Religion-related fraud getting worse

[deadparrot]

Randall W. Harding sang in the choir at Crossroads Christian Church in Corona, Calif., and donated part of his conspicuous wealth to its ministries. In his business dealings, he underscored his faith by naming his investment firm JTL, or "Just the Lord." Pastors and churchgoers alike entrusted their money to him.

By the time Harding was unmasked as a fraud, he and his partners had stolen more than $50 million from their clients, and Crossroads became yet another cautionary tale in what investigators say is a worsening problem plaguing the nation's churches.

Billions of dollars has been stolen in religion-related fraud in recent years, according to the North American Securities Administrators Association, a group of state officials who work to protect investors.

Between 1984 and 1989, about $450 million was stolen in religion-related scams, the association says. In its latest count — from 1998 to 2001 — the toll had risen to $2 billion. Rip-offs have only become more common since.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060813/ap_on_re_us/fleecing_the_faithful

[SoCalDem]

1. Everybody needs money.. the religious cheaters get it the easy way

they steal it..and they usually get away with it for a long time...and only get caught when they get reallllly greedy..

taking small amounts from LOTS of people is a surefire way to amass a large fortune

[Trajan]

2. As far as this Atheist knows ....

Religion has perpetrated a fraud since day one ....

[Zhade]

6. Thanks, I thought I was the only one who found that redundant.

NT!

[MrPrax]

9. Nope...

Yer not alone at all...

I thought the headline was amusing...how DO they tell which is fraud and which is -- um -- fraud?

[Zhade]

12. Thanks! After watching the "atheist/Christian" episode of 30 Days...

...I've been really upset at the fact that we atheists are THE most distrusted minority in the United States.

[MrPrax]

41. Oh yeah....

I forgot about that one...I've been posting since 2003 and it occasionally rises up...and in all honesty in previous flare ups, some of the atheists seemed a little too intolerant...

I just chalked it up to the fact that the board has been 'freeped' and not out of any conscious attmept -- but more due to the fact, you had over the past five years lots of support for the GOP and a lot of those people are disillusioned, so they are migrating towards 'moderate' sites ... big problem is that they are still 'GOP' and still are insistent that their 'core' values come into play...basically it's voters looking for Bush's republican party, without Bush.

But yeah...the Xtians in North America are generally starting to sound alike and I am sorta getting a little tired of the 'free rider' problem, where moderate Xtians are not speaking out forcefully enough against the Xtian Right, for fear of religious backlash, or some perceived loss of religious freedom, money, more or less demonstrates that when push comes to shove, the moderate liberal Xtians will throw in with the Right anyhow.

There are probably moderates who will read this and get upset -- but in all fairness, the Xtian Right has been extremely successful in the last 20 years, while the moderates have been weak, hypocritical, disorganized and effectively proselyized by these extremist factions. They have been on the losing end of most of the culture war issues -- their strategies have been a disaster. Look at reproductive rights...that was a slam dunk for the Right in the US. The opposition has been out to lunch on that one.

I've been an activist for years and a few of us have noted this 'extreme' fundamentalism back in the Reagan era as something to look out for...but the contemporary scene was more of 'big tent' moderation, 'we can win them back' or the blissfully stupid media point of view that the evangelical movement was dead because of all the various 'moral' scandals involving their leadership (Swaggert, Roberts, Bakers).

We completely misread this movement.

The best strategy for the political activist to probably treat them all the same UNTIL THEY demonstrate otherwise...they have gotten it wrong and I personally am getting a little tired of people who sole knowledge of the world is some Xtian lite rap and a John Lennon song. They have had the opportunity to flesh out a critique ('their' competing vision) of the materialistic immoral socio-economic system based on decidedly unXtain values.

