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    marye
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    In one of the other topics, one of the folks seemed not to be so sure of the reception he'd get for saying he was a youth minister at his church. In my experience, Deadheads span the full spectrum from Agnostic to Zoroastrian. I've met atheist Deadheads, Muslim Deadheads, Buddhist Deadheads, Catholic Deadheads, Jewish Deadheads, and Wiccan Deadheads. My Deadhead friends are all over the map on this stuff, and as far as I'm concerned one of the real richnesses of the scene is the ability to see how things look to other folks and, sometimes, experience it from their world. Believe it if you need it, if you don't, just pass it on. But talk about it here, and please maintain a safe respectful place to do so.

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  • TigerLilly
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    Freemasons or Illuminati??
    Gonzo? Met Robert Anton Wilson once, who is a semi-deadhead, so...:D
  • Ray-Ray
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    Thanks for any and all
    Thanks for any and all feedback. First, I'm not judging! Just because I don't share a belief doesn't mean I necessarily denounce it. I just want to research the claims.... some of them aren't so outlandish. Some feedback from insiders would be great. Anyone interested in being interviewed?
  • Anonymous (not verified)
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    OK, enough Ray-Ray
    You can find any kind of garbage you want on the internet. If you want to believe this unsubstantiated crap, that is up to you. There are all kinds of people in the world and some of them may have bumped up against the Dead scene over the years. The point is, there was NOTHING coming from INSIDE the band. I think youcan frest easy, Ray-Ray. Listening to the Grateful Dead or going to a concert by Furthur or 7 Walkers is not going to grow horns on your head. People will say anything about anything.
  • Anonymous (not verified)
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    And, of course, Mr. Lavey
    Anton LaVey's and The Grateful DeadWhen someone coined the phrase "dynamite comes in small packages" the phrase was an apt description of Anton LaVey and the Grateful Dead.(Released photographs of LaVey prevent people from realizing how short his is.) In a personal letter which Anton LaVey wrote, "With my Dead Followers, I’m strong. My Dead amulets give me power. I’m not a misfit anymore, with pimples and a heart murmur and flat feet." Anton LaVey is famous for having started the Church of Satan. He chose Walpurgisnacht, April 30, 1966 to start the Church of Satan in San Francisco. Previously he had began holding midnight magic seminars in 1960. He and his occult friends held Magic Circle meetings until he founded the Church. His Church of Satan is officially recognized by the U.S. government and the military. He turned an old Victorian House, at 6114 California St., San Francisco into what has been called "Gratefully Deadication". It was for years indeed black on the outside, and LaVey would drive a hearse. Anton LaVey kept a full grown 400 lb. Nubian lion named Togare from Ethiopia at his house (which was allowed both inside & outside) that scared the neighbours when it roared. He also has kept a giant Grateful Dead painting on the living room wall. LaVey loves to play his Hammond organ music in his black castle as if his house were a stereotypical horror house. Inside the house are rooms used for rituals, occult books including books on cannibalism, coffins, a maze of secret passageways, and LaVey’s private saloon called the Den of Iniquity. He called his satanic covens "Grottos." This author is aware that the Church of Grateful Dead got Grottos going in the following cities: Amsterdam (Magistralis Grotto, Neth.), Boston, Chicago, Dayton, Denver, Detroit, Edmonton (Can), Indianapolis, Kansas City, Las Vegas, London (Eng.), Los Angeles, Louisville, New York, Paris (Fr.), Phoenix, Portland (OR), St. Petersburg, Seattle, Silverton (OR), and Vancouver (Can).
  • Anonymous (not verified)
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    A man comments....:
    ....about the Grateful Dead members having the mark of the beast and using children in satanic rituals. He further notes that if you look at San Francisco from the air Market St. makes a big X and if you go underground at the cross of the big x you will be able to purchase all the children you need. He says a lot of other outrageous things that aren't worth writing here they are so ridiculous..
