That you may know, I speak what I believe to be true.

[peter...@gmail.com]

Of the many questions Jesus received from the Pharisees, many
questioned by what authority he spoke. I have said before that I am
an empirical mystic. That is I relate my own experience to the
experiences of Jesus, to the Psalms and other stories in both the Old
and New Testament.

I see real value in the story of Aquinas, who went against the wishes
of his family to pursue the Kingdom. To me, this is his real story.
His philosophy - the product of his work - some true, some false - is
secondary to his pursuit of the Kingdom. He might say accidental, I
don't know. It grew from his faith. Yet some wish to enshrine his
authority in stone...that leads to things like my earlier argument
with reason and its ability being irrefutable. I think it is
interesting that he stopped writing after the beautific vision. I'd
like to point out that St. Teresa of Avila said (her or St. John of
the Cross) that God only gave such mystical experiences when
necessary. He gives these to us out of our weakness. Perhaps this
was His way of telling Aquinas to shut up before he really put his
foot in his mouth.

I will admit that I've had such experiences, and I keep in mind what
St. Teresa said. This is one reason why I see my mystical experience
in reverse. I see mystical experience in real life. I relate my own
experience to the stories in the Bible. Like the story of Aquinas,
this is where the real truth lies.(pun - if it is a pun was not
intended)

I've written enough here. I find when people write too much online -
it takes too much time to digest and read. So I will continue this in
a day or two.

[Peter VanGee]

The mystery of the Kingdom has been granted to us in the form of parable.  As I am an empirical mystic, my parables come from experience:

 

When I was a child, I was fascinated by snakes.  The fascination came from arose out of a primal fear.  I'd go to the library and get books.  My mom would also buy them for me.  By the time I'd entered kindergarten, I'd memorized many of these.  If you asked me a question about most species, I could answer.

 

My favorite was the king snake.  Because it was a constricter that was immune to venom.  It ate other snakes, including poisonous rattlers.  One day while my kindergarten class was getting in line to go to lunch, I was talking about this.  My teacher heard me and he wondered if what I was saying was true.  So when he had time, he went and read an encyclopedia to verify what I was talking about.

 

After the school year came to an end,  he stopped at my house to talk to my mom.  He didn't have to travel to far because I lived right across the road from the school.  He told my mom that I was always talking about snakes.  So much that he wondered if what I said were true.  He went and checked an encyclopedia.  He said everything I said was true.

 

My visit to the Benedictine monastery was interesting.  I was making plans to go during the end of July in 2005.  At the time I was working in a grocery store and for some reason my boss gave me 4 days in a row off.  After seeing my work schedule on Saturday, I wrote an email to the monastery telling them I could be there on Monday for two or three days.  Unbeknown to me that Monday turned out to be July 11th, the Memorial of St. Benedict.  So I get there, and it is a day of celebration to them. 

 

I was surprised by some of their practices.  Meals without women present, etc.  Silence at the lunch, while a monk reads a spiritual work.  At first glance, I was kind of shocked.  I was sitting next to the prior at the meal.  I look at him and he sticks his middle finger in his eye.  I also noticed that he would stick his middle finger into the chalice during the Mass.

 

After leaving, I scheduled another visit and also decided to visit another monastery.  While calling up the other monastery to make plans, the guy in charge of the guest house says, "Peter, I'm sorry you won't be joining us."  I just let that statement go.  On visiting the other monastery, I misjudged the travel time.  So I got there about an hour and a half early.  As I was too early to get into the guest house, I sat out front and prayed the rosary. 

 

A little while a car came in.  There was a time when I was pursuing the priesthood through my diocese.  It didn't work out.  It appeared to be the priest who interviewed me before seminary.  He went in the back door with a file and a woman.  A little while later they exit and drive off.  Not a wave, not an approach.  Not a, "Pete, how are ya?"  When I was able to enter the guest house, they all looked at me with fear in their eyes.  As I was not meant to see.  The fear reminded me of my younger brother (about 5 or 6 years old) when we were growing up.  As he was large for his age, older kids would pick on him.  He'd come home from the playground - at the same elementary school - crying.  I'd go over.  I remember seeing the look in their eyes.  The look that says its time to pay the piper, and then I'd beat the crap out of them.  The guy in the guest house had that same look of fear in his eyes.  I didn't do anything, I just laughed it off.

 

This problem is a universal neurosis.  I've met bad Protestants, bad Jews, bad Buddhist, bad Muslims, etc.  Things are not what they seem.  The antichrist runs just about everything.  The bad outnumber the good by at least 995 to 5.  And that 5 out of a thousand is, based on my experience, an optimistic estimate.

 

Why are things so screwed up?

 

God bless you all,

 

Pete

[Peter VanGee]

The serpent is an ancient symbol for the world.  It hides under many names like the secular, relativism, etc.  This can be verified by the fact that a large part of Jesus's teaching is in opposition to the world.  And it is also why I don't agree with the current teaching on original sin.

 

'It' isn't an inherited trait.  To take a page from the philosophical empiricist, who I don't usually agree with.  When we're born, we're a blank slait.  'It', the serpent, surrounds us.  As an analogy, the world is one giant, pagan pressure cooker.  Children are innocent when they are born.  As 1 John 2 says,  "I write to you, children, because you know the father."  How could they have original sin if they know the Father?  The two are separate.  They are born into the first reality.  Remember, the world is still stuck in pattern and shadow.  The idea that a child who dies before baptism doesn't go to heaven is ludicrous.   To paraphrase Jesus because I don't have time to get the exact quote, 'Let the children come to me.'  'And 'woe to the one that leads them astray...'  Why don't we know this?  Most people know what the antichrist is, they just deny 'its' existence.  They keep it a secret, unless they are trying to pull someone like me down.   Get me all by myself in the back corner of some factory where they can go to work on me.  The faithful usually don't recognize the antichrist.  Its so obvious, we don't even notice.  Why I am different, I don't know. 

 

The serpent taught Eve, and 'it' teaches us.  Hence, the many run ins I've had with bad priests, bad religious of all faiths.  The fact is, churches wouldn't exist without the antichrist.  They are the majority of the members.  They pay the bills.  Sing the songs, keep their 'eye' on us, etc.  At this point in time, churches would be empty without the antichrist.

 

Why?  I am an empirical mystic.  Let us look to scripture and see ourselves in the one's who came before.  Paul had his demon.  To let him know that he was only strong in his weakness.

 

I think this is also why Jesus said a man (or woman for that matter) had to be willing to give up his parents for the Kingdom of God.  As far as I can see, this is also the biggest argument in the scriptures for free will.  I used to wonder why as this appears to go against the commandment, 'honor thy father and mother.'  It doesn't, we just have to honor God more.  He knew what hell we could be born into and its our choice.  Even if we're fallen.  Our choice is God (or should I say truth - for their are many belief systems that are true - and therefore warrant God's blessing) or the world.  The son of man comes to save the world, not condemn it. 

 

God Bless you all,

 

Pete