#60. Obama's Cloudy Transparency

The newly elected President Obama's first memorandum read: "We will work together to ensure the public trust and establish a system of transparency, public participation, and collaboration ...Government should be transparent.  Transparency promotes accountability and provides information for citizens about what their Government is doing."

Although President Obama promised transparency in his administration, oodles of complaints and outrage regarding his "muddy transparency record" are running ramped.
  
Can someone please explain to me why this should come as such a surprise! The actions of Barack Obama during his Presidential campaign -- that is, before his election -- revealed his true intent regarding transparency. Everything was locked up tight. Everything! Locked! Tight!

  1. He refused to make his actual birth certificate available to anyone
  2. He refused to make his Soetoro adoption records available to anyone
  3. He refused to make his passport(s) available to anyone
  4. He refused to make his medical records available to anyone
  5. He refused to make his elementary and high school records available to anyone
  6. He refused to make his Occidental college records available to anyone
  7. He refused to make his Columbia college records available to anyone
  8, He refused to make his Columbia college thesis available to anyone
  9. He refused to make his Harvard college records available to anyone
10. He refused to make his Illinois State Senate records available to anyone

Now I get it! Obama has become quite transparent. I can see through him.

#59. God Spoke To Me . . .

Are you surprised when a person declares to you, “God spoke to me and said that . . .” ? I am! We might ask them how they know it was really God speaking to them. Or we may merely snicker, wondering if they are mentally imbalanced. But are you aware that some of the world religions began with just such a statement? Read my story and then respond with a comment.

Mosek told his brother Eron that god spoke to him on the hill. Eron said, “Really? god talked to you on the hill??? Uh, what did he say, brother of mine?”

Mosek said that god was giving our family a farm flowing with cream and sugar. Eron asked, “Really? Where is this farm?”

Mosek said that the farm is owned by our neighbors, Helen and Samuel and their 15 kids, and that we will inherit it. Eron asked, “Really? When are Helen and Samuel and their 15 kids leaving the farm so we can possess it?”

Mosek said that Helen and Samuel and their 15 kids are not leaving the farm, but god said we have to first go kill them and then we can have the farm that god is giving us as our inheritance.

Eron asked, “Really? “Really? Listen here, Mosek! How do you know if it was really god that talked with you on the hill? What did god look like?” Mosek said that it really was god, but he doesn’t know what he looks like because when god appeared to him on the hill, he was masquerading.

Eron asked, “Really? Then how do you know it was really god? Mosek said it really was god because he was masquerading as a Bush!

“Oh!” said Eron, “now I believe that god was really talking to you on the hill! Let’s go kill Helen and Samuel and their 15 kids and we’ll inherit the farm that our god is giving us.”

#58. Parable of the Prodigal Daughter

(I was surprised to find this story in my files. I have no idea how it got there! In chapter 15 of Luke's Gospel you can read the male counterpart as told by Jesus. Obviously, he had intended to tell a tale of the prodigal daughter, but I suppose Jesus misplaced it in my files. Fortunately, I found it and am delighted to share it with you. Enjoy!)

A woman had two beautiful daughters. They lived in a small town in rural Illinois. The older daughter was little Miss Perfect, but the younger daughter was stubborn and as rebellious as all get out. One day the younger daughter had a fight with her mother. She became really angry, yelling at her, "I'm not going to live in this house one more minute!" And she packed up her belongings and took a bus to the very large city far, far away.

But the young girl experienced great challenges in the city. It was not easy to make a go of it. Jobs were few and far between. Besides, she spent all her time partying and wasting away her potential for success. Finally she became so desperate that she decided to let a pimp turn her into a prostitute. Her self-esteem had reached an all-time low. She became so miserable and felt so ashamed.

