New Thought Theology

Reflecting on a Dream...

2012-01-12T18:28:00.000-08:00

This weekend across the United States - churches, civil organizations and non-profits will provide various opportunities to celebrate and honor the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. King is a spiritual hero of mine, and having been inducted into the (MLK) Board of Preachers at Morehouse College in 2009 remains a humbling honor and thrilling highlight of my life.

One of the ways I've traditionally celebrated MLK Day has been to attend the local MLK Celebration at one of the larger African American churches in town. They hold an annual festival, traditionally broadcasted on local public radio. It is an all day gospel extravaganza featuring amazing music, speeches and special presentations. I truly enjoy it.

However, I am not sure that I'll attend this year. Due to a flurry of recent events I've begun to reflect even more deeply on Dr. King's Dream and how we celebrate it today. I recently learned that the minister of the church that puts on this event has been reported to have included anti-gay messages in his sermons. The news came on the heels of my heavy involvement in posting comments on a series of blogs about the role of the Black Church regarding fight for Equal Rights in the LGBTQ community.

It all started when my friend Monique Ruffin posted an article on Huffington Post entitled "It's Official, Gay is the New Black." Needless to say the article caused quite a stir. I chose to become involved in several comment threads both on the blog site and on Facebook, and what became clear is that the black church community is divided on the issue of Gay Rights/Marriage Equality. This was not news to me - but rather a topic of sincere curiosity.

You see, I serve on the board for The Community of Welcoming Congregations and we have experienced a struggle to have any meaningful involvement or support from leaders in the black church community on this very important civil rights issue. I struggle to understand why.

Now, let me say up front that the generalization of "the black church community" is a difficult one to make. Across the nation I know African American clergy and church leaders who are on the side of LGBTQ Equality. I am fortunate enough to call Bishops Carlton D. Pearson and Yvette Flunder among those friends and allies. But by and large the majority of the "black church community” (by which, I mean traditionally evangelical, Baptist, Pentecostal, Holiness, and Non-denominational African American congregations) do not take a favorable, and in some cases takes an actively adversarial, position on Gay Rights.

Yet, the NAACP* and the late Coretta Scott King have taken a stand for LGBTQ Equality, deeming it the civil rights issue of our day. So why then are so many black churches (not all) either silent or adversarial to the cause?

This seems to be the case for (at least) 2 reasons:

1. Theology - "for the Bible tells me so"... many black churches, just like many white churches - believe that scripture is clear on the subject of homosexuality and that it is a sin.

This issue is really a “red herring” - I'll address it in a post at the end of the month on Equality Sabbath, Jan. 29th. For now, I'll refer you to the words of Bishop John S. Spong on this topic in one of my previous posts (Bishop Spong's Manifesto).

The arguments used here are the same used in all-white churches - or any church that fights (actively or passively) against Marriage Equality. Assuming we are able to agree to disagree on scriptural interpretation, the issue at hand is that of Civil Rights - not religious ones.

2. Cultural tradition "Don't usurp The Civil Rights Movement!" ... it seems that many are upset at the perceived effort by the gay community to usurp the original intent of the movement thereby diminishing the focus on equality issues that remain in the black community. Certainly there are still issues of inequity and discrimination which affect the African American community as a whole. But does the recognition of this fact warrant the apparent silence from the black church when it comes to the discrimination of our LGBTQ brothers and sisters? (Are they mutually exclusive issues?) It was Dr. King that taught us that silence in the face of oppression and discrimination is just as much a sin as the behavior of the opressor.

An argument could be made that "occasion and context informs intent." Under this lens the Civil Rights movement rose from the extreme inequities and moral injustices facing African Americans and thus the intent of the movement was to right the wrongs of civil injustice. But Dr. King and those around him did more than seek to right the wrongs of the current conditions. Dr. King had a Dream. A dream that we would as a nation “rise up and live out the true meaning of our creed, that all men are created equal.” He called us to the high American moral standards of Equality and Justice for ALL. And while his message began with boycotts of buses and sit-ins at lunch counters (righting wrong conditions) - his intent clearly expanded over the years to include speaking out on issues of justice for immigrant farm workers, economic injustices and the moral efficacy of the vietnam war. Yes, Dr. King understood that context gives rise to message - but he also powerfully understood that what emerges from this is Principle. If a Principle is to have any validity at all - it must transcend the context from which it was uncovered, and be applicable in others.

There are those who would say, and have done so on the blog threads, that the plight of the LGBTQ community cannot come under the banner of the Civil Rights Movement because they do not have the history of 300 years of oppression, slavery and discrimination. There are those who would say, "it is not the same" because black folks can't "blend-in" the way gay folks can.

But how much discrimination must a people endure to qualify? How much suffering does it take? Must the discrimination be visible for all to see? Isn't hidden racism and discrimination just as insidious as the visible kind?

Dr. King called on us to transcend labels and understand that at our core we are all human beings, and for that fact alone are deserving of basic rights and equal treatment under the law. The black church community has traditionally been the champion of both the Civil Rights Movement and the "Keepers of the Dream" of Dr. King. Now, the LGBTQ community is calling the champions of equality and justice for all to come to their aide. But rather than pick up the phone and answer the call, many leaders of back church community seem to let the call go straight to voicemail - with an outgoing message that says "we're sorry, we can't take your call right now, our theology won't let us."

Dr. King taught us that the church, white or black, has a role in the social sector. That role is to stand up for the oppressed and discriminated and to call on our political leaders to remember the inherent dignity of all human beings when shaping public policy.

"The church should be the headlights rather than the tail lights on loving first, best and most, all people inclusively.” - Bishop Carlton D. Pearson

Dr. King’s Dream of Equality has always been a call to action, to rise to the occasion of our most honorable intentions toward one another, whether or not we are in agreement and whether or not we even like one another. The Dream of equal treatment under the law is not reserved for just one people.

Dr. King’s Dream is for everyone.

Time to Upgrade: YOU 2.0

2012-01-02T13:41:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! 2012 is here and much has been made about the Mayan Prophecy "end of the world." Of course what we really know is that it is the end of an era (as every year's passing is) and if we consciously choose it - it can indeed be "the end of the world as we know it!" What we know is that we have the power within us to create a new world, right now.

"This is exactly the position that modern philosophers take; it is called the theory of emergent evolution, which means that when nature needs something, it demands it of itself, and out of itself makes it. So, in the evolution of the human being, when it was necessary for him to grasp, fingers were produced. When, then, if it is necessary for you and me to know something we do not know, can we not—according to this theory of emergents—demand the information of ourselves and have it come to be known? The Bible says: “There is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.” Science, philosophy, metaphysics, and religion, viewed from the universal viewpoint, are all of much the same opinion.
We believe that when the human mind, individually and collectively, needs a new truth, out of the necessity of the desire comes the truth it needs. Everything we know in philosophy and science proves it. Out of the desire for a greater good come ways and means for creating the greater good; and if every person made a demand upon Intelligence for the solution to the present world problems, through the minds of those people who are our national leaders would come an adequate and happy solution. That is in line with what we know about the way Life works." - Ernest Holmes, excerpt from Science of Mind Magazine, July 2011

(the following came from my column, Philosophy In Action, printed in Science of Mind, July 2011):
In this writing (the full article) from Holmes he takes us on a full circle journey, from the Macro – largest vision of the universe and the way it works, to the micro – the individual manifestation and replication of that Universe. Reminding us that we are part of some Universal Wholeness that operates and reveals Itself though us according to an exact Law, Holmes inspires the reader to deepen their practice of right thinking, affirmative prayer and Mental Equivalence. Empowering? Yes. Daunting? Perhaps.

Does this really mean that every area of my life that is “not working, less than perfect (whatever that is), or not unfolding just the way I dreamed it would” – is because of or related to an idea of God or “the way Life works” that I am holding on to? Well….yes…but stick with me, it gets better! This does not mean you should beat yourself up for these thoughts, no it just means its time to upgrade!

That’s right, its time to install God 2.0, Life 2.0, Love 2.0 etc…and these upgrades, easily installed through regular meditation and spiritual practice, include lots of minor bug fixes to irritating ideas like “you are not enough” as well as major new features like instant access to Infinite Mind, Guidance and Wisdom of the Universe, making God more accessible than ever before. This upgrade comes with a new Finder feature that reminds you right where you are, is exactly where you are suppose to be. The Finder is also bundled with latest “Emergent Evolution” feature, which automatically brings forth everything you need into your experience for your highest good. This means that all the resources, everything you need to know to bring forth your greatest yet to be, is right there at your beck and call, literally (yes, God 2.0 is completely voice activated.)

