Drudge Report Headlines!

"Enter freely and 'uv you own 'vill ... BLEAH! BLEAH!"
Sorry Bela ... Mr. Lee ...

Drudge Report Headlines!


1. BOY SMITES CRUZ. YOU SUCK!

Yesterday it was "The emperor has no clothes", now its: YOU SUCK!

I actually like Ted but I think he'd be more valuable in the senate during a Trump administration.

2. BECK: FAST AND PRAY FOR 24HRS

And off to the side-

3. CRUZ DAD: 'I Implore Every Member of Body of Christ to Vote According to Word of God' ...

I hope this doesn't mean a vote for Cruz is a vote for Jesus!

People ask if I believe the word of God (The bible.) to be the inerrant word of God. Yes I do ... I just don't necessarily believe someone elses' INTERPRETATION of the inerrant word of God to be the inerrant WORD OF GOD.

It was a long time before I learned His name was Jesus and not ... JE-ZUS!

Darn rapture bunnies!

4. CARLY FALLS OFF STAGE

I'm luvvin' it! Not Carly getting hurt though. Just the spectacle of the whole presidential election thing. Ms. Fiorina would make a great VP. Just not under Mr. Cruz.

Go to Ex-Army blog (Where I swiped the above graphic.) here, where quibcags abound!


Go to Jays' Tee Vee blog main page here. Any articles under this one means yer already there and that doesn't suck! Well ... not too much ...

Ted Cruz: Beware of the Born Again

Ted Cruz: Beware of the Born Again


I'm always quite leery of politicians who say they're "born again" and wear their salvation on their sleeves to garner votes. That was a lesson learned long ago.

Harken back to the 1976 presidential election, Carter vs Ford.

Across the country and in divinity school, the "rapture bunnies" were all atwitter over Jimmy Carter and his being "One of us!".

During this time the same "good Christians' at the bible college were giving me a hard time about my voting third party (Yeah, yeah ... Should have voted for Ford. Then again, the Republicans should've voted Reagan during primary season!). They of course doubted my salvation over a number of things (My skepticism about the phony rapture doctrine among other things.). The latest of which was my not jumping on the Jimmy Carter bandwagon with the rest of the independent thinkers.

I, of course, was doubtful about Mr. Carters' salvation. Not because I disagreed with his stance on things but because his theological beliefs were being used by the rank and file of believers as a political point in voting for him.

I believe a personal relationship with the Lord to be just that ... PERSONAL. Something between you and the Lord only. Yes, share the "message". Tell one and all about how and why Jesus did what he did. After all, ones' place in eternity stands on it. (1)

But it shouldn't be used to pander for political or monetary gain and used to puff oneself up before one and all. (Matthew 6:1-5 and 23:5-7)

In exasperated response to all the chiding and BS from my classmates, I told them they would regret their choice about a year down the road and they wouldn't want to talk to me about it.

Turned out I was right. They liked me even less after that and the whole country had a four year long lesson to learn.

My advice to voters who get taken in by the vocally pious is the same I give to young women:

Anyone who uses Jesus as part of his pick-up routine and come-on line IS A PATHETIC LOSER.

STAY AWAY FROM THE GUY!

 Or ... In the words of the famous anti-Communist Herb Philbrick, when asked about Jimmy Carter:

"A born again turkey ... Is STILL ... a turkey."

Mitt Romney: A Cruz supporter and a man eminently qualified to speak anything about everything.

If I come across as harsh in regard to the above personalities, I do so only for emphasis. The future of our country is riding on this election and we can ill afford "business as usual" politics/policy.

Vote wisely.


1. The proceeding is what's known to believers as "the Roman road" as most of the verses are from the Book of Romans.

Romans 3:10-12 - 10) As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 11) There is none that understands, there is none that seeks after God. 12) They are all gone out of the way, they are altogether become unprofitable; there is none that does good., no, not one.

Psalms 14:3 - They are all gone aside, they are altogether become filthy: there is none that does good, no, not one.

Romans 3:23 - For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God;

No one is blameless. If you have trouble wrapping your mind around this, think of it as you would an illness or physical condition. It is a state which we are born under.

Romans 5:12 - Wherefore , as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

The how and why we are that way. Adam is the reason we're under the weight of sin and trapped in this deadly cycle of entropy, decay and death.
Romans 5:8 - But God commends his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Jesus is the way out. The other side of the equation. With our acknowledgement of our sinbound state we can go on to have the Lord correct that.

Romans 10:13 - For whosover shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Romans 10:9-10 - 9) That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved. 10) For with the heart man believes to righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made to salvation.

This is the how in regard to Jesus. Do these and the cycle has no spiritual claim on you.

Revelation 3:20 - Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

Jesus is waiting for you to answer. He has been there all along knocking. It could be you just didn't (Or didn't want to.) hear it.

John 3:16 - For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Of course, it goes without saying, "Go and sin no more". I really stink at this. However, one should always keep going back and asking the Lord for guidance and strength to resist (It's called prayer.).

This is what's known as repentance, an active turning away from giving in to ones' baser instincts and it's an ongoing thing.

For guidance I strongly suggest one get in touch with a strong bible believing pastor/church in your area.

For a more in depth explanation, please read chapters 12, 13 and 14 of my Angel Beats fan fiction story, In Gods' Good Time.


Donald Trump for President web site here.


Go to Jays' Tee Vee blog main page here.

Becoming a Hate Group

Becoming a Hate Group. (This is spiritual, and may cause hives in the susceptible.)

by

Weatherly Hardy


Once again, Alabama is the center of attention, this time because of the homosexual marriage thing. Social media is full of people being loving and accepting of others' opinions on the thing ... as long as they hold the same opinion. Most of the "pro" side are lambasting "Christians" who don't think for themselves. Your problem is not that people are not thinking for themselves. It is because they just aren't agreeing with you. One person was going on about how he could NOT understand why people were so concerned with HIS relationship with HIS partner.

It's not about YOU.

This is, rightly or wrongly, about LAW. Not you, or your feewings. It's how our legal system works, especially in areas where controversy exists. It takes awhile. Life is not CSI, where problems are solved in under-an-hour.

Allow me to say that, as a rule, secular thinking and Christian thinking are not congruent. Secular thought tends to rely upon compromise and consensus, often through social sanctions being brought against opinion outliers. "Think for yourself" ultimately boils down to "Think like the herd". Whatever is cool, tony, IN, or Real George becomes common wisdom. All done in the name of independent thinking.

