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(monthly updates)

 

July, 2008

Independence Day: A new Pesher on “When the Righteous Die Young” has been posted.  The following is a piece I have sent to my political email list.  I have excised some of the political references.  Blessings to you all this summer:

The monetary crisis of the United States worsens with each passing
day.  It is probable that in the coming weeks liquidity will dry up:
the result being, higher prices with fewer dollars in circulation to
purchase anything.  People will not be able to pay their bills or even
to buy groceries.

Governments often respond to domestic economic crises by starting
wars.  They use the surge of patriotism as an excuse to 1) blame
foreign enemies for the economic troubles, and 2) impose restrictions
on the economy.  They use war powers to confiscate the wealth of the
people and redistribute it to their cronies.  It sounds cynical, but
it is as old as the history of government.

Example:  After the crack-up boom following World War I, we had a
monetary crisis and then the Great Depression.  Government responded
with emergency powers which, among other things, were used to
confiscate the gold coins possessed by the American people.  During
that time, not only was it illegal to use gold in monetary
transactions, you could go to jail for even possessing it.  Was the
confiscated gold used to the benefit of the American people?  No.  It
was used to fulfill our "obligations" to foreign banks.  The nation
was plundered by foreign entities and people starved in the streets.

During the Great Depression, we were still a nation of small-scale
farmers.  If you left the cities, you could find food in the
countryside and oftentimes work for your supper.  The government,
however, didn't want that power accruing to the country-folk; so, it
created the soup lines and the welfare state.  We are living with that
legacy.

Today?  The rumblings of war are growing.  The target is Iran.  But
the American people are against another war.  So, an "incident" must
be contrived to rally popular opinion.  A war with Iran would be
devastating to the world economy.  Iran is the 4th largest oil
producer in the world right now.  It would certainly be a war big
enough for the government to blame for our economic woes.
Furthermore, to fight a pervasive terrorist network, it would also
justify draconian restrictions on our daily lives.

The Incident?  It would have to be a big one. . . bigger than 911.  It
would probably be nuclear. The government wants an excuse to go after
Iran's nuclear program.  I don't think it will be bio-terror.  The
incident will be nuclear-terror.  Get ready for it.
 

 

June, 2008

Summer Solstice:  These past few months have been quiet for posts but busy otherwise.  The world is sinking fast.  It is imperative that followers of the Grail begin to create zones of freedom in their communities, shires, and provinces.  It requires political involvement of some kind.  Party affiliation is not that important.  What is important is that local magistrates begin to look upon you as an asset to the future of the community.  Your involvement in economic, social, and political affairs will establish recognition and respect.  When the time comes for state bureaucrats to decide whom among the homeless and indigent they must send off to the camps, you want a reason for the local authorities to keep you close to home.  It has really come to that.

Food riots are occurring around the globe.  Shortages of every description are reported daily.  The advanced nations are only feeling the pain as increased prices.  Poorer nations are facing starvation. Barring yet another unforeseen calamity, the rest of us are one or two years behind.

I have been busy following my own advice. Remember the parable of the ant.

Personal communication has been limited.  Our computer was hacked and I am still trying to rebuild it.  You are receiving these updates via a different computer, not as handy. Regardless, a new Pesher is planned soon.

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March, 2008

 

St. Patrick’s Day:  As much as we admire the Irish for their contributions to the human race, it must always be remembered that Patrick was a missionary from Wales.  It is important because “the Welsh way” represents a balance between the rustic Celts of Ireland and Scotland and the cosmopolitan mentality of the English.  The Welsh way also provides an irenic middle ground between Celtic Catholicism and English Protestantism.  It might be that Northern Ireland has discovered that path and explains the cessation of hostilities there.

Having said that, it is a day for the Irish, and the lessons of their anguish must not be forgotten.  Of course, we have forgotten it; for we seem to be repeating the mistakes of the past.

Most people are aware of the potato famine endured by the Irish in the 1840s.  It was not the only famine their nation has experienced, but it was the one most known to history.

Shallow thinkers wonder how the Irish could have been so stupid as to rely upon a mono-crop culture, until you inform them that the English wouldn’t let them grow anything else on the scraps of land they left to the peasants. For centuries, English monopolies persuaded Parliament to shut down one Irish trade after another.

