The Melchizedek Chronicles - The Road to Kingdom Come – Path to Eternal Salvation – From Birth to Death to Eternity

John the Baptist baptizes Jesus

the Ministry of Jesus begins!

Christian religions celebrate the baptism of Jesus on either January 8 or January 13.

Honor Death by Celebrating the Life, not Mourning the Loss

Jesus demonstrated the path to eternal salvation with five actions, three had never been experienced by mankind.  Life and Death are two actions familiar to us although our knowledge of the significance of these is little understood.

When you add the other three, Transfiguration, Resurrection, and Ascension, the whole concept of each one alone defies our maximum mental capabilities to grasp.  At that point we are stuck somewhere between Steven Spielberg and Walt Disney, like a fuzzy fantasy.

All three are far beyond our understanding of life, and so many other things beyond life as we know it.  You must get beyond the limits of your mind.  This world is no longer a playground, this is a spiritual war zone.  The long-rumored battle between Michael with his legions of Angels versus the Fallen Angels, good versus evil, was true, and the battleground has now spilled into our world, Creation.

We don’t even see it.

But this is just a backdrop for the Main Event, your awakening.

It can and must come, to each and every one of you, if you are prepared to pay the price.

What I am about to disclose to you could change you, or reinforce what you might have thought.  At a minimum, I hope it will lead to triggering your imagination and stimulating your creativity.

IMAGINATION

CREATIVITY

These are two of the most important gifts you were given by the Creator.  Or perhaps it will stimulate you to seek out the truth.  Deep down inside you harbor a fear that you are not fulfilling your mission in life.  Your intuition is probably right.

Your physical body is perhaps the most complex, miraculous, and magnificent creation of the Father.  When I say your body, I mean in a living state, after the Soul has fused with the fetus at the moment of birth, and the result defies physics, all of science, logic, or any other form of comprehension.

No matter what you think about yourself, Father Creator loves you so much because you are his Creation, that he gave you life.  Your life is just the first step in your journey, for you must then find answers to the most unlikely of questions.

Not only did he create you to function in our world, he then gave you a path to return to the Kingdom, then to the Eternal State of Oneness of the Creator in Eternity.  And then, about thirteen billion years after he created your world, he sent you his Son Jesus.

When Jesus first came to Earth during the Roman Empire his visit certainly did not get the press attention it deserved.  But then, it took a long time for the news of events in Jerusalem to circulate around the world by camel and messenger pigeon.

His first mission was not just to die for your sins, it was meant to serve as a wake-up call.

• To help you know who you are and where you came from.

• To give you a living, breathing Son of God who looked and lived just like you.

• To use his powers through the Creator to work miracles and get your attention.

• To demonstrate through Transfiguration that God’s Grace in Heaven awaits those who awaken to the light on Earth.

• To demonstrate that sacrifices must be made to bask in the brilliant white light of the Kingdom of Heaven, or the golden glow of Eternity beyond.

All of these things, in order for the Holy Spirit to awaken you to the mysteries of creation and the magic of beyond.  So, Jesus came to experience Birth, Transfiguration, Death, Resurrection, and Ascension to show you how it is done.

Our knowledge and experience are centered around Birth and Death, the natural cycle of life.  Our misunderstanding of the significance of death has led to a backlash of negative thinking, thus increasing the density or frequency of our own bodies and stalling the progress of our spiritual evolution back to the Creator.

Nothing can trigger an emotional response on Earth like Death.  To understand the meaning of Death we need to unravel the mysteries of life, our life, in the Earth state.

We have discussed the structure of the spiritual world outside.  There are three key components we have identified, Eternity, the Kingdom (of Heaven), and Creation, the world in which we take physical form.

Based on a preponderance of information that has come to us through ancient scripture, inspired thinking, the teaching of Jesus, and new revelations of long-hidden truth we have been exposed to some of the truth.  All things on Earth and the rest of Creation agree that one of the most important cycles we experience is the circle of life.  Yet for all its importance there is very little we truly understand about it.

The Father created all that is in order for us to experience the human condition, the physical body.  It is our most important test of faith and of our ability to seek salvation by following the path as shown by Jesus.

