ABSOLUTISTIC HINDUISM

Of all religions, Hinduism is probably one of the most democratic. Among Hindus, there can be a great deal of difference in what they believe and how they practice their religion. Instead of fighting each other over these discrepancies, they tolerate one another most of the time. This openness toward religion traditionally extends to foreign concepts, and the history of Hinduism shows an ability to assimilate the same. The exception here is the antagonistic relationship with Islam, in part stemming from all those years of Muslim rule over India. In addition, many modern day Hindus resent the way their government treats the Muslim minority. There is the perception that the latter enjoys too many rights and privileges at the expense of the Hindu majority.

Among the major currents of religious Hinduism is the one bearing the name “absolutistic.” It rests on the premise that one’s identity is that of ultimate reality, an Absolute, God. Translated to Christian terms, for example, it would say that God as Universal Soul divided Ertself* into a whole host of souls. You are one of those souls. I am one of those souls. Supposedly, we do not realize this because we are too busy with our lives. The maya or magic of the world distracts us, and keeps us from knowing who we really are. Instead of identifying ourselves with the all-encompassing-permanent-supreme reality, we only see the temporary form of the human self.

Through meditation, we can achieve the realization that we are God, so they say. The practice of considering the question “Who am I?” repeatedly is supposed to help. Afterwards, instead of our minds functioning as they normally do—one thought after another in a continuous chain—we can reach a state that leaves our minds free of thought altogether. With practice, we can stop the train of thought in its tracks. That accomplished, our experience is one of full awareness, a blissful state that allegedly confirms God and we are one.

Back in the 80’s, when I was engrossed in my search for God, I tried transcendental meditation. With practice, I believe to have reached that state of “no thought.” It was different. It was nice. It was time consuming. After a while, I discontinued the practice. The way I figured it, you cannot tell from that state of consciousness alone whether or not your ultimate identity is that of God. Even if it were true that we are ultimately God, why did God create the world? What is the purpose of being born to this world, if all we are going to do is neglect it? Spending much time thinking about the alleged state of being we were in before being born, defeats the whole purpose of coming here.

By all accounts, Ramana Maharshi, one of the main leaders of this practice spent his whole life in meditation after having a mystical experience as a teenager. He renounced all worldly concerns and went to a hill “to find himself,” so goes the expression. That is definitely not my idea of a good life. I rather become a full participant in the affairs of my world. To have the potential to experience the whole range of human emotions in community with others is better than being alone, even when in search of ecstasy.

*Ertself: When referring to God, I do not use "Himself" or "Herself." "Ertself" is a class-neutral and gender-neutral article. See Ercian Testament - Part Two, chapter 9, "Erc, Ellael, and I."

IMPERIALIST ISLAM

Of the three major Western religions, Christianity and Islam have been advocates of proselytism and expansionism. A few hundred years ago, Christopher Columbus, the conquistadores, and all those who came behind transformed the new world and established Christianity. From the point of view of the natives, “progress” brought with it a very high price. That was then, however. Today, missionaries do not use physical violence to try to convert others to the Christian religion. They may pursue the goals of evangelism actively and determinedly, but they do not use physical force. It is psychology in dealing with people and preaching to them that becomes the main weapon. They also distribute free bibles and do charitable works to gain the trust of strangers.

With Islam, it is a different story. From militant Muslims and leaders such as Iran’s Mahmud Ahmadinejad we hear statements that clearly indicate a desire to dominate the rest of the world. With arrogance unsurpassed, they glorify the culture that sprung from Muhammad’s words in the Koran, and vilify the ways of life of the Western world. What makes them think Muhammad was God’s prophet? The unfair treatment of women in Islamic laws and customs is enough to guarantee Muhammad did not have a direct line to God. Either Gabriel is a misogynist and not one of God’s angels, or he was not near the scene when Muhammad thought himself the vessel of revelations from God.

After Muhammad’s death, Muslims went on a rampage invading North Africa, Europe, Persia, Afghanistan, India, and other parts of Southeast Asia. Muslims invaded and occupied India for over seven hundred years, until the British displaced them. During that time of Muslim subjugation, Islam was able to convert about a quarter of the Indian population. I am sure there was no coercion involved, just plenty of religious indoctrination. The friction between Muslims and Hindus became such that it brought about the partitioning of the country in 1947. Pakistan became an Islamic state, while India chose secularism.

Just think about those seven centuries of Muslim occupation in India, when somebody complains about the few years American troops have been in Iraq. In addition to which, we are not even there to stay permanently. We would gladly leave, if only the Islamic terrorists renounced their jihads—agendas of war and hate. We would gladly leave, if the warring factions of followers of the Koran ceased hostilities. We would gladly leave, if Shiites and Sunnis began acting like true children of Allah—good and peaceful human beings.

On Earth and in the universe, there is only room for one empire: the united kingdom of those rational and conscientious beings who are willing to cooperate with one another to make life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness a reality.

Recommended reading: Ercian Testament - Part Three, chapter 27, "Proligion Revisited."

HAPPINESS AND THE GARDEN OF EDEN

The notion that the Garden of Eden was paradise bothers me. To live my life naked and eating fruit does not seem like such a great idea. For a vacation, I guess it would be great, but stop right there. It would be awful as a way of life.

I do not know about you, but there is something appealing about the complexity of modern society. It is true that sometimes it gets to be too much and the stress can kill you. Most of the time, however, the countless options at our disposal enrich our lives.

Innocence or ignorance allows people to worry less. They do not know any better. On the other hand, people who acquire knowledge become aware of new dangers. That is what happens when man eats the fruit of the tree of knowledge. Adam and Eve losing their innocence is their rite of passage into adulthood: from a life free of concerns to one full of responsibilities.

The story of the Garden of Eden could also be emblematic of our being the only rational species on the planet. Animals only have instincts, but we can use self-reflection, allowing us to know that we know. We lost our animal innocence when our superior brains allowed us to take that step up the evolutionary ladder.

To me, the original sin has nothing to do with disobeying God. The way my story would go is this:

There was a time when our souls were very happy living in our Heavenly paradise. However, with eternal time at our disposal, things get boring even in the best of places. As a result, we decided to go on an adventure and become incarnate. On this planet, on another planet, who cares! It would be something different for a change.

God stood by, shook Ert* head and said, “You kids want to do that, go ahead, but do not come to me when things get rough!"

That is how the fall of man occurs, a volunteer decision to let the spirit enter a new period of struggle, so it may have the opportunity to rise to new heights. Count me in. I like that story.

*Ert is God’s article. See Ercian Testament - Part Two, chapter 9 “Erc, Ellael, and I”

EMOTIONS AND THE MIND

We use the heart as the symbol for love and other emotions, but these reside in the mind, not the heart. That magnificent instrument, the heart, serves to pump blood throughout the body. That is its sole function. Why is it important to make this distinction between the mind and the heart? It is important because many people believe their emotional behavior is the correct response of a natural infallible system.

When people use expressions such as “My blood boils when I see...happening” or “My blood pressure went through the roof when I learned about...,” they are associating anger with the effect it has on their bodies, in this case, the effect on their circulatory systems. For whatever unexplained reason, they take it for granted such responses are automatically correct and justified. They believe the body reacts naturally and truthfully to events on the outside world, but it is the programming of the mind that drives a person to react a certain way.

If a person gets angry, it is because something happened that goes against what they believe is right or good for them. Therefore, since programs such as beliefs can be true or false, there is no guarantee the emotions are valid. Just because somebody is angry does not mean truth is on ert (his or her) side. Those frenzied mobs we watch on television burning the American flag, for example, sin against reason. They have no notion of the value of democracy, the great system of government that flag represents—a better arrangement than any theocracy past, present, or future. That is right, even if Jesus came back, he would acquiesce to democracy rather than try to assume a throne—because he should know what is best.

To sum up, the kind of values people accept determine the kind of behavior they will exhibit. Good behavior arises out of the learning and acceptance of good programs, and bad behavior out of bad ones.

Take for example, crimes of passion. When a husband murders his wife because she is leaving him or because she was unfaithful, it is because at a certain point in his life, that man had consciously accepted a program that said, “Your wife is your property, and if she attempts to leave you or if she betrays you, you have the right to kill her!” The crime may have happened in a moment of passion or anger, but that dreadful behavior was the direct result of previous premeditation. He reacted angrily and committed murder because he believed in that program. He believed it was the truth. He believed he was entitled to act accordingly.

That is the problem with some forms of religious indoctrination. The teaching of programs (beliefs) that unjustifiably incite hate is wrong. The teaching of programs that instigate criminal activity is also wrong. These should form no part of a legitimate religion. We need to educate the public at least on two fronts. First, they must conduct self-analysis, to “delete” harmful programs (beliefs) from their mental files. Second, they must learn to reject the advice of leaders suffering from the bane of religious fundamentalism.

