HEADLINE:  Over 500 Workers Killed in Bangladesh Factory!    What do you do when you see such a headline?  You gasp!  You ask why?  You search for answers!

 

 

 

You have a strong desire to investigate the steps that led to such a disaster!  Questions pop into your thoughts: Could it have been prevented?  Was the value of human life appreciated, ignored or sacrificed?  Whose factory was it and what was being made?  Were the participants cognizant of the implementation of safety rules and regulations, or were they trying to get a product made with the least amount of cost, irrespective of appropriate safety measures?  Is the business model based on what the “bottom line” looks like?  Does anything go as long as the bottom line is black?

 

These are all valid questions and concerns.   How are they answered in America?

 

That is the purpose of this article.  It will shed light on three modes of thought:

 

1. Safety Regulation and Rights of Workers in America
2. Recent Incidents that Indicate a Breakdown in Safety Implementation
3. Basic Moral Principles that Promote Safety and Integrity in Business
4. The Importance of People Over Profits

 

 

 

Safety Regulation and Basic Rights of American Workers 

 

 

Workers throughout the world have used their intelligence, skill and labor to enable businesses to grow and countries to develop.  Are they not entitled to safe working conditions?  Is there an organization charged with the responsibility of overseeing businesses that shy away from keeping their operations safe for workers?  Yes!  In this country, OSHA acts as a watchdog for workers and companies.

 

 

Working Together for Safety

 

 

What is OSHA?                                                                                                                                                                

 

OSHA is the acronym for Occupational Safety and Health Act which was enacted by Congress in 1970 as a means of helping employees and employers reduce injuries, illnesses and deaths through enforcement of federal regulations, assistance–reaching out with training  and spear-heading cooperation that provides partnerships and alliances between the two groups. 

 

Is it effective?  Statistics reveal that since its inception, deaths have decreased by 60 percent and injuries and illnesses by 40 percent.  Is there room for improve?  Certainly!  In the past decade, there has been an increase in accidents, deaths, illnesses and injuries.  Why?   Critics maintain that lobbyists and political contributions have weakened the organization’s will and strength to make needed corrections and implementations.  Many employees maintain that businesses are more interested in increasing profits than increasing safety measures in the workplace.  Thus, accidents occur that could have been easily prevented.  What is true and what is false?

 

 

Rights of Workers

As a worker in these United States, you have rights under the law that should, protect, govern and guide:

 

• Ask OSHA to inspect your workplace;
• Use your rights under the law without retaliation and discrimination;
• Receive information and training about hazards, methods to prevent harm, and the OSHA standards that apply to your workplace. The training must be in a language you can understand;
• Get copies of test results done to find hazards in the workplace;
• Review records of work-related injuries and illnesses.
• Get copies of their medical records (US Department of Labor).

 

 

In many instances, it is not lack of knowledge that causes workers to “look the other way” when they view dangerous working conditions, it is fear of being fired.  With high unemployment, companies have devised numerous tactics to get rid of a complaining workers or union leaders questioning implementation of federal regulations.  One worker lays the blame at the foot of the Bush/Cheney Administration:

 

 

They .  .  .  weakened the workers’ health and safety standards or just plain didn’t enforce the laws already on the books. As a result, the American worker pays the price in lost days due to accidents from unsafe conditions or from lingering, expensive illnesses suffered from unhealthy working conditions” (http://archive.truthout.org/112108l).

 

Another writer says:

 

Here are a few glaring headlines of worker deaths in America that  businesses are happy to see disappear from the mouths of news commentators and front pages of newspapers:

 

 

Survivors Mark 56 Worker Death in Houston in 2012

Death More Likely in Work Place Accident Than Terrorist Attack

4,609 Americans died in workplace accidents in 2011, compared to 17 American fatalities caused by terrorism in the same year. 

In 2009, more than 4,000 people never made it home from work.

A seafood factory worker has been cooked to death inside an industrial tuna oven in the US.

That other explosion: The preventable deaths in Texas 

These are only a few of the numerous workers who lost their lives on oil rigs, coal mines and factories.  While this article  seeks to shed light on the problem of worker safety, the writer believes it reaches far beyond  rules, regulations and implementation to a moral problem–man’s complete disregard for the welfare of his neighbor.  He has somewhat abolished from his consciousness the commandment that says “Love thy neighbor as thyself” to “Love my profits as myself.”  Such an attitude sets the stage for safety shortcuts, worker risks and overt ignoring of glaring danger signals.  How can one see clearly when his vision is clouded by dollar signs?

It is the opinion of the writer that no employer sets out to injure a worker, but still questions whether many business organizations value profits over people.  With this in mind, emphasis was placed on acquiring information on practical ways worker safety can be achieved.  In so doing, a quote from an article will be the focal point.

“Most of the common accidents at work can be prevented provided both employees and employers consider it as their duty to prevent accidents at their work place. Employers are required to perform risk assessment for probable accidents that could happen and adapt necessary methods to prevent accidents in the health and safety procedures practiced by them. Employees must strictly follow the health and safety measures adapted by their employers and help to avoid accidents at work.” (http://ezinearticles.com/?Best-Ways-to-Prevent-Accidents-at-Work&id=2223238).   Recognizing that accidents and death prevention must be a joint effort by both employer and employee, along with quick, precise  enforcement of regulations by agencies overseeing the process, this article found several ways that can assist in this effort.