Christian thinking is not mere groupthink, and it is patently not meant to mean "think for yourself" (Where that means "pull a socially acceptable opinion from your backside".). Our opinions are to be based upon the revelation of God's word. It is belief and opinion based upon an external source, the word of God, the Bible. While there can be astonishing differences of opinion displayed as to what that book actually means, there is often a clear consensus on what is Good or Bad. The problems arise when admixture with secular opinion occurs, and the salt loses its distinctive flavor, as well as its power to change lives and cultures. The desire by Christians to be accepted by the world also plays a part. The current issue, and the rancor it engenders, is in large part due to believers playing politics rather than hewing to what the scriptures ACTUALLY teach, especially as concerns our proclamation to the world.

The World sees Christians as mouth-breathing throwbacks who want to saddle women with unwanted babies, who want homosexuals to be perpetually unhappy, with a heaping dollop of hell-fire when it's all over. They see us that way because we have NOT played by the rules. We have majored in things that the Bible does not. We have marched, and picketed, and tried to vote the Kingdom of God in, and here is what we have. Jesus did not picket against Jewish quislings collecting taxes for Rome. Paul did not promise Tropical Destinations to the idol-worshippers in Athens, Greece, neither did he organise Straight Pride parades in Corinth, complete with grey-scale rainbows. What did evil, hate-filled Paul do?

"For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified."

The proclamation of the Good News occupied Paul's dealings with people. All the stuff that people get bent out of shape about in Paul's writings are things he wrote TO CHRISTIANS, PEOPLE ALREADY IN THE CHURCH! They had signed up for the club, and needed to have the by-laws explained. The church has no business proclaiming or marching over anything beyond the proclaiming of the gospel. A clever fellow wrote:

   
     A local church (Athens, AL) in 2007 made the national news by initiating a Temperance Drive in an attempt to get the sale of alcohol repealed. Try as I might, I cannot see a single instance in the New Testament where Jesus, Paul, Peter, James or John initiated a march, drive, petition, or mass pout to stop people from doing something that offended. Take slavery, f'rinstance. Paul did not start a campaign to stop the Offending Practice. Brights and other annoying persons find this terrible, for clearly it meant that Paul Did Not Care, that God Did Not Care, and thus ANY modern atheist is morally superior to either if he opposes slavery (Perhaps they should stage Abolitionist Marches in Sudan.). The fact is, Paul recognised that the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation (rescue, deliverance from bondage), and was thus sufficient to quell the deed, which indeed it began to do, as believing slave owners learned the difficulty of calling Property whom he also called Brother. Long and short: you teach the Word. Do something silly like, oh...do it like Jesus said. Make disciples of the nations. That means show them, teach them HOW to live the Kingdom life. This takes years, like it took years for Jesus to teach His disciples. Saying a prayer and sitting in a pew doesn't cut it. Baptise them by the authority of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. You are promised to receive the Holy Spirit, God Himself residing in your person. This is for starters.


Back to the point. If everyone does JUST what the Word says, it will result in unity. If, however, I insist on MY neat name, MY cool new way to do the gospel, thinking MY way is THE way, then I make myself distinct from my brothers and sisters. I become the enemy of unity. I become factious, jealous of other "ministries", become angry when you don't agree with MY way.

The world will not hear us unless we are unified. They will not believe our message unless we love. They will not believe in forgiveness in Christ if the church puts on its judge's robe. Wait...it HAS no such robe, 'cos it's NOT OUR JOB.

Yes. I yelled.

Oh, wait. That was me!

Paul and the other apostles were in the discipleship business, where members of the church are concerned. We are NOT called to point the bony finger of indignation at the Sinners du Jour. God so LOVED the world...the stinky, disagreeable, rebellious world...and gave Jesus. That is to be OUR proclamation.

We should ONLY go as far in our proclaiming as Jesus and later, his apostles did. They did not preach issues. They preached Jesus, and Him, crucified.


Mr. Hardys' blog, Aardvarks Plumbline here.

Mr. Hardys' company, Aardvark Tees, Shirts made of WIN! here.


Go to Jays' Tee Vee blog main page here.

Son Of God: I'm Not Excited

Diogo Morgado in the title role. He must be the
real thing. He speaks with an English accent!

Son Of God: I'm Not Excited


A new Jesus movie is hitting the theaters and I'm not enthused. I mean, we've seen it before, right?

Let's see, oh yeah, a robed pretty boy in hairdo and beard shows up, spouts platitudes, performs miracles, ticks off the local civic/religious authorities and gets killed for his trouble. Oh yeah, he then returns from the dead ... Why? ... Because he's GOD!

Huh?

That's all I EVER got out of these flicks. People leave the theater just as much in the dark as when they went in.

NOTHING about as to what and why he went through what he did. Just a nice story about "a good man who died".

Maybe what I'm looking for is a cinematic Chick tract with a newsmans' five Ws' treatment and a so many step plan of salvation. You know ... WHY Jesus did what he did ... Where one stands with God (You're toast!) ... and how acknowledgement of the payment only HE could make can change that standing.

Only one "Jesus movie" ever made an impression on me.

The Passion of the Christ - Mel Gibsons' film about the events in the bogus arrest/prosecution of Jesus and the very REALISTIC portrayal of His crucifixion. This film is NOT pretty to say the least and I would not allow children to see it. My only problem is that it's lacking in the details of what the salvation He provides is.

Below are the details as to the what and why of salvation. Be sure to read the whole chapters they appear in for further clarification.


1. Romans 3:10 - As it is written, There is no one righteous, no, not one.

Psalm 14:3 -  They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that does good.

Keep in mind, you're not good enough to get to Heaven on your own. No matter what you do, you're just not "good" enough.

2. Romans 3:23 - For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.

You're under a penalty and will always fall short of being good enough for God on your own.

3. Romans 5:12 -  Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.

It's because of Adams' rebellion and act against God that we're under this hereditary condition of death and sin. It can't be "cured" by ones' own effort.

4. Romans 5:8 -  But God commends his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

God, however, loves us and provides a way out from under this crushing penalty. His son, Jesus is the only one who can make the payment we ourselves can't.

5. Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Our sinful condition can only result in eternal separation from God. But through Jesus Christ, eternal life can be gained.

6. Romans 10:13 - For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Here's where it starts. He is waiting for you.

7. Revelation 3:20 -  Behold, I stand at the door, and knock. If any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

He's calling you (And has probably for quite some time. You just won't bother to hear it.). All that's needed is for you to let him enter your life and take over.

8. Romans 10:9 and 10 -  That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved.
                                   -  For with the heart man believes to righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made to salvation.

If you believe from within that He rose from the dead, so will you one day. If you tell others that He runs your life as well, you are destined for Heaven (Providing, of course, that He actually IS in charge of your life!).

9. John 3:16 -  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

That last verse pretty much settles that!

