Normalization of evil

As the impeachment trial unfolds in the U.S. senate, M. Scott Peck's book, The people of the lie: The hope for healing human evil keeps coming to mind.

The basis of the lie is the denial of truth in service of one's own ego.

What we are seeing unfold in the U.S. Senate under the leadership of Mitch McConnell is evil as Republican Senators deny the truth, refuse further information, and enable Presidential lies and deceit.

Our country is in great peril when we have normalized evil and we are seeing it displayed for those with eyes to see and ears to hear. Let's call it what it is so that we can deal with it and hopefully ameliorate it.

As human beings we all not only are capable of evil but have engaged in it to protect our egos. When we were kids, it was cute and expected, but as adults it is frightening because the failure to be honest and do the right thing often has grave consequences.

We are living in a political age in the United States where evil has become normalized and even has gotten to the point where it is not politically correct to speak of it. However, we here, at UU A Way Of Life think not only that it is time, it is past time.

Daily Reflections, Day Forty seven, Who and What you are.

Day Forty seven

Who and what you are.

“The miracle is an expression of an inner awareness of Christ and the acceptance of His Atonement.” ACIM.T-1.1.44:1

This principle makes no sense if you don’t understand the metaphysics of A Course In Miracles. Understanding of the metaphysics of A Course In Miracles provides the reader and reading this principle, provides the reader with an awesome experience of the profound.

“An inner awareness of Christ” is what the hippies called, back in the 60s, “Christ consciousness,” which referred to the experience that all of humanity is One or as the Roman Catholics call it, “The Body Of Christ,” the second part of the Trinity.

Some people have attained the appreciation that “no man is an island” as poet John Dunne phrased it. No person is complete in and of themselves.

“The acceptance of His Atonement” refers to the awareness that we are not separate selves but part of the interdependent web of all existence. We, essentially, are made up of star dust to be poetic or, we are an extension of God’s Grace.

If we ask a person, “Who are you?” “What are you?” most people would stammer and stutter and have no way of answering those questions. People, though, who have experienced the inner awareness of Christ and who have accepted His Atonement know perfectly well who and what they are. They have left the path of the ego and dwell on the path of the Spirit.

Today, take several moments during the course of your day and reflect on who and what you are. Feel the peace and joy arise. Experience the miracle.

Use of the death penalty decreasing in the United States

From America Magazine, 01/20/20

The report by the Death Penalty Information Center, based in Washington, highlighted state actions against the death penalty such as New Hampshire voting to abolish capital punishment, making it the 21st state to do so; California's decision to put all executions on hold; and Indiana's 10-year mark since its last execution.

The report said that all together, 32 states have now either abolished the death penalty or not carried out an execution in more than a decade, and it said this number directly contrasts with the federal government's announcement this year that it would resume executions after a 16-year hiatus.

Unitarian Universalists covenant together to affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person.

The America Magazine article reads: 

This past June (2019), the U.S. bishops voted to revise the death penalty section of the U.S. Catholic Catechism for Adults, reflecting an earlier change made by Pope Francis and the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in 2018. The Catechism of the Catholic Church now states that the "death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person."

As a Roman Catholic Unitarian Universalist I believe in the sanctity of human life and the possibility of human redemption. Every person is worth more than their worst act. Join us here at UU A Way Of Life to work for the end of the death penalty.

Daily Reflections, Day Forty six, Will we experience miracles arising?

Day Forty six

Will we experience miracles arising?

“Miracles arise from a miraculous state of mind, or a state of miracle-readiness.” ACIM.T-1.1.43:1

Kenneth Wapnick, a teacher of A Course In Miracles, calls the “state of miracle-readiness” right mindedness compared to the way of the ego which is wrong mindedness.

Even though, the Course In Miracles can seem very esoteric and complicated to most readers because the metaphysics are so counter-cultural, its teachings are very simple. We have a choice to make: the world of the ego or the world of the Spirit. The path of separation and projection of blame and guilt or the path of joining, alliance, and Unconditional Love.