This upgrade is ready for instant download, and it is completely free. There is a catch, you must provide the mold for it to flow into, and once it starts working it will seek to purge your system of thinking of everything not like itself, so be sure to empty your trash regularly.

So in celebration of the New Year, here are some spiritual tools that I think you'll find to be empowering and helpful on your journey of personal transformation!

Spirit is Calling Journal - (there are lots of great spiritually based journals out there - this is the one I am using this year). Here's the great thing - there is the book format, AND a desktop version for your computer!
21 Day Consciousness Cleanse - a powerful and effective little book that will focus your morning meditations and clarify your intentions for 2012!
TrancenDance CD - by Michael Bernard Beckwith - this music will shift the energetic vibration of your being, keep you motivated and inspired all year long - I love to use it at the gym, or home working out, cleaning house, morning yoga and prayer time. You'll LOVE IT!

Happy New Year, New YOU 2.0!

Occupy Movement: Phase 2: Now What?

2011-11-10T15:41:00.000-08:00

The Mayor of Portland OR - just announced that he'll be having the Occupy Protestors removed from the city park soon (click here for the press release).

Similar action is occurring around the country and it seems that the Occupy Movement has gained all that it can from the "sit in" strategy. So, what is next? Where does the movement go from here? Before I answer that - let me explore some thoughts on where we are at from a New Thought perspective.

I believe that the Occupy Movement arose from a consciousness that was "fed up" - tired and weary of the inequity of our world. Similar uprisings in the Middle East - the so called Arab Spring - arose from a similar place in consciousness, a desire to be heard, seen and validated as a being of significance in the world. This is a universal desire - something that we all want. We all have the need to be heard, seen and feel as if we matter to the world - that our presence makes a difference and that we live in a world where we are empowered and can direct our life with purpose. Whenever one wakes up to the awareness that they have been oppressed or suppressed the natural desire is "take control" to make one's presence known and felt. Once this occurs, the door opens to the next step - to take restorative action. But before restorative action can take place there must be a grounding in a greater awareness of who we really are. Without this grounding restorative action turns to reactionary and retaliation action. This is the difference between effective social change movements and ineffective ones. Let me give you a few examples:

1 The Tea Party - This group actually tapped into the same collective frustration and feelings of oppression and suppression that the Occupy Movement did. In doing so they were able to quickly turn this frustration into action in the form of election of "Tea Party" platform candidates. All of this is part of "Phase 1" of social change: Frustration, Awakening, Get Noticed (ie "Take Control").

However, the Tea Party failed to get grounded in a greater awareness and inclusive vision of who and what we are as a human family. In fact, much of the early Tea Party support was actually funded and organized by those with a divisive agenda. And it was this more divisive agenda and vision of "us vs them" that the movement was grounded in. As a result, potential restorative action turned to reactionary action - in the form of "obstructive politics" and most recently by ballot measures and policy platforms that only served to deepen the gap between "us and them." The result on election night 2011 was major defeat and rejection of Tea Party candidates and ballot measures. A house divided against itself cannot stand. The Tea Party believed that they could take the general frustration and disenchantment of the people and turn it into support for divisive politics and policies. They were wrong. And the reason is simple: It is a universal principle that all dissonance seeks to resolve itself in terms of harmony. In other words while the frustration or "dissonance" of the people can be leveraged - it ultimately seeks to resolve itself in terms of greater harmony - not more "us and them."

2. Civil Rights Movement - This movement also begins with a growing frustration, dissonance, inequity and inequality in our culture. The tension builds until there is a spark of awakening which leads to boycotts, marches and site-ins (Get noticed, take control). But this movement becomes grounded in a deep spiritual understanding that we are all in this together - we must make a world that works for everyone. The movement was about Civil rights (grounded in the principle of inclusivity of everyone) not "African American rights"

Out of this grounding came the action steps to restore "justice and equality for all." The actions of the movement were restorative in nature. Restoring us to a nation that reflects is highest moral and spiritual values of including everyone in a "single garment of destiny"

The template is made clear - and can be seen throughout history. In the Bible we read the story of Moses who awakens to the injustices of his world - his reaction? 40 years in the land of Midian as a shepherd - metaphysically meaning that he went within to watch over the flock of his own thoughts and emotions until he receives the insight (burning bush) that where he is standing is Holy Ground and that God's people are destine to be freed to their rightful place. It is from this grounded vision that he then takes action to lead his people (restorative action) to the Promised Land.

In the story of Siddartha (Buddha) - he awakens to the inequity, inequality and injustices in his world - outside the walls of his protected palace. His reaction? He sits in...to occupy himself in meditation until the awakening of enlightenment - from which the teachings of Buddhism come. These teachings become the template for restorative action (the Eightfold Path and Four Noble Truths)

The Occupy Movement must now decide which type of movement it is going to be. Phase 1, frustrations over the inequalities and inequity of our systems, has come to an end. The collective attention of a nation has been obtained. The next phase is about action. Will it be restorative action that seeks to unite us in a collective consciousness of the 100% that needs to work together to build a world that works for everyone - or will it be reactionary and retaliation action that continues to divide our world into "us (99%) and them (1%)" categories that must fight each other for supremacy and control?

The answer lies entirely in what type of vision the movement collectively grounds itself in. How the Occupy Movement handles itself in this transition will be the most telling aspect of its destiny. This was captured beautifully by Portland Mayor, Sam Adams in today's press conference:

"It is my sincere hope that the movement, with its focus on widespread economic inequity, will flourish in its next phase - a phase where we can focus all our energies on economic and social justice, not port-a-potties and tents."

to that end I offer this prayer (an adaptation of the Global Heart Vision of United Centers for Spiritual Living - submitted by my friend Rev. Edward Viljoen):

We envision The Occupy Movement as a bridge across the illness and illusion of separation thereby dynamically empowering the vision of Global Heart.
We envision The Occupy Movement as united and actuated by this compelling vision of a healthy world (a world experience of Global Heart) and is ardently committed to bringing this vision forth through transformative teachings and democratic action.
We see The Occupy Movement as a global community of inspired individuals caring for and about each other and the entire planetary family, thereby bringing the gift of active compassion and kindness to the world. Our Occupy Movements and communities become “points of inspiration and influence” effectively advancing the vision of the Global Heart to benefit all expressions of life.

9-11, A Time to Remember: One People, One Planet.

2011-09-09T05:50:00.000-07:00

This Sunday marks the 10th Anniversary of the terrorist attacks on our country. The airwaves and blogs will be filled with Patriotic and touching tributes, memorials and remembrances of a very painful chapter in our history.

No doubt the men and women who lost their lives should be remembered and honored. The brave men and women who put themselves in harms way to help in the rescue efforts serve as powerful reminders of the courage and compassion that is the human Spirit. We will gather together with our friends, families, co-workers and faith communities to reflect and remember where we were on that fateful morning. All of this is as it should be - and as you gather together in this reflective time, I ask of you to do more than just reflect, morn and pay tribute from an American point of view....

I ask that you become Global Citizens this weekend. Ambassadors of Peace, Reconciliation and Oneness. I ask that you join me in becoming a point of consciousness that remembers and reflects upon the greater wholeness of the human family.

You can begin this sacred duty by recalling the greater vibration of September 11th. You see, this day has a much longer history than the last 10 years. And this longer history is anchored in a global call to Peace, Unity and Nonviolence.

Let's begin in 1893, on hundred and 18 years ago... Chicago, IL, USA. The World's Fair was taking place in Chicago - a global exposition on culture, modern technology, commerce and religion. It was a first of many... the Farris Wheel was introduced, along with the hamburger, picture postcards, florescent lights, Quaker Oats, Cream of Wheat, moving walkways and so much more. The fair ran from May through October 1893. It was also the first gathering of World Religion Leaders in the first ever Parliament of World Religions. The closing day of the Parliament was September 11, 1893 and the final speaker was Swami Vivekananda. He was the first Yogi from the far East to visit American and teach...

Swami Vivekananda’s message
on September 11, 1893:

"Sisters and Brothers of America. [At this moment came a three minute standing ovation from the audience of 7,000] It fills my heart with joy unspeakable to rise in response to the warm and cordial welcome which you have given us.....

"Sectarianism, bigotry, and it's horrible descendant, fanaticism, have long possessed this beautiful Earth. They have filled the earth with violence, drenched it often and often with human blood, destroyed civilization, and sent whole nations to despair. Had it not been for these horrible demons, human society would be far more advanced than it is now.

"But their time is come; and I fervently hope that the bell that tolled this morning in honor of this convention may be the death-knell of all fanaticism, of all persecutions with the sword or with the pen, and of all uncharitable feelings between persons wending their way to the same goal."

And so from the East we received a message of Peace and Global Oneness on September 11, 1893 - here on American soil.

