Interviewer: It is an incredible privilege to be able to discuss issues with You.
God: I am delighted to have the opportunity.
Interviewer: This time I wondered if we could perhaps bring things down to earth a little more and talk about quality-of-life issues that the average person faces.
God: Sounds interesting.
Interviewer: I am happy You think so, as I was concerned that You wouldn’t want to get down to what You might regard as more prosaic things, but rather would like to concentrate on more high-minded issues.
God: No, not at all. I am interested in people and involved with the most minute details of their lives.
Interviewer: Really? The small things in our lives would seem so insignificant and inconsequential in the overall that I had the impression You would find involvement in those very tedious.
God: Goodness, no! Each person is special to Me. As I explained in the last session, I went to great lengths to ensure the well-being of each of you.
Interviewer: May I begin?
God: Please do.
Interviewer: What about the age-old question, “How can I be happy?” I think everyone wants to be happy, but often we are not. Shouldn’t happiness be the norm more often than the exception?
God: For some it is the norm, but-you are right-for most it isn’t. Basically it is because people have not found the missing ingredient, which is the purpose for life. That purpose is actually twofold: to love Me and to love their fellow man. If they don’t fulfill both of these, then the purpose of life is not discovered, fulfillment is not obtained, and the resulting emptiness and dissatisfaction leads to not being happy.
Interviewer: I think some will claim to be happy while neither loving You nor others.
God: The definition or expectations of happiness vary. Some might be content and even at times enjoy a good deal of transitory happiness, but I am talking about enduring happiness of mind and soul, which only comes from what I explained. I created man to want and need to love Me and love others to be truly fulfilled. It is part of the basic design. Although other things can satisfy in part, they cannot completely satisfy. Even to love one and not the other is not enough. Man is created to be truly happy only when he is fulfilling both these purposes.
Interviewer: In other words, being solely involved in the religious realm to the neglect of helping others is not enough either?
God: If I may, please let Me clarify one point. You have made the correlation between love of Me and being religious. Although there are many in religious life who love Me, this does not make loving Me a religious undertaking. There are many who love Me who never darken the doorway of a place of religion.
Interviewer: Are You distancing Yourself from organized religion?
God: I love everyone. I do not appreciate that some feel they have a corner on the market-Me being the product. I am not confined to buildings, ceremonies, or rituals. In fact, the truth be known, I do not inhabit those buildings, and the ceremonies do not express My essence. I am the Spirit of Love that pervades everything.
Interviewer: So You are in the flower, the tree, the sky, etc.
God: In a way, yes, but I can see where you are leading here, as that gets into the ludicrous notion that everything is God. “He’s God, you’re God, the dog in the yard is God, as well as the tree it pees against.” No, that is not the case. I’m God. (God laughs.) I created all those things, so there is in them a touch of the divine, but they are not divine in themselves.
Interviewer: The tree was an interesting addition. I hadn’t taken that line of thought that far before. But getting back to the previous question, You are not exclusive to a particular group?
God: No, certainly not. Suffice it to say that those who love Me and love their fellow man and let that love move them into compassionate action are fulfilling their purpose on earth.
Interviewer: So we have to do something?
God: Yes. Love is not actually love unless it moves you to do something beneficial for others.
Interviewer: And love gives rise to happiness?
God: Yes.
Interviewer: What about something like a good joke? It can get one smiling and laughing and the result is that you feel happy. Is this happiness coming through love?
God: That is an example of transitory happiness. When the joke is forgotten, the happiness is gone. Now I like a good joke, so there is nothing wrong with jokes. I like it when people laugh and enjoy themselves. But what I was referring to before is a state of happiness in the heart of man. A true and never-ending state of mind and heart. Something that is permanent.
Interviewer: Here’s the difficulty I am having with this concept: Isn’t it true that even some of those who have gone down in the annals of history as truly loving You and others have at times gone through huge periods of struggle, even doubt and depression? It would seem that they didn’t have that happiness that You talk about. Sometimes good people seem to have even more troubles than those who don’t believe.
God: Sometimes those who love Me can go through difficult times, but that does not mean they are no longer happy, that they no longer have that certain peaceful joy inside that only I can give them. In other cases, they can be temporarily robbed of its benefits.-That is true.
Interviewer: Robbed of it? But You were saying it was permanent.
God: It is permanent. Notice I said “benefits.” The deep joy I give will always be there. A peace, an assurance that I will take care of him is part of the blessing I give everyone who believes in Me. But sometimes this confidence can be shaken and the ability to access the happiness I give is impaired. It is being interfered with, or hindered.
Let Me explain: As we covered in an earlier interview, there is an opposition. The Devil’s plan is to try to get people to disregard My blessings and get their eyes on their problems. They can forget that I am able and willing to bring solutions. When they get in that state, their power to rise above their problems is sorely diminished. They lose the magic power of faith.
Interviewer: So we are back to the cosmic battle.
God: Well, if you want to use the term “cosmic,” that is all right, but it is more precisely a battle fought largely in the spiritual realm. The Devil is using doubt to hinder and harass. Doubts are terrible things that can completely engulf people and leave them powerless. But doubts can be overcome.
The Quality of Life
Are thoughts private?
Interviewer: Interesting! You said something before about church services, and it didn’t sound like You were that thrilled with them.
God: They are often pretty dull and boring. Would you be that thrilled with them?
Interviewer: No. I stopped going.
God: I know.
Interviewer: Yes, I suppose You do. This gets to me a bit, that You know everything. Is there any privacy in the spirit world? Seems it is sometimes nice to have a few things about oneself that aren’t known.
God: Like what? Your PIN?
Interviewer: I suppose I won’t be needing that, will I?
God: I haven’t thought of a use for that here.
Interviewer: I think I would like to have my thoughts be private.
God: Why? Do you want to think bad thoughts?
Interviewer: No!
God: Honestly?
Interviewer: Well … all right, I can get to brooding over something and then I suppose my thoughts are not “good.” But it is more than that. I think it would be nice to have the freedom to bounce things around inside for a while before anyone knows what I am thinking.
God: So you have a little trouble being transparent?
Interviewer: It just sounds a little Orwellian to have my mind and thoughts monitored.
God: Please let me assure you it is not like Big Brother. It is that we are honest and open here, so we don’t feel a need to hide our thoughts and intentions.
Interviewer: You say “we.” Are You included in all this openness?
God: I am very open, but My mind is beyond yours even in your heavenly state. So no, you won’t be able to read My thoughts. But that does not prevent My being open and forthright with you.
Interviewer: It will take a little getting used to.
God: But it is that way now.
Interviewer: I suppose so, but somehow it is just not so obvious. Well, on to another subject. Do You have favorites?
God: In what way?
Interviewer: Ones that are like Your pets who You are more indulgent with, that You care for more and watch out for more carefully.
God: I love everybody with equal fervor. But those who love Me back do benefit more than those who don’t. These are those who try to follow Me closely and spread My love and message to others.
Interviewer: Is this fair? Shouldn’t You just treat everybody the same?
God: Isn’t it fair to reward good rather than not to? If there is someone who is good to you, don’t you hold him or her in higher esteem than others? It is the same with Me. I reward those who try their best to love Me and others.
Interviewer: From my perspective, I can’t help but think there are some people who do not deserve Your favor but who seem to get it big time. Aren’t there a lot of well-off people who have lots of comfort and care who are far from deserving of it?
God: You are equating luxury and plenty with My blessings. This is not necessarily the case. In fact, it is rarely the case. I do care for those who love Me and I can bless them materially, but an abundance of material goods is, on its own, no indication of My blessings. The majority of the blessings I bestow are those of the spirit. Peace of mind and heart are much more valuable than material things. And it is far better to save up your rewards in the world to come than to get them there on earth.
True or False?
Interviewer: It seems You’re implying that the daily horoscope business is not reliable.
God: I do often show signs in the night sky, such as comets, for example, as portents. Even Jesus’ birth was heralded by a bright star. But the daily horoscope, such as “you will meet a tall, dark, handsome stranger who will provide you with exciting business possibilities,” is guesswork. Sometimes it’s clever guesswork, but it has nothing to give it credence except an occasional coincidence.
Interviewer: So the ancient superstition about comets being evil omens has some truth to it?
God: I think all you would have to do is read the supporting evidence to see that momentous things happening around the times major comets are sighted is more than just coincidence. Of course, some like to embellish on events heralded by comets, and it is true that major things happen without comets making an appearance, but I do use comets to get people’s attention. Not all ancient beliefs are silly superstition.
Interviewer: This talk of comets and portents of doom reminds me of the prophecies of Nostradamus. From what I have read, most of them seem very obscure, but once in a while he said something outstanding that appears to be an accurate prophecy. Was Nostradamus a prophet?
God: Indeed, he did see the future. I spoke to him through My agents.
Interviewer: Meaning he had some sort of a spirit speaking to him, a spirit guide?
God: Yes. He lived in troubled times when someone with his gifts could very easily have ended up being burned at the stake. So I gave him the wisdom through a helping spirit to put his prophecies into verse and in a mixture of languages so that their meanings were veiled.
Interviewer: So all the wild things he wrote about are going to come true.
God: Much of it has and there is still more that will, but some of it will not happen. He was not right one hundred percent of the time.
Interviewer: How so?
God: Some of what he received he did not understand, so he wrote it down wrong. Also, some prophecies are conditional: If such and such happens, then such and such will follow. If for some reason the first criterion is not met, then the rest will not occur, or at least will not occur exactly as predicted.
Interviewer: So if I understand this right, a prophet can predict that such and such a thing will happen, but then even if it doesn’t, he is not necessarily a false prophet.
God: That is so.
Interviewer: But doesn’t that throw all the rules out the window regarding who is and who is not a genuine prophet?
God: You are saying that your rules are so strict that if someone misses it on one point, you disregard all his prophecies?
Interviewer: Yes, I suppose I am.
God: Boy, you are tough! It seems that you are holding these people to a far higher standard than you hold anyone else to. If a doctor misdiagnoses one patient, do you then regard him as a charlatan?
Interviewer: No, but this is in a different league, isn’t it? Someone who is a prophet is supposed to be getting his instructions from You and therefore isn’t supposed to be wrong.
God: They are just humans. They can misunderstand and get things wrong.
Interviewer: But then how do we differentiate between the genuine article and someone who is a fake?
God: By the preponderance of the results. If these prophets are right a good deal of the time, then you can bet on them as being genuine. Their motives are another indicator, whether they are genuinely trying to do good and give messages that are helpful and needed, or whether they are in it for their own aggrandizement or for money or for some other ulterior motive.
Interviewer: Any other ways to tell who are bona fide prophets?
God: Well, to be genuine they would need to acknowledge Me as being the source of their inspiration. Also, there is a bit of haziness in most people’s minds on this point, but a prophet is not necessarily someone who makes predictions of the future. Actually a prophet’s main job is to give whatever message I am instructing him to. That can sometimes be a prediction of future events, but often not.
Interviewer: But aren’t there a lot of cult leaders who acknowledge You and claim they are preaching Your message, but yet seem evil?
God: You’ve jumped from prophets to cult leaders here. They are not necessarily one and the same. But to answer your questions, one man’s religion is another man’s cult. Much is made of the cult scare these days, but people would always do well to look a little more circumspectly at what is being served up to them by the media. Remember that Jesus was executed as a cult leader, under trumped-up political charges. The leaders of the predominant religion saw Him as a threat to their position and had Him falsely accused of inciting sedition.
Interviewer: Yet it still seems there are a lot of wackos in cults.
God: There are some pretty strange ideas and some are dangerous, but that doesn’t mean that they all are, by any means. However, people fear anything that is strange and new until it is proven, which can take a very long time. What I see in some of these religions is that they have thrown off the shackles of tradition and are seeking Me.
Interviewer: But some have this proclivity to turn suicidal.
God: There have been some evil men who have led their followers astray, with horrible results. Suicide is a terrible tragedy. Moreover, their suicides have taken place in groups, which means that they are particularly publicized. There are many more sad and lonely people in society who commit suicide and they don’t get publicized. The professions that have some of the highest rates of suicide are mental health and law enforcement. You have a greater chance of committing suicide if you belong to one of those groups than you do if you are a cultist.
Interviewer: That’s ironic, because members of those two groups are usually the ones sounding the alarm about cults.
God: Let’s be fair and acknowledge that their jobs are stressful, but it does go to show that no one should be pointing the finger.
What about religious terrorists?
Interviewer: What about religious terrorists?
God: What about them?
Interviewer: Well, by all measures of civilization they seem to be bad. Don’t they give You a bad name?
God: My commandments are to love Me and love others. If people’s actions are going against those commandments, then they are not obeying Me and cannot claim My sanction for their deeds. But there are those who love to smear Me and discredit those who believe in Me by taking the actions of a few and applying it to the many. Take, for example, the words “Islamic terrorists.” That wording has been used so often in the media that now many people immediately equate Islam with terrorist actions, whereas that could not be further from the truth. The true followers of Islam submit themselves to Me in peace, although I cannot blame them for the anger they feel because of the way they are often treated by the West, especially the Western press.
Interviewer: This brings up another subject-religious persecution. It is a phenomenon that has been around for a long time, but, as an example that it is apparently getting worse, I read that more Christians have been killed in this century because of their faith than the rest of history combined.
God: That example demonstrates how humanity is less “civilized” now than ever in many aspects.
Interviewer: Why is there religious persecution?
God: Those in the wrong hate the freedom and happiness of those who live right because it exposes what a sham their own lives are. These misguided ones become agents for the “opposition,” who hates the light and truth and will try to destroy it by any and all means.
Interviewer: You are referring to Your opposition here, the Devil.
God: Most definitely, because he is at the root of this kind of persecution.
Interviewer: But often these persecutors profess to be atheists, and so they don’t believe in him either.
God: They don’t have to believe in him to be the agents of his dirty work.
Interviewer: But on the other hand, there are some seemingly devoutly religious people who instigate this type of thing. Look at the persecutions carried out by the Roman Catholic Church in centuries past.
God: Where did they read that Jesus wanted them to persecute others? He even told His followers to love their enemies.
Interviewer: You explained how evil tries to destroy the truth. Will it?
God: It can persecute it and suppress it, but it will never destroy it. In the end the wrong will be destroyed by the right.
Interviewer: You mean that the right will do to the wrong what the wrong is doing to the right?
God: If by that you are asking if it will employ the same means, no! In the end the wrong will be destroyed by the right, just as darkness is banished by light.
Interviewer: That’s rather metaphorical.
God: True, but it is a concept that lends itself to instant understanding.
Interviewer: Indeed! Well, we will all look forward to that day. Thank You again for most graciously submitting Yourself to all these questions.
One World Government
Interviewer: Why would we choose the Devil in the flesh to be our world leader?
God: Because humanity will be both duped and desperate. Most will not recognize him for who he is, but will rather see in him someone with the ability and clout to rescue the world from its desperate situation. He will have already proven his worth by sorting out some very difficult issues and will already be acknowledged as the most astute politician and able problem-solver of the day.
Interviewer: But why will we be that desperate?
God: Because the world’s economic and political conditions will be in turmoil. A worldwide economic crash will not just result in economic hard times, but also the disintegration of stable government. The world will be calling out for strong leadership, and in this man they will get it.
Interviewer: But, as You said, Christians will certainly recognize him for what he is.
God: Not all. Not even most at first.
Interviewer: Why is that?
God: Many of them don’t expect to be around when he appears on the scene. Because of a misinterpretation of Scripture, they feel they will all be taken out of this world before that, in an event termed “the Rapture.”
Interviewer: So do they have this wrong?
God: The Bible talks about Jesus returning in the clouds of the heavens just prior to the Battle of Armageddon. At that moment the Rapture occurs. This is the event when all who have received Jesus in their hearts will be transformed and taken up from this world to join Jesus in the air and thence to Heaven. Although this event is sure to transpire, many have placed its occurrence before the darkest days of the reign of the Antichrist begin. However, the Rapture actually occurs later, shortly before the great battle.
Interviewer: And that is a problem?
God: Yes, because at first these Christians are not going to be so ready to recognize the Antichrist for who he is, given that his appearance on the world stage does not happen according to the schedule of events that they are going by. So, alas, many will conclude that he cannot possibly be the Antichrist, but rather some precursor. They will initially play along with him.
Interviewer: So they end up playing with fire.
God: And they will get burned because of it. Many Christians are looking forward to Jesus’ Second Coming. They have a hazy idea of some of the events to come and they realize that certain things must occur in Palestine, or Israel, before His return. One of those events is the building of the Jewish temple on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem. Because this man will so organize things to facilitate this happening, they will give him their support in this. But I have leapt forward with regard to the sequence of events. Let Me backtrack a little.
Interviewer: By all means.
God: As I stated, the Antichrist becomes the leader of the world government. By his initiative, several measures are introduced. One is a comprehensive settlement governing the Middle East, primarily centered on the relationship of the State of Israel with the Palestinians and their Arab neighbors.
Interviewer: Excuse me for interrupting, but hasn’t Israel already negotiated agreements with its Arab neighbors, including the Palestinians?
God: Indeed it has, but as you are well aware, those agreements are very tenuous and their implementation is spotty because they are fuzzy in their language and are open to a wide range of interpretation. Frustration with a lack of clear definition as to the terms of these agreements will lead all concerned to demand a comprehensive and definitive agreement with all parties, rather than just the bilateral agreements that are in place today. So a comprehensive agreement, with the Antichrist playing the role of “honest broker” and arbiter, will be negotiated and set in place.
Interviewer: What kind of agreement will this be?
God: This pact will have a seven-year term with the intention of it being reviewed and renegotiated at the end of that period. The pact, among other things, will deal with the issue of Jerusalem, particularly with regards to the coexistence of and access to the shrines and places of worship of the major monotheistic religions: Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. It will therefore earn the label “the Holy Covenant,” a name by which it is known in the Bible.
Interviewer: So You’re saying that the Antichrist starts off doing this really great thing in order to gain favor with the world, even the Christians? He’s certainly going to win a lot of public admiration if he actually succeeds where so many have tried and failed before.
God: That’s part of his plan.
Interviewer: But since these events are referred to in the Bible, shouldn’t that set alarm bells ringing in the heads of Christians?
God: Many unfortunately don’t know the Bible well enough to realize this. But for those who do, these events should and they will try to warn others. But by this time events will be rolling and the program of world government will have gained such momentum that protest will not be brooked.
Why did God choose Mary and Joseph?
Interviewer: Why did You choose Mary and Joseph to be Jesus’ parents on earth?
God: Mary was a special girl in many ways, but in her role as Jesus’ earthly mother, she is not just an individual.-She is a representative of humanity. She was a wonderful mother to Him, but she was not so extraordinary. She was a typical woman, as Joseph was a typical man. Part of Jesus’ mission was to be born and raised in a family very representative of the vast majority of other families. He was going to experience life as it was typically experienced, so that He would have firsthand knowledge of what it was like to be an average human being.
Interviewer: I think You have just preempted my next question: Why was Jesus not born to people of more standing in the world? His birth was in even more humble circumstances than His family was accustomed to.
God: Yes, that is so. That was all part of the plan. It really has been a test for humanity to see if they could believe that a man born in a stable in an obscure country-then under foreign rule-trained as a carpenter, later becoming an itinerant holy man and then executed as a criminal, would actually be God. It is a testament to the spiritual power behind this truth that people have believed that Jesus was God, not to mention that contemporary believers are numbered in the billions.
Interviewer: He certainly didn’t receive any encouragement from either the civil or religious authorities of His day.
God: He certainly did not. His fiercest critics should have been his greatest supporters.
Interviewer: You are referring to the religious Jews of the time?
God: There were some of His race that believed, but not that many. Most of them regarded Him as anathema, and it was they who brought the charges against Him. Then it was the Roman rulers, even convinced of His innocence, who nevertheless had Him executed in the most cruel fashion that they could. A lot of people have had a lot to answer for.
Interviewer: I imagine that they have. But even though some Jews opposed Him, nevertheless all His original followers were Jews.
God: Of course, and many of them were dynamos.
Interviewer: Tell me-the disciples Jesus chose-they weren’t really the most trained and educated people, were they?
God: That is the understatement of the year. You described them very delicately. Afraid that you might have to answer to some of them when you get up here?
Interviewer: Honestly, no! It is just that I am often dumbfounded at the accomplishments of the men and women who took up the torch once Jesus had gone, how they spread His teachings throughout the known world.
God: Once again it is a testament to the message even more so than to the messengers. But they were really a great bunch, once they got the fire in their bellies. It was their boldness and conviction that won people. Paul was the most zealous, and he wasn’t even around Jesus personally when He was on earth.
Interviewer: He was also the most educated and trained for the task, too.
God: In some ways, yes, but his education didn’t mean that much as far as what he did. His knowledge stood in the way of his belief for a long time, and it wasn’t till he saw the light that he was willing to accept that he was wrong. Later he was able to use his knowledge in his writing, but I would be the first to admit that you’ve got to be pretty bright to understand some of what he wrote.
Interviewer: By “saw the light” You are being quite literal here and referring to how he was blinded for a while by that brilliant light?
God: Yes. Before that, he was fanatically for the opposition, so much so that he refused to acknowledge the truth even when it was quite obvious.
Social and ethical issues
Interviewer: I would like to focus on social and ethical issues today. The world has reached a few milestones in the last year. We have passed the year-2001 mark and are now in a new millennium. The world population is now in excess of 6 billion. It seems we are barreling into the future without much foresight as to what the outcome will be. Did You ever intend this planet to be so crowded?
God: It was not My intention that some parts of it would be so crowded, but as far as the overall numbers, I did, of course, realize that this would happen.
Interviewer: So You are not concerned with overpopulation, that we would become so numerous that earth’s resources would not be able to stretch to accommodate the demand?
God: I am concerned with the unfair distribution of the earth’s resources-that some hoard and consume well above what they should, and others are dying of hunger and thirst because of it.
Interviewer: But why design the world so that some areas have abundance and others suffer scarcity?
God: The world was not designed that way. Man has run the world for millennia, and the inequality of distribution is a result of what he has done, not Me.
Interviewer: The greatest need of all is water. In some areas it is abundant; in others it is almost absent altogether. It seems that at least for that, You have to take responsibility.
God: There are lots of reasons for the lack of water in some areas, and nearly all of them are the result of man’s poor stewardship. Even today man is destroying the rain forest and sowing the seeds for more disasters. The world’s ecology has been pretty hardy up till this time, but man’s continued, unabated assault on it is the reason for disaster.
Interviewer: Sounds like God is “green.”
God: In a way I suppose I am. But there is a limit. The most precious assets in the world are human lives. They must come first. Man should make the most of My creation, the world I made, in order to sustain humanity. The greedy exploitation that is so prevalent is indeed wrong, but to put the survival of animals and woodlands before that of mankind is also wrong. The truth lies in the middle. If earth’s resources are reasonably utilized to the equitable benefit of all, so that both mankind and the environment are sustained, then that is right.
Interviewer: My goodness! You are not only green, but You sound like a socialist with all this equal benefit talk.
God: From each according to his ability, to each according to his need, is My own slogan.
Interviewer: Whoa! You’re quoting Marx!
God: Marx was stealing ideas from Me-from the Bible.
Interviewer: The Bible promotes socialism?
God: The Bible promotes love of Me and mankind. The ideal istic society set up by Jesus’ disciples-after His ascension-was a society where His followers contributed their goods to common use, and then those who had needs had these supplied by those who had excess.
Interviewer: Obviously this way of life didn’t last long .
God: Many religious communities still practice this lifestyle today and it works as well for them as it did for those early disciples.
Interviewer: However, communism is a failed system.
God: I am not talking about the godless communist political system. That was doomed to failure because it left Me out of the picture. It was based on enforced sharing where the powerful, pretending to be the protectors of the common man, enriched and empowered themselves at the common man’s expense. No, I hold no truck with communism. What I am talking about is a society based on love and consideration of others. If everyone were concerned about making sure the needs of others were met, then in turn his or her needs would also be met.
Interviewer: Sounds like a utopian pipe dream. People just don’t live and function like that. Maybe there are some saints that could, but for most of us, any sort of consideration for others doesn’t go much further than our own immediate families-and sometimes not even that far, sad to say.
God: It is only possible to have this kind of love if you have My love as the motivator.
Interviewer: But there are millions of people who claim to have Your love motivating them, and it doesn’t seem to make much difference in their lifestyles. True, they may act a little more religious, but it seems their religion doesn’t reach down to their wallets.
God: If your religion doesn’t reach down into your heart and cause you to be compassionately motivated to help others, then it is not much of a religion.
Interviewer: Communism’s currently victorious competitor is capitalism. What are Your thoughts on capitalism?
God: Capitalism certainly seems more attractive than communism because most see it as an opportunity to get rich. It holds that “carrot” in front of people’s noses, and so they labor their whole lives within a system that exploits the many for the benefit of a few. Because there is the possibility that one day they might strike gold, people continue on this treadmill. No, the political-economic systems of the world are not ordained by Me.
Interviewer: What system is ordained by You?
God: The Garden of Eden was the ideal. With few exceptions, everything from then on was a poor substitute.
Interviewer: So Your original plan was for us humans to be in an idyllic world where all was love and beauty. Wouldn’t we all grow rather lazy in that type of environment?
God: I can hear most of your readers saying, “Speak for yourself.” It was idyllic, but Adam and Eve were far from lazy.
Interviewer: You are saying that they were busy doing something?
God: Goodness gracious, yes! They had the whole of the Garden to tend to.
Interviewer: Oh? I thought they would have just lain around in that paradise, sipping the Eden equivalent of piña coladas and soaking up the sunshine.
God: No, no! They were busy looking after the whole place and raising a family. Anyone who has raised kids knows that’s quite a task.
Interviewer: What? Cain, Abel, et al., were born in the Garden of Eden?
God: Cain and Abel, yes, but not all the “et al.”
Interviewer: Funny! One sort of has the impression that the kids came afterwards, when Adam was out there toiling and sweating away in the field to produce his food. Like having kids was part of the Curse for eating the forbidden fruit.
God: The Curse? You think having kids is a curse?
Interviewer: Well, no, but…
God: Oh, you think that sex was part of the Curse?
Interviewer: Well, that is the impression one has-that sex and sinlessness are not really that compatible.
God: Oh dear, you are mixed up. No, sex was around from the beginning. Adam and Eve had plenty of it and had children long before they had to leave the Garden of Eden.
Interviewer: So sex is okay with You?
God: Do you think that an act of love which can result in the birth of a whole new being would not be okay with Me?
Interviewer: Some might have that impression.
God: Well, let’s lay that impression to rest right now. Sex is the ultimate in expressing physically the love that a man and a woman have for each other. I made it fun, pleasurable, and just about downright irresistible. I love for people to express their love for each other by making love. Why else would it be called “making love”? No, there is nothing unhealthy or wrong about it, and neither is it the result of sin or the Curse.
Interviewer: Nevertheless, it is exclusively for marriage.
God: Who said exclusively for marriage?
Interviewer: I assumed that is what You want.
God: It does not have to be exclusively for marriage. If two people are of age and want to have sex, it has to be decided along the lines of whether it is good for them and does not harm others.
Interviewer: Those are the only rules?
God: There are a lot of things to consider before having sex, so it is not something to rush into without much forethought. But this is a huge subject that we could perhaps cover more in a later interview.
Where did we get it wrong?
Interviewer: I think many people have the impression that You old-fashioned. We see You by and large being worshiped in reverent and subdued tones, by people dressed and groomed conservatively.
God: Well, let’s not be too harsh on people by implying they are fuddy-duddy by the way they dress and act. If people worship Me honestly and truly, from their hearts, then I accept their worship gratefully, but I am not that quiet Myself. I love change, exuberance, excitement. I am not usually for subdued reverence. At times it is good to be still and contemplative, but I certainly don’t expect people to be that way all the time in their worship of Me, not even most of the time.
Interviewer: Where did we get it wrong then?
God: It seems like humanity has always liked to have an air of mystique around religious ceremonies, with holy symbols and rituals and hallowed places. There is also within man an innate feeling that religiosity and somberness go together.
Interviewer: And that is not the case?
God: While the spiritual world is mysterious to humanity, I don’t require symbols and rituals and somber tones. There is a time and place for seriousness, but overall I want people to be joyous rather than solemn. I would rather have people collapsing from exhaustion because of the exuberance of their worship than falling asleep because they are bored with it.
Interviewer: So we should raise the roof?
God: Why not? Man was created to be happy and for his communion with Me to be happy.
Interviewer: But You did say that there are times to be quiet and contemplative.
God: It is good to stop and get quiet in meditative prayer. Although I love the happiness of joyful singing and praise, it is when people get quiet that they can hear Me talking to them.
Interviewer: How do You do that?
God: Ever feel that inner voice trying to encourage you to do something helpful and beneficial for others? That is My voice, or the voice of My agents.
Interviewer: You have agents?
God: Yes, of course. You don’t think I limit all the fun to Myself, do you?