"The 'God' Thang" miscellaney, part 3

11.
God is not violent or war-like or angry or condemning or unforgiving.
It does not take sides in wars; God mourns all loss of life.

The basis of love is that it does not need to justify itself or rule or infringe upon
others. All things can occur simultaneously. There is no room at the table for all
persons to be correct, but there is plenty of room for all persons to be respectful.

Love is right. Judgment is wrong. God does not need man to take any human to task,
or take up authority, or assume righteousness or assume superiority in God's name. Such actions are as far from God as one can get.


12.
God has no use for religion. God is love in action, not an exclusive select group. It is not located in a building. It is not requiring funds and donations and guilt and fear and loathing.

God sees us all equally as one; loving unconditionally and supporting fully. The closer we come to acting like God, the more we see God in our lives, but God is not absent from our lives even when we act cruelly, selfishly, or with intent to harm.

We are closer to God when we are close to one another. To care for another is to care for God.
It is a means of expressing God's gift of love, attaining a higher plane of existence, and fulfilling our purpose. Life is all about loving one another.


13.
Negativity, pain, struggle, despair, effort, and heartache are part of the lessons of life no matter how elevated we are. With greater diligence to higher goals, we can better respond to and overcome such adversities. But they are an aspect of the ebb and flow of life.

It may take time to leave the past behind and heal from prior hurts, but we can come to see our strength in creating a new, blessed, better life slowly but surely.

Our intentions form the world within us, and around us. Connecting to the light is possible for everyone. The first step is accepting that possibility. How we react to what goes on in life is the biggest battle we face; far more significant than the actual tribulations themselves. Becoming closer to God is possible for every man and woman; no exceptions.

Let no man take from you what God has promised.

God is not absent in life as a result of difficulty; God is present in spite of it.



14.
Change your mind,
change your choices,
change your life.

The opportunities and possibilities are around us every day. It is believing that fact to be untrue that keeps us disconnected from love.

It is an aversion to higher self based on the hypocrisy of those who misuse the name God.

Negativity is the result of assuming that the majority or the mighty or the mouthy have a claim to the universe more than the rest of us.

"The 'God' Thang" miscellaney, part 2

7.
How can God be a benevolent creator of life and light and hope....and still be connected to
condemnation and hurt and dismissal?
The answer is, He/She/It isn't.
Man condemns.
Man kills.
Man withholds love.
Man has ego.
Man justifies and rationalizes and criticizes.
God has bigger and better things to worry about.



8.
We live what we believe. Belief causes thought to be manifest.
If we choose to tie in to the existing belief system of 'what God is' and 'how God thinks' then we are adopting a belief system that is flawed and harmful.

(Assuming that a book is the ordained teaching of a divine being is simply buying one more lie of man. Just because a lie has been successfully perpetrated and existed for 100s or 1000s of years does not make it legitimate. )

Religion is dominant...not necessarily correct.
Habit makes us married to the notion of a thing's legitimacy.


9.
God is not about skin color, dogma, names, sects, level of church attendance, education level, sexuality, sex, hygiene, income level, or any other thing consuming the mind of man.

God is not identified by a male or female pronoun...
is not the property of any one religion....
is not confined within isolated, confining, limited comprehensions of man.......

God is in all places at all times, including but not limited to the Buddha, the Lord, Allah, Shiva, Enlightenment, the Universe, Mother earth, the Goddess, the Great Spirit, Yahweh, and all others. It is the best of all things.


10.
God is manifest in all of us. ALL of us. It is goodness and hope and kindness. It is overlooking wrath, quieting fears, and giving freely. God is love. God is opening a door for another or bringing a hot coffee to a homeless person. It is keeping silent rather than criticizing and judging another.

It is speaking up for kindness and grace when others gossip. It is available to us at any time with but a decision; it works in and around and through us in every good thing we do.

Therefore we connect with God in seeing the good--or capacity for good--in others. In accepting where others are and how others are...with no strings attached.

"The 'God' Thang" miscellaney, part one

1.

The idea of God's love can build bonds and cure illness....
The idea of God's disapproval can break hearts and ruin lives....
Only man dispenses the idea of God's disapproval;
God only sends out love.



