Unlike God, politicians don’t deal in the truth they deal in propaganda. One of many things that have gotten America into the trouble it is in today is the fact you can’t believe what politicians say. Years ago a candidate for our State Assembly told me he tried to please everybody. I was astounded by such an admission! Didn’t this fellow know how utterly futile such a thing was? Of course candidates try to please the majority they need to get elected, but to try to please everybody? It’s no wonder you can’t believe campaign promises even if a politician dared to be specific, which none of them really dares. Politicians deal in glittering generalities, in propaganda, not specifics or the truth.

To the Pharisees, politicians of Jesus’ time he had this to say in some of the most scathing language found in the Bible: Matthew 12:34-37: O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

Imagine if it were possible to get Obama and all the members of Congress together and be able to preach those words to them. But you would have to have the authority to do so. Soldiers were sent to arrest Jesus at one point of his ministry, but on this occasion the soldiers returned without him. When asked why they did not arrest Jesus, a soldier replied “No man ever spoke as this man.” Jesus was described as someone who spoke with authority and it would take that kind of authority to speak to this generation of vipers, which is accurately descriptive of our “leadership.”

But God will demand an account for “every idle word?” That covers a lot of territory and amplified from the context it means useless words intended to deceive or take advantage, it includes things like lies and the campaign promises of politicians; it means the false promises of religious charlatans like those Pharisees and all of their kind, it means the words used to seduce for whatever purpose, words used as propaganda for evil, in short Jesus meant it to cover a wide range of the words of conmen and other scoundrels of every stripe.

Politically correct language is in the category of the idle words Jesus warned of. But God isn’t going to accept an excuse for such language as intended to not offend anyone but is only a pretext for excusing evils like duplicity and perversion; after all Jesus meant more than to simply offend that generation of vipers, he condemned them! And God expects his people to be just as forthright in condemning those that do evil. After all, one day God’s people are going to judge angels; how much more those that do evil here in this world. And God expects his people to communicate in plain and unmistakable language, not the language of politicians. God does not abide dissimulation or attempts to be clever, but expects his people to speak plainly concerning good and evil.

Quite naturally one does not expect to hear the flutter of angels’ wings in the halls of Congress; but flutter of bat wings? Well, those do come to mind since having “bats in the belfry, he’s batty, have you gone bats” have long denoted someone not of sound mind and this pretty well describes my own opinion of Obama and those of Congress. Have these all gone batty; are We the People at the mercy of a bunch of lunatics? Quite possibly we are. I know how extreme such a thought is, but what is going on defies any rational explanation, goes beyond even the rampant greed and corruption we associate with politicians; it is in a word batty, though to avoid slang bizarre would be quite accurate. Our government has actually become quite bizarre! And for most, that’s a pretty scary thought especially if you associate politicians with vampire bats.

A favorite and classic SciFi film “Forbidden Planet” has it “monsters of the Id” were to blame for destroying the entire population of the planet overnight. As scholars puzzle over many ancient mysteries like the pyramids and other monolithic structures of the distant past, one has to wonder why so many pictures, stone carvings and figures are so grotesquely diabolical? Were such things the result of monsters existing in the minds of those that did such works? And if so, where did the idea of such monsters originate? Just what was at work that caused such horrors as human sacrifice to gods? Jesus declared there were indeed children of God and children of the Devil. In my opinion, the diabolical ancient pictures and artifacts have a basis in real entities.

As a believer in God, I take the Biblical view that the world is Satan’s domain and orchestrates our government and will continue to do so until God declares an end to the Devil’s system of evil, a web of evil intrigue that spreads throughout the world. I’m satisfied with this explanation for the bizarre behavior of those in our government that seem intent on destroying America; but then those that want power and authority over others for personal benefit, politicians being of this class, are not of a healthy mind Devil or not.

Those monsters of the Id certainly come to the fore when it comes to the brutal savagery we see too often against women and children, in the monstrous atrocities committed by religious fanatics and others in various parts of the world. And what but monsters would actually enjoy the wars that have killed so many untold millions?

Yes, I believe there are both angels and demons. But the ancient artifacts seem to favor depictions of demons. The casting out of demons and unclean spirits was a part of the ministry of Jesus and carried on by the Apostles. There are, I believe, spirits both clean and unclean. It does strike me as odd the ancients seemed more preoccupied with grotesque representations of such spirits and gods than those beautiful. If you were asked to draw a picture of an angel or a demon which would you prefer, which would come easier for you to draw? I suppose most people would say they would prefer to draw a picture of an angel, but they might be lying. How about viewing a nice film of angels with a happy ending or some demoniacal, blood-splattering slasher film? How about video games? Which do people prefer; angels or demons and destruction? Is it a matter of “boring” when it comes to angels or is it something far more than this, perhaps those monsters of the Id demanding satisfaction?

I have to suppose ancient races of people had similar choices but for the most part came down on the side of horrors. Were they simply more superstitious than we “moderns” or perhaps more knowledgeable? It seems the same evils were present for ancient people as they are for us, but they tried to put a face to these evils. Ah, along with increasing civilization comes something called “sophistication.” I have to suppose Satan and his demons are capable of changing with the times and know how to be sophisticated when necessary otherwise the universities of America would not be Public Enemy Number One!

Over a very long period of time with increasing civilization and life for some became less brutal beauty began to be represented more frequently, but the diabolically grotesque continued to hold sway. Hollywood has certainly focused on the grotesque in far too many instances. Change does occur and the innocent films like “Gidget,” the great Broadway musicals gave way to the grotesque, to blood and gore. Not that these were not represented by films from the very beginning, but they were not predominate. However, behind all the monstrosities from the beginning of the most ancient times has been Satan; the master choreographer of horror, savagery and brutality.

In too many cases it doesn’t take that much to strip the veneer of civilized behavior and a return to savagery for survival. But the children of God have no such “veneer” to be stripped of and regardless the circumstances will behave accordingly. In the very worst of circumstances this may be the bellwether for the statement of Jesus that very few are going to be saved out of this evil world system, that few enter the straight gate to the path of eternal life.

Here and now, it is far more likely we are going to continue hearing the flutter of batwings than the wings of angels out of D. C. What is lacking is the kind of editorial cartoons showing close-ups of the bats, putting a grotesque face to evil like the ancients did. Have you ever seen the face of a bat close up? You won’t confuse it with the face of an angel of God. Oh, but bats are real you might say and angels… well, maybe yes, maybe no. Yes, the bats are real enough; but for me the angels are real as well. As for this last presidential campaign, the players, the winners and losers, the words batty and bizarre still fit and I doubt anyone has a better explanation than I have offered by way of Satan orchestrating events like the chaos in our government until God calls a halt to it. But the manner in which God will do so, well, whatever your personal beliefs may be I would prefer to be on the side of the angels rather than the bats when this happens.

A family shrine while common in many cultures is not all that uncommon here in America. My own consists of the photos on a shelf here next to my desk of loved ones gone on before me, all of whom I expect to join in heaven. In the evening I light a candle at this shrine and turn off the electric lights and commune with these loved ones and also spend time in silent contemplation allowing my thoughts to roam free. Here in the country there is no distraction of traffic or noise of any kind, so it is a very quiet time as I reflect with these loved ones on the events of the day and other matters that come to mind. It’s a peaceful way to end the day, and my communion, this “quiet time” continues as I get into bed for the night.

Of course, the Lord is always there as well since he is the one that gives me hope that what I’m doing is not superstitious nonsense but really meaningful. But I always wish I could speak to my loved ones in person once again, that they were still here with me. I don’t doubt that they are with me, in a sense they have never really departed, and I think this is much more than just memories at work; I actually believe they still live and continue to be with me though in the altered state of spirits, which while unseen I believe to be of greater reality than what we can see because they no longer suffer the limitations we suffer in these physical bodies.

My physical limitations due to this vile body of clay caused me to set up this shrine quite some time ago; I can’t see my loved ones except in these photos and my memories of them, but it pleases me to be able to set aside this special time each evening as quality “family time” and I believe it pleases them as well. But I have never been blessed with any kind of epiphany, there haven’t been any audible responses from loved ones or the Lord, but I’m reminded of Jesus calling special attention to those who believe and have not seen. I’ve no doubt my belief in God whom I have not seen and yet believe he is real and communicates with me is in the same category as my believing the same thing of my departed loved ones. It has been my good fortune to have such loved ones, those who truly loved each other and me to look forward to seeing once again. Not everyone is so blessed.

 We all need a place of retreat for our minds, especially in these dismal times with so much uncertainty and bad news abounding. When the wicked prosper and walk on every side, I have only to look at the honest and loving faces of these loved ones gone on before me to relieve me of any anxiety or fear, and I find the peace of mind I need in those loving faces of my dearest ones, and great joy in believing I will once more be reunited with them when I put off this temporary body and receive the eternal one my loved ones now enjoy, eternal bodies free of any physical ills or limitations.

Heaven for me is defined by these loved ones now gone on to be with the Lord. Not streets of gold or palaces, but a place of loving people such as those I know and love. I don’t doubt God is not through with the creative process, but I believe he needed such people as my own loved ones to continue with his plans once this world has passed away, all of his children gathered to him and all things become new. The universe is a big place, and I don’t doubt God has plans for us to help in his ongoing creation within the universe and perhaps even beyond.

While the things I have described are not unique in any way, all such things are unique to the individual. You doubtless have your way of perceiving God and an afterlife, you may have a shrine or light a candle; you may have beliefs widely divergent from mine. But whatever your beliefs may be, there is the need to have some means of peace of mind, some means of retreat from the things of the world in order to have any hope of knowing what the real values and priorities of this life ought to be.

As a friend of God, Abraham expressed genuine concern for the Lord’s decision to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah if the Lord found things as bad there as he had been told and tried to dissuade him from taking such action lest the innocent should perish right along with the guilty, saying to the Lord, “Shall not the judge of all the earth do right?”

Just try to imagine yourself standing before God and posing such a question. It would take a pretty strong friend, one genuinely concerned for the honor of God to do such a thing. But how could Abraham even think God might be making a mistake that would impugn his honor as the righteous judge of all the earth? Quite obviously Abraham had better knowledge of God, as we would expect of a real friend, than most today that purport to speak for God and he believed the Lord capable of error. But as a friend, he could honestly express his concern without fear that the Lord would become angry at Abraham even suggesting such a thing.

Still showing concern for the Lord’s honor Abraham asks that if he should find only fifty righteous in the city, would he turn away and spare it from his wrath? The Lord agrees he would spare the city for the fifty. But Abraham continues to try and dissuade God until he gets the tally down to only ten righteous and the Lord agrees. Of course, Abraham was also concerned about his nephew Lot who was in Sodom. And that by itself is a curious story in the relationship between the Lord and Abraham and I have studied and written quite a bit about this.

