posted November 14, 2003 10:36 AM              

This is not one of those instances. These are the facts as the trail of clues has led to them up to this point. Again, please forgive if you are hurt after reading this.

When someone speaks and says something that we have grown to disdain or look down upon, there are really two choices:

One can assume the role of superiority and block out the message for its "worthlessness" assuming that the speaker is stupid or crazy or both, or one can assume the role of student, and listen.

Regardless of whether or not what the person is speaking of is absurd, there is something to be learned from every encounter, even the repetitious ones.

There is no reason to go into the various incredible and unbelieveable events that have led up to this point. You probably wouldn't find them credible, nor would you likely believe them. That's fine.

Instead one will attempt to cut to the chase as quickly as this rambling preamble will allow.

The majority of the New Testament is a farce. It was for this reason that the Book of Revelation was so cryptic: to avoid being distorted and rewritten by liars. They couldn't understand what it said, so they assumed that noone else would either, and they left it alone for the most part.

That's one of the places where they messed up. By they, one means Paul, Luke and John Mark also known as Mark. They weren't followers of Christ, but of a very secretive cult that worshipped the god Mithras. This cult is the basis of most if not all current Christian denominations. People that go to their graves worshipping Jesus as God, in fact, go to their graves worshipping the antichrist, Mithras.

What you see above is the solution to the meaning of 666. If you add those numbers normally (ie 0123+456+78+9) you will get 666. They are the 10 digits in their natural order, added together. (They also represents, on MANY levels evolution from perfect potential unrealized to the realization of that potential.)

If that is not conclusive enough, you are invited to add those numbers horizontally, using standard numerological reduction. This means that you add the digits together. If the sum is a 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,11 or 22, you stop, otherwise you add the digits of the sum. In this case you will add: 0+1+2+3=6 and 4+5+6=15=1+5=6 and 7+8=15=1+5=6 and you will have a 9 left over. 666 9

The first equation is the number of the beast. The second is the number of a man. They are NOT one and the same thing.

In fact, the beast is not a man at all, but a system supported by the "antichrist" or western culture, which is the so called "Christian" culture.

The man? The identity of the man must be saved for later, because his identity is not a secret either. Putting it one way, he's one of many heroes in our little story.

You will find a comprehensive archeological study(non-denominational, and without any religious rhetoric) on the cult of Mithras here: http://www.well.com/user/davidu/mithras.html

In it you will find a description of the typical Mithran temple: High vaulted ceiling reminiscent of a cave. Aisle down the center with benches on either side, terminating in an altar, with the image of Mithras behind it. Although this may seem a normal layout to us because of our familiarity with "Christian" places of worship, in fact this is not normal at all, but by design which was promoted by the papacy. Rome, you see, had the highest concentration of Mithraic cults.

The image of Mithras was always accompanied by a several symbols:

There was a bull that was sacrificed, with lots of blood. Blood was extremely important in Mithraic rituals. There were constellations represented in the form of animals: the dog, snake, raven, the bull and a scorpion. Mithras was in the center of these. You will find a detailed explanation of what the cross means at the above site. It will prove very interesting reading once you learn what "the Lamb" of god is.

Additionally, Mithras had a unique feature that has baffled arhceologists for years:
He was distinct and separate from the Sun god, but was one with the Sun god as well. He was also put first before the Sun god in the hearts of worshippers.

You will find some less objective information here: http://www.dimensional.com/~randl/tarsus.htm

None of this has to do with the a personal introduction to a cult, or to religion. All of this has to do with a story posted called What The Hands of Man Hath Wrought. You will find that story here: http://revealments.tk

The cult's priests would sacrifice calves and bulls to Mithras, then drink the blood of the animal, eat its flesh and/or bathe in its blood as a way of cleansing themselves of sin.

Bloody sacrifice was a central theme to Mithraic salvation credo. Members of the poorer classes, who were unable to afford flesh or blood, would substitute bread and wine, in a symbolic show of allegiance and faith to Mithras, in an attempt to gain everlasting life.

The festival of Mithras was celebrated on the 25th of December, the winter solstice. (see also the points of intersection of the cross.)

His day of worship was not Sabado (Saturday in Spanish), the Sabbath Day, but was Sun-Day, day of the Sun god.

