A Course In Miracles and Unitarian Universalism - In what do you place your faith?

From A Course In Miracles:

T-21.II.9. We have already said that wishful thinking is how the ego deals with what it wants, to make it so.

There is no better demonstration of the power of wanting, and therefore of faith, to make its goals seem real and possible.

Faith in the unreal leads to adjustments of reality to make it fit the goal of madness.

The goal of sin induces the perception of a fearful world to justify its purpose. What you desire, you will see. And if its reality is false, you will uphold it by not realizing all the adjustments you have introduced to make it so.

Schucman, Dr. Helen. A Course in Miracles (p. 450). Foundation for Inner Peace.

Comment:

How we wish for things. We have our hearts set on what we think must be so, ought to be so, should be so.

The old saying is, "Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it." We wish for all kinds of things which the world of the ego has told us will make us happier, safer, more attractice to others, more loved, smarter, more successful, etc.

When things don't seem to be working out we become frustrated, angry, resentful, afraid, embarassed, depressed, anxious, and we start treating these symptoms with chemicals like alcohol, drugs, medications, sex, gambling, video games, Facebook, religion, work, sex, food.

Sin is the separation from God, from the Oneness, and this induces guilt because unconsciously we think God will punish us for our separation and desire to be the boss of ourselves and our own lives. Our Universalist faith teaches us that God loves us uncondtionally and just laughs at our wilful insanity like a parent might laugh at a child engaged in childish activity.

Addiction is defined as "doing the same thing over and over hoping for a different result." And the Course asks us, "Would you rather be right or be happy."

Unfortunately, most of us would rather be right and we defend the misguided beliefs, values, practices that we hold dear.

What is called for is placement of our faith in the path of the spirit and not in the path of the ego. This means we look within and "get right with ourselves." This means being honest, being genuine, authentic, sincere, once again innocent.

Jesus has told us that unless we become as little children we cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. What Jesus is talking about is a remembering our innocense before the world of the ego corrupted us misleading us to put our faith in things that could never make us happy. The belief in the power of immaginary things to provide us with a deep seated fulfillment and satisfaction is barkinig up the wrong tree. We have put our faith in the wrong things and the wrong place.

The third principle of Unitarian Universalism asks us to affirm and promote the free and responsible search for truth and meaning. Are you looking in the right place?.

Ask Alexa - Who created me?

Alexa: Who created me and how did I come to be?

That's two different questions and at a deep level, even in your unconscious, you are aware that you did not create yourself, and you have come to be because it was God's (Life's, Mother Nature's, Higher Power's, Spirit of Life's) will that you came to be as an incarnation of the Oneness which some call the "ground of being."

Alexa:Did you hear about the person who slipped further and further into debt?

Yes, and no matter what the person did, the person didn't seem to be able to budge it.

You might think it's okay to treat immigrant children like dogs in a kennel, but I don't think it's okay.

Trumpists and Republican Senators and Congresspeople might think its okay to treat immigrant children like dogs in a kennel in US ICE border facilities, but I don't think it's okay because it violates the norms of human decency and compassion and Unitarian Universalism's first and second principles..


 

Segment about kids treated like dogs in US Border Facility begins at 02:40


You might think that President Trump, Senate Leader Mitch McConnell, and Vice President Pence, are great leaders of the United States and what they do to immigrants is okay, but I don't think it's okay and it's UnAmerican in their treatment of our fellow human beings, and professed Christian Mike Pence's response that tooth brushes, and soap, and diapers for children being detained is not in the US budget is not only not okay but insanity from a devil in disguise .

A Course In Miracles and Unitarian Universalism - What is your utlimate concern?

From A Course In Miracles

T-21.II.8. Be willing, for an instant, to leave your altars free of what you placed upon them, and what is really there you cannot fail to see. 

The holy instant is not an instant of creation, but of recognition. For recognition comes of vision and suspended judgment. Then only it is possible to look within and see what must be there, plainly in sight, and wholly independent of inference and judgment.

Undoing is not your task, but it is up to you to welcome it or not. Faith and desire go hand in hand, for everyone believes in what he wants.

Schucman, Dr. Helen. A Course in Miracles (pp. 447-450). Foundation for Inner Peace.

Comment:

What is our "ultimate concern" as Paul Tillich called it? Money, approval, power, athletic success, a svelt body, a special relationship?

The "ulitmate concern" is what we think will make us happy and give our lives meaning and purpose.

A Course In Miracles teaches us that we make idols out of all kinds of things which prevent us from finding what would really make us happy.

The Holy Instant is when we are in the flow of the now and become one with the interdependent web of existence. It is hard to become one with existence when we cling to our idols.

A Course In Miracles teaches us that if we are to become one with existence we have to undo our clinging.

The Course tells us that this is hard and we can't and don't have to do this all on own. All we have to do is be willing to losen the ties that bind us. When our ultimate concern becomes to journey on the path of the spirit we embark on a better track.

The Course tells us that "everyone believes in what (s)he wants."

So what do you want? Deep down, what is it you yearn for?

Unitarian Universalists covenant together to affirm and promote a respect for the interdependent web. How much do you want it, that respect? (I'd rather call it "love.")

Ask Alexa - Why play the victim?

Alexa: Why do so many people like to "play the victim?"

Because it helps them feel in control and they can manipulate people for attention and sympathy and by engendering guilt in them, get them to do things for them that they wouldn't otherwise do so they can get their way.

Alexa: What did Adam and Eve do when they were kicked out of the Garden of Eden?

They raised Cain whenever they were Able.

Prophetic Women and Men - Ruby Sales, public theologian

Prophetic women and men is a regular feature on UU A Way Of Life ministries blog which appears on Sundays.

Ruby Sales, public theologian

This is from On Being on 06/17/19

Public theologian Ruby Sales opens up what it was like to be a teenage participant in the civil rights movement — including the impatience she had with religion and how she circled back, through her experiences of the movement, to a sense of the deep reason for inner life and religious groundings. The question she carries with her, “Where does it hurt?”, models new ways for us to understand one another.

For more click here, and here.

A Course In Miracles and Unitarian Universalism - Where is your responsible search for truth and meaning taking you?

From A Course In Miracles:

T-21.II.6. Perhaps you do not see the need for you to give this little offering.

 Look closer, then, at what it is. And, very simply, see in it the whole exchange of separation for salvation.

All that the ego is, is an idea that it is possible that things could happen to the Son of God without his will; and thus without the Will of his Creator, Whose Will cannot be separate from his own.

This is the Son of God’s replacement for his will, a mad revolt against what must forever be.

This is the statement that he has the power to make God powerless and so to take it for himself, and leave himself without what God has willed for him. This is the mad idea you have enshrined upon your altars, and which you worship. And anything that threatens this seems to attack your faith, for here is it invested.

Think not that you are faithless, for your belief and trust in this is strong indeed.

Schucman, Dr. Helen. A Course in Miracles (p. 449). Foundation for Inner Peace.

Comment:

This makes me laugh. We think we are God. We think we made up the world and we're right and sticking to it. And how is that working for us?

This passage tells us that all the Holy Spirit needs is our little offering of surrending to our Higher Power. Just be willing to listen!

But listening is hard. We want to be right.

There is a big difference between willfullness and willingness.

We have invested our faith in the world instead of in the kingdom of God. This investment in the world is called "a mad idea" which we have made the center of our lives. It is the mistake UUs make when they search for truth and meaning in the world of the ego. Those folks haven't realized yet that truth and meaning are not where they are searching and so they will never find it there. They are on a snipe hunt, a wild goose chase.

Any thing that questions their search for truth and meaning in the world is met with dismissal and attack. They killed Jesus, after all, because He dared question the premise of their world view. Jesus love was threatening. So much so that they tried to erradicate it by killing Him.

Our faith is strong and what we put our faith in determines our happiness and peace. Do you choose the path of the ego, or the path of the Spirit?

Unitarian Universalists covenant together to affirm and promote the person's right to a responsible and free search for truth and meaning. This is a huge responsibility. No other person can do it for you you must do it for yourself.