According to US News and World Report's article "The New Unbelievers", published in the November 13th, 2006 edition, "42 percent of adult Americans were not "absolutely certain" about the existence of God, up from 34 percent three years ago,". What the article neglected to mention or comment on was the percent of America that is "absolutely certain" about the existence of Satan. Through the view of an Atheist: there is no difference as they are both deity figures brought to the consciousness of mankind through ancient scriptures to which our greatest civilizations have failed to uphold since the fall of Adam from Eden to the current inability of America to police the globe in its totality, thus resulting in countries around the world coming against us in ideology even through the vessel of the United Nations. Atheists have taken a turn for fame in this country, despite their marginal presence in the country at one percent of all Americans.

A University of Minnesota study showed that of all groups composing our nation, whether Muslim, Jewish, Black, Hispanic, White, Hindu, Christian, or other, the most distrusted group remains atheists which is no surprise as there are so many Americans regardless of race or creed reading the atheists' books. As a self-defense mechanism all sub-cultures of our citizenry will learn as much as they can about the force they are tackling in logic battles and principle, it seems only imminent that given this principle, those who have faith will be drawn out of their shells and brought into the light, thus exposing them as either true believers who disown all matters of material truth and logic or reborn atheists that respawn and propagate in much the same way as the original corps began: through learning more and denying less.

What is really important above all else is the atheist mentality of tackling and keeping tackled the institutions of faith as a whole. Atheists will eventually read the entire Bible, then publish detailed thesis' on why it is flawed and should be discarded. Then, they will read the Qur'an in its entirety, then publish detailed thesis' on why it is flawed, and thus should be discarded. Same for every religious text for every creed and each creed will be addressed with their own specific facets of argumentation to which they cannot refuse albeit for, "I have my faith", and thus the breaking of human will will continue forever. An entire society of atheists may end up being the direction this country is headed, if Dawkins is correct. His professed belief is that the balance between science and religion is a fallacy and that science will overshadow and defeat religion on the premise that is bolsters outrageous claims regarding the creation of man, the origins of the Earth, the doctrines of society, and the reported accounts of miraculous events that defy physics and recorded knowledge in many schools, for example, the story of Jonah and the whale.

Most acclaimed from the article "The New Unbelievers" will be the quote, "A view that religion is not only morally dubious and socially unnecessary but a threat to the survival of the species," that holds the new breed of atheist in its own light to find that all that had ever been is the human experience and our notion of God can be consolidated from the collectivism of all human experience of all time to fractionalized "havonas" each in accordance with an individual's life path, their will to learn and apply and their need for a specific grasp on reality rather than the generalized precept that we are all doomed to an eternity of Hellish Nightmare, repeating circles of experience and an overall inability to break these cycles that those dissatisfied call their lives. Grow up and get a parent, even if it isn't your own.

Feng Shui defines as ancient Chinese skill of keeping a balance of forces in the land or surroundings. In feng shui (Mandarin Chinese words meaning “wind-water”) the land is regarded as living and as reflecting the pattern of heaven, and any development must be in harmony with this pattern.

Number eight (8) is regarded as the luckiest number. According to feng shui, if you say the word (patt) it sounds like "faat" which means "prosperity & abundance". Many of us believe that 8.8.8 (August 8, 2008) is the luckiest day in the calendar, because of the above reasons.

Also, old beliefs say that if number eight is lucky what more if it is tripled? There are other numbers that were considered good and these are 18, 28, 38, 48, 54, 68, 80, 84, 88, 99, 168, and 108. To balance the equation of feng shui, there is number that was considered unlucky; 4 (Sei) the worst number. Why? Because in Cantonese when spoken sounds like the word death. Same with 13 because if you add 1 and 3 that will be equal to 4 as above. 24 and 104 were also considered unlucky.

What if you own property that has number 4 or 13 on it?

If you own a home or business with a 4 or 13, draw a circle around the number. The circle is extremely powerful and encloses the inauspicious effects of a negative number. Also, if you have time and money pop down to your local hardware store and find one of those ceramic door numbers that you can customize with a circle around the number.

