Jesus Built My Hotrod's topics - tribe.net

please help

2006-11-03T10:59:33Z

“The thought of Jesus being stripped, beaten and derided until his final agony on the cross should always prompt a Christian to protest against similar treatment of their fellow beings. Of their own accord, disciples of Christ will reject torture, which nothing can justify, which causes humiliation and suffering to the victim and degrades the tormentor.”
--Pope John Paul II

You are invited to join a new tribe dedicated to completely ending the United States of America's unconstitutional and immoral practice of and collusion in torture. Links to easy actions to help stop the torture.

http://tribes.tribe.net/stopalltorture

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The DaVinci Code

2006-05-21T15:50:45Z

I partly want to see this movie but I have the feeling it's pompous and/or ponderous and I'm not in the mood for that at this point.

The idea of Jesus experiencing the human joy of sweaty wrestling with Mary Magdalene and th Church getting its collective panties in a knot about it is very amusing, however.

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happy 420 from Jesus

2006-04-20T21:46:32Z

happy 420, my friends!

this is some 420 love from our kynd brother Yeshua, from book 4 of the gospels of peace.

enLIGHTenUP and enjoy!
dragonfly 420

THE GIFT OF LIFE IN THE HUMBLE GRASS

It was in the month of Thebt, when the earth was covered with shoots of young grass after the rains, and the covering of emerald green was tender as the fine down of a baby chick. And it was on a bright sun-filled morning that Jesus gathered the new Brothers of the Elect round about him, that they might hear with their ears and understand with their hearts the teachings of their fathers, even as it was taught to Enoch of old.

And Jesus sat beneath a gnarled and ancient tree, holding in his hands a small earthen pot; and in the pot was growing tender grass of wheat, the most perfect among all seed bearing herbs. And the tender grass within the pot was radiant with life, even as the grass and plants which covered the hills far into the distant fields and beyond. And Jesus stroked the grass in the pot with the hands, even as gently as he would touch the head of a little child.

And Jesus said: "Happy are you, Sons of Light, for you have entered into the deathless way and you walk in the path of truth, even as did your fathers of old, who were taught by the Great Ones. With the eyes and ears of the spirit do you see and hear the sights and sounds of the kingdom of the Earthly Mother: the blue sky where dwells the angel of Air, the foaming river where flows the angel of Water, the golden light which streams from the angel of Sun. And I tell you truly, all these are within you as well as without; for your breath, your blood, the fire of life within you, all are one with the Earthly Mother.

But of all these, and more, that most precious gift of your Earthly Mother is the grass beneath your feet, even that grass which you tread upon without thought. Humble and meek is the angel of Earth, for she has no wings to fly, nor golden rays of light to pierce the mist. But great is her strength and vast is her domain, for she covers the earth with her power, and without her the Sons of Men would be no more, for no man can live without the grass, the trees and the plants of the Earthly Mother. And these are the gifts of the angel of Earth to the Sons of Men.

"But now I will speak to you of mysterious things, for I tell you truly, the humble grass is more than food for man and beast. it hides its glory beneath a lowly aspect, as it was told of a ruler of old that he visited the villages of his subjects disguised as a beggar, knowing they would tell many things to such a one, but would fall down in fear before their King. So does the humble grass hide its glory under its coat of humble green, and the Sons of Men walk on it, plough it, feed it to their beasts, but know not what secrets are hidden within it, even those secrets of everlasting life in the heavenly kingdoms.

"But the Sons of Light will know what lies hidden in the grass, for it is given to them to bring comfort to the Sons of Men. Even so are we taught by the Earthly Mother with this -little handful of wheat in a simple pot, even the same earthen pot you use to drink milk and gather the honey of bees. Now the pot is filled with black soil rich with old leaves and moist with the dew of morning, even that most precious gift of the angel of Earth.

"And I did moisten a handful of wheat, that the angel of Water entered into it. The angel of Air did also embrace it, and the angel of Sun, and the power of the three angels awakened also the angel of Life within the wheat, and sprout and root were born in each grain.

"Then I put the awakened wheat into the soil of the angel of Earth, and the power of the Earthly Mother and all her angels entered into the wheat, and when the sun had risen four times the grains had become grass. I tell you truly, there is no greater miracle than this."

And the Brothers looked with reverence at the tender blades of grass in the hands of Jesus, and one asked him: "Master, what is the secret of the grass you hold in your hands? Why is it different from that grass that covers the hills and the mountains?"
And Jesus answered "It is not different, Son of Light. All grass, all trees, all plants, in every part of the world, all are part of the kingdom of the Earthly Mother. But I have separated in this pot a small portion of your Mother's kingdom, that you may touch her with the hands of the spirit, and that her power may enter into your body.

"For I tell you truly, there is a Holy Stream of Life which gave birth to the Earthly Mother and all her angels. Invisible is this Stream of Life to the eyes of the Sons of Men, for they walk in darkness and see not the angels of the day and of the night that surround them and hover over them. But the Sons of Light have walked for seven years with the angels of the day and of the night, and now they are given the secrets of communion with the angels. And the eyes of your spirit shall be opened, and you will see and hear and touch the Stream of Life that gave birth to the Earthly Mother. And you will enter the Holy Stream of Life, and it will carry you with infinite tenderness to everlasting life in the kingdom of your Heavenly Father."

"How shall we do this, Master?" some asked in amazement. "What secrets must we know to see and hear and touch this Holy Stream of Life?".

And Jesus did not answer. But he placed his two hands around the growing blades of grass in the pot, gently, as if it were the forehead of a little child. And he closed his eyes, and around him were waves of light, shimmering in the sun, as the summer heat makes the light to tremble under a cloudless sky. And the Brothers knelt and bowed their heads in reverence before the power of the angels which poured forth from the sitting figure of Jesus; and still he sat in silence, with his hands closed as if in prayer around the blades of grass.

