Wonderful way of articulating this issues that has plagued humanity for millennia. We’re all special in the eyes of God our creator; but no one tribe is better than another’s. This “religion” has ruined the world and Gos must be shaking his head in heaven thinking “oh children, you’ve got it all wrong!”
I had 6 NDEs and am a member of IANDS, the International Association of Near Death Experiencers. A lot of NDE research at the university level has been ongoing since the 1970s and in no case has any NDEr reported learning that only certain groups, religions, or ethnicities are allowed a pleasant afterlife. (Many studies are cross-cultural, and some compare the NDEs of different religious groups.) Instead we are universally loved and accepted by the Creator, whose essence is love. The only thing we are "judged" on is our behavior--never our beliefs! If you hurt people, during your life review you have to endure the suffering you caused them--THIS is what hell is, having to suffer all the pain you inflicted on others while you were going along your merry narcissistic way while embodied. You are also showered with all the joy you brought to other people, which is the reward part of your life review. This is what awaits every adult when we transition to the other side (childhood NDEs are usually different). We reap what we sow. Leaders who caused wars that created mass human suffering have to experience the pain they caused each and every creature they harmed, so they spend a LONG LONG LONG time in the hell they created. Too bad they forgot this when they were born here. If they didn't forget, the human world would be FAR better off!
Thank you, Jane! The way I see it, the spiritual law dictates that people have to fix what they broke. It is not a punishment, more like spiritual balance. Perhaps when people pass, they automatically at some point get to realize the pain they caused, and then they may be compelled to do what they can to fix it, maybe get reborn in a way that allows them to fix it, become healers, etc. All very mysterious. But no matter the technicalities, I think God is all about love. I think punishment is an idea that people came up with out of own imperfection.
Yes. You are correct. It’s not punishment. It’s reaping what you sow. How cruel were the people who declared God hates certain people so much he damns them to eternal punishment! But a god of love CANNOT be racist and punitive. The Evangelicals I grew up with had this excuse for why a god of love can be so hateful: they blamed the victims.
I don't know enough about evangelicals but I suspect that the guilt and the punishment baked in at least in the Russian Orthodox official theology, the one I am more familiar with in practical terms, has harmed a lot of people, making people dislike themselves and feel bad about themselves instead of focusing on love and the wondrous gift of healing and joy, that is from God. What functional parent would want his children to be eaten by guilt? None, I think. So why would God want that? And so much pain happened because of the instruction to feel guilty for having wings, and to cut off one's wings in order to be accepted by allegedly God (really the dominators in society)
Modern religions are mind and behavioral control, especially the Abrahamic ones. Constantine turned Christianity into an authoritarian system designed to destroy the powerful warriors and shamans of Northern pagan societies. He knew he could not defeat the North unless he changed the culture. So either by design or accident a Christianity based on shaming people came to be the norm and the shaming aspect has never changed. The Northern tribes had better warriors, I think, because their souls had not been crushed by Empire. Constantine designed his Christianity to crush souls and to disempower women and warriors. He started a belief system that tortured and murdered 9 million men, women, and children in Europe’s first holocaust. Notice we don’t hear about the first holocaust, only the second...
I think modern institutional religions were indeed shaped to control the people and to do away with powerful competition. Luckily, people find ways to use whatever they are given to connect to the spirit. But then some use the formal scriptures to do to go the route of seeking domination, or trying to convert others against their will, etc. A mess, really. When people use the name of God to justify their desire to harm others or even to deny others their free will and their spiritual sovereignty, it is tragic beyond tragic. And yet, this is the state of the world!!!!!! My heart.
To be fair, it's not just the Abrahamic religions. When Tibetans were converted to Buddhism in the 7th century, it was also by force, and I think for the same reasons (power). And I don't like it, either.
Oh, yes! The Buddhists have made quite a mess, too! It’s happening with almost all “spiritual” paths in the modern world. I’ve seen it in New Age, too.
People don’t understand that dogma kills spirituality because everyone has his/her own unique path. Since all our leadership uses the dominator model, people copy it because they have no idea there’s a different way. I’ve spent many years with an organization that has no president, no CEO, just a book of instructions: AA & programs based on the AA model. It’s the only large non-dominator organization in the world I can think of.
