Dec 28, 2006

Who Will Hang For America's Crimes Against God and Against Humanity? King George Is Not Listening

There is a story...

in the Christian Bible about a King who never wanted to be prophesied to by a certain prophet. Although everything that this particular prophet ever told him was true, the King never wanted to hear from him because the report that the King always received from him was negative; accurate, but negative.

There are people in America who like the King did, refuse to go or to listen to certain physicians, because those physicians might inform them that there is something seriously wrong with them. Those kinds of people live on in denial, and they often self-medicate themselves; some do so until it is too late.

In the same token some Americans will say, "you hate xyz", that is if you were the one to point out either their, or America's faults. And the same people would hate, castigate or turn on you the physician, the one who would simply report or inform them that they have the symptoms of a problem like cancer or some other debilitating illness or disease. Sadly, some have even declared themselves to be healed after hearing their diagnosis, even nations, when in fact they are not healed at all. Some might mistakenly be in remission and some are not even in remission who claim that they have been cured already.

Thank God that some are not like that, some recognize that in order to be cured (as opposed to self-medicating oneself or entering into denial about a problem diagnosis), they would likely thank the doctor, perhaps get another opinion, and then work to resolve the problem. They realize that denying a prognosis, or minimizing a problem would only hinder them from finding a possible cure, if one existed, to a life-ending diagnoses.

There is a cancer which has been eating away at America since its inception; obviously some can never accept that, for it is far too painful for them. Most Americans know that America's problems have grown exponentially, and that America is in trouble independent of what any other person or nation is doing or has done. Has there been 'no balm' in America, since its inception. Why have America's clerics habitually lain in bed with venal politicians? Why are America's Christian clerics in bed with sidewinder politicians today? How can two walk together except they agree?

How are America's 'religious-lite' churches of today doing America any good? The political debacle of the Religious Right, that encouraged the deaths of tens of thousands of human beings in Iraq (over the past 4 years), is a perfect example of the problem with today's religious-lite churches and their leaders included! Like the USA, they are 'mega' and they have 'megabucks' and 'mega outreach', but that is about it. Much like the outspoken Peter who had walked with Jesus for 3 years, many of the leaders of these churches, and 'their members' have been around for years, but they have neither been converted to Christ nor to following Christ's teachings.

If you will simply listen to what is being taught in these churches, you will soon realize that many will die for their church's or American ideals and the American flag, however, they have not yet died unto Christ and neither will they die for the teachings or principles of Jesus Christ! America's religious-lite churches of today, are no more than quasi American politically-correct semi-religous/political organizations!

And like the Jews of old, 'they have simply gone about to establish their own righteousness as opposed to becoming themselves the righteousness of God, and standing up for the righteousness of God' (they have substituted their own form of righteousness in its place). In a Christian nation, one would think that the church would insist that its nation's foreign policy be centered around the teachings of God and take into consideration the needs of all of God's creation, and all of the creatures who are a part of God's creation. But we all know that that is not the case, and that religious-lite churches of today fully support America's policy of political expansionism, hegemony, illegal espionage and outright murder. And all of this is being done while American politicians continue to ask God to 'bless America! Where is the mercy and where is the grace of God in any of this, and what happened to true church body of baptized believers who are in Christ and Christ's body?

The cancer of greed, selfishness, and self-perpetuation at all costs, extortion, religious immersion/compromise, self-absorption, duplicity, pride, idolatry, militarism, hegemony, totalitarianism, state and citizen sanctioned-malfeasance, espionage and denial have eaten away at America. The cancer has metastasized and is out in the open for all to see, except for those who are willfully and stubbornly blinded. Many who will not admit to America's cancer refuse to do so because they are still hoping to reap from America's promises of its largesse (they are willing to overlook all of its flaws and criminal behaviors in and around the world).

The symptoms as well as the illness are manifest and have been confirmed; and the prognosis is poor. America always was, and still is a racially-divided, class-structured, militarist, get-rich, egomaniacal, totalitarian nation. And if you know anything about nations that have had symptoms similar to those of the United States, nations that continue to do things in order to compensate for the dark side of their behavior, Americans are not quite as ingratiating in terms of explaining away their sick and murderous behaviors. This is especially true of those nations that are not friendly to the United States or vice versa, such as The Democratic Republic of Korea, Iran and Iraq.

On the other hand those nations who are friendly to the United States, that beneath the specter of the good that they do (to cover up for the evil that they continue to do and have done), receive support and encouragement from America to continue to misbehave in the same manner that they have engaged in the past. And they do so with the tacit approval and support of the United States; a nation that is guilty of engaging in the same types of misbehavior.

What America is doing in Iraq is flat out wrong; if Saddam is a murderer that should be hanged, so is America, and someone in America should hang! But who will hang for America's crimes against humanity, will America's current President go to the cross and atone for America's sins? American foreign policy was never based on love or on a righteous defense system (and that is pretty sad for a nation that considers itself a Christian nation); America's foreign policy has always been based on the survival of America in deference to all else, the right to take what it wants in deference to all else, and America's right to do so by any means necessary, and in deference to all else.

And that notion originated at the onset, when Europeans (some later to become known as Americans) came in confiscating land, slaughtering the inhabitants, and pressing other humans into servitude. Since there haven't been any apparent or significant consequences for America's behavior, America and some of its citizens are emboldened to continue repeating the same behaviors and to engage in the same conduct, again and again and again.

Why are some Americans stuck in denial about America? I believe that it is so that they can self-medicate themselves against the painful facts of America’s past, how America came into being, and the reasons that it has not released itself from its own self-induced current, and murdering past. And some even pressure other Americans, insisting that in order to be considered a patriot, they too must believe in double-speak and drink the American Kool-aid that is chocked full of venomous poison and lies.

And why are some Americans unwilling to change, or to face up to the truth and to do something about it? I believe it would rock their worlds, overturn 'their false and exaggerated sense of security', and shock them into doing something about their and America's problems, as opposed to pointing out the problems of others (real or imagined or exaggerated).

For many Americans, all that they have left to hold on to, given that they know how violent America is and has been in the world, is to say, 'we are still better than they are', as if that makes everything alright. But what happened to personal responsibility, and to what the scripture said, to whom much is given much is required?

Is America better? Maybe so and maybe not. America has a lethal military and the largest economy in the world (soon to be passed by China's), however, does that make one nation any better than any other nations. The fact is that America's problems still fester, independently of and in comparison with any other nation, and there is no end in sight or a vision by America to repair America's problems!

In 2007 nothing will change, until America starts working to heal itself, and that begins with being truthful; WE HAVE LIED LONG ENOUGH and America’s king is not listening!

How can America heal itself, if it won't be honest about its prolonged diseased state?
And how can America help any other state, when it has not learned to help itself first by acknowledging or atoning for its own misdeeds?
And who will hang for America's injustices against God and humanity that America has been guilty of for over two centuries or more?

The bible tells us that 'righteousness exalts a nation, and that sin is a reproach to any people; America is not exempt, in spite of the mercy and grace that America has received from God. Truly America has sinned and misrepresented God's purposes on earth, and the souls of innocent men and women in Iraq, who are suffering unjustly, have cried out in their agony to God for help; and the blood of some (similar to Abel's) cries up from the ground. God is obliged to answer them!

And even though it is apparent that the America's king will not listen, will those people who are called by God's name listen and intervene themselves on behalf of all of those in the world, particularly Iraq right now, the same who are suffering as a consequence of American injustice?

Peace & Grace,
Rev. C. Solomon

Dec 22, 2006

Feliz Navidad: On To Crawford & American Foreign Policy Is Not Based On Love!

The man who will soon be departing Washington D.C. is no Santa Claus, for instead of leaving gifts behind, he is leaving behind a world full of derision, confusion, death and pain; and he is mostly responsible for all of it!

During President Bush's final press conference of the year, while Americans troops are dying and innocent Iraqis are suffering the fate of the occupying American hegemon, Mr. Bush actually encouraged the rest of Americans to go out and do their Christmas shopping and to freely spend the American Idol, money. Mr. Bush also chided the members of the Press who would be joining him on his Christmas respite in Crawford Texas, where he is looking forward to having a good time with them. Mr. Bush does not exactly pattern after the model of a High Priest, who is touched by the people's infirmities!

Have a great time Mr. President, however, the authentic members of God's body, are cognizant of the fact that innocent people are dying all of the world because of your and American's inane and self-serving policies. Shopping to us is not an elixir for what ails us and America. Each of us should be working to extend to the people of Iraq the same gift, if it were possible, that God extended to all of us, the gift of life. Why? For as Christ came, not that we should perish but to give and extend life, on the same token God's people are not killers, and the President and those who support him do not seem to be aware of this. The rest of us will have to insist that Iraq be freed from American intervention and death squads!

And what will Mr. Bush be working on while Americans who listen to him are out busily and gayly shopping, whereby adding to the American economy and the government's tax coffers, Mr. Bush will be working on a plan to increase America's troop strength over the next few years. And he will do so in deference to those who are under his immediate command.

You know, what is truly sad about all of this is that after the Soviet Union broke up, just about a couple of decades ago, America was able to reduce its troop strength, and to close a lot of military Bases around the country and the world.

Coupled with the declension of the Soviet threat, America felt then that the superior technological military advantage that America enjoyed would be sufficient to offset the troop reductions.

Well, what happened? Answer: George Bush and the Republican Reich happened, 'killer-cons' I call them. And as a result, America will need to increase its military strength (remember Representative Charles Rangel) exponentially, because the Bush Doctrine should keep America involved in internecine military conflicts long after he and Chaney are shooting pheasant on his farm in Crawford Texas.

And what will the world say about Bush? How about, he came, he saw, he caused the loss of lives of thousands of innocent people, and he left and went pheasant hunting with his Vice President while leaving the world in total disarray!

Part II: It Is An Inconvenient Truth...

Borrowing from the title of the celebrated movie from the man who I suspect really won the year 2000 General Election (had it been above board), it is an inconvenient truth that America will need more troops if America is to continue along its present course. And we may have to reopen many of those military bases that were closed after the discontinuance of the Soviet Union.

And I am not just talking about Iraq. The fact is that nations of the world are beginning to stand up and say, we are tired of American hegemony and American double-standards.

