Planting the seeds of greatness…

In my last article I emphasized what Jesus clearly said about knowing others by the fruits that they bear. Before anything in life can come to fruition, seeds must be planted. Who are you and what do you want to become? What kind of seeds (thoughts) do you plant? Where will you plant your seeds? What is the condition of the soil (your mind)? Has it been tilled (disciplined and pro-active) or is it rocky (emotionally reactive)? How is the weather (your environment) going to affect the growth of your seeds?  When do you need to plant your seeds? Why are you planting them to begin with (your ultimate purpose)? All of these questions need to be answered in order for you to grow seeds of greatness. When you plant your seeds do you have faith that they will grow? Does a farmer go and dig up the seeds everyday to see if they are taking root? Hardly. He knows that if he plants the right seed at the right time in the right soil and believes that he has done his best, the seeds will take root and grow. That’s faithing.

After Jesus rebuked the devil from a child and he was cured the disciples wondered why they couldn’t cast him out and Jesus could. “And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you (Matthew 17:20).”  Interesting! The disciples couldn’t heal the child because of their unbelief and lack of faith. He told the disciples that if they had the faith as a grain of mustard seed (the smallest of seeds), that mountains would move and nothing shall be impossible unto them. A tiny little bit of faith has the power to move mountains! Earlier, Jesus had told the disciples “Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof (Matthew 13:31-32).” Your seeds of faith can become the greatest of things when you believe in the promise that Jesus made.

“But how do I find my seeds of greatness”, you might ask? Simply spend the time to unleash the power of desire that God has put in your heart. Desire means of the Father. It is the spark within you that God has given as your gift of the spirit. If you don’t pursue the fruition of that gift it is like telling God that He didn’t know what He was doing when He created you. That wouldn’t be wise since God knows more than any of us. Your everyday thoughts are seeds that you plant in the soil of your mind. Is the soil there fertile or barren? Have you made steps towards positively acting in a manner that supports growth and life or are you just reacting to your environmental circumstances? Do you associate with people that promote growth and prosperity or do you just hang with the same old go nowhere croud? Have you made the steps to educate yourself about the facts instead of just jumping on the opinion bandwagon? In order to be great you must understand your ultimate purpose. Have you made the time to find out what that is?

It’s all about what you’re focusing your energy on; whether it’s the past, present or future. Whatever you focus your thoughts and energy on creates an equal vibrational state of being that attracts the outcome of those thoughts. Every time you plant a seed (thought) and dwell on that thought fervently (with faith and belief), it moves mountains; just as Jesus said. The seed takes root. The more you actively think about a thought the more it becomes a belief. You begin to accept it as true; whether it’s true or not. It works both ways. The more you believe and have faith in your thoughts (seeds) the more they begin showing up in your life. It works conversely as well. Focus your thoughts and energy on being the great being that God has created you to be. Don’t believe those who preach lack and limitation, fear and anger and separation from God. If you believe what they say and focus on it enough it becomes your reality and your truth. Choose to focus on abundance and prosperity, faith and love and union with God. Then, and only then, will you be planting seeds of greatness. May God be with you.

For more info: Download my free Wilmington Spirituality Examiner toolbar. Please visit my Eschatology Refutation Blog. “Life is a gift. Be thankful for it and it will be replete with abundance. Encourage others to express creativity, release negativity and embrace pro-activity." ©2009 Dean A. Banks. All Rights Reserved. Dean A. Banks, MCIWD, DD can be reached at webproducer@hotmail.com or banksnet.com. Download my free eBook on Articles 1-10 here.

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Are you bearing healthy fruit?

Matthew 21:18-22 (KJV): “Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered. And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away. And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away! Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.”

Are you bearing the fruits of your life and offering it to those who hunger? Do you spend each day making your leaves look pretty and not developing the content of your inner self in order to bear the fruits of an abundant life? When Jesus encountered the tree he was hungry and the tree could not supply his need. Did he bless the tree? Did he ignore it? No, he cursed it to no longer bear any fruit. Have you not been offering fruit for so long that when the opportunity for you to be blessed comes along that the only thing you have to offer is superficiality and not content? Jesus did not react. He pro-acted and the tree withered away to the marvel of the disciples. In their astonishment, Jesus clarified this event by telling them that they had the power, through faith and removal of doubt, to not only prevent superficiality, but to remove negative content from your life and the lives of others. After Jesus left the fig tree anyone who passed by would no longer be fooled by its superficiality because it was obviously dead and withered. He told the disciples to ask for their blessings in life through prayer in a state of believing and they would receive whatsoever they asked! Furthermore, he earlier warned the prophets to know false prophets by the fruits that they bear:

Matthew 7: 15–29 (KJV): “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.”