The egg was an important Mithraic symbol as well. Mithras was often shown exiting an egg-shaped rock which had a snake wrapped around it. The inside ceiling of his temple supposedly reflected the inside of this egg. Not coincidentally, ask any kid what Easter is all about and the Resurrection or Rebirth of Christ might come up, but more likely isthe mention of the Easter Bunny, candy and EGGS. This occurs, not coincidentally, on the first Sun-day after the Spring Solstice (which is ANOTHER point of intersection on the cross.)

The Bible itself offers some very damaging clues to the identity of the conspirators:
(Acts 13:9) Identifies Paul as Saul of Tarsus, a notorious hater of Jesus and his followers.

(Acts 9:26) Mentions that Saul (after his supposed visit by the Holy Spirit) approaches the disciples of Christ and is rejected by them They are afraid of him and don't believe that he is one of them.

Mark is a disciple of Paul. He went with him on his first mission. He is the author of the first of the four gospels(stories of Jesus' life), which is the foundation for both the gospel according to Luke, and the gospel according to Matthew.

The only gospel which was not based on Mark's gospel was the book of John. It has been heavily tainted wth distortions and fabrications. One interesting oversight in the deception was the lack of any mention of the communion (drinking of Christ's blood or eating of His flesh.) At the same chronological point in the gospel according to John, we find Jesus dipping bread into wine and saying that whoever takes that bread with wine is his betrayer. He then gives it to Judas. (John 13:26)

Luke was the only Gentile author in the New Testament, a Greek doctor and very close friend and companion of Paul's. Neither he, Paul, nor John Mark were disciples of Jesus. Neither Luke, nor Mark ever met Jesus during their or his lifetime. Yet they casually write about the events of his life in their gospels, which all "good Christians" take as fact.

Of the 27 books of the New Testament, 14 were written by Paul, 2 were written by Luke, and one was written by John Mark. The book of Hebrews is attributed to either Paul or Luke, scholars disagree as to which. That's 18 out of 27 books. The other books have almost all been tainted, further investigation will reveal to what extent and where.

There is a LOT more to this story, but that will be saved for another time.

It is hoped that you will understand that regardless of personal religious convictions (which are of, by and for God), it has never been the author of this post's intent to try to convince anyone of anything, or convert anyone to anything.

It is that one simply cannot stand people making decisions based on lies. A bean burrito shouldn't be sold to a vegetarian if it is made with animal lard; that would be wrong.

The same thing, applies here.

People are being lied to, quite probably by people who have been lied to. Lord knows how far up the lie goes and whether or not ANY of the priesthood is aware of what it is that they are doing.

What is obvious is that faced with denial, or the reality that they had taught thousands and thousands of individuals to worship Satan, or a pagan god; that they had baptized thousands of babies in the name of that god, and that they had watched thousands of people go to their graves worshipping that god, most of them will choose denial. The mental shock would likely be too great, the indoctrination and habits of a lifetime, too strong to give up for something as flimsy as evidence.

Love from your often misunderstood, but ever hopeful brother,

Daf

posted November 14, 2003 11:55 AM              

Maitreya even means 'Son of Mithra.' Like Maitreya, Mithras is said to be waiting in heaven for the end of time, when he will descend to earth. According to legend, the redeemer will be born of a virgin, a goddess, thrusting through animal skin to the light of day. His birth will be watched by shepherds, who will worship the newly born (He will be born of a virgin.. His birth will be watched by the shepherds.. Shepherds will worship him..) His earthly mission culminates in his victory over the bull...

.From the body of the dying bull grow corn (bread) and grapes (wine) until Mithras finally mounts to heaven in the sun-chariot and is enthroned by the God of light as ruler of the world who would return to earth to awaken the dead and pass judgement. (Mounts to heaven..Enthroned as god.. He will return to earth to awaken the dead and pass judgement.."
- from the entry for Mithra at http://www.geocities.com/spenta_mainyu_2/mithras.htm

(again, a not necessarily objective, but not completely UNobjective site.)
From its author:

"(While reading the following three books leave your feelings aside and try to extract the facts as much as you can)

Old Testament

New Testament

Qoran"
- Spenta Mainyu

Good advice.

Daf

to be continued...

posted November 14, 2003 04:41 PM              

In particular, "the beast" refers to western culture and its fascination with technology, money and material gratification.

The antichrist is Christianity. Not belief in Christ's message, but the belief that Christ was God in human form.