Recommended reading: See Ercian Testament – Part One, chapter 2 “The Mind,” and chapter 3 “The Chain of Unconsciousness.”

YOU HAVE TO FEED THE BEAST

To avoid controversy, what is it some people say? “Do not talk about sex, religion, or politics!” that is it. Not a good idea, I assert, being that all three subjects are important in our lives. Well, today I am talking a little bit about sex or our sexual instincts.

Anticipating objections to my opinion, I respond that truth is on my side, I believe. Those of you with puritanical personalities can protest all you like, but when you meditate on this subject honestly, you will realize all you are doing is repressing your natural desires. If you have any complaints about the natural instincts God gave you, talk to God. I am not complaining. I try to manage the powers and instincts God gave me.

The truth is this: we are animals. Yes, we are rational, but animals nevertheless. Once again, we are part beast and part human. In view of this, I have reached the conclusion that you have to feed the beast within or it will devour you completely. In regards to sex, if you do not satisfy those desires, there may come a time when the beast takes over and it will drive you to do something discreditable, perhaps even criminal.

Try moderation in all things. If you try to be too pure, the beast rebels against you. Repressing or ignoring sexual needs does not work. That is the reason sometimes we find preachers not at church but coming out of some whorehouse. Not that I am knocking these people: they are sinners like you and I. Besides, I do not know their situation at home with the wives. I have no idea what prompted them to act contrary to what they urge others to do.

We should try to channel our sexual wants and needs in normal ways. What I mean by normal is not doing something that violates the rights of other persons, and not doing something that is harmful to yourself, your mate, or your society. With that in mind, I believe that what you do in the privacy of your own home is your own business. Publicly, you cannot follow your urges. That should be clear. At home, however, you can be nutty if you like.

Regarding pornography (adult pornography only, not that which includes minors), to use it or not should be up to the adult individual. If you like it, fine. If it is not for you, fine too. Do not use it. I do not believe it is harmful if watched in moderation (do not let your teenage son get a hold of any, or you may have a problem getting him out of the bathroom).

Ninety nine percent of pornographic movies are devoid of a plot. They are boring. After the first few scenes, one is ready to go, and ready to shut the TV. Thus, I believe the average individual who watches pornography uses it sparingly, perhaps only on special occasions (when the beast is knocking at the door howling, “Hey, somebody feed me!”); or conversely, when sexual relations in a marriage are practically absent due to stress or a lack of desire.

Pornography is dangerous if you let the beast takeover. If it becomes a vice—something you need to do every day or very often—then you are in trouble. It will adversely affect your normal existence. Instead of helping your marriage or relationship when you both need a little fantasy-time to get in the mood for sex and make coitus more enjoyable, it will destroy it. I liken the use of porn to get in the mood for sex, to opening up a faucet to hear the water rush when you need to give a urine sample to your doctor, but nothing comes out as hard as you try. Opening up that faucet helps sometimes.

What is more, regarding the dangers of pornography, my advice to married couples is to keep “fantasy-time” within their bedroom. To become “swingers,” I believe is a big mistake, one that cannot be fixed. Back in the wild days of the sixties and seventies, it became the trend in certain circles. Inside your bedroom, everything (within reason) is okay. If a couple needs to go outside their own bedroom to enjoy sex, then they should get a divorce and become singles again. In spite of temptation, which can be great, try to preserve the sanctity of the institution of marriage. It is a beautiful thing, when two people remain partners until the end because they love and respect each other.

Recommended reading: Ercian Testament - Part Three, chapter 24 "Ercian Values and Ideals"

MOM AND DAD, I AM HOME!

If your good daughter returned from a long trip to a faraway place, would you not hug her and kiss her until that emptiness you felt while she was gone, is no longer? Would you not hold her in a deep embrace? Would you not kiss her sweetly on the cheek and tell her how much you love her? Would you not act the same, if your good son came back? Then, if you can unleash all those pent-up emotions upon the return of a loved one, why do you think God would act differently in welcoming back one of Ert[1] good sons and daughters?

My house is full of love. While I am alive and while my family is alive, I want to let them know how much they mean to me. I expect the same treatment from my God. “Mom and Dad, I am home!” I want to yell out when I arrive at my celestial home. That is, if my wish for a heavenly abode becomes reality, and if God will have me.

In regards to God, have I mentioned the word “worship” yet? No, I have not. I have talked a lot about love, the most beautiful of all emotions, but nothing else. Why do you think that is? The reason is that no good-wonderful-benevolent God would expect rituals of worship from His or Her children. Tons of love, yes, pounds of worship, no!

The notion that God likes worship comes from ancient times, when people had to please “the King”—no matter his wishes—otherwise they would lose their heads. An egomaniac like my “favorite” Cuban Fidel loves adulation. He eats it up in huge quantities. Why do you think he gives such long speeches? He is not keen to let out all that hot air and receive nothing in return. Not my Gods, however, not my Gods: Erc is not a person, blessed be our Infinite Source; and Ellael is as my mom and dad have been on Earth: bundles of love and care. A different kind of behavior would indicate the presence of an alien entity, not Ellael.

Listen! All you people out there go ahead and worship God any way you like. You should feel free to express yourselves according to your tradition or customs: kneel, throw yourselves on the floor, throw your arms up on the air and close your eyes, bob your head back and forth while reading your holy book, or do whatever else your heart dictates. I have done some of those things. However, my gut feeling is that God does not expect that from us. God looks forward to our love. That is all. God did not give us the power to walk erect, for us to deny God that sight when we pray. Get off your knees! Get off the floor! It is okay with God in my Book.

I am sure there may come times when, for whatever good reason, I will kneel or throw myself on the floor before God. Probably in a moment of anguish and deep sorrow, I guess that may happen. Perhaps to show my contrition for having done something shameful, I know that will happen. Nevertheless, most of the time, I will stand erect before Ellael.

In my morning and afternoon prayers, I lean forward with my right leg, while bowing and bending my knee slightly. I am not on my knees, and I am not on the floor. It is my way of giving God thanks for bringing me to this world as a human being—in Ert own image. It is also my way of saying to God, “I will meet you halfway. You do what you can to protect me and mine, and I accept responsibility for using the powers you gave me to live my life honorably, to the best of my ability.”

[1] “Ert” is God’s article. Since “Erc,” God-Unconscious is not a person, and since “Ellael,” God-Conscious partakes of both sexes, I cannot use “His” or “Her” (good sons and daughters) when referring to God. “Ert” is a class-neutral (persons versus non-persons) as well as a gender-neutral article. See Ercian Testament – Part Two, chapter 9 Erc, Ellael, and I.

MY NIGHT PRAYER

At night, before going to bed, or while in bed, I make my last prayer for the day. It is nothing extraordinary, but it makes me go to sleep with the feeling that I have done my best to care for all those whom I love.

If I have faltered in any way, my night prayer is an opportunity to express my repentance and my determination to do better. If anybody in the family is having a serious problem, it is a time to direct my thoughts accordingly to pray for a solution. In summary, my night prayer is in one sense a meditative review of what is happening in the lives of my dear family, and in another sense a chance to send my love-energy out toward them.

When I pray, I do certain signs with my hands and fingers that are difficult to describe. Just know that I use the lemniscate to symbolize Erc, God-Unconscious. The lemniscate looks like a horizontal figure eight that stands for “infinity” in Mathematics. For Ellael, our Personal God and Holy Self, I use the circle, which I also use to represent “love.” The circle is “love” because love is round, as an embrace is. Love is smooth. There are no sharp edges. The triangle, on the other hand, has sharp edges. That is why I use it to represent “knowledge,” using those pointed corners to pick away at the unknown—to break apart problems and mysteries. Finally, the square represents “courage,” because one has to face problems squarely to overcome fear.

As a Christian, when I was Catholic, I used the sign of the cross. As an Ercian, I do something similar but more complicated. I have added the Mother and the Daughter to the Father and the Son. Then, by using the phrase “the Spirits of our Houses,” I have placed the Holy Spirit in the company of the Unholy Spirit—not an evil spirit as I explained in “My Morning Prayer” on my post of August 23 2006, but the Fatherly Spirit whose duty is to protect us.

