Jesus was Not a White Man - So Why Do The White Supremacists Insist on Hate, Prejudice and Violence? "The Church Has No Color!" Celebrating Juneteenth!

 

https://www.christianpost.com/entertainment/kirk-franklin-maverick-city-perform-worship-song-on-the-view.html

The Church Has No Color!

It is hard not to be thinking about exactly what your basic beliefs entail these days, isn't it? Prior to the January 6th Insurrection, we routinely heard about the connection between the evangelical christians and the republican party/Trump. That seems to have changed recently? Could it be that somewhere along the line, the recognition of the violence incited--the hate and prejudice incited--by this man who had promised them a number of things... and left him alone to do the horrendous damage upon America that he did!

We are finding out more and more each day as the hearings on the Insurrection are being held and available on news stations across the world. We have seen the individual life stories of damage, of threats of harm or death made by or in this man's name... The President invited us here! We're here because Trump notified us of the time and location, telling us it was going to be "Wild!"

Illustrating its impact was shown just yesterday while the stories of the three generations of the Moss family were shared! The grandmother had so instilled the recognition when those who were Black were now allowed to vote that the child and grandchild became involved in the activities necessary to ensure the routine voting act was carried through... The grandchild even became a permanent employee in responding to those seeking information... That is, until Trump accused them publicly and the routine threats from white supporters of Trump took up their forked tongues to condemn the fact that they were "surely" doing something wrong if they showed no support in getting Trump reelected! It's a sad story, one that is illustrative of the many individuals who were forced into considering falsifying their work just because a president asked them to!

The fact that Trump is white...and that he was seen as the representative of all those who hate anybody who isn't, makes us all sit up and think! How could this man ever have been elected in the first place? Simple: He lies...and lies...and lies... so convincingly that for some, he was believed--perhaps because he was spewing the hateful vitriol that many seem to harbor, sadly.

Plus the fact that they apparently made a deal with the devil... He promised and fulfilled the appointment of conservative judges, which has brought about the evolution of so Many MORE HATEFUL OUTCOMES  THAN EVER COULD HAVE BEEN IMAGINED. All those things that had evolved to change limitations of governmental prejudice which were removed by the Constitution when it proclaimed that all should be treated equally...had slowly came about... Had it gone too far, I wondered? Yet, the millions that were no longer ostracized began to be legally able to live as others live. Could this be wrong?  

So, as I always do when confused, I started looking for more information.

For centuries, the most common image of Jesus Christ, at least in Western cultures, has been that of a bearded, fair-skinned man with long, wavy, light brown or blond hair and (often) blue eyes. But the Bible doesn’t describe Jesus physically, and all the evidence we do have indicates he probably looked very different from how he has long been portrayed.

What Does the Bible Say?

The Bible offers few clues about Christ’s physical appearance. Most of what we know about Jesus comes from the first four books of the New Testament, the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. According to the Gospels, Jesus was a Jewish man born in Bethlehem and raised in the town of Nazareth, in Galilee (formerly Palestine, now northern Israel) during the first century A.D.

We know Jesus was about 30 years old when he began his ministry (Luke 3:23), but the Bible tells us virtually nothing about what he looked like―except that he didn’t stand out in any particular way. When Jesus was arrested in the garden of Gethsemane before the Crucifixion (Matthew 26:47-56) Judas Iscariot had to point Jesus out to his soldiers among the disciples―presumably because they all appeared similar to one another.

Consider watching: Jesus: His Life in HISTORY Vault

Most of us realize that Jesus was a Jew and grew up in the Jewish faith. I found an interesting article about the consideration of whether those who are Jewish are "white..." 

Interestingly, it opens to the infamous march in 2017 when white supremacists chose to interrupt a protest...

Jeremy Shere: On the evening of August 11th, 2017, hundreds of white nationalist neo-Nazis and others associated with the far right gathered in Charlottesville, Virginia, to protest the removal of a statue of Confederate general Robert E. Lee from a local park. Carrying flags with Nazi and Confederate symbols and brandishing torches, the protesters marched toward the park, chanting. [Sound of people chanting]

In case it's hard to make out, the marchers are chanting, “Jews will not replace us.” Now, like most people you were probably horrified by this brazen display of bigotry, antisemitism, and racial hatred. But for American Jews — at least for those born after World War II — the scene in Charlottesville was also surreal, as though a Nazi rally from an old black-and-white newsreel had sprung to life in full color in the present. Jews will not replace us? Who exactly is the “us”?

