Nonsense that Christians Have Told to Me, Part 1

Although I have yet to read any of Zecharia Sitchin's books, I am familiar with some of the things that are contained in those books because they were mentioned in the TV series Ancient Aliens. You can view Zecharia Sitchin's Amazon Author's Page to get a summary of his life and books. When my budget allows me to I will buy and read his books.

People who have not watched the TV series Ancient Aliens or read Zecharia Sitchin's books tend to laugh at me and tell me that I don't know what I am talking about when it is they who don't know what I am talking about! I find this behavior quite annoying!

I have known since the 1970's that a book that tells the same stories as those found in Genesis was written about 1,000 years before Genesis, but I had trouble remembering the name of that book until I had heard it a few times. This book tells about an alien race known as the Anunnaki who lived in Sumer and their creation of a race of slaves that were called the Adamu (worker). This book is called the Epic of Gilgamesh and is basically an earlier, and more accurate, version of Genesis. People who read only the Bible don't know that this book exists or they tend to dismiss it as being uninspired writings because it was not approved by the unbaptized Roman Emperor Constantine when he convened the Council of Nicaea. It was the later Council of Trent that added the Old Testament to the Bible. Again, the Catholics left out any books that were not widely accepted by the early Christians or that contained "too much information". As far as I know, only the Anglican Church accepts The Book of Enoch as scripture.

I have a neighbor who reads only the King James version of the Bible and refuses to admit that it is the least accurate English translation of the Bible! He kept telling me that any mistakes in translating the Bible are none of my business and that I should just believe those mistakes anyways! That is absurd! Although I no longer have the list, the King James version of the Bible contradicts itself and history that was recorded elsewhere in over 600 different places! Newer translations of the Bible have corrected most of these contradictions. 

However, I have known Christians who were upset over these corrections because many of their false doctrines were based upon these translation errors! As new manuscripts are found in the Middle East and are translated into English newer versions of the Bible are published based upon these new discoveries. Generally speaking, the older a Bible manuscript is the more accurate it is considered to be. What very few Christians will admit is that we do not have anything that is in the original handwriting of any Old Testament prophet, patriarch or New Testament apostle! At best, we have third and fourth generation copies of these writings. When errors were made in copying a scroll by hand the errors were not discarded but were set aside. These scrolls that contained errors were later copied as if they were correct. Also, margin notes and foot notes would often be copied as if they were part of the text. These errors were perpetuated for centuries and are just now being corrected. Once again, some people refuse to admit that their beliefs were based upon copying and translation errors and attack those of us who try to teach them the truth!

I will write more about the religious nonsense that I despise in a later post.

Mike Serovey, MA, MISM

What is the Holy Ghost?

I posted this some time ago on Facebook and now I am copying it here. When I get enough material I am going to turn this idea into a report or book that I will sell on Amazon. Here is the article

1. A couple of days ago I was listening to a recording of a Google hangout. Lisa Garr was interviewing Mary Morrissey. Near the end of the interview, Mary was describing the Internet. She said that there were 7 billion people but one mind. There were 7 billion computers but one Internet. The Internet was everywhere and had the collected wisdom and knowledge of 6,000 years of human experience. It was all knowing and ever present. Does this sound like anyone that we know?
   
   Mary's description of the Internet is very close to how Christians describe the Holy Ghost! I have long believed that what George Lucas calls "the Force" is what Carl Jung called "the collective unconscious" equals what Brian Tracey calls "the super conscious mind". All of these are synonyms for The Holy Ghost. But, what if The Holy Ghost is not a spirit in the sense that the ghost of a dead person is? What if The Holy Ghost is a network of conscious beings from multiple inhabited worlds that has its own intelligence and thus is also a conscious being in and of itself?
   
   The Internet that I am using to write and post this is a network of computer networks. No one really owns the Internet, but some people do control access to it. You need some kind of electronic device to access the Internet, but with the correct equipment, there are very few places here on Earth where you can't get a connection. The Internet is everywhere! If you use a search engine correctly you can find an article on almost everything that you want to know. Someone with Internet access can appear all knowing!
   
   Ever since the days of Joseph Smith, the LDS church has stated that God the Father and his son, Jesus Christ, are two separate and distinct individuals. According to Joseph Smith, the Father and Son both appeared to him in a sacred grove of trees. The Father pointed to the Son and said, "This is my beloved son. Hear him!". Either Joseph was telling the truth or he was lying. Five million Mormons believe that he told the truth. That being the case there are two other possibilities, he either saw something divine or he was tricked. Anti-Mormons believe that Joseph Smith was tricked by the devil because they are still believing in that Holy Trinity nonsense! Joseph Smith's vision, if true, proves that the Father and the Son are both resurrected men with superhuman powers and physical bodies! Each of them can only be in one place at one time! However, the Holy Ghost can be everywhere at once because it is a network that is like our Internet!
   
