The Unconditional Human Spirit

Finally, posted below at bottom of this opening section:

More new material posted below on this site’s project to counter “Fear and control”– How to counter the apocalyptic insanity that still dominates our age. The barbaric myth of apocalypse has erupted and re-erupted endlessly across history, beginning with the Sumerian Flood myth as the earliest written version of apocalyptic fear mongering (i.e. waterworks deity Enlil, planning to punish and destroy bad people). Terrorizing populations with apocalyptic hysteria renders people susceptible to irrational salvation schemes that destroy societies to “save the world”, (i.e. the apocalyptic millennial theme of “salvation through destruction” that has dominated Marxist collectivism, Nazism, and now dominates environmental alarmism crusades), Wendell Krossa

Also new below- “A huge Duh” (the Classic Liberal priority responsibility of all government to protect citizens from assaults/violence), and then a “same old” rehash of apocalyptic lunacy (AI as new Terminator), also a Malice episode on how we are propagandized by mainstream media. Further, a repost (revised) of the true nature of good and evil as epitomized in the contrasts between the theology/message of Historical Jesus and Paul’s Christ myth.

And this (below) well-stated ‘Free Press’ piece on obligatory land acknowledgements today that misrepresent history and actual land ownership, “No, You Are Not on Indigenous Land: Pieces of territory belong to institutions, not to racial groups”. I view the “de-colonization” project as a newish strain in the larger crusade of neo-collectivism to overthrow and replace liberal democracy with the same old horrors of all past collectivist experiments.

“In the panic age, nothing offends like optimism”, Matt Taibbi (Racket News).

When considering the general issue of child abuse: Wendell Krossa

Terrorizing/traumatizing people with apocalyptic-scale fears is the height of irresponsible human pathologies and this obsession with panic-mongering has exploded into repeated “madness of crowds” eruptions over just the past few decades- i.e. the climate alarmism lunacy, Trump Derangement Syndrome (“existential threat to democracy”), Covid hysteria and worldwide lockdowns, and the recent stirring of AI fears (i.e. “Terminator” has now emerged). Read the rest of the opening comment here

Note: “Comments” at bottom now open.

A response to this Malice episode linked below– Pessimism can self-fulfill as nihilism, even dangerously shift to “survival violence to save”, Wendell Krossa

Its “coming on Christmas” so here is some Daddy affirmation that “Its going to be alright, for everyone, ultimately”.

More below– Riffing on Rogan and Theo Von (i.e. contributing factors to radicalization), BBC contribution to contemporary “madness of crowds” hysteria, and nostalgia for the revival of religion (e.g. Free Press articles), without radical transformation of core themes (especially without transformation of the God at the core of religion), as solution to today’s problems, etc.

Also new below: ‘Sitesplainin’ my simplified lists (a Grok complaint), Dan Williams on why he shifted away from his “left-wing” upbringing (Darwin’s “tragic vision of human nature” that the left just does not get), and list of countries from where site visitors originate.

PS: I include Grok’s evaluations and criticisms, as below, on the belief that “our critics are our best friends”. Telling us stuff that we might not like to hear but good to counter the confirmation biases/cognitive dissonances that we all hold and suffer from.

“YOUR WELCOME” with Michael Malice #389: Walter Kirn

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=108OiaDpJyg

Using the above podcast as a springboard to discuss bigger issues… Read the rest of the opening comment here

See just below this opening section– “Programming AI with ‘unconditional’ to understand the real nature of good and bad. Essential to ‘maximal truth-seeking’.”

Note especially below how Grok assists a main site project here of showing how the worst ideas/beliefs from our primitive past have been persistently reframed across history in new succeeding narratives, both religious and secular/ideological, even “scientific”. The persistence of bad ideas is evident in the narratives of Marxism, Nazism, and environmental alarmism, also now in “far-left woke progressivism with DEI”. It’s always the same old, same old “salvation through destruction” and the same old harmful outcomes continue to ruin our societies.

Grok further assists this site in noting how better alternative ideas/beliefs can transform narratives and outcomes. Better ideas/beliefs as in the core themes of Historical Jesus (a person and message entirely opposite to Paul’s Christ myth), along with the better ideas and principles of Classic Liberalism with its systems of common law and representative institutions. These now offer a better way forward to continue the rising trajectory of improving humanity and improving civilization.

I asked Grok to evaluate and comment on these site essays, Wendell Krossa

“Main articles presenting critical points made on this site:

From Retaliation to Unconditional love- the story of humanity’s exodus/liberation from animal existence to become human.

http://www.wendellkrossa.com/?p=9809

Humanity’s worst ideas, better alternatives (Old story themes, new story alternatives).

http://www.wendellkrossa.com/?p=9533

The Christ myth buried the singularly profound insight of Historical Jesus. The project to recover that insight involves “separating diamonds from dung” (Thomas Jefferson, Leo Tolstoy).

http://www.wendellkrossa.com/?p=8664

Speculating with Joseph Campbell on the meaning of life– the hero’s journey and conquest. The intensely inner battle to conquer the monster of inherited animal impulses, along with the mythical themes that validate such impulses, and thereby tower in stature as maturely human.

http://www.wendellkrossa.com/?p=8661

“The complex of “bad religious ideas” that have darkened and enslaved human minds from the beginning” (short versions below with Grok’s comments on them)

http://www.wendellkrossa.com/?p=13571#more-13571

Grok sent me its evaluations/comments. But perhaps I had not been clear on what I wanted it to evaluate so I asked for further clarification and Grok responded with this below.

My further request to Grok: Read the rest of the opening comment here

Grok gives its evaluation of the Taibbi/Kirn discussion at the bottom of this opening section.

More evidence on bias in media forums: Wendell Krossa

Bluesky has 1 .5 million “active daily users” compared to X’s 245-250 million daily users, about one half being liberal/Democratic users. Huh? Meaning that X has some 120 million more liberal/Democratic daily users than Bluesky? WTF is going on? I don’t know. Joe Rogan gives one example to Adam Corolla of why even many liberals/Democrats can’t handle Bluesky’s political correctness- i.e. the scowling and angry hall monitors on Bluesky who are incessantly prowling for any hint of departure from the extremist Woke Progressive, DEI-framed, narrative.

Example: Some user stated innocuously, “I’m trying to be Zen about something.” The hall monitors pounced instantly.

Grok’s input on this (Rogan also discussed this example during an earlier conversation with Elon Musk that Grok refers to here):

In a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience (#2404) with Elon Musk from October 31, 2025, Rogan and Musk discussed social media platforms and extreme moderation. During the conversation, Musk brought up an example from Bluesky where someone was accused of anti-Asian racism simply for using the word “Zen.”

Here’s the relevant excerpt from the transcript:

Elon Musk: “I was watching this exchange on Bluesky where someone said that they’re just trying to be Zen about something. And then someone, a moderator immediately chimed in and why don’t you try to stop being racist against Asians by saying something Zen? By saying, I’m trying to be Zen about something, they were accusing that person of being racist towards Asians.”

Joe Rogan: “Yeah, it’s just everyone’s a whole monitor over there. The worst hall monitor, a virgin, like incel. They’re all hall monitors trying to rat on each other.”

They framed this as an illustration of over-the-top sensitivity and “hall monitor” behavior on the platform, contrasting it with X (formerly Twitter). I didn’t find a matching reference in Rogan’s interviews with Adam Carolla, including the most recent one (#2412 from November 14, 2025). Read the rest of the opening comment here

Just a quote: “In the panic age nothing offends like optimism”, Matt Taibbi

These quotes, immediately below, are from Grok’s comments further below where I asked Grok to respond to my advocacy for unconditional as a guiding, inspiring ideal that would be useful to its mandate of pursuing “maximal truth-seeking”. I urge the ideal of unconditional as especially useful to uncover the common tendency of people to mask evil in our narratives by reframing and cloaking it as good, as virtuous. A reference to psychologist/Christian theologian Harold Ellens illustration of how the cruel murder of Jesus is presented as a remarkable act of love and grace in Christian atonement theology. Though in the terms of that theology, it is actually portraying a divinely appointed and barbaric act of child sacrifice. An intentionally predestined and cosmic act of blood sacrifice.

I have repeatedly posted these comments of Ellens (from Zenon Lotufo’s “Cruel God, Kind God”):

“There is in Western culture a psychological archetype, a metaphor that has to do with the image of a violent and wrathful God (see Romans, Revelation). Crystallized in Anselm’s juridical atonement theory, this image represents God sufficiently disturbed by the sinfulness of humanity that God had only two options: destroy us or substitute a sacrifice to pay for our sins. He did the latter. He killed Christ.

“Ellens goes on by stating that the crucifixion, a hugely violent act of infanticide or child sacrifice, has been disguised by Christian conservative theologians as a ‘remarkable act of grace’. Such a metaphor of an angry God, who cannot forgive unless appeased by a bloody sacrifice, has been ‘right at the center of the Master Story of the Western world for the last 2,000 years. And the unavoidable consequence for the human mind is a strong tendency to use violence’.”

Evil cloaked, reframed as good. Pay attention Grok. The unconditional message of Historical Jesus (his stunning new theology of God as unconditional love) potently exposes this mental deformity, and similar deformity all through religious narratives, and also elsewhere in “secular/ideological” and even “scientific” versions. Read the rest of the opening comment here

New below- Summaries from Lotufo’s chapter “Psychological analysis of the image of God implied in the doctrines of conservative Christians“, in his excellent book “Cruel God, Kind God”. Grok’s response is also below.

Also new below- Joe Rogan and Russell Crowe offer some thought-provoking commentary on this and that. Their comments sparked thoughts on today’s political/social tribalism and its roots in things like primitive Zoroastrian cosmic dualism mythology, and even earlier in the prehistory human establishment of an elite/commoner divide, and further roots in base animal small-band “tribalism”. We get endless versions of the same old, same old.

Which is to say- The root contributing factors to some of our most persistent problems are not so much about our disagreements with differing others, but have more to do with our commonly shared inheritance of animal impulses. Notably, the “evil triad” of the impulses to tribalism (exclusion of “enemy” others), to domination (the defeat and subjugation of differing others), and to punitive destruction of “enemy” others. These, among other impulses, constitute our real enemy in life and where the real battle of good against evil must take place. It’s inside each one of us.

Then some poking into the “decolonization” ideology and the newish version presented by recently elected New York mayor Mamdani- i.e. “Third Worldism”. I’ve summarized an interesting Free Press article on that, included below.

Before summarizing Zenon Lotufo’s probing of Christian salvation theology and why he and psychologist/theologian Harold Ellens refer to that as “Cruel God” theology (because it is based on the mental deformity of belief in a deity that delights in suffering as required for salvation) before going into that below, here is a bit on another side to the role of suffering in human existence… Read the rest of the opening comment here

See below: Insights from Elon Musk on what is currently dangerously wrong with AI and how to prevent the corruption of AI with the “Woke mind virus” that promotes destructive outcomes- i.e. his latest Joe Rogan interview.

I am no fanboy of Tucker Carlson, Wendell Krossa.

Carlson has recently said some things that seem a bit off the rail, too religiously dogmatic, too ‘conspiracy theory’ nutty (i.e. re “Twin Towers, Israel, etc.”). But to give him some props, he has done some interesting things over the recent past such as the Putin interview. And here he asks some useful questions of ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman, such as- What inputs are guiding the development of AI? And Who is making the inputs on basic principles? And what are the principles?

Altman replies that in developing his ChatGPT they are trying to get the “total collective of humanity” in terms of moral issues, all that diversity.

