Keepers of Creation Church - A Native American Church

Discussion and Debate are welcome if the opinion is a dialog without acrimony.

Gen 2:7 "And the LORD God formed man [of] the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul."

The Soul enters the body with the first Breath. "Life" Begins with the first Breath after birth. The language of the Bible is clear.

2) Question: Are all human beings sinners, separated from God, and deserving of judgment?

Response: All human beings are created in the Image of the Great Spirit and are given souls that are pure and perfect. The concept of Original Sin, or a Stained Soul at birth, is not consistent with the Truth that our souls are God given and perfect. Why would God give each person a stained or imperfect soul at birth?

Each of us has a Free Will and we may choose to do what is Right or what is wrong. The Great Spirit provides each of us with an inherent knowledge of good and evil. Cultures may bend the concepts of right and wrong but humans often rise above Cultural bias and training to recognize Truth.

Religions, in their purest forms, all teach the same concepts of balance, doing good, living well, expressing gratitude and acknowledgement of a higher Power even if called God, Allah, the Great Spirit or by another name.

Human beings are not sinners at birth. Those who turn their back on the Truth and who do evil are sinners. Free Will allows us to make bad or even evil choices. We know when we are doing wrong. Some individuals choose to do wrong to provide monetary gain, immediate comfort, to satisfy lust or for other base reasons. Those individuals will have to answer to the Great Spirit for their transgressions. Environment, training, education, culture and other things may mitigate their guilt. That is for God to decide.

Our Spirits are never separated from God. We each have an intimate relationship with the Divine Spirit. Our lives can be directed and enhanced with an acknowledgement of that Spiritual Union. If we choose to stray from Truth, we are not cut off from the Divine we are just standing in a shadow as we find our way back to the Light. However, just as the Light is always connected to the shadow, we have a continuing connection to the Divine Spirit and Light.

It is our Belief that the Great Spirit is a God of Love. Perfection needs no retribution. An angry or vengeful God is not consistent. We were created by God. We have been given Free Will and Intelligence to create science, mathematics, inventions and technology to make our lives better. Compared to the Almighty, we are with diminished understanding that would be less than children compared to adults. No reasonable adult would punish a very young child for all of eternity for spilling milk, soiling a diaper or even for deliberately killing another child. The age and understanding of the transgressor is always a consideration when demanding Justice.

Jesus asked God to, "Forgive Them For They Know Not What They Do" when he was dying on the Cross.

The Almighty will judge us with consideration to all circumstances. Some have been given messages intended to educate and to inform Humanity so the People may grow into Spiritual Perfection. The Lessons are there for us to learn.

3) What Lesson should we learn from the Life, Death and Resurrection of Jesus?

Our Tradition teaches that Jesus told us that he was here to show that Life is Eternal. Jesus made a Sacrifice of His Life for the benefit of Humanity. He lived doing good and speaking the Truth. He created enemies by challenging their authority and hypocrisy. Jesus cured ten lepers but only one returned to thank Him. He raised individuals from the dead and eased suffering. Some witnesses to all of those miracles still hardened their hearts against the Truth.

Jesus did not wish to suffer and die. He repeatedly asked to get out of the grim situation. Jesus did what was necessary. He had a very public humiliation and an unjust trial before the Romans. Jesus's own people demanded His Death. The Apostles denied and abandoned Jesus. Jesus was executed with criminals.

Jesus rose from the dead and showed us that despite all of the wrongs and injustice that we may suffer the Real "Us" cannot be killed by Man or those who would seek to harm us. Life and our Spirits are Eternal.

Jesus showed himself to the women who were at His Tomb. He showed himself to his Apostles. Jesus showed Himself to People in many parts of the World including the Natives in America so the lesson of Eternal Life could be received.

Jesus and the Great Spirit are not finite individuals in the sense that they are a single person. Jesus and the Great Spirit are infinite and omnipresent throughout Creation. Some individuals only know Jesus and the Great Spirit through insight provided by God. They may not know the name Jesus or they may not refer to God in the same way as Americans or Englishmen. They are relying on Jesus and on the Great Spirit if they have found Truth.