Best I can tell -- they have been apologists and have ONLY barked when their religion is critized or they're 'cued' by the media to join a 'culture war'. Big Problem -- the media isn't 'cue' them anymore and they have been left with a barren set of quasi-religious values that make them very vulnerable to the Xtian Rights more muscular statist religious values. Like I said, I can't tell the difference anymore -- at their core, their values seem to be the same.

[progdonkey]

18. "Suckers surprised to find selves suckered!" ;-) n/t

[patrice]

3. Did you see Michelle Goldberg on CSPAN today/last night?

She talked about her book "Kingdom Coming". And mentioned the role that "Faith based initiatives" have in the religious lobby. She was alsp complimentary of Thomas Frank's book What's the Matter with Kansas, but said he had it wrong in re how the RNC uses and then ignores the "Religious Right". She said they are paid off in the fraud waste and abuse going on in faith based initiatives.

I would also bet the congregations in general also receive a pay-off in the form of a religious cartel that supports the businesses of church members by actively encouraging members to do business with one another to the exclusion of others.

Tax the churches.

[alfredo]

5. sounds like organized crime.

[patrice]

7. I have been on national church organization websites and read

their brochures about membership benefits that include the kind of networking used for everything from getting a job to building phone trees. None of it technically illegal, but . . . .

[alfredo]

19. It seems they are getting away from the central mission.

[patrice]

24. Which should be to foster the growth and development of

the Mystical Body of Christ so well that they become obsolete and "the church" lives on in us everywhere without walls.

[alfredo]

28. Never happen. This scam is as old as civilization

and they keep getting away with it.


You know, it is hard to scam an honest man.

[Supersedeas]

39. that's next for Stossel to ignore--tax $$ being laundered at Churches

[msongs]

4. fleece the flock indeed - gullible people believe anything eh? nt

[badgerpup]

22. Sheep indeed...

One of my favorite authors brought this point up...
About the 'Good Shepherd' and his flock...WHY does a shepherd look after his flock? Are they pets? Are they family?

Last I heard, a shepherd looks after his flock so they can be shorn of their wool (i.e. fleeced) regularly and every now and then you can take some for MEAT...

HELLO? Ever wonder where that roast leg of lamb with mint sauce you have at Easter comes from?
Besides the store, I mean? :eyes:


:bounce:I found out at the fair last year that most of the lambs that get eaten are black sheep since they are no good for wool...their wool can't be dyed. Quality is the same, just color can't be changed.

[sendero]

8. Merely emblematic..

.. of where Christianity is going in this country. It is not about religion, it is a club. Lots of people join for reasons other than spirituality. It's nothing more than the rank and file asswipe moving in on the territory previously staked out by televangelist - i.e. fools with money.

[Duke Newcombe]

11. Uh, sorry to point this out...

...what, with bagging on religion (Christanity and Christians, especially) being "the New Black", but it shouldn't surprise anyone that crooks will do and say anything to get money--even pretending to be best friends/buddies/"brothers-in-arms". Willie Sutton sums it up best--when asked why he robbed banks, he replied, "because that's where the money is". Of course, that isn't ascerbic enough for the Christian-bashers...<sigh>

Duke

[Zhade]

13. No one's bashing believers, just organized religion.

NT!

[beam me up scottie]

46. When did O'Reilly start posting here?

Maybe it's just one of his fans. :shrug:

[sendero]

14. I'm bagging on fools..

... not all believers are fools and neither are all non-believers.

But, there are a lot of folks who will take someone's word for it when they say "I believe in Jesus Christ". Take George Bush for example, a false Christian if there ever was one but he's sure got a lot of morons fooled.

[Tansy_Gold]

16. It's not just "that's where the money is"

If my post comes across as "christian-bashing" or "christianity-bashing," so be it, but it seems to me that there's something wrong in the first place with the churches and their congregations as being "where the money is."

That's point number one -- that there seem to be a whole lot of very well-to-do people in some of these churches, people with substantial sums of disposable income and/or savings to invest, especially people who are looking to make MORE money for themselves, rather than, say, do good works for the church or the poor or the sick or the needy.

