our neglect and perpetration.

To give you heaven, the every breath Joy Of My Religion, Universal Brotherhood, I gave my life. Telling you otherwise, it was hell to pay. Instead you invent Christianity. And now it is hell to pay, and you stick your children with the bill. Jesus

To give you heaven, the every breath Joy Of My Religion, Universal Brotherhood, I gave my life. Telling you otherwise, it was hell to pay. Instead you invent Christianity. And now it is hell to pay, and you stick your children with the bill. Jesus

Stop bringing children into this man-made hell. Who can be so cruel? So blind and selfish?

Stop bringing children into this man-made hell. Who can be so cruel? So blind and selfish?

When I allow the pain of my own concerns to become the focus of my attention then my life is more painful than joyful. When I overcome that and redirect ......

When I allow the pain of my own concerns to become the focus of my attention then my life is more painful than joyful. When I overcome that and redirect my focus to the pain of others then my joy outweighs My Pain by far. They are always both there but the proportions, the joy hugely outweighs any concern I have for my pain. That's the magic of loving.  ''I have learned the paradox that when I love until it hurts, there is no more hurt, there is only more love.'' Teresa of Calcutta

***** Instead of housing myself, I am able to donate all of my meager retirement funds to that about which I care of the most. Here is some of the list. It will change each month, slightly, & I am gratefully open to suggestions. My top priority is Palestine, but beyond that I care about all of the victims of US Empire. And it is my intent to completely and only support the insanely humane among us, that one in a million, upon whom all hope of anything good depends:

By wasting no money on housing or anything else for myself, about which I have  miniscule interest,  I expect to make similar donations, all of my meager monthly retirement, each month of the year.  This is an indescribable joy for me,  an immense privilege, a divine blessing that I don't deserve but I have.

Electronic Intifada,
International Solidarity movement,
MSF,
Mondoweiss,
TruthDig,
Haaretz,
Christian peace maker teams,
JVP,
Palestine children's relief fund PCRF,
breaking the silence,
students for justice Palestine,
BDS,
Syrian relief,
United Palestinian appeal,
Southern Poverty Law Center,
ACLU,
Sea Shepherd,
common dreams,
Welfare Association

***** I feel like I have come home, returned to the family into which I was born. Living........

***** I feel like I have come home, returned to the family into which I was born.

Living in solidarity with our global neediest family... is how I experience my life now. Yes, that may be an incredible delusion on my part. But I think it is less delusion and more reality, and surely an expression of relative truth in my life, that I now live infinitely more in solidarity with our neediest brothers and sisters on earth, in terms of my resource consumption, devotion of my attention, focus, devotion of what resources and talents I have....

Oh, I highly recommend it. It is heaven, yes, and hell. But it is heaven, returning to our family, what could be more heavenly? Nothing. It is the only revolution that has ever been possible.

***** Those who believe in Heaven after this life never knew they could make this Life Heaven... (more)

***** Those who believe in Heaven after this life never knew they could make this Life Heaven, Personally, thru Radically Selflessly Totally Absolutely Serving Our Neediest; thereby missing the only Heaven that has ever existed, and depriving...  leading everyone they care for away from It too, toward the Hell that is  self-centeredness, instead.  Double tragedy.  Triple, really,  because their diverted energies might have made Earth Heaven for us all.

***** Robert Reich: In Our Horrifying Future, Very Few People Will Have Work or Make Money Think you're safe because you're a professional? Think again

http://www.alternet.org/robert-reich-our-horrifying-future-almost-no-one-will-have-work-or-make-money

nd. When earlier in my years I was becoming a technically world class skier, there were mtns that terrified me, made my stomach churn... until I learned to metabolize them. Every moment my life is agony... refusing to turn away from, choosing to sprint toward... the world's horrors. But I've learned to metabolize them, devoting my life to gain this capacity, so my life is Heaven, and HELL, each moment. Near-pure Loving, every breath, the most profound Peace, and Agony. The agony AND the ecstasy.

