It is my guess that we will no doubt be seeing the entire community of Gloucester, Mass. being raided by the CPS, local sheriff, FBI, etc. for the despicable outbreak of pregnancy amongst teenage girls in the high school there. What kind of school system are they running anyway? I thought underage pregnancy was pretty good proof of statutory rape. Isn’t that why we called the pretty sexy girls “jail bait” when we were in high school?

Read any news articles connected with this, to quote one from Time, “She noted that some of the girls involved had been identified as being at risk of becoming teen mothers as early as sixth grade , when they began to request pregnancy tests in middle school.(note: who would they be requesting pregnancy tests from at that age, these would be 11 year olds!) “What we’ve seen is the girls fit a certain profile,” Todd said. “They’re socially isolated, and they don’t have the support of their families.” The Time article states that ” seven or eight sophomore girls” are involved and presumably pregnant - let’s see, freshman is 9th grade - 14 year olds, so sophomore girls are 15 years old, aren’t they? - it certainly sounds like these girls live in an environment that perpetuates their abuse by - we would suppose if they are pregnant - male members of this community - who we can assume are being “groomed” to abuse these vulnerable girls. However, as of this writing I can find no information regarding the identity of these male perpetrators and any mention of them and their complicity is - should we say, “pregnantly absent.”

Of course the public schools systems response will be to issue condoms and birth control pills - presumably without the knowledge of the parents of these children.

And in the meantime - California courts are trying to decide if homeschooling parents are enemies of the State - as is being decided in Germany where homeschooling parents have been sentenced to 3 months in jail and accused of a crime similar to drunk driving.

In the California case the initial ruling against home schooling stated that ” the trial court had found that “keeping the children at home deprived them of situations where (1) they could interact with people outside the family, (2) there are people who could provide help if something is amiss in the children’s lives, and (3) they could develop emotionally in a broader world than the parents’ ‘cloistered’ setting.”

And we are supposed to believe that the environment that provides this valuable interaction and protection is the public school system? There is case after sordid case, from teen pregnancy, to suicide, drug abuse, violence, mass murder, teacher/student sex, and a pervasive lack of basic educational skills that are the facts of life in far too many public schools - especially in California. According to one website the following authors were all home schooled: Mark Twain, George Bernard Shaw, Irving Berlin, Charles Dickens and C.S. Lewis; as were the following US Presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, John Quincy Adams, Abraham Lincoln, William Henry Harrison and Theodore F. Roosevelt.

We can only guess how many famous and well adjusted, well educated people were schooled at home - and how many possibly productive lives have been stunted, distorted, and literally cut short in the public school system.

Death of a Nation

“What’s going to happen now? - Darkness?” The night was falling around us but in a very different way than our memory could recall.

The images, the shadows that stalked our awakening were upon us - closing in, surrounding us - hedging our escape. The air was stifled - like the screams within us - unutterable - silent - overpowering.

Our eyes had seen tragedy unfold around us - we had watched while those that dared to had stretched forth their hands - some holding them out in gestures of peace - others reaching for a new understanding - some placing their hands directly against the streams of stagnant pollution that had begun to flow freely into the streets - all desiring a better existence.

Beggars, bums, the handicapped and mentally ill, the poor and destitute - the starving - those of a different color - and the soldiers of war; all pawns of an unseen captivity - and the consumers - mere reflections of themselves, like hideous puppets on strings manipulated by unseen hands - at times to be abhorred but in tenderness to be pitied.

And there among us - in plain view - the enforcers and the gatekeepers - like brute beasts - feeding themselves without fear - or masquerading and gathering intelligence for the captivity and the slaughter.

We were alone - and darkness was upon us - there, alone - scattered in the night, lost to one another - our bearings reckoned on a false compass - our guiding star obscured - isolated in fear and suspicion.

We stumbled - at what we knew not - sometimes falling, - staggering to our feet - groping in the darkness.

And the dawning? A strange quality in the light - surreal - no longer sustaining - devoid of warmth and beauty - senseless - demeaning - a harsh reality - stark in its intensity, …

We joined step with the bewildered and the injured - and we hid our faces from the devastation around us - walking for walking’s sake - with no destination or truth greater than ourselves - although we suspected that there was something more - something sinister in the events that had left us - shipwrecked and abandoned on this thankless and desolate shore.

And then began the mantras of our deep indoctrination - and more shocking and repulsive happenings than we could have imagined in our innocence and idealism - the revelation of the Wicked and the Divine.

The sinews of our nation had been severed - our hands clasped in an effort to control our inner disbelief and rage - now casting a quick sideways glance for any avenue of escape - now lowering our eyes at the confrontation and scrutiny of a diminished but ever more powerful guard who had suddenly risen up among us.

Through the Plastic Window

And it was then that a new development erupted - as if the very dams had burst their sheer retaining walls. It poured forth - but not as an abundance - no - more like a growth or a cancer.

There was a semblance of the texture and qualities of the treasures we had once held in our hands - but something was missing. - like an elusive memory - haunting - tantalizing - just on the tip of our tongue - but never revealed enough to slake our thirst.

It was as if we had traversed some ocean - or a fast flowing river - only to arrive on a foreign shore, that - though undetectable to our senses - held a mockery of our true selves. The essence had changed - while the outward teased us with its manufactured similarities - the emptiness echoed our deepest and most inner dread - what was this? where were we? where were we headed? what was held in store?

At times there were glimpses of the treasured reality we were longing for - but as time passed - these seemed to fade and become more distant - they had less substance - and then even the ideas that they embodied began to change and dissipate. And the plastic world that surrounded us seemed to come alive - it spawned and propagated - and everyone - no, not everyone - nearly everyone became caught up in the expanding dream that we had entered - or was it a nightmare?

And the toys and playthings seemed to come from everywhere - they were cheap and the merchandise of appeasement - hawked from every corner and endorsed by every icon of a heralded awakening and development. The stars in our firmament had become painted and cast - and many of the most wise and insightful voices had ceased from our midst - but like children - we played and sang - and as a people we labored in vain, and we embraced a vision, a viewpoint and a pathway of no return.

And we called it Progress.

Few could argue effectively or contradict the onslaught - after all - it had afforded us an unparalleled opportunity to indulge ourselves - and indulge we did. It was truly unprecedented.

