FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did you stop posting on this site?

I stopped posting because I lost faith in my fellow citizens, and it then seemed so hopeless it was heart breaking.

The U.S. is clearly beyond the point of no return on the slippery slope to has-been status. And within the next 50 years, world history will contain the story of the decline and fall of the United States Of America.

I have searched diligently for a way to avoid this disaster, and the answer I received was always the same:

"You are only The Speaker for Life's Message. As such, you are authorized to speak loudly in my voice, but it is not within your power to alter the predictable consequences of human behavior. If you must tell them something, tell them these truths. There are none so blind as those who will not see. There are none so deaf as those who will not hear. And God will not save you from the foreseeable consequences of your own behavior."

Do you really believe there is an indisputable model or example of anything?

Actually, I do believe there is. And I believe it deals with the right manner of conducting oneself.

Indisputable means different things in different situations. In science, it can mean an assertion has been verified many times by independent investigators, and there is no known exception -- i.e. indisputable because of scientific verifiability. In Roman Catholicism, the Pope is infallible on matters of church doctrine, and indisputable means that any Roman Catholic who argues with it faces the possibility of ex-communication and an eternity in hell -- i.e. indisputable due to possible consequences. The definition of a crime is indisputable during the trial of anyone accused of that crime -- i.e. indisputable by reasons of legal impermissibility.

Morality deals with the correct manner of conducting oneself in relation to the rest of humanity, and every culture has its own value judgments and goals. For Life's Message, indisputable means that a majority of the men and women of reason who have read this site agree that Life's Message would, if widely adopted, significantly improve the quality of life for everyone. There are, of course, still many more people who have never heard of this site than have, and some of those who have can't rightly be considered to be men or women of reason, but readership is growing. (see FAQ posted 08/06/03 for definition of men and women of reason)

The ancient religions are poor sources for indisputable models or examples for 21st century morality. They are at the core tribal, i.e. a set of rules for establishing and maintaining a beneficial relationship between a small pre-industrial tribe and a supernatural entity. They were defined and differentiated by beliefs and practices which were formulated as taboos, and taboos were very powerful behavioral control mechanisms for small homogeneous groups. Today, we try to recapture the power and magic through creeds -- brief authoritative statements of the beliefs -- and through rituals -- stylized acts that symbolically represent and reinforce basic tenets of the religion -- but it doesn't really work as a bases for 21st century morality.

Beneficial relationships between humans and the supernatural entity always involved a contract defining a quid pro quo agreement. The descendants of Abraham promised a very powerful god unquestioning obedience to his rules in exchange for his protection. Christians promise God to believe that Jesus is His son and did what the Bible says he did in exchange for a ticket to heaven after they die.

The key point is, tribal religions are primarily about the contract and not about morals and morality as we define and use the words today; some required the sacrifice of human beings in order to gain the benefits. The religion of Moses required the killing of prostitutes, brides who were not virgins, and blasphemers. It also required genocide and permitted slavery. It required the sacrifice of animals and strict dietary controls. It forbid murdering, stealing from, or bearing false witness against relatives, but it was OK to do these things to other people. None of this is moral as we define and use the word today.

The organization we call Christianity is, in reality, a collection of 60+ denominations which recognize Jesus as the Christ. Each of these has its own nonnegotiable notion of its contract with God, and this makes them unique, incompatible, and mutually exclusive, i.e. separate and distinct religions. Therefore, Christianity can't supply an indisputable model or example of the right manner of conducting oneself. Even if it could speak with one voice, it would talk of getting into heaven after death, not about morality in this life.

Life's Message represents a new relationship with God, and it's new in the sense that it's not based on a contract with God. God guarantees the Immutable Universal Laws, and human civilization as we know it would be absolutely impossible if these laws weren't stable. However, it's only our narcissism that makes us believe He created the universe and holds it in balance just for us. We can never know His reason, but whatever it was, He asks nothing in return for this gift. It's because of this reality, that Life's Message is our best hope for a universal indisputable model or example of the right manner of conducting oneself.