To do the Ercian sign, the 444 sign, the sign of “the three fours,” I begin with my right index finger on my forehead and say, “In the name of the Mother.” Then, I lower my right hand toward my abdomen and say, “...and of the Son.” Then I touch my left shoulder with my right hand saying, “...and of the Father.” Then I touch my right shoulder with my right hand saying, “...and of the Daughter.” Then, I bring my right hand to my abdomen where my left hand meets it and saying, “...and of the Spirits.” Then, I bring my left hand up to touch my forehead and say, “...of our Houses.” Then, I bring my left hand to touch my right shoulder and say, “...Amen and...” Then, I finish by bringing my left hand to touch my left shoulder while saying, “Xamen”*

*"Xamen": See post of August 23, 2006 "My morning prayer."

What I just described takes place fluidly, gracefully. For example, after I say “Amen,” my left hand is already halfway over to my left shoulder when I say “and” and before I finish the Ercian sign with “Xamen.” I explained it slowly, so that you would not get confused.

I begin my night prayer by saying, “Blessed be Erc and Ellael” while doing the “lemniscate” and the “circle,” and directing my arms toward the heavens. Then, depending on where members of my family live, for each one of them, I extend my arms in that geographical direction while doing the signs for Erc and Ellael (the lemniscate and the circle) and saying, “In the name of Erc and Ellael, Blessed be John, Mary, and little Susan...” for example, “Blessed be they and their family! Blessed be!”

After I finish blessing the members of my family on Earth, I turn my attention to the members of my family in Heaven. It is a place I have named the House of Twelve. As I extend my arms toward the heavens, I do the signs for Erc and Ellael, and say, “Blessed be the House of Twelve, the People of our House, the Lords and Lordesses of our House, Santa Bárbara bendita (Blessed St. Barbara) Daughter of God, our Mother Imay-Donnai, and our Father Zadonnai! Blessed be they and their families! Blessed be!"

I end my night prayer where I started it: “In the name of Erc and Ellael, Blessed be Erc and Ellael! Blessed be! Blessed be They and Their families! Blessed be!” Then I go to sleep.

MY AFTERNOON PRAYER

My afternoon prayer consists of the Ercian Invocation, shown at the end of chapter 27 Proligion Revisited in Ercian Testament – Part Three. I do not pray at any specific time. Any time after 12 p.m. is good.

In my invocation, and according to my Ercian beliefs, I bless Erc, the Infinite Source and Ultimate God (God-Unconscious) and Ellael, our Personal God and Holy Self (God-Conscious). Anybody not familiar with the concepts behind this terminology, see
Ercian Testament – Part Two.

In the part where I say, “Blessed be all Ercians,” I am not referring to my “followers.” I have no followers, nor wish any followers. I am the only Ercian on the planet, because I have not used proselytism to try to convert anybody to my belief system—not even my own family.

When I say, “Blessed be all Ercians,” I am referring to all those human beings in possession of good minds and wills. I wish all of you to receive God’s blessing: all good Jews, all good Muslims, all good Christians, all good Hindus, all good Buddhists, all good followers of other religions, all good atheists, and all good agnostics. If my use of words left any good person out, consider yourself included in my prayers. If I ever get to Heaven, and if it is up to me to open the Door for you, I will do so. You will be welcome.

Afterwards, I pray that our values, principles, and ideals help us break the Chain (of Unconsciousness). To know the workings of the Chain, see Ercian Testament – Part One, chapter 3, The Psychology of the Chain.

Toward the end of the Ercian Invocation, I call for the blessing of the Proligious Spirit. To understand the term, those not familiar with the concept of “Proligion,” see Ercian Testament – Part One, chapter 4 Proligion and chapter 7 A Final Word on Proligion. Then you can go to Ercian Testament – Part Three, chapter 27 to read Proligion Revisited.

ERCIAN INVOCATION



Blessed be ERC, the Infinite Source and Ultimate God!

Blessed be!

Blessed be Ert Infinite Power!

Blessed be!

Blessed be Ert Infinite Motion!

Blessed be!

Blessed be Ert Infinite Beauty!

Blessed be!

(Let us bow before our endless Reality)

Blessed be ELLAEL, our Personal God and Holy Self!

Blessed be!

Blessed be Ert Omnipresence!

Blessed be!

Blessed be Ert Omniscience!

Blessed be!

Blessed be Ert Omnipotence!

Blessed be!

(Let us bow before our endless Reality)

Blessed be all Ercians!

Blessed be!

May we assume our highest powers and achieve our highest destiny!

May we!

Blessed be our values, principles, and ideals!

Blessed be!

May they help us break the Chain (of Unconsciousness) and free us to the heavens!

May they!

Blessed be All Good Souls, past and present!

Blessed be!

May they help us in our tasks and protect us from all evil!

May they!

Blessed be the Proligious Spirit!

Blessed be!

And there shall be a new beginning!

And there shall be!


In God with Love, In God with Knowledge, In God with Courage, Forever and Ever,

Amen.

MY MORNING PRAYER

Back in the 80’s and 90’s, when wholly immersed in my religious search, I created my own Ercian rituals and prayers. My approach was like that of an innocent child playing with toys. In some cases, I invented words, using I guess Ercianese language, mystical articulations that would deliver my prayers and messages to God-Conscious. I figured Ellael (the name I gave God-Conscious) would be able to translate by looking into my heart and mind.

Since I do not “know” Ellael, I fashioned our personal God and Holy Self after my own wishes. Again, I saw myself as a child of God, doing whatever I pleased—as long as it was sincere, coming right from the heart. Because I wanted a God Father and a God Mother in Heaven, they became real, and I gave them names. Whether Ellael granted this wish by becoming two persons, whether that was already the case, or whether Ellael would have to create two divine beings to make my wish come true, was not my problem. All I know is that I wanted a Father and a Mother in Heaven, and it was up to God to grant me or deny me that wish. I have faith that Ellael has granted me my wish.

I address my morning prayer to both the God Mother “Imay Donnai,” and the God Father “Zadonnai.” Now pay attention to this: Imay Donnai, the Motherly Spirit, is also the Holy Spirit, the Sacred Spirit, the Nurturing Spirit, the Spirit of the Cup of our Houses; Zadonnai, the Fatherly Spirit, is also the Unholy Spirit, the Profane Spirit, the Fighting Spirit, the Spirit of the Sword of our Houses.

Now, before you go running for a cross and some holy water wondering why I would make the God Father, the “Unholy” Spirit, let me explain my rationale. It does not mean the God Father is evil or that I want Zadonnai to be evil. What it means is that since I have placed the God Father in charge of our protection with the Sword of our Houses, there will be fighting and killing to defend our lives, our possessions, and our freedoms; but even when done with due justification and for good reasons, injuring or killing others is an unholy act. The job of the Holy Spirit is to nurture. The job of the Unholy Spirit is to protect by destroying if necessary.

As much as we should hate to fight or kill, however, it is necessary for our survival. We do not want to leave the Earth to authoritarian regimes, religious fanatics, or anybody else who is going to trample on our inalienable God-given rights. If anybody deserves Hell, it is them not us.

Note that while I use the word “Amen” to finish my prayer to the God Mother, I use the word “Xamen” to finish my prayer to the God Father. The letter “X” is a stopper. It symbolizes protection for us, and destruction for the evil plans of our enemies. The entry “Lord X” is number 438 in the Chart of Six along with the entries “God Ellael,” “Goddess,” “the Cup,” “Crown,” “United,” and “Kingdom,” among others. The entry “Sword” is 474 in the Chart along with “Marines” and “Mother” among others. Father sends the Sword of the Marines to protect Mother, the Nurturing Spirit. That is how I like to interpret that correlation, but it does not mean Mother or the females of our Houses cannot use “the Sword,” or do not know how to defend themselves.

For me, "la Santa Bárbara” has special significance. She carries a cup on her right hand (the Cup of our Houses), and a sword on her left hand (the Sword of our Houses). For those not familiar with the Catholic saint, and if I learned the story correctly, Barbara was a martyr executed for defending Christianity. Later, in Cuba, so that they could worship in secret, African slaves used the saint to represent Changó, the god of thunder in the Yoruba religion. Now, I have changed all that for my Ercian religion and made “la Santa Bárbara,” “the Ercian Barbara,” the image that represents “the Daughters of God.” In my Book, she does not have to be a “saint” by using the Cup all of the time. Whenever necessary, she can make use of the Sword.

If you are wondering who represents the Sons of God in my Ercian religion, Jesus does, although I have given him a slightly different name, the name of Hesus. Why did I do that? I did it to signify a change in philosophy on his part, no longer preaching unconditional love for those committed to evil. I did it because I do not want to see him crucified ever again. If he returns to Earth, he is coming back with the Spirit of a warrior, ready to fight for and defend all that is true, good, and just. That is how I wish Hesus to be. The rest of you can wish whatever you like.