1. Employers should maintain a written safety program and train employees on company specific hazards, such as machinery operation, aerial lifts, falls, scaffolding usage, explosive materials, building deficiencies and similar conditions. 
2. Implement all OSHA requirements and have monthly or yearly inspections by the agency, or other impartial agencies as needed.
3. View safety rules and regulations as positive efforts to make both employer and employee productivity successful and safe.
4. Be proactive in the implementation of health and wellness programs for all personnel.
5. Recognize that “freedom of the press” is essential for continued safety improvement.
6. Seek constant improvement of working conditions through the use of new technologies and discoveries.
7. Because mining claims the lives of employees comparably more that many other businesses, implement prevention through mandatory safety training of all new miners by using simulation as a means of prevention.  All mining operators must be licensed to perform blasting and explosive exercises.
8. Refuse to do business with countries who do not use safety procedures comparable to those used in the United States.
9. Make accident prevention a part of the company’s daily routine.

 

 

What  Businesses Are Saying About Safety and Profits

 

 

It was very difficult to find information or data that spelled out how corporate heads feel about their profits in comparison to employee safety.  Thus, it was necessary to get it from other resources.  The headline below is chart and data driven.  Its purpose is to paint a picture which is not skewed by politics, greed and anger.  Clicking on the link below can be an eye-opener!

 

Okay, Folks, Let’s Put Aside Politics And Look At The Facts… [CHARTS]

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/politics-economics-facts-charts-2012-6?op=1#ixzz2TxLzKhyL

 

In case you decided not to click the above link, here is the gist of what it says:

 

• The paycheck workers take home today is less than it was 10 years ago.
• Companies make more profits than they have ever made before.
• American jobs are at a 30-year low.
• Globalization has put a drain on American jobs.
• U.S. debt is 3 times the GDP.
• Consumers, corporations, local, state and federal governments (ALL) contributed to the debt. How much do you borrow and spend?  How often do you use a credit card?  How much are you saving?  It’s not just government, it also YOU!
• Consumers need to borrow and spend less.
• Companies need to share more of their revenue with their employees. YES, COMPANIES, YOUR PROFITS WILL DROP!

 

 

 

Now that you have a bigger picture  .   .   .   of what the country’s economic progress and non-progress  looks like on paper, you can better answer the question “Should a Business Choose Profits Over People?”  However, before you draw your mark in the sand, there is one more piece of information this article seeks to address: Basic Moral Principles that Promote Safety and Integrity in Business.

 

The Importance of People Over Profits

As an author who writes primarily in the genre of spirituality, it was with apprehension and hesitancy that this topic was chosen for discussion.  However, after deep contemplation, it became clear that truth cannot be limited.  It must uncover error in all aspects of the human experience–business, politics, home, school, church and everyday life activities and experiences.  Spirituality is neither Republican or Democrat, rich or poor, black or white, corporate or worker.  It is honesty, integrity, unselfishness, respect, fairness, impartiality, righteousness and order.   Corporations are made-up of people.  They are not just stark or catchy names on buildings designed only for business purposes, or corporate heads with impressive titles and hollow souls.  They are decision-makers, initiators of moral values and observers of rules–rules constructed from feelings, emotions, love and caring.  Assuming anything less, excuses  and dismisses the responsibility that is theirs in protecting neighbors and executing fairness, integrity and impartiality.  Every man is a brother or neighbor in the eyes of God.  Love and caring are qualities that employees and employers receive from the One Creator.  Do we throw them out when we become workers or corporate bosses?  Emphatically no!  Accepting the idea that “anything goes in business,” gets you anything!

 

Spirituality is different from religion.  It is not doctrine to be observed on Sunday and discarded on Monday, as many people practice, but a divine connection with God that directs, guides and governs all thoughts and actions every minute of the day.  How do I answer the subject of this article?  With a great big NO!  No business should choose profits over people?   What is the basis for such an answer?  Two Commandments: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” and “Love thy neighbor as thyself.”  Yes,  .   .  .   there is a place for these in the corporate world.  If both employer and worker embraced these commandments and demonstrated them in human activity, profits would never be placed above people.

 

No one is above accountability!  Isn’t that what “do to others as you want done to you” means?  How many CEO’s would like to work on an oil rig that is unsafe or a building that is a fire-trap?  Why would one want it for anyone else?  I have a couple of income properties, and my motto is, “Do not rent a place to anyone that you would not live in yourself.”  That keeps me humble, and making needed repairs instead of investing the money generated, elsewhere.

 

The second commandment mentioned above is “Love thy neighbor as  thyself.”   What does that really mean?  I find the answer in this statement: “Love is reflected in love” (Mary Baker Eddy).  Love is a synonym for God, and reflect means a replica or likeness of something or someone.  Thus, if man is to reflect God, Love, he must express the same love for his fellow man as God has for him–unconditional.  Uniting with this love dissolves greed, selfishness and injustice.  One does not have to wear it on his sleeve in order to feel it in his heart, and once felt, similar actions follow.