Finally, you guessed it, she reached her rock bottom and came to her senses. She was thinking about her Mom and sister at home and realized how good and wholesome her life had been there. She exclaimed to herself, "Here I am -- a total loser! I never thought I would say this, but I'm going to return to my home, and I will say: 'Mom, I have let you down. I have totally messed up my life. Can I please come home to stay with you and Sis?'"

And the younger daughter did catch a bus for home. The driver dropped her off just a few blocks from her street. And while she was nearing the house, her Mother saw her coming. She had been watching from the kitchen window. She was filled with loving compassion and ran out into the yard to greet her daughter. And she embraced her and she kissed her. And her daughter exclaimed to her, "Mom! I have let you down. I have totally messed up my life. Can I please come home to stay with you and Sis?"

But her mother said, "Of course, my dear. Your sister will be so excited to see you, Honey. Quick, come in and put on this beautiful dress I made for you. And I want you to put on these pearl earrings that belonged to your grandmother. And, oh! look at these elegant shoes I purchased just for you. We're going to celebrate with a grand party. You are my precious daughter! You were so lost, my dear, but now you have found yourself. Let's celebrate!"

#57. About Chickens and Light Bulbs

Of course, you are quite familiar with the following riddle:

"Why did the chicken cross the road?"

It was first recorded in a New York magazine in 1847. Now I ask you, how many times has this silly riddle been told over the years,? I suggest a conservative guesstimate of 1,000,000 times.

Of course, you are quite familiar with the following riddle, or joke:

"How many _____ does it take to change a light bulb?"

It became popular in the late 1960’s. For over 45 years, people have been filling in the blank with various cultures or religions or occupations, usually to insult them – but in good fun. Now I ask you, how many times has this riddle been told over the years? I suggest a conservative guesstimate of 1,000,000 times.

However, I have never heard of these two riddles being combined together. It might go something like this:

Riddle #1: Why did the chicken cross the road?
Answer #1: Because it was dark outside and therefore necessary for the chicken to cross the road in order to change the light bulb.

Riddle #2: How many chickens does it take to change a light bulb?
Answer #2: I just told you – ONE! But the chicken has been standing 15 minutes on the other side of the road, waiting in the dark for the horrific traffic to die down.

Now it’s your turn. I wonder how long it will take to get to 1,000,000!

#56. Can You Find Yourself?

Who are you? No, I don’t mean, “What is your name!” You are not your name, of course? Can you touch your name? Can you point to your name? NOT!

So, are you your body, then? You can see your body and touch your body – but is your body who you are? You have a body, but you are not … it.

Pretend that you don’t have a body – would you still exist? Try this exercise: Close your eyes so that you can not see your body – now, do you still exist? Go ahead, try it now! I’ll wait. Imagine … no body. Are you still there? Do you still exist? I’m wait …… ing!

If you said yes, you are correct! Now if you are not your body, are you your mind? Is your mind now thinking that you exist as your mind? You do have a mind, but is that who you are? NOT!

Imagine that you have no mind, as well as no body – would you still exist? Close your mind, I mean, “Stop Thinking!” Are you still there, even without … thinking any thoughts? Try this one on for size! I can wait.

If you said ‘Yes!’ then you are right, for you would still be AWARE of your existence. Do you get it, that you exist even without a mind or a body! WOW!

Indeed, you have a mind, but where is your mind? Close your eyes and point to your mind. Go ahead, use your index finger … and point to your mind. Thanx.

Now, if you exist even without a body or a mind, then “What are you?” and “Where are you?” Point to YOU? Yes, do it now. With that same index finger, point to … YOU!

Where did you point? Did you point to the same place as when you pointed to your mind? Did you point to your head? I doubt it!

What did you discover? Are you touchable or untouchable? Are you visible or invisible? Let me know what happened when you tried to find yourself – that is, your true self. Click the comment button and share your experience with me.

I’m waiting …….
.

