By Bo Lozoff
Date: Eternity
From: GOD
To: My Children on Earth
re: Idiotic religious rivalries
My Dear Children (and believe me, that's all of you),
I consider myself a pretty patient Guy. I mean, look at the Grand
Canyon. It took millions of years to get it right. And how about
evolution? Boy, nothing is slower than designing that whole
Darwinian thing to take place, cell by cell and gene by gene. I've
even been patient through your fashions, civilizations, wars and
schemes, and the countless ways you take Me for granted until
you get yourselves into big trouble again and again.
But on this occasion of My Son's birthday, I want to let you know
about some things that are starting to tick me off.
First of all, your religious rivalries are driving Me up a wall.
Enough already! Let's get one thing straight: These are your
religions, not Mine. I'm the Whole Enchilada; I'm beyond them all.
Every one of your religions claims there's only one of Me (which,
by the way, is absolutely true). But in the very next breath, each
religion claims it's My favorite one. And each claims its bible was
written personally by me, and that all the other bibles are man-
made. Oh, Me. How do I even begin to put a stop to such
complicated nonsense?
Okay, listen up now: I'm your Father and Mother, and I don't play
favorites among My Children. Also, I hate to break it to you, but I
don't write. My longhand is awful, and I've always been more of
a "doer" anyway. So all your books, including the bibles, were
written by men and women. They were inspired, remarkable
people, but they also made mistakes here and there. I made sure
of that, so that you would never trust a written word more than
your own living Heart.
You see, one Human Being to me -- even a Bum on the street -- is
worth more than all the holy books in the world. That's just the
kind of Guy I Am. My Spirit is not an historical thing, It's alive right
here, right now, as fresh as your next breath.
Holy books and religious rites are sacred and powerful, but not
more so than the least of You. They were only meant to steer you
in the right direction, not to keep you arguing with each other,
and certainly not to keep you from trusting your own personal
connection with Me.
Which brings Me to My next point about your nonsense: You act
like I need you and your religions to stick up for Me or "win souls"
for My Sake. Please, don't do Me any favors. I can stand quite
well on my own, thank you. I don't need you to defend Me, and I
don't need constant credit. I just want you to be good to each
other.
And another thing: I don't get all worked up over money or
politics, so stop dragging My name into your dramas. For
example, I swear to Me that I never threatened Oral Roberts. I
never rode in any of Rajneesh's Rolls Royces. I never told Pat
Robertson to run for president, and I've never ever had a
conversation with Jim Bakker, Jerry Falwell, or Jimmy Swaggart!
Of course, come Judgement Day, I certainly intend to...
The thing is, I want you to stop thinking of religion as some sort
of loyalty pledge to Me. The true purpose of your religions is so
that you can become more aware of Me, not the other way
around. Believe Me, I know you already. I know what's in each of
your hearts, and I love you with no strings attached. Lighten up
and enjoy Me. That's what religion is best for.
What you seem to forget is how mysterious I Am. You look at the
petty little differences in your scriptures and say, "Well, if this is
the Truth, then that can't be!" But instead of trying to figure out
My Paradoxes and Unfathomable Nature -- which, by the way,
you never will -- why not open your hearts to the simple common
threads in every religion?
You know what I'm talking about: Love and respect everyone. Be
kind. Even when life is scary or confusing, take courage and be of
good cheer, for I Am always with you. Learn how to be quiet, so
you can hear My Still, Small Voice (I don't like to shout). Leave the
world a better place by living your life with dignity and
gracefulness, for you are My Own Child. Hold back nothing from
life, for the parts of you that can die will surely die, and the parts
that can't, won't. So don't worry, be happy (I stole that last line
from Bobby McFerrin, but he stole it from Meher Baba in the first
place.)
Simple stuff. Why do you keep making it so complicated? It's like
you're always looking for an excuse to be upset. And I'm very
tired of being your main excuse. Do you think I care whether you
call me Yahweh, Jehovah, Allah, Wakantonka, Brahma, Father,
Mother, or even The Void or Nirvana? Do you think I care which of
My Special Children you feel closest to -- Jesus, Mary, Buddha,
Krishna, Mohammed or any of the others? You can call Me and My
Special Ones any name you choose, if only you would go about
My business of loving one another as I love you. How can you
keep neglecting something so simple?