I think we might all agree on this premise and goal.  Yet in our everyday life on Earth, we tend to ignore the most important teaching and example set by the Son of God.  Of course, you may disagree with me about the importance, but look at the evidence.  You praise the power of the Father and pray to his Son to show you the light, all the while denying the most important components of the path Jesus showed us.

Being born and dying are but two of the five actions Jesus taught us, and generally we accept them.  Still we ignore the core of his teaching that all five steps are necessary for our spiritual awakening and fulfillment of the most important aspect of our mission, reuniting with Father Creator.

In our life on Earth we must achieve Transfiguration, embrace the State of Grace it represents, and know that such a state can only be temporarily experienced in our life, as it cannot be a permanent condition until we die.  In somewhat scientific terms since Earthlings have a tendency of wanting to feel, see, and experience something before accepting it as truth, we create our own barriers to keep from experiencing the state of Transfiguration, the state of living in the Grace of God.

When Jesus transfigured for apostles Peter, James, and John, an event he neither planned nor expected, he was in a deep state of prayer.  Suddenly his body burst into a blinding radiating white light, he seemed almost transparent to them, and on each side of him appeared spiritual entities the apostles identified as Moses and Elijah.  Both had been long dead at the time yet there they stood, in the clouds on either side of Jesus radiating the same blinding light.

Jesus was frustrated at the time with his apostles who continued to doubt and misunderstand his words and teaching, even as he was demonstrating his power with miracles.  In spite of spending three years with the Son of God before his death, those closest to him continued to lack faith.  Only the Magdalen, who we call Mary Magdalen, understood the meaning and purpose of his words and actions, and in time came to be known as the Apostle to the Apostles.

It was Magdalen alone among all others who heard and understood the words of Jesus and who spent the rest of her life trying to make certain those words were not misinterpreted.  She had a faith in Jesus and a love for Jesus that transcended their human condition and limitations.

Throughout his entire ministry she stood beside him, from the Baptism with John the Baptist to his Crucifixion and death on the Cross, where only Magdalen, of all the apostles and disciples, stood with his Mother Mary to mourn their beloved’s death.

She helped bring his body down and move it to the tomb where she anointed it with sacred oils.  When the tomb was closed, she checked periodically in anticipation of his Resurrection, was first to discover the tomb was empty, first to discover the arisen Lord, then sent by Jesus to tell the Apostles of his Resurrection.  Finally, she was at his Ascension when the followers received the Holy Spirit and Jesus, accompanied again by Moses and Elijah, ascended into the Kingdom of Heaven.

His Resurrection was the second time Jesus had Transfigured, into the State of God’s Grace, having previously experienced it with Peter, James, and John.  This time it was permanent.  So, in his human state he experienced Birth, Transfiguration into a state of Grace, and his final act of being crucified and Death.  At the moment of his Death the world was made aware that he had fulfilled the ancient prophecy by dying, and would soon return.

In fact, let me review what happened at the moment of his Death on the Cross by quoting from an earlier description of events in an article written Good Friday of 2017.

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Colton’s Point Times – Conversations with Melchizedek – April 6, 2017

 Friday

[On Good Friday were there Angels with Jesus?]

Yes, Michael and Gabriel.

[How about when He was carrying the Cross?]

They turned away.

[So, He was on His own.]

They turned away their faces from the greatness of that ultimate human experience, his being crucified for bearing the truth.  And the turning away was so as not to be contaminated by the loneness, the low vibration of that ultimate human condition.  The carnage and the ugliness of the humanness.  The ugliness to which, we would bring ourselves down, descend.

[Is it true the Roman stabbed the sword into Jesus to make sure he would die before the Sabbath began?]

Yes, that was the motive, that was the intention.  It was also in the mind of the one who ordered this, the Roman Centurion.

Longinus was the soldier who actually pierced Jesus.  He really was trying to help the Savior pass.  He got the message, oh he got the message.  He knew who Jesus was.  He did not want to prolong this anymore.  It also fulfilled a prophecy that Jesus would be dead before the Passover paving the way for the angels to arrive.