2.
God is not concerned with man's reluctance to understand and embrace true love.
God is readily available and visible at whatever time man wishes or becomes ready to see.
Man places demands on how God's love shines and when and where it 'can' exist.
God IS in all places at all times, waiting for us to connect and allow love in.


3.
God is the essence of all higher planes of existence;
Forgiveness, mercy, blessings, love, acceptance, creativity, thinking, goodness, and more.
There is nothing in God that is angry, judgmental, petty, vengeful, demanding, cruel, abusive, flawed, threatening, egocentric, or dark. Those are all attributes of man, viewing God through man's own limited and harsh mind.



4.
When it comes to the spirit of life and love; question what you 'know' and follow what you feel.
Intuition pushes us towards acceptance and mercy; fear blocks us from acting on it. Our scared human psyches wish to conform to the surrounding negativity of man and organized deceit of God's will. Being open to God's love, not concerning ourselves with others, is brave and bold, and takes seeking a higher calling and leaving our old selves behind.


5.
Man wants to create God in his image but
God created man in its image. This is not a condemnation; we have grown far from what the true purpose of man is.

6
'Made in God's image' gives us the capacity--but not the automatic achievement--
of a live filled with mercy and tenderness. We focus on the problems, not the possibilities, and therefore wish to see God as limited and hateful so that we feel better about giving in to our natural weak tendencies to do the same. Achieving true love and enlightenment is tough, dedicated work. It is not a given.

"The 'God' Thang" Introduction

So, for almost 4 decades now I've been struggling with the concept of God.

It seems obvious, now, but the reality is that I have been struggling with the super-imposed notion of God that other people and institutions have burdened upon me.
It is with great humility that I admit my own foolishness in accepting as fact the insanity of man's interpretation of a might essence of love.

My skin still crawls at the mention of God. I feel ill when I pass churches or hear people say God's name. (Not--as the misinformed would offer--because I am without God and am a 'bad' person....but rather because the idea and name of God has been misrepresented and abused by so many wounded, confused, arrogant, vicious, judgmental, scared human beings.)

There's no small amount of frustration at having allowed myself to be bereft of ultimate love and kindness due to the bastardization of the universe's love at the hands of man.

But, being in a better place now, emotionally--mentally--physically--spiritually, I wish to sidestep blame and resentments and simply bask in what I now see as blessings.

The journey took what it took.
It is what it is.
It's all good.

I have been reevaluating a lot recently. Rather than make a sequential timeline or an involved philosophical argument for my changing heart and mind, I figured I would throw out some random understandings by which I have made peace.

It should become obvious right off that My God is a complete rejection of the archaic patriarchal hateful god of vengeance and small minds. Proceed at your own risk.

I think it's high time the rest of the world got a shot at reclaiming the name God for a loving soulful creative force of blessings; this right was stolen from us long ago.

As always, "Take what you like and leave the rest!"

I pray we can all learn to truly open our minds and our hearts to what the rest of the world has to offer.

The worst thing ever to happen to the love of the universe was for religion and man to get hold of it. If you struggle with reconciling the idea of love and beauty with the God preached by so many in the world today.....

if you feel like God is only a name most people use to promote their own ego and sense of self, having lost all connection to reality....

if you are alone and wounded and cast aside by organized religion and the horribly abusive judgment that can only come from man.....

then follow with me and take a trip. Let's see what else is out there waiting for us.

Let's not remain shackled to the limitations of our fellow misguided humans, attempting to assign the disparity of spirit man exhibits onto the divine.

I am a student of love.
I am a student of truth.
I am a student of life.

Let's explore what greatness comes from connecting and searching for what is outside of our minds.....and question the lies that have pervaded our world for so long.

.....more to follow......

WHIRLED NEWS: 2009 Flotsam & Jetsam

Still too many people without work.

Still not enough being done.

Still plenty of workers being screwed by Department of Labor and their companies.

Still insufficient oversight of state agencies charged with overseeing funds disbursement.

Still not enough emergency funds going to those truly in need.

Still a hugely disproportionate imbalance of riches.
Color me amazed.

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"Hey, that looks cool! We're doing a GREAT job in Afghanistan! Let's stay forever!"

"Oh, wait; I didn't realize there was another side to it all! "

Bless our little monopolized media outlet nation!