Eric Goldstein: The “us” is obviously some definition of white society that doesn't include the Jews...

So, I just have to ask...just who ARE those who choose hate toward anybody who is not like Trump--full of prejudice, bigotry, and violence... Where does it come from?

Certainly not from those Caucasians like me who not only accept Jesus as our Savior and the God of Love for all... Certainly not those who are Black and have suffered both in the past and as recently as during this fiasco thrown by Trump and his followers who lied about three Black women who chose to give their time celebrating the time when Blacks were first given the right to vote! And certainly not the Jewish people who are scorned by many who "choose" to hate by ethnic group. It certainly is not the Indigenous people, who are separated and left to try to make a living in whatever way they can... It certainly is not those who have immigrated into America and have become Americans who fight and have fought for our country... 

...For many scholars, Revelation 1:14-15 offers a clue that Jesus's skin was a darker hue and that his hair was woolly in texture. The hairs of his head, it says, "were white as white wool, white as snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined as in a furnace.”

“We don't know what [Jesus] looked like, but if all of the things that we do know about him are true, he was a Palestinian Jewish man living in Galilee in the first century,” says Robert Cargill, assistant professor of classics and religious studies at the University of Iowa and editor of Biblical Archaeology Review. “So he would have looked like a Palestinian Jewish man of the first century. He would have looked like a Jewish Galilean.”

READ MORE: Who Wrote the Bible? Is That Important to Us as we Consider the world today?

Remember the history of many who fled other lands for freedom of religion, only to, then, murder and steal the lands that Indigenous Americans had lived on for decades and perhaps even longer, and thought nothing of the violence they used in this effort? And, remember over the many years when America, through its constitution, welcomed the poor, the hungry, yearning to be free came to America...the land which continued to welcome? Well, many of those individuals came from countries where a State Religion had been declared... and they thought nothing, for instance, in Spain, to force conversion to Christianity...just... because... And history shows that it certainly wasn't because they shared the love of Jesus with all these people, so that they would, be given the choice to accept Jesus as their personal Savior...

Well, some of us...many of us...have been watching a certain segment of those who claim Christianity... become nothing but those who were the heads of authoritarian churches in Europe who followed a State Religion, often claiming that it was God's Will...? Yeah, even I, who know little about the actual details behind the facts of those days...still can see that America is now being tested! Are we the country who welcomed immigrants from all over the world, providing the freedom of religion that the constitution promised was the basis of America? .

Or, are we going to try to "Claim" that God really doesn't love anybody else but Christians.. And that those "people" therefore, should be in control of the government as well?! I live in Pennsylvania. I DO NOT AND WILL NOT SUPPORT A MAN WHO WAS INVOLVED WITH THE JANUARY 6TH INSURRECTION TO OVERTHROW THE 2020 ELECTION!

Personally, I think it is kinda ironic that the Democrat candidate for the position of Governor is from an active and involved Jewish Family with a proven track record in the State. So, some Christians want us to NOW hate the Jews, even though their own history acknowledge that Jewish people were favored of God?

But isn't that the issue...Some Christians quote from a Bible, those parts that can be manipulated to mean exactly what they want...us...to believe that they mean. I call that deception, not like my God of Love. I call that lying. Not like My God of Truth... As a professional book reviewer, I have a problem with those words which, to me, do not mean what many Trump followers are gaslighting and hoping you accept they mean. Claiming that "they even may have to use violence..." Mastriano, who sought to overturn Pennsylvania’s vote for Joe Biden in 2020, attended the rally preceding the attack and chartered buses to bring others. Though he says he left when things turned violent, video showed he passed through “breached barricades and police lines,” according to a Senate Judiciary Committee report..." He is now a republican candidate for Pennsylvania, as well as "Dr. Oz" a Trump-supported man who is not even a Pennsylvania resident! LIES!

All I say to you is that...I Bear Witness to God's Love for All...Equally... I chose a non-Christian, but faithful man of God as my choice for Governor... All I ask is that you do your own research... Seek God's guidance...NOT those MAGAs who are using a supposed, Holy Book, to manipulate words to create fear, hate, and prejudice... I CAN NOT AND WILL NOT BELIEVE THAT THESE ACTIONS ARE HAPPENING AND SUPPORTED BY MY GOD OF LOVE...FOR ALL PEOPLES...And, to be more, specific. I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT AMERICA WAS MEANT TO BE A CHRISTIAN NATION...BY USING LIES AND MANIPULATION AND INCITEMENT OF FEAR AND HATE IN ORDER TO MAKE IT...A COUNTRY BASED ON THE GOD OF LOVE... it is illogic... it does not compute. it does not support the American Constitution...

God Bless you in fighting your way to the truth through this group who will do anything...including lying to Americans, without any remorse, shame, and, really, void of sympathy, empathy...and God's Love... Just My Personal Opinion, Of course...Bearing Witness to God as Love for all that He created...just as we are...After all, if you really believe what your Bible says, God knew each of us before we were born. That means, he created many different types and colors of people, don't you think?

Tonto says: White Man Speaks with Forked Tongue... READ, READ, READ, SEARCH FOR TRUTH! . I stand on the Rock of Ages...Solid Ground... Make sure what your house is built on...Lies cannot stand a solid ground...

Gabbie admits: Between you and me, I often get soooo confused with what is going on these days... Who do we believe? Who do we Trust? Is there anybody who speaks Truth? If you're like me, let's just continue working our way through all the lies...and, surely, surely, we'll be able to freely believe...and...trust...again...

Former President Jimmy Carter Speaks Out on Power, Religion, Violence and Women!

Jimmy Carter was born in Plains, Georgia, and served as thirty-ninth President of the United States. He and his wife, Rosalynn, founded The Carter Center, a nonprofit organization that prevents and resolves conflicts, enhances freedom and democracy, and improves health around the world. He is the author of numerous books, including Palestine Peace Not Apartheid, An Hour Before Daylight and Our Endangered Values. He received a "Best Spoken Word" Grammy Award for his recording of Our Endangered Values. 



In the highly acclaimed bestselling A Call to Action, President Jimmy Carter addresses the world’s most serious, pervasive, and ignored violation of basic human rights: the ongoing discrimination and violence against women and girls.
President Carter was encouraged to write this book by a wide coalition of leaders of all faiths. His urgent report covers a system of discrimination that extends to every nation. Women are deprived of equal opportunity in wealthier nations and “owned” by men in others, forced to suffer servitude, child marriage, and genital cutting. The most vulnerable and their children are trapped in war and violence.

A Call to Action addresses the suffering inflicted upon women by a false interpretation of carefully selected religious texts and a growing tolerance of violence and warfare. Key verses are often omitted or quoted out of context by male religious leaders to exalt the status of men and exclude women. And in nations that accept or even glorify violence, this perceived inequality becomes the basis for abuse. 

Carter draws upon his own experiences and the testimony of courageous women from all regions and all major religions to demonstrate that women around the world, more than half of all human beings, are being denied equal rights. This is an informed and passionate charge about a devastating effect on economic prosperity and unconscionable human suffering. It affects us all.

~~~

I bought this book for one primary reason... To verify that the United States had at least one president who tried to serve our country to the best of his ability...and to continue a life of service for people around the World that he had grown to care about...

We do not now have such a president as a majority of our country has noted again and again... The danger of this dramatic increase to incite violence, hatred, bigotry and prejudice, again, drew me to this book as Carter in his book shares not only his concern but actual statistics and factual information about how Women are now being seen/treated across the world.

Of particular interest was his personal story about religion and his ultimate decision, along with his wife, to leave the church he had been attending for years...

In his Introduction he began:

All the elements in this book concerning prejudice, discrimination, war, violence, distorted interpretations of religious texts, physical and mental abuse, poverty, and disease fall disproportionately on women and girls. 

I saw the ravages of racial prejudice as I grew up in the Deep South, when for a century the U.S. Supreme Court and all other political and social authorities accepted the premise that black people were, in some basic ways, inferior to white people. Even those in the dominant class who disagreed with this presumption remained relatively quiet and enjoyed the benefits of the prevailing system. Carefully selected Holy Scriptures were quoted to justify this discrimination in the 

name of God. 

There is a similar system of discrimination, extending far beyond a small geographical region to the entire globe; it touches every nation, perpetuating and expanding the trafficking in human slaves, body mutilation, and even legitimized murder on a massive scale. This system is based on the presumption that men and boys are superior to women and girls, and it is supported by some male religious leaders who distort the Holy Bible, the Koran, and other sacred texts to perpetuate their claim that females are, in some basic ways, inferior to them, unqualified to serve God on equal terms. Many men disagree but remain quiet in order to enjoy the benefits of their dominant status. This false premise provides a justification for sexual discrimination in almost every realm of secular and religious life. Some men even cite this premise to justify physical punishment of women and girls. Another factor contributing to the abuse of women and girls is an acceptance of violence, from unwarranted armed combat to excessive and biased punishment for those who violate the law. In too many cases, we use violence as a first rather than a last resort, so 

that even deadly violence has become commonplace. 

My own experiences and the testimony of courageous women from all regions and all major religions have made it clear to me that as a result of these two factors there is a pervasive denial of equal rights to women, more than half of all human beings, and this discrimination results in tangible harm to all of us, male and female. My wife, Rosalynn, and I have visited about 145 countries, and the nonprofit organization we founded, The Carter Center, has had active projects in more than half of them. We have had opportunities in recent years to interact directly among the people, often in remote villages in the jungles and deserts. We have learned a lot about their personal affairs, particularly that financial inequality has been growing more rapidly with each passing decade. This is true both between rich and poor countries and among citizens within them. In fact, the disparity in net worth and income in the United States has greatly increased since my time in the White House. 

By 2007 the income of the middle 60 percent of Americans had increased at a rate twice as high as that of the bottom 20 percent. And the rate of increase for the top 1 percent was over fifteen times higher, primarily because of the undue influence of wealthy people who invest in elections and later buy greater benefits for themselves in Washington and in state capitals. As the conservative columnist George Will writes, “Big government inevitably drives an upward distribution of wealth to those whose wealth, confidence and sophistication enable them to manipulate government.” Yet although economic disparity is a great and growing problem, I have become convinced that the most serious and unaddressed worldwide challenge is the deprivation and abuse of women and girls, largely caused by a false interpretation of carefully selected religious texts and a growing tolerance of violence and warfare, unfortunately following the example set during my lifetime by the United States. In addition to the unconscionable human suffering, almost embarrassing to acknowledge, there is a devastating effect on economic prosperity caused by the loss of contributions of at least half the human beings on earth. This is not just a women’s issue. It is not confined to the poorest countries. It affects us all. 

After focusing for a few years on the problem of gender discrimination through our human rights program at The Carter Center, I began to speak out more forcefully about it. Because of this, I was asked to address the Parliament of the World’s Religions, an audience of several thousand assembled in Australia in December 2009, about the vital role of religion in providing a foundation for countering the global scourge of gender abuse. My remarks represented the personal views of a Christian layman, a Bible teacher for more than seventy years, a former political leader. I reminded the audience that in dealing with each other, we are guided by international agreements as well as our own moral values, most often derived from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Bible, the Koran, and other cherished texts that proclaim a commitment to justice and mercy, equality of treatment between men and women, and a duty to alleviate suffering. 

However, some selected scriptures are interpreted, almost exclusively by powerful male leaders within the Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, and other faiths, to proclaim the lower status of women and girls. This claim that women are inferior before God spreads to the secular world to justify gross and sustained acts of discrimination and violence against them. This includes unpunished rape and other sexual abuse, infanticide of newborn girls and abortion of female fetuses, a worldwide trafficking in women and girls, and so-called honor killings of innocent women who are raped, as well as the less violent but harmful practices of lower pay and fewer promotions for women and greater political advantages for men. 

I mentioned some notable achievements of women despite these handicaps and described struggles within my own religious faith. I called on believers, whether Protestant, Catholic, Coptic, Jew, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, or tribal, to study these violations of our basic moral values and to take corrective action... 

~~~

Interestingly, one woman, Angelina Jolie, took the route of creating a movie showing the sexual abuse of women during wars. I wanted to at least share the trailer for the movie, but found that most information has been taken off due to content... Isn't that the reality of it all...a movie that shows the reality of war is not allowed to be showed because of how horrendous the activities "in the movie" was...but we've done nothing much to speak out to stop these atrocities actually happening within any war zone...

~~~

Carter shares his personal experiences as he became aware of what was happening in the world. For instance, during the 1963 speech of Martin Luther King, he was struck by his son being in Vietnam, as King condemned the government for being the biggest purveyor of violence, noting that he had to condemn that before he could condemn the spreading violence in the ghetto... King went on to say that we could not look at freedom without the concurrent commitment to peace and non-violence.

Carter went on to tell of his realization that women, who were disproportionately affected, could not have equal rights without the recognition of how violence has placed women in that unequal position. Quoting Pope Francis in 2013: "Faith and violence are incompatible," Carter points out that violence may not be more than there was in the past, but the key thing is that we know better and globally, we have sought to improve human rights in every possible way.

Moving forward into the book, Carter covers Spousal Abuse, for instance, by noting that many men use Matthew 5:39 about turning the other cheek, by stating that Christian women are required to just take it... That is quickly turned into the third choice (taking it or returning the violence) by going to a women's shelter...

Why are we still failing? That's what I wanted to know...

This is not an easy book to read, especially for women. Men? Some will agree but will they have the strength of characters to speak out when misinformation about some religious practice is used to commit violence? There are many people and groups speaking out more and more, with specifics, such as those by Ritu Sharma, Cofounder and President, Women Thrive Worldwide, who openly states "There is no religion that despises women. Hatred cannot come from the Heart of God..."

There is no religion that despises women. Hatred cannot come from the heart of God. If there is hatred, its source is not the Creator. Only humans have the capacity to see and treat others as less than they truly are. It is our minds and hearts that must change to release women, girls, men, and boys from the bondage of gender-based limitations or violence. That change is happening, right now in this very moment, in thousands of homes, schools, synagogues, chapels, mosques, and centers of power around the world. That change is coming. Have faith. It will be here soon. 

~~~

There is much to learn in this book. The primary confirmation for me was that God, in no way, wants women or men to be objects of violence... and that anybody who uses religion to justify violence is doing it based upon his own will not God's!

Frankly that was worth reading the book for me; however, there is much more powerful material that needs to be read, some of it perhaps new to those men who are willing to listen and, then, be strong enough to speak out against what has and is happening to women, children, and men across the world.

Note that the United States is only 23rd in the world as a country who absolutely treats women and men with equal status... and that, further, they had improved and then dropped again. Violence has indeed increased and it's coming from all sectors of the United States as well as across the world... It is especially reprehensible to know that many use the Bible and other religious texts to justify the treatment of women, rather than to strive to understand what is actually being said...

In one way or another I have fought for betterment of the way women have been treated for all of my adult life...Admittedly it was my own personal battle in the professional arena mostly. Now, I can see what is happening across the nation and the world on a much broader scale. Reading this book has expanded greatly my base of knowledge and awareness...An important contribution of the book. This is highly recommended to women and men...Stop what has and is happening to women, children, and men around the world!

GABixlerReviews

NOTE: I have included the book description and more than normal excerpts because of the diversity and complexity...and importance...of the material.

Violence - Are We By Nature Violent? Can We Change? One Man's Experience...

On November 19, 1979, Edward experienced
 a transformation which completely
 revolutionized the way he perceived reality.
 When the event manifested itself, it was
unlike anything he had ever heard of
 as every belief he cherished was torn asunder..
 Nothing could have led him to expect the form
 it would take. He had the sensation of inconceivable
 powers clashing, as if repeatedly struck from
 within by lightning. When the cataclysmic upheaval
finally subsided, something absolutely new had emerged.  

He brought forth a new human, and a New Consciousness upon Earth.

Edward is a Transformational Relationship Coach who has devoted the last thirty years of his life reaching out to people who are seriously considering the options before them. He has spoken to thousands of people from around the world about “Self-Transformation” and the possibility of life without violence.

Self Transformation:

A New You 

By Edward Jones

Yesterday on the Dr. Phil show, a discussion occurred regarding The Warrior Gene, hypothesizing that some individuals are genetically keyed to violence. This may or may not be proven one day, but I think that each of us has the "potential" for some level of violence. It may be limited to abusive language transactions with others, and it may occur only when under extreme pressure... Or maybe we are conditioned for it...

I had the opportunity to read an earlier version of this book. Although I could believe that something happened to Mr. Jones, I felt that book was not presented well for potential new readers. Mr. Jones was receptive to my critical comments and I must say that I am thoroughly impressed with the published self-help book. It provides sufficient information in a logical manner to allow you to understand the premise upon which Edward Jones speaks. It also includes information from a sample workshop with an open exchange of questions and answers. You may find more information on Mr. Jones site by clicking the title of this article.

Throughout my life, I've been an individual who is "willing" to explore. Many years ago, I was an avid reader of self-help books and attended many workshops and classes exploring Maslow, Yung, et. al. I am a Christian, but I am not afraid to explore alternatives and question... I think I can say, with some degree of expertise that, if YOU are looking for something...then Edward Jones' book could very well be one that will interest you.

This book is not for the average reader. it is not fiction, even though you may not believe anything that is said. It is one person's experience--an experience that totally transformed his life. Basic Premise: I am a liar and Truth is the answer (my interpretation) Highly recommended for those seeking new answers... The following are examples of what I found of importance:

• Anger is a part of the defense and control mechanism. Angry people can defend themselves from anybody getting too close, and they can control their surroundings.
• We are selfish little clods, clawing everything to ourselves that we can to hold on to it.  I even had a friend who had a big sign in his office which read, He who has the most toys when he dies wins.
• Even in the Bible it says not to hide your light under a basket. The truth is your light. The truth will set you free, and the truth about everything needs to be spoken.  
• Consider the word God.  The newspaper recently ran a story about a married couple who were convicted of second-degree manslaughter because they prayed for their sick child to get well. They believed that God would intervene, but the child died. In that case, thinking was thinking those parents.
•  I say the only possibility we have is to speak the truth in our lives. Speaking truth is the emptying of our consciousness. What fills up our consciousness is the memory, or rather the attachment to the memory. Speaking the truth relieves that attachment and clears our heads, so to speak. 
• Being knocked out of our language reactions would be the same action we’d take if we came around a corner and suddenly saw a rattlesnake. We would get out of its way very quickly. After we were out of its way, it’s probable that only then fear would show up about being bitten. Can we see that we allow language to bite us daily? 
• I know someone who was raised to be a fundamentalist Christian, and he told me that he would be asked questions like, “Is your faith strong?” or “Do you love God?” to elicit a certain kind of response or behavior. After a while his responses became automatic. Repetition will do that. I call that a frozen belief. That’s when the belief becomes so strong you don’t even realize it’s a belief. You think it’s true.
• The linguistic action is the action of creation. But as with so many other things, knowledge and belief get in the way. We have been so busy for the last few thousand years repeating, repeating and repeating that there can be no creation. In repetition there can be no love, no intelligence. It’s all being blocked by the ignorance of knowledge and belief.

I had made highlights on many paragraphs throughout the book. The above are used as presented and are not intended to be the most important, merely just the first of many that affected me personally.  When I first started working at West Virginia University in the early '60s' I wrote a letter to the campus newspaper in response to some article or letter, I don't remember what. The thrust of my letter was that each of us must find Christ--we cannot know God just because our parents knew him and taught us about him... I think several of these examples reflects my thoughts at that time. Is your Christianity your own or have you been conditioned...

Then taking that a step further... If you are a Christian, are you also a liar...  Please note that Christian can be replaced by Buddhist, Muslim, Atheist, or any other belief you use as an identification for yourself

Are you satisfied with today's world? I'm not! I think violence has increased so much so that our children could very well be conditioned to be violent... Why else? Is it really a part of our DNA or can the world change; i.e., can I change? More importantly...will I?

Book received

from Author

GABixlerReviews

Review: Virginia by Susan Hughes - You Decide... PG?

Virginia

By Susan Hughes
Kids Can Press Ltd
ISBN: 9781554533077
288 Pages


Virginia by Susan Hughes is a fascinating book, no doubt about it. I'm one of those readers, however, that still remembers an old phrase to not discuss politics, sex or religion. Of course, there are no such restrictions these days and anything is up for the creative imagination of writers. Virginia is a young adult book. Let me make it personal, I would not want any of my nieces or nephews to read the book without discussion with an adult. Call me old-fashioned if you will. On the other hand, if you are followers of my reviews, you will see that I'm pretty liberal in topics I've reviewed for adults. Sooooo, just to clarify, I feel that some books just need a forewarning...when aimed toward our younger readers.

Virginia is a young teenager from a family who formerly attended the Catholic Church faithfully. Both mother and father apparently were family storytellers who used the Bible to teach their children. Virginia is the youngest, with two brothers and three sisters. Unfortunately, the father died, and perhaps was even killed if you read carefully, and suddenly Paul, the oldest takes over the family.