   The Internet here on Earth uses electrons, microwaves and other energies that travel at, or just under, the speed of light. In the vacuum of space light travels at 186,282 miles per second! On a small planet like Earth that is incredibly fast! However, when you want to travel from one star to another, or send a message from one star to another one, that is slow! It takes four years for the light from Alpha Centauri to reach the Earth. That is too slow for any Internet connection to work! How do space aliens get around this problem? Enter quantum mechanics!
   
   I have no clue when or how quantum entanglement was discovered and will need to research this. However, Albert Einstein called it, "spooky action at a distance". Whenever a particle of ordinary matter is created a matching particle of antimatter is also created. No matter how far these two particles are separated, if something happens to one particle then the matching particle will instantly know about it. If electron A changes its spin then positron A will match that change instantly, even if it is 170,000 light years away! Quantum entanglement can make a galactic Internet work! An alien race, say the Klingons, can tap into this Internet and have the collected wisdom of thousands of inhabited worlds going back over millions of years! Throw in some photon torpedoes and phasers and you have a race of "gods" that is all knowing, all powerful and everywhere at once!

Mike Serovey, MA, MISM

My New Book on Amazon.com

Here is a preview of my book that I just published on Amazon.com. If you want to read the entire book, you can get it at: http://www.amazon.com/Resurrection-Afterlife-Mormon-Writings-ebook/dp/B009PURFG8/.

Death, Resurrection and the Afterlife as Found in the Book of Mormon and Other Writings of Joseph Smith, Jr.

 

By

Michael Robert Serovey, MA, MISM

Elder in the Church of Jesus Chris of Latter Days Saints

 

Copyright Information Page

 

Copyright © 2012 by Michael Robert Serovey. All rights reserved worldwide.

No part of this publication may be replicated, redistributed, or given away in any form without the prior written consent of the author/publisher or the terms relayed to you herein.

 

Michael Robert Serovey, Mike Serovey Enterprises

12708 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. #111, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA

www.MikeSeroveyEnterprises.com

 

This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional services. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought.

Death, Resurrection and the Afterlife as Found in the Book of Mormon and Other Writings of Joseph Smith, Jr.

Copyright Information Page

Introduction

Plan of Salvation - The Seven Ages of Mankind

Is There Only One Heaven and One Hell?

Summary

End Notes

Next Step

Introduction

 

In this paper I will attempt to explain, briefly, the teachings of Joseph Smith, Jr. concerning death, resurrection, and the afterlife. In order to stay within the intende4 length of the paper, I will deal primarily with the Book of Mormon (B of M). Where the B of M does not clearly cover a subject, I will refer to the other works generally attributed to Joseph Smith, Jr. or reputable commentaries thereon.

Before I begin explaining the doctrines, I will briefly describe each of the works generally attributed to Joseph Smith Jr. and there reported respective origins. First is the Book of Mormon (B of M). The title page, which Joseph Smith, Jr. translated from the plates themselves, best describes what it is.

The Book of Mormon

An Account Written by

The Hand of Mormon

Upon Plates

Taken from the Plates of Nephi

Wherefore, it is an abridgment of the record of the people of Nephi, and also of the Lamanites--Written to the Lamanites, who area remnant of the house of Israel; and also to Jew and Gentile——Written by way of commandment, and also by the spirit of prophecy and of revelation--Written and sealed up, and hid up unto the Lord, that they might not be destroyed—-To come forth by the gift and power of God unto the interpretation thereof——Sealed by the hand of Moroni and hid up unto the Lord, to come forth in due time by way of the Gentile——The interpretation thereof by the gift of God.

An Abridgment taken from the Book of Ether also, which is a record of the people of Jared, who were scattered at the time the Lord confounded the language of the people, when they were building a tower to get to heaven——Which is to show unto the remnant of the House of Israel what great things the Lord hath done for their fathers; and that they may know the covenants of the Lord, that they are not cast off forever——And also to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that JESUS is the CHRIST, the ETERNAL GOD, manifesting himself unto all nations——And now, if there are faults they are the mistakes of men; wherefore, condemn not the things of God, that ye may be found spotless at the judgment—seat of Christ.

TRANSLATED BY JOSEPH SMITH, JUN.’ 1

Next is the Doctrine and Covenants of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (D & C). The D&C contain revelations and official proclamations received by or put out by the presidents of the church. Most of these are by or through Joseph Smith, Jr. This book was first published under the title The Book of Commandments. The title was later changed by Joseph Smith Jr.