Things go badly for Sodom and Gomorrah and God destroys the cities failing to find even ten righteous that would save them. But suppose the sodomites continue to grow in number and power here in America, so much so God determines it is time to rain down fire and brimstone on our nation? Where is the Abraham such a friend of God that would attempt to dissuade the Lord? Now, taking the term sodomite at its broadest meaning includes politicians who are perverts given to every kind of perversion and I would not attempt to dissuade God from destroying D. C. in particular since I would find it difficult to believe there are even ten righteous in that city, and I believe Emerson and Clemens would agree with me.

For many the story of the exchange between the Lord and Abraham is apocryphal and not to be taken seriously. But I believe it and I do take it seriously. One reason for my doing so is that it is affirmed in the New Testament, and for me makes the statement by Jesus that only a few are going to be saved out of this evil world system all the more true and believable. America has turned away from God and gone whoring after Mammon together with every vile form of perversion imaginable including perverts wanting to get “married.” What a stench America must be becoming in the very nostrils of God! It is no wonder I see America as the Babylon of Revelation whose end like that of Sodom and Gomorrah the destruction so quickly and suddenly done as to “come in one hour!”

But it just may be easier for God to get the ear of Russia’s Putin than the ears of any of our leaders here in America. Putin is trying to bring religion back to Russia while our leaders with the cooperation of the universities and ACLU are attempting to destroy our Christian heritage as a nation, and the servants of Satan including far too many in the churches are attempting to make God look ridiculous and real believer’s second class citizens at best. But I continue to take the position that God will not be mocked and he will not always strive with men but will, probably soon, call an end to the work of Satan and his followers. Great, swelling words coming out of Washington will not save an America that has turned its back on God, especially when Satan’s servants like Obama and those in Congress are doing all they can to direct attention away from those things like open borders and the really significant things that are destroying our nation.

Perhaps some will find it odd that Putin has seen the light and believes religion, especially Christianity tends toward a moral society. I remember a time in America (Once upon a time in America…) when the Bible was still America’s preeminent textbook, still found in the schools of America and treated with respect. In today’s America fools mock God and make a mock at sin with the help of gospel peddlers wearing soft clothing and living in kings’ palaces, often shaming God by TV productions not unlike those of Hollywood.

We know the ancients that may have tried to describe visits by extraterrestrials (angels?) by stone monoliths, paintings, carvings and glyphs could not possibly understand the marvels of such beings, and probably did not understand just what they were asked to do by these beings. But the Bible being the written expression of such beings and the things done has the advantage of being a written account. Even at that, having no real knowledge of science and technology the written accounts are often difficult to understand, often worded by those better at framing events in accordance with the times, lyrically and reflecting myths of which they were knowledgeable and could at least in some manner relate.

Over the decades of my life I have found it far easier to believe what I read in the Bible than what I read in people, especially people who wield power over others and take advantage of others. Such people make no sense whatsoever. They lie, cheat, and steal with abandon believing this world is all they will ever know, that there is no God or judgment to come. But for the children of God, whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our instruction that we might have hope.

We do not know the population of Sodom and Gomorrah when Abraham bargained with God to spare the cities for the sake of ten righteous, but if considered statistically perhaps it would compare with ten million in America. Try to put yourself in the place of Abraham attempting to get God to spare America for the sake of ten million righteous. Think America would fare better than those ancient and perverted cities? Personally I have my doubt, especially when I believe Jesus was correct about few being saved and I further believe so many are born without a soul to be saved to begin with.

What with so much talk of desperate financial times and people being forced out of homes and tent cities forming it would do well for folks to consider their priorities and simplicity in living. “The best things in life are free” is a song with a pretty sentiment once the most basic of needs like food, clothing, and shelter are met. However, Americans “have gotten used to better” than what those of my generation recall of the past. But that “better” has too often been the result of unearned “entitlements” and has left many without the needed survival skills that may be required for their future. I wish this younger generation had the benefit of my experiences in what “simplicity in living” is really all about.

When first moving to the Kern River Valley in 1948 with my maternal grandparents to settle on a mining claim that is now Boulder Gulch Campground, I found this area every boy’s dream for hunting and fishing. The unspoiled forest, the wild Kern River and Bull Run Creek where trout abounded, it is no wonder that over the years despite encroaching "civilization" it remains my choice for quality of living; and I can hardly fault those moving here for the abundance of clean air and water, among other things.

In looking back, I realize how very difficult life must have been for my great-grandmother and grandparents under such conditions. The old tarpaper shack we lived in, the outhouse and wood stove, coal oil lamps, a hand-dug well for water, the bitter cold of winter and summers over 100 degrees at times, but never a word of complaint from the folks. They were a rare breed of honest people who were used to hardship, worked hard and thanked God for the little they did have. But I also realize it was the love they had for each other and me that kept things going.

Having long ago left off the hunting and fishing, now preferring to watch the quail, dove, and those beautiful gray tree squirrels rather than viewing them as food supplying the family pot this has been a change in my life as I grew older; but the mountains, Bull Run Creek and so many other things remain as they were when I was a boy. The valley has all the amenities for modern living now, but I have retained from those earliest years without electricity or indoor plumbing an appreciation for simplicity in living, without any of the illusions, and the Valley still affords people the opportunity to live simply and enjoy Nature.

Before plastering his cottage at Walden in preparation for his first winter there, Henry Thoreau wrote of how pleasing to the eye the rough, unfinished wood, the bark and knots exposed. I know what he meant. Having done so much building myself, there is something about the bare, raw wood of the construction, working it, the scent of it that makes the covering of it with things like plaster, drywall, stucco seem a somewhat melancholy task.

As a boy, I experienced the same thing with those marvelous balsa and tissue model airplanes. Once all the intricate work of construction was done, I would gaze at the model, all the various delicate parts fully exposed, all properly constructed and the nearly gossamer web work of formers, stringers, longerones, ribs that brought those carefully cut, placed, glued, and sanded parts together into an airplane and it was a somewhat melancholy task, the covering of such beautiful, intricate work of my fingers and mind with the tissue, and then the painting, concealing such a work of art constructed from what at first appeared to be a jumble of miscellaneous and seeming unrelated pieces with no discernable use or purpose.

Some years ago I would learn of the high prices being commanded for "used boards." People would buy old barns and outbuildings in order to have the weathered boards, sometimes intricately grooved or holed by insects, such boards being pleasing to the eye and were used for other forms of decorative construction or by artists. My own little cottage in the country has such boards mentioned covering my screened front porch. I look up at the weathered, bare wood with the same pleasure Henry expressed, considering it a sin should these weathered boards, mottled and stained with the rains and snows of many winters, April and May showers and summer heat, ever be profaned by paint.

Admittedly, with increasing age I do find myself increasingly coarse in my manner of living, and this applies to this little cottage in the country as well, where spiders spin their webs unmolested, except for the occasional black widow or recluse, and I enjoy the company of forest birds and critters. As my manner of life coarsens in some ways, it seems I take greater pleasure in things like butterflies and my wild, country companions.

I have lived in virtual palaces, with concomitant large mortgages, houses that would grace Malibu or Beverly Hills for which I could not even pay the property taxes today, that have not been so pleasing to my eyes as this decaying little cottage that seems to be gently weathering old age, keeping pace with me. What small amount of paint there is on exterior boards like fascia is peeling, the roof requires patching once in a while, I haven’t either swamp cooler or A/C for summer nor thermostatically controlled heating for winter and these things seem in keeping with my own mood and lack of concern for such things in declining years, during which time the things I used to believe of so much importance and consumed so very much of my time, effort and money, so much of my life seem very nearly trivial to me now.

No, my mind still does good service and I have not forgotten why such things were once important to me. Admittedly a writer lives in his or her mind, welcoming the solitude of their thoughts rather than society, though I do enjoy the occasional visitor, and generally wishes to simplify their lives for the sake of writing. It just seems that I could have chosen a better path long before I did the one I have been following these past few years, a life of simplicity without the acquisition of things, and has other priorities than the lives most account "successful."

I neither fault nor begrudge wealth to those who can responsibly use it beneficially though greed seems to be the driving force in the majority of cases. However, to acquire wealth for whatever motive requires a talent, and it is a talent, that I lack. Regarding philanthropy and works of charity, however, come to think of it Thoreau did mention his offer of help to the poor of Concord, provided they would live as simply as he did. The poor declined his offer.

Perhaps it is also a talent to live in genteel poverty without complaint, something I may have inherited from the folks by their example. I don’t want much and as a result I find I don’t need much. What “wealth” I now posses are the books I have written and the stories I’m able to share with others. But alas, so many such stories have fallen into the category of “Once upon a time in America…”

Reflecting on simplicity in living, neither Henry Thoreau nor I left off civilized language, manners and behavior in order to live so, but this is a matter of taste in some instances. I do have a few things, Henry might suggest they were the “Devil’s doorknobs,” that would require dusting had I a mind to do so. Fortunately, like the spider webs decorating my cottage they are safe from my ministrations, safe from any attempt on my part to either disturb or better their condition.

Now I know there are people like the guy in “Arachnophobia” that can’t abide spiders and I do kill black widows and brown recluse at every opportunity since venomous insects and snakes are to my mind most disagreeable, and in like manner I have found that vulgar language, while never approving it even in literature or film became increasingly disagreeable and uncivilized to me as well. It grates on the nerves, on my ears since it makes otherwise beautiful women and handsome men ugly and like equally ugly, loud raucous noise some mistakenly call “music” in order to justify it I greatly prefer to avoid.

Thanks to my being raised in the tradition of the best of Southern manners and behavior, vulgar or profane language, as with vulgar or sexist “humor” was something considered “low,” and not to be used by the better classes signified and dignified by genuine ladies and gentlemen. My, oh my how the times have changed.

But there was a time when I was out and about some places where the language and behavior were definitely barbarous; however, I most often frequented the better places where people were civilized. Once while in attendance at what could rightly be construed as a really high class honky tonk, the kind of place where no one wore mismatched socks, the patrons had clean fingernails and actual handkerchiefs as well as bandanas, a very nice and very well dressed, very well mannered older woman came up to me and politely asked: “Please pardon me, but are you a real cowboy?”

I was some taken aback by her question. No one who saw me at that time of my life would deny I looked the consummate cowboy, a real Marlboro Man. I take some degree of satisfaction in that, though it is true despite my advocacy of them, women are sometimes cheaper to find than to lose: How quickly to have flown away, though often fickle sweet bird of youth.

On the occasion of this lady’s question, however, I was really dressed to fit the part; complete and immaculate Western attire, costly gray Stetson and boots, expensive matching gray coat and Levis, the corded trousers strung with costly leather belt adorned with a large genuine silver and gold American Eagle emblazoned buckle, the very best shirt and string tie sporting turquoise and silver money could buy all together presenting a film image portraying the impeccably dressed “Man of the West” common to the utter lack of reality, but a whole lot of fun.

Taken so abruptly, and thereby not knowing exactly how to answer this genuine and polite question of a very civilized, very mannerly lady I replied: “Well, I am a Westerner.” That much was the truth; attested by my place of birth, tall, lean frame and naturally accented baritone voice that would lend credence to a “Throw down ‘cause there ain’t ‘nuff room in this here town fer the both ’a us.”