 

 

 

The decision to write this article came from higher levels of thought–thoughts that tell us “it is the spirit that profiteth, the flesh profiteth nothing.”  Making moral choices can be very difficult in the world that we live in, but it is no more difficult for corporations than it is for people, for corporations are people.  The key is the desire to please a power greater than oneself–divine Power.  Doing so, enables us to seek safety in Soul, wealth in Spirit and intelligence in Mind.  Every human problem can be resolved with a divine solution.  Too often, the resolution starts from human experience and never reaches beyond that, thus the solution remains at its lowest level.  Higher levels of thought, produce higher levels of action.  Every object is a divine idea before it becomes a part of the human experience.  If one connects with divinity, he expresses divinity.  If he connects with the physical senses, he expresses only what these senses see, feel and hear.  Thus his actions are very limited.

 

True man is made in the “image and likeness” of God, and that man is always resourceful, profitable and abundant.  This precludes the belief that he must cheat, lie or impose restrictions on others that he would not like imposed on himself.  Working with the highest level of thinking, employee, CEO and business can achieve success.  As Americans, we must expect it, practice it and accept nothing less.

 

What contribution can you make toward holding corporate heads accountable, demanding fair treatment, equality and impartiality?  That is an individual choice.  Appeal to the Christ that is within you, and your Father will not leave you without an answer.  I tried it, and   .   .   .   this is my answer! 

 

 

Other Resources

Here’s How to Write Your First Book

Writing Your First Book

http://stores.ebay.com/momandpoponlinestuff

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Three P’s:  Patience, Persistence, Perseverance are the cornerstone of an athlete’s pathway to becoming an Olympic champion.   These words mold and shape his character and direct his actions.  They begin with one’s efforts to overcome trials and defeats and bloom into poise, courage and humility.

Most of us never dream of becoming an Olympian.  We set our goals only on getting an education, landing a traditional job and planning a normal future: no lights, no headlines and no commercials!  A select few in the world have that dream and  .  .  .  achieve that dream.  Just think, of all the swimmers, gymnasts, runners and volley ball players in the world, only a few walk on the world’s greatest court or pool–the Olympics!  What do they have that we don’t have?  What do they do that we don’t do?

 It can be summed up in three words:  patience, persistence and perseverance.  This article will explore how the ability to understand and consistently practice these words bring success.  So that you and I are on the same page, let’s define them.

Patience - Webster says, Patience “is any admirable endurance of a trying situation .  .  .  usually through passiveness which comes out of understanding.”

Persistence -  Refusing to give up or let go; the continuance of an effect after the removal of its cause; stubborn or enduring continuance.

Perseverance –  Adhering to a course of action, belief or purpose without giving away.

These qualities have no special order that must be adhered to in order to achieve success.   For example, to believe that patience must be present before persistence can be activated is not true.  It depends on the person, level of competency needed and the task at hand.  Patience should be to applied to curb impatience at all times, but to think, “I can’t be persistent now because I have not thought of the word patience,” is not a necessity.  If a person is mentally connected to God, his needs are supplied in every situation or condition.  It could occur at the beginning, middle or end of an idea or action–simply seek it when it is needed.  This holds true for the other two, but a combination of all of these should be used to achieve a level of success in any endeavor.

What are some emotions that are opposite of patience?  Anger, annoyance, negativity and immediate gratification.  When any of these are in thought, there is no space for patience.  Persistence on the other hand, demands continuance, resoluteness and that which is everlasting.  Such qualities cause lack of fear, steadiness and great inner strength.  When everything around you is screaming “give up,” persistence says, “not yet.”  It creates a fighting spirit–a spirit that stands in the face of discouragement, failure and insurmountable opposition.  Perseverance is sometimes tied to persistence.  I see it as a deeper commitment–one of endurance, unrelenting resolve, tenacity and a “stick-to-it-ness” that is immeasurable!  Individuals that lack perseverance exhibit behaviors that are surface-oriented, temporal, shallow and short-lived.

Let’s investigate the lives of three athletes and see how their lives were changed as they used these three words.

Michael Phelps

 Michael Phelps was born in the state of Maryland in 1985.  His mother was a teacher and his father, a state trooper.  He has two sisters who  paved the way for Michael’s early recognition of what patience looks like.  Both entered the sports arena and struggled with competition, injuries, failure and like many of us, finally chose a different path in life.  Before he was 9 years old, Phelps had to overcome attention deficit hyperactive disorder (AHHD)–a disorder that takes away a person’ ability to control his behavior.  With the help of his mother, he began to master this deficiency.   Two years before this, he had witnessed a divorce between his mother and father–an experience that can be devastating to a child.  Each experience prepared him for the life ahead. 

After trying his hand at baseball, soccer and lacrosse, Michael found his niche–swimming.  So in 1996, at 11-years old, he began his destiny.  It was at that time that he met a man called Tom Bowman, a swimming coach at the Meadow Aquatic and Fitness Center in North Baltimore–a person who would become an integral part of his life.  Bowman helped him define and polish the qualities that would shape him into an Olympian–development of a strong competitive nature, anger management, fear control and destructive tendencies that would interfere with his ability to compete successfully.  Watching his sisters as a young boy, Phelps knew what hard work was and this quality matured into persistence.  He was ready for intense training and acquired perseverance with each event–allowing him to master the back-and-butterfly-strokes with precision and above record speed.

Time after time, his even temperament and “cool demeanor” were assets that allowed him to be triumphant in state, country and world championships.  Financial success arrived at the age of 16, but it was quickly determined that money cannot buy the qualities that one needs to become the greatest Olympian the world has ever known.   He had to reach deep inside of himself to learn those, and  .  .  .  the 2012 Olympics proved  .  .   .   he did.