After Joseph Smith was martyred the church collected several of his writings and published them under the title The Pearl of Great Price (P of GP). The P of GP contains: The Book of Moses, which is Joseph Smith’s retranslation of the first six chapters of Genesis; The Book of Abraham, a translation of a papyrus scroll found with an Egyptian mummy; Joseph Smith- Matthew; Joseph Smith’s translation of Matthew— 23; and Joseph Smith—History an extract from History of the Church Volume I.

In addition, several of the sermons of Joseph Smith, Jr. were recorded by John A. Widstoe. These records were compiled by Joseph Fielding Smith and published under the title, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith.

Of those listed above, four are canonized scripture and are called the Four Standard Works. They are: 1) the KJV Bible; 2) Book of Mormon; 3) D&C and; 4) Pearl of Great Price. The official doctrines of the Church are found in these works and any other proclamations of the First Presidency of the Church.

Plan of Salvation - The Seven Ages of Mankind

 

Bruce R. McConkie in his book The Millennial Messiah points out that we cannot correctly understand the teachings concerning death, resurrection and the afterlife unless we understand the entire plan of salvation. We cannot understand the entire plan of salvation unless we gain an eternal perspective on things. McConkie outlines the seven ages of man as follows: First is “Creation and Life as Spirits”. This is also called the premortal existence. This is when the great Elohim created the spirits of all who ever had, do now, and ever will dwell on this earth. This creation included the angels who were cast into outer darkness and the spirit “Son who is the Firstborn,” YHWH. 2

The Book of Abraham, Chapter 3, tells us of this ante mortal state, before the world was created. In it we find that God revealed to Abraham the eternal nature of spirits, pre—earth life, foreordination, the creation, the choosing of a Redeemer, and the second estate of man.

“NOW the Lord had shown unto me, Abraham, the intelligences that were organized before the world was; and among all these there were many of the noble and great ones; And God saw these souls that they were good, and he stood in the midst of them, and he said:

These I will make my rulers; for he stood among those that were spirits, and he saw that they were good; and he said unto me:

Abraham, thou art one of them; thou wast chosen before thou wast born. And there stood one among them that was like unto God, and he said unto those who were with him: We will go down, for there is space there, and we will take of these materials, and we will make an earth whereon these may dwell; And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them; And they who keep their first estate shall be added upon; and they who keep not their first estate shall not have glory in the same kingdom with those who keep their first estate; and they who keep their second estate shall have glory added upon their heads for ever and ever.

And the Lord said: Whom shall I send? And one answered like unto the Son of Man: Here am I, send me, And another answered and said: Here am I, send me. And the Lord said: I will send the first. And the second was angry, and ke not his first estate and, at that day, many followed after him.” 3

Second is the “Temporal Creation and Our Life as Mortals” This is when the physical earth is organized. This is when Michael the Archangel becomes Adam the premortal man. His wife Eve is created and placed in the garden with him to be a helper. They fall and become mortal beings, subject to both spiritual and physical death. 4

In the B of M, 2 Nephi 2:15-25, Nephi tells his sons the story of the creation, how Adam fell, why the fall was necessary, and what would have happened if the fall had not occurred.

 “And now, behold, if Adam had not transgressed he would not have fallen, but he would have remained in the Garden of Eden. And all things which were created must have remained in the same state in which they were after they were created; and they must have remained forever and had no end. And they would have had no children; wherefore they would have remained in a state of innocence, having no joy, for they knew no misery; doing no good, for they knew no sin. But behold, all things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things. Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.”5

Third is “Redemption and the Age of the Atoning One. This is the meridian of time. This is when Jesus the Christ is born. We were present when the earth was created, Adam fell, the flood of Noah, and again we are present to witness the miraculous birth of our redeemer. We see how he grows up, begins his ministry, is baptized by John in the Jordon River, teaches and works miracles, agonizes in the Garden of Gethsemane, & bleeds and dies for us on the cross. 6

The B of M tells us that Jesus the Christ was known to the Nephite prophets by that name before he was born, that this Jesus Christ is the same one who created the earth, and that he would save us from our sins. In Mosiah 3:8 we read, “And he shall be called Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of heaven and earth, the Creator of all things from the beginning; and his mother shall be called Mary.”

Again in Mosiah we read:

“And because he said unto them that Christ was the God, the Father of all things, and said that he should take upon him the image of man, and it should be the image after which man was created in the beginning; or in other words, he said that man was created after the image of God, and that God should come down among the children of men, and take upon Him flesh and blood, and go forth upon the face of the earth.” 7

If you want to read the entire book, you can get it at: http://www.amazon.com/Resurrection-Afterlife-Mormon-Writings-ebook/dp/B009PURFG8/.

