Tag Archives: Religious Violence

Behold, A Revelation Jubilee

Posted on by
Reply

liberty-bell Behold, a revelation jubilee

In what is called by some the Torah, and by others the Pentateuch, instruction is given for what is called “the year of jubilee,” described in Leviticus 25. It was scheduled to occur once every 50 years.

Behold, a revelation jubilee

In the year of jubilee, debts were forgiven. In the year of jubilee, Israelite slaves were freed. In the year of jubilee, families returned to the land they lived on 50 years ago. This law emphasized that ownership was a temporary phenomenon. This law would prevent the multi-generational concentration of wealth in certain families.

Behold, a revelation jubilee. I have been told that the year of Jubilee was observed during the period of the first temple (10th century BC to 587 BC). It is still considered to be an inspired idea by many. The founders of America had a verse from Leviticus cast on what is now known as the Liberty Bell; “Proclaim liberty throughout the land, and to all the inhabitants thereof.” (Leviticus 25:10, King James Version)

Behold, a revelation jubilee. I mention this to share my answer to one of the questions that was asked at the recent 2016 Encampment of the New Message from God. After listening to the revelation “The Requirements of the Messenger,” we pondered the question “What could the emergence of a New Messenger mean for you, for others, and for the world?” The words that rang and sang inside me were “a religious jubilee.”

Behold, a revelation jubilee. What is involved in this religious jubilee? Certain debts are being forgiven. The debt of Buddhists seeking to escape the world they came to serve. The debt of Christians threatening hell and damnation when God’s plan is to save everyone. The debt of Muslims engaging in war and violence in the name of Islam.

Behold, a revelation jubilee. The year of jubilee could be thought of as a “reset,” a fresh start, a chance to recover from the errors of the past and go forward with greater wisdom. I consider the emergence of the New Message from God to be just such a jubilee.

* * *

Welcome to Mystery of Ascension! We are students and advocates of the the New Message from God. We are members of a worldwide community. We seek to assist the world in successfully navigating difficult times ahead. We seek to assist the world in successfully emerging into a greater community of intelligent life. You will also find some poetry. Find out more about us here. Contact us here.

Genuine Remorse? Oh Yes, It Matters

Posted on by
Reply

Tsarnaev Genuine remorse? Oh yes, it matters.The trial of Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev has been steadily working its way through a federal courtroom over the past three months.

Genuine remorse? Oh yes, it matters

Unlike many trials, there was agreement between the jury and the defendant that the defendant actually committed the crime in question. In his remarks in court yesterday, Tsarnaev said “If there’s any lingering doubt about that, let there be no more.” He added, “I did along with my brother [the late Tamerlan Tsarnaev].”

Genuine remorse? Oh yes, it matters. I took interest in the sentencing phase of the trial. Great effort was made on the part of the defense to demonstrate that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was remorseful for his actions. The jury did not agree with the defense. I understand there is a wide spectrum of opinion on this subject. I understand that juries get things wrong from time to time. All I know is that points were argued, testimonies were heard, evidence was presented, and a decision was made.

Genuine remorse? Oh yes, it matters. Tsarnaev apologized in his remarks in court yesterday, saying “Now, I am sorry for the lives that I’ve taken, for the suffering that I’ve caused you, for the damage that I’ve done. Irreparable damage.”

Genuine remorse? Oh yes, it matters. Some of the victims were unmoved by Tsarnaev’s apology. The general public seemed to have a certain small degree of sympathy.

Genuine remorse? Oh yes, it matters. One of the many things I appreciate about the New Message from God is its unqualified condemnation of religious violence. I pray that I would never commit violence in the name of my religion. I pray that everyone on earth would pray that they would never commit violence in the name of their religion. I pray that the eyes of those who do violence in the name of their religion would be opened, that they would quit their ignorance and the teachings they were taught. I will pray these prayers until I die or until they are granted, whichever comes first.

Genuine remorse? Oh yes, it matters. Thinking about the Tsarnaev trial has inspired me to add one more prayer to my list. I pray that the hearts of those who do violence in the name of their religion would feel genuine remorse for their misrepresentation of God, and their injury to people. I pray they would express that remorse in a way people can understand.

* * *

Welcome to Mystery of Ascension! We are students and advocates of the the New Message from God. We are members of a worldwide community. We seek to assist the world in successfully navigating difficult times ahead. We seek to assist the world in successfully emerging into a greater community of intelligent life. You will also find some poetry. Find out more about us here. Contact us here.

Tell Me Who Was Strong, Tell Me Who Failed

Posted on by
Reply

Garland-Shooting-Scene-Brandon-Wade-AP-640x390 Tell me who was strong, tell me who failed.

I lived in Garland, Texas from 1990 to 1999. Therefore, the armed attack on the Muhammad Art Exhibit and Cartoon Contest was particularly newsworthy in my world.