But, persists Carlson, who makes the moral decisions and based on what criteria? Who decides one thing is better than another? Who makes the specs to decide the framework that makes decisions on whether, for example, liberal democracy is better than Nazism? All critical questions that the public needs to know fully. Keep pressing, Tucker.

Tucker then goes off (my view) on his view of God, and the religious morality related to that, obviously inferring that something like his religious views, his theology, should be the basic guiding thing for AI, and he questions Altman on this issue. He asks Altman, “Do you believe in God?” Altman, knocked off kilter a bit, responds that ChatGPT will reflect some average moral view of all humanity that evolves over time. To “accurately reflect the preferences of humanity.” Read the rest of the opening comment here

Elon Musk discusses with Gad Saad why xAI Grok does better than other biased AI, such as ChatGPT, etc.

My Inaugural Chat with Elon Musk (THE SAAD TRUTH_1924)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLL_NajzONY

Musk is now introducing “Grokipedia” to replace the irredeemably biased Wikipedia:

https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1972992095859433671

More Musk below…

This response from Google AI to a request for a summary of the topics on this site, Wendell Krossa

“AI Overview

The main topics on “wendellkrossa.com” revolve around a critique of traditional apocalyptic religious and ideological narratives, advocating instead for a perspective rooted in unconditional goodness, humanism, and gradual progress. The site frequently contrasts this philosophy with what it identifies as the destructive and fearful aspects of traditional beliefs and modern movements.

Critique of apocalypticism

A central theme is the rejection of apocalyptic and millennialist mythologies, which Krossa argues are present in both religious and secular contexts.

• Religious critique: The site contrasts the historical, non-retaliatory Jesus with the vengeful and apocalyptic figure in Paul’s Christ myth. It challenges theologies built on fear, punishment, and sacrifice, including the concept of hell.

• Secular critique: Krossa applies this anti-apocalyptic lens to secular ideologies, most notably linking “climate change alarmism” and other authoritarian movements to the same destructive, fear-based narratives. Read the rest of the opening comment here

Remember, apocalyptic has always made fools of the brightest minds with its 100% historical failure rate. It even got Stephen Hawking over the last 2 years of his life.

Here a “bright mind” pulls back from foolishness, “Bill Gates Walks It Back: Disaster Isn’t Imminent”, Oct. 28, 2025

https://wattsupwiththat.com/2025/10/28/bill-gates-walks-it-back-disaster-isnt-imminent/

After decades of hysterical climate alarmism, Gates is now walking back his prophesies of the apocalypse, “Gates now says out loud: civilization is not ending.”

New below– Without a vision people wither and perish. And worse, if the vision has deforming elements/features, then the outcomes can become disastrous for societies. What ideas frame humane visions that inspire the best impulses in us?

Also below, the Dave Rubin interview of Israeli hostage Moran Stella Yanai and her illustrating detail on how bad religious ideas deform human minds and personalities with tribal hatred and barbaric violence toward “enemies”.

Preparing self-immunization/inoculation against new waves of hysteria that will inevitably come, Wendell Krossa

(Countering fear/panic with a new narrative oriented to evidence-based hope that enables the flourishing of humanity’s better angels)

We’ve been tormented, many even traumatized, with over three decades of climate crisis madness, starting roughly in 1989. In addition to that continuing background noise, with its prophets endlessly haranguing the public about the imminent “end of the world”, we’ve had further madness episodes like the panic-mongering that the newest incarnation of Hitler- Donald Trump- would bring on “the end of democracy”.

As the apocalyptic voices in these varied panics amplified hysteria, others in response would correctly describe the ensuing madness that we were living through with terms like “crazy, insanity, absurd, lunacy”. When we thought things had reached peak crazy and could not get any loonier, we were hit with Covid where the media pounced instantly, whipping hysteria to new heights in Covid hysteria. Read the rest of the opening comment here

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