Tag: faith

Matthew Verse 17.21

UK: The Missing Bible-Verse of “Matthew 17.21” (Mark 9.29) – Debunking Far-Right Conspiracy Theories! (7.11.2026)

Furthermore, the earliest renditions of “Mark” (9.29) do not include “fasting” as an exorcistic method – so the monk-scribe who made this margin-note (which includes “fasting”) – must have done so AFTER “fasting” had been added to Mark 9.29 – and normalised as such. The right-wing and far-right are perpetuating the conspiracy theory that (atheistic) liberal and Communist governments [in cohoots with “Big Pharma”] do not want you [the people] to know that Jesus gives the secret of how “to cure all illnesses” via “Matthew 17.21”. As with all forms of paranoid delusion – Jesus is doing nothing of the sort. Matthew 17.21 is Mark 9.29 – and both are referring not to “general healing” (as suggested by the far-right) – but rather to the specific activity of “exorcising unclean spirits” from those so possessed. Jesus supposedly suggests the activities of “fasting” and “praying” to achieve this objective. It is actually far more simple than this – as “fasting” is a later edition to Mark 9.29 – an addition that should be removed from the equation for clarity. This reduces the issue to just “praying” – a common activity for Christians.

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St Thomas in India!

UK: Gospel of St Thomas – Verse 29! (5.11.2026)

The fragments and versions of this text were written in ancient Greek and Coptic (an Egyptian version of Greek) – and so I have selected a broad translation of verse “29” from what scholarly work is available online. I think the fragments were pieced together to reconstruct a single and complete text. Internal evidence within the text suggests this Gospel dates back to the 1st century CE – but this original (Greek) copy has not yet been found. What is interesting about this verse is that it corrects the “inversion” found within theistic religions.

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Rev David Whyte (left) with South London Patriots activist and convicted fraudster Billy Cooper (second from left)

UK: Black Bloc Fascists Operate in My Area – Protected by the Church! (27.9.2026)

What God thought of the onslaught of far-right intimidation and bullying against the volunteer heroes of the RNLI, whose sole mission is to rescue people in danger of drowning at sea – an absolute good –  that Tommo’s Portsmouth protests unleashed remains open to question.

After 90 minutes, Armstrong and the guests on Tough Talk had agreed the “gospel is right wing”, the Crusaders going to war to reclaim the Holy Land from Muslim rule was a good thing, and echoed the far-right’s graphic and obsessive fever dream about the rape of their children or grandchildren. Then they prayed.

“We thank you, Lord, for the healing power, for protection, and for your blessings in Jesus’ name…for Danny Tommo and the guys.”

Another regular congregant along with Tommo and Jason Armstrong, is fellow South London Patriots stalwart, Billy Cooper, who not long ago was pictured having completed a bible course at the church.

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Hindu Balathal (2006) Page 61

UK: Email – What Do I Think About the Balathal Skeleton? (22.9.2026)

Although 700 BCE is touted around the internet – the remains could be as late as the 4th century CE (well within the date for Yoga). The site is not Indian – the skeleton is Indian. My own view is that if this is a holy man – we are probably talking about the disciples of the Buddha who dwelled at the base of trees – a “root-dweller” no-less. Of course, this is just speculation on my part and I am running with the “meditating in isolation” angle. There is absolutely no evidence for the “holy man” interpretation except for the conveniently positioned hands and fingers (the academic authors of the second paper go out of their way to insert an elaborate Hindu origin for this). This seems unprofessional to me. There is no surrounding (qualifying) evidence for the holy man hypothesis. What should usually happen is that a note would be added that draws the reader’s attention to the fact that these remains, when viewed in a certain light, possess a passing similarity to certain well-known religious postures found within the practices of a number of religious and spiritual paths. Whatever the case, more evidence is needed and none has been forthcoming (these are not “new” digs). 

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Buddha & St Benedict United!

UK: Buddha & St Benedict Entwined – a Retrospect! (10.9.2026)

Now, whilst in Hereford I befriended an Irishman (my family are part Irish) named “Brian Gray” – who was training to be a Catholic Priest. He was fascinated by Buddhism and liked to “spar” with me in gloved-boxing matches (I was a nasty bit of work in my late teens – as I discovered my natural physical strength). He introduced me to a “Father Thomas” the Abbot of the Catholic Hereford Cathedral. He wanted me to go to the Vatican to meet the Pope – and to join the Catholic faith – but of course, this was not my path. I am not attuned to entering these paths that discriminate against non-members for not being members. Also, at that point I was learning about how the Vatican supported fascism before, during, and after WWII. So you can see my predicament. Although I had friendly interactions on the personal level, there were certain political realities that had to be acknowledged and balanced. Anyway, the upshot of all this was that I was introduced to the study of the Rule of St Benedict followed by the monastics of the Catholic Church (and given the ring you can see here – although I am unaware of its significance).

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UK: “Soul” & “Psyche” (ψυχή) Are Not “Interchangeable” When Discussing Greek Philosophical Texts! (29.8.2026)

The term Tyndale translates as “soul” in English is the Greek term “psychas” (ψυχὰς) – is the “plural” the more familiar “psyche” (ψυχῇ) – which translates as “breath of life”, “to blow” and “to animate” (in Latin, the Greek term “psyche” is presented by the term “anima”). This probably represents the Hebrew term “Neshama” (נשמה) – meaning “breath”, “spirit”, or “essence” (inner self). The early Christians were radical Jews seeking to distinguish their thinking and practice from mainstream Judaism. The Gnostic Christians were content to use Greek philosophical terms and parallel many Greek paths of inner self-cultivation. Later, with the rise of the Catholic Church (empowered by the Roman State), the Gnostic Churches were suppressed and their scriptures outlawed. Catholic theologians, although continuing to use Greek terms (translated into Latin) – radically departed from the original philosophical meaning of those terms (the teaching and practice of Greek philosophy was banned). This process of moving away in meaning is particularly evident when it is understood that the Greek written form of “psyche” (ψυχῇ) has been replaced in translation by the Germanic (Pagan) term “soul”.

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