Mike Serovey, MA, MISM

Funny True Stories

While walking along the sidewalk in front of his church,
our minister heard the intoning of a prayer that nearly made
his collar wilt. Apparently, his 5-year-old son and his
playmates had found a dead robin. Feeling that proper burial
should be performed, they had secured a small box and cotton
batting, then dug a hole and made ready for the disposal of
the deceased.The minister's son was chosen to say the
appropriate prayers and with sonorous dignity intoned his
version of what he thought his father always said: 'Glory be
unto the Faaather, and unto the Sonnn, and into the hole
hegoooes.'

A little boy opened the big family Bible. He was
fascinated as he fingered through the old pages. Suddenly,
something fell out of the Bible. He picked up the object and
looked at it. What he saw was an old leaf that had been
pressed in between the pages.'Mama, look what I found,' the
boy called out. 'What have you got there, dear?' With
astonishment in the young boy's voice, he answered, 'I think
it's Adam's underwear!'

A Prophetic Dream

Back in 1978 I was a private in the US Army who lived in the barracks and ate in the mess hall. I had recently joined the LDS (Mormon) church and had a few dates with some of the young women in my ward (the Single Adults Ward). However, I didn't really "click" with anyone at that time. After having a dream about a mermaid I went to the latrine and then prayed to God to reveal to me in a dream whom I should marry. I had had an earlier dream that had left me with the impression that I would marry someone in Tampa and that I would have to wait for her. This time, shortly after falling asleep, I had the following dream.

I saw a photograph of a young woman with glasses and red hair. The glasses had a gold frame to them. I didn't recognize the girl but thought that she was pretty. I also saw a white wall and a white desktop or table top that the photograph was lying upon. I also saw some letters that reminded me of what people would write in a high school yearbook. On the table was a white, studded, vase that had a single long stem red rose in it. That is all of the dream that I can remember.

About a month after having this dream I went on leave from Fort Carson, Colorado to Tampa, Florida. While on my way to Tampa I had the feeling that something was going to happen. I was going to meet the woman that I would marry or maybe even get married. While in Tampa I asked a few girls for dates and they all declined. My sister felt sorry for me and fixed me up with a girl that she knew from her work. When Cathy told me that Shirley had red hair I told Cathy about my dream. Cathy said, "Wouldn't it be funny if you married her?" Well, a few months later I did marry Shirley and it wasn't funny at all!

I married Shirley in June of 1979 in the LDS chapel in Tampa. I spent a few days with her in Florida and then brought her back with me to Colorado Springs, Colorado. While unpacking her things I found a white, studded vase just like the one in my dream! I asked Shirley where she got the vase and she told me that her flowers that I sent to her when I proposed to her came in that vase! The thing is, when I bought the flowers (long stem red roses) I paid for a box, not a vase! The florist that delivered her flowers knew the family and gave me a free upgrade!

I was married to Shirley for almost 11 years but eventually divorced her due to incompatability. We fought way too much! What I still can't figure out is this, if Shirley is the one whom God wwanted me to marry why didn't the marriage work out in the long run? I asked for a wife and I got a wife. Now, when I pray for the perfect wife I don't even get a girlfriend! I have had ONE DATE in the past 11 years! I have spent four fifths of my life single! I'm still clueless about what is going on with the wife situation!

A real comment about this would be appreciated. Spam will just be deleted!

When Was Jesus Really Born?

Most Christians celebrate Christmas on December 25, which is near the Winter Solstace. The Mormon church beleives that Jesus was born in April and I have heard some other people say March. Even so, most Mormons celebrate Christmas in December and also follow most other Christian traditions. I also celebrate Christmas in December, but don't know when Jesus was really born. I'm inclined to go with March because that is what most Bible scholars beleive.

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Silly Christmas Songs

Christmas is about a week from today. I thought that I would post the lyrics to some silly Christmas songs that I learned as a kid. You should already know the melodies but you may not have heard these lyrics before.

First we have Randolph the Bowlegged Cowboy.

Randolph the bowlegged Cowboy had a very shiny gun
and if you ever saw it you would turn around and run.
All of the other cowboys used to laugh and call him names.
They never let poor Randolph join in any poker games.
Then one foggy Christmas eve Sheriff came to say
Randolph with your gun so bright, won't you shoot my wife tonight?
Then how the cowboys loved it as they shouted out with glee
Randolf the bowlegged cowboy, you'll go down in the penitentiary!

We Three Kings of Orient Are

We three kings of orient are
trying to smoke a rubber cigar.
It was loaded and exploded.
Now we're on yonder star.
Oh star of wonder star of light
hope you see a ghost tonight.
It will haunt you and it will scare you
all the days of your life.

Hark the Herald Angels Shout

Hark the herald angels shout
three more days 'till we get out.
Three more days of misery
in this penitentiary.
So grab your balls and grab you chains
run for the nearest trains.
Hark the herald angels shout
three more days 'till we get out.

Are You Going to Heaven?