#55. Blasphemy Against Mother-God

In our Unity churches and centers, we hold that the Essence of God consists of both masculine and feminine qualities, so therefore, we often conclude a prayer with "Thank You, Father-Mother God. Amen". The New Testament refers to the Holy Spirit as "HE" -- not SHE. And Jesus stated that "blasphemy against the Holy Spirit shall not be forgiven". So, have I sinned? Shall I never be forgiven if I acknowledge the feminine side of God in my prayers?

God speaks in Genesis 1 saying, "Let US (the Trinity, of course) create humankind in our image, after our likeness ... male and female, created HE them". Certainly, God is complete in Himself as male (or males). So why on earth would HE create human females upon the earth if, indeed, there are only males in the Godhead: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? Think about it!

God could have made Adam (a male) out of the dust of the earth and then create, out of his body (or with his rib) a child -- which would be a boy. After all, there are only males in heaven (3 to be precise), so only males would need to exist on earth. The planet would continue to be poplulated by males giving birth to their offspring -- you know, boy babies. There is no need whatsoever for females to exist, in heaven, or on the earth. God is fully male, so He would only create human beings that are male.

The truth is, however, there are quite a few females on the planet. Believe me, I have seen them with my own eyes! So, why??? Please, 'splain away this contradiction for me! Thank you, mame!

#54. A Summer Riddle

Can you answer this Paul Harvey RIDDLE? It was presented on his September 6, 1997 broadcast, but was written by Lee Pitts.

Read it carefully. It has been claimed that 80% of the kindergarten kids at a school got the correct answer to this riddle compared to only 17% of Stanford University seniors who got it right. Let me know if you got it right -- or not!

................Here is the Riddle:

...What is greater than God,
.........more evil than the devil,
...............the poor have it,
.....................the rich need it,
...........................and if you eat it, you'll die?














.
.
.
.


Answer: Nothing!

#53. Nine Lives of Osama Bin Laden

[Telegraph, 12/28/2001] Bin Laden's voice was detected regularly until December 14. 2001 by intelligence operatives monitoring radio transmissions in Tora Bora, according to the Pentagon. Since then, nothing has been heard from him.

[FOXNEWS.COM] Usama bin Laden has died a peaceful death due to an untreated lung complication, the Pakistan Observer reported, citing a Taliban leader who allegedly attended the funeral of the Al Qaeda leader. Bin Laden, according to the source, was suffering from a serious lung complication and succumbed to the disease in mid-December, in the vicinity of the Tora Bora mountains. The source claimed that bin Laden was laid to rest honorably in his last abode and his grave was made as per his Wahabi belief.

[KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- October 7, 2002] "I would come to believe that [bin Laden] probably is dead," Afghan President Hamid Karzai said on CNN's ‘Late Edition’.

[FBI: Thursday, 18 July, 2002, UK] The US Federal Bureau of Investigation's counter-terrorism chief, Dale Watson, said "… I personally think he is probably not with us anymore but I have no evidence to support that."

[LONDON, England (CNN) -- October 26, 2002] The editor-in-chief of a London-based Arab news magazine said a purported will it published Saturday was written late last year by Osama bin Laden, and shows "he's dying or he's going to die soon." U.S. intelligence officials say they have the purported will … a four-page document, said to be signed by the leader of the al Qaeda terrorist network and dated December 14, 2001, in Afghanistan. In the document, which was translated for CNN, the writer states: "As for you, my sons, forgive me if I failed to devote more of my time to you since I answered the call to Jihad," the document says. To his wives, the author says, "May God reward you generously. You have been very supportive to me. You recognized right at the start that the path will be paved with land mines and other obstacles."

Professor David Ray Griffin, formerly of California's Claremont School of Theology … wrote a book in 2010 that claimed bin Laden died of kidney-related issues in 2001 while living in the Tora Bora mountains of Afghanistan.

Former CIA case officer Robert Baer said of bin Laden in 2008, "Of course he's dead."