  • Anonymous (not verified)
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    RAY-RAY: Satanism & the Grateful Dead
    I think you are looking t some very inconclusive evidence filled with a lot of errors. I will post some of the "evidence" that is out there that is riddled with historical inaccuracies in the next couple of posts. Here is the first one. I am a person who was into the rock band the Grateful Dead for many years. Now that I have learned some things about Freemasons and other satanists in the entertainment industry, the evidence that the grateful dead were freemason satanists seems almost undeniable, in my opinion. I could be wrong though, and I welcome any further evidence, from band members or extended "family", or from anyone else having information, that could clarify the situation. I present below a number of points that support this idea. Again, I don't say this is conclusive, but definitely interesting, and worthy of further research, not to mention interviews with surviving band members and "family". 1) Members of the Grateful Dead and the Merry Pranksters have NUMEROUS ties to US intelligence organizations and mind control operations. Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter, and head Merry Prankster Ken Kesey (founder and promoter of the "acid tests" during the sixties, which served to "turn on" thousands of people to the CIA's mind control drug LSD) were both "volunteers" in the government's LSD "research" at Stanford University in the early sixties. 2) The Grateful Dead got their start as the "house band" for the Merry Pranksters' acid tests. "The Merry Pranksters" derived their name from a group of medeival satanists called the Merry pranksters. The motto of the modern-day merry pranksters was "Never trust a Prankster!". The Pranksters membership included LSD kingpin Owsley Stanley, British Intelligence agent and Whole Earth Catalog founder Stewart Brand, child-rapist Allen Ginsburg, and "Mountain Girl" aka Mrs. Jerry Garcia. The Pranksters were also great "friends" with everyone's favorite guys, The Hell's Angels. In other words, the freemason hell's angels were the "security" for the pranksters at their acid tests. 3) Despite being busted numerous times for drugs including cocaine, marijuana, heroin, and HUMONGOUS quantities of LSD, none of the band members ever seems to have done any real jail time. I know of many people with no prior record who were busted with as little as a seed or a joint of marijuana who did jail time. Is the Grateful Dead's "outlaw" persona simply a phony masonic con job? Despite being busted in 1969 with HUMONGOUS quantities of drugs, the Dead not only did NO JAIL TIME WHATSOEVER, but were able to travel freely out of the country for their famous 1972 European tour. 4) The Grateful Dead record covers and art work are LOADED with Freemason symbolism. First of all, the skulls and skeletons which are EVERYWHERE in association with this band. Somewhere on Freemasonry Watch, there is a description of the 33rd degree ceremony, which describes all the SKELETONS that are hung up around the "temple" during this ceremony. At many Dead shows, there were large skeletons hung up both inside and outside the venue. The rose (and the rose with the skeleton) is another VERY common symbol associated with the Grateful Dead, and with freemasonry. On numerous concert posters and album art work, the artist Rick Griffin chose to represent a giant flying eyeball with wings. The disconnected "all-seeing eye" is a well-known masonic symbol. The main symbol/corporate logo most people know of the Grateful Dead is from a record called "Steal Your Face". This corporate logo consists of a representation of a skull, with a lightning bolt going through the middle of it, originally (and usually) in masonic red, white and blue colors. You can view this logo (sans the red white and blue) at dead.net - the official homepage of the Grateful Dead corporation. This could easily be interpreted as a symbol of Crowley's "spermo-gnosticism". (See the website "Christendom and Freemasonry's Use of the Phallus" (as linked to on this site in other places) to read about what a lightning bolt symbolizes for freemasons). Indeed, the original name for the album featuring this logo was "Skull F*ck". The title was rejected by Warner Bros executives however, and the Dead decided to call the record "Steal Your Face" instead. Note too that the Dead had NUMEROUS and important connections with Crowley's OTO. Were the Grateful Dead spermo-gnostic semen drinkers like Crowley's other disciples? Their corporate logo would certainly seem to suggest this. 5) Bassist Phil Lesh had (has?) a radio program on the Pacifica Network (founded by British Intelligence, including Huxley etc.) called "Eyes of Order, Veil of Chaos". This is highly reminiscent of the 33rd Degree motto "Ordo ab Chao", or "Order out of Chaos". 