6 Sep 1996
Re: Image of God
Hi Trudy
When I wrote "take a look at your own image of God, your theology"
I did not intend it to be a heavy-duty assignment, only a review of what
you, yourself, believe -- and a sorting or sifting of things others have
said. All theologies are theories and often merely assertions. So I believe
it is appropriate for each of us to sort and sift, accept or reject or hold
in abeyance, anything anyone has said about God. And because I evaluate
spirits as I do people, I also believe it is appropriate for us to sort
or sift what various spirits have said about God.
Although I don't recommend this very often, in your case I suggest that
you use what you feel, as part of your basis for accepting or rejecting
various theological assertions. For example, it has been said: "God
punishes sinners." How do you feel about that? Then consider the opposite:
"God does not punish sinners, He lets them get away with it."
How do you feel about that? The purpose of this exercise is to bring your
head more in line with your heart, so various theologies don't get in the
way when you try to connect your heart to God.
Good reading list! I did not mean to imply that I thought you needed to
study more theologies -- far from it. I assumed you are well-read. But these
sources cover a vast variety of theologies, hence my suggestion to take
another look at what you personally accept, or reject, or hold in abeyance.
For example, my head can say "All is One, God is All," but my
heart cannot love that image, so for me, high pantheism is merely an intellectual
exercise. (Low pantheism is the worship of all the gods, or all the gods
in a particular pantheon, which I simply will not do. Although other people
worship them, and some are discarnate entities rather than man-made idols,
I don't even *like* the vast majority of gods and goddesses, based on what
they do.)
I see the statement that God is omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent,
but I do not accept it, because all three of those attributes are disproved
by scripture and history and personal experience. Except for loving-kindness,
wisdom, and graciousness, all other theological attributes are trivial to
me. In accepting these three attributes, I have a personal theology that
I don't have to rationalize against the evidence, which is the function
of apologetics. In other words, I don't have to apologize for my image of
God.
As to your dream of the penknife: yes, dreams can be a useful mode of discarnate
communication, and they are often presented in symbols that require us to
interpret the message. But is exaggeration a good indicator that a message
is important? I tend to reduce my trust of any person who habitually exaggerates,
because exaggeration is a departure from the truth. But in this case, I'm
not convinced that your dream was exaggerated.
The devils were presented as cartoon characters because you had been terribly
frightened by the demons and spirits you came in contact with, and the source
of the dream was trying to say, "Take it easy. They're not all that
scary." A good message -- symbolic, yes, but this is not an exaggeration.
>I believe the significance of the man defeating the devils while
he was on vacation was another attempt to help me "relax and take things
easier," just as we do on vacation.
Hmm ... maybe ... but it was the man, and not you, who was on vacation when
he had to fight the devils. Perhaps there is another meaning here.
>Then there's the tiny penknife, another exaggeration.
I don't see this as an exaggeration. The message basically says: "You
don't have to fight battles between good and evil in the spiritual realms,
but you can be a useful instrument in some of them. So what if you really
are small and apparently insignificant? You are sharp, so God can use you."
>As to your question, what is a penknife good for: In previous centuries
a penknife was used to make and sharpen quill pens.
Hah! I shouldn't have missed that one. A penknife is used to sharpen pens,
and right now, your incisive questions are sharpening my writing. And I
like the over-all interpretation: "You can be used for any number of
little jobs."
>How did the man use the penknife to defeat the devils? I've asked
for further clarification, and have received nothing yet.
I think he used the penknife to deflate them. Like many evil people, devils
have a vastly and falsely inflated ego, and no sense of humor -- and they
are full of little dark ones that don't like each other -- so one little
puncture can deflate them, and what remains is not very much. I have seen
it happen.
>How is it that Simon "can always be reached and rescued"
through me at any time? There was obviously some sort of spiritual connection
between us when he was alive, but why should it continue beyond his death?
Caring-connections transcend physical time and space and life and death.
And it does not have to be a two-way connection: your caring-connection
to him will suffice. That's how we have found and rescued many lost souls.
>I barely knew Lisa, and I do not know where she is today. What is
the mechanism by which I can still reach her?
