Malcolm X's Independence Speech and Black Nationalism Today

On March 12, 1964, after being censured by the Nation Of Islam, Malcolm X broke his silence with this statement on his beliefs and his plans for his community.

In 1994/5, I performed this speech many times at speech and debate competitions. Mostly I wanted to be different from the Martin Luther King crowd. back then, I thought there was a difference between Martin and Malcolm. I believed there was a split in the Black thought. I chose Malcolm. My journey showed me there could be split. Once I removed divisive thoughts from my perspective these words made a lot more sense.

After twenty years of forgetting theses words and not seeing them, today I am amazed at having developed a much deeper understanding of Black Nationalism that leads me back to these words...

This is everything I've learned and believe in as it pertains to Black Nationalism. It seems very timely given the atmosphere today...

Because 1964 threatens to be a very explosive year on the racial front, and because I myself intend to be very active in every phase of the American Negro struggle for human rights, I have called this press conference this morning in order to clarify my own position in the struggle, especially in regards to politics and nonviolence.

I am and always will be a Muslim. My religion is Islam. I still believe that Mr. Muhammad's analysis of the problem is the most realistic, and that his solution is the best one. This means that I too believe that the best solution is complete separation, with our people going back home, that is, to our African homeland.

But separation back to Africa is still a long-range program, and while it is yet to materialize, 22 million of our people who are still here in America need better food, better clothing, better housing, better education and better jobs right now. Mr. Muhammad's program does point us back homeward, but it also contains within it what we could and should be doing to help solve our own problems right now while we're still in America.

But internal differences within the Nation of Islam forced me out of it. I did not leave of my own free will. But now that it has happened, I intend to make the most of it. Now that I have more independence of action, I intend to use a more flexible approach toward working with others to get a solution to this problem.

I'm not out to fight other Negro leaders or other Negro organizations. We must find a common approach, a common solution, to a common problem. As of this minute, I have forgotten everything bad that the other leaders have said about me, and I pray they can also forget the many bad things I've said about them. The problem facing our people here in America is bigger than all the other personal or organizational differences. Therefore, as leaders, we must stop worrying about the threat that we seem to think we pose to each other's personal prestige, and concentrate our united efforts toward solving the unending hurt that is being done daily to our people here in America.

I am going to organize and head a new mosque in New York City, known as the Muslim Mosque Incorporated. This gives us a religious base, and the spiritual force necessary to rid our people of the vices that destroy the moral fiber of our community.

Our political philosophy will be black nationalism. Our economic and social philosophy will be black nationalism. Our cultural emphasis will be upon black nationalism.

Many of our people aren't religiously inclined, so the Muslim Mosque, Incorporated, will be organized in such manner to provide for the active participation of all Negroes in our political, economic, and social programs, despite their religious or non-religious beliefs.

The political philosophy of black nationalism means: we must control the politics and the politicians of our own community. They must no longer take orders from outside forces, and we will organize, and sweep out of office all Negro politicians who are puppets for these outside forces.

Our accent will be upon youth. We need new ideas, new methods, new approaches. We will call upon young students of political science throughout the nation to help us. We will encourage these young students to launch their own independent study, and then give us their analysis and their suggestions. We are completely disenchanted with the old, adult, established politicians. We want to see some new faces, more militant faces.

Concerning nonviolence: it is criminal to teach a man not to defend himself when he is the constant victim of brutal attacks. It is legal and lawful in this country to own a shotgun or a rifle. We believe in obeying the law. In areas where our people are the constant victims of brutality, and the government seems unable or unwilling to protect them, we should form rifle clubs that can be used to defend ourselves and our property in times of emergency, such as happened last year in Birmingham Alabama, in Plaquemine, Louisiana in Cambridge, Maryland and in Danville, Virginia. When our people are being bitten by dogs, they are within their rights to kill those dogs. We should be peaceful, law-abiding—but the time has come for the American Negro to fight back in self-defense whenever and wherever he is being unjustly and unlawfully attacked. 

If the government thinks I am wrong for saying this, then let the government start doing its job.

Far Sighted About Sin (What I Learned About Sin, Hyperopia and Religion/Spirituality)

Far sighted individuals can see things that are far away but need help to see the things right in front of their face. I am near sighted. I need help to see whats far away from me. Most people grow more far sighted as they age. That's why we see older people wearing bifocals. They started out near sighted and grew far sighted as they grew older. Hyperopia (Farsightedness) is becoming more common in younger and younger people. That is, more young people are having trouble seeing what right in front of their face

Sin has a multitude of definitions. I like to define it as anything that goes against your personal principles/what you say you believe in. Many people say they believe in the Bible in a literal sense, which has a llllooooonnnnggg list of principles and they sin by going against the simplest rules. In a non-religious sense, a person can sin by breaking a promise, even (and Especially) a promise made to their self. Someone who says they are all about the money but doesn't save or invest wisely, is sinning. 

All of that is precursor to a brief Christian essay I read entitled Whose Mess? It talked about being Far Sighted About Sin. Specifically, the writer was cleaning up a public beach and complaining about whoever it was that left the trash in the sand. The essay referenced a story from Matthew 15 where the Pharisees were worried about the disciples washing their hands before eating. The famous quote from Jesus goes, "It's not what goes into our bodies that defiles us but what comes out." There's a deeper message there though. The Pharisees had dishonored other people's parents by insisting that they give 'The Church' its money instead of helping needy parents. As people still do, they got up in the traditions and forgot the principles that led to the traditions. It happens a lot. We start out on a journey to meet a principle and get distracted by the scenery so much that we soon forget where we were going. 