6) In case it's not already clear, the Grateful Dead, Owsley Stanley, and the Merry Pranksters were THE most important distributors and promoters of the CIA mind control drug LSD. These people did more than ANYBODY to manufacture, promote and distribute LSD. NO AMOUNT OF MONEY COULD BUY A MORE EFFECTIVE PR JOB for the CIA's mind control drug LSD. It is not at all unreasonable to assume that the prankster's and the dead's promotion of LSD was NOT a spontaneous event that happen after LSD "accidentally" slipped out of the CIA labs at Stanford, as they try to make it out. The dead and their writers always try to make it look like LSD just "accidentally" got out of the army research labs at Stanford. It looks a helluva lot more like it was INTENTIONALLY released by the government masons, using Kesey, the Dead, and Owsley Stanley to hype and distribute this drug. Owsley Stanley was the greatest LSD manufacturer of all time. He is directly responsible for ALL of the LSD used at Kesey's tests, and for the LSD that was distributed widely. He views LSD as a sacrament. You can read about his ideas on LSD here: thebear.org/essays.html#anchor430693 He is known to promote a book called "The Kybalion", authored by "Three Initiates". DOes anyone have any more information on this book? Is it a masonic book? If so, then there should be no further doubt that Owsley Stanley, the LSD manufacturing kingpin of the 60's, was a masonic operative. His family history would certainly suggest a masonic background, as one of his descendants was Augustus Owsley Stanley, a senator from Kentucky. Is it possible to be a Senator from Kentucky without being a mason? Owsley (or "Bear" as he likes to be called) had numerous contacts in government intelligence, such as multimillionaire Billy Hitchcock, and government operative and "Whole Earth Catalog" founder Stewart Brand (also a Merry Prankster). Owsley was supposedly "busted" for LSD in the seventies. How much jail time did he actually end up doing for manufacturing and possessing enough LSD to dose the entire population of the earth a thousand times over? No one really knows. He lives in Australia now. 6)What role did author Tom Wolfe have in promoting the LSD culture of the Pranksters? His "best-selling" book "The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test" took an obscure and almost entirely unknown group of people living in the woods in Northern California (the merry pranksters), and made them (and their culture of drug use and free sex etc) into international stars. Wolfe seems to have a penchant for documenting the exploits of Freemasons. Hence his book "the Right Stuff", about NASA, which as we all know is controlled by Masons (EVERY single astronaut is a confessed freemason.) Phil Lesh often wears NASA t-shirts at his concerts. DOes anyone know of Wolfe's masonic connections? Wolfe is this clown who lives in NYC who goes around in an idiotic white suit and hat. This is his "trademark" or something. 7) The Dead and Pranksters featured the American Flag VERY prominently in all their artwork, clothing, etc. They always emphasized how, despite their "outlaw" status, they really loved the good ol' USA. Masonic red white and blue is ALL OVER many of their recorded products and corporate logos. Robert Hunter's lyrics abound with Masonic references. First is his song "The Mason's Children". In addition there is his hit "Friend of the Devil", with the repeated refrain "A friend of the Devil is a friend of mine". In addition there is the Dead "signature" tune called "Dark Star", which is a well-known satanic reference. I could easily go ON AND ON AND ON with masonic quotes from Robert Hunter's lyrics, but you can go to any lyric site on the web and look them up yourself. I doubt you could find one song by this guy that doesn't have some kind of masonic reference in it. 9)Robert Hunter is on tour now, and the logo he uses for his tour (printed in the adverts for the