The miracle of a modern intelligence was unleashed - and like some ravenous beast leaping from its cage - it ripped and devoured - and we stood in amazement, awe and horror. The secret knowledge of the ages opened unto us - and the power of the gods was given unto men. - and the human race went forth conquering. Our technologies transformed our world - and the doors opened for the management and manipulation of our destiny.

And the wind that had started from a gentle breeze became a gale - and the gale rose up, twisting and writhing in its fury - and it became a whirlwind - and the lightning bolts shredded the sky - and the voices began - and the anthems were raised - and the sirens began to sing.

The quiet of our souls molested, - nay, … - ransacked, plundered, raped and delivered to the flames.

Staring into the Abyss

Crossing Sacred Boundaries

Our brilliant writers have explored

The height and depth

And hidden lore

With simple tools of ink

And pen

And parchment

There exposed the secrets

And the feelings and the colors

Of both love and hate

And life and death

And Mankind’s fate

Released the fragrance of the rose

And deeper still

The stark reality of Truth

The touch of Love

The seeing eyes

The ears that hear

The soft and subtle sighs

Of wind in trees

And children’s cries

All unfolded and exposed

For us to see

And other men with brutal knives

And feigned respect

Have separated flesh and bone

Profaning sanctuaries

Yet unknown

To delve where hand

And eye and heart

Forbid to go

And bringing forth

Without remorse the hidden

Intimate

To proclaim

Their understanding

And their fame

And then with garments stained

Defiled and soaking with decay

To walk among us

Non amiss

Heads held in pride

And then to gaze

On the Abyss

The fascination for knowledge was not only seductive - it became our addiction. Lesser men - like lesser gods; could be satiated with substance abuse = but for those of understanding and for those that perceived - the acquisition of the power of the manipulation of the secrets of the universe - though elusive at first - became an undeniable destination - a right of passage to an intellectual elite - those destined to rule the world, its resources - the very soul of the planet Earth.

It was this hunger that had brought us to the Precipice - the heights and depths had taken hold and mankind’s fate was held by those who had - in all their pride, set themselves to wager flesh and bone and all posterity on morbid bets of their own selves and our collective destiny.

This fascination for Evil - though long endured and contemplated - purged and scorned and at the time of our most glorious accomplishments - and in our dreams - eradicated; was given leave - the very hand of God and all restraint removed - and now the radiant glow, the flames and endless depth of the Abyss cast its spell upon the prince and master, the rabbi and the king - and all beheld the fearsome throne and power that embracing it would bring.

The Charlatans, the Astronomers, and the Chaldeans

You might think that we are going to talk about the Chaldeans and the Astologers - but we aren’t.

“Then spake the Chaldeans to the King … O’ King, live forever; tell thy servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation.” - Belteshazzar the Mystic 2:4

If you believe that the most prominent and learned among us have attained true understanding - then you might have reason to pause.

When you unlock the zip file - there can be cause for celebration - unless, of course, the main file is encrypted with PGP - good luck.

Our quest for the knowledge and understanding of our green and blue sphere of life had proceeded unabated for some centuries. It started with the obvious - or should we say - the ever present - the sun and moon, the stars, the tides, the seasons of planting and harvest, and the seasons of the soul, birth and growth and adversity and death.

The Astronomers charted the movement - like a finely tuned mechanism - a beautiful watch - they understood that there must be some significance in the nearly perfect repetitions - and they honored the accumulation of their discoveries with monuments and hand-held treasures - the Pyramids, Stonehenge, and the Astrolab.

They parented our physical sciences - and we applauded ourselves for our keen insight - we understood gravity, inertia, friction, mass and with our great knowledge we made ourselves the masters of the energy of the atom - unleashing a destructive force so dreadful and awesome that it shadowed our very expectations of life - and threatened to extinguish all hope and desire for a future generation.

But we were just beginning to uncover the fabric of our existence.

Each new technology opened a new door - a portal of discovery - and we were mesmerized - as we entered courtyard inside courtyard - each unfolding a new universe - until we could imagine the Universe itself as a tiny speck.

The crude spectacles of ocular correction bore the telescope - and the telescope bore the microscope - and the refining fires of war honed our instruments to a razor; and we conquered the boundaries of time and space and the elements. And we used them like deformed children finger-painting on paper and building and demolishing stacks of wooden alphabet blocks.

But did we truly understand? - or had we only succeeded in dusting the surface or opening a window to dimly view what treasure lay within? Was our pursuit cradled in wisdom and mercy and truth? - or were we merely playing with the miracle of fire - and setting ourselves on a course to destruction - and on a path of no return?

The Charlatans had convinced us otherwise - for their’s was to fabricate, and to bring forth with wit, and to present with illusion. And they were paid handsomely for it.

The simple among us, often scorned for their lack of sophistication - were gullible and easy prey for the Charlatans. They were trusting souls - who always gave the benefit of the doubt to those deceivers - and even when they had been used and abused and cheated - continued to hope that charity and kindness were the best course of action.

But not the Charlatans.

The Charlatans were content to make merchandise of every object or personage - and that without remorse and without regret. They were cold-hearted at best - if they had a heart indeed - and their commerce stained all who brushed up against their stalls of vanity and pomp - leeches they were - selling themselves to the highest bidder.

But the Controllers needed them to hide their true intentions - which were all about self - self-realization, self-fulfillment, self-awareness, self-understanding, self-promotion, and the supreme self - the self available to the meanest and most depraved - self-indulgence and self-love.

And the Controllers? - The Chaldeans of course. These were mystics indeed - who borrowed their estate from a higher power and greater dominion. Sold in soul slavery - they had requisitioned a temporary office - and a transient domain.

“O King, live forever!” - these deceptive souls did not hesitate to suborn and purloin - for they had rather ascend the throne for a passing season - than to walk in truth and love - the Chaldeans were pimps - willing to bind in chains and slavery any and all who could in any way advance or challenge their office and influence - and none escaped their treacherous and devouring dominion - all, both rich and poor, and strong and weak, the prince and those of low estate, the virgin and the babe of love - were meat and prey - to torture and abuse - to flames or strangled death - the Chaldeans were to be feared, and honored and obeyed.

And yet - they themselves served.

For though they held sway before the people - they came groveling and in obeisance to their Dark Lords.