Finally, my morning prayer in English:

All these things* have been done and will be done in the name of God and through the Power of God.

Imay-Donnai, our Mother, thanks for all you have granted us. Thanks to you and to the other Lords and Lordesses of our Houses. Please be with us so that we may drink from the Cup of our Houses. Amen

Zadonnai, our Father, thanks for all you have granted us. Thanks to you and to the Lords and Lordesses of our Houses. Please be with us so that we may protect ourselves with the Sword of our Houses. Xamen.

*"All these things" meaning that all thoughts and actions regarding the religious enterprise have been done and will be done in good faith, and after careful consideration.

Now, my morning prayer in Spanish:

Todas estas cosas* se han hecho y serán hechas en nombre de Dios y a través del Poder de Dios.

Imay-Donnai, Madre nuestra, gracias por todo lo concedido. Gracias a ti y a los otros Lores y Loras de nuestras Casas. Por favor, esté con nosotros para que podamos beber de la Copa de nuestras Casas. Amén.

Zadonnai, Padre nuestro, gracias por todo lo concedido. Gracias a ti y a los otros Lores y Loras de nuestras Casas. Por favor, esté con nosotros para que podamos protegernos con la Espada de nuestras Casas. Xamén.

*"Todas estas cosas" queriendo decir todo lo que se ha hecho y se hará por razones religiosas, se hace con buena fe y después de razonar bien los asuntos.

THE U.N. MUST GO TO WAR TO KEEP THE PEACE

On August 11, the U.N. Security Council signed Resolution 1701. This one is supposed to do what Resolution 1559 failed to do some time ago, in few words to ensure Hezbollah ceases their armed attacks and terrorist activities against Israel. Backed and supplied by Syria and Iran, Hezbollah militants used Lebanon as their base of operations. They started this last war by kidnapping two Israeli soldiers. Then, when Israel rightfully responded in a search and rescue mission, Hezbollah combatants fired rockets that killed and injured many Israeli civilians, terrorizing all within range of the missiles.

Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora thinks Israel committed “crimes against humanity,” after assessing the destruction in one of Lebanon’s suburbs. I do not know enough about the situation to judge whether Israel went “over the line” in retaliating against Hezbollah. In all wars, those who are moral and conscientious leaders must avoid the killing of innocent victims inasmuch as they are not the enemy. However, I know that Israel did not strike first. Israel was not the aggressor, Hezbollah was. Thus, Israel had the right to defend itself, to try to rescue the kidnapped soldiers, and to protect Israeli civilians against the rocket attacks.

If anybody is responsible for the bloodshed, death and devastation, it is Hezbollah. They were the provoker, the assailant, the Party who attacked first and broke the peace. Also responsible are Syria and Iran, with their agenda to wipe Israel off the map. Mahmud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian President comes right out and says it. He wants to destroy Israel. The U.S. is a close second. In this modern era, how can all these uncivilized-fanatical-evil human impostors get away with endorsing such agendas? They get away with it because the United Nations is weak. They lack the moral leadership, the will, and the courage to take those actions necessary to bring permanent peace to the world. In this case, they should have fought and eliminated Hezbollah long ago, so that Israel could enjoy the normal way of life to which they are entitled, and so that the people of Lebanon would not have to pay the price for Hezbollah’s sins. Way before this whole mess started, the U.N. should have put a “hex” on Hezbollah and its backers.

I have had it with the U.N. They do not resolve many situations, for two reasons. First, they do not clearly identify the guilty party or parties in a conflict. Second, they do not take decisive action to ensure they solve the problem permanently. Instead of sending so many “peace-keeping” forces to so many places and solving nothing, let them start gathering a “war-making” Army to get rid of all the masquerading-as-human-beings pests that inhabit our planet.

Recommended reading: "Ercian Testament - Part Three," chapter 25, Heaven for Humans, Hell for the Namuh.

LIVE BY THE SWORD, DIE BY THE SWORD

In the past forty-seven years, Fidel Castro has spewed out numerous speeches and tons of communist propaganda. One recurrent theme is the threat of an American invasion on the island. He has done everything possible to alarm the populace and keep them mobilized and ready. His soul mate in Venezuela is following the tyrant’s lessons to the letter. “We need to amass a volunteer militia force!” “We need to buy boats, tanks, helicopters, and planes!” “We need to buy all kinds of weapons!” “Call Spain, call Russia, call ghostbusters, anybody who will take my money!” That is how I imagine a typical day in Hugo Chavez’s life.

Do Castro and Chavez really believe the United States of America is planning an invasion of Cuba or Venezuela? They do not. This is not 1960 or 1961, a time before the disastrous Bay of Pigs invasion, a time before President John F. Kennedy left those fighting Cubans in the lurch, a time before he promised not to touch Castro ever again if Russia removed their missiles from Cuba. If I am wrong on this, somebody correct me, please!

So, if neither Castro nor Chavez truly believes the U.S. is planning to invade, why do they keep up this façade? First, as Hitler used to do, they do it to fire up the nationalistic spirit. It is an Us against Them kind of thing. That way, people will be united and busy preparing to fight the foreign invader, rather than thinking about domestic affairs and how their government is screwing up big time, destroying democracy and all its institutions. Second, and more important, they do it because they know that is what they deserve. They rule by force, using oppressive tactics—the main reason Castro has stayed in power for so long. Therefore, whether or not they believe in karma, they fear karma. Whether or not they believe in God, they fear the Wrath of God. They have lived by the sword, and they know they should die by the sword—if anybody had the nerve to do it.

If the O.A.S., the Organization of American States, or the United Nations had true moral leadership, Castro and his malevolent revolution would have been gone a long time ago. An embargo, a blockade, an invasion: they would have done whatever was necessary to liberate the defenseless Cuban people. So far, however, they have shown neither the moral leadership nor the courage to do the right thing: to make sure that those who live by the sword, die by the sword. What are they waiting for, a Messiah?

DEMOCRACY SHOULD RULE ON EARTH

When oppressive regimes look for a way to excuse their crimes against humanity, they promptly bring up their claim to sovereignty. To intimidate accusers and confuse the concerned audience, “It is a matter of internal affairs,” they shout. Cuba, China, North Korea, Iran, you name them: thy all do it. Are these excuses valid? Do they justify laws and actions that violate the human rights of their defenseless citizens? Never mind the legal pronouncements of the United Nations—those giving equal status and powers to saints and sinners. I am referring to the moral justification for claiming the right to act independently, regardless of the matter in question. The answer is a resounding “No!”

Sovereignty rests on the hands of the people, not on the government. Hence, because of free elections, only democratic governments qualify in meeting the first requirement to claim the right to sovereignty. Moreover, to meet the second requirement, those democracies must respect the rights of minorities. Imagine the hypothetical country named “One-man-out.” Everybody except one person supports the government. That citizen is a minority in the extreme sense of the word. Such is the moral aspect of this matter, that the imaginary country of One-man-out can only meet the second requirement of a claim to independence, if and only if they respect and uphold the inalienable rights of that one individual.

What is the third requirement of a claim to sovereignty? To remain a truly representative government—one that meets the first two requirements—the third requirement calls for allegiance to the democratic system of government, and to the institutions that make up a free society. Finally, the leaders of a rightfully independent nation must act reasonably, responsibly, and in good faith when dealing with other sovereign nations that also seek world peace and prosperity.

All who meet these four requirements can morally make a claim to sovereignty. Nobody else can. I already mentioned some of those that do not qualify. Include Venezuela, where Hugo Chavez is slowly but surely dismantling the democratic system to impose his own Castro-inspired tyranny.

Nothing is sacred. Simon Bolivar’s self-proclaimed disciple confiscates private property. A new “law” gives him the right to do so. Chavez stifles and intimidates the press. Eventually there will be only one paper, like the Granma, the communist party newspaper in Cuba. Chavez undermines all the civil and religious institutions that oppose his heavy-handed way of leading the country. Eventually they will play no significant role in the makeup of Venezuelan society. Chavez revamps the legislative and judicial branches of government and infuses them with new blood—his own supporters. Eventually, as happens in Cuba—and as if by magic—they will all be of one mind, parrots of el Comandante’s wishes and demented ideas.

Chavez also overhauls the Armed Forces. He first conjures up charges against military officers loyal to democracy. Then, he strips them of their rank or puts them in jail. Finally, he replaces them with those sworn to protect him and his regime—not downtrodden Venezuelan citizens. To put icing on the cake, he makes multi-billion dollars arm deals with merchants-at-the-temple type countries like Spain and Russia have proven to be. I know. We too have sinned. This build-up of weaponry for defensive purposes, no doubt, to fight those menacing imperialist Yankees who (as you and I know) are sworn enemies of democracy, the system that brought Chavez into office. Loyal fellow, Chavez is, a man of principles and deep convictions.