Then, on September 11, 1906, 3,000 people, mostly Indians, packed the old Empire Theater in Johannesburg, South Africa. They came to protest a draft of the Asiatic Law Amendment Ordinance that would require that every Indian over the age of 8 be fingerprinted and carry a registration card. Moreover, the law stipulated that the police could enter the home of any Indian at their discretion and fine, imprison or even deport those found without proper identification.

"It is not at all impossible that we might have to endure every hardship that we can imagine without resorting to violence, Gandhi warned. The crowd sat in solemn silence. While "everyone must only search his own heart" about taking the vow, Gandhi announced that there was only one course open to him: "I can boldly declare, and with certainty that so long as there is even a handful of men true to their pledge, there can be one end to the struggle, and that is victory."

Awestruck by the eloquence and power of Gandhi's words, all present in the theater that fateful afternoon stood together with their hands raised and took an oath of nonviolent resistance. With this, the Nonviolence Movement began...on September 11, 1906. Some fifty years later this is the movement that Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. would use to empower the Civil Rights movement in America.

So long before September 11, 2001 - the day had reason to be remembered and honored...as a day of Peace, Nonviolence and as a call for Global Unity and Reconciliation. Now as we turn our attention to the 10h Anniversary, let us use this opportunity to reawaken this call to Global Unity.

Let our prayers be not just for our troops, women, children and lives lost - but for all lives affected by this tragic manifestation of "us and them" consciousness. Let us be the bridge to greater understanding of our fellow beings that we share this sacred planet with. Let us be the ones to tear down the towers of Us and Them - and rebuild on a foundation of Oneness. Let us use this sacred time to reawaken the call to create a world that works for everyone. A world that has no need to defend or attack, because in "the other" we only see ourselves. Let us remember that we are One People, Living on One Planet. Lord hear our prayer. Amen.

All religions are self-made, some just have better marketing.

2011-09-06T22:14:00.000-07:00

My last blog about regarding the phrase "Spiritual but not Religious" drew out some wonderful comments and lively dialogue on Facebook as well as on the other blogs that inspired my post to begin with. There was so much good stuff to chew on, I've been tempted to just let it linger, so that the post doesn't get buried. But there was one facet of the conversation that I wanted to make sure got the full attention it deserves.....

In Dr. Lillian's longer post she warns against the danger of "self-made" religion. And while I think her real and bigger point is again about the importance of being in community and the transformative growth that comes from sticking to a discipline and practice, while resisting the temptation to only do what "feels good," I think the point is once again too easily dismissive of a greater sensitivity to the faith formation process.

If you read my previous blog post, you'll remember I made the point that all religions are self-made. Meaning that they all follow a personal revelation by one person. I brought this point forward on Dr. Lillian's blog to see what kind of comments it would draw and hoped for a deeper dialogue. Instead, this is what I got....

"No, I didn't make up my religion, God the Son did, and I am following Him in part by belonging to the Church He build."

Um, ok...few questions then.... Which religion are your referring to? Christianity? Because Paul had a lot more to do with that than Jesus - at least in the formalizing religion part...and which Church? Catholic, Lutheran, Baptist, Pentecostal? Or one of the other 100+ varieties I don't have time to mention?
While it's tempting for me to dismiss the simplistic naiveté of this persons comments, it only drew me deeper down the rabbit hole of this entire concept.

So let's establish the basics again. From the work of Theologian Paul Tillich:

Revelation is Gods attempt to reach man
Religion is man's attempt to reach God.
Further,
Revelation is always personal never universal.

So once again it stands to reason that ALL religion are self-made. They all came from a personal revelation of one person. Jesus, Moses, Krishna, Buddha, Muhammad, Joseph Smith, Baha'ula...

Each of these individuals (and may others) had a profound personal experience with God, a personal revelation. They shared that revelation with others who then, having been inspired by the revelation sought to touch the wisdom of the insights - by creating rituals, cultural practices, religious rules and observations etc. These things in turn became "The Religion"

Of course the point that Dr. Lillian is trying to make is that there is real value in being steeped in a tradition, ritual and practice - that you did not invent, that you stick to it and don't just throw it out or replace it when it seems to not work, feel good, convenient or comfortable. I get that. And I agree. Which when I reflected on it further - discovered that this point leads you to yet another way that all religions are ultimately "self-made."

If you are steeped in an ancient tradition, doing thing the way they have been done for eons...because it was how you were raised, what works for you, or what you believe is more "right" than anything else.... there is something magical that happens at some point on your journey. There is a flash, a moment of insight, an "Ah-ha!" and Eureka! Moment where suddenly it becomes clear to you. Suddenly that which you have been doing as routine, gains new life and meaning to you. This is the moment of self-discovery, whereby you discover for yourself, the meaning behind that which others (or your tradition) has told you was meaningful. In this great awakening you don't need others to tell you how valuable it is, because you know - first hand!

This is what Brazilian educator Paulo Freire described as the re-learning moment, when the student learns something by re-learning it in their own mind. Paulo noted that this is the only moment in which real learning occurs, everything else is just regurgitation of someone else's knowledge - not our own. We are not "blank slates" to be filled with knowledge and value as determined by others, but rather co-creators of our world through the engagement of our mind in self-learning and self-knowledge.

And so, as you practice your religion of choice and do all the things that you are suppose to do as a good member of that religion - be mindful that one day, it will take on new and profound significants for you, it will become more real to you than it ever has been, and in that beautiful ecstatic moment, your religion has become self-made. And that, my friends, is a beautiful thing!

NEWS FLASH: Jesus was "Spiritual but not Religious"

2011-09-01T21:11:00.000-07:00

In the last 24 hrs on some of the blogs that I follow and Facebook comment threads, there has been quite the stirring about the phrase "Spiritual but not Religious" aka SBNR. After spending a good portion of the day chatting and commenting, I thought I'd blog about it as well.

It all began with a Facebook post from Chad Holtz (the guy who got in trouble for liking Rob Bell's book). I enjoy the way Chad thinks about things and tend to pay attention to the things he post that are of interest to him.

He posted a link to an article on the United Church of Christ site from The Rev. Dr. Lillian Daniel, "Spiritual but not Religious? Stop Boring Me." in her post Rev. Lillian shares that she dreads conversations on airplanes with people who identify as SBNR. She dreads it because she seems to find their version of spirituality boring, uninspired and lacking of the real substance that is required for growth (that being the element of community). She further claims that SBNR folks are little more than typical self-centered Americans. Self-Indulgent consumers of their own brand of spirituality, she claims. An interesting judgement for sure. For those of you who are friends with Chad, we had a wonderful exchange on his comments section of the post. Chad later posted his own blog entry about the conversation, which is getting some great feedback as well.

Now to Dr. Lillian's credit this article was a mini version of a much longer article posted on the Christian Century site, "You can't make this up: The limits of self-made religion" and as she expressed to me in a personal email, you can say a lot more in 3,000 words than you can in 250. In the longer article her tone is not as snarky, and her points are better delivered and overall provides some wonderful thoughts for consideration.

Even so, there is still an overall theme that seems to look down upon the classification SBNR as inferior to "religious people." A judgement that I think naively overlooks the rich history of the SBNR movement. It makes me wonder if those who criticize the term actually understand what it means? Do they understand that SBNR is not some mer post-modern cultural fad - but is in fact a deep and enriching part of American culture for over 150 years and has positively impacted nearly every major religious institution for the better? It makes me wonder if their criticism is balanced with scholarship. Have they read "Spiritual but not Religious" by Robert Fuller and others like it (which you can find along with other great info on SBNR movement at www.newthoughthistory.org)?

If the answers to these questions were yes, I imagine we'd find a slightly more understanding and tolerant tone. Perhaps we would discover that those who identify as SBNR often do so as a result of the religious abuse and oppression that they have suffered in the name of God and religious authority. That more often than not, the SBNR among us do not "reject" religion as much as they reject Dogma. Dogma that has too often been defended and promoted by organized religion. Dogma that has oppressed the weakest among us, dogma that has suppressed the Holy and Divine Feminine making it shameful and wrong. Dogma that has made a mockery of scripture by using it to defend racism, homophobia, sexism and classism. Dogma that has the audacity to put conditions on Grace, Love, Mercy and Salvation which Jesus so freely gave to all. Dogma that helped produce a religious institution so unlike the name and nature of Jesus that the Son of Man himself would be hard pressed to recognize, much less defend it.

So please forgive us, for I too am SBNR. Forgive us for looking outside of the institution that has far too often failed exemplify the simplest element of it's own creed, to Love thy neighbor. Forgive us for looking into nature to find God's true Nature. Forgive us that while on this seemingly self-indulgent path of personal discovery, we in fact discovered Jesus, Buddha, Krishna and The Christ Principle. And please forgive us if we discovered that this encounter was far more real, authentic and transformative than anything we previously experienced in "church."

