PCG Writes A Hilarious Article: Are You Tired Of Being Lied To?

 

Those funny folk over at the Philadelphia Church of God cult compound have an article up on their website asking: "Are You Tired of Being Lied To?". 

Seriously? This is the PCG writing this!  A church that has told more lies than even Bob Thiel has, which is hard to believe!

Apparently, none of those fun boys at the Compound want to take credit for the article, Gerald and Lil'Stevie sure did not.

Anonymous writes:

We live in a time when truth is becoming very rare and precious. What is the truth about covid-19? Are masks helpful or harmful? Are vaccines saving lives or killing people? What is the truth about the United States presidential election? How about global warming? Or is it global cooling? What is the truth? And do you really want to know? 

 

Jesus Christ said the truth will make you free (John 8:32). Just think about how much easier and less stressful life would be if people told the truth—all the time! Surely everyone would want to live in a world of complete honesty. Or would they? Would you?

The question that should always be asked is, "would you want to live in a world ruled over by the Philadelphia Church of God people"? The answer to that is NO!

The sad truth is that people lie, even though the Ninth Commandment forbids it. Romans 3:4 says, “[L]et God be true, but every man a liar ….” Many studies show that people typically lie to get out of trouble or to make themselves look good.

Never has this been more evident than what we see in the current leadership of the Churches of God. From Gerald Flurry lying about the coronation stone, Lil's Stevie about Mystery of the Ages lawsuit, Bob Thiel and his double blessing and dreams he has had, to Dave Pack's creature Jesus supposedly coming back to Wadsworth to walk the hallowed grounds of the cult compound and his all things common teaching. The liars that now make up the leadership make Herbert Armstrong and Gerald Waterhouse look like saints!

The anonymous writer continues:

But did you know that most people actually want to be lied to?

Well, YES, we do! Look at the followers of Flurry, Pack, Thiel, and Weinland. Deep down some of their followers have to know their leader is bat-shit-crazy and a certified liar, but yet they sit there, week after week, feeling special and called out. Who cares if the leader lies, God will work it all out in the end.

God inspired the Prophet Isaiah to record, “That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the Lord: Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits” (Isaiah 30:9-10).

This is a specific prophecy of what would happen to God’s own people in our time. Many of them would reject the truth of God, preferring to hear smooth-sounding lies. This attitude is rampant in the modern nations of Israel—specifically the United States, Britain and the Jewish nation in the Middle East.

The anonymous writer is right! COG members have rejected truth for the smoothing talking lies of today's COG leaders. 

No wonder lies are growing in politics, medicine and the media! The ground is fertile for planting the seeds of deception. The peoples of physical and spiritual Israel prefer to be lied to. Why?

Sady, Armstrongism has been fertile ground for liars to easily dupe members with smooth-sounding lies and half-truths. The entire COG belief system has been built upon a lie, half-truths, and crafty words from smooth-talking charlatans.

Christ gives us the answer in John 3:19-21: “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.”

The men leading various COG's today love the darkness of their lies and have no problem in lying with compunction. Just look at Dave Pack and Bob Thiel. There is no end to the lies these two will tell.

We cannot pick and choose when it comes to the truth. We need to accept the full truth on every issue—including ourselves. And the real truth is founded on God’s Word.

The Church of God has always held up the standard and waved it high as they craftily picked and chose what they wanted to do and what they didn't want to do. They should have called the COG the Half-assed COG, because none of them ever did anything fully. 

Psalm 111:10 shows us that if we are to have a good understanding, we must keep the commandments of God. God’s Ninth Commandment forbids lying. Every time we tell a lie or accept a lie, we move further away from God’s truth.

The COG has been on a downward slippery slope for decades. It has been moving away from the truth for decades since it rejected grace, justification, and sanctification.

The choice is yours. If you are tired of being lied to, choose to live the way of God’s truth in your life. “Remove from me the way of lying … I have chosen the way of truth …” (Psalm 119:29-30). 