When earlier in my years I was becoming a technically world class skier, there were mtns that terrified me, made my stomach churn... until I learned to metabolize them.  Every moment my life is agony... refusing to turn away from, choosing to sprint toward... the world's horrors.  But I've learned to metabolize them, devoting my life to gain this capacity, so my life is Heaven, and HELL, each moment.  Near-pure Loving, every breath, the most profound Peace, and Agony.  The agony AND the ecstasy.

***** On Religion.... When Religion moves from 'as if' it were True, to 'IT IS THE TRUTH' it moves from Life Giving to Death Giving... Religion is NEVER the Truth, Reality. And... It is virtually impossible for a human to exist without a 'religion' - world view, understanding of how things work, belief system. "Fundamentalism" is the genocidal problem. (click for detail)

(the following is far from neatly written and thought out but it is an explosive advance, for me, this afternoon, in terms of my understanding of these issues)

When Religion moves from 'as if' it were True, to 'IT IS THE TRUTH' it moves from Life Giving to Death Giving

Religion is often on my mind because it is central to the single greatest evil on earth today - the slow torture genocide of my Muslim / Christian family in Palestine by Fundamentalist US christians and Israeli jews.  This is forcing me into study of Islam, Judaism, fundamentalism (christian and jewish)... that otherwise I would not undertake:

Human Religion is NEVER the Truth, Reality because we Humans are in imperfect species.

And... It is virtually impossible for a human to exist without a 'Religion' - world view, understanding of how things work, belief system.

And it is Impossible to Thrive Spiritually and Physically without a comprehensive, healthy, Holistic, Truth-Approximating Religion that enables one to keep all aspects of their needs as humans optimally met, and those of the people they influence, most importantly young-ones. (Adamant 'Blindness' to this is maybe the most fatal flaw of the Left.)

One of the greatest scientific minds, EO Wilson, is in the news recent days for his stance in an upcoming book that the world is dying from religion. I often have this thought.  But seeing this from him makes me recall that no one does not have a 'religion,' a 'belief system,' a way of 'seeing and understanding' the world. 

What may well destroy the world, and what DOES destroy any individual 'spiritually' (the only existence that matters) is not Religion, which is Indispensable and Unavoidable, but Fundamentalism, that is, when one  moves from understanding that their way of seeing the world is NOT REALITY, NOT TRUE... that the world, the Creator, is REAL, TRUE, and that our religion at best can only approximate that Truth, Reality... to the error of 'believing' their Religion to be True, Realty, and therefore 1. The Only True religion (all others being inferior) and 2. Dead, Fixed, no longer moving closer to the Truth, Reality... and probably 'Killing' anyone and anything that IS moving toward them.  Making this mistake is the False Idol that Jesus spoke of, and the 'Tribal' religions that cause so many genocidal wars.  Making this mistake is when 'religion' becomes 'dry as dust,' or, 'a social club with a thin veneer of reality,' whether this fatal mistake is made by a christian, jew, scientist or atheist, liberal or conservative.  

The US left, Liberals, are mostly Fundamentalists.  They believe they know the Truth - education, science, equality, rationality... whatever.

The US right conservatives are mostly Fundamentalists - 'christian' (they couldn't be more anti-Christlike), terrified of change, 'religiously' selfish in principal... whatever.

The one in a million Great Humans are so exactly because they never make the Deadly Error of becoming Fundamentalist in their Belief. 

All Fundamentalist make themselves less than human, sub-human, truly 'Dead,' Dead to moving closer to Reality, Truth... they surrender their 'Image' as children of the Creator by taking on their Fundamentalists beliefs as Truth, Reality, rather than Facing, Embracing that their Religion is at best a means of best living even though we can never know Truth, Reality being the imperfect beings that we are... and that their Religion can, and needs to, constantly improve, move more toward the Truth, Reality.

Fundamentalism is clinical delusion, insanity, mental illness.  It is divorce from reality, truth... that we can never know Reality, Truth.