How seriously do we take numbers? I would be over the moon if we found the perfect house with great flying stars and it was 8 or 88. But I would not be put off buying it if it were 4 or 13. I would use the cure as above though or change it to a house name like "rose cottage".

Why not go to the lottery today? Why not place your bids? Invest on a multi-million business? Who knows? This might be the luckiest day of your life.

Opus Dei is probably one of several organizations, which have attracted a large amount of former Catholics, atheists and people of other faiths. They offer a solution, which involves a gradual indoctrination so that the person gradual lets go of his former friends and on many occasions, his family as he devotes more and more time to the dictates of that sect. This indoctrination has already gone on for years and every now and then hits the front-page headlines, as did the mass suicide conducted in Guyana in 1989 by a demented leader who offered his followers salvation if they all gave up their lives for his cause. Not all sects are so dramatic but the formula has some commonalities be it being a member of the Jehovah's witnesses, the Mormon Church or the Church of Scientology where a relatively new advocate, Tom Cruise espouses their special attributes.

The person is invited to a country outing where pleasantries are exchanged and then the indoctrination gradually occurs where the person is gradually coaxed to leave all those people who he previously knew. He is made to feel guilty if he dresses normally or wants to kiss his girlfriend in public. According to Opus Dei, this is not what you do if want to obtain communion but then on further meetings the organization gradually gets the person to devote his entire time to their workings and abandon other projects. His family members are now total strangers.
These recent sects and new faiths are gaining ground on one basic weakness of the church and that is more churches are closing since youth is not necessarily inspired by what the standard religions have to offer. There has to be other choices for these people who are too easily influenced.

God designed Evolution, Darwin merely discovered it

Even the father of evolution theory, Charles Darwin was not an atheist, nor did he see his theory as competing with creation. On page 421 of the sixth edition of his "The Origin of Species By Means Of Natural Selection", Charles Darwin said, “I see no good reason why the views given in this volume should shock the religious feelings of any one.” He saw no reason for this due to the fact that in his view it was God who designed evolution, and he, Charles Darwin merely discovered it, based on natural observations.

Genesis Creation not meant to be taken literally

Nonetheless those who incorrectly take the creation story in Genesis literally, do find Darwin's “natural selection” theory shocking. However, this issue can be seen as nothing more than a matter of interpretation. For even in the creation story as laid out in the book of Genesis, if we look at the order of creation we see the general pattern of evolution, starting with the simpler lower life forms working up toward the more complex, and finishing up with us, the sentient top of the evolutionary chain. So, in the end, we can interpret these verses metaphorically as revealing that God created evolution. Considering the nature of this Genesis story, it is much more appropriate to read it metaphorically rather than literally. For if we try to take it literally, we get into some serious trouble, since there are actually two different creation stories in Genesis, and they contradict each other, when taken literally. Bearing that in mind, we simply can't take these stories literally, anyway.

Is Evolution Cosmic in its Scope?

The evolution of life is a beautiful and elegant aspect of God's design in this marvelous Universe. And while we can't be certain yet, I suspect this natural part of God's design applies throughout the entire Cosmos, which would mean that myriad life forms of many and varied types proliferate throughout the Universe, all children of the same Universal God. This conclusion is a natural consequence of believing that evolution is a natural part of God's Cosmic design.

Fractals: Finding the Patterns in Chaos

Some have expressed concern that evolution appears too random to be part of a Deist design. I believe I can partially answer that concern with a quote from page 3 of my fairly recent four page article, Is it Irrational to Believe in God? :

"...we once believed that such things as the growth patterns of tree branches, and the networks of tree roots, the contours of mountain chains, and the directional meanderings of rivers and streams were random, because that was the simplest of explanations. But with the discovery of fractal geometry, we've learned that these natural patterns conform to the mathematical principles of this beautiful geometry. These chaotic patterns were never random at all, but instead so complex in their geometry that they appeared random to us before we understood the fractal mathematical principles governing them..."

Psychedelic Fractal Wiggles

Let me add to this quote by saying that just as these patterns appeared random to us, before Benoît B. Mandelbrot discovered fractal geometry, there may be yet undiscovered principles of evolution incorporated into its design, which once realized, will expand our currently limited perspective and help us see the extent to which it is not random, at all. It may well be that from our finite point of view, we may not be capable of truly comprehending the way God uses what we see as random as a complex part of Cosmic design.