And no one knew if an hour had passed, or a year, for time stood still and it was as if all creation held its breath. And Jesus opened his eyes, and the scent of blossoms filled the air as Jesus spoke: "Here is the secret, Sons of Light; here in the humble grass. Here is the meeting place of the Earthly Mother and the Heavenly Father; here is the Stream of Life which gave birth to all creation; I tell you truly, only to the Son of Man is it given to see and hear and touch the Stream of Life which flows between the Earthly and Heavenly Kingdoms. Place your hands around the tender grass of the angel of Earth, and you will see and hear and touch the power of all the angels."

And one by one, each of the Brothers sat in reverence before the power of the angels, holding in his hands the tender grass. And each one felt the Stream of Life enter his body with the force of a rushing stream after a spring storm. And the power of the angels flowed into their hands, up into their arms, and shook them mightily, even as the wind of the north shakes the branches of trees. And all of them wondered at the power in the humble grass, that it could contain all the angels, and the kingdoms of the Earthly Mother and the Heavenly Father. And they sat before Jesus, and were taught by him.

Andjesus said: "Behold, Sons of Light, the lowly grass. See wherein are contained all the angels of the Earthly Mother and the Heavenly Father. For now have you stepped into the Stream of Life, and its currents will carry you in time to everlasting life in the kingdom of your Heavenly Father.

"For in the grass are all the angels. Here is the angel of Sun, here in the brightness of the green color of the blades of wheat. For no one can look upon the sun when it is high in the heavens, for the eyes of the Son of Man are blinded by its radiant light. And it is for this that the angel of Sun turns to green all that to which she gives life, that the Son of Man may look upon the many and various shades of green and find strength and comfort therein. I tell you truly, all that is green and with life has the power of the angel of Sun within it, even these tender blades of young wheat.

"And so does the angel of Water bless the grass, for I tell you truly, there is more of the angel of Water within the grass than any of the other angels of the Earthly Mother. For if you crush within your hands the grass, you will feel the water of life, which is the blood of the Earthly Mother. And all through the days when you touch the grass and enter into the Stream of Life, do you give to the soil a few drops of water, that the grass may be renewed by the power of the Angel of Water.

"Know, also, that the angel of Air is within the grass, for all that is living and green is the home of the angel of Air. Put your face close to the grass, breathe deeply, and let the angel of Air enter deep within your body. For she abides in the grass, as the oak abides in the acorn, and as the fish abides in the sea.

"The angel of Earth is she who gives birth to the grass, even as the babe in the womb lives from the nourishment of his mother, so does the earth give of itself to the grain of wheat, causing it to shoot forth to embrace the angel of Air. I tell you truly, each grain of wheat that bursts forth upward to the sky is a victory over death, where Satan reigns. For Life always begins again.

"It is the angel of Life that flows through the blades of grass into the body of the Son of Light, shaking him with her power. For the grass is Life and the Son of Light is Life, and Life flows between the Son of Light and the blades of grass, making a bridge to the Holy Stream of Light which gave birth to all creation.

"And when the Son of Light holds between his hands the blades of grass, it is the angel of joy which fills his body with music. To enter into the Stream of Life is to be one with the song of the bird, the colors of the wild flowers, the scent of the sheaves of grain, newly turned over in the fields. I tell you truly, when the Son of Man feels not joy in his heart, he labors for Satan and brings hope to the sons of darkness. There is no sadness in the kingdom of Light, only the angel of Joy. Learn, then, from the tender blades of grass the song of the angel of joy, that the Sons of Light may walk with her always and so comfort the hearts of the Sons of Men.

"The Earthly Mother is she who provides for our bodies, for we are born of her, and have our life in her. So does she provide for us food in the very blades of grass we touch with our hands. For I tell you truly, it is not only as bread that wheat may nourish us. We may eat also of the tender blades of grass, that the strength of the Earthly Mother may enter into us. But chew well the blades, for the Son of Man has teeth unlike those of the beasts, and only when we chew well the blades of grass can the angel of Water enter our blood and give us strength. Eat, then, Sons of Light, of this most perfect herb from the table of our Earthly Mother, that your days may be long upon the earth, for such finds favor in the eyes of God.

"I tell you truly, the angel of Power enters into you when you touch the Stream of Life through the blades of grass. For the angel of Power is as a shining light that surrounds every living thing, just as the full moon is encircled by rings of radiance, and as the mist rises up from the fields when the sun climbs in the sky. And the angel of Power enters into the Son of Light when his heart is pure and his desire is only to comfort and teach the Sons of Men. Touch, then, the blades of grass, and feel the angel of Power enter the tips of your fingers, flow upwards through your body, and shake you till you tremble with wonder and awe.

"Know, also, that the angel of Love is present in the blades of grass, for love is in the giving, and great is the love given to the Sons of Light by the tender blades of grass. For I tell you truly, the Stream of Life runs through every living thing, and all that lives, bathes in the Holy Stream of Life. And when the Son of Light touches with love the blades of grass, so do the blades of grass return his love, and lead him to the Stream of Life where he may find life everlasting. And this love never exhausts itself, for its source is in the Stream of Life which flows into the Eternal Sea, and no matter how far does the Son of Man stray from his Earthly Mother and his Heavenly Father, the touch of the blades of grass will always bring a message from the angel of Love; and his feet shall bathe again in the Holy Stream of Life.

"Lo, it is the angel of Wisdom that governs the movement of the planets, the circle of the seasons, and the orderly growth of all living things. So does the angel of Wisdom ordain the communion of the Sons of Light with the Stream of Life, through the tender blades of grass. For I tell you truly, your body is holy, because it bathes in the Stream of Life, which is Eternal Order.

"Touch the blades of grass, Sons of Light, and touch the angel of Eternal Life. For if you look with the eyes of the spirit, you will truly see that the grass is eternal. Now it is young and tender, with the brightness of the newborn babe. Soon it will be tall and gracious, as the sapling tree with its first fruits. Then it will yellow with age, and bow its head in patience, as lies the field after the harvest. Finally, it will wither, for the small earthen pot cannot contain the full lifespan of the wheat. But it does not die, for the brown leaves return to the angel of Earth, and she holds the plant in her arms and bids it sleep, and all the angels work within the faded leaves and lo, they are changed and do not die but rise again in another guise. And so do the Sons of Light never see death, but find themselves changed and risen to everlasting Life.