Yesterday I watched a movie called Bridge To Terabithia. There was a scene in the movie where a girl named Leslie Burke goes to church with here neighbors. On the way back they have a discussion about Jesus and the Bible. Jess and his sister are telling Leslie that if they don't believe the Bible they will go to Hell. Leslie doubts this, but likes the story about Jesus' sacrifice anyway. Later in the story Leslie dies and there is some concern about here going to Hell because she didn't believe the Bible.

As I stated in a previous post, I believe that there is more than one heaven and there may be more than one hell. I do not believe that God will send someone to eternal torment because he or she doubted the Bible or joined the wrong religion. I believe that a just and merciful god would never do that! I do believe that getting into the highest heaven does require faith in all of the scriptures and obedience to all of God's commandments. Those who are lacking a little in faith and righteousness will go to a heaven, just not the best one. I believe that it is as hard to get into Hell as it is to get into the Celestial Kingdom. One has to work at both! Total rebellion against God may get you into Hell. Mass murder may do it.

The LDS church teaches that there are 5 steps to repentance and one of them is restitution. You must return or pay for what you stole or damaged. In the case of murder, you normally cannot bring someone back to life. So, the only way to make restitution is to forfeit you own life. In our Doctrine and Covenants it states that murderers must be destroyed in the flesh and then delivered unto Satan for buffeting. So, murderers do go to Hell, but after they have paid for their sins they get out and go to the lowest heaven.

Even if a man lived to be 120 years old, that is only a few hours of God's time. What sin could a man commit that would be terrible enough to deserve torment that lasts for millions of years? I can agree with some punishment for sins that are not repented of prior to letting someone into Heaven, but I am having a real problem with the idea of eternal torment!

Mark Twain and Brigham Young

There is a story, supposedly true, about Mark Twain and Brigham Young. They were having a debate about plural marriage. Mark Twain was trying to prove from the Bible that a man should have only one wife at a time and Brigham Young was trying to prove from the Bible that it was OK to have two or more wives at the same time. At some point Mark Twain realized that he was losing the debate, so in desperation he quoted Matthew 6:24 "No man can serve two masters...".



I don't know if this story is really true, but it definitely could be!

Vampires and Demons

As mentioned in a previous post I like watching old episodes of both Angel and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I find them both entertaining but disagree with the theology of the writers. According to the writers of these two shows vampires are demons that take over a human body. They have the memories of the former owners of the bodies, but no souls. The souls get lost somewhere. Angel is a vampire who was cursed by gypsies for killing one of them. His curse is that he does have a soul and remembers everyone that he killed while he was an evil vampire. Because he feels guilty about his evil life he tries to make up for this by helping humans and killing demons and other vampires. Part of his curse is that if he ever has a moment of true happiness he will lose his soul and become evil again. In the two shows Angel lost his soul twice and got it back twice. Vampires are supposed to be immortal but they can be killed by a wooden stake through the heart, decapitation, drinking holy water, and exposure to direct sun light. They can also be killed by fire.

What I disagree with is that a soul is not something that you have but something that you are! In Genesis Chapter 2, verse 7 It states, "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." Adam didn't have a soul, he became a soul after God put the breath of life into him! A living soul is a spirit housed in a mortal body and an immortal soul is a spirit housed in a resurrected body. All of the other definitions of souls that I have been given are totally wrong!

Update On Big Brother 8

On Thursday, August 16, 2007 I turned on Big Brother 8 and got a pleasant surprise when Dustin was nominated for eviction. I was quite pleased when he was finally evicted from the Big Brother house. Dustin is one of two homosexuals that got into the house this season. Now that both queers are gone I can watch the show without my stomach turning! They both disgusted me with the things that they said and did on that show! Unfortunately, they both will be back for the final episode when they vote for a winner.

I have never applied to be on Big Brother and doubt that I ever will. I would like to, but being couped up in that house with a queer could be more than I can handle. If so, he would most likely be the first person that I would try to get evicted. For the record, I don't hate homosexuals but I find much of their behavior disgusting. I still believe that homosexuality is a sin and will never change my mind on that!

Lesbians In My Favorite TV Shows

I have a membership with blockbuster online. I have been watching old episodes of the TV shows Angel and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I have enjoyed watching both shows but I do have a problem with some of the "theology" the writers have and the evolution of the character Willow Rosenberg. Willow starts out as a normal Jewish girl who has a crush on her best friend Alexander Harris. I think that it was in Season Two of Buffy that she met Oz and fell in love with him. Oz turns out to be a werewolf, but Willow stays with him anyway. In Season 4 of Buffy Oz kills a female werewolf to save Willow and that freaks him out a little. He ends up leaving Willow. She is heart broken and eventually meets Tara. By the end of Season 4 Willow is in a lesbian relationship with Tara. It is very unusual for a girl to change sexual orientation in her twenties and it was totally unnecessary for the character to make the switch! In the first 4 seasons of Buffy she is an only child. Sometime during Season 5 she gets a younger sister named Dawn. By Season 6 Dawn is 15 years old and thinks that it is OK for two lesbians to be living in the same house with her! Buffy exposes her younger sister to this sexual perversion as if there is nothing wrong with it and has it going on in her own house! I strongly object to that! It was totally unnecessary for the writers to put this garbage into the show!