Second point -- In order to believe in the general doctrine of ANY religion, the believer must have a certain amount of gullibility. Even if the teachings and tenets are presented to the believer from birth, the believer has to be able to accept on faith (that's the whole idea, after all) of invisible, omnipotent beings who routinely perform "miracles" that contradict the laws of the universe as those beings created it. Whether it's rising from the dead, ascending to heaven on a horse, feeding ten thousand people with two fish and five loaves of bread, walking on water, impregnating virgins -- in order to believe in this stuff, one has to set aside what one KNOWS to be true in the reality-based world. That takes a certain amount of gullibility.

And I'm not saying that it's all bad, but it's there. We all have our gullibilities, everything from believing in 9/11 conspiracy theories to Area 51 to Jesus, Mary, and Joseph and all their saints.

So when you have a group of people who share a common gullibility, it shouldn't surprise anyone that those people are even more vulnerable.

But third, there is also an environment in some christian sects that material wealth, regardless of how it's acquired, is a sign of God's grace. If God didn't want you to have that shiny new Rolls and that pretty new wife and that even prettier new mistress and that big house on the hill (just like in the Bible!), well, then God wouldn't have let you have it. So since you've got it, it must be all right with God. And it's not so much that a church that espouses this kind of doctrine creates crooked ministers as that those who have a tendency to such crookedness may find that environment particularly attractive.

Fourth -- I personally find hiding behind the cross to be offensive. If any individual wishes to believe in Jesus and the Resurrection and the forgiveness of sins and all that, that's fine with me. But such a choice ought not to preclude the examination and analysis of the objects of your faith by those who are so inclined. Ditto with Judaism, Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, and anything else. Yes, even the minor sect of devout orthodox atheism to which I belong: if it can't stand up to scrutiny, and if its adherents can't bear the scepticism, then maybe there's something that REALLY needs to be looked at.

I think there are some very nice, very decent, very dedicated, and very devout people of all faiths, but I also think there is inherent in any religious philosophy a subtle attraction for the flimflammer. That christian congregations in this country seem to be more susceptible to that flimflammery ought to be a call to intellectual arms.

Tansy Gold, who has her own gullibility but it ain't religion

[Duke Newcombe]

25. for the most part, agree with you...

I'm glad you caught the point I made--that those predisposed to the pursuit of wealth, either through thinking of God as some kind of "Sugar Daddy", or by seeing the congregations as plump sheep for feasting upon are both in the wrong.

You'll also be happy to know that the Bible agrees insofar as telling believers to "have an answer ready" for the hope that they have. If that's what you mean by not "hiding behind the Cross" then you're right--they should stand beside it, and say why.

Careful: If you keep up this rational thought and civil discourse, they're gonna revoke your Atheism "Ghetto Pass"...;)

Regards,

Duke

[Tansy_Gold]

27. Uh, sorry, but that's not what I meant at all by

"hiding behind the cross."

What I meant was that I get really tired of people whining that it's just so unfair that some of us dare to bash christians, that christians are sooooo persecuted, so reviled, so spat upon. I have not one ounce of sympathy, none, zero, zip, zilch. Christians are NOT persecuted, they're just sometimes prevented from steamrollering the rest of us. :nopity:

Nor am I "happy" that the Bible tells its believers to "have an answer ready." I personally think the bible, and virtually all other "sacred" writings, are a bunch of hooey. I'm not saying YOU personally have to agree with me, but I assure you, I do not believe any of it came directly from a divine being. I believe that human beings made it all up, that for the most part they were men with political agendas, and that ultimately most of these belief systems have been used to hurt more than they've helped.