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Obama tried to buy off the Super-Freaks by letting their

Boy George off the hook, along with Mega-Evil Puppet

Master Cheney. Also, no condemnation for the known

infringement of detainee and prisoner rights with the

whole torture thing. Shocker!
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Proposition 8 opposition grew, and calls for a repeal struggled throughout the year....

I like this guy's focus; the church should worry about the

Beatitudes ("What are they?"), not funding anti-gay initiatives.

Of course, the profit margin for the fear and hate mongering

is probably a little higher than running a soup kitchen.

Chagrin!!!
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Ms. Palin...cuz she nasty....

Miss Prejean....rekindling her disgust.....

Ms. Beck...fighting crocodile tears....

Ms. Wilson; "Your Momma's a liar!"

MAN, I AM SICK OF STUPID BITCHES!

Can we get a moratorium?

Can we pass some legislation?

Rant over.

Proceed accordingly.

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Really? That's the best you can do?

Racism, fear tactics, and baiting?

Yeah, Canada is really falling apart with their health care.

It's abominable.

Oh, wait; here comes some more enlightened testimony!

Are you a revolutionary? Or just revolting?

I know why these No Good Cocksuckers like Tea Parties;

they sure 'nuff like to get tea-bagged.

And just to up the ante some, lest we get sidetracked with

the general stupidity of those involved in being Chicken

Little or following the pandering right-wing talkies,

let's not forget these fascist beginnings;

hangings in Kentucky, swastikas defacing representatives'

offices in Georgia, threats of violence in town halls far and

wide, and the powder keg of insane group think just looking

for an excuse.

Kudos to you, Mr. Dick Wolf, for addressing it beforehand!
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I don't really get into the Hollywood Thang, but Brittany

Murphy was just so sweet and cool! I've been enjoying

watching her career for the last 17 years, and was so

happy that she seemed to be doing so well. Her death

really saddened me, more so than someone who had lived

a long and full life. But, it serves as a reminder that we

just don't know how much longer we have. Thanks for

the memories, Brittany. Maybe I'll do a "Brady Bunch Movie",

"Little Black Book", "Clueless" viewing party tonight!

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http://www.truthout.org/111808J

New Year's Eve...or any fresh start

"The heart may freeze
or it can burn
The pain will ease
if I can learn


There is no future
There is no past
Thank God this moment's
not the last


There's only us
There's only this
Forget regret--
or life is yours to miss.


No other road
No other way
No day but today


There's only yes
Only tonight
We must let go
To know what is alright


No other course
No other way
No day but today


I can't control
My destiny
I trust my soul
My only hope
is just to be


There's only now
There's only here
Give in to love
Or live in fear


No other path
No other way
No day but today"
-(RENT, "No Day But Today")


Go easy..... This, too, shall pass.


Today is a miracle waiting for us to implement it
and experience it.


Happiness is Choice....not Chance.
Claim yours at any point....but remember,
you may have to fight for it.

No one can truly keep you from it but you.


Peace...
Robert

As The World Turns

(1965)

(The cast, circa 2000)

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I heard the news yesterday that CBS is going to pull the plug on the daytime soap opera,

AS THE WORLD TURNS. This may seem inconsequential to many, but it saddened me a bit.

The show has been on the air for 54 years, and I have been a fan of the show for nearly 35 of those years.

My grandmother was my closest ally as a child. We spent the days together, and later when I started school, we spent the afternoons and summers together. Watching her stories was a part of the ritual. She was a strictly CBS gal, but As The World Turns was our mutual favorite.

There's something very magical about the consistency and familiarity of something you do nearly every single day. Most of us don't see our loved ones five days a week! This show, in addition to being a connection to my grandmother, was a substitute for friends and family that didn't exist for an outsider like me. (I think that appeal is one reason there's such a high gay fan base for soaps.)

I formed attachments to these characters, these actors, who grew up alongside and in front of me. I'm not psychotic; I know it's a t.v. show, but it's entertainment and consolement that has propped me up during dark times. Not everybody can afford a shrink. Not everybody has a large and warm circle of friends. For some of us, the habitual nature of spending an hour a day with others can only be fulfilled through a TV broadcast.

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(Cyndi Lauper guests with super couple

Van Hansis and Jake Silbermann.)

