RELIGIONS
MUST URGENTLY EVOLVE TO MEET THE VERY URGENT NEEDS
OF THE PLANET
Highly
reliable scientific experts tell us there is a serious
crisis looming. The world's natural resources are
NOT infinite. They are being savagely depleted every
minute by the world's some 7 billion people. Religion
can play a very important role to help cope with this
huge problem. Religions must change their agenda to
include ways for all life to survive on THIS PLANET
NOW!.
"We are living in exceptional times. Scientists
tell us that we have 10 years to change the way we
live, to avert the depletion of natural resources
and the catastrophic evolution of the Earth's climate."
Whether we like it or not, religions still have huge
influence over the vast majority of humanity. If the
Earth is to survive it's time for people of all faiths
and their leaders to shift their focus and throw their
considerable weight behind the campaign for changes
that must come. Rather than focusing on sexual sins
and taboos, on divisions and doctrine, the real problems
of over-consumption and exploitation of the environment
need to be given priority. Some enlightened theologians
in the United States and elsewhere have been working
for many years to influence their religions to include
relationship with the earth in their agenda (see item
below on Thomas Berry). But time is running out and
even common sense will tell you that the world's natural
resources cannot last forever. As the population is
getting bigger, as the huge countries of China and
India are developing to a higher standard of living
- hundreds of millions are now demanding the same
middle class standard we have in the West. And as
we have seen in the economic crisis the entire world's
economic system is based on growth in consumption-
growth which is unsustainable. Time for review, time
for reassessment and time to make brave decisions
about planet earth - religions must look to the progressive
voices in their ranks to become relevant in the twentyfirst
century.
HOME- A MUST-SEE VIDEO
Released on WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY on
June 5th 2009, HOME is the FIRST movie to be released
simultaneously on ALL MEDIA (Theatre, TV, DVD, and
Internet) and across 5 CONTINENTS. And it's free.
Containing stunning unforgettable images of the earth
shot from the air.By bringing
us unique footage from over fifty countries, all seen
from the air, by sharing with us his wonder and his
concern, with this film Yann Arthus-Bertrand lays
a foundation stone for the edifice that, together,
we must rebuild.
DEEPAK CHOPRA
ON THE ROLE OF RELIGIONS IN MEETING THE CHALLENGE
(11 mins) In this interview by Carter Phipps,Deepak Chopra argues that religions
must play an important role in meeting the environmental
challenge but that we have to create a critical mass
of connectivity to seed new ideas in the collective
psyche.
DEATH OF CATHOLIC PRIEST ECO-THEOLOGIAN
The renowned eco-theologian and Catholic Priest Thomas
Berry died in the early morning of June 1st at the
age of 94. He will be best remembered for helping
the religious traditions to recognize the ecological
crisis as a deeply spiritual issue. Berry studied
many cultures and religions including native American
culture and shamanism. Read
more about this remarkable priest.
BISHOP
ARGUES FOR EVOLUTION OF CHRISTIANITY Progressive former Episcopal Bishop
John Shelby Spong speaking in November 2008 talks
about the gift that changed his own life -- a redefinition
of God and humanity's relationship with God. Below
is Part 6 of his lecture.What a
breath of fresh air.
RELIGIONS
FOR THE 21ST CENTURY If you feel that it's time for the great
religions of the past to evolve to meet the needs
of humanity (and the animals and the planet) in the
21st century sign
up now to join in these conversations...
Craig Hamilton writes: "
On Saturdays, from June 20th-September 26th, we'll
gather together online and by conference call to explore
how the spiritual path needs to evolve to meet the
needs of humanity in the 21st century. Each [free]
event will explore this question from a unique angle.
We'll look at how the discovery of evolution is giving
birth to an entirely new spiritual impulse--as well
as a new framework for engaging in spiritual practice.
We'll ask how the great traditions of the past can
be brought up to date and kept relevant to a rapidly
changing, increasingly complex world. We'll explore
some of the new, more integral forms that spirituality
is taking, from the emergence of new paths of self-inquiry
to the birth of collective enlightenment. And we'll
think together about the vital role each of us can
now play in creating a more enlightened future for
humanity."
Read more...
THE 2009 PARLIAMENT OF THE
WORLD'S RELIGIONS
First
held in 1893 and every 5 years since 1993 the PWR
2009 will be a gathering of approximately 8,000 people
of faith and other interested people of goodwill meeting
in Melbourne to learn about each other, to consider
issues of global significance and to promote inter
religious understanding and cooperation. 8 thousand
people from every religion, from all parts of the
world and from around Australia are expected. Everyone
is welcome. Those who attend will be expected to be
themselves, to be open to learning about others, and
to be respectful of the rights of others. Read
more.....