Movies are fine but as they say, "It's not like the book". Read the book first.

Just sayin' ...

Wikipedia article on Son of God film here.

Wikipedia article on Mel Gibsons' The Passion of the Christ film here.


Go to Jays' Tee Vee blog main page here.

Just Shaddup Already!

I don't think this guy is with the Westboro bunch. This photo did not
appear with this articles' original posting on Aardvarks' Plumbline blog.

Just Shaddup Already!

by

Weatherly Hardy


It has been observed that the Dread Dormomoo * and I have never had a trivial conversation. This is an offshoot of one of our palavers.

In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, But he who restrains his lips is wise. Proverbs 10:19

Social networks like Facebook and Twitter provide anyone with a household logic the means to Make A Statement, to Let It Be Known. It's like a blog without commitment, only obsession (One more scroll, and I'll go to bed....). The Need to Say leads ineluctably to the Need To Have Summat To Say., thus many will speak their mind (or what passes for it) on any topic at hand; the Outrage du Jour, because everyone deserves my opinion, and I'll bust like Alderaan if I don't state it. This makes for endless bloviation, a verbal spittle sprayed on the front rows.

The outrage du jour, then, is the trendy fixation of the moment, driven by talk radio, Drudge, the front page, whatever is whipping up froth  about whatever topic is George, is the thing right now; social media driven by media, which sees what is trending in social media and reports it, a hamster-wheel of inconsequentiae. And people read, and hear, and rage, and talk, because that is what we are good at, and it makes us feel like we have Done Something by our self expression, when all we have done is express our opinion, an opinion that no-one really needed.

Christians, bless our hearts, are the chiefest of sinners, at least the (politically) active ones. An Issue is put forth, support for some dire practise, or an opinion by a left-leaning person, or a right-leaning one, or an upstanding middle-of-the-road one. Well, I have to respond! I must fix it! I must state my opinion! I MUST SUCCEED!

Um, no.

For the last forty years, the churches have been led by the nose to do what they have not been assigned to do, to be what scripturally they patently are not! Between the Falwell and Robertson followers, trying to vote in the Kingdom of God, backing God's Own Party, and the vocal-oids of today who MUST weigh in on any issue, whether it impacts the church directly or not, we politically savvy (maybe) believers have managed to inoculate the culture-at-large against the Faith Once Delivered.

I have a son who is characterised by the fact that he always stops speaking one sentence too late. Our society has nurtured the same for itself, and that (especially) means Christians. The recent Phil Robertson unpleasantness is somewhat of an example, though he was answering direct questions in an interview (a disadvantage conservative Christians have, usually being taught to answer questions as asked, a little thing called honesty and candor). I see time after time Christian politicos, professionals, and just plain folks being goaded into making...unwise...statements and professions on the public stage, the effect of which is to swerve the conversation away from the (often cogent) point being made to one that is sure to cause embarrassment and facepalming on a grand scale.

To all brethren, as well as to persons of good will, I offer some advice:

Just because it is in your mind, does not mean it must come out of your mouth. Just because it is a tenet of your beliefs, or a closely-held opinion based upon your beliefs, you are not called upon to blurt it to the world. The Gospel is what we as Christians are to teach to the world, not derivative opinions. Neither Jesus nor Paul waggled the finger of Condemnation at the sinners, the hoi-polloi. (At self-righteous religious types, on the other hand....) They warned people against sin, certainly, but did not condemn. Paul, seeing all of the idols in Athens, did not take opportunity on Areopagus to condemn all of Athens to perdition, but rather used it as an opportunity to identify their "unknown god" as being the Messiah Jesus (even quoting one of their own poets). Therefore, we do not have leave to do other than present the good news of Jesus' life, teaching, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension to the Father's right hand. We may not punch someone's ticket for hell, we may only warn of consequence.

Churches are not called to rebut the New York Times, nor Newsweek. They certainly should not take their preaching points therefrom. You cannot play a defensive game and gain ground. Likewise, individual Christians on social media like Facebook, or in a position to speak to the mainstream media, please bear in mind that they Do Not Like You, nor do they wish to Be Your Pal. This goes doubly if you are a theologically conservative believer, because of a dirty little secret:

They think that you are Westboro, and will handle everything you say to make you look like it. They will ask questions designed to embarrass you, the church, and all believers by making you look like a This-ist, or a That-o-phobe. Let me be REALLY clear:

They think Christian=Westboro, and will dig and probe until they find a dull shade of brown that resembles Westboro, and then they will crucify you and your reputation, because you were stupid enough to think that they want to be your Friend, or that what they REALLY want is The Truth.

Don't be stupid, or naive. Jesus said "Be wise as serpents, yet harmless as doves.". If your hobby-horse (or teir detour question) is not something that Jesus (or even Paul) would have spoken publicly of, dummy up. Shut yer gob. Talk about the issue at hand, and when they try to lead you away into Controversyville with questions about your opinion about "Y" lifestyle, or "Z" ethnic issue, or any hot-button issue apart from what your business is actually about, refuse to talk about it, as it is not germane to your issue. Do NOT be fooled into thinking it is a chance to witness, or to present some truth of the Kingdom, because it isn't. It is a chance to further inoculate the culture against the Gospel of Christ by allowing yourself to be painted as a bigot, or other such postmodern evil.

In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, But he who restrains his lips is wise. Proverbs 10:19

Here endeth the lesson.

xxxxx

* The "Dread Dormomoo" Mr. Hardy is referring too is Mrs. Hardy. They seem to be Dr. Strange fans.


Original post at Aardvarks' Plumbline here.

Aardvarks' Plumbline blog main page here.


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What Is He Talking About, Again?

Credit: San-ru.

What Is He Talking About, Again?

by

Weatherly Hardy


C.S.Lewis wrote in one of his volumes about the problem of "Christ and...", that is, the tendency to ignore the sufficiency of Jesus and his atonement, and then insisting that something else can/may be added to the mix to improve it, rather like sprinkling a touch of gunpowder onto a nuclear bomb. I have run into this personally when being invited to become a Mason. "It helps you to be a better Christian!"

Glad someone found a way to fix inadequacies in the grace of God! I'm sure the Almighty lost some sleep 'til they bailed 'im out on that one.