The Universalists, as a religious denomination, make the choice for Love a couple of centuries ago. Why the witness of Universalists for this choice has fallen out of popularity the last several decades is a bit of a mystery. Perhaps it is our capitalistic, industrialized, urbanized way of life in pursuit of ego gratification which have pushed the other choice into the background. With the coming days of climate change and consequent suffering perhaps a period of reflection, re-prioritizing, and a change in decision making will occur.

The survival of homo sapiens and other species on this earth will take great Love something, up until now, it is not clear that humanity is capable of. However, humanity has not been put to such a test before.

A Course In Miracles teaches that miracles arise from a miraculous state of mind, meaning a loving mind which is congruent with the path of the Spirit. As human beings, who make plenty of mistakes, we can always choose again and find a better way to proceed with our lives. Hopefully, we will choose Love and experience miracles arising.

Today, when I realize I am getting upset, I will pause and recognize it never is for the reason I think. I am upset because I have chosen fear, guilt, resentment, blame, rather than Love, forgiveness, joining, and peace.

Should Roman Catholic Unitarian Universalists celebrate Ash Wednesday?

Ash Wednesday this year, 2020, is on February 26th.

As an RCUU should you celebrate it? Will you celebrate it?

Ash Wednesday is the day we are reminded from Genesis 3:19 that from dust we have come, and to dust we shall return."  This idea is memorialized in the Stoic prase "Memento Mori" which translated from Latin into English means "remember you will die."

Ash Wednesday is the celebration of our mortality and a reminder to use our time here in this incarnation wisely. Memento Mori and Ash Wednesday can be invigorating and a reminder to live each day to the fullest with a sense of priority and urgency.

Ash Wednesday is intended as the beginning of the six week perior of Lent when we are encouraged to exercise enhance discipline to focus our attention on our purpose and mission to become our best selves and to serve others and our world.

Join us here at UU A Way Of Life this year as we prepare to celebrate Ash Wednesday and the Lenten season.

Daily Reflections, Day Forty five, "Make me one with everything."

Day Forty five

Make me one with everything.

“A major contribution of miracles is their strength in releasing you from your false sense of isolation, deprivation and lack.” ACIM.T-1.1.42:1

People feel lonely and then project blame on others for depriving them of connection and association. Loneliness is born out of a sense of lack and scarcity. Loneliness, fundamentally, is a spiritual problem not a social and psychological one.

The false sense of isolation, deprivation, and lack only occurs in the world of the ego. In the world of the Spirit there is only unconditional Love and peace. Which world we choose to inhabit is within our power to decide. First, we must recognize that we have the choice. Second, we must acknowledge that the choice is ours. Third, we must act on our choice and focus our attention on one or the other, the world of the ego or the world of the Spirit. In making the choice for the world of the Spirit, the miracle occurs and we become One with Divine Creation.

Today, when I am feeling lonely, I will remind myself that I am not alone, but a part of something much bigger than my separate ego. I will calm myself and clear my mind of all obstacles and barriers to the awareness of pure Being. I will try to experience the becoming of One with Everything and experience the peace and joy that arises.

Gems - What are the characteristics of a mature soul?

"A life is a work of art in progress. A mature soul is constantly reflecting, learning, adjusting and continuing its work of creating a masterpiece. There is an aura around such a life, it radiates a lovely perfume for all to enjoy. I wish you well on the creation of your masterpiece."

From What Are The Characteristics of a Mature Soul, on Chalicefire, 09/18/08

Editor's note:

Socrates said that an unexamined life is not worth living. Are you living an examined life? How many people do you know that are living examined lives?

Now days, the buzz word describing this phenomenon of being a witness to our own functioning is called "mindfulness." How mindful are you on a scale of  0 - 10 with 10 being 100% of the time down to 0 being none of the time.

How does the Unitarian Univeralist faith fascilitate people living mindful lives? (Hint: Fourth principle.)