Book discussion - The Presence Of The Infinite, Spiritual but not religious?

Spiritual but not religious.

This book is about spiritual experience, which can be understood as an encounter with the presence of the infinite within our finite universe of time and space. While the human experience of spirit takes many forms and can be conceived of in a wide variety of ways, I have found that this idea of spirit as the “presence of the infinite” sheds a considerable amount of light on this complex subject.

McIntosh, Steve. The Presence of the Infinite . Quest Books. P.1

Increasingly people report in the Pew Religion Research Poll that they are “spiritual” but not “religious”. Membership in denominational churches is waning as the consciousness of humanity evolves.

The bumper sticker is “My God is too big for any one religion.” People who are identified with this idea have moved from an ethnocentric to a worldcentric and perhaps even an integral worldview. UUs are clearly in the latter stages of consciousness which only pertains to about 20% of the U.S. population. While this percentage of the population at a worldcentric and an integral worldview is relatively small, it is growing and will continue to grow as humanity evolves in its forward development.

1. What kind of spiritual experiences have you had and are having? 

2. What does spirituality mean to you and your life?

3. How in tuned are you with the Transcendent Infinite Source?

4. What nourishes your experience of your immanent spirituality?

UU A Way Of Life book for discussion September, 2021 - The Presence Of The Infinite

 The UU A Way Of Life book for discussion beginning on September 1, 2021, will be "The Presence Of The Infinite: The Spiritual Experience Of Beauty, Truth, and Goodness by Steve McIntosh.

From the Amazon Web Site

Dr. David Kamnitzer

5.0 out of 5 stars GROUND-BREAKING and DEEP!

Reviewed in the United States on December 26, 2015

Verified Purchase

Every once in awhile, I read or hear something that creates a whole new space of possibility for myself. This is always a thrilling and Grace-full experience. Not only did this book do that for me ... It is also an extremely deep and thoughtful work that provides powerful direction to the inquiry and potential application for this new space.

WARNING! ... Do NOT speed-read this book. Each sentence is powerful. Let it in ... BE vulnerable, and ALLOW it to permeate not only your Mind ... but your Heart and Body as well.

I sense that Steve's destiny was to write this book. I don't know anyone else that could have done it ... and we are all richer for it.

I look forward to co-creating the UNFOLDING of the SUBSTANTIATION of the possibilities.

(I recommend reading the many other excellent reviews here for more content detail.)

Gratefully,

Dr. David Kamnitzer: Holistic Doctor and Ontological Coach

A Course In Miracles Workbook Lesson #333 - Forgiveness ends the dream of conflict here.

 Lesson #333

Forgiveness ends the dream of conflict here.

What does it take to resolve conflict? ACIM teaches forgiveness. What is forgiveness? It is the willingness to give up making other people and circumstances responsible for your unhappiness. We are not victims. We are the agents who have choices in how to respond to the external circumstances that impact us. The problem is not what has happened to us, but how we manage ourselves in response to what has happened to us. Will we respond in fear, in anger, in resentment, in hurt, in grievance, in guilt or is there a better way? ACIM teaches that there is a better way and the tool to pursue that better way is forgiveness. Jesus, as He is being crucified on the cross, demonstrates this principle when He says, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” Indeed. Amen.

In Alcoholic Anonymous it is suggested, in step six, that we allow God to remove all our defects of character. In step three we made a decision to turn our will over to God, and in step ten we continually take a personal inventory and when we are wrong we promptly admit it. We can’t forgive others until we forgive ourselves.

In Unitarian Universalism, forgiveness is not a concept taught, because UUs are engulfed in nihilistic narcissism when they think pretty much anything goes. However, in principle four UUs join together to affirm and promote the free and responsible search for truth and meaning and this principle does imply that individuals and communities should be searching for the right things in life and in this search it will bring the seeker to the awareness of the importance of forgiveness. So UUs may come to the idea of the importance of forgiveness in a roundabout way. 