"And so does the angel of Work never sleep, but sends the roots of the wheat deep into the angel of Earth, that the shoots of tender green may overcome death and the reign of Satan. For life is movement, and the angel of Work is never still, even does he labor without ceasing in the vineyard of the Lord. Close your eyes when you touch the grass, Sons of Light, but fall not asleep, for to touch the Stream of Life is to touch the eternal rhythm of the everlasting kingdoms, and to bathe in the Stream of Life is to feel more and more the power of the angel of Work within you, creating on earth the kingdom of Heaven.

"Peace is -the gift of the Stream of Life to the Sons of Light. Wherefore do we always greet each other, 'Peace be with you. Even so does the grass greet your body with the kiss of Peace. I tell you truly, Peace is not just the absence of war, for very quickly can the peaceful river turn into a raging torrent, and the same waves that lull the boat can quickly break it to pieces against the rocks. So does violence lie in wait for the Sons of Man, when they keep not the vigil of Peace. Touch the blades of grass, and thereby touch the Stream of Life. Therein you will find Peace, the Peace built with the power of all the angels. Even so with that Peace will the rays of Holy Light cast out all darkness.

"When the Sons of Light are one with the Stream of Life, then will the power of the blades of grass guide them to the everlasting kingdom of the Heavenly Father. And you shall know more of those mysteries which is not yet time for you to hear. For there are other Holy Streams in the everlasting kingdoms; I tell you truly, the heavenly kingdoms are crossed and crossed again by streams of golden light, arching far beyond the dome of the sky and having no end. And the Sons of Light shall travel by these streams for ever, knowing not death, guided by the eternal love of the Heavenly Father. And I tell you truly, all these mysteries are contained in the humble grass, when you touch it with tenderness and open your heart to the angel of Life within.

"Gather, then, the grains of wheat and plant them in small earthen pots; and every day with glad heart commune with the angels, that they may guide you to the Holy Stream of Life, and you may bring back from its eternal source comfort and strength for the Sons of Men. For I tell you truly, all that you learn, all that your eyes of the spirit see, all that your cars of the spirit hear, all this is as a hollow reed in the wind if you do not send forth a message of truth and light to the Sons of Men. For by the fruit do we know the worth of the tree. And to love is to teach without end, without ceasing. For so were your fathers taught of old, even our Father Enoch. Go now, and peace be with you."

And Jesus held forth the little pot with the blades of young grass, as if in blessing, and walked toward the sun-filled hills, along the shore of the river, as was the custom of all the Brothers. And the others followed, each holding to him the words of Jesus, as it were a precious jewel within his breast.

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I <3 Judas

2006-04-20T16:30:07Z

"This Gospel tells us that Judas was Jesus' only true disciple, to whom he imparted secret mystic knowledge, and whom he asked to turn him in to the Romans, in order to free his spirit from its fleshly prison."

www.msnbc.msn.com/id/122279.../from/RSS/

"The other apostles pray to a lesser God, Jesus says, and he reveals to Judas the "mysteries of the kingdom" of the true God. He asks Judas to help him return to the kingdom, but to do so, Judas must help him abandon his mortal flesh: "You will sacrifice the man that clothes me," Jesus tells Judas, and acknowledges that Judas "will be cursed by the other generations.""

www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...21.html

Jesus is starting to sound like the Obiwan Kenobi from the end of Star Wars (Episode 4 ,thank you very much Mr Lucas) when he says, "If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you could possibly imagine."
I already like Judas...

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The God Who Wasn't There

2006-03-03T23:57:41Z

I looked this up after watching The God Who Wasn't There.
In all fairness, the documentarian has an axe to grind due to his fundamentalist upbringing, but still, it's nice to hear evidence on the life of Christ that isn't some fuzzy headed bible quoting and surmised half truths...
read on:
http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_jcpa4.htm
According to author Robert Price, specialists in mythology such as Lord Raglan, Otto Rank, and others have developed a concept called the "Mythic Hero Archetype" -- a type of larger-than-life man found in many Indo-European and Semitic cultures. They have analyzed stories and myths of Aeneas, Arthur, Buddha, David, Gilgamesh, Heracles, Lohengrin, Moses, Odysseus, Oedipus, Perseus, Romulus, Siegfried, etc. and have identified twenty-two recurring elements in these myths. Typically, the life story of any one hero contains many, but not all, of the twenty-two components.
Author Alan Dundes has compared this archetype with events in the life of Jesus, as recorded in the Christian Scriptures. He found that Jesus' life contained almost all of the twenty two elements. Element #3 is missing, and #12 is a weak match. But the remaining twenty events are relatively precise matches:

1. His mother is a royal virgin. The Gospels of Matthew and Luke state that Jesus' mother is a virgin. (e.g. Matthew 1:23). The genealogies in the two gospels indicate that Joseph is of royal descent; Mary would partake of royalty by being married to Joseph. (e.g. Matthew 1:1-16).
2. His father is a king. Jesus is regarded to be the Son of God, and God is often referred to as King of Kings.
3. His father and mother are related. There is no match here. Nothing is known about the genealogy of Mary, so this cannot be confirmed. If the early Christians believed that Joseph and Mary were related, then this information did not make it into the Gospels.
4. His conception was unusual. Both the Gospels of Luke and of Matthew state that Jesus was conceived by Mary "from the Holy Spirit" without having engaged in sexual intercourse with a man. (Matthew 1:20),
5. He was said to be the son of God. This is seen throughout the Christian Scriptures. Considering only the first chapter of the Gospel of John, there are seven references to Jesus as the Son of God:
as "The Word" being with God.
as the "only begotten of the Father."
as the "only begotten Son"
as "the Lamb of God." (2 times)
as the "Son of God." (2 times)
6. There was an attempt to kill the hero while he was a child. In Matthew 2:16, Herod ordered that "all the Children who were in Bethlehem" and its vicinity were to be murdered. (KJV) 3 The NIV says that the slaughter was to be restricted to only male infants.
7. He was spirited away. Matthew 2:13-14 relates how an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and told him to flee to Egypt with his family.
8. He was reared by foster parents in a country far away. Matthew 2:15 states that Jesus was raised in Egypt until Herod died, and it was safe for the family to return to Nazareth. Most hero myths involve a foster family. In the case of Yeshua, Joseph was not Jesus' father; Joseph was a type of foster father.
9. Little or no information is known about his childhood. The Christian Scriptures give almost no details about the life of Jesus, from the time that he was circumcised at the age of eight days (Luke 2:21) until his baptism at about the age of 30. The only exception is Luke 2:46-49 where, at the age of 12, he was described as having been taken to Jerusalem at the time of Passover. He is described as debating theological matters with the priests. Presenting the hero as a child prodigy does not appear in the Mythic Hero Archetype being considered here. However, Robert Price states that "it is a frequent mytheme in other hero tales not considered by Raglan..." 1
10. He goes to a future kingdom. Jesus went to Jerusalem just before his last Passover, where he was declared king by the public. John 12:12-13 says that "a great multitude took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out: 'Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! The King of Israel!' " (NKJ)
11. He is victorious over the king. The passage in John 18:36-37 describes how Jesus demonstrated superior debating skill when interviewed by Pilate. More importantly, Jesus' resurrection which was mentioned in all four Gospels and many additional locations in the Christian Scriptures is the ultimate victory over the king who was responsible for ordering the crucifixion. Pilate ordered Jesus death and Jesus was triumphant. Pilate was not a king; he was a procurator -- a type of governor. But he still had enormous power.
12. He marries a princess. There is no match here -- only the suggestion of a tie-in. There is no record of Jesus having been married. However, some theologians have suggested that the miracle story in which he converts water into wine may have taken place at his own wedding. The Gospels talk extensively about women being in Jesus' retinue during his ministry. In the culture of Palestine during the 1st century CE, these female followers would have had to be married to Jesus and/or the disciples, or they were prostitutes. One assumes the former, because one would otherwise expect the Pharisees to repeatedly and viciously criticize Jesus for moral laxity if he was followed by a crowd of hookers. It has been argued that Jesus was probably married. Jewish society strongly pressured men to marry while young; if Jesus remained single, then one would have expected the Pharisees to criticize him for remaining a bachelor. Luke 8:3 indicates that one of the women who followed Jesus was at least close to King Herod.
13. He becomes king. John 18:36-37 describes how the people of Jerusalem proclaimed him the King of Israel. Pilate jokingly recognizes that the public considered Jesus as a king in Mark 15:12 and John 19:15. In Mark 15:18, the Roman soldiers jokingly referred to him as king of the Jews. A plaque was placed above his head during the execution. It called him "The King of the Jews." (e.g. Mark 15:26).
14. He reigns uneventfully, for a while. He does not reign in the sense of having temporal power. However, Mark 12:27 to 13: describes how he holds court in the Jerusalem temple.
15. He prescribes laws. In Mark 12 and 13, "...He issues teachings, parables, and prophecies, which are taken with legal force by his followers." 1
16. He loses favor with the gods or his subjects. The Gospels record how the public turns against Jesus and demands that he be crucified. (e.g. John 19:15).
17. He is driven from the throne and city. In Luke 23:26-32, he is led out of the city by Roman soldiers.
18. He has a mysterious death. During Jesus' crucifixion, he died after an unexpectedly short time. (John 19:31-33). More mysterious than that were the events at the time of his death. Luke 23:44-45 describes how the sun stopped shining and the curtain in the temple was torn in two. Matthew 27:51-53 describes major earthquakes sufficiently strong to split rocks. Matthew also discusses the resurrection of many people from their graves, who subsequently entered the city and appeared to many people.
19. He dies at the top of a hill: He was executed on the hill of Golgotha, on top of Mount Calvary.
20. If he has any children, they do not succeed him. There is nothing in the Christian Scriptures to indicate that Jesus had children. It was Jesus brother, James, who succeeded him as leader of the disciples, and the head of the Jewish Christian group in Jerusalem. (Some faith groups regard James as Jesus' step-brother, cousin or friend).
21. His body was not buried: Rather that being buried in an earthen grave, his body was temporarily laid out in a rock cave. At some unknown time between late Friday afternoon, when he was laid in the tomb, and the following Sunday morning, the Gospels all say that Jesus was resurrected. Price comments that this "would seem to be within legitimate variant-distance of the ideal legend type." 1
22. One or more holy sepulchers are built: The Church of the Holy Sepulcher was built over the place where many Christians believe that Jesus was executed.

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Jesus Inc.

2006-03-03T17:43:29Z

Monks serve God by selling printer ink.

By Christine Y. Chen. March 3, 2006
http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fsb/fsb_archive/2006/03/01/8370315/index.htm?cnn=yes

SPARTA, WIS. (FORTUNE Small Business Magazine) - Like many entrepreneurs, Father Bernard McCoy loves to talk about his industry. But as a Cistercian monk, he has a time frame longer than most.

"Nine hundred years ago my brothers were making ink, making their own paper, and copying manuscripts," says McCoy. "We were the original social entrepreneurs. We were the first multinationals."

McCoy is CEO of LaserMonks.com, an Internet retailer that sells discounted printer cartridges and other office supplies. Customers include individuals and churches, along with giants such as Morgan Stanley (Research) and the U.S. Forest Service. It's a lucrative business. Sales have risen from $2,000 in 2002, the company's first full year of operation, to around $2.5 million in 2005.

LaserMonks.com is a for-profit subsidiary of the Cistercian Abbey of Our Lady of Spring Bank, an eight-monk monastery in the hills of Monroe County, 90 miles northwest of Madison. The Spring Bank brethren wear robes, sing Gregorian chants, and eat their meals in silence.