Gabrielle Douglas

Most viewers had never heard of the lean, spunky, 16-year-old until she marched into the Olympics with four others young ladies representing the United States Women Olympics Gymnastic Team.  That was about to change!  

Gabby, as she is called in the media, left Virginia two years ago and traveled to Des Moines, Iowa to train in Chow’s gym.  There, she became part of the family of Travis and Missy Parton.   We know very little about the new gold-medalist–her life is only 16 years long, but, what we do know is that her mother is Natalie Hawkins and grand-mother, Carolyn Ford.  This is not a family of financial means, but a mother who saw the potential of her daughter and did everything she could to help her achieve it.  Douglas is the first African-American to win a gold medal as a gymnast because not many of her race train in this event.  Why is her race mentioned?  Being the first in anything can be challenging, but being the  first with race or ethnicity as “tags,” carry an added burden.  This burden comes from the first day you learned that you were “different” solely because of the color of your skin.  How do you overcome it?  Humanly, one would say, “Develop a thicker skin even if it is black.” Spiritually, I say, “Re-identify yourself as a child of God–a child whose color is perfection, race, Christian and intelligence, divine.”  This is achieved step-by-step (patience), with great resolve (perseverance) and by repeating and demonstrating that message over-and-over (persistence).   This re-identification helps one melt the inner struggles and focus on the task at hand.  Gabrielle Douglas has been catapulted into the spotlight.  How will she handle it?  No one knows, but we are all waiting to find out!

 

 

 

Missy Franklin

In May, 1995, Missy Franklin was born to Dick and D.A. Franklin in Pasadena, California.  Presently, she resides in Colorado.  Her parents are Canadians, and Missy enjoys a duel citizenship.  Her swimming career began at the age of 5.  It has not been an easy “lane for her to swim in.”  For example, in the 2008 Olympics, she placed 37th and did not qualify for competition.  What did it take for her to get there in the first place?  Patience and hard work.  What was it like to pull herself together and keep fighting at age 13?   Perseverance.  I am sure the support of her parents helped her to weather the storm, but failure is a bitter pill to swallow.  We have all experienced it, but, perhaps not in front of millions of people.

In spite of such a dismal failure at the 2008 Olympics, she rebounded in 2010 and competed in National Championships and placed second in the 100-and 200-meter back-stroke.   At the 2011 World Aquatics Championships in China, success kissed her in the face and she won 3 gold medals, 1 silver and 1 bronze.  A year later, at the Olympics in London, she competed in seven events– winning five medals, four of them gold.  It pays to be persistent!  Missy has learned the three P’s and is proving they work.

As I traveled through life, I experienced many failures, but each one, when handled with higher levels of thought, provided consistent growth, maturity and personal development.  That is the message of this article.  This is the life of the athletes portrayed.  What about your life?  Like mine, you may never reach the Olympics, but you can walk across the stage of success.  Success, not defined by fame and fortune, but by self-respect, lack of fear, divine intelligence and sound leadership.  Character must be an ingredient when we choose our leaders, establish our laws and lead our children.  Three words: patience, persistence and perseverance point the way.

Related Information

I have shied away from the topic  ”homosexuality” for many reasons:  I simply did not want to “get involved, It’s too controversial, I’ll tackle it when things calm down.”  So, why am I taking a stand now?  Two reasons:  I was motivated by a  Lesson Sermon entitled:  Ancient and Modern Necromancy, alias Mesmerism and Hypnotism, Denounced and a question asked by a young man in 1987 during class instruction in spirituality.  He asked, “Is a homosexual a sinner?”  The teacher’s answer rested on one’s understanding of the true nature of man.  I heard what she said, but did not understand the impact of what she was saying.  She was saying once the true nature of man is deeply embedded in thought every person  knows how to respond.      I have spent many years thinking about that question   .  .  .   now I know how to respond and will do so in the following paragraphs.    My first thought is to tackle the terms “necromancy, hypnotism and mesmerism, see how they relate to the identity of man and then provide my understanding of the questions below.

 

 

 

What is the true identity of man?

Is God’s man homosexual or heterosexual?

Discuss biblical verses addressing homosexuality.

The discussion of these terms will be limited to a workable definition and is not intended as a thorough and extended coverage of meaning.  If the reader has no semblance of understanding of these terms, this discussion will give him a basic foundation so that he may grasp the contents of the article.

What is necromancy?  It is a practice dating back to antiquity and involves either summoning spirits in the form of ghosts or raising them bodily for the purpose of divination–imparting the ability to foretell future events or uncover hidden knowledge.  The word “necromancy ” has its origin in the Greek word nekromanteia meaning “dead body.”  Those practicing it believe that speaking to dead spirits will enable them to forecast the future.  It originated in Persia, Greece and Rome and was used to discover the reason people died and to locate lost treasures.

Modern necromancy usually refers to the pretense that one has the ability to manipulate the dead through ritual magic or some kind of occult ceremony.  Believers of modern necromancy look to the dead to reveal future information or secret advice.  Neither has a foundation in spiritual reality.