BRAIN RESEARCH
ON SPIRITUALITY
More than half of adult Americans report they have
had a spiritual experience that changed their lives.
Now, scientists from universities like Harvard, Pennsylvania
and Johns Hopkins are using new technologies to analyze
the brains of people who claim they have touched the
spiritual -- from Christians who speak in tongues
to Buddhist monks to people who claim to have had
near-death experiences. Hear what they have discovered
in this controversial field, as the science of spirituality
continues to evolve. Read
more...
A MUST-READ NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCE Mike Tymn has highlighted in his blog this
week a very instructive near-death experience which
occurred to Fanny Paget back in 1911 well before Dr
Raymond Moody gave the name "near-death experience"
to such a phenomenon. What I find fascinating is the
way Fanny described how she felt (and overcame) the
pull of earthly interests after death:" I realized
that the long arm of mundane interests can reach into
the Beyond and hold its victims within the shadow
of earth - pitting its magnetism against the promise
of higher things." Absolutely fascinating. http://metgat.gaia.com/blog
WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCES?We highly recommend Kenneth Ring's Book "Lessons
from the Light" to anyone interested in theology.
After studying literally thousands of NDE's he writes-
on the basis of evidence not speculation-
" Everyone is loved infinitely, and with incredible
compassion. There is a plan or, a kind of blueprint
for everyone's life, and, while we each are free to
embrace it or reject it, the Light is there to help
us find it. If we can open ourselves to the Light,
invoke it into our lives, we will, in time, be shown
our own way- and we will recognize it as ours unmistakable
because it gives us joy. Joy in living is the truest
sign that we are living right. What kills is judgment;
what heals is love. The Light itself is only love,
and it never judges; it gently nudges you toward your
essential self. It wants you to realize that your
core being is this light- it is not something external
to you." See p.198.
EXTREME EXPERIMENTS
IN MIND CONTROL OF BODY Herbert Benson,
associate professor of medicine at the Harvard
Medical School, who has been studying a yoga technique
used by Tibetan monks for 20 years. He says "Buddhists
feel the reality we live in is not the ultimate one.
There's another reality we can tap into that's unaffected
by our emotions, by our everyday world. Buddhists
believe this state of mind can be achieved by doing
good for others and by meditation. The heat they generate
during the process is just a by-product of g Tum-mo
meditation." Read
more....
AN IMPORTANT BOOK FROM EUROPE ABOUT THE AFTERLIFE:
‘ACROSS THE BORDERLINE –
“If I Only Knew LIFE AFTER DEATH"-
by Jostein Strommen from,
Norway (English translation by Karin Breit)."If
I Only Knew comes from those who have crossed
the borderline of death, and are speaking to us from
the other side. If I had only known what to expect,
I would have lived my life differently here on earth.
Life on earth is only one moment in eternity, but
what you created in this moment has decisive consequences
for life after death. In this book we will tell you
about the séances, materialization, what the
dead people say, which consequences your earthly life
will bring about for you after death, and what you
can do to improve your circumstances before your time
comes… If I Only Knew.” http://www.josteinstrommen.com/
THIS MONTH'S GROUND OF FAITH now
online....
A highly recommended monthly online journal by a group
of highly intelligent, open-minded Christian clergy
based in New Zealand.
Dear Dr Victor,
Really, your various relevant articles and video clips
on Suicide were very educational, inspiring and had
answered many of my previous misconceptions and misunderstanding
about Suicide and their afterlife. I trust that your
specialized researches on suicide and afterlife does
not necessarily in contradiction with our Church's
teaching about death, instead they actually complement
and offered convincing explanations of what is lacking
in our Catholic traditional Theology. So, I really
owe you in this area of very relevant information
and knowledge, so much so that I'm no longer fear
about death myself, in fact, I found an additional
ways to prepare myself to face death and welcome it
when it comes with joyful heart." (Catholic priest)
AND NOW FOR THE BAD NEWS (about religion)...
Last Friday "rebel" Brisbane Catholic priest
Fr Peter Kennedy
was suspended from "all priestly activities"
by the Catholic Archbishop of Brisbane, John Bathersby.
Fr Kennedy has previously been found
to be out of step with the church, by allowing women
to preach the homily, using unorthodox prayers, having
a Buddhist statue in his church and blessing same-sex
relationships. Despite this Fr Kennedy says he still
considers himself to be part of the Catholic faith.
"This is a liberation from a corrupt, ruthless
and irrelevant hierarchy," he said...."I
know I'm up against a two thousand year old institution,
but the church is imploding all over the world it
seems at the moment. It's obvious - if in Australia
85 per cent of Catholics don't go to Mass."Read
more...