A good tree brings forth good fruit. Does Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and Bill O’Reilly bring forth good fruit? Hardly! They bring forth anger and self-righteous indignation. Jesus furthermore said that a good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, nor can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. If a tree brings forth evil fruit then cast it into the fire. Remove it from your life and leave it to its own devices. Just as water seeks its own level, so will these angry and foolish people reap the rewards of their aberrant behavior. Don’t dwell on it or allow them to rent space in your head! Just as they proclaim and announce their righteousness, they are bearing the fruits of derision and anger. Jesus said that if they heard his word and didn’t do what he said, whether they professed him or not, they would NOT enter the Kingdom of Heaven. A wise man digs for the facts and does not rely on the opinions of others. He builds his house upon the rock. As a result, his house will stand. When a house is built on innuendo, opinions and anger, it will surely fall. Where do you stand? Are you building your house upon the rock? Or are you building you house upon the sands of opinions? Just as the people were astonished by the doctrine of Jesus, be astonished by the fact that Jesus spoke with authority. He KNEW the truth. He stated it, didn’t have to debate it or defend it.

It is important to keep your emotional state pure. Your emotional state affects your conscious control over your experience. Your resultant emotional state will determine the outcomes you receive in your life. Live and embrace anger, and your will encounter situations, time after time, that will trigger your anger. Don’t fool yourself by pretending that you are not angry or happy about something. Embrace your feelings in private and dig for the facts that bring you to that state. If you pretend to feel different, or ignore how you feel, you will create a vibrational state of in your being of acceptance to the things you do not desire. You basically feel powerless. Jesus told us that we HAVE the power to make mountains move! Why don’t you listen to him! Analyze the facts and take the steps to alter your feelings so that they align with the results you seek. Then, and only then, will you begin to move mountains!

For more info: Download my free Wilmington Spirituality Examiner toolbar. Please visit my Eschatology Refutation Blog. “Life is a gift. Be thankful for it and it will be replete with abundance. Encourage others to express creativity, release negativity and embrace pro-activity." ©2009 Dean A. Banks. All Rights Reserved. Dean A. Banks, MCIWD, DD can be reached at webproducer@hotmail.com or banksnet.com. Download my free eBook on Articles 1-10 here.

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Are you homophobic?

Are you upset about the queering of elementary education and the sexualizing of school children? Do you listen to town criers with an obvious homophobic agenda and justify it by invoking Christian values? Do you even know what Christian values are or are you content with just listening to those with overt agendas and opinions? Well, if you are unsure about this issue then read on. If you disagree, then go here for your mother’s milk. As for the truth, it can only be found in the love of God and the realization that we are all created by Him and we are all blessed by Him. We are his most prized creation and He loves us enough to allow us to have free will.

What is free will? Free will is the relationship between the freedom to act on, or react to, situations and events and the causes of these situations and events. Are we subject to the laws of nature that create situations and events or do we affect the laws of nature? Or is it a combination of being affected and affecting? If a tree falls in the woods does it make a noise? It depends on the definition of the term noise. Science is aware that the experimenter can affect the outcome of the experiment. If you comment on any occurrence and have a pre-conceived notion that will affect your analysis, it’s no wonder that you come up with evidence to support your conclusions. If you believe that everything that is happening to you came from prior occurrences than you are deterministic. If you believe that the prior statement is true, but some events and situations are not previously determined by prior actions, then you are considered to believe in indeterminism. If you believe that free will and determinism compatibly exist then you are considered a compatibilist. If you feel that free will and determinism are incompatible, then you are compartmentalized into 3 categories of incompatibilism:

1. Hard determinism: determinism is reality and free will is an illusion.
2. Libertarianism: free will is true and determinism doesn’t exist.
3. Pessimistic Incompatibilism: Neither free will nor determinism exists.

Depending on your viewpoint of the world you can affect the observations you make. Do you believe that homosexuality is a choice? Do you believe that it is an abomination to God? Are you more concerned about judging others than accepting who they are and for what they are? Are you listening to those who preach fear and the end times of God’s wrath and judgment of man for his sins? Do you base your entire life on a book that others have passed down mouth to mouth and page to page without questioning the motives of the writers? Or are you an open minded person who hears, sees, feels, tastes and touches reality without any prior pre-conceived notions? Our senses are wonderful interpreters of the electromagnetic spectrum that allow us to interact with our environment. However, all of our perceptions are merely electrical copies of reality that exist in our brains. Our perceptions are just that; perceptions and not reality.

When we impose our perceptions and beliefs on others based on our individual skew we are committing a form of brain washing. Whether we make blanket statements or allude to our own agendas by asking questions we are still manipulating a desired response from our environment. Are the schools trying to queer our kids with acceptance of homosexuals? Hardly. The schools are trying to create a base of acceptance for others without judgment based on an individual’s choice in their beliefs. Are they trying to sexualize them too early, or are they utilizing preventative medicine to allow them to make their own choices based on the facts and not someone else’s religious skew? You decide. Our children are our future and we need to make them aware of the choices they need to make in their lives based on facts and not religious opinions. Does God read the Bible? Did God create us just to punish us? Or did He simply give us the free will to choose our paths as we go through the journey of life. As always, you decide.