The lady went on to explain her question. Glancing toward to the table from where she had come, she told me the two very attractive young ladies sitting there (of course, I had already remarked them) were from Spain, and she was their chaperone. Seeing me, but unable to speak English, the young ladies had asked her to come over with the question.

When it comes to “Perception is everything,” I know the truth of it. That the ladies just like the comment about “Buckaroo” by Sean Connery in “The Hunt for Red October” had the perception of “cowboys” from films they had seen portraying the “Cowboy Mythic” in America, they had assumed I just had to be such a Cowboy. That I felt complimented to the nth degree you can well imagine, and there is nothing amiss or lacking with my male ego.

Being the perfect gentleman, I was ready to haul out my guitar; and why, I asked myself, also being the sensitive soul I am as well as a gentleman and kindly disposed to attractive women, should I play the callous cad, disabusing these lovely ladies, visitors to our shores from a foreign clime, of an encounter with a “Real Cowboy,” depriving them, cheating and robbing them of a romantic story they could return to Spain and tell their friends, doubtless to the envy of all? In all kindness and charity, some illusions simply should not be disabused. And I could hardly refuse the chance to play cowboy as I was wont to do as a child, but of course this time around the playbook was of a different kind.

My non-fiction book “Birds With Broken Wings” is filled with stories such as the one just described; and throughout the book Country Music, C&W, plays a large part in the stories. Ok, in spite of the fact I was trained from youth as a concert clarinetist and played both clarinet and tenor sax professionally, one of my favorite songs is “Sleepin’ With a Drifter” and I’ve played (guitar, not clarinet or sax) and sung it in a few honky tonks, along with quite a few other such memorable, and quite descriptive numbers. I’ve never really thought such a thing should make me suspect to my academic peers and colleagues. The senior Bush jumping out of an airplane just goes to show fun is where you find it. So with much of the music I’ve enjoyed and had fun ever as much as Phil Harris and Tom Lehrer.

While “How Much is that Doggy in the Window” is definitely not on the play list for my funeral, it has generally seemed odd to my way of thinking that the pretensions by some are, as with the hypocrisy of politicians, not obvious to them as such? Years ago I came to grips with the fact that no one born in Weedpatch could ever get away with pretensions. Like Hester’s scarlet letter, Weedpatch, like my actual birth date, would be there much as a permanent tattoo no matter how I might try to erase it. So, why try? Why not ‘fess right up front and make the best of it?

No, don’t try that “Everyone has to be born somewhere” on me. Don’t try to tell me a person’s birthplace has no bearing on their path through this vale of tears, this “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players…” Being a man of civilized manners and polite speech, I refrain from what many would consider the appropriate response to such.

Rather than attempt to hide my humble origin that automatically conjures up images of outhouses, Tobacco Road, Snuffy Smith, Dogpatch with Mammy and Pappy Yokum, I find humor in it. I say “humor” rather than “pride” because one’s birthplace is a matter of the accident of birth regardless the “pedigree” of some and nothing of which to boast as if a personal accomplishment, as some fools are prone to do.

Now I have nothing against a pedigree, a family tree that does indeed properly boast of families holding claims to honor, honestly won and deserved. I can point to some within my own lineage, some with honor, and some without, human nature together with circumstances being what they are; and doubtless some genetic defect is to blame, neither me nor my place of birth, though some, uncharitably, might argue the latter, for liking the song “Sleepin’ With a Drifter.”

Those that believe in Barack Hussein Obama as their messiah remind me of the story of Gilly Duncan, poor servant girl of her master David Seaton, who, in 1590 tortured her with a rope around her neck until she confessed to intercourse with the devil. I don't know about you, but if I were tortured in such a manner I might admit of a few indiscretions; and they might multiply in scope and magnitude as the rope grew tighter. But she didn't stop there. By the time she was through with her true confessions, she had implicated about seventy other people; some of them highly respected citizens of Edinburgh. One of these, Agnes Sampson, was said to have a true devil's autograph in the area of her vagina. Odd how sex always found a way of being prominent in scouting out witches.

Agnes confessed to a witch's plot against the king, James the sixth, of Scotland, later James the first of England. It may not be coincidental that the most popular Bible of all time, the Authorized Version commonly known as the King James Version, came into being under this monarch. Seems Agnes was going to use the venom of a toad (?). This was done by hanging the hapless amphibian up by one hind leg and collecting the dripping venom (I'm not sure what kind of toad this could have been in Edinburgh. While there are poisonous toads, all the ones I have had any experience with simply peed copiously and gave you warts). The toxin was used on some of the king's soiled linen to cast a spell making him feel like he was lying on a bed of thorns. Unable to get any rest, his majesty would die of the tired's. This method is still used by some witch doctors in Africa.

Now I'm not certain if such homeopathic remedies and practices would hold up under MediCal, but they could be missing a good thing here. In my study of the lore of witches and conjurors, it comes to my mind that in many instances they might be on a better track than a few doctors I have met. Of course I believe some doctors use similar incantations, peering into the entrails of a chicken and consorting with familiar spirits to come up with some of their ideas of healing.

But if it comes to a “Let's try this and see if it works,” the party line of the AMA, or a good, confident: “Eat this magic mushroom at midnight in the light of a full moon and it'll fix you right up,” I prefer confidence. Of course I'd die, but I'd die the victim of confidence rather than a “Let's try this,” from which I risk dying from indecision. Back to my dream of a university dedicated to the obscure. If I'm going to die in any event, better to die confident I'm going to be cured. And when I'm dead, at least I'll know what I died from. You can't imagine what a comfort that will be.

So, back to the similarity between poor Gilly Duncan and her “confession” and what is going on with BHO. By the time Hussein has led his worshippers down the path and forced enough confessions of witchcraft from unbelievers it will be too late for any hope of recovery for America. Despite the smiles Hussein is the Head Inquisitor of a new Inquisition, and God help those that do not fall in line with him!

Of course, the target of Hussein and his inquisitors will be all conservatives of every stripe, especially Christians. He will be all smiles as he tightens the rope around the throats all the Gilly Duncan’s and we will see a repeat of the Spanish Inquisition and Salem Witch Trials as conservatives are reviled by the servants of Satan, many of them when not good liberal atheists or agnostics claiming to be “good Christians,” and are made to recant of their witchery. But all this will be done through the lies of Hussein as he makes conservatives the enemies of America with his satanic doublespeak, and with the help of his fellow servants of Satan attempts to throttle the free speech of conservative voices by laws mirroring those of Hitler’s regime. And Hussein will have no lack of Goebbels to choose from already being the darling of the MSM and Hollywood.

But Agnes was foiled in her attempt to kill James the sixth and we have the King James Bible. Now whether the story about Agnes is true or not, the KJV remains. And despite Head Inquisitor Hussein I doubt very much he and his followers are going to succeed in silencing conservatives entirely, especially conservative Christians. Not surprisingly the Devil behind this appears as an angel of light, and his servant Hussein would make us believe he is a minister of righteousness, and a very religious one at that. Too farfetched to imagine? Hardly. The inquisition has already begun, and got a running start in the universities of America where “free speech” began to be taught as politically correct speech that offends no one but Conservatives and Christians and adheres to the politically correct ideology and dogma of Marxist/Socialists damning Conservatives and Christians.

Erich von Däniken made a real hit with “Chariots of the Gods,” and while much of what he speculated about has been disputed, in some cases disproven, his basic ideas remain as valid as those of scientists whose own speculations about some things concerning the universe and unsolved mysteries right here on our own planet are extreme lacking empirical evidence.

Years ago I came to the conclusion the Great pyramids of Giza for example could not have been constructed by any of the theories advanced. It is good to see more people in the scientific community admitting they really don’t know how some of the monolithic structures by the ancients were built or even when or why in many cases. There is growing agreement that the technology and tools required was beyond that fitting the time frames given to some of these structures, but why consign those believing in extraterrestrials as a possible explanation to being crackpots when some theories by scientists are no more viable?

Agreed one cannot keep their university credentials as scientists by giving any credit to the Bible as a possible source of information for the “unexplained,” but it should be pointed out that the angels of the Bible are in fact extraterrestrials. However, trying to explain visitations by “gods” of the past and their work on earth would be impossible for the ancients involved and witnessing such things. The fact that the ancients had knowledge of things far beyond their native capabilities of their eras such as astronomy and metal working must have had an outside source of some kind is patently obvious to me. The discovery of iron could not have been “accidental” and no amount of physical labor with mallets and copper chisels, ropes and ramps could have produced the Great pyramids no matter how graphically portrayed by the History or Discovery Channels.

The lack of any written records by a race of gods or other extraterrestrials does make one wonder? Other than the glyphs and some other curiosities and artifacts we are left to our own devices in attempting to make any sense of these ancient wonders, the how and why of their construction? The constellations as they came to be known could not possibly have been determined by the naked eyes of the ancients so who was responsible for “star maps?”

Ours is a unique and privileged planet in a unique solar system with none other like it. In fact, in theory our planet and solar system shouldn’t even exist so I take it to be a special creation of God. But it seems plausible to me the gods determined to make man in their image, the children of the gods, and a great deal of experimentation was going on long before this decision was made as with various other creatures throughout millions of years. But in a mere moment of time, Modern Man suddenly appears as a special creation capable of the things resulting in our present marvels of science and technology as all other hominids and like creatures disappear leaving only Homo sapiens to develop into a species capable of civilization and all that has resulted from it. That this special creation of Modern Man and all that has followed is no more farfetched than some scientific theories and only separated by accepting that an ultimate Creator was in charge of things rather than accidental, mindless, mechanistic forces.

I’ve written so much on this theme I don’t want to belabor it here. My books are readily available online and through bookstores for those interested. But in light of current events and with so much uncertainty abounding about the future I thought it good to remind people “We are not alone.” Whatever your beliefs may be, the Bible continues to be an excellent resource of study when it comes to what the ancients knew, though the obvious difficulties of attempting to explain some of these things by ancient writers are quite understandable. But taken together with the ancient myths and legends, the glyphs and artifacts, monolithic structures and so on a plausible scenario does present itself for which the Bible is the key textbook.

As children of God, we have a heavenly Father with a hierarchy of angels, sons of God watching over things, but there is still the problem of evil which the Bible attributes to Satan, a son of God and his followers gone bad accounting for some truly monstrous creations like the dinosaurs, venomous insects and snakes. Some intermingling of the sons of God and daughters of men resulting in a good deal of chaos in the distant past may be represented by the infamous action of Noah’s son Ham and the builders of the Tower of Babel, even the monsters in human guise still preying on women and children. However, behind the stories are facts represented by the ancient monuments, knowledge and accomplishments which such ancient peoples were incapable of producing unaided by superior beings possessed of superior tools and technology.

Scientists feel free to discuss parallel universes, wormholes, string theory, etc., so why not “angels” capable of the things described in the Bible? One is science and the other religious. The difficulty is neither side is willing to admit of how closely allied the two really are. Science does not know what life is or its origin. Those of us who believe in God have no difficulty accepting God as the giver of life, but must be willing to accept the lack of empirical proof science requires though I believe Creation itself declares that God “IS!” I just don’t believe it should be a source of dissension between the two. After all, there are good people in the scientific community who also believe in God.

