Pray or Prey (the remix)

Welp what I decided to do was edit out the um naughty parts of this email but still leave the writers intentions. I thought it was a worthy effort to share here.

Wednesday, October 31, 2007

PRAY OR PREY (the remix)
Current mood:

awake
Category: Religion and Philosophy

I understand that nowadays, any dialog about politics or religion is considered taboo and off limits. But I ain't never been one to bite my tongue, and I've got some shit to get off my chest. Besides, how much interesting conversation can be made about the weather'? So if y'all don't mind, I'd like to take a minute to introduce any and all (who may be interested) to the real Raku; the man, the beast, the gentleman, the scholar, the consummate intellectual... The Narrator. Welcome to the alleys of my mind-

My formative years, were influenced primarily by my mother (who is one of Jehovah's Witnesses) and my grandmother who was Baptist. Both were very devout and committed Christians; women of great morals, values, ethics, scruples and principality. My father (now deceased) was a very notorious drug dealer (or street narcotics distributer as he would so eloquently put it); a worldly man of high intellect, swagger, charisma, game and street credibility. My mother raised me to to be good natured, kind-hearted, generous, tranquil in spirit, articulate, well spoken, well mannered, well behaved, well rounded, well grounded, well... hell I guess I could go on for days! But on the flip side, my father exposed me to concepts like, never sit with your back to the door - trust no one - everybody's guilty until proven innocent - believe 1/2 of what you see and none of what you hear - the world is a ghetto - and the white man is the devil.

Needless to say, my early exposure to both extreme ends of the spectrum had me quite perplexed and confused, as to which set of rules, or code of conduct I should adhere to. But when I was 14, my father was brutally murdered; which left me plenty of time to reflect on how he lived, and the violent way he died. Consequently, it seemed more sensible (at the time) to subscribe to the religious philosophies taught by my mother. But later as I came into my manhood, I began to meditate on the scriptures from a different perspective... a grown ass man's perspective.

At the Kingdom Hall, Baptist Church (or any designated place of worship) you're admonished to meditate on the scriptures, so as to gain a deeper understanding of their meaning. But when your meditation leads you to a conclusion which is in any way contradictory to (or even slightly deviant from) the prescribed belief systems established by the particular organization in question, they're quick to point out how your perspective is warped; which ironically, makes one who is naturally pre-disposed to deep thought, ponder the true premise and practicality of proposing such meditation.

In other words, it leads to the question, how can you presume to promote a cause, or advocate an ideal you're clearly no advocate of? Simply put, why do I need to be meditating on the scriptures (to gain this deeper understanding) if you already have all the answers? Why should I set (short term and long term) life goals, if you and God have already got my entire life mapped out for me? Should I not just fall in line with the presumed 'righteous requirements' and call it a day?

Thus, although I'm thankful to my mother for teaching me the golden rule "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you", I'm also thankful to my father for teaching me the platinum rule "Due unto others BEFORE they do unto you." But above all, thanks goes to my heavenly father for giving me sense enough to know when which rule is applicable. So in essence, my conflicted upbringing has given me a completely custom tailored scope on the whole concept of religion. And consequently, this is the conclusion I've drawn; Spirituality is a state of mind, while religion is a state of 'blind'... or as I call it, the mental institutionalization of the masses. It is perhaps the most effective branch of societal conditioning.

It all began in the garden in of Eden with the notorious 'tree of knowledge', bearing the infamous 'forbidden fruit'. According to the so-called religious experts, the very first divine decree (mandated by the Almighty) was to refrain from partaking of any fruit produced by the proverbial 'tree of knowledge'. I find this paradoxical and peculiar, in light of the scripture in the 'new testament' which states "This means everlasting life, their taking in accurate knowledge of you, and the one whom you've sent forth." 'Cause maybe it's just me, but there seems to be some discrepency. Is knowledge (in fact) the key to life... or the kiss of death? Or just maybe, God didn't write that shit... and maybe he did. But if so, somewhere along the way... somebody made a remix!

The 'good book' says that the love of money is the root of all evil. It's no coincidence that greed lies at the root of the love of money... and greed is defined as the insatiable desire for more. Hence terms like "Money makes the world go 'round" - "I gotta' get mine, you gotta' get yours" - "If it don't make dollars, it don't make sense" - and perhaps most rediculous of all... "He who dies with the most toys wins!" I find it odd that the bible says the love of money is the root of evil, yet we audaciously print right on the money, "In God we trust!" Just as (in the court of law), we swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth... but (in the bible) God says not to be 'swearing' anything! Go figure-

Perhaps the real question to be posed is; in which God do you trust, and to whom do you pray?

The 'good book' also says "Any man who does not want to work, neither let him eat." But ironically, about the only thing the 'working' man can afford is groceries! Because after all, Caesar's taking 40%, the church gets ten, the merchant charges thirty denarii's for a quart of wheat... so who can afford the olive oil?!

One scripture tells us to pay Caesar's things to Caesar, and God's things to God. But if God is for equality, justice and truth... why the hell would he instruct you to relinquish half your shit to some greedy mutha fucka named Caesar?! And why should Caesar be entitled to 30-40% of your gross earnings... but God only wants 10%? Or just maybe, God didn't write that shit... and maybe he did. But if so, somewhere along the way... somebody made a remix!

If all men were created equal, how and why was there ever a 'chosen' race... and who the hell chose 'em?! If indeed this 'chosen' seed was to be produced by Abraham, should that seed not (according to local custom) have come through the line of his first born son? And do those who practice the Islamic faith not have a more valid argument (than do the Christians) in that Muhammad is the rightful heir to the promise, being the descendant of Abraham's true first born? Or does the firstborn son of the official 'wife' conveniently take precedence over the first son of a mere concubine? But then arises the question, why was the possession of concubines even permitted, if marriage was to be an institution (of exclusive devotion) between one man and one woman? And if the marriage was officially consummated by the mutual engagement of sexual intercourse... then who determines which woman is to be deemed the official wife anyway?!

Furthermore, if polygamy was allowed for the purpose of accelerated procreation (to beef up the brigades) why were cats like David and Solomon allowed to have more women than they could ever hope to impregnate in a given year?! I mean come on, 300 wives and 700 concubines... nxx please! Get the fock outta' here! That's a mufocka with an insatiable appetite for fresh pxxxy; who views women merely as semi-valuable commodities to be collected like fine wine, exotic cars, priceless art, and Cuban cigars! Hell if it's really all about population acceleration, nxx puff puff pass the pxxxy! Come on man, you fockin' up the rotation... for real! Trust me, that convenient little arrangement was not about expedient population, it was all about excessive immediate gratification! The only reason Solomon was so hell bent on taking the Shulamite maiden from her beloved Shepard boy... is 'cause Solomon was a greedy mutha focka! And the only reason David had a man killed, then took his wife as his own... is 'cause he too, was a greedy mutha focka... flat out! That's why four generations of his family were cursed as a result of his flagrant display of unbridled covetous desire!

And speaking of generational curses, why (in the bible) is it customary for a son to pay for the sins of his father? Like, the way we all have (supposedly) inherited sin and death from Adam and Eve, because they deliberately chose to defy God's 'righteous decree' to remain in darkness throughout all eternity! Perhaps my perspective is skewed, and my understanding of such matters still requires more time to mature, but the way I see it presently is... any arrangement which stipulates that an innocent man should suffer the consequences of another man's actions, is just not just. Or maybe, God didn't write that shit... and maybe he did. But if so, somewhere along the way... somebody made a remix!

One scripture says jealousy is rottenness to the bone, while another states "Our God is a jealous god exacting exclusive devotion." And on one hand that's cool, 'cause as far as I'm concerned, anyone who created me is by all means, entitled to my exclusive devotion. But if my salvation is contingent on my constant, incessant, habitual and ritualistic daily praise and worship of his holy name from sun up to sun down... it sounds to me like God just might be suffering from an inferiority complex. Such low self esteem and insecurity issues lead me to believe that maybe, just maybe... she is a woman after all! Sorry ladies-

Sidebar: "How does my hair look? Does this purse go with these shoes? Should I wear the gold belt or the silver one? Are these earrings too big? I don't know if I'm feeling this lip stick... what do you think?" (pucker) And last but not least... "Does this dress make me look fat?" To which I patiently reply, "I'll tell you what baby, just pack all that shit up in a suitcase and throw it in the trunk. That way, if you're still undecided by the time we get to the club, you can change as many times as your little heart desires!"

Anyway, back to the lecture at hand, if the Almighty Creator truly requires all the constant attention and gratuitous flattery the bible implies... he really must be a nervous wreck! He's an emotional train wreck just waiting to happen! And I'm sorry, but it just doesn't make sense to me that any entity as powerful as an Almighty Creator would be such an insecure, emotional basket case, in such desperate need of constant reassurance! Something tells me God is above all that. Or just maybe, God didn't write that shit... and maybe he did. But if so, somewhere along the way... somebody made a remix!

And how can there be a true separation of church and state when the illicit love affair between the two is so blatantly obvious? The deceit is disgusting and the hypocrisy is nauseating! The clergy is (literally) in bed with select members of the choir, and (figuratively) in bed with local politicians. Because ultimately, it's all about the votes. So vote or die baby... just don't forget to ask yourself where you're going WHEN you die!

My mother tells me the only thing I'm lacking (spiritually) is faith. But my problem with the religious concept of faith, is the biblical definition of it. The bible defines 'faith' as "the assured expectation of realities hoped for, though not beheld." So what exactly is my issue with this definition, you ask? Well frankly speaking, I detect a flaw in it. For starters, why would anything already deemed a 'reality' necessitate the application of faith? Anytime a theory becomes a proven fact, the need for faith is negated. Hence the term "We hold these truths to be self-evident." But again, faith (according to the bible) has nothing to do with tangible 'evidence', but an innate feeling.

Also, it is my understanding that faith and hope are complete opposites. One is a firm, unwavering belief; the other is an optimistic view toward a possibility. For instance, I have 'faith' that the sun will rise in the morning... but I can only 'hope' that I'll rise to see it. But again, according to the bible's definition of faith, even that's not the best example because in this case, my faith in the sun is based on my knowledge that it has consistently risen everyday for millions of years.

We've all heard the phrase, "If you pray don't worry, and if you worry don't pray." The implication is that the person who prays operates on faith, while the person who worries lives by the 'hope' factor. This is because they (faith and hope) are opposites. The way I see it, the word 'hope' should be found nowhere in the definition of 'faith'... because true faith, requires no hope, and mere hope involves no faith. This is why faith the size of a mustard seed can move a mountain. The premise here is that if I really believe this mountain can move, I won't stop until I've found a way to make it happen; not that if I simply believe (and concentrate on it long and hard enough) I can move it through telekinesis! Because that after all, according to the so-called religious experts, would be spiritism! But somehow, I'm not really inclined to believe he was referring to actual, literal mountains anyway. Although... the pyramids of Egypt still remain an unsolved mystery.

So anyway, the assured expectation of realities 'hoped' for, though not 'beheld' is not the type of faith I subscribe to. This is because in my opinion, such faith is (in essence) blind. Hell, even the 'faithful' men of old were able to 'behold' or 'witness' the alleged miracles that inspired the stories that have been passed on thru the centuries. Case in point, Noah got to witness the flood - Hundreds watched David kill Goliath with a stone - many Philistines witnessed Sampson's super human strength - the Israelites witnessed the ten plagues of Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea, and the promised land. Thousands more watched Jesus walk on water, turn it to wine, cure the sick, heal the blind... take two fish and a loaf of bread, feed a crowd and then raise the dead! But we only get to read about it... and trust that nothing go lost in the translation! Yet I'm supposed to cultivate the same level of faith as the individuals who were right there in the front row watching it all go down?! Come on now, is that really even a viable expectation? I don't think so:/

While I do believe certain events did take place, I cannot be sure that the integrity and complete accuracy of the translation has been preserved. Yes, I have 'faith' in the existence of an Almighty Creator, because I 'behold' his magnificent creation. I have 'faith' that somehow, someday, some time, some way... love will prevail over all this crime, chaos, murder, mayhem, utter insanity and plain pandemonium... because I have 'witnessed' love's power.

But I simply cannot and will not, put my faith in the imperfect word of an imperfect man; because the one truth which remains irrefutably consistent, is that man is the single most diabolical creature ever to walk the surface of the earth! All too often, I've seen him become consumed by his own lust, greed, treachery and deceit... driven by hidden agenda, ulterior motive and fueled by an insatiable thirst for power!

Modern religion is (in my humble opinion) a government conspiracy to institutionalize the minds of the mass populous. The 'tree of knowledge' (and the fruit it yields) is forbidden because you're not supposed to think! We're not supposed to question who governs the government. You're not supposed to acquire knowledge. Knowledge is power remember? So ask yourself, where's the incentive for the so-called 'powers that be' to relinquish any of it to your broke ass?!

"Vengeance is mine" thus says the Lord, so if you're a victim of a random act of violence, a drive by shooting, police brutality or triple taxation without representation... just calm down, relax, turn the other cheek, and let the Lord do all your dirty work! 'Cause after all, this planet is ultimately nothing more than a proving ground, designed to determine the eventuality of every past, present, and future inhabitant of this God forsaken place! Although I am somewhat skeptical as to the validity of such a notion, especially since the presumed gateway to the 'after life' is death.

Yet supposedly, if Adam and Eve had been obedient, they would never have been sentenced to death; which means they could never have made the passage to heaven OR hell; unless (of course) God's original plan was for them to fail... in which case, the whole damn thing was just one big set up from the jump! Or just maybe, God didn't write none of this shit... and then again... maybe he did. But if so, you can best believe that somewhere along the way... somebody made one helluva' remix!

Mad love, peace & prosperity y'all, Narrator out-

Pray or Prey (the remix)

darth frosty

darth frosty

goldensky

goldensky

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