Occultists through the ages have found sundry schemes and scams to add nitro to the chugging engine of the Faith Once Delivered, generally Gnostic in nature (the apocryphal, pseudipigraphal bits of first century fanfic like the "Gospel of Thomas). Gnosticism revolves around the idea that to really be (fill in spiritual preference HERE____________), you need to access the Hidden Knowledge that Few Attain. Christian faith is not alone in this problem. Jewish Qabbalism is a magical mystery religion that purports to reveal the gnosis to its followers, what's really going on in the law and the prophets! The gematria, the mystic geometry of words in the Hebrew Scriptures, is a result of this thinking. Add a computer, and an End-Timey-Wimey Rapture bunny attitude, and you get the Bible Code. Hear what Wikipedia saith:

The Bible code (Hebrew: צפנים בתנ"ך‎), also known as the Torah code, is a purported set of secret messages encoded within the Hebrew text of the Torah. This hidden code has been described as a method by which specific letters from the text can be selected to reveal an otherwise obscured message. Although Bible codes have been postulated and studied for centuries, the subject has been popularized in modern times by Michael Drosnin's book The Bible Code and the movie The Omega Code.

Careful, your shopping list may be revealed for all to see in the pages of Torah, if you choose the right skips.

The Japanese fascination with the almost Christian, the Christian Other, is of interest to me. The Santa Claus on a Cross, itself apocryphal, sort of codifies the thing. Anime series like Anno's "Neon Genesis Evangelion" (probably my favorite series. Jay, pass the Tang!) reveal the Vita-mixed understanding Japanese popular culture has of Things Christian. Christ and is the order of the day. An eeee-vil cabal, Seele (say-lay) is wishing to immanentize the Eschaton, much as the irreligious Left was worried that Reagan wanted to do, between his finger on The Button and his support of Israel. They thought that by starting Nuclear War, Pres. Reagan would force Jesus' hand and bring about the Second Coming of Christ. Sweet Hal Lindsay on a stick! But there it was.

Seele wants to bring about a more Nirvana-esque end, where everyone melts into single consciousness, utilising the Qabbalistic Angels that almost destroyed the world years before.

This does not sound like any Chick Tract I've ever heard of.

"Evangelion" includes a roster of the named angels from Jewish mystical tradition, and the Christian symbolism, down to cross-shaped explosions, fills the series, but no Atonement, no Jesus, just Qabbalism with a coat of Christian imagery, and unpleasant people doing unpleasant things. But stylishly.

"OH NO! ... It's ... It's Jack Chick!"

I have been watching "Cyber Team in Akihabara", and it too is rife with cultic pseudo-Christian themes and imagery. The 500-year-old Christian Rosenkreuz (the founder of the Rosicrucian order), disguised as a school principal, seeks to bring about conditions which shall ensure his immortality. The ensuing assemblage of robotic battle suits and mysticism is murkier than "Evangelion's" mix of Jungian psychology and Christian/Qabbala syncretism. And it has middle schoolers as the heroines, because apparently the Japanese believe that only middle school girls are capable of saving the world.

I would wistfully suggest letting the Christian faith and teaching be allowed to be what it is, with healings, works of power, faith, hope, love, forgiveness and such, rather than the freaky-deaky cultic stuff that Japan finds to be so sexiful. I mean, Superbook and Flying House, right? Just not bashing you with a 25-pound King James, but letting the life be lived, contrasted with whatever the baddies are doing. And giant robots, 'cause they're cool!

Giant robots with crosses.


Copyright © 6-23-13 Weatherly Hardy


Go to articles' original blog post at  Aardvarks' Plumbline here.

Go to Aardvarks' Plumbline blog here.

Go to Aardvark Tees (Tee shirts made of WIN!) here.


Neon Genesis Evangelion: OOOOO! Goodies In the Mail here.


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Dr. Faustus: With the Devil, the Deck Is Stacked

Richard Burton & "friend" ponder the wonders & joys of his
FINAL DESTINATION in Dr. Faustus (1967, Columbia Pictures Corp.).

Dr. Faustus: With the Devil, the Deck Is Stacked


Dr. Faustus is a tale of a man who sells his soul to the devil in exchange for knowledge, power, & the various services of the nether-world. Richard Burton in the title role of Faustus, becomes dissatisfied with his acheivments in the numerous philosophies & sciences & turns to the black arts in his quest for riches both material & of the intellect.  As time goes on & runs out, he becomes aware of the emptiness of such things & of the nearness of the payment (His soul.) due. Try as he might, he cannot turn back to God & thus be saved from separation from God & eternal damnation. With his back on Christ, he is literally dragged into the very hell he seeks to escape.

This is a stage play set to film & comes across as such. All the actors, with the exception of Elisabeth Taylor, are stage trained & while it does show, it in no way takes from it. The film was panned by the critics not only for the above but also for Ms. Taylors' lack of acting. Considering the (non-speaking) role(s) she played in it & her good looks, she didn't have to. She literally walks through the movie.

I had first seen it on TV during a family summer vacation in Kentucky in the late 60s'. After a days' swimming, hiking, restaurant, we settled down in the cabin for a bit of viewing.

The movie did cause me a bit of concern. Raised as a Catholic, I was told rather vaguely about what salvation was & all that doctrinal dancing around it didn't help. The emphasis on ritual & extra-biblical doctrine/tradition only served to cloud the issue & I was left in the dark as to the fate of my immortal soul. Constantly being threatened with hell/purgatory if I didn't follow the instruction of priest & nun I had pretty much given up on Heaven as it had seemed unattainable.

So what if I followed ALL instructions to the letter? According to THE CHURCH ... Even if I did toe the line ... Even if I did wrap myself in their spiritual straitjacket 110% ... Even if I worked my way up & became the best pope ever ... I might still have had to fry in Purgatory for a million years or so in order to burn out any residual sin.

A million years in Purgatory? You know ... that place that's the next best/worst thing to hell or Cleveland? As a million years seemed pretty much forever, I decided to risk hell & take it easy.

In '74, I got aquainted with fundamentalism & escaped from ... THE CHURCH. Not that the "rapture bunnies" don't have their issues, but that's another story. Salvation, in & of itself supercedes all man made tradition/doctrine no matter who/where it comes from.

So I saw Dr. Faustus to the end & it did trouble me some. No matter how much Burtons' character wanted to turn from evil, he just couldn't bring himself to do it. Between Lucifer, procrastination, Liz Taylor & his own weak character, the deck seemed pretty well stacked. His Catholic upbringing probably didn't help much either. "Let's see ... I turn from evil ... & go back to ... THAT!?"

The film ends with Liz dragging him to perdition albeit a pantomime one. Think Monty Python & the Holy Grail but without the laffs. To my then 13 year old mind, this was powerful stuff & stayed with me.

A couple years back, I found this as a three dollar special at Big Lots. I take it out every six months & watch. The film is still powerful but in a different way. Having come to a real understanding of the gift Jesus offers (See second link below.), I now look at this movie as something more cautionary & redemptive than scary.