With so many anomalies and unexplained mysteries I believe it is good to have an open mind to what is called the “supernatural” and not discount the possibilities. For those who do not get caught up in the fanaticism of various cults and are capable of being open minded and objective about the supernatural it is a fascinating area of speculation and I believe we have the God-given attribute of imagination in order to speculate about such things. It is only when such speculation turns into a tyrannical system of religion like Islam for example that it becomes satanic and dehumanizing, especially for women.

An adolescent can endure just about anything but embarrassment. Girls, at the innocent period of my life as an adolescent, were strange creatures indeed and were often a source of my embarrassing myself. When around them I was never easy in my mind, fearful I would say or do something that would elicit giggles or totally indecipherable expressions on their faces. They were not unlike what I imagined beings from another planet; intriguing, but suspect. And, for all my acquaintance with the fair sex, they may as well have come from outer space for all I knew about them. They smelled nice, seemed to be preoccupied with their appearance and cleanliness and I never saw one of them spit. Altogether peculiar. They traveled in groups and spent a lot of time whispering to each other and giggling. They would look at a certain boy in a peculiar fashion, go into a huddle and giggle. Bizarre behavior but fascinating.

Those of you who have read my book, “Confessions and Reflections of an Okie Intellectual” will recall my writing of being raised primarily by my grandparents. Sex was never mentioned, and much of my reading was Victorian and novels like “The Last of the Mohicans, The Talisman” and other such works led to my thinking of the opposite sex in terms of mystery and purity. My moral code in this regard was worthy of a Knight seeking the Holy Grail. Utterly chaste, naive, and ignorant. That this would require some slight adjustment as I grew older you may well understand.

Having had more than a casual education in the mechanisms of the female mind lo these many years, I have come to the conclusion that God has a sense of humor reflected in his creature's appreciation of practical jokes and slapstick humor but wishes he had done some things differently in his creation of men and women and like an earthly parent sometimes makes mistakes with his children. I don't allow of any middle ground such as God is incapable of error. The Bible bears testimony of the opposite case. My religious friends have the burden of proof on their own heads because God must have something else in mind when it comes to a definition of perfection than how religious people construe it.

As I think of all the things and people that contributed so much to my own ability to dream, to do, to plan and build and teach others, I have a debt to pass these things on to others, young people especially. How I wish I could give them the same opportunities to learn, plan, dream and do that it was my blessed good fortune to experience. And after all these years, with all the disappointments and failures, I still strive to do.

It is a tragedy of our times that children are cheated, robbed, of the opportunities I enjoyed as a child, that even the most caring parents seem unable to grasp the eternal significance of teaching the kinds of things that can only be learned in such an environment as that which I enjoyed can supply. Young people especially need examples of “Can Do.” They are losing hope in droves because of the mind-set that the future holds nothing for them. However, put that child in an environment with caring elders, where they can do, and watch them blossom into individuals with values, self-esteem and real-world skills that will serve them a lifetime.

When I visit the old mining claim (now Boulder Gulch Campground) here in the Kern River Valley, when I survey the ancient familiar rocks and mountains and think of Bull Run, Fay Canyon and so many other places of my childhood, I sometimes talk things over with Grandad, Grandma, and Great-grandma. Do they hear me? I have no idea. But I find comfort in the conversations. I think they are proud of me, and the fact that I am still doing for myself, own my home and am free of debt, that I continue to read, study, and write. I believe they know what really counts in life by now, and I think these are still the same things they thought really counted they taught me as a child. It is too easy, at my age, to slip back into that time of simple verities long past, to escape the ugliness all around by dwelling with those gone on whose love and support are all too lacking for children today.

But so many things twist and turn through our lives that bring us to moments of decision that can so thoroughly change things for good or evil. So it is that I began to question so many of the things that I had simply accepted as Articles of Faith that had no sound basis in either Scripture or reason, confusing like so many do beliefs with knowledge.

I know God must feel just as we do in disciplining and judging His children. There is more hurt in the heart of the loving parent than any suffering the child endures. But, sadly, it takes growing up to realize this. The parent who loves their children enough to prove that they care about how they will grow up thus often finds themselves consigned to the children's outer reaches. However, I repeat, to a chorus of Amen’s by parents, only until they have children of their own!

Perhaps it was the reality of first love that made me a successful teacher of young people. I never recovered from the reality of that first love and I became understanding of its operation in the lives of my pupils. But it is the thing that makes me grieve so for the poor exchange our young people have settled for. “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways” has been traded for the glorification of evil in the raucous noise they call “music” and the irresponsible sexual abandon of this generation. The needs are the same, but the poor substitutes for real love leave nothing but destruction and hopelessness in their wake.

I do have one important point of understanding in this tragedy. Young people are giving up any hope of an enduring love in their lives. Divorce, together with pornography, violence, illiteracy and drugs, the thoroughgoing corruption in government have taken their toll in the dreams of young people. Chastity is passé and the Devil has substituted mere lust in its place. What our young people cannot possibly realize is that knights in shining armor and sleeping beauty are only possible in terms of chastity and morality, in that best part of the child that one loses in betrayal of what really is of value in our lives.

Our present Civil War of values rages. The lessons of James Dean, Natalie Wood, and Sal Mineo in Rebel Without a Cause are still to be learned. The poetry of the movie lost in the grim reality of “It's only a story.” I sorrow for the loss of “The Lady of the Lake.” Who among our young people can now distinguish the child in Gatsby and fathom Fitzgerald's own yearning for immortality in the love of that One?

The thumping, mindless and sense-destroying, animalistic noise of the music young people listen to is a counterpoint to my choice of Red Sails in the Sunset. They can't possibly know what they are losing in the process; for that, they would have to accept the wisdom and experience of their elders and society tells them that we are an anachronism. What chance do such young people have of ever coming to an understanding of real love, of that thing that makes it all worthwhile, when they don't even realize that the noise they are listening to, the violence they are being taught is the antithesis of all that is lovely, is anathema to truth, beauty, hopes and dreams, a mind-destroying, numbing analgesic to living a real life of eternal purpose!

But what does a man who remembers a first kiss say to a generation that has done it all by the time they are fourteen? What does the poet have to offer young women who are “things” and young men who are emasculated of any manhood? How do you explain the magic of being able to sit for hours, content to simply hold one another while listening to the strains of Billy Butterfield or Mantovani? What tragic, grievous loss!

With that kind of music in the background as I write I am young once again, I am with that girl and we share the secrets of the universe, the secrets of lovers who blindly trust and have faith that all must be well. We are the true believers in life, a life where you can commit to one another and never for a moment doubt that trust will ever be betrayed.

The girls have gone but the memories linger on. They, in fact, have never left that better part of the child in me. They are still the innocent and pure, sweet-scented softness of the best part of the man. How I wish I could impart to children of today my store of precious memories. But how to impart that which is so intensely personal as looking deeply into the eyes of that one you cherish and would cheerfully die for and being able to see into their very heart and soul? And how do you explain the evil mechanism by which that first love becomes a foul spirit of competition, then combativeness, selfishness, and in its final death-throes, bitterness and hatred? But it’s the risk God took in creating us, it is the risk love always takes, the risk of love betrayed.

But a society that makes divorce easy and adultery a joke cannot hope for anything better than we now live with. The poet's pen cannot hope to scratch the flint-like, hardened callousness to virtue, the insulated shell that refuses sacrificial love. As an admitted heretic I have come to the conclusion that God, Who is Love, had to first learn to love. However, this conclusion was far more the result of my acquaintance of God Himself through Creation, including Nature Red in Tooth and Claw and by giving myself to the loving of others.

If would-be theologians would only be as honest in their own approaches to Nature as some eastern philosophers, they would admit they have failed, miserably, to convey the love of God to others in any intelligible way. In spite of the equally miserable failure of eastern philosophies to deal with the subject in all honesty, they, at least, are willing to impart some degree of humanity into it, much as the Egyptians and Greeks. It is a perversion of God's love to dress it in black, stand it in a pulpit for display and endow it with the hypocritical garb and language of liturgy and religiosity.

 Can I hope to understand the wounding of God's own heart unless I have experienced the same thing by looking into that girl's eyes and seeing my own love reflected by hers for me only to have it turned into betrayal? Can the real perversion of what is holy and good by a Judas be reconciled in any other fashion, let alone be made intelligible in any degree? I think not! When, in this temple of clay, we give ourselves to others, there is always the risk that the one loved will turn out to be a betrayer, an impostor. We must take that chance if we are to have any hope of understanding what life is all about. To clothe such a profound truth in religious verbiage is to profane it, to prostitute it to the designs of evil men and women who would put a price on it for which our weak flesh can find the means without personal sacrifice.

The world is a cruel taskmaster. There is no place in it for the idle or foolish dreamers. It rewards industry on the most pragmatic of terms. Even Thoreau had to accept the necessity of making pencils. But, he had the advantage of being able to make it a noble occupation. The secret is being able to do what is required while never losing sight of what is of real value, of keeping the child with his and her magic and dreams alive while earning the adult’s wage by honest toil.

When I held that girl, I was hers and she was mine; the two had become one. And so it should have been in that ideal world of true love and romance. But the times were already changing. The truth of the statement “... when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death” was lurking in wait for any unwary challenger. When lust is the motive to begin with, how avoid its inevitable result? And America was moving with increasing speed to destroy those things that were once held sacred, things of beauty with the promise of a brighter future trading these for wars and profits, bigger and ever more corrupt and bloated government filled with evil men.

What our children have inherited is lust, not love. Glorified by the universities, Hollywood and TV, by government itself, lust is the operant condition of their lives and they know no other. It may be a most unique legacy to my children that their father knew what it was to love; that he held a girl in his arms without any thought but the exquisite joy of sharing the closeness of one another and that was enough. It took an entire society's cruel devaluation of the fine gold of real love and romance to make the trade for the tawdry brass of lust as the goal rather than the seeking of the other's happiness and a lifetime commitment.

In that definitive treatise on love, the thirteenth chapter of First Corinthians, we are told that love seeks the welfare of the other, not your own. It seems much easier to say what love is not than to explain what it is. Nevertheless, it is defined for us so perfectly in sacrificial love without any sense of sacrifice that only those with no interest can miss the meaning.

While I realize that like Ezekiel I am preaching (prophesying) to a “valley of dry bones” the “confusion of tongues” of Genesis chapter eleven has hit America in a big way. To listen to the politicians and pundits is to hear this “babble,” this confusion of tongues coming from Obama, Congress, the prognosticators of Wall Street, and how the looming economic disaster for America is being spoken of in many different “tongues.” But to attempt to make any sense of what is being said is to hear nothing but a confusion of tongues and there is no certain trumpet sound to be heard from a leadership that would gather a divided and fragmented people together in unity to save our nation from economic collapse.