And today, we live in a culture of distraction. Too many of us LOVE to watch other people's sins to make us feel better about our journey. We've even forgotten to check ourselves. Maybe we can't even see ourselves anymore because we've truly become far sighted. We have NO idea about what's gong on with us. But we know which reality star is going to jail this week... We know who shot who, who's lying, who's cheating, who's stealing... We wake up each day with 'SMH' copied so we can paste it all day as we read the news and/or comb through our friend's statuses... Those of us who are spiritual try to stop shaking our heads and now we post 'Praying For You...'... And now we wake up looking for someone to 'Pray For'... But when's the last time we checked our journey out? 

Just like the Pharisees we got caught up with what's going on around us and neglected ourselves. What we say we believe in is the beginning of faith but our actions determine whether or not we still believe. Someone posted a FB status the other day about someone else posting bad news all day, everyday. There's a saying "Misery loves company." There's the tale of two wolves, one good/one evil where the one that lives is the one you feed. What are you feeding by feasting on the sins of other people each and every day? How do you expect your soul/spirit to grow strong off neglect and misery? 

At some point we begin to internalize the sin of others. Perhaps we had some imperfections before we lost our focus on self improvement. Either way, or simultaneously, our paradigm will shift. Our actions will stop reflecting the priorities we claimed, if they ever did. The sin we drank of others and the neglect of our own souls will begin to come out of our pores through our actions. A little vanity here and there since we love to look at others and say "I'm not THAT bad..." There's nothing harder than self improvement when you are surrounded by poor behavior. There's little motivation to improve, if you seem to be doing the best among your peer group. Remember, the best house in a bad neighborhood is a bad investment. 

No matter what we say we believe in, our challenge is to get better every day. When we become far sighted about sin, distracted by the sin of others, we cease to challenge ourselves. And we get away with it. We point to all the crap we see in the outside world and say, "See! At least I'm not like that." We don't discipline our children but at least we don't abuse them. Men talk down to the women in their lives but at least they don't beat them. Or they beat them and it's OK because we haven't killed them, yet. We don't step it up in church because the pastor is cheating on the first lady. Or, we don't go to church at all because we're better than those church people. Or we don't believe anymore because we're good people anyway. But eventually, instead of becoming better people, we become good enough people. Plus, those stupid Christians keep shooting up churches/bombing abortion clinics/hanging Black people/beating up gays/Muslims. We don't do any of that so...

If you want to be spiritual (no church, no organized religion) it is certainly possible to connect/commune with God and become a spirit, that is to become a better person. It is also highly unlikely. As often as followers of organized religion fail to it's less likely to happen than it would be if you chose to use an established framework. The key is to remember that it's just a framework. And all institutions have become corrupt. The solution is not to abandon everything but to build/rebuild better frameworks. If a church is corrupt, start a new one or fix the one you're in. There's no excuse to do nothing. 

No matter what your paradigm is, a positive outlook requires you to be good and get better every day. If you aren't doing that, you're sinning. Even in organized religion, the listed of sins are just details of what a lack of growth looks like. We've become so focused ont he details that we forgot we were supposed to be growing. Be careful of becoming far sighted. Keep growing. Keep learning. 

What I Learned in Church: The Early Edition

Feeling a little inspired today. Thank God for my good friends and their good energy. The company you keep is very important. God has been answering my prayers and revealing some great friends and making room for them in my life.

So I finally decided what I’m doing for Lent this year. This year, I’m staying in-doors. That’s school, work, home (or someone’s house) til Easter. My apologies in advance to the three people who are going to miss hanging out with me.

So let’s get in this book. Deuteronomy 26 breaks down First Fruits and tithes, going into the reasons why we give God the primary glory for all that we are blessed with. Then we repeat, “Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble.” That’s an easy way to remind ourselves that God is ALWAYS there, not just when the sun is shining! In Romans 10, (a VERY important chapter) we break down the basis of salvation. If you believe in Jesus, you will be saved. And then, in Luke 4, Jesus fasts for 40 days and 40 nights. The devil tries him up and he holds on to his faith, conquering the devil.

And you've heard all this before. But have you really thought about it?

On Friday, I listened to a radio show titled “Black Churches: Accountability to the Community”. My first thought was, “What’s the community’s accountability to the church?” Can you imagine Peter, Paul, Simon, or any of the founders of Christianity saying the things that Christians today say. They all got asked to follow Jesus and they ended up leading within a few years. Today, we grow up in the church; we stay in the church for years and are not becoming leaders. We give tithes wondering when we are going to get it back. We keep asking what the church can give us, without ever learning how to give.

Look at the book again. We've already been given the blessing. We already have the power. It’s because of God that we have. So we’re not giving our tithes and waiting for a return. We've already been blessed and are giving God what’s his. Giving without concern; giving full of joy is the blessing in itself. There’s no more to it. Remember, God always being there means he was there BEFORE you got the gifts to give. God has already given us to power to be a blessing to ourselves and others. What are we doing with it?

And what do we really believe in? What’s in our hearts? Sure, many, many of us confess with our mouths and call on the name of the Lord. But what we believe in our hearts will be manifested in our lives. That Jesus gave died and rose again means eternal life for us as well. AS WELL! It means that we have the possibility of being just like Jesus. THAT’s what the founders of Christianity attempted and taught. That we could also fast and resist the Devil. Not the way we do now. What do we do in adversity? Do we stand girded with the armor of God? Or do we run?

Saying you believe in Jesus is just a step. Putting true belief in our hearts is a process. Do it! Fast. Pray. Believe, not just when people ask you but especially when you get tried up! Stand!

Tomorrow, you may not get challenged this way so think on it now. Maybe you should stand tomorrow and help your church. God has already done his job. Have you done yours?

Choosing God - WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE IN?

Some (A LOT) of my ‘Christian’/Religious brothers and Sisters make me wonder. Often. We all allegedly read the same book. How did they miss the part where God wins and the devil loses?

Listen to them speak and it will make you wonder who they believe in.  All I hear sometimes from people is – “The devil is a lie” “The devil is busy” “The devil is working today!” “The devil keeps poking me on Facebook” “The devil is doing that thing with a piece of grass in my ear to make me think a fly is on me.” The devil. The devil. The devil. And after all that, you might get one “God is good”.