There would be no Jews on the streets concerned with the body missing or the burial. As a result, there would be a blank space in there where all of this other story would unfold.  Without the Passover and everyone home and in after the sunset, this all would not have been possible.  So, the Roman, the head of that guard who ordered it, was motivated by the Holy Spirit to create fulfillment of this prophecy.

Thus, at the precise moment of death on that fateful Friday, the earth, nature, the universe, and endless hordes of angels were able to awaken the world to the death of Jesus and the coming resurrection from the dead.

At the moment Jesus died, a massive earthquake tremor shook the entire earth.  There was a complete great darkening of the sky.  It was not just an eclipse, but an emission from a planet.  It was some kind of an explosion or emission that slowly passed in front of the sun blocking the sunlight for the next twenty-four hours.

A celestial darkening overcame the earth.  More like a cloud, more like a shadow, as clouds pulled together bringing a great darkening.  It was almost like the clouds pulled together to mask a major explosion behind it.  There was a great roar, a rumbling from that, which people would interpret as thunder.

[At the time of the death and resurrection was the whole world aware of what was going on, just the Middle East, or only the Israelis?]

The whole world felt the tremor and, the side where the Sun was, all of that area would have seen the darkening, whether it was on the horizon or not.

Those on the opposite side of the earth would have seen a shower of that explosion, a dense meteor shower with remnants striking the earth at different points.  There was impact, impact all over the globe, yes, a shower of the stars and the sky, the sky lighting up in places because of that. 

There was also a great essence of human foreboding, and all through the animal kingdom, the animal behavior just responded, indeed all through nature, marking that point.  That the mission was fulfilled.

There was rejoicing, great rejoicing.  Definitely, Angels sang.

[How many Angels came down during that period, between the death and Resurrection.  I mean is there such a thing as the number of Angels, was it like an overwhelming amount?  It seems people would stay off the streets for the next couple of days waiting to see what happened.]

A good question, can we number the Angels? 

There were hordes, hordes of Angels.  Banks upon banks, layers upon layers.  Sweeping, sweeping and rolling, and ascending and descending.  You know that concept of Seraphim, the Seraphim.  Michael was within that whole ascending, descending, rolling, turning, of Angelic forces coming.  He would appear and reappear.

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Once he was laid to rest in his tomb the stage was set for his last two acts on Earth, his Resurrection and Ascension.

How do we embrace the Death of a Loved One?

If we understand death is a necessary step to get to the Kingdom in Heaven, then we should turn our attention to focusing on celebrating the life lived and the progress made toward a reunion in Heaven.  This is not a time for grieving, mourning the loss, feeling abandoned by those left behind.

It is a time to celebrate the life lived, not mourn the death.  In death, you return to the Kingdom where your progress in your sacred covenant with God is assessed.  You are following the path of Jesus “outside of time” with your body no longer necessary.  You have returned to the Heavenly Soul of the Just, the Heart of the Creator in the Kingdom.

In order for your lifetimes on Earth to reach an end, you must embrace and experience the last two acts demonstrated by Jesus, the Resurrection from the Dead and the Ascension into the Kingdom.

Earlier, when you experienced the Transfiguration by being touched by the Holy Spirit, you were made aware of the final calling to the Father, the secrets to life everlasting.  Your own Resurrection, demonstrated by Jesus, allows you to break free of the ties that bind you to everyday life on Earth.  You have evolved to a higher frequency than the density of Earth.

In this state of Grace, you have the wisdom of Melchizedek, the power of Angels, and the example of Jesus at your disposal.  It will be your new mission to help all others still left attached to Earth.

You see, in the eyes of the Creator, we all are One, the Oneness found in the heart of Father Creator.  That same heart is the Soul for all mankind.  Each of you is connected to the heart of the Creator by golden filament light beams.

All physical bodies have their own Soul on Earth, but all Souls come from the same single source, the One source, the heart of Father Creator.  You achieve Resurrection when you follow the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and the path of Jesus, Son of God.

You do not die in the physical world, only the vessel you occupy ceases to exist.  Your soul and spirit, they live on in the Kingdom where form is energy, thought is energy, and perfect love is energy.