Before they were left to sustain themselves from the potato, the Irish had a prosperous trade in the fisheries. But they were shut down because they competed with British fisheries.  The Irish took up the fisheries because prior to that Parliament forbade the successful Irish weaving of silk.  And the Irish took up weaving silk because prior to that the British had shut down a profitable market in butchers’ meat.

Now, prior to the Irish marketing of butchers’ meat, the Irish had a prosperous livestock industry in cattle, sheep, and pork.  But the English had shut that down, too.

Prior to livestock, it was dairy, and prior to that it was cotton.  And prior to cotton, it was hemp and linen because the English wouldn’t allow the Irish to continue with the wool industry because it competed too much with English wool.  The Irish tried their hand at tobacco and a litany of other things, which the English dutifully made illegal to protect English corporations.

And the English would have done to the American Colonies exactly what they did to Ireland had not they been blessed with an ocean between them.

In spite of that, there was never a time during the great famine in which Ireland was not a net exporter of foodstuffs to the world.  And at the height of the famine, for every shipload of corn which arrived from America to relieve the starving, four shiploads of corn were being exported to maintain the profits of English corporations!

Someday, I will retell the whole story, but it is enough to provide warning that history will repeat itself on American soil if we do not learn these lessons.  Few Americans own any land and of the land they do have, they do not know how to grow anything.  Most of American resources are owned and controlled by global corporations that are pursuing the highest profit.  Right now, the nations of the world are awash in dollars.  China, for example, has 2 trillion of them and has just experienced crop failures not seen in centuries.  No prophet is needed to know what will happen next.  Wheat is already $20.00 a bushel.  If you don’t want to be one of the famished homeless on the roadsides, you had better learn the wisdom of the ant.

Updates: The next Pesher on Mormonism will probably appear without announcement some time this week. See below.

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St. David’s Day: Long regarded as the patron saint of Wales, St. David was an early Culdee teacher and priest who did much to advance Christianity in Wales after the Saxons had pushed the ancient Britons into that rugged backcountry.  In commemoration of St. David, I plan to publish my Pesher on The Mormons later this week.  There will be a substantial discussion of the Welsh in that study.

Books:  In case you haven’t checked for a while, updates have been made to the Booklist page.  The newest title offered is a classic by Steven Collins entitled, The Parthians.  If you are tired of the one-dimensional emphasis on the Greeks and Romans by traditional Bible scholars, you will find this substantial text a treat.  I consider the information it contains as essential to understanding the historical background for the Grail Church.

Easter comes early this year.  A short discussion on the dating of Easter will be offered later this month.  It is not meant to cause dissension but promote enlightenment.  The reason it moves around is because the old Catholic tradition (which includes Orthodoxy) work from a lunar calendar.  The Celtic Church followed a different calculation.  You might find it interesting.

 

 

February, 2008

 

February 24th: Commentary for The Separatist Papers is now posted.  More next weekend.

 

February 17th:  Greetings to you all! Welcome to the New Year amidst spectacular snow storms and frigid temperatures.  Did the Ground Hog see his shadow?  I missed that one.  Regardless, another busy year is ahead of us.

Peshers planned for the coming year on war, higher education, the Age of Aquarius, the Mormons and much more.

Articles and updates are planned on climate change, celestial signs, economic policy and Zeitgeist.

Catechumens: To progress in the program, you must eventually purchase or have read all books offered on this website.  You must also have mastered the material on this website to advance.  If you cannot afford these books, we can provide a lending program with a deposit. Contact the Overseer at james@grailchurch.org

Website changes:  New layout changes are coming to this website to make it more user friendly. Stay tuned.  We still have not given up on the Grail Radio Network on the Internet.  Other priorities have crowded it out for now.

The Separatist Papers will have a commentary soon and our Biennial Update for Church Policy will be published in early March.

For new visitors, this website is not a café with a chat room or forums.  This is a place to study.  It’s like a library.  SHHH!  It’s a place to think about unusual stuff.  If you have questions, feel free to email me at james@grailchurch.org.

James Stivers, Church Overseer (with bifocals)