They also had Willow make the switch from being Jewish to being a witch. She ends up being a good witch who helps people with her magic, but she has gotten into trouble using magic for selfish purposes. At least the writers put into the show that using magic has consequences that are sometimes hard to predict.

In both shows there is more than one Hell and more than one Heaven. Demons come from several different hell dimensions and have physical bodies. There are several different species of demons and some of them are good. I believe that there is more than one Heaven and I have no clue how many hell dimensions exist. I believe that there is only one kind of demon and those are the rebellious angels that got kicked out of Heaven. I agree with the writers that demons were on the earth long before mankind was. For some reason that I don't fully understand God allowed those fallen angels to come to Earth and to tempt mankind starting with Adam and Eve. Those demons still roam the Earth causing problems for us and they cannot be killed by a vampire slayer!

Even though I don't agree with some of what goes on in these shows, I like watching them.

More On Big Brother 8

Last Thursday I missed Big Brother 8 because I was having a problem with my cable provider and could not get the channel that it was on. When I turned it on today I was pleasantly surprised to find that Danielle was taken off the block and was replaced by Joe. Joe was voted out 9 to 1. I am glad that Joe is gone because I like Danielle and want her to stay for a long time on the show. Also, Joe is gay and I wanted him gone because of that. Let me state for the recored that I do not hate gays. However, I am quite tired of seeing them on TV and find the flaming ones quite disgusting! Dustin and Joe both do things that get under my skin and I am very glad that one of them is gone. They caused a lot of drama in the beginning and now that will be over with one of them gone. I am also glad that Dick, aka Evil, gets to spend more time with his daughter, Danielle. I hope that by the time that one of them leaves the house that they have worked out all of their problems.

There are a couple of supposedly straight guys in the house that have made comments that suggest that they may swing both ways. So, I hope that Dustin, who is definitely gay, and Nick, who may be bi, both get voted out soon.

If I ever go into the Big Brother house I am not sure how long I would last. If they put me in the house with a gay guy he would be the first one I would target unless someone else got on my nerves even more.

Are Ghosts and Magic Real?

Are Ghosts and Magic Real? I believe that the answer to both questions is yes. Let me tell you why. I have cable TV where I live and I get both A & E and the Sci Fi channel. On A & E is a show called Chris Angel, Mindfreak. I understand that a good illusionist or magician does not reveal how he does his tricks. Even so, Chris blurs the line between illusion and reality. It is hard to tell where one ends and the other begins. I have seen Chris walk through solid glass without breaking it, levitate, make other people and objects levitate, walk on water, and other strange things that I cannot explain. Chris insists that he is not using camera tricks or CGI to do his illusions and that what we see is what we get. He insists that he can really defy gravity by walking up and down a wall or crawling down the outside of a building without wires or a harness. He doesn't even use any kind of safety net or air bag in case he falls. I have also seen him dematerialize and teleport and move solid objects into and out of a painting. I do not believe that he is doing these things by the power of the Devil! However, some of his magic does seem to be real! This is why I believe that some magic is real.

I also believe that some faith healings are real because I have done them. I have given blessings to people who were sick or had some other physical problem and most of them got better faster than I would normally expect. I am well aware of the placebo effect but I doubt that this explains all cases of faith healing.

The reason that I believe that ghosts are real is because of stories that I have heard and read plus what I have seen on a TV show called Ghost Hunters on the Sci Fi Channel. These ghost hunters use all kinds of electronic equipment to get solid evidence of paranormal activity. They use night vision and infra red cameras to see in the dark, they use meters that measure the amount of electro magnetic energy in an area, and they use digital voice recorders to catch voices that the human ear may miss. They have captured with these devices voices that didn't come from a living human being. Sometimes they can tell if the voices are male or female and sometimes they can make out what the voices are trying to say. They call this EVP or Electronic Voice Phenomena. I have seen captured on film solid objects moving by themselves and I have seen a couple cases where people got knocked down by some unseen force. So, either ghosts are knocking these people down and moving these objects or we have an alien using some kind of cloaking device. I am more inclined to believe in the ghosts.

Believe what you want, but if you watch several episodes of both Ghost Hunters and Chris Angel, Mindfreak, you might be convinced that ghosts and magic are real too!