But that's just me. I'm not going out and bashing individual believers, I'm not going out and bombing churches or temples or mosques or synagogues or other meeting places. But I'm not going to defend the beliefs, and I'm not going to silence myself when it comes to voicing my dislike of religion, and that includes christianity. Especially the elitist, "We're the only ones going to heaven and the rest of you will fry in hell" fundies who see ill-gotten wealth as a sign of their god's grace. If I believed in hell, I'd definitely want them and their god to go there.

Tansy Gold, who is almost always rational and civil and has no effing idea what a "Ghetto Pass" is

[Duke Newcombe]

31. Otay then..

...that's regrettable, but your right at the end of the day. The point still stands that we agree that those that fleece, and those expecting a payday because of joining a "club" of any stripe, without expending personal investment in that "club" are both in the wrong.

Otherwise, in the words of Darth Vader...."I find your lack of faith disturbing"...


BTW, as for the meaning of Ghetto Pass: http://www.doubletongued.org/index.php/dictionary/ghetto_pass/


Duke

[donsu]

40. I'm with you - all religions are a bunch of hooey

and these people who think jesus is coming back are nuts

[progdonkey]

20. but WHY are church-goers such easy targets?

It's not because "that's where the money is" since usually the people who are defrauded are the members of the church who aren't very well-off. Those who would defraud these people know that they can feed them any line of bullshit, and they'll believe it. After all, being fed lines of bullshit is the whole reason they're in church to begin with!

They're easy targets because they have long given up their ability to think for themselves. They're sold a line of bullshit that going to church and/or simply being religious makes a person trustworthy, so these people have no problem giving all their money to these crooks who "do and say anything to get money."

As far as the "New Black" comment... remind me, when were Christians persecuted by atheists? Yes, it's so awful how those poor Christians in this country suffer, having absolutely no representation at all. After all, you can't get elected in this country without explicitly declaring your atheism and doing everything you can to distance yourself from organized religion, Christianity especially. Being seen coming out of a church after a service is akin to murdering a child in this country; the persecution that Christians must endure in this country....

How the poor Christians are viewed by all Americans as without morals or as lying and shifty. Yes, Christians have it so bad.

[Duke Newcombe]

23. Hmm...somehow...

...if we were talking about Veterans, or members of PETA getting fleeced, I think you'd give them a pass. Just sayin'...

as far as the "my victimhood beats your victimhood" false choice you're trying...I'm not buying, thanks.

Duke

[progdonkey]

35. Veterans and PETA?

I posted one reply before realizing that I really didn't have a clue what the fuck you were saying. I still don't, I think.

Are you saying that you wouldn't have sympathy for Veterans who get defrauded? Why then accuse me of the awful crime of giving veterans "a pass" if they were the victims of fraud? Of course I would have sympathy for veterans who get defrauded. How the thought of veterans popped into your head from anything I wrote is still confounding me.

I mean, I understand that your addled freeper brain would bring up PETA, as if all LIEberals love them some PETA. It's total BS.

Yet, you put veterans and PETA into the same group.

I'm still in shock from the total overpowering blast of idiocy you've hit me with. If it had just been the stupid PETA comment, I'd get your meaning (which was the target of my first reply), but with "Veterans" in there as well... I just don't know.


As for "my victimhood beats your victimhood." First of all, you have no victimhood, so the idea that I would argue that "my victimhood is bigger than yours" is absurd. I'd have to accept that you're a victim in the first place! Second of all, that was no attempt at saying that atheists are oppressed in this country. You stated that atheists are oppressing Christians in this country ("bagging on religion" neccessitates quite plainly that the "baggers" must be non-religious, ie. atheists.), so I merely pointed out the absurdity in saying that the religious and Christians in particular are somehow persecuted or under constant duress in this country. Only by invoking a belief in an imaginary deity can a person be elected to any office above dog-catcher, and furthermore only professed Christians (whether they actually live by Jesus' example isn't quite as important to RW Christians, however) can be president in this country.

Atheists aren't actively persecuted in this country, but to say that the religious, and Christians in particular, are being persecuted is absolutely mind-boggingly fucking retarded.