Random or Ordered?

I remember once seeing a sculpture. I'm sorry to say, I've forgotten where. Nonetheless, when one looked at this sculpture from most perspectives, it appeared to be little more than a jumbled mess of random forms, representing nothing comprehensible. However, when one changed ones point of view and looked at it from a specific angle, suddenly an ordered pattern molded into view. This sculpture wasn't just a random mess after all; it had design.

The Quest has only just begun

We've only just begun to glean knowledge of the wonderful Universe in which we live, and as we gather more we start to catch a glimmer of Cosmic Design. The Universe is much more complex than that sculptor's creation, so it may take us longer to find the necessary knowledge to expand our perspective enough to see the order in chaos, but if we keep searching we will find it. There remains much more to learn. We are far from knowing all there is to know. The quest continues.

Cosmic Bubble

It is my firm belief that this decline of moral constitution can be linked to the same decline in the acceptance and tolerance of religion as a whole. Many people both famous and unknown seem to have accepted the thought process of weakness in faith. They say that religious dedication is a fanciful attempt by someone who is not self confident enough or who does not possess the mental maturity to satisfy their own needs, and therefore, they look to others and to God. What people seem to easily forget is that more and more people today suffer from the dysfunctionality that comes with a lack of morals. If a hard exterior and a callouse attitude toward the world and those who non harmful alternative paths are the answer, where are the results?

An important aspect to consider when casting stones is this: the condition of the human race has not gotten any easier to please or any happier. If anything, it has gotten worse over time, with more obstacles to the family unit and the basic feeling of pride, compassion, and closeness. It is much more difficult to live life with strong willpower and moral fortitude. If it weren't for those types of people who are constantly trying to do good, those who were apathetic or those who were too sefl-serving would cause a societal collapse. What I have learned in my years is that, no matter where you are or what religion you observe, there is always going to be someone who is sincere and selfless. It is these people who hold us up when we lose sight of what we really want in life. It is these people who keep hope alive in the hearts of those who would otherwise have none. It is also these people who get the bad rap for those who use their image to exploit and use others.

Examining the Nature of Belief

However, before we delve into any conclusions about these possibilities, let's first examine the nature and power of belief. There is a considerable body of evidence, which suggest that our very reality is of a flexible or relative nature. We shape our own personal realities by what we believe. Some theorists have proposed the idea that reality is a shared illusion, which all of humanity have subconsciously agreed upon, based on our limited perceptions. In essence we manifest our reality both consciously and subconsciously by our very beliefs. If this is true, then it could be the most straightforward explanation for what many call miraculous events. With virtually every miracle described in the New Testament, we see portrayed the important necessity of belief, or faith. Time and again we read Jesus insisting to the recipients of his miracles that they must believe. That belief must not have any doubt, if it is to be effective. Belief without doubt appears to be an integral part of the process of bringing the manifestation about.

Doubtless Examples

This doubtless element is well illustrated in two different stories in the New Testament of the Bible, (here quoting from the New American Standard Version). Both of these gospel quotations are found in the book of Matthew.

First let's look at the gospel of Matthew, in chapter 18, verses 14-20. In this passage we read the story of a man who brought his afflicted son to Jesus begging for mercy, and stating that the disciples could not cure him. In verse 17 Jesus responded by saying, "O unbelieving and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him here to me." NAS version

It seems the disciples let their lingering doubts undermine their faith. Later in verse 19, they asked Jesus privately, why they could not cure the man's son. In verse 20 he responded, "Because of the littleness of your faith; truly I say to you, if you have the faith as a mustard seed, you shall say to this mountain, "Move from here to there," and it shall move; and nothing shall be impossible to you." NAS version

In other words when doubt undermines your beliefs, faith is little, and reality can not be transformed. Conversely when there is no doubt, when belief is strong, and faith is growing ever larger, then no transformation of reality is beyond our scope.

Secondly, the same point can be seen also in the gospel of Matthew chapter 14 verses 22-33, where according to the story, Jesus walked on the surface of water. In verses 29 and 30 we read of Peter enthusiastically trying to walk on the water to meet Jesus. He had only taken a few steps, when he became afraid and started to sink. In verse 31 we find the response from Jesus.