PROFERSSOR
ALBERT EINSTEIN supports
the combination of the empirical and the
experiential - and indirectly the paranormal:
"Pure logical thinking cannot yield us any knowledge
of the empirical world. All knowledge of reality starts
from experience and ends in it." - Albert Einstein
ATTENTION SKEPTICS: READ THIS VERY CAREFULLY: "There
are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what
isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe
what is true." - Søren Kierkegaard, Danish
philosopher
Visit :http://www.debunkingskeptics.com
QUESTION: I'm a skeptic and don't
believe there is a heaven. I was brought up a strict
Christian but I woke up one morning and I lost all
faith in religion. Could you tell me what your research
shows about this?
Victor: 'Heaven'
has many definitions. The 'religious' heaven of angels
playing the harp and God walking around to keep everybody
happy does not exist. But what is absolutely certain
is that there is what is termed as the Realm of the
Light and realization. This is usually the third realm
where most decent, honest, unselfish people end up.
You don't have to believe in anything - just have
an open mind, help your neighbor, be as honest as
you can - you should have no problems at all going
to the Realm of the Light. Once you realize that you
have crossed over you will be immensely enjoying your
new environment - which is far more advanced than
anywhere on earth. Remember also, no one escapes the
Law of Cause and Effect - we reap what we sow. If
you have been exceptionally reasonable, you will find
yourself in most wonderful environment - more advanced
that the average person gets- no angels singing hymns
or no angels playing the harp or no God with a beard
walking around. It will be a place like earth but
hugely more beautiful.
QUESTION: I am making plans for when I cross
over. I made a Will, but I am not sure what to do
about my body once it dies - do you think it should
be buried in a cemetery somewhere nice?
Victor:
No! Not formal burial. The best way to look after
the physical body once
it dies is to cremate it or bury
it ecologically in a natural cemetery- after allowing
at least three or four days for the soul to properly
understand that a transition has taken place. We know
some people erect huge statues and mausoleums in cemeteries
- but that could be harmful because you don't want
people visiting your grave and dragging you there
when they think deeply about you. It is best to minimize
our connection with physical earth. I have been saying
this for a long time: abolish all traditional graveyards.
PSYCHIC WORLD: perhaps the best spiritualist/psychic
newspaper in the United Kingdom to-day. I have been
writing for the monthly Psychic World for
about six years. It's not only for the professionals
but for everyone to read and enjoy. It's an excellent
source for the paranormal, the afterlife and Spiritualism.
You will find some excellent writers and professional
journalists such as Michael Colmer and lawyer Graham
J Hewitt - and others. Buy it from many of the Spiritualist
Churches in England or contact its editor Ray Taylor:
pw@virgin.net
BEQUESTS: Now more than ever before
professional accredited and registered afterlife researchers
are struggling for funding so that they
can help the world understand that there is an afterlife.
After you have provided for your family in your will
consider making a bequest which will bring about ‘LIGHT’
on a global level after you’ve gone. So far,
we can highly recommend the following legally registered
organizations who will use your funding to benefit
humanity:
In the future we will include other registered organizations
which are doing afterlife research. Please email for
details.
SOMETHING
INSPIRATIONAL In keeping
with this week's religious theme.. Whether you agree
with theology or not you cannot deny the angelic quality
of "Pie Jesu" taken from Andrew Lloyd Webber's
"Requiem", here sung exquisitely by Hayley
Westenra, who was then 15. Lyrics
in Latin and English...
Disclaimer: Whilst we encourage
and we publish many papers by afterlife researchers,
we are not in a position to guarantee what is published
is to be the absolute truth. We accept the imputed
claim that the afterlife and paranormal research
done by the researchers is done in good faith.
Highly
reliable scientific experts tell us there is a serious
crisis looming. The world's natural resources are
NOT infinite. They are being savagely depleted every
minute by the world's some 7 billion people. Religion
can play a very important role to help cope with this
huge problem. Religions must change their agenda to
include ways for all life to survive on THIS PLANET
NOW!.
"We are living in exceptional times. Scientists
tell us that we have 10 years to change the way we
live, to avert the depletion of natural resources
and the catastrophic evolution of the Earth's climate."