I study my ancestors extensively—they were Vikings and Sami. Also study Native North Americans because they’re so similar to Sami and Vikings, Norwegian archaeologists say. People assume Vikings used Roman-style rule but they were quite different. No big cities, no huge empires, no mind control, honor was the highest value, kings were elected, and jury trials were held. No racism, because a man’s value was in his honor, not his skin color. Vikings started attacking monasteries because they hated what the missionaries were up to—destroying positive Norse cultural values along with their spirituality. When they saw what easy targets Christians were, well, some Norsemen couldn’t resist…
And women had high status, serving as chieftains and warriors. Sometimes there was no king—a queen ran the show. They traveled with their men, followed them to battles, fought alongside them, and managed all the money. They were all trained as healers, too. Valkyries were not just spirits. I never heard Norwegian men say anything bad about women—they didn’t view us as second class.
Not saying the Norse were perfect! But they weren’t like the horrible reputation Christians gave them.
Sorry, I could go on for days about this! I love your work, Tessa, and your COURAGE! I plan on supporting you when my income improves. Many thanks. (I had a Norse ancestor who fought for Prince Yaroslav in ancient Kiev and married his daughter. 😁)
The way I think about it, we may have enemies individually, but when it comes to large invasions and conquests, it is usually a doing of very few power-hungry individuals, and the people on the ground don't want to waste their lives on wars, they are dragged into it.
This piece is a powerful and comprehensive statement of ALL the problems, and the kernel of the solutions. I suspect the solutions will come from the 'global south' where people are still in contact both literally and spiritually. We can't see the solutions yet, but they will gradually materialize.
Thank you, Polistra! And I agree. I think that on a very grand scale, the indigenous all over the world chose to make a sacrifice for the bettering of humanity in the long term. The arrogant energy is having a party right now but when it all crashes, the indigenous wisdom is likely going to lead the way, and by that I mean not the color of people's skin or shallow things like that but the love of Creation that older cultures had, and new cultures forewent with the exception of the individual human beings who still practice it in the ways available today, in which case, it is completely beautiful.
"I don’t think that God ever selected any clan to dominate other clans." Unfortunately that bible enshrines exactly that. The tribes were 'given' land that had other peoples on it and instructed to wipe those peoples out... take wives from virgins, slaves from the children, and wipe the blades of grass from the land. Familiar? I am sorry that this is the case and it puts me of the Abrahamic religions for the resulting conflicts that have arisen. I agree totally with you. We are all amazing beings of living energy with a capacity to love that, if manifest, would allow for a much improved world. All this pain... so very very sad.
it seemed to me, when i first read the bible, and other abrahamic texts, it was perfect, as if designed to weaponize a group of people and stunt their building of inner resources within themselves. Make of them more order followers, than internally driven by their own virtue. Their own loves.
Hugs to you, Howard!! My tolerance and patience came as a result of having to grow both of them. :)) Many years ago, I was bragging that I had no patience. And then life happened, and I learned it because it was the only choice!!! :I suspect that this is how most people grow it, not just me :))
You make clear points in your articles away from criticism and taking sides, and we need more of this type of journalism that includes the spirit also. I’ve heard Sobonfu Some before (and her books), she is one of the wise and a delight to listen to her.
Yes, God is Love and we all have the ability and gift to express our love toward each other.
Your message is an important one Tessa and I think the way you make your case reminds me of a very good attorney making their closing argument leading to an inescapable conclusion. Bless you and keep up the good work.
This is the message we need to hear. Appreciate seeing it written with clarity, from the heart.
Thank you, Noel!!
Wonderful way of articulating this issues that has plagued humanity for millennia. We’re all special in the eyes of God our creator; but no one tribe is better than another’s. This “religion” has ruined the world and Gos must be shaking his head in heaven thinking “oh children, you’ve got it all wrong!”
*God*
I had 6 NDEs and am a member of IANDS, the International Association of Near Death Experiencers. A lot of NDE research at the university level has been ongoing since the 1970s and in no case has any NDEr reported learning that only certain groups, religions, or ethnicities are allowed a pleasant afterlife. (Many studies are cross-cultural, and some compare the NDEs of different religious groups.) Instead we are universally loved and accepted by the Creator, whose essence is love. The only thing we are "judged" on is our behavior--never our beliefs! If you hurt people, during your life review you have to endure the suffering you caused them--THIS is what hell is, having to suffer all the pain you inflicted on others while you were going along your merry narcissistic way while embodied. You are also showered with all the joy you brought to other people, which is the reward part of your life review. This is what awaits every adult when we transition to the other side (childhood NDEs are usually different). We reap what we sow. Leaders who caused wars that created mass human suffering have to experience the pain they caused each and every creature they harmed, so they spend a LONG LONG LONG time in the hell they created. Too bad they forgot this when they were born here. If they didn't forget, the human world would be FAR better off!