And I go – What do you really believe? Did we read the same book? Through the law of abundance (which is called choosing God/living in the spirit in the Bible) I would believe you love the devil. So guess what the universe is going to give you more of?

Choose GOD!

Philippians 4:8-9 is the work you have to do. Everyone loves 4:6 because left on its own, you can ask God for what you want and don’t have to do any work. But NO! You must always work. THINK! THINK! THINK! Ephesians 6:12 says it is not about anything else but how you think. And the WORK is Ephesians chapter 6. “Put on the whole armor of God” Righteousness, truth, faith, salvation, Spirit and never stop praying! READ whole chapters if not whole books.

In Galatians Chapter 5, the Fruit of Spirit is Love. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through Love. Part of the spirit of Love is truth. A real Preacher (Ecclesiastes) will tell you the whole truth.

In Ephesians 5 – God’s example is Love. Live not as unwise but wise. Live as light and find out what pleases the Lord. It’s all in 1 Peter chapter 2 “So get rid of every kind of evil. Stop telling lies. Don't pretend to be something you are not. Stop wanting what others have. Don't speak against each other.” “People who don't believe might say you are doing wrong. But lead good lives among them. Then they will see your good works. And they will give glory to God on the day he comes to judge.” “By doing good you will put a stop to the talk of foolish people. They don't know what they are saying. God wants you to stop them.” “Live like free people. But don't use your freedom to cover up evil. Live like people who serve God”

It’s that simple. Choose God. Show it ALL the time! 

The Natural Man

26 Natural Man

            We are born to sin. It’s in our nature… Tell that shit to God.

(St. Peter with a trap door) – “We want you to talk to another one of our angels. Stand over that square over there please. Yes. Right there…”

            Something was a little off with dude. When I met him, he was cool. We spoke a little. He was into the Bible. He told me about the prayer circle. There was something else underneath, though. He was a little negative ALL the time. He was always crying about something. It took nearly a month for it to all come out but when it did, I finally got it.

            I keep my mouth shut to avoid arguments but I always side with the guards, no matter what. (In jail/prison, all inmates are supposed to be against the guards, no matter what.) This time in jail is our opportunity to develop habits which will make us better citizens when it’s time to go home. The guards take it upon themselves to instill discipline in addition to the routine. Each of us has a different idea about discipline. Why should I take their attempt at positivity personal? What better models for NOT going to jail do we have anyway?

            Dude took it personal.

I waited until the next time he did it to engage him. “He treat us like kids” We are kids. We are children of God in the developmental stage. And more to the point, our immaturity led us here. “I’m a grown ass man.” [If you must remind people… Obviously… No… No. SMH] This is his attempt at giving us the discipline we need.  Everyone in here, innocent or guilty, is in here because of lack of discipline. “We all sinners. He sin too.” But he’s disciplined enough to stay out of here and seek salvation elsewhere. We are all sinners but we don’t have to stay that way. “It’s in our nature to sin. We can’t shange.”

            Ah ha!

            So there it was. A natural man. A man driven purely by ego. That explains all the crying. The complaining. The self-absorbedness without self awareness. The self serving without self control. The over inflated sense of self with complete lack of self esteem.

            That is the Natural Man. The Natural Man is completely ego driven, utterly impulsive, very animalistic, often misled, totally insecure and vulnerable; and completely unaware of any of this. Eckhart Tolle in The New Earth and my friend Kobe actually sum it up succinctly.”The ego is a liar”

            Kobe actually called it the subconscious. The ego runs the subconscious. The ego does all the lying. As well, the ego does all the covering up for the lies and the ensuing shortcomings

            Contrary to popular opinion a large ego is not connected to a healthy or high self esteem. In fact, a large ego will kill self esteem and tell you everything is better than fine, it’s great! The ego’s main concern is comfort. View the natural reaction to change. The ego tells you to reject change. As far as growth, the ego will make some concessions to stimulate growth. SOME. In fact, the natural man never fully matures. He simply readjusts his comfort zones.

            The natural man is, in short, a big baby. He may pay bills. Maybe he goes to work. The natural man can seem normal. It is only when you get to motivations that the ego’s role become more apparent. In jail/prison, among a larger selection of unsophisticated individuals, the motivations are laid bare. Now it is easier to read and relate the behavior of the natural man. In sophisticated society, men and women can hide behind facades. There is not of that in jail/prison. Just ego, out in the open.

            Let me assuage the emotional, twitter readers. When I say inmates are very animalistic, that is to say their behavior is not very far evolved from animals. I am not referring to violence but more so to violent mood swings.

            Inmates prove the perfect specimen like a one celled amoeba or mendels flowers for genetic study. There are so few variables to consider. Assuming Darwin was right, welcome to the monkey house! There is some home training, but the priorities are low. Eat, sleep, shit, smoke and jack. Bathing is optional. Again it’s a comfort concession of the ego. Natural men who can’t smell themselves may be guilted into bathing but smoking, horseplay and talking shit take priority.

            Conversations are very telling. Lack of sophistication makes ego very apparent. No one asks for anything right out. The ego can’t stand rejection so every request is prefaced with another question. “Are you going to eat that?” Only when the reqest is certain to be granted will it be made outright. Even then, it may not be in the form of a question. “Let me get that”

            In here, we witness the irresponsible and irresponsive. Most inmates are innocent. The admittedly guilty (drug dealers/addicts) still place blame on others. “My dumb ass girl let the cops search the house.” “[insert any county/police organization] is fucked up. They be all smelling drugs and searching (finding two ounces sitting in the passenger seat like a person with the seatbelt on.) everything.” There is no forethought. Plans are always forgotten in favor of immediate gratification or dwelling on how fucked up the police are for fighting crime and criminal behavior. Reactions are immediate, universal and, of course, ego driven.