Is prayer consistent with The Message?

Prayer is neither consistent nor inconsistent per se. There are useful prayers and useless prayers. Useful prayers are a means of renewing and strengthening the inner being, a means of acknowledging and accepting our place in Creation and gaining peace of mind and bodily health.

Prayers that ignore or deny, whether explicitly or implicitly, an attribute of God or the realities of the Creation are useless prayers because they have no value. We were created by God and made subject to His Immutable Universal Laws along with plants and all the other animals. When we pray for a miracle, we're asking God to violate Himself and grant us a personal ad hoc exception to or exemption from His Immutable Universal Laws. We should understand that He is never going to do that and that asking is a useless prayer.

We can praise God all day long if we want; we can tell Him how powerful, knowledgably, wonderful, just, beautiful, and loving He is all we want, but these are only transparent attempts to suck up to power, and they gain us no advantage whatsoever; the created have not the ability to make these evaluations of the Creator.

Giving blanket thanks for an unspecified everything smacks of insincerity. Asking forgiveness for unspecified sins is an abomination; in worldly terms that's like asking for a presidential pardon for any and all crimes we might have committed or might commit in the future. We can mouth memorized set pieces until our mouths are bone dry, but the dry mouth is all we'll get for our efforts.

Related Comment: Between striving to be a caretaker within Creation and praying, striving to be a caretaker within Creation provides the greater benefit to you and your community.

I see no signs of Paradise; where are your fully fledged?

It'll be easier to answer this question if I start with a review and comparison of the following terms.

caretaker within Creation (abbr. Caretaker):
-- An individual who has internalized The Message to the extent that his or her usual and customary response to every situation is consistent with The Message. A Caretaker's first priority is to be a friend and good neighbor to everyone and to refrain from pursuing self-interests to the point of depraved indifference to or callous disregard for anyone. Caretakers are the best possible examples of how humans can live together at peace with each other and in harmony with the rest of Creation.

Paradise here on Earth:
-- Literally, dwelling within a community of Caretakers. Also, a place where the majority of the residents are Caretakers, or the feelings or sense of peace and happiness one has living in such a place. Life in such a community is the only paradise available to humans, and all of God's gifts to humans are synergistic in their support of building and living in such a place.

fully fledged resident of Paradise here on Earth:
-- There are no differences between a fully fledged resident of Paradise here on Earth and a caretaker within Creation that have practical significance in 2004 U.S.A. Therefore, we need not be concerned here with them as separate and distinct entities.

There are many Caretakers in the U.S. today; however, they are still only a small percentage of the total population, and it's easy to live here a lot of years without ever meeting one. They do not have halos. They are not loud and showy, they do not seek the soapbox, they do not proselytize by argument or force, they do not wear distinctive clothing or amulets; they simply are examples of the way humans should live and treat one another. If you're looking for them among strangers, it's easy to conclude they don't exist, but this easy conclusion is wrong. They're known by their customary and usual responses to life's situations, and that's something you can't discover from people's self-assigned labels or by passing them on a busy street.

It is customary and usual behavior for Caretakers to obey the penal codes because their behavioral imperatives do not allow them to engage in acts that penal codes classify as criminal. Beyond that, do they turn the other cheek if struck in the face? Some may, but there's no imperative for them to do so. Most feel free to defend themselves if they're in imminent danger of bodily harm and to use any force necessary, including deadly force, to protect themselves, their families, and their property. Do they lie, cheat, bear false witness, or have affairs with other people's life partners. No. All of these terms imply a voluntary act of disrespect for another human being, and a friend and good neighbor doesn't do that. Do they drink alcoholic beverages? Some do, but never in an amount that would cause them to violate their imperative to be a friend and good neighbor. Do they smoke tobacco? Some do, but never at a time or place where another person could be adversely affected by the smoke. Some Caretakers are rich, but Caretakers do not pursue wealth as a first priority; they'll work at any job that doesn't require them to violate their behavioral imperatives. If you know anyone who fits this mold, you just might know a Caretaker.