This belief is adapted from Mithraism, not the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus taught us to worship God and only God.

This is why Muslims today still have great respect and love for Jesus as one of the Mighty Messengers of God.

Jesus' mother Mary is the only woman with a book in the Qur'an (Koran) named after her, and is the only woman specifically named in the Qur'an.

(Yes, Muslims believe in Jesus and his message (they call him Isa in Arabic) and they revere him very highly and love him very much as a Prophet and one given the Truth by God. Anyone that tells you differently is lying to you.)

Dear fishkitten,

Your information was all very informative. It is important to point out that it was really the insight into the RESULTS of the introduction of this information, rather than any specific information that you presented which was of interest. (Meaning that YES, people will be left with this hole where they had Christianity in their lives.)

Not only is one familiar with the various theories surrounding the number 666, but also familiar with the meaning of that equation that you see down below. One is not just convinced, but quite CERTAIN that this is the solution that John was referring to in Revelation.

Here is a little sampling, just so that you understand, this is not "another theory" this is the solution.

The first level represents the basic building blocks of all things, living and non-living.

The number 0 stands for God, for perfect potential unrealized. (It is for this reason that Linda equates it with Scorpio, the transformer.) It is the number of the nothingness from which sprang all. In terms of the material plane, it is the state of the universe before there was light.

The number 1 stands for light which is energy. (Let there be Light!)(Aries)

The number 2 stands for material, earth and water.(Taurus)

The number 3 stands for air which is the medium of transmission of light energy to move water which in turn nourishes and moves earth.(Gemini)

The second level is the level of living material. This includes plants, animals and material man.

4 represents plant life.(Cancer)

5 represents animal life.(Leo)

6 represents material man.(Virgo) (in order to move to the next level, spirit must be found. This is what the way of God attempts to lead us up to. The dirt in us draws us away from that. If man cannot find spirit, it dissipates and thus ends the existence of that particular individual, back into the ground with the plants and the animals..back down to 2.)

The next level represents the level of spiritual awareness. These are the levels of spirit reincarnated and spirit free of material restraint.

7 Represent spiritual man. This is a spirit reborn in material, but with identity intact. This is the eternal life spoken of. This continues for as long as one continues to find spirit(the partner.)(Libra)

8 represents angels, both fallen and otherwise. This is the level of spirit born outside of material restraint. This is the level of highest POWER achieveable by individual entities. The useless portion is discarded(the material) and the worthwhile portion is kept(the spiritual)(Scorpio)

The next level is composed of ALL in ONENESS.

9 This is God. Perfect potential realized. This is not a unification of all individual parts, but the oneness of which each individual is a component. We are not individuals, we are part of God.

Furthermore, the man represented by numerological addition of each level: 6669
is known to us.

His birth stats, Date, Year and Time each add up to 6 and when all added together, equal 9.

While God is the source of all knowledge, this person taught the above equation to the author of this post. He should know. He wrote it in the book of Revelation in the first place. (Number 7..remember?)

The point that is being made here has little to do with the origins of religion, it has to do with the worship of a man as God, which is an abomination before God.

Certainly Jews, Christians and Muslims would agree to that point.

Where that point becomes relevant to this post is where Paul and his accomplices distort historical writings to such an extent as to make a man (Jesus) into God. Jesus was not God. Jesus was a man who was possessed of God's Word (ie the Spirit of God.) He was the son of God only in the same way that we are all children of God.

There is a HUGE difference between accepting the message and worshipping the messenger.

Muslims know this, Jews know this.

Christians do not, and they don't because a man named Saul of Tarsus aka Paul, adapted Christ's story to his Roman Mithraic beliefs, to his cult's rituals and their way of worship and because he made Jesus into God, instead of what he was, a Messenger of God, possessed of the Truth.

Angry? No, of course there is no anger. That would be foolish. Who would this anger be directed at? Paul? Paul is dead, and has since returned to the dust. The priesthood? Oh heavens no, they've likely been as duped as the rest. (Maybe.)

There is no anger, but there is concern for each and every one of these people who, in good faith, has devoted their lives to worshipping Jesus.