The many experts addressing our nation’s woes have their texts, and I am quite familiar with them. The problem is that the experts and texts do not agree on a course of action and are often contradictory. I have chosen the Bible as my text in addressing the problems facing America, and while the same accusation may be leveled at me and my text it really does come down to a matter of choice and I have made mine. But it may be safely said that while I am a very well university educated man and quite familiar with the texts of these others, they are woefully ignorant of mine but they feel free to impugn it.

Now I could continue my sermon using only the safe secular terminology of the well educated man that I am as I have so many times thereby avoiding the embarrassment of not being taken seriously. But it is too late and we have run out of time as a nation for me to play it safe, to any longer tolerate the “wise of this world” that will have nothing to do with God and the Bible and have no answers for the things that are destroying our nation and calling out for God’s judgment upon America. No matter the number of detours of my life, no matter how many times I have tried to outrun “The Hound of Heaven,” it seems always my destiny to return to preaching what I believe I need to preach though it be only to a valley of dry bones. God will flesh out those bones if he chooses.

While it is true the Bible used to be America’s textbook, it is equally true that the real prophets of God were never intended to live delicately, to wear soft clothing and live in kings’ palaces. Jesus made this quite clear, and when the churches of America began to enrich themselves and made the Gospel a “profession” it didn’t take Emerson to write “Ichabod” over their doors though he did so; the wealthy churches of America the pulpits supplied by false shepherds had already did this and continue to do so rather than follow the example of the prophet Samuel for whom I was named and dedicated to God as was he. The schools of the prophets became cathedrals of wealth preaching a false god and a false gospel.

As a Bible scholar I understood many years ago the typology of the Tower of Babel as America, the eschatological nation that would forsake God and attempt to exalt itself by building a “tower to reach heaven.” Well, we reached the moon and have sent rockets far out into space, wonderful advances in science, technology, and medicine, but the typological Tower of Babel to be fulfilled by America was to be built to the worship of Mammon, and in the meantime the people of America increasingly forsook God while worshipping money and began to suffer a confusion of tongues among our leaders dooming any cooperation in saving our nation. In the process, America became indulgent and spoiled, given over to the love of money, of being entertained and glorifying violence, sex, and perversion while destroying children and families all the while turning ever further away from God in the hellish, satanic process.

While America has been unique and served a unique function in world affairs, while it has done much to help others the Devil and his profit motive and promise of riches was there at every turn, and while America has been envied its wealth and freedom it has become hated for the bullying hypocrisy of its leaders. But it is an infant nation historically and the Bible speaks of the end in global terms in which America has no place among the far more ancient nations of the End of the Age. God is going to bring judgment against America for its sins of slavery, adultery, perversion, self-indulgence, the rewarding of false prophets and whoring after the god Mammon, the election of Obama the Hamite being the fitting instrument of God’s judgment including the enslaving of all Americans that cannot help but bring about total economic collapse, a burgeoning, bloating government that produces nothing feeding off a declining number of producers till the point is reached where it must resort to cannibalism by eating its own, which in a sense it has already begun to do and in the process becoming a “creature” rather than any longer being a nation of individuals. This is why I do not see America playing a role in the End Times prophecy of Revelation; I see America as That Great City Babylon in the following:

Revelation Chapter18: [1] And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. [2] And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. [3] For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. [4] And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. [5] For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. [6] Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double. [7] How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow. [8] Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her. [9] And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning, [10] Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come. [11] And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more: [12] The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble, [13] And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men. [14] And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all. [15] The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, [16] And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls! [17] For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off, [18] And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city! [19] And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate. [20] Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her. [21] And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all. [22] And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee; [23] And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived. [24] And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.

The real children of God here in our nation have nothing to fear of his judgment of America; they will continue to do what they have always done, and that is to do right no matter what others may do and to place their faith and trust in God knowing all things will pass away to be replaced by a new heaven and earth wherein dwelleth righteousness. While there is no happy ending for America and a world that is Satan’s domain and will be destroyed, the children of God have every reason to rejoice in their faith and trust in a heavenly Father that all turns out well by his hand rather than that of the Devil and his servants.

It was “Caesar Bush,” but with him gone let’s just think of Obama as someone that believes he is “Moses” rather than a Caesar or messiah. It is still a matter of scholarly conjecture just who the Pharaoh of the Exodus was and the Bible does not supply a name for him, but God kept hardening his heart to the point where he all but destroyed Egypt by refusing to let the Israelites go free as Moses told him God was commanding him to do or else!

From the Biblical account it sometimes takes a while for the planning and judgment of God to kick in; but when it does it is inescapable. Noah standing in the place of God cursed his son Ham for his perversion perpetrated upon his own father; and the curse has remained upon the Hamites throughout all generations to the present time just as Noah had pronounced it would. Now we have a son of Ham as President of the U. S. and he has taken the position of a “Negro Moses” and is determined to free “his people” from the tyranny of “Caucasian Pharaohs and taskmasters” as per the gospel according to his spiritual mentor Jeremiah Wright, and in the process “spoil the Egyptians.”

According to the Bible it took some 400 years before God decided to send Moses to deliver the Israelites from their cruel bondage. Curiously, it’s been a few centuries since slavery was introduced in America and the Founding Fathers decided to keep it around for the sake of the profit margin, not unlike the thinking of those Pharaohs that ruled over their Hebrew slaves. But as God told Moses, he had surely heard the cry of his people and was not being tardy in answering as judged by human standards; in the words of Scripture “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness…”

But just where is the “Promised Land,” a land “flowing with milk and honey” the present Moses intends to take his people? It’s America, which this Moses intends to remake into his version of a promised land that will favor “his people” while spoiling the “Egyptians,” that’s all those rich folks, primarily Caucasian, that have been the oppressors of the poor, primarily Negroes.

Not that poor Caucasians and Hispanics including illegal aliens won’t receive the benefits of Obama’s “redistribution of wealth”; however, there is no doubt where this Negro Moses has his priorities favoring “his people” much in the way of Jeremiah Wright’s racist “gospel” damning Caucasian America and New Orleans Mayor Nagin’s racist demand for it to be rebuilt a “Chocolate City” following the Katrina disaster.

The biggest problem self-styled Moses/Obama has is the fact that it is the wealthy he intends to soak that owns those politicians in Congress, primarily wealthy Caucasians themselves. And if Moses/Obama should only be the puppet of Satan and the Evil One’s globalization masters as I believe him to be even being president won’t save him from disaster. The tragedy is that America is facing the same disaster this pseudo-Moses will suffer as he leads us to the destruction of economic collapse and nationwide chaos and anarchy.

Whatever anyone believes none can dispute Obama has broken virtually every campaign promise he made and intends to be the “Massa of the Big House.” But the intended slaves are becoming a bit unruly, and not all of us are willing to walk lockstep into Obama’s “Promised Land” of socialism. The Lord caused the earth to open up and swallow Korah and his followers in judgment of their opposing Moses, but America has followed in the way of the gainsaying of Korah and the Moses in the White House is a usurper.

God not only judges individuals, he judges nations. He was preparing 400 years for the judgment against Egypt, and eventfully that nation felt the full weight of God’s judgment. There is nothing anyone can do to prevent God’s judgment of America should our nation fail to repent and turn to the Lord. Slavery was a great evil in Egypt; it was no less evil here in America. There is a somber word of caution in the Exodus story; only a few of those delivered out of Egypt lived to enter the Promised Land because of that generation’s disobedience to God.

That’s quite a dance being performed by Obama and company, trying to convince people that his pouring trillions into some promised “hereafter” if he only has things all his way will usher in a Utopian future. Of course, he says things are going to be a tad rough in the meantime until his programs kick in. Were it not such a fool’s errand and holds the prospect of calamity for America it would be laughable; but the direction this servant of Satan is leading America is no laughing matter except for those Obama is supporting by enabling and encouraging parasites and his Marxist friends. However, I doubt very much anyone would enjoy Satan’s sense of humor since he must be having a laugh about the “leadership” of America like Obama. But what of God’s sense of humor?

    It was in a discussion with some friends that my mind turned, once more, to the seeming lack of God's sense of humor as some would have it. When Sam Clemens said “He was as happy as if he had just gotten out of church” he expressed the sentiment of many folks; although the more spiritual among us would never admit it. Clemens faced the hypocrisy of the churches of his time with rare wit and humor, using the realities of life to confront the hypocrites. What a field day he would be having with today's TV evangelists!

    No, I don't think God lacks a sense of humor. But I do believe the religious professionals have been vastly successful in making people believe the same God who gave us humor and laughter doesn't know anything about it; strange thinking, and to what purpose? Yet, when I have asked religious friends to give me an example of God's humor, they come up short. These friends are Bible literate and good churchgoers, but they were hard pressed for an answer to my question. They agreed that surely God must have a sense of humor; they just couldn't come up with any examples.

    Some preachers have really strained to make a few Bible stories sources of humor. But let's face it folks, humor isn't the strong suit of Scripture. Not that it is non-existent; Jesus was, according to the Pharisees, a Party Kind of Guy. I've said that since Jesus made about 120 gallons of wine for that marriage in Cana he must have intended they all have a good time of it. And considering the sourpusses who called him a glutton and drunkard, I kind of wish I had been at the party.

    It has often been said that if the churches could make heaven half as exciting as hell, they would be crowded. And let's face it folks, hell seems to be where all the action is as opposed to floating on clouds, plucking harps and singing your lungs out to some high and mighty tyrant that doesn't seem to understand what having fun and a good time is all about.

    As Clemens put it in the words of Huckleberry Finn, if his friend Tom Sawyer wasn't going to heaven he would rather go to that “other place.” Huck had a pretty good grasp of the situation. If it were God's intention to keep humor out of the Bible, one would have to say he was enormously successful. But the Bible wasn't written to be funny. On that score, anyone would have to agree.

   The Bible deals with serious issues; it wasn't intended to be funny. Among other things, it relates stories of antiquity about creation, The Fall, the history of God's dealing with humankind throughout the ages, and the depravity of evil. Well, if we don't find the humor of God in the Bible, where shall we look; and why?

    First and foremost, the absence of humor on the part of God would be a deadly thing indeed. In spite of the gravity of the subject God does stress a merry heart, Jesus did mix with people who were having fun, and I am certain that he and the Apostles did share some laughs together. But God's humor must be found in his supreme creation: People. We may safely assume that in God's creation of humans, one of his attributes is reflected in our capacity for humor; it is a gift of God.

    He undoubtedly knew we would need such a gift to deal with the somber, sober issues of life. It is that image of God, people that proves God has a sense of humor. I make much of this because the problems we face as human beings cannot be handled without that medicine of the soul, laughter and joy! There is also another point: The humanity of God expressed by his humor in us.

    I never tire of philosophical discussion and exchange of ideas concerning the nature of God, His Creation, and humankind. And I've learned a few things during my years of study of such things. Any basic philosophy text will acquaint the reader with systems and ideologies that attempt explanations of God, nature, and humankind. But when comparing ideologies that derive from philosophies, there are things common to all. Not surprising since all philosophies are the work of men. Religious philosophies like Christianity, Islam, and Judaism have evolved from the questions of men and women (though women are generally excluded from any scholarly discussion of the subject) in attempts to systematize a relationship between God and humankind.