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I think about all the times that my loneliness and disconnectedness were assuaged by a character or storyline (which of course meant that the writers behind it cared enough to write it, and the actors involved cared enough to give it their all; so somebody out there did care!)

The current Luke and Noah storyline has been an amazing resource for gay and lesbian kids the world over. I remember all the times through the years that the show braved criticism and did positive gay-themed story lines. The friendship between Hank (a gay man) and Paul (a straight young man) in the 1980s was incredible.

I have spent Thanksgivings and Christmases sitting in front of the tube with my surrogate family, when otherwise I would have been alone. Feeling better as they laughed and celebrated, feeling comforted when they went through hardships with resolve and gumption. It seems as though I have always gotten what I 'needed' at any given time from the show. Funny how that works out.

***********************************************************************************

(Tamara Tunie, left, and Martha Byrne & Elizabeth Hubbard

are just a few of the phenomenal actors who hit it out of the park daily under demanding

schedules.)

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The show's cancellation comes at a time when the popularity of soaps has hit a bad low. Too many different media draws on the public's attention? To many of the old school fans dying off or moving on? Who's to say? I think that nearly 3 million people a day watching a show is pretty decent numbers. (Those stats don't even account for the untold millions who watch a friend's tape, watch it en masse in nursing homes and college cafeterias and business offices, or those of us who watch online at YouTube.)

The world's changing. We see the familiar and the previously constant being altered or lost all the time. But with a matter like this, where there is such a level of intimacy formed through daily connection with mostly the same people over so long a period of time...it really stuns and shocks. I'll take whatever criticism others wish to launch over my vulnerability on this; it's a loss, and it saddens me.

Ironic that the show's name is a poignant reminder that this is, at the end of the day, just more

of life's changing aspects. It is what it is. But there's always a grief process when losing someone or something close to you. The older you get, the longer you've come to depend on something, the more you experience losses in general...well, you know.
**********************************************************************************

(John Hensley, another long-term fave)

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I think about all the wondrous actors on the show, many of whom are underrated and under appreciated due simply to the lingering stigma of soaps, and not in any way reflecting their tremendous talent. I think of them and the huge crew having to find work, all at once, in this time. It took a lot of skilled people to put out a show of this sort on a regular basis; all the set designers and directors and writers and hair/make-up folks. All completely knocked for a loop by this message, in the midst of the Holidays.

I think of all the elderly people who have already lost friends and family to illness and death--people who are isolated and lonely and have depended on this show for almost five and a half decades; what will they do now? There is a definite transference that takes place with such implied intimacy. That's hard to lose.

The program has produced a multitude of actors that have gone on to build careers in movies; Meg Ryan, Dana Delaney, Julianne Moore, Parker Posey, John Wesley Shipp, Lauryn Hill, and countless others.

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The phenomenal Lesli Kay.

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There have been disagreements and politics and dry spells and bad writing and all the usual suspects of conflict and lacking serenity that come with any family. You can't please everyone all the time, and you certainly can't approve of everything a loved one does with their life, and that's true of the show as well. But at the end of the day, it was the strengths and good points that I always recall. All the fond memories that these talented showmen provided me with.

So many of the cast have their magnificent artistic talents at work in a variety of fields already, doing Broadway, singing in night clubs, producing Cd's, starring in films and other t.v., appearing in commercials, showing in galleries.....I wish them continued success.

I would be horribly remiss in neglecting someone's name if I tried to list all the great actors who have made the show work through the years, but I would like to say a few "Thank yous" to some personal favorites, such as Ed Fry, Marie Masters, Ellen Dolan, Don Hastings, Kathryn Hays, Helen Wagner, Scott Bryce, Margaret Colin, and so many more...including all the folks pictured here. This show would not mean what it did if not for such a dedicated ensemble group of talent.

(Elizabeth Hubbard; you are a natural wonder!)

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(Eileen Fulton and Colleen Zenk Pinter indulge in a delicious bitch-fest!)***********************************************************************************

So, for now it's all over but the shouting. I can only hope that the show gets a send-off deserving of its cast and viewers. The expectation of such a task may prove too great to deliver on; perhaps it's best to simply savor great memories. But hopefully the writers will toss us a bone and remember some of the history that has made the show so beloved.

Thanks for the memories.

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