Macedonia in the Bible

For those who know history, there is no doubt whatsoever that Macedonia is Greek. The same is true for those who know the New Testament. The Apostle Paul wrote two letters to Thessalonians and one to Philippians, i.e. to Christians living in the Greek cities of Thessaloniki and Philippi. Here are some Bible references to Macedonia, which should convince even the sceptics that Macedonia is Greek:

Acts 16:9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: There was a man of Macedonia standing, beseeching him, and saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us.
Acts 16:10 And when he had seen the vision, straightway we sought to go forth into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.
Acts 16:11 Setting sail therefore from Troas, we made a straight course to Samothrace, and the day following to Neapolis;
Acts 16:12 and from thence to Philippi, which is a city of Macedonia, the first of the district, a Roman colony: and we were in this city tarrying certain days.

Acts 18:5 But when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul was constrained by the word, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ.
Acts 18:6 And when they opposed themselves and blasphemed, he shook out his raiment and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean: from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles.

Acts 19:21 Now after these things were ended, Paul purposed in the spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, After I have been there, I must also see Rome.
Acts 19:22 And having sent into Macedonia two of them that ministered unto him, Timothy and Erastus, he himself stayed in Asia for a while.
Acts 19:29 And the city was filled with the confusion: and they rushed with one accord into the theatre, having seized Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, Paul's companions in travel.

Acts 20:1 And after the uproar ceased, Paul having sent for the disciples and exhorted them, took leave of them, and departed to go into Macedonia.
Acts 20:2 And when he had gone through those parts, and had given them much exhortation, he came into Greece.
Acts 20:3 And when he had spent three months there, and a plot was laid against him by Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he determined to return through Macedonia.
Acts 20:4 And there accompanied him as far as Asia, Sopater of Beroea, the son of Pyrrhus; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy; and of Asia, Tychicus and Trophimus.

Romans 15:26 For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem.

1 Corinthians 16:5 I will visit you after passing through Macedonia, for I intend to pass through Macedonia...

2 Corinthians 1:16 I wanted to visit you on my way to Macedonia, and to come back to you from Macedonia and have you send me on my way to Judea.

2 Corinthians 2:13 My spirit was not at rest because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I took leave of them and went on to Macedonia.

2 Corinthians 7:5 For even when we came into Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were afflicted at every turn--fighting without and fear within.

2 Corinthians 8:1 We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia...

2 Corinthians 9:1 Now it is superfluous for me to write to you about the ministry for the saints,
2 Corinthians 9:2 for I know your readiness, of which I boast about you to the people of Macedonia, saying that Achaia has been ready since last year. And your zeal has stirred up most of them.
2 Corinthians 9:3 But I am sending the brothers so that our boasting about you may not prove vain in this matter, so that you may be ready, as I said you would be.
2 Corinthians 9:4 Otherwise, if some Macedonians come with me and find that you are not ready, we would be humiliated--to say nothing of you--for being so confident.

2 Corinthians 11:9 And when I was with you and was in need, I did not burden anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my need. So I refrained and will refrain from burdening you in any way.
2 Corinthians 11:10 As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine will not be silenced in the regions of Achaia...

Philippians 4:15 And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only.
Philippians 4:16 Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again.

1 Thessalonians 1:6 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit,
1 Thessalonians 1:7 so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.
1 Thessalonians 1:8 For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything.

1 Thessalonians 4:9 Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another,
1 Thessalonians 4:10 for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more...

1 Timothy 1:3 As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine...

Acts 27:2 And embarking in a ship of Adramyttium, which was about to sail to the ports along the coast of Asia, we put to sea, accompanied by Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica.

With Barack Obama there is Hope

"We have a hero in the making back in the United States today because we have a new candidate for president of the United States, Barack Obama. For all of us that have dreams and hope, Obama is a hero," said George Lucas, the creator of "Star Wars" series, when asked who his childhood heroes were. (TOKYO - AFP - June 3, 2008) Indeed, in spite of the gloomy condition of national and international affairs, some romantic of us still dare to dream and hope for a world where sanity, love, justice, peace and prosperity will prevail over madness, hatred, injustice, war and poverty. And with Barack Obama in the White House some of those dreams and hopes have a chance to come true. This is my opinion, anyway.

I am not a US citizen, but there again, the question 'WHO is President of the United States of America' is not simply an American issue. It is a global issue. Since the American militaristic empire, in her aggressively insatiable endeavor to take control of the Earth's energy resources, has long ago put on the mask of the nations' advocator for freedom and democracy, thereby arbitrarily taking up the role of the World’s, often brutal, policeman, the US government's foreign policies is also mine and everybody else's business. Thus, as a citizen of the World who cares about the future of this planet, I, too, have the duty to speak on this boldly and loudly.

Seeking hope for mankind, during the last few months I have been closely watching the American race for Party Nomination and presidency, and my attention has been drawn particularly on charmer and ideologue Barack Obama. I came to greatly admire Obama, although I disagree with some of his views. But this does not stop me from praying for this man to become the next planet-archon. I cannot see a better candidate in the horizon, and he seems to be a gift of the Universe to America. Will the US extent its hands in gratitude and receive this precious "GIFT"? Will the sober and peace-loving American voters outnumber the biased or misinformed war supporters? I hope so…

No doubt, Barack Obama is an inspirational leader. He is young and self-made; he is charismatic and eloquent, and he gives the impression that he speaks from his heart, believing what he says. Moreover, he seems to have a vision to change much of what is wrong with his country, both domestically and in its foreign polices. He has the noble ambition to work for a "nuclear free world" and he promised neither to allow new designs for nukes nor to build any new ones. He also intends to persuade the Russians to do the same. I consider this as a decisive stance regarding nuclear disarmament.

But how far will he really be able to proceed with the changes he announces? In other words, how far is Obama prepared, and indeed allowed, to confront the US's National Military Establishment, its monstrous arms industry, its multinational corporations and its powerful Banking/Financial system? It is amazing that over two centuries ago, when the banking system was nowhere as powerful as it is today, Thomas Jefferson had said: "Banking establishments are more dangerous than standing armies." And Felix Frankfurter, Justice of the Supreme Court (1939-1962), said: "The real rulers in Washington are invisible and exercise power from behind the scenes." I couldn't agree more with this distinguished Jew.