Since the lying false prophets of the COG will not leave, their members are abandoning them with vigor. They have chosen to remove themselves from the liars. 

Do you really want to know the truth?

Will, you choose to stop being lied to by Bob Thiel, Dave Pack, Gerald Flurry, Ron Weinland, and the host of other COG leaders?

Rabbi Thiel Declares: "No, Temple Institute, it is NOT the year 5782":

Rabbi Thiel corrects the Jews who don't even know their own scriptures.

No, Temple Institute, it is NOT the year 5782

The Temple Institute had the following in its latest newsletter:

“See now that it is I! I am the One”

(Deuteronomy 32:39)

Tishrei 9, 5782 …

New Moon Over Israel Marking The New Year Of 5782! … The new year of 5782 is off to a great start …

5782 is supposedly how many years ago Adam was created (the Jews call it 5782 anno mundi, for ‘years of the world’). That is wrong.

No, Temple Institute, it is NOT the year 5782.

The Jewish year claim confuses many people as the numbers do not add up with scripture.

....blah blah blah

(Read entire article if you wish to challenge your sanity)

The Rabbi Amos continues...

"While I do not agree with all that is asserted in the above, the author is correct that the dating issue with the Jews seemed to be deliberate. Consider also the following prophecy:

4 … Their lies lead them astray, Lies which their fathers followed. (Amos 2:4)

4 … And their lies have caused them to err, After which their fathers did walk. (Amos 2:4, JPS)

4 … their lies caused them to fall into error and live the way their ancestors did. (Amos 2:4, CJB)

Many peoples have chosen to rely on lies, sometimes called tradition (though not all traditions are based on lies), instead of acting on the truth.

It Jews would accept the truth over tradition, they also would realize that Jesus is the Messiah. For details, check out the first three chapters of the free online book: Proof Jesus is the Messiah."

(Note: A simple "Why don't the Jews accept Jesus as Messiah" search will make why this is so plain)

The Rabbi continues...

"It is not just the Jews that misunderstand years. Related to a period that some, like the Messianic Protestant Jonathan Cahn, say that starting sunset September 6, 2021, we entered a Shemitah year and this supposedly has prophetic implications. "

(Note: Does Rabbi Thiel need a refresher on New Testament thoughts on getting twisted up in genealogies as if he could know? )

8This saying is trustworthy. And I want you to emphasize these things, so that those who have believed God will take care to devote themselves to good deeds. These things are excellent and profitable for the people. 9But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, arguments, and quarrels about the law, because these things are pointless and worthless. 10Reject a divisive man after a first and second admonition,…

Titus 3:9

Alas, Rabbi Thiel dives into the numbers, which of course, by his own admission at the end of his article, he admits...

"Yet, because that years of life are not exact (few people are born and die on the precisely same calendar date–hence there could possibly be 10 or so additional years)"

"As far as the years go, here is some of the biblical genealogy for the first portion from Genesis 5 (last verse from Genesis 7):

3 And Adam lived one hundred and thirty years, and begot a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth.

6 Seth lived one hundred and five years, and begot Enosh.

9 Enosh lived ninety years, and begot Cainan.

12 Cainan lived seventy years, and begot Mahalalel.

15 Mahalalel lived sixty-five years, and begot Jared.

18 Jared lived one hundred and sixty-two years, and begot Enoch.

21 Enoch lived sixty-five years, and begot Methuselah.

25 Methuselah lived one hundred and eighty-seven years, and begot Lamech. 26

28 Lamech lived one hundred and eighty-two years, and had a son. 29 And he called his name Noah…

7:11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. NKJV.

Added up, this equals 1656 years (so, some might call this 1656 anno mundi, 1656 AM, 1656 ‘years of the world’). This would mean that the flood was about 4,345 years ago.

