John Maurer of Christian Faith

[Python423]

Here is an older article, but I just now am reading it for the first time. I thought some of you others would enjoy reading it also..

http://www.hmmagazine.com/says/archi...6.php?page=all



http://www.godscare.net/witness/Social%20Distortion.htm

God Bless
Python

<font color="#FFFF00" size="1">[ March 07, 2006 09:21 PM: Message edited by: Python423 ]</font>

[Python423]

Christianty isn't about Religion. Its about Love (the greatest commandment). Its about a personal relationship with Jesus Christ (our savior). It's about knowing God our Father through His Son, Jesus Christ. We're commanded to gently spread Christ's offer. Theres a fine line how you can make someone comfortable enuff to listen to you, and I think we as Christians have crossed that line sometimes. Theres a subtle way you can do it. Many people experience a side of organized religion during their youth that turned them away from God, love or truth in their later years. Maybe they saw money, greed, power and hypocrisy. They saw rules, rituals, ceremonies and buildings.
They missed the core of Christ's message (Love).

Jesus said in Mark 12:30-31 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'There is no commandment greater than these."

If we do these 2 things, everthing else will fall into place.

God Bless,

[PrivateHell]

Originally posted by Python423:
Theres a subtle way you can do it. Many people experience a side of organized religion during their youth that turned them away from God, love or truth in their later years. Maybe they saw money, greed, power and hypocrisy. They saw rules, rituals, ceremonies and buildings.
They missed the core of Christ's message (Love).

<font size="2" face="verdana, arial">I'm not a christian myself, but I think thats very true.

[BadLuckLuke]

I don't think it matters what faith somebody is. As long as they have faith in something or somebody themselves then that is all that matters...

[hour_of_darkness]

Originally posted by Python423:

Jesus said in Mark 12:30-31 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'There is no commandment greater than these."

If we do these 2 things, everthing else will fall into place.

God Bless,

<font size="2" face="verdana, arial">The Bible also says we should stone disobedient children to death. I guess we like to forget that part.

I believe that the ten commandments and for the most part (definitely not all) the values set forth in the Bible are good models to follow to lead an ethical life. However, it was written by men and a lot of it is mind control bullshit. No one should follow it to the tee (unless you wanna stone disobedient children to their death) or even think there's anything truthful about it. It's a story.

It's physically impossible for Noah to stuff every creature on the Earth in an Ark, no one split the red sea, and no one came back from the dead. Qouting the Bible seems silly to me. It's picking and choosing parts to absolutely live by, but ignores some of the crazy, ridiculous stuff that's in there.

Ah fuck. I just realized I'm working on Sunday. According to Exodus 35 Verse 2, someone is gonna have to put me to death for that one. (No really, read it. That's actually what it says)

I say take the Bible for what it is, a bunch of moral stories to which there is some good advice, as well as some really bad attempts at mind control.

<font color="#FFFF00" size="1">[ March 11, 2006 03:42 AM: Message edited by: hour_of_darkness ]</font>

[Python423]

Here is another article I found on John Maurer and his faith. Take it for what it is, an interview.

http://www.theooze.com/articles/article.cfm?id=67

Music and Meaning: An Interview with John Maurer
by Spencer Burke and David Trotter
Saturday June 16, 2001

An aroma was in the air as we sat down with John Maurer, bass player for the legendary, punk band. It could have been the aroma of freshly-made coffee at Aroma?s coffeehouse where we had convened. Or, it could have been the aroma of 17 years of experience riding the wave of popularity travelling the world over. Yet, the aroma that was wafting through the air seemed to be that of tranquility.
In what might seem to be two of the most contradictory elements - a high energy, punk scene and a man who has found a peace within - we were able to spend a few moments with someone who has endured quite a journey. From private recordings to major record contracts, from strumming on a thrown-away guitar to playing before thousands around the world, from rough nights on the road to fun play time with Jack in the yard.

The aroma in the air was one of peace in the midst of life?s storms - that is what John Maurer seems to have found.

We began our conversation by listening to how John got involved in music at a young age. Feel free to join in:

I got started like every other kid - banging on the pots and pans in my mother?s kitchen. When they offered music in public schools, I started doing that. My first instrument was a violin, and that lasted about 3 sessions. From there, we moved on to trumpet which lasted a bit longer. It lasted through 4th, 5th, and 6th grade. As soon as I got into Jr. High, the bandmaster was like, 'Okay, you?re going to come and join the Jr. High school band.' No I?m not, I?m growing my hair out, I?m wearing pooka shells, I?m going to the beach to surf! (laughter)

He was heartbroken, ya know. Literally, I put it down altogether. I got turned onto a new instrument called the electric guitar. There is a guy named Robert who lived in our cul-de-sac. He was a guitar player, long hair and that whole thing. I was digging around his garage one day and pulled out this old guitar. I was like, ?Hey, can I have this?? He made me do all this work. It was the Huckleberry Finn thing - I whitewashed his fence for this guitar. That?s where it started.

Nothing too serious - I was mostly self-taught. Then, when I started high school, I met another guy who was really key in my music - his name was Derek. He was a really good guitar player - we were the same age. He got me started in this whole ?let?s start a band thing.? ?You play bass.? I thought this was easier - it has less strings, not knowing that it is a way more difficult instrument to play. It takes way more feeling to get down.

We went at that for awhile - that was the late 70?s. That?s when the whole punk rock thing came about. Off went the hair, the bellbottoms got pegged at the leg. I started wearing my Dad?s old shirts. That sort of thing just came about. I hooked back up with my Jr. High and High School buddies - Mike Ness and Dennis Danell. In 1980, they started a band called Social Distortion. In 1982 - 1983, I joined the band. We did 16 years of that, and here I am at present day.

Everything from doing our own records to being signed with Sony to being signed with Arista. So, it has been an interesting career.

So, what draws you to music. It is a little bit of a soulish questions I think. Do you want the most unsoulish answer?

Sure, go ahead!

Beer and chicks, duuude! (laughter)

Then, what keeps you tied to music, because you keep coming back?

It was something that I really did enjoy - there was a soulful part of that. Being able to play music and perform for people was just really something special. Beer and chicks were okay too. (laughter)

Time would go really fast. All of a sudden it was 1985! I was like, ?Wow, where did that five years go?? Next thing we know it was 1990. ! I was like, ?Wow, where did that five years go?? The next thing I know, I?m 10 years into this thing. It went so fast. Jumping in a band - touring. You are very much on a cycle. You record and release an album, and then you go and tour it from 12 -18 months. You come home, and take a little time off. You write and record another album. Boom! That is called the record cycle, and it just goes over and over and over. We?ve done this for 7 albums, so it?s all about a 2 year cycle each. So, that?s a quick 14 years, ya know.

We all change over time. So, over all that time - nearly 15 years - what shifts or changes began to occur in your life?

I was brought up in a Catholic home. As a child, I was extremely hyper-active. Sit in the pew, stand, kneel, and pray for 45 minutes. Don?t make a peep. This was an eternity for a hyper-active church. When I was 13 years old, I was like, ?I don?t want to go to church. I?ve had it! Forget about it.? (laughter)

When I was a senior at Canyon High School, I reacquainted with a friend named Carla. I was hanging out with her. At the time, one of my friends had a tragedy. He lost a leg in an electrocution accident. So, we were like, ?How are going to get this guy back?? He was like an all-star football player. So, we started skiing with him. I?ve always brought home the wounded bird or the alley cat or something of that sort. I really wanted to get him back into something. He was one of my dear friends. We started skiing, and I got involved in the handicap program.

I met Carol Schuller. I know she is married, but I?m not sure what her name is now. I was like, ?Wow! This is Robert Schuller?s daughter - she was a heavy.? She was so cool. I really didn?t know how she was going to be. Was she going to be like a Catholic nun - whip out her ruler and hit my knuckles if I get out of line. No, she was a Christian girl - totally, totally cool.

Then, I came back and started hanging out with Carla - started going to church with her at Vineyard at Canyon High School. Sure enough, there was Carol attending there as well. I did that for about 2 years until I got into the band. Then, ?see ya later Lord. I?m on my own. Gonna take control of my life again.?

I thought everything was great, but it ended up not being. What I thought I was in control of, there was absolutely none. Even if I had been in control of all the finances or the schedule, I really wasn?t in control.

Then, my wife started a MOPS groups - Mothers of Preschoolers - at Mariners Church. Check out this church - it is progressive. I definitely wanted to get away from what I was doing - all that craziness. Not being able to sleep, worrying about bills, no peace what so ever. I just started going through the motions. I could really relate to Kenton Beshore - I love it when he gets down on the rich people in Newport Beach.

That?s when Keith and Gina Page showed up at one service. That is where things really started to change for me. He announced the starting of Rock Harbor. I said, ?Wendy, that?s where we need to be.? She just goes, ?they don?t have childcare.? So, we grudged out for awhile.

There were times when I thought I was in control, but I really was not. It was just turmoil. Does that make sense?