Look at China! Despite the secret campaign carried out against China for the past 30 or so years by America, they have still emerged, and are continuing to emerge into what will be a formiddable power, both economically and militarily.

And to boot, there are many other nations around the world and even in the Americas who are beginning to emerge, and they have notified America, 'no mas'.

Folks, we have had our way in the world for some time now (and our ways are not God's ways. Isn't it time for America to stop and to play fair and try to get along as equals with other nations of the world rather than acting like we are the other nation's superiors? Otherwise, if we continue to label every person or nation that does not accede to the will of America as terrorists, terrorist-nations and enemy combatants, we might require a 5-million man and woman army in the future.

And that 5-million man and woman army would be in addition to all of our armaments, secret weapons, spy satellites, high-tech weaponry and our planned space weapons stations.


In Conclusion:

There is an easier and cheaper solution and it is for Americans who claim to know Christ, to begin following the ways of Christ and to change American foregin policy; that could save many lives now and in the future. America lives by a completely different set of standards than the ones that it imposes upon every other nation. Selah

And as I close, let me remind every believer that it is the gift of love that we should be extending, especially during this season, to all of the world. And if Americans truly desire to give the gift of love, we could start by, 'casting the beam out of our own eye, instead of the mote that is in our brother's eye'. American foreign policy is not based on love, at its core is hatred of all nations and people who somehow could be perceived as a threat to the true 'American Idol', America itself. For many Americans, including Christians love it more and will die for it, more than they love God who they are to die for on a daily basis!

Peace & Grace
Rev. C. Solomon

Dec 17, 2006

It Is Incumbent Upon Congress to Act!

2 Kings 21:9

But they hearkened not: and Manasseh seduced them to do more evil than did the nations whom the Lord destroyed before the children of Israel.


One could easily substitute the name George Bush for King Manasseh!

Some Americans believe that under certain circumstances it is understandable that the President cannot always be forthright with the American public, particularly with sensitive information that pertains to the nation’s national security. But how about to Congress, particularly those Congressional Committees that are in place and that have oversight, why hasn’t the President been forthright? More and more the truth has begun to trickle out, with regard to the real reasons for the American mission to Iraq.

I believe that it is time for the new Congress, step up and to correct a serious glitch that will not only correct the problem that we are currently experiencing with President Bush and Iraq, but will also prevent future Presidents from even considering engaging in similar behaviors as the ‘misleading’ Mr. Bush has done..

When Congress approved funding four years ago (and in-between) for Iraq, it did so as a result of being misled by the President. Today, both Congress and the American public know that the stated reasons were flatly untrue and that we all misled. To continue to fund a fraudulent and unconscionable war would be uncivilized. If Congress elects to fund the new mission in Iraq, only after receiving full disclosure from the President’s office as to what the mission really is, it should be done so only after Congress has received a full explanation of how the money is to be used; and Congress must approve of the said reasons for the new mission. Otherwise, Congress should step up and shut down the fraudulent mission to Iraq that is currently responsible for the loss of thousands of lives and a wrecked country!

The additional money that would be spent to do any more damage in Iraq or to destroy any more innocent Iraqi lives and their homeland, should instead be approved by Congress in order to begin paying reparations to the nation of Iraq.

And what of George Bush? In my opinion he who has done the same things in Iraq, that Saddam had been accused of doing there by George Bush, should receive a similar comepuppance, if Saddam Hussein were to be hanged; nonetheless the Almighty will judge this matter just as he judged Manasseh and Israel!

Peace & Grace,
Rev. C. Solomon

Dec 13, 2006

To Tell The Truth: And There Was War In Heaven!

The spirit of war on earth, I believe, is an extension of the spirit that instigated war in heaven against the angels of God.

I believe that there will be a special place in heaven for all of those who tell the truth, particularly when their only motivation is to solve problems in an honorable, principled and just manner; that is not what our current President or those who supported him have been doing since the fiasco into Iraq began.

1). From the onset, there have always been lies and misrepresentations of the facts by our government. Consider this; Bush 41 fought Saddam Hussein and his sons just over a decade ago.

Bush 43, son of Bush 41, becomes President and seeks out and murders the offspring of Saddam Hussein, his father’s nemesis, and places Saddam in prison so that he can eventually be hung. On the other hand, look at what former President Jimmy Carter, Noble Peace Prize recipient is going through following the release of his latest book, Peace: Not Apartheid. And which President is scorned and excoriated by Americans and Bin Netanyahu from Israel, you guessed it, Jimmy Carter.

But the people did not listen. Manasseh led them astray, so that they did more evil than the nations the LORD had destroyed before the Israelites.
2 Kings 21:8-10


2). Mr. Carter, I believe, is telling the truth about Israel's double-standards, their jaundiced leadership and their corrupt foreign policy which is similar to America's and their mistreatment of the Palestinian people. Their foreign policy, like that of the United States is singularly focused. It has two objectives, survival and expansionism (just like the U.S.A.) and they hope to accomplish it by any means necessary.

3). Both America and Israel are too much alike in that regard. Both nations want every other nation in the world to adhere to a different standard than either of these two nations is willing to adhere to themselves. And both nations believe it is their manifest destiny to be privileged, and to rule over the rest of the ‘great unwashed’ of the world, despite their own corruption and malfeasance. Fortunately, in both nations, many of their citizens do not share the opinions of their oligarchs; also some citizens have clearly been corrupted themselves!

4). Oh and I am not worried about being labeled anti-Semitic for if they label me anti-Semitic so were Jesus and the Apostle Paul and others of scripture, all Jews who spoke the truth to Israel. And in the end, one was crucified, others were hung and driven out of ancient Israel as the behest of the Jews. Jews are not always right either, and I admire Jimmy Carter and anyone else for standing up and telling the truth. We have two nations joined at the neck, both are traveling down a road of corruption themselves and by and large leading other nations along the same destructive path!

5). I believe that there is a more honest way to conduct our foreign affairs and to set our foreign policy goals. This current predilection in both America and Israel for lying, misrepresentation and living by a favorable double-standard, makes us no better than those so-called renegade and terrorist nations and organizations that we often deride and criticize. Look at Olmert in Israel, he is currently backtracking from his comments, he slipped up and told the truth about Israel’s nuclear capability. All the reports from before support what he said at first, Israel has more nukes than all of the rest of the Middle-east combined. The U.S. armed Israel, but no other nation in the Middle-East is to have nukes.

6). What a great strategy and a great strategy for America and its 51st state, huh, that is to keep the enemy disarmed, while you continue to build your arsenals. The end result: just what we have in Iraq right now, the U.S.A. or Israel can ride in anytime and destroy your nation, take down your government and set up the government that they prefer in your homeland!

7). Some Americans have absolutely no problem with that and obviously some Political Party’s and their favorite sons don’t have any problem with that either. However, I do... In my opinion these are the renegades, the terrorists and the crackpots that the world needs to be worried about! Why, they have the power to force their will on other people and other nations or they will nuke you!

8). As a result of their intransigence and convoluted beliefs, we can see that nothing ever gets solved for long either in America or around the world, whenever they are involved! Like the dark angels who reportedly waged war in heaven, all that the United States and Israel seem to know how to do is to 'kill and eliminate people'. For like too many Americans, that is the solution to the problem, you simply eliminate it because you do not have the brains or the gravitas to solve problems!

9). God Help America and Israel. We should all keep in mind that we have been warned to test every spirit, and that we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against power and principalities. Most believers believe that the latter refers to demonic spiritual powers who work behind the scenes in order to influence human events. The scripture says that among other things, God hates a liar. So given all of the lies that been told to the American people and the world, it is not that difficult to figure out which spirit is guiding America's leader and America's foreign policy.

10). And we must all remember that there was war in heaven, and there were a group of dark angels who apparently wanted to be like 'the most high'. We see that same spirit in our country today, a group of dark angels and both are represented in our government and in the church of America. These folks are crying out for blood, and just like those heavens who had to be cast from heaven given their desires to 'stay the course' and war against the truth, it appears that America's dark angel will have to be cast out of Iraq. Clearly, he has little intentions of leaving on his own.

Remember the scripture: The truth will set you free? It would be wonderful if the Christians in America would stand up for the truth of God's word, particularly those who have sold out to a deceptive ideology. Satan is the Father of lies!

And which American should run for President of the United States over the next two years? Answer: Someone who is willing to lie, mislead, straddle the fence, destroy innocent lives, develop and harbor weapons of mass destruction ignore both domestic and international law, the United Congress and the American people, Mr. Bush should run again.

However, one who has come to Christ, the same who worships God in spirit and in truth; that person should not run for President of the United States; well, not until the American people demand a change of course in this nation. Until then, render unto Caesar what is Caesar's and unto God what is God's!


Peace & Grace
Rev. C. Solomon

Dec 7, 2006

In The Aftermath of the Iraq Study Group

Alan Simpson is right and while America decides how to save face, the people of Iraq will continue to needlessly suffer as a result of America's intransigence and rogue behavior in Iraq; behavior that was fully supported and encouraged by too many in the fascist wing of the American church.

Former Senator Alan Simpson said that there has been a loss of confidence expressed by the American public in the American government, and I concur. The behavior of the government, with respect to foreign policy and international relations over the past 6 years has set the United States back about 50 years, I would say. Just consider some of the comments that have been openly expressed by citizens of other nations and other world leaders, even by leaders of nations and organizations that are friendly to the United States.

If the Iraq Study Group says anything, it says to me that our government, with respect to carrying out American Foreign Policy, has simply failed over the past 6 years. Instead of solving problems our American government has succeeded in creating astronomical problems and catastrophes for the United States and the world.

It also says that our foreign policy apparatus in Washington is broken and has been broken by and large as a result of an obstructionist President who had zero intention of working with the other branches of goverment, an unqualified man who set out to pursue his own narrow agenda in Washington DC and around the world. One could conclude that the very notion that groups like this, the ISG, had to be convened in the first place indicates a clear and present failure by our Washington D.C. officials who were being led by the incomparable and less than qualified President of the United States.

What have we been paying our elected and other government officials for over the past year, if we have to turn around and convene and pay another group of past and retired officials to do what our current officals were supposed to have been doing themselves?

Just consider the redundancy of some of the suggestions in this report with what has already been proposed. As I listened to portions of the report that were made public, I kept saying, and where have we heard this before? Much of what we heard was ideas that had already been suggested by the Democrats, Tony Blair, and others. And we all know that the opinions of the Democrats and others were summarily dismissed or treated as folly by the President and his Administration.

Clearly the President also ignored those disparate voices in Congress and in his Administration who held a viewpoint that differed from his own limited and myopic viewpoint.

Having to rely on outside study groups on the one hand might appear to be a plus to some Americans, however, I suspect that both Secretaries' of State probably offered similar suggestions or expressed similar conclusions to the President, and they were apparently ignored in favor of the war hawks in the Bush Administration. Interdepartmental and interagency study groups should be part and parcel of any Administration, and they should be taken seriously, and not be made fun of as the President was often wont to do!

Why wouldn't Mr. Bush listen to his current and former Secretary's of State, the State Department, Congress and others who were a part of the official policy making apparatus in Washington DC? Did he lack confidence in them as we lack confidence in him? Why did he permit the Defense Department to usurp the State Department on numerous occasions? Why did Congress have to convene yet another group just to hear what many in Congress, who were summarily ignored and castigated, had been saying all along? How can a President get away with completely ignoring, obstructing and usurping another branch of government over a 6 year period?

If I was a member of Congress, Dr. Rice or Colin Powell, particularly the latter, I would be furious that I had been permitted to be upstaged by former Secretary of State Jim Baker; the President appears to be willing to listen to him. I would insist that the President begin to listen to me or I would go public or resign, given the President's refusal to take me seriously. Well, Colin Powell did offer his resignation, then withdrew it, then was told that he would not be retained.

Finally, I project that if we follow the suggestions of the ISG and were to engage in a leveraged withdrawal of America's troops over the next 365 to 400 days; based on our ongoing average of a loss of one servicemen per day since entering the Iraqi theater, we would have projected losses, at a minimum, of about 400 more troops. And those future losses would be as a result of a strategic blunder,failed Government policy and failed leadership.

America should immediately withdraw from Iraq, concurrently with responsible nations and organizations who should step in and take over. Clearly no right thinking American would continue to argue that America has been acting responsibily in Iraq. America's hostile take-over of Iraq must stop and Bush and Cheney and numerous religious leaders in America should simply step aside!

And of late, America's religio-fascists have fired the latest President of the Christian Coalition who was apparently not hawkish enough for them; he wanted to expand their agenda in order to help alleviate poverty in the United States. Also, the America's religio-fascists of late are going after Rick Warren author, and pastor of the Saddleback church in Southern California. His sin? Permitting Senator Obama to come to Saddleback and to speak! Several other clerics, members of the Christian Coalation and the Religious Right in America are being attacked by christian mafia members for simply disagreeing with the tactics, positions and policies of their mafioso leaders. I once experienced the same under a Christian leader that I served under.

We have been living in a period that in many ways has been similar to the McCarthy period in America. The difference however, is that a group of politicians and church leaders in American have been conducting themselves in fact been conducting themselves in the fashion of an American style totalitarian Party. During the McCarthy era, many American citizens were only accused of having been a part of a totalitarian Party! I forecast that there will be a major restructuring in American churches over the next fives years. And part of it will be to rid ourselves of the fascist and pompous leaders who have taken over our churches.

Just as we must do in government, we must find qualified and viable leaders whose focus is on righteousness and justice instead of self-aggrandizement and social control.

Peace & Grace
Rev. C. Solomon

Nov 27, 2006

Only Honesty And Truth Can Guide The World To The Proper Solution In Iraq!

Honesty and Truth

...........this will cause some Americans on the Right to gag, however, only honesty and truth will dictate the true course that should be taken from here on, by all nations, that have anything to do with fixing the American created problem in Iraq. And there has been a paucity of honesty and truth coming out of America from the onset and I still haven't heard anything come out of the administration lately to suggest that truth is any way, a consideration now!

1). Someone wrote in and said that America is loosing [the war] because America did not fully commit itself. We all knew that America had the bandwidth to go in and destroy Iraq; we could have done that at any time and we still can do that at anytime. However, the problem as I see it is that America's objectives were never honest and therefore never clear from the beginning, and that is America's real reason for failing in Iraq.

The reasons stated for our going into Iraq in the first place, as explained by the Leader of his Republican base, kept changing. And keep in mind that Bush declared that the mission was accomplished not too long after the troops stormed in and took down Baghdad. Did we leave? Shortly after, Tommy Franks flew in and proclaimed to the troops, folks you will be out of here in 6 months. Did it happen?

No, instead we received another list of concocted reasons for America continuing its unwelcome stay in Iraq that was subsequently presented by the President. Is it fair to say that one would have a difficult time knowing when they had reached their objective if they were never honest about what the objective was in the first place, after all people do lie even to themselves?

2). In the case of the President, he has consistently said one thing to the public while doing another behind the scenes. Mr. Bush knew what his true objective was (that he consistently hid under a phalanx of lies) that belied everything that he spoke about to the American public. His true objective was what he was accusing the so-called Axis nations and other nationals of doing, to put his stamp on the middle-east, and folks it is not working. Why? Because what he is attempting to accomplish in Iraq and you might as well say the middle-east is deceitful, unlawful, immoral and dishonest. His actions were and are being done in the interest of America, not the Iraqi people; General MacGregor explained Bush's motives the best in the media this past weekend; Bush's motives are simply based on politics and economics.

Clearly George Bush was and is the right man for the job of 'misleading' the American public, unless you want to bring back Tricky Dick or Ronald Reagan. A long-term and sustainable outcome will only be achieved when America decides to be honest and truthful about its objectives and when America seeks to do the RIGHT THING with regard to Iraq. And America must pursue noble objectives that have only the interest of the Iraqi people in mind.

3). Otherwise, America will continue to go around in circles and continue seeking the help of others inside and outside of America, in hopes of saving face given the horrific mess that America has already made in Iraq and the middle-east (unfortunately while innocent people on all sides continue to needlessly sacrifice their lives for a myth-laden policy)!

All of what is going on now, inside and outside of America, diplomacy and study groups, proves that the Bush Administration is a failure from the top down and these folks clearly did not and do not have a clue. And that is why they have to seek the help of outsiders and other nations to come in and to advise and rescue them! It was not only the Secretary of Defense who should have been replaced, however, the Secretary of State and the President both should have been replaced. Clearly Mr. Bush had been taking the advice of two former Secretary's of State over Dr. Rice's and former Secretary of State, Colin Powell anyway.

4). Someday, I hope, our 'misleading' leader will recognize the value of honesty and truth and the damage that can be caused when one is less than truthful, in his case he is a surreptitious liar! Did he not learn anything from Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, Oliver North and the boyz of late?

I would suggest to Bush and Cheney that they both do the right thing and immediately have themselves fired for gross incompetence. And for the military to be successful, we must admit the truth and either allow them to ramp up and destroy everything in Iraq that does not accede to America's vision (I hope not), or simply get out of Iraq and begin to pay them reparations.

At any rate I hope that the elitist and war-hawk groups of Americans have learned something before going off to repeat the same mistakes in the DPRK, Iran and the Americas in the future, however, I doubt it!

The Rev

Nov 24, 2006

When America Comes To Help: Regarding The American Intervention & Occupation of Iraq

Reponse to WTM:

I am not sure I understood what you meant here, so we may or may not be in agreement.

1). It would appear that what we both have in common is the notion of 'helping people'; in this scenario we both want to, I believe, help the people of Iraq. But where we seem to diverge is around the best methods to use in order to help the people of Iraq.

2). I noticed that you placed the intervention of the military prior to 'diplomatic efforts'. I believe that diplomatic efforts should be placed first, and in the case of Iraq, they were already in place and working, albeit not to the satisfaction of the United States of America. Too many Americans believe that the military is the solution to every problem and that any other solution that the one that has been agreed upon by America is the wrong solution.

3). Did you forget that seemingly every other nation (that the U.S.A. had not inveigled), including our allies who were begging the U.S.A. to be patient and allow the process that the other nations of the world agreed upon to work!

4). However, we ignored the U.N.and the remaining 190 nations of the world and ordered the U.N. Inspector's out of Iraq before they could complete the diplomatic efforts. In that singular act we showed the world that we are not a nation that is truly interested in the Rule of Law or allowing diplomacy to work.

5). Have you ever asked yourself, what were our true motives for wanting to invade Iraq? Have you ever wondered, what did America want to hide? For example, why did it bother our leaders that the work of the weapon's inspectors was succeeding? Why did we suddenly get upset that they were not discovering WMDs?

6). I know what we were told by our 'misleading leader', but is it unreasonable to believe that the inspectors were going to destroy America's pretext for invading Iraq by proving that Iraq did not have the WMDs that we claimed that they possessed?

7). As you have already admitted in your own threads, WMDs were not even your motivation for going or staying in Iraq; you admitted that you also had a totally different agenda for being there. I happen to be a purist and I do not make distinctions based on national origin, patriotism or statehood. We cannot tell other nations that they are wrong when they engage in certain behaviors, when you and I know that America does the same thing!

8). If America wants to act in the capacity of moral arbitrageur of the universe, then we have to be moral ourselves, and comply with a moral code, and not the one that says that America can say one thing yet do another.

9). Otherwise we should simply admit what we all know is true, America has a superior military to most nations on the world and we will use it in order to pursue America's interests and to force our will upon the world, always under the guise of doing what's best or in defense of America.

10). The rest of the world will never view America as an honest broker when the world knows that we engage in misbehavior(s) and behave like a 'rogue nation' ourselves, just as we are currently doing in Iraq. Iraqi lives are being sacrificed given American malfeasance, so dispense with the straw man theory!

In our system we expect the judiciary to be above aboard, otherwise it would not make much sense for the members of our judiciary to act in the capacity that they do.

Finally: My question for you is, why aren't you as motivated to have the problems corrected in America, that you are so eager for America to go and correct somewhere else, and should another nation's military come in and straighten out America's problems!

Lets keep helping people, but let's do so in the proper fashion!

Nov 19, 2006

Are America's Laws & Policies In or Out of Synch With The Laws of The Universe?

How about President Bush and his policies of Pre-emtpion and Obscuration? St. Augustine, where are you now?

Introduction:
The impression that you get from most Americans is that every other political system, or system of governance in the world is either flawed or in some way inferior to the American system. Americans idolize their constitution and its democratic republic which promises freedom, individual rights and justice for all [men].

To most Americans it was if God called James Madison Jr., Benjamin Franklin and the other signers and creators of the American Constitution up on Mt. Sinai, where God with his own finger wrote the articles and amendments to the U.S. Constitution.

Then God, if you were to believe some, apparently informed this august and collegial pre-incarnate America body to spread the Gospel of Democracy throughout the world, at least that is what most Americans would have you to believe. It was not sin or manÂ’s inhumanity to man that God was interested in preventing or stopping, God was more interested in stopping socialism, communism, dictatorships, plutocracies, autocracies and any other form that differed from the divinely crafted American system that was inspired and handed down by the Almighty.

But is it true that our political system with all of its beautifully constructed laws and statutes are aligned with the Universal Laws that were put in place thousands if not millions of years before America was ever founded?

Let's consider Isaiah Chapter 1

1 The vision concerning Judah and Jerusalem that Isaiah son of Amoz saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.

A Rebellious Nation
2 Hear, O heavens! Listen, O earth!
For the LORD has spoken:
"I reared children and brought them up,
but they have rebelled against me.
3 The ox knows his master,
the donkey his owner's manger,
but Israel does not know,
my people do not understand."

4 Ah, sinful nation,
a people loaded with guilt,
a brood of evildoers,
children given to corruption!
They have forsaken the LORD;
they have spurned the Holy One of Israel
and turned their backs on him.

5 Why should you be beaten anymore?
Why do you persist in rebellion?
Your whole head is injured,
your whole heart afflicted.
`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

Laws of Nature...Laws of any State or form of goverance.....vs. ..the Eternal Laws that govern the Universe!

1). Not everyone agrees, but some of us believe that there are universal laws that govern the universe. It is not that farfetched then to believe that the laws and social mores that are adapted in the animal, human or biological kingdoms ought to coincide with the universal laws in order for any and all of the above to derive the optimum benefit and to peacefully co-exist.

2). Can one honestly say that the laws and policies of the United States of America even, are in line with Universal Law? Or, on the other hand could one argue that the United States like too many other nations, groups and organizations have devised laws that were created strictly to inure to their own benefit and to provide them with an advantage in deference to all else in the universe.

3). And given that the laws and policies that we have created go against the grain of Universal Law, then as a result we are witnessing and creating self-induced problems ourselves given that we are also a nation that is out of synch with Universal Law. Other than the United States, someone, some thing, some group of people or nations can operate in defiance of Universal Law and at the same time be in full compliance with the subset of Laws that they have selfishly created for their benefit which they also tried to force upon others.

4). And the end result is what we have now, a planet that is out of whack, resources unevenly distributed, class stratification, war, disproportionality, poverty, excess and an ecology and an atmosphere that is to some extent also out of whack.

5). It is not only America that believes that its own set of Laws or its form of governance is superior to any other Law or form of governance (even to the Law of the Universe) however, America is one of its most egregious offenders!

I don't know how to get some Americans to understand that they need to move into a Universal mindset and away from an Amero-centric self-serving and survivalist mindset. There is more to life than America, the god that is failing! To be guided by such narrowly focused and self-serving principles limits not only Americans but the world, and places America in conflict with other nations and the Universe!

America, atop the current world order (for nearly the last 75 years) had the opportunity to lead and to help to reshape the world and the world's inhabitants in righteous and true justice. But instead, America chose to substitute its own laws and policies in lieu of Universal Law in an effort to force the world to comply with western-style governance, which would assure America its place at the top of the food chain. And what appears to be right in the eyes of most Americans, the spreading of western style Democracy, is in fact a poor substitute and a bastardization of the higher moral law of the Universe.

And as a result, on a daily basis America experiences the hubris from practically every corner of the world. And the anger that is being expressed is not being expressed against God, nor is it against Satan that is unless you consider America to be Satan as many people and nations of the world do. The anger is being expressed towards America and many on the planet are seeking God's help with regard to America. The question is, does America have enough bombs to fend off the whole world for it would appear that America is heading in that direction? America has truly reached nadir!

Finally, We must remember the injunction of the ancient prophet Isaiah, who reminded us that our ways are not God's way, and our thoughts are not God's thought. But as high as the heavens are above the earth, are God's ways above our ways, and God's thought above our thoughts.

And as God spake to me not to long ago, he said:

Our Theme,
Ought to Be,
To Pursue,
Different Passions for Different People!

Patriotism to God's providential and universal laws must supersede blind loyalty or patriotism to any manmade imitation, Super or HyperState!

Addenda!

When one has been shaped or acculturated in a society that has preached (not always practiced) liberty and justice, from day one!

When one has been taught to pledge allegiance to a flag from childhood that is supposed to stand for 'liberty and justice for all', one can easily recognize why so many Americans are aghast at a President and an administration that has violated all of these ingrained, supposedly American principles!

Where is the justice in Iraq given America's ongoing misbehavior? In Iraq, America is as much a terrorist-nation as any other so called terrorist-nation or terrorist-group! President Bush's obscuration, has done incredible and irrepairable damage to the United States and the psyche of America's citizens.

From my point of view Mr. Bush is a traitor and estranged from the principles that we have been taught from childhood(Rising to the level of Attila the Hun or Benedict Arnold)! He seems to feel that misleading the citizens of America in order to destroy other people and nations of the world, is a laughing or trivial matter!

A military General on television last night said it best; forget about all of the reasons that you have been told about why we went into Iraq. He said that we engaged and remain in Iraq for two reasons only, politics and economics, both of which America is vested, in hopes of benefiting the United States of America! Poor Iraqi's have to stand by and watch while an invading behemoth, who accuses Iraqi's freedom-fighters of being terrorists, takes over their homeland, in order to benefit America!

Peace & Grace,
Rev. C. Solomon

Nov 18, 2006

Categorical Determinism and American-Prevarications....!

To Archimedes my nemesis:

You and most American prevaricators tend to base your categorically deterministic arguments, conclusions and axioms upon one thing and one thing alone, western centrism! That is where you always start and where you always end up, and why your arguments always fall apart.

Your personal axioms and conclusions have little to do with reason at all, unless reason tells you that the only thing that matters in the world is the well-being and satisfaction of a minority nation (with respect to the world's population), the United States of America. Keep in mind that America represents only about 6% of the world's population, yet America spends much of its time trying to force its will upon a larger majority.

There is a similarity between your and other American's belief systems, the same that was held by those in the now departed South African Apartheid, which is that a self-entitled minority group has the right to rule the larger majority.

On the other hand, there are some of us whose thinking is not limited to or restricted by invented social constructs that are tied to some geographical region of the world or polity that some believe gives them the right or license to kill or force their will upon other nations and people in the world.

And, isn't it ironic that in the majoritarian U.S.A., where most believe that the majority should prevail, the same individuals have total disregard for the will of the greater majority that exists partially inside, and outside of the United States?

The universality and rights of all human beings, transcends the American hegemoniacal system that was created by a bunch of misguided zealots; all humans are equals. My world view is centerr around the development of fair policies at home, and a belief that we should support those policies abroad that take into consideration the inherent, equal and implied rights of all people, not just the rights of the American bully or its sympathetic
allies rights!

America has spent the last 50 years, under the guise of spreading Democracy, trying to force its design upon the world (accordingly filling that void that you referred to as a lack of a centralized government for the world). America has made itself the titular and understood head of the one world government. America controls the United Nations, ignores the United Nations, formulates laws, enacts laws, negates laws and enforces its own self-created policies around the world including the invasion and occupation, without resistance, of other Free nations of the world, and punishes and imprisons other nations leaders.

When Bush says that the fight consists of civilized nations versus the uncivilized of the world, he has concluded that the only social order that has merit or matters in the world is are the ones that have been duly approved by the United States of America.

Like you and too many other Americans, Mr. Bush fails to understand that civilized people do not make a habit of using deadly force (The same that he opposes in the DPRK and Iran and formerly Iraq), in order to make other people adapt the social forms that have been postulated by the United States of America. Another world for it is totalitarianism!

America is not fighting for civilization, Bush is not fighting for civilization and neither are you!

Nov 16, 2006

Remember the Crusades?

The fact is that if Christians today, who have obviously abandoned their formerly stated principles, want to enter into moral combat with other religious groups in and around the world, they should organize their own armies and then go and fight. That would be preferable to attenuating the truth and paying for proxy armies like Israel’s to fight their eschatological battles, or by inveigling the United States Government into using its military machine to annihilate their enemies under false (and eschatological) pretenses!

1. Christians should keep in mind an injunction from the Old Testament Prophet Isaiah in the Christian bible that our ways are not God ways. Is it God, if you believe in God, that wants the fight or is it Pat Robertson and his crowd who want the fight? I suspect that it is the latter; I do not believe that there is a divine sentiment to annihilate 1.3B Muslim and other human beings who happen to believe in Islam!

2. Eastern and western fundamentalism/radicalism both have a lot in common; each has an obsessional component that is based upon each group’s belief that they alone have all of the truth, and that they have been singled out to bring the world over to their way of thinking, and unfortunately those who won’t convert must be eliminated. A good scholar can debunk and disprove myths on either side, but neither side would be prone to listen anyway. When you have the combination of a radical fundamentalist polity mixed together with radical fundamentalist religious zealotry, you have a volatile mixture and an explosion that is just waiting to happen. (And as we have all read about in history books, and just as we are witnessing the current eruption or clash between these two behemoths, we can see the same old scenario being played out again).

3. And let me add one other thing, the United States has created another straw man in Iraq for the consumption of Americans and the rest of the world. Bush has Americans thinking that we are fighting a common enemy in Iraq, Al-Qeada. And that is simply not true, just ask the other side. America is fighting mixed opposition groups that are made up disparate forces and individuals who have come together and some are fighting separately. The majority of them have one thing in common, they are fighting back against the American Imperialist Invaders; remember, they did not invade America or attack America on 9/11! Are they wrong to fight back? Are they really terrorists? Of course they are not wrong to fight back, and they are certainly not terrorists, for how can one be a terrorist for fighting to defend what was his or hers in the first place?

4. What Rumsfeld once admitted to was more the truth; these people are not insurgents, they are indigenous people who along with their supporters, in most instances, have come together to fight off a foreign invader and occupier, the United States of America.