Of Dr. Faustus & Color TVs here.

On the Rapture, Third Impact, Armageddon & All That here. Second half of the article is important!

Internet Movie Database review here.

Go to Jays' Tee Vee blog main page here.

At the Track

At the Track ...

by

Weatherly Hardy


There are two main time-tracks understood in the world. One derives from a Creator, the other from naturalistic process. This distinction is necessary, because on the one hand, a Creator has built meaning and purpose into His creation, whereas any meaning or purpose in, say, an evolutionary track, must be invented ultimately by any sapience wot comes along. The created sapience owes fealty to the Creator, and obedience, and even love; one need show no sense of gratitude or appreciation, or affection for the impersonal forces driving the evolutionary track.

It is significant that Charles Darwin, he who popularised TENS (the Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection) was a lapsed Unitarian/Anglican. (A note: Bishop Usher's 6000-year age of the earth need not apply. The issue is a non-starter, Biblically speaking.) It is important to understand the VAST difference between the two tracks. The Creation provides a framework for understanding cosmology, as well as our own place in the Universe. It establishes an order and purpose for humankind. It especially establishes family, the much touted foundation of society. The silly notion of male and female producing offspring as a family is showcased here. Adam and Eve. Other rhyming names need not.... The Creation Model sets up men and women as families, and defines marriage based upon the Creator's commands and covenants. "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh." (Gen. 2:24)

From place names to ancient peoples, the Bible has been proven time and again to be accurate. That is a fair reason to consider its other claims as being so, as well. So what's the point? Marriage is not some sociological accident in antiquity, but derives from a covenant-making God's instruction. With this model, there is coherence, and the growth of mankind through history. There is purpose for the Genesis-model family, beyond (but including) the satisfying of sexual desire. The very structure of society grows from this beginning, and without it, there is no coherent society. Indeed, we are told by Paul: "For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named..." (Eph. 3)  The world has it backwards. We did not name God "Father" because we wanted a "sky Daddy" to love us. Our families, rather, are named from His Fatherhood.

This is why Marriage=Man+Woman is important, and should be inviolate. Certainly, same-sex couples can adopt, or have surrogates, or in vitro fertilization, and may be loving parents, but it is not according to Hoyle, and is not the foundation provided in the Creation model. The sterile man and wife we-want-it-all marriages are as faulty. (This is no Quiverfull screed ... but fruitfulness IS the norm, not the exception in the Biblical model.)

The problem now is that Government in its mercy has taken over the role of arbiter of What Is Correct. Much as I dislike using the term, from the beginning, marriage has been the purview of religion; it is covenant-based (which is why adultery was punished so severely: death ends a covenant; this includes killing the breaker of a covenant.) Now it is the stuff of bureaucrats and lawyers. Requiring a state license is as legitimate to the purpose of marriage as collecting a tax on the communion elements every Sunday morning. With its oversight, the beneficent State grants privileges and allowances with the marriage license. Those not so entitled are jealous, and want the same benefits as man-and-wife, but they do not fit the model, the original pattern. What to do? Make everyone see it their way, and see how unFAIR it all is. Had marriage remained the realm of the church (now), this would be far less of a problem, but the bottom line is, if we change the definition, we can all pretend we are all equivalent, and it will be FAIR.

"When I use a word," Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, "it means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less."

The naturalist, TENS model offers no such coherence. Whether it is quanta bumping into one another, or whole societies, it is all the accident of Brownian motion writ large: no plan, no purpose, beyond what we Humpty Dumpty for ourselves, and then the definitions don't matter anyway (and no, I do not think I am caricaturing the model). The anyone marrying anyone is not a matter of slippery slopes; it is a matter if it doesn't matter. We are the rule-makers, and we are the deities of dreams.

I wish that I could be more clear in my expression of this. I am still working it out, but despite the various sideroads branching off, there is either the covenant history track, or the accident of nature track. The choice of which model you follow determines your understanding of the Universe, meaning and purpose. Marriage is only one part of it, but if we get that part wrong, the future suffers, as will we.


Copyright © 3/26/2013 Weatherly Hardy


Mr. Hardys' Aardvarks' Plumbline blog main page here.

Aardvark Tees (Movie/TV/anime/cartoon & other related shirts,) here.

Go to Jays' Tee Vee blog main page here.

An Open Letter to Women Who Have Had an Abortion

Everyone who supported slavery was free.
Everyone who supports abortion was born.
That's how oppression works.

An Open Letter to Women Who Have Had an Abortion

I write these words chiefly to women and girls who have had an abortion. Still, it is my humble hope and honest prayer that anyone weighing this life-versus-death choice might also read them with an open mind and a hearing heart.

I share these truths in love. Some of you already know them. Others deny them. Yet truths they remain.

It is through obedience to Christ and in the authority of His Spirit that I write you this letter. It may be difficult to read, but I pray you will read it.

First, let us dispense with the oft-asserted notion that, lest one is a woman – more particularly, lest one has faced an unwanted pregnancy – one has nothing to say about abortion.

Abortion profoundly impacts us all. When you became pregnant, the child growing within you was, without exception, one of two sexes – male or female. Abortion affects men, women, boys and girls of every race, color and creed. Before we were born we all, to varying degrees, lived under some threat that "choice" might kill us.

Aren’t you glad your mother chose not to kill you? I am.

Know this about your choice: Yes, you are still a mother. Yes, you have killed your child. And yes, there is forgiveness, love, redemption and healing available through Christ Jesus alone.

These are hard truths.

Your inner voice was right. You have indeed committed a sin most grave. Those "pro-choice" flowers you were sold, though alluring, were, as you suspected, too good to be true.

Instead, you purchased a bouquet of lies awash in the foul stench of death. You were told that for a few hundred dollars you could buy freedom, only to be bound by a horrible thing that, in this life, cannot be undone.

But with eternal life, it can be undone. Your blood-covered hands can be washed clean by the blood-covered hands of Christ the Savior. You need only ask, receive and believe.

Abortion kills God’s children and hurts women and men alike. Your child has an earthly father, too, regardless of whether he took responsibility. Abortion makes men fathers of dead sons and daughters.

I’m the father of five beautiful children, three of whom are with me and two of whom are in heaven. My wife and I lost our first child together in miscarriage; but long before that, my first child died at the hands of an abortionist.

As a teenager, I was not living as God intends. On a sunny fall day when I was 15 I heard a knock at our Gunnison, Colo., home. With a full house, it was I, by chance (or not), who answered the door.

There stood a girl – we’ll call her Lisa – with tears streaming down her face. I hadn’t seen her for months. She hadn’t been in school. As a volley of muffled cheers came from the living room in celebration of a John Elway touchdown, I opened my mouth to speak. Lisa interrupted me.

