What Do We Believe, What Do We Practice?

We did a lot of exploring, gave most of the religions at least a cursory glance (and in my case lived one of the basics, Northern Independent Fundamental Baptist, for many years), checked out a few 'cults' along the way, and finally realized that there's one set of words with which many are familiar and with which few find fault, and that is the red-letter portion of The Holy Bible. As we understand them, these words attributed to Jesus ('the existing One is salvation') the Christ ('the anointed one') clearly state our system of beliefs. Our favorite passages are as follows:

Matthew 5  [update for all links (February 4, 2104): Blue Letter Bible, Matthew]: And seeing the multitudes, [Jesus] went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: and he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying, "Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you, that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, 'Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment': but I say unto you, that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, 'Raca,' shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, 'Thou fool,' shall be in danger of hell fire. Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. Verily I say unto thee, thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing. Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, 'Thou shalt not commit adultery': but I say unto you, that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. It hath been said, 'Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement': But I say unto you, that whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery. Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, 'Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths': but I say unto you, swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne: nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. But let your communication be, 'Yea, yea; Nay, nay': for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil. Ye have heard that it hath been said, 'An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth': but I say unto you, that ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away. Ye have heard that it hath been said, 'Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy'. But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? Do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? Do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect."

A direct translation from the original Greek text will follow each passage or verse, and as in the original documents there will be no punctuation, and all words and phrases added by the scribes of King James (italicized text) will be disregarded. Follow the link at the beginning of each passage to view concordances and dictionaries for yourself. I'm always interested in thoughts and interpretations!