The Pits of Hell are Opened

“And I saw the grates and barred gates cast aside, and they opened the pits of Hell through their transgressions - and their defilements - and their defiance - and their lust.”

-The Fool (Fin McCool)

The pleasant morning had slipped away, - unnoticed; for the noontime had brought a disquieting rumor of a coming storm - By late afternoon the clouds had gathered and there arose an undertow of the mighty wind that lay bated and pregnant on the horizon. When the storm broke in its fury - we headed into the uncertainty of darkness - and of night - our course set by dead reckoning - loath to tread the deepening waters - we abandoned hope of another dawn - and we sailed on into the unknown. - Captain’s Log

For centuries the balances had tipped first this way - and then that. We had reached for the stars in a glorious endeavor to fulfill our potential and to realize our birth right, and our inheritance - we were the human race. Our dreams and aspirations had ascended to heavenly heights - and our manifest destiny was proclaimed in song and sculptured in stone. - we surrounded ourselves with the prolific works of our own hands, beauty, majesty, magnificence and wonder. We reveled in our abilities, we laughed, we danced and we embraced.

But there were evil days, days of a gross inner darkness that we could not control - brutality, cruelty, murder, genocide, violation, mankind exterminating one another.

But the invisible boundary kept evil from conquering - the ebb and flow of the struggle between good and evil seemed a constant, a given - so much so that our philosophers and poets had portrayed its seeming continuance in essay and verse.

For the most part - we had abandoned the concept of a final judgment and reckoning. For many such an idea seemed foolish and contrived - the power and source of evil and wickedness became an amusement to most - a primitive and superstitious belief of a forgotten time - a time before our intellectual awakening and a time before the great development of our understanding.

It was with this pompous attitude that we had stepped forward - and tickled the Dragon’s tail. We had abandoned ethics and absolutes - and like the Preacher of Jerusalem, we had given ourselves “to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly.” - The Preacher 1:7

And the floodgates had been opened - and the balances had been rent and cast aside - and all Hell had been loosed upon the Earth - and there arose from the depths spirits, and principalities, and powers - and the flood of evil covered the Earth as not since the beginning of time - and no more for ever shall be.

O’ Satan - that old serpent - was given power to rule and to reign upon the Earth - and to go forth and establish his throne - and none could stay his hand.

The ancient hunter bent his bow, and he searched out the tender soul, the child and the helpless - the fairest of the fair - the young maiden at the gate of the beautiful temple - the ruddy youth sent to war and to death - and he was given power to search out and destroy all them that refused to worship and obey him.

The Power of the Keys

How had we come to this unique point in time and space? As the fisherman of that obscure village on the shores of Galilee - now centuries past - had recounted - “many prophets and righteous men have desired to see the things which ye see - and have not seen them; and to hear the things which ye hear, and have not heard them.”

We had been given the power of the keys - great and small, some of seeming insignificance - and some of majestic portent. The keys had been endowed - in some cases, assigned - for some a surcease - for others the start of a journey - and others still the entrance to and obtaining of immortal secrets.

All, both small and great, rich and poor, bond and free, every persuasion and endeavor unlocked - revealed, and manifest - the fulfillment of good, and the fulfillment of evil.

The keys were given, and the access was opened, and the power was held in our hands - for some a blessing, and for others a curse and a damnation.

Our knowledge increased an hundred fold, and then it doubled - and then it tripled. Every jot and tittle unfolded, as a flower in spring - and every evil work prospered, storming down upon us with an unprecedented fury.

As the mystic of Tarsus had foreseen, “evil men and seducers waxed worse and worse” - and we clung to the promise “where iniquity doth abound, grace doth much more abound.” - The Tax Collector

The codes had been revealed.

Our scientists raced to explore - and to manipulate, the genome. Genetically modified plants. Cloning. And the laboratories awash with speculative and dangerous experimentation. Mixing human and animal in an attempt to “improve” our livelihood and longevity. There was even talk of producing “sub-humans” - a degenerate species farmed for organ transplants and manual labor.

And then there were those - who through the access given them by the keys of our DNA sequence - and their ability to set in order the building blocks of the physical world - the atom - began to embrace and pursue what they regarded as the logical next step in our “evolving” species of human beings - melding man with machine - literally inserting and growing computer based devices within our nervous system - thus harnessing the power to program ourselves in any way we desired.

They envisioned the “post-human” race.

For our men of war - the keys had given them a fearsome dominance on the fields of battle. Science and technology unlocked the secrets of destruction - and the captains of war employed these advances in raining death and devastation upon the earth, and upon all who stood in the way of the plans and designs of the Chaldeans and their Dark Lords.

The captains of war used their access and the power delivered unto them to secure the throne of the Chaldeans. In return they were given exclusive rights to use the keys to develop even more powerful and destructive tools. They began plans for a cyborg warrior - initially just a soldier in an armored robot suit - but the true goal of the elite echelons of the captains of war sought the production of a genuine warrior species - a killing machine with a human soldier as its core - completely and irreversibly integrated with the greatest advances of technology. With the advent of this warrior species - global domination was within their grasp.

And mankind worshiped the works of his own hands - and he paid tribute and gave honor to the Chaldeans - and he worshiped the Dark Lords for the keys they had delivered - genetic engineering, nano technology, robotics, the splitting of the atom, chemical miracles, the harnessing of the waves and particles of our inner vibrations and compositions.

The Charlatans played an important role in all of this - the mass of humanity - and especially the thinkers - had to be cajoled and pandered to in order to keep them from rising up in rebellion against the constant erosion of their personal autonomy and free choice.

The Charlatans seemed to possess a special magic of illusion so persuasive - that even the elect were drawn into and absorbed with their manufactured distractions. The mass media became the ever present voice and conscience of our daily lives - teaching us how to view and respond to the monumental changes taking place around us.

We were gorged with images of false heroes and shameless goddesses of lust and indulgence - and we clamored for more. Occasionally the stark images of some new genocide or atrocity appeared on the screen - but these were quickly dispensed and our standard fare of the insignificant and inconsequential returned - all under the guise and guile of the Charlatans.

And the Controllers watched and orchestrated from a hidden room - at times it was nearly impossible for them to elude the questioning and accusations of a small but vocal group of non-conforming and non-participating individuals - but the Charlatans quickly grabbed center stage and the attention of most of the people - and the Chaldeans sought out and persecuted the rebels.

