The Unconditional Human Spirit

See Grok’s comments (posted at the bottom of this opening section) on these opening two essays just below.

Rogan and guests sparked this comment, Wendell Krossa

In this episode (link posted below) of the “Joe Rogan Experience”, with guests Francis Foster and Konstantin Kisin, they discuss, among varied topics, Hamas extremism.

And I would emphasize in response, yes, you have to go after and stop such extremist groups as fundamental to protecting innocent citizens. That is the number one priority of governments- to use police and military force to arrest such offenders where that is safe to do so, and when its not safe, then you have to “shoot to kill” these threatening people. We cannot tolerate such threats anywhere in life.

But then, as my repeatedly quoted “military guy” said, to solve the problem of violence for the long-term, we have to understand where threatening terrorists get their fundamental ideas from. What really motivates them? Where do they get the ideas that incite, guide, and validate their violence toward differing others?

Their inciting and validating ideas come from the “parent religion” that they belong to, and, most specifically, from the “parent God” of the religion (see the article below on the Muslim Brotherhood and that author’s comment on Hamas following the “parent group’s ideology”). The God of the religion is at the very root of the problem of violence that we must resolve. Again, while it incites rage in some, or many, “It’s the theology, stupid” nails the critical issue of a main contributing factor to the problem of human violence.

(Insert: This is not picking on Islam because it shares the very same deity as Christianity and Judaism. These Western religions share deity images with the very same core features of tribalism, domination, punitive destruction of unbelievers, etc.)

Deity is central to the bad behavior problem because as “ultimate Authority” it provides the ultimate embodiment of the ideals that validate tribal violence, domination, punitive destruction of differing others. The critical role of deity in providing ideals for human behavior is why Historical Jesus went directly to the theology of his parent religion- Judaism- and rejected the traditional image of God in that religion. He did that by his refusal to read the follow-up statement in the Isaiah 61 passage- “The day of vengeance of our God.” He rejected the belief in retaliatory, destroying God, the punitively violent deity that provided validation for human violence. Read the rest of the opening comment here

Among varied other things below- Probing with Grok’s help, why people become enraged at advocacy for mercy, forgiveness, or unconditional generosity to be shown toward differing others, toward offenders/opponents, or enemies. Spoiler- It has to do with locating our identity too immutably in the ideas/beliefs that dominate our narratives, ideas/beliefs like justice as some form of “eye for eye” retribution. Challenge to such beliefs then becomes an issue of the survival of our self. Hence, the murderous rage.

Illustrating with (1) those Jews in the audience at Jesus’ first public speaking event (i.e. their murderous outrage at his “stunning new non-retaliatory theology”- Luke 4), then (2) Paul’s similar reaction to the stunning new theology and message of Jesus (i.e. he created his retaliatory Christ myth to “bury” those non-retaliatory “diamonds” of Jesus), and (3) Muhammad’s response- i.e. rejection of the non-retaliatory theology of Jesus in the gospel of Matthew, the book that his mentor, the Ebionite priest Waraqa, used to instruct him in theology.

Affirmation from Grok– Following Grok’s evaluation of varied blogs/essays on this site.

This from Grok regarding my list of the “most influential bad ideas in history”, ideas that have dominated our meta-narratives across history, both religious and secular/ideological:

Grok says, “Your list is remarkably comprehensive, hitting major chords in human storytelling: decline, guilt, divine justice, conflict, and redemption. These themes dominate especially in Axial Age religions (c. 800–200 BCE) and their successors (Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Zoroastrianism, etc.), which shaped much of Western and Middle Eastern thought. They also appear in secular ideologies (e.g., progress narratives, revolutionary utopianism), showing their adaptability…

“Your list captures some of the most recurring and influential themes in human mythologies and religions, reflecting deep psychological, social, and existential concerns….

“Your seven themes are strikingly resilient, morphing from mythic to ideological forms without losing their emotional or moral grip. They shape modern debates— climate, politics, tech— by recasting gods as systems, sins as policies, and salvation as progress. Their evolution reflects a shift from divine to human agency, but the core stories endure, proving their psychological and cultural power.

“These ideas resonate across cultures and eras because they address universal questions about meaning, morality, suffering, and destiny.”

And then…

This from Grok on the enraged reaction of people to the central unconditional theme of Historical Jesus: Read the rest of the opening comment here

Below: Some interesting comment below by Carson Jerema on the Nazis as socialists, and the Canadian Liberal’s refusal to accept that. It undermines a favorite smear that Western liberals/leftists apply to all opponents today, and illustrates the element of psychological “projection” in doing that.

An Australian friend posted this to our discussion group:

“Subject: Humanity

“One day I hope humanity will look at each other with the same wonderment and awe as when we gaze at the stars.” (Attributed to De Waal). We need to do that today. We are stuck in a universal crisis. We seem to have lost all respect for one another. How many drones and missiles has Russia fired at Ukraine? More than 1,200! That is beyond insanity and stupidity. A diabolical evil.”

I responded:

“___, this drives my site probing and commentary on- What incites and validates hatred toward differing others? What drives too many of the ongoing eruptions of violence toward others? I probe themes like “salvation through destruction”, a dominant theme in too many of today’s meta-narratives, both religious and secular.

“As usual, this is my understanding of the human use of ‘behavior based on belief’, an ancient and still common coupling that arises from our primary impulse to meaning and purpose, our impulse as children to be like Daddy. Hence, that summary statement of Jesus, ‘Be unconditionally merciful just as your Father is unconditionally merciful’.” Wendell Krossa

Courage or cowardice?, Wendell Krossa

I have long been intrigued by human displays of either courage or cowardice in the face of crises, whether personal or larger social situations. It is something most of us feel when victims face mobs, bullies, thugs, especially at times when it matters as in some larger situation/context of an assault on basic human freedom. Read the rest of the opening comment here

See below, “Nonprofits Cruelly Normalize Poverty for Climate Virtue”, by Vijay Jayaraj. Vijay illustrates the destructive outcomes from history’s latest “salvation through destruction” crusade, the “climate crisis” crusade. Driven by the same basic themes that drove Marxist revolutions and Nazi horrors. The historians/scholars have done the good homework exposing these “profoundly religious” crusades.

President Trump made the “cute” comment recently on Air Force One that he did not think he would get into heaven, despite the good things that he has done for many others.

“‘I’m being a little cute.’ Trump considers if Gaza ceasefire will get him into heaven”, Kinsey Crowly, Oct. 13, 2025

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/10/13/donald-trump-heaven/86668964007/

Unbelievable to hear in 2025 this kind of talk from someone who self-identifies as exceptionally bright/intelligent, and on varied things, yes. He is notably bright on business/economic policies (reduce taxation, regulation), immigration (control and ensure immigrants assimilate to liberal democracy values and practices), foreign policy (fair trade, ending wars), etc. But even jokingly, this reveals a mind that holds to some of the most primitive mythology to have ever darkened and enslaved human minds- i.e. the felt need to do good works in order to gain salvation, divine favor, find inclusion among the “saved righteous ones”.

I guess this is all to be expected from a person who holds to a retaliatory, punitive “eye for eye” view of justice (apparently his dominant “guiding ethic”), and also, obviously, to a similarly retaliatory, punitive God who validates that conditional salvation mythology.

It’s always interesting how we can hold such contrary and mutually exclusive elements in our heads- i.e. great advanced insights in some areas and then total blind “stupidity” (a common Trump term) in other areas. “Cognitive dissonance” helps us to understand this a bit. Read the rest of the opening comment here

Preface notes… “Its the theology, stupid”, Historical Jesus. Huh? OK, my paraphrase of his central message.

We are all feeling the intensity of the love and joy of relatives as they greet the just released Israeli hostages. It is so intensely moving. That is what love is all about, rejoicing in life with family and friends. And such a contrast to the hatred that sparked the insane eruption of violence two years ago, a hatred so deeply instilled and intense that mothers rejoice that they can offer their children to a death-cult to be sacrificed as suicide-bombers, wishing they had more children to sacrifice in such manner (see Dave Rubin interview of Moran Stella Yanai below).

And this pushes me repeatedly to try to grapple with what fuels such hatred that would commit such barbaric inhumanity against fellow humans. This site explores and presents some of the critical contributing factors to the varied eruptions of madness, the repeated crusades of “salvation through destruction” that we are all exposed to repeatedly… i.e. the madness of last century’s violent Marxist revolutions (now revived as neo-collectivism in far-left Woke Progressivism with DEI and the related reviving of another more straightforward socialism crusade as in New York), the ongoing madness (over three decades now) of hysterical climate alarmism with its “salvation” scheme of Net Zero decarbonization ruining our societies, and of course the Islamic terrorism still seeking “salvation through the destruction of enemies” in varied places. Among other varieties of similar “madness of crowds”.