It will be a long time before Caretakers are everywhere because we are a nation far gone in self-indulgence, pride, and greed, and controlled by hate and fear, and it will take a cultural change to get from here to there. Cultural change is always a very slow process. If the U.S. survives a couple more generations, it'll be because the overwhelming majority has embraced The Message and transformed the U.S. into a nation of Caretakers, and the nation will then be Paradise here on Earth, and all the nations of the world will truly want to be like us.

What's your position on living wills, euthanasia, and physician assisted suicide?

Let's start the discussion with the underlying beliefs that drive the answer. Life's Message holds that adults have a right to the final say about the end of their own lives; that a terminally ill adult's end-of-life wishes for himself or herself take precedence over everyone else's wishes regarding the matter, and that, contrary to some teachings, God does not want terminally ill adults to live to the bitter end if they do not wish to do so. Given these basic beliefs, the answer is fairly obvious.

A living will is an enforceable document that conveys a patient's orders regarding medical treatments to the medical professionals responsible for providing those treatments when the patient is no longer able to make his or her wishes known. They can convey such directives as: If I'm at death's door and in pain, I want you to eliminate the pain even though that may cause me to die sooner than I would die if I endured the pain. Also, if my choices are to die or to be maintained in a persistent vegetative state, I want to die. Life's Message finds no fault in such choices. People have a legal right to make them, and to believe that they will be honored. Therefore my position is, people who have end-of-life wishes or preferences should document them in a living will, appoint a health care proxy, and look into a durable power of attorney.

Euthanasia is the practice of administering a quick and painless death to a person who is terminally ill or injured. The problem with euthanasia is that the definition does not say who has the final decision or under what conditions it may be used. For instance, can a bystander at a traffic accident act on his or her own? Absent any clarification, I oppose legalizing euthanasia.

Physician assisted suicide is the practice wherein a terminally ill patient who wants to hasten his or her death makes an official request for assistance from a physician, and the physician gives the patient a prescription for something that will cause a quick and painless death. The patient then takes the lethal medication at a time and place of his or her choosing, or decides not to take it. The patient may have witnesses present for the death if he or she wishes; however, no one may help the patient take the medication because that would make it impossible to prove that the patient hadn't changed his or her mind at the last minute.

As long as the patient has completed a qualification process, and the death is verifiably the patient's choice, Life's Message finds no fault in physician assisted suicide. This practice is currently legal in Oregon, explicitly illegal in 3 states, and not explicitly mentioned as a separate crime in the other 46 states. Oregon's law, called the Death With Dignity Act, has been in effect since 1997, and it has a number of safeguards that minimize the likelihood of anyone abusing the practice to get rid of people who had or might become a burden. An extensive discussion of this law is available at: http://www.religioustolerance.org/euth_us1.htm

My position is that all the states should legalize physician assisted suicide; however, the laws must have adequate safeguards to minimize the possibility of abuse. We have one homegrown example that shows this is relatively easy to do. However, it's safeguards make the qualification process very long and deny professional assistance to some people who may want to hasten their deaths. Whether or not these concerns need be addressed in future laws is beyond the scope of this questions.

Physician assisted suicide provides something we all want when we get close to the end of our lives, and that is a quick and painless death at a time of our own choosing. The terminally ill have an inalienable right, although not a constitutional right, to this. There is no reasonable alternative to this practice for the terminally ill who want to hasten their deaths. Unassisted suicide is very iffy. Everybody has access to poisons or a plastic bag or a length of rope, but if they use them to attempt suicide, it's more likely they'll end up with extensive brain damage or as a quadriplegic than dead. It's a long, hard trip to death by way of dehydration and starvation, and very few are they who can walk that rough road to the end, and there's no good reason why anyone should be forced to try.

Does God send messages to individuals in crisis?