But there were other keys of power that had been given to men - not just keys of understanding and manipulating and fabricating the physical realm - but keys of the Kingdom - and the power to bind or loose in both the physical and spiritual realm - and these keys could command the keys held by the Dark Lords and the Chaldeans, and the Charlatans - yea - these keys could stand against the Supreme Lord of Evil himself - even when held and activated in the delicate hands of a child.

The codes were revealed, the keys were given, and the stage was set for the uncovering of both Heaven and Hell.

The Apocalypse

“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with a fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be …” - Peter the Fisherman

“For the time is at hand.” - Peter’s friend John

The Apocalypse, the revealing, the uncovering - the establishing - the manifestation of all previous ages and all previous understanding and a paradigm shift of such force as to forbid all return.

This was the time of the End - the culmination of all that had gone before - and the ushering in of a new age. - and like a tense thriller the script unraveled and we watched. Some speculated on the times and the seasons - some engaged themselves and others, seeking to find a clear path amidst the growing tumult and confusion brought on by the shear volume of the information and knowledge that was being revealed. Eventually all but a few understood the magnitude of what was unfolding around us.

For now was the time when that old serpent would be cast out of his former place - and refused any audience of consolation or repentance - or rebuke. The Battle for the Earth had begun - and all that would not worship the beast, or receive him into their bodies would be slain. “All, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond…” - Beloved John

Death, the hunter of the tender soul - was loosed upon the Earth - “and he was given power to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth - and Hell followed with him.”

And heaven was revealed also.

The Chaldeans take Center Stage

The winds of change were blowing

And like anthems in the wind

We sought for one another

We sought for truth within

We reached out to our brother

And we touched so deep inside

But the Chaldeans took the center stage

They took us for a ride.

With a cheap smile

And cheaper goods

They sold our souls to Hell

And our salvation, if we would

Was to believe

And then receive

The gift of grace

The humble face

And love eternally.

-The Fool

O’ the Chaldeans - for for a drop of water they would deceive. Change was good for the Chaldeans - as their changing faces - always promoting the wages of death - and always appearing in sincerity and trust.

But this new environment brought them a once subjugated avenue of expression - along with their common fare they could speak - even sing - yea, the could scream the sounds of Hell.

It looked innocent enough - a mere game really - just an opportunity to have some fun - until we all were bidden to embrace the sounds of Hell.

Sounds from Hell

Screeching, Wailing, Tortured

Slaughtered

Sacrificed

Emptiness and bottomless

Shadows creeping through the night

Unimagined requiem

Unforgotten blight

Wicked, Piercing Sirens

Seducing

Pitiless

With eyes upon the prey

Devouring they fall upon

The wayward unsuspecting

Whose soul abates their Mighty One

Overpowering, Sinister, Repulsive

Arrogant

Dispiciable

Darker than the Night

The echoes of the sub terrain

A loved ones cry of desperate pain

And overcome with fright.

-The Fool

We seldom questioned our acquiesce to the voices of Death - and we allowed our children to accompany us on our walk with darkness.

In these days - “the skies had truly become red, red with warning -and black, black with clouds - gathering for the Great Confusion.” - Grandmother

But amidst the turmoil and destruction - if you would - you could walk through the night - and as you reached - the Whisperers began to speak.

By rights and by the proof of our heritage and our existence - the Whisperers always spoke first - for they had dominion over spirit, and principality - and in all this - they spoke softly and sang a beautiful song.

The Whisperers

“He maketh his angels winds - and his ministers a flame of fire.” - Apollos

“And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not; I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” - John the Exile

The Whisperers could see more than our limited perceptions afforded us. They were not bound by distance, or locked gate, or the demands of sleep - for they kept their vigils without distraction or interruption - save those times when some more pressing or urgent call required their attendance. - and in those times and circumstances we were still overshadowed by our ever present helpers and guardians - angels of light and power. - and those conscripted to watch over us.

Some of these were mute to our daily affairs - and their sole intervention on our thoughts were either simple reminders of our daily tasks - or terse commands to guard us from imminent danger. These warriors were so singular in their task - that they seldom spoke - for their senses were monitoring much greater communications - at least in regards to our well-being. They didn’t accomplish this in any other manner then to completely sanctify themselves to the task - these were truly guardian angels.

The Whisperers held secrets. - it was no more noble a task then the guardians, but due to its very nature - the task required much more verbal communication - sometimes in various languages - and often in presentation of new insights and clearer visions.

As we arrived at the edge of time - and faced the darkness - and perceived good and evil - the Whisperers began to speak in earnest - and with some approbation; and with determination, and with urgency.

There were many among us that heard them - but the greatest comprehension of their song came mostly to those who - in whatever way was possible for them - talked to the Whisperers and listened intently in solitude. It was a communication of faith.

The Whisperers were - for the most part - humble in spirit; and there was often a certain reluctance in their coming forth as personages; - (and personages they were indeed) - that rather their instruction could be their primary touch and intercourse. Not withstanding - at times they manifest themselves for who they were - brethren of the testimony of Jesus.

Now, in this time - the Whisperers had been sent forth - from the King unto the babe they poured their consecration as from flowing cisterns - and they embraced us with gifts and anointings, and with faith - and trust - and hope - and love.

The core of the Whisperers power to hold and reveal secrets lay partly in their humanity - for like “an high priest that is touched by the feelings of our infirmities” - they understood us intimately. But the deepness of their being came from the manner in which they had faced their humanity - and the measure of their surrender - and the cost of their giving. The Whisperers had been entrusted to speak directly to us.

And they spoke of the danger that lay ahead - and of the gross darkness that was to come upon all the Earth - to try men’s souls. They spoke of the hour of temptation - and they cried out a warning - and they wept with a voice of lamentation. And they spoke of proclamation, and salvation, and redemption.

And they held the testimony of Jesus - the son, and the heir.