Let us have no illusions over this! Regardless of who is the next Commander-in-Chief in America, he will face great difficulties to affect any real change in the US's traditional militaristic outlook. Should Obama dare to confront the ruling invisible powers and insist in crossing the red line, he will, one way or another, be seriously and, may be, dangerously challenged by the US hawks. By all evidence, however, Obama is very smart and knows the problems lying on his way to more peaceful foreign policies. This is why throughout his political campaign to win the Democratic nomination, despite his rhetoric against Iraq's invasion, he has been very careful not to make any absolute anti-war statements. As a member of the CFR (Council on Foreign Relations) - the most powerful organization to shape United States foreign policy, with members prominent politicians, academicians and media personalities - Barack Obama knows what his country stands for and which are its tools for global domination, militarization of the nations, globalization, and the implementation of the illusive "New World Order" through iron fist. As a CFR member, he certainly knows that for over seventy years the Council on Foreign Relations, through effective control of national governments, Media, Education, financial institutions and multinational corporations guides the issues of the day in Washington as well as in the rest of the World.

Should Obama be elected as the next President of the US, something I wish with all my heart, his road to changing the hawkish American mentality will not be paved with roses. He will need all the support he can get from the American people in every major decision he takes. As a pacifist, I must admit I was disappointed that back in October 2, 2002, when Obama made his case against an American invasion of Iraq, in the first anti-Iraq war rally organized in Chicago, he started his speech saying: "Good afternoon. Let me begin by saying that although this has been billed as an anti-war rally, I stand before you as someone who is not opposed to war in all circumstances. (…) I don't oppose all wars." Of course! If he said that he did oppose all wars, he wouldn’t be running for President of the US today! However, let him bear in mind the words of the political philosopher, 3rd President of the United States and one of the most influential Founding Fathers of the USA, Thomas Jefferson, who had said. "War is an instrument entirely inefficient toward redressing wrong; and multiplies, instead of indemnifying losses." And John F. Kennedy (1961) had said: "Mankind must put an end to war, or war will put an end to mankind." Unfortunately, the mad warmongers of the US have entirely different views about the "benefits" of war, and continue littering the environment with their military bases spread in every corner of the earth. These hawks work diligently even to weaponize space! For goodness sake! Someone has to stop this madness before the words of J.F. Kennedy come true.

Barack Obama rightly foresaw the futility of Iraq's invasion. And this is definitely to his credit. In the same speech to which I referred above (October 2, 2002) Barack Obama had also said: "I know that even a successful war against Iraq will require a US occupation of undetermined length, at undetermined cost, with undetermined consequences. I know that an invasion of Iraq without a clear rationale and without strong international support will only fan the flames of the Middle East, and encourage the worst, rather than best, impulses of the Arab world, and strengthen the recruitment arm of al-Qaeda." Immediately after these words, again in an attempt to pacify the ruling warmongers, Obama repeated his motto: "I am not opposed to all wars. I 'm opposed to dumb wars."

Now, six years after US administration’s ill-conceived invasion of Iraq and counting the cost and the losses it entailed, Barack Obama is in a position to capitalize on his wise warning and draw around him all the sober and peace-loving Americans. "We have lost thousands of American lives, spent nearly a trillion dollars, alienated allies and neglected emerging threats - all in the cause of fighting a war for well over five years in a country that had absolutely nothing to do with the 9/11 attacks," said Obama. (Washington, D.C. - July 15, 2008) Further down he said: "I warned that the invasion of a country posing no imminent threat would fan the flames of extremism, and distract us from the fight against al Qaeda and the Taliban;" So, Iraq was invaded and brutally devastated although it had nothing to do with the 9/11 attacks and posed no imminent threat to the US…

However, I regret to notice that in this monumental speech Obama avoided to refer to the magnitude of the devastation the US invasion caused to Iraq. Does this not matter to the American voters? He ‘forgot’ to mention the chaos that followed the American invasion of Iraq, the subsequent breakdown of that country, the wrecking of its basic infrastructure, the destruction of its entire culture (what was left from "Desert Storm"), the spread of vicious violence, and the estimated 1,236,604 Iraqi deaths since that invasion of March 2003 (justforeignpolicy.org). Alas, he 'forgot' to apologize to the Iraqis for all this on behalf of his nation. He failed to display the sensitivity and the humility any great man would readily have displayed. And this grieves my heart. But still, if I were American, I would vote for Obama. Even if he is not perfect, he is certainly promising a better deal for the US and the World.

As for the immediate withdrawal of the American troops in Iraq, let Barack Obama be wiser and less populist over this. Since the US has created a mess in this country, you just cannot wash your hands and leave it to its fortune. You now have the moral responsibility to stay there for an "undetermined" length of time, paying for the crimes of your predecessor, i.e. fatal President George W. Bush. There is no easy or quick way out of the mess the US created in Iraq, the ancient cradle of civilization that had the misfortune to have lots of oil under its ground - oil that the invisible rulers of the US much crave... Besides, in another of his speeches, Obama himself admitted: "We are too late to stop a war that should never have been fought; too late to undo the pain of battle, the anguish of so many families, or the price of the fight; too late to redo the years of division and distraction at home and abroad." (September 12, 2007 in Clinton, Iowa.) It is always too late, indeed, to avert the consequences of one’s evil actions… The sovereign law of cause and effect cannot be bribed into inaction. Nor can the Iraqis grow mature for handling democracy from one day to another. Besides, the wounds of the war are very deep, and the religious and tribal hatred abysmal. Who and how could hold this country together?

