What were they thinking?

Carolyn's story makes me laugh so much.

But, these self-serving politicians ruling over us are no joke, and are a great curse in our lives. They are part of the Unholy Duo of The Wild Animal and The Lying Teacher (P.S. #21). And their self-dealing has now reached such gigantic proportions, with so many hands, so deeply, into the public coffers, that America itself, our very survival as a country, is in jeopardy!

And I ask myself, what are they thinking? Have they no concept that one day there will be a reckoning of all of their lies?

One of the most poignant examples here is that of the just-deceased senator, who, in recent weeks, got up off his literal deathbed, in order to cast a vote that would further his party's, but primarily, his personal, interest... on his deathbed, yet! ... a vote for something that America does not want and is rising up in near-revolution to smash! But now, as per the instruction of the state-run media, we are to "mourn" for him!

The great undead

I am reminded of a long-ago study of mine, a verse from the Old Testament, one often misunderstood...

• "For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing."

Biblical literalists (P.S. #22) mindlessly cite this verse as evidence that the dead are asleep in their graves... such interpretation is entirely errant ...  see my ancient article on the exegesis of this verse.

Briefly, the meaning of this Old Testament verse is this:

• The "living," those who are spiritually alive to God, know that, and act as if, this life is only temporary and that there is ultimate accountability; that is, "the living" build their lives around the principle that there is, not just an AfterLife, but that one's actions and thoughts will create, for oneself, inevitable and far-reaching consequences.

• The "dead," on the other hand - those who live this mortal life as if God does not exist, as if there were no tomorrow, no AfterLife, no accountability for thoughts and actions - are, in their spiritual stupor and mad delusion, unconscious of Higher Reality. "The dead know nothing"; that is, they are blinded, and do not acknowledge the presence of God in the world... and their soon-approaching final accountability to Divine and Natural Law!

Why would someone act that way? Why would a very rich man get off his deathbed! - a time when, as Carl Jung said, it would be best to think about one's own cosmic life - why would he cast a partisan vote for something that any reasonable and honest person knows is patent rubbish? Why would he spend his remaining, halting breath on more prevarication?

• Dr. Leslie Weatherhead: "The worst penalty of sin is that man [finds] his spiritual senses dulled, his spiritual desires lessened. Such separation involves progressive deterioration of character, which, if unstayed, may indeed involve such a disintegration of personality that the latter ceases to be recognizable... [the apostle Paul] uses the word dead ... to describe [this darkened soul] ...
  

It's the Ego, of course... that self-centered and neurotic part of the human psyche. I could explain this in terms offered by Eckhart Tolle; but, for a change of scenery, let's hear what Carl Jung has to say about this.

Carl Jung and the stages of human consciousness

Little children have undeveloped self-images. The "ego [for little children] is an object in consciousness..."

This is an amazing insight by Jung. He is saying that very young children see themselves as just one more object in their world! They are detached from self almost as much, for example, as the chair in the living room, or the family cat!

"... for this reason the child speaks of itself, at first, objectively, in the third person."

This is why little Johnny might say, "Johnny wants to go out to play!"

But the sense of self grows continually, until the final break at puberty. Before this time, the child, more or less, identifies with parents. But at sexual maturity, the Ego, now infused with a new energy supplied by sexual enlivenment, comes into its own, and, for the healthy child, becomes self-aware and independent!

This is normal and a good thing. It's part of growing up, part of cutting the apron strings, and becoming an autonomous person.

But this is not the final stage of development in consciousness.

• Unfortunately, the vast majority of people get stuck at this level. They never grow beyond this low-level egoic thought form of... I, me, my, and mine!  

The Ego is virtually an animal instinct... it seeks to survive... to perpetuate itself... and will strive for advantage, over any thing, or any body, in its way.

And, if you, primarily, live life on the level of Ego... but dressed up as a corrupt Washington politician... even on one's deathbed you will do what all Egos do in such situations... you will continue to promote yourself, and you will build that monument to yourself, an attempt at bureaucratic glory and immortality, of such grandeur that no Pharaoh could approach ... and you will attempt to influence the choice of your successor, lest anyone dismantle that which you spent a lifetime building... an edifice to yourself as The Good Person that all might forever worship you... and you will seek to be remembered as the one who compassionately cried, Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? And this Grand Edifice of Legacy, financed by the public coffer - but, with your name on it - will ask history to remember how generous you were... with other people's money.