God the Creator does never give up on His creations.  No matter how far astray you may drift, Jesus taught us the pathway to redemption and salvation.  During the billions of years of our existence the Father also gave you multiple experiences on Earth to achieve the state of grace necessary to finally enter the Kingdom and return to Oneness with Father Creator.

You Resurrect when your Will reflects the Will of the Father, when you have achieved the state of grace of the Transfiguration needed to achieve your own ascension.  When you finally know that the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are all always present within you.

Never again will you return to Earth in the physical form.

Some call it Judgement Day, the Grande Finale, your Ascension, when all Souls destined for Eternity Ascend, at the end of time, in unison, in Oneness, in the Grace of God, and the love of the Father.

And then there was the One.

(More later)              

The Hippocratic Oath for Hypocrites – What did medical professionals swear to do for you?

The Hippocratic Oath is an oath historically taken by doctors swearing to practice medicine ethically.  The Greek physician, Hippocrates, from the 5th Century B.C., is the author.  Adopted about 26 centuries ago it withstood the test of time for nearly 2,500 years before changes in 1948 and 1964, the last 67 years, effectively destroyed the original intent.

From the website Greek Medicine.net we learn the following.

HIPPOCRATES

Father of Medicine

Medical historians generally look to Hippocrates as the founder of medicine as a rational science.  It was Hippocrates who finally freed medicine from the shackles of magic, superstition, and the supernatural.  Hippocrates collected data and conducted experiments to show that disease was a natural process and that the signs and symptoms of a disease resulted from the natural reactions of the body to the disease process.  He also believed that the chief role of the physician was to aid the natural resistance of the body to overcome the metabolic imbalance and restore health and harmony to the organism.

Hippocrates was born on the island of Cos, off the southwest coast of Asia Minor, or present-day Turkey, around 460 B.C.  His father was a physician-priest in the Asclepion at Cos, and his family could trace its lineage back to the legendary Asclepius.  Hippocrates lived a very long life and died at a ripe old age in the town of Larissa in Thessaly.

The Hippocratic Revolution

When Hippocrates began to practice medicine, the established school of medicine was the Cnidian School, but this school's approach to medicine had several serious flaws, which were already becoming apparent and starting to cause a general dissatisfaction with the art of medicine.

The Cnidian School considered the body to be merely a collection of isolated parts, and saw diseases manifesting in a particular organ or body part as affecting that part only, which alone was treated.  Their system of diagnosis was also faulty, relying exclusively on the subjective symptoms related by the patient, while totally ignoring the objective signs of the disease.

Hippocrates radically disagreed with the Cnidian School, countering that the human body functioned as one unified organism, or physis, and must be treated, in health and disease, as one coherent, integrated whole.  In diagnosis, not only the patient's subjective symptoms, but the objective signs of the disease must also be considered to arrive at an accurate assessment of what was going on.

As his unifying theory for the holistic understanding of the human organism, and how it functions in health and disease, Hippocrates used the concept of the Four Humors.  Building on the groundwork of humoral physiology and pathology laid by his predecessors, Hippocrates finally brought the theory of the Four Humors into its classical form.

Health is a harmonious balance of the Four Humors.  Disease results from their disharmony and imbalance.  The physician's job is to restore health by correcting the imbalance and restoring harmony to the humors.

To quote Hippocrates:

"The body of man has in itself blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile; these make up the nature of the body, and through these he feels pain or enjoys health.  Now, he enjoys the most perfect health when these elements are duly proportioned to one another in respect to compounding, power and bulk, and when they are perfectly mingled.  Pain is felt when one of these elements is in defect or excess, or is isolated in the body without being compounded with all the others."

The Nature of Man

Hippocrates took his band of renegade physicians with him to the island of Cos.  There, they set about to revolutionize the art of medicine and put its theory and practice on a truer, sounder footing.

Hippocratic Medicine

Physiology and pathology in Hippocratic medicine was based on the Four Humors.  A united confluence and sympathy between all four humors working together was necessary for good health.  Pneuma - the Breath or Vital Force, and the Innate Heat, which were suffused into the blood from the lungs via the heart, gave the blood the power to sustain life.

Hippocrates saw pepsis, or an orderly, balanced, harmonious digestion and metabolism of the Four Humors as being essential to all good health.  In disorders of pepsis Hippocrates saw the origin of most disease.

Hippocrates' anatomical knowledge was rather scant, but this is compensated for by his profound insights into human physiology and the soundness of his reasoning.  But even so, his surgical techniques for dislocations of the hip and jaw were unsurpassed until the nineteenth century.

In therapeutics, Hippocrates saw the physician as the servant and facilitator of Nature.  All medical treatment was aimed at enabling the natural resistance of the organism to prevail and overcome the disease, to bring about recovery.

In the treatments he prescribed, Hippocrates was very sensible, pragmatic and flexible in his approach, favoring conservatism and moderation over radical or extreme measures.  Bloodletting, which was much abused at other times in medicine's history, was used only rarely by Hippocrates, and even then, only applied conservatively.

Hippocrates placed great emphasis on strengthening and building up the body's inherent resistance to disease.  For this, he prescribed diet, gymnastics, exercise, massage, hydrotherapy and sea bathing.

Hippocrates was a great believer in dietary measures in the treatment of disease.  He prescribed a very slender, light diet during the crisis stage of an acute illness, and a liquid diet during the treatment of fevers and wounds.  

Hippocratic medicine was constitutionally based, so its approach to diagnosis and treatment was quite flexible.  As a holistic healing system, Hippocratic medicine treated the patient, and not just the disease.

Hippocrates was the first physician to systematically classify diseases based on points of similarity and contrast between them.  He virtually originated the disciplines of etiology and pathology.  By systematically classifying diseases, Hippocrates placed their diagnosis and treatment on a sounder footing.

The Hippocratic Corpus

The Hippocratic Corpus is a collection of over 60 works.  Although all of them are attributed to Hippocrates, the Corpus is of a heterogenous character, and many, if not most, of its works may actually have been written by his students.

Still, we can be fairly certain that Hippocrates actually did author many books in the Corpus, including many original, groundbreaking works.

These include:
Airs, Waters and Places - the first major work on medical meteorology, climatology, geography and anthropology.
Aphorisms - a collection of wise, pithy sayings giving advice on practical matters of diet, prognosis and therapeutics.
Ancient Medicine - a defense of the empirical study of medicine against one biased by preliminary axioms and assumptions.  Also deals with the Four Humors.

The Legacy of Hippocrates

Hippocrates was the personification of the ideal physician - wise, caring, compassionate, and honest.  His Hippocratic Oath, which set high ethical standards for the practice of medicine, is his most remembered achievement.  His exemplary life has been a constant and enduring source of inspiration for doctors and healers down through the ages.

The Hippocratic Oath

Contrary to popular myth, the phrase "First do no harm" (Latin: Primum non nocere)) is not part of the Hippocratic oath. Strictly speaking, the phrase does not appear in the oath, though an equivalent phrase is in Epidemics, Book I, of the Hippocratic school: "Practise two things in your dealings with disease: either help or do not harm the patient".  The exact phrase may have originated with the 19th-century surgeon Thomas Inman.

There were several modifications to the oath, with a significant revision in 1948 by the World Medical Association (WMA) called the Declaration of Geneva.  During post World War II and immediately after its foundation, the WMA showed concern over the state of medical ethics in general and over the world. The WMA took up the responsibility for setting ethical guidelines for the world physicians. It noted that in those years the custom of medical schools to administer an oath to its doctors upon graduation or receiving a license to practice medicine had fallen into disuse or become a mere formality". In Germany during the Third Reich, medical students did not take the Hippocratic Oath, although they knew the ethic of "nil nocere" - do no harm.

In the 1960s, the Hippocratic Oath was changed to require "utmost respect for human life from its beginning", making it a more secular obligation, not to be taken in the presence of God or any gods, but before only other people. When Louis Lasanga, Academic Dean of the School of Medicine at Tufts University, rewrote the Oath in 1964, omitted the prayer, and that version has been widely accepted and is still in use today by many medical schools.