There are tons of people who go there way and then come back. The illusion of control sounds like one of the things that invited you off the path. How would you describe part of that journey?

It is interesting how you were showing the path with your hands. It was kind of going up and down. I?m seeing peaks and valleys when you do that. That?s really what it was. I was happening. We were selling out 3 nights at the Hollywood Palladium. We were bringing home 60 grand a night. It was a grand party, but I was driving home alone - not even realizing that I was feeling so empty.

There was one show we did with Neil Young at the LA Sports Arena. It was really bad. I was so excited to have all the friends - as soon as its over, it is all gone. You go on a tour and everything is fine. I?ve got people doing everything for me. If I want a turkey sandwich, it?s there. Go do my dry cleaning, and it?s done. I?m sitting in the Raddison going, ?This is sweet!?

I?m on this huge tour bus, but then I come home. My wife is going, ?You?re not on tour no more. Pick up your towels, make up the bed, do the laundry, and take Jack to school.? I was like, ?Uhhhhhhhhhh!? Where am I? Who am I? What is this? It is tormenting. There is a certain bit of depression that goes along with that. You work on all these projects and then you?re just done. With any big project, there are those feelings.

When I come back and get involved in God, this is where I?ve been the happiest for the longest amount of time. It has gone on for a couple of years now. Jack?s going to be four, so it is going on three years now. Every day, I learn more. Every week, I learn more. Every month, I?m evolving and being able to cope a lot more.

I heard kind of the illusion of control and maybe even grandeur. Have you found the contrast to those in recent years? How do you find reality as opposed to the illusion...or do you?

(laughter) I?m one big delusional character! (laughter)

I get grounded with God. I?ve never sat down and almost everyday read out of my Bible. Now, I?ve been doing that for the past 7 months. That?s cool, because I?m maturing a little bit as far as that goes. My wife grounds me. Through her and going through a Spiritual Growth group, I?m really able to work things out with her.

I was like, ?There are a lot of things that I don?t really know about you not to mention myself. The things that I thought I knew about you were really just a direct reflection of what was wrong with me.? That is really cool for grounding me.

So my son, he is just so pure and innocent. That is reality. This is all delusional. You look at them, and they are so pure and loving. My new friends really help me a lot - Dave and Keith and Doug. They are always there.

Just as you started to describe Jack - what words would you use to describe Jack?

His energy - he is so much like me. I?m almost getting to relive my life. Just a simple thing like splashing around in the bathtub. I remember being about to lay out and think that thing was so big - sloshing back and forth. Just the way he loves on his mother and how sensitive he can be. Then, jump right out of that mode and be so aggressive with no fear.

He is 3 years old, and he just learned to ride a two wheeled back, and she is 5. He?s like, ?Get me on this thing.?

?No, no, I?ve seen this before!? He?s said, ?Daddy, I gotta go surfin! Daddy, I gotta go surfin!? I?m like, ?You?re not ready!? ?I?m ready, I?m ready. I wanna ride this bike!?

I?m looking at Wendy and she goes, ?The only way you learn is by falling down.?

So, I get him on this two wheel bike, and I chuck him down the driveway. ?Look straight!? Off he goes, and he just pedals away.

Of course, I am proud. My son is 3 and he is on a two-wheeler. Gosh, he is evolving into this new part of his life. He is going away from us for the very first time. It was kind of sad. Every year, he is going to go out a little bit further. He is the only one we have - he is a big blessing. There is an innocence in him. He doesn?t know what is going on. He doesn?t know that the rent is not paid. He doesn?t know that the reason why he is eating pasta all week long is because we can?t afford meat?my wife is going to kill me when she reads this. (laughter) He doesn?t care that he is wearing his cousin?s shoes - or that he is drivin around in a ?62 Valiant.

He is the happiest kid. We are the ones who are living in the torment. We are the ones that let our lives go aschew...build-gain-get-horde-hold. They don?t care. He?s just awesome. There is no way we can go back to that. Not the way we are set up - get to church and that?s about it.

Get engulfed in the Lord - become a child of God yourself - that is the only way you are going to get that for a brief time. I say the brief moments, because worshipping is great. That is really what I?ve turned to do - sing and strum a lot. I?m able to sing and worship by myself a lot of times. Just go through the songs and kind of get away from all that.

I saw your eyes light up when you said ?child of God.? What does that mean?

I don?t have to pay for my salvation. I have a house to go to. I do get to be that child. I do get to come back and not have to worry about all those stresses. I can totally relax and just love and be loved. I can?t wait! (laughter) Can I go tomorrow?