It's my understanding that some religions say the angels carry God's messages to specific human individuals at specific times of crisis. However, Life's Message does not subscribe to this notion because it's contrary to the essence of the Message.

According to Life's Message, God gave us many gifts. These gifts allow us to learn everything that God has to say to us by studying His Creation. One of the most important things we can learn is that we already have everything we need to achieve our full potential as caretakers within the Creation. This is the exalted status, and an individual who achieves it is called a fully fledged resident of Paradise here on Earth.

There are only three types of people -- those who have become fully fledged residents of Paradise here on Earth, those who are working hard to become fully fledged residents of Paradise here on Earth, and those who are neither of these.

God does not send personal messages to individuals in the last category. They already made their choice; what else is there to say to them that would not, in effect, absolve them of the responsibility of having made the choice?

The individuals who choose to work for Paradise here on Earth already made their choice too. But they know that being human is fraught with unbelievable problems and difficulties and that resolving these problems and surmounting these difficulties without help from supernatural beings is the price of admission. They know what they're doing; they have their eyes on the prize, and they're working their way toward it. They don't expect it to be easy, and it seldom is, but they feel the rewards growing with every small step they take. They don't need individualized engraved invitations to stay the course, and God doesn't send them any.

Tangential Thought: If God doesn't send personal messages, what do the angels do? My answer is, I don't know. However, they can't help us, and they can't hurt us, and since they're spiritual beings, they don't compete with us in the food chain. Therefore, I suggest that it doesn't matter whether they exist or not, and it's not worth spending time trying to figure out what they do.

Isn't it a cop out to refuse to critic other religions?

No. My commission is to explain Life's Message to anyone who wants to listen, and I never ask and seldom know the religion of the people I talk to. It's not my job to tell other people what their religion should mean to them, and I wouldn't be interested in doing that even if I were able to do it.

It's been my experience that many self-identified Christians can't explain their own religion to their children. And very few, if any, can explain the differences between their religion and any other Christian religion. I think this is a very sad commentary on the state of Christianity today. However, I can understand the difficulty. The Open Directory (dmoz.org) lists over 60 Christian denominations, and presumably, no two are identical. I imagine that it takes selective reading of the Bible and a lot of parsing of words to get that many distinct subgroups.

What is the evidence for God’s existence?

Answer: There is no evidence for God’s existence that can survive an inquiry by an objective, disinterested man or woman of reason.

Explanation: Based on all that we know today, this is not a scientific question. That is, it cannot be formulated in terms addressable by science. For example, it can’t be formulated in terms of mass, distance, time, or force, and therefore can’t be addressed by physics. Therefore, I appeal the question to that small group of Americans who can rightly be considered to be men or women of reason. A person who identifies himself or herself as a Jew, Muslim, or Christian is not likely to fall into this select group for questions on God and religion. A person of reason, among other things, knows the language and the consequences of words, understands the elements of and the sufficiency of proof, and is able to consider the question on its merits as formulated and without regard to preconceived biases for one outcome or the other. The select group is a measurable percent of adult Americans, but it is far short of a majority.

The fact that we can’t prove that God exist to the satisfaction of a man or woman of reason cannot be taken as proof that God does not exist. The Message says that God created the universe and life and guarantees the Immutable Universal Laws. It also says that God is separate, distinct, and apart from all the elements of His Creation. Humans are part of the Creation. We stand inside looking out, and we have no reason to believe that our understanding of God and the Immutable Universal Laws are sufficiently developed to prove that God either exists or does not exist.

By the person of reason test, there is no evidence that humans are better than or superior to the other mammals within the Creation. Nor is there any evidence that humans deserve to inherit the planets or to survive if we render Earth unfit for human habitation as we seem strongly inclined to do. We proclaim our superiority as if it was an obvious fact not in need of proof, but it is only a conclusion of narcissistic thinking.