I'm not telling you to abandon your religions. Enjoy your religions,
honor them, learn from them, just as you should enjoy, honor,
and learn from your parents. But do you walk around telling
everyone that your parents are better than theirs? Your religion,
like your parents, may always have the most special place in your
heart; I don't mind that at all. And I don't want you to combine all
the Great Traditions into One Big Mess. Each religion is unique for
a reason. Each has a unique style so that people can find the
best path for themselves.
But My Special Children -- the ones your religions revolve around
- all live in the same place (My Heart) and they get along
perfectly, I assure you. The clergy must stop creating a myth of
sibling rivalry where there is none.
My Blessed Children of Earth, the world has grown too small for
your pervasive religious bigotry and confusion. The whole planet
is connected by air travel, satellite dishes, telephones, fax
machines, rock concerts, diseases, and mutual needs and
concerns. Get with the program! If you really want to help Me
celebrate the birthday of My Son Jesus, then commit yourselves
to figuring out how to feed your hungry, clothe your naked,
protect your abused, and shelter your poor. And just as
importantly, make your own everyday life a shining example of
kindness and good humor. I've given you all the resources you
need, if only you abandon your fear of each other and begin
living, loving, and laughing together.
Finally, My Children everywhere, remember whose birth is
honored on December 25th, and the fearlessness with which He
chose to live and die. As I love Him, so do I love each one of you.
I'm not really ticked off, I just wanted to grab your attention
because I hate to see you suffer. But I gave you Free Will, so
what can I do now other than to try to influence you through
reason, persuasion, and a little old-fashioned guilt and
manipulation? After all, I Am the original Jewish Mother. I just
want you to be happy, and I'll sit in The Dark. I really Am, indeed,
I swear, with you always. Always. Trust In Me.
Your One and Only,
GOD
Date: Eternity
From: GOD
To: My Children on Earth
re: Idiotic religious rivalries
My Dear Children (and believe me, that's all of you),
I consider myself a pretty patient Guy. I mean, look at the Grand
Canyon. It took millions of years to get it right. And how about
evolution? Boy, nothing is slower than designing that whole
Darwinian thing to take place, cell by cell and gene by gene. I've
even been patient through your fashions, civilizations, wars and
schemes, and the countless ways you take Me for granted until
you get yourselves into big trouble again and again.
But on this occasion of My Son's birthday, I want to let you know
about some things that are starting to tick me off.
First of all, your religious rivalries are driving Me up a wall.
Enough already! Let's get one thing straight: These are your
religions, not Mine. I'm the Whole Enchilada; I'm beyond them all.
Every one of your religions claims there's only one of Me (which,
by the way, is absolutely true). But in the very next breath, each
religion claims it's My favorite one. And each claims its bible was
written personally by me, and that all the other bibles are man-
made. Oh, Me. How do I even begin to put a stop to such
complicated nonsense?
Okay, listen up now: I'm your Father and Mother, and I don't play
favorites among My Children. Also, I hate to break it to you, but I
don't write. My longhand is awful, and I've always been more of
a "doer" anyway. So all your books, including the bibles, were
written by men and women. They were inspired, remarkable
people, but they also made mistakes here and there. I made sure
of that, so that you would never trust a written word more than
your own living Heart.
You see, one Human Being to me -- even a Bum on the street -- is
worth more than all the holy books in the world. That's just the
kind of Guy I Am. My Spirit is not an historical thing, It's alive right
here, right now, as fresh as your next breath.
Holy books and religious rites are sacred and powerful, but not
more so than the least of You. They were only meant to steer you
in the right direction, not to keep you arguing with each other,
and certainly not to keep you from trusting your own personal
connection with Me.