By the way, I was pleased to read (globalresearch.ca) that a conference to plan the prosecution of President Bush and other high administration officials for war crimes will be held September 13-14 at the Massachusetts School of Law at Andover. I hope the participants of that conference will take the right decision to pay Mr. Bush his due. Let me close this article by reminding us the words of Omar Bradley, the US general who played an important role in the Allied victory in World War II : "The world has achieved brilliance without wisdom, power without conscience. Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants. We know more about war that we know about peace, more about killing that we know about living." Still, with Barack Obama as a Commander-in-Chief of the US, there is some hope…

The Betrayal of the Olympic Spirit

If we want to be true to ourselves, we must admit that the modern aggressively commercialized Olympic Games have blatantly and in many different ways betrayed the beauty, the greatness and the trueness of the ancient Olympic Spirit. The fundamental principles of the Olympic Charter, i.e. “The preservation of human dignity” and “Respect for universal fundamental ethical principles” have been systematically violated. Never mind that every four years the awe-inspiring Olympic Anthem is performed in the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, the authentic ancient Olympic Spirit is lost and needs an alarm for global ethical awakening in order to be revived…

Ironically, every time the Olympic Hymn is being sung, the immortal Spirit of the Father of beauty, of greatness and of truth is invited to descend and to reveal itself as lightning within the glory of the earth and of the sky, as the lyrics of the Anthem go. But, it is all in vain. The ancient Olympic Spirit will not turn up in such a hostile environment, such as mankind has sentenced its Home-Earth to be. Frankly speaking, it is doubtful if many people sincerely want the authentic Olympic Spirit to be around them. Certainly, neither the profit-seeking host organizers nor the shrewd official sponsors of the Olympic Games would like to be illuminated and guided by its light. And of course, nor would the many lightly or heavily doped athletes want to be “checked” by the ancient Olympic spirit… Alas, while the Olympic champions at the ancient Panhellenic Games were happy and proud to be awarded with a wreath of laurel leaves, today’s athletes are primarily after big prize money, even at the cost of their own health and dignity. It is not solely their fault, though; it is the very structure of our modern culture to which the athletes, too, fall victims.

Regrettably, it is not only the cheating of many athletes, through the illegitimate use of anabolic steroids and other drugs for improving their performance, that betray the Olympic Spirit but also the international telecommunications’ wild competition over winning the Olympic broadcasting rights, and the aggressive marketing of giant sportswear brands with the exploitation and abuse of workers’ rights to which it results. Furthermore the Olympic Spirit is betrayed by all those countries that are destroying the environment with their industries and otherwise, and those that are fuelling local wars and abusing human rights, not just during the sacred period of the Olympic Games, but habitually all the time. Indeed the true Olympic Spirit could and should inspire brotherhood, respect and noble rivalry among the peoples, values that promote world peace. Unfortunately, however, in spite of the worldwide fanciful celebration of the Olympics, we don’t see peace being established in every corner of the earth.

The Olympic bankruptcy is only natural, though, given the moral void of our materialistic civilization. The present-day adulterated Olympic spirit is all that our corrupt culture, a culture of aggressiveness, cheating, consumerism and hedonism, could produce. What more could we expect? How sad that the glorious Olympic flame that every four years is lit in ancient Olympia, the cradle of the Olympic Games, has not illuminated our civilization to a degree that wars and arms races would be redundant as unnecessary and old fashioned…

Once again, on March 24, 2008, at the Hera Temple of Ancient Olympia, Greece, the Olympic flame was ignited, according to the traditional sun-ray ceremony. In his speech, Liu Qi, president of the Organizing Committee for the Beijing Olympic Games, said among other things: “Today, the Olympic flame, representing the transcendent human spirit, will be lit once again. Burning in the torch of the Beijing Olympic Games, the flame will travel over mountains and seas across the globe, our common homeland. The Olympic flame will radiate light and happiness, peace and friendship, and hope and dreams to the people of China and the whole world. Its rays will light up the starry skies during the Beijing Olympic Games.” I must confess that these words sent shivers up my spine, as I was saying “Amen” to Liu Qi’s noble wishes.

Unfortunately, during the speech of Liu Qi, the Beijing Olympics’ flame-lighting ceremony was disrupted by three angry protesters from the Paris-based “Reporters Without Borders” unfurling a black banner on which the slogan, “Boycott the country that tramples on human rights” was written. The banner showed the Olympic rings as handcuffs! “If the Olympic flame is sacred, human rights are even more so. We cannot let the Chinese government seize the Olympic flame, a symbol of peace, without denouncing the dramatic situation of human rights in China with less than five months to go to the start of the Olympic Games”, the group said in a statement. And they added “The treatment reserved in China for those who express themselves freely, the censorship imposed on the press and the news blackout in Tibet demand this sort of protest. All possible means must now be used to condemn the serious violations of basic freedoms in China. We will protest whenever we can.” The group also explained, “What we did was not intended to embarrass the Greek authorities.” A few moments later, a Tibetan woman covered in fake blood, threw herself in front of a torch runner. The protesters were immediately seized by the security forces before being taken to a police station in Pyrgos.

What a sad and embarrassing incident! Of course human rights are sacred, and unfortunately they are violated not only in China but also, to a greater or lesser degree, in every part of the world, one way or another. However protesting about those rights in such an offensive manner during the most sacred hour of the Olympic flame-lighting ceremony is unacceptable to me, if not sacrilegious. Desecrating the symbol of international brotherhood and peace, as is the Olympic Flag, is an attack to peace itself. Abusing the five rings is an insult to the five continents they represent and to the idea of the universality of Olympic Movement.

I would like to close this article by quoting part of the Olympic Anthem that in my opinion sounds like a prayer and is inspiring and edifying:
“Ancient immortal Spirit, pure Fatherof beauty, of greatness and of truth,descend, reveal yourself as lightning herewithin the glory of your own earth and sky.
(…)
Plains, mountains and seas shine with youlike a white-and-purple great temple,and hurries at the temple here, your pilgrimevery nation, o ancient, immortal Spirit.”

May all the nations of this world, great and small, rich and poor, start embracing and demonstrating in words and deeds the true Olympic Spirit of greatness, truth and beauty. May this revival start during the summer 2008 from China, the great country that has also contributed much to human civilization.

The Dangerous Lunacy of Christian “Rapture”

When you feel the need to laugh out loud for therapeutic purpose, you don’t always have to watch a comedy show. Instead, you may visit an Internet ‘Christian’ kindergarten, i.e. a forum where the “elect” are conversing about their imminent so-called ‘Rapture’ by Christ. To be precise, this much-awaited illusive Rapture was “imminent" even in the days of the Apostle Paul, but it has not turned up yet! All the same, the Bible-thumbers are not discouraged, and continue to look forward to their miraculous lifting off to heaven. This hilarious doctrine is especially popular in the United States, where every wind of doctrine finds fertile ground and all god-mongers become millionaires, thanks to the gullibility of many American people.