            Everything is personal. Since the ego is fragile, Natural Men are equally fragile. Every slight discomfort is an overt effort by “the cops”/deputies to hate. Some of my religious brothers call if The Devil. When the deputy takes away your contraband he’s hating, even though he previously explained he’s trying to teach you to follow the rules, even though he could have punished you severely. “That’s just the devil trying you.” Natural men don’t suffer as groups either. Dorm meetings are full of grumbles – “Why you telling me? Tell that/those niggahs.”

            Let me come back to the natural man statement – “It’s in our nature to sin. We can’t change that.” The Natural Man has the end all be all excuse. It would seem.

            So let’s look at the nature of sin

            In the beginning, there was no sin. There was only one rule in Eden. Don’t eat of the Tree of Good and Evil. Just like diplomatic immunity, being a citizen of one country you can’t be expected to be aware of the obscure law of another country. That, of course, is not a defense of crime anymore due to abuse of that loophole and treaties that followed. It just goes to show – you will be responsible for what you know and only for what you know. If you know nothing, you can be responsible for nothing.

            The knowledge of good and evil brought more than just that knowledge. It brought the responsibility for that knowledge. Knowledge of good and evil and the ensuing responsibility are both a gift and a curse. The curse was obvious. Sin, and it’s consequence, was introduced to the world. Adam and Eve were kicked out of Eden and sorrow and pain were introduced to man’s existence.

            For most people the story ends there, with the curse. And Natural men are the extreme of this paradigm. But read it again. Knowledge of GOOD and evil. There’s a blessing in everything. If you can see that in jail, you can see it anywhere. I went inside those walls prepared to accept a punishment and walked out with a reward. The gift was knowledge, wisdom and understanding all of which we can use to choose between good and evil or right and wrong. We were already created with free will. Now we have the responsibility of making a choice. Knowledge of good and evil meant a choice between good and evil.

            Assuming we evolved from animals, the analogy still holds true. Not only did we develop arms legs and lungs but also intellect. We acquired knowledge. We began to think. We even think about thinking. As such, we still developed the knowledge of good and evil without the creation story. Therefore, evolution still develops for us a choice.

            That choice leads us to become the only animals blessed with the capability of changing our nature. We can be born and raised one way and ascend or descend to anything we choose. We can grow up believing one thing and come to believe the complete opposite or anywhere in between. A worker bee can never bee queen, likewise a queen cannot become a drone. But common man can become King and king can renounce/lose his throne and live a peasant’s life.

            At this stage of human development, it should be simple to change. Unfortunately change is up there higher than public speaking as fears go. The ego will fight hard, tooth and nail, for its comfort zones.  ‘Don’t move to a new town’ ‘You don’t know anyone there. Stay here’ ‘You’re too old to go back to school/to start over’ ‘You’ve been smoking too long to quit’ ‘Withdrawal is painful’ ‘I’m too young to  be married’ ‘Marriage is hard’

            The Natural man calls it staying happy and free. The prototypes are The Nature Boy Ric Flair, Hugh Hefner, Frank Sinatra, The Playboys… He develops a lifestyle that doesn’t promote any growth but is completely comfortable. No matter how macho a natural man comes off, his ego is deeply afraid. Change is coming and it will ruin ego’s pre-established comfort patterns. The natural man is completely unaware all this is going on. He is proud to have a huge ego. It’s warm and cuddly like the womb.

            Without presence of mind we are ruled by our natures aka ego. Knowledge of self kills ego. Hidden within ourselves are hopes and dreams and aspirations. Hidden deep down is change and growth. Not only perspective but a complete paradigm shift comes from listening to something other than ego. Freedom and happiness take on new meaning.

            Presence of mind makes us responsive instead of reactive. We can begin to consider some of the dumbness that comes out of our mouths. “That’s just how I feel.” “I can’t change.” “That’s just me.” We question our motivations. Eventually, we can catch stupidness before it leaves our mouths.

            Truly responsive men will replace ‘grown ass’ natural men. These new men will realize being born into sin only means there is an option. Responsible individuals can choose not to sin. We are born into sin. It’s in our nature. The natural man can tell that shit to God.

            I can envision St. Peter standing at the gates – “Oh really? Born sinning? In your nature? Why don’t you talk to another one of our angels? Just wait over there over that square…” (Trapdoor Sounds)

Natural Men, you’ve been warned…

Good luck with that shit!

            Natural men are the extreme. I only use them to explain behavior that is apparent in ALL of us. After I get rid of the natural men, I’m coming after the rest of you. We must put aside our egos completely if we want to evolve into our better selves. Egos will and must be eradicated in order for our world to not only survive but flourish.

           

            Remember you have a choice, always! And don’t despair if you make the wrong one. By the grace of God and the power of choice, you’ll get another chance. Keep choosing!

Church Sex

Church Sex

Church is the new speed dating. Church is better than Tagged, It’s better than Eharmony, It’s better than the club, And dare I say, it’s better than FB. And there IS sex. Lots of hot steamy sex.

I’m not exactly sure how it works but it does. Isn’t that the way church is anyway? No details. Just go and let the spirit move you. Remain open. Stay cool calm and patient. And let the blessings just rain down on you.
You don’t have to dress up, just come as you are. You don’t even need a job or money. You don’t really need to have your shit together at all. Church people like to fix other people.
But there is no faking church. No jumping up and running into the first church on your block. NO parking lot pimping in front of church. The key to church dating is honesty. There is no talking about sex specifically but in all other areas complete honesty and full disclosure are required at all times.
That means you must practice your actual religion. If you aren’t looking to get married, you must say so. Your church will provide people with loose dating morals for you. You must find a church that fits your needs. Once you have found that right fit, join something in the church and let the dating begin.
Just remember, no naked-dicking!