For more info: Download my free Wilmington Spirituality Examiner toolbar. Please visit my Eschatology Refutation Blog. “Life is a gift. Be thankful for it and it will be replete with abundance. Encourage others to express creativity, release negativity and embrace pro-activity." ©2009 Dean A. Banks. All Rights Reserved. Dean A. Banks, MCIWD, DD can be reached at webproducer@hotmail.com or banksnet.com. Download my free eBook on Articles 1-10 here.

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What if the Bible didn't exist? (Part 2)

Recently, I conducted an interview with Dr. Witless Blather from D.C. Dr. Blather is well-known for his cutting edge commentary and interesting facts concerning the Bible. Following is Part 2 of this interview:

DAB: What did Martin Luther base these decisions on?

DWB: Martin Luther was a 16th century German monk. He was disturbed by certain things which he viewed as anomalies in his studies. For example, he didn’t agree with the doctrine of Tradition.

DAB: What was that doctrine and why didn’t he agree with it?

DWB: Tradition is a doctrine in the Catholic Church which is the oral or unwritten Word. According to the Catholics, Tradition and Scripture are the sources of all Christian doctrine. It is the Christian indirect Rule of Faith. He didn’t agree with certain abuses within the Catholic Church and resulted in confrontations between him and the hierarchy of the church. Luther didn’t agree with Tradition as a legitimate rule of faith because it was in conflict with the scripture. Ultimately, Luther accused the Catholic Church of corrupting Christian doctrine and distorting Biblical truths.

DAB: So, due to an internal conflict in the Catholic Church, the doctrine of Sola Scriptura was adopted by Luther as being the only Rule of Faith instead of both Tradition and Scripture. Is this validated anywhere in the Bible?

DWB: No. Protestants often reference 2nd Timothy 3:16-17 as validation, but that is debatable. St. Paul often referred to his Hebrew teachings as a basis for his understanding.

DAB: In other words, Paul had his own agenda and so did Luther.

DWB: Possibly so. Many years went by after the Biblical canon before Sola Scriptura even became an issue.

DAB: Very true. Most people up until the time of the invention of the printing press by Johannes Gutenberg, circa 1439, were illiterate. The Catholic monks hand copied the Biblical documents and became the middle men between the masses and God. Most of the education of the story of Christ was conveyed through art and stained glass art in the churches. 1400 years went by without Sola Scriptura being an issue.

DWB: The books of the Protestant Bible as it stands today were canonized in the 4th century C.E. Several Catholic Councils determined the validity of the books included in the canon. Scripture and Tradition were the benchmarks of the Rule of Faith for Christians.

DAB: Concerning the biblical manuscripts that the monks copied by hand, didn’t this create many variations and interpretations based on Greek to Latin translations, geographic idioms and language nuances?

DWB: Yes, it did. There are hundreds of Bible versions that were hand copied from monk to monk and the Bible as we know it today wasn’t available to the individual believer until the 15th century when the printing press was invented and the Bible could be mass duplicated. The Jewish Bible contains 24 books, the Catholics have 73 books, the Orthodox Christians have 78 books and the Protestants have 66 books in their Bible.

DAB: With all these different books being accepted and rejected by church hierarchies, how did the Bible get written in verses?

DWB: There are several stories about this but the most popular is that a Dominican monk traveling throughout Europe on a donkey occupied his time by re-translating the Koine Greek of the New Testament into Latin and he made each thought as stated into a verse and numbered them.

DAB: Let’s recap. Martin Luther came to his own conclusions about the interpretation of the Bible by the Catholic Church. I’m curious to know more about the state of mind and psychological makeup of Martin Luther. Was he mentally stable or did he suffer any mental health problems?

DWB: Yes, there were definite psychological and emotional problems that Martin Luther displayed. More to come…

For more info: Download my free Wilmington Spirituality Examiner toolbar. Please visit my Eschatology Refutation Blog. “Life is a gift. Be thankful for it and it will be replete with abundance. Encourage others to express creativity, release negativity and embrace pro-activity." ©2009 Dean A. Banks. All Rights Reserved. Dean A. Banks, MCIWD, DD can be reached at webproducer@hotmail.com or banksnet.com. Download my free eBook on Articles 1-10 here.