The Four Horsemen

“It’s not a riddle - really; that’s just who they are.” - Fin McCool

Unsealed they were - and they were sent forth - on horses prepared for the day of battle - for though the battle is waged with liege and trumpets blast - each soul must finish the battle course - and every man shall give account. - The Fool

The pale rider on his pale horse - Death and Hell will run the course; The Abortionist, and the Sleaze, The defiled and the seized. Hell is full of death - and it’s a bottomless pit. We were to face the culture of Death - in all its horror. Mass murder, genocide, infanticide - our humanity unraveled - “ethnic cleansing” - what a travesty of language - how reprobate a thought - euthanasia, suicide - madness in the dark. Mass annihilation, personal disgrace - in all of this the rider of the pale horse clearly showed his face.

The Captain of the red horse, his hands stained with blood - we would watch while our world was flooded with the weapons of war. Stockpiles of munitions - weapons of mass destruction, smart bombs - raining terror from the skies - and the rider on the red horse would loose his bane into every corner of our daily existence - child soldiers trained to kill, rape and famine now his sword used on helpless women and children - the grandfather and the mother. His was not a noble quest - he took the peace on Earth and left us desolate. In war we paint our faces and become - in our rage and determination to engage - more like beasts then mother’s sons. We were held in chains of bondage while every child contemplated his demise.

“But the end of all things is at hand - therefore - be ye sober and watch unto prayer.” - Peter the Denier

The scales of injustice, politics and government, business and trade. Weighing every particle, logging every cent - laying claim to seed and earth and rain. Setting price on all that labors and if they could, setting an admission gate on all the rest - sea and sky and mountain,s crest. Selling your identity - selling home and hearth - and if they find that you can’t pay to sell you into slavery. Advertisers, money sharks, pocket lawyers - every thing’s for sale. We would endure a world where precious moments of our lives had all been counted and assigned a value and a price. The rider on the black horse his purple robes and his scarlet carpets now stained and black with oil and with the residue of wreaking tube and iron shard and soiled with pollution, excess and waste - but to the rider no disgrace. His black horse, like his black soul - he is a merchant, he loveth to oppress - and to magnify the sore, the black rider in all his pomp and extravagance saddled us with taxes - a tax on food, a tax on every gift that we employ, a tax to speak - a tax to hear - a tax on life - a tax on death.

The gallant knight upon his stead - This is not Percival or Hitler’s mockery. White and pure - love unfeigned - the drops of dew on blade and petal - prisms in the sun. Parched and scorched and decomposed - all restored again. Children’s laughter, lover’s touch. Every whisper of the heart - every hope and faith - Goodness, mercy, truth - the constant confidant - as pure as gold - flawless gems- and life eternally. The prince of Peace - the King of love - Melchisedec of old; the rider on the white horse, it is told - the old time story - second birth, man redeemed and peace on Earth. The white horse knows his rider, as all war horses do. It is said that the battle horse will perish with his master before he will be mounted and ridden by an enemy. Many men have sought and then proclaimed their majesty - their fealty and their fame. The rider on the white horse - he alone - to suffice; living springs of water - living bread - living sacrifice. Herald to the Nations let them know that this is Christ.

(to be continued)

]]> http://www.undertheolivetree.com/2008/06/05/death-of-a-nation/feed/ http://www.undertheolivetree.com/2008/06/05/well-excuse-me/ http://www.undertheolivetree.com/2008/06/05/well-excuse-me/#comments Thu, 05 Jun 2008 15:50:57 +0000 BBennettJ http://www.undertheolivetree.com/?p=94 Well, Excuse Me.

An analysis of the “news”

Let me keynote this by saying that I don’t regularly take an AP article and critique it, but that is what I am about to do – believe me, the following comments will be my opinion and as such – there is a good possibility that I may be soft on some of the facts. However, it gets tiring to read without some response. My comments are in red.

SAN ANGELO, Texas (AP) — The members of a polygamist sect (also known as US citizens) raided by authorities two months ago have their children back, but with a criminal investigation looming, the sect’s troubles may not be over. Good lead – let’s be sure that we don’t coddle these people any – let’s keep the heat up – shall we? If we do that it will make it seem that the CPS was justified – when the Texas Supreme Court says they overstepped their authority. Keep reading – this is a great propaganda article to convince you that the CPS are the good guys. Where is the public outcry at misuse of public funds and resources? Where are the calls for the dismissal of those in public office who mishandled this situation?

A mother and son shriek with delight as they are reunited two months after the FLDS raid in Texas.

“There have been criminal problems located out there,” said Schleicher County Sheriff David Doran, who was with state troopers and child welfare authorities when they raided the Yearning For Zion Ranch in West Texas on April 3. I certainly hope they are going to take into account the single bogus complaint that the entire raid was hinged on as cause to dismiss any evidence gathered by breaking and entering, seizing property without a warrant, etc. In Germany under the Gestapo, by the time they came in numbers, armed, waving a single piece of paper as their mandate – and kicked in your door, terrorized your family, and carted them away to places unknown, and then ransacked your home to get what ever “evidence” of any wrongdoing on your part that they could find – I think you could sleep well that night knowing you were going to be prosecuted no matter what they found.

The Texas Department of Public Safety and the attorney general’s office have taken over the criminal investigation at the request of authorities in the rural ranching community. Although they confirm that they are investigating, neither will say how long the investigation may take. 7 million dollars and counting! If you divvy that up among 460 children you get $15,217.39 per child. I bet you wish the State was spending that kind of money on you and your children. Where did all this money go? Who spent it – will there be an itemized accounting of this reckless waste of public money?

Child-welfare officials have alleged that members of the church that runs the ranch pushed underage girls into marriages with older men, but the evidence needed to support a criminal case could prove elusive. Allegations are pretty hard to prosecute – unless you have evidence, a plaintiff, a crime – supposedly the basis of why authorities raided these people’s homes in the first place – because they had a crime being committed – so why should it now prove to be elusive to substantiate? I thought that is what the original search and seizure was based on? Did I miss something?

DNA evidence acquired in the custody case is off limits to criminal investigators without a court order, and a prosecution probably would go nowhere without at least one willing witness in the insular ranch community. Members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had a strong distrust of outsiders even before all the children at the ranch were taken away. Gee, I wonder why they would have any distrust?

The children were allowed to leave foster care (“allowed to leave”? – how hardhearted are you? CPS had no right to have them in custody in the first place – the Court stated that they must be “released from custody” – not “allowed to leave”. Remember, half of these children were under the age of 5. after a judge bowed to a Texas Supreme Court ruling last week that the state overreached by taking all the children even though evidence of sexual abuse was limited to five teenage girls. What evidence? Half the children taken from the ranch were no older than 5. Well, if they weren’t abused before they were taken into custody – they certainly have been abused now – haven’t they?