And we know more now what drives such eruptions of madness- i.e. the core themes that incite, guide, and validate “man’s inhumanity to man”. Themes that are close to home for all of us, embedded deeply in our meta-narratives and the archetypes of our shared subconscious, whether we identify as religious or secular materialist, or whatever. I wrestle with my own family tradition of Christianity, with its dominant role over the past two millennia in shaping Western consciousness and narratives both religious and secular, with its core themes of “salvation through destruction” as epitomized in Paul’s Christology and “apocalyptic millennial” mythology illustrated graphically in the New Testament book of Revelation.

So much to explore, understand, and then get busy cleaning up the mess that we have inherited. Doing what Thomas Jefferson and Leo Tolstoy wisely advocated- i.e. to pull the “diamonds out of the dung” as in fulfilling our basic responsibility to separate the good from the bad in all areas of life. A wisdom sage has shown us exactly how we do this. “It’s the theology, stupid”, he argued. See a reposting of the central precepts and wisdom sayings of Historical Jesus below, his brilliant coupling of “behavior based on similar theology” that presented his “stunning new theology… his greatest contribution to the history of human ideas”. It’s the “unconditional” theme of this site. Read the rest of the opening comment here

Regarding the earlier “oopsie” that must have singed the eyes of you British visitors… “Sousing out” was a local term where I was from, for trying to figure something out. Or maybe it was just my Dad’s slang for that. Hmmm. Localisms, eh.

New material below from Michael Shellenberger on the advocacy for violence as mainly coming from the left today. Also, examples of “suicidal empathy” in Canadian “catch and release” approaches that release repeat violent offenders to further harm innocent civilians in Canadian cities (abandoning common-sense). And more…

See also “Hamas influenced/shaped by religious beliefs” with a related article. Hamas illustrates the larger problem of bad ideas/archetypes continuing to shape crusades of “salvation through destruction”, an infection that has plagued all the major religious traditions across history, and continues to infect “secular/ideological” versions of our modern era.

The climate science behind climate change. Point? There is no “climate crisis”. We are living through climate change that can be best understood in terms of “natural variation” caused by prominent natural factors. This evidence counters the irrational hysteria incited by the prophets of the climate apocalypse narrative. And that narrative can be understood better in terms of the continuing influence of apocalyptic millennial mythology on many people today.

The evidence below, along with much similar evidence, reveals/exposes the climate crisis movement to be a “profoundly religious crusade”. Its certainly not science. This site probes the mythology behind such crusades and their endeavors to undermine/overturn our liberal democracies through crusades promising “salvation through destruction”, typical of all the similar crusades before, whether religious or “secular/ideological” (as in “secularized” versions of the same basic mythological themes).

Note the same old “salvation through destruction” in Marxist versions, in Nazism, and now prominently in environmental alarmism. The “destruction” element is in the “de-growth, de-development” policies of “Net Zero decarbonization”. Policies now hindering, overturning, and eventually full-frontal ruining/destroying our heritage of industrial civilization based on (what are in reality) plentiful and (hence, what should be) inexpensive fossil fuels.

Add here also the good research of atmospheric physicists like Richard Lindzen and William Happer on the physics of CO2 (see their reports at “CO2coalition.org”) and the fact that the warming influence of CO2 is now “saturated”, a physics term referring to the fact that the area on the infrared spectrum where CO2 functions to warm climate (around 15 mm) is now full. And even a doubling of CO2 levels to 800 ppm will not result in much more warming, if any. Read the rest of the opening comment here

Comedian and podcaster Jimmy Dore, “We are the most propagandized and lied to people and we don’t know it”.

See below a response to a discussion group member who defends the atonement beliefs and Christ myth of Paul, and my argument for the entirely opposite theology and message of Historical Jesus, a non-religious message with potential to usher in the ultimate liberation movement. And comment on what is at stake in this debate over the differences between Jesus and Paul’s Christ.

Also below: I’ve reposted the common themes that have shaped religions like Christianity and Islam to show that this site does not pick on any one religious tradition, for the reason that they all share that same complex of core themes, inherited from our primitive ancestors and passed down embodied as archetypes of the subconscious. Every religion has framed those basic themes in their diverse traditions with minor adjustments, while at the same time preserving the fundamental threat theology and conditional nature of all religion.

Also more Rogan below. Quibbling with his incorrect application of “socialism”.

“The Devil’s Algorithm: Unplugging from the Climate Matrix”, Tilak Doshi (Substack), Oct. 4, 2025

https://wattsupwiththat.com/2025/10/04/the-devils-algorithm-unplugging-from-the-climate-matrix/

Doshi begins: Read the rest of the opening comment here

New below– “‘Deep State’ a conspiracy?” (what evidence points to), and discussion group posts on “God is not Christian” (arguing whether Historical Jesus affirmed atonement/sacrifice beliefs).

See also at bottom of this opening section some counter points to Sam Harris’s absurd claim that there is no “human free will” (“free will is a powerful, necessary illusion”). Some helpful insights from the NDE movement affirming Joseph Campbell’s speculations on the dualism of good versus evil in this realm and ultimate Oneness. Free choice is a necessary reality to the existence of authentic moral good, or human purpose and responsibility is meaningless. But such is the outcome of “ultimate meaninglessness” in philosophical materialism.

See Bob Brinsmead’s latest Substack on how Paul formed Christianity from Hellenism along with other strains of ancient mythology. And my comfort with unconditional as “non-religious”. Also, an affirmation of Pete Hegseth’s comment that pacifism is “dangerous”. Totalitarian threat must be met with and defeated by credible military force.

Wikipedia founder Larry Sanger- “Wikipedia has become a propaganda site”

https://www.thefp.com/p/i-founded-wikipedia-heres-how-to-fix-it

Intro from Free Press: “I Founded Wikipedia. Here’s How to Fix It, Larry Sanger”

These intro comments by Oliver Wiseman: Read the rest of the opening comment here

See material below on free speech as illustrated by comedian Leonarda Jonie, and the comments of Gad Saad, Ira Glasser, and others on this critical element in freedom and liberal democracy.

Also, a recap of the historical descent of Islam from Ebionite Jewish Christianity (Islam shares the same basic themes of its mother religion). My point is in response to Bill Maher’s arguments that Christianity is superior to Islam in terms of moderating impulses to intolerance and violence.

Yes, that is true in the modern era (notably last few centuries), but was not true across the past two millennia when Paul’s “Christ-ianity” (as distinguished from Jesus’ “Q Wisdom Sayings” message) was significantly responsible for inciting and validating repeated eruptions of mass-death (i.e. the Crusades, Inquisitions and persecution of heretics and witches, etc.). And where was the moderation of intolerance and violence in the past century when the “apocalyptic millennial” themes of Paul’s Christ myth drove Marxist and Nazi mass-death outbreaks, and continue to drive the climate apocalypse crusade and its Net Zero decarbonization madness.

This site has repeatedly posted the good historical research on these things (i.e. Richard Landes’ “Heaven on Earth: The Varieties of the Millennial Experience”, Arthur Herman’s “The Idea of Decline in Western History”, Arthur Mendel’s “Vision and Violence”, David Redles’ “Hitler’s Millennial Reich”, etc.).

See also below the vindication and celebration of violence today as the means to a better future (the Mangione and Kirk incidents)- i.e. “Suffering through contemporary ‘madness of crowds’ eruptions”. And other stuff.

Themes to unite Sapiens around (the best of a “force” propelling us toward a humane future), Wendell Krossa

Yuval Harari in “Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind” notes that from 70,000 to 30,000 years ago our species Homo sapiens went through the Cognitive Revolution where we discovered new ways of thinking and communicating. We created language that enabled us to communicate meaning. The humans of that period learned to communicate more than just information about the physical world around them. They also learned to imagine and communicate fictitious things that do not exist at all and to do so “collectively”. Read the rest of the opening comment here

Below- Another good article from Bob Brinsmead on the triumph of Hellenism in Paul’s Christ myth. The Kirk memorial offered examples of how the critical distinction between Jesus and Christ continues to be confused. Brinsmead shows more of the differing outcomes from these two opposite realities. This is about understanding the real nature of the version of Christianity that we inherited in our Western civilization. Paul’s “Christ-ianity” is not the religion of Jesus.

Now just below- “Notable contradictions between Jesus and Paul’s Christ“. The importance of understanding this? The historical outcomes of influential ideas/beliefs matter as the historians of “apocalyptic millennialism” have outlined in their good research on how such ideas shaped the mass-death crusades of Marxism and Nazism, and are now influencing environmental alarmism.

Also further below- Links to good commentary from Gad Saad and Michael Malice, and Greg Gutfeld’s latest. And a bit of my “conspiracy theory” on the “Carney barker” for the climate cult (why Trump “likes Mark Carney”).

