but wait there's more

Part 1

I was going to write today about my complete lack of understanding with christians' obsession with the idea of heaven. Actually, I suppose I can put off the crux (if you will) of this essay for a minute to chat about heaven. What mystifies me most I suppose is the christian's need to have some place better than this to go to. I once had a dream, I was a kid, around thirteen or so, where God came to me (and why not? Who says he limited to prophets and burning bushes?) and told me he was really unhappy with people. I asked why and he said that he gives us everything we could possibly need here and yet we still insist that there has to be some place better for us. He then went on to say that we needed to smarten up, enjoy life and enjoy this place because this was it.

Jesus was big on heaven as was Paul, Peter, James and the rest of the early christians, and if you had lived in first century Palastine you would have been too. What a dump. Death, disease, the Romans crucifying your people left and right. They pinned their hopes on the belief that if they did all the right things, that they would be delivered from the hell that they existed in on earth and live forever in Paradise.

I am willing to bet that if Jesus were walking about today, preaching to the masses, he would focus even more on spiritual awareness, on helping and loving your fellow man regardless of who they love or if they love you back. On remaining focused on the here and now and on realizing that if we follow the greatest of the comandments as he said, then we would have heaven here and not need to die to enjoy Paradise.

Do I believe in heaven? I don't need to, I have it every day.

Part 2

That being said...

I grew up Lutheran. I loved going to church, our minister has been a family friend for 35 years. I once, as a young man, considered going to the seminary. But at fifteen I wanted to learn more about my faith than what I was told on Sundays so I started reading. I found that modern Christianity has little or nothing to actually do with Christ, and more to do with the political ramifications of starting a new religion. So, like St. Paul, I worked the teachings of Jesus like clay, but this time back into what I believe to be the His original intent. Very simply put; Love God, Love your neighbor.

By accident I came across a writing by Martin Luther about the Jews. This hideous essay only reinforced my belief that Christians have for 1700 hundred years and will continue in the future to use the guise of Chriatianity to forward their own agenda, and leave the teachings of Jesus by the wayside.

Kristal Nacht, the night that the Nazi's unleashed their full fury on German Jews occurred on Martin Luther's birthday, and here is the reason why...

Martin Luther
The Jews and Their Lies (1543)

"What shall we Christians do with this rejected and condemned people, the Jews? Since they live among us, we dare not tolerate their conduct, now that we are aware of their lying and reviling and blaspheming. If we do, we become sharers in their lies, cursing and blaspemy. Thus we cannot extinguish the unquenchable fire of divine wrath, of which the prophets speak, nor can we convert the Jews. With prayer and the fear of God we must pratice a sharp mercy to see whether we might save at least a few from the glowing flames. We dare not avenge ourselves. Vengenance a thousand times worse than we could wish them already has them by the throat. I shall give you my sincere advice:"

"First to set fire to their synagogues or schools and to bury and cover with dirt whatever will not burn, so that no man will ever again see a stone or cinder of them. This is to be done in honor of our Lord and of Christendom, so that God might see that we are Christians, and do not condone or knowingly tolerate such public lying, cursing, and blaspheming of his Son and of his Christians. For whatever we tolerated in the past unknowingly - and I myself was unaware of it - will be pardoned by God. But if we, now that we are informed, were to protect and shield such a house for the Jews, existing right before our very nose, in which they lie about, blaspheme, curse, vilify, and defame Christ and us (as was heard above), it would be the same as if we were doing all this and even worse ourselves, as we very well know."

"Second, I advise that their houses also be razed and destroyed. For they pursue in them the same aims as in their synagogues. Instead they might be lodged under a roof or in a barn, like the gypsies. This will bring home to them that they are not masters in our country, as they boast, but that they are living in exile and in captivity, as they incessantly wail and lament about us before God."

"Third, I advise that all their prayer books and Talmudic writings, in which such idolatry, lies, cursing and blasphemy are taught, be taken from them. (remainder omitted)"

"Fourth, I advise that their rabbis be forbidden to teach henceforth on pain of loss of life and limb. For they have justly forfeited the right to such an office by holding the poor Jews captive with the saying of Moses (Deuternomy 17 [:10 ff.]) in which he commands them to obey their teachers on penalty of death, although Moses clearly adds: "what they teach you in accord with the law of the Lord." Thoses villains ignore that. They wantonly employ the poor people's obedience contrary to the law of the Lord and infuse them with this poison, cursing, and blasphemy. In the same way the pope also held us captive with the declaration in Matthew 16 {:18], "You are Peter," etc, inducing us to believe all the lies and deceptions that issued from his devilish mind. He did not teach in accord with the word of God, and therefore he forfeited the righ to teach."

"Fifth, I advise that safe-conduct on the highways be abolished completely for the Jews. For they have no business in the countryside, since they are not lords, officials, tradesmen, or the like. Let they stay at home. (...remainder omitted)."

"Sixth, I advise that usury be prohibited to them, and that all cash and treasure of silver and gold be taken from them and put aside for safekeeping. The reason for such a measure is that, as said above, they have no other means of earning a livelihood than usury, and by it they have stolen and robbed from us all they possess. Such money should now be used in no other way than the following: Whenever a Jew is sincerely converted, he should be handed one hundred, two hundred, or three hundred florins, as personal circumstances may suggest. With this he could set himself up in some occupation for the support of his poor wife and children, and the maintenance of the old or feeble. For such evil gains are cursed if they are not put to use with God's blessing in a good and worthy cause."

"Seventh, I commend putting a flail, an ax, a hoe, a spade, a distaff, or a spindle into the hands of young, strong Jews and Jewesses and letting them earn their bread in the sweat of their brow, as was imposed on the children of Adam (Gen 3[:19]}. For it is not fitting that they should let us accursed Goyim toil in the sweat of our faces while they, the holy people, idle away their time behind the stove, feasting and farting, and on top of all, boasting blasphemously of their lordship over the Christians by means of our sweat. No, one should toss out these lazy rogues by the seat of their pants."

Martin Luther Church "Reformer" and Hate Monger

Unbelievable. With Southern states apologizing for slavery and it's repercussions, the Luther Church as a whole needs to step up and apologize for being the seed of the holocaust, one of, worst crimes ever perpetrated on humanity.

Peace,

RW