"My mom thought it was right for me to tell you," she said, "that I had an abortion and the kid was yours."

Her mom sat in the car behind her glaring at me. I’ll never forget the expression on her face. It was a jarring blend of contempt, anger and pain. Lisa turned and walked away. I said nothing. I wish I could say I felt shame, but, mostly, I was just relieved that my parents didn’t know.


I never saw Lisa again. She moved away shortly thereafter. It was many years later that God showed me the magnitude of that day. I had sinned against Lisa. I had mistreated one of His precious daughters. From it, a child was conceived, and, due at least in part to my negligence and callous treatment of Lisa, that child died.

A sin that led to a precious life was compounded by sins that led to a tragic death.

I mourn the loss of my first child. I can’t know for sure, but I’ve always envisioned a girl. Today, she’d be about 27. Perhaps I’d be a grandfather by now.

I’ve never been able to find Lisa, but I wish I could. I’d ask her to forgive me for the horrible way I treated her. If she didn’t already know, I’d tell her of Christ’s love for both of us and our child in heaven. I’d tell her that forgiveness, redemption and salvation are available to all who ask and believe upon Jesus. Please know that I don’t write this letter to hurt you.

Know that I don’t judge you. How could I? I hurt with you.

The enemy of the world is a liar. He is wicked beyond comprehension. You were lied to. Satan loves death. In the context of abortion, he deceptively calls it "choice." But it’s only death.

There is no freedom in death, except for those whose names are written in the Book of Life.

God is good beyond comprehension. He wants to write your name in the book of life.

Jesus promised: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light" (Matt. 11:28-30).

Of both you and your lost child God says this: "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart. . ." (Jer. 1:5).

Come to Jesus and He will comfort you. Come to Jesus and He will forgive you. Come to Jesus and He will use for good that which was intended for evil. Even your abortion.

Come to know Christ, and one day, in that place where sin is dead and life eternal, the baby you never knew – that child who knows you, loves you and has already forgiven you – will rush to your arms and say to you: "Mommy, I’ve been waiting for you. Welcome home."

Matt Barber (@jmattbarber on Twitter) is an attorney concentrating in constitutional law. He serves as Vice President of Liberty Counsel Action. (This information is provided for identification purposes only.)


Godfather Politics original source link here.

Godfather Politics here.

Go to Jays' Tee Vee blog main page here.

On Voting

I guess we know now what that "else" is. Thanks a lot non-voters!

On Voting

As an actual combat veteran, Dad's never given much to "war stories". Doesn't care to talk about it. It was hinted at by others he'd gone through some really hairy stuff. If he does mention anything it's once in a blue moon & on something comparitively "mundane". Which is where this story/article comes in.

Dad also doesn't care much for those who don't vote. Here's why:

Sixty years back in November '52, on a hill in Korea, he cast his first vote.

He was a young second leutenant, a forward observer for artillery. For those who don't know, a forward spotter isn't miles back with the big guns. Not only is he on the front line with the grunts, but at times in FRONT of the front line. Where the only other people around may be sporting a different uniform/language &, if you're found, may act toward you in a rather hostile manner.

Needless to say, Dad has no business walking around breathing today. By the grace of God, he made it out alive.

It was on that day in November, the mess staff was supposed to bring the ballots up with the food. Only the food arrived. In order for each man to vote, they would, one at a time (They couldn't all just leave their positions at once.), make a three mile round trip in the rain to cast their ballot at the company CP (Something most wussies ... er ... uh ... Americans would balk at.). Dad liked Ike by the way.

To those pious hyprocrites who stayed home & prayed instead of voting:

If you "left it to the Lord" as I've heard some say, then He sure has one heck of a sense of humor. Jesus doesn't vote. YOU are supposed to.

If your phoney rapture non-doctrine does pan out I hope you're either LEFT BEHIND© (Serve ya right! God hates a coward.) or you actually do get taken & are not in the way of our struggle against the beast. We don't need you. While Jesus may not hate you, I certainly do.

To those "conservatives" who stayed home:

Just what the hell were you thinking? That it was an easy Romney win & your vote wasn't needed? Thanks to you, we still have "the annointed one" & John "Mr. Tough Guy" Boehner screaming compromise along with the other RINOs. Thanks for nothing, intrepid ones.

As for those who never vote:

I've usually found these to be either lowbrows or non-entities. I've long realized they're not worth talking to (The last one I tried reasoning with had me seriously contemplating kicking my heavy booted foot into the little dolphin tatoo on her ankle.). These none-suches would probably vote the wrong way anyhow. Maybe it's good some don't vote anyway.

Just sayin'.


Fool Me Twice ... Darkness Descends here.

ARE We Better Off Mr. Obama? I Know I'm Not here.

Go to Jays' Tee Vee blog main page here.

Casting Call, NOT QUITE!

Casting Call, NOT QUITE!

Was in the local hobby shop talking to the proprietor about my disatisfaction with The Whisperer In Darkness (To be addressed in a later blog post!) when he mentioned something that piqued my interest.

There was going to be a casting call at the very place in about less than an hour. A small horror film was in the making & they were looking for actors. As it was an open call & being a frustrated actor, I decided to attend. After a stop at a local fast food joint, I went back.

The call was already in session, & I was told he was already talking to a couple of rather attractive young ladies. Going to the back, I leaned in a corner & listened as the fellow explained some of the plot/storyline to the two.

Seems there was an incest/pregnancy subplot though nothing "overt" was to be shown. OK. He then said the film would involve a group of "religious" people who killed off dysfunctional families as what's "broken" stays "broken". That's when I left.

Even though I heard VERY little, I figured "religious" meant "Christian". Hollywood Christian. Meaning a bunch of violent low-grades spouting out of context verse & acting worse than the "heathen" they profess to be against. I may be wrong about what he meant by religious but I doubt it would be Kirk Cameron material.

Yes, I knew this was to be a "horror" film. I knew it would not be the kind you would show to your congregation. If it was to be a simple little fright flick (AND if I might be what they were looking for.) I wouldn't mind being in it.  But ... At the same time there's more than enough anti-Christian films out there giving a false impression of the Lord & believers. Of course many so-called followers & other Westboro Baptist types have been NO help at all in fostering such an image for others to pick up on.

What would Jesus do in regard to people broken by abuse of any kind? Including the abusers? I doubt he would advocate killing them. The fact the world in general & people in particlar are broken (Romans 5:12) is why he gave of himself, paying the penalty of the sinful state the world & individuals are in (Romans 6:23 & 5:8).