5. We must remember and be honest about it, we invaded a once sovereign country under false pretenses and we are still occupying that country. That country’s inhabitants along with their cousins are fighting back just as we would be fighting back if the tables were turned the other way. We are not fighting a war against terrorism in Iraq, if we were really fighting a war against terrorism in Iraq we would be fighting against ourselves given that we are the ones who are doing the terrorizing, not to mention those who we have invited in to fight America on some one else’s soil!

So what will represent a victory for George Bush in Iraq? Is it that the indigenous people of the Middle-East (besides traitor nations like Saudi Arabia, Egypt and some times Jordan) will have to come to accept that the United States has entered into Middle-Eastern sovereign territory, invaded, occupied and installed the government that it prefers in Iraq, and the whole Middle-East and the world must come to accept U.S. hegemony? So far Bush is not realizing his victory by killing people, and I suspect that he never will!


Folks, in Iraq we are the invaders and the terrorists, when will all of America come to admit the truth?

Nov 14, 2006

Thimblerig?

The real reason that America has not prevailed in Iraq is because of America’s convoluted justifications for going into and of late, remaining in Iraq. The fact is that America never should have been in Iraq for any of the reasons that were cited by the President; there never was a just cause or reason for being there!

I. Folks, when countries go to war, one country has either somehow offended the other country, is in an alliance with either country’s enemies, or one country has simply chosen to attack the other either to conquer, exploit or to occupy it. Colin Powell tried to explain what should have been considered, in pre-analysis, before going into Iraq in the first place. And we all know that his sage advice was summarily ignored.

II. The real reason that America has failed and continues to fail in Iraq begins and ends with the President and the flawed and convoluted reasoning that he used to send the military into Iraq in the first place. How does a nation define victory when there have been so many lies put forth as to the reason that it entered into war in the first place? How will that nation know when the mission is accomplished if no one really knows what the mission is?

Here are some of the reasons that we were told that we must go into Iraq and why we are still in Iraq:

1. America is in danger because of an Iraqi threat (given Iraq’s, WMDs).
2. Iraq is in violation of numerous United Nations Resolutions, including the
possession of WMDs.
3. To bring democracy to the Iraqi people
4. To fight the war on terrorism
5. To stabilize the region
6. To prevent Iraq from falling in civil war and having some outside agitator
to come in and take advantage of Iraq

III. If any of you will recall, Bush declared the mission accomplished in Iraq not too long after Mr. Rumsfeld’s quick plan to take down Iraq succeeded. Well think about it, if the mission was accomplished why didn’t we leave?

The answer is that America is stuck in Iraq because of the fantasies put forth by the President of the United States. America’s failures really have and have had nothing to do with the military or even Mr. Rumsfeld. America’s troops are chasing after a ghost! They cannot find it, and even if they could find it they could not do what they were trained to do, kill it. You can’t kill a ghost. The solution to the problem of Iraq is not in Iraq itself, the real problem that must be solved resides at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington DC.

The Bush lies and misrepresentations are causing Iraqi and America lives to be sacrificed each and every day. To the extent that the American people, Mr. Gates and others recognize the problem and begin to address the problem at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington DC, we can begin to resolve the American problem in Iraq.

I listened to Senator John McCain this past weekend, in several venues. McCain’s problem is that he wants to become President and insert more troops into Iraq. He doesn’t seem to understand yet that we are chasing a ghost. If he simply wants to go in and conquer the Iraqi people, America can do that, it has the firepower! But the answer is why Mr. McCain, the Iraqi people were never the problem; they are not bothering the United States and never have? Instead Mr. McCain, you must come to realize that America is its own problem in Iraq and the solution to the problem has nothing to do with adding troops.

IV. We made a mess of a once sovereign nation. Again, the Iraqi people have not done anything to America? What we have now is a broken and innocent country that America (not any so-called terrorists) broke. The citizens of Iraq want there country back and for all of the invaders to get out so that they can restore their lives and their country. They are the victims that were simply caught in between American insolence and American arrogance; the United Nations and our allies, mostly, asked us to wait and to give diplomacy and civil discourse a chance to work!

V. The only moral solution for this problem, unless America wants to further oppress or kill the indigenous people of Iraq (using the military to do so), is for America to get out of that country and to begin to pay to have that country restored!

With regard to the war on terrorism, think about this, if we went in and killed every living thing, human and animal in Iraq, would the so-called war on terrorism end? No, because the problem of terrorism does not rest with Iraq, the problem of terrorism rests with the United States, and clearly in Iraq, America is the only terrorist nation there! We are the ones who have invaded, occupied, taken down a President and a government that was in place, destroyed the nation’s infrastructure and invited our enemies to come in to that once sovereign nation and fight us there instead of in our homeland. Over 600,000 lives have been disaffected by the American maneuver.

VI. Here is the Wikipedia's definition of the Shell game or Thimberlig, it sounds just like the game that Mr. Bush has been playing with us, even given the changes that he made in his Administration this past week. The game should not be mistaken for an honest game. It is not possible for a victim to win, even if they know how the trick is worked, or even if they "accidentally" pick the shell that actually has the pea under it.

Through very skilled sleight-of-hand, the operator can easily hide the pea, without the victim seeing. Any player who is suspected of understanding the trick, or does not place a bet and just wants to watch, will be quickly edged away from the table by the shills.

The shell game set-up and lay-out is quick and simple, so that in the event of trouble, or if they are signaled that authorities are approaching, they can remove all traces of the game in seconds. Those traces of the Bush shell game who recognized what has been really going on, have been silenced or removed from the Bush Administration.

I believe that the pea is still hidden, and that it will take awhile to assess just what Mr. Bush is up to, perhaps we should check downstairs in the White House (anybody seen Ollie North lately).

In Summary: I visited Washington DC this morning, Tuesday, November 7, 2006, to attend the Martin Luther King groundbreaking ceremonies; Mr. Bush was present. I can read people fairly well, folks it is not a slam dunk, the removal of Chaney last week; Mr. Bush is still up to something!

Bush admitted in last week’s press conference following the mid-term election that he misled the American people. The follow-up question by the reporter should have been, Mr. Bush just how many times have you led the American people?

Given today's announcement with regard to isolating Iran, it is clear that Israel still has Mr. Bush's other ear. The blood of the innocent Iraqi citizens rests squarely upon the shoulders of America, the confused Religious Right, Israel and President George Bush. And who is the real leader?

My Conclusion: Satan's number one device is deception. Bush, Israel and the church are sadly being willfully deceived and caught up in the 'war of principalities', and sadly innocent lives are being sacrificed as a result. Will God's justice sleep forever or is God mercifully waiting for the American people, particularly the church to remove themselves from the grasp of Satan?

Nov 10, 2006

Believers Must Get Out of Bed With Politicians: America Must Still Get Out Of Iraq!

Notwithstanding the replacement of the fallen Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfield or given his replacement Robert M. Gates the new Secretary of Defense, America must still get out Iraq.

Even if Mr. Gates turns out to be a more effective Secretary of Defense let's say than Donald, and he listens to his generals and restores the confidence of those who serve under him, unfortunately that will not change reality in spite of any military successes that he might achieve in Iraq. Why?

We cannot ignore the following:

* America, without provocation illegally invaded the once sovereign nation of Iraq
* America took down its President (now facing the death penalty and vanquished
Iraq's Government
* America invited its enemies to enter the Iraqi theater, rather than fight its own
battles in America or on the enemy's soil
* America is arguably responsible for the death, murder and maiming of about
600,000 Iraqis
* America set up a puppet government during its military occupation of Iraq
* America is still occupying and controlling the once sovereign nation of Iraq.

The questions remain, so what constitutes a victory in Iraq? Should Mr. Gates in a more effective way than his predecessor did, dispose of more Iraqi lives? Should he continue to invite and fight America's perceived enemies in a once sovereign but American occupied land?

I am not sure that I can root for Mr. Gates either under the circumstance, get my drift?
The only real victory in Iraq will occur when Iraqis get their nation back, install their choice of government, vanquish and drive the invaders (especially America) from their nation, and be compensated for the loss of lives and all of the other carnage and destruction that was done in their country as a result of the scurrilous and criminal actions of the United States of America.

The victory that the United States still longs for, is to control the outcome in Iraq and have the government that it wanted installed in Iraq firmly in power; and that my friends is what we refer to as hegemony. Yesterday President Bush stated that the terrorists desire to go into other nations and install their own form of governance in those lands. Hello, Mr. Bush, is there anyone at home; that is what you have done in Iraq and Afghanistan?

If Saddam is to be punished, eventually America, its citizens and its leaders must receive their comeuppance and be punished for America's gross interposition and imposition into the lives of the innocent Iraqi people and the destruction of a once sovereign and proud nation!

The Bush ploy to upstage the Democratic landslide this week by replacing Rumsfeld with former CIA Director, Robert M. Gates, is an unsatisfactory solution to the real problems that persist in Iraq, the hegemony of the United States of America. And the Busy strategy does not alter the fact that America has behaved as a rogue nation under the President Bush. And where has the voice of the church been? Regrettably the church in America has been on the side of the invaders, and too many Christians are still encouraging Mr. Bush to secure victory in Iraq, in spite of America's trangessions in Iraq!

Hopefully late President and slaveowner, Thomas Jefferson's words, God's justice won't sleep forever, will ring true. For God 's justice slept a long time for Mr. Jefferson and his counterparts!

Nov 9, 2006

Jesus Was Not Fascistic: Ode To The American Religious Wrong

Truth forever on the scaffold, Wrong forever on the throne.
Behind the dim unknown,
Standeth God within the shadow, keeping watch above His own.
James Russel Lowell, 1819-1891


As a result of the success of the Democratic Party in this week's mid-term elections, Bush and religious fascism are on the gurney and apparently on their way out!

Democrats must take the high ground and work to return American politics and American foreign policy to sensibility and civility, reversing the damage that has been done in and around the world and to eliminate the policies of preemption invasion and occupation that were formulated by the Bush 43 administration in Washington DC.

Democrats must govern from the center and Republicans must join them in the center in order to unite the country and in order to forge a steady future for America and the world!

We also need an open social policy discussion with respect to the new American demographic (not just as it relates to gay marriage but it should be inclusive of the entire changing population). If we are to amend the constitution at all, we need to do so in consideration of the changing family demographic, the rights of all Americans and the current make-up of American households. Some of the latter changes are a direct result of government policies over the past 20 years, if not longer!