If it weren't for the enormity of this lie, they would almost certainly be worshipping God right now. Instead, they do everything for Jesus and in Jesus' name. Cherish Jesus? Certainly. Love Jesus? You BETCHA! Call him God and eat his flesh and drink his blood and believe that his death gave us life and absolves us of sin? Absolutely NOT.

posted November 14, 2003 05:31 PM            

Spiritua...I wasn't saying that the internet is the beast (though some do think that). I was just offering some other interpretations to the numerical and historical side of Dafremen's discussion.

posted November 14, 2003 06:43 PM              

It is often difficult to read a post like this one without assuming something about the belief system of the author. It is even more difficult to write a post like this one, for it requires the existence of such an atrocity.

Would that charlatans such as Paul, Luke and John Mark hadn't perpetrated this fraud. The world would be a much different place.

They did however, and now we are fast approaching the time of the Awakener. There is little time to argue philosophy, and even less time to get let the truth be known so that the willing can rectify their transgressions of ignorance and continue down a Path which leads to their spiritual survival.

posted November 14, 2003 10:54 PM              

First, my apologies for not responding and attending to some matters and questions that linger after our last communication. I have set aside some time tomorrow to devote toward this Work.

I am happy to hear that you are sharing your Work with our friends here at Linda Land. I think, in general, you will find a receptive audience for the Teaching. I do understand your hesitation to post the text of the original communication.

Of course, you are always in my thoughts and prayers my Friend. To whom much is given, much is expected, yes?

posted November 15, 2003 07:43 AM              

World Wide Web
W W W
In Arabic and Hebrew:
Vav Vav Vav
The Numerical Value of the Letter "Vav" is Six.
6 6 6

As 666 rotates it changes to 999, the Arabic letter "Vav Vav Vav."

God willing, Satan's scheme to give the number an evil connotation shall backfire!
Satan and his agents, the professional religionists, capitalize on the ignorance of the masses.
They are fearful of knowledge and the knowledgeable.
God willing, Internet shall play an important role in exposing these hypocrites.
666
Is Not the Mark of the Beast!

the link to the site which contains this information is....
http://www.universalunity.org/index.html

posted November 15, 2003 03:33 PM              

Ahh you brought back some funny memories!! I was born with a shovel in my hand, always poking and digging around "things". Tends to be a barrier past a certain point, so my Teacher indulged me with answers until I realized that, literally "this could go on FOREVER" and I still would be no "better off" than I was when the questioning began.

Imagine a bad chinese accent.

"Grasshopper, begin with the self and all else falls away".

From one Grasshopper to another, hop for efficiency not for effect or curiosity! Too much energy is wasted!

posted November 15, 2003 03:57 PM              

I come to you a witness to the glory of our Father, Giver of Life and source of all Creation. He who stands before you bears witness to the Truth of God's Promise, shown to us through His Word: our Saviour, Christ Jesus. Amen

This man come to you is not a Light, but a shadow cast in flesh by which the existence of God's Light may no longer be denied. Though Christ led the way, it was through the Father and His Spirit alone that this was made possible. All praise and glory to Him for this miracle, and for this chance to glorify His name again. Deepest gratitude and love to Jesus, our Lord's Son and His instrument. Humblest respect for His courage and sacrifice. Through His example and His message we can all be saved, and so He is not only Teacher, but Saviour as well. Thanks to the Father for leading the Son, and praise to the Son for leading the Way. May His message live forever, and through it may God's Will be done.

Yes, the miracle of Life has transcended time and once again, the keys to eternity have been laid at humanity's feet through the Power of the Father, Giver of Life. Praised be His name, for tender are His mercies and wise beyond measure are His ways.

Know this then of His wisdom:

He has unleashed His power in darkness, to lead the unworthy astray, while His Light remains as a beacon to those who walk in faith through this maze of confusion, which filters the filth from our ranks and the doubt from our hearts. May the wicked find their way to the beast and may only the purest water find a way past its claws. May Satan do what he will in the coming times, for he is the unwitting tool of our Lord Creator, God the Father. May the ungrateful come to know Lucifer and embrace him as their salvation, that the impurities may be found out in this way and discarded along with him into the lake of fire at the center of the Earth. Woe to those who walk in his ways. Woe to them in these final days.

Woe and destruction to those who have betrayed their brothers, preyed on one another. Woe to those peddlers of wares laced with poisons. Woe to their accomplices who peddle the cure. Woe to those who claim to lead, but whose wicked deeds form a path that runs in circles. Woe to them and their lies. Woe for empty promises and the burning of lives.