Capitulation: The fact that we can’t prove that God exists or does not exist does not bother me because I don’t need anymore proof. I know that the Message is true and that God exists. Ok, I fall on my sword; by my own test, I am not a man of reason for this question, and it may be that you will have to answer it for yourself.

Was the destruction of the World Trade Center God's judgment on our pursuit of mammon?

It is true that we are more materialistic than the citizens of the other industrialized nations and often pursue mammon with a single minded passion and devotion that takes priority over obligations to family. However, to believe that the destruction of the WTC and the death of nearly 3,000 people were God's handiwork shows a total lack of understanding of God and His relationship with humanity. God doesn't kill people or cause people to kill people. The problem is that people acting on their God-given-freewill often kill people and try to blame it on God, and that is certainly what happened in this case.

The men who destroyed the WTC believe their way of life is being corrupted by contact with our way of life. That is, of course, their judgment to make; however, we can't allow them to solve their problem by destroying us. They made the choice they did and are responsible for what they did. We, by the flipside of the same token, are responsible for what we do in retaliation.

Can I help bring about Paradise here on Earth?

If you want to bring about or create Paradise here on Earth, you must first understand The Message's attitudes and values and then conform your behavior to them as you deal with the day to day problems and interpersonal activities of your life. There is no need for a blowing of trumpets or a waving of banners. There is no need to ram anything down anybody's throat. There is no need to become a martyr, to lecture, or to call sinners to repentance. The only requirement is that you give witness to the concept through your personal example of adherence to the concept. Once you establish Paradise here on Earth within yourself, you become the nucleus of the larger Paradise here on Earth that will grow around you. The 21st century U.S.A. desperately needs people who want to be a nucleus for Paradise here on Earth. And anyone who truly wants to be one can become one.

What useful function does religion perform in the U.S.A.?

One of the pillars of this nation is that the rules we use to govern it and to control the behavior of its citizens for the purpose of maintaining peace, order, and stability shall be statutes. The flip side of this is that the power to govern and the power to control behavior shall not be delegated to any religion. Statutes, however, do not and can not express behavioral or social ideals; they define the minimum requirements for full access to the rights and privileges of citizenship. This leaves a territory as big as human imagination for religion to hold sway in. When religion inspires an individual to be more than he or she is required by statute to be, it performs a useful function. The catch is that it's easier to say do more than it is to say what is meant by that, and all religions do not speak with the same voice on this point. Life's Message says that any time and energy an individual spends to be more than a meets-minimum-requirements citizen should be devoted to becoming a fully fledged citizen of Paradise here on Earth.

What's the role of faith in life's Message?

The word faith has several meanings. The religious context meanings are, "belief and trust in and loyalty to God" or "belief in the traditional doctrines of a religion."

However, faith is a central element of the Christian religions, and Christians ascribe mystical powers to the word faith. Consequently, the vast majority of U.S. citizens automatically associate the word faith with God as defined by Christians and with the traditional doctrines of Christianity. I avoid using the word faith in Life's Message because Life's Message is not a Christian religion, and I don't want to inadvertently introduce Christian doctrine into it. So far, I have not found anything that I needed to say that couldn't be said without using the word.

Tangential Thought: Lately, candidates for high public office use the phrase "my faith" as both a sword to attack opponents and a shield to ward off counterattacks. The context, voice, and body language usually suggests that it's shorthand for "God vouches for me and my candidacy." Some segments of the population apparently accept such claims as incontrovertible and sufficient proof that the candidate is better qualified to hold the office than his or her opponents.

Is God Just?

The adjective form of "just" means conforming to a standard of correctness. When the word is applied to humans and their actions, it is assumed that there is mutual agreement on what the standard of correctness is. There is only one standard of correctness by which God may be judged, and that is by His faithfulness to the Immutable Universal Laws. Given this standard of correctness, God is just.

Most commonly used descriptors are meaningless when applied to God. Words like kind, merciful, and loving are attempts to circumscribe and limit God in narrow and ill defined concepts rather that dealing with His attributes of oneness, eternal, creation, dependable, and predictable. When God is described in the same terms that are used for Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy, it is not surprising that children discard God when they outgrow the three mythical beings.