That's what Egos do... it's their job... and Egos cannot be dissuaded from such activity... even on their deathbeds... because it's all about surviving and perpetuating... all about satisfying the Ego's chattering in the head... which never stops crying... you're not safe, you don't have enough, they don't know how important you are... which is to say ... I am not enough.

Carolyn's story...

Father John and the local priest

There is one more story about our friend, the local priest-politician.

As I visit with the older ones in my hometown who knew Father John, I find that so many have cherished photos of him. That in itself is remarkable. But there are some who have entire photo albums devoted just to his memory!

Isn't it amazing! I have spoken of certain politicians who, on their deathbeds, continued their prevaricating ways, thinking that deception would create that immortal "legacy" that they so neurotically craved. But in Father John we see the true realization of such ideal. Without lifting a finger to promote his own memory, He will be forever honored by so many who loved him!

Father John was visiting his hometown one day. The church was crowded with those who wanted to greet him, laugh with him, and shake his hand. And there he was, his natural self, his genuine affection for his people, flowing like a river (P.S. #23), having a good time with everyone he met.

This fine lady is beaming... in his presence. Everyone beams in his presence... well... there was one guy who didn't. I recently received a psychic message, something to the effect, that laughter is the intelligence of the universe; that we are never so human as when we are laughing. I think we need little convincing of that as we witness the infectious positive spirit of Father John in action.

The local priest-politician, witnessing all of this fervent outpouring of affection toward Father John, could stand it no longer and makes his was through the packed crowd to where Father John was shaking hands. He has an urgent message to deliver to Father John, one that cannot wait a moment longer...

• "What do you think you're doing here!!?? Are you running for office or something?"

What this little shriveled heart didn't understand is that Father John didn't need to run for anything... the people would just write his name on the ballot!

This remark of the local priest-chieftain is so revealing regarding his dark machinations...  He saw everything in terms of politics; everything as means to power and control over the masses. Politics is where he lived. And how threatened he was to see his power, the little that he had, diluted by the crowd's enthusiastic adoration for this good man.

• Editor's note: I am reminded just now of one more scripture, another one starring our friends, the Priests and the Pharisees: "What are we going to do? ... If we let him alone, all the people will rally to him."

Carolyn remembers this day. And she was left with the distinct feeling that the local priest felt offended by Father John's proactive reaching out to people... because this petty chieftain expected that others should approach him, come up to him, bow to him, honor him... and he considered it beneath his dignity to mingle with the masses... the great unwashed...

• Editor's note: Many of us, anyone over the age of 5, have seen this kind of arrogance, many times. I once attended a certain church - one of my youthful indiscretions, of which there were many - in which visiting ecclesiastical higher officials would ostentatiously pull up in their limousines; would find lodging, not in a $50 room at the Red Roof Inn, but in a $400 room, the best the city had to offer... hey, just like Jesus did it... and, not only $400 rooms, but, as the reports later came to light, with their call-girls in attendance... hey, your tithe-dollars at work... And these tin-star demagogues, in their loud-voiced sermons to the sheep, would justify their spendthrift ways, and high living, with sophist-phrases such as, "God loves quality," and we represent God; and "David became rich by building the temple" ... well... you know what the worst part of all this is? It's that I put up with it, for such a long time.

What is the purpose of spiritual authority?

What is religious abuse?

There is a book that I read a long time ago, one that began to open my eyes. Allow me to give you the high points.

Editor's note: As we look back over our lives, we see many people who've helped us along our way. I am indebted to these authors, St. Paul, MN pastors, Johnson and Van Vonderen.

They have you coming and going...

These agents of the The Lying Teacher have thought this through.

First they demoralize you, send you on a perpetual guilt-trip, by telling you that you're no good, filthy, utterly defective, conceived in original sin; that God could never love you enough, poor schmuck that you are in your intrinsic unworthiness.

But, they say, all might yet be well if you will simply allow God's Elite, God's Chosen Representatives, God's Spokesmen, to rule over you. They will prepare for you that certain yellow-brick road to heaven... for the usual and customary fee, of course.

But they're not done with you yet.

If you were to suggest that it might be wise for you to get a second opinion on such matters as weighty as that of the destiny of your own soul, you would begin to see their true colors.

"That would be disloyal to God's Government and Holy Mother Church!"

"You must read only church-approved literature!"

"To question our decisions is to question God himself! Satan caused the woman to be deceived in The Garden, and we must watch over your souls!"