Woe to those followers of men and their works. Woe and good riddance, you to whom dust is the breath of life. Woe to you, you empty vessels. Woe if you do not find faith. Woe to you, for your coins are almost spent. Those found without any to spare for the Lord, will find their pockets empty though His coffers overflow. Woe to them in their emptiness, may they crumble with Caesar in sheol.

Most of all, woe to you found asleep in the temple, for your souls are its walls whose dimensions the reed will not fail to measure. Woe to you who hear the Truth but do not heed its whisper in your hearts, for you are the sons and daughters of Baal. You worship one god, but turn your back on the Father. Woe and good riddance to you that call yourselves Christians, but who are in reality, betrayers of Christ. Turn away from your treasons now, before it is too late. For judgement surely comes, and the price of betrayal is death eternal.

Woe to you eaters of flesh and drinkers of blood who claim to seek after Life. That life come to flesh and blood through flesh and blood will be the reward for your betrayal.

Woe to you worshippers of corpses on crosses who claim to be Christ's faithful. It is your own corpse that hangs from the cross, and you will know the rewards of your faith as you rot in the ground.

Woe to those awash in the blood of Christ, who claim to be cleansed of sin. Soon enough judgement comes, and death will find you with blood on your hands that can never be washed away.

Woe to you who point to your holy books and claim to embrace the Truth. Your truth is but the work of man, for the Lord's Truth does not crumble, but lives in our hearts forever. Your faith in the words of men will lead you back to dust, like your books; with an empty heart and a head full of Truth mixed with lies.

Woe to those of you who point to Christ's example, claiming that mere belief in His sacrifice will save your souls. It is you who will be sacrificed if you fail to follow that example. If you will not do your Father's bidding, regardless of what is asked of you, then your cowardice and lack of faith will prove a stone so heavy that it will not roll away, but seal you in your tomb instead.

Woe to you worshippers of church and congregation, who claim to be with the Lord. Our Father does not tally attendance, but faith and courage. Your worth is not measured by acceptance of man's religion, but by acceptance of the Will of our Father. Know that your weekly dose of human opinion will find you rotting with the rafters of your temples if you will not attend to the Lord first.

Woe to you brow beaters who threaten torture by eternal fire for those who do not heed your words and adopt your beliefs. You, who claim to know of the Lord. No father torments his children that loves them, least of all our Father, God the Creator, who loves us most of all. His Truth is assured and His discipline is fair, for He knows those things which we cannot, and His wisdom loves us, truly. Continue preaching your lies and you will burn away to nothing at the center of the Earth, come the end of these empty days.

Woe to you hypocrites that speak the words of your chosen ones, but close your ears to God's message when it comes. He speaks through dreams and signs, words that are whispered to the heart, but you have shut yourselves off from these as men have instructed you to. For this, you are doomed to follower your elders into the grave where neither the Word of God, nor the words of men will reach you again. Woe to you all, and good riddance if you do not repent. The beast will have served us all well come your demise and return to dust.

Such is the breadth and power and timeless depth of God's wisdom. Know also that His Love is as endless and hear this simple message sent to you across the centuries, that you might be saved:

These are the times spoken of in Revelations.

Keep your faith if it is strong and true. Strengthen your faith if it is weak. Fix your faith if it has gone astray. Obtain faith if you have none. There is no time to waste, because the Lord will not be fooled by those who claim to be saving souls when only He saves souls. He will not be fooled by those who claim to know Truth; those who point at their holy books but worship their own egos, opinions and beliefs over the Word of God.

His Word is spoken daily in our hearts, if only we would listen to that Word instead of our desires and egos.

Look around you. Stop focusing on what man has created and begin again to appreciate those things which God has created. His church is the sky and His temple our souls. His one true love is a faithful heart, so do not stray from the path if you have been true.