And forgive us if we happen to notice that this seems to be the path that Jesus took as well. Remember, he disappears from the narrative from age 12-30 and when he reappears he is not touting the virtues of religious and spiritual community. In fact, quite the opposite. He railed against the institutions of his day, their dogma, rules and authoritative judgements over society. He sought his own personal relationship with God, so personal he called him Abba, Father. So personal that this connection was not made through a creed, book or Temple, but in fact was closer than his breath and dwelled right within him.

Forgive us for thinking he was not self-indulgent for doing so. Forgive us for noticing that Jesus was "Spiritual but not Religious"

And while you consider forgiving us for these transgressions, take note of the following;

SBNR people do not deny nor reject the power of being, growing and learning in community. In fact a more loving, inclusive and charitable community that is working toward a world that works for everyone is something that we care deeply about.

Take note that often the loudest voices against Religious Institutions have been voices from the inside. Voices that have been the source of positive and evolutionary change. Religious voices that have called upon us to be more Spiritual and less Religious.

Rev. Henry Emerson Fosdick

Shall the fundamentalist Win?

Bishop John Shelby Spong

"So it needs to be said clear that the God presence of this Jesus will lead us ultimately beyond every religious definition. Indeed, it will lead us beyond Jesus himself. That becomes essential to human development whenever our idolatrous convictions identify the messenger of God with God. So the Ground of Being will finally be worshiped apart from any system of religious thought. It is a startling but real insight into the future of worship." - Why Christianity Must Change or Die, p. 224

Paul Tillich, Protestant Theologian

"The importance of being a Christian is that we can stand in the insight that it is of no importance. It is the spiritual power of religion that he who is religious can fearlessly look at the vanity of religion. It is the maturest fruit Christian understanding to understand that Christianity, as such, is of no avail." - The New Being, p 19

In other words Christianity is not about Christianity. It is about a new way of Being. When Jesus said "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life" he was not speaking of a religious way of Being, but a spiritual way of Being.

Scripture reminds us that it is the letter of the Law (religion, creeds and dogma) that kills, while the Spirit of the Law gives Life. An to enter the Spirit of the Law, one only need be spiritual, not religious.

And finally Dr. Lillian, do not make haste in your criticism of "self-made religion"

All religion is self made. Paul Tillich reminds us that "Revelation is God's attempt to reach man. Religion is man's attempt to reach God." All religion stem from the personal Revelation of one individual, who then shares that revelation with others who in turn seek to touch the wisdom of the revelation by way of rituals, customs, rules and traditions that ultimately become...a religion.

In the end Dr. Lillian's point on the importance of community is well taken. We need community. In community we grow, we are challenged and we change. But the world will not be served by more communities of "us and them." In fact the world of divisive separation that humanity has created can only be served by the spiritual insight and revelation that there is only One Community. One global community of humanity in which, as Dr. Lillian stated, "[in community] we are stuck with each other"

And, like it or not that this is the way it is... This transformative insight can only come one personal revelation at a time.

Ernest Holmes

"The Church of God"

The Church of God is not built with hands, it is eternal in the heavens; it is not lighted with candles; its dome is heaven and it is lighted by the stars of God's illumined thought, and each member in his separate star "shall draw the thing as he sees it, for the God of things as they are." Here all people recognize the God within their own souls and ask for and see no other God. When you can look upon all creation as the perfect work of a perfect God, you will become a member of this church. I doubt very much if the church universal admits members from the church individual. When you can see in the saint and the sinner one and the same person, when you can realize that the one who kneels before the altar and the one who lies drunk in the street is the same one, when you can love the one as much as you do the other, no doubt you will be able to qualify. As it now is we have too many preachers who do not understand, that have no purpose; too many prayers, too many creeds, too many teachers, that have no message; too many churches, too many "learned" people, and too few thinkers. "The Kingdom of Heaven cometh not by observation." It is the "Still, small voice" within the soul that speaks. The expanded thought will never wish to join or be joined to. Nothing human can contain it. It feels the limitation of form and ceremony and longs for the freedom of the Spirit, the great out of doors, the Great God of the everywhere. Alone in the desert, the forest or by the restless ocean, looking up at the stars, man breathes forth these words, "With only my Maker and me."

Inclusion Conference 2011

2011-06-22T12:09:00.000-07:00

If you or someone you know is intrigued by the expanding consciousness of Oneness and Inclusion and what that means for organized religion, spiritual communities and our individual roles in the human family... then join us in Chicago (July 28-31) for an amazing opportunity to deepen the dialogue and explore the possibilities of Inclusion Consciousness!

Bishop Carlton Pearson, author of God is Not a Christian and the Gospel of Inclusion - and his wife Gina Pearson will host 4 days of amazing speakers, presenters and interactive dialogue on the cutting edge conversations of expanding consciousness in our time.

Among the featured presenters; you'll have the opportunity to hear and be in active dialogue with:

Bishop John Shelby Spong - retired Episcopal Bishop and long time change agent - author of many books including Why Christianity Must Change or Die.

Rev. Dr. Michael Beckwith - Founder of Agape International Spiritual Center - a transdenominational and New Thought Spiritual Community and author of Spiritual Liberation.

Pastor D.E. Paulk - born and raised 3rd generation Pentecostal preacher - leader and change agent - Senior pastor of the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit in Atlanta, GA - and author of The Holy Bible of Inclusion and I Don't Know, the Way of Knowing

Pastor Chad Holtz - Methodist minister who was removed from his post after a facebook post in which he agreed with the premise of Rob Bell's book Love Wins. Chad's latest writings can be found at: ChadHoltz.net

Randy Potts - the grandson of Oral Roberts.

Gina Pearson will host a special session for women as well.

Of course Leela and I will be there as will many other wonderful contributors to the conversation.

Conference registration is ONLY $189.00 - this is an amazing price! Where else will you be able to spend time with the speakers and authors listed above for several days and participate in meaningful dialogue that will contribute and shape the evolving consciousness of Oneness on the planet?

It's going to be an amazing experience - spread the word, share the post... hope to see YOU in Chicago.

For the Love of God, All Hell is Breaking Loose!

2011-03-25T14:39:00.000-07:00

Pastor Rob Bell

Have you noticed that all of Hell is breaking loose? No really, it is...and that's a good thing. Let me explain...

Recently Pastor Rob Bell has made headlines with his new book "Love Wins" in which he explains, as the title suggest, that in the end the Love of God has the final word. He puts forth that the traditional views of hell and eternal damnation are overbearing and for one to emphasis them over God's Love is to not fully understand or appreciate the power of that Love. He proposes that believing in Hell and eternal damnation over the transformative Love of God is..well...not very Christian like! Pastor Bell, a graduate of Wheaton College, has been challenging and expanding the consciousness of his audience for years. His previous books;

"Velvet Elvis" - Commentary on Christian Culture and the post-modern era.
"Sex God"- Exploring the endless connection between sexuality and spirituality.
"Jesus Wants to Save Christians" - A Manifesto for the Church in Exile .

have all served to challenge various aspects of the "status quo" within Christian culture and theology. Bell's ministry, Mars Hill in Michigan, is one of the fastest growing churches in America. His sermon series such as "Everything is Spiritual"(a personal favorite of mine) and his short film series NOOMA have become huge hits on the internet.

Here is Pastor Bell in his own words describing what the book is all about:

I gratefully welcome Bell's voice to the collective conversation. His ideas are obviously very compatible to a New Thought way of thinking about the same topics of Hell, Spirituality and Love. It seems that a growing population within the walls of Christianity are ready and hungry for these questions and a new conversation. In the end Rob Bell is teaching consciousness and Principle. I may not agree with all of his theological views but such alignment is not necessary. Bell is shaping a new conversation in which he is asking his readers to think in terms of Principle and consciousness and doing so within the context of his Christian culture story. The result of which I believe will be a revealed and renewed richness to the depth of the spiritual power, wisdom and transformative quality of the Christian Story.

Of course Rob's voice is added to a growing chorus of writers who have challenged the status quo; authors like Marcus Borg, Bishop John Shelby Spong, Brian D. McLaren, Bart Erman, Bishop Carlton D. Pearson, Pastor D.E. Paulk and the great 20th Century Theologian Paul Tillich (the list extends all the way back to first century Christianity). Now, Pastor Rob may not appreciate me adding his name to some of the other listed here - he seems to avoid labels and boxes, he opposes the idea that his writings reflect "universalism" or that he is a part of the "emerging church" movement. That's fine with me. After all, when one is teaching consciousness and Principle, one must realize that the teaching itself is that which transcends boxes and labels. It's not about the label, its about the message and consciousness - a statement I think most of the authors listed above would agree with.

