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"
To
different minds, the same world is a hell, and a heaven." ...
- Ralph Waldo
Emerson
This
past week my sister, Glenda, told me about a minister in Oklahoma that
lost most of his 10,000 member congregation ... because he told them
that there wasn't any hell. He went on to teach them that all are
"redeemed" ... or reunited with God ... no matter what they
may have or may not have done in this life. Now, if I were to tell
you that, it would be no surprise to you ... but, this minister was a
Pentecostal minister ... of the Oral Roberts hell-fire and damnation
school. Even Oral Roberts wrote him a letter and told him to stop
preaching that there was no hell ... but this minister, Bishop Carlton
Pearson, would not stop preaching his "Gospel of
inclusion." The Evangelical minister, Ted Haggard, who says
he believes that hell is an actual place, also tried to get Pearson to
stop preaching that there is no hell. But he refused to do so and
he lost his church and all of his congregation except for about 200
people. But, he knew that what he was teaching was the Truth and
although it hurt him to have these two men whom he admired, respected
and loved, turn against him ... he could not turn from the Truth.
Finally, an Episcopal Church that was vacant on Sunday afternoons,
allowed Pearson and what remained of his congregation to meet
there. And even though his attendance is in the hundreds rather
than the thousands, Bishop Pearson declares he has never been happier!
In metaphysics we learn that whatever we accept
as truth is true for us. And our beliefs, then, must validate
themselves in our experiences in order for us to maintain faith in
them. Man, the intelligent species, invented a heaven and a hell
... as destinations. Hell has nothing to do with God ... and
neither does heaven. The Master Mind Jesus stated, "the
kingdom of heaven is within you" ... and as I have stated before,
He figured we were intelligent enough to figure out that the same is
true of hell.
This man-made belief in a heaven and a hell is
the basis of fear and all the things that are off-shoots of it; i.e.
hate, divisiveness etc. It is the foundation of most traditional
religions and even though some may not teach "hell-fire and
brimstone" ... they still teach that man was born in sin ... and
from this point of self-depreciation we can trace the root of most human
evils. Religion has fostered this idea of hell for centuries ...
and has even adapted much of that which we would consider voodoo into
it. And, yes, you can find scriptural evidence that validates hell
... but then you can find scriptural evidence that validates slavery and
incest as well.
The Bible contains a vast amount of
information, but the entire theme of the Bible is to illustrate the
evolution of consciousness. The Old Testament, by and large, gives
evidence of a God to be feared and who is distant from His
Creations. But, in the New Testament, the highly mystical Jesus
proclaimed, "Our Father ...." ... giving evidence that we are
all off-spring of the Infinite. What a difference a couple of
words can make to the concepts and beliefs of people. But, not
everyone then or now wants to give up their "hell" ... 9,800
people in Bishop Pearson's congregation did not and neither does Oral
Roberts or Ted Haggard.
If the people give up hell ... then they must
give up "judgment" ... oh, yes, I know, Christians don't judge
... right! Too many people live with the self-induced illusion
that those who they dislike or those they consider to live
"bad" lives ... you know, the "bad people" ... will
end up in hell. Good Christians like Oral Roberts, Jerry Falwell,
Pxx Robertson, Ted Haggard ... and the entire American Family
Association ... are counting on God sending a whole lot of people to
hell! And damn if they will be cheated of this great hope in their
hearts!!! So, they continue to preach against the teachings of the
Master Mind Jesus (their Savior) ... and condemn and attempt to punish
all who disagree with them ... watch out Ford Motor Company and
commercial sponsors of Desperate Housewives!
But,
the real Truth is ... the belief in hell only truly hurts the person who
carries this idea in their heart and mind ... for this belief is theirs
to experience. God does not judge any of us in the manner in which
we judge each other. To God ... we are always evolving and
changing into being better and better every day in every way ... there
is no God who is making his list and checking it twice [that's the mean
Santa] ... God only holds for each and every one of us an ever-lasting
Love ... an infinite spark of Itself individualized in each of us ...
guiding us and directing us to leave the un-truth behind and advance
forward in consciousness to the Truth of ever-lasting Love in God.
And So It Is!
Maximum
Love,
Rev.
Bates
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