Matt. 14:31 And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”NAS version

Once again we see Peter letting his doubt overcome his belief. This passage shows us the power of belief and the flip side equal but opposite disabling power of doubt.

Our Collective Expectations Create Manifestations

With that said, let's return to the original subject. There is in our world today a growing belief that we are now quickly approaching Armageddon. As this belief becomes greater, and more people anticipate this cataclysmic fate with increasing certainty, we will cause it to happen simply because we expect it. If we allow this trend to continue we will bring about Armageddon by our own anticipation of it. Our collective expectations will create the manifestation, thus being the actual cause of these horrific tribulations. By seeing this, we now realize that these “prophetic visions of the future”, are not actually foretelling of things to come, but the very force which shapes these future events into existence. The inescapable conclusion is that these "prophecies" manipulate the collective human subconscious, and bring about the very calamities they pretend to warn us against. But this is not true of all prophecies, and it certainly was not the original intention of most in the ancient world. The ancient Prophets foretold doom, in order to motivate change in the ways of the populace. If the people continued in their wayward behaviors, then their karma was to see the prophecies fulfilled. On the other hand, if they changed their ways, then the doom would not come after all. A good example of this use of prophecy can be found in the Bible's New Testament book of Luke, chapter 11, verses 29-32 (here quoted from the New International Version.)

Luke 11 : 29 As the crowds increased, Jesus said, “This is a wicked generation. It asks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah. 30 For as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so also will the Son of Man be to this generation. 31 The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon's wisdom, and now one greater than Solomon is here. 32 The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now one greater than Jonah is here.” NIV

In these verses we find Jesus mixing together three different yet related messages into this prophecy.

These Three Components Are . . .

A bold declaration regarding his own status as a prophet, stating that he, (Jesus) had more wisdom than Solomon, and greater prophetic influence than Jonah.

He alludes to the hope embodied in the repentance of the Ninevites. They avoided the doom of Jonah's prophecies by changing their ways.

He says that the only sign given to that generation was the “sign of Jonah”.

The Sign of Jonah

What, you may ask is this “sign of Jonah”? Some have interpreted this as a prophecy of his impending death, entombment for 3 days, and resurrection. This reference to Jonah would then presumably point to the story of Jonah being swallowed by a great fish for 3 days, and then emerging unscathed to deliver his prophecies to the Ninevites. There is a serious problem with this interpretation. It is not what Jesus said about Jonah's accomplishments. Rather, his focus was on Jonah as a sign to the Ninevites, what he achieved as an actual prophet. In this we find much deeper meaning to his cryptic reference, “sign of Jonah”.

What did Jonah Accomplish?

To find that meaning we need to dig deeper into the history of Jonah. What did Jonah accomplish? The answer is not just escaping from a great fish's belly. That is no doubt a mythic / legendary part of Jonah's story, not of an actual historic nature. Besides, this whole fish story was not even the point of Jonah's chronicle. He was sent on a mission, and that's where the important part of the narrative is found. We uncover a significant clue in verse 32 of the above passage. In this verse Jesus tells us that the Ninevites “… repented at the preaching of Jonah …” So, the answer is that Jonah was successful at changing the ways of the populace to which he presented his prophecy. In other words Jonah saved the Ninevites from their doom, by leading them to repentance. When Jesus refers to the “sign of Jonah”, he is making the comparison between the impact of Jonah as a prophet, and his own impact as a prophet. Thus, the “sign of Jonah” is our one opportunity to be saved from the doom of Armageddon. It never had anything to do with a comparison between three days in a fish, and three days in a tomb.

Bronze lion from Nineveh (Public domain image)

So, what can we do about this?

The solution is amazingly simple, and can be broken down into a 3 step method…

The First Step is to doubt the impending doom of Armageddon. Just as belief has the power to transform reality, doubt has the power to disable transformation. If we continue to believe without doubt in the prophecies of doom, we will transform our reality into this doom. Conversely if we cease to believe in the "end times", then we'll render inoperative the transformative powers which would contribute to bringing the tribulations about. By sowing the seeds of doubt, we can begin the process of saving ourselves from Armageddon. However, if this strategy is to work, this doubt must be widespread and pervasive. It must be felt far and wide, in order to have enough impact. Therefore, I would encourage anyone who reads this article to tell as many others as can be told, about the concepts dealt with herein.

