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         An Interview with   
                 The Devil

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Chapter Eight

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Did God 
Change the Rules

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This book is actually an interview with an Angel of Light whose mission is to expose "The Dark Side"  for what it is.   He/She shines the God-Light of Love, Inclusion, and Oneness into the pit of illusion, separation, darkness, anger, and fear.     F.A.Questions° 

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An Interview 
with

 

      .  .

The
 Golden Rule:

He who
 owns the
 Gold rules
!

" The Devil " 

   by R.Robin Cote'

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Chapter Eight             Did God Change the Rules?

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T.L.C.   As I recall from studying history that prior to about 1870, the Roman Catholic Church taught it’s believers that an independent life began three months after conception.   Is that true?

Big D   Yes!   If you research Roman Catholic history, that’s what you’ll find.   You’ll also find that it was OK during the first three months of pregnancy to use herbal concoctions to induce menstruation.   They didn't call it abortion.    They called it "induction of the menses."  

T.L.C.   Calling abortion by another name does not change the fact of what is happening.   

Big D   Of course it doesn’t, but you got to remember the mindless followers of the faith don’t question their leaders, and very few of them have studied Catholic history regarding abortion.   

T.L.C.   So you are telling me that for about 1700 years the Roman Catholic Church condoned first trimester abortions. ***ps-8-1     

Big D   Yup!   Well...   Actually, I’m not telling you that.   I’m simply pointing the historical truth, the evidence, which allows any thinking person to come to exactly the conclusion that you just made:  “For about 1700 years the Roman Catholic Church condoned first trimester abortions.” 

T.L.C.   So how did they get from there to the present conception magic act story? ***ps-8-2   There is no Biblical basis for there anti-choice position.    Did God Changed his mind.   

Big D   Apparently.   Either that or those who control the Christian hierarchy changed their minds.

T.L.C.   Aren’t the universal principle true at all times and in all places?

Big D   Yes.

T.L.C.   Well, according to the fundamental Christianity, God Creates a Brand new human at EVERY conception.   That sounds to me rather like a universal principle.   It sounds like something that is not changeable, so prior to about 1870, when did God do his instantaneous, supernatural, transcendental magic?  

Big D   You’ll have to ask the Pope about that one.

T.L.C.   Are there any other universal principle that have ever changed?

Big D   None that I’m aware of.

T.L.C.   Has the law of gravity ever changed?

Big D   No.

T.L.C.   Then how did this universal principle get changed?

Big D   Here’s the three possibilities, 1) Either the conception creation story being peddled by the fundamentalist Christians today is just someone’s personal belief and not a universal principle, or 2) God was lying prior to 1870, or 3) God is lying to us now.

T.L.C.   How can God be a liar?   That doesn’t make any sense.

Big D   Then what does the evidence tell you?

T.L.C.   That the fundamentalist, anti-choice Christians are denying church history, denying their own Bible  ***ps-8-2^  and peddling a fairy tail about when life begins.

Big D   Stoney, you’re talking logic and reason.   Talking about such concepts is simply not part of the ultra-conservative  leader’s strategy.   Covering them up is!

T.L.C.   Are you saying that instead of facing the truth the fundamentalist Christian, anti-choice leaders are telling the lay members of the church to take grandiose leaps of faith and skip right over huge canyons of logic and reason. 

Big D   Again, I say, what does the evidence tell you?  

T.L.C.   That denial is not a river in Egypt.   Isn’t ignoring the truth just another way of peddling deception?   Isn’t it a lie by omission?  

Big D   Anything designed to give a false impression to people by intentionally providing them with only a portion of the truth is a lie of omission.***ps-8-3

T.L.C.   Part of their belief system is that humans are their physical bodies.   Are you saying this is not true?   

Big D   Look at the evidence and draw your own conclusions.   Regarding humans being and their physical bodies, here’s a couple of things you might also like to know. 

            First, all the cells in every living human body replace themselves on a regular basis.   In some human organs, such as the liver, the cells completely replace themselves in a matter of a only few weeks, so the clothes you are wearing today will be the same if you put them on again a year from now, but most of the body inside those clothes will be completely different.  

         Second, sub-atomic physicists are now saying that there is no such thing as physical matter;  everything we see as physical is made up of energy.   So Stoney, wrap your mind around these two facts and then tell me what conclusions seem logical, reasonable and believable?

T.L.C.   That humans are not their physical bodies. 

Big D   Amen!

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T.L.C.   Then, when do we rightly accord human rights to the new life?   If the forced motherhood leaders don’t have the answer, then who does? 

Big D   Would you like the answer medically, legally, philosophically, or on a theological basis?   Should the level of fetal physical development be considered?   What about viability?  or self-sufficiency?  or the needs of the pregnant woman?  or her health?  or the health of the developing embryo? 

            What about social and environmental considerations?   For example, should we consider the fact that the Earth is already seriously over populated and that simply by their excessive numbers, human beings are rapidly and irreversible destroying our environment and generating a mass extinction of species on this planet that has not been seen since the demise of the dinosaurs?  