Bashir Qureshi, who lives just a bean field away from where bin Laden was shot and whose windows were blown out in the raid, was dismissive. "Nobody believes it. We've never seen any Arabs around here, he was not here." A number of Abbottabad, residents believe it was a U.S. conspiracy. Some residents doubted not only that bin Laden was dead, but also that he ever lived among them.

[Reuters] A U.S. national security official, who was not named, told Reuters that "'this was a kill operation', making clear there was no desire to try to capture bin Laden alive in Pakistan".

[President Obama] states that his first comment was, “It is him.” No proof. No photo. No body. In other words, take my word for it -- "It is him."

#52. Garbage Dumb Experience

GOD:

"Look Son, I want you to tell all of your followers about the hell-thing."

Jesus:

"OK gang, listen up, I have some good news and some bad news from my Father. If you remain in touch with God, your life on earth will be a heavenly experience. However, if you remain stuck in your arrogance and stay disconnected from God, you are going to end up in the depths of dispair. You shall be in mental anguish and emotional torment all the days of your life. You will think you're going crazy! You will not be able to think clearly. You will be full of fear and turmoil. And you will feel that God is a million miles away and that He does not care about you at all. Most of you will have this hellish experience every time you screw up. So stay in touch with God and experience the good life."

Jesus:

"How did I do, Dad?"

GOD:

"My Son, you are such a dinwit! You know very well that those heathen are going to die and literally be thrown into the Gehena Garbage Pile -- and that they will be there day in and day out forever. They need to know that the land fill is a real place outside of Jerusalem where the fire burns relentlessly to get rid of the terrible stench. You should also have informed them that they will weep a lot, that they will wail a lot, and that they will gnash their teeth a lot -- so they need to remember their dentures. And, oh yeah, you forgot to tell them how excruciatingly hot the fire will be. Really, Son, why do you have to use all those parables anyway? Why didn't you just speak to them the literal truth?"

#51. Put a Face to the Voice!

When I talk to someone on the phone for the first time, I often form a picture in my mind of what they look like. Later, if I meet them in person, they always look completely different from my preconceived image. In over 60 years of conversing on the phone, it has never happened that my image of their facial appearance has turned out to be correct! How can that be?

Do you also imagine what the voice on the other end of the line looks like? Have you ever been accurate -- even once? Why is this?

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then why wouldn't a thousand words be worth a picture? Go figure!

Of course, the same is true if you hear a speaker or a singer on a CD. And then their is radio. I have listened to many talk-show hosts on the radio, but when I see a photo of them -- or see them in person -- they always throw me a curve by looking like someone else! Why don't they play fair? I just don't get it! Maybe that's why they are on the radio -- they have a face made for radio!

What do you think? Give me some help, will you!

#50. You Can Say That Again!

Please read all the way to the bottom. Thanx!



Mr. Simpleton: "I always say 'Redundancy Unnecessary! Keep it simple. No need to repeat!'"

Mr. Ditto: "You can say that again!"

Mr. Simpleton: "I always say 'Redundancy Unnecessary! Keep it simple. No need to repeat!'"

Mr. Ditto: "You can say that again!"

Mr. Simpleton: "I always say 'Redundancy Unnecessary! Keep it simple. No need to repeat!'"

Mr. Ditto: "You can say that again!"

Mr. Simpleton: "I always say 'Redundancy Unnecessary! Keep it simple. No need to repeat!'"

Mr. Ditto: "You can say that again!"

Mr. Simpleton: "I always say 'Redundancy Unnecessary! Keep it simple. No need to repeat!'"

Mr. Ditto: "You can say that again!"

Mr. Simpleton: "I always say 'Redundancy Unnecessary! Keep it simple. No need to repeat!'"

Mr. Ditto: "You can say that again!"

Mr. Simpleton: "I always say 'Redundancy Unnecessary! Keep it simple. No need to repeat!'"

Mr. Ditto: "You can say that again!"