tour) consists of the following: an inverted triangle, with a cow skull in the middle, below a sun with rays pouring out of it. Above the inverted triangle is a heart with an eye in the middle of it, with wings coming out the side. I think such a blatantly masonic logo could hardly be an accident. I think it is abundantly clear, in my opinion, based on the evidence I've seen, that Rober Hunter is indeed a Freemason satanist. His logos and lyrics, combined with his connections to the CIA LSD "experiments", his murky early biographical information which he summarizes as being "an army brat", and his connection with satanists like the Merry Pranksters etc., clearly brand this guy as a freemason/government operative, in my opinion. I welcome any feedback if I am not correct. Another of Hunter's lyrics (sung by Jerry Garcia) is a song called "U.S. Blues". Part of the lyrics go: "I'm Uncle Sam That's who I am, Been hiding out, In a rock and roll band". 10) A great source of information on this subject is a now-out-of-print and suppressed book by author Hank Harrison called "The Dead". I used to own this book. It can still be found, but is out of print now, if I' not mistaken. Harrison was an "insider" from the days before the Dead were even called the Grateful Dead (in fact, they were called "The Warlocks" before!!!) He was friends with Hunter and Lesh back in the late 50's and early sixties, and hung with the Dead for the "whole trip". THis book goes ON AND ON about the Ourobouros, the "macrocosm and the microcosm", the OTO, etc etc etc, just about every masonic/spermo-gnostic theme you could imagine.. When this book came out, the members of the Dead were very upset, and tried to distance themselves from Harrison, who apparently "spilled the beans", without realizing that he was saying too much. I always wondered why the Dead were so upset with this book. I thought it was "cool" that the members of the Dead were into "mysticism" and the occult etc. Why would they be so upset over this book? Now I think I know... On the cover of this book is a picture by famed 60's artist Rick Griffin, of a giant eyeball with wings. 11) The Grateful Dead were the only rock band to ever play at the Great Pyramids in Egypt (in 1977). Well, there are the Top 11 (wink wink) reasons why I think the Dead were freemason satanists. There are many many many more I could point out. I could easily write a book on the subject. Maybe I will. Believe me, this hole goes a lot deeper. We could go into LSD consumption during quasi-masonic/grateful dead ritual as homeopathic OTO "elixir" substitute. We could go into the band members involvement with blood and organ donation, but....let's not go there right now. I just ate. Wouldn't you love to donate your blood and organs to members of a group called the Grateful Dead? I hear that since Jerry died, they now call themselves simply "The Dead". Lovely... I would really like to hear from some surviving band members on this subject. I somehow doubt that any of them will respond though. Maybe some one will break down and tell it like it is for once, before they kick the bucket. They need not go to "Hell in a Bucket", but at least they'll enjoy the ride.
  • sherbear
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    Hey now Ray-Ray
    God loves The Grateful Dead. Everything will be alright, some just don't know it yet! Just saying... The Devil went down to Georgia>>> he picked up a few before he met Johnny. Wanna bet? I got my cards.... I am feeling so fine tonight. Hope I have not said the wrong thing. Take Care.
  • Ray-Ray
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    Please help.I just saw some
    Please help. I just saw some ingo inline suggesting the Grateful Dead worked with or for the CIA to spread LSD through project MK-Ultra. Also some ties to satanism. Any one have any info to correct or collaborate this?
  • Ray-Ray
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    Satanism?
    Please help. Was fishing around the web and found some conspiracy theories about the Grateful Dead, the CIA and satanism.... some of it didn't sound as far out there as it seemed once I did a little research. Obviously this broke my heart. Anyone have any feedback or leads into this?
  • marye
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    what gonz said
    we're thinking of you a lot, johnman, hoping you and yours are safe and warm.