            The present human social, political, economic, and environmental practices are not sustainable.   If you as humans do not take some drastic actions to limit population growth and take those actions quickly, your revered Sacred Mother Earth will revolt and most of human kind will find itself being evicted.   This brings up a long list of population-related questions that are yet to be addressed.***ps-8-4   

T.L.C.    Ahhh . . .  

Big D   You’ll also need to consider dozens of ethical and religious questions before you decide on an answer.   We’ll talk about those later.***ps-8-5  

T.L.C.   Whew! This is far more complicated than I ever imagined.

Big D   We’ve hardly even begun.   Your collective human society must provide an arbitrary answer to this question:

At what point in the endless, cyclical process of life are individual human rights applicable to newly developing, potential human beings?   When do you, as a society, choose to grant a developing human, life form the status of personhood, the status of a separate, sovereign, individual human being and accord him or her full human rights? 

If the collective decision is anytime prior to first breath, the government must then use intimidation, threats of violence, or actual physical force to coerce unwilling people to practice a religious beliefs declared by government-decree to be the only true and correct way to live.   The other alternative is to leave people alone to provide their own answers.  

T.L.C.   Considering the limited human resources and the path of self destruction humans are now traveling on at a rapid run, forcing unwilling women to bear unwanted children seems like a rather unwise thing to do, as does wasting precious talent and resources on this argument. 

            With so many humans suffering and dying all over the planet, why are the ultra-conservative Christian leaders so intensely focused so on this one specific, highly controversial approach to saving lives?   Aren’t there numerous other ways they could more compassionately save the lives of babies?

Big D   Far more ways than present resources can accommodate. 

T.L.C.   Then why squander those resources holding back the waves of freedom and spiritual consciousness that are sweeping the planet? 

Big D   One answer is that their stand for forced motherhood is just one piece of their grandiose plan to take over the government and create a Christian Theocracy in America.***ps-8-5a  

T.L.C.   They claim to know how God works even when He tells them they can’t possibly know.***ps-8-6   They ignore Genesis 2:7. ***ps-8-7   They fly in the face of the Supreme Court, deny the religious beliefs of literally billions of their fellow humans, and they do this so they can create a Christian theocracy in the United States.   Are you sure you aren’t conning me?   This can’t be real!

Big D   Well, Jerry Falwell thinks that’s real.   Here’s one of his statements on the topic:

The idea that religion and politics don’t mix was invented by the devil to keep Christians from running their own country.***ps-8-8 

T.L.C.   And for the entire 26 years of my life, I’ve been under the illusion that this country belonged to all of us.   

Big D   Well Jerry Falwell thinks America belong to the Christians.   

T.L.C.   I wonder if the Christians Falwell is referring to are the same Christians that kidnapped  and made slaves our of about three million Africans.  

Big D   And  the same Christians who instituted mass genocide of Native Americans using, among other weapons, biological warfare by giving the people on their to-be-murdered  list  disease infested blankets.   

T.L.C.   And the same Christians that literally stole the entire continental USA from the indigenous people who, collectively, already owned it.   Perhaps Christians might want to back off that claim that it's their country.   

Big D   Or accept the responsibility for what "the country" has done under their Christian leadership and then make amends for their crimes.   

T.L.C.   It's also common practice to return stolen property to its rightful owners.  

Big D   Now who's being the clown?

T.L.C.   What about the rapture?  Is that story real?***ps-8-8a  

Big D   NO!  It's still another Fundamentalist Christian Fairytale.   The evidence, outside of the picture painted by conservative Christian leaders, points to the conclusion that it's actually nothing more than a heavily distorted interpretation of several significantly separated Christian Bible passages.   

T.L.C.   Then what's the draw to it?   Why are they selling it to their followers? 

Big D   With the word selling,  you just answered your own question.   They are selling it because it's also a huge, money-making, belief-altering drug.     Some fundamentalist Christian leaders are using it to pump their egos and to rake in large amounts of money.   What those leaders fail to mention to their followers is that the immanent-end-of-the-world story has been around for about nineteen hundred years.   

T.L.C.   So why are the People buying it?

Big D   Because it's a highly emotional, belief-bending story that easily sways the mindless followers  who are looking for an easy escape hatch from their confusing and insecure lives in a very chaotic, rapidly changing world.  

T.L.C.   What are the consequences of peddling this story?

Big D   As a result of this story, Christian leaders are responsible for amplifying the severity of  already existing problems such as war, poverty, environmental destruction, pollution, massive species extinction, etc.

T.L.C.   Are you suggesting we do away with Christianity?    

Big D   No, certainly not!   It's not about destroying anything.  It's about expanding Christianity by waking up to the truth and actually following the teachings of Jesus.   

T.L.C.   Are you saying it's time for moderate and open-minded Christians to take back Christianity?    

Big D   Precisely,  and the way to start is with is looking for the truth.      

T.L.C.   Please offer an example of the truth?    

Big D   I've already given you dozens of examples.

T.L.C.   Ok, then distinguish between religion as the ultra-conservative Christians are viewing it and how you would suggest we approach God. 