Over the years I have been seriously trying to explain how so many otherwise intelligent people can become victims of religious brainwashing to the point of completely losing the ability for logical thinking. Is, then, human brain so vulnerable to external influences? Would psychologists ever find a lasting cure for religious schizophrenia? Of course, the cunning rulers of this world will never sponsor such research, as they are the first to benefit from popular religious utopias. Unfortunately, good people, instead of actively exposing and criticizing the warmongering and corruption-promoting policies of their political leadership, are preoccupied with splitting Biblical hairs, while fantasizing about heaven and hell and entertaining far fetched dreams as is the so called Rapture. Instead of trying to hamper the ever extending ‘hell on earth’ by becoming activists of virtue and peace, self-proclaimed Christians are busy speculating about God’s much-delayed but seemingly imminent wrath against the wicked, and about their own sure escape of that wrath.

But this article has the intention of making the reader laugh, and so I shall quote some tragicomic and ultra revealing ‘gems’ that I found in the Internet concerning the ‘rapture’. Here we are then:
“With radical Islam preparing for a nuclear attack on New York City, the 'Rapture' of the church may be rapidly approaching” (By Mark Lawrence - Update: Dec. 31, 2007 - SecretsofSurvival.com). Strange enough, the writer implies that radical Islam is going to be the instrument of God’s wrath against America! And while this dreadful scenario is not unrealistic, Mark Lawrence is unrealistically certain about the ‘Rapture’ of the “elect” before this disaster! He wonders, though, how those left behind would react when they wake up one morning and find out that their spouse has disappeared from their bed, or a family member is missing from the house! He asks: “What happens to people who don't escape God's judgement on the world, who are stuck on Earth for the period of Tribulation? Who wake up one morning and discover that people are missing?” See what I mean? To have a dear one ‘kidnapped’ by Christ is a serious matter. Never mind that our missing beloved is somewhere in heaven enjoying him/herself, one can’t help grieving over the sudden loss. The grief becomes unbearable if those who have been 'raptured' had forgotten to make their will!

Can you imagine the drama of those left behind? Indeed, the above-mentioned writer, sure about his own ‘holiness’, continues speculating about those unfortunate ones: “Obviously, they have to take part in it (i.e. the Tribulation). These are the unbelievers and Christians of half-hearted faith who finally repent and turn away from wickedness and profess full love and faith in God during the time of Tribulation. This group must cope with the rule of the infamous Anti-Christ and refuse to worship him or his image, and refuse 'the mark' that enables people to buy and sell under the Anti-Christ's temporary new world order.” Apparently, the Christians who will refuse to take “the mark of the Beast” shall have to live on fresh (polluted) air, i.e. to suffer an absolute fast, since they won’t be able to buy any food! Eventually, they, too, will soon escape the ‘Tribulation’ as they will die from starvation. This is another kind of ‘salvation’ deserved by Christ for the second-class faithful ones!

Christian fundamentalists believe that all the above-mentioned dreadful events, and other much worse, will soon start happening, as if the New World (dis)Order were not already present on earth for the last 20 years… As if the peoples of the world were not already suffering – one way or another – under the subtle authoritarian policies of a well-masked ‘Anti-Christ’… As if the aggressive globalization perpetrated by the ruling class (plutocracy) of the crypto-imperialistic superpower and its satellite nations, and the terrorism it has provoked, had not caused much pain to the world already… As if this ‘Antichrist’ - wolf in sheep’s skin - were not overtly or covertly constantly stirring up conflicts around the world for the purpose of placing new military bases on strategic places, selling its superseded armaments to poor countries, exploiting foreign resources, and controlling bewildered nations, great and small… As if this ‘Antichrist’, in the name of the illusive N.W.O., had not already waged many a bloody war against whosoever did not bow low enough before its supremacy, i.e. against those who dared to disclose and denounce the schemes of the “divide and rule” satanic doctrine of the single – for the time being – superpower…

But the dangerously deceived writer-blogger goes even further! He considers anyone who strives for peace on earth as an enemy of Christ! Here is what he says: “Rick Warren vs. Jesus Christ: Of course, don't ask mega-church preachers like Rick Warren, author of the 30 million copy bestseller, ‘The Purpose Driven Life’, who I believe is playing a major role in the end times apostasy of Christianity. Why is it that Rick Warren is pushing a plan for global peace, when Jesus Christ on the other hand promises global wrath? In the words of Jesus Christ, Rick Warren's global peace plan is destined to fail. Man will never have global peace, and Jesus made that pretty clear. It's strange that Rick Warren thinks he can bring peace to the nations, when this world is fast approaching God's wrath, the beginning of the Tribulation, and the Second Coming of Christ – prophesied throughout the Bible.”

Can you see now who are the enemies of peace, besides the “Antichrist”? The ultra deceived “Christians”, yea, the mentally retarded Bible-thumbers themselves! They never understood the very words of Jesus, “Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called sons of God” (Matthew 5:9). They want bloody wars, in order to facilitate the “wrath of God”! So, according to their degenerate minds, Dick Warren, who promotes a plan for global peace, is an enemy of Christ, for he postpones his “Second Coming”! Now how do you deal with such schizophrenics? Do you simply laugh at them? I wish I could… But I furious! I am angry against all those who use religious books to perpetrate and justify bloody wars. And the deluded blogger continues: “According to Paul, when the world is saying ‘Peace and security’, sudden destruction hits... however as then stated by Paul, believers in Christ are not 'appointed' to this wrath, which comes upon the world and starts the Tribulation…”