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‘Tripe masquerading as commentary’

It was a wonderful morning. 5 AM, crickets chirping, tree frogs whirring and a hot cup o’ jo. Then I went to the computer and read my rival examiner’s comments and laughed almost out of control. His statement concerning my commentaries was ‘tripe masquerading as commentary.’ This is something you would expect from someone whose opinion is not factually based and who is undoubtedly pinned to the ropes. Such a statement reflects the mindset of someone who has no facts to back up what he says. After all, being a Glenn Beck supporter certainly speaks volumes. However, we will not degrade ourselves into ‘worthless drivel’ or ‘witless blather’ as his commenters have accused me of; we will take the truthful and poignant road and, like Congressman Grayson, and call it as we see it.

Let’s look at his commenter’s frame of mind in regards to evolution. Who’s to say that evolution was not God’s way of creating the universe? There is no scripture to refute this. In the original Aramaic, the words without form and void in the first chapter of Genesis are ‘tohu’ and ‘bohu’. The meanings of these words are a vast chaotic wasteland; an implication that the earth was ‘re-created’ six thousand years ago, NOT initially created. One of this examiner’s thoughtful readers commented, “They teach our kids that the Earth revolves around the sun too but we know that’s not true either. I tell them to get up every morning and watch the sun turn around the only planet that God made for man and my country which is the greatest that God gave man.” WTF? If this is the average level of intelligence of his readership then he is fulfilling a purpose. Feeding the minds of the mindless is a worthy job. The level of your sincerity is determined by WHAT you are feeding them. How about a flat earth?

God has given us senses in order to experience our environment and a brain to sort it all out. If you use a book or someone else’s impressions of reality as the sole determining factor of your existence, then you are limiting your scope of experience. You are operating under tunnel vision. When I quote Jesus and give solid examples of his behavior and words, most of my commenters react in rage and disgust. When I support the position of love and nurturing, they react with a nationalistic agenda and unscientific analysis. When you solely use your feelings to determine your reality you are operating in a vacuum. Your emotions and feelings are simply a feedback system to allow you to qualify and quantify what you sense in reality. It is NOT the sole determinant of reality. Yet, people seem to NOT want to expand themselves out of their comfort zone to embrace FACT instead of OPINION. They set an agenda based on feelings alone, and then spend their time trying to convince themselves and others that their skew on life is correct.

Eschatology is a prime example. Based on the concept that we are all sinners and need to fear God, stories are told by delusional people to reinforce their own fears and a belief in a fantasy world in the future. Whether it’s Revelation, Nostradamus or the world coming to an end according to the Mayan calendar in 2012, it’s all reflective of fear and a final judgment on man for all of his sins. Hogwash!!! It is all game-whipping of those who want to control, dominate and manipulate others into their will and their skew on life. Don’t believe it! God has created an abundant universe that operates as a precision clock. Jesus said the Kingdom of Heaven is here and now. The only thing we truly have is the now! We can reflect on the past and dream about the future, but we can only live in the now! Choose life and be with the living instead of choosing death and existing with the walking dead. Bless them and go about your way on a path to life by speaking the truth and giving love to all. Don’t settle for anything less than that, because if you do, you are carving a path of lack and limitation; something that the fear mongers thrive on. Follow the words of Jesus and emulate his behaviors. He is our model for living life. He knows that the earth revolves around the sun and that all people on this planet are created equal. His perspective is one of love, wisdom and abundance. Dispute that and you are disputing the truth of God’s love.

For more info: Download my free Wilmington Spirituality Examiner toolbar. Please visit my Eschatology Refutation Blog. “Life is a gift. Be thankful for it and it will be replete with abundance. Encourage others to express creativity, release negativity and embrace pro-activity." ©2009 Dean A. Banks. All Rights Reserved. Dean A. Banks, MCIWD, DD can be reached at webproducer@hotmail.com or banksnet.com. Download my free eBook on Articles 1-10 here.

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Foot in mouth syndrome

I must say the past year has been very entertaining. As countries in the world are becoming more and more aware of being a part of the global community, there are still some separatists that operate with impunity spewing hatred and vitriol. None is more popular and moronic as Glenn Beck. Each night he consistently puts his foot in his mouth with unresearched “facts” and “suppositions” that have bubbled up in his ADHD mind. His paranoia and lack of sound judgment has gone beyond being funny. He has managed to feed a base of people who vicariously release their inner frustrations through this man’s nightly dance.

It seems that poor judgment and lack of education is the hallmark of this base. Even David Frum, W’s former economic speechwriter, says “People become less Republican as they become better educated.” Hmmm. It seems that this base needs to sign up at the local community college to learn about Political Science, Philosophy and History. Something that seems to be remiss in their diatribe. Even when Jay Leno asked a recent college graduate where the pilgrims landed they responded “Buick Rock.” ??? It’s not just the lack of education it’s the lack of focus. Too much information and too many distractions can cause confusion and instability. Something that GB lives and counts on.