Mr. Simpleton: "I always say 'Redundancy Unnecessary! Keep it simple. No need to repeat!'"

Mr. Ditto: "You can say that again!"

Hey, did you read all of the 'back and forths' above -- or did you stop half-way through and then come down here just to read the Grande Finale???

#49. Reinterpreting John 3:16

"And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.

For God so loved the world that He His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

The quote in blue is the most cherished verse in the New Testament: John 3:16. Jesus is addressing the question of why God sent Him to the earth. Christians interpret this statement to mean that God sent Jesus to sacrifice His life upon the cross in order for mankind to be saved from their sins and be welcomed into heaven when they die. But is that what Jesus is speaking of? Is it? I wonder!

There is absolutely nothing in the entire chapter about crucifixion, about sacrifice, about ransom, about death. Notice the word gave (in red). This word suggests to the Christian mind the idea of 'giving Jesus over to the Romans to be crucified'. But if the word 'sent' was used -- rather than the word 'gave' -- a completely different connotation would appear. Read John 3:16 again that way see what you think.

Now, the preceding verse (in green) is a reference to chapter 21 of Numbers in the Old Testament. The serpent is not being crucified or killed, but 'gazed' upon. God had instructed Moses to create a bronze serpent and place it up high so that anyone bitten by one of the many snakes in the wilderness would focus on the image and not die from the venom!

"So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked (gazed) at the bronze serpent, he lived."

The Greek word for 'lifted up' is hupsoo and means "to lift up on high, to exalt". In John 12:32, Jesus uses the same word, stating these words: "And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself."

Oh, yes! God so loved all of His children that he sent Jesus to our planet that He might be honored and exalted -- that He might be lifted up as the ideal, the model, the example, the mentor for us all. Oh yeah, I forgot to include: "The Savior"!

#48. Son of the Great Leaf

The Divine Child of the Great Leaf spoke these words of Wisdom and Truth to all the leaves of the Treedom:

"The time is fulfilled, for the autumn season is now upon us. And though I must leave you, I shall prepare a place for you, that where I am, there you may be also. Fear not, little leaves -- let not your hearts be troubled. For in due season, in the springtime of the new year, I shall return to the Treedom with new life. And what I do, you shall do likewise ... and we shall resurrect with new life in the Treedom of the Great Leaf."

If you are a student of the Gospels in the New Testament, this above rendition may sound familiar. A few verses below should refresh your memory. What think ye? Any hope for the leaves of the Treedom?

* Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the
kingdom of God unless he is born again." -- John 3:3

* “Let not your heart be troubled … I go to prepare a place
for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” -- John 14:1-3

* "I tell you the truth, all the things that I do, you shall do also..." -- John 14:12

* "Then Jesus told them, '... after I am risen again' " -- Matthew 26:32

* "Jesus saith unto her, 'Thy brother shall rise again.' " -- John 11:23

* "And Jesus answering said unto them... 'for they are ... the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.' " -- Luke 20:36

Question: Are you a leaf that believes in teachings about reincarnation and/or the resurrection? Or are you a leaf that shall fall the ground and die once for all eternity?

#47. Leave A Message, Please

"To leave a voice message, press one, or just wait for the tone. To send a numeric page, press two now . . . . . . . . At the tone, please record your voice message. When you are finished recording, you may hang up, or press pound for more options." (Beep)

How many times have you heard voicemail instructions similar to those above? Why do cell phone companies have such a ridiculous series of directions for leaving a message after the beep? Are we that ignorant? confused? forgetful? Hardly!

It's the Mandatory 15-Second Voicemail Instructions. Why is it mandatory, I ask? Apparently, there are multi-millions of extra dollars to be "earned" each year because of those extra 15 seconds of "use". Oh! Now I see why it is mandatory!

To leave a written comment, press one, or just wait for the weather report. To send me a compliment, press two now . . . . . If you don't hear a tone, please record your written note anyway. When you are finished typing, you may hang out for a while just reading other think-pieces, or pound on the monitor to see if anyone is in there to give you more options!