[Tansy_Gold]

36. Thanks, progdonkey

I thought I was the only one. . . . . . . . ;-)

[Duke Newcombe]

43. Um...thanks for your passionate reply...

...you completely missed the point of my post, but then again, my perception of your predisposition towards having no respect or amity towards Christians should have tipped me off.


Regards,

Duke Newcombe

[beam me up scottie]

47. And your predisposition to defending dominionists and republicans

should have tipped us off.

According to you, we shouldn't criticize religion in the Religion forum or Amerikkka in the GD/Politics forum, so, what's next?

Not being allowed to criticize reich wing pundits in GD?

You do realize that this is a liberal internet forum, right?

And that liberals criticize illiberal ideology and the fascists in power who are attacking the Constitution?

Someone's missing the point, all right, and it's not progdonkey.

[FormerDem06]

17. I couldn't agree more....

Most of organized religion in this country has turned into a "do what feels right" type of religion. You've got "High Church" country clubs like the Episcopals, Lutherans and Methodists who need members so bad they're doing wacky stuff like saying the basic tenants of the religion are just allegories. You've got the Catholics who are reeling from trust issues and the lowest church attendance rates of all time.

The ironic thing is, that the groups that are actually follow are structured religion and believe exactly what they should believe as the bible states it are labeled as wacko fundamentalists.

And then there are the televangistic crowds, they are probably the most misguided, and led by the BIGGEST bunch of crooks.

And to the person who advocated taxing the church. That would really make seperation of church and state extremely difficult. If you tax them, then you can't tell them to stay out of government and not to politicize the pulpit. Once you start taking their money, you give them a say in what you do. Not to mention that taxing them is pretty much a reverse violation of the seperation of church and State.

[patrice]

26. Good points.

So let's just tax the churches that are really just businesses, i.e. the lobbyists and those who solicit their congregations for money and votes for candidates.

[laststeamtrain]

10. Hey! Somebody raptured my wallet! n/t

[sendero]

15. Obviously..

.. your wallet was "saved" but you were not. Better luck next life :)

[Caretha]

21. It is the old 3 "P's" rule

and I'm amazed that most people don't know it. I owned an advertising agency for years. Rule number one.....never give credit to

(1) Politicians
(2) Plumbers
(3) Preachers

[Kailassa]

37. Should be Polititians, Performers and Preachers. n/t

[grannylib]

29. "prosperity theology" is poisoning Christianity.

It's the heresy spouted by Pat Robertson and others, that if you are rich, it's because God has richly blessed you, and if you are not, obviously you're not living right. (Ignoring, of course, the wealth of those who have clearly obtained it through illegal or immoral means...)

What a complete bastardization of the faith.

[Miss Chybil]

30. But, I thought if they had a Jesus fish on their car you could trust 'em.

My bad.

[Duke Newcombe]

33. No more than you'd trust...

...one of those folks rolling around with a DARWIN fish on their cars, or those with license plates, or with wheels on their cars, or any other dubius reason such as what they have on their cars.

You'd have to judge them by their behaviors and...oh never mind.

Duke

[daleo]

32. Let's not forget "Fraud related religion"

That's getting worse too.

[leesa]

34. Good. I hope they're getting fleeced...maybe they'll see the light.

They've made money off their special brand of bigotry, I'm glad there's a price to pay.

[bleedingheart]

38. Wow...Religious folks corrupt??? Tell me it isn't so...

:sarcasm:

[Cell Whitman]

42. Billions were swindled in Japan to finance the right's takeover of America

here's how billions were swindled and used to move our nation right and theocratic.

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/8/9/13513/46197

Why do you think this is NOT talked about by anyone? Just because a few democrats have been smudged by this organization that shuts the left up? Amazing but true. Billions went to finance and GUIDE the right's takeover came from this group...maybe a few thousand for a couple fund raisers for a couple liberals and no one speaks?