For now, Hugo Chavez allows other (due to the prevalent conditions, ineffectual) political parties to participate in the electoral system. Eventually, as is in Cuba, there will be only one political party. It will be the Chavista, Bolivarian, or whatever other ego-inflating-romantic name they find for what will be, by its own nature, a sinister assembly.

That is my judgment on rightful claims to sovereignty and those that do not deserve our respect. It is up to you now to look around the world and decide which countries belong in either class. The inalienable rights to which every human being is entitled are universal in nature. It does not matter where one is born. Erc, the Ultimate God in my book (see Ercian Testament – Part Two, chapter 10, Erc, Infinite and Eternal), encompasses everything. All that is, exists within Erc. Therefore, everything that happens in God’s kingdom is our business. When it comes to human rights, there are no “internal affairs”: what happens in Cuba is our business, what happens in Venezuela is our business, what happens in Iran is our business, what happens in China is our business, what happens in Saudi Arabia is our business, and what happens in every other country in the world is our business. I could include civilizations and countries in other planets and universes, but I will let somebody else do that at the proper time.

Democracy should rule on Earth. In principle, we are equal under God or Reality, whichever term you care to use. No individual or group should preside over us without our consent. No monarchies, no oligarchies, no dictatorships of the right or of the left, no theocracies, and no renegade or authoritarian governments left to make our lives miserable: this is my Ercian vision of the world, the kind of world in which we could all prosper, a truly advanced civilization.


Recommended reading: Ercian Testament - Part Three, chapter 27, Proligion Revisited

HOUSING CRISIS - OPEN LETTER TO MAYOR CARLOS ALVAREZ

E-mail: mayor@miamidade.gov

cc: jeb.bush@myflorida.com

Honorable Mayor Carlos Alvarez:

I am sending this e-mail to you with a copy to Governor Jeb Bush, and I am posting it on my blog: http://ercianblogspot.com. On 8/17/06, I sent an e-mail to Governor Jeb Bush regarding the home insurance crisis. Today, I am appealing to you to work with the Governor in trying to find a solution to that problem. Related to the excessive premiums the average person has to pay for insurance are the high costs we find in the housing market.

Seniors and the average worker cannot find a place to live, a place they can afford. To allow all these foreign investors come here to invest and speculate in the real estate market is, I guess, something we cannot avoid in a free market society like the one we live in, but could we not put a VERY HEAVY tax or surcharge on properties bought by non-residents of the state, in order to bring prices down?

I am no expert on these matters, and have no idea how to fix this problem. That is why I am placing the burden on you. Public officials like you, the county manager, the county commissioners, the governor, and the state legislature: you are the people who have the power, the knowledge, and the resources to find those solutions. We did not elect you to show empathy for our community problems. We elected you to find solutions to those problems. I personally thank you for your accomplishments in other areas, but we need your help solving the housing and the insurance crisis.

As if we did not have enough problems dealing with the volatile behavior of the real estate market, we have to deal with the problem of corrupt public officials. Mayor Alvarez, I know where your heart is regarding corruption, and I thank you for that stance; but I want to see the lowlifes who betray the public trust punished. I do not care who they are or what their title is. Work with our Investigators and Prosecutors to find them and give them long jail terms. Do the same with all those lobbyists or business people that offer bribes to our elected or appointed representatives.

If we were out in the Old West, I would say, “Hang’em high,” because these thieves deserve that and more. Whether they realize it or not, people get sick and die because of economic worries. Couples get divorced because money becomes a big issue. Others go crazy. In summary, so-called white-collar crime does more harm than the crimes committed by regular criminals. Just compare the numbers of people affected by one and by the other. When a street criminal stabs or mugs one person, we have just one victim. When a corrupt entrepreneur and a corrupt public official conspire to do their dirty deeds, they stab and mug more than a million poor souls in this our county.

Thank you for your time, and for listening to me. I am just one of the many who need help. Once you examine the situation, please let me know what steps you are taking on our behalf.

Yours truly, Joseph Marchante

E-mail address: jmarchante@ercian.org

I am the author of the book “Ercian Testament.” I publish it free at www.ercian.org

INSURANCE CRISIS - OPEN LETTER TO GOVERNOR JEB BUSH

E-mail: jeb.bush@myflorida.com

Honorable Governor Jeb Bush:

I am sending this e-mail to you, and posting it on my blog at http://ercian.blogspot.com/. The home insurance crisis has reached such levels that it calls for action on your part as Governor of the state of Florida.

On August 15, 2006, El Nuevo Herald, the Spanish division of the Miami Herald, published a couple of reader’s comments under Perspectivas complaining about the abusive increases in home insurance coverage. Rightfully so, one signed by Juan Estajen called for you and the state legislature to find a solution to the situation, one that may include forcing companies that insure automobiles in our state to also insure our homes. Another one was from Luisa Pérez, a retired woman of modest means who feels not only abused, but also disrespected. Her insurance premium went from $3,200 to $7,710 a year.

Now, please allow me to tell you about my mother’s situation. She is an 86 years old widow receiving a little over $600.00 a month from Social Security. Her savings are down to about two thousand dollars. The new insurance policy from State Farm just arrived. The premium went from $1990 (more or less. I do not remember the exact figure) to $5,486. The property taxes amounting to another $2000 or so will arrive shortly. How is she going to meet those obligations? Will she lose her house? Were they in vain, all the sacrifices her and my father made?

Where is the Insurance commissioner in all this? How could he have approved such huge increases? There is no excuse whatsoever for allowing this crisis to happen. Right or wrong, it gives the average citizen the impression our public officials and the insurance companies are on very friendly terms.

Regardless of your accomplishments as a Governor, if you do not fix this situation, your tenure in office will be a catastrophic period for the people of the state, and your reputation tarnished. Please act and act now. My mother’s bill is due early November. If you have to appeal to the federal government, do so with all the force required. Let them know how bad it is down here. Please let me know what steps you are taking to resolve this situation.

Yours truly, Joseph Marchante

E-mail address:jmarchante@ercian.org

I am the author of the book “Ercian Testament.” I publish it free at http://www.ercian.org/

THOU SHALL NOT SLEEP WITH THE ENEMY

There are those who would want the U.S. government to change its policy toward Cuba. They propose an end to the so-called embargo. No, they are not asking for an end to the embargo Fidel Castro and his repressive regime has imposed on the lives and rights of the defenseless Cuban people, they are asking us to sleep with the enemy.

One of the arguments in favor of ending the U.S. embargo is that there is no credible case that Cuba is a threat to our national security. Who was in favor of nuking the United States back in October 1962, during the Cuban missile crisis? Castro was. Along with his friend Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, who is it that has very close ties with Iran, with North Korea, and with other well-known enemies of our country? Castro has. What country is a haven for terrorists like known ETA operatives, and other fugitives from justice? Communist Cuba is. Finally, what country in our vicinity has the laboratory facilities, the resources, and the knowledge to produce chemical and biological weapons? Communist Cuba has. Case closed.

If communist Cuba has not brazenly attacked the U.S. up to this point, it is because it would mean self-destruction. Do not for a moment doubt what Castro and his minions would do in our moment of weakness, should our nation become vulnerable due to terrorism or some other reason. The U.S. is awash with Cuban spies and collaborators. We have only uncovered a few of them, including Ana Belén Montes, a senior U.S. Intelligence analyst in our capital. This is no time to sleep easily. It is a time to remain vigilant and continue to put pressure on our enemies.

Another argument for ending the embargo is that U.S. companies cannot do business in Cuba as the rest of the world can. In other words, we should place the almighty dollar and business profits on an altar while relegating God, human rights, and all that is decent to a basement—the kind of place not easily accessible to the human conscience. If the rest of the world wants to be oblivious to the plight of the Cuban people, let them do business and be damned. “Merchants at the temple," we do not want to become. Jesus whipped the daylights out of those trespassers. Let us hold the high moral ground, and not be like them. The same goes for U.S. tourists who want the freedom to visit Cuba and spend money on the island--thereby helping that regime stay in power. Hey! If you do not care one bit about the lack of freedoms for Cuban citizens, then why should moral minds care about your freedom to travel wherever you please? Go visit the North Pole...in the wintertime...naked.

Should we be concerned how the U.N. General Assembly votes on this issue? Not one bit. Did you hear about the Oil-for-Food Iraq program, and how billions of dollars went into the wrong pockets under the supervision of the United Nations? We are not obliged to respect the opinions of the members of a body that is inefficient, ineffective, and at times corrupt. Otherwise, why would they give seats in the Council for Human Rights to countries known to be notorious abusers? Therefore, we should follow our own good conscience, not caring about the opinions of those who have none, and disregarding the views of those whose judgment is impaired.

Finally, there is the argument that we should deal with Cuba as we deal with China, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia—countries that do not have democratically elected governments that protect the human rights of their citizens. The U.S. justifies that policy believing economic trade will eventually help bring democracy to those countries. To be honest, I am not sure whether this is a good policy or a bad policy. My question is, what are the “side effects,” and how long must we wait before we know if there are any? In other words, how long must we wait until China, for example, renounces authoritarianism and embraces democracy? Suppose it never happens. Instead, suppose China becomes a military power equal or greater to that of the United States of America—made possible in good part by all the profits from having become our trading partners. Would you feel safer in that kind of world? Consequently, unless China and other dictatorships change their stripes soon, nobody can persuade me “sleeping with the enemy” is a good policy.

Last time I checked, we are supposed to be red-blooded Americans, not a nation of cold-blooded reptiles. Before being in favor of ending the embargo, consider the emotional aspect of the situation. Take into account the feelings of all those who have had family murdered or killed in the name of, or because of, that olive-green-gear garbage revolution. If you were in their place, would you vote to end the embargo?

If you tell me the embargo hurts the Cuban people, I will tell you Castro hurts the Cuban people even more. He is been doing it for over 47 years. His is a material and spiritual embargo. Many were born after he seized power. They never experienced the beauty and goodness of our Cuba. Like pacified zombies, they walk around as in a daze—anesthetized by years of propagandistic indoctrination. They are psychologically unable to lift a finger to protest their condition or fight for their freedom. The fear is too great. They know what happens to those who speak or act against the government. As a result, to escape becomes the solution for many, risking their lives at sea with homemade rafts. The only ones who live well over there are those at the top, though part of the booty trickles down to collaborators of the dictatorship.

If Castro truly wants the U.S. embargo to end, then let him allow free elections. Let him endorse freedom of speech and assembly, so that those who have complaints can make them known. Let the people hear from leaders who favor freedom and democracy. Give all Cuban citizens the right to bear arms, and make them available. Right now, they cannot buy a BB gun.

In summary, if Castro is so sure about the support of the Cuban people for his system, then why can he not make these allowances? The answer is because he knows better. He can only maintain his system afloat through repressive tactics. He cannot afford to let the Cuban people decide their future freely. In addition, he and his supporters are cowards. They are brave and invincible when beating up on dissidents—powerless citizens, men and women of all ages—but how would they fare in an even fight? They do not want to try. I would bet on that. Therefore, and bottom line, if they do not change, we do not change. Keep the embargo as it is, or make it even harder for Castro and his cronies to breathe.

Recommended reading: Ercian Testament - Part Three, Chapter 25, “Heaven for Humans, Hell for the Namuh,”

WHAT NAME SHOULD WE USE FOR GOD?

This is an ETH-COM SESSION. Eth-Com is an abbreviation or short name for Ethical Communication. These sessions should normally be conversations between two or more people. Here, I talk with myself. It is not a very objective form of dialogue, but it is all I can do under the circumstances. If there is a fight, somebody break me up, please!

To make it easy for readers to COMMENT on any particular part of my “self-interview,” I number the questions and the answers. Thus, if you want to comment on the answer to the third question, you will refer to A3 or Q3-A3. If you want to comment on a range of questions and answers, then show the first and last numbers in the chain, e.g. A2-A5 or Q2-A5.

Note: If you like the format, and would like to read the Eth-Com Sessions in my book, you will find eleven of them in Ercian Testament – Part Two, Chapters 8 through 18, and nine of them in Ercian Testament – Part Three, Chapters 19 through 27.

******

BEGINNING OF ETH-COM

Q1: What name should we use for God?

A1: In one sense, it does not matter what name we use for God. In another sense, it matters a great deal.

Q2: Explain yourself.

A2: What is important is not so much the name we give God, but the concept behind the name. As an Ercian¸ I use two different names for God, because I have researched and developed two different concepts of God: God as an Unconscious natural system, and God as a Conscious personal being.

Q3: What names have you given God in each case?

A3: To God-Unconscious, I have given the name of Erc, and to God-Conscious the name of Ellael.

Q4: How does Ellael compare with Jehovah or Allah?

A4: Ellael is a conscious entity as are supposed to be Jehovah and Allah, but Ellael is different because, as the name implies, I have given both feminine and masculine aspects to this Ercian deity. A divine being, God and Goddess at the same time, in some mysterious way I cannot explain. Perhaps it is two beings in one, I have no idea, but it is what I wish.

Q5: In other words, you have no way of supporting that concept of God as one which is real, but you accept it because it is what you wish?

A5: That is right, to an extent. I can support my concept of Ellael a little bit by my experience in this world. Those humans who give birth to children in our world are female. If God-Conscious gave birth to this universe, I am betting there has to be a female part to God’s nature. My intuition tells me so. Right or wrong, it is what I wish: God-Conscious in that image that makes me whole.

Q6: Could you not feel “whole” with an image of God composed of the Trinity?

A6: For many years I did. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit: I loved them very much and I still love them. In my book, in one of those moments I wanted to make a point, I refer to them as a dysfunctional divine family. I did not mean any disrespect, just this: I want my Mother and my Sister in Heaven together with my Father, my Brother, and our Holy Spirit. That is the only way I will be whole. Let it be in Heaven as it is on Earth.

Q7: Getting back to the names we use for God, can you make any other observations?

A7: Yes, I can. Tradition plays a big part in conditioning people to conduct rituals and address God in a particular way. Could you imagine Jews praying to Allah or Muslims praying to Jehovah? These are monotheistic religions. They both believe there is only one God. If that is the case, why cannot Jews pray to Allah and Muslims pray to Jehovah? We are talking about the same hypothetical being with two different names. The answer is in their respective “holy” books. They both believe in God as portrayed in their scriptures, and take any other conceptual view as mistaken. In the Torah, God looks out for the Jewish people. In the Koran, God looks out for Muslims.

Q8: Whom do you think God would want to protect?

A8: I think God would want to protect all Ert (His and Her) children, but is unable to do so because this world is in our hands. What happens here is up to us. If we meditate on that subject, those with clear minds will realize that truth. In the Middle East, God would not want to see Jews killed, any more than Ert would want to see Muslims killed, any more than Ert would want to see Christians killed, any more than Ert would want to see atheists killed.

Q9: How can we stop the killing in the Middle East?

A9: We cannot stop it. Those who continue being the aggressors can.

Q10: Do you mean Israel?

A10. No. Israel is defending itself. As I see it, from what I see and read in the news, the facts are that Israel wants to live in peace with its neighbors. Those who continually seek the destruction of Israel have the power to stop all the killing. Stop being the aggressors.

Q11: If God-Conscious exists, does God support the aggressors or those who seek peace?

A11: If God-Conscious is a moral being—as should be the case—those who seek peace have God’s support.

Q12: What do you think would be God’s message to the international community of nations?

A12: Stop Hezbollah, Al Qaeda, and any other terrorist organization ... Stop Syria, Iran, and any other nation that seeks the destruction of Israel ... or the destruction of any other democratic country that stands for peace and freedom...e.g., the United States of America, England, etc. etc. ...Go further ... Stop North Korea...Stop Castro...Stop Chavez...Watch out for China... Finally ... In You I Trust.

END OF ETH-COM

THE CORRECT DEFINITION OF "GOD"

God is Source, where we come from: that is the correct definition of the word "God." We are all familiar with the depiction of God as an old man with a white beard. They put the cart before the horse, those who defined God as a Supreme Being, a person. The result is that they left atheists without a God. Let me explain myself.

If we define God as Source, then atheists have a God: the universe. The natural system is their God, a cause they cannot deny. Because atheists do not believe nature is conscious, they do not pray to it or follow any rituals. Nevertheless, if we define God as Source, then nature is their God, whether or not they use that name to refer to it.

You have heard the question, “If God made us, then who made God?” If we define God as Source, atheists would say that God (nature) made us, period. Nobody made God. A believer would say that God (a Supreme Being) made nature, but they have no answer as to who made God. God is eternal, they say, but they cannot explain it.

I am also a believer, but a bird of a different feather: an Ercian. What do I believe in? My concept of God is deep. Like atheists, I believe that nature is our Source. However, that natural system is unlike the one we see in our universe. In the space of various chapters in my book Ercian Testament-Part Two, I painstakingly explain my theory on the nature of Erc.

“Erc” is the name I gave the Infinite Source and Ultimate God. Unlike atheists—and like some believers—I think a personal God also exists. “Ellael” is the name I use to refer to my Personal God and Holy Self. Ellael is the equivalent of Jehovah or Allah. In other words, I believe in Erc, God-Unconscious as our ultimate or indirect Source, and I believe in Ellael, God-Conscious as our immediate or direct Source.

Ellael evolved from Erc. Erc made Ellael, and Ellael made us. That is my answer to the question “If God made us, then who made God?” Therefore, the difference between an atheist and me is that the atheist does NOT think the natural system (Erc) has the evolutionary power to create a personal God (Ellael) who then made or evolved us. In support of my belief, Erc’s resources consist of infinite space, eternal time, and all the possible different kinds of energy you can think of. In my opinion, that is enough to make the evolution of a personal God or any other phenomenon possible.

There should be no fighting between atheists and believers. It is unnecessary. When atheists consider nature as their God or Source, we should respect that belief; and when the faithful go further to consider a personal God our immediate or direct Source, atheists should respect that belief too. Let us cut out all the arrogant positioning, as if either side were omniscient.

THE PROBLEM WITH SACREDNESS

Today’s post is closely related to yesterday’s post, “Who speaks for God?” That is the reason it will not be a very long post. There is not a lot to add to what I wrote yesterday, just a few additional observations.

If people were secure in their religious beliefs, they would not mind constructive criticism. Because the opposite is the case, many religious people will not take kindly to anyone who questions their faith. They place a protective mantle over the book that contains the writings of the prophets or leaders who founded their religion. The book becomes a “holy” book; the writings become “sacred” writings; and the protective mantle over their sacred scriptures becomes a shroud covering what is now a dead corpse. The preachers and the faithful have permission to “interpret” what has become “the Word of God,” but they may not question it beyond the boundaries set by tradition.

There is safety in numbers. The group maintains cohesion by thinking alike, again, within the marked limits. Most people do not dare cross that invisible line separating believers from doubters. Those who do, wind up ostracized or expelled from the group. By keeping their group segregated from other groups, they protect their sacred beliefs from contamination by outside sources.

All this unnecessary segregation affects world affairs. Our conflicts in the Middle East have an origin in the religious differences of the parties involved. The intense hatred would not be there, if it were not for the role of religion in the overall picture. To work towards peace, we must seek the integration of religious groups. If a good number of believers in the world became proligious (see Ercian Testament – Part One, Chapter 4 “Proligion”), then we would have a chance at making it all work. Talk about safety in numbers, the integrative power of proligion could gather enough supporters to outnumber the followers of any particular religion.

Months ago, when Muslims protested a controversial depiction of Muhammad in a cartoon, I saw the photo of a man carrying a sign that said, “Behead those who insult Islam!” My question is—and this ties in with yesterday’s post, “Who speaks for God?”—if somebody had made fun of me or you or the next average person, would Muslims have protested? Would any of them have asked for the beheading of those who insult Joe or Harry or Joan? I do not think so, and that is the problem of making books “holy,” and prophets "sacred" or "untouchable." It discriminates against other books and other children of God.

If Muhammad is God’s prophet and Jesus the only begotten son of God, what are we, chopped liver? I am a child of God and, in principle, a person with the same inherited rights as any human or alien born past, present, or future. You can criticize my book, thereby polishing my ideas or correcting me when I am mistaken. You can also make fun of me all you want. I appreciate good humor. Clear minds will know who is right and who is wrong, what is proper and what goes over the line of good taste.

WHO SPEAKS FOR GOD?

If religion had a body, I get the sense that body has lain encased in a frozen state for ages. What do I mean by that? What I mean is that since so-called “prophets” or sages wrote the “holy” books that propelled the birth of the major religions—this is true especially for the western religions—no revelatory manuscripts have shaken the foundations of what humans choose to believe. Granted, a great number of authors have addressed myriad issues but, again, nothing earthshaking. Everybody has interpreted everything, but nobody has come up with something momentous; and supposing some poor soul would write something that was truly stunning, it would be grounds for a crucifixion. Well, maybe not. Nowadays, the perpetrator(s) would use a gun, a knife, a bomb, a club, a rope, or some other, shut-your-mouth-you-are-messing-my-carefully-erected-and-closely-guarded-sandcastle, instrument. Do not trample on my idea of what God is like. Do not disturb my peaceful and content existence, the one I owe to my religious beliefs.

“The truth shall set us free!” I often hear people say that out in the world, but what I really see is a multitude running away from the truth or anything that resembles an attempt to get to it. Forget theories and hypotheses, they do not want to hear anything new that may put in question what the preacher says. There are prophets and there are preachers, but you have to be on the approved list to have the average believer lend you an ear. Complete stagnation is the result. What is worse, the wars, the conflicts, the lack of flexibility in learning to live with others that have different ideas. It is wrong, and it has to end.

The end has to come for generational discrimination. Just because you, and I, and the next person were born in this period, does not mean we do not have the right or the power to significantly contribute to the advancement of religion. It does not mean we cannot produce a better explanation of the nature of God or the Source that gave birth to this universe. It does not mean we cannot come up with as good or better and more equitable norms of behavior. If anything, we are better informed and better educated that the ancients, and whatever inspirational powers they had, we have. They had minds, and we have minds. We are certainly not orphans or second-class citizens. We are all children of the same natural system, with the same rights and privileges as the ones who lived way before us and the ones that will live way after us—if we do not destroy ourselves first.

Who can prove inspiration anyway? How do we distinguish true inspiration from falsehood? Faith will not get you there. You can have faith in anything and in everything not remotely connected with reality. You can believe whatever pleases your fancy, but that does not mean God inspired you or the person who wrote what you choose to believe. The only way we can detect true inspiration—and it does not matter whether it comes from God or solely from the mind of the human creator—is with our rational and logical minds, with our understanding. If it makes sense and testing it in the world produces good results, then we know. Even when we cannot test alternate theories in the world, usually the best ones will have the support of superior argumentation. Not all opinions have the same value. You are morally entitled to your opinion, only when you back it up with sound reasoning.

The end has to come also for gender discrimination and for sexual orientation discrimination. Women and homosexuals have souls too. Do you want to ostracize them and keep them from saying their peace? You go ahead and do it. I am not doing it. I am not God. If anybody asks us why, you answer for your actions and I will answer for mine. On my part, this does not mean I am issuing a carte blanche type seal of approval to what women and gays say, write or do. They must abide by the same rules of reasoning everybody else should follow.

“Okay, everything that you are saying rings reasonable, but what if God came down and laid down the Law?” “What if the Laws of God are in disagreement with what you propose?” Well, to the person who asks me those questions I would say that I am well prepared to defend my position. First, the Infinite Source and Ultimate God in my book I have given the name of “Erc,” from whence comes the name “Ercian” which you find in this site. Erc is God-Unconscious. Erc is not a person or a being that could come down to Earth and lay down the law. So if someone comes down saying he or she is God, I know it is definitely not Erc, not the Infinite Source and Ultimate God. How do I know that? I know because of the four logical proofs I present on Chapters 17 and 18 of the book Ercian Testament - Part Two

However, that rational entity coming down could be whom I have named “Ellael,” my Personal God and Holy Self. For all of you who are Jewish, Christian, or Muslim, Ellael is God-Conscious, the equivalent of Jehovah, Jesus, or Allah. In that case, if the being coming down claims to be God-Conscious, then we would sit down and have a talk. God-Conscious has a mind, and I have a mind. The rules of argumentation STILL apply. God-Conscious was born from God-Unconscious and I, directly or indirectly, was too born from God-Unconscious. Therefore, claims of authority do not institute the Laws of God. Only the powers of reason and understanding can morally establish the Laws of God, the Laws of Our Blessed Kingdom.

TODAY I HONOR MY FATHER {4/15/17-12/13/05} R.I.P.

José Marchante, he was the sweetest man you could ever meet. After a series of heart attacks, strokes and seizures, he finally let go last December. I used to call him “el hombre de hierro,” the man (made) of iron, because of his endurance in spite of all his illnesses. He would bounce back after each episode. He would prevail. With his right hand misshapen and his right leg impaired, he would get up and walk: first with a cane in the early years of his convalescence, and then with a walker, until he became bedridden the last few months of his life.

Married over sixty-six years, my good mother Manuela adored him. She would tend to all his needs night and day, and she was the main reason he lasted so long. Talk about love, theirs was a perfect example. “Ustedes nunca pelean,” you two never fight, some of their friends used to say, because of the way they treated each other—sweetness personified. Ours is a close family. His two sons and his daughter, we too loved him very much. Whether by phone or in person, we kept in touch. We used to hug him, and kiss him, and let him know how much he meant to us. My brother Oswald, the youngest of the three, took it very hard when Dad departed. He was inconsolable, grief-stricken, devastated. My sister and I shed countless tears also, but somehow we were better prepared to handle the inevitable.

Dad was born in Spain, and his family left for Cuba when he was about a year old. At first, they lived in the countryside. When he was old enough, he worked the fields. Although always a man of good manners, he did not have the benefit of a good education. My mother helped him polish his skills when they became neighbors, and even more so when she became his fiancée. As a young man, he worked as a bus driver. Later on, he began working as a service man with the largest “glasses and mirrors” company in the country. He became their most trusted employee, and the owners really appreciated his efforts. I remember going to one of the owners’ house by a beach, when I was a young boy. It was a luxurious home. We went fishing, had some of the fish for dinner and—bottom line—I had a great time.

“La Compañía Nacional de Espejos,” the company my father worked for, financed our last house in Havana. To pay the loan, in addition to working in the shop and on the street as a glasses-and-mirrors expert craftsman, he became a bookkeeper, working on the company books at night, after he got home. So much did they consider him a good man and an exceptional employee, that when he left the company to start his own business, his own little glasses-and-mirrors shop, they wiped out his debt: they told him to forget the rest of the loan and use the money he had for his new business. "El Estilo," (The Style), that was the name of my father's shop.

Imagine that, helping the competition, even if it would be competition in a small scale. Kind-hearted capitalists, the kind of story Fidel Castro will not broadcast to the rest of the world, and I am sure there are many other examples of good management-labor relations in the Cuban archives: the memories of exiled families. Many of us are slowly but surely passing on. It is a shame: the loss of all those stories, of stories untold, stories of both the good times and the sad times.

Everything was going well with his small shop until a very dark cloud engulfed the country. Castro seized power. To make a long story short, after the failure of the Bay of Pigs invasion, my parents decided to send me to the United States. I was sixteen when they started the paperwork. Having been educated in “Los Maristas de la Víbora,” (Marist Brothers) a catholic school, they were afraid I would get in trouble with the naïve masses, the hordes of brainwashed followers of the evil man at the helm and his noxious revolution. They were afraid I would be forced to join his red army or his “volunteer” (not really) workforce.

I remember looking out from the window of the Pan American plane I boarded and seeing all of them standing there on the second floor terrace of the airport: my father with my months-old brother in his arms, my six year old sister in the middle, and my mother at the other end holding on to a handkerchief. I could see my mother crying. I think my sister was crying too. I was too far away to see the tears on my old man’s face, but either they were there or he was trying to be strong for the rest. I will never forget that day, that event, that image: like a photograph, imprinted in my memory. The passenger next to me tried to console me, and I thanked her for it. I think it was a woman, but somehow that fact is not clear in my mind. It could have been a man. For sure, it was another victim of our national tragedy.

That was in 1961. Eventually, my father lost his small business and my family the house. They had to leave everything behind in order to emigrate. Later we learned that a small thief, a lieutenant in the army, had inherited our house, a gift from the big thief, El Ladrón Fidel Castro. Oh, I am sorry! Let me correct that statement. He confiscated the house my father and mother worked so hard to own. He did not steal it. That is how dictators, especially communist dictators, get away with murder. They play with words, while playing with the lives and possessions of their subjects. What happened in Cuba is happening in Venezuela today. Monkeys will be monkeys, and Castro has taken Chavez to school. The people there will suffer as sure as we have suffered. Most will not realize the error of their ways (supporting Hugo Chavez) until it is too late.

In 1963, my family left for Spain and stayed there for about ten months. I would send them some money from New York where I was working, but my father had to work the construction trade (something he had never done before) to support the family. In 1964, they arrived in New York. My father began working as a janitor and later as an elevator operator for Columbia University. A couple of years later, after I was married, they left for Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. My father worked as the chauffeur-gardener-handyman and my mother as a helper in the kitchen for a retirement home. They lived on the premises, in a big and comfortable house on the five-acre estate. The people at the home loved my parents. Some kept in touch after they left. That took place in 1974, when they came to Miami after my father’s second heart attack. I also arrived here from West New York, New Jersey, a few months earlier that year to pave the way.

Between 1969, which if I am not mistaken was the year of his first collapse, and 2005 how many years are there? Thirty-six years more or less they were, by my calculations. Thus, I believe I was right in calling him “el hombre de hierro,” the iron man.

Today I honor you Dad. Today I send you a big hug and many kisses from Earth. Your first son misses you very much. I loved you before, I love you now, and I will love you forever. May God keep you in the company of the Angels, and may the Saints rejoice with your presence. You sure belong there, a much better man that Castro will ever be. That is a fact, and our world’s history will record it as such, if not the one written by man, for sure the one sanctioned by God during Final Judgment, the one that counts in my Book.

HONESTY PAYS WHEN IN SEARCH OF THE TRUE GOD

Imagine you awoke one day alone, on a boat in the middle of an ocean, with no land in sight, without instruments or communication, and without the knowledge of the direction that would take you to safety. That is the way I visualized my situation when I began my search for our true God or Source. No longer trusting the truth-value of some of the things I learned from the Bible during my years as a Catholic boy, I put the book away. Then I started reading books about other religions, about philosophy, about evolution, about the physical laws of our universe, and about every other subject that could help me in my quest. My mind would be my guide.

Here is a quote from Ercian Testament, http://www.ercian.org/erciantestament/erciantestamentpartone.html
Chapter 1, "Ground Zero," page 2:

No longer at peace with the beliefs of my youth, I needed to submerge myself in the mysteries of being. I had to find the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth.

How does God exist? What is God’s nature? Does God have a plan? How do we figure in God’s plan? To be worthy of God’s presence, how must we behave on Earth? Questions such as these came to mind. I could not start my search with preconceived notions. Truth was of vital importance. I had to become completely honest with myself, even if it shattered my idealized concept of the supreme. Following traditional beliefs would not yield anything new. If I wanted to reach GrOunD Zero, I first had to reach my own ground zero: the essence of my mind in that virginal state where innocence asks the most impertinent and unthinkable questions.

Since this is only a short post, to learn about conclusions reached, I invite you to read those chapters in my book concerning God’s nature. My journey ended well as far as I am concerned. The big lesson I learned is that honesty pays off during soul searching. Only fear of the unknown, of finding there is no God, for example, can keep you from finding the nature of what is true and real to the best of your ability.

It is not a sign of true faith to hold on to beliefs that make you feel good but have no chance of being real. To risk your sanity in order to gain your soul, that is true faith. Take care and be well. In God with love, In God with knowledge, and In God with courage, Forever and Ever, Amen.

PROLIGION, The Evolution of Religion

Today, I am convinced more than ever that Religion must evolve, if the human race is to advance into a new era of peace and prosperity. We have major religions, those that have been able to amass huge numbers of followers, a great accomplishment in itself and yet, a main source of division and conflict. If the nature of religion is to make better persons out of human beings, then what is the reason for all the hatred and the fighting?

The reason for all the discord is that people accept religious claims and doctrines through the questionable power of belief or faith. If everyone stopped right there and said, “Okay, this is what I believe, but I am not sure,” there would be no problem among people of different faiths.

The trouble starts with the texts of the so-called “holy” books professing supremacy and asserting they have “the Word of God.” It continues when preachers magically convert belief to knowledge: “We believe we have the Word of God” becomes “We know we have the Word of God. This is the Truth, the Way, and the Life” or some other unequivocal statement.

Finally, the followers of each particular religion exacerbate the situation a zillion times over by remaining segregated from other religious groups, and by reinforcing the indoctrination process through rituals and testimonials. Bottom line, each group thinks they have the key to the kingdom of heaven, and they will confront anyone who thinks otherwise.

Things that are a matter of knowledge cause no such upheaval. We all know the sun comes out every day. Nobody fights over that. Therefore, the great Sin of Religion is to pretend it has knowledge when, in fact, all it has is belief. Granted, people are legally entitled to their beliefs, and morally entitled to their well-reasoned beliefs, but then call them what they are and do not present them dressed in suits of wisdom, knowledge and understanding.

Religion needs to evolve into Proligion (see “Ercian Testament” at http://www.ercian.org/). In a few words, proligion is always in search of the truth, rather than claiming to possess the truth. While religion seeks to bind people to the past, to God as Source, proligion seeks to bind the great divided masses toward the future, to God as Goal or Destination. We are all going to die some day and encounter the Truth: what is and what is not. That is a fact. Therefore, why not share the place we call Earth like good brothers and sisters, like the sons and daughters of the same God that we are? That is my proposition.