The list is Growing:

Methodist Pastor Chad Holtz was dismissed from his pulpit for posting a facebook note that was in support of Rob Bell's book and message, namely - Pastor Holtz loosed his belief in a "literal Hell"

So, What's going on here?

One of the chapters in Bishop Carlton D. Pearson's latest book, God is Not a Christian, is titled "Get the Hell Out of my Bible." It seems that a growing number of faithful not only want it out of their Bible, but also out of their churches and pulpits. And why? Of course one reason is that our collective consciousness is growing and the out dated, misguided and divisive notions of "us and them" is no longer serving (if it ever did). People are waking up to the magnitude of the power of Love. Even more importantly it seems that we are increasingly being given the opportunity to be the Love of God. Earthquakes, tsunami's, and economic meltdowns are all providing us with a critical choice; to be driven by Love or to continue fear based "us and them" thinking and behavior. While our reptilian brain is driven by fear, our higher consciousness is driven by Love. Our outdated notions of Hell are breaking loose from our consciousness because we've come face to face with the hell (separation) we've created on earth - so much so that it is threatening to our very survival as a human race. Our biological mandate is "create (express) or perish" and creation is an act of Love. Quite literally - for the Love of God (choosing our biological mandate over fear), all Hell is breaking loose (falling away). In other words, Love Wins.

The Global Village is Calling...

2011-03-14T12:57:00.000-07:00

The Global Village is calling.... YOU! Are you answering the call? Whether its the earthquake in Japan, the uprisings in Egypt, Lybia or the unions in Wisconsin, there is one thing that is clear...There is a whole lot of shaking going on! Not just earth shaking, consciousness shaking - we are being called to WAKE UP! Can you hear it, feel it, sense it in your bones and in your soul? Wake up calls serve to help us remember who we really are. We are not isolated beings fighting for our own destiny and salvation, we are one global family - tied together in what Dr. Martin Luther King called "a single garment of destiny." We are in this thing called life, together. The world is asking us to wake up and remember and to begin building a world that knows and practices this.

Now I don't care much for politics and don't want to get "too involved" in the details of what is happening in Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa and other places - but what I do know is that we are all bound together. I do know that if we don't start looking after each other and creating a common good - then we are doomed. There is no "us" and "them" - there is only the One Spirit that is seeking to make itself known through all of life and creation. Might it be time, well past time, that we awaken to this Truth? In New Thought we say "Demonstration is the only authority" well, the demonstration of the world right now, is that what we've been doing is not working and it's time for some New Thoughts....

I believe in a Global Vision for good. It's part of my spiritual practice and my core spiritual tradition.

I believe in the vision of a world that works for everyone, where there is generous and ongoing sharing of resources and heart and where borders are irrelevant and forgiveness is the norm.

I believe in a global community of inspired individuals caring for and about each other and the entire planetary family, thereby bringing the gift of active compassion and kindness to the world.

Join me in consciousness, join me in action, join me in prayer.

Ashes to Ashes - time to begin again...

2011-03-09T09:19:00.000-08:00

Today is Ash Wednesday - the official beginning of the Lenten Season. The word Lent comes from the latin meaning to "lengthen" - it is the beginning of the Spring season - when the days are lengthened.

Lent is a 40 day period of spiritual practice - focused on giving something up, fasting and praying. There are actually 46 days between now and Easter, but Sundays are traditionally considered Feast Days and as such do not count as part of the 40 day practice.

I know, I know, you are thinking, "well this all sounds very Church-y" - What does any of this have to do with New Thought?

Actually... EVERYTHING! Think about it. What do we teach in New Thought? "Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life." The season of Lent is designed to do exactly that. We begin with Ash Wed. in which the ceremony of the ashes represent the need for "repentance" - which simply means to "Re-Think." Lent is not about giving up sugar or white flour or latte's - though we all could benefit from less of those. Lent is about giving up ways of thinking that no longer serve us, it's about entering a 40 day period of spiritual practice that seeks to remind us of who we really are, a perfect child of God.

Is there any area of your life where you could benefit from re-thinking the situation? A relationship, health, daily routine, prayer and meditation practice, finances? The ashes symbolize that we have had patterns of thinking and being in the past that no longer serve us - and are keeping us from our greater good. It's time to let them go, it's time to Think Again!

Matt: 5 13-16

¹³ “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. ¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

And so Lent is a season to engage us in remembering our Divine Truth and nature. That we are in fact a Divine Light meant to shine into the world. So, are you ready to re-think who and what you are? Are you ready to begin a practice of giving up the thoughts and attitudes that no longer serve your greatest good?

If your looking for a great resource to guide you - the book Keep A True Lent by Charles Fillmore is a must!

In the meantime - here's a little Lenten Humor!

Denomination Bucks Trend - Reunited after 57 Years!

2011-03-08T18:56:00.000-08:00

PRESS RELEASE FROM UNITED CENTERS FOR SPIRITUAL LIVING AND INTERNATIONAL CENTERS FOR SPIRITUAL LIVING.

Golden, CO…In an era when religious denominations are splitting into smaller and smaller sects, one just reunited after being split since 1954. Science of Mind®, also known as Religious Science, founded in the 1920s by philosopher Ernest Holmes, functioned as two competing organizations for more than 50 years. This week, delegates at their joint annual conference in San Diego approved reunification, called “integration,” with 98% of the vote.

In preparation for their integration, the two organizations, originally called Religious Science International and United Church of Religious Science, changed their names to International Centers for Spiritual Living and United Centers for Spiritual Living, respectively. Now that the merger is official, the new organization will be known simply as Centers for Spiritual Living.

“We are a philosophy that teaches unity, so it is time for us to walk our talk,” says Rev. Dr. Kathy Hearn, Community Spiritual Leader for United Centers for Spiritual Living. “Our founder, Ernest Holmes, always believed the movement would come back together at some point, and the time is now.”

“The time has finally come for our organizations to come back together,” echoes Rev. Dr. Kenn Gordon, President of International Centers for Spiritual Living. “We simply cannot go on teaching unity while remaining split.”

The merger has been in process for eight years, intensifying over the last three years, and using a shared leadership model that included almost 400 volunteers working to create “modules” that reflect the functional departments of the new organization. These modules became the basis for the new corporate documents that were overwhelmingly accepted this week.

Science of Mind is part of the New Thought Movement, started in the mid-1800s by Transcendentalists like Ralph Waldo Emerson and continued into the twentieth century with the teaching of Emmett Fox, Napoleon Hill, Emma Curtis Hopkins, and Holmes. The cornerstone of New Thought is a teaching of unity, yet despite this, two factions of Science of Mind broke apart in the 1950s over organizational differences. “We have the opportunity here to heal the wounds of the past,” says Gordon.

During Ernest Holmes’ life and ministry in Los Angeles, celebrities such as Cary Grant, Peggy Lee, and Doris Day followed his teaching. More recently, Science of Mind has influenced such luminaries in the field of self development as Wayne Dyer, Jack Canfield, Oprah Winfrey, Michael Beckwith, and Marianne Williamson.

The integrated movement has over 400 spiritual centers in 29 countries, and publishes two inspirational monthly magazines with a combined readership of 100,000.

“We have a big vision for providing spiritual tools and transforming personal lives,” says Hearn. “We realize that our influence is much more powerful now that we’ve integrated than it has been on our own.”

Gordon adds, “I know Ernest Holmes would be proud today.”

For more information about Centers for Spiritual Living, or to find a center, you can visit either www.unitedcentersforspiritualliving.org or www.intcsl.org.

New Thought - This is our moment!

2011-02-05T14:33:00.000-08:00

In 1959 Ernest Holmes made his last address to the Religious Science movement at Asilomar - now famously known as the "Sermon by the Sea" - The words of that address have rippled deep in to the heart of many in the movement, as a source of inspiration, aspiration and vision. Among the often quoted lines of this address is this line;

"It would be great indeed if a group of people would come to this earth who could stand for something and against nothing...."

Many like me have spent many a long meditation on just that line alone - what does that mean, and how do you go about doing such a thing? Our collective consciousness has grown a lot since 1959. We've seen the launch of the Association for Global New Thought - and its many great projects and initiatives like the annual Season for Nonviolence, a national 64-day educational, media, and grassroots campaign dedicated to demonstrating that nonviolence is a powerful way to heal, transform, and empower our lives and our communities. Inspired by the 50th and 30th memorial anniversaries of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., this international event honors their vision for an empowered, nonviolent world.