    In the religion of Christianity there is a Savior, Jesus Christ, who is supposed to have given himself as a sacrifice for sins. Christians believe he rose from the dead and will return in glory to redeem the world and make all things right. But do systematic and dogmatic theologies explain the problems and answer the questions all rational people have? No.

    I've made the point many times that the Bible does not have the answers to many legitimate questions. But it is a basic text, a Primer, and as such the study of it helps us to pursue answers to these questions since it reflects so much of the thinking of men concerning origins and philosophies.

    It should go without saying that ignorance of this book dooms one to philosophical illiteracy. No matter how many other texts you study by all the great thinkers of the world, ignorance of a book that has had such an impact on humankind is to be abysmally and inexcusably ignorant in any philosophical discussion or study. I will also state the obvious: No one, religious or non-religious who has not read the Bible has any right to think of themselves as an educated person.

    In attempting to find the answers to so many difficult questions, a study of the Bible together with a study of those systems of philosophies derived from men is essential. It is in the exchange of ideas that the path to answers will be found, the path to realizing the potential of the human race.

    No discussion of philosophy can ignore the mythologies of our history, including those of the Bible. Much of philosophy derives from such mythologies. Understanding of these things is essential for progress in attempting solutions to the problems that plague humankind.

    Theology, Philosophy, and Mythology are attempts to make sense of God, nature, and human nature, of the relationship between God, Creation, and people. I will not plow ground so thoroughly covered by others in the particular areas of mythology. My particular task is to confront the presumptuousness of Christian scholars, theologians, who have neglected to consider the wisdom outside their own areas of expertise; and, I will add, their areas of presumptive knowledge.

    We read in Paul's epistle to the Romans that humankind suffered terribly by forsaking the true knowledge and worship of God and turning to idols and immorality; the result being the total obfuscation of the real nature of God and His relationship with people. This corruption of the truth of God is summed up in Romans 1:21-25: “For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator.”

    As a result of forsaking the truth and real knowledge of God, mythologies as well as the things enumerated in Romans evolved. In general, these stories attempted to explain God and the supernatural. Cultures began to become distinctive and their mythologies show their imprint. The Greek culture was replete with a pantheon of demigods, gods and goddesses. The Egyptians had a great inventory of such, as did the Romans. Such stories have a basis in truth, though often corrupted. The credit I accord them is the humanity ascribed to these deities. In spite of the corruption of the truth, there remained a common element throughout that no matter how exalted; these deities were susceptible to common, human frailties.

    I do not attempt to make a god in my image. I believe God made us in His. But I do want to confront the hypocrisy of the churches in their making God inhuman; to confront them for the grievous errors and for the damage done by the churches and other religions like Judaism and Muslimism in making God inhuman; for example, the hypocrisy of things such as the Inquisition and the Salem Witch Trials. Can anyone believe God should take the blame for such things done in his name?

    It is the faulty thinking in the philosophies of men that has made the character of God appear as something he is not. And I cannot help but believe that if men had included women and children in such philosophies, a lot of the harm done by them would have been avoided. It isn’t a question of equal rights, but one of equal value.

    Theologians, Jewish, Christian, and Moslem have resorted to all kinds of foolish mechanisms to protect God's honor. Reading some of this material in various commentaries one cannot help thinking: With friends like these, God doesn't need enemies! From portrayals as an inept and superstitious fool to a bloodthirsty despot, you find it all in the philosophies of men and their “scriptures” who, most of them self-deceived, have tried to uphold the honor of God all the while impugning him instead.

    I am grateful for the fact that The Lord has a sense of humor. In point of fact, he must have the finest sense of humor of all. Despite the fact that he must be the best parent of any thereby seeming to spoil some of the fun while we are growing up, the typical attitude of children toward parents that prevent them doing something that might harm them, our heavenly Father does bear with a lot from his children. But if our own joy is to be in The Lord, we find not only the happiness that comes of obedience but able to exercise the sense of humor which is a gift of God as well.

Perhaps like me you listen to the prognosticators of a rosy financial scenario out of the Obama camp and get the feeling a whole lot of people are in for a shock of disillusionment. As far as I am concerned, Obama supporters are already whistling through the graveyard. Those like me believe he is a tool of Satan and no amount of whistling through the graveyard is going to keep the demons at bay. In my opinion, America is headed for economic collapse and I remain of the belief our nation is that Great City Babylon of Revelation.

Whether I am right or not, there is no escaping the fact our sorry excuse for “leadership” in America seems at best chasing their tails rather than paying any attention to the things like our open borders threatening us, inviting any and all of our enemies to enter and do us harm at their good pleasure. Insane!

As I see nothing of anything approaching economic stability or peace in the world, but on the contrary more barbarism as world conditions worsen and things like world famine possible I am naturally drawn ever closer to Paul’s admonition in II Timothy 2:15: “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

If you have stayed with me this far, it might be well to take a little breather. So, before I get into the further discussion of my heterodox opinions concerning my thoughts about religion, I'd like to indulge in a little whimsy as is my wont.

One of my pronounced interests is science. This helps considerably in Bible study. But it also helps to maintain one's sense of humor in such things. If you lose that, you've lost it all. Considering what most of the churches taut as Bible Study and Teaching, you really do need to keep your sense of humor or you would wind up screaming most of the time. But God really has the number of many of these people. Amos: 5:21 and 23: I hate, I despise your religious feasts; I cannot stand your assemblies... Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps.

I love women. I love writing about them and the relationships between men and women. I wrote an essay entitled “Fathers and Daughters.” This was the foundation for my book: “Birds With Broken Wings.” This led to an examination of the historical problem of the relationship between men and women, one that led Sam Clemens to call men and women natural born enemies. Being unwilling to accept Sam's dismal assessment of the situation, largely because of what I learned as a man from my beautiful daughters, I began to write of what I call “The Missing Half of Humankind: Women!”

As an academic, I have been immersed in the studies of philosophy and theology. It finally penetrated my thick skull that women were conspicuous by their absence from such philosophies, philosophies that have determined the course of history and nations. The specifics of such attention by me as a man has led to the greatest challenge of my life, an attempt to find a solution to the historical problem of relationships, to discover the reasons that the philosophies of men have determinedly excluded women throughout the history of humankind. That this is an enormously complex problem is proved by the thousands of books, films, and innumerable talk shows directed at the problem. It is my considered opinion that it is treated far too simplistically.

One example: I asked a beautiful woman friend of mine to ask an organization of 150 women to whom she had access to put this question to the group: Since the number one complaint of women concerning men is that men don't listen to them, what, exactly, is it that women are trying to say that legitimizes their complaint? When my friend did as I had asked she was astounded at the resulting confusion and lack of being able to formalize and articulate an answer to this question.

But when it comes to discussions concerning religion the confusion is rampant; and few seem to follow Paul’s admonition concerning the need to study to show yourself approved, but seem to believe they can leave their brains at the door when entering the sanctuary.

    When Paul preached his sermon to the Greeks of Athens (Acts 17) he said he had found an altar of theirs with the inscription: To An Unknown God. Then he said: “Now, what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you.” And Paul proceeds to do so.

    When your religion requires you pay homage to unknown deities just in case you might miss one you don't know about, you're in trouble! Modern man is heir to a great number of superstitions and myths that still hold sway in the minds of untold millions of people worldwide. In this country we thrill to movies of the occult; we love our Dracula’s and Frankenstein’s, the Mummy, Werewolf, witches and goblins and things that go bump in the night. Transylvania and the Carpathian Mountains, the Great Pyramids, Isis, Thot, etc. continue to capture the imagination of multiplied millions.

    It's fairly common to find well-educated people of wealth and influence in the grip of Astrology, Freemasonry, and Rosicrucianism. The Ouija Board and scrying still have their adherents. Palm readers, Dream Analysts, and Sooth Sayers still ply their trades throughout the world. People still read Nostradamus and Cayce with belief and anticipation. I am not opposed to people given to these things, but am opposed to those that would take advantage of others by making claims of supernatural knowledge for profit. In point of fact, there are too many Christian pulpits filled by the same kind of charlatans.

    The macabre, the weird, the supernatural, from the innocuous rabbit's foot to stringing up chickens and sacrifices of every kind, to magic potions and elixirs, blessed candles and medallions, the list goes on and on. All of which should tell us something. Paul tried to tell those Athenians: God is not in birds, animals, idols or buildings, but within us. Well, the Divine Spark may be there but a whole lot of people searched and still searches elsewhere, worshiping the creature instead of the Creator.

    Since science does not answer to the need people have for God, cannot tell us what life is or explain what departs at death, since so many superstitions and myths still guide millions, it would seem there should eventually be an answer to what is being searched for. To the Christian, the answer is in Christ. But literally billions of people know little or nothing of Jesus Christ. I think it vitally important for Christians to examine their belief system in the light of the fair, sensible rationale that God is not going to send good people to hell because they never heard of Jesus.

    We have to explore the evidence suggested by myths, and writings of books like the Bible. And in searching out answers to our questions about the nature of God in such writings and stories, many things come into conflict with the beliefs of many people.

    As to the Bible, Adam and Eve think they can hide from God. Even Cain thinks he can get away with murder- So much for Biblical affirmation of the omnipresence of God. Later, even the prophet Jonah thinks he can run away and hide from God. As with the story of God having to come see for himself if things were as bad in Sodom and Gomorrah as he had been told, God asking Satan where he had been and what he had been doing in the book of Job, it is highly unlikely the ancients thought of God being everywhere at the same time.

    Angels as messengers: What is the need of such beings if you already know what's happening? Jacob's vision of a stairway from earth to heaven with angels going up and down and God at the top of this stairway shows the perception of messengers from and to God.

    The story in Daniel 10 of one who looked like a man coming to the aid of the prophet is a fascinating one. But how, I ask myself, could this creature have been delayed for 21 days by the Prince of Persia? Bible commentators construe this prince as Satan. The angel Michael comes to this creature's aid and it is only then he is able to come to Daniel.

    There is mention of a “Book of Truth” from which this messenger to Daniel declares certain prophecies. In chapter 12 we have the passage concerning Michael and his angels that occurs in Revelation 12 where they overcome Satan and his angels. The angel Gabriel is described by Daniel as both a creature that looks like a man, 8:15, and as a man, 9:21. Gabriel is the announcing angel of Luke 1:19 and 26 who appears to Zachariah and Mary.

    As a fallen angel, the book of Zachariah in the OT gives us a picture of Satan as the adversary and accuser of the brethren, a popular theme of Hebrew theology. In the OT we have a picture of the law being given to Moses by God. In the NT it is understood to be administered through angels, Galatians 3:19 and Hebrews 2:2.

    Throughout the Bible and other literature of antiquity, angels, spirits, play a prominent role; one for which God has need of such creatures to do his bidding. But some, the elect, as the NT says, are to judge angels in the future. We are also told that some can actually entertain (be hospitable to) angels without knowing they are angels.