My question to the spiritual people out there is this: Does the behavior of Glenn Beck, in any way, emulate the behavior of Jesus? Hardly. His conversion from Catholicism to Mormonism removed some of his earlier self-imposed restrictions and gave him the strength of the periphery that drives him nightly. If you ask any theologian worth his salt, he will tell you that Mormonism is based on a “vision”, or should we say “delusion” of Joseph Smith. If you spend some time at the library you will find the history about this man and it isn’t very pretty. Like Martin Luther, Joseph Smith was a man with his own agenda. If you follow any man and his teachings that separates and segregates you from your fellow man, that should be a red flag to you that something is wrong. Jesus ate with “sinners.” He associated with the down trodden and the lesser people in his society. He rejected people like Glenn Beck (the Pharisees) and embraced the blind and sick. Yet, many quote the Bible in defense of GB. What a joke! His behavior is the fruit that he bears and that should be enough for anyone with half a brain to discern that his message is one of fear and incitement.

His take on the school children singing about Obama was answered quickly with a video of the same thing happening with George W. Bush. He wasn’t aware of that, according to his team, or was he? If he wasn’t, then he simply is a moron. If he was, then he is the worst form of manipulator and he will surely reap what he has sown. The bottom line is that he doesn’t care what fear and vitriol he spews; he is only concerned about himself and his family. If he was sincere, then why didn’t he show up at his own 9/12 rally? You see, the facts are right in your face. If you choose not to believe them, you must deal with the consequences. May God have mercy on your soul if you continue to believe such a liar.

The message that Jesus taught was simple. Love God and love your neighbor. Is this what Glenn Beck does every night? Hardly. Make the time to edify yourself and study about the truth. Go to the library and research the facts and don’t believe in the skewed opinions of delusional people. They will lead you down the road to fear, loss and a felling of lack and depression. The universe that Gods has created is boundless and abundant. Through faith in God and diligent research you can come to an understanding of the fact that we are all children of God. We are His most prized creation. He created us with a mouth to speak and feet to walk and run. Don’t end up living your life with foot in mouth syndrome. Check out the facts, make the time to educate yourself, and stop listening to morons who don’t give a damn about you or your families. Grab the reigns and take charge of your life. May God bless you.

For more info: Download my free Wilmington Spirituality Examiner toolbar. Please visit my Eschatology Refutation Blog. “Life is a gift. Be thankful for it and it will be replete with abundance. Encourage others to express creativity, release negativity and embrace pro-activity." ©2009 Dean A. Banks. All Rights Reserved. Dean A. Banks, MCIWD, DD can be reached at webproducer@hotmail.com or banksnet.com. Download my free eBook on Articles 1-10 here.

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Foolbook: Should stupidity be killed?

Recently, a Facebook poll asked respondents "Should Obama be killed?" The choices were “No, Maybe, Yes, and Yes if he cuts my health care.” As with any forum that allows people the freedom to operate under an unwritten moral code, there are sometimes going to be people who display moronic behavior and make stupid and treasonous choices. Such is the case here and the Secret Service will undoubtedly find this person and bring them to justice. The question is, “what was going through their mind when posting this poll? Was it an innocent question? Hardly. Was it a sincere quest for knowledge? Don’t think so. Or, was it meant to incite an unstable base into action? Now we’re getting warm. Ultimately, we don’t know what was going on in the mind of such an individual, but as Jesus demonstrated with the fig tree, we will know them by the fruit they bear. I nominate this person for the new site “Foolbook.” Their blatant form of stupidity should be rewarded with humiliation and serious jail time. Time to reflect on their aberrant behavior and the responsibility associated with access to swaying public opinion.

Every day my fiancé and I comment to each other about the lack of focus, respect for adults and common stupidity associated with younger people we encounter. Is it that the schools have failed them? Has the government failed them? Have the failed themselves? Or, is that we, as parents and grandparents have failed to raise them with discipline and compassion? Have we ignored them and relegated their learning to electronic babysitters? Only each one of us truly knows our individual experiences in regard to the raising of our children. Is this current younger generation totally remiss in an understanding of common sense and reason, or are they simply just trying to come to grips with information overload and a daily battle in handling it. Generally, schools haven’t adequately prepared people for college or life. They teach information and ways to obtain knowledge, but fail to give students techniques in developing wisdom. Understanding is the key in converting information into knowledge and knowledge into wisdom. But how does one develop understanding? Through experience? Through impartation? Through osmosis? Understanding comes from a willingness to learn and a diligent search for the truth.

A fool is generally a stupid person who lacks the ability to exercise common sense and effective judgment based on the facts. As I have said many times in my articles, “Who is more foolish, the fool, or the fool who follows him?” Yesterday my fiancé and I drove by Route 202 and Route 1 in Concordville, PA. and saw three younger people on one corner with anti-Obama health care placards and one older gentleman with an anti-abortion placard on the opposite corner. My only thought was for them to get a life. I admired their strength and belief in themselves to stand there in the rain and wave their beliefs to the passersby, but ultimately, what they were saying was NOT based on fact but on the skew and spin of their heroes and/or parties. Not to mention the fact that someone driving by might have paid too much attention to the arm waving and reading of the signs that it might have caused an accident. I know; it was just less than a mile from this spot where a drunk hit and run driver hit me last May.