Wow! Behold! The Christian hypocrites – ‘saved’ by the blood of Jesus, if you please – are not subject to the wrath of God! They won’t be here on earth to suffer when the ‘great tribulation’ comes! They will have been ‘raptured’ by Jesus before it occurs! At last! If you had ever wondered how Christians apply to their lives the great commandment of their ‘savior’, namely “Love one another”, now you know… Oh, no! It has never occurred to them to say to their God, “Listen, Lord, I don’t deserve to be raptured ‘upstairs’ and escape the ‘great tribulation’; I don’t feel I am that holy, anyway, as I am also guilty of many sins, both by commission and by omission. I prefer to stay down here on earth and strive for peace. I want to be by the side of fellow human beings, helping them in binding their wounds, and praying for them and with them, that the hour of darkness which mankind is bringing upon itself, may not last long. I want to remain on earth, in order to build up with my efforts and prayers a ‘hedge’ around the people so that they may endure in the day of tribulation, as indeed you expect the true prophets to do. (Ezek.13: 5) I want to be that person who, together with others, will stand in the gap before you and make up the hedge, so that you should not destroy humanity.” (Ezek. 22:30)

This is the kind of prayer any true Christian would naturally pray, instead of looking forward to the delusive ‘rapture’, which is never going to come anyway, and leave the ground free to the war-makers to plunge the world further into pain and suffering. For goodness sake! Even schizophrenics, like lunatic Christian fundamentalists, should be able to distinguish between good and evil, right and wrong! In conclusion, I ask the reader to forgive me for not making you laugh, as was initially my intention for writing this article. Forgive me also for the strong words I used to describe the deceived and ultra selfish “Christians” who rub their hands with glee, anticipating that elusive rapture, while the rest of the world will be entering the so-called great Tribulation…

Neale D. Walsch’s “Happier than God” Recipe

At last! Someone found the magic formula for us! If you ever had the wild ambition to be happier than God, now is your chance. Neale Donald Walsch will show you the way, i.e. how to chase a chimera! On the 26th of February 2008, when I opened my e-mail inbox I found a message from N. D. Walsch announcing his newest book with the sacrilegious and provocative title, “Happier than God”. On the subject line it read: “My New Book Just Released. Buy Now with Free Gifts”. I confess to you that the very title stirred up negative feelings in me. “Oh, no!” I thought. “Not another Godmongering title by the same author!” He had better recommend his book to someone who is suffering from a terminal disease, or to a mother who has just lost her child, or to the multitudes of children who die from hunger and malaria in Africa, or to a mutilated young person in Iraq… Would he dare tell them that they, too, could be happier than God?

Four days later, on the 1st of March, I received a second e-mail from N. D. Walsch, asking me a favor: “NOW I WANT TO ASK YOU MY ONCE-A-YEAR FAVOR. Every year at book release time (I usually write one book every 12 months) I ask all of you in the CwG community, if you think that you are going to want to add this book to your shelf, to buy it Now. This helps us in bringing the book to national attention, because a whole bunch of sales in a short period of 24 hours tends to move the book up the bestseller lists of online bookstores and major newspapers, which, in turn, brings the new title to the consciousness of the average person. I am so excited about this book! This is a TOOL BOX for all of those who have read Conversations with God. It takes the inspiring messages of CwG and renders them functional in our every day lives. (…)” This time I simply I felt pity for him… The man was desperate to artificially make another bestseller of a book made out of recycled material!

Apparently, N.D. Walsch’s “Conversations with God” (1, 2, 3), the books that brought him a pile of money and made him famous worldwide, were not intelligible enough on their own! They needed another “TOOL” in order to be understood! In other words, God had not spoken so clearly in those “conversations” and it would take several more books by Neale in order to clarify his messages to humanity! However, common sense tells us that “truth” which needs so many books to be clarified is no truth at all. Out of curiosity I visited Neale’s website to read some more. I found the same aggressive shrewd marketing, so unlike the practices of a genuine and humble spiritual Master: “Let’s begin with words about the new book. It is called ‘Happier Than God’, and it is a Master’s Manual for Spiritual Awakening. It is the most detailed applications book I have written on the ‘Conversations with God’ material, and I’ve been waiting for years to do it. (…) If it feels like this is a book you would like to read, here’s what I would love for you to do:
On FEBRUARY 27th – not a day before and not a day after – please go to www.Amazon.com and order your copy of ‘Happier Than God’. (…) So MARK YOUR CALENDAR and GIVE YOURSELF A REMINDER to order your copy of ‘Happier Than God’ from www.Amazon.com on FEBRUARY 27TH.”

By reading all this, I became angry and started looking deeper into the phenomenon called Neale Donald Walsch. Should I trust my negative feelings about his messages and especially his mixed up motives? Or could this man be a modern giant prophet, so desperately needed by our bewildered and at the brink of its self-destruction world? Could, peradventure, the thousands of people that adore him, claiming to be greatly benefited from his writings, have been deceived? The answer isn’t easy, and it certainly could not be given in terms of black or white. It is apparent, however, that no matter how Neale had started off his journey with God, he is now more of a businessman than a spiritual messenger. Success, money and fame must have done their ugly job on his otherwise sympathetic and charismatic personality, and, in my opinion, he is now heading down the same greasy way Christmongering televangelists and all Godmongers before him have gone. A new cult is being forged by Neale, incorporating some great old truths and quite a few subtle lies in its teachings, exposing its members to hidden perils like every other religious cult.

As you might have already guessed, I did not jump into ordering the “Happier than God” book of Neale. Instead, I opened the Wikipedia and found out that ever since 1996 when his first “Conversations with God” had been released, the author had written several explanatory books on those and even versions for children and teenagers! Here are some: “Meditations from Conversations With God, Book 2”, “Questions and Answers on Conversations With God”, “Conversations With God for Teens”, “The New Revelations: A Conversation with God”, “The Complete Conversations with God”, and so on. I became almost allergic to those titles, all containing the word “God”! This man must be either obsessed with God or he is an irreverent, cool and shrewd businessman. Similar titles verify this: “Friendship with God: An Uncommon Dialogue”, “Communion With God”, “What God Wants”, etc. (On the last book, which I had received from a friend as a gift, I have written a review, posted on GoArticles.com)

But this article is not about advertising Neale’s old and new (recycled) books, whereby he is supposedly conversing directly and casually with God. It is to express my skepticism on his modern “theology” and the new “God” he is propagating through his books, CDs, lectures, retreats, workshops, free E-courses, book signings, downloads, etc. An entire god-industry of international influence has been set up and nothing is going to stop it, since Neale’s messages are caressing people’s ears. With a bit of luck and marketing talents, when you offer people what they want to hear, your success is guaranteed. “Who does not want to be happier than God? Nobody!” reckoned Neale, and jumped into his new title. And because he obviously has run out of new “revelations” from “God”, he devised this “Tool Box” that “takes the inspiring messages of CwG and renders them functional…” You see, as he admitted, to keep the “holy” business going and flourishing, he must produce one book every year, whether he has something new to tell or not. Money is sweet, even for God’s elect, and Mammon must be served at any spiritual cost. Poor, ‘happier than God’, Neale! Apparently, he has never taken notice of Jesus’ words that no one can serve two masters. Nor did it occur to him that even God himself – who is not separate from us for “in Him we live and move and have our being” – might be affected and hence unhappy with what is going on in this planet, i.e. the wars, terrorism, crime, poverty, diseases, injustice, environmental catastrophe, and, last but not least, the exploitation of his name and distortion of truth by those, like Neale, who profess to be his special messengers.