Conspiracy Theories

Maisha Perkins set it off with this one.

Two things have been troubling me this week. One was The Tavis Smiley and Al Sharpton disagreement. The other was this Black Abortion/Genocide debate. In some kind of way, I think the two are connected.

Let me begin by saying these are two of the most ridiculous things I have heard in a long while. At least since niggers were scared to vote for Obama because they believed he would be assassinated.

I heard about the abortion thing first but I ignored it. So let me do the same now and talk about Al Sharpton. I don’t agree with Al Sharpton all the time. Obviously! His eulogy for the N word led me to call people niggers more than ever. I dig Tavis Smiley and I REALLY dig Cornell West. But I was actually reversed in this situation. We don’t need to be calling each other out for trivial issues like who called whom and who didn’t.

AND we need to get off Obama’s dick. (I know I’m vulgar but I’m that serious about it.) We got Tavis Smiley and Cornell West (Sorry Dr. West) accusing the Obama administration of being politicians. WTF! Is anyone in the government NOT a politician?
Didn’t he wild out enough? Let’s not forget the past two term presidents all save the MAJOR wilding out for the last term.

We’re so wishy washy, all this jaw jacking could lead to Obama only serving one term. The BEST politician Washington has seen in decades and WE could fuck it all up. SMH. Do we have to complain that much? Do we really NEED to complain this much?

And now, we’re letting conservatives stir us up into believing someone wants to kill our babies. SMH. (did I just shake my head two paragraphs in a row?)

Birth control is everything from abstinence to condoms to the pills to abortion. Conservatives don’t think so but we live in America. Church and State remain separate for a reason. Everyone should know how I feel about naked-dickin (if you don’t please read). I can’t pretend it doesn’t happen though. Like I be trying to tell Al Sharpton, just because you don’t say a word doesn’t mean niggers and naked-dickers don’t exist!

I’ve lived in three chocolate-cities. In all three, the rate of teenage pregnancy and STDs are ridiculously high. In all three, I have witnessed an over abundance of birth control. From cases (CASES) of rubbers in the projects in New Orleans (I didn’t even have to buy rubbers. I just went to the projects and picked up a case.) to barrels (BARRELS) of rubbers on the streets of Atlanta. And still naked-dickers choose to risk disease and pregnancy.

I remember begging (PLEADING with) a young man in New Orleans to wear a rubber to no avail. I also remember the same night a young woman insisting that I naked dick her. As beautiful as she was, all I saw was the promise she was throwing down the drain on momentary pleasure.

Before I get off too deep on Naked-Dickers let me just sum up. These are the cases we are dealing with. This is not genocide. (I beg people to watch – Idiocracy) If anything, capitalism would promote naked dicking. I would. As a business owner, I need cheap labor. Since slavery is over and Hispanics are starting their own businesses, niggers and naked-dickers seem the best candidates.

“You can’t afford this child you are about to have? Poor baby.” “Don’t worry! We’ll keep him for you in foster care. Then we’ll hold him in prison for a few years. And by the time he’s out and has given up his hip-hop dreams, I’ll hire him. He’ll be perfect! Prison will have him up early all time. And at 35, he’ll be broke down enough to take WHATEVER I choose to pay him.” Can we say Win-Win?

It’s all about options. Adoption isn’t really an option for Black children. It's simple supply and demand. Black children don't get adopted. There is a high demand for white children. As Dana (On Mai Perkin’s Page) said, if we increased the demand for Black children in adoption, then abortion wouldn't be the primary option for unplanned pregnancies.

I’m all about being positive and being a math major I know that sometimes the most positive thing is the least negative. In some cases, abortion is the least negative. Contrasted against a life of poverty, never having existed is a much better option. And, remember, we are talking about the point when prospective parents decide they can’t afford a child.

The conspiracy is simple. Capitalists should and probably would support naked-dickin. Pro-Lifers are crazy! They will do anything. They blow up buildings like terrorists. And now they want to use Black people.

Despite this alleged recession, America is in good shape. Black America is in great shape. (We’ve been recession proof since forever!) Let’s not be distracted by finger pointing and conspiracy theories. There are still some miserable people around. We all know misery loves company and depressed people spend money. (It’s always about the money) Let’s keep our focus. Our communities and our nation have a bright future.

Shame on anyone who says otherwise!

God’s Plan

I’ve been hearing a lot of people say, in various ways, “Let Go and Let God.” I may have even mentioned it. But how many of us are ACTUALLY doing it. How much letting go are we doing? And how much letting God is going on? Are we blaming God for doing for we really wanted to do the whole time? Or are blaming God for not facing our fears?

I spoke briefly on how hard meditation is. Let me repeat. THAT SHIT IS HARD! It makes me wonder how a person can just say – Let go and let God. It’s Lent now. We are honoring the 40 days and 40 nights Jesus went into the wilderness before beginning his ministry. Our challenge is sit still and control our thoughts for 30 minutes a day. How is that going for us?

We are so quick to call ourselves Christian. But are we? How far away is 30 minutes from 40 days? (That’s if we are even committed to that type of meditation.) But we are letting go.

Letting go is key to letting God. Maybe, if we can achieve mental silence, we can see what’s inside of us. Then we can let go of the past and look forward to the future. Maybe we can see what’s really going on around us right now. Perhaps, we’ll be able to see which decisions we’re making as a result of which emotions.

I was thinking that perhaps we aren’t being as assertive in our own lives because we don’t know what God wants. So we sit back, chill and wait. But if we don’t know how to listen (better yet!), if we don’t know what/who to listen to, how will we ever know…

Trust

The word today is “Love”. Another word we need to look at on this day of love is “trust”. As we find ways to express our love for each other and ourselves, let’s explore trust. We make overt actions to show our love to each other. We find the easiest way to love one another is to start by loving ourselves. As we practice prayer and meditation we see that the power of God is within us. It comes from the love we generate within ourselves. But the question - is do we trust? Do we trust God, do we trust ourselves, do we trust each other?