Mesmerism stems from a physician named Franz Anton Mesmer (1733-1815).  It is a healing technique based on animal magnetism.  Mesmer believed he possessed an agent within himself that when connected to another human body, brought healing of various diseases.  A quote from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures gives the depth and practice of mesmerism:                                 

“There exists a mutual influence between celestial bodies, the earth, and animated things.  Animal bodies are susceptible to the influence of this agent, disseminating itself through the substance of the nerves” (p.100).     After careful examination, it was concluded that no such agent existed, and Mesmer’s theory was determined to be invalid.

Hypnotism is another form of mesmerism.  It places the participant in “a trance state characterized by extreme suggestibility, relaxation and heightened imagination” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypnosis.  The patient enters into a “sleeplike” condition–allowing his consciousness to respond to the commands and dictation of another–a form of forced-like obedience.  The term is derived from the word neuro-hypnotism meaning nervous sleep.  Subjects responding to hypnosis are usually awake, but with reduced ability to act independent of manipulation.

How do these terms relate to understanding the true nature of man?  There is absolutely no relationship at all!  Many people see these terms as the suppression of the material or physical senses through hypnotic manipulations of the mind, but I see them as false beliefs and lack of spiritual knowledge.  The physical senses cannot, in any sense or form, give the true identity of man and the universe.  It is only through divine inspiration and revelation that man climbs above human logic.  Animal magnetism combines both ancient  and modern biblical ignorance with modern day fascination of body, soul,  and self-indulgence, hereby causing the consciousness of man to enter a state of spiritual lethargy.  He is not mentally alert to the true nature of man and identifies the physical structure as God’s creation.  This state of animal magnetism sees reality only through the physical senses which are devoid of Soul.

 There are many mesmeric voices in the world–voices that base their analysis of homosexuality and heterosexuality on ancient and modern minds operating in a state of sleep-like spiritual understanding.  Mankind is induced into a world of illusion, magic and human fantasies.

 One ancient and modern illusion is that man is a mortal, made of flesh, blood and bones–operating by human will and godly punishments.  Another is that he sprang from the “dust of the ground” and was tossed from the garden of Eden because his female companion persuaded him to disobey God.  A third claims that even though God wants man to be obedient, loving and kind, he gave him “free will” which enables man to basically do what he chooses.  If God does not like what he is doing, he punishes man to “keep him in line.”  If all else fails, and man says, “Hey, I am not following your commands,”  God sends him to hell where he burns eternally.

 This concept of the nature of man stems from Moses’ accounting of the creation of man in the second chapter of Genesis.  It completely overrules Moses’ accounting of creation in the first chapter of Genesis.

You see I believe with Mary Baker Eddy that there are two accounts of the creation of man by Moses–one in the first chapter of Genesis and one in the second.  She says, “Throughout the first chapter of Genesis and in three verses of the second, — in what we understand to be the spiritually scientific account of creation, — it is Elohim (God) who creates.  From the fourth verse of chapter two to chapter five, the creator is called Jehovah, or the Lord.  The different accounts become more and more closely intertwined to the end of chapter twelve, after which the distinction is not definitely traceable.”  (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 523).    Because the distinctions were not definitely traceable, God, Jehovah and Lord God were used interchangeably, all having the same meaning as God, Elohim, and making no distinction between the creation of man in the first chapter and his creation in the second chapter.  They are lumped together–the creation in the second chapter viewed as a continuation of man in the first.

Today, as with the worshippers of Baal, the Moabitish god of Chemosh and the Greek Aphrodite God, assumed human qualities and traits.  Jesus’ concept of God elevated thought to a God of Spirit.  We see this in John’s account when he said, “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship in spirit and in truth” (4:24).  God is not an entity that can be perceived through the senses, but beyond sensualism– otherwise, man is incapable of worshiping God.  This is the true meaning of wisdom–an ingredient that reveals the correctness of divine action and uncovers its opposite–necromancy, hypnotism and mesmerism in all its forms.  All three must be denounced!  

What  is the true identity of man?  

If man cannot be defined as flesh, blood and bones, what is he?  Who is he?  Man is “the compound idea of infinite Spirit;  the spiritual image and likeness of God;  the full representation of Mind” (Science and Health, p. 591).

 

Paraphrasing, Mary Baker Eddy is saying man is made of unlimited spiritual ideas or thoughts that have their origin in Spirit.  Spirit is not flesh and blood, so mortal man cannot define the real man.  The real man is made in the “image and likeness” of God.  An image is a replica of the original, thus man’s real identity expresses the qualities of God:  love, peace, harmony, intelligence, equality, justice, faith, kindness, persistence and power.  None of these have their source in materiality–only spirituality.   He represents only spiritual intelligence, not the education one gets from books written from human intelligence.

 Human intelligence is derived totally from sensual observation, either consciously or subconsciously.  Using divine intelligence as the starting point for all human activities, one is constantly fighting to rise above what his eyes see and his ears hear.  His reasoning goes something like this:  ” God is the only intelligence.  I am expressing him right now, thus I have the ability to see beyond the information that says this guy stole my car.  God did not make a thief–no such person exists in the realm of spiritual logic.”  This kind of thinking comes with a mighty struggle!