P.S. -- There is absolutely no extra charge for these instructions. I am simply here to assist you. Have a fantastic day!

#46. Who is the Thinker?

It is natural for people to think. But what exactly is ... thinking?

Science tells us that thinking is achieved through the activity of the brain; that we use only 1/10th of our brain potential; that the brain functions as a phenomenal computer with zillions of gigabytes of RAM (I made that part up with my brain); that signals for hormonal secretions are sent to the proper glandular authorities to create emotional charges in the body at a moment's notice; that memory is stored in the brain for future recall; that the brain . . . and on and on and on it goes.

But is there a "thinker" behind our "thoughts"? Is there a non-physical YOU that is independent of the human brain . . . and body? Can this thinker therefore choose to creatively use the brain to think and produce solutions to your problems?

If you respond with a comment (and I hope you will), is your brain telling you what to write . . . or is it coming from the non-physical, non-human YOU?

#45. Jesus Had a Sense of Humor

Dare I ask? "Was Jesus a standup comic?" The Gospels paint a portrait of Jesus as over-flowing with humor and wit, full of irony and satire, and over the edge with mocking exaggerations. Can you just picture in your mind’s eye the cartoon caricatures Jesus created, such as the “blind leading the blind and both falling into the ditch”! Or how about “straining out a gnat, but swallowing a camel”? Or better still, consider “having a log in your eye while trying to remove a splinter from another’s eye”. Do you see his humor?

Jesus told Peter that one should forgive a friend -- not seven times -- but 70 times 7 (ie, 490 times). To his followers, he posed the following question: “With all your worrying, which of you can add 18 inches to your height?” To the religious leaders, Jesus stated, “You are so careful to polish the outside of the bowl, but the inside is foul with extortion and greed.” And that is just the beginning. There is much, much more in your Bible.

Lots of religious humor has been created about Jesus. Do you suppose he would be offended by it? I think not. My own cartoon caricature is of Jesus returning to the earth, saying to his fellow-Christians, “I said WHAT???”

Here is one of my favorite jokes:

A Jewish Rabbi congratulated a newly ordained Catholic Priest. The former said to the Priest, "By the way, can you work your way up the ladder?" The priest stated that indeed some priests do become Bishops. “How about Bishops – can they advance?” continued the Rabbi. The priest was taken back, but added that a few can advance to become Archbishops. The Rabbi was relentless: “And beyond that?” The poor priest was shaking, but uttered that the Pope would be the highest honor. The Rabbi asked, “Is that all?” The Priest blurted out defensively, “What in the world do you expect -- that the Pope could someday become God?

The Rabbi concluded, “Well, sure! One of our guys made it!”

Now it's your turn . . .

#44. Memorial Day Next Year

We have just made it through the Memorial Day weekend, commemorating the deaths during the Iraqi war of somewhere between "estimates" of 100,000 (on the low end) and 1 million (on the high end). But if we don't even know how many have died, do we really care that they have paid the ultimate sacrifice?

Imagine what it would feel like next year on "Memorial Day" if there were no deaths to commemorate? No soldiers dying. No soldiers fighting. What if the U.S. decided to stop playing war? Is it possible? Let's ask Mahatma Gandhi! Let's ask Martin Luther King, Jr. Let's ask the Master Jesus.

Each of them taught and demonstrated to our world how to overcome the evils of the world through the principle of non-violence . . . and all three were assasinated . . . and probably, not remembered on Memorial Day.

Albert Einstein stated about Gandhi, "Generations to come will scarcely believe that such a one as this walked the earth in flesh and blood."

#43. Jesus, Dalai Lama, & YOU

What do you know about the Dalai Lama? According to Tibetan Buddhist tradition, the Dalai Lama is an enlightened spiritual being who chooses to come to the earth again and again to serve humanity. So, after he dies, it is believed that he will return to the earth in a new baby's body.