Previous arrangements that have been sanctioned and buttressed by American Law, have been based on the constitution of homes and families that, by and large, are no longer in existence; it is an outdated paradigm. Many American homes are no longer comprised of a husband, wife and the kids! Americans must consider legislation that will take into consideration the needs of all American citizens with respect to insurance coverage, medical care, retirement, inheritances and tax-breaks for those other 50% of American households compromised of singles possibly for life, same-sex Americans, and the elderly and long-term platonic and single household compositions.

The church must understand that it is a part of America, and not America itself. The needs of all American citizens and taxpayers must be taken into consideration; Jesus never forced religion on anyone; Jesus was not a religious fascist. Someday, if the church in America is not careful the pendulum might swing in the other direction and the long-time privileges of the church in America could be amended away as well!

America must change course given the current political changes that were just made in Washington DC, and the church must return to it's original mission on earth.

What happened with Ted Haggard, disgraced President of the National Evangelical Association of America is symptomatic of what is wrong in portions of religious America today. The spirit of Pharasism and veering from the direction and methods that God intended for his church have taken approximately 30 million American Christians off course.

This body of Christians is being led by political zealots who are dressed in religious attire. Peter warned the new testament Christians in his epistle to beware of false prophets. On one hand these prophets would speak portions of the truth and lead many off into their direction. But in the final analysis, the false prophets or teachers would lead those who had just overcome into a worse situation than the one that they just escaped.

The disciples who walked with Jesus for almost 3 years of his public ministry were informed just before Jesus departed from the earth, that they must be born anothen (from above). Many individuals are being accepted into church congregations today, but are not being taught that they must experience conversion. Sadly, many of these same carry on good works and they give large sums of money, however, according to scripture they have never been born again.

The religious right or wrong as I refer to them, have grouped together about 30 million individuals who mostly have never experienced a spiritual conversion. Like the disciples of John who Paul encountered at Ephesus, they were dedicated disciples that had been baptized, but they had no idea of what it meant to be born again.

The danger here, is that these individuals like their leaders lean on carnality in order accomplish God's purposes. God's purposes will not be accomplished by using carnal methods. The church cannot exchange politics for prayer and divinely guided methods. It won't work, it has never worked and it did not work this time.

I feel sorry for Rev. Haggard (no one was born perfectly), however, there are many more Ted Haggard's in our churches and pulpits. These individuals spend their time and efforts persecuting others, when they are guilty of the same, being human and imperfect.

All of the ministers who were apart of the NAE and other religious organizations who signed on to condemn Pres. Bill Clinton years ago, the same who never attempted to restore him, and now being hung from their own gallows. Mr. Haggard was one of the signatories!

A Bishop in the Mid-West who I once served under often said, Just remember, none of us have made it yet! If someone is overtaken in a fault, Paul's instructions were to approach that person [or citizen] in the spirit of meekness. What Ted Haggard needs now is not a political solution, what the American chruch should be doing in America and in the world--is not political either!

Peace & Grace
Rev. C. Solomon

Oct 30, 2006

Should The So-called Unjust Have To Pray To God In Order To Be Delivered From Those Who Profess To Be Just?

The so-called uncivilized (Iraqi's) of the world are asking God to defend and deliver them from the so-called civilized Americans...
...........the civilized religious Americans are sanctioning the use of civilized American bombs and weaponry to defend themselves from the religious Iraqis, who, ironically haven't done one thing to the mostly so-calledchristian civilized Americans!


Is is possible that Jesus will one day say to many of the professing Christian Americans to depart...saying that I never knew you...?

It seems to me, that with respect to America’s current divide over how this country should be defended; there are at least two broad categories of Americans. There are those Americans who say that in order for America to be properly defended; all Americans must realize that the world is not a very nice place. And, in order to survive in a world with other armed enemy nations and terrorists, their naive American brothers and sisters must realize that America must act-in-kind and be sufficiently armed in order to overcome force with excessive and preemptive force.

The current Administration and many Americans in this broad category have taken the defense of America a step further, borrowing from that old adage that ‘an ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure’. They believe that pre-emption is a concomitant of American defense, the same that will enable America to defend itself better against attacks by America’s enemies? By beating the opposition to the punch and by keeping America’s enemies disarmed or sufficiently degraded, America’s enemies will be unable to muster an attack against America. Americans in this category, see no problem with striking DPRK or any other nation, just as they did to Iraq first, even though neither nation engaged in a single act of aggression towards the U.S.A, nor does either nation possess a fraction of the killing power that the U.S.A. possesses!

Sadly, this mostly well-intentioned group has zero interest in utilizing problem-solving techniques in order to resolve problems without reverting to violence, and to save lives wherever possible. And ironically, this broad grouping of Americans includes religious people who have either abandoned, or, altered the principles of their faiths altogether. Instead they have bought into secular political escapism in order to resolve their differences with their fellow human beings, having apparently become frustrated with their God’s ability to bring about a peaceful resolution of their problems with their enemies!

The other broad category of Americans on the other hand, the cognitive group I will call them, to the dismay of the other group believes more in the defense of the nation than the former group; in fact this group’s sole motivation is the defense of the nation and to avoid the misuse of America’s power against other nations. This group believes that after every other measured and peaceful solution has been considered or exhausted, then and only then is it right to utilize force. This group also believes that responding to violence with violence only increases and escalates violence, and that the pre-emptive use of violence, and creating and stockpiling weapons only encourages other nations to do the same and is warmongering!

The President insists that by invading a once sovereign nation like Iraq and by taking down its President and its government, followed by the destruction of much of its infrastructure represents the civilized world’s efforts against the uncivilized world as he put it, in order preserve civilization. However, in listening to the testimonies and comments of several Iraqi’s over the past weekend, it saddened me to hear the so-called uncivilized of the world, as the President put it, say one after the other that they are seeking God, their only resource to help them. Why? In order to stop the destruction of their land and their homes which in the final analysis was instigated, and is being promulgated by the mostly Christian and so-called civilized nation that looks down upon the people in their nation and devalues their way of living, the United States of America.

Isn’t it ironic that these people have to seek God to help them, a nation that has been invaded and torn apart by America (a country that is being supported in a preemptive war and occupation by its major religious community, the Christian church), the same nation that also wants to do the same with the DPRK and Iran?

Isn’t it sad when people have to pray to God (and most Americans say that they believe in God), and ask God to get America to stop the violence and carnage in their country, that America alone is responsible for and could stop at any time

Were Christians commissioned to win 'all nations' to Christ, or to kill them in the name of American consumerism and worldwide hegemony?

Oct 25, 2006

Osama or Obama: The Bush Parody & Which One Will Prevail?

Bush does not want American citizens to die....

....he prefers that innocent Iraqi citizens die in lieu of American citizens,
and for a cause that the Iraqi people had nothing to do with (American injustice and mistreatment of people and other nations of the world)!

• How many innocent Iraqi's have died so far as a result of the Bush doctrine and in lieu of American citizens? Are we cowards?

• What other nation in the world would be so arrogant as to take over another sovereign nation and turn that nation's territory into its own private battlefield, then permit that nattion's citizens to be slaughtered simply because the intruding nation wants to circumvent any damage to its people or its homeland?

Today Bush admitted that the reason for America's mission to Iraq, in its latest permutation, is to secure America. Is anyone listening? Well he finally told the truth, our reason for being there never had anything to do with improving the lives of the Iraqi people, and that is why it is so easy for him to stand by and watch the innocent Iraqi people be slaughtered in what was their own country, and for something that they had nothing to do with.

I don't like this, it reminds me again of when Lee Malvo and the other fellow, Muhammad, were riding around the DC-metro people and shooting people. Based on what I saw on terror-vision, the cowardly American people in DC were cutting and running and hiding behind tarps.

America should have the guts to fight its own battles either on its own turf or on the enemy's turf, but certainly not on the turf of an innocent bystander nation. America has truly lost its moral compass, if it ever had one.

I see only two choices now for Bush, either America must leave or America must quit pussy footing around and simply take over Iraq just as it took over most of North America, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and its other claimed territories. In other words, stop pretending to have created a democracy in Iraq and permanently put in another couple hundred thousand troops and make Iraq a permanent territory of the U.SA. If he did the latter, at least America's fight would take place on American soil.

Is someone or something in the universe sending Bush and the Republican party an ironic and homomorphic message? Which of the two will be responsible for Bush's undoing end ending once and for all the Bush doctrine, will it be Osama or Obama?

Oct 18, 2006

The Hijacking of the American Pentecostal/Charismatic/Evangelical Church: It Was An Inside Job

Who Hijacked The American Church?

Introduction:
Portions of the American church have been hijacked, but not by politicians as it would appear but rather by a frustrated faction of the Christian church that is being headed up by a group of religious zealots who have lost faith in the wonder working power of God; the same have instead jumped in bed with venal politicians in hopes of accomplishing God’s agenda for him, through the use of earthly methods. Even some of America's more erudite black ministers and ministries have been inveigled into serving an American Religious/Political idol!

Shall we name names for some prominent names come to mind e.g. the President of the United States of America George W. Bush, and some of his accomplices who head major organizations like the Reverend Pat Robertson, Reverend Jerry Falwell, Dr. Dobsen, Ralph Reed, Tony Perkins and Tim LeHay? These men and others like them are by and large responsible for the hijacking of today's church. Similiar to the false prophets in the new testament who taught that the resurrection had already passed, these men have colluded and melded together a vicious political-religious movement in America. The objective of this movement that is centered around a false sense of religious nationalism and morality, is to change the face of America by a marriage of politics and the church.

And these individuals believe that their efforts (that diverge from scripture), are being done in the name of the Lord and are somehow being directed by the Lord. But are they right? Does God use carnal means to attain his objectives or to fulfill his purposes? Has God suddenly instructed his church to join in with salacious politicians in order to accomplish his objectives? Or am I correct in believing that God's church is not to be confused in any manner with the corrupt, prideful, self-serving, salacious, meritricious and warlike United States of America or those who idolize America. The two are not one and the same, and Christians but must not be inveigled into believing that somehow they are one and the same, or otherwise Christians will wind up being led by those who are blind to the ways of the Lord.