Spiritual abuse is an old story

There are many references in both the Old and New Testaments to this form of mind control.

Jeremiah 5: 30-31: "An appalling and horrible thing has happened in the land. The prophets prophesy falsely and the priests rule on their own authority."

Notice that the national calamity referred to originates from a spiritual center of power... a power-center that has been corrupted.

Jeremiah 6: 13: "For from the least of them to the greatest, every one is greedy for gain, and from the prophet, even to the priest, everyone deals falsely."

• Editor's note: I am laughing out loud as I remember a certain little incident when I was around 12 or 13. I was serving as altar boy in the old country church in Burnstad. One of my relatives was getting married. It was customary in those days, at the end of a marriage service, for the altar boys to stand at the exit and to receive small amounts of money, nickels and dimes, from the attendees, as token gift to the young boys for their efforts. A charming custom. I was very excited to have collected about ten bucks in change! Later, I was dismayed and shocked to learn that the priest saw it as his imperial duty to put a stop to such extravagance... he wanted my ten bucks... I couldn't believe it! Lucky for me, "the Kuhn" in one of my relatives came to my rescue. She quashed his designs on my comic-book money and suggested to him that he might, upon short notice, today, in fact, visit a certain unpleasant otherworldly dimension... ha, ha, ha!

Jesus, himself, at times, might have made quite a good Kuhn. He blasted the pompous religious establishment of his day with the endearing phrase, "You're a bunch of snakes in the grass"; or if you prefer the archaic language, "You serpents, you brood of vipers! how shall you escape the sentence of hell." (Matt. 23:33)

And, in a comment, hardly less kinder and gentler, Jesus excoriates: "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves!" (Matt. 7:15)

• Editor's note: This wearing of the white hat by the villain, you will recall, is also mentioned in the context of The Wild Animal and The Lying Teacher (P.S. 21)

Part of Jesus' mission was to expose the entrenched and abusive religious system of his day, which lorded it over the people, but called themselves compassionate, lovers of the poor, servants of mankind... they really need to get a new scriptwriter, don't you think.

Authentic spiritual authority

One of the gripes of the Pharisees against Jesus ran something like this:

"Who do you think you are? You're nothing but a hayseed from Galilee. You're not even ordained! what seminary did you attend? and here you come waltzing in and think that you can tell us what to do... we, who stand in the direct line of succession of Moses. That alone should tell you how important we are!"

But, compare Matthew 7: 28-29, which says, "when Jesus had finished, the multitudes were amazed at His teaching; for he was teaching them as one having authority, and not as the Scribes."

In these two verses we see two different kinds of authority.

"Because I'm the Pastor, that's why!"

Only those who have no real authority talk this way. They must rely on making a good show, and power-posturing, trying to convince you how important they are... that's all they have. And when you finally wake up, the game is up, for them.

Jesus ripped the false spiritual authority of his day:

"Jesus spoke to the multitudes... saying, The Scribes and Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses." (Matt. 23:1)

The "chair of Moses" is a metaphorical reference to a "seat of authority." For example, the "chair" of a university academic department speaks of the authority, or the head, of that department.

Notice what Jesus is condemning. There are those who take authority to themselves. They claim to be sent by God, but it is all an act! They're role-playing, grandstanding, power-posturing. They "seat themselves" in a position of authority over God's people.

They have no real or authentic authority as Jesus had. Lacking this, they appeal to an external source... "We are in the direct line of the authority of Moses!" In other words, "You have to obey us... because we're in charge... and an expert from afar made it so." Got it?

Jesus was the real deal. People sensed that his words were a reflection of his Inner Person. His authority found basis in his own Personal Spirituality... the Person that he was, on the inside! The Scribes and Pharisees were not that way, did not teach that way. They constantly sought support for their message from an external source... this or that Great Teacher of the past... this or that ancient verse. But Jesus didn't primarily talk that way. He would say things like, "You have heard, in times past, such-and-such... but, I say to you..." ... and this amazed the people!

All great spiritual teachers are this way...

They all operate from their own personal connection to the Divine. They all speak from their own personal experience of spirituality. All of them... Jesus, Buddha, Ghandi, Mother Theresa, Henri Nouwen, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the Dalai Lama, Leslie Weatherhead, Viktor Frankl, the Apostle Paul, Eckhart Tolle, John Paul II, C.S. Lewis, Carl Jung, Father John Kuhn... many others... there are good people, spiritual people, in every group, every church, every organization, even in corrupt organizations... there are good people in Washington, outnumbered as they are... and these spiritual ones, as Jesus said, are the good grain among many weeds; that tiny amount of sprinkled salt upon a tasteless and insipid world.