Spread the word; "Doubt the end is near."

Doubt it with a vengeance!

Doubt it with every breath!

Doubt it when you eat!

Doubt it when you pray!

And if you can manage it, even Doubt it when you sleep!

If enough of humanity can collectively doubt Armageddon, then together we can take the first step toward fulfilling the sign of Jonah, and avoid cataclysm. But this doubt is not enough by itself. It's merely the first step in the three-step approach.

The Second Step is to believe in a positive alternative. We must believe that we deserve to have a different fate than tribulations. With this we can begin to change our own karma from the negative to the positive. Then collectively we can make a far better future for ourselves; a future with positive anticipation, not one that simply gives in to the doom. Simultaneously, we can use both the power of doubt, and the power of belief to our advantage. We must doubt the negative, and anticipate the positive in its place. Believe not in Armageddon; instead believe in a future of peace and harmony. And if enough of us believe in that, we can make it so.

Mandala of Peace on Earth by Bill M. Tracer Studio

And then take The Third Step; that is to turn our doubts in the negative and beliefs in the positive into action. This is the most important step toward fulfilling the sign of Jonah, and it means changing our ways; to heal a dying Earth and battered Humankind. It means to be a part of bringing about a peaceful world community with respect for the human rights of all people, and with respect for our Mother Earth. It means actively seeking to heal those parts of the Earth, where we have done harm to the ecosystems. It means ending the wars! It means rebuilding that which has been torn down. It means actively changing our lifestyles to expand responsible use of natural resources, no longer squandering them. It means growing our use of alternative energy supplies, including solar, and wind. It means melting away the borders that divide us, and seeing ourselves as citizens of the Earth, one people united worldwide and someday beyond. It means finally and truly loving your neighbor as yourself, and it means stepping up to the realization that ALL people are included as our neighbors. For it to be genuine, no one can be excluded.

Jonah preaching to the Ninevites, by Gustave Dore (d. 1883) (Public domain image)

The Key is in the Permanence of Change

When Jonah delivered God's message to the Ninevites, he predicted the devastation of their culture if they did not repent, and change their behavior. They did repent, and were spared the destruction, at that time. But the ultimate end of their story illustrates that any change of action must be ongoing. Any such change, by necessity, has to be permanent and full time. The Ninevites did not make a permanent alteration to their ways. Their repentance was sadly temporary. In time they returned to their old ways and a few generations after the time of Jonah, their culture was wiped off the face of the Earth. Now, all that is left of them are bad memories, very little crumbling ruins, some poorly constructed incomplete reconstructions, and a few small relics. Is this to be our fate?

It doesn't have to be!

Like the Ninevites had, we now have a choice. Either outcome is open to us. We can alter the path we walk, and begin to clean up the mess we've made thus far, or do nothing and idly watch as the four horsemen run us down. Let's choose change, and bypass Armageddon.

Albrecht Dürer, The Revelation of St John: The Four Riders of the Apocalypse, 1497-98 (Public domain image)

Never forget:

Doubt Armageddon,
Believe in a positive alternative, and
Act on those Doubts and Beliefs with permanent change!

Typically these “prophets” claim to have been visited by bright luminous beings. These angelic messengers often delivered targeted messages to these prophets, declaring them to be bearers of God's word to many nations. The reoccurring theme here caused me to wonder about the root cause of this phenomenon.

With that in mind, I sought to create a list all of the possible explanations for what might be behind these believed angelic visitations. Were these “seers” really visited by messengers from God? Or could these visitors be of some other nature? Or for that matter, were there actually any visitors involved, at all? In my quest for an answer, I decided to not judge whether or not a possibility was probable or improbable, in an attempt to list all possible roots. I came up with three primary possibilities. I list them in what might seem reversed order, starting with the most skeptical to the least negative of possibilities. This order is not an attempt to prioritize, but rather a devise for clarity's sake, since the third of these options is further sub-divided.