My vote is that we kill stupidity. Let’s all make a concerted effort to examine the FACTS and not blindly believe the OPINIONS of others who have an agenda that we might not be aware of. Let’s make the time every day to investigate the truth and pro-act the results. Let’s move away from reacting to the opinions of others and act on the solutions that we can all help each other attain. Be willing to learn the truth and take the diligent steps to acquire it. All of us will benefit from the truth and we will not be fooled by the opinions of those who try to use us for manifesting their agendas.

For more info: Download my free Wilmington Spirituality Examiner toolbar. Please visit my Eschatology Refutation Blog. “Life is a gift. Be thankful for it and it will be replete with abundance. Encourage others to express creativity, release negativity and embrace pro-activity." ©2009 Dean A. Banks. All Rights Reserved. Dean A. Banks, MCIWD, DD can be reached at webproducer@hotmail.com or banksnet.com. Download my free eBook on Articles 1-10 here.

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Right wing Obamanation: worthy to read, but not believe

There you go again, Keith. Using tidbits to reinforce your weak and loser position. Let’s start with an analysis of your most recent commentary:

“By now there are few Americans left who remain unaware of the recently uncovered video of New Jersey school children singing songs of "praise" to President Barack Hussein Obama at the behest of one of their teachers. One must assume the video's discovery makes the use of his middle name acceptable again. Ardent liberals have chided conservatives in the past for its invocation, claiming it was employed to unfairly prejudice others against him.”

My retort to Paragraph 1: It is interesting that he uncovers one video utilizing “Hussein” and emphasizes it in the title of the article.

“It's remarkable how many have made the argument, "if that had been George W. Bush the kids were singing about, the left wing media would've gone berserk." Not that it isn’t a valid point, it is. Can one imagine the level of outrage commentators Keith Olberman or equally cretinous, foul-mouthed, leftist Joe Scarborough would have exhibited if indeed the adulation had been directed at "W"? Scarborough would no doubt have intentionally loosed the "f" word instead of the way he used it "accidentally" on live TV recently. Perhaps the applicable adage here would be, don’t try to justify bad behavior by pointing to someone else’s. Although, admittedly it does give perspective and often helps demonstrate rampant hypocrisy.”

My retort to Paragraph 2: Yes, Keith Olberrmann would have said something; after all, his team of researchers scour out the facts and not opinions like GB “researchers.” Leftist, just like you say “Racist.” Isn’t Joe Scarborough a Republican? Or did you forget to check that one out? There you go again Keith, making an ass out of yourself by ASSuming. Are you the source for determining what you call bad behavior. As for hypocrisy, you take the cake. You teach your Eschatology and political horsecrap to Jim-Bob’s who swallow it hook, line and sinker. Still a sore loser, huh? Well, hopefully you’ll get over it before you influence too many people and steer them down the path to hell. It’s amazing what some people do when they are afraid of the facts!

“There is however a more fundamental argument against this type of, dare it be said, "indoctrination." Yes that word has become wearisome with its overuse of late, but if the shoe fits... Perhaps "brainwashing" would be a better descriptive, who’s to say? A couple of things to consider putting the situation in its proper perspective; first, the office of president of the United States of America is indeed prestigious and inherently commands respect. The men who occupy it however, must earn the respect that comes with the office. Whether or not Barack Hussein Obama has earned any thus far is up to individuals to decide for themselves.”

My retort to Paragraph 3: If anyone knows brainwashing it’s you, Keith. You present your illogical arguments based on right wing religious horsecrap and package it in a palatable form for morons who don’t have the inclination to investigate your erroneous claims. You take stabs at me for my “leftist” position and cry foul when I call you and your commenters “racists”. You and your whiners are the worst form of hypocrisy because you can’t smell your own stench. As for earning the respect, Obama has. Who the hell do you think you are to be the determiner of what constitutes earning respect? After all, your discovery of the Word in 1996 has led you down a path of misinterpretation and false support for views you have only recently learned. Compare that to a lifetime of research and living the word. There is no comparison. Yet you pose the question and put it in the laps of your readers with a pronounced skew in your presentation. Again, trying to manipulate the outcome.

“Regardless of where one comes down on that matter, can one honestly believe it’s appropriate for a public school teacher to coerce children to sing songs of worship about a public official? Politicians are supposed to do a job on behalf of the constituents who "hire" them. Once accomplished, it may be fitting to laud the public servant for particular achievements, but to generally glorify an unproven leader with questionable character, less than popular policies, who constantly globe trots apologizing for America, is simply unfettered propaganda. Using impressionable children to convey the message is beyond reprehensible and only makes matter much worse.”