 What are you trying do when you use it?  Elevate thought so that you can focus only on the spiritual man–the man who is respectful, lawful and just–one that abides by “thou shalt not steal.”   Once getting there, you are relieved of the anger, bitterness and hatred you were feeling about that person.  You can actually dissolve the turmoil going on inside of your consciousness.  That’s the place you want to get to–not for the so-called thief, but for yourself!  What about the other guy?  Enjoy your peace and leave the rest to the harmony of divine law. Nothing you can say or do parallels God’s law of adjustment–a law by its mere presence destroys everything unlike it.   Get rid of the “I gotta fix it mentality!  You don’t!  Hold to the true identity of man–the one that is pure, good and eternal, and you will win.  This winning entails getting human will out of the way and seeking only to do the will of God.  Key ingredients are faith, hope, love and humility.

Is the man of God’s creation homosexual or heterosexual?

What does heterosexual mean?  Let’s look at a couple of definitions.  Webster states, “of or characterized by sexual desire for those of the opposite sex.”  

Heterosexuality refers to “an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectionate, physical or romantic attractions to persons of the opposite sex”; it also refers to “an individual’s sense of personal and social identity based on those attractions, behaviors expressing them, and membership in a community of others who share them” (Wikipedia).

“Someone having a sexual orientation to persons of the opposite sex” (Princeton’s WordNet).

All three definitions place emphasis on sexual relations or inclinations of or with the opposite sex.  The questions arises, “Does opposite sex define a spiritual man?  There are those who would respond in the affirmative and quote scripture to justify it.  How are you answering the question–honestly and sincerely?  What scripture are you using to justify your answer and more importantly, what is your understanding of that scripture?  Did you humbly ask God for an answer or are you accepting another’s viewpoint?

Let’s look at homosexual.  What does it mean?   Webster says, “of or characterized by sexual desire for those of the same sex.”

 

“A homosexual is a person that is sexually and romantically attracted to those of the same sex. The word comes from homo, which is a Greek word meaning the same.”

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_does_homosexual_mean#ixzz1x9vKJP8F

 

Finally, “Homosexuality is romantic  or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to “an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectionate, or romantic attractions” primarily or exclusively to people of the same sex; “it also refers to an individual’s sense of personal and social identity based on those attractions, behaviors expressing them, and membership in a community of others who share them” (Wikipedia).

 

The underlying meaning in all three definitions is sexual relations or inclinations with individuals of the same sex.  Again, I ask “Does same sex define a spiritual man?  My answer:

 

The man of God’s creation is neither homosexual nor heterosexual.  No physical act can describe the man of God’s creation for that man is spiritual.  No sexual act, whether heterosexual or homosexual, defines the activity of God, Mind.  All activity is mental, not physical.  Life does not begin with the egg of a woman and the sperm of a man, nor is man made from the “dust of the ground.”  Life is God, and God has no beginning or ending.  Therefore, man reflecting that life has no beginning or ending.  The eternality of God gives man eternal status.  Mortality can never define man because he reflects the immortality of Soul.  Therefore, only immortal thinking can identify spirituality.

Life exists free of sexual intercourse.  Life exists free of physical features, actions, thoughts and brain functions.  A spiritual man is a compound idea, not a physical structure.  Defining man physically,  limits man and places him at the mercy of the five physical senses–senses that are changeable, destructive, temporal and ignorant of divine law.

 I know this is difficult to grasp, but its difficulty does not negate its spiritual truth.  Man’s life is defined by divine activity:  thoughts recognizing and alert to the substance of Spirit, wholeness of Principle and unchangeableness of Love.  God is the sole Creator.  Man creates nothing!  The physical body–evil, mortality, is unaware of divinity–the expression of God’s child.  God is Father/Mother to all creation, inclusive of man.  Judging the spirituality of a person by his physical contact with another person, is animal magnetism, mesmerism and hypnotism.  This kind of thinking is as evil as necromancy, for it places life at the mercy of “dead thought–” nothingness.

I ask you, “Would you love your neighbor better if you slept with a woman or a man?”  Does having no god before the one God have anything to do with sexual activity?  Mankind, awake from the dream of life in matter and unite with life in spirit.  Sin comes from evil thinking!  The body is only the effect of that thinking!   Move your thinking away from a fleshly man to a divine concept of man.  Everything that demonstrates godliness is based on inspiration and revelation.  Goodness has its origin in Soul, Spirit, not matter.  The voices of spiritual leaders would do well to lead people in discriminating between good and evil, right and wrong, love and hate, life and death, not homo and heter.  

Paul admonishes us that we beware of false doctrine so that no one can “spoil (us) through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ” (Colossians 2: 8).  The ways of the world encourage finger-pointing, destructive criticism, and unlawful judgment against those whom we perceive as different from ourselves.  The Christ–the divine manifestation of God, opens thought to the oneness of man–the man expressing divine qualities through manifestation of good.  If we are to be wise in our demonstrations of life, we must recognize that “All substance, intelligence, wisdom, being, immortality, cause and effect belong to God” (Science and Health, p. 275).  

Verses of the Bible on Homosexuality

One of the most often quoted scriptures on homosexuality are those in Leviticus.  Moses wrote the book of Genesis as well as Leviticus.  In the first chapter of the book of Genesis, Moses gives a clear definition of man as made in the “image and likeness of God.”  There is no other man.  To accept another meaning would be in conflict with that meaning and lead to the conclusion that one is false and the other true. Both cannot be true.  Either man is made from the “dust of the ground” or in the “image and likeness of God.”