Which brings Me to My next point about your nonsense: You act
like I need you and your religions to stick up for Me or "win souls"
for My Sake. Please, don't do Me any favors. I can stand quite
well on my own, thank you. I don't need you to defend Me, and I
don't need constant credit. I just want you to be good to each
other.
And another thing: I don't get all worked up over money or
politics, so stop dragging My name into your dramas. For
example, I swear to Me that I never threatened Oral Roberts. I
never rode in any of Rajneesh's Rolls Royces. I never told Pat
Robertson to run for president, and I've never ever had a
conversation with Jim Bakker, Jerry Falwell, or Jimmy Swaggart!
Of course, come Judgement Day, I certainly intend to...
The thing is, I want you to stop thinking of religion as some sort
of loyalty pledge to Me. The true purpose of your religions is so
that you can become more aware of Me, not the other way
around. Believe Me, I know you already. I know what's in each of
your hearts, and I love you with no strings attached. Lighten up
and enjoy Me. That's what religion is best for.
What you seem to forget is how mysterious I Am. You look at the
petty little differences in your scriptures and say, "Well, if this is
the Truth, then that can't be!" But instead of trying to figure out
My Paradoxes and Unfathomable Nature -- which, by the way,
you never will -- why not open your hearts to the simple common
threads in every religion?
You know what I'm talking about: Love and respect everyone. Be
kind. Even when life is scary or confusing, take courage and be of
good cheer, for I Am always with you. Learn how to be quiet, so
you can hear My Still, Small Voice (I don't like to shout). Leave the
world a better place by living your life with dignity and
gracefulness, for you are My Own Child. Hold back nothing from
life, for the parts of you that can die will surely die, and the parts
that can't, won't. So don't worry, be happy (I stole that last line
from Bobby McFerrin, but he stole it from Meher Baba in the first
place.)
Simple stuff. Why do you keep making it so complicated? It's like
you're always looking for an excuse to be upset. And I'm very
tired of being your main excuse. Do you think I care whether you
call me Yahweh, Jehovah, Allah, Wakantonka, Brahma, Father,
Mother, or even The Void or Nirvana? Do you think I care which of
My Special Children you feel closest to -- Jesus, Mary, Buddha,
Krishna, Mohammed or any of the others? You can call Me and My
Special Ones any name you choose, if only you would go about
My business of loving one another as I love you. How can you
keep neglecting something so simple?
I'm not telling you to abandon your religions. Enjoy your religions,
honor them, learn from them, just as you should enjoy, honor,
and learn from your parents. But do you walk around telling
everyone that your parents are better than theirs? Your religion,
like your parents, may always have the most special place in your
heart; I don't mind that at all. And I don't want you to combine all
the Great Traditions into One Big Mess. Each religion is unique for
a reason. Each has a unique style so that people can find the
best path for themselves.
But My Special Children -- the ones your religions revolve around
- all live in the same place (My Heart) and they get along
perfectly, I assure you. The clergy must stop creating a myth of
sibling rivalry where there is none.
My Blessed Children of Earth, the world has grown too small for
your pervasive religious bigotry and confusion. The whole planet
is connected by air travel, satellite dishes, telephones, fax
machines, rock concerts, diseases, and mutual needs and
concerns. Get with the program! If you really want to help Me
celebrate the birthday of My Son Jesus, then commit yourselves
to figuring out how to feed your hungry, clothe your naked,
protect your abused, and shelter your poor. And just as
importantly, make your own everyday life a shining example of
kindness and good humor. I've given you all the resources you
need, if only you abandon your fear of each other and begin
living, loving, and laughing together.
Finally, My Children everywhere, remember whose birth is
honored on December 25th, and the fearlessness with which He
chose to live and die. As I love Him, so do I love each one of you.
I'm not really ticked off, I just wanted to grab your attention
because I hate to see you suffer. But I gave you Free Will, so
what can I do now other than to try to influence you through
reason, persuasion, and a little old-fashioned guilt and
manipulation? After all, I Am the original Jewish Mother. I just
want you to be happy, and I'll sit in The Dark. I really Am, indeed,
I swear, with you always. Always. Trust In Me.
Your One and Only,
GOD