... but to see a crowd ascend into a mountain and himself to make to sit down himself a learner to come to himself and to open himself the mouth to teach himself to say blessed reduced to beggary the holy spirit that himself is royal power the vaulted expanse of the sky with all things visible in it blessed to mourn that himself to call to one's side blessed mildness of disposition that himself to receive a lot arable land blessed this to hunger and to suffer thirst state of him who is as he ought to be that himself to feed with herbs blessed merciful that himself to have mercy on blessed the clean heart that himself to look at a god or goddess blessed a peacemaker that himself to call a son a god or goddess blessed to make to run or flee on account of state of him who is as he ought to be that himself is royal power the vaulted expanse of the sky with all things visible in it blessed are when to reproach you and to make to run or flee and to speak each full of labors that which is or has been uttered by the living voice down from yours to lie on account of me to rejoice and to exult that many your dues paid for work in the vaulted expanse of the sky with all things visible in it for in this manner to make to run or flee an interpreter of oracles or of other hidden things this before your you are salt arable land but if salt to be foolish in who to salt yet to be strong into no one if not to throw or let go of a thing without caring where it falls without and to tread down by a human being you are light an apt and harmonious arrangement or constitution a city to lie above a mountain no to be able to hide but not to set on fire a lamp and to set himself by a bushel but upon a lamp stand and to shine each in a house your light in this manner to shine in front a human being how to see your beautiful business and to think your generator or male ancestor this in the vaulted expanse of the sky with all things visible in it to hold by custom or usage no that to come to dissolve established either an interpreter of oracles or of other hidden things to come no to dissolve but to make full for firm to say you till whosoever the vaulted expanse of the sky with all things visible in it and arable land to go past one iota either only one little horn never to go past where of a whole some part is taken established till whosoever each to become who if then to loose any person tied or fastened only one these smallest least an order and to teach a human being in this manner to call smallest least in royal power the vaulted expanse of the sky with all things visible in it but whosoever to make and to teach this to call great in royal power the vaulted expanse of the sky with all things visible in it for to say you that if not your state of him who is as he ought to be to exceed a fixed number or measure greater in quantity a clerk and a Pharisee [Hebrew word used as a name (in this case of a Jewish sect) meaning, 'to make distinct'] never to go out or come in into royal power the vaulted expanse of the sky with all things visible in it to be endowed with the faculty of hearing that to pour forth that has been from the beginning to kill no but whosoever to kill shall be bound a separating but I to say you that each to provoke himself a brother inconsiderably shall be bound a separating but whosoever to speak himself a brother empty shall be bound any assembly but whosoever to speak foolish shall be bound into Gehenna ['valley lamentation'] fire then if to bring to thy gift upon the altar for slaying and burning of victims and there to remind that thy brother to have a certain down from thy to send away there thy gift in front the altar for slaying and burning of victims and to lead under first to change thy brother and then to come to bring to thy gift be thou to wish well thy opponent quickly till while you are in a way with himself that opponent not to give into the hands thou one who passes or arrogates to himself judgment on anything and one who passes or arrogates to himself judgment on anything to give into the hands thou servant and to throw or let go of a thing without caring where it falls into guard firm to say to you to go or come forth of never thence till whosoever to deliver extreme farthing to be endowed with the faculty of hearing that to pour forth that has been from the beginning to commit adultery no but I to say you that each to see a woman of any age to the advantage of to turn upon a thing himself to commit adultery himself now in himself the heart but if thy right eye to put a stumbling block or impediment in the way upon which another may trip and fall thou to pluck out himself and to throw or let go of a thing without caring where it falls where of a whole some part is taken thy for to bear or bring together to you that one thy member to destroy and no thy all the body to throw or let go of a thing without caring where it falls into Gehenna ['valley lamentation'] and if thy right by the help or agency of any one to put a stumbling block or impediment in the way upon which another may trip and fall thou to cut out himself and to throw or let go of a thing without caring where it falls where of a whole some part is taken thy for to bear or bring together to you that one thy member to destroy and no all the body to throw or let go of a thing without caring where it falls into Gehenna ['valley lamentation'] to pour forth that whosoever to set free himself a woman of any age to give himself divorce but I to say you that whosoever to set free himself a woman of any age except a word illicit sexual intercourse to make himself to have unlawful intercourse with another's wife and who if to lead in marriage to set free to have unlawful intercourse with another's wife anew to be endowed with the faculty of hearing that to pour forth that has been from the beginning to swear falsely no but to deliver he to whom a person or thing belongs about which he has power of deciding thy that which has been pledged or promised with an oath but I to say you to swear no wholly and not in the vaulted expanse of the sky with all things visible in it that is a god or goddess a throne seat and not in arable land that is himself a foot a footstool and not into Jerusalem ['set ye double peace'] that is a city great leader of the people and not to swear in thy head that to be able no to make only one the hair of the head light either black but be your word yea verily no not but exceeding some number or measure or rank or need these is out of full of labors to be endowed with the faculty of hearing that to pour forth the eye over against the eye and a tooth over against a tooth but I to say you to set one's self against no full of labors but whoever to smite with a rod or staff thou upon thy right the jaw to turn himself another and also to will to separate to you and to take thy tunic to send away himself a garment and also whoever to employ a courier thou one 'mile' to lead under with himself two to give to ask thou and to will to lend money where of a whole some part is taken thy to turn away no to be endowed with the faculty of hearing that to pour forth to welcome thy neighbor and to hate thy hated but I to say you to welcome your hated to praise to curse you to make beautifully to hate you and to offer prayers in behalf of this to insult you and to make to run or flee you how to become a son your generator or male ancestor this in the vaulted expanse of the sky with all things visible in it that rise himself the sun upon full of labors and of good constitution or nature and to moisten upon righteous and unjust for if to welcome this to welcome you who dues paid for work to have to make not and a renter or farmer of taxes himself and if to draw to one's self your brother only who to make exceeding some number or measure or rank or need to make not and a renter or farmer of taxes in this manner shall be you then brought to its end just as your generator or male ancestor this in the vaulted expanse of the sky with all things visible in it is brought to its end...

~~~~~~~~~~

Matthew 7: "Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, 'Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye'; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye. Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you. Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets. Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Not every one that saith unto me, 'Lord, Lord', shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?' And then will I profess unto them, 'I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.' Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it." And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

... to separate no lest to separate in who for a decree to separate put asunder and in who measure to measure to measure back you but who to see a dry stalk or twig in thy brother eye but to perceive no beam in thy eye either how to utter thy brother to send away to cast out a dry stalk or twig where of a whole some part is taken thy eye and behold a beam in thy eye one who answers first to cast out a beam out of thy eye and then to look through to cast out a dry stalk or twig out of thy brother eye to give no this most holy thing a dog and not to throw or let go of a thing without caring where it falls your pearl in front a swine that to tread down not himself in himself a foot and to turn to rend you to ask and to give you to seek and to come upon to knock and to open you for each to ask to take and to seek to find and to knock to open either who a human being is out of your who if himself a son to ask food composed of flour mixed with water and baked no to hand him a stone and if to ask a fish no to hand him snake if you then being full of labors to see to give of good constitution or nature a gift your offspring how great more your generator or male ancestor this in the vaulted expanse of the sky with all things visible in it to give of good constitution or nature to ask himself then each whosoever as great as to will that a human being to make you to make you and in this manner himself for this is established and an interpreter of oracles or of other hidden things to go out or come in through a narrow gate that a broad gate and a spacious way to lead away into destroying and many are this to go out or come in through himself that a narrow gate and to press a way this to lead away into life and little are to come upon himself but to bring to where of a whole some part is taken one who acting the part of a divinely inspired prophet utters falsehoods under the name of divine prophecies whoever to come to the advantage of you in any four-footed tame animal accustomed to graze garment but from within are a rapacious wolf to become thoroughly acquainted with himself where of a whole some part is taken himself fruit whether to gather up grapes where of a whole some part is taken thorn either a fig where of a whole some part is taken a thistle in this manner each of good constitution or nature a tree to make beautiful fruit but a rotten tree to make full of labor fruit of good constitution or nature a tree no to be able to make full of labors fruit but not a rotten tree to make beautiful fruit each tree to make no beautiful fruit to cut out and to throw or let go of a thing without caring where it falls into fire therefore where of a whole some part is taken himself fruit to become thoroughly acquainted with himself no each to say I he to whom a person or thing belongs about which he has the power of deciding master to go out or come in into royal power the vaulted expanse of the sky with all things visible in it but to make what one wishes or has determined shall be done I generator or male ancestor in the vaulted expanse of the sky with all things visible in it many to utter I in he the day he to whom a person or thing belongs about which he has the power of deciding master to prophesy no thy name and thy name to make many strength power and then to say the same thing as another himself that never to learn to know you to go away where of a whole some part is taken me to work without law then each whoever to be endowed with the faculty of hearing these words I and to make himself to be made like himself intelligent adult male whoever to build a house himself a house upon a rock and a besprinkling to go down and a stream to come and wind to breathe and to fall forwards he a house and to descend from a higher place to a lower no for to lay the foundation upon a rock and each to be endowed with the faculty of hearing these words I and to make himself no to be made like foolish adult male whoever to build a house himself a house upon sand and a besprinkling to go down and a stream to come and wind to breathe and to strike against he a house and to descend from a higher place to a lower and great I was a falling himself and to become when Jesus ['the existing One is salvation'] to end together or at the same time these words a crowd to strike out upon himself teaching for to teach I was himself as to have power of choice and no as a clerk...

