~~~~~~~~FUNDYS ARE FUNNY~~~~~~~~~

  Fundys are funny~~~because they get things~~~so mixed up~~~for~~~when it comes to reality~~~the description is not the described~~~and~~~the word is not the thing~~~but they think when it comes to~~~The Bible~~~every word is perfect~~~of more value than the creation~~~itself. Now~~~you got to admit~~~that's very very funny!

   Constantine The Great had approximately 300 gospels~~~and who knows how many manuscripts and letters~~~to choose from~~~when he canonized the scriptures~~~all this happening 300 years after Jesus lived~~~and he did this as a roman emperor~~~while making Christianity the state religion. Justinian I~~~another roman emperor~~~tossed out reincarnation~~~500 years after Jesus and 200 years after Constantine~~~during The Council of Constantinople in 538 A.D.~~~making such a belief~~~christian anathema. One Lifetime? Many Lifetimes? One birth? Many births? Reincarnation wouldn't have been an issue~~~500 years after Jesus lived~~~if Christians weren't seeing it as a doctrine that complied with their faith~~~reincarnation being a part of their way of seeing~~~the way life is. Politics~~~is all that's left when spirituality is dead~~~and such control has no part in living the spiritual life. It's all about~~~Doing What You See The Father Doing~~~is it not?

   Right after The Mount of Transfiguration~~~when Jesus lit up and Peter wanted to pitch three tents for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah~~~and stay there forever~~~this conversation arose~~~"And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?" And he answered and said. "Elijah is coming and will restore all things; but I say to you, that Elijah already came, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they wished. So also the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands." Then the disciples understood that He had spoken to them about John The Baptist." Matthew 17:10-13. Elisha and Elijah. Jesus and John The Baptist. Is this reincarnation? Well? If Jesus is The Good Shepherd~~~it may take more than one lifetime to save all the wandering members of his flock~~~and furthermore~~~I wouldn't count on roman emperors making the right spiritual decisions~~~when it comes to anything.

   These days~~Jesus has gone whacko political~~~with the likes of James Dobson, Ralph Reed, Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, Bill Bright, Michele Bachmann~~~and too many others~~~both dead and alive~~~to mention~~~all guilty of~~~dressing him up in republican neo-conservative clothing~~~and wasn't this Jesus they're portraying~~~the guy who cleansed the temple and called the priests of his day  whitewashed sepulchres and their house of worship~~~just a den of thieves? Wasn't this Jesus the guy who hung out with whores and thieves? The guy who never owned anything~~~who never even owned a house? Well? Once religion goes political it's dead~~~just another mirage drifting above the arid floor of The Great American Spiritual Desert. Megachurches? Joel Osteen? Now who was it that said~~~You can Tell A Tree By It's Fruit~~~and~~~what you do for the least of these~~~you do for me?
   I'm afraid you'll find no answers here~~~you're going to have to find the answers yourself~~~and it's only God~~~who can show you what is true~~~and~~~what isn't. I remember when I was a novice christian asking about the billions of souls who through no fault of their own never heard the gospel~~~would they also be saved? Those who lived in different times~~~or~~~inaccessible cultures~~~or~~~died too young~~~what about them? Too bad~~~Jesus is the only way~~~leave it up to him~~~was the pat answer. I even wonder if the conservative republican Christians care about the innocents slaughtered in Iraq and Afghanistan? But damn~~~they sure are hard cases when it comes to abortion~~~no matter what the reason~~~and I wonder? Would they be so schizophrenic about the killing~~~if they saw that reincarnation was true?
   Fundys are funny~~~in the head~~~when they act as if this life~~~is what it's all about. Didn't Jesus say that whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it~~~but whoever loses his life for My sake shall find it? How about a little more of that~~~my former~~~fundamental christian brothers and sisters~~~for once all this impermanence we dwell within is over~~~we will all be~~~AS ONE~~~together. Amen.