Our actions seem to be out of love. But is it Agape? Is it unselfish love? Do we love fully? If we do not fully trust in the God, our neighbors and ourselves; we do not love fully.

These past two weeks, I’ve shown a lot of people a TON of trust. I spent money, getting things done before people paid me only to find out they didn’t believe I would be able to do what I say. I always deal with people with trust. I feel like if I do what I say and you do what you say, we’ll have smooth dealings for all of our days. I feel like if I am 100% percent honest people will reciprocate. I know it’s naïve and utopian, but we believe in God. We believe in heaven. Aren’t all of our practices so that we can live in heaven with God? Isn’t heaven a utopia?

But.

Even I hold back though. I rationalize. I put God to the test. I try God up all the time.

That’s ALL of our attitudes.

Even if we call ourselves Christians, spiritual, religious, faithful, whatever; we feel entitled. “Why shouldn’t we indulge ourselves? We worked hard. We’ve been faithful. We tithe. We’re practicing Lent. Give me something mister!” And when he doesn’t give it to us, we take matter into our own hands. Our patience wears thin. [I just wrote that! OUR PATIENCE WITH GOD WEARS THIN!] We do crazy things like asking another god for help. [I said that too! I’m just pointing out what more than one person in the world does.]


“ I stopped living by the core values that I was taught believed in. I convinced myself that normal rules don’t apply. I thought only about myself. I thought I could get away with whatever I wanted to. I felt that I worked hard my entire life and deserved to enjoy all the temptations around me. I felt I was entitled.” – (See the next paragraph if you don’t know)


Our prayers are – “Oh God, give me this…” As if God doesn’t know already. Are we that impatient? Are we Tiger Woods (look up)? Why don’t we trust God enough to thank him for what we have AND for the known and unknown blessings he has in store?

When I worked for people. I could be in between jobs. I never had a worry. I knew there was something ahead. Something better. I still believe. Doubt has crept in lately but I am learning to ignore it. I don’t like to go backwards. But I must go back to the days when life was an adventure and I never knew what to expect. I have hopes, dreams, goals, plans and expectations but I know now that my path is not straight. I am not deterred from my goals but I look forward to the journey as well as the end. I will trust God.

Now that I work for myself. I am in a position where I have to invoice people. I have to anticipate payments. I take chances financially. I have to trust people. I do trust people. I wonder though if my blind trust and faith in God and people is SO unbelievable that I inspire distrust. I wonder. Is the devil that strong? Is evil that prevalent?

I remember Flip Wilson saying “The Devil Made Me Do It!” It was funny. But…
What does God make you do? We talk so much about The Struggle, The Man, Haters, Racism, Sexism, Abuse, Sinning, Backsliding, The Electric Slide, The Cha Cha Shuffle (That’s the devil!) and everything else that’s wrong with the world, it’s like that’s what we believe in.

I like to ask – why not. I mean life is so wonderful with possibilities, I dare people to give me a good reason why not to explore the next one. I got SO many actual answers, I am beginning to be certain that we expect the devil to prevail. We expect evil. And if that’s what we expect, then that’s where our trust is. So it seems like we trust the devil more than trust God. That can’t be. Can it?

We wake up everyday and proclaim God’s goodness to the world. Then we go out there. And by the time we get back…It’s not all the fuzzy bunnies and little birds chirping. It’s who got on our nerves and why we need a drink and temptations that we may or may not have given in to.

God promised us blessings. He didn’t say how. He didn’t say what or which or who or when. He just promised. Isn’t that good enough? I mean - he’s God. Isn’t THAT good enough? Aren’t we good enough?

He is. I am. We are.

Trust me. God told me.

What I Learn Daily Thursday 2-4-10

In this moment, I am creating the life I choose.

Moments are fleeting. Once passed, they cannot be recaptured. Each moment is a precious gift and holds the promise of a new beginning.
Throughout my day, I allow the presence of God to fill me with an awareness of this now moment. I release my thoughts of yesterday or tomorrow and bask in the wonder of the present moment for the gift that it is. Each moment is a building block upon which my life is created. Every loving thought, every kind word, every prayer, adds to the solid foundation of my life.
Moment by moment, I am creating a full and fulfilling life.

The quote is Luke Chapter Six, Verse 48. READ the complete chapter. But it goes – “That one is like a man building a house, who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock; when a flood arose, the river burst against the house but could not shake it, because it had been well built.”

Once we find out what we love, we can begin to build a life around that because everything we do from then on will be out of love.

I have been working on a way to convince people to focus on the here and now and not focus on the past so much. The way I picture it is people walking through life backwards. While you may start out admiring past accomplishments, eventually not being able to see what’s going on right now will have its effect. You still talk about the future so you think you have things under control. But you start to notice the effects of neglect on your recent past. You say – “How did I miss that?” You starting asking – “What happened?” “I was straight. I had everything under control.” Your reality went from “what’s happening right now” to “what happened”.

Sometimes the future is too bright or too bleak. You have to turn away. You end up turning away from the future so much, you end up walking backwards too! Whether you focus on the past or the future, you’ll eventually end up walking through life backwards.

Turn around! Look around you. Today it was raining but I felt so good it seemed a little brighter outside than a rainy day was supposed to be. At least until someone tried to play with me. (I don’t like playing) I feel better now. Check it out!


HAVE FUN, BE GOOD RIGHT NOW!

…and if you can’t be good be good at it!

A Hans Conzelmann Quote, Christianity and Being Christian

Current mood: cultured
Category: Religion and Philosophy

"The church lives on the fact that modern research about Jesus is not known amongst the public."
Hans Conzelmann (German theologian and New Testament scholar.)