Now, here is the next portion of genealogies from Genesis 11:

10 This is the genealogy of Shem: Shem was one hundred years old, and begot Arphaxad two years after the flood.

12 Arphaxad lived thirty-five years, and begot Salah.

14 Salah lived thirty years, and begot Eber.

16 Eber lived thirty-four years, and begot Peleg.

18 Peleg lived thirty years, and begot Reu.

20 Reu lived thirty-two years, and begot Serug.

22 Serug lived thirty years, and begot Nahor.

24 Nahor lived twenty-nine years, and begot Terah.

26 Now Terah lived seventy years, and begot Abram, Nahor, and Haran.

32 So the days of Terah were two hundred and five years, and Terah died in Haran.

Added up, this equals 427 years (2+35+30+34+30+32+30+29+205=427), so 2083 Anno Mundi. The age of Terah when Abraham was born has also been debated (see section later called The Age of Terah at the Time of Abram’s Birth), though is not part of the above calculation.

Galatians 3:17 shows 430 years; while 1 Kings 6:1 shows 480 years from the exodus from Egypt to the fourth year of Solomon’s reign (this, by the way, would make the Exodus as occurring in 1446 B.C., which is 966 + 480; 

For more details see When was the Exodus?).

(Note: It never happened as advertised so when it never happened as advertised is moot)

Rabbi Thiel sums it all up...

"Therefore, if we add up 1,656 + 427 + 24 + 430 + 480 + 966, this suggests...

Waffle Alert!

Whoa! Wait a Minute!  "Suggests"?  I thought this was the definitive proof that the year 5782 is for sure WRONG!?

"...the creation of Adam or his departure from Eden was around 3983 BC. Yet, because that years of life are not exact (few people are born and die on the precisely same calendar date–hence there could possibly be 10 or so additional years), this could be off somewhat–but it does give a biblical indication of when the end is coming."

(Note: "Is the New Testament correct in asserting?...

8This saying is trustworthy. And I want you to emphasize these things, so that those who have believed God will take care to devote themselves to good deeds. These things are excellent and profitable for the people. 9But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, arguments, and quarrels about the law, because these things are pointless and worthless. 10Reject a divisive man after a first and second admonition,…

Titus 3:9

...asking for a friend

LCG: One of the great blessings of the Holy Days is that they teach us about Christ…Oops! I mean MONEY!

 

Gerald Weston admits what the Holy Days are all about in the LCG:

Greetings from Charlotte,
One great blessing of God’s Festivals is that they teach us lessons in the use of money. We learn budgeting from faithfully saving a second tithe, but there are other lessons. A lesson I learned early on was that it is okay to spend money. My parents came through the Great Depression and taught me to save, but not how to spend on myself—and that was not all bad. But guilt is removed when you save for a specific goal and spend it accordingly: “I know that nothing is better for [men] than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives, and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor—it is the gift of God” (Ecclesiastes 3:12–13). Another lesson is found in Acts 20:35: “I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” Enjoy the fruits of this past year’s labors, share with others, and have a profitable and wonderful Feast of Tabernacles!—Gerald Weston

Get behind me, Jesus! 

Imagine Being Such A Pathetic Self-Appointed Prophet That You Need To Trot Out Norm Edwards To Legitimize Yourself

  

It's another sunny day in COG prophetland and our favorite COG prophet is getting so tired of being mocked that he is not a legitimate COG prophet that has to drag out Norm Edwards to bring him some legitimacy. 

You remember Norm Edwards, another self-appointed church leader who thought he was the final authority on all kinds of church matters, so much so that started The Shepherds Voice magazine and bought land in Port Austin, Michigan where he thought COG members would flock to for all kinds of classes. That never materialized, but he did start a recovery program for addicts at the campus which did help a lot of people in recovery and integration back into society. Edwards later sold the campus and moved on to other things.