"We're monks," McCoy says cheerfully. "We do monk things."

Like all Roman Catholic monasteries, the abbey is responsible for its own upkeep, receiving no financial support from the Vatican. Hence LaserMonks.com. Father McCoy estimates that it costs around $150,000 to maintain the abbey and its 500 acres of grounds. The rest of the company's profits help support charities that range from a camp for kids with HIV to a Buddhist orphanage in Tibet.

The idea for LaserMonks.com came to Father McCoy one day when his printer ran out of ink. He shopped around for a new ink cartridge but couldn't find one that was reasonably priced. That's because printer manufacturers make most of their money by imposing stratospheric markups on printing supplies. As a result thousands of small companies were cropping up all over the Internet, selling reconditioned ink and toner cartridges. Despite legal challenges from the established printer manufacturers, the industry is now firmly established.

In the beginning LaserMonks.com consisted of a few monks sitting around with black powder and empty plastic cartridges, filling a few orders a day. Today the monks say they have served more than 50,000 customers, and process 200 to 300 daily orders for a broad range of school and office supplies.

The website also accepts online prayer requests.

And in a fiercely competitive commodity industry, McCoy and his brethren have thrived on the sheer novelty of their story. The company spends relatively little money on advertising, benefiting instead from media coverage and McCoy's frequent speaking engagements around the country.

Father McCoy recently started selling printers, cables, and surge protectors, and plans to offer a full line of office electronics later this year. He expects LaserMonks.com's 2006 sales to exceed $5 million.

"We could develop a franchise system for other abbeys," he says. "I think we could become the Amazon.com (Research) of social entrepreneurs."

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confused yet inspired

2005-11-21T18:41:33Z

Was the name of this tribe named after Ministry's song, "Jesus built my hotrod"

If not, I am confused.

If yes I am still confused.

could someone elaborate?

posted in Jesus Built My Hotrod - 5 replies

Cutting-edge spiritual technique from the Zen tradition

2005-10-29T21:05:30Z

Zen Master Genpo Rinpoche has developed a revolutionary technique for pointing out the Big Mind within. Part of the innovation of his technique is found within his method of getting the ego to step aside. This is in distinction to most spiritual practice which attempts to eliminate the ego --- a practice which often results in the ego controlling our personality even more.

I highly recommend this excercise as I found its effects to be quite profound. Please note, though, that it seems important to fully participate in the excercise rather than just passively listening. The audio file is 20 minutes in length:

http://www.bigmind.org/audio1.html

posted in Jesus Built My Hotrod - 11 replies

postulation

2005-10-22T05:45:33Z

hi all, I am new to this tribe and thought it sounded like a really good forum to voice an idea I have been kicking around in the mental attic...

I began thinking the other month (or whenever), was Jesus real? Was the Buddha real? (I am mostly concerned with these two figures because they're predominant in all of the cultural myths I am personally surrounded by, but feel free to include your own dieties or enlightened human beings)

I have been wondering if these were truly humans who accomplised a level of enlightenment they are claimed to have, or if they are simply an allegory, an end to the hero's journey tale we have all been living throughout time...
Do you feel it is possible to become the next Buddha or Christ figure or whatever, or is this more a guide to what we should aspire to?
Obviously in the current Christian mythos we are not allowed to become Christ, only the divinely sent son of whoever gets to be that, so avoid looking at your buddy's wife and refrain from killing your neighbor for his flock until Jesus comes back... I also see this attitude among some Buddhists; I work with a woman who (get this) prays to Buddha to win the lotto! hahahah! Irony hasn't died yet...
anyway, this question was bugging me for a minute, but I feel a little more "over it" now, just wanted to get others' take on it...

(Of course this whole train ends at the stop "Does it really matter"?)

posted in Jesus Built My Hotrod - 9 replies

Vatican tightens nocturnal emissions standards

2005-10-22T04:31:48Z

VATICAN CITY—The Vatican has released a strict new set of Church laws intended to reduce the nocturnal emissions of teenage polluters by 50 percent in the next decade, Cardinal Antoni Bertoli announced Monday.

Full story here: http://onion.com/news/index.php?issue=4126&n=0&id=4240

posted in Jesus Built My Hotrod - 1 reply

The talking Jesus doll

2005-10-22T04:25:16Z

Company sells a talking Jesus doll, targeting church groups. Interestingly, the head of the company is Jewish. Hmmm.

http://www.one2believe.com/

http://money.cnn.com/2005/04/12/news/midcaps/jesus_dolls/index.htm?cnn=yes

posted in Jesus Built My Hotrod - 1 reply

Enlightenment 101

2005-07-28T20:12:01Z

Jesus spoke, "No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and wealth."

- Luke 16:13

The Buddha said, "One is the way to gain, the other is the way to nirvana; knowing this fact, students of Buddha should not take pleasure in being honored, but should practice detachment."

- Dhammapada 5:16

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

The constant flood of desire that many people call life is but a hollow dream. When one desire is filled, another one rises up to takes its place. How much money will it take for you to be content?

Why are there so many unhappy people in this world? It seems that we, as a culture, have forgotten that we already have everything we need. Salvation only lies in the here and now. The second coming is already within you waiting to be reborn.

Meditation offers a way to reconnect with this wisdom. Meditation is simply a process of observing ones thoughts from a detached perspective. To practice, sit comfortably on a chair or a cushion, relax your body and straighten your spine and then focus on your breathing. You will notice that your mind wanders almost immediately. All sorts of thoughts will come up about yesterday, your girlfriend, your future. As soon as you realize this is happening, do not be disturbed, just refocus your attention on the breath, the inflow, the outflow, the imperceptible space between the two. You are training your mind gently, as you would a child, to be in the here and now. This is where God lives.