1. Visitation Faked - {Flimflam Evangel Theory}
2. Visitation Delusional - {Harvey Syndrome Theory}
3. Visitation Occurred - But further sub-divided

• a. - {Deceived Seer Theory}
• b. - {Duped Seer Theory}
• c. - {Alien Interference Theory}
• d. - {Genuine Messenger Theory}

Explained in more detail, these are as follows:

1: The visitations really didn't occur, and the alleged recipients of these angelic visits were/are con-artists, who lied about these visits, and were/are themselves seeking to control and manipulate others by using bogus messages to give clout to their self-styled belief system. {Flimflam Evangel Theory}

2: Or these visitations really didn't occur, but the recipients of the nonexistent visits were/are delusional, perhaps having hallucinations due to a schizophrenic condition, while they genuinely believed them real. {Harvey Syndrome Theory}

3: These visitations really occurred, as claimed and described:

1. But the messengers were actually demonic, nefarious, or deceptive spiritual entities posing as angels. In short, they were some other sort of spiritual entity seeking to muddy the waters of human spirituality. {Deceived Seer Theory}
2. But these messengers were human fakers posing as angelic visitors, perhaps evening drugging their “chosen prophets” with psychotropic hallucinogens. But, in reality these fake angel posers controlled and manipulated others through their duped seers. Their message was not of divine origin. {Duped Seer Theory} (possible example: In ancient Persia such a hallucinogenic herb was mixed in incense to alter spiritual perception. It was said to be used by Zarathustra and his followers. Today, the knowledge of this herb's identity has been lost to time, though it may have still been known in Mani's time period, for example. It may have even still been known in Mohammed's time.)
3. But these messengers were extraterrestrial or extradimensional beings with their own “play god” agenda, interfering with human spiritual thought, perhaps seeking to shape the evolution of our spiritual development. {Alien Interference Theory}



4. or last but not least, these messengers really were angelic entities with messages from God. {Genuine Messenger Theory}

Regardless of which of these possibilities may apply in any given instance, there is a very telling characteristic of this type of messenger angel. Repeatedly this variety of angel delivered complex messages that amounted to full blown theology in a box.

When we compare this type of angel to messenger angels as shown in Judeo/Christian writings, we find a curious difference. I can't say that I know what this difference means, nor do I imply such knowledge. I merely make the observation that this difference exists.

The vast majority of the times, Biblical messenger angels were not delivering such complex messages. For instance in Genesis 19:15-23, two angles delivered a warning to Lot to take his family out of Sodom. Gabriel's annunciation to Mary in Luke 1:26-38, and the birth announcement to the shepherds, Luke 2:8-15 are two more good examples of the type of communication most often coming from messenger angels in the Bible. In Matthew 2:12-13 angels appeared in the dreams of the Magi, and Joseph, each time delivering warnings. In the Bible we most frequently find the primary jobs of messenger angels seem to be announcements and warnings. These are typically quick short messages that bring clarity, or help move along the story of those playing out the biblical drama.

Yet by the time of Mani, in the third century CE, the roles of messenger angels appear to have expanded. According to Mani's claim, his "guardian angel" appeared to him several times throughout his ministry giving him guidance and instructing him what to write.

With Mohammed the messenger angel Gabriel moved on from birth announcements to “ghost writing” through his chosen prophet, a new "holy" book in the form of the Koran, which Gabriel dictated word for word to Mohammed.

Likewise, in similar fashion, in the nineteenth century CE, the messenger angel Moroni delivered the Book of Mormon to Joseph Smith, already written down in an angelic language. Moroni also provided Joseph Smith with a translation key, in order to get the book into English, which he translated into a style not unlike King James English, even though that style of speech was about two hundred years outdated, at the time. While in 1881 CE, unseen and unnamed angelic spirits delivered to John Newbrough, through the channel of “automatic typing”, and drawing, a new Bible of Jehovih and His Angel Embassadors, (Newbrough's spelling), known as the book of OAHSPE. This new "Bible" was also written in a style rather similar to King James English, (as if that style of speech somehow gave it more "religious" authority). For those interested in seeing this "channeled" work, the entire book of OAHSPE is now available online, along with it's odd esoteric sometimes surreal illustrations here .