I happen to believe that the Truth is simple and does not need so many books in order for it to be revealed. On the contrary, too many books on the same subject by the same author produce confusion and bewilderment to the reader, who is desperately trying through a forest of words to make some sense, encountering endless repetitions, contradictions, and evasive stuff. Besides, if a devout man or woman had been entrusted by God himself with a unique message for mankind, he would be extremely humbled and would offer this message free of charge to all. As one freely receives one should promptly and freely give. Moreover, nowadays through the Internet, God’s message could be spread instantaneously across the globe, and there is no excuse for Godmongering. But Neale Donald Walsch sells his holy messages at good prices. One could even join Neale’s Messenger Circle by paying $79.95/year… I also read that his “Conversations with God” Foundation operates on a $1.3 million annual budget! Of course, I have no means to verify this, but I guess the number could be even higher.

By the way, could you imagine Moses making copies of the “Ten Commandments” and selling them to the Israelites? Or Jesus charging a fee for his teaching? Remember, here we don’t deal with books that someone wrote by putting down his own thoughts on a subject, or even by making public his ‘conversations’ with his inner Self, in which case it would be legitimate for the writer to make a profit by selling them. But Neale boldly claims that he delivers a very special message for humanity, words received directly from the mouth of God, as the Almighty was answering his questions! What a cheek! Undoubtedly it takes either a full-scale self-deception or a full-scale demagoguery and aggressive Godmongering for anyone to publicly claim that God has spoken directly to him.

Of course, by listening to our inner Self in moments of inspiration and sense of oneness with the impersonal Divinity, each one of us could grasp great truths, and this is something that Neale himself does not deny in his writings. But, in my opinion, to claim that all one “hears” from within is God’s voice and the absolute Truth is arrogant, presumptuous, and very risky. Another possibility is that here we might have to do with automatic writing given to Neale by some entity that entered him. This is not unusual. Remember, the “holy” book of one of the world’s biggest religions is likely to have been given by automatic writing, and the results have not always been beneficial for the world throughout history, if only for the simple reason that religious people have taken every word of it as God’s word, just as Christian fundamentalists do with their Bible, to their own detriment.

Please don’t take me wrong! I do not want to be mean with a best-selling author. However, all this “god” industry grieves my soul, as it is blatantly unspiritual. You may consider me as old fashioned, but I do not believe that even a holy purpose justifies all means. It might not be late for Neale to stop all this aggressive Godmongering business he has been entangled in. He should better stop bombarding people with e-mails urging them to buy his books and audiotapes, which, beside the edifying stuff, contain some confusing and often incomprehensible and contradictory messages on life’s most important issues. Instead, he should do something more practical: he should collect and simplify in one book, a kind of manual, every thought that he considers important – indeed there are some spiritual gems in his writings – and offer it for free download through the Web. This way he, too, will find peace in his heart – peace that I am sure he has lost by trying to produce a book per year, whether he has something new to give or not. And he will find rest in his soul by abandoning the aggressive pursue of money, fame and power. This I wish him with all my heart.

Believe it or not, I have loving feelings and great admiration for talented Neale, although it might not have shown in this article. No doubt he is a special man. Yet, I confess to you that I found it impossible to go through and finish reading some of his disintegrated writings that I downloaded from the Internet. You might say that I had no patience. But my spirit was vexed and this is a clear sign to me that something is wrong there. If a word comes directly from God it feels like balsam for one’s soul. I repeat, Truth is very simple and does not take loads of words to be explained. As for where lasting but relative happiness is to be found, in my experience it is found in tuning with Creation’s sovereign spiritual and physical laws, in positive thinking, cultivation of virtues and primarily love, and in self-sufficiency. Regarding the answers to age-old questions concerning the mystery of life and death, if someone claims that he/she has them all, I keep clear of them.

The Perils of the Anarchist Utopia

Violent Anarchism is the offspring of an era barren of sane and wholesome ideologies due to the moral bankruptcy of our high-tech materialistic and hedonistic culture. Naturally, a corrupt tree produces rotten fruits. There is nothing abnormal about it. So, before we single out, judge and condemn the incongruous and dangerously angry mask-wearing young adults for preaching anarchism by throwing Molotov bombs around, or, in the best case, by writing insulting messages on walls, we should first look for the roots, i.e. the cause of this tragic social phenomenon. Every reaction presupposes an action that has provoked it. Regrettably it goes without saying that rampant corruption in high places of government generates antagonistic forces in society that are bound to create vicious storms of bloody violence. And this is what we have seen being repeated in human history, both in an ethnic scale and in a larger international scale.

Therefore, we should first condemn our corrupt democratic system for cynically and habitually violating age-old moral principles; we must denounce the ruling politico-economic class for its covert or overt violence; we must hold our governments responsible for oppressing millions of people with innumerable social evils, for their provocative injustice, and their aggressive exploitation of the most vulnerable members of our society. Surely, it is easy to condemn those frustrated youngsters and deride them as coward for perpetrating crimes behind black masks, but, alas, we usually endure without complaint those rascals in high places of power who are hiding behind their polished masks of hypocrisy. If the Judicial system had fearlessly declared a holy war against corruption, and had impartially administered blind justice against the dark schemes of the ruling elite, then the angry young protesters, who are not heartless after all, might have adopted more peaceful ways of activism.

