Re 1. “My God doesn’t tell me to kill Jews.”:

In Genesis, god orders Abraham to kill Isaac as a burnt offering. At that point in history, Isaac was effectively Jewish. And that’s just a start on the many, many instances of Christian god ordering killings of man and beast. God even gives horridly detailed instructions for performing ritualistic animal sacrifices. Such bloody rituals must be important to God, judging from the number of times that he repeats the instructions. Indeed the entire first nine chapters of Leviticus can be summarized as follows: Get an animal, kill it, sprinkle the blood around, cut the dead animal into pieces, and burn it for a “sweet savor unto the Lord.”The Christian god apparently loves to order people to do his bloody wetwork for him, on both man and beast.

Re 2. “My God doesn’t tell me to sacrifice thousands of people for him.”:
On that scale, god is apparently willing to kill thousands by himself. Repeatedly. In Exodus 32:35, god wasn’t satisfied with the slaughter of the 3000, so he killed some more people with a plague. What a murderous bastard.

Re 3. “My God doesn’t tell me to be terrified of him.” :
WTF? The Christian god is all about terror and fear, throughout the bible, both through actions and instructions. One example of many: god sent lions to devour the foreigners in Samaria because “they feared not the Lord.” and there are frequent demands to fear god throughout both testaments

So what god are you talking about? Surely not the murderous Christian one.

and another point. Brian, My God doesn’t tell me to kill Jews. My God doesn’t tell me to sacrifice thousands of people for him. My God doesn’t tell me to be terrified of him. My God doesn’t tell me that works get you into heaven. My God tells me “I want a relationship with you. Please. Just come closer to me and i will lift you up.”

Just a thought.

And George- you forever be silent- it’s a beautiful poem and it doesn’t have to mean anything. don’t be afraid of words on a page.

This is how wisdom
is gained.

Those people with the wisdom
and the patience
to share that wisdom
with those who need it,
at a precise moment,
are truly wise.

Then you,
as a wise person,
must sit and watch
everyone else
struggle along their path
to find their own wisdom,

and for you
to remain wise,
you must be silent,
yet reassuring.

patrick “GB” harrison

The religious aspect is Christian-New Age feelgood stuff, images of Jesus and heaven according to the dominant culture’s paradigm of white entitlement, deservedness and privilege. God, if there is one, is much more than this.

Child visionary artists exist, like Sulamith Wulfing, she started having visions and drawing them at 5, then went to art school, made a career of it. Her work is unique and could be seen as inspired, her religious subjects are truly otherworldly, even stark and frightening. Impressive even if you don’t believe in God.

Lots of people have visions who are not crazy or freakish. Unfortunately sometimes people capitalize on it when they find out.

But many truly gifted child artists, authors etc. never get the attention Akiane has gotten thanks to her publicist and parents.

Plus she looks the part — the white blue-eyed blond angel girl. If she were Hispanic or black or Asian, or if she were unattractive, would she be believed or even noticed?

(Why doesn’t her Jesus have a hooked nose like real Semitic people do?)

Akiane reminds me of Minou Drouet. Wrote OK but not great poetry beginning age 7 or 8; her mom’s “genius” publicity machine ate her life. People suspected her mom wrote her poems. At 9 she wrote “They keep on and on at me with their questions. I wish I were dead.” Give Akiane Minou’s test; lock her in a room alone with her materials and have her produce something. Minou wrote 3 poems this way.

Minou couldn’t hide her loathing of the process; Akiane can act all dewy-eyed before the public — it must be tough to maintain. Again, her looks really help.

Even if she donates to charities, most use the majority of donations to support themselves and pay for overhead costs. Probably her parents are bankrolling it in a trust fund for her (which is what I would do, but I’d be honest about it).

I hope she’ll speak out and tell the truth someday, if she isn’t imprisoned by her own industry. Until then I’ll reserve judgment on the authenticity, but the religious part is just window dressing. I wish her luck.

http://www.facebook.com/people/Carol-Reese/1803184038