    Thus the ministry of angels is made prominent in the literature of the Bible (as well as the myths and legends of other cultures), and these angels appear disguised on occasion. The angels of Satan are busy as well, Satan disguising himself as an angel of light and his servants masquerading as ministers of righteousness. II Corinthians 11:14.

    Women, Paul says in I Corinthians 11:10 should not pray with their heads uncovered lest they be a scandal to their husbands and to angels. The covering of women's hair when they pray is a sign of the authority of men over them. The basis of Paul's admonition is that just as man is the image and glory of God, the woman is to be the honor and glory of the man. This is the basis for my believing something transpired between Eve and the serpent of the Garden that caused God’s curse to fall especially hard on women.

    Satan (or a like figure) and demonology are very prominent parts of religious beliefs. The Bible, being a coherent source of such traditions and beliefs, sheds a lot of light on questions concerning these things. But it also raises a lot of questions as well. Yet, with so little in the way of cognitive and reasonably accurate literature comparatively free of myth and legend of the biblical period of history, even secular scholars have need of frequent recourse to the Bible. It continues to stand alone as a respected and respectable source of veracity and integrity, and was at one time the textbook of America.

    While most Christians shake their heads in agreement to the sage dictum of lighting candles rather than cursing the darkness, I've found great antagonism to the lighting of candles that shed unfavorable light on comfortable dogmas like “You just have to have faith and believe,” no matter how ridiculous and contradictory such beliefs may be.

    For example, we have a very different picture of the attributes of God from the OT account than that of the churches. Despite a “new covenant” it is this flawed perception of the nature of God that the churches hold that has led to so much chaos and uncertainty, schisms and divisions; and, in the past, burning heretics at the stake! The doctrine that God is omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent, and perfect by a dictionary definition is the product of man's religiosity and not a claim of the Bible. It is at this point that all good Catholics and Baptists start collecting wood in preparation for lighting my fire.

    Since I have no desire to become a candle to light their darkness, in other words, no martyr complex, I can only hope such people might take a long look at the evidence of their prejudices before striking the match. But there are a number of skeptics and scientists that ignorantly worship at the throne of Evolution who would be just as quick to do me in. Shame on all of them!

    But the fact is that Neandertal suddenly, abruptly, disappears, and a few thousand years later, suddenly, abruptly, Homo sapiens appears. What sense is to be made of this enigma? The Bible being a credible history, more so than any competitors such as most of the myths and legends of other cultures gives some intriguing insights for those with enough honesty and determination to sort through it.

    When we have exhausted the wisdom of men and the Pythias of Delphi, the Sibyls of Rome and Orphism, the searching’s of Pythagoras, Plato, Zoroaster, the early Babylonian, Egyptian, Persian and Iranian cosmologies, we are still confronted with the paradox of good and evil, and ineffectual philosophies of dualism as attempted explanations.

    The early attempts at codified law such as that of Hammurabi and, later, Moses and post-exilic redactors and scribes, reflect the most ancient consciousness of the need of law directed at morality and the stability of the family, the foundation of all cultures. But all attempts to codify The Way of the Good, which have been in general agreement by all cultures throughout history, have met with resistance by the lawless ones; those that continue to do evil in spite of all efforts by the Good.

    Will a sensible cosmology be the ultimate answer? The essence of the Gospel whether anyone has ever heard of Jesus or not, to love God and love others as yourself, would seem to be a sensible answer. Yet, men will do evil; and the very existence of evil thwarts every attempt to make the Good prevail. Clearly, we do not yet have an answer to the paradox, and given worsening conditions worldwide will we simply run out of time before we can find an answer to this threatening dilemma? It is at this point I find a great deal of comfort and assurance in knowing the Bible’s answer to the question rather than having to rely on any human inventions.

Even some Christians find the mention of Satan somehow distasteful, a kind of boogeyman that is an embarrassment to those thinking themselves too “enlightened” to believe such an entity actually exists. After all, how is it that a creature older than dirt with monikers like Old Serpent, Dragon, Old Scratch, Beelzebub, Lord of the Flies, that goes around dressed in a red union suit with a pitchfork, has horns, a tail and cloven hooves instead of feet, a face like a goat and sulfurous breath that offers to show a girl his etchings in a toasty place underground furnished in brimstone and filled with snakes, toads, bats, owls, beetles, spiders and assorted goblins and gargoyles still gets the chicks? Well, to be exact Satan was none of this but on the contrary according to Scripture was a beautiful creature, which is why he may have been the progenitor of the First Eternal Triangle.

    A reading of the so-called Lost Books of the Bible (they never were, but the name attracts the gullible), the pseudepigrapha, and the Apocrypha, quickly shows the reader why these are not in the canon of Scripture. Many are worthwhile in respect to their historical value, but they are not of the same quality of the canonical books. Much of the Talmud, even cabalistic literature, Jewish and Christian, provide insights to biblical study. The many translations and versions are valuable in such study as well. Jewish fables, as the Apostle Paul called them, and Jewish myths as per Titus are, for the most part, excluded from the canon and for good reason as noted. But the liberties taken by some scribes are still in evidence in places in the Received Text. Textual criticism is essential to separate these, as well as some Christian fables, from the actual manuscripts available. But the Jewish story of “Lilith” has a history, and while you can read it for yourself I have what I believe to be an interesting twist to the story, one I believe explains why the curse of God fell especially hard on Eve in the roles of sex and childbearing.

    For years I have been telling church leaders there is a desperate need for a new theology. No matter how many beautiful stories you tell, how many beautiful theories you evolve, they crumble before stubborn facts that won't simply go away. One such fact that Bible Christians must confront is the Serpent in the Garden. This creature had the power of speech and walked erect. Christian theology has always had Satan using this creature in the temptation and deception of Eve as per II Corinthians 11:3. I think Adam was there also, not out mowing the lawn. In fact, Genesis 3:6 declares: ... She also gave some to her husband, who was with her...!

    But he was probably waiting to see what happened to Eve before he took a bite. I conclude this from the fact that when confronted by God for his disobedience he took it like a man and blamed it on his wife. And God. The resentment of women toward men has a long and legitimate history.

    God's curse on the serpent was that it would crawl on its belly and eat dust forever after. Obviously, it didn't crawl previously. Those that would try to tell us that Satan and the serpent were one and the same cannot reconcile such a thing with snakes as we know them. It is, therefore, much more to our advantage and for the sake of good scholarship and reason, to take the view that the serpent God cursed was not a snake as we know it, and was a creature much like Adam and Eve. This becomes vitally important theologically if the Christian view of Satan is a distorted one, and he is more like the accuser and adversary of Jewish theology.

    It would naturally follow from the history of serpents in antiquity, the view of humankind that they represent cunning and evil, even the Dark Side of Beauty, that the story of the serpent in the Garden should be interpreted as allegorical to the curse of God; snakes being only representative of this creature.    Revelation 12:9 and 20:2 refers to that ancient serpent called the devil or Satan that leads the whole world astray. But the Genesis narrative leads one to believe the serpent was a distinct creation of God separate from the Devil, especially so in the light of the fact that God would not include Satan, in either Christian or Jewish theology, among the wild animals of creation but was among those appearing with the sons of God in Job.

    It isn't likely, either, that Satan entered the serpent and used it in some anthropomorphic (Satanic version) state. God's judgment of the serpent wouldn't make any sense in that event. An innocent animal damned because it was used of the Devil? But the Law of Moses required an animal used in Sodomy to be killed along with the person who used it. Why? The animal certainly wasn't guilty. So we cannot discount the possibility entirely; yet the injustice of it rankles. In any event the picture of Satan and the serpent cooperating in the downfall of Adam and Eve in some manner exists. And if the serpent was far more than traditional theology, Jewish or Christian, interprets it some fascinating possibilities suggest themselves.

    In the Temptation of Christ, Satan is an evil angel, not a snake. His other appearances throughout Scripture are that of an evil angel. So, in the Garden the serpent is to be understood as a distinct creature from Satan. But the serpent is among the wild animals God created. Just how wild is wild since all these animals were subject to Adam and tame enough for them to pass before him in review for naming them and seeking a companion, a suitable helpmeet from among them? And surely Adam wasn’t expected to find a suitable helpmeet from animals as we understand them to be.

    Here, as in many other places in the Bible, there is cause for caution in taking some words at face value. Just as there is a hierarchy of angels like seraphim and cherubim, Michael the Archangel and Gabriel the Messenger Angel, and Raphael in the deuterocanonical book of Tobit, there is a hierarchy of the wild animals of Adam's time.

    The serpent was the craftiest and most cunning of the lot we are told. And, probably, the most beautiful and human-like, possibly even homomorphic. And it would certainly seem from the account that Eve was familiar with this creature and she and Adam had probably been visited by it before. As a result, there is no surprise expressed by them at its appearance at the time of The Fall. Working strictly from the sparse narrative, I would guess that the serpent had already worked up a trusting relationship with Adam and Eve, laying the groundwork for cooperation with Satan's ultimate plan of causing our first parents and special creation of God to rebel.

    Back to the early creations of which Satan may have been the creator: If we take the view that God was experimenting with various creatures before he created Adam, it would mean that God (Elohim) was making a lot of mistakes in such creations like the dinosaurs and pterodactyls. But from the narrative, I would think it far more likely that Satan created such creatures and his attempts were flawed by his growing disenchantment with being number two in the Celestial hierarchy. Perhaps this led to his mind becoming dark, malignant and malevolent, and such creatures showed this dark side of his increasing evilness. The early and long involvement of people with grotesque and hideous representations of gods, goddesses, spirits and demons like the gargoyles and goblins possibly have a basis in fact of such things. This dark picture includes things like evil spirits inhabiting animals and demon possession.

    The story of the Garden I believe to be based on facts and may put things in perspective. God's beautiful creation of Adam and Eve was in contradiction to the creations of Satan thus incurring Satan's hatred. The Devil's creations were ugly. He isn't called a Snake, Dragon, and Beelzebub, Lord of the flies, for no reason. But God's creations were beautiful. So Satan decided to hurt God and destroy this beautiful creation made in God's own image, but how to go about this? He plotted carefully. And he had help; the serpent. However, Genesis 3:1 tells us that the serpent was a creation of God. In fact, it was more subtle, craftier and more cunning than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made; moreover it had the gift of speech! Paul in II Corinthians 11:3 says: ... Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning....

    We are dealing with a creature unlike any we know. But it had to have been among those creatures Adam named in seeking a companion. Bible commentators have strained at this trying to make the serpent a dumb beast without the power of speech among other things. But that cannot be reconciled with the actual narrative, especially not with the plain fact that Adam was trying to find a suitable helpmeet among other creatures.

    Not only was the serpent more cunning and crafty than any of these other creatures, it is within the bounds of speculation that it might have thought itself worthy of being Adam's choice of a companion. Having not been chosen by Adam, God creating Eve instead, the serpent may well have had a genuine hatred of Eve as a usurper. Furthermore, I would think this serpent might even have been a homomorphic female! After all, Adam wasn't looking for a Steve; he was looking for an Eve even though the serpent did not make the cut.