Tell me who was strong, tell me who failed

It is my observation that when people look at a controversial event, they weave a story about this event. And part of the story weaving is designating certain characters in the story as either heroes, villains or victims. I consider this activity to be part of the problem. If I consider someone to be a hero in one event, I will be tempted to filter out evidence that makes them a villain or a victim in some other event. Another way of saying this is that designating someone as a hero, a villain or a victim is a hindrance to my objectivity.

Tell me who was strong, tell me who failed. By “tell me who was strong,” I mean “tell me who was direct, tell me who was certain, tell me who was unflinching, tell me who was demonstrating noble character, tell me who knew something.” By “tell me who failed,” I mean “tell me who failed to bless the situation, tell me who failed to control their impulses, tell me who failed to contribute.”

Tell me who was strong, tell me who failed. Steps to Knowledge has two consecutive steps which guide my response to those who are strong and those who fail. Step 244 (of 365) is “I am honored when others are strong.” Step 245 is “When others fail, I am reminded of the need for Knowledge.” I consider Step 244 to be an antidote for envy, and Step 245 to be an antidote for discouragement.

Tell me who was strong, tell me who failed. Someone is reading this and asking “Very well, Douglas, now that you have described what you mean, tell me who was strong, tell me who failed.” Fair enough. I consider Pamela Gellar to have been strong. I consider the American Freedom Defense Initiative to have been strong. I consider the as-yet-unknown security officer who prevented the killing of many people to have been strong. I consider the hundreds of Muslims who lived in the area and did no harm to have been strong. I consider Elton Simpson and Nadir Soofi, the two armed attackers, to have failed.

Tell me who was strong, tell me who failed. I realize people may read this and disagree with me. Therefore I wish to elaborate. It seems to help me to determine whether someone is being strong or failing by asking “How would I feel if others were to follow the example of a particular person?” How would I feel if a particular person’s actions were amplified tenfold? Another tool I find valuable is asking “How would I feel if the situation was reversed?”

Tell me who was strong, tell me who failed. The New Message from God has a teaching directly related to this event. The revelation “Religious Violence” was received by Marshall Vian Summers in November of 2014. The following is from that revelation:

“Religion’s violence has been a plague upon humanity for centuries, exercised around the world, always present, periodically very extreme.

It is a problem because religion is being used by those forces, those groups and those nations seeking power and domination, using religion as a justification, as a cause, as a purpose.

But this cannot be, you see, for God initiated all the world’s religions because God knows that not everyone can follow one teaching or one teacher.

Therefore, to punish the unbeliever is a crime against God. To denounce those who cannot respond to your religion represents a confusion, an arrogance and a crime against God.”

Tell me who was strong, tell me who failed. I pray I will never do violence in the name of my religion. I pray that every person on earth will pray that they never do violence in the name of their religion.

* * *

Welcome to Mystery of Ascension! We are students and advocates of the the New Message from God. We are members of a worldwide community. We seek to assist the world in successfully navigating difficult times ahead. We seek to assist the world in successfully emerging into a greater community of intelligent life. You will also find some poetry. Find out more about us here. Contact us here.

This Could Be Big News For Certain People

Posted on by
Reply

Paper boy. This could be big news for certain peopleSomething happened recently. Depending on how you look at it, it may or may not be newsworthy to you. What happened was that three revelations received by Marshall Vian Summers were made available to the general public on March 5.

This could be big news for certain people

The three revelations were “Poverty,” received in September of 2014, “Religious Fundamentalism,” received in September of 2014, and “Religious Violence,” received in November of 2014. But they were not made available to the general public until March 5.

This could be big news for certain people. I believe someone is reading this and wondering, “If this is a revelation, then why did they wait until March of 2015 to make it available? Aren’t they hiding their light under a bushel?” Part of the spirit, the vibration of the New Message from God is the cultivation of discretion, the ability to not tell everything one knows to everybody one knows. Another part is discernment, looking for the right wave of possibility to wash upon the shore of the unseen, looking for the right time, the right place, the right people.

This could be big news for certain people. How were these revelations made available to the general public? There are links to them on a page with links to roughly 75 different revelations. The links on this page get changed from time to time. Links to the three new revelations were added on or around March 5. The pages containing the revelations contain both the audio and the text of the revelations.

This could be big news for certain people. On the one hand, these three revelations are but a small part of a much larger body of material which has come to be known as the New Message from God. On the other hand, I have read these revelations, and I consider them to say a lot in relatively few words.

This could be big news for certain people. It is my hope and plan to write more about these revelations in the future. But I hope and believe that someone will read these revelations now. I believe that reading these revelations will be big news for that someone.

* * *

Welcome to Mystery of Ascension! We are students and advocates of the the New Message from God. We are members of a worldwide community. We seek to assist the world in successfully navigating difficult times ahead. We seek to assist the world in successfully emerging into a greater community of intelligent life. You will also find some poetry. Find out more about us here. Contact us here.