Many centuries ago I loved a Man who showed us, through the Spirit of our Lord that was with Him, that our Father knows the secret to Life Eternal. He was right, and to that you now have a witness. Believe. Be faithful in obedience and you will not perish. This from one who knows that it is true, one who truly loves you. All glory to the Father. Amen

John, disciple of Christ, servant of our Lord.

posted November 17, 2003 11:43 AM              

I'm not a Christian basher. I LOVE Christians. Here is a quote from a letter to a young Christian written in response to her request for more information:

quote:First off, know this, I don't have anything against Christians. I have a cousin who is a preacher and he is a very good man, with a beautiful family. I would like very much for them to get what they want, which is closer to God. Unfortunately, a man named Paul lied to them, and to every Christian church.

quote:Whenever you pray to Jesus, you are praying to a man, not to God. God is God. Jesus was Jesus. It doesn't matter how many times and in how many ways the preacher says it's ok. There is no God in three persons, blessed trinity. There is God. We should love Jesus and thank God for sending him with the message that can save us. Do NOT worship in Jesus name. Do NOT take communion, that is a false idol. Do not talk about the sacrifice and Jesus dying on the cross. His life and his WORD was important, not his death and the cross. The cross is a symbol of Mithras, death and sacrifice are themes of Mithras worship. Jesus was all about LIFE, and LOVE.

I have nothing against Christianity, in fact, I LOVE Christians..they are my brothers and sisters. I think its a real shame that someone would devote their time and their worship in good faith, while all the time they are being sold something that is not what they think it is. I wouldn't sell a bean burrito to a vegetarian, if I knew it was made with animal lard, that would be wrong.

This is the same thing. Yes, Christians do good, yes they treat each other with brotherly love, but, then again, the bean burrito is made of beans too. It's the fact that they are doing all of these good works in the name of a man, that they are partaking in bloody rituals that is the problem. Their beans are being cooked in animal lard. That is wrong.

The beast, is western culture. Self-indulgent, leave your kids at home alone, screw your neighbor to get ahead, anything for a buck, show some more skin, Western culture that was and is advanced by the current "Christian" church which is not of Christ, but of and for Mithras...the antichrist.

Thanks for the chance to share with you _______. I hope it was entertaining at least. I hope it changes you, or one of your friends lives and gets their (or your) Christian path back on track.

No blood, no human sacrifice, no lambs of God, no manger, no December 25th celebration, no "Sun"day worship, no Easter, no Jesus is God. And when it was said that you should give a tenth back to God...he was talking about the most precious coins of all...a tenth of your life. Give just a tenth of yours to God, and you'll probably be alright.

I know that I haven't been very helpful, but if you have any points that don't seem clear, feel free to write me. If you have someone bring up a point that seems to contradict the things you've read here, I guarantee I've done my homework better than they have.

There you have it. Those are my reasons for exposing this. Not to turn people away from Christianity. But to help them to straighten the Path back to a shape that's pleasing in the eyes of God, according to the Ten Commandments.

Only ONE God. Not three in one.

No idols. Nothing on land, or in the air, or under the sea. Not even a man sent by God, or his blood or his flesh. Not even a cross. (Like the one behind the preacher on Sunday.)

Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. Don't turn it into Sunday.

That's all. I thought I should clear that up. Christians, you guys rock. From a friend to a friend, someone lied to us all a very long time ago and that's not your fault.

Now you know the truth however. What you decide next, is up to you.

posted November 17, 2003 11:55 AM              

Thank you!

Sincerely,
divinia

P.S. Why so bitter, John? I never liked to have the hell scared out of me.....even if it's for "my own good."

posted November 17, 2003 03:29 PM              

Most of the New Testament, and in fact the entire Bible has been changed. One rare exception was the book of Revelation, which has only minor modifications, mainly because it was so cryptic that the conspirators couldn't understand it. They assumed that noone else would be able to either. It was for that reason that John wrote it in such a cryptic manner, using many symbols from cabala, numerological codes and astrological symbolism. John knew what was being done, and he knew that the Truth was going to be hidden. 666 was sort of a cue to him to remember the Truths, and to let him know who he was when he returned. His spirit now resides in a man. Again, he's no Messiah or holy man or angel or saint or any of that. He's just a very lucky man who is grateful for the opportunity to bear witness to the Truth. I would suggest that you compare wherever possible. Throw out anything from one of the Judeo Christian religions (Muslim, Judaism and Christianity) that disagrees with another. In the end you will have a core set of Truths. Yes, the Muslims believe that Jesus was a Messenger of God, so do Jews. Muslims revere Jesus VERY highly, and in fact, his mother Mary is the only woman mentioned by name in the Qur'an. She has her own chapter named after her. Jesus is very much loved by Muslims everywhere. He was a hero of the people and brought with him the Word of God according to the Qur'an(Koran). Anyone that tells you otherwise is not a Muslim and knows nothing about Islam. The brutal killers that you see in the news are not practicing Islam, they are practicing a distorted, broken religion. They've been lied to by men, much in the way that Christianity was changed by men so very long ago.

