It may come as an unpleasant surprise to some of us how little today's religion compares with true religion, the religion of total selflessness demonstrated by Jesus, even as a boy. I think this is one of the most important principles of primitive godliness.

What do church services accomplish these days? Have they become plays with actors just like the Temple services in Jesus' day? What good does singing the same songs or going over the same SS lesson, or sitting in the same pew do, year after year after year after year? Not that I'm being critical or complaining. Just wondering. I have the power to change it, in my little corner, if I could just wake up and do it.

I also think we need to get beyond mysticism and magic and face the reality that God and Jesus and the angels are all extraterrestrials who came to this world and colonized it with life they made on location. They didn't travel across space on clouds, either. I strongly belive that the First Angel's Message is somehow connected to this idea. This is the concept that has energized me and re-awakened me to spiritual pursuits.

Human concepts of "heaven", the New Jerusalem, that is, are so lame. You've seen the paintings. Reality check: The NJ is a more or less a cube, 1600 miles in 3 dimensions. That's 2/3 the volume of Earth's moon. I did the math.

Question:

If something travels across space, from distant stars or galaxies, what is it called?

Answer:

A starship or spacecraft.

NJ is also a city.

Isn't NJ a starship city?




I had the strangest dream around Christmas time. I dreamed that I loved everyone on the entire planet, even terrorists and other murderers. Unfortunately, it lasted for only 2 seconds. It was the best I could do.


BTW, Nicodema, in my lost email to you I also mentioned the virus of evil corrupting the hard drives of our minds. Evil is like a weird Frankensteinian combination of biological virus and computer virus, affecting both our bodies and our minds.

My writing style is usually a simple narrative in the active voice with quotes to liven things up:

Early Conflicts

As Yeh-shuah grew older, he carefully examined the religious practices of the day, comparing them with the Ancient Writings. “The Faris-Ahyos have rules and regulations for everything,” he thought, “down to the smallest details of life, but their ceremonies have no value, and they can find no peace in their services. If only they could know the freedom of Spirit that comes by serving Elo-heem in truth.” Ignoring their rituals and traditions, he acted independently, using only the Ancient Writings as his guide.

“This one’s going to be easy to straighten out,” the local Faris-Ahyos all thought when they first encountered Yeh-shuah. “He’s such a gentle, unobtrusive boy.” When they found themselves unable to change his thinking, they ordered, “You must follow the traditions of the elders!”
His response was always, “Where are your traditions found in the Ancient Writings?”

Yeh-shuah seemed to know the Ancient Writings from beginning to end, and the Faris-Ahyos were ashamed to be instructed by a child. “We’re the teachers,” they fumed, “and you’re the student!” They were angry because they knew their traditions did not come from the Ancient Writings, angry that Yeh-shuah was far ahead of them in spiritual understanding, and angry that he did not obey their orders. They went to Yosafe and Maria to complain.

“He is a good boy,” Yosafe said as he threw his hands into the air, “but he does only what he thinks is right according to the Ancient Writings. It is useless to try to force him to do anything against his principles.”

Later, Yeh-shuah’s brothers told him, “You are so stubborn! Everything that you do is according to the Sacred Writings, yet you refuse to follow the sacred traditions!” They sided with the religious teachers. “The traditions must be obeyed as if they came from Elo-heem,” they said. “So why do you keep saying, ‘It is written… It is written… It is written…’ every time we tell you to follow the traditions? Do you think you are our teacher?”

Still, Yeh-shuah continued to ignore the traditions of men and obeyed the laws of Elo-heem. “The Faris-Ahyos have surrounded their religion with a high fence of exclusion,” he thought. The Faris-Ahyos religion was self-centered and unforgiving, making them far from being like Elo-heem. “They pay their tithes down to the smallest fraction, yet they do not know Elo-heem.” Stung by his refusal to cooperate, the Faris-Ahyos tried to force him to obey their regulations by going to his parents again.