I am reminded of the Apostle Paul’s epistle to his protégé Timothy where Paul explained to Timothy that, ‘no man that warreth entangles himself in the affairs of this life, see 2 Timothy 2:4. Every Christian should take Paul’s admonition to heart and as a warning to be vigilant and to stay focused no matter whom comes to you, and in what manner they come, even when they purport to be doing God's will. Remember Peter’s admonition ‘to be aware of false prophets’, for some will come to you wearing sheep’s clothing!

There are many false prophets apparently, but for the sake of our discussion let us focus on two particular types. There is a false prophet who teaches or prophesies in the name of a false deity, and that false deity could be anyone or anything. Remember in scripture how deities were fashioned out of wood and stone, yet the people worshipped these idols as if they were living creatures? God customarily sent his prophets to warn Kings and politicians that their ways were in error. It was customarily the false prophets, such as the prophets of Baal who joined themselves with local monarchs. God sent Moses not to join in with Pharoah, but to instruct Pharoah to release his people so that they could worship him.

I. What I Believe That We Are Witnessing Today: And What Some Have Been Unwittingly A Part Of For The Past Decade:

The other category of false prophets includes those teachers and preachers who identify with God, but in actuality they were never ordained or sent by God to do the work that they are attempting to do. How do you know the difference? It is extremely difficult to know at times, particularly when these false prophets preach from the Bible and much of what they say is consistent with scriptures.

The danger of this type of prophet is that along with his teachings he brings a spirit of deception, and the deception is mixed in with those portions of his message that are true. This self-deluded false prophet will ultimately deceive his audience, just as he has been eceived himself into believing that he is serving God (as if our ways and motives are God’s ways or God’s motives).

I became concerned about the direction that the church appeared to be taking just over a decade and a half-ago. I had begun to notice a radical change that was taking place within the the Pentecostal/Evangel church world. Not since the 1906 Azusa Street Revival has such a profound and dramatic change taken place in pentecostal/evangelical circles. Those who have been a part of the Pentecostal/Evangel church, know that Pentecostals and Evangelicals have always been considered 'fringe' by more conservative mainstream Christian churches in America.

During the periods of A.A. Allen, Daddy Grace, Father Divine and I will also include Reverend Ike, all of these men and there ministries were also considered to be fringe, even by the fringe pentecostal/evangelical movement. But when evangelical and pentecostals became just like them and to mimick the behaviors of the Allen, Father Divine and others, no one seemed to protest thedramatic modification in teachings and behavior in the once more fundamentalist Pentecostal/Evangelical Churches.

In place of the Daddy Grace's and AA Allens of the world, names like Jim Baker of PTL and Jimmy Swaggart and Jimmy Swaggart Ministries began to pop up, and I consider both of these ministers and their ministries to be responsible for what I call a post-modern slide in the Pentecostal/evangelical church movement that began in America in at the end of the 19th and at the beginning of the 20th century.

The average size of an American church is reported to be approximately one-hundred members, and of course there were Pentecostal/evangelical churches that were exponentially larger and some were smaller than one hundred members. However, a new phenomenon came into being, not only was a church measured by the mammoth size of its membership and the number of succesful tent meetings that it held, successful ministires also came to be measured by their successful use of the media, particularly television and more recently the internet. The same ministries brought their mega-ministries right into America’s living rooms, and today they can be witnessed on America’s computers.

The pedant ministries of the Reverend Ike's and daddy Grace’s of the world paled in comparison to the high-stakes ministries of Jim Baker and Jimmy Swaggart. There's had become technological, high-fashioned glitz ministries with all of the accoutrement of a modern Las Vegas strip show. And what happened next, traditional evangelicals and Pentecostals gravitated towards these new style ministries, and other ministries sought to emulate them. These were large choirs singing and wealthy ministers who could get the crowd going with there were remarkable facilities and national outreach ministries. Suddenly religion was a force to be reckoned with in America again, for religion had reached the big time, and nowgoing to church, among evangelicals and Pentecostals was cool and fun to do again.

There were massive swaying back and forth choirs that would rival the size and sounds of the formerly infamous Mormon Tabernacle choir, except these choirs accompanied by a variety of musical instruments includied African beats rap and worldly songs converted into church and choir songs. While the choir and church together sang and swayed back and forth, some even engaged in forms of boot and street dances as they all lifted their voices and holy hands unto God. The new exuberance was infectious, for even the minister began to use borrowed slangs from the streets, and incorporated the same into his sermons and cheerleading. Some ministers, instead of commanding his audiences to say ‘amen’, as ministers did in the past, would instruct the audience to turn and give your neighbor a high five. In fact, it caught on so that I recall aa young pastor and his wife who left their home church and relocated to New Jersey (following the leadership of God) to go and plant a new ‘Hip Hop Church’ ministry.

Note: [Kirk Franklin even admitted that he borrowed music ‘The Revolution Album’, directly from the world as he experimented with drugs and frequented porn sights when his wife was not watching].

II. When did the church begin to slide this time?

Following the scandals that took place in these ministries, including Jimmy Swaggart’s now well known televised confession accompanied by tears cascading down his face when he proclaimed that he ‘had sinned’, it appeared that the death knoll had been sounded for both of these mega ministries. But instead of the deaths of the mega-television-ministries, a whole new crop of mega-ministries began to pop up all over the country. Suddenly there were prominent names and huge ministries replacing the former ministries of PTL and Jimmy Swaggart(who has returned to the air).

And with the change, I became concerned when during the 90’s suddenly these new mega-ministries were changing believe it or not from the orthodox teachings of the orthodox Pentecostal/charismatic/evangelical church movement in America. The very meaning of being ‘born again’ appeared to have been co-opted if not compromised. Suddenly, instead of an experience of being born again, one repeated the Apostle’s Creed, or joined one of the mega’s and suddenly they were declared born again.

As opposed to the long drawn out process that was once part and parcel of traditional pentecostal/evangelicals, you know confession, repentance, baptism in water, going under watch care and for some remaining on the mourner’s bench and tarrying/waiting to be endued with power from on high usually accompanied by some physical sign or gift, particularly, the speaking in tongues or glossalalia. Suddenly everything changed and the memberships in this type churches exploded, outpacing traditional orthodox mainstream denominations like Catholics, Baptists, Lutherans and Episcopalians.

Many of the ‘frozen chosen’, and former Catholics and Baptists were being transmogrified as they became members in the formerly disdained charismatic churches. Now they too were ‘singing and swinging’, and hollering out the name of Jesus. But all was not well!

Soon, not only the typology and topology of the church shifted, but the ministry, the preach word itself changed. Ministers had tired of preaching those same old themes, and the modern charismatic minister would make fund of the old charismatic traditions in terms of dress and style and teaching. All of the sudden it was okay for women to wear pants, even tight pants; and on top of that short pants and all of the former were appropriate church wear. Suddenly the old teachings about holiness were modified, and jokes were made about all of us are simply doing the best that we can. Then it became okay for former evangelicals to participate with the world in dancing, attending sports venues, partying, wearing makeup and others; everything was changing.

And the modern charismatic preacher began preaching and introducing new doctrines e.g. The Prayer of Jabazz, Mega-Church Growth, The Prosperity Gospel and Just Wars. These four themes seemed to predominate and permeate our churches of late. What had been no longer suited a more educated class of members, many of whom now were professionals. In the olden days, the old store-front Pentecostal and Evangelical churches would boast about one or tow members who held college degrees, but suddenly all of the churches had members with post and secondary degrees. There were lawyers, businessmen, doctors, scientists, principals and others now members in the new movement and they demanded more than simply coming to church on Sunday and attending two services during the week. .

And all of these themes exploded upon the scene within a period of about 10 -15 years.. All of the sudden what churches, particularly black churches had preached against for a century it would seem, suddenly became chic. Remember Reverend Ike, Daddy Grace and Father who once openly boasted of opulence and personal gain. During the 60’s and 70’s most black ministries dismissed their type as scoundrels and imposters, how dare they. For charismatic’s taught, that ‘godliness with contentment was great gain’. Charismatic’s weren’t concerned about wealth for Jesus cared for the poor and besides, it would be as hard for a rich man to enter the Kingdom as it would be for a camel to enter the ‘eye of the needle.’ But suddenly it all changed. God wanted his people to be prosperous if not wealthy.

God wanted his people get more and to have more. God even wanted his people to get more involved in politics. Suddenly at church there were seminars. There were financial seminars, real estate seminars, personal growth seminars, how to start your own business seminars, seminar seminars, any topic under the book. And some pastors admitted that they were now more motivational speakers than anything else began to preach series, and no longer sermons, it would appear, from God.

And the crowds liked and preferred what was happening; church was in vogue again for yuppie and buppie Americans. The post-modern Pentecostal evangelical church was on its way. Now professional athletes, entertainers, actors were known to frequent many churches, not only as members, but many were in the pulpits. I can recall visiting church where Smokey Robinson, Evander Holyfield, Donna Douglas, Randall Cunningham, Ce Ce Winans and all of the celebrity ministers Bishop Jakes, Rod Parsley, Dr. Cho, Oral Roberts, and Carlton Pearson were the marquee speakers or the entertainment of the evening. And the new pastors when they were not watching had suddenly taken on the spirits of those that they once denounced. Many of these speakers had become in a nutshell A.A. Allen’s, Father Divine’s, Daddy Grace’s and Reverend Ikes. And unfortunately the lure of wealth has drawn many away from contentment with God and today many of them remain celebrity preachers and there is a whole new crop in the wings waiting for a chance to ‘take their turns at bat.

III. Where Has It Gotten Us?

Today we have bloated and larger churches, holding services in massive 2, 4, 5 10 and some 30,000 seat opulent auditoriums. However, is the church weaker today or softer today? Now we frequently hear of scandals in the church, e.g. a San Jose Mega church where a case of child molestation broke out. It took the pastor years to admit that he had fallen down and instead of trusting God to ordain leadership for his youth ministry, he appointed people over the youth ministry having never checked their backgrounds. And remember; now people were simply being swept into the church and on to the church roles. At his 15,000 member ministry, it was not uncommon to take in 60 to 150 new members on any given Sunday. All it took was to come to the altar, say the magic words, go in the back room where you were led, sign up and suddenly you were a full-fledged born again member of his and other ministries that wee styled the same way.