    Unrequited love? Possible. And hell hath no fury.... If this is the line of thought, it explains a lot. Women don't trust each other; they steal the husbands and boyfriends of other women. As a consequence, the serpent was an ideal candidate for Satan's approach to get its cooperation in causing The Fall. It may have gone something like this:

    Satan to the serpent: “Hey, Serp, you beautiful thing, you know how God has something new he calls Adam and Eve. You've met them already as neighbors when you went over to tell Eve about the Tupperware party. You know he even made them a cushy place, a beautiful garden without gophers or mosquitoes where they are living the good life not even raising a sweat! Hades! We do all the dirty work and these bland goody goodies get all the perks! It isn't fair, I tell ya!

    “Well, I think I know where God blew it my lovely. He told these creatures they could pig out on anything in the garden except for the fruit of one tree. All we have to do is get them to cross God and eat from that tree and we've got 'em.”

    “I admire your thinking Satan. I've already had a few talks with these creatures and I think the woman is the one I can get to. She is really a curious thing. Tell her she can't have something and she wants it, tell her she can't look into a box and she can't wait to open it. And she has her sex that she uses to keep Adam shaped up and get her way. And you know how stupid males of every kind are about that!”

    “I think you're right Serp; she has already been complaining about Adam not asking God for a raise and not standing up to him and being a real man! She really got to him on that one, and if we play our cards right, he'll probably go along just to show her he isn't afraid of God!”

    Now if the serpent was a female, she knew just how to get to a man. Get Eve to question Adam's manhood. Something like: “If you were any kind of a man, you'd stand up to God! Here, take a bite and prove you're a man!” God condemns Adam for listening to his wife. Therefore, she had to have said something. I offer this as a possibility.

    But since Adam had turned her down, the serpent had to get Eve to do the dirty work (One thought I have had on this subject deserves mention. I doubt Satan would have found the serpent such a willing ally if she had known she was going to become a quadriplegic in the process. But that's the chance you take when you listen to the Devil).

    I ask you to forgive me a flight of fancy and whimsy; story telling seems to be one of my stronger compulsions. But whatever mechanisms were at work in getting the serpent's cooperation in getting Adam and Eve to betray God, it was successful. But hasn't it ever crossed the minds of my brethren in theology that Satan and the serpent must have known God wasn't going to take this lying down, that there had to be consequences of this action that would fall on their heads as well as Adam and Eve's?

    Satan and the serpent must have thought that causing Adam and Eve to incur the wrath and judgment of God would benefit them in some way. It is not reasonable to suppose they would take such a risk unless they saw some advantage to themselves in doing so. Revenge? Possible. Unrequited love? Possible. There are examples enough of such self-destructive behavior. But it may have also been possible that Satan believed himself powerful enough to withstand God, that he felt threatened by God's creation of Adam and Eve and God's plans for them, plans that would supplant Satan and his hierarchy of angels.

    Forced out of the Garden, it isn't surprising that the earliest religions were focused on fertility. As per God's judgment, the earth would no longer yield her strength so easily, and the battle for food became a desperate one at times. Further, the pain and danger of childbirth put women at risk. The discovery in places like Sumer of so many figurines of pregnant women is proof of this preoccupation with fertility and goddesses like Ishtar came into vogue.

    The prominence of fertility being a sign of God's approval is a repeated theme in Scripture. In Genesis, Eve thanks God for the birth of Cain. Of course, she didn't know he would be a murderer. In Genesis 30:23 when Rachel bears Joseph, she says: “God has taken away my disgrace!”

    Now, about the enmity God pronounced between the Serpent's seed and Eve's. Just what is the distinction between the two seeds, the seed of the woman, humankind, and the seed of the serpent? Eve is called the mother of all living, but she could not have given birth to the seed of the serpent; that was a distinct seed from that of Man. The conflict between good and evil was to be a conflict between the seed of the woman, humankind, and the seed of the serpent called by Jesus in Scripture “The Children of the Devil.” These are the liars, murderers, hypocrites, Judases, those that betray the love and trust of others like adulterers and molesters, take advantage, use and abuse, torture and maim for the fun of it, conscienceless, some are the monsters in human guise that prey on women and children especially.

    A thought worthy some speculation is whether the serpent, if a female, could reproduce? We are not told that the serpent was cast out of the garden with Adam and Eve. But why would God allow it to remain? Engaging my proclivity for whimsy, I pose the following for consideration: Cunning, crafty, but beautiful! The description of the serpent would support this attribute as well. God made the serpent, and all that God made, we are told, was good; that is, pure and beautiful. The serpent included.

    Another point that might support the thought that the serpent, beautiful and extremely intelligent (you know, this characteristic might have put Adam off, come to think of it?) would be all the more incensed at Adam's not choosing her; which brings me to a very interesting conjecture: Eve, a woman, pitted against another female of a different species. Men fantasize and write stories, make films about beautiful females from the planet Playtex. Who cares if they have pointy ears or some other differences which, as long as they don't subtract from the over-all beauty (might even enhance the libido in the process) and have all the other important parts of their superstructure and plumbing in order?

    Now with the Inquirer and Globe as trustworthy sources of information (Men In Black) about alien life forms and their cohabitive conduct with earthlings.... But I digress; however, I wonder how many of you know Isaac Asimov wrote “A Guide to the Bible”?

    So here we are. Adam and Eve forced out of the Garden and we have the origin of the Eternal Triangle (But with the Serpent, instead of Ingrid Bergman, playing the part of the Hypotenuse); an interesting scenario. Requests for the movie rights will be entertained. I suspect Adam, however, was somewhat miffed at the loss of his position in the Garden, and not too likely to take up with the serpent in spite of bestiality, sodomy, and polygamy having an ancient ancestry. This left the serpent at odds for a mate since she couldn't make it with Adam (unless one of those ancient predecessors of Homo sap was around to comfort her). So this beautiful creature may have waited around for a time until you know who appears on the scene: Cain!

    I am assuming that at this time the curse of God against the serpent that she would crawl on her belly and eat dust was, in whatever figure, delayed, just as the death of Adam was going to take centuries. It is also possible that, snakes, as we know them, were figurative of God's judgment and have a special connection to Satan and the serpent of the Garden. One thing is certain; snakes have always played an important part in religions throughout history; particularly in regard to fertility rites and as phallic symbols as well as symbols of evil, cunning, and deception. “Wise as serpents”; ever wonder why Jesus used this description, a commonly held perception though obviously a myth. Yet it is grounded in the reputation of that ancient story of the Garden.

    Thus a possibility for two different species: the sons of God being Eve's offspring and the daughters of men with whom they intermingled being those of Cain. I offer another thought; suppose Satan, if he had creative power, made it with the serpent? In the NT, God by the Holy Spirit impregnates Mary. Did Satan, in an evil parody, impregnate the serpent? After all, she had a legitimate gripe with Satan: “Hey, you got me into this; now be a gentleman and do the right thing by me!” Her description as belonging to that class of wild animals God created comes to mind here. As with a woman scorned, Satan might have been made to see it her way rather than being subject to her wrath. Women (regardless of species, I suppose) can do that, you know. If so, she might have gone off apart from Adam and Eve and in that land of Nod, had a daughter waiting for Cain?

    This might be credible if you take the children of the Devil having their ancestry traced to this source, the sons of God commingling with the daughters of men with Cain as the original man in the scenario. Something of this nature might explain why the oldest religions discovered emphasized the Queen of Heaven, the worship of a Goddess over the earth and mankind that depended on her to promote fertility.

    A possible act of desecration of some very early churches is carvings of nude women indicative of this kind of Goddess worship. Discovery of stone phalli under church altars is proof of the continued beliefs of fertility worship in the Christian era. But this kind of fertility religion came into real conflict with the Masculine God of the Israelites. It was one of the factors in distinguishing the importance of ethical monotheism as opposed to the predominate pantheism of the surrounding nations like the Babylonian and Chaldean, especially in regard to the rebuke of human sacrifice and nature worship. Ethical monotheism created great conflict between a Goddess of fertility, the Serpent, Queen of Heaven, and God the Father, Male dominant! As to intercourse with the Devil, this has an ancient tradition. “Rosemary's Baby” has its roots in such stories.

    Lucifer, Greek Phosphorus, meaning Lightbearer, the morning star i.e. the planet Venus at dawn or Hebrew, shining one, has virtually no legend and is not mentioned in Scripture. Some misguided translator, in an attempt to connect the name with the apocalyptic literature intruded the name and it is found in the King James Bible, but correctly omitted in modern translations.

    St. Jerome among the church fathers made an attempt, on this basis of the apocalyptic literature and Jesus' remark about Satan falling like lightening from heaven, to equate Lucifer with the Babylonian account in Revelation and Isaiah, chapter 14. Milton’s Paradise Lost enhanced the propagation of this idea. Due to this concept, the name Lucifer was held to be the name of Satan before his fall from heaven. But it has no history earlier than that of Jerome.

    However, a handwritten account called the Aradia or The Gospel of the Witches by an Italian witch, Maddelena, in 1886 at the request of Charles Leland of the Gypsy Lore Society states that Lucifer, as Sun God, had an incestuous affair with Diana, his sister, the Roman moon, earth and fertility goddess. They had a daughter, Aradia (or Herodias) who was to have come to earth and teach men and women the secrets of magic.

    That such stories and legends may, in fact, have a basis such as the hypothesis of Satan and the serpent having a daughter, the possible wife of Cain, should be taken into account by theologians. The paradox of good and evil recognized by all major religions and philosophies must have a sensible root and basis of fact. A fact remains throughout history that people without conscience have always been around. This Bad Seed must have an explanation. Granted that genetic research holds some hope of answers will not mitigate the mystery of the origin of genes that leave an individual without conscience or the source of such a gene, or the lack of such a gene that predisposes to evil behavior.

    The art in the famous cave at Lascaux in France is typical of the use of pictures to influence successful hunting. That we are talking about Homo sapiens-like creatures so many years ago is most remarkable. The fact of hominids of great antiquity capable of fashioning implements with which to hunt, etc. should give theologians pause, and those creatures that pre-date even these? If Homo sapiens has only been on the scene for 25,000 years, who, in the sense of Hominidae, or what, made these paintings?

    A fascinating point is that Satan possibly had worshipers of Paleolithic times, man-like pre-Adamic creatures from great antiquity. The Scriptures put Satan at the head of those angels who kept not their first estate. Jude 6 and Revelation the twelfth chapter are interpreted to mean this. Those early Cathars of the 1200s thought Satan, not God, created the earth. They had a little trouble with the church because of this among other things. I haven't even gone into the potential of alien visitors, apart from God, Satan, and angels to earth, of what cultures, civilizations may lie beneath the oceans, of the Atlantis's of the mind. With the progress of technology to explore these things, who can guess what may yet appear on such horizons of discovery?

    Much of this is speculation, but with enough facts to arouse curiosity among those given to speculation about a universe most of which is unseen, unknown, and possibly unknowable. This gives those like me a great deal of latitude to speculate about the spiritual realm that may be more real and vast than we in our mortal state can possibly imagine.