As to the tone of his letter, I won't speak for John. That's not my place.

Yet, I didn't detect any bitterness, or scare tactics in John's tone.

As he goes through the list, at each point, he isn't saying that your flesh will be burned for eternity or that you will have ravens eating out your brains while you suffer horribly. He states again and again, that you will go into the ground. You already knew that though, didn't you? I mean, don't we all? It seems that if the notion frightens you to death, then its something you might want to think on a bit. Even John, it seems, had his body go back into the ground. There's nothing frightening about that. It's just a cycle of nature, one of God's cycles.

Instead, it seems like John is trying to set the tone as being one of profound GRAVITY. That these are very serious transgressions, are what it says to me, and not to be taken lightly. He seems to let us know this, by saving "the message" itself for the end. If I may:

quote:Such is the breadth and power and timeless depth of God's wisdom. Know also that His Love is as endless and hear this simple message sent to you across the centuries, that you might be saved:

These are the times spoken of in Revelations.

Keep your faith if it is strong and true. Strengthen your faith if it is weak. Fix your faith if it has gone astray. Obtain faith if you have none. There is no time to waste, because the Lord will not be fooled by those who claim to be saving souls when only He saves souls. He will not be fooled by those who claim to know Truth; those who point at their holy books but worship their own egos, opinions and beliefs over the Word of God.

His Word is spoken daily in our hearts, if only we would listen to that Word instead of our desires and egos.

Look around you. Stop focusing on what man has created and begin again to appreciate those things which God has created. His church is the sky and His temple our souls. His one true love is a faithful heart, so do not stray from the path if you have been true.

Many centuries ago I loved a Man who showed us, through the Spirit of our Lord that was with Him, that our Father knows the secret to Life Eternal. He was right, and to that you now have a witness. Believe. Be faithful in obedience and you will not perish. This from one who knows that it is true, one who truly loves you. All glory to the Father. Amen

See? The fright was what you took from the letter. The message itself was announced very clearly..this is the message for you, from God.

That message was one of love and hope. We often find what we look for. Good luck.

Daf

posted November 17, 2003 08:36 PM              

Thank you very much for your thoughtful response. I am sorry for being so cynical in my earlier post. It does not accurately represent how I feel. I take this whole matter in the spirit of the utmost sincerity and openness (to the best of my ability) and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing. I very much agree that our spirituality is a matter of tremendous importance.

I certainly meant no disrespect to John. I just couldn't seem to express my feelings at the time. I am so put off by what is known as "hell fire and damnation" teaching. I just do not feel it in my heart to be true. I did pick up on the positivity of the end of his message and I am glad that you repeated it for me so that it would stand out.

BTW, where do Eastern religions, especially Buddhism, fit in the Judaeo-Christian-Islamic model? I eagerly await your response.

Sincerely,
divinia

posted November 17, 2003 10:41 PM              

This poor soul can't claim to be an expert on religion, or on any particular Path. All that can really be offered is a personal take on the various Paths. Perhaps as John communicates more, he'll be able to shed light on your question, although he's made it clear that he is not a Teacher, only a Witness.

Something was posted under Yellow Wax and the Ants, which will be reposted in this forum, since it seems a much more appropriate place for it.

You'll find that information under a post called, The Path That Defines The Way.

Thanks again for your kind response. It was refreshing to see a true heart being true to the love which fosters its faith.

Your brother,

posted November 17, 2003 11:28 PM              

I noted the line below with great affection.

“Perhaps as John communicates more, he'll be able to shed light on your question, although he's made it clear that he is not a Teacher, only a Witness.”

I hesitated to post publicly, but it was quite synchronistic that I had a conversation about the term “Witness” with my soul mates only yesterday

Only a Witness? As you may know, in Teaching and in the Tradition, terminology is specific and great efforts are made to use words that have a fixed meaning. You will find it interesting that Witness is a most revered status. It is “one who has seen” the Divine Mysteries of the Unseen. Of course, a Teacher can be a Witness or a Witness can be a Teacher. But a Teacher need not necessarily be a Witness. The Teaching may be a specific scope that does not require Witnessing in order to communicate. Indeed and furthermore, the role of a Witness would not necessarily entail Teaching at all.

Peace and Love
Meili