All 440 children were returned to parents by Wednesday, Child Protective Services spokesman Patrick Crimmins said. Watch a happy family reunion »

The high court ruling and state District Judge Barbara Walther’s orders returning the children do not affect the criminal investigation, which involves several trailer loads of documents confiscated during a raid lasting nearly a week. Authorities removed all documents and photos they say might show relationships between underage girls and older men. Wow, they did all that on one phone call from one alleged victim who they now admit was never in their custody? And they believe that they have several trailer loads of pertinent and revealing documents (by the which we mean, all your personal letters, photo albums, school records, religious records, and legal and financial documents) – On the one hand they say the evidence is elusive, and on the other hand they say they have several trailer loads of it, that doesn’t sound elusive to me. Which is it?

“It’s going to take a while. And more money, looks like the people of Texas will be footing the bill for more expenses. With any criminal case we investigate, we do as much as we possibly can before turning the case over to the prosecutors,” said public safety spokeswoman Tela Mange.

Last week, investigators from the attorney general’s office took DNA from Warren Jeffs, the jailed prophet of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, saying they were looking for evidence of relationships between Jeffs and four girls ages 12 to 15.

Under Texas law, girls younger than 17 generally cannot consent to sex with an adult. At a custody hearing, state attorneys introduced a photo they said was a wedding picture showing Jeffs embracing a girl and kissing her on the mouth.

Jeffs has been convicted in Utah as an accomplice to rape in the marriage of an underage sect member. He faces similar charges in Arizona, though no trial date has been set. I won’t comment on a criminal case where I have not seen the evidence, but if you have a criminal case with a victim, I say prosecute it. One thing is certain, they are trying to link Jeffs who they have convicted to these girls from the YFZ Ranch so they can justify their actions. It was all a big fishing expedition by the authorities at the expense of the children and their welfare. I do not believe it when the CPS spokesperson says they care about the children. That is what Janet Reno said in her authorizing the actions of authorities that resulted in the deaths of 21 children at the Branch Davidian community in Waco.

Authorities have DNA from all the children and many of the parents at the YFZ Ranch — 603 samples in all — but those results cannot be used by law enforcers without a court order because they were taken from parents and children as part of the custody case, not under a criminal search warrant. Forced DNA testing is going to be standard for a lot of investigations in the future, probably before the fact – DNA samples of everyone on record. And since when was it a custody case? I thought it was a case of abuse? Or do they mean that the CPS was fighting to get custody of children they had no evidence to take into custody, and ordered the forced DNA tests to try to shore up this lack of evidence. Well, while they were at it the CPS also ordered forced immunizations (how can that be part of a custody case?), and separated younger children from their older brothers and sisters who could comfort and uphold them through the ordeal they were facing. How were they able to do all of this without any evidence except some unverifiable phone calls? It now surfaces that the phone calls came from Colorado – not even from Texas. Do you mean to tell us that the authorities didn’t know the calls were from Colorado? My cell phone tells me where calls are from – are we expected to believe that the CPS or other Texas authorities don’t have that technology?

Even if the DNA shows that children were born to underage girls and adult men, any prosecution will probably be difficult unless a victim testifies. Without a victim there is no crime. They are insinuating that these people will not testify against each other for fear – and that could be one reason – but it could also be because they love and trust each other a lot more then they trust the authorities? - and it seems with good reason.

Utah prosecuted three FLDS members and got a no-contest plea from Jeffs after years of investigation, but Arizona authorities have had to drop some charges because the victim quit cooperating. Ha! I wonder why?

Without a victim’s testimony, it’s impossible to establish jurisdiction for prosecution, a key element that has prevented some charges of members who frequently move among the sect’s residences in Arizona, Utah, Texas and elsewhere. I believe this statement is misleading – lots of people move for a lot of reasons – especially when they could be subject to the kind of heavy handed dealings that these people have had to endure. It is a free country, and you are free to move if you want – ever heard of extradition? The reason they can’t prosecute is because they don’t have a crime.

In any sexual assault case, it can be difficult to persuade victims to assist in prosecutions, but such cases are even more challenging when they involve a community as insular as the FLDS, said Paul Murphy, a spokesman for the Utah Attorney General’s Office. Of course it is difficult – in a lot of cases it is a boyfriend/girlfriend situation that has gotten out of hand – and it doesn’t just happen with these people – it happens all the time. And what makes them more “insular” then you or me. Do you live by yourself with your family?

Sect members are raised and work within the community, developing few financial or personal resources away from other members. How many of us have very many financial or personal resources away from our present chosen situations, our families, our jobs, our schools, even our little Podunk town no matter how much we dislike it? Remember, these are children we are talking about – are children supposed to have resources to be able to leave home – or outside contacts that can finance their doing so? This statement is here for the sole purpose of casting these people in a bad light.

After a raid by Arizona authorities in 1953, FLDS members lived on the Arizona-Utah line with little interaction with government officials, who got involved only when allegations of underage marriages and abuse surfaced in 2001.Because the public realized that the 1953 raid was horrible and these officials wanted to keep their jobs; and also if they were not breaking any laws – they couldn’t prosecute them.

Texas authorities raided the YFZ Ranch after three calls to a domestic abuse hot line, purportedly from a 16-year-old mother who said she was being abused by her middle-age husband. The calls, which Doran said continued even after all the children were removed from the ranch, are now being investigated as a hoax. Really, you don’t try to find out if the calls are genuine before you take these kinds of actions? Wow – it sounds like a real abuse of authority to me. Why did they wait until now to investigate this? – because they didn’t do this raid based on the phone calls in the first place. Do you really believe that they got all that fire power together on an unverifiable complaint? Buses waiting to move mothers and children to the San Angelo Arena – armored personnel carriers, Texas Rangers, local police and sheriffs – CPS, trucks waiting to take away documents and personal belongings – if you believe that this was all based on one call for help from an abused 16-year-old – you should ask a friend to slap you.