Fundamentalism of the left, the liberals, academic elites... is destroying all life on earth materially and destroying much human goodness by ignoring the moral limits and boundaries the human needs for Health and Survival.

Fundamentalism on the right, the conservatives... is destroying life regionally - christian Fundamentalists exterminating a million in Iraq, torturing millions in Palestine, literally trying to bring about Armageddon.  muslim fundamentalists are killing thousands in Nigeria, Pakistan, Iraq, Syria.... jewish fundamentalists are driving much of the US christian Fundamentalist insanity and mid-east Islamic Fundamentalist insanity. Fundamentalists on the right are thereby moving us to global annihilation by nuclear war.

***** article. "Now I know how it feels to have nothing to lose but your worthless life. I know how it feels to be so desperate that you literally cry from disappointment when you actually wake up in the morning, and to spend the night before asking God for a last favor … to take your life because you’re just too cowardly to take it yourself. #Gaza is no longer a city or a territory. It is a disease. It is an unbearable pain, an un-treatable wound. Gaza is the opposite of life, but at the same time far beyond death...." http://paminprogress.tumblr.com/post/101684001867/as-conditions-worsen-in-gaza-residents-ask-where#.VFhbL_nvOf8.facebook

"Now I know how it feels to have nothing to lose but your worthless life. I know how it feels to be so desperate that you literally cry from disappointment when you actually wake up in the morning, and to spend the night before asking God for a last favor … to take your life because you’re just too cowardly to take it yourself. #Gaza is no longer a city or a territory. It is a disease. It is an unbearable pain, an un-treatable wound. Gaza is the opposite of life, but at the same time far beyond death...."  http://paminprogress.tumblr.com/post/101684001867/as-conditions-worsen-in-gaza-residents-ask-where#.VFhbL_nvOf8.facebook

***** “If you don’t experience earth as the living Hell we’ve made it... You’re already Dead... as our culture makes us... as I’ve been. As Jesus saw. It’s almost too late to save.” Loving

“If you don’t
experience earth as
the living Hell we’ve made it...

You’re already Dead...

as our culture makes us...

as I’ve been.
As Jesus saw.

It’s almost too late to save.”

Loving

***** pic. Living is Loving (Serving) the Global Neediest, with each breath. Death is stopping, any breath. I know. I’ve tried Both - Heaven and Hell, respectively.

Living is Loving (Serving)
the Global Neediest, with each breath.

Death is stopping,
any breath.

I know. I’ve tried Both - Heaven and Hell, respectively.

***** Cancer Update: vlog. Back from Suicidal, Psychological Hell, I think.

***** pic With few exceptions, in the near future, 2050 or so, the only folks considering life worth living will be those that have perfected the art of loving. Earth will be such a material hell that only the impenetrable kingdom of loving within will provide any reason to live.

***** 'JESUS ENTIRE GOSPEL: YOU CAN, EACH SECOND, CONSUME THE DIRT OF LUSTING, OR FEAST ON DIVINELY LOVING FOR INFINITE JOY, DISPLACING THEREBY ALL SUFFERING. EACH SECOND. EACH BREATH. YOUR CHOICE. FOR THE 'SOUL' THIS IS THE ONLY VALUE, FOR ITSELF, FOR OTHERS [AS I REALIZED THIS MORNING. HMMM].' Loving

***** 'JESUS ENTIRE GOSPEL: YOU CAN, EACH SECOND,

CONSUME THE DIRT OF LUSTING, OR FEAST ON DIVINELY LOVING FOR INFINITE JOY, DISPLACING THEREBY ALL SUFFERING. EACH SECOND. EACH BREATH. YOUR CHOICE.  FOR THE 'SOUL' THIS IS THE ONLY VALUE, FOR ITSELF, FOR OTHERS [AS I REALIZED THIS MORNING.  HMMM].' 