Big Brother 8

I have watched the first two episodes of Big Brother 8. Normally, I like watching the show. However, I have gotten tired of seeing queers and weirdos on TV! This season, they have a weirdo named Dick. His nickname is Evil. He is in bad need of a hair cut and he has an ear ring in each ear and in his left eye brow. He has tattoos all over both of his arms. In the house with him is his daughter, Danielle. She is a hot looking blond who is just under 21. Danielle seems like a nice normal girl. However, she hasn't spoken to her dad in the two years prior to going on this show. She can't remember why she doesn't like her dad. I do hope that Dick and Danielle work out their problems because I do know what it is like to have a daughter that will not speak to me.

Dick I can deal with. The two people that I want off the show NOW are Dustin and Joe. They are both gay and one has accused the other of giving him gonorrhea, on national TV! I stated before that I am tired of seeing queers on TV and I meant it! I plan to stop watching Big Brother 8 until they get both of these queers off the show. That is unfortunate because there are some really pretty girls in the house right now and I would enjoy watching them. However, the bickering between the two queers is just getting on my nerves and they just plain disgust me!

The Devil Made Me Do It!

A long time ago there were people who would say, "The Devil made me do it!" whenever they got caught doing something that was wrong. I have believed for many years that the Devil got far too much credit for what happens here on Earth. The Devil may tempt people, but he can't make them do anything that they don't want to do! To illustrate my point I will give you an extreme example. Let's say that I point a loaded gun to your head and tell you that if you don't do exactly what I tell you to do, when I tell you to do it I will pull the trigger and blow your brains out. Even then I cannot make you do anything. You can still refuse and let me kill you. However, most people will do what they are told because they don't want to die.

Many years ago I knew some people who were Jesus freaks. They knew the Bible but not much else! And, their understandings of the Bible was quite flawed! Anyway, they would explain anything that looked supernatural as being done by the power of the Devil. They condemned things like hypnosis and Reiki healing as being evil. They would condemn anything that they didn't understand as being done by the power of the Devil! I think that this is utter nonsense! What these ignoramuses failed to understand is that we have supernatural powers because we are the children of God. We are literally the spirit children of God and not just his favorite pets. As His children we have inherited several abilities that seem supernatural. Mind over matter is not done by the power of the Devil as one minister claimed and therefore is not evil. Our spirits have amazing abilities that most of us simply don't know how to use. For those who do know how to use these abilities they can control matter.

All physicists know that matter and energy are the same things. All matter is made up of very tiny particles that are bound together by energy fields. When the energy fields at the nucleus of an atom are broken the result is a very powerful explosion. Our thoughts are also energy and can be measured with an EEG. It doesn't take supernatural power to get the energy of our thoughts to control the energy that makes up matter. It just takes a firm belief in a very powerful mind.

One last thing has to do with responsibility. Our laws state that insane people are not responsible for the crimes that they commit because they don't know right from wrong. The same applies to very small children. Maybe, but most of us are responsible for the choices that we make and should accept responsibility for our actions whenever we get caught doing something that is wrong. Take charge of your own lives and accept the consequences of your actions! Quit blaming things on the Devil!

PECANS IN THE CEMETERY

Here is a funny story that my son sent to me. I think that you will like it.

On the outskirts of a small town, there was a big, old pecan tree just inside the cemetery fence. One day, two boys filled up a bucketful of nuts and sat down by the tree, out of sight, and began
dividing the nuts.

"One for you, one for me. One for you, one for me," said one boy. Several dropped and rolled down to ward the fence.

Another boy came riding along the road on his bicycle. As he passed, he thought he heard voices from inside the cemetery. He slowed down to investigate. Sure enough, he heard, "One for you,
one for me. One for you, one for me."

He just knew what it was. He jumped back on his bike and rode off. Just around the bend he met an old man with a cane, hobbling along.

"Come here quick," said the boy, "you won't believe what I heard! Satan and the Lord are down at the cemetery dividing up the souls."

The man said, "Beat it kid, can't you see it's hard for me to walk." When the boy insisted though, the man hobbled slowly to the cemetery.

Standing by the fence they heard, "One for you, one for me. One for you, one for me."

The old man whispered, "Boy, you've been telling me the truth. Let's see if we can see the Lord."

Shaking with fear, they peered through the fence, yet were still unable to see anything. The old man and the boy gripped the wrought iron bars of the fence tighter and tighter as they tried to get a glimpse of the Lord.

At last they heard, "One for you, one for me. That's all. Now let's go get those nuts by the fence and we'll be done."

They say the old man made it back to town a full 5 minutes ahead of the kid on the bike.

Why Do They Call Her "The Virgin Mary"?

