THE DEVIL’S PULPIT II,
THE DEVIL’S PULPIT OCCURS WHEN A PATRISTIC CHRISTIAN MINISTER IS EDUCATED IN AND INFECTED WITH ERRONEOUS GRECO-ROMAN, MAN MADE RELIGIO-POLITICAL CULTURE DRIVEN, MIND VIRUS INFECTIONS. THAT REFLECTS A MINISTERS EMOTIONAL EDUCATION IN ERRONEOUS FUNDAMENTALIST RELIGIOUS CULTURE TRADITIONS. THAT REFLECTS A MINISTERS IGNORANCE OF RELIGIOUS REALITY, OR A MINISTERS ABSENCE AND/OR UNWILLINGNESS TO ACCEPT ACCURATE SCIENTIFIC RELIGIOUS HISTORY AND INFORMATION
“AND A BONNIE PULPIT IT IS.” — Allan Cunningham.
№24.]
AUGUST 19, 1831.
BELIEF, IS NOT THE SAFE SIDE OF RELIGIOUS REALITY:
A commentary by John Lee Fisher, JR. on the Oration,
BELIEF NOT THE SAFE SIDE
DELIVERED BY THE REV. ROBERT TAYLOR, B. A.
IN THE UNIVERSALISTS’ CHAPEL, WINDMILL-STREET,
FINSBURY-SQUARE, FEB. 11, 1830.
As an individual who is the descendant of individuals who was engaged in the Patristic Christian ministerial craft for four previous generations, on his father’s maternal side. As well as, an individual who psychologically and theologically prepared himself to follow in their footsteps. I find it ironic that someone with my religious heritage would find himself in his old age in theological agreement with a Gnostic Christian like the Rev. Robert Taylor.
However, in spite of my Patristic Christian upbringing, I was most theologically influenced by the more practical theology of my Gnostic Christian paternal grandfather who I knew personally rather than my father’s maternal ancestors who I never knew.
Because of, my paternal grandfather’s influence I realized early in life that belief is not the safe side. To such an extent that I never really embraced the Patristic Christian anthropomorphic religious theology, even though I had been brought up on it, my toys from my earliest memories were toys and games with religious and biblical themes. And at an early age, I was deemed a religious and biblical scholar. Who began teaching the Intermediate Sunday school class in the neighborhood churches? And even teaching the adult Sunday school class or reviewing the Sunday school lesson before the whole Sunday school by 12 years old in the neighborhood churches. Which, made my parents extremely proud and fueled my father’s hopes that I too would be joining him in the Patristic Christian ministry? In spite of, the fact that I had not joined the church or had been baptized, which I, like my paternal grandfather personally regarded as a mere insignificant religious ritual.
However, my parents began receiving flack from the community because I could be found sitting on the mourner’s bench during revival season year after year, without joining the church. Even my lesser theologically educated sibling had joined the church and had been baptized, but not me. For some psychological reason, I could never find the strength to get up from the bench to join the church. With many times me being the only person left sitting there after ministers had spent hours preaching to only me and finally giving up.
I can remember during revival season during my 13th or 14th birthday, my mother came to me and informed me that she and my father were tired of taking flack for my participation in communion and church activities without official membership and that I would have to join the church if I expected to continue to participate in church services and activities. She insisted that I make a promise to her to join the church at the revival meeting that night. And informed me that I was not going to be like my paternal Grandfather and not be a member of a church. And if I did not keep my promise to her that she was going to take me by the hand and lead me off the mourner's bench to the chair where I would be allowed to join. I never expected her to follow through on her threat. But that night I joined several others on the mourner's bench. When the door of the church was opened everyone on the bench got up and joined the church except me. After 20 or 30 minutes of the evangelist preaching to me. My mother came up took me by the hand and lead me off the mourner's bench to the chair where I was to join the church.
I joined the church and was baptized in silent resentment realizing that my mistake was promising my mother to join the church that night. Like me, I do not think that my father felt comfortable with my mother forcing me to join the church. In spite of the fact that he was already a minister at 12 years old. But me officially joining the church offered both of us a sense of peer pressure relief. That allowed me to continue to participate in communion and church activities. Which appears to have been the motivation for my mother taking action.
But it did not change or influence my religious worldview against belief, not being the safe side for the development of a personal religious worldview or theology. Because my grand Father and teachers were always asking for scientific facts to support my belief and belief does not sustain itself on evidence or facts. Belief supports itself on our emotions, not evidence or facts. Belief only occurs in us when there is an absence of accurate scientific evidence or facts. The presence of accurate scientific evidence or facts produces knowledge which the 13 Chapter of, 1st Corinthian verse 8 says causes belief to vanish away.
The Rev. Taylor saw the DEVILS PULPIT as those ministers and religious leaders in all religions and faith that unintentionally lead men astray through fundamentalist religious doctrine. Because they attempt to interpret scriptures literally rather than allegorically as the scriptures were intended to be interpreted. Due to their willingness to allow themselves to be trained in their religions or faiths, man-made Greco-Roman mind virus infected religious traditions. But who because of Greco-Roman religious culture, psychological mind virus infection are unwilling to accept and embrace any training in religious realities. Causing the blind to be leading the blind and Rev. Taylor refers to it in a scriptural reference in terms of, “Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat and swallow a camel.” — Matthew chapter 23. verses 24. Consequently, these fundamentalist Greco-Roman psychological, religious culture mind virus infected ministers. Erroneously portray the Devil to us as a semi-human pitchfork carrying invisible creature that leads us astray emotionally. Rather than portray the Devil to us as the absence of accurate scientific information that causes us torment (to suffer) emotionally and physically (hell). Or that Prayer is the movement of thought through the mind for a specific purpose: the application of the mind and the hand to scientific laws for the accomplishment of desired objectives. See John Chapter 9 verse 31. Where it is proclaimed that GOD (Perfect and Complete Scientific Knowledge) does not hear a sinners prayer (meditation, the saying of words, etc.) Because they are not designed for GOD (Perfect and Complete Scientific Knowledge) to hear. But, are designed to program our subconscious minds to think GODLY (scientifically). Therefore John Chapter 9 verse 31 says GOD (Perfect and Complete Scientific Knowledge) does not hear a sinners prayer (meditation) But, if a man prays in spirit and truth (acquires perfect and complete scientific knowledge and perfectly apply perfect and immutable scientific law) GOD (Perfect and Complete Scientific Knowledge) does hear him. See, WHAT IS PERFECT PRAYER, Part 1, (the History of Meditation as Prayer)@medium.com
In Rev. Taylor’s effort to demonstrate the absurdity of the literal fundamentalist attempt to interpret scripture. As opposed to the allegorical meaning of scripture citing both Old and New Testament scriptures. Rev. Taylor suggests that fundamentalist anthropomorphic literal list ministers advertise peace and tranquility in the shop window, but sell us ignorance (the absence of accurate scientific information), torment and suffering (Hell) in the shop. And when challenged on the absurdity of their claim through the evidence of, the foundational (literal list) interpretations of the religious text, they become impatience and intolerance. Due to their failure to be able to make their word to be GOD”s, word. Because they dare not stand on the text of the scripture. For it is not the Bible that they go by, nor God whom they regard: but that they want to be, and make God-a-mighties of themselves. And would have us to erroneously take their word for GOD’S (Perfect and Complete Scientific Knowledge’s) word. For you must erroneously read the scriptures as they read it, and erroneously understand it as they erroneously understand it! Where a hard word comes in the way of the sense they choose to put upon the scriptures: you must ‘skip, and go on,’ so that you must not believe what you see with your own eyes what the scriptures contain. So that they may say that it does not contain what it does contain: Therefore you must shut your eyes, and not see what it does contain; So that you may be more to their liking.
The least educated among the litterer interpretations of scripture no matter what field his experience, training, and education should be. Having once given his mind to religion have a tendency to feel and demand that those who are better educated and trained in the scriptures should submit your understanding of scripture to his understanding of scripture. And that you should receive not merely the text he quotes, but whatever sense he chooses to understand or to misunderstand, from it. And that you submit your understanding of scripture to him in such a degree that the Sun is no longer apparent to you in the heavens. Creating a sense in you, that religion is nothing more than the moody melancholy of a man with an overbearing and tyrannical disposition; and this literal list religious Man, as nothing more than an all usurping idiot, who wants to be your master.
In Belief, not the Safe Side the Rev. Taylor criticizes and cite the following Old and New Testament scriptures as not representing a true and ethical rendition of Messianic Judaic theology. That will logically comply with a literal list theological interpretation of scripture
1 Hebrews, chapter. 4. Verse 12
2 Revelation, chapter, 14. Verse 10
3 Revelations, Chapter 21. Verse 8
4 Luke Chapter 16
5 Matthew Chapter 16. Verse 25.
9 1 Corinthin Chapter 13. Verse 2.
11 1 Corinthins Chapter 11. Verse 29.
12 Matthew Chapter 23. Verse 15
15 Revelations Chapter 13. Verse 14.
16 Jeremiah Chapter 23 Verse 31
18 Jeremiah. Chapter 23. Verse 16
19 Ezekiel Chapter 13. Verse 4.
20 Jeremiah Chapter 14 Verse 14.
21 Revelation Chapter 20 Verse 10.
22 Ezekiel Chapter 14 Verse 10
24 2 Thessalonians Chapter 2. Verse 11.[3]
25 1 Kings Chapter 22. Verses 19–23
26 1 Kings Chapter 18 Verse. 40
32 1 Timothy Chapter. 1 Verse 13
33 Mark 9 Verse 24.
38 Ecclesiastes Chapter 3 Verse 19–20.
Footnotes:
[1] But if the Christian hath a right to say that there are some parts, and even many parts of Scripture, which are not to be taken as strictly and literally true; but which must be understood as metaphors and allegories:what right can we have to dispute our right to maintain, that the whole gospel story is a metaphor and an allegory from first to last; that there is not a word of truth in it: that it was not written to pass for truth; but only as a vehicle to convey moral instruction, after the well-known Oriental style; a fable with a moral to it: of which the duller wit of those western nations forgot the moral, and ran away with the fable? [Return to the original text.] See scriptures 1 through 12 listed above
[2] Ενοχος εσται εις την γεεννα ντου πυρος [Return to the original text.] See scriptures 14 through 23 listed above
[3] If, then, the evidence of the Christian religion were as strong as you please, where would be your evidence to show that that evidence itself was not strong delusion? And if God doth send men strong delusion, I guess the delusion is likely to be strong enough. See scriptures 24 through 26 listed above [Return to the original text.]
[4] He brought them to the brook, ye know, for the convenience of baptising and killing them at the same time. I suppose they were on the safe side of the brook. See scriptures 27 through 32 listed above [Return to the original text.]
[5] It is said of Abraham himself, that ‘he staggered not at the promises of God, through belief,’ Romans iv. 20. It being nothing but belief that sets men staggering. And when the whole Jewish nation became unbelievers, God was so pleased with them for it, that he actually saved the whole Gentile world in compliment to them: they have been the most money-getting people ever since. And it is expressly declared, that the Gentiles obtained mercy through their belief. Romans xi. 30. See scriptures 32 through 35 listed above See scripture 35 listed above [Return to the original text.]
[6] While the first believers of Christianity — the martyrs, as they would pretend to be, who are said to have sealed the truth with their blood, had the seal of God’s providence upon them — that it was a lie that they sealed with their blood; for how could God’s providence express his displeasure and indignation against believers more strongly than by bringing them to a bad end? See scriptures 35 through 38 listed above [Return to the original text.]
