The Unconditional Human Spirit

See below the excellent presentation by Walker Wright on how Free market liberal democracy humanizes us all. I requested Grok to summarize the main points and evidence from the linked transcript of the interview (from Humanprogress.org). “Walker Wright: How Markets Make Us Better People: Walker Wright discusses the evidence linking economic freedom to good behavior”, Chelsea Follett, Aug. 19, 2026

This “Humanprogress” interview counters the Marxist/collectivist/leftist mantra about capitalism as all about “greed and selfishness”.

See also below- “New Insert re modern-era madness“, some material on the Adam Corolla/Drew Pinsky interview of Sarah Rogers.

Now, to shift to this…

“Madness of crowds” (Charles MacKay) still dominates our modern era, Wendell Krossa (the insanity dominating so much of modern public life)

Intro insert:

Note the latest endeavor to “gin up” an apocalyptic alarm in the claims that AI poses the threat of “the extinction of humanity”. Nonsense. The alarmism generated over AI is followed with calls for state intervention and control of this technology. That will bring the usual and inevitable ruin that follows all elite and bureaucratic meddling and control of private business. Read the rest of the opening comment here

See psychologist Harold Ellens’ essay below on “monster God/sick God” theology and the psychological damage that inflicts on human personality and life.

Ellens states that the monster God theology has infected and shaped all 3 of the great western religions- i.e. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Ellens does not pick on any one religion in particular as all have the same basic theology, though he does note Islam to illustrate eruptions of theocratic violence today.

Note that Ellens uses features other than my evil triad (i.e. tribalism, domination, violent destruction) to illustrate his version of “monster” theology.

Understand the nature of the real monster in the Hero’s Quest battle of good against evil that we all engage in life.

The desire to engage a hero’s quest is natural to all of us, to confront and defeat some enemy/monster, and to gain valued insights from our battles with monsters in life whether physical struggles, mental/emotional difficulties, social/political/economic issues, or whatever we battle with in the diversity of human stories.

The mental pathology of monster God theology deforms the “Hero’s Quest” with ideas like cosmic dualism that affirms people in feeling heroic for engaging tribalism battles against fellow humans. When people’s spirits are misdirected by pathologies like tribalism, they will engage crusades to defeat and dominate others and even find themselves energized to use violence to destroy differing others as “enemies”, believing that in doing so they are heroically fulfilling a divinely demanded purification of the world. These ideas/beliefs have driven theocracy crusades of varied types (Crusades, Inquisitions, persecution of heretics/unbelievers) and continue to drive modern-era movements like Marxist revolutions and environmental salvation crusades.

Ellens details below the psychology involved in the perversion of human personality and life under the influence of monster God theology.

Historical Jesus saw clearly that the real monster or enemy was not differing others (i.e. no more eye for eye against others) but instead it was the monster God of religious theology that was the real enemy of all humanity. He went after that monster with a “stunning new theology” to defeat it- i.e. an alternative image of deity.

Battling/defeating the ultimate Monster, Wendell Krossa

A uniquely insightful hero defeated humanity’s greatest monster. He liberated us from millennia of darkness and enslavement to that monster. The true believers in the monster then killed the man for daring to protest the core of their identity. Read the rest of the opening comment here

See new material at the bottom of this section:

“More on the single most profound insight ever presented, Wendell Krossa”

Quote: “… even in physics (long presented as dealing with the most fundamental reality- i.e. the “material”) many have started to realize that there is something to Neils Bohr’s point that there appears to be an inseparable relationship between the conscious observer and observed reality… Others, involved with the early discoveries that were emerging from quantum mechanics, began to conclude that something Conscious was at the basis of reality.”

The insight/discovery that changes everything, that transforms human understanding more than anything ever spoken by anyone. So yes- “single most profound insight/discovery in history”, Wendell Krossa

The material below is similar to a section I posted last week but this adds more on the sources that I draw on to present the “single most profound insight/discovery” in all of human history. That sounds superlative, hyperbolic but consider that wisdom sage was presenting what others have termed “a stunning new theology” (e.g. James Robinson) previously unheard of in human history. He was speaking to the true nature of the Ultimate Reality, the creating Source of all, the sustaining Ground of all, the Consciousness/Mind behind all reality, the very essence of all that holds the material in existence. There is nothing more fundamental, more basic, more essential to all reality, spiritual or material.

TOE and modern science, along with human spirituality and philosophy, have across human history tried to understand what is the nature of the Source of all things, what is it really like? That speculation has been motivated by our primary impulse to meaning and purpose. We ask questions like Why does this all exist? Why do we exist? For what reason or purpose?

We (all humanity) sense intuitively that the Creator, the nature of the Creator, provides insight into why we have been created and why this world has been created. Hence, we speculate. Mythology, religious beliefs, philosophy, science are all propelled by such curiosity, the impulse to know what is behind all things. Read the rest of the opening comment here

Most people across history have accepted that some form of Mind, Consciousness, Intelligence, Spirit, Self, etc., what people have always referred to as “God”, is the creating and sustaining Source of all reality. Then the breakthrough insight of Historical Jesus that God is no conditions love amounts to “history’s single greatest insight into the nature of reality.”

His presentation of the nature of deity in his “behavior based on belief” coupling- i.e. “Be unconditionally merciful just as God is unconditionally merciful”- is the single most profound thing any human being has ever spoken.

That central summary of his message points to the most profound liberation ever offered to humanity- Liberation from millennia of enslavement to the mind and spirit-deforming fear of threat theology.

Jesus’ stunning new theology is entirely contrary to all religious traditions that present deity as demanding conditions for salvation and threaten punishment and destruction for unbelievers.

Paul rejected the stunning new theology of Jesus and effectively derailed Jesus’ new liberation movement. He buried Jesus’ new theology and message in a revival of threat theology, framing his Christ myth with statements like- “Vengeance is mine, I will repay”, “Knowing the terror of the Lord”, “The wrath of God is being revealed”, “(Unbelievers) will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord”, etc.

Coming soon- I am getting Grok to provide details on the research that provides the basis for concluding that Historical Jesus introduced a radically new theology, a revolutionary new theology of an unconditional God. This entirely “non-religious” theology transforms entirely our understanding of the true nature of core reality, ultimate Reality.

Grok covers Search for Historical Jesus, Jesus Seminar, and notably “Q Wisdom Sayings” research and conclusions. I take my points from such material.

Note Grok’s last comment below replying to my “pushback” on its qualifying responses. That gets closest to what this site is trying to communicate.

Grok, from your surveys of http://www.wendellkrossa.com/ material, not just recent posts but repeated presentations of main issues, could you summarize the main points of this site, what I am trying to communicate to readers.

Grok reply:

The site (wendellkrossa.com, “The Unconditional Human Spirit”) centers on liberating human consciousness from ancient, fear-based narrative archetypes (“Old Story Themes”) that still shape religious and secular worldviews, by replacing them with alternatives rooted in unconditional love— primarily drawing from the Historical Jesus’ non-retaliatory, non-tribal, non-dominating theology of God. wendellkrossa.com

Krossa repeatedly frames this as a deep spiritual-psychological project (not primarily political or economic). It targets the root ideas that incite, energize, and validate inherited impulses toward tribal exclusion/hatred, domination/control of others, and retaliatory destruction— the “evil triad” of the worst human tendencies. These ideas, he argues, produce emotional satisfaction (status as morally superior “heroic warriors” in cosmic good-vs-evil battles) even when evidence shows repeated horrific outcomes (mass violence, totalitarianism, societal derailment). wendellkrossa.com Read the rest of the opening comment here

The sampling of quotes from NDE accounts posted further below: Taking unconditional out of the realm of abstract theological statements/definitions/categories and giving it some sense of emotion. What inexpressible unconditional love feels like to those who have tasted it.

Also below, an Instagram post on Frank Herbert’s statement that power attracts pathological personalities. Does this help understand why centralization of power/planning/control in socialist/collectivist systems inevitably ends in destructive totalitarianism?

Prelude note: The comment below focuses on the abuse of the hero’s impulse and quest, the deformity of that impulse/quest that is driven by bad theology and related beliefs. The deformity of heroism then produces horrific outcomes for others when self-deluded people frame their cosmically-shaped tribalism, governed by base impulses to vengeful retaliation, domination of others, and destruction of differing others, as a righteous battle against evil.

The points made below do not deny or discredit the situations of legitimate battle of good against evil. Notably, the Allies’ defensive assaults against Germany and Japan during WW2 (rightly termed “just war”). Also, the ongoing and necessary defense of liberal democracy against Marxist collectivism that destroys societies and has been responsible for tens of millions killed over the past century or so.

Add also to our understanding of “authentic battles of good against evil”, the necessary battle against theocracy crusades that continue to erupt and plague our modern-era world.

One more: I urge visitors to take a look at the section below this section and note Grok’s detailed analysis of the psychology that impels people to repeatedly choose bad ideas/beliefs despite evidence of horrific outcomes. The same psychology applies to the desire of many, noted below, to frame their expressions of divisive tribalism, dehumanizing domination of others, along with the destruction of differing others, as righteous and just crusades of good against evil. Read the rest of the opening comment here

This site tries to understand why so many people continue to find emotional satisfaction in choosing bad ideas/beliefs to guide and validate their behavior and lives. “Bad” in that they are ideas/beliefs that have histories of horrific outcomes for societies.

A main project here? To understand better why so many of us still embrace ideas/beliefs that validate some form of tribalism (i.e. viewing ourselves as unchallengeably righteous, as morally superior members of our group, versus differing others as the evil unbelievers), ideas/beliefs that validate some form of domination of others (i.e. intervening, manipulating and controlling others, often through state coercion mechanisms), and ideas/beliefs that energize and validate forms of justice as the defeat and “eye for eye” destruction of differing others.

Why do so many choose ideas/beliefs, with narratives framed by such ideas, that then validate them in feeling that they are heroic warriors in a great battle of good against evil, that they are on the side of cosmic Good against evil?

In actuality, such beliefs/themes originated with the most primitive and dehumanizing of ancient ideas and beliefs, and continuing to embrace them to frame our narratives today will derail our progress toward becoming maturely human in liberal democracy.

A major element in the project of this site is to probe better alternative ideas/beliefs to shape human narratives, and that includes the radical rethinking of the nature of ultimate reality/deity along the lines of the transformation of theology that Historical Jesus undertook, when he presented his stunning new unconditional, nonreligious view of God that was entirely contrary to the religious threat theologies of all previous history.

Trying to understand what drives people to embrace bad ideas with histories of proven bad outcomes, Wendell Krossa (This is where, with prompting, AI shines)

And just below this opening material- With Grok’s input I present humanity’s best alternatives to bad ideas, alternatives that promote better outcomes. That starts with a notable historical figure who tackled the fundamental “archetypes” (ideas/ideals, beliefs) of the human collective subconscious. His insights contributed to the later development of liberal democracy principles, laws, institutions.

Grok, I know I have asked you this before and you gave some good responses, but once again, what is the psychology that is operating in people who find “emotional satisfaction” (Kristian Niemietz’s term in Socialism: The Failed Idea That Never Dies) in choosing the same old ideas/beliefs to shape their narratives even against rational evidence that shows the same destructive outcomes again and again? I am thinking of, for example, socialist/collectivist destruction of societies, and other crusades that were/are driven by apocalyptic millennial themes like Nazism, environmental alarmism, etc.

My thoughts are along these lines- i.e. That people are responding to deeply embedded archetypes of the subconscious that have to do with, for example, human identity issues. They choose long-validated beliefs that grant satisfaction in virtue-signaling for status as morally superior with their tribe/group (i.e. a fundamental human need according to Jordan Peterson).

The common choice is for beliefs that give satisfaction to people by enabling them to portray themselves as heroically fighting on the side of a good God, in a righteous battle for good against “evil/satanic” others who are demonized as the “enemies/unbelievers” on the side of the evil Force. Differing others are portrayed as those who threaten the true and righteous tribe/group.

Insert: You will note my persistent arguments on how certain ideas/beliefs incite, energize, and validate the inherited impulses to tribalism, defeat and domination of others, and retaliatory destruction of differing others. Read the rest of the opening comment here

See “A stunning new alternative narrative” just below… Also, Michael Shellenberger on Yiyang Zhuge’s interview of Christopher Nolan (“The Odyssey”).

To any leaning into alarmist narratives of some sort… Wendell Krossa

Consider what you are doing when you push an alarmist narrative in public, whether religious, secular/ideological (Marxist/socialist), or environmental alarmism versions.

Most of us will nod affirmatively that child abuse is bad. Then add this to your list of the differing forms of child abuse- i.e. the undermining of the natural optimism of children with end-of-life apocalyptic scenarios will devastate their hope to engage life, to grow up and offer some contribution to making our world better. Pay attention to the surveys that reveal how widespread this hopelessness is among children and young adults (“eco-anxiety”).

AI Overview

Global survey data confirms that climate change and apocalyptic scenarios are causing widespread “eco-anxiety” and a profound loss of hope among children and young adults. Landmark research reveals that over half of the world’s youth believe humanity is doomed…

A breakdown of the prominent surveys, data points, and emotional impacts highlights this growing phenomenon. Read the rest of the opening comment here

See the “Site Project reminder” below that was put to several AI. A main project of this site is to remind readers, especially young people, that “Its going to be alright for everyone, ultimately”.

Point? Do not fear going out into life to make a personal contribution to improving our world. Apocalyptic Declinism, a dominant theme in contemporary public narratives, both religious and secular/ideological (i.e. environmental alarmism, Marxist/socialist), is a great fallacy driven by the even greater lie of threat theology- i.e. the primitive mythology of angry, punitive deity now perpetuated in the modern era through contemporary versions of threat theology such as “Vengeful Gaia, angry Planet/Mother Earth, punitive Universe, payback karma, etc.”

When you terrorize and traumatize upcoming generations with apocalyptic scenarios driven by angry, threatening deities, you render people susceptible to the varied salvation schemes that follow such apocalyptic narratives, whether religious salvation and theocracy, or the similar secular/ideological salvation versions of socialism/collectivism (i.e. purge industrial/capitalist civilization) and environmental alarmism (i.e. overturn the same industrial/capitalist societies). All similarly propose “salvation through destruction” solutions with the same ruinous outcomes.

The articles posted at the bottom of this opening page detail the historical lines of descent of the same complex of narrative themes, and the central theology, as well as the evidence that these primitive themes still shape major narratives today and drive ongoing destructive salvation schemes. AI has helped do the homework on all this, though it still needs prompting to jolt it out of its leftist woke progressive bias.

This site promotes the entirely contrary theology of a wisdom sage who presented his stunning new theology of God as unconditional love. That overturned entirely the human perception of the ultimate Reality behind life (i.e. the core idea/belief that shapes all else in human narratives). And his new theology offered an unprecedented liberation from the threat theology that has been the mental deformity inciting primal fears that exacerbate normal human fears.

The core themes of Historical Jesus provide the new alternative archetypes that affirm the liberal democracy principles of universal inclusion of all as equally valued individuals, non-dominating mutual service forms of relating, and mercifully restorative justice that also holds all responsible for behavior (i.e. incarceration of repeat violent offenders to protect innocent others), among other principles and institutions of Classic Liberalism.

Unfortunately (for Western civilization), the Jesus’ “diamonds” were buried in the revived threat theology of Paul’s Christology, hence, this site takes up the Thomas Jefferson/Leo Tolstoy project to recover those diamonds from the “dung” Paul buried them in.

AI has trouble recognizing how prominent bad theology still is in human narratives, both religious and secular/ideological, and how this pathology continues to promote horrifically destructive outcomes in human lives and societies.

Then this: Below is another excellent essay from Bob Brinsmead on the formation of early Christianity as a Hellenistic movement separate from the Hebrew followers of Jesus. Bob traces the historical process through which a self-effacing Jewish prophet/wisdom sage was turned into a Gentile God. Jesus had taught nothing about being a Christ messiah and dying a violent death to be atonement for human sin. This man, who had clearly stated that lording over others was wrong and true greatness was to serve others, was eventually turned into the archetypal Lord of all reality, temporal and eternal, entirely contrary to what he had actually taught. This inversion of his teaching occurred when the Hellenists like Paul ignored his actual message and turned the simple wisdom sage into the Hellenistic Christ. Read the rest of the opening comment here

The “obsession” of this site with the central unconditional theme of Historical Jesus (a “non-religious” theological insight) is because it tells us that, ultimately, we are all safe in an inexpressibly transcendent love. All of us, including our “enemies”.

The project of H. Jesus was to go directly to the root incitement to fear that had long been embodied in religious narratives of “threat theology”- i.e. angry deities that threatened punishment for human imperfection, punishment through the natural world, through apocalypses, and ultimately punishing destruction in religious hells.

H. Jesus rejected that image of deity outright, and then replaced it with his stunning new theology of unconditional Love. That was his transformation of the central idea behind primal human fears that elites had incited across history to manipulate and dominate/control people, propagating narratives of apocalypse and hell to terrorize populations into submission to “salvation through destruction” crusades that continue today, including in secular/ideological variants like Marxism and environmental alarmism.

See Grok’s summary below of “Hannah Arendt’s The Origins of Totalitarianism”.

H. Jesus’ central insight/message changes everything and affirms the project here to tell readers- “Don’t be afraid, it’s going to be alright in the end”. Jesus’ stunning new theology (James Robinson’s term) is the critical element to transform personal and public belief systems that protect us from manipulation and control by fear-based narratives.

See the main site articles at the bottom detailing this liberating insight (titles and links).

And this on “driven more by fear than scientific evidence”. There are endless similar examples of this… Read the rest of the opening comment here

The Christian psychologist Harold Ellens has made the case on the mental deformity at work in the “behavior based on belief” coupling that this site repeats often.

What Ellens outlines is how dominant beliefs in the meta-narratives of our cultures shape how we think, feel, are motivated or energized, and how we then act. The single most dominant narrative framework for narratives across history has been “salvation through destruction”, a complex of ideas/beliefs that has shaped both religious and secular/ideological variants on the same complex.

Salvation through destruction, also known as apocalyptic millennialism, is centered around deity as tribal, dominating, vengefully destroying. Read the rest of the opening comment here

Tracing the descent across history of ideas/beliefs that have incited, energized, and validated the worst of human behavior (i.e. inciting/validating our inherited animal impulses to tribalism, domination, vengeful destruction of differing others).

The replies below from Grok, Anthropic Claude, and Chat present AI’s summary of main themes on this site, notably how “bad religious ideas” appear repeatedly across history in human worldviews and systems of belief, their historical descent down through our major religious traditions and into secular/ideological offspring like Marxism and environmental alarmism, and then their influence on people and societies (i.e. outcomes both bad and good). Read the rest of the opening comment here

See below- “True believers helping their God send their enemies to hell” on “Iran’s Killing machine”

Also- How the “formerly oppressed often become the new oppressors” (Trump engaging payback of critics)

And this from a Rogan podcast noted below- “Polarity, dualism, victim/perpetrator- Is duality in life just a mirage for “actors on God’s stage to play their roles”?

But first this…

Many commentators have noted that young people today are disillusioned with the failures of capitalism as the approach that would enable them to achieve basic goals like affordable housing. They, in increasing numbers, now believe that they can’t get ahead and are turning to socialism that promises free stuff. Read the rest of the opening comment here