Please don’t take me wrong. I am neither pro-anarchist nor do I support any form of violence. On the contrary, I wholeheartedly condemn the anarchists’ violent activism that threatens the lives of innocent people and destroys properties (shops, cars, etc.) of hard working and peace loving citizens. If the government is corrupt, this is not the average citizen’s fault. Why should hard-working people pay for the sins of their government? Unlike many romantic writers, poets and artists, I am not going to pay tribute to those masked youngsters for their supposed high sensitiveness to social injustice and exploitation around them. Combating evil with off-target evil attacks is cruelty and madness and it cannot, and does not, produce any good results. Besides, even if the anarchists used peaceful means to propagate their beliefs, I definitely consider the so-called philosophy of anarchism as a sheer utopia. It can never work, as it goes against natural laws and common sense. In fact, the only thing it would surely work out, if it were to be tried as an alternative to central government system, would be chaos and misery for all. Unless, of course, all humans were suddenly transformed into benevolent angels!

Yet, in spite of all this, I often see with sympathy those black-masked anarcho-utopians. But I certainly feel more sympathy for the policemen who are the targets of the anarchist’s vicious and often bloody attacks. In the best case, the former are misled enthusiastic dreamers with missionary zeal, most probably subtly used by shrewd diabolic agents to serve their own obscure ends, first of which is the further restriction of our freedoms. The latter are obedient low-salaried civil servants who try to make their living by doing a difficult, joyless and dangerous job. Both groups are victims of our corrupt pseudo-democratic system of government. It is the rotten ruling class that has pitted the first group against the second; it is the pseudo-democratic elite that has every interest for this chaotic violence to be perpetuated. This is why they seldom punish masked anarchists, even if they catch them committing criminal acts. For this, the average citizen wonders and often gets angry with the administrators of the Judicial system. But we ought to look deeper and thoroughly examine this tragic situation, which in some ultra democratic countries like Greece at times tends to get embarrassingly out of control.

In my opinion, a harmonious anti-authoritarian society, based on individual self determination, as the anarchists imagine it, cannot be materialized for the simple reason that people are neither equal in natural abilities and charismas nor saints. Unregenerate man is but an animal driven by its instincts – a reality that puts self-interest above group interests. Besides, even amongst the most sincere and noble anarchists, there can never be unanimity of opinions and convergence to rational decisions as to how to organize a society without any form of government. Let us face the bitter truth: to get things moving and business done someone in the group has to have the last word. We all like our freedom, but we also like to have drinking water and food, clothes to be dressed, health care, electricity, telecommunications system, roads to travel on, etc., etc. And without government, however corrupt it may be, we cannot provide ourselves with the bear necessities for a reasonable living. To be honest, I feel embarrassed even for trying to prove the uselessness of the anarchist utopia…

And the question that now arises is this: since violence as a cathartic means produces more violence and injustice, for it is the innocent that suffer and never the guilty, what is the solution? How humanity could ever enjoy peace, justice, true freedom and prosperity? Enlightenment is the magic word! It is only through the reformation of thinking that man can behave as truly Homo sapiens and stop considering himself as immortal and worshipping riches as its god. It is through enlightenment and regeneration that the members of government can try their best to honestly serve the people by whose labor are generously paying themselves. It is through enlightenment and moral education that those working in the public sector would work conscientiously and productively, respecting those by whose taxes are getting paid. It is through enlightenment and cultivation of integrity that judges will be determined to administer blind justice and send to prison even those in high places who embezzle public money. It is through enlightenment and spiritual regeneration that a government would stop spending billions on weapons and start feeding the poor instead.

"Oh", someone might say, "this is a long process that will take centuries to come to fruition, and we desperately need a solution to social and international ills right now"! I am afraid neither anarchism, nor terrorism or wars can ever bring real justice, lasting peace and prosperity in the world. In fact those means generate more injustice, more corruption, more exploitation, more violence and bloodshed. It is a matter of sheer rationality that man at last understands that it serves the best individual and collective interests to uphold moral principles and values and implement them in our lives. Morality is a commodity we cannot afford to turn our backs on, if of course we are in the right frame of mind. Morality has nothing to do with being religious or fearful of some afterlife punishment. Morality has to do with the instinct of self-preservation and survival. Morality is about being rational and complying with the unwritten sovereign laws, both spiritual and natural. As for those who worry about the rise of anarchism and terrorism, let them work towards eliminating the causes that make these activists behave the abhorrent way they do.

The Perplexing Last Words of Jesus

There is no doubt that Jesus’ impact on history is unique. Whether the overall impact of this great Jewish prophet and mystic was positive or negative for humanity is up to the unprejudiced individual to judge, although, in my opinion, an objective assessment is not that easy. Few people would argue that Jesus has been both passionately loved and vehemently hated by men more than any other historical or mythical figure. Under the inspiration of Jesus’ name, the greatest acts of sacrificial love have been performed and the finest pieces of art have been created; but, alas, also in his name, the most ugly wars have been fought by his fanatic followers, not that he is in any way responsible for that. In my opinion, Jesus’ teachings centered on love have had an undisputable positive effect on humanity, while the man-made doctrines about his ‘atonement’ and his supposedly equality with God have been a stumbling block and are responsible for many destructive divisions in mankind. The aim of this article is not an overall account of Jesus’ life but the analysis of his last words, and specifically the prayers he prayed, as recorded in the Gospels.

I wish I were sure that all the words which, according to the Bible, were uttered by Jesus are definitely his own and have not been put into his mouth by the writers of the Gospels much later. But, to be honest, I am not. My doubts are reinforced by the fact that some of those words, supposedly uttered by Jesus during his last dramatic hours, contradict each other. They make the greatest prophet look somewhat confused as to who he was and uncertain about his status with God, and also about his mission. However, for the sake of this study, I shall assume that the words attributed to Jesus in the Bible are actually his very own words.