Before long Paul has denounced the Catholic Church and has set up a secret, by invitation only church with him as the leader. It is a small congregation. While Paul has forced his family to attend, both Virginia and Joe her closest brother have issues with what is happening. Joe is strong enough that he outright refuses to participate with anything related to the church. Virginia tries various ways to stay away, while her mother is developing a method of escape into a world of not remembering things for most of the time.

Virginia is visited by an angel--Gabriel in fact. Of course, he is dressed like today's young people and makes her guess who he is, but uses the language of olden times to tell her that he brings a message from God--that Virginia has been chosen to have a child. This child will help bring about the second coming.

An intelligent girl, she calls a former childhood friend Ivy. They had not been close friends for quite some time, but Ivy immediately heard how her voice sounded and went to see what was wrong. After several attempts, Ivy was finally able to get Virginia alone and she was told that Virginia was going to have a child. No, she wasn't pregnant yet, but she wanted somebody to know in advance so that when it happened, she would be able to support the facts.

Ivy immediately asked who and how an individual had gotten into Virginia's bedroom and gently prodded to see if she had been touched in any way. Ivy was a person who could not let her friends face something alone and fortunately would not let go of trying to help Virginia. Finally, she is able to convince Joe of the situation and they join together...

Virginia by Susan Hughes is very well written and the storyline results in a great psychological suspense. Though they failed, Ivy and Joe really are great characters who did everything possible to try to support and save Virginia--Virginia who had heard and seen everything and created the only answers she could conceive of so she could stop what was planned...

This is not a happy-ever-after ending. I'd call this a Parental-Guidance required book, in my opinion...


Book Provided Free Via
Bostick Communications

G. A. Bixler

Review: Novel Highlights Account of U.S. Intervention into War For Oil--100 Years Ago!

The Creed of Violence
By Boston Teran
Counterpoint Press
ISBN: 9781582435251
245 Pages


I love unusual and The Creed of Violence by Boston Teran is unusual for various reasons. One is that the two main characters are father and son; however, the father does not know that the younger man is his son until close to the end of the book. The author emphasizes the relationship over and over by often eliminating the use of their names, choosing instead to refer to them as “the father” or “the son.” For this reader, it forced me to look more closely at their dialogue and actions and to carefully examine the interrelationship shifts and changes. A truly unique experience that I thoroughly enjoyed!

Another unusual thing was that Teran wrote in a foreword statement that he would leave it to the reader’s judgment whether our present political and military situation parallels the world upon which his novel was built. Doing this, of course, also forces the reader to verify or deny those parallels. Even before I started to read, I was sure there would be!

Rawbone was born in Scabtown and raised in a brothel. He was not yet 10 when he killed his first man. His son considered him a common assassin.

His son thought he hated him because he had left he and his mother. Perhaps, though, he had grown stronger because of his father—because John Lourdes was a respected officer of the Bureau of Investigation. And he wanted to be the cause of his father’s death...

Now he had his chance. In his latest escapade Rawbone had killed all of the men who were driving a large truck—full of guns and ammunition. Rawbone had planned on selling the load to the highest bidder, checking in with his lawyer as to how that could be best accomplished. He sent him to Juarez to meet with “very private people.”

John Lourdes was already working in that area. So was his boss, Justice Knox, who was at the right place at the right time to capture Rawbone. In fact, his son was one of the agents who now had him under arrest. But then, Rawbone had something to trade...

It made John sick to think that his father could earn immunity. What was worse, because he was the only agent who was bilingual, John was going to have to travel with Rawbone as he “worked off” his end of the deal. They would travel across the border, where John would have no authority; Rawbone could escape or kill him and nobody could prevent it! The only hold over him would be that John would have Knox’s direct order to kill him if he posed any type of threat. Father and Son both had reason to protect each other—or to kill the other!

And they were heading deep into Mexican oil country--where representatives of American oil companies and governmental officials were meeting to increase bottom line profits--with oil, it’s always the bottom line...

Boston Teran’s The Creed of Violence is a tour into the deadly violence that erupts when power and money drive the actions of men, while others starve and barely make a living. With high tension between father and son while the action is sometimes slow-paced, it challenges readers to study the love/hate relationship as it evolves between the two men, as they fight to save their lives!

This tale will live with me--and maybe you--for a long time! Highly recommended!

G. A. Bixler