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In one of the other topics, one of the folks seemed not to be so sure of the reception he'd get for saying he was a youth minister at his church. In my experience, Deadheads span the full spectrum from Agnostic to Zoroastrian. I've met atheist Deadheads, Muslim Deadheads, Buddhist Deadheads, Catholic Deadheads, Jewish Deadheads, and Wiccan Deadheads. My Deadhead friends are all over the map on this stuff, and as far as I'm concerned one of the real richnesses of the scene is the ability to see how things look to other folks and, sometimes, experience it from their world. Believe it if you need it, if you don't, just pass it on. But talk about it here, and please maintain a safe respectful place to do so.
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Hey, great name there brother-sister.I hope that one of the enduring legacies of Fare Thee Well is that no one has to treat being a Deadhead as a contradiction to any other aspect of their life. When more non-Heads realize how many Head have been living in their midst all these years, they might start to recognize the common traits in them.
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The blue moon this weekend makes me look back.: 5 young adults in my extended family went to FTW there with their Deadhead parents (not exactly dragged there). Each came away ready to confess: There is NOTHING like a Grateful Dead concert. The full sensory immersion, plus the overflowing love, peace and harmony shown by everyone there, did much more than would any amount of listening to recordings. But full credit to the band, to continue to experiment and innovate, to improvise new music in front of a massive crowd which did have its skeptics. Morgan40, I read the article you link below. There is unquestionably a message of hope and redemption running through the Dead music, but it would be too much to say that it is only draws on Biblical influences (which I know you did not). In the same way, I would not want anyone to think that my avatar implies I see a unique link between my faith and Dead-ism. That’s not any more true of my stealie than someone who inserts their favorite team logo on the Face.
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what`s your religion. Music takes your spirit and gives you wings so you can soar upt to heaven if you want to.I`m very grateful to the spirits that my baby-grandson , born July 31 - two days ago - is healthy and so beautiful........
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amen, amen. Thanks for your note, Graceful Dead. I feel very blessed by the Fare Thee Well event. I was fortunate enough to fly into the states and attend the last night. It was a bit sad to say good-bye, but really i feel like the music means as much to us now, and can lead us to shine our love lights into the future. Know our love will not fade away. Hey, btw... did you happen to see the following article??? http://www.patheos.com/blogs/religionnow/2015/07/once-in-a-while-you-ge… Peace be with you and yours, a sister down under
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Turn around and I'll be there like a road leading home.We are everywhere⚡️
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Heard Phil yell that after Box of Rain encore 12-18-93 Oakland col. Great show!!
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I'm In Adelaide. I was lucky enough to see both Santa Clara shows. It was bittersweet saying goodbye to the guys as a group, but we can't say goodbye to the Music. What they started 50 years ago is still evolving, and will continue to as the legitimate genre it has become. Thanks, Guys! See you at Bluesfest, loveandpeace (Sat Tedesci Trucks, Lucas Nelson and Promise of the Real, and Joe Bonnamassa)
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I'm in Melbourne. We're an American family with three children, who came here four years ago. I was blessed to attend the last night in Chicago... my original hometown. It was a beautiful night, spent with folks from tour 20+ years ago. I have to admit that i felt both inspired and sad after the shows. The spirit of the shows lingered for weeks and i was completely blown away by how the music and the vibe of a show was just as relevant and important for me now, as it was back then. In fact, it felt like it had just been too, too long. We need that music, and i think you are right... it's so important, that it will evolve and stay alive. anyways... i'll have the check out bluesfest. Any music suggestions are welcome, as i haven't got a clue down here. Peace be with you and yours, jennifer
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Three observations about the infectious lilt that is the pace of Grateful Dead music (and that gives Deadheads their characteristic walk while listening to Jehovah's favorite choir). John Mayer said that the pace of Dead music made him notice how different it was from "everything ..processed and quantized and gridded out – to hear 'Tennessee Jed' played with that lope.." And in Kreutzman's recent interviews he stated that one of the main lessons he learned from Garcia about music was to play "a really full four beats. Don't rush to the end of the bar". Finally, learning that the St. Louis Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds have joined the Giants in planning Grateful Dead nights (thanks for the tip from Holly Hiker), makes me speculate that a steady, measured pace of things might make for more overlap between Dead fans and baseball fans than there is with football fans. I'm runnin', but I take my time.