If a monk has a dream or vision that he has been reborn, the senior Buddhist monks will begin searching for the youngster. The monks then present such a boy with possessions (including toys) of the previous Dalai Lama to determine whether the boy is familiar with them.

It is believed to be proof that the child is the reincarnation if he chooses the items that belonged to the previous Lama. In 1937, at the age of two, the present 14th Dalai Lama was recognized as the reincarnation of the 13th Dalai Lama.

Is Jesus also an advance spiritual being, who chose to come to the earth to serve humanity?

"(Jesus) has come from heaven” - John 3:31
“(Jesus) was taken up to heaven” - Mark 16:19

These two Bible verses point to the beginning and ending of the life of Jesus. It implies that he pre-existed before his birth and that he continued to exist after his death.

In the western world, most people do believe the soul lives on after death, but that the soul is not created until conception (or at birth). But if one person – Jesus – lived in the spirit world before birth and returned to the spirit world after death, then WHY would this not be true of us all?

OK, Jesus was called the Son of God. But is not every soul a child of God? Does not each have a spark of divinity? If we can live for eternity after death, what prevents us from pre-existing our birth? Is it possible we all have come from the spiritual realm ... and shall return ... again and again and again? Would you recognize your toys?

#42. Does The Soul Survive Death?

As we are very soon approaching Easter, let's consider these questions. Please respond and give me your 5 answers.

I wonder how Jesus would answer these questions? If he has a computer, maybe he will let us know.

1. Do you believe there is no afterlife?
(ie: the soul dies when the body dies)

2. Do you believe in life after death ?
(ie: the soul lives on after the death of the body)

3. Do you believe in life before birth ?
(ie: the soul pre-existed before birth into a body)

4. Do you believe in Resurrection ?
(ie: the soul returns to life in the same body)

5. Do you believe in Reincarnation ?
(ie: the soul returns to life in a different body)

#41. Christy, the Office Receptionist

Some Christians believe that Christianity is the only true religion. As proof, they quote Jesus saying, "I am the way … no one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6 ISV). In other words, Jesus is the only way to God and therefore, the only way to get into heaven when a person dies.

So how could Jesus Christ be the only way to the Father? Maybe Jesus is his Father's body-guard. NO! NO! NO! he didn’t even carry a sword!

OK, then, maybe Jesus is the Father’s personal receptionist. Christ alone decides whether or not a person can enter his Father’s office (heaven).

Joseph prays to G*d. The phone is ringing: "Hello, this is Heaven's Prayer-line."
"Is this Yahweh's Kingdom?" Joe asks.
"Yes it is. My name is Christy. May I help you?"
"Yes, I am Joseph and I want to see Yahweh face to face."
"OK, but the only way is to go through me. Now your name is Joseph, and what is your religion?" "Jewish! I am one of His chosen people!"
"OK, you're scheduled in the calendar. See you when you die."

Mohammed prays to Allah. The phone is ringing: "Hello, this is Heaven's Prayer-line."
"Is this Allah's Kingdom?" Mohammed asks.
"Yes it is. My name is Christy. May I help you?"
"Yes, I am Mohammed and I want to meet with Allah about my virgins."
"OK, but the only way is to go through me. Now your name is Mohammed, and what is your religion?"
"Islam! You don't think I'm an infidel, do you!"
"OK, you're scheduled in the calendar. See you when you die."

Mary prays to Jesus. The phone is ringing: "Hello, this is Heaven's Prayer-line."
"Is this the Kingdom of God?" Mary asks.
"Yes it is. My name is Christy. May I help you?"
"Yes, I am Mary and I want to see my beloved Lord."
"OK, but the only way is to go through me. Now your name is Mary, and what is your religion?"
"Christian! And I'm born again!"
"OK, you're scheduled in the calendar. See you when you die."