The original meaning of "virgin" was a young woman who had never been married. At age 14 Mary fit this definition of "virgin". Many Bible scholars believe that Mary had Jesus at age 15. Although the Bible is silent on how many children Mary and Joseph had, we do know that Jesus had brothers and sisters. Mark 6:3 reads, "Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us?" (KJV) I have a book in my personal library that is all about James the Just, the brother of Jesus. I have yet to actually read the book, though. The fact that someone could write an entire book about James would suggest that there are other sources of information about him outside of the Bible.

There are two possibilities about these brothers and sisters of Jesus. One is that Joseph had a wife prior to Mary and that these are the children from his first marriage. However, the Bible is silent about this and it is easy to assume that Mary was the only wife of Joseph. There is no mention of any children traveling with Mary and Joseph when they made their famous trip to Bethlehem. So, the more reasonable conclusion is that Mary had some children after Jesus. That being the case, she is no longer a virgin! She had sex with Joseph in order to have these other children! Stop calling her a virgin when she obviously is not! I mean, even if all of these brothers and sisters all came from Joseph's prior wife, it is quite asinine to believe that Mary never had sex with Joseph even once after Jesus was born! I don't care how old Joseph was when he married Mary. There is no way he is going to pass up the chance to have sex with a teenage hottie! I am not being vulgar here, just honest. I am quite sick and tired of people calling a 2,000 year old woman who had children after Jesus a virgin! Get real folks and stop calling her a virgin!

Here Is a Story About Friendship

Here is a story about friendship and how it helped one boy. I think that you will enjoy this story.

One day, when I was a freshman in high school, I saw a kid from my class walking home from school. His name was Kyle. It looked like he was carrying all of his books. I thought to myself, "Why would anyone bring home all his books on a Friday? He must really be a nerd." I had quite a weekend planned (parties and a football game with my friends tomorrow afternoon), so I shrugged my shoulders and went on. As I was walking, I saw a bunch of kids running toward him. They ran at him, knocking all his books out of his arms and tripping him so he landed in the dirt. His glasses went flying, and I saw them land in the grass about ten feet from him. He looked up and I saw this terrible sadness in his eyes. My heart went out to him. I jogged over to him and as he crawled around looking for his glasses, and I saw a tear in his eyes.

As I handed him his glasses, I said, "Those guys are jerks." They really should get lives. "He looked at me and said, "Hey thanks!" There was a big smile on his face. It was one of those smiles that showed real gratitude. I helped him pick up his books, and asked him where he lived. As it turned out, he lived near me, so I asked him why I had never seen him before. He said he had gone to private school before now. I would have never hung out with a private school kid before. We talked all the way home, and I carried some of his books. He turned out to be a cool kid. I asked him if he wanted to play a little football with my friends, he said yes. We hung out all weekend and the more I got to know Kyle, the more I liked him, and my friends thought the same of him. Monday morning came, and there was Kyle with the huge stack of books again. I stopped him and said, "Boy, you are going to really build some serious muscles with this pile of books everyday! "He just laughed and handed me half the books. Over the next four years, Kyle and I became best friends. When we were seniors, we began to think about college. Kyle decided on Georgetown , and I was going to Duke. I knew that we would always be friends, that the miles would never be a problem. He was going to be a doctor, and I was going for business on a football scholarship. Kyle was valedictorian of our class. I teased him all the time about being a nerd. He had to prepare a speech for graduation. I was so glad it was not me having to get up there and speak. Graduation day, I saw Kyle. He looked great. He was one of those guys that really found him self during high school. He filled out and actually looked good in glasses. He had more dates than I had and all the girls loved him. Boy, sometimes I was jealous. Today was one of those days. I could see that he was nervous about his speech. I smacked him on the back and said, "Hey, big guy, you'll be great!" He looked at me with one of those looks (the really grateful one) and smiled. "Thanks," he said. As he started his speech, he cleared his throat, and began "Graduation is a time to thank those who helped you make it through those tough years. You thank your parents, your teachers, your siblings, maybe a coach...but mostly your friends.

I am here to tell all of you that being a friend to someone is the best gift you can give them. I am going to tell you a story." I just looked at my friend with disbelief as he told the story of the first day we met. He had planned to kill himself over the weekend. He talked of how he had cleaned out his locker so his Mom would not have to do it later and was carrying his stuff home.
He looked hard at me and gave me a little smile. "Thankfully, I was saved. My friend saved me from doing the unspeakable." I heard the gasp go through the crowd as this handsome, popular boy told us all about his weakest moment. I saw his Mom and dad looking at me and smiling that same grateful smile. Not until that moment did I realize its depth. Never underestimate the power of your actions. With one small gesture, you can change a person's life, for better or for worse. God puts us all in each others lives to impact one another in some way. Look for God in others. "Friends are angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly."

Yesterday is history.
Tomorrow is mystery.
Today is a gift.