You are not your desires. You are not the pain you experience. You are eternal consciousness. Find it within yourself and you shall be set free.

posted in Jesus Built My Hotrod - 3 replies

Walking all over the Bible

2005-06-13T21:49:28Z

Inspirational Scripture Shoe Inserts:

http://in-souls.com/index2.html

"In-Souls™ inserts are designed to provide a tangible support to assist Christians to literally "walk in the word of the Lord." Worn in the right shoe, each one provides a related scripture and affirmation. To enhance the spiritual walk with God, the inserts help one to "stand" on His Word, meditating on it day and night. Inserts may be alternated daily to help cultivate the word of God in your life. Look for other In-Souls sets to cover a variety of topics – from trust, obedience, patience and redemption to marriage, work and body image."

posted in Jesus Built My Hotrod - 1 reply

Gnostic Christianity in the news

2005-05-28T16:11:02Z

The gnostic church that I attend in Los Angeles, Ecclesia Gnostica, was featured as a cover story in last weeks edition of the LA Weekly magazine. Its an excellent article and you may enjoy reading it when you have the time.

Cover image:
http://www.laweekly.com/images/enlarger/index.php3?iyear=05&inumber=26&iimage=sm26cover.jpg

Article:
http://www.laweekly.com/ink/05/26/features-hill.php

posted in Jesus Built My Hotrod - 0 replies

The Center of the Circle

2005-03-23T03:11:16Z

As previously promised, I have scanned in and posted one chapter from Lawrence McCafferty's book, "The Art of Profound Meditation". Dr. McCafferty is Christian mystic who advocates an esoteric path that emphasizes direct experience of god through practice and transcendence rather than intellectual analysis and belief.

This chapter is called "The Center of the Circle" and deals with truth, the nature of knowledge, the will of god, and of course, meditation. To those who are interested, please download this short chapter and read it over the weekend. I will commence a discussion of this material in one weeks time.

ftp://phase.vis.caltech.edu/private/center_of_the_circle.pdf

posted in Jesus Built My Hotrod - 1 reply

Jesus and Buddha

2005-02-11T19:37:39Z

This thread will try to address the similarities and differences of Jesus and the Buddha. I will quote one scripture and one sutra , and we can discuss their relationship.

--

And Jesus said:

"Why do you see the speck in your neighbor's eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? Or how can you say to your neighbor, 'Friend, let me take the speck out of your eye' when you yourself do not see the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor's eye."

(Luke 6:41)

The Buddha spoke:

"The faults of others are easier to see than one's own; the faults of others are easily seen, for they are sifted like chaff, but one's own faults are hard to see. This is like the cheat who hides his dice and shows the dice of his opponent, calling attention to the other's shortcomings, continually thinking of accusing him."

(Udanavarga 27:1)

--

posted in Jesus Built My Hotrod - 8 replies

Mystical Christianity reading group

2005-01-29T15:30:15Z

Ive been reading a great book by Lawrence McCafferty entitled 'The Art of Profound Meditation'. This book is comprised of a series of lectures that he gave in the 1970s that describe a path toward experiencing gnosis/enlightenment for oneself. Each chapter is about 10 pages long and takes a small amount of time to read.

If anyone else is interested in exploring the mystical side of Christianity I would be willing to scan in and post a chapter at a time which we could then read and discuss --- perhaps one chapter per week. If you are interested, please reply to this post.

posted in Jesus Built My Hotrod - 4 replies

Gnosticism - Part Deux

2005-01-13T16:21:37Z

The most crucial difference between Gnostic Christianity and other branches of Christianity is found in the realm of eternal salvation. Gnostics believe that eternal salvation is found in the here and now, not in the afterlife. This salvation event is called 'gnosis' and is known in the eastern religions (especially Buddhism) as 'enlightenment'. The gnosis/enlightenment experience is a spiritual rebith, and consists of god making himself known to the individual who experiences this.

Both the Buddha and Jesus pointed out the same path that one must take to experience gnosis/enlightenment for oneself. The Buddha pointed out that the mind is a wild beast that must be tamed through the process of meditation. The Buddha referred to worldly delights as "illusion", while Jesus referred to them as "sin", but these are both one and the same concept. They both said that freedom from suffering, or salvation, is not to be found in worldly pleasures, but in self-discipline, and specifically in disciplining the mind.

When one is living in the moment, with no thoughts of past or future, and no desires for personal gain, one is said to be "practicing enlightenment", or "living in accord with gods will". Eventually, after one has lived in this manner for some time, your true nature shines through and god reveals himself to you, freeing you from suffering and delivering you into the kingdom of eternal life.

posted in Jesus Built My Hotrod - 3 replies

gnostic christianity

2004-12-17T01:30:18Z

http://www.gnosticchristianity.com/

they claim to be the hidden teachings of jesus, that he taught in private. ive looked briefly at the site and its content seems pretty consistent with most principles of zen buddhism as well, which is a good sign as far as im concerned. has anyone else grooved on this topic before?

also, I encourage everyone to read the Nag Hammadi codecs, which are an amazing gnostic discovery from egypt in the 1900s, and date back to the first century AD,
http://www.gnosis.org/naghamm/nhl.html

especially the gospel of thomas,
http://www.gnosis.org/naghamm/gthlamb.html

posted in Jesus Built My Hotrod - 6 replies

name of this tribe...

2004-10-17T18:20:15Z

Typically, being a new member, I wouldn't make such a bold statement however - should the name of this tribe not be, Jesus IS way cool? I mean cause he's still very present is he not? I saw him just this morning for God's sake! :)

~peace
Beth

posted in Jesus Built My Hotrod - 12 replies

jumping for jesus

2004-10-14T20:34:57Z

http://thejesusteam.org/

posted in Jesus Built My Hotrod - 0 replies

Jesus is a mushroom

2004-09-14T16:54:39Z

so I ate these mushrooms one night and jesus came to me and was all "hey dude I'm in the mushrooms, when I got slaughtered I turned my spirit into a spore"

hmmm.

posted in Jesus Built My Hotrod - 1 reply

What has JC done for you lately?

2004-09-07T21:45:59Z

I've been feeling like Janet Jackson and asking the question "what has he done for me lately?"
I get to feeling like Jesus takes all the credit while I'm doing all the grunt work, perhaps someone else here can relate a story or a snippit of something that JC is or has done for them lately?