Hmmm ... why not a "horror" film based on John 8:3-11, wherin the "good" vigilanties are forced into examining themselves? Or a "political thriller" following the storyline of  2nd Samuel Chapts. 11 to 19: A Godly man in high position goes wrong, is forgiven, but must still pay the penalty(s) & unintended consequences. You get the idea. By the way, look up the above passages.

I guess I should be heartened by the fact that the technology to "bypass" Hollywood is more than in the reach of those of limited means. A shame so many feel the need to emulate Tinsletown. There's so much good material out there (A lot not even in the Bible.) that could be used to uplift/promote good.


How Do We Get to Heaven? here.

What Will Heaven Be Like? here.

God & Science web site here.

On the Rapture, Third Impact, Armageddon & All That here.

Go to Jays' Tee Vee blog main page here.

A Reflection On the 4th of July: If You Say So ...



A bit dated, but I like it. Credit: Retorillo

A Reflection On the 4th of July: If You Say So ...


Was going to post the above illustration sooner but the recent storms in Ohio "broke the internet". On reflection of the origins of our country, a not too recent "incident" was brought to mind. At a dinner I attended, someone made a faux sophisticated comment on the Bible, referring to it as a "product of a male dominated agrarian society". The bitter, childless, post-menepausal crone to be seemed quite proud of how we've come a long way from such a situation. Farmers (The male ones of course.) can be soooo backward, what with their actions based on practicality & cause & effect n' all. She said this, by the way, while eating.

Male dominated agrarian society ... hmmm. Seems we came quite close to that a few scant hours ago with the power knocked out. As of this writing some areas in Ohio are still without power.

How easy it is to overlook the fact that physically/mentally we are no different than those primitive hunter/gatherers of a few thousand years ago. Our gimmicks, gadgets, & fanciful ideologies seem to obscure that. I wonder how it would be if the electricity didn't come back for say, at least a month over a nationwide area. That "male dominated agrarian society" might not seem so archaic. It would be right here. Or at least the mid 19th century.

One could only imagine how these feminists & "lovely thought" types would handle such a situation. No doubt they'd be seeking some of that male domination. Not only to be protected from some of the other "testosterone afflicted" but also from some of those feminoid frankenstiens they helped create.

As for modern "humanity" (Can't say man. That would be sexist.) having cast off the shackles of the Bible & male domination ... Well, as it says in God's word: Jesus, the same, yesterday, today & forever (Hebrews 13:8). The same can be said for mankind ... Just sayin'.

Reborn On the Fourth of July here.

Go to Main Page here.

End of Evangelion Komm Susser Todd/Come Sweet Death Revised

Initiation of the real Human Instrmentality/Third Impact.
biblecliparts-jesuspictures.blogspot.com

               End of Evangelion Komm Susser Todd/Come Sweet Death Revised

     
      I was, to say the least, impressed by End of Evangelion & that song in particular. While the song itself is an exhortation to resignation & suicide, I couldn't help but notice what a wonderful song of love & praise it could be if done differently. Here is my humble effort in altering some of the lyrics to accomodate.


Komm Susser Todd/Come Sweet Death


I know, I know I've let you down
I've been a fool to myself
I thought that I could
live for no one else
But now, through all the hurt and pain
It's time for me to respect
the ones you love
mean more than anything

With sweet madness in my heart
I feel the best thing I could do
is give it all
and live forever
what's done is done, now not so bad
what once was sorry now is glad
I'm now in love again
old world is ending

I'm glad that now has come the time
that I am yours & you're mine
can't live without the trust from those you love
I know you can forget the past
you can forgive guilt & pride
because of that was killin' me inside


It all is not for nothing, your love comes                    Up up up aaaaaaaaaaah
tumbling down, tumbling down,                               tumbling down, tumbling down,
tumbling down                                                        tumbling down
It all is not for nothing, you won't be                         Up up up aaaaaaaaaaah
letting me down, letting me down,                           letting me down, letting me down,
letting me down                                                      letting me down

In my heart of hearts,
I know that I can fall in love again
You are everything
everything
everything that matters to me,
matters in this world

I'm glad that now has come the time
that I am yours & you're mine
cant live without the trust from those you love
I know you can forget the past                                  aaaaaaaaaaah
You can forgive guilt & pride                                     aaaaaaaaaaah
because of that, was killin' me inside                         aaaaaaaaaaah oooooooooooo

It all is not for nothing, your love comes                    Up up up aaaaaaaaaaah
tumbling down, tumbling down,                               tumbling down, tumbling down,
tumbling down                                                        tumbling down
it all is not for nothing, you won't be                         Up up up aaaaaaaaaaah
letting me down, letting me down,                           letting me down, letting me down,
letting me down                                                      letting me down
(repeat)
                                                             
                                                                             Up up up aaaaaaaaaaah
                                                                             tumbling down, tumbling down,
                                                                             tumbling down
                                                                             Up up up aaaaaaaaaaah
                                                                             letting me down, letting me down,
                                                                             letting me down
                                                                             (repeat)


"Instrumentality" is real.

It's not science fiction.

You will still be an individual.

It's not for everyone.

Here's how it can be for you:

How Do We Get to Heaven?  here.

What Will Heaven Be Like? here.

On the Rapture, Third Impact, Armageddon & All That here.

Other links:

End of Evangelion: This Is (Really) Disturbing here.

Komm Susser Todd/Come Sweet Death Complete lyrics here.

You Tube rendition of Komm Susser Todd/Come Sweet Death here.

Go to Main Page here.

Haibane Renmei: One Side of the Equation

Main cast with a couple of "young feathers". L-R Kuu, Rakka,
Hikari, Kana, Nemu, & Reki. Credit: Yshitobe Abe, Radix

                                         Haibane Renmei: One Side of the Equation

                                                                      by

                                                                          Jay Agan

      I'd heard much of Haibane Renmei (Charcoal Feathers Federation) & those who have seen it have given it nothing but praise. As it has a theological theme to it, I decided to give it a try. I put off for weeks getting it. The price through Amazon (used) I thought to be exorbitant & the gray market vendor (Then also through Amazon.) though quite reasonably priced, I was leery of. (For an account of my experience with gray market, go here.)

      The original U.S. marketer of Haibane Renmei, Geneon, had long since gone. I remember buying three of their live action film noirs at Big Lots. Only one (The Big Combo, starring Cornel Wilde & Richard Conte.) I kept.

      Finally breaking down, I shelled out the bucks for it. The actual vender was Spin Cycle. When it arrived, I was quite disappointed. Instead of the box set I got four standard "clamshell" single disc cases in bubble wrap. The first three were Pioneer, the fourth a Geneon/Pioneer. They had sent me "odds 'n ends"! Needless to say I was a bit ticked off. Howsomever .....

