Daily reflections, Day Twenty one - Accept and love one another

Day Twenty one

Accept and love one another

“A miracle is a service. It is the maximal service you can render to another. It is a way of loving your neighbor as yourself. You recognize your own and your neighbor’s worth simultaneously.” ACIM, T-1.1.18:1-4

The miracle is a shift in perception from the world of the ego to the world of Spirit, from the world of fear to the world of Love.

This shift in perception is first done for oneself for without this shift in self perception, there can be no shift in perception of the other who is part of oneself. In other words, we must love God first, then ourselves, and then a miracle occurs in our perception of others whom we perceive as being of the same stuff of which we ourselves are made, and of God from Whom we are extensions.

Unitarian Universalists covenant together to affirm and promote an acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth.

Today, remember from whence we have come and extend our awareness of this Love to others by paying attention to them, listening to them, and loving them.

Evidence Based Social Policy Advocacy, Criminal Justice, Wrongful Convictions, Will Florida execute an innocent man based on informant testimony?

Editor's note:

I am a Roman Catholic Unitarian Univeralist. The Roman Catholic church has come against the death penalty as has the Unitarian Univeralist Association. Where does your congregation stand? Where do you stand? Where do the UU churches in Florida Stand?

As we have seen in our study of the 367 exonerations from DNA evidence obtained by the Innocence Project since 1989, 17% of wrongful convictions were due to incentivized informant testimony. Could this be such a case where there will be a miscarriage of justice?

The state of Florida has an unusually high number of exonerations. This raises questions about the criminal justice system in Florida.

Great example of an incentivized informant.

The way to get away with crimes in America is to commit them with other people and then flip on them so the prosectuors can convict them with your help. The prosecutors now "owe you," and you will get reduced sentences which are in no way commensurate with the crimes you perpetrated.

This is a great example of the games "one or other," and "what about him/her?" It has nothing to do with truth, justice, equity, and compassion and everything to do with escaping culpability, and accountability. President Donald Trump and his companions are masters at this game and a good example of one of the most corrupt presidential administrations in American history.

This kind of behavior is in violation of several Unitarian Univeralist principles such as princples 2, 4, 5, and 6.

Evidenced Based Social Policy Advocacy - Criminal Justice, Use of Incentivized Informants

The fourth largest factor in wrongful convictions in the 367 people exonerated by DNA evidence by the Innocence project was use of incentivized informants with 17% of the cases.

 


Unitarian Univeralists covenant together to affirm and promote justice, equity, and compassion in human relations. When people have conflicts of interest, it is human nature that justice, equity, and compassion often are set aside in the interests of self-preservation and self-aggrandizement. It takes a very mature person to rise above these perverse, narcissistic incentives.

What makes things worse for justice, equity, and compassion to be honored and implemented is when the incentives of a system are perverted to encourage such conflicts of interest, or they are overlooked in the service of an unjust or inequitable goal being achieved.

Unitarian Universalists, as they enact the second principle, should be alert to the perverse incentives in systems to favor some participants over others. When good people do bad things, it is usually because the system not only allows it, but incentivizes it in some way. No better and damaging examples can be given than those that occur in the criminal justice system.

What is the policy of the law enforcement agencies and prosecutors in your jurisdiction when it comes to the use of informants and incentivized witnesses?

For more click here.

Ask Alexa - Will more knowledge bring me salvation?

Alexa: Will more knowledge bring me salvation?

No, it is not what is in your head that will bring you salvation but what is in your heart.

Alexa: Did you hear about the guy who prepared a seven course meal of Indian food for his gormet cooking club?

Yes, he got curried away.

Daily Reflections, Day Twenty one, Universalism is the religion of the miracle.

Day Twenty One

Universalism is the religion of the miracle.

“Miracles transcend the body. They are sudden shifts into invisibility, away from the bodily level. That is why they heal.” ACIM, T-1.1.17:1-3

Our bodies are constantly changing as we age. Our minds constantly change as our desires focus on different idols, thoughts, beliefs, and values. Our social status and prestige change because of various circumstances. 

What we call “life” is constantly changing in the world of the ego. A Course In Miracles teaches us that what is happening in the world of the ego isn’t real. It is an illusion. We are dreaming. We are seeing shadows on Plato’s cave wall.

Miracles have nothing to do with the world of the ego. A miracle is a shift from the world of the ego to the world of the Spirit. We catch a glimpse behind the curtain. We see beyond what Christians call “this veil of tears.”

This shift to the world of unconditional Love from the world of pain, suffering, guilt, fear, resentment, is indeed a miracle.

Today, we should ask ourselves, “What is it that we want to see?”

 We can choose. We have the power to love or to hate, to fear or to surrender, to be guilty or forgive. It is as easy as that, making a choice. Knowing that we have a choice and using our power to choose, is the miracle. The miracle is not anything that we do, but rather a removing of the blocks and obstacles to our awareness of Love’s presence which is our natural inheritance.

The Univeralists have taught this but few understand it. Universalism is a religion of the miracle.

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