Is God active in the world today?

God is active through ubiquitous signs and proofs that He has already given humans everything they need to build Paradise here on Earth. However, if humans decide to build something other than Paradise here on Earth, God won't stop them, but He won't help them either. He won't intervene in humanity's affairs, not even to save it from itself, and humanity can become extinct as a direct result of its own choices and actions. Overpopulation, industrial pollution, nuclear holocaust, food supply tampering, and extermination of the pollinators are but a few of the possibilities.

If God is just hanging around to see how we turn out, why should we obey Him?

The normal use definitions of the verb obey are "to follow the commandments or guidance of" or "to conform to or comply with." Everyone has to answer this question for himself or herself based on what he or she believes God's commandments are, His guidance is, or what He wants conformance to or compliance with.

Humanity has no way to go but up. Emotionally, mentally, and spiritually, it has tremendous potential for evolution, and God has made it possible for individuals to evolve into the higher life form characterized by citizens of Paradise here on Earth. To follow this high road, is to live up to the full potential of human heritage. And that is more the taking advantage of an opportunity than it is obeying God.

Why is the Message silent on the devil and evil in the world?

The devil doesn't exist, and there is no evil in the world except that which humans have created. Humans are prone to evil deeds, but they prefer to have someone else take the blame for them, and a supernatural evil doer is a handy scapegoat. There is no God but God.

By what authority do you say these things?

My authority is the absolute and uncompromising belief that God was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be. This conviction resonates on my neuron networks and sends harmonious vibrations along ever fiber of my being that compel me to say these things.

If what I say is not true, it will fade away after a short season like an ill conceived and poorly executed TV series.

According to Life's Message, what happens after death?

Death is defined as the permanent cessation of all vital functions in an animal, and it is in accordance with the Immutable Universal Laws relating to living organisms and vital processes. Clinical death is the absences of pulse and breathing, and it's a reversible process. Brain death occurs when all cerebral function has ceased, and it's irreversible. Brain death is now recognized by the medical community as the most meaningful indicator of human death.

When brain death occurs in a human, the memories of his or her experiences are extinguished, and the body can never rise again from death to life. The set of personal experiences in a lifetime is without like of equal in the history of the species, and the individual's memory of it is lost forever when brain death occurs. Since neither the physical form nor the personal memories survive brain death, nothing can happen subsequent to it that affects the living or can be affected by the living.

Will you accept my tithe?

No. I cannot accept because I know that you can do more to establish Paradise here on Earth by using it in your own community than I could do by using it here on your behalf. The greatest gift anyone can give to his or her family, friends, and community, is the example of a life that is an unambiguous vote for Paradise here on Earth.

Doesn't the genome work reduce the role of and need for God?

This work doesn't change anything at all about God. As He was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, God is God. The development of a draft of the "entire human genetic code," or the so called "book of life" is just the discovery of one more fact of the Creation which still contains an infinitude of undiscovered facts. God has not imposed a limit on what humans may learn about the Creation through study of the design, order, and stability of the Creation. Nor has He imposed a limit on what they may do with what they discover. However, it is a certainty that any adverse consequences of the use of these discoveries fall squarely on human heads.

Information is morally neutral; it's the use made of it that counts. The genome discoveries clearly have implications and possibilities far beyond the intended or foreseeable ones, and no one can say with any degree of certainty what use will be made of them. It's like no one foreseeing the internet becoming a repository for pornography, a hangout for perverts, child molesters, and other sexual predators, and a play toy for malicious hackers. However, some of the possibilities with the genome can do far more damage than the internet.

History shows that scientists will not have a say in the eventual use of these discoveries. Governments and big businesses always have the final word in such matters, and their decisions are never based on the moral persuasions of scientists. Humans have a tendency to overestimate their ability to foresee consequences, and this is a failing.