Going from delivering short announcements and warnings to delivering entire theologies seems a rather dramatic change in the job description of messenger angels. However, whether the message be long or short, the same list of possible explanations applies, faked, delusional, or actual. And as with all these examples, if actual, the genuine identity of these messengers unfortunately remains an illusive unanswered question.

The Pentagram

The first thing that probably comes to your mind when you think about the pentagram is a Satanic cult. However, only in the last hundred years or so have the Satanic cults used the pentagram. And the pentagram has to be inverted in order to symbolize Satan. Another religious organization that you may think of is the Wiccan religion. The Wiccan religion isn't very old either, but it is meant to symbolize ancient paganism. Unlike Satanic cults, the pentagram is not inverted in the Wiccan faith.

In the past, the pentagram has belonged to many other religions. Some of these include Judaism, Paganism, and even early Christianity. Note earlier how I stated that the cross has to be inverted to symbolize Satan? Well it was also supposedly used by early Christians in the same way. I guess that's what you call ironic.

The Swastika

Hitler is the first thing to come to mind when you see a picture of a swastika. But guess what? The swastika is actually thousands of years old, and it is considered a holy symbol by many different religions. It is also the oldest known holy symbol. You'll find the swastika in Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, certain Native American faiths, and many others.

So if you ever visit a country like Thailand and see the swastika on a Buddhist temple, try not to be offended. Apparently, Hitler decided to steal this symbol, and use it for his nefarious purposes. While Hitler used the swastika to promote hate and genocide, the true meaning of the swastika is life and good luck. Understandably, very few people who know about Hitler will ever think of the swastika as a symbol of life and good luck. And who can blame them.

The Cross

It also appears that Christians are not the first people to use a cross to depict their ideology. In fact, the cross has been used for thousands of years before Christ was supposedly born. And early Christians may have actually despised the cross because it symbolized executions. Instead of using the cross, Christians used the fish symbol to depict Jesus(many still do).

It wasn't until around the fourth century AD that Christians started using the cross to symbolize their faith. This supposedly happened because of the conversion of a Roman emperor known as Constantine. After his conversion, Constantine outlawed crucifixions. Thus, the cross was eventually integrated into Christianity.

As for the other religions that used the cross, my favorite is the Egyptian religion. The Egyptian cross is actually a hieroglyphic symbol that roughly translated means life. The Egyptian cross is also known as the Ankh. It may have been used to symbolize the goddess Isis or other deities. No one is really certain. The cross may have also been used by early pagans to symbolize the four cardinal points(Air, Fire, Water; Earth).

Another deity that has ties to the cross is the Norse god Thor. Thor's cross is actually an upside down hammer that is in the shape of a cross(no known Christian relation). And do you know what else symbolizes Thor? A certain day of the week that we like to call Thursday.

As you can see, time changes the meaning of symbols. What was evil in the past, may be seen as benevolent in the future or vice versa. So the next time you see a symbol and automatically think it's heinous, do some research. You might be surprised.

Jewish rejection of Jesus

Jewish rejection of Jesus as the Messiah always posed a problem for Christians and quite naturally so. When pagans were rejecting Christ in those first centuries of pagan power in Roman Empire that was neither surprising nor difficult to cope with for Christians - it might be difficult to bare the persecution but not hard to understand that pagans do not believe in Jesus neither in monotheistic God or biblical morality, for that matter.

Jewish disbelief in Jesus was an entirely different matter. Here are people who have the Bible (Christian Old Testament), who read the prophets regularly in their Synagogues and who are of the same tradition, blood and ancestry as were the apostles and Jesus himself, yet they refuse to believe in Jesus as Messiah and Lord. Even after long discussions, persuasion and Bible reading. “How on earth can they not see?” was the question in Christian minds.

This by itself was not such a big problem for Jewish people themselves until western civilization didn't become Christianized. By early Middle Ages Jewish disbelief became a silent, many times unconscious but increasingly strong disturbing factor in Christian society.