• By the way... when you grow to become authentically spiritual, you will, automatically, on some level, become a teacher, if only by your presence... you will not be able to hide what you are... and the world will notice... they will know that you are different, five seconds after they meet you!

Spiritual individuals exude authentic spiritual authority. Some of these have held ostensible offices of power in various churches or movements... but, that's not why they are revered and remembered... that's not why some people have whole photo albums worshipping their memory.

Their spiritual authority, which "amazes" people, is centered in the words that they speak; the vision that they share; the freedom that they offer; the love that they exude; the truth that they live; the hope that they inspire... their authority rests not in any uniform, collar, or cloak, which a few of them might wear; not in any membership in a "one, true, holy" organization; not in any adherence to the "right book," the "right Great Leader," or the "right set of beliefs."

Authenic spiritual authority flows naturally, for all to see... like a river... effortlessly flowing... no huffing-and-puffing and trying very hard... and, as Jesus said, their lives become an expression of the unforced rhythms of grace.

And merely being in their presence, even without their words, becomes healing to one's spirit.

More blessed to give than to receive? ... so how 'cum certain ones are always on the receiving end?

I once had a good friend, an older Black man, who enjoyed telling a joke about his father, who had once been a share-cropper: "Dad did most of the croppin' and the owner did most of the sharin'."

That's funny. Except when such unfair imbalance happens to you.

There is a verse in the book of Acts. It is famous. You have heard it quoted all of your life. But you have probably never understood, or heard explanation, regarding the true contextual meaning...

• Acts 20: 35. The apostle Paul quotes "Jesus [who] said, It is more blessed to give than to receive."

Well, that sounds very nice. Something the kids should memorize, might do 'em good.

The words "more blessed to give than to receive," appear, on the surface, to be a pleasant platitude on the lips of Paul, as he says good-bye to the Ephesian elders... almost like the modern throw-away phrase, "Have a nice day!"

Such sentiment describes neither the tenor nor the message of Paul on that somber day. A careful reading of the entire passage reveals an utterly different meaning... you might say, Paul's "inner Kuhn" came out that day!

First of all, have a look at a fuller context of this famous biblical verse.

Acts 20: 17-38

17 From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called for the elders of the church.

18 And when they had come to him, he said to them: "You know, from the first day that I came to Asia, in what manner I always lived among you,

19 serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears and trials which happened to me by the plotting of the Jews;

20 how I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house,

21 testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.

22 And see, now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there,

23 except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me.

24 But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

25 And indeed, now I know that you all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, will see my face no more.

26 Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men.

27 For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God.

28 Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.

29 For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock.

30 Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves.

31 Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.

32 So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

33 I have coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel.

34 Yes, you yourselves know that these hands have provided for my necessities, and for those who were with me.

35 I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.

36 And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all.

37 Then they all wept freely, and fell on Paul's neck and kissed him,

38 sorrowing most of all for the words which he spoke, that they would see his face no more. And they accompanied him to the ship.

Ephesus was a seaport town in what is today Turkey.

You have never heard the famous verse 35 of Acts 20 expounded in detail... because the contextual message is very damning toward the activities of many of the clergy today... our friends, the wolves. 

Let's look at the details...

(1) Paul had served these people to such an extent, had spent himself, and deprived himself, well beyond the call of duty, that he, in plain but utterly sincere language, could say to the house-churches of Ephesus (vs. 20): "You well know how I bent over backwards to serve your needs" (vss. 18, 19).

(2) Paul ups-the-ante of his point by straight-forwardly reminding them that his work was performed free of charge (vs. 33); moreover, he wants them to know (though he could have lived off of donations) that he held down a day-job to pay his own way - and not only for himself but his helpers as well! (vs. 34). Additionally, his life was no stranger to danger and threat of death (vs. 22).

(3) Notice also how Paul makes a strong point about how frankly he had spoken to them (vss. 20, 27); in other words, he had no hidden agenda; he didn't slant his story in order to "sell them something." What-you-see-is-what-you-get with Paul. He didn't talk down to his people. He expected them to be able to understand what he understood; to live a good life, to the same degree as he was living it. There was no separation of "the elites" and "the commoners." Only wolves talk that way.