In the midst of stirred fires keep the light in our minds clear… Wendell Krossa

I heard a ‘Turning Point’ official say that Charlie Kirk pushed three basic things to unite the country- i.e. (1) limited government (less taxation which is the elite/state appropriation of citizen’s property to make choices for them over their assets, and less regulation to keep elites and bureaucrats from interfering in the personal choices and lives of citizens), (2) free speech (especially offensive, upsetting, enraging speech), and (3) free markets (protected private property, private contracts). These are Classic Liberal, liberal democracy fundamentals that function to maintain the rights and freedoms of all individuals, equally, through systems of common law and representative institutions that serve citizens and do not function as tools of the state elites/bureaucrats to meddle in and control the lives of citizens. These basics can unite all humanity. Read the rest of the opening comment here

“Defusing hatred, retaliation, and violence” is just below… Note also below, Grok’s response to a query if the advocacy for political violence was more of a problem on the “left/liberal” side of the US. He provides results of varied surveys. Also, “Bury the ‘Words are Violence’ cliché. We need maximal tolerance for speech; zero tolerance for force”, by Greg Lukianoff. And varied other summaries of good articles, and comment on the “madness of crowds” era that we are living through.

I want to be clear that I approach the central themes of Historical Jesus (posted below as the best defusers of hatred and violence) as a non-religious person who views this wisdom sage and his message as entirely non-religious. Yes, it has been preserved within Christianity for some two millennia now, but research over the past 3 centuries has enabled us to understand what Thomas Jefferson and Leo Tolstoy were arguing when they stated that the “diamonds” of Jesus had been buried (trigger warning) in the “dung” of Paul’s Christ myth that dominates the New Testament.

“Buried” in that the main themes of Historical Jesus- i.e. themes of a non-retaliatory God (no more eye for eye but love enemies because God does), a non-apocalyptic God (a non-retaliatory God will not engage the ultimate act of retaliation that is apocalypse), an unconditional God who did not want sacrifice but instead desired love and mercy (Jesus took up the protest of Old Testament prophets against the sacrifice industry, and also presented the unconditional nature of God in stories like the Prodigal Father). He taught themes of non-domination (do not lord over but serve others), non-discriminatory inclusion of all as equals (sun and rain given to all, to both good and bad), etc.

Paul rejected the early “Q Wisdom Sayings” Jesus movement two decades later (50 CE) and re-affirmed the very opposite theology of Jesus in presenting again a retaliatory God (he quoted, “’Vengeance is mine, I will repay’, says the Lord”), an apocalyptic God and Christ (“Lord Jesus will return in flaming fire to destroy all”). He reaffirmed the ultimate divine condition of the sacrifice of a godman, taking Jesus’ death for protesting against sacrifice and turning that into the very opposite- i.e. his death as ultimate cosmic sacrifice. He took this wisdom sage who rejected domination (do not lord over others) and turned him into the ultimate Lord, “Lord Jesus”. And Paul re-instated tribal exclusion in the eternal separation of true believers in his Christ myth from eternally damned unbelievers, etc. Read the rest of the opening comment here

Richard Landes (“Heaven On Earth”) has traced the trajectory of apocalyptic millennial movements. Apocalyptic millennialism promotes the narrative that is fundamental to the ideologies of Marxists/leftists. Landes noted that when an apocalyptic millennial movement begins to fail then disillusioned followers of the movement become desperate and double down, much like Tim Walz stated a while back at a rally, “We Democrats have to double down on Woke”. Some even make the shift to the “exterminate or be exterminated” phase. They move to desperate measures. Anything now goes to save the crusade, to keep it going. We are also seeing this “doubling down” in desperation with the climate alarmism crusade.

Note the article below reporting on surveys showing political violence may be a “bothsideism” issue, with perhaps a shift to the left recently.

This latest from Michael Shellenberger:

“Left’s Dehumanization Of MAGA Behind Rising Support For Violence: Decrying Charlie Kirk’s assassination isn’t enough”, Michael Shellenberger, Alex Gutentag, Sep 11, 2025

https://www.public.news/p/lefts-dehumanization-of-maga-behind

Shellenberger and Gutentag, along with others, argue that the dehumanization/demonization of conservatives over past decades as “far-right, Nazis, fascists” has produced the current climate that legitimizes and validates violence against such people. Read the rest of the opening comment here