Our most superfantabulous COG prophet to ever lead a COG in the history of humanity, who in spite of being the Great White Bwana to Africa, is still seeking to find legitimacy in the eyes of COG members who continue to mock and ignore him. Bwana Bob Thiel probably has this emblazoned upon his mirror in  his bathroom so he can see it every day, 

"A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country,
and among his own kin, and in his own house." Mark 6:4)

The Great Bwana has once again posted a long article by Norm Edwards on the "need" for prophets in the church today more than we need their "prophecy". Jesus apparently isn't good enough, so, like all corrupt humans, there needs to be someone physical to look up to. Jesus is not adequate. 

Bwana Bob writes:

Many are fascinated with prophecy and speculative interpretations. 

 

But less interest in any possible genuine prophets at this time. 

 

Norman Edwards, a former board member of the old Global Church of God, wrote an article Need Prophets More than Prophecy.

After a long screed by Norm, Bwana Bob has this to say:

Norman Edwards runs Nashville Christian Media and has been the editor for Shepherd’s Voice magazine. He is not part of the ContinuingChurch of God, where, I function as its human leader (and am an anointed prophet; the only known such prophet in any legitimate Church of God group). 

 

It still fascinates me how Bwana Bob can lie so much about his self-appointment and ordination. God never planned this, was part of it, or sanctified him as a prophet. That is a fact that he can't refute.

But of course, I am an unconverted backsliding Laodicean heathen who refuses to acknowledge Bob's prophethood status. Bwana Bob has some choice words for people like me (and you):

While Norman Edwards and I have long disagreed about aspects of church governance and various matters of doctrine (and I would have suggested a different title, etc. for his article), we both agree that many who are in or claim to be in the Church of God (COG) wrongly do not accept that God has any prophets today. We also agree that most have severe difficulty to identify one who really is a prophet because of various unscriptural biases and improper criteria that they have.

What improper criteria? 

This?

Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. Matt 7:15

For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. Matt 24:24

But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. 2 Peter 2:1

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. 1 John 4:1-6

For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds. 2 Cor 11:13-15

But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.’ And if you say in your heart, ‘How may we know the word that the Lord has not spoken?’— when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him. Deut 18:20-22

Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you, filling you with vain hopes. They speak visions of their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord. Jer 23:16

For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. Romans 16:18

For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. 2Tim 4:3-4

But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep. 2 Peter 2:1-3

Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Matt 7:15-20

The Bwana continues with this: 

Because of false prophets in a couple of COG-related groups and a disbelief in prophets by most of the COG groups, the non-Philadelphian COGs have a lot of severe prophetic misunderstandings. 

The entire COG movement has NEVER had any PROPER prophets in their midst in its modern-day history and this includes Herbert Armstrong, Richard Ritenbaugh, Gerald Waterhouse, Rod Meredith, Gerald Flurry, Dave Pack, Ron Weinland, and the host of other self-appointed know-it-alls over the decades.

 

As Norman Edward’s article points out, it is scriptural to now have prophets according to the New Testament. But many who truly believe that they live by the word of God have discounted or overlooked what the Bible actually teaches and/or have been influenced by others who have done the same or worse. The COG has at least one demonstrably true prophet today, yet most in the greater COG world seem to be able to ignore the truth about that, like most ignored John the Baptist and others in their day.

What utter bullshit! Bob Thiel is NOT a true prophet and that is a fact! 

The Great Bwana also says:

The current problem is that most end time Christians are Laodicean and instead of using God’s criteria, they use their own.

More smelly bullshit! If anything that the COG's do have right. its the fact that most do not see the need for yet another beta-male liar standing up pounding their underdeveloped chest proclaiming, "look at me!"

All any of these fools do is take the focus off of the One they are supposed to be following but refuse to.

Don’t listen to the sermons of the prophets. 

It’s all hot air. Lies, lies, and more lies. 

They make it all up. 

Not a word they speak comes from me.

Jeremiah 23:16 

UCG: After Finding Every Excuse Imaginable to Relaxing the Old Covenant Law Regulations They Now Condmen Those Who "Relax" the Law Teachings

 

From Victor Kubik. UCG has spent two decades trying to figure out what "laws" they could relax or completely ignore is now condemning those who do the same thing.