Big D   Good Question Stoney.  Now we are moving up out of the gutter and into the light.   Let's you look for a moment at the distinctions between religion as the ultra-conservative Christians leaders are expressing it and spiritual consciousness found quite easily among those who believe in God but have rejected the beliefs put forth by the Christian religious organizations.    

-   Religion teaches you what to think. 

*      Spirituality teaches you how to think. 

-      Religion asks you to trust someone else. 

*      Spirituality invites you to trust yourself.  

-      Religion teaches you to follow what others have done. 

*      Spirituality invites you to follow your own heart.

-      Religion teaches never to question authority.

*      Spirituality teaches you to question everything.

-      Religion conforms to the letter of established law.   

*      Spirituality is guided by the spirit of the human heart.  

-     Religions teach that you can connect to God only by joining their church        and  by following their church rules — rules defined and laid down by the church elders.   

*     Spirituality acknowledges that every human being has his or her  own direct connection to God by way of the God-Self within.   

-     Religion teaches that personal behavior is dictated by church rules.

*     Spirituality teaches that personal behavior is a function of knowing  in your own heart what’s right and wrong and then following your own  inner guidance. 

-     Religion teaches that heaven is a place somewhere above the clouds.  

*     Spirituality teaches that heaven is a state of being. 

And spirituality is in perfect harmony with the words of Saint Paul written in the Christian Bible, Galatians 2:21 —“… if righteousness comes by rule of law, then Christ died in vain.”  

Is that enough, or do I need to go on? ***ps-8-9

T.L.C.   That’s more than enough, but you mentioned only the good points.   What’s wrong with spirituality?  What’s wrong with experiencing life and then coming to your own conclusions? 

Big D   Nothing really, but from the perspective of the establishment’s religious leaders, spiritual thinking creates two major problems.   First, if you think for yourself, you’re likely to come to conclusions that differ from the established status quo, and, second, if you can find God on your own what need have you for the church elders?     

T.L.C.   Is that  why the ultra-conservative Christians leaders are  ignoring the truth and defying their own God? 

Big D   They’re ignoring the truth, but they’re not actually defying their own God.  

T.L.C.   What?   A few minutes ago, you said they were!

Big D   No, I didn’t.   That’s the conclusion you came to on your own by looking at the now visible evidence.  

T.L.C.   You’re right, you didn’t. Sorry.  

Big D   Ahh, an apology!   Boy, we really are making progress, but that’s not the point here.   Can you see how easily you went from the physical evidence to your own conclusion about the physical evidence and then thought they were one and the same?   

T.L.C.   Yes. 

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The Story Continues in Chapter Nine`    

Interview with The Devil  --  Table of Contents`   

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Chapter References       

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***ps-8-1         http://www.libchrist.com/other/abortion/catholic.html°

***ps-8-2        God's Conception Magic Act:
http://www.choice101.com/17-conception-magic.html°
Also see: Chapter   6°   ---   Life Begins When ???°   

***ps-8-3        The Biggest Lie About Lies:
http://www.choice101.com/19-lies.html°

***ps-8-4        As a society, how shall we determine who has the right to produce children in a world of diminishing resources? — the wealthy? — the physically fit? — the beautiful? — the intelligent? — the educated? — the racially correct? — those in positions of power?  

If we do not develop and accept a voluntary global standard of family planning, family planning will be hoisted upon us either by a drastic reaction from our rapidly changing global environment,  (i.e. the death by disease, disaster or war of literally billions of humans) or by the tyrannical implementation of parenting restrictions by fascist governments such as what is presently occurring in China where draconian measures foster a desensitized disregard for human rights.) 

We need to publicly ask and answer such questions as: 

*     Can we allow the human population to continue to grow? 

*     What is a sustainable human population level?   How do we reach that level?   

*     What are the most desirable ways to insure the survival of the species?  

*     What are the most desirable qualities in a human being that will offer the greatest chance for the survival of the species?   

*     What are the most equitable and fair ways to reduce the number of human births?  

***ps-8-5        See:   An interview with the Devil   ---  Part 4  ---  Ending the Abortion War  ---  An Analysis  Of  A  Possible  Resolution,  ---   Section 115  --- Step Five — Define and Clarify the Issue    Twenty-seven of the most obvious universal questions   ---Twenty-three questions related to abortion.

***ps-8-5a      Creating  a Christian Theocracy in  America      http://www.pro-truth.net/72-creating-christian-america.html° 

***ps-8-6        Ecclesiastes 11:5
http://www.pro-truth.net/30b-bible-psgs.html#Ecclesiastes11:5,RSV°

***ps-8-7        Genesis 2:7
http://www.pro-truth.net/30b-bible-psgs.html#Genesis2:7°

***ps-8-8        This quote was reported in an article on page 8 of the May 1988 issue of the Whole Life Times.   

***ps-8-8a    The Rapture      
 
http://www.lifecoach4vip.com/trp80r-rapture.html° 

***ps-8-9        Religion Versus Spirituality:
http://www.lifecoach4vip.com/trp72d-religion-versus-spirituality.html
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