In gratitude; I'm still alive and in basic good health and JC does show up when I call on him to open the pickle jar lid....

~peace
Beth

posted in Jesus Built My Hotrod - 2 replies

with you always

2004-08-04T08:19:01Z

i got a chuckle out of this. enjoy.

http://members.aol.com/JesusImages/

R

posted in Jesus Built My Hotrod - 7 replies

The wisdom of Jesus. Part I

2004-07-27T13:26:05Z

Alright boys and girls, time for a little Bible study. This thread will mark the first attempt at actually answering the question "Why was Jesus so cool?" Ill start by posting some of the teachings of Jesus, which we can then discuss.

__________________________________________________

What good is it for a man to gain the whole world,
yet forfeit his soul?

Or, what can a man give in exchange for his soul?

Mark 8:36-37
__________________________________________________

This seems to be a broadsided attack on materialism. Jesus speaks of the "soul" here, and I dont think we need to agree on what a soul is to know what he is talking about.

Each of us has a creative force inside of ourselves that needs to express itself and be heard. If we do not heed this calling to express ourselves in a manner consistent with our being, we become "soul-less" and all manner of illnesses will afflict us. This is what I see happening in the homogenized corporate culture that is the norm of todays work life.

Jesus says that no manner of worldy goods can replace the lack of soul in our life, and admonishes us to return to the center of our being and ackowledge our creative force.

Jesus Was Way Cool.

posted in Jesus Built My Hotrod - 20 replies

Jesus paraphenalia

2004-07-14T00:06:53Z

If you buy it, you'll be saved......

http://www.mcphee.com/cgi-bin/mcphee/archie-search.cgi

posted in Jesus Built My Hotrod - 2 replies

Did Jesus wank?

2004-07-13T20:48:21Z

There's no biblical reference either way, but I assume he was a normal kid and probably blessed the sand with his own holy water on more than a few occasions.

posted in Jesus Built My Hotrod - 7 replies

Jesus Coffeehouses

2004-06-30T19:10:34Z

Are there any coffeehouse, that play Jesus music and that's not affiliated with some church?

posted in Jesus Built My Hotrod - 3 replies

Mashin'

2004-06-25T18:50:03Z

I am trying to get my hands on that Mashing of the Christ video that negativland did. The url is down on their website. Has anyone else gotten this yet?

If you are unfamiliar with it, they took snippets from every film about jesus and made a video compilation of the last 5 minutes of his life based on these. Sounds interesting.

posted in Jesus Built My Hotrod - 13 replies

stick or automatic?

2004-06-25T15:33:14Z

if jesus were to come back now, he'd need wheels, right?
so i ask you, what would jesus drive?

posted in Jesus Built My Hotrod - 8 replies

Is Jesus a Zombie?

2004-06-23T03:07:49Z

technically?

posted in Jesus Built My Hotrod - 5 replies

I put me some new pix up

2004-06-15T18:01:37Z

Check out the sports figurines etc.

posted in Jesus Built My Hotrod - 2 replies

The Laughing Christ

2004-06-08T07:43:06Z

A very silly and smart old nun gave me this picture. I will add to tribe photos...this is especially for mc, because mc rocks...as does Jesus...

posted in Jesus Built My Hotrod - 6 replies

JESUS: THE US TOUR!

2004-05-24T20:36:54Z

finally Jesus is back for the follow up to 1AD's "Fulfilling the Scripture" with "GOD IS DA BOMB!" set to be released in fall of 2004. Jesus decided to go with a different direction on this album stating "Like, the old shit is totally whack. All that 'eat of my body' shit. I'm a little embarrassed cos that's just gross man."

Jesus has not confirmed whether or not "DA BOMB" is a prophetic message.

The Saviour and his back-up band "the Stigmatets" will be opening for Skinny Puppy on the domestic leg of their current tour, before headlining their world tour next year.

posted in Jesus Built My Hotrod - 6 replies

WTFWJD

2004-05-22T02:39:01Z

Cured......

posted in Jesus Built My Hotrod - 4 replies

WTF????

2004-05-21T16:26:54Z

http://www.bushislord.com/

posted in Jesus Built My Hotrod - 4 replies

Fun with Jesus

2004-05-18T19:00:12Z

forgive me jesus if these has been posted already:

http://www.jesusdressup.com/

http://www.normalbobsmith.com/store/magnets.html

http://www.normalbobsmith.com/satandressup.html

posted in Jesus Built My Hotrod - 1 reply

the etymology of jesus h christ

2004-05-14T21:44:41Z

http://www.didjesusexist.com/etymology.html

posted in Jesus Built My Hotrod - 5 replies

12 Tribes Community???

2004-05-13T15:23:28Z

Just wondering if anyone here has anything to say regarding this group...

posted in Jesus Built My Hotrod - 2 replies

Who would JESUS bomb?

2004-05-13T15:14:32Z

A friend of mine has a bumper sticker that reads:

"Who Would Jesus Bomb?"

I think this is an excellent question for starting off a discussion as it prompts us to explore the current global geopolitical situation and the nature of Christ simultaneously.

So who (whom?) do YOU think Jesus would Bomb?

posted in Jesus Built My Hotrod - 13 replies

Look Ma, first post!!!

2004-05-13T04:32:53Z

Ok, Ill start this thing off, since I created it.