~~~~~~~~~~

Matthew 10:29: "Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father."

... to barter not two little birds a 'farthing' and one out of himself to descend from a higher place to a lower no upon arable land without one's will or intervention your generator or male ancestor...

~~~~~~~~~~

Matthew 15:13: But Jesus answered and said, "Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up."

... but to give an answer to a question proposed to speak each a planting who I heavenly generator or male ancestor to plant no to root out...

~~~~~~~~~~

Matthew 22:34-40: But when the Pharisees had heard that Jesus had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, "Master, which is the great commandment in the law?" Jesus said unto him, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

... but Pharisees ['to make distinct'] to be endowed with the faculty of hearing that to close the mouth with a muzzle Sadducees ['the righteous'] to gather together upon himself and one out of himself pertaining to the law to accost one with an enquiry to try himself and to say a teacher of what sort or nature a great order in established Jesus ['the existing One is salvation'] to speak himself to welcome he to whom a person or thing belongs about which he has the power of deciding thy god or goddess in all thy heart and in all thy breath and in all thy mind as a faculty of understanding this is first and great order but the second like himself this to welcome thy neighbor as thyself in those two orders to hang up all established and an interpreter of oracles or of other hidden things...

On these passages as we interpret them we base our lives and lifestyle. Our church, Church of Changing Minds, is based upon the philosophy that a person's internal and external landscape will transform throughout life as thoughts, ideas, ideals and experiences are explored, incorporated, revamped and/or discarded. We believe all these things, indeed, all things to be O(mniscient)O(mnipotent)O(mnipresent)-Being, what some call God and others call Chaos, that Source, and that it is possible to express reverence for OOO-Being in an infinite variety of ways (including deigning to do so at all). We believe we know only what we know, but choose to suppose that anything is possible. And that's what we believe, and what we practice.

©2003 MOA