The children and their mothers were taken to a shelter in San Angelo, where they were separated. Separated in the most disgusting way – children ripped from their mother’s arms and driven off to sites unknown in vans with darkened windows – children terrorized – let’s all be thankful that it was for their “own good.” E-mails obtained by The Dallas Morning News under Texas public records laws show that state officials had proposed sending them to another location because of fears of violence. A judge rejected conducting the separations in Midlothian, and the children were taken from their mothers without incident. Once again, this is pure propaganda to portray these people as unstable and liable to be violent. These people suffered violence at the hands of the CPS and other authorities – who was planning for violence in the first place? And to say that the children were taken from their mothers without incident is a lie – or should we say a damned lie – it sure wasn’t without incident for the children or the mothers – these children will be haunted by this action that took place “without incident” probably for a long time to come except for the grace of God.

The e-mails also showed state officials’ concerns that some of the mothers were planning a “run” from the shelter before they were separated, something FLDS elder Willie Jessop called absurd. Do you really expect us to believe they were going to try to run away in Texas! That is so funny! Janet Reno again, “The children were still being abused, so we had to step in.” The mothers were there to take care of their children, and had cooperated completely – this is just more propaganda to put the blame on the FLDS mothers – saying that the action was because mothers planned to “run” and that was why the authorities had to step in and grab the kids - this is just what Willie Jessop says it is, “absurd.”

“We never, never did anything other than to comply and to endure what they put us through,” he told the newspaper in a story published Wednesday. Exactly – with all their rights denied – these folks acted in an exemplary manner.

The FLDS, which believes polygamy brings glorification in heaven, is a breakaway sect of the Mormon church, which renounced polygamy more than a century ago. What bearing does their belief in the afterlife have on anything? – once again, this statement is here to make it look like these people have to abuse little girls to have a good place in Heaven. The statement is no doubt a gross misrepresentation of anything that these folks believe – these kinds of statements cater to a mob justice mentality. On another note – consider this, any man willing and able to live with more than one woman, have children, and keep the peace in his own home under said circumstances probably is a saint. Most men cannot do that with one woman. Jessop said this week that the church would not preside over marriages between sect members who were not of legal age. Good for them – this is a wise move on their part and in no way qualifies as an admission of previous crimes.

He sidestepped questions about whether such marriages ever occurred but has said the sect has been unfairly portrayed. Duh. This is fair reporting, right – including a the mandatory “token” quote or comment from the persecuted – “but let’s make sure that we take one last shot at them – even while we allow them to make a statement – let’s see, how can we do that – let’s say he “sidestepped” – it will make him sound guilty – we can make him look like a liar.”

I only find one thing surprising about this article – and that is in this article they failed to call these people’s homes and community a “compound” – a much employed pejorative used to cast a certain air of fanaticism and outright ridicule upon innocent people that live in homes and communities just like you and I do. These people are US citizens.

I personally am relieved to see the children of US Citizens living in a small west Texas village being returned to their parents. We will all be watching the continued harassment of these children and their parents with great interest. The latest twist is that the State is waiting for DNA testing to determine the parentage of these children - I suppose with the hope that they can then criminally prosecute someone, and regain custody of the children.

World Net Daily is doing a poll on its readers response to the ongoing investigation - you can find the news article link below called “WND Forum”. As of this writing a full 35% of respondents believe that these families should sue the state of Texas for damages. I agree 100%.

Since polygamy seems to be one of the central issues in what has been taking place there - we might want to ask ourselves whether we believe in polygamy or not? I believe we do - and in a resounding way - we have just limited the definition that we find acceptable.

It might be somewhat unfair to give an example of serial polygamy (officially termed serial monogamy)- and it could be considered taking a cheap shot at a single individual - however, an example is necessary for reference. Elizabeth Taylor - a much applauded and loved actress was married 8 times - (7 if you count her 2 marriages to Richard Burton as being a single marriage - marriages which by themselves would make Richard Burton a serial polygamist with just one woman - although he also qualifies being married to 3 women besides Elizabeth Taylor.)

To say that we as a society believe in serial monogamy would be misleading at best. Again, examples are necessary. The most famous recent example would be Bill Clinton and Monika Lewinsky - you couldn’t say that Bill and Hillary’s marriage was monogamous since it included, at least for a time - Monika. Any sexual activity outside the monogamous relationship nullifies the “mono” in the term.

We accept men and women who marry, divorce and remarry as many times as they want - and we even accept other relationships that do not include marriage - even “sleeping around”, casual sex, one time encounters, and complete promiscuity - “girls gone wild.”

The statistics with homosexual relationships are even more revealing. In an atmosphere where we are being given the impression that homosexual “marriage” is an important institution - the actual statistics point to relationships that are anything but monogamous. An article in the Washington Times dated 2003 reports, “The Dutch study — which focused on transmission of HIV — found that men in homosexual relationships on average have eight partners a year outside those relationships. Earlier studies also indicated that homosexual men are not monogamous, even when they are involved in long-term relationships.”

And does it stop there? How about sharing your monogamous partner with the family pet? Again, World Net Daily Reports that the US Constitution is now being cited as basis for individuals to pursue sexual relationships with their pets as and “unalienable right”. In fact, the person promoting the idea is someone who is presently honored by both the Smithsonian and The National Museum of American History. (see article: http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=66060)

The families in Texas are not being investigated for multiple marriages or sexual relationships - they are being investigated for simultaneous multiple marriages, with the supposition that these relationships are taking place with minors and are forced. I think they are very wise to officially limit marriage to those of legal age.

With those safeguards in place - would it make sense to prosecute them for practicing concurrent polygamy - actually keeping, protecting and providing for additional wives and children - and not prosecute those who do not keep, protect and provide for additional wives and children, or additional sexual partners outside their “significant other” relationship (IE: most of the rest of us?)

In the final analysis - it is the pot calling the kettle black.

We are crossing a river

Deep and wide

And before we enter, let’s pray

And then I have something to say.

We have picked the safest way across

And we’ve tried to think it through

There are some of us who could cross alone

But they are reticent and few

The current is dangerous and swift

But cross the river we must

For here we face annihilation

That far bank is our salvation

Perish none or perish all

We have determined and agreed

So to each other we’ll hold on

And Peter and his men will lead

Remember our deliberations

And calm the little ones - take heed

To each and every admonition

Let’s proceed most carefully

And as we enter into the water

Do not fear or hesitate

Remember angels watching o’er us

On that far shore we’ll celebrate.