Paul, in his departing words, finds himself overcome with a deep sense of foreboding about the future state of the congregation.

Why?

He senses that some of those now referred to as "elders" - the religious leadership of the church - will make merchandise of the group when he's gone - "wolves" he calls them (vs. 29)... those driven by physical passions and appetites but masquerading as God's servants.

With tears streaming down his face, Paul announces that some of those in the very group he was addressing would, indeed, have hidden agendas; they would take the congregation's money; they would not speak plainly but "perversely," all for the express reason to build a power-base for "themselves" (vs. 30).

And in case anyone missed his point (vs. 35), he underlined it in red by saying that his purpose for laboring so hard - all that he did in Ephesus - was to set an example of effective, compassionate, ministerial service characterized by "supporting the weak."

Stated differently, Paul is saying that he wanted to be a living, walking example of The Truth, of what it meant to be an authentic spiritual leader. In verse 35 he also emphasizes that he did not serve as spiritual leader by living off the money that could have been commanded from the Church but, instead, he paid his own way! He did not want to give even the impression that he was taking advantage of anyone, lest this misperception hurt someone in their relationship with God!

And we come, in the same verse (35), to that famous line: It is more blessed to give than to receive.

Now, in context, does a fuller sense become more clear regarding what Paul meant by quoting Jesus, the Authentic Spiritual Leader, who gave up everything to serve the Church?

"Blessed" does not refer to "happiness," a pleasant psychological state of mind; here this word has the sense of "prosperous."

We must bear in mind the audience - these are elders - Paul is speaking to the religious leaders of the Church.

When Paul uses the words, It is more blessed to give than to receive, he means to say:

• "The Church will be more prosperous, more successful, if we, the religious leaders, support and give to the weak! rather than acting like wolves - prowling, on the take, seeking to satisfy base appetites and passions, at the expense of the church members!"

• Editor's note: It is the height of both irony and chutzpah that religious wolves will often employ this very verse - Acts 20:25 - as scriptural basis for an appeal for money from the flock! They will try to make you feel guilty, for not shelling out more cash, as they chant, "It is more blessed to give than to receive" - incredibly, a verse quoting the words of the great Apostle, one who would not accept donations! and worked a day-job! lest he become an offense to others! and, by these famous words, meant to restrain the wolves from fleecing the flock! This audacity, and bold-faced deception, is also seen in Washington today where certain ones will quote the U.S. Constitution, will claim to uphold the Constitution, as they support totalitarian policies that the Founders would spit upon!

Paul is leaving Ephesus. It is instructive to consider what he does not say.

He does not say, "This is my church. I started everything here. I expect to have weekly reports mailed to me on all developments. I expect to be involved in all decisions. I intend to maintain a steel grip on all things done here. Wherever I am is the world headquarters of the church, and nothing is to be done without my say-so."

He had something of a right to say that. It was his own labor that started the congregation in Ephesus.

But he does not say this, even in the knowledge that the Ephesian church would soon be attacked by wolves. Paul can sense the attitudes of some in the group. He knows who the money-mongers are. He knows those who love the glory, but would never get their hands dirty. What they are is written all over their faces.

Instead, he says: "I commend you to God" (vs. 32). He believed in decentralized authority. Decision-making on the local level. He was no power-and-control freak, but trusted the Spirit to eventually sort things out.

A wolf never talks that way... for them, it's all about money, power, sex, control, and empire-building... And "how many new tithe-payers did we bring in this week?" ... all manifestations of a wolf's ravenous appetite.

Remember this...

• Some of those who wept with Paul that day, hugged his neck, bit their lower lips, and kissed him (vs. 37), as he departed, might have won an academy award for best supporting actor... very convincing... except to Paul... he knew what they were, on the inside... vicious, hungry, base, prowling, predatory, wolves...
  

That's why you've never heard too much detail about verse 35... as Paul said... frankness was never really their strong suit (vss. 20, 27, 30).

What are the implications of all this?

This question, and the word implication, always makes me think of an incident in one of Paul's other congregations... the church in Galatia. (See the map above, as it would be located in the northern part of Turkey.)

Peter was visiting the Galatian church one day - I won't go into all the details right now, but Peter shunned the Gentile members, and ate only with the Jewish group.

Well, when Paul heard about this - talk about his inner Kuhn coming out - he went a little bit ballistic.