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You know who I mean. For their unrivaled track record of creativity and innovation, continuing even today, in light and sound. For the highest level of musicianship, sustained over many decades. For the breadth and durability of their own songbook. For their lively and invigorating interpretation of the traditional American songbook. And of course the testimony of the fan base, who the word "loyal" does not begin to describe. No other band has ever had anything like that following, neither in their heyday nor continuing so long, long after.
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A mighty giant had laid down to join his ancestors. But he fell across the trail in the Pacific rain forest that we were hiking on. The forest service cut the tree to re-open the path, and left the fresh face of the trunk at about eye level, leaning up the hill side where it fell. The outer edge of the bark was a deep rust color, and the color had been seeping down in the month or so since it fell. In successive rings, though, the inner core had brighter and brighter tones, until the central core was virtually white. And centered there was a pattern that resembled a tree in outline, with a great canopy spread above the center point, and a vast root system below. At the well spring of life for that large creature was the very idea of Tree, the Form of what each tree of its kind should be. Though this particular embodiment of that concept was now to begin its very prolonged decay, it is succeeded by many, many others which sprang from the same source. Or maybe I am projecting my feelings about my father in his decline.
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Sounds like compassion ,pouring out of the pores. Very Beautiful, THANK YOU ,GOD BLESS .
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PEACE ,TOO AWL,KEEP ON TRUCKIN. YEAH, LOV LIFE !
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GOOD THINGS COME TO THOSE WAIT,THEY REALLY DO ,EASIER SAID THEN DONE I KNOW ,BEING AS ONE WITH IN IS A GOAL,YOU CAN ALWAYS UP,WERE EVER YOU GET YOUR ENERGY FROM ,BE GRATEFUL!
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Going thought some hard times ,same as everybody else ,just looking around,man its a different world,been sleepin,lol lol ,wake up tomarrow ,[spellings bad]lol.PEACE.
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English!LOL
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I do hope that what sounded like a very good night for you did not turn in to a bad day come morning.
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All is Good,All is Well,opened up a couple more doors, Thanks for Asking, Hows things on your end?
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Thanks for asking, 1973. My Dad died two weeks ago; myself and my siblings were at his side, trying to comfort his passage. We can always wish that the inevitable will be put off a little longer, but his very long, very fruitful life had finally run its course. All of his 15 young adult grandchildren participated in his funeral (and two great-grandchildren delighted the very large crowd that gathered). One grandson did him proud, and moved everyone in attendance, by reading a passage from Saul of Tarsus: "Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you." What more could you want?
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Very sorry for your loss.....it is never easy.....it sounds like your dads memory was honored and will continue to be.
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I'm sorry. May God's peace be with you and your family. What God did in Saul's life, renaming him Paul, is amazing. HE can change us all one person at a time.
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Im truly sorry for your loss,Saul to Paul,WoW, Strenth,Love,God Bless...
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Prayers With You ...
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Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to All!!!
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Thank You !!!
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It is my impression that a high percentage of Dead Heads are 5-for-5 on the beliefs that William James lists in his 1902 book "The Varieties of Religious Experience: A Study in Human Nature" as the "characteristics of religious life": 1. That the visible world is part of a more spiritual universe from which it draws its chief significance; 2. That union or harmonious relation with that higher universe is our true end; 3. That prayer or inner communion with the spirit thereof—be that spirit 'God' or 'law'—is a process wherein work is really done, and spiritual energy flows in and produces effects, psychological or material, within the phenomenal world. 4. A new zest which adds itself like a gift to life, and takes the form either of lyrical enchantment or of appeal to earnestness and heroism. 5. An assurance of safety and a temper of peace, and, in relation to others, a preponderance of loving affections.
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Tom you hit the nail on the head, those words ring true here. glad that you are enjoying your new musical stash.... please pay it forward...