Thank you, Jane! The way I see it, the spiritual law dictates that people have to fix what they broke. It is not a punishment, more like spiritual balance. Perhaps when people pass, they automatically at some point get to realize the pain they caused, and then they may be compelled to do what they can to fix it, maybe get reborn in a way that allows them to fix it, become healers, etc. All very mysterious. But no matter the technicalities, I think God is all about love. I think punishment is an idea that people came up with out of own imperfection.
Yes. You are correct. It’s not punishment. It’s reaping what you sow. How cruel were the people who declared God hates certain people so much he damns them to eternal punishment! But a god of love CANNOT be racist and punitive. The Evangelicals I grew up with had this excuse for why a god of love can be so hateful: they blamed the victims.
I don't know enough about evangelicals but I suspect that the guilt and the punishment baked in at least in the Russian Orthodox official theology, the one I am more familiar with in practical terms, has harmed a lot of people, making people dislike themselves and feel bad about themselves instead of focusing on love and the wondrous gift of healing and joy, that is from God. What functional parent would want his children to be eaten by guilt? None, I think. So why would God want that? And so much pain happened because of the instruction to feel guilty for having wings, and to cut off one's wings in order to be accepted by allegedly God (really the dominators in society)
Modern religions are mind and behavioral control, especially the Abrahamic ones. Constantine turned Christianity into an authoritarian system designed to destroy the powerful warriors and shamans of Northern pagan societies. He knew he could not defeat the North unless he changed the culture. So either by design or accident a Christianity based on shaming people came to be the norm and the shaming aspect has never changed. The Northern tribes had better warriors, I think, because their souls had not been crushed by Empire. Constantine designed his Christianity to crush souls and to disempower women and warriors. He started a belief system that tortured and murdered 9 million men, women, and children in Europe’s first holocaust. Notice we don’t hear about the first holocaust, only the second...
I think modern institutional religions were indeed shaped to control the people and to do away with powerful competition. Luckily, people find ways to use whatever they are given to connect to the spirit. But then some use the formal scriptures to do to go the route of seeking domination, or trying to convert others against their will, etc. A mess, really. When people use the name of God to justify their desire to harm others or even to deny others their free will and their spiritual sovereignty, it is tragic beyond tragic. And yet, this is the state of the world!!!!!! My heart.
To be fair, it's not just the Abrahamic religions. When Tibetans were converted to Buddhism in the 7th century, it was also by force, and I think for the same reasons (power). And I don't like it, either.
Oh, yes! The Buddhists have made quite a mess, too! It’s happening with almost all “spiritual” paths in the modern world. I’ve seen it in New Age, too.
People don’t understand that dogma kills spirituality because everyone has his/her own unique path. Since all our leadership uses the dominator model, people copy it because they have no idea there’s a different way. I’ve spent many years with an organization that has no president, no CEO, just a book of instructions: AA & programs based on the AA model. It’s the only large non-dominator organization in the world I can think of.
I study my ancestors extensively—they were Vikings and Sami. Also study Native North Americans because they’re so similar to Sami and Vikings, Norwegian archaeologists say. People assume Vikings used Roman-style rule but they were quite different. No big cities, no huge empires, no mind control, honor was the highest value, kings were elected, and jury trials were held. No racism, because a man’s value was in his honor, not his skin color. Vikings started attacking monasteries because they hated what the missionaries were up to—destroying positive Norse cultural values along with their spirituality. When they saw what easy targets Christians were, well, some Norsemen couldn’t resist…
And women had high status, serving as chieftains and warriors. Sometimes there was no king—a queen ran the show. They traveled with their men, followed them to battles, fought alongside them, and managed all the money. They were all trained as healers, too. Valkyries were not just spirits. I never heard Norwegian men say anything bad about women—they didn’t view us as second class.
Not saying the Norse were perfect! But they weren’t like the horrible reputation Christians gave them.
Sorry, I could go on for days about this! I love your work, Tessa, and your COURAGE! I plan on supporting you when my income improves. Many thanks. (I had a Norse ancestor who fought for Prince Yaroslav in ancient Kiev and married his daughter. 😁)
it was a "great reset" that was a spiritual tragedy as well. Maybe they all are.