"Good Girl...", the church lives on a lot more than that. In fact modern religion, ANY ONE (Tagalog, or that one with the puppies), lives off the people's lack of esteem. Knowing the real Jesus would be like knowing the real Buddha or Mohammad. The truth will set you free but free people don't build churches.

We just spent lent improving ourselves. Some of us finally went to church for the year (at least until Christmas) two weeks ago.

Now what?

If we continue the journey we began, it's entirely possible we could leave our churches. Jesus did.

So they pimp us. From the pulpit, from the prayer/chanting meetings, from Venice Beach to Miami, from Jonestown to wherever people gather claiming to have the key to life; the goal is a captive audience. CAPTIVE.

If we accept the common rhetoric - "Man is weak", "We are all sinners", "We are not perfect"; we begin to internalize these shortcomings and lose self esteem. With low self esteem, we go right back to our religion, or we back slide and self destruct until we end up back to religion.

Take a look at the different clubs and groups within any religion. The focus is temporary fixes, socials, Vegas Trips, and investment clubs so we can get more money give. Show me the focus on lasting joy and life satisfaction. In virtually every modern religion a focus on getting the bills paid has led us away from learning to be complete individuals.

We are broken and leaking dollar signs and all the "modern gurus" are chasing after our pockets.

Just a thought.


It's rare that I comment on blogs anymore, given that I dare not do it while working, and if by some abnormal way or reason, a coworker winds up reading this comment, uh...I'm on a late lunch.

So I'm compelled to respond, not add to some would be list of haters. Thanks for your insight with this one (you know i do enjoy your blogs, even when i don't comment :)), now here's two cents worth of mine just for the sharing. I'm inclined to defend the church. Not "THE church," MY church and others and Christianity, even as our "Next Step Sunday" approaches in two days - "Next Step" representing the next step my church has taken towards their land fund, which is hiring the architect, and "Next Step Sunday" being the one Sunday that the church's members, myself included, have prayed will be the Sunday that the church will have 100% member participation with the offering, all to go to the land fund.

Anywho, LA brings up valid points here, so readers, especially those unfamiliar with God, church, religion and denominations, take it and heed, but don't necessarily group these points into all religions and churches. Seekers and lost ones and buyers beware. These systems and cycles exist and lead to questioning are they really for the greater good or their greater pockets. But don't be led astray from the bigger picture. The bigger picture being that we need to be saved. God commands us first (and I'm not talking literal Commandments, so please, no corrections), rather teaches us in His Word, that YES, man is weak and are not perfect, and we ALL are sinners, and that in addition to that FACT, we ALL will go to HELL. Yes HELL is real. It is not a gimmick. Along with that, He teaches YES WE ALL WILL GO TO HELL unless we accept His son Jesus Christ as the savior that He is, not by works of righteousness, thus us being saved. (I am more than willing to share the Gospel and its detailed information for anyone who wants to hear it too)

Once saved, we are commanded to be baptized. If you are Catholic and more than likely at this point disagreeing with me, read up on the Word, not the missilettes. God says obey His Word and His only, only the Bible, the Living Word, aka Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life and no other doctrine. He tells Christians to test the spirits and other religions in this world against what the Holy Bible says. Do that. Anywho, once saved, be baptized - Baptism, being fully dunked in water, not trickled with it. Baptism being an outward expression of your inward decision of salvation. (Read the Bible.)

After baptism, we are to Go and spread His Word, as commanded in the Great Commission - look it up - it's in the Bible.

ALONG with, not before or after, but ALONG with all the aforementioned, God says.........da da na na........find a local church. Given LA's blog, how do find the right church and a good church. First pray. Prayer works and God answers. There's churches everywhere. Research them and test their doctrine against the Bible.

LA says to "Show me the focus on lasting joy and life satisfaction." I profess, you can find it in church - don't mistake my words - you can find that in a strictly Bible believing church that puts God first before it's needs, it's Pastor, it's money, it's members, because that church will in fact show you how God can be the key to all of that in your life. They exist. Las Vegans, visit mine - www.sh-baptist.com - Southern Hills Baptist Church.

I got more to say but "lunch" is over so if I get a moment, I'll continue. Until then, LA you know I love you. Readers, LA too, God Bless, and I pray you know Christ. I pray you are saved. Feel free to message me, if you have questions or concerns with your own salvation. I promise, I'll direct you to scripture, not my own opinions or ideas.

2k's for actually pulling me to write this time.

I didn't want to start rambling but I was headed there. There will be in any religion or belief system a right way and a a right assembly. I also believe that my church has gotten it right. The key in this blog is to be careful. The bible warns and its true no. The false prophets outnumber the trues. And they are EVERYWHERE! In my church (a la the pope [Yes I'm a catholic who doesn't believe in the pope]) In Christian churches. In Moslem temples, In synagogues. At the Kingdom hall. There is even some wiccan broad out there stealing money from her coven. I saw her on Maury!

We have to believe in something, just be careful

Read more: Dave Ramsey is the Man. I should devote a blog to promoting him. SO many of us need him

I'm not anti-religion but I agree with the idea that many people cleave to religion for all the wrong reasons.

And I especially zoned in on these phrase

"The truth will set you free but free people don't build churches."

I thought this was apt after seeing the news clips and photos of the HUGE white temple that the FDLS built on their compound guarded by armed security.

"the goal is a captive audience. CAPTIVE."

Yep, there are many religious captives in this country. There are the obvious captives like the adolescent girls of the FDLS. There are the captives of guilt. There are the captives of fear.

Religion should be about freedom, not captivity.

Hummmm, I dont know where to start, especially being that me and L.A. are good friends and we have never had a conversation about religion. Personally I think that salvation and what L.A. would refer to as lasting joy and life satisfaction(great quote) comes from within. Church attendance can be an excellent vehicle to self-realization of this concept. At the same time I dont think its the only way to grasp this concept. We have to look internally to find whatever it is that tells us to be good human beings(not just Christians, etc). Once this is accomplished then move on into the world accordingly, weather it be at church, the workplace, at home, with friends and family, etc. Gods word resonates in all of us from birth, not just when u become baptized(BTW im non-denominational). We have been systematically taught that salvation comes from going to Church every Sunday and that is not true. U can be saved at home, or at work, or on the corner. NOT JUST IN CHURCH! When I have more ill post a comment!