Fool enough to follow

Fool enough to believe

Fool enough to take a stand

Fool enough to speak up

Fool enough to ask

Fool enough to listen

Fool enough to trust His Word

Fool enough to to play the fool

For all the fools who won’t

Fool enough to see the foolishness

Of all the great accomplishments of men

To watch the river carry

All the memory of days and nights

Of toil and struggle

Anguish and conflict

All out war

And even the delight

Of the softest touch

And warm embrace

And kisses in the night

All foolishness and vanity

Destined to be weighed

And judged

The chaff to wind

The stubble, fire

The ashes and the dust

In rivulets to flow

Beneath the grass and weeds

And what remains and will endure?

The foolishness of Love.

]]> http://www.undertheolivetree.com/2008/05/29/fool-for-christ/feed/ http://www.undertheolivetree.com/2008/05/29/refugees/ http://www.undertheolivetree.com/2008/05/29/refugees/#comments Thu, 29 May 2008 16:02:38 +0000 BBennettJ http://www.undertheolivetree.com/?p=90 Refugees

Bowing their heads as they go

Shoulders drooped

Discouraged

Tattered

Empty and stressed

Looking for something to save them

Longing for peace

Longing for rest

Battling out of the swift pollution

Crawling up on the shore

Bound for chains and slavery

Bound to suffer more

If only I could save them

There’s no choice but passing on

The time of escape from the horror

Slipped away and is gone

Men and women

And babes in arms

Feeble

Not able to stand

Clinging to some battered treasure

Some are walking

Some are wavering

Some groping forth

On their hands

And their knees

Refugees

When I started this blog I had no intention of commenting on politics, and I will attempt to refrain from doing so. Politics is a business that I have no stomach for, and as such know little about - other than my nauseous reaction to it. However, when “The Establishment” chooses to use its transitory powers to oppress the innocent in the name of the innocent - then it is no longer politics - it moves to center stage in the battle between Good and Evil - the Battle for the Earth that we are now witnessing and that is unfolding around us.

A brave woman journalist in Cleveland has written about her experience of being raped. The editors of this article state:”Almost every six minutes, a woman reports being raped in the United States, according to the most recent figures from the FBI. That added up to more than 90,000 women who were raped in 2006 — a number that experts consider a gross undercount.” The radio program interviewing this woman stated that 1 in 6 women in the USA will be raped or suffer attempted rape.

Meanwhile African “Peacekeepers” have been accused of the following heinous crimes by Save the Children, www.savethechildren.org “Save the Children, in a report based on interviews with hundreds of children in the Ivory Coast, Sudan and Haiti, said a minority of peacekeepers and relief workers were preying on children as young as six years. The group called for a watchdog agency to provide more support to vulnerable children.”

And in the State of Texas? - “With no ‘Sarah,’ CPS asks to drop her case”.

The CPS continues to say that the basis of taking 460 innocent children into custody is that they are in “imminent danger of physical, emotional, or sexual abuse” , (meaning of course ‘when they become adults’.) I would guess that they are preparing to lock up entire communities in Texas - because if facing a 1 in 6 chance of rape is an established fact for American women - then all children, especially female children, are at risk and will need to be taken into State custody as soon as possible.

Could somebody please slap me - or douse me with ice water. When is the nightmare going to end for these children in Texas? These people are being persecuted for their religious beliefs, and nothing else; save for the fact that they, within their “abusive compound” - were able to carve a thriving community out of the desolation of West Texas. Have you ever been there? - as my granddaughter stated, “Nona, there is nothing here to see.”

Changes are upon us. It is time to wake up and realize that we are in an ongoing Crisis - and what to come?

(I have posted some news links below)

Twas then that I began

To play the fool

For all reason was abandoned

Good and Evil were embraced

So answer not the fool

Lest thou be just like him

For folly has an end

As the darkness yields to dawn

The sun will rise

The seeds will grow

We’ll reap a mighty harvest

Then we will be moving on

A fool to be a pilgrim?

You’re a fool to chase the wind.

For a Prince, it’s unbecoming

And your foolishness is sin.

So answer not the fool

Lest thou be just like him

For folly has an end

As the darkness yields to dawn

The sun will rise

The seeds will grow

We’ll reap a mighty harvest

Then we will be moving on

I will play the fool tomorrow

And again in days to come

I’m The Fool - you can’t ignore me

With all I’ve said and done

So answer not the fool

Lest thou be just like him

For folly has an end

As the darkness yields to dawn

The sun will rise

The seeds will grow

We’ll reap a mighty harvest

Then we will be moving on.

HAVE you driven past a Casino recently? Know anyone personally who has won the Lottery - or even the scratch lottery? Been chasin’ anything lately? How is your pocket change? And your family?

HOW about the place you call home? And your neighbors - how are they? How are your kids? Have you met their closest friends - do you like them?

WE have heard report after report of people in catastrophe & want - earthquakes, famine - and war. Devastating typhoons and tornados - millions of people are losing their homes - and tens of thousands are dying - some facing horrible deaths.

IT is called a Crisis.

DO you know what a Crisis is? According to my online dictionary - it is an unstable or crucial time or state of affairs in which a decisive change is impending, especially: one with the distinct possibility of a highly undesirable outcome - it is when a situation reaches a critical phase.

AND what to come next? For so many the simple truth is hardship.

IT is time to count our blessings - not our 401Ks because the unappreciated often, so very often - is the casualty of misappropriated values.

IF it is about commerce - and you are merely a consumer - not just of what you need to exist - but a consumer in fact - one that lives to consume - then heed the admonition of the Preacher from Galilee - “A man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.”

SEARCH for that which has substance - and that which satisfies: and cherish the lovely and the genuine.

CAST off the burdens of the commerce of your soul - reach out - touch - understand - and be filled.

THE casino parking lots are full - do the patrons - or do we say “consumers” - experience “fullness” therein?

FAMILIES are broken, dysfunctional, isolated environments for so many - if there is a family to turn to at all.

Our basic values are skewed.

The Preacher of Tarsus penned, ” … godliness with contentment is great gain.”

The American Declaration of Independence calls for all men to have the right to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

Again, The Preacher of Tarsus. “For the love of money is the root of all evil; which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith - and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”

It is time to drop out of the Money Game.

“Buy the truth & sell it not.” - The Preacher