Let us look at the account of the ‘Last Supper’, the meal Jesus shared with his twelve disciples on his last night, which many scholars consider to have been a Jewish Passover meal. Referring to Judas Iscariot, Jesus said: “The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born." (Matthew 26: 24) Here Jesus appears certain of what had been written about him and what would the end of his earthly life be. He verified it further by instituting a sacrament, the meaning of which, alas, was going to be an obstacle for the unity of different Christian Denominations. Here is what the Scripture says: “Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and, after blessing it, broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, ‘Take, eat; this is my body.’ And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom’." (Matthew 26: 26-29)

Through the above quoted verses from Matthew’s Gospel, it is clear that Jesus was sure about his imminent death, as a necessary sacrifice for man’s ‘New Covenant’ with God. Yet, in spite of this, later on he prayed that he might avoid this death! “Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, ‘Sit here, while I go over there and pray.’ And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, ‘My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.’ And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, ‘My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will’." (Matthew 26: 36-39) Fair enough. Although a prophet and a giant of faith, Jesus was still a human being and he wanted to live. Nevertheless, to his credit, he submitted his will to God’s will. In the mean time, his disciples who were supposed to watch and pray, had fallen asleep… How very typical of Christians to this day! “And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, ‘So, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.’ Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, ‘My Father, if this cup cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done’." (Matthew 26: 40-42) In a way, Jesus admitted that his spirit, too, was willing but his flesh, like that of his disciples, was weak. There is nothing strange about Jesus’ attitude, so far. He was truly human, but at the same time willing to be obedient to God.

The above story, however, does raise some questions, even among those who insist that all scripture is “God’s Word”. Who heard and later recorded the words of Jesus’ prayer, if the disciples had fallen asleep? But even if they were awake, Jesus had purposely gone “a little farther”, as the scripture tells us, obviously because he wanted to pray in secret. Naturally, during his dramatic last hours, he wanted to be alone with God. Besides, he always believed, and he had preached so, that one should pray in secret. Here is what he had said: “But when you pray, go into your closet and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” (Mat 6: 6) Now then, if Jesus wanted to pray in secret, it is childish for anyone to assume that afterwards he reported the content of his prayer to his sluggish disciples; more so, since that content would make them doubt his commitment and his courage as Son of God, and hence shake their own faith.

Following the account of Jesus’ betrayal by Judas and his seizure by the Roman soldiers, we cannot help being confused by some of Jesus’ words. Let us quote what Matthew has written: “Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, ‘The one I will kiss is the man; seize him.’ And he came up to Jesus at once and said, ‘Greetings, Rabbi!’ And he kissed him. Jesus said to him, ‘Friend, do what you came to do.’ Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus and seized him. And behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. Then Jesus said to him, ‘Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?’ At that hour Jesus said to the crowds, ‘Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? Day after day I sat in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. But all this has taken place that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.’ Then all the disciples left him and fled. Then those who had seized Jesus led him to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders had gathered.” (Matthew 26: 48-57)

By reading and meditating on the above verses, we are inclined to think that it was Jesus’ decision to die on the cross and not God’s! How else could we explain his question: “Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?” Apparently, according to this verse, God was ready to submit to Jesus’ will and execute his bidding! If Jesus wanted to escape seizure and death, then God would send a legion of angels to his rescue! This is exactly what Jesus said. Yet, a little while ago, when praying that the ‘cup’ of crucifixion might be taken away from him, Jesus implied that it was God’s will for him to die the death of the cross! Now then, what is bewildered Christian supposed to understand and believe? Was God ready to submit to Jesus’ plan to fulfill the scriptures of the prophets, but should Jesus change his mind about it, God would be willing to grant his desire, or was God himself bound by the prophets’ prophecies, in which case Jesus’ boasting about his Father being ready to send angels to his rescue was simply rhetorical and unspiritual? All this does not make sense to someone who believes that every word in the Bible is God’s word.

Here is a further account of the ‘trial’ of Jesus, as John gives it: “The Jews answered him, ‘We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has made himself the Son of God.’ When Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid. He entered his headquarters again and said to Jesus, ‘Where are you from?’ But Jesus gave him no answer. So Pilate said to him, ‘Will you not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?’ Jesus answered him, ‘You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore he who delivered me over to you has the greater sin’." (John 19: 7-11) Once again it is obvious that Jesus was certain that God had predestined him to be crucified! And who could escape God’s plan? Never mind that at some point he prayed, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me,” Jesus very well knew that what he was asking for was not possible.

Returning to Matthew’s Gospel, one more scripture comes to make things more confusing. It records the last words of Jesus on the cross: “Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?’ that is, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, ‘This man is calling Elijah.’ And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink. But the others said, ‘Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.’ And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.” (Matthew 27: 45-50) Now, what was God supposed to do in order to show that he had not forsaken Jesus? To go against his age-old master plan for the ‘salvation’ of mankind, something which Christians believe Jesus’ crucifixion to have been ordained for? To blow up the ‘redemption’ of mankind for the sake of his timid ‘only begotten son’, in order for him to live a few more years on this earth - a life whose value is not compared to heavenly life’s glory? To cancel the fulfillment of Old Testament scriptures and render them false? In that case, how would humanity be set free from the curse of the so-called ‘original sin’ without Jesus’ sacrifice?

Did, then, Jesus, who had so often claimed to be “one with God”, believe that his Father at the same time was separate from him, coming to his rescue on request or forsaking him at will? It doesn’t make sense to me. If indeed Jesus, at his last most sacred moment before he yielded up his spirit, complained loudly to God in such an indignant manner - thereby giving food to the mob to mock him and his mission - then he was neither a prophet nor a mystic. Moreover, if he considered his crucifixion an outcome of God’s abandonment, how could he have been the perfect sacrifice for the ‘salvation’ of mankind? His crucifixion would rather have been an execution against his own will, and not an offering of the ultimate sacrifice, wouldn’t it? Another thing that I never understood in the above-quoted scriptures is this: if the name of God in Hebrew is ‘Eli’, then why the bystanders thought that Jesus was calling Elijah? Did they not know their own language?

With the above simple syllogisms over Jesus’ confusing last words, I had no intention to offend anyone or diminish the wonderful teachings of Jesus. It is up to the reader to take this study deeper, if indeed one is not afraid of the Truth. Either the words the Gospels attribute to Jesus are not actually his, in which case the Bible is unreliable, or they do belong to him, in which case he is not what his followers claim him to be. Trying to reconcile the irreconcilable leads to hypocrisy or religious schizophrenia.