And so here we are, in the early days of this year's season - and we have an uprising in Egypt dominating the news coverage. Now, having some strife, war and chaos during the season is certainly not new - guns have not ceased to fire during this 64 day period. But what is unique about this global headline - is that it began in PEACE. The people of Egypt marched and gathered in PEACE and Nonviolence to affect change in their country. In turn - they were attacked, by the very President that tried to tell the world that he was beloved and the "protesters" were rebel trouble makers. In fact, they had made no trouble, started no violence. The President sent his own police forces, in plane clothing, into the streets to attack and instigate violence, first on the citizens, then on the media for telling the story. Remarkably - on Friday, a day of prayer, the people of Egypt returned to PEACEFUL walks and sit-ins. You can turn to many sources for reporting - I've found that Rachel Maddow on MSNBC is doing some of the best you can find.

And so, my message is simple - this is our time New Thought! Time to apply the meaning of Standing for Something - and against No-Thing. Time to Stand for Peace - and Stand with the People of Egypt. Nonviolence is the only way forward in this conflict. We can support that happening by invoking the spirit of Gandhi, King, Chavez and others - AND by encouraging the people of Egypt to continue to stand for peace and nonviolence.

Within United Centers for Spiritual Living - we are guided by a "Global Heart Vision" . One of our esteemed ministers, adapted the vision for this critical time in Egypt - We are now inviting you - to read, meditate on and share this vision and prayer - post it on facebook, email it to you contacts - and watch for youtube versions from our spiritual centers very soon. This is what Standing for Something looks like - there is nothing to stand against - we include President Mubarak in our prayers - there are many ways for the people and the government of Egypt to move forward - ours is not to take sides on how that may or may not look - but simply that the call for Peace and transformation from the people will be heard.

Join us as together we vision and affirm:

We see Egypt free of homelessness, violence, war, hunger, separation and disenfranchisement.

We see Egypt, a country in which there is generous and continuous sharing of heart and resources.

We envision Egypt as a place in which forgiveness, whether for errors, injustices, or debts, is the norm.

We embrace a vision in which Egypt has renewed its emphasis on beauty, nature, and love through the resurgence of creativity, art, and aesthetics.

We see Egypt as a place in which fellowship with all life prospers and connects through the guidance of spiritual wisdom and experience.

We envision Egypt as being an example of a place in which we live and grow as One Global Family, a place where there is respect and honor for the interconnectedness of all life.

We envision Egypt as being as a bridge across the illness and illusion of separation thereby dynamically empowering spiritual life.

We envision Egypt as being actuated by this compelling vision of her spiritual wellbeing.

We see Egypt as a global community of inspired individuals caring for and about each other and the entire planetary family, thereby bringing the gift of active compassion and kindness to the world.

We see the leaders of Egypt as “points of inspiration and influence” effectively advancing the vision of a world that works for everyone.

and so it is.

2009-11-16T09:34:00.000-08:00

Gratitude is a powerful tool of transformation:

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity.... It turns problems into gifts, failures into success, the unexpected into perfect timing, and mistakes into important events. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow. - Melodie Beatie

Bishop Spong's Manifesto

2009-10-19T11:19:00.000-07:00

Many of you have been asking me where to get a copy of the full manifesto by Bishop Spong that I referenced on Sunday - so here it is.... this came to me via his weekly emails which you too can sign up to receive at www.johnshelbyspong.com

Thursday October 15, 2009

A Manifesto! The Time Has Come!

I have made a decision. I will no longer debate the issue of homosexuality in the church with anyone. I will no longer engage the biblical ignorance that emanates from so many right-wing Christians about how the Bible condemns homosexuality, as if that point of view still has any credibility. I will no longer discuss with them or listen to them tell me how homosexuality is "an abomination to God," about how homosexuality is a "chosen lifestyle," or about how through prayer and "spiritual counseling" homosexual persons can be "cured." Those arguments are no longer worthy of my time or energy. I will no longer dignify by listening to the thoughts of those who advocate "reparative therapy," as if homosexual persons are somehow broken and need to be repaired. I will no longer talk to those who believe that the unity of the church can or should be achieved by rejecting the presence of, or at least at the expense of, gay and lesbian people. I will no longer take the time to refute the unlearned and undocumentable claims of certain world religious leaders who call homosexuality "deviant." I will no longer listen to that pious sentimentality that certain Christian leaders continue to employ, which suggests some version of that strange and overtly dishonest phrase that "we love the sinner but hate the sin." That statement is, I have concluded, nothing more than a self-serving lie designed to cover the fact that these people hate homosexual persons and fear homosexuality itself, but somehow know that hatred is incompatible with the Christ they claim to profess, so they adopt this face-saving and absolutely false statement. I will no longer temper my understanding of truth in order to pretend that I have even a tiny smidgen of respect for the appalling negativity that continues to emanate from religious circles where the church has for centuries conveniently perfumed its ongoing prejudices against blacks, Jews, women and homosexual persons with what it assumes is "high-sounding, pious rhetoric." The day for that mentality has quite simply come to an end for me. I will personally neither tolerate it nor listen to it any longer. The world has moved on, leaving these elements of the Christian Church that cannot adjust to new knowledge or a new consciousness lost in a sea of their own irrelevance. They no longer talk to anyone but themselves. I will no longer seek to slow down the witness to inclusiveness by pretending that there is some middle ground between prejudice and oppression. There isn't. Justice postponed is justice denied. That can be a resting place no longer for anyone. An old civil rights song proclaimed that the only choice awaiting those who cannot adjust to a new understanding was to "Roll on over or we'll roll on over you!" Time waits for no one.

I will particularly ignore those members of my own Episcopal Church who seek to break away from this body to form a "new church," claiming that this new and bigoted instrument alone now represents the Anglican Communion. Such a new ecclesiastical body is designed to allow these pathetic human beings, who are so deeply locked into a world that no longer exists, to form a community in which they can continue to hate gay people, distort gay people with their hopeless rhetoric and to be part of a religious fellowship in which they can continue to feel justified in their homophobic prejudices for the rest of their tortured lives. Church unity can never be a virtue that is preserved by allowing injustice, oppression and psychological tyranny to go unchallenged.

In my personal life, I will no longer listen to televised debates conducted by "fair-minded" channels that seek to give "both sides" of this issue "equal time." I am aware that these stations no longer give equal time to the advocates of treating women as if they are the property of men or to the advocates of reinstating either segregation or slavery, despite the fact that when these evil institutions were coming to an end the Bible was still being quoted frequently on each of these subjects. It is time for the media to announce that there are no longer two sides to the issue of full humanity for gay and lesbian people. There is no way that justice for homosexual people can be compromised any longer.

I will no longer act as if the Papal office is to be respected if the present occupant of that office is either not willing or not able to inform and educate himself on public issues on which he dares to speak with embarrassing ineptitude. I will no longer be respectful of the leadership of the Archbishop of Canterbury, who seems to believe that rude behavior, intolerance and even killing prejudice is somehow acceptable, so long as it comes from third-world religious leaders, who more than anything else reveal in themselves the price that colonial oppression has required of the minds and hearts of so many of our world's population. I see no way that ignorance and truth can be placed side by side, nor do I believe that evil is somehow less evil if the Bible is quoted to justify it. I will dismiss as unworthy of any more of my attention the wild, false and uninformed opinions of such would-be religious leaders as Pat Robertson, James Dobson, Jerry Falwell, Jimmy Swaggart, Albert Mohler, and Robert Duncan. My country and my church have both already spent too much time, energy and money trying to accommodate these backward points of view when they are no longer even tolerable.

I make these statements because it is time to move on. The battle is over. The victory has been won. There is no reasonable doubt as to what the final outcome of this struggle will be. Homosexual people will be accepted as equal, full human beings, who have a legitimate claim on every right that both church and society have to offer any of us. Homosexual marriages will become legal, recognized by the state and pronounced holy by the church. "Don't ask, don't tell" will be dismantled as the policy of our armed forces. We will and we must learn that equality of citizenship is not something that should ever be submitted to a referendum. Equality under and before the law is a solemn promise conveyed to all our citizens in the Constitution itself. Can any of us imagine having a public referendum on whether slavery should continue, whether segregation should be dismantled, whether voting privileges should be offered to women? The time has come for politicians to stop hiding behind unjust laws that they themselves helped to enact, and to abandon that convenient shield of demanding a vote on the rights of full citizenship because they do not understand the difference between a constitutional democracy, which this nation has, and a "mobocracy," which this nation rejected when it adopted its constitution. We do not put the civil rights of a minority to the vote of a plebiscite.

I will also no longer act as if I need a majority vote of some ecclesiastical body in order to bless, ordain, recognize and celebrate the lives and gifts of gay and lesbian people in the life of the church. No one should ever again be forced to submit the privilege of citizenship in this nation or membership in the Christian Church to the will of a majority vote.

The battle in both our culture and our church to rid our souls of this dying prejudice is finished. A new consciousness has arisen. A decision has quite clearly been made. Inequality for gay and lesbian people is no longer a debatable issue in either church or state. Therefore, I will from this moment on refuse to dignify the continued public expression of ignorant prejudice by engaging it. I do not tolerate racism or sexism any longer. From this moment on, I will no longer tolerate our culture's various forms of homophobia. I do not care who it is who articulates these attitudes or who tries to make them sound holy with religious jargon.

I have been part of this debate for years, but things do get settled and this issue is now settled for me. I do not debate any longer with members of the "Flat Earth Society" either. I do not debate with people who think we should treat epilepsy by casting demons out of the epileptic person; I do not waste time engaging those medical opinions that suggest that bleeding the patient might release the infection. I do not converse with people who think that Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans as punishment for the sin of being the birthplace of Ellen DeGeneres or that the terrorists hit the United Sates on 9/11 because we tolerated homosexual people, abortions, feminism or the American Civil Liberties Union. I am tired of being embarrassed by so much of my church's participation in causes that are quite unworthy of the Christ I serve or the God whose mystery and wonder I appreciate more each day. Indeed I feel the Christian Church should not only apologize, but do public penance for the way we have treated people of color, women, adherents of other religions and those we designated heretics, as well as gay and lesbian people.

Life moves on. As the poet James Russell Lowell once put it more than a century ago: "New occasions teach new duties, Time makes ancient good uncouth." I am ready now to claim the victory. I will from now on assume it and live into it. I am unwilling to argue about it or to discuss it as if there are two equally valid, competing positions any longer. The day for that mentality has simply gone forever.

This is my manifesto and my creed. I proclaim it today. I invite others to join me in this public declaration. I believe that such a public outpouring will help cleanse both the church and this nation of its own distorting past. It will restore integrity and honor to both church and state. It will signal that a new day has dawned and we are ready not just to embrace it, but also to rejoice in it and to celebrate it.

– John Shelby Spong

Recovering the Mystic Self

2009-08-11T17:11:00.000-07:00

In the July Science of Mind magazine article Holmes tells us that a mystic is one who has a “deep, inner sense of Life and his unity with the Whole.” He goes on to recognize some of the great mystics of the ages, past and present. Today we can confidently add Holmes’s name to that great role call. The dictionary defines the mystic as one who has a pursuit of communion or identification with, ultimate reality. And it is toward that definition that Holmes’s work becomes a valuable tool on the journey.

You see, like Jesus, Buddha and other great mystics, Holmes believes that each of us is destine to be a mystic in our own right. He removes the “mystery” and provides us with a tangible pursuit of union with Divine Reality through our own application of spiritual principles. In the declaration of principles or What We Believe, he states “anyone may become a revealer of this truth who lives in close contact with the indwelling presence.”

Awakening the mystic within begins with the recognition that you are more than what meets the eye. You are more than your body, more than the roles you play, more than what others think of you, or for that matter what you think of you! As you begin to take this idea into meditation and contemplation, you become more and more acquainted with the ultimate reality of the universe. This is what Holmes is driving at by a “conscious courting of the Divine Presence.” How wonderful to awaken to your true identity as an emanation of universal Love, Truth and Beauty. The truth is you were born in this awareness; every one of us comes to this world with a deep inner sense of our unity with the whole.

So, are you ready to re-claim your mystical self? Are you ready to stop courting ideas of lack, limitation, and not-enoughness? Are you ready to roll up your belief in the material world as your source and supply and number it with the things once thought to be real? If so, then you are ready for the adventure of a lifetime! You are ready to live, move and have your being in the awareness of God consciousness. Your reward for stepping out on this adventure? Nothing less that truly knowing that you are, and have always been, whole perfect and complete. And like Holmes and others before him, you’ll know first hand that living life as a mystic is the sanest thing you can do.

Your Internal GPS (The Principle of Divine Guidance)

2009-08-11T16:50:00.000-07:00

In the June Science of Mind magazine article from Ernest Holmes we read about the principle of Divine Guidance. He presents us with the idea that we are surrounded by an Infinite Intelligence and that anybody can access and use this guidance who permits themselves to. This guidance, he states, is God’s gift forever delivered. What a marvelous idea!

I once had a teacher who would ask me questions about my future plans, dreams and aspirations – and often I would find myself saying “I don’t know.” I felt distressed about the many options before me. To which she would respond rather simply with “Well David, suppose you did know…then what would your answer be?” She understood the principle of divine guidance. She understood that there was something within me that did know and that all I needed to do was to call upon It. In fact there is something within each of us that knows exactly what the answers are to any challenge or situation facing us. I think of it as having an internal GPS device. I recently purchased a GSP device for my car and I absolutely love it! Even on the regular routes that I know well, I like to see the path it recommends to me.

It seems that in today’s world we are faced with so many choices, about everything! Which one is the right one for me? how can I be sure? These questions have passed though everyone’s mind a thousand times. Holmes provides us with some simple guidelines at the end of the article for calling on this guidance and trusting that it will respond. But we must call upon it and trust in it. And to the part of our little mind that wishes to doubt, fret or worry let us turn to Emerson, who reminds us that “The voyage of the best ship is a zigzag line of a hundred tacks. See the line from sufficient distance, and it straightens itself to the average tendency. Your genuine action will explain itself and will explain your other genuine actions. Your conformity explains nothing.” (from Self-Reliance)

In other words, you have an internal GPS. The Universe knows where you are. Now, tell the universe where you want to go (state your destination) and trust the route that unfolds. This is one course you can’t get lost because at every turn in the road, God is present and divine guidance is waiting to be called upon. In the words of Raymond Charles Barker, “Divine Mind? You know what to do, now do it!”

You Are A Spiritual Being

2009-08-11T16:44:00.000-07:00

In the May issue of Science of Mind magazine article from Ernest Holmes, we gain some wonderful insights into his view of spirituality. These excerpts come from his first book, "Creative Mind", and provide a wonderful view into his consciousness in the early stages of what became a 42 year career of published spiritual ideas! Holmes addresses what it is to have a spiritual life.

How refreshing it is to know that to have a “spiritual life” does not require any external add-ons. The car you drive, what you eat, or your exercise program cannot bring you a more “spiritual life.” The only thing that that is truly required is your trust in Spirit. When you come to trust and rely on the Spirit from which all things come, then, and only then, are you leading a spiritual life.
For many of us this may be a tall order, as we have been acculturated into a society that revolves around material goods and mass consumerism. Breaking this spell does not have to be a complicated matter. Begin asking yourself where everyday things and objects come from. It won’t take you long to realize that everything, your coffee cup or the chair your sitting in, all came from the invisible realm. That is, they began as ideas in someone’s mind. This is the Universal Mind to which Holmes frequently refers. Holmes is really telling us that we are free to live as unique individuals. Being spiritual means knowing the ultimate source from which all things come.

Holmes also places a strong emphasis on the freedom of the individual soul. He states: “The Almighty has put the truth into your own soul; look there and there alone for it.” The bookstores are filled with authors who will tell you how to be more spiritual and how to interpret and analyze various aspects of your life, but only you can correctly interpret what is unfolding in your experience. After all, you have just as much access to the intelligence of the universe as any other person. Holmes understood this. His message is one of spiritual liberation—to become familiar with, trust, and know your own innate goodness, intuition, and connection to the whole.
You are a spiritual being; travel well!

Bold Belief

2009-04-28T12:30:00.000-07:00

It was Goethe who said, “Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.” Ernest Holmes is a fine demonstration of that truth. This month’s article strikes a chord that makes me profoundly aware of both his boldness and genius. How awesome and inspiring are his words as he confidently declares that there is one power, one presence, and one truth running through the ages, all mystical teachings, teachers, and sacred writings.

Let us contemplate for a moment the assertion that throughout time and history there has been, and still is, a Universal Intelligence behind /all and expressing through all/. Not only that, but through the vast diversity and creativity of human expression, in both the religious and secular realms, there is ultimately one truth being expressed in infinite ways. Now that is a bold claim!

But here is where the pure genius of Holmes’s work comes in. Just at that magical point when your consciousness has been expanded and stretched to its limits, he turns around and makes it personal!

This magnificent power that you have contemplated is in you, right now. You can use this power to literally change your life. Holmes tells us that if we require a better God, then we should believe in one. In other words, stop waiting for something or someone “out there” to help you create the life you want. Take charge of the direction of your thoughts and beliefs, and in so doing take charge of your life.

As we welcome the return of spring, I invite you to take on a bold belief. Get quiet for a moment and ask yourself: “What bold idea or belief is waiting to emerge in my life?” What would it look and feel like for you to really embody, as your true nature, the belief in your perfection, wholeness, prosperity, and love vibration?

What have you got to lose? After all, you have the creative power and genius of the entire universe behind you. Go for it!

To read the full article of Ernest Holmes - pick up the April Issue of Science of Mind Magazine

A New Thought for Easter

2009-04-11T18:43:00.000-07:00

As I sit at a desk overlooking the river, moving from meditation to pouring over my resources for Easter, I am moved by the notion that one must really be willing to take on the Easter Journey in consciousness in order for it to have any meaning at all in the 21st Century. In doing so it has profound possibilities for launching us into a new era of Being, not only with ourselves but with each other - with the human family and with all of creation. My prayer is that we, each in our own way, take on this journey and Rise Up to our Highest Potential in this Life. I wish for everyone a powerful Easter experience. I am truly grateful for the inspired work of Bishop John Shelby Spong who has this to say about Easter:

"Easter with is story of the resurrection can also be transformed, I believe, and carried with us into a postexilic future. Yet before that is possible, the miracles of physical resuscitation, the angles who roll stones away from tombs, and the bodies that appear out of nothing and disappear into thin air must be dismissed for the developed legends that they are. But life that transcends every human limit is a powerful portrait. Death, which opens all things to new possibilities; love, which triumphs over hatred; being, which overcomes nonbeing - those are truths to which Easter points, and those are the truths that emerge when God is met on the edges and at the limits of our finite humanity. That is what the stories of the resurrection are all about."

pg. 190 of Why Christianity Must Change or Die by John Shelby Spong

It occurs to me that Easter itself must undergo a trial, crucifixion and ultimately, resurrection for the sake of its salvation.

A Closer Walk with Thee

2009-03-16T11:27:00.000-07:00

Yesterday in service we talked about the season of Lent and what it means to be in a spiritual practice of fasting from thoughts, attitudes and behaviors that are no longer serving us. The most useful spiritual tool that I have found regarding a new thought look at Lent is the book "Keep a True Lent" by Charles Filmore from Unity Press. In the forward by Georgiana Tree West we read:

"When we withdraw our attention, interest, and support from the false and unworthy, this is true fasting. When we give that same attention, interest, and support to the enduring good, we are feasting on the things of the Spirit, and this is true prayer."

This idea alone is worthy of forty days of mindful focus. What are the false ad unworthy ideas, thoughts, beliefs and behaviors that we have been walking with? Are we willing to shift our attention, interest and support to that which is the enduring good of our life?
The Lenten season is a church institutional idea that is based on a very sound idea - taking time to internally clean house so that we are prepared for a deeper spiritual journey into our Christ Nature. Ultimately this is a very personal journey and no institution, church or spiritual system can facilitate (even though we may find ritual, community and inspirational support in them) that which is between God (whatever we conceive it to be) and ourselves.

I believe it is this notion of the very intimate and personal spiritual journey that we are each responsible for that Ernest Holmes was speaking to in his first published work, Creative Mind in the passage entitled "The Church of God"

The Church of God is not built with hands, it is eternal in the heavens; it is not lighted with candles; its dome is heaven and it is lighted by the stars of God's illumined thought, and each member in his separate start "shall draw this thing as he sees it, for the god of thing as they are". Here all people recognize the God within their own souls and ask for and see no other God. When you can look upon all creation as the perfect work of a perfect God, you will become a member of this church. I doubt very much if the church universal admits members from the church individual. When you can see in the saint and the sinner one and the same person, when you can realize that they one who kneels before the alter and the one who lies drunk in the street is the same one, when you can love the one as much as you do the other, no doubt you will be able to qualify. As it is now we have too many preachers who do not understand, that have no purpose; too many prayers, too many creeds, too many teachers, that have no message; too many churches, too many "learned" people, and too few thinkers. "The Kingdom of Heaven cometh not by observation". It is the "still, small voice" within the soul that speaks. The expanded thought will never wish to join or be joined to. Nothing human can contain it. It feels the limitation of form and ceremony and longs for the freedom of the Spirit, the great out of doors, the Great God of the everywhere. Alone in the desert, the forest or by the restless ocean, looking up at the stars, man breathes forth these words, "With only my maker and me".

- Ernest Holmes

PRESS RELEASE: Rev. David to be honored at Morehouse.

2009-03-12T12:27:00.000-07:00

Rev. David Alexander will be inducted into the Martin Luther King Jr. Board of Preachers at Morehouse College on April 2, 2009.

This event will occur as part of the 22nd Annual College of Ministers and Laity Program. It is also the period of the College's 142nd Science and Spiritual Awareness Week, March 29th through April 5th 2009. This year's theme is "The Mature Spirituality of a Renaissance Man." The speaker is Rabbi David Saperstein, the director of Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, Washington DC. The prestigious Gandhi, King, and Ikeda Community Builders Prize will be awarded posthumously to Yitzhak Rabin, former prime minister of Israel and Nobel Peace Prize winner. The ceremonies will take place in the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel on the campus of Morehouse College. Among the others to be inducted is Rev. David's dear friend Bishop Carlton D. Pearson.

Rev. David Alexander will also be the featured speaker at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, a New Thought embracing Pentecostal Church, at the invititation of Senior Pastor D.E. Paulk on Wednesday evening, April 1, 2009.

Rev. David has been dedicated to the work of Inclusivity and broadening the reach of New Thought's message into the world. Beginning with his friendship and collaboration with Sharif Abdullah, author of Creating a World that Works for All and director of the Commonway Institute and continuing with his outreach to Bishop Carlton Pearson during his "fall from grace," Rev. David continues to seek out new ways to connect the transformative principles of New Thought with the current issues of the day. Teaming up with cutting edge Inclusion leaders like Bishop Carlton and Pastor D.E. Paulk, Rev. David is helping to heal the separation and isolated exclusive thinking between the New Thought and Pentecostal Christian faith traditions, thereby spreading a message of a way of life that honors all paths to God and promoting spiritual tools for personal transformation that help make the world a better place.

(photo credit: Carl Studna)

Our place in Women's History

2009-03-09T12:47:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was International Women's Day which began about 100 years ago to bring a greater awareness to issue of equality, treatment in the workplace, abuse and other social issues. (check out the About page in the IWD link above for more information.)

Our spiritual community (New Thought Center for Spiritual Living) spent the day honoring the Divine Feminine in spirituality and specifically gave tribute to the great women of New Thought History. I was surprised to find out how many of us did not know this history. When I was in college I took a Women's Studies course - where again, I was surprised to discover that the professor believed that there was no organized religious movement that has women in significant leadership roles or that ordained women into the fully life of ministry! I was shocked! Having grown up in the New Thought tradition, I was very aware of ordained women ministers. As a result I wrote most of my papers in that course about the role of women in New Thought (none of which the professor had any awareness of!).

The truth is that we ought to be shouting from the mountaintops - loudly - the historic place that New Thought has both in Women's History and in religious history. When events like International Women's Day come along - we ought to be involved in a bold and significant way - educating others on our proud history and standing as a shinning example of a movement that has a over 100 year old history of breaking the mold!

Beginning with Mary Baker Eddy, who was healed by PP Quimby, went on to establish the Christian Science Movement...continuing with Emma Curtis Hopkins whom we regard as the "Teacher of Teachers" for as she broke away from Mary Baker Eddy - and established her own Theological Seminary in Chicago - she taught hundreds of students - many of whom became significant leaders and founders of the various branches of New Thought. This history extends to present day - as 3 of the 5 major branches of New Thought; United Centers for Spiritual Living, Unity and the Universal Foundation for Better Living are all headed by women.

Even more importantly is the role that the early women of New Thought played in the women's suffrage movement and cultural conversations of the day in the early 1900's. In 1999 a new book which highlights this history was first published: Each Mind a Kingdom: American Women, Sexual Purity, and the New Thought Movement, 1875-1920 by Beryl Satter. This work is a significant contribution to the library of women's history, American history and New Thought history. I hope that it will become as valuable and as referenced in our movement as Spirit's in Rebellion has.

Other references that I used last Sunday:

The Return of the Mother - by Adrew Harvey
The Divine Feminine - by Andrew Harvey
In Search of the Christ-Sophia - by Jann Aldredge-ClantonB
Born of a Woman - by Bishop John Shelby Spong
Scientific Christian Mental Practice - by Emma Curtis Hopkins

for more information on New Thought History - click here

Re-investing in Faith

2009-03-04T12:28:00.000-08:00

Philosophy in Action - for March 2009

Ernest Holmes teaching on faith is absolutely powerful and inspiring. However, for those of us