Let’s take a look at Moses.  In (Science and Health) he is has two connotations:  ”a corporeal mortal” and “a type of moral law and the demonstration thereof” (p. 592).  

Now, let us digress a moment and ask you, “Are there days that you are very in tune to divine law and you see everything and everyone in relation to God?  You are so spiritually attuned that nothing or no one ” ruffles your feathers.”  You hear God very clearly and know immediately which direction He is pointing you.  Then there are days that you know God is Love intellectually, but the spirit of God is not within you.  You hear many voices–voices of evil pointing you in a direction not totally in harmony with divine law.  You rationalize, justify and in many instances, make decisions based on human logic and judgment.  Unlike Jesus, Moses may have made some decisions based on human logic and understanding or his meaning was lost in translation by uninspired thought.   Jesus based his knowledge  and teachings on the divine law of Love because he was ever–one with God.  Thus, clarity was an attribute always evident.

There is a great contradiction between the law  of Moses in the Ten Commandments which reads “Thou shalt not kill” and the one that says “They shall surely be put to death.”  If God is speaking to him in both instances, why are their contradictions?  Is God wishy-washy?  Emphatically no!  The problem lies not with God, divine Love, it lies with either Moses’ understanding of God at that particular moment or the translation of his understanding.  This view of God is humanistic.  God is unchangeable Love and would never advise killing in one instance and not killing in another.  Thou shalt not kill means just that.  It does not say ” Thou shalt not kill in this instance or that instance.”  It says “Thou shalt not kill!”  Killing is not an act of love, it is an act of violence, and somehow .  .  .  I do see God as committing or advocating violence.

Leviticus 20: 13-14.  “Thou shalt not lie with mankind as with womankind; it is abomination.   If a man also lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination:  they shall surely be put to death;  their blood shall be upon them.”  Abomination means “hatred and disgust (for a thing or person).  Hatred and disgust are human emotions, not divine relationships.  God, being divine Love, has no attributes of hatred and disgust, and neither has the man of his creation.                  

Mankind  has more than one connotation:   It means “human beings collectively; human race; an adult man.”   Which of these is being use here and does it make a difference?  It does not matter because all of the definitions have reference to mortal man, not man made in God’s image.   Both verses are wallowing in materiality and will never ascend to the level of spirituality.  That which is human never reaches the divine and vice versa.

Using these verses to justify discrimination, hatred, violence and evil acts that we see perpetrated by some in today’s world, is itself an abomination–an act of hatred and disgust–an act neither ordained nor advocated by divine law.  Those engaging in such acts are not in harmony with the laws of God–beginning with the Ten Commandments and Beatitudes.

Genesis 1: 27  So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.  This verse is often used to show that marriage should be between a man and a woman.  I could see the validity of this if God were flesh and blood, but God is Spirit as we have shown with John’s recounting of Jesus’ description of God in the verse above.  Thus, for man to be made in his image and likeness, man has to be spiritual.  Jesus further enlightens us on the true meaning of  marriage when he says, “For in the day of resurrection they neither marry, nor are they given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven” (Matt. 22:30).  

Unenlightened thought sees the resurrection as the raising of a physical body.  I see it as enlightened thought, “the light of the world” or “the kingdom of heaven within us.”  Thus, marriage in the spiritual realm means thought connected to God, godliness or elevated thought.  Jesus is saying, “When your thinking rises above the material to the spiritual, you will see man not as mortal, but immortal, not physical, but spiritual, not human, but divine.”   This man can only be wedded to God–at one with God.  This oneness has both masculine and feminine qualities:  strength (masculine quality)  and tenderness (feminine quality), power and humility, justice and mercy or courage and compassion.  This is the “male and female” of God’s creation, not sexual organs.  Animal magnetism and mesmerism have clouded  human thought, making God manlike, instead of man, Godlike, and until the Christ comes to human consciousness and destroys this erroneous thinking, man will continue to be “dead” to spiritual understanding.   What God has “joined together” and “no man can turn asunder,” is that relationship man has with God, not two mortals taking marriage vows.  No, I have not lost my mind.  I have connected with divine Mind.  

 

 

The true identity of man is neither heterosexual nor homosexual.  It is man’s divine activity of thought. Thus, I am not advocating  either one.  I am not advocating marriage in either case.  My vote goes to the man who seeks daily to keep his thinking so elevated that he “loves his neighbor as himself, does unto others as he would have them do unto him” and places “no other god before me (God).”  If one does this, he will be so busy honoring God that there will be no time to cast aspersions at anyone else.  Our job is to strive to emulate Jesus by walking in the path he has set before us and leave the rest to God.  We are not God!  We are not appointed to work out someone else’s salvation–only our on.  Leave individuality and personal demonstration to the one God.

 

Prayer is an essential element in correcting the wrongs of society.  Does this mean we cannot share our understanding of the Christ with others?  No!  It means that we stop casting stones at someone else when our own houses are not in order.  It means we clean the dirt out of our own eyes before we extend a handkerchief to others.  We may not commit the same human error as someone else, but is one sin less than another?  Is it not self-righteousness and self-justification to shed light on someone else’s sin while keeping our own undercover?

 

 

Mankind, where is your honesty, integrity, love, righteousness and genuine brotherhood?  I am so-o-o-o tired of seeing outright lies played out in the media, severe personal attacks applauded and “anything goes” in politics.  First and foremost, we are a nation under God and until we realize this, not only will we falter, we will fail.  Money and human power are temporal.  Spirit and divine power are eternal.

Is the man created by God homosexual or heterosexual?  Neither!  He is man made in the image and likeness of God,  and that man  .   .   .  is spiritual.

 

 

 

When his father passed away on December 7, 2012, Stephen sent the President an email telling of his father’s service to his country.  ”I believe my father is a hero,” he wrote.  ” He served in the Korean War and had two tours in Vietnam.  He is buried at Arlington Cemetery.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The President responded.  This video tells how:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4j3KyNrA6s4

If you found it helpful, please place it on your Twitter and Facebook pages.

    Whitney Houston

 Randomly flipping through the channels in an effort to find something of interest to view, I saw it–words that caused the remote to freeze in my hand: “Whitney Houston: Dead at 48.”  While my first reaction was shock, another voice whispered, “Are you surprised?  You know she was on drugs.”  Quickly, I challenged the voice, forced it to turn away from the negative “You know” to a positive “You know–you know she had one of the greatest voices during your lifetime–a voice that relaxed the demons, tickled the spirit and massaged the soul.”  It was not only her voice, it was also her beauty, stage presence and the sense of honesty rising to a crescendo of audience acceptance as she delivered the message of the song.    You felt it!  Somehow it changed your life for the moment, and sometimes, even  moments to come.  Whitney Houston, how did she begin?  Where did she go?  How did she get there?

Whitney Elizabeth Houston was born August 9, 1963 in Newark, New Jersey to entertainment executive John Russell Houston Jr.  and gospel singer Cissy Houston.  At eleven years of age, she followed in the footsteps of her mother and began singing in the choir at the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark.  Her first church solo performance was “Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah”– words if understood and practiced, can be the foundation and guide for one’s life.

Remember Her

         

 I remember the first time I saw her face on the TV screen, heard that astounding voice and marveled at her success!  She seemed to transcend human life and touch something beyond.  You felt it, but could not explain it, but  .   .   .   you knew it was there.    As a singer, I know what it means to capture an audience, have it mentally sing every note with you and caress every word!  It is a bond that binds, and a moment when hearts intertwine–the epitome of a relationship between a performer and the listener.  Many try it, few succeed!

 

 

Not only was Houston the greatest pop singer of all time, she was also a good actress.  I watched the movie “The Bodyguard” over-and-over.   The story-line, coupled with the powerful and moving voice of Whitney, resonated with audiences everywhere.   Waiting To Exhale allowed fans to concentrate on her acting ability because singing was not part of the movie.   Her role as a TV producer in love with a married man, was a message to any woman who feels that life is not complete unless a man is in it.  Unfortunately, its message did not translate into Houston’s ability to do the same with her own life.   Her marriage to Bobby Brown revealed the depth of her struggle with relationships and the lack of dominion over deep-seated mental anguish.

 

In 1987, Whitney’s hit single “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” hit the top 100 charts in countries like Australia, Germany and the UK.  She was the first female artist to have an album with four #1 hit singles.  Her earnings made her the highest paid African American female overall, and was third to Eddy Murphy and Bill Cosby as the highest earning entertainer.

 

 

Celebrate Whitney

 Houston was a supporter of the anti-apartheid movement led by Nelson Mandela.  In the early years of her career, she demonstrated that support by not working with agencies who did business with apartheid South Africa.   She participated in the Wembley Stadium in London to raise over $1 million for Mandela while he was in prison.    She also raised money that supported the Negro College Fund.

In 1989, Whitney formed the Whitney Houston Foundation for Children – a non-profit organization that cares for the homeless and children suffering from cancer and AIDS.  In 1990, President George H.W. Bush invited her to the Oval Office to participate in the Youth Leadership Forum.  

We could go on and on, racking up human successes and failures and grading them on a scale of 0 to 10, but is that truly what life is about?  Is it not measured by the divine qualities of thought?  Such qualities of thought reveal themselves in acts of kindness, hope, faith and perseverance.  Human experiences may knock us down numerous times, but life is not only measured by the number of times we fall, but also by the courage with which we rise.  The demons of sensuality reveal themselves in many ways.  My demon may not be yours, but isn’t a demon a demon?    All must be conquered before we wear the garments of salvation.  Time is better spent making sure our garments are clean, and recognizing that it is not our responsibility to purify the garments of our fellow man.  In the realm of Spirit, sin is sin.  There is no little sin or great sin.  All must be destroyed.  Mind, God is the Architect of our thoughts, Spirit the substance, and Soul the happiness, harmony and beauty within.

 

 

How Do We Moan Her?

 

 

 

We moan her not with tissue and “hanky” in hand, but with affirmation and gratitude.  Affirm that she is still continuing her journey–a journey that conquers beliefs of the flesh, radiates with self-confidence and glows in faith and determination.

 

 

Life does not began nor end in mortality.  It exists in the realm of Spirit, exercising the substance of Mind and radiating through the senses of Soul.  Let us affirm that “the greatest love of all”  is not of ourselves, but of God–a love that never ceases, but continues eternally.

 

 

Let us use Whitney’s legacy “I Will Always Love You”  to reassure ourselves that this love is not human, but divine–a love without judgment, limitations and conditions, but ever-present here, now and always.

 

 

Click on the link below:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9nPf7w7pDI

 

 

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