Whether we like it or not, religions still have huge
influence over the vast majority of humanity. If the
Earth is to survive it's time for people of all faiths
and their leaders to shift their focus and throw their
considerable weight behind the campaign for changes
that must come. Rather than focusing on sexual sins
and taboos, on divisions and doctrine, the real problems
of over-consumption and exploitation of the environment
need to be given priority. Some enlightened theologians
in the United States and elsewhere have been working
for many years to influence their religions to include
relationship with the earth in their agenda (see item
below on Thomas Berry). But time is running out and
even common sense will tell you that the world's natural
resources cannot last forever. As the population is
getting bigger, as the huge countries of China and
India are developing to a higher standard of living
- hundreds of millions are now demanding the same
middle class standard we have in the West. And as
we have seen in the economic crisis the entire world's
economic system is based on growth in consumption-
growth which is unsustainable. Time for review, time
for reassessment and time to make brave decisions
about planet earth - religions must look to the progressive
voices in their ranks to become relevant in the twentyfirst
century.
"
On Saturdays, from June 20th-September 26th, we'll
gather together online and by conference call to explore
how the spiritual path needs to evolve to meet the
needs of humanity in the 21st century. Each [free]
event will explore this question from a unique angle.
We'll look at how the discovery of evolution is giving
birth to an entirely new spiritual impulse--as well
as a new framework for engaging in spiritual practice.
We'll ask how the great traditions of the past can
be brought up to date and kept relevant to a rapidly
changing, increasingly complex world. We'll explore
some of the new, more integral forms that spirituality
is taking, from the emergence of new paths of self-inquiry
to the birth of collective enlightenment. And we'll
think together about the vital role each of us can
now play in creating a more enlightened future for
humanity."
First
held in 1893 and every 5 years since 1993 the PWR
2009 will be a gathering of approximately 8,000 people
of faith and other interested people of goodwill meeting
in Melbourne to learn about each other, to consider
issues of global significance and to promote inter
religious understanding and cooperation. 8 thousand
people from every religion, from all parts of the
world and from around Australia are expected. Everyone
is welcome. Those who attend will be expected to be
themselves, to be open to learning about others, and
to be respectful of the rights of others. 
Harvard
Medical School, who has been studying a yoga technique
used by Tibetan monks for 20 years. He says "Buddhists
feel the reality we live in is not the ultimate one.
There's another reality we can tap into that's unaffected
by our emotions, by our everyday world. Buddhists
believe this state of mind can be achieved by doing
good for others and by meditation. The heat they generate
during the process is just a by-product of g Tum-mo
meditation." 
from,
Norway (English translation by Karin Breit)."If
I Only Knew comes from those who have crossed
the borderline of death, and are speaking to us from
the other side. If I had only known what to expect,
I would have lived my life differently here on earth.
Life on earth is only one moment in eternity, but
what you created in this moment has decisive consequences
for life after death. In this book we will tell you
about the séances, materialization, what the
dead people say, which consequences your earthly life
will bring about for you after death, and what you
can do to improve your circumstances before your time
comes… If I Only Knew.” 
1)
An email from
a Catholic priest
Kennedy
was suspended from "all priestly activities"
by the Catholic Archbishop of Brisbane, John Bathersby.
Fr Kennedy has previously been found
to be out of step with the church, by allowing women
to preach the homily, using unorthodox prayers, having
a Buddhist statue in his church and blessing same-sex
relationships. Despite this Fr Kennedy says he still
considers himself to be part of the Catholic faith.
"This is a liberation from a corrupt, ruthless
and irrelevant hierarchy," he said...."I
know I'm up against a two thousand year old institution,
but the church is imploding all over the world it
seems at the moment. It's obvious - if in Australia
85 per cent of Catholics don't go to Mass."
the
experiential - and indirectly the paranormal: 
ATTENTION SKEPTICS: READ THIS VERY CAREFULLY: "There
are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what
isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe
what is true." - Søren Kierkegaard, Danish
philosopher 
angels
playing the harp and God walking around to keep everybody
happy does not exist. But what is absolutely certain
is that there is what is termed as the Realm of the
Light and realization. This is usually the third realm
where most decent, honest, unselfish people end up.
You don't have to believe in anything - just have
an open mind, help your neighbor, be as honest as
you can - you should have no problems at all going
to the Realm of the Light. Once you realize that you
have crossed over you will be immensely enjoying your
new environment - which is far more advanced than
anywhere on earth. Remember also, no one escapes the
Law of Cause and Effect - we reap what we sow. If
you have been exceptionally reasonable, you will find
yourself in most wonderful environment - more advanced
that the average person gets- no angels singing hymns
or no angels playing the harp or no God with a beard
walking around. It will be a place like earth but
hugely more beautiful.
once
it dies is to cremate it or 
they
can help the world understand that there is an afterlife.
After you have provided for your family in your will
consider making a bequest which will bring about ‘LIGHT’
on a global level after you’ve gone. So far,
we can highly recommend the following legally registered
organizations who will use your funding to benefit
humanity: