Blog 527 – 01.17.2017

A Persecution, Crucifixion Complex

Some years ago I read an interesting philosophy that postulated taking a defensive posture actually invites an attack. The idea rang true to me for I had already come to believe that the true opposite of love was not hate as many people think but fear. We are afraid of and hate what we do not understand and we love what we truly know. The source of fear is not God and the beginning of wisdom is not the fear of God. Fear began when first we decided to believe that we are separate, apart, independent. It has always been an illusion, a delusion fostered upon us my our own ego. When man first decided to believe he was independent of his creator fear, a totally irrational, and imaginary emotion, began to rule and torment his heart and mind.

Fear and guilt religions have no appeal to me. I am of the mind that manipulating others through fear is not a very noble profession nor very nice. I am much more patient with individuals no matter their beliefs and opinions than I am with groups, organizations, and clubs that perpetuate fear, hate, and separation. It is an irony to me that these very groups that are often the most heavy handed with others seem to have a very large persecution and crucifixion complex. I recently heard a statistic that ninety-five percent of the members of the new U.S. House of Representatives identify themselves as Christians. This particular measurement has only been tracked since the early nineteen sixties but has never been recorded less than the low ninety percent range. Yet still this illusion of Christians being persecuted and crucified persists.

It is not persecution or crucifixion to hold different beliefs or opinions. It is a very dangerous behavior to think that people who think differently are your enemies. I have mentioned often that one definition of the word satan is “accuser of the brothers.” I think the person who matches that description is not a red suited guy with horns and a forked tail but a puny little guy called ego. He is forever whispering in our ear accusing our brothers and sisters and would have us believe that they are our enemies and that even now they are plotting our torture and crucifixion. Nonsense!

I grew up in a very divided South that forced “colored people” to ride in the back of the bus, drink from separate water fountains, and where they were not allowed to eat at lunch counters. As I write this we in the U.S. honor this day as Martin Luther King Day. For the progress we have made including electing the first person of color to be President of the United States I am grateful but ego still whispers and we still listen and believe his lies and think and believe that fear, hate, and war serve us. As long as we do there will be division, fighting, and the age old lie that Pocahontas sang about in the Disney movie, “You think the only people who are people are the people who look and think like you.” May we learn to think with God and see only brothers and sisters.

Your friend and fellow traveler,
David White