In front of the whole congregation, Paul called Peter a hypocrite (Galatians 2: 11-14), and dressed him down royally for treating the Greek members as second-class Christians... this is another verse you haven't heard much about... especially from those who purport to "sit in the seat of Peter"!

It's not that Peter was a bad guy, really. It's just that he'd spent his whole life as a Jew. And the Jews were fond of calling the Gentiles little pet names like "dogs" and "swine."

So, now Paul comes along and announces to the apostles in Jerusalem that God had given the Spirit to the Gentiles... mmmmmm... they had to think about this... this will take a little getting used to.

When Peter visited the Gentile congregation of Galatia, he hadn't really processed the real meaning of what it meant for Gentiles to be considered full brothers and sisters in Christ. It sounded good in theory, but, at mealtimes, Peter did what he had always done since childhood... he treated the Gentile members as if they were lepers, and wouldn't socialize with them.

Peter learned from Paul that the old ways were now obsolete. And that he needed to discover the true implications of what the teaching of Jesus really signifies. It means...

(1) to be released, and to be set free, from legalistic, religious systems - all forms of legalism, Jewish and Gentile, ancient and modern; and...

(2) to live in the liberty of the Spirit,

all of which would require some thought; a new paradigm of life, and a radical shift of one's perspective.

The implications frighten many people...

Peter did what he had always done... since childhood.

It's a common story. There are about a billion people, more or less, who call themselves Christians... almost a meaningless term, as there are thousands of sects and denominations, each one promoting different views. Most of these believers grew up in families espousing such particular beliefs. They accepted what parents taught. And only a very small minority, in any group, has objectively searched out the facts and decided that a particular religion is for them.

This same dynamic of following family religious traditions can be seen operating in the Jewish faith; or the Islamic faith; or any other that we might mention.

Essentially, the whole world is following what mom and dad did.

What are the implications of this?

What is the purpose of religion?

There's a reason why there are so many tens of thousands of religious groups, isms, sects, denominations, etc., etc.

The variation is extensive because each caters to a specific level of consciousness or maturity of its members... or, in many cases, the lack thereof.

Religion was meant to be a temporary phase for you. But most of the world has taken up permanent residence.

Are you offended by this statement?

• It's not my idea. It's what the Apostle Paul said.

Well, here's one more of those areas of scripture that the wolves will never mention. Paul said that religion - all forms of legalistic, rule-book religion - is like kindergarten; or the nursery; or the ABCs; or even, a prison.

Religion, said Paul, is like being a little kid and having a nanny follow you around to make sure you do the right thing. But, when you grow up, Paul said, the time for nannies is so over... unless you intend never to get a job and just live in your mother's basement...

What are the implications of freedom, of maturity, in the economy of God?

What does this mean?

The wolves will never address this... because... they really don't want you to get uppity and start wandering off the plantation. They intend to keep you dependent. Pay and pray.

Maybe the most important question is this...

Do you want to wander off the plantation? out of the nursery? beyond the ABCs? 

Many people do not. There's a sense of security in the nursery. Life is well regulated. Predictable. Certain. The apostle Paul said it, I didn't.

• Niccolo Machiavelli, 1513: "There is nothing more difficult to plan, more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to manage than the creation of a new order of things... It is just as difficult and dangerous to try to free a people that wants to remain servile as it is to enslave a people that wants to remain free."

I understand that most people will feel offended at these words.

The idea that religion could, in some sense, become obsolete, is very threatening to many. Fills them with fear. The sense of guilt quickly overwhelms.

• If I didn't have my list of rules, my "true" day of worship, my formulaic prayers, my set of "true doctrines," who would I be? How would I know that God accepts me? Without religion, might I not just run wild, and become a degenerate?

These are questions that everyone needs to think about. Paul forced Peter to think about the implications. And Paul's words reach out to us today, too.

The two views of religion and spirituality

On one side, we have the wolves, who will encourage our fears; and will suggest that we, without them, are no good; and that we need them to keep us in line... for the usual and customary fee, of course.

But then there are people like the apostle Paul, who will appeal to one's higher nature, and will say, Everything is ok! You were made in the image of God. You have every wonderful thing within that soul, your True Self, that God gave you... all you have to do is reduce the fears, and you'll find that True Self of yours ready break out into the freedom that you were meant to have.

Well, if you think that you might like to take a chance on what the apostle Paul has to say, I will facilitate a discussion here, and present to you many things for your consideration. The next several articles will address various aspects of this topic.