All Old Testament prophecies and teachings ultimately reflect and point to the coming of Jesus as the Savior of humanity and future King of Kings in the coming Kingdom of God. The apostle John reveals: “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). 

 

Of course, we understand that we as humans cannot keep the law perfectly, nor can we somehow “earn” salvation by keeping it as a service of works. As Paul emphasizes to us: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). 

 

Importantly, that does not change what Jesus said about those who try to “relax” the standard of the commandments, including the keeping of the weekly seventh-day Sabbath and the annual Holy Days. The commandments and teachings—embodied by the Word of God—guide our behavior. They tell us how to worship God. They provide incredible insight into both past and future trends. They give us sustaining comfort when we’re in painful trials and tribulations. They show us how to succeed, even in this earthly existence. They guide us on the spiritual pathway to transformation and how to put on the new man (Ephesians 4:24). 

 

They embody a tremendous divine gift of precious, freely given truth!

On a Personal Note: You Can Sure Tell It's Feast Time :)

 

I moved to a great place last week and the Landlord offered me either the camper nicely set up in the back yard or a great room in the house.  I opted for the room in the house to save a few bucks.  Last night at 7:30  the camper exploded with a propane leak.  (That's a whole other story)  The teacher who did rent it had turned on the propane thinking to heating the water and then came into the house for a bit a dinner with another housemate. She would not have survived according to the fire dept. 

Truth

 

Commercial Break: The Spiritual Atheist/Agnostic

 

"Spirituality is a broad concept with room for many perspectives. In general, it includes a sense of connection to something bigger than ourselves, and it typically involves a search for meaning in life. As such, it is a universal human experience—something that touches us all. People may describe a spiritual experience as sacred or transcendent or simply a deep sense of aliveness and interconnectedness."

Defining oneself an a-theist, without god, or ag-nostic, without knowing, is risky business when working in a deeply religious community. I have been defined by others as "a materialist"  (...and also a "High Priest of Marduk" by COG types. lol).  I define "materialism" as a lack of belief in magic. 

In my therapeutic massage practice in South Carolina, it was very common within the first few minutes to be asked by a new client, "So where do you go to church?"   Uh oh....  It went like this...

Client:: "So where do YOU go to church?"  (The assumption was all do)

Me early in the game:  "I don't attend"

Client:  "Then you can go with us. We'll pick you up"

Me:  ..chuckle, "That's ok but thanks"

Client:  "You believe in God don't you?"

Me:  "Let's relax, take a deep breath and enjoy your session"

Client: "What did you do before you went into massage?"

HERE IT COMES!

Me: sigh..."I was a church pastor for 26 years in 5 states and 14 congregations"

Client:  "What do you mean you used to be?  You still believe in Jesus don't you?"

Me....."Well, I've learned a lot about Biblical origins and the story since then...."

Client:  "Like what?"

.....and I had to reign it in and try to get them to back off and just relax.  Not uncommon for a client to hand me a list of scriptures when they came out after the session to read and  "we'll discuss these next time".   I would look at them and ask if they'd like me to recite the now to get out of next time.  "OH...you know these?"   LOL.  

Realizing I can't do this with new clients I finally opted for the following....

Client:  "So what church do you go to?"

Me:  "Oh...I'm Non-Condemnational"  (It was a close fit with Non-Denominational)

Client:  "........oh great!  They have those here in town"

THE END

But personally, and while agnostic/atheist to the literalism of scripture and more the fan of good science done well, and no, Bible literalism is NOT compatible with actual science, the following is every bit my view and sense of being on the planet as an atheist/agnostic now on the topic of a personal "spirituality"  

 

5 Ways Atheism Can Be Spiritual

By Ben Atwood, April 16th 2012

 

It is often thought that atheists have no spirituality. That all atheists care about is making religious people feel stupid, and that there is no more to life than understanding complex interactions between matter. That feeling connected or involved in the universe is solely the privilege of the faithful. I disagree with this.