Well, how about your wife? What words would you use to describe your wife?

She is wonderful. She is strong - she is very smart. She is a fabulous mother. She is smart - she is a fabulous mother. She is smart! (laughter)

Just to watch her grow, and we?ve been growing together. She was right there with me in that pit with all those band years. She grew up with more of a Christian upbringing than I did - she went to a Christian high school. But, then again, as soon as she was out of there, she was ready to get out of there. She was very energetic. Notice I used the word energetic not hyperactive. She went to San Francisco State and that is the pit of pits.

So, we went through these rough times together. So being able to grow together has been just awesome. I can?t wait for her to join a Spiritual Growth group. I can show the materials, but its not really the same as when you are in your own group. It like a brotherhood family right there. We go to church, and we?re hugging on each other and hanging out. Its just different.

Just growing with her is a great, great experience - getting to know God again together.

Just as you have shared words about Jack and Wendy, how would you describe yourself?

I love to love on them. I?m crazy. I?m crazy about them. It is really rough when you have rough times to find good things when you are going through trying times. Anger is easy. Busting out - ?You didn?t get this done. We don?t have this!? Because of my own shortcomings, sometimes I will attack them. It is just my own crud. She?ll be trying to do something, and I?ll just bring crud into it. I haven?t gotten that far in the book yet.

Well, how would you describe yourself - along the lines of affirmations? I?m innocent. I?m smart. In my industry, I?m very experienced. I?m a good friend. I?m a good listener. Once again, I love to love on people. I love to share God with people. I?m not one to beat you on the head with my Bible. But, if you bring it up boy, I?m going to share it with you. I?m going to share my story with you - I?m going to share what has changed in my life and the peace that I have. So, peaceful.

As you think of people who are on a journey off their original path, what words of encouragement would you give them?

The old adage is ?you can bring the horse to water, but you can?t make them drink.? Someone really has to be ready. I found the strength of God in a very strange way. I was trying to stop drinking. Someone told me if I pray about this? I was like, ?prayer - yeah right.? Through prayer, I found that I could trust God. Everyday, by talking to him, He is going to take these shortcomings away from me. I?ll share that story with everyone. That?s just the way it is. If you truly want it, it?s there for you. And if you truly want it, there are going to be plenty of people that are willing to help you out with it.

I would just share the peace that I have. In probably the most turmoil I?ve been in in a long time, I?ve found that peace. It?s only through one person - that is God - letting the Holy Spirit take over. Ya know, giving it up to them. You?ve got to give it up.

Our conversation drew to a close, and we had experienced quite an aroma - the aroma of peace that one man has found in the twists and turns of life.

[ShilohCornejo47]

shut the fuck up yo this message board is for social distortion not christianity.

[joshroush]

I think this is pretty relevant, after all it is John Maurer

And for the record, yo, learn english.

[babyblue71]

Well, Shiloh is here again, guys. I can't remember what your last screen name was, since you've had at least 3 or 4, but you were being nice last time.

Remember the one who told Mike Ness that she loves him right to his face after a show and then wrote a song for him called "Groupie Love" and cried herself to sleep for several nights afterward? Then she cussed out everyone on the board all ghetto and shit and then backpeddled by trying to be nice.

I suggest you rephrase your comment to Python sweetie, everyone is wise to your ways.

[Python423]

[quote]Originally posted by hour_of_darkness:

It's physically impossible for Noah to stuff every creature on the Earth in an Ark, no one split the red sea, and no one came back from the dead. Qouting the Bible seems silly to me. It's picking and choosing parts to absolutely live by, but ignores some of the crazy, ridiculous stuff that's in there.

I say take the Bible for what it is, a bunch of moral stories to which there is some good advice, as well as some really bad attempts at mind control.

<font color="#FFFF00"><font size="1">[ March 11, 2006 03:42 AM: Message edited by: hour_of_darkness ]</font></font>

<font size="2" face="verdana, arial">Heres a series of DVDS that promote evidence of biblical stories.

http://shopping.search.discovery.com...cient+evidence

http://www.space.com/news/060309_ark_update.html (update on Noah's Ark)

http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/space/0....ap/index.html (Scientifc experiment from recent comet dust reveals the grains represent pristine samples of the primitive material that came together to form the sun, the nine planets and everything else in the solar system, including human beings. (Genesis 2:7 man from the dust of the ground)

Plus all of the prophecys fulfilled.

Something to think about for those who doubt the bible or God. Theres lots more, but these are just some God has put in my hands in the last few weeks.