My retort to Paragraph 4: There you go again. Subtly presenting your “character” skew and using children to gain access to your readers soft spots. You are the worst form of manipulator, sir. And Obama is correct for apologizing for America. Your Republican war policies and reprehensible behavior toward the global community is based on lies and manipulation. Did you forget about Iraq, Afghanistan and torture perpetrated by Bush and Cheney? Convenient for your argument.

“Barack Hussein Obama cannot fairly be described as an Adolph Hitler type of leader. People should really stop using the comparison as it harms their own agenda. It is nonetheless unconscionable that the same type of mind control tactics are being used by Obama supporters, as were implemented by the Nazi regime during the 1930’s (as illustrated by the video below.)”

My retort to Paragraph 5: Mind control tactics are your obvious weapon, Mr. Whiner. Present a skewed video to back up your obviously weak position and it adds icing to the cake. Your methodology is to take the available and skew it to fit your right wing Republican religious agenda. Seek enlightenment and understanding that Christ provides and your cloak of right wing righteousness will fall to ground where it belongs.

“Palestinians use similar techniques indoctrinating their children to hate Jews and commit Jihad. There’s no comparison of course, other than methodology. Still, the New Jersey school district should atone for what they’ve done instead of expressing outrage that the video found its way into the public forum.”

As for his commenter who wants Jesus back in the schools, what makes her think that this country is just Judeo-Christian? If you want religions in school than why not all of them? We could all learn temperance and tolerance for others by embracing all forms of belief and not judging each other. Something modern day Christians use as a flag to wave. Why not wave a flag of respect and unity instead of maliciousness and derision?

As always, your comments and conclusions are welcomed. As I have stated in a previous article, I no longer read them, but you are welcome to debate my position amongst yourselves. May God bless all of you, whether you agree with me or not.

For more info: Download my free Wilmington Spirituality Examiner toolbar. Please visit my Eschatology Refutation Blog. “Life is a gift. Be thankful for it and it will be replete with abundance. Encourage others to express creativity, release negativity and embrace pro-activity." ©2009 Dean A. Banks. All Rights Reserved. Dean A. Banks, MCIWD, DD can be reached at webproducer@hotmail.com or banksnet.com. Download my free eBook on Articles 1-10 here.

Republican Rhetoric Revealed: What the Beck?

It’s tough being a Republican watchdog. Every day new spiritually professed alliterations are spewed on the American public under the guise of what’s good for America. But what NEW ideas do the Republicans have to offer? None. Since their hero Raygun and his trickle-down policies, deregulation has caused the financial problems we are currently facing now. They keep trying to re-package the same old rhetoric and perpetrate it on the American public. The definition of insanity is to keep trying to do something the same way and expecting different results. Their obvious delay tactics in Congress are more ego centered than God centered and people centered.

Since most of the Republican representatives (and some Democrats) receive “campaign” donations and “incentives” from corporations, it is no wonder that they do whatever they can to stop health care reform. Looking out for number one. Why isn’t anybody complaining about the obvious crookedness of lobbying and buying off our representatives? This, in itself, should be illegal. It reminds me of the Catholic Church’s alignment with various governmental leaders over the course of history and the way they “suggested” certain actions that benefitted their church.

A person who is an expert at rhetoric uses exaggeration as their tool to convince others of their viewpoint. In my writings I have been accused of using rhetoric simply because my viewpoint was drastically different from that of the accusers. That, in itself, does NOT constitute rhetoric. I call it as I see it. As I have said many times, truth is relative. We all observe facts differently and arrive at different evaluations and ultimately, different judgments. If we base our evaluations and judgments on FACTS and not OPINIONS, we stand a better chance of offering a convincing argument. We all see the ‘truth” differently and reveal it in our own way. Some people have misinterpreted what I have said in my articles as putting down other people’s truths. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Only an opinion-educated mind and rhetoric addict would make that conclusion. You know who you are.

I have discovered a fantastic site that helps bring clarity to the cesspool of Republican Rhetoric. It removes the purported “spiritual” connection to their backwards policies and reveals their rhetoric in the true light of REALITY. It is theFBM.com. Led by Kerry Martin and his team of writers, they expose Republican Right Wing Rhetoric right out of the heart of Texas yahoo country. What guts! To speak the truth from the source of the RW stench (Bush Country) and backwards thinking makes their truths even more palatable. Kerry and his fellow writers are dedicated to researching facts, watching and listening to what politicians actually say and watch dogging censorship. If you want to sift through the layers of RW B.S. this is the place to go.