Though I dislike the word spirituality itself, mainly due to all its religious connotations, I understand the word’s significance. Spirituality is simply an adjective that is used to describe the search for one’s place in the universe.

No one wants to feel alone in life, and even if you are alone, being spiritual makes you feel connected to the world and other people in it. Atheists get that, and it is important, maybe even essential, to our species’ psychological makeup to feel this way. There are ways to feel involved with the world that do not involve mystic mumbo-jumbo however.

1. Understanding Life

Science as a whole is a woefully-neglected subject in public schools, and it is a shame, because of all disciplines, it can be the most spiritual, especially the study of biology.

All species on earth were at one time connected, we all share certain common characteristics passed on through eons in our DNA strands, and we are just one link in a chain whose future is uncertain. Think of how mind boggling it is that for about 150,000 years human beings, no different than you and me, walked the Earth with other human-like species. Or how incredible it is that we share a common ancestor with both a dragonfly and a grapefruit.

To know evolution is to know the story of life on earth, and to know the scientific story of life is to feel connected to the world as you never have before.

2. Understanding the Stars

There are more stars in the universe than grains of sand on Earth. That is a stupefying number of stars. The size and scale of the universe are unfathomable, and the age is beyond comprehension. There are stars in the universe whose size is a million times bigger than our sun, which is the size of about a million earths. If the study of biology makes us feel connected to the world, the universe reminds us of our place in it, and our past in the stars.

Everything that exists was forged in the furnace of a star, which is the only place hot enough for atoms to merge and combine to form new elements. All the elements that make up your body came from a supernova, which means you, and everyone you love, and everything you see is connected not only with each other, but with the entire universe as well.

3. Death

Most people live their entire lives trying to deny that they will die. Some people don’t really live their entire lives trying to avoid their ultimate fate. Death is the great equalizer, and it will come to us all one day. There is no escaping it, and really, very little that can be done to postpone it.

When you die, your body decomposes back into various elements which are consumed and used and put back into the earth, which will be blown up eventually by the sun, and scattered across the universe. Embracing the idea that you will die also becomes liberating. Once someone accepts that their death is inevitable, they begin to lose tolerance for doing something they hate doing.

Frederick Douglass wrote in his memoirs that when he was a slave he was terrified of being whipped, until one day he struck a white man. Knowing the penalty for hitting a white person was death, Douglass spent a few days living in terror of what would happen next. While he wasn’t killed, his brush with death changed him forever. He realized that as a slave his days were numbered anyway, and that one day soon, he would probably die a violent death. Once he accepted this his condition became intolerable. He lost the fear of dying in pursuit of living.

Accepting that one day you will die is a key factor in deciding to really live. To grab your life, and decide, this is what I am going to do, is the key to happiness.

4. Embracing Freedom

Once one acknowledges that death is inevitable, there are only two choices. Live life as you want to, or just wait it out. I think the most spiritual way someone can spend their life is embracing all the challenges of pursuing your dreams, not kneeling in front of some altar. The freedom to use the brief time you have to exist is a freedom that no one can deny you.

Whether you want to be a chef, a doctor, or a pornographic film maker, the choices you make are entirely yours, and you have all the power to create make your life into a work of art, unique and totally yours.

5. Lack of Control

Paradoxically, the more control one gains over one’s life, the more one realizes the less control one has over events. True spirituality with the universe recognizes that randomness plays a large part in our day to day lives.

Being spiritual means not fighting these changes that cannot be fought, such as a relative dying in a freak accident, losing one’s job because of the economy, having your face ripped off by an angry chimp.

Change is the only constant in life, and it is embedded in the laws of physics. To be a part of change is to be a part of the world, being changed is existing. Struggling against change is struggling against the will of the universe.