      On further reading about the rarity of this long "out of print" series & the difficulty many others had in obtaining it, I concluded I was fortunate to have it at all. While I considered what I purchased to be pricey, others were asking for much more. Well over a hundered dollars in just about every other case. Mine was well under that. For all I know, I may be the last to have gotten it at such a comparitively low price (A decorative cardboard slipcase for a c-note? No way!). That being said, I sat back, relaxed, & enjoyed the show.

      In the first episodes' opening credits, a young girl experiences a vivid dream of falling toward a town arranged in a spoke wheel fashion. A crow (Which figures later in the series.) tries to save her from her descent but she "rejects" it out of hand. Waking from her dream she finds herself floating in a cocoon like mass & claws her way out. On reviving, she is ministered to by "angelic" beings (They have halos & vestigial wings.) who inform her she is one of them, a Haibane (Hi-bah-nay). In spite of their looks they're not angels. Like them, she has no recollection of her previous life but for a few very vague memories. After being given her name based on her "cocoon dream" (Rakka means falling.) & "fitted" with a halo (It won't stay on at first.) she goes through the painful/feverish process of sprouting wings & her arrival being "finalized". Thus ends ep one.

Credit: Shawn Merrow

      The next 4 1/2 eps are backdrop. The Haibane residence of "Old Home" is a run down dormitory/fort/convent(?) on the outskirts of a town called Gurie/Glie inhabited mostly by normal humans. The area is surrounded by a high wall (Dangerous to be near, the very touch could bring about serious illness, even death.), none allowed in or out thus NO ONE knows anything about the outside world. The Haibane beings are administered directly by the Haibane Renmei (Charcoal Feathers Federation)  composed of the toga, mute semi masked beings led by the fully masked Washi/Communicator (He presides from the Haibane temple.) who alone can speak.

      The Haibane live by strict rules: They aren't allowed to handle money (Only scrip from notebooks), can only own used items, & must work for a living. It is during this period Rakka spends time with some of the others to see what jobs they do & try to figure what she would be good at (Nemu works in the library, the mechanically inclined Kana for a clock maker/repairman, Hikari - who inadvertantly "reinvents" doughnuts with the halo mold - the bakery.). Along the way, she is mentored by Reki & Kuu, an anxious adolescent wanting to be "more adult".

      At first it is not totally clear as to why the Haibane are there & it's gradually revealed the setting is an elaborate "purgatory" where one unloads spiritual/emotional "baggage" before passing on. About the middle of ep 4 we find out in the form of the adolescent Kuu when she departs on her "Day of Flight". When a Haibane attains a profound sense of accomplishment or fulfillment she/he becomes somewhat withdrawn & introspective. After a time the person will, unannounced, go off to the ancient ruins in the western woods & disappear in an upward beam of light, the implications being one has gone to a better place. In Kuus' case it is through her helping out of the "older" Rakka to adjust that a sense of maturity has blossomed.

      Rakkas' adjustment has seemingly been partially undone by this & the fact the others have been holding information from her. She then slowly descends into a depressive funk that over time takes its toll in the revelation of her sin bound state & its' physical & emotional consequences. It turns out she's not the only one & that other has it much worse than she. Therein hangs the rest of the tale. I won't reveal the rest, you can look that up on Wikipedia.

The main protagonst, Rakka, pondering twin cocoons. Credit: Radix

      What I find most intrigueing about this show is its explanation of the realisation of sin & the mental states one is in before & after. In the 9th episode the question is asked if wether or not one is still sin bound if one realizes that one is a sinner. The communicator replies to the effect that if one does not realize one is a sinner (Or perhaps even knowingly refuses to acknowlege it.) he will not break himself out of the "circle of sin" & thus be trapped in it.

      The bad actions/things/results people do are not "sin" themselves. Merely the results of our sin bound state when we let our baser nature have its way. How sad it is one has things standing in the way between God & oneself. Pride (I can't be a sinner! I'm too good!), embarrassment/self hatred (Self explanatory.), foolishness (I'm too good to be bad or at least "bad" enough to be fun.), or perhaps something we don't want to give up &/or stop doing. We rationalise, ignore, evade, "forget", & thus keep ourselves in the vicious cycle.

      How does one get out of it or at least cope with this seemingly endless trap?

      The realisation that one is a sinner is only "one side of the equation", it is but the first step.

       Romans 1:18-32 pretty much states the general mentality of fallen man & why no one is blameless in regard to the state of sin. By the way, it's not because I'm lazy I'm not typing these verses down. I want you to actually look them up yourself. If you really care about this & are not content to just critique or do a "put down" while remaining willingly unknowing then you will actually get a bible & LOOK.

       Romans 3:10, 3:23, & Psalms 14:3 - Again, no one is blameless. If you have trouble wrapping your mind around this, think of it as you would an illness or physical condition. It is a state which we are born under.

      Romans 5:12 - The how & why we are that way. Adam is the reason we're under the weight of sin & trapped in this deadly cycle.

      Romans 5:8 & 6:23 - Jesus is the way out. The other side of the equation. With our acknowledgement of our sinbound state we can go on to have the Lord correct that.

      Romans 10:13 & 10:9-10 - This is the how in regard to Jesus. Do these & the cycle breaks & has no claim on you.

      Of course, it goes without saying, "Go & sin no more". I really stink at this. However, one should always keep going back & asking the Lord for guidance & strength to resist (It's called prayer.). For guidance I strongly suggest one get in touch with a strong bible believing pastor/church in your area.

      Revelation 3:20 - Jesus is waiting for you to answer. He has been there all along knocking. It could be you just didn't (Or didn't want to.) hear it.

What the ..... Kagura & Kaorin didn't make it? Aww man! Makes you wonder how Tomo
got a "pass". Most of the Azumanga kids cosplaying as Haibane. L-R Tomo "Kana" Takino,
 Yomi "Nemu" Mizuhara,Chiyo-chan "Rakka" Mihama, "Reki" Sakaki, & "Hikari" Osaka.

      I understand that Funimation may have the license to market Haibane Renmei here in the U.S. Write/email them to "get on the stick" & get this out. Even if not, try to obtain this 13 ep series. It's well worth your time watching.

A couple of Haibane Renmei fan fiction stories of mine here & here.

On the Rapture, Third Impact, Armageddon & All That similar article here.

Haibane Renmei music video (J. J. Jones' Mad World) here.

Haibane Renmei music video (Credits music from Paprika.) here. Not so good video quality but I like it.

Wikipedia review here.

Angel Beats (Another "purgatory" anime.) review here.

Go to Main Page here.

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