I sure hope they address Mr. Beck. After Beck’s fiasco if misreading the Constitution and its fees for slavery, the people in the town of Mt. Vernon, Washington (where Beck was born) have signed a petition to stop the Mayor from giving Beck the key to the city. The mayor has refused and in so doing has secured not being elected next term. I say, why not give Beck the key to the city. Perhaps he can use it to unlock the truth instead of promulgating his ADHD rhetoric and rantings on the American public. One thing I can say about Mr. Beck, he has modeled his approach after Howard Stern. When listeners were asked why they listened to Howard Stern they replied, “We listen because we don’t know what he is going to say next.” This came from both people who liked him and hated him. This type of appeal is based on sensationalism. Ordinary people seeking extraordinary events by vicarious participation. Exactly the goal of Republican Right Wing Rhetoric. I think Wii outta pay attention! If they sold a Republican Right Wing Rhetoric game they would make a fortune!

For more info: Download my free Wilmington Spirituality Examiner toolbar. Please visit my Eschatology Refutation Blog. “Life is a gift. Be thankful for it and it will be replete with abundance. Encourage others to express creativity, release negativity and embrace pro-activity." ©2009 Dean A. Banks. All Rights Reserved. Dean A. Banks, MCIWD, DD can be reached at webproducer@hotmail.com or banksnet.com. Download my free eBook on Articles 1-10 here.

What if the Bible didn’t exist? (Part 1)

Recently, I conducted an interview with Dr. Witless Blather from D.C. Dr. Blather is well-known for his horrendous lack of talent and insight concerning the Bible. Following is a transcript of this interview:

DAB: Good Morning, Dr. Blather. You have been accused of not making any sense about Biblical prophecy, an inability to make a cogent argument and a complete arrogance about your opinion. Yet you claim to be a voice of reason concerning Biblical interpretation. What do you have to say about these judgments?

DWB: I have read the Bible many times and I study it much deeper than most. My arguments are based on the facts in the Bible and yes, I can get arrogant over my opinion. Thank you for the compliment.

DAB: I have a question I have asked several people lately and I wish to ask this question of you. What if the Bible didn’t exist?

DWB: Interesting question. I suppose that many people in this world would be lost. They wouldn’t have anything to base their lives on and the world would decay into chaos.

DAB: Why?

DWB: There would be no testament to the lives of the Biblical heroes and we would have no way to measure our lives against them. We would have to rely on other historical documents that don’t take into account the message that the Bible conveys.

DAB: And what message would that be?

DWB: That Jesus Christ is Lord.

DAB: Is that the only message the Bible conveys?

DWB: No, it conveys the lives, situations and problems that the Biblical heroes overcame by trusting in God.

DAB: I would like to ask you about particular aspects of the Bible. The Bible had originally been communicated mouth to mouth and then written down by man. It survived several translations that didn’t take geographic idioms, language nuances and agenda settings into account. How do respond to that?

DWB: That’s true. However, the Bible’s message is defined by Sola Scriptura and Sola Fide. Basically, the Bible in its entirety is directly from the mouth of God and that one attains eternal life through faith in God and not by one’s works. It is indisputable.

DAB: Why is it indisputable?

DWB: Because of Sola Scriptura and Sola Fide. No one has the right to dispute the holy word of God.

DAB: Says who?

DWB: God.

DAB: But man wrote down the supposed word of God. Don’t you take into account that man is notorious for amending concepts and ideas to suit his needs?

DWB: Yes, man did write down the word of God but God inspired him to write it down. Yes, I suppose it is possible for anyone who received inspiration from God to change its message, but the message has survived for several millennia.

DAB: Who decided that Sola Scriptura and Sola Fide were valid?

DWB: Martin Luther came to the awareness that the interpretation of the individual believer, and not the Catholic Church, was the only true religious authority. This was the beginning of the Protestant Reformation. He also said that one who appears to have faith and does not do good works never had faith at all!

DAB: That appears to be a circular argument. Wasn’t Martin Luther a person that hated the Jews for killing Christ? This seems contradictory to the message that Jesus taught.

DWB: Yes, he believed that the Jews should be relegated to having their properties and assets seized and should be treated as the least in the community. This was taken to the extreme by the Nazis.

DAB: So, let’s get this straight. Many Protestants believe two doctrines that were originated by a man with hatred in his heart; a man who decided that the Bible is the sole authority of God’s word and that faith in God is the sole way to eternal life. Something doesn’t seem right here. More to come…

For more info: Download my free Wilmington Spirituality Examiner toolbar. Please visit my Eschatology Refutation Blog. “Life is a gift. Be thankful for it and it will be replete with abundance. Encourage others to express creativity, release negativity and embrace pro-activity." ©2009 Dean A. Banks. All Rights Reserved. Dean A. Banks, MCIWD, DD can be reached at webproducer@hotmail.com or banksnet.com. Download my free eBook on Articles 1-10 here.