Loving

***** nd 'Now I'm Living for the New Holocaust Survivors: Have I given up all hope of averting Ecocide? Essentially. Clearly Jesus too gave up on mass Salvation from material and Spiritual Hell. I've NOT lost hope in The Lifeboat of Joy for a few, in the future, regardless - Unconditionally Loving - Heaven; even, Especially, on an earthly Hell.' Loving

***** nd 'Now I'm Living for the New Holocaust Survivors: 

Have I given up all hope of averting Ecocide?  Essentially. 

Clearly Jesus too gave up on mass Salvation from material

and Spiritual Hell.  I've NOT lost hope in The Lifeboat of Joy

for a few, in the future, regardless - Unconditionally Loving -

Heaven; even, Especially, on an earthly Hell.' 

Loving

*****01.25.13 My Personal Agony of late - I'm minding the Creator's Business, not my own. LOL.

01.25.13 My Personal Agony of late - I'm minding the Creator's Business, not my own. LOL.

As reported here:

***** 01.24.13 D20-2 Under MASSIVE ASSAULT by my Fleshly Spirit

01.25.13 Day 20-3 In Turmoil Discerning Chemo Arrangements

I've been in pretty massive psychological distress in recent days - if not severe depression, pretty near thereto. Quite the Agony.  

I'd be embarrassed, I'd feel a 'failure,' cept, I'm doing the best I know how, in the moment.  There are reasons that few, not one in a million, find, walk, or stay on the Path of Joy, Peace of Heart, Loving, Passion... that Jesus died to lead us to!  Goodness, am I being reminded of that!

I'm making progress back to that Heavenly Path:

1.  I'm devoting Hours in Prayer, Guided Meditation, to refocus from my Fleshly Spirit gone wild, to why I'm here, and why you are here - our Tortured, and soon to-be-Tortured children - the next 200 billion, that have been, Joyfully, the totality of my Spirit, but that I've unwittingly allowed to be stripped OUT of the center of my being, displaced by pitiful "personal" concerns, worries, pain, and the doings of others, even though promising!

2.   The Euphoric prospect of Pr. Obama now moving into position to directly fight for our children's future, against Ecocide by Green House Gasses, understandably was, well Euphoric, for me.  The problem with that?  NOT MY BUSINESS.  It is NOT MY BUSINESS what Pr. Obama does.  The only thing that EVER is MY business is what I ATTEMPT!  And I've been rock solid in that, until recent days.  

It is not my business:

A.  What Pr. Obama does or does not do, except as that informs how I best attempt to help our 204 billion kids;

B.  Whether, where, how, when... I receive chemo, and how severely that destroys my ability to serve during the regimen, except the degree to which I personally can shape that path, which appears to be very little. NOT MY BUSINESS.  THE CREATOR'S BUSINESS.  

"Full effort is full success!" Gandhi.  "We are not called to be successful.  We are called to be Faithful."  Teresa of Calcutta.  "We are not here to survive.  We are here to Serve."  Loving.  :-)  All three correct.  Maslow spoke of this in terms of "intrinsic motivation."  'Whosoever would hold onto their life shall lose it; and whosoever would Lose their life for the sake of Our Family, shall Gain their Life.'  Jesus.  In this sickest of all cultures, where Affloholism is our Religion, how hard to remember; how hard to practice; how easy to Fall....

Minding the Father's, the Creator's business is Always a Deadly mistake, regardless of how unintended, and Hell for those that live in Error (Sin, from the Greek) on this point.

 I have close to 150 elements I cycle through every week, 100 or so here, like the two points in the prior paragraph, that I've learned, that tho they are almost all restatements of the same truth, any one of which overlooked, forgotten, at the wrong time, can lead to falling off the Path, out of Heaven on Earth... into the Agonies, the Hell of the Fleshly Spirit, with the possibility of never finding the way back (like I couldn't for 30 or more years!)  Argh.  "The gate is narrow, and few will enter in."  Jesus.  He wasn't kidding.

But with A and B I feel myself returning to the Kingdom.  I suspect I'll be back In, soon.  I Pray.