The new teachings that the inchoate ministers who guided these large flocks also dwelled on a theme of liberty in Christ, as opposed to the more reserved historical teachings which focused on discipline and self-control. Suddenly grace was being abused, and that liberty of yours that Paul was warned his listeners about became the most important thing, it would seem, in the modern movements. Suddenly, these new members were not under ‘bondage’ as they would put it, they were free in Christ. And free they were, for the new members began attending mega-fests, sea-fairing cruises, musicals and other church activities in the Bahamas and in other venues.

The new Pentecostal/evangelicals attended pool parties and lay on the beach in their undersized and less than modest swimming apparel. Modesty was no longer preacher. Women wore extravagant coiffured hairstyles, extensive make up and jewelry, tight fitting clothes, and men weren’t any different except they focused more, unabashedly, on the women in the church. Churches sat up dating services and nightclubs in the church. One could come to church and pick up a honey, date her at church, party with her at church, worship with her and receive pre-martial counseling and finally a marriage ceremony right at the church. But then more scandals began to break out in the church. The new liberated members wanted more. A church in Maryland was embarrassed recently when it leaked to the press that this evangelical ministry was seeking a liquor license for its large family all purpose accoutrement, another new trend in the former conservative literalist evangelical Pentecostal church.

Swimming pools, video game rooms became the order of the day. Kids came to church to play video games instead of going to Bible classes. And what is the end of all of this, in just a few short years fun church …the highest divorce rate among any other group in the country. Bishops, pastors, church officials and church members would no longer endure the trials and tribulations of marriage; suddenly it was also okay to divorce. And divorce each other they did.

IV. And The Last Straw:

No longer depending on the power of God and the wheels of his ever slow grinding methods to bring about change, the new Christian having tired of the conditions that he was witnessing, not in the church of all places, but outside of the churches decided that it was time to make a move. The new church leaders decided that it was time to take over America and how do you do that, you take over Washington DC.

For years many believers did not vote. Many did not believe that they should be involved with the worldly systems, just as many had been swayed in the olden days to stay away from seminaries many had been dissuaded from participating into a worldly political process.

Groups like the Moral Majority, Focus on the Family, National Association of Evangelicals, Family Research Council were born, and these organizations and their leaders Pat Roberton, Dr. Dobsen, Tony Perkins, Tim LeHay and others led the church in politics. By doing so they created what we now know as the political church. Should Christians vote or no has always been a topic of discussion in the Pentecostal/evangelical churches. Which ever side you come down on, what is more important is not whether you vote or not it would seem, but whether you become entangled or not in the political process. And the new group of leaders such as those mentioned above were unabashed about their claims that Christians must not only vote, but one even said that after we get them baptized and saved, we must make sure that they are registered to vote.

I suppose that at some of these ministries when you are taken in the back to fill you’re your new members card after you come to Christ, you are also given a voter registration card.

The irony is that some are entangled to the extent that the idol of politics has taken place of God. Certainly there is power in both. But listening to the new crop of church leaders, the church has lost its power and must revert to other means in order to accomplish God’s objectives.

So churches have taken advantage of their own power. As we discussed in a national pastor’s meeting held in Hunt Valley MD a few years ago, there are not only millionaire ministries but many millionaire ministers in the church today. Many ministers, it was acknowledged had entered the ministry for the newly acquired wealth that was taking over many black churches. As mega –ministries have popped up all over the country, many churches boast of membership rolls that are in the thousands, some as high as 30 or 40,000 members as high as Dr. Cho’s in South Korea’s 600,000 member plus church, the last figure that I read.

Since many of these ministries have not only one service, but in addition to numerous services (not only to minister but to raise additional funds), many of these ministries have numerous money making activities taking place right in the lobbies of their churches. Churches are selling quickly written books, badges, trinkets, crosses, water, and blessed oil, anything that they can get their hands on. So many wealthy ministries are no forced to wait on God’s move or his direction; many are walking a thing line in terms of their 501C3 Tax Exemption status. Some are in the process of having that tax exemption status reviewed and revoked, given the misuse of funds and their churches and church organizations for political purposes.

Departing from God’s strategy in scripture where God always combined need, strategy and provision. God would give the strategy and their would be a need and God would make provision. Today, because of the wealth of today’s church, one is readily reminded of the Tower of Babel, when heaven proclaimed that unless we go down and stop them, nothing shall be withheld from them.

Today’s churches no longer prayerfully seek God for direction or provision, given the vast amounts of wealth that they have amassed, instead the church board, or some plenary session decides on a projects, someone makes a token prayer and the rest is history, its done. Whether political, a fund raising, a building raising, it is voted upon and done.

Carlton Pearson once confessed on his television program that given the demands of his former mega ministry, that he recently lost, he had come to rely on professionals to assist him with his ministry. And eventually, professionals took the place of God’s leadership and were actually running the church. The hijacked church is on the cusp of a great fall, given its dependence on personal wealth and its self-devised political vision.

Some years ago, I sat in on and listened to numerous Congressional Debates in Washington DC on the Faith Based Initiatives. I remember that some prominent black church officials and leaders were for it like the King Family, the late Rosa Parks and others. While others warned of the danger of the church getting in bed with venal politicians. Some suspected that the church was only being paid off by these politicians in order to secure their votes. Today books have been written by authors like David Kuo, who has recently written the book, Tempting Faith. A former administrator in the office of the Faith Based Initiative in Washington DC, he tells how the Pentecostal/evangelical/ charismatic church is not only not respected in Washington in the current Administration, but that it is a known fact that the trade off for the political support of these churches, was the under funded Faith Based Initiative measure having been passed.

Many of the smaller churches, The Washington Post recently reported, do not even qualify for the meager funds that were allotted form the Federal Government, those churches with membership of less than 100, do not have the manpower to put into place to staff the type of services that communities require. The Washington Post also reported that majority of Pastors in the areas that need the most help are only part-time pastors. In other words, they are not vocational themselves; they have a primary job.

The Embarrassed Hijacked Church
Many leaders in the new Religious Right like Ralph Reed have brought embarrassment to the church world, having gotten to close to venal politicians which has cast a pall over these men themselves. Many of their closest counterparts are now serving time jail for malfeasance and some of these will probably fallow.

The problem as I see it has to do with 21st century styled ministries and ministers who take people into their congregations, substituting membership in their ministry; instead of being born into the Kingdom of God these have not submitted to righteousness of God. Instead, as Paul wrote in his epistle to the Romans, they have gone about to establish their own righteousness and not the righteousness of God.

Were their motives correct? Some would argue yes, but the scriptures inform us that our ways are not God’s ways, our thoughts are not God’s thoughts and as high as the heavens are above the earth, are God’s way above our ways and his thoughts above our thoughts. I am and have been skeptical of the new syncretic teachings of our new dispensational come-lately theologists.

I am convinced that many who call themselves Christians today, including the ministers who pastor them and many of the above named ministers were never truly born again. They had zeal for God but not according to knowledge. And just as the leaders joined themselves to God and their well-intended ministry (having never been fully converted), they have swelled the ranks of their churches and religious organizations with people who still have never been converted and adopted into the body of Christ. They have never been born into the church; rather they simply joined themselves unto someone’s often well intended ministries.

Like Peter who walked with Christ for years but had not been converted, many of these ministries are what I would refer to as ministries in an embryonic state, they are in the womb, but they have never truly been born. Pat Robertson encourages the country to fight and to kill, and he has even suggested that other heads of state should be murdered. And Pat is only an example of the type of thinking that is being shared by these ministers and taught to their congregants. Reaching back to the famous Catholic priest, St. Thomas Aquinas, many churches openly teach and boast of what is a just war and they encourage the country to fight battles as if by doing so they can usher in the Kingdom of God.

Pastor Hagee contradicts himself when interpreting the winding up of things. ON one hand he says that there will not be any Army present in the end times to assist Israel, and that God will fight himself. Then he joins with Robertson and others to declare that what is going on in the Middle and Near-East today is the work of God, and that God is actually using the United States who is on a murderous rampage, to usher in the Kingdom Age.

Many Christians need to be refocused and retaught the ways of Christ who for example steered clear of politics and the political establishment. Although he encouraged followers to give the state what belonged to the state and to God what belonged to God, he never encouraged his people to become entangled with politics or the State.

Many believers bought completely into the prayer of Jabazz as well as the prosperity Gospel for selfish reasons. Many Christians want wealth and to blow up never considering the windows that God has already opened, and the blessing s that have been poured out to them already while their brothers and sisters around the world, many of them still go to bed lacking the basic necessities. Christians forget, many of them, that their closets are full, their garages and basements are overrun. In fact many Christians today have had to purchase larger homes in order to have space for all of their blessings and still they don’t have enough space. Many are giving away clothing to the Salvation Army, but still find that their storage units are full.

I explained to a group of ministers and prayer warriors about 6 years ago that the reason I believe that the church was caught off guard when the 9/11 attack took place in America because American Christians were so subsumed and consumed with economic gain and prosperity, many of them were practicing the principles from a guide of the book, The Prayer of Jabazz, that God could not get a message to them that the country was about to be attacked.

Conclusion: And Who Hijacked Who?
Once again Satan used his number one device, the same that he employed in the Garden of Eden in order to hijack a sleeping church, and what is that device, deception? The church was not deceived from without; instead it was deceived by those who have barged in with the acceptance apparently of most of the church body and taken over the leadership of the church. We need to wake up from sleep and run from false teachings. If anything, American Christians ought to be sharing their wealth as well as praying that benefits be given to their brothers and sisters around the world instead of seeking to tear down their own barns and build bigger barns in order to fill them up with more stuff.

Let’s take back the church that has become for too many congregations a greedy, self-absorbed, businesslike and political church; even Bishop Jakes teaches that, ‘the Church is a business’. Let’s place our reliance back in God and prayer to God to heal conditions that can actually be healed in the land. The scriptures let us know that much of the negative stuff that we are witnessing in the land would be and that there would be nothing that we could do to change it. We cannot change what God has already told us will come to pass. But what we can do is seek God’s counsel for how we should conducts ourselves in such a seemingly untoward world, and we should seek him for counseling and to show us how to draw out of the fire those who are actually a part of God’s, not ours, Redemptive plan!

Peace & Grace
Rev. C. Solomon


Addenda: Was the old the best way, consider that the truth lies somewhere in the middle?