Following are the Classic (original) version of the Oath, and the modern version resulting from the Lasanga revisions in 1964.  Note in the original version content in red represents sections altered in the modern version.

The Hippocratic Oath (Classic Version)

I swear by Apollo the Physician and Asclepius and Hygieia and Panaceia and all the gods, and goddesses, making them my witnesses, that I will fulfill according to my ability and judgment this oath and this covenant:

To hold him who has taught me this art as equal to my parents and to live my life in partnership with him, who has instructed me and to pupils who have signed the covenant and have taken the oath according to medical law, but to no one else.

I will apply dietic measures for the benefit of the sick according to my ability and judgment; I will keep them from harm and injustice.and if he is in need of money to give him a share of mine, and to regard his offspring as equal to my brothers in male lineage and to teach them this art–if they desire to learn it–without fee and covenant; to give a share of precepts and oral instruction and all the other learning to my sons and to the sons of him

I will neither give a deadly drug to anybody if asked for it, nor will I make a suggestion to this effect. Similarly I will not give to a woman an abortive remedy. In purity and holiness I will guard my life and my art.

I will not use the knife, not even on sufferers from stone, but will withdraw in favor of such men as are engaged in this work.

Whatever houses I may visit, I will come for the benefit of the sick, remaining free of all intentional injustice, of all mischief and in particular of sexual relations with both female and male persons, be they free or slaves.

What I may see or hear in the course of treatment or even outside of the treatment in regard to the life of men, which on no account one must spread abroad, I will keep myself holding such things shameful to be spoken about.

If I fulfill this oath and do not violate it, may it be granted to me to enjoy life and art, being honored with fame among all men for all time to come; if I transgress it and swear falsely, may the opposite of all this be my lot.

The Hippocratic Oath (Modern Version)

I swear to fulfill, to the best of my ability and judgment, this covenant:

I will respect the hard-won scientific gains of those physicians in whose steps I walk, and gladly share such knowledge as is mine with those who are to follow.

I will apply, for the benefit of the sick, all measures [that] are required, avoiding those twin traps of over treatment and therapeutic nihilism.

I will remember that there is art to medicine as well as science, and that warmth, sympathy, and understanding may outweigh the surgeon's knife or the chemist's drug.

I will not be ashamed to say "I know not," nor will I fail to call in my colleagues when the skills of another are needed for a patient's recovery.

I will respect the privacy of my patients, for their problems are not disclosed to me that the world may know. Most especially must I tread with care in matters of life and death. If it is given me to save a life, all thanks. But it may also be within my power to take a life; this awesome responsibility must be faced with great humbleness and awareness of my own frailty. Above all, I must not play at God.

I will remember that I do not treat a fever chart, a cancerous growth, but a sick human being, whose illness may affect the person's family and economic stability. My responsibility includes these related problems, if I am to care adequately for the sick.

I will prevent disease whenever I can, for prevention is preferable to cure.

I will remember that I remain a member of society, with special obligations to all my fellow human beings, those sound of mind and body as well as the infirm.

If I do not violate this oath, may I enjoy life and art, respected while I live and remembered with affection thereafter. May I always act so as to preserve the finest traditions of my calling and may I long experience the joy of healing those who seek my help.

The Modern Version, written in 1964 by Louis Lasagna, Academic Dean of the School of Medicine at Tufts University, is used in many medical schools today.

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The Bill of Rights and Responsibilities of the News Media

The press, or news media, are protected by the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America.

Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

This is the Code of Ethics used to guide the news media in the exercise of their work.  Do you think they are following their own Code of Ethics?

Society of Professional JournalistsImproving and protecting journalism since 1909

SPJ Code of Ethics

Preamble

Members of the Society of Professional Journalists believe that public enlightenment is the forerunner of justice and the foundation of democracy. Ethical journalism strives to ensure the free exchange of information that is accurate, fair and thorough. An ethical journalist acts with integrity.

The Society declares these four principles as the foundation of ethical journalism and encourages their use in its practice by all people in all media.

Seek Truth and Report It

Ethical journalism should be accurate and fair. Journalists should

be honest and courageous in gathering, reporting and interpreting

information.

Journalists should:

Take responsibility for the accuracy of their work. Verify information before

releasing it. Use original sources whenever possible.

Remember that neither speed nor format excuses inaccuracy.

Provide context. Take special care not to misrepresent or oversimplify in

promoting, previewing or summarizing a story.

Gather, update and correct information throughout the life of a news story.

Be cautious when making promises, but keep the promises they make.

Identify sources clearly. The public is entitled to as much information as possible

to judge the reliability and motivations of sources.

Consider sources’ motives before promising anonymity. Reserve anonymity for

sources who may face danger, retribution or other harm, and have information

that cannot be obtained elsewhere. Explain why anonymity was granted.

Diligently seek subjects of news coverage to allow them to respond to criticism

or allegations of wrongdoing.

Avoid undercover or other surreptitious methods of gathering information

unless traditional, open methods will not yield information vital to the public.

Be vigilant and courageous about holding those with power accountable.

Give voice to the voiceless.

Support the open and civil exchange of views, even views they find repugnant.

Recognize a special obligation to serve as watchdogs over public affairs and

government. Seek to ensure that the public’s business is conducted in the

open, and that public records are open to all.

Provide access to source material when it is relevant and appropriate.

Boldly tell the story of the diversity and magnitude of the human experience.

Seek sources whose voices we seldom hear.

Avoid stereotyping. Journalists should examine the ways their values and

experiences may shape their reporting.

Label advocacy and commentary.

Never deliberately distort facts or context, including visual information.

Clearly label illustrations and re-enactments.

Never plagiarize. Always attribute.

Minimize Harm

Ethical journalism treats sources, subjects, colleagues and members of

the public as human beings deserving of respect.

Journalists should:

Balance the public’s need for information against potential harm or discomfort.

Pursuit of the news is not a license for arrogance or undue intrusiveness.

Show compassion for those who may be affected by news coverage. Use

heightened sensitivity when dealing with juveniles, victims of sex crimes,

and sources or subjects who are inexperienced or unable to give consent.

Consider cultural differences in approach and treatment.

Recognize that legal access to information differs from an ethical justification

to publish or broadcast.

Realize that private people have a greater right to control information about

themselves than public figures and others who seek power, influence or

attention. Weigh the consequences of publishing or broadcasting personal

information.

Avoid pandering to lurid curiosity, even if others do.

Balance a suspect’s right to a fair trial with the public’s right to know. Consider

the implications of identifying criminal suspects before they face legal charges.

Consider the long-term implications of the extended reach and permanence of

publication. Provide updated and more complete information as appropriate.

Act Independently

The highest and primary obligation of ethical journalism is to serve

the public.

Journalists should:

Avoid conflicts of interest, real or perceived. Disclose unavoidable conflicts.

Refuse gifts, favors, fees, free travel and special treatment, and avoid political

and other outside activities that may compromise integrity or impartiality,

or may damage credibility.

Be wary of sources offering information for favors or money; do not pay for

access to news. Identify content provided by outside sources, whether paid

or not.

Deny favored treatment to advertisers, donors or any other special interests,

and resist internal and external pressure to influence coverage.

Distinguish news from advertising and shun hybrids that blur the lines

between the two. Prominently label sponsored content.

Be Accountable and Transparent

Ethical journalism means taking responsibility for one's work and

explaining one’s decisions to the public.

Journalists should:

Explain ethical choices and processes to audiences. Encourage a civil

dialogue with the public about journalistic practices, coverage and news

content.

Respond quickly to questions about accuracy, clarity and fairness.

Acknowledge mistakes and correct them promptly and prominently. Explain

corrections and clarifications carefully and clearly.

Expose unethical conduct in journalism, including within their organizations.

Abide by the same high standards they expect of others.

The SPJ Code of Ethics is a statement of abiding principles supported by additional explanations and position papers (at spj.org) that address changing journalistic practices.

It is not a set of rules, rather a guide that encourages all who engage in journalism to take responsibility for the information they provide, regardless of medium. The code should be read as a whole; individual principles should not be taken out of context. It is not, nor can it be under the First Amendment, legally enforceable.

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