We are going to lose the planet the same way we lost America. That is happening NOW and no one sees what he is doing. You'd think people would care. But no, they CONTINUE to be blind and or silent...


comments?

[dattaswamI]

44. Religion Vs Spirituality

Religion Vs Spirituality

Every Religion in this world wants you to get rid of bad qualities at least from today for the admission into that religion which is practically impossible. The reason is that these bad qualities were grown like hills for the past millions of births. This small human life is insufficient even to move them, not to speak of removing them. People can control the bad qualities to some extent by their efforts. These bad qualities are frequently sparking in the minds of even the most pious sages. If one says that he is good and he is devoid of all the bad qualities, it only cheating others, which in turn is cheating oneself. Due to this practically impossible condition, for the religious admission, people have developed allergy towards any religion because the eligibility for admission is impractical.

The religious preachers have confused the whole situation by fusing religion and spiritualism. Religion is the context of GOD to establish peace and justice in this world. In this context, you must control your bad qualities so that you will not disturb the peace and justice and will not harm any good person in this world. If you disturb the world by your bad qualities, God will punish you. But, in this context, it is sufficient if you control the bad qualities since you cannot remove them. The Religion ends here. Some religions strictly end here without any spiritualism.

The spiritualism is the context in which you have to make efforts to reach God. In this context, you need not even control your bad qualities because, God has no personal objection towards your bad qualities. These bad qualities cannot be obstacles in any manner in this context. Moreover, when you turn these bad qualities towards the God, they become your helpers. Any quality whether good or bad, is created by God only to help you in reaching Him. If you realize the original aim of all these qualities, good or bad, why should you control these qualities, which are with you as a helper? No fool controls his helpers. So, any quality when involved in spiritualism is used for its original aim, it becomes a good quality. So all your qualities become good in spiritualism and you need not put any effort to remove or even control them. When the qualities are not used for their original purpose, they become bad qualities. Therefore, whatever qualities turned towards the world, are bad qualities. In this spiritualism, there is no need of any effort even to control these bad qualities.

Then, for what, our effort should be made? Our effort should be concentrated to achieve “Bhakthi” which is the love on God. “Bhakthi” is achieved and is grown by the knowledge of God. For example, you came to know that Bombay City exists. This is the knowledge of existence of Bombay. By this you want to see Bombay. As you know the details of Bombay more and more, your desire to see the city becomes more and more. Knowing details about the Bombay City is again the further knowledge. So, knowledge is directly proportional to desire. First Rukmini heard that there is Lord Krishna on this earth. As she heard more and more about Lord Krishna from Sage Narada, her love on Krishna increased enormously. Narada means he who gives knowledge. Therefore, ‘Jnana”(knowledge) generates and develops “Bhakthi (devotion)”. Due to Bhakthi, the Lord is attained. Gita says the same ‘ONLY BY BHAKTHI I AM ATTAINED’ (‘Bhaktya………’).

In the spiritual path all your effort must be concentrated in acquiring the knowledge of God day by day. Once this knowledge based Bhakthi (devotion) is achieved, your qualities good or bad are immaterial. Whatever may be the vessel, the drink in it is important. The value paid in a hotel is for the drink only. If you have taken a cup of coffee, you are paying the cost of the coffee only whether the cup is made of glass or metal. Similarly, God gives value only for your Bhakthi and not for your quality. I will give a beautiful example here. “Sabari” is with good qualities and offered fruits to the Lord Rama who is Vishnu. A hunter called “Kannappa” gave flesh to the Lord Siva. Sabari reached the ‘World of Vishnu and Kannappa reached the World of Shiva”. Both have reached the same Lord because Veda says, “Shiva is Narayana”. Both of them have been given the similar value by the Lord because in both cases, the intensity of the devotion is the same as both gave even their food without eating. Therefore, this proves clearly that the Lord has no objection for your bad qualities. Hence, all the effort should be only to achieve and increase the intensity of love devotion or Bhakthi on God. It is not necessary to bother about your qualities that are inherent coming from millions of births. They are the born qualities. The tail of the dog is curved. Any effort cannot make it straight. By force, we can keep it straight but it has not become straight. Similarly you can control your bad qualities for not disturbing peace of the world by some force. When you come to God, you come in your natural state because you can deceive the world showing that your banded tail is straight but not the God. Whether the river comes in straight path or curved path, the ocean receives only the water with equality. Similarly, God receives your love irrespective of your quality. He received “Sabari” and ‘Kannappa” equally. Sabari with good qualities and Kannappa with bad qualities reached the same Lord, as their devotion is of same intensity.