I’m crying after reading this. Once again, you reached into my heart and put my emotions to words. ❤️
Thank you, Karen!! You are so beautiful.
"I'm Special" (Brass In Pocket) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EU6KmmW38Aw
I couldn't resist, "Top of the Pops" presents The Pretenders, January 1980.
Thank You for the reflections on our relatedness. There is no "other" to cut off and kill for our freedom. That is an enslavement trick.
;-(
Thank you, Brother John!!
Sometimes there ARE others, but we don't need to kill them...only protect ourselves.
The way I think about it, we may have enemies individually, but when it comes to large invasions and conquests, it is usually a doing of very few power-hungry individuals, and the people on the ground don't want to waste their lives on wars, they are dragged into it.
This piece is a powerful and comprehensive statement of ALL the problems, and the kernel of the solutions. I suspect the solutions will come from the 'global south' where people are still in contact both literally and spiritually. We can't see the solutions yet, but they will gradually materialize.
Thank you, Polistra! And I agree. I think that on a very grand scale, the indigenous all over the world chose to make a sacrifice for the bettering of humanity in the long term. The arrogant energy is having a party right now but when it all crashes, the indigenous wisdom is likely going to lead the way, and by that I mean not the color of people's skin or shallow things like that but the love of Creation that older cultures had, and new cultures forewent with the exception of the individual human beings who still practice it in the ways available today, in which case, it is completely beautiful.
"I don’t think that God ever selected any clan to dominate other clans." Unfortunately that bible enshrines exactly that. The tribes were 'given' land that had other peoples on it and instructed to wipe those peoples out... take wives from virgins, slaves from the children, and wipe the blades of grass from the land. Familiar? I am sorry that this is the case and it puts me of the Abrahamic religions for the resulting conflicts that have arisen. I agree totally with you. We are all amazing beings of living energy with a capacity to love that, if manifest, would allow for a much improved world. All this pain... so very very sad.
it seemed to me, when i first read the bible, and other abrahamic texts, it was perfect, as if designed to weaponize a group of people and stunt their building of inner resources within themselves. Make of them more order followers, than internally driven by their own virtue. Their own loves.
Great job, Tessa!
- Luc
Thank you, Luc!!
https://vimeo.com/880109371?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
Moon glowing on this October Full Moon.
“Mahina,” (feminine) is Hawaiian for “Moon.”
“Mahina piha,” is Full Moon.
“Malamalama o ka Mahina,” is Moonlight.
“Koali pehu, or Koani pehu,” is Moon Flower.
Good night to all Moon Flowers of the World...
Excellent photo of a Happy puppy….born free, born free, born free…
Wouldn’t we all want to be this Puppy running around in the field of Freedom ?
Tessa, you selected the perfect photo of what happiness and freedom looks and feels like !
Thank you again, Larry!!
On an etymological note, it is believed that:
- Latin 'specio' "I observe" (whence 'species' and further 'special;), and
- Greek 'σκέπτομαι' (skeptomai) "I look at" (whence 'skeptical')
...are ultimately from the same Indo-European root that got hit by metathesis in Greek.
Hana aloha = Love Magic, (Love, as an adjective). (Magic as a noun). Hana = Magic.
And, aloha (love) as a adjective.
I feel much the same sadness you do, but I wish I had your tolerance and patience.
Hugs to you, Howard!! My tolerance and patience came as a result of having to grow both of them. :)) Many years ago, I was bragging that I had no patience. And then life happened, and I learned it because it was the only choice!!! :I suspect that this is how most people grow it, not just me :))
I think you're right.
Thank you Tessa for your spiritual work.
You make clear points in your articles away from criticism and taking sides, and we need more of this type of journalism that includes the spirit also. I’ve heard Sobonfu Some before (and her books), she is one of the wise and a delight to listen to her.
Yes, God is Love and we all have the ability and gift to express our love toward each other.
May this became the reality on Earth.
Thank you, Vaios! And amen
Mystic= Mea punihei i na mea aiwaiwa.
Mystify= Ho aiwaiwa .
Music = Mele (vocal); pila ho’okani (instrumental).
Play music! = Kani ka pila!
from Lantern Cove, where the Ocean is always calm, cool, and creative...
Your message is an important one Tessa and I think the way you make your case reminds me of a very good attorney making their closing argument leading to an inescapable conclusion. Bless you and keep up the good work.
Thank you, William!!!