That's MY DOG!

What I Learned IN Church: Religious Tolerance, Immigration and Fighting for What's Right

In the world of text messages, You Tube, voicemails we never leave, IMs, incomplete sentences smileys and 30 second documentaries on the rise and fall of the roman empire, I wonder could the problems of the world be solved by a sound bite? Can everything be summed up with a cute little catch phrase like "flex sex"(google it. But BE careful...)? It's mind boggling! What Would Jesus Do? ..


Exodus Chapter 17 Twice the endurance of faith is tested. Do you see any opportunities for excuses? Excuses to: turn around and go back to Egypt, say forget Moses and bring back that golden calf, give in to Amalek or give in to exhaustion and put his hands down. In those days, battles raged for days and weeks. Keeping his hands up was no easy feat. How many of us quit for less?

Romans Chapter 5 Peace comes from Jesus even though we have been living in the midst of sin since Adam (Chasing ass since day one [Day six to be exact]). So if Adam can get us started on the wrong foot with the sinning, only Jesus (Or James Brown) can get us all on the good foot.

John Chapter 4 Jews vs. Samaritans Jesus reached out beyond human limitations. The message is for ALL people. When we put up barriers, we are not being true Christians. How many Christians do you know who "don't mess with them." or "don't speak to him or her"? So we go from Everybody being wrong in the beginning and fighting wrong vs. wrong, to fighting right vs. wrong, to right vs. right. Over who's right is mightier. It's the Facebook/Twitter generation. It's all about fighting for you're right to be right about every single thing even if it means fighting to the death by cyber bullying... Fucking Jihad!

Today with immigration, the focus is getting rid of "those people". From Spanish Harlem and Little Italy to the Indian (I mean Native American but we all know what WE ALL say behind closed doors) casinos in Northern Mexico (I mean Southern Caleefornia), we will not stand for any further dilution of our Amerikkkan culture. No more mixing, no more CauBlasians, no more Art Deco with Spanish tiles and Ionic pillars, no more Interracial porn (bye bye Kobe Thai), no more Indian for dinner/mojitos at the Brazilian place/dancing at the salsa club/snacks at the waffle house where this nice Jewish girl invites you to the Trip Hop after hours followed by pancakes at the International House of Pancakes.

In church, we choose between the five major religions and hundreds of sects within those. And we sit on our high horses and look down on "those people" who don't know the truth. Tell them all. Hippies, Jesus Freaks, Saints, Hoes, Virgins, Tramps, Buddhists, Atheists, Jews, Moslems, Hoteps, The Taliban, David Blaine, Swingers, Dancers, Disco Queens, Queen, Queen Elizabeth, Marilyn Manson, Charles Manson and the artist formerly known as Prince (Now once again known as Prince-and he is sexy). Do you know anyone, anywhere who TRULY REALLY doesn't want to be happy? If sharing what I know and the things I see brings a smile to a few people, why not spread the word and make at least my world a better place.

Today, etiquette tells us not to discuss politics and religion. So how do we learn? How do we grow? One of my best friends growing up was atheist, his parents were avid Buddhists and I have learned from them some serious moral/life lesson I would not have if I was sectarian. Another best friend was non-denominational Christian. We are all in a position to learn from one another. We live in a world where the major languages all come from four original tongues. Is it really that hard to communicate? I've sold cars to illegal immigrants, retards, sluts, hoes, niggahs on the down low, naked-dickers, a little French guy and something else. My biggest readers are fags, hags, drag queens, more naked-dickers, pimps, hustlers, a born again virgin and Roscoe. Somehow, I touch all these people and they touch me (And I like it-I like it A LOT). We all become parts of each other's worlds and become better for knowing each other. And is that what life is all about?


You kind of come off as a shock jock. Let the truth (troof) be told!! The last shall be first and the first shall be last.

I am a shock jock. I just don't want anyone to feel alienated so I clown everyone.

Dan Brown: Church vs Science and the race for knowledge...

Current mood: contemplative
Category: Writing and Poetry

Church vs. Science.

So I recently read The Da Vinci Code. Now I am reading Angels and Demons. The uproar these books have caused is surprising. It is understandable. But it is surprising. I am still amazed at all the books that are written in response to these two books.

The book is fiction. Anyone who has read Dan Browns many other books would know that he likes to insert as much intense knowledge as possible in his books. And it is just that I am ten years removed from even being interested in conspiracy theories. There is a different way to look at the subject matter of his most recent books. The analogy that comes to mind is elementary school. I had different classes. We all learned together. The was no major competition. Then came the haters. Somewhere along the line it became important to know more than the other person. Or, at least, to know things first. But even at that, what use is knowledge that is unshared? Whether in science or religion, arent we playing God by holding back knowledge. I am an elitist, but I am of the school that believes in enlightening the masses.

I never thought there would be another fiction book in our lives that would scare people as much as these TWO have. I always thought that our society was much more sophisticated. After all, no one is running around trying to time travel. Books are not illegal (Fahrenheit 451). There is no big brother manipulating us (1984). Its 2006 and the world is no where near ending. I mean we dont have flying cars yet. We cant blow up the world before we have that! That would just be crazy.

FICTION. It should cause you to think in some way. It could be reflecting on times passed. It could be prospecting on the future. Or, it could touch your emotions in some way. But the key is that you THINK. Thinking on your own would be good. Dont be upset at someone with more knowledge. Help those with less. There will be other books that say much wilder things. Be prepared. And remember no one can tell you what you know or believe.