A piece of gold is wrapped in an old cloth. A stone is wrapped with a metallic foil. Which has more total value? Similarly, the love with high intensity covered even by a bad quality has more total value than the love with lesser intensity covered by a good quality. When the blood flew from the eye of the Lord, the Priest who is a person with good qualities is trying to apply the medicine. But, his devotion is less. In the same situation, “Kannappa” plucked his eyes and donated to the Lord. Kannappa is a person with bad qualities but his devotion is the highest. Devotion is the highest good quality. Now let us evaluate the total cost of the priest and Kannappa. The devotion in Kannappa is +100. The bad qualities in Kannappa are –10. The total cost is +90. The priest with good qualities is +10. The devotion in him is +20. The total cost is +30. So, of the two who is good? Obviously it is Kannappa. Gita says, that, “Even the worst is best by Bhakthi” (Api chet….).

Therefore, what is the eligibility for the admission into our religion of Guru Datta? The eligibility is that you should be a living being. Even animals and birds are eligible to reach God irrespective of their qualities. Even serpent, spider and the elephant got salvation in Sri Kala Hasthi. The serpent has all bad qualities. God did not insist the serpent to get rid of all the bad qualities. Even if God says, the serpent is unable to understand put the efforts. When such a serpent is eligible, why not a man? All the people are depressed and dejected with the eligibility conditions stipulated by various religions. For example if an Institution stipulates the eligibility condition as that one should remove his head and come, nobody can be admitted. Similarly the religions stipulate the removal of all the bad qualities, which is impossible. Only a temporary control is possible which is necessary for you to live in this world with peace. This control is possible. In our religion also we are stipulating this condition, which is possible. So, in our Datta religion, the eligibility condition is that if your bad qualities do not disturb the world, the Lord has no personal objection to them and you need not even control them. Moreover, they will help you in spiritualism.

How to turn the bad qualities towards God and make them helpers in reaching the God? There are six bad qualities that are inherent in any living being since millions of births. They are Lust (kama), Anger (krodha), Greediness (Lobha), ego (mada), Blind attraction (Moha) and Jealousy (Matsarya). Anger, greediness, ego and jealousy come under Rajas quality. Lust and blind attraction come under Tamas quality. I give you an example to divert your bad qualities towards the Lord, which can be used as powerful vehicles. Example:- Love in cinema songs can be diverted to the Lord by little change in words. Then, the powerful tune that created sweet feelings in you is now a powerful vehicle to make you to reach the Lord.

A film song ‘Churaliya Tumne ……’) instead of ‘Sanam’ replace the word with ‘Hare’. All the sweetness of your mind is now on the Lord Krishna (Vishnu). See how a person, mad after cinema songs become a powerful devotee in his own way without any change! You can sing this as your prayer for which you need not put any effort by force. Your worship should be natural and spontaneous, which alone can be true.


At the Lotus Feet of His Holiness Sri Dattaswami

Anil Antony

www.universal-spirituality.org
Universal Spirituality for World Peace
[e-mail]

[WritingIsMyReligion]

45. It's increasingly difficult to separate organized religion from fraud.

Amazing how easily the two seem to intertwine. ;)