Refusing again to comply with the Faris-Ahyos' demands, Yeh-shuah continued to help everyone within his power to help, demonstrating an everyday religion of love and kindness and unselfishness. He had little money to give, but often gave up his own food to someone more needy than himself, or offered a cup of cool water to the thirsty. When his Faris-Ahyos-trained brothers were mean to some poor, disabled, homeless person, Yeh-shuah later found that person and offered words of encouragement.

Because Yeh-shuah hated evil, he met much opposition.

“There goes that goody-goody Yeh-shuah!” someone would sneer as he walked by. “Why don’t you just get mad and fight like a real man, you little coward!”

“Hey, Yeh-shuah, who’s your daddy? someone else taunted. “Everyone knows Yosafe isn’t your real father, because you’re the son of a slut! Haw, Haw, Haw!”

“That Yeh-shuah is so stupid, he’ll do anything if he thinks he’s helping someone,” another said. “He’ll even do your work for you if you run off and play, just so he can be a do-gooder.”

Yeh-shuah never got angry when taken advantage of, though, and never complained or retaliated when insulted. “Why do you allow yourself to be treated so badly,” many asked, “even from your own brothers?”

Yeh-shuah answered them from the Ancient Writings, “If you remember my law and keep my commandments, you will have a long, peaceful life, and you will find favor with Elo-heem and man.”

“Ever since we took him to the Temple,” Maria said one day, “he’s been a different boy. Every chance he gets, he runs off into the fields or valleys or mountainsides or forests to meditate. Sometimes he even takes off before sunrise. He always comes back to do his fair share of work, and more, though.”

Maria saw the mistreatment Yeh-shuah received at the hands of the unkind, and it always caused her pain. Even she got into trouble, sometimes, trying to protect or defend him, though she usually encouraged him to follow the traditions of the Faris-Ahyos.

Yeh-shuah was destined to be a healer of body and spirit, yet, he walked alone. Even as a boy, he alone carried the responsibility of saving the human race. If he failed to change the course of history, his mission on earth would end in failure. Unless humanity changed its direction, all would be lost. To accomplish this, he did not seek high positions or assume any titles, but with superhuman intensity of purpose, he aimed to bring Light back into a Dark World. GT © 1985



Anyway, this is my typical style. I actually wrote a little book back in '85 using DA as my main source, kind of like the guy at the beginning of this forum.

What do you want to write about, Nicodema?

"aliensanctuary", how are you in general with characterisation? This is my weak point. I am in general told I am a good writer, but my forté is essay and editorial style writing, not fiction, because I have a hard time making my characters "round" and true and tend to rely too much on dialogue to carry the story. Those are my weak points: weak on characterisation, too much dependence on dialogue.

This is because I essentially live in a "virtual" existence myself and have done so for many years (unawares) -- meaning I tend to inhabit the space in my mind more readily than that of the real 3-D world around me, and when I do view the 3-D world I often cannot see the trees for the forest. (No that isn't a typo.) I see the larger picture but miss the detail too much.

Anyway enough about my weaknesses. My strengths are, obviously, good dialogue, rich conceptualizations, a keen mind for coming up with key scenes in the story, key points to keep the flow going. What I need help with is some of the concretization and fleshing out. To use your example above, I could write the source material and you could write the embellishment, or we could just work back and forth till we develop a style and flow comfortable to us both. I'd rather have it more open ended than pinned down, at least at first, till we see what works best for us both.

And of course any profits realized, if it got to that point, would be a straight 50-50 split. I haven't thought that far ahead though, really, but that's what seems right to me. All I know is I saw this thing, I felt I should write it, I put it before the Lord, felt a strong impression He would send someone, and the next day, there you were. Doesn't sound like coincidence to me at all. Especially considering I never dreamed you would outline the major key points of the project itself exactly as I'd perceived them.

Nicodema,

Check your PM. Will write soon.