For the first post Id like to recite a poem. It was written by a band called King Missile way back in the second millenium AD. It's called "Jesus was Way Cool"

========================================

Jesus was way cool
Everybody liked Jesus
Everybody wanted to hang out with him
Anything he wanted to do, he did
He turned water into wine
And if he wanted to
He could have turned wheat into marijuana
Or sugar into cocaine
Or vitamin pills into amphetamines

He walked on the water
And swam on the land
He would tell these stories
And people would listen
He was really cool

If you were blind or lame
You just went to Jesus
And he would put his hands on you
And you would be healed
That's so cool

He could've played guitar better than Hendrix
He could've told the future
He could've baked the most delicious cake in the world
He could've scored more goals than Wayne Gretzky
He could've danced better than Barishnikov
Jesus could have been funnier than any comedian you can think of
Jesus was way cool

He told people to eat his body and drink his blood
That's so cool
Jesus was so cool
But then some people got jealous of how cool he was
So they killed him
But then he rose from the dead
He rose from the dead, danced around
Then went up to heaven
I mean, that's so cool
Jesus was way cool

No wonder there are so many Christians

posted in Jesus Built My Hotrod - 12 replies

Jesus and Hemp

2004-05-12T23:52:09Z

Thru my not-so-scholarly research/conversations, I have heard that Jesus travelled throughout India/Asia for sevral years during that vague 18 yr period in his life that is missing from the New testament, which is when/where he became a Master. Then he brought that knowledge back to his peoples.

Now, if Jesus hung out with Saddhus, travellers, and wisemen in India, took up their clothing and grew out his hair, does this suggest that he may have smoked the ganj/hashish with them too? Maybe his clothes were made of hemp and he ate hemp seed and made fishing nets from hemp. Was he a stoner, a hippie or just way cool? ? ?

posted in Jesus Built My Hotrod - 5 replies

LOOK! Landover Baptist

2004-05-10T20:06:22Z

Hey all, go check out this link. It's a lovely Mother's Day story. Also just look around the site in general. Amazingly funny.

http://www.landoverbaptist.org/news0504/mothersday.html

posted in Jesus Built My Hotrod - 1 reply

"Fucking"

2004-05-05T04:25:10Z

You always hear "Jesus Fucking Christ" - famous people being identified typically by their full names (isn't this referred to as christian name?) so as to avoid confusion. So - I am guessing that people say this in order to define THE TRUE JESUS when in a situation which demands the divine attention of gods child. I just think its pretty cool that god's child has FUCKING as a middle name. You would think it would be Jesus Sunshine-of-the-human-heart Christ or something like that; but its fucking. AWESOME.....

posted in Jesus Built My Hotrod - 5 replies

Sweet Jesus

2004-05-04T06:57:50Z

The baby Jesus butt-plug:
http://www.divine-interventions.com/baby.html

and the Jackhammer Jesus dildo:
http://www.divine-interventions.com/jackhammer.html

Will miracles never cease?

posted in Jesus Built My Hotrod - 2 replies

jesus action figure

2004-05-04T06:54:17Z

http://www.jesus-action-figure.com/

posted in Jesus Built My Hotrod - 2 replies

The Passion of the Christ

2004-04-28T01:53:03Z

Ok, fine, Ill be the first one to bring up that new Jesus movie.

Anybody else seen it? Of course you have, its not like youre living in the boonies or anything...

So, whaddya think? Good, bad, indifferent?

To tell the you truth, I cried like a baby through most of it. And I thought Jim Caviezel did a great job of impersonating the most popular dude who ever walked the planet. And who knew that Jesus was so good looking? With that charming smile and all those sinewy muscles from being a carpenter, I bet Jesus was quite the lady killer in his day.

Admittedly, it was a bit bloody. But that was nothing compared to the Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake that just came out.

My only quip is that Mel didnt spend any time on Jesus's actual message. He only wanted to portray his death. Now, his death is important, dont get me wrong. If he didnt die on the cross, you and I wouldnt be here right now talking about this. But his message of Peace, Love, Understanding and Respect (PLUR for you ravers out there) has got to be his most important contribution.

Anyway, let me know whatchou think fellas.

_)Dan

posted in Jesus Built My Hotrod - 4 replies

This *Might be the wrong place but....

2004-04-16T13:06:08Z

Has anyone actually met Jesus yet? Its kind of like somebody saying 'yea dude, this guy I know has a cousin who hung with the guys in Alice In Chains, and the whole night they just kept telling the whores to leave and had this really deep existentialist conversation - oh yea and apparently the heroin was fuckin' great." What if Jesus was just an idea, and not an actual person. Like the girlfriend who lives in Canada so you wouldn't know her. I figure he must be around, I keep seeing bumper stickers on minivans saying he is.......

posted in Jesus Built My Hotrod - 4 replies

Pop Culture

2004-04-12T15:45:26Z

In fact Jesus is being marketed as we speak I have noticed more and more merchandise with the Jesus branding! Be interesting to see if the church tries to trade mark the cross or perhaps the image of a bearded man in a dress. I'm only half joking here!!

posted in Jesus Built My Hotrod - 5 replies

Essene's

2004-04-06T17:34:18Z

So was Jesus way cool before hanging with the Essene's - and he made them cool. Or were they cool and rubbed off on Jesus?

posted in Jesus Built My Hotrod - 1 reply

Jesus Built My Hotrod's topics - tribe.net

please help

The DaVinci Code

happy 420 from Jesus

I &lt;3 Judas

The God Who Wasn't There

Jesus Inc.

confused yet inspired

Cutting-edge spiritual technique from the Zen tradition

postulation

Vatican tightens nocturnal emissions standards

The talking Jesus doll

Enlightenment 101

Walking all over the Bible

Gnostic Christianity in the news

The Center of the Circle

Jesus and Buddha

Mystical Christianity reading group

Gnosticism - Part Deux

gnostic christianity

name of this tribe...

jumping for jesus

Jesus is a mushroom

What has JC done for you lately?

with you always

The wisdom of Jesus. Part I

Jesus paraphenalia

Did Jesus wank?

Jesus Coffeehouses

Mashin'

stick or automatic?

Is Jesus a Zombie?

I put me some new pix up

The Laughing Christ

JESUS: THE US TOUR!

WTFWJD

WTF????

Fun with Jesus

the etymology of jesus h christ

12 Tribes Community???

Who would JESUS bomb?

Look Ma, first post!!!

Jesus and Hemp

LOOK! Landover Baptist

"Fucking"

Sweet Jesus

jesus action figure

The Passion of the Christ

This *Might be the wrong place but....

Pop Culture

Essene's

I <3 Judas