Peter's Sermon In Caesarea

Luke relates (Acts 10) that Simon Peter had a troubling visionary experience in the ancient city of Jaffa. The next day, he departed Jaffa for Caesarea where he preached a sermon in which he declared that "the god is not a 'respecter' of persons" and that "the god-fearing who work deeds of righteousness in every nation are acceptable to him."

It was a promising start, but it was not to last. Creeds were formulated as the litmus test of acceptability to the god of Christianity and the value of righteous deeds forgotten. Instead, the faithful are told to believe.



After the creeds, institutional enforcement mechanisms were put in place...



and the new belief-based "righteousness" became a warrant by which blood could be freely and legitimately shed.



Had he been present to hear it, Voltaire would have listened to Peter's sermon with cautious optimism. Throughout his life, he never tired of preaching its like.



But wishful thinking, magical thinking, continue to dominate religious thinking. Disneyanity is the reigning disposition of those who profess themselves faithful.



And those who fail to remember the past are condemned to repeat it.