Same as above. I can provide specific instructions, but in this type of
work, two people are better than one. See the section on detachment (soul-rescue)
operations, in my paper "First Century Progress Report."
>Why can't demon rescue teams do much with "truly independent"
entities?
Truly independent entities are not like demons, so what works with demons
doesn't work with them. They neither seek the Light nor fear it; they are
not attached to anything on earth; they serve no one, and they have few
(if any) caring-connections, so they are not easy to deal with.
>In "St. Michael's Manor," you wrote, "Bill was inspired
to call the entity's female twin flame." What is that?
"Twin flame" is a theosophical or new-age expression for what
others refer to as one's "counterpart" or "true love"
-- one's opposite-gender spiritual twin. In the case of the independent
entity at St. Michael's Manor, this may have been his only caring-connection,
and even so he had to be reminded of it.
>In "Detachment Session, Karen," many spirits had "taken
up residence" inside of her. One of them said, "Karen is a safe
place."
Karen is a very loving person, a protectoress, so most of these spirits
were not infesting her; she was sheltering them voluntarily. Some were attached
to her by caring-connections. Many were just hitch-hikers or hanging around.
And a few had pushed their way into her aura as uninvited guests. But she
was not infested with little buckshot-sized dark ones, as a lot of people
are.
>How common is it for people to become "infested" with entities?
Very common. Dr. Baldwin estimates that 85-90% of all human beings have
one or more attachees, and my own estimate would be similar. In addition
to intelligent entities, there are countless little dark ones that take
advantage of any opening, vulnerability or dark place they find, like bacteria
or viruses. That's why spiritual sanitation and hygiene are so necessary
for all of us.
>Is there any limit to the number that can lodge inside?
Number is not a very meaningful consideration in this subject area. Many
are attached to the outside of the spiritual body, rather than lodged within.
And the attachees may also have attachees, so it is more like a network
or cluster of entities. If there are any numerical limits, I'm not aware
of them.
>Why is a soul with a physical body such a magnet for all these entities?
I understand about the spirits who are drawn by a strong desire for gratification
of an addiction. But what about little people, elementals, and so on? What's
the big draw?
For human ghosts, it is *anything* they want that requires a physical body
(like the man who was still trying to run his business, through his daughter).
Some are trying to gather a following or build a cult, like any would-be
guru. Little people are usually just curious. Elementals are reacting automatically.
But the biggest attraction is energy -- many mid-astral and low-astral spirits
are seeking to draw physical or spiritual energy, as parasites. They feed
on it.
>If angels can't see lost souls and demons very well, why doesn't
God just tell them where to look?
Because God's angels *are* God's eyes -- they convey information both ways.
We can also be God's eyes -- and ears and hands and feet -- here on earth.
>And this begs another question. Assuming God is not omnipotent and
cannot see them very well either, just what, exactly, are God's limitations?
I believe God's limitations are those of a loving parent whose children
are free-willed and variously creative beings. [See "Why Commandments?"]
God communicates guidance for their benefit, but many don't listen, and
each chooses whether they will obey. This power of choice is inherent in
free-willed beings. The Spiritual Spectrum is a statistical distribution
that ranges from perfect obedience to the good-will of God, through indifference,
to opposition.
I also believe God works by authority rather than power. For example, God
wants a thirsty child to have a glass of water, but He inspires a human
being to fill a glass and give it to the child, instead of materializing
a glass of water.
>If a demon refuses to be converted, what does a Demon Rescue Team
do with it?
I have seen demons and devils encapsulated, immobilized, and taken away
for conversion. I understand that time does not matter and infinitely patient
counselors are assigned to them. I suppose that, after everything has been
done for them that can be done, if they still choose to be cruel rather
than kind, God may let them flee again -- from the light into the outer
darkness.
>Can you give an example of spiritual scar tissue?
Yes, I had some -- they were thought-forms in my spiritual body, created
by my own cherished memories of "honorable wounds" received in
some ancient war. One of my friends had a large sickle-shaped thing in her
chest, formed from her mixed resentment and admiration of a task-master
priest. And we have found several people who had a hard spherical shell
in their spiritual bodies, formed by the self-deception inherent in hypocrisy
and full of little dark ones.
Peace
Ben
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