Historian at Stanford and an expert on anti-Semitism Gavin Langmuir describes Jewish disbelief in Jesus as something which was perceived by Christians as the greatest threat and danger exactly because it questioned such basic propositions which “had to be believed”. Feelings of threat and danger together with Christian power to sanction then landless and mostly powerless Jews, dependent on hospitality of Christian cities, was a perfect formula for darker side of human nature to run riot in Christians. Persecutions, fanciful accusations and “satanisations” of the Jews which followed and increased with time are not unknown.

Easiness of falling into Anti-Semitism

I will not go into discussion of the link between historic Christian anti-Judaism and Nazi anti-Semitism here. But it is not difficult to see how religious views (in this instance Christian) can easily be used in the service of power and in order to justify horrific actions.

Even gross evil can become a normal thing when majority gets used to it. And the prejudice and hate towards Jewish people indeed was and still is for many something quite normal and “logical” thing. It has a long and rich tradition into which an anti-Semite beginner today can just plunge into. Not much creative imagination is needed (although for centuries anti-Semitism did give birth to very imaginative stories and conspiracy “theories” indeed!).

How Christians perceive Jewish “No” today

Today's Christian-Jewish Relations have been built on many painful lessons of history but also on many positive encounters between two faiths and peoples. Generally, Jewish people are not seen as a disturbing phenomenon by Christians anymore. Yet, many Christians still struggle greatly with Jewish disbelief in Jesus. Some, like dispensationalists for example, have incorporated the Jewish people and the State of Israel in their end-time scenarios as fulfillment of their understanding of Old Testament prophecies.

It seems that they want to conquer and explain theoretically the presence and prosperity of Jews (actually for them still a “threat of disbelief”) by quite imaginative interpretations of the Bible which for real experts in biblical research are exegetically completely bogus. I do not doubt these explanations offer comfort. But at least one should first ass Jews themselves how they explain and understand their own prosperity, religion and attitude to the Land of Israel, and how they themselves project their future, before boxing them into the preconceived simplistic explanations which they would never endorse.

Attitude towards a religious “other” in general

The story of Christian prejudice towards the Jewish people only shows how difficult it is for all of us to explain the presence or wellbeing of people who do not share with us some very basic beliefs which are among the most important we hold. “How can he be happy if he is a "disbeliever" and does not share this deep blessing of knowing God as we know Him?” This is a general question which many serious and well meaning believers of any of the three monotheistic religions have had to encounter.

My Christianity simply had to develop and transform through years of thinking and dialoguing with non-Christians from which I have learned so much, also about God. In the process it simply lost its exclusivist edge and enabled me to incorporate prosperity of several other religious traditions as God's gifts to others in a special way which I do not necessarily fully understand. Not now anyway.

To be honest, my family celebrated Christmas in a non-religious way. In fact, the only thing I remember that had religious meaning was a Nativity scene my parents had. I knew what it represented, but that was it. We never went to church for Christmas. Santa Claus was the reason for our season.

Now that I am married with children of my own, our Christmas is religion-free. My wife does have a Nativity scene, but she sets it up only in honor of her family. My children know who Jesus is, but they also know that I do not believe he is the “son of God”, or that there even is a God. But they do respect that others do believe.

Christmas, as I have tried to teach my children, is a time of good will and friendship, of spending time with family and friends. We enjoy the "Christmas Season", instead of just one day. From the Friday after Thanksgiving to New Year's, we enjoy it as a month long celebration. We enjoy the television specials, the music and the lit-up, decorated houses. And, of course, the food!

I guess I still celebrate the same way I did as a kid, although I consciously avoid religious allusions, whereas my parents were just lax. I suppose I could thank them for that, although I doubt they would find it amusing. While they, perhaps reluctantly, know I am an Atheist, they are more religious now than when I was a child. My father more so than my mother.

For some reason, when many people hear the word “Atheist”, they automatically assume “immoral”. This always amazes me. I lead a very moral, very traditional life. I teach my children to be good human beings. I just do not believe in a “superior being”.

I also do not force my views on my children. They are exposed to my beliefs, as well as the beliefs of the varied family members and friends around them. They are related to, or are friends with, not only Christians, but also people who are Jewish and Muslim. And other Atheists. When they are old enough, they can decide for themselves what they believe in.

Most of all, my family and I wish everyone a good, happy month, full of friends, family and fun. Oh yeah, and food!