Today, it is suggested that we reflect on the idea that forgiveness ends the dream of conflict here and apply this idea in practice.

Quote of the day - UUs small tent and a dying denomination

 Unitarian Universalism is not a big tent but extremely small and generates resentment and animosity from those it treats with contempt and disdain. This situation has existed for decades because of the lack of leadership which has been obsequious to mob rule. This is not democracy but a form of nihilistic narcissism which promotes the idea that there is no truth and everyone’s opinion is as good as everyone else’s opinion as long as it agrees with mine. This level of group consciousness is egocentric and sociocentric and fails to evolve to a more world centric and integral understanding. 

David Markham, Book Notes - The Gadfly Papers by Todd Eklof

Editor's note: The idea that there is no truth and the lack of a meta narrative which provides a frame of reference for understanding leaves Unitarian Universalism empty, ambiguous, and with no substance. There is no theology but a nihilism perpetuated with psychobabble that leaves a seeker with no frame of reference within which to guide the seeker's spiritual search. Where are the contemporary UU theologians and thought leaders?

A Course In Miracles Workbook Lesson #332 - Fear binds the world. Forgiveness sets it free.

 Lesson #332

Fear binds the world. Forgiveness sets it free.

Today’s lesson sums up the teaching of A Course In Miracles beautifully. The statements are clear, concise, and direct.

In Alcoholic Anonymous it is suggested, in step ten, that we continually take our personal inventory and when we are wrong promptly admit it. There is nothing to fear but fear itself. Forgiveness releases us from fear, and peace and well being arise.

In Unitarian Universalism we covenant together to affirm and promote justice, equity, and compassion in our human relations. When we do this fear dissipates and with a forgiving heart the world is healed.

Today, it is suggested that we acknowledge that fear binds the world and forgiveness sets it free.

Time of reckoning and soul searching as U.S. once again leaves a shattered nation where it waged war.

I knew back in 1965 at age 19 that the U.S. war in Vietnam was a huge mistake. I knew in 2001 at age 55 that the war in Afghanistan and Iraq was a big mistake. These assessments were based on my liberal Roman Catholic understanding of "just war" theory. It didn't take a genius using this cognitive map to understand that both wars were immoral.

And now looking at these assessments from a Unitarian Universalist lens, my understanding is even deepened with the second principle: justice, equity, and compassion in human relations, and the sixth principle: the goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all. Of course, the second and sixth principles are based on the first which is the inherent worth and dignity of every person.

What is missing in UU theology is the ideas of repentance and forgiveness which are necessary as we move to a healing of our broken world.

Will the U.S. congress people ever repent for their mistaken judgement to take the nation to war? Will they ever apologize to their own soldiers killed and the people in foreign lands killed for their foolishness? Will the American people who supported their congress people and national executives for waging war apologize to those who have been harmed?

The recognition that there must be a better way to manage our international conflicts hopefully is arising as we as UUs lead the nation and world in our fourth step which is the free and responsible search for truth and meaning.

What is needed in the United States is a time of reckoning and soul searching. UUs can lead the way in this spiritual work of examination of conscience and the taking of a fearless moral inventory. Would that we will and report the results of our examination and inventory.

A Course In Miracles Workbook Lesson #331 - There is no conflict, for my will is Yours.

 Lesson #331

There is no conflict, for my will is Yours.

The ego based on our social conditioning thinks it is the boss of us. We, hopefully, sooner or later catch on to the game being played and decide we don’t want to play any more.

In Alcoholic Anonymous, it is suggested, in step three, that we decide to turn our will over to God. When we do this conflict ends.

In Unitarian Universalism we join together to affirm and promote a search for truth and meaning and this brings us to an awareness of the lies of the ego and the peace of Love.

Today, lesson #331 suggests that we recognize and acknowledge that there is no conflict in Love that leads to separation and exclusion when we turn our will over to the Tao.