A Native in a Rain Forest who Knows that there is a God, lives well, has gratitude, loves his family and respects all life will not be cast into Hell or damned for all Eternity because no Christian ever ventured into the Rain Forest. Baptism may come from God through rain as easily as from the sprinkling of water by a Minister.

The Great Spirit is Perfect. Perfection is Reasonable, Logical and Consistent. Any parts of our Religions that are unreasonable, illogical or inconsistent may be attributed to Human Arrogance and Error.

5) Will Only the Members of a Particular Religion be saved or rewarded with Paradise?

Many modern Churches and Religions teach that the beliefs and dogma of the Theology must be exclusive to the Faithful of the Church and others must conform to the uniform set of beliefs or be excluded from the Chosen Few that will get into Heaven or Share God's Grace. Such beliefs are not very Charitable or even reasonable.

Individuals were given Free Will and the ability to Reason by God. God has Revealed Truth to many individuals in all parts of the World. Some individuals who have never heard the Word Christianity or Islam still Believe in God and live Moral lives. Most Religions have at their core the same values to do Good and Live in a Moral manner.

We are all created in the Image and Likeness of God. God is a Spiritual Being. All individuals and people of all genders are Spiritual Beings. Marriage is a Spiritual Union. Individuals Join their Spirits in a Marriage. The Minister or Priest only presides at the Marriage. Individuals bind themselves before God.

Spirits are without Gender. It is reasonable that two Spirits that fall in Love should be united by Marriage.

Neither the State nor the Federal Government, in the United States of America, may establish a Religion or Church.

Civil Marriage has evolved into a Civil Contract over which the State may rightly have authority. The State may issue licenses, require blood tests, protect property rights issue decrees of divorce. Neither the State nor the Federal Government may become involved with the Spiritual Union that is a Matter of Faith between individuals.

Two Spirits may choose to bind themselves, Spiritually, in Marriage. It does not matter if the Spirits reside in individuals of the same gender.

Love is a gift from God. All individuals who fall in Love should be thankful to God for the Gift.

It is the Inalienable Right of every Spirit to Love and to be Loved. Who we each choose to Love and by whom we each choose to be Loved is not a valid issue for Legislation, Licensing and/or regulation by the State or Federal Government.

Individuals who choose to Marry may Marry without approval or sanction by the Church, State or Federal Government. Individuals who choose to use a Minister or Priest to preside at the wedding are asking for a Blessing of the Union. The Blessing does not make the Marriage more or less valid. The public declaration before witnesses has to do with securing property and rights for children and for the respective spouses.

The State Dissolves the Civil, Contractual, parts of a Marriage. The individuals, themselves, dissolve the Spiritual Union if they choose to leave a Marriage Relationship. No Man has the Power to dissolve the Marriage Union that is Spiritual.

The State and Federal Government may attempt to "Define" Marriage. Under the Civil Law, Legally Defined Marriage will be subject to Civil Law.

"True Marriage" is a Spiritual Union between two (or more) Spirits. Governments and Churches have no authority over the "True Marriage" of Spirits or Individuals. Those, who are in Love, are encouraged to Marry.

1) Male
2) Female
3) Male-Homosexual (Dominant-Male)
4) Female-Homosexual (Dominant-Male)
5) Male-Homosexual (Dominant-Female)
6) Female-Homosexual (Dominant-Female)
7) Hermaphrodites (Male & Female sexual organs present)
8) Multi sexual (Varied Sexual Preference)
9) Neuters (no sexual organs present)
10) Non-sexual (those who are abstinent)

Gender is Created, by God, though Cultural and Psychological influences may focus how a personality perceives itself and lives in Society.

We accept Trans-Sexuals as God's Children. There are good and bad people within each of the genders. Trans-Sexuals have made a decision to alter their body to more directly select a particular gender. It is a choice that they have had to make in the face of many challenges and obstacles from family, friends and society.

Being Anointed to Serve God is the outward symbol of a Vocation to Serve Humanity and God by doing God's Work. There is certainly enough work to be done for individuals of all genders.

The Spirit of a person is without Gender so it makes sense that a Priest and/or Minister may be in the body, or a person, of any gender.

The Great Spirit gave us his Son, Jesus, the Prophets and many other enlightened individuals through the Human Form. All were born of Women. It is reasonable to assume that God could have provided fully formed individuals to deliver messages and/or education to the People. Angels and other messengers are known to have appeared. Instead, God chose to have Jesus and others born of Women. The Body of Jesus did not spring from the body of a male priest without birth. Jesus did not take the office or position of Ordained Priest or Religious Leader.

Religious Leaders must remember their place. They are Servants of the Lord not replacements for Jesus.

The thousands of years of recorded history have shown us that the earth's population has been around for a very long time to the present day. Today, we know that approximately half of the planet's population is composed of Women. The Great Spirit has continued to maintain the balance between men and women at about equal numbers despite wars, infanticide, famine and death from all causes. It is obvious that God places the same value on Women and on Men.

Churches and Clergy should not value women any less than has been demonstrated by God. Half of Humanity's Birthright belongs to women.

We know from experience that women and men think differently about many of the same issues. Often a woman's perspective is different from that of a man. Men often misunderstand issues, of women, even if the men have good intentions. The same is true of women attempting to understand men.

Ministers are needed by all genders. It is short sighted to believe that one gender could serve and understand the needs of all genders.

Ministers are Servants of the Great Spirit. The Good Servant uses his Master's Talents to maximize return. Churches should use all available resources to maximize the Good that they do. It is a waste to turn half of the available talent away from the Ministry.

The Great Spirit inspires and calls individuals to Service. All who are called by God should be welcomed by Churches to Serve as Ministers.

During the Communion Service the bread and wine are changed into the Body and Blood of Christ. Jesus is Reborn to be shared in Communion. A Woman Served for the first Birth of Christ. There should be no objection to Women being the instruments of the Rebirth.

The drinking of wine (Blood of Christ) by the receivers of Communion is not necessary.

Catholics believe, as a matter of Faith, that the bread and wine of the Communion Service is transformed into the actual Body and Blood of Christ. The Body can exist without some of its Blood. The Bread or Host is the Body of Christ. The Body must contain Blood if it is truly the Mortal Body of Christ. Therefore, a person may receive the Body and Blood of Christ by taking only the Bread or Host.

It is my opinion that wine containing measurable amounts of alcohol is not necessary.

Jesus turned the bread and wine into His Body and Blood. Jesus did not turn the alcohol into His Blood. The issue and argument turns on what constitutes wine?

Is it wine if the juice from the grapes has 10 percent alcohol? Is it wine if there is only 1 percent alcohol? Grape juice begins to ferment as soon as it makes contact with air. The result would be miniscule amounts of alcohol in all grape juice. Therefore, all grape juice could be considered "New Wine".

My recommendation and own practice is to use Grape Juice as New Wine for the Sacrament. The New Wine that I use has no measurable alcohol content.

It is a sad fact that many older priests are alcoholics due to years of Sacramental wine consumption during multiple Masses each day. It is not the best example for altar boys or for the larger congregation.

11) Is a special bread required for the Blessed Sacrament

No. Any type of bread may be used for the Blessed Sacrament.

I recall using commercially prepared "Wonder Bread" for the Sacrament. I thought what a great idea.

I most often use "Hosts" prepared by a Religious items supplier.

I have used biscuits prepared with Bisquick and also biscuits prepared from scratch using flour, salt etc.

The Miracle of the Eucharist is not limited by the type of Bread used. Custom keeps some people employed making Sacramental bread. Employees of Commercial bakeries are also entitled to jobs.

I hope that I have answered your questions without picking a fight. Some may view my words as "fighting words" or an attack on Christianity. That is not my intent.

Member of the Imperial Holy Orthodox Synod of the Holy Orthodox Church of All Russia and Appointed Chief Patriarch for United States of America - California, Mexico and for ALL Latin American Countries.

Metropolitan/Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Native Americans and President of the College of Bishops of the Mexican National Catholic Church

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