It is sad that people see God as having a mandate that centers on themselves. While humanity is important, I read the Bible and see the human stories as a narrative that explains God's character. I read that with great sadness. As a black woman being removed from our African cultural context means that I cannot do what First Nations can: compare and contrast. What I am able to do is analyze. I would assume that people would want a just God and understand that righteousness is denoted as non-human. But these genocidal decisions are rooted in a non-Biblical understanding of human life. One in which value is not inherent to life and the humans who have life define value rather than the Creator. I am sad though that it is seen as psychotic, in general. That approach to my Christ centered faith has left me labeled for doing good and caring for all. My faith remains misunderstood even by those claiming it because I do not do what they do. I am grateful for outside insight into experiences that are not Jamaican. I can only hope to show non-Natives, by example, that God cannot be selecting some people to die simply because they are different. To me death or judgment comes because of centuries of murder, rape, abuse, genocide, child sacrificing, etc. The non-Native Americas is next on that list of nations to be judged. If I understand my Bible right, it will be soon and then all of humanity will see Revelation 17-19 and understand that race was not the issue. And that righteousness is based on behavior NOT location or personal preference. This prayer and fast for First Nations is for full restoration of the life you live culturally. That requires you feeling all lands are yours and that you have rights to enjoy traveling as you need to, to stay healthy. I refuse to believe God sees their greed as righteous. Jesus' example says otherwise. We will all see in a while who is psychotic: The girl hurting no one and believing all to be equal in God's eyes or the people believing in their personal self righteousness who failed to see all of you as rightful owners of the land--who can and SHOULD live your beautiful cultures WITHOUT anyone bothering you. Well--God has some work to do to prove Himself as impartial. I am watching it unfold as the young one of my group (41). Hoping God speeds up your justice and proves that they never knew Him. So sorry they are here claiming otherwise.
I plan to. First Nations are able to judge from an independent position on all issues. Jamaicans are only able to do it on a majority of life issues. However, some things are hard to judge without learning from others. John Kane told me about your book. I bought it and will soon read it. I see you as an elder who will help me form the correct opinion about First Nations and for that I thank you. I knew all of you are smart...but as always you show me there is more to learn. Thank you for that also.
letting go of 'authorized Self-Righteousness' requires the death of the facade called the Ego, which is propped up by the dysfunctional family of 'personal-only' salvation.
the Self-apart must die and the collective symbiotic happenings (as self-a-part-OF coCreating) must be 'innocently observed' (without judgement) and AWE restored for the joy of just being here 🌎 and sensing/knowing That-we are here
that is indeed a tough 'ask' ... but commanding IT certainly won't work ... that's what got us here 🥺
can you love what you Fear? if you think so, I know of a guy willing to hand out beatings .... let's conduct a Test of your righteousness ... we wouldn't bow to a nobody, so why then do we bow to a noBody whom no-one has ever seen? 😉 just plain insane, right?
people failed to consider that maybe the Commandments were a double-bind test to PROVE that our frail attempts to be goodie-goodies would fail. Try not to covet thy neighbor's wife. Ooops! told ya so! 🤣 funny, and yet, so not funny based on the result! Billions offering false love to the-above, and absolutely brutality to those-below, on a basis of IMMENSE FEAR .... for the Great Mystery
this is the complete opposite of how our Ancestors understood and embraced living
Well said and then well read. I have been fascinated by the various insanities and how they grow and often die in cultures since reading as a teenager "Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds " by Charles Mackay. Humans evolve so slowly.
This cuts to an important issue. The so-called repudiation of the Doctrine of Christian Discovery by the Vatican suggests they are not responsible for it. They claim that it is not a church doctrine but rather the manipulation of Papal Bulls by the imperial powers of Europe. But the facts are clear and you and Steven Newcomb have painstakingly gone beyond those Papal Bulls in the manifestation of this Christian doctrine. There is no way to backtrack the repeated interpretations of the Bible on this. To suggest the Doctrine of Christian Discovery is merely a misinterpretation of a few Papal Bulls is more than just disingenuous. It’s a sinful lie. This Pope needed to rescind the DOCD not just take a politically correct position on it!
Indeed. And if the Vatican wanted to be less dishonest—even within its own terms—it would have to acknowledge that the denial of the national rights of the peoples of the Native Nations that its papal bulls initiated remains foundational to the property law of the United States (and many other countries) and its ongoing misconduct towards the Native Nations and these “secular” laws must be opposed by the Vatican on moral grounds if it is to truly repudiate the doctrine of Christian discovery
An excellent and concise summation Peter! The question remains: How shall we deal with this archetypal Abrahamic narrative of domination which is embedded in the psyches and cultural patterns of millions of people? The inter-generational roots of that deadly and destructive narrative have had and continue to have real world consequences, which include the unending ecological devastation. Those consequences include massive suffering and misery. This has been and continues to be the outcome of powerful interest groups being able to use the claim of a right of domination cc as an organizing principle across the planet.
Fascinating string of connect dots and about what seems the biggest dysfunctional family. With non-religious Kaballah, Yahweh is the divine personal spark and male archetype within each being, so it's a shame how that energy/awareness got so severely, violently twisted.
Yes, 'divine personal spark': Compare the beautiful invocation in the opening lines of Schiller's poem that Beethoven set to music in his 9th: "Freude, schöner Götterfunken...." translated: "Joy, beautiful spark of the gods" (n.b., masculine declension of the adjective). I like to translate it as "beautiful Godspark" ....
i like your poetic translation, gives a more direct feel into the spark, or sparking process, itself! Also could be Spirit-spark, as i sometimes literally feel that, whether a light-bulb idea or sudden burst of energy to get stuff done.
Another great article, Peter. We've been discussing generational PTSD for decades, innit? The three related desert families/religions have collectively been responsible for so much hatred and violence throughout the world for millennia--perfectly reflecting the Patriarchal and violent nature of their "God', continuing today with no end in sight.
It is sad that people see God as having a mandate that centers on themselves. While humanity is important, I read the Bible and see the human stories as a narrative that explains God's character. I read that with great sadness. As a black woman being removed from our African cultural context means that I cannot do what First Nations can: compare and contrast. What I am able to do is analyze. I would assume that people would want a just God and understand that righteousness is denoted as non-human. But these genocidal decisions are rooted in a non-Biblical understanding of human life. One in which value is not inherent to life and the humans who have life define value rather than the Creator. I am sad though that it is seen as psychotic, in general. That approach to my Christ centered faith has left me labeled for doing good and caring for all. My faith remains misunderstood even by those claiming it because I do not do what they do. I am grateful for outside insight into experiences that are not Jamaican. I can only hope to show non-Natives, by example, that God cannot be selecting some people to die simply because they are different. To me death or judgment comes because of centuries of murder, rape, abuse, genocide, child sacrificing, etc. The non-Native Americas is next on that list of nations to be judged. If I understand my Bible right, it will be soon and then all of humanity will see Revelation 17-19 and understand that race was not the issue. And that righteousness is based on behavior NOT location or personal preference. This prayer and fast for First Nations is for full restoration of the life you live culturally. That requires you feeling all lands are yours and that you have rights to enjoy traveling as you need to, to stay healthy. I refuse to believe God sees their greed as righteous. Jesus' example says otherwise. We will all see in a while who is psychotic: The girl hurting no one and believing all to be equal in God's eyes or the people believing in their personal self righteousness who failed to see all of you as rightful owners of the land--who can and SHOULD live your beautiful cultures WITHOUT anyone bothering you. Well--God has some work to do to prove Himself as impartial. I am watching it unfold as the young one of my group (41). Hoping God speeds up your justice and proves that they never knew Him. So sorry they are here claiming otherwise.
Many thanks for your comments!
I think your ideas intersect with my Substack colleague WD James' recent posts on "politics of the heart": https://wdjames.substack.com/p/the-assault-on-the-heart
He's a philosopher and sometimes you have to re-read to understand, but when you do, well worth it.
I plan to. First Nations are able to judge from an independent position on all issues. Jamaicans are only able to do it on a majority of life issues. However, some things are hard to judge without learning from others. John Kane told me about your book. I bought it and will soon read it. I see you as an elder who will help me form the correct opinion about First Nations and for that I thank you. I knew all of you are smart...but as always you show me there is more to learn. Thank you for that also.
letting go of 'authorized Self-Righteousness' requires the death of the facade called the Ego, which is propped up by the dysfunctional family of 'personal-only' salvation.
the Self-apart must die and the collective symbiotic happenings (as self-a-part-OF coCreating) must be 'innocently observed' (without judgement) and AWE restored for the joy of just being here 🌎 and sensing/knowing That-we are here
that is indeed a tough 'ask' ... but commanding IT certainly won't work ... that's what got us here 🥺
can you love what you Fear? if you think so, I know of a guy willing to hand out beatings .... let's conduct a Test of your righteousness ... we wouldn't bow to a nobody, so why then do we bow to a noBody whom no-one has ever seen? 😉 just plain insane, right?
people failed to consider that maybe the Commandments were a double-bind test to PROVE that our frail attempts to be goodie-goodies would fail. Try not to covet thy neighbor's wife. Ooops! told ya so! 🤣 funny, and yet, so not funny based on the result! Billions offering false love to the-above, and absolutely brutality to those-below, on a basis of IMMENSE FEAR .... for the Great Mystery
this is the complete opposite of how our Ancestors understood and embraced living
Well said and then well read. I have been fascinated by the various insanities and how they grow and often die in cultures since reading as a teenager "Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds " by Charles Mackay. Humans evolve so slowly.
This cuts to an important issue. The so-called repudiation of the Doctrine of Christian Discovery by the Vatican suggests they are not responsible for it. They claim that it is not a church doctrine but rather the manipulation of Papal Bulls by the imperial powers of Europe. But the facts are clear and you and Steven Newcomb have painstakingly gone beyond those Papal Bulls in the manifestation of this Christian doctrine. There is no way to backtrack the repeated interpretations of the Bible on this. To suggest the Doctrine of Christian Discovery is merely a misinterpretation of a few Papal Bulls is more than just disingenuous. It’s a sinful lie. This Pope needed to rescind the DOCD not just take a politically correct position on it!
Indeed. And if the Vatican wanted to be less dishonest—even within its own terms—it would have to acknowledge that the denial of the national rights of the peoples of the Native Nations that its papal bulls initiated remains foundational to the property law of the United States (and many other countries) and its ongoing misconduct towards the Native Nations and these “secular” laws must be opposed by the Vatican on moral grounds if it is to truly repudiate the doctrine of Christian discovery
https://open.substack.com/pub/steven3c6/p/an-extension-of-a-peter-derrico-essay?r=21x2h&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
An excellent and concise summation Peter! The question remains: How shall we deal with this archetypal Abrahamic narrative of domination which is embedded in the psyches and cultural patterns of millions of people? The inter-generational roots of that deadly and destructive narrative have had and continue to have real world consequences, which include the unending ecological devastation. Those consequences include massive suffering and misery. This has been and continues to be the outcome of powerful interest groups being able to use the claim of a right of domination cc as an organizing principle across the planet.
Fascinating string of connect dots and about what seems the biggest dysfunctional family. With non-religious Kaballah, Yahweh is the divine personal spark and male archetype within each being, so it's a shame how that energy/awareness got so severely, violently twisted.
Yes, 'divine personal spark': Compare the beautiful invocation in the opening lines of Schiller's poem that Beethoven set to music in his 9th: "Freude, schöner Götterfunken...." translated: "Joy, beautiful spark of the gods" (n.b., masculine declension of the adjective). I like to translate it as "beautiful Godspark" ....
I shere Mrnk's sentiment, but mistranslated (from English to Dutch 'Park of the Gods' :D -- Sory, missed Markh's post whil typing the above,
i like your poetic translation, gives a more direct feel into the spark, or sparking process, itself! Also could be Spirit-spark, as i sometimes literally feel that, whether a light-bulb idea or sudden burst of energy to get stuff done.
Another great article, Peter. We've been discussing generational PTSD for decades, innit? The three related desert families/religions have collectively been responsible for so much hatred and violence throughout the world for millennia--perfectly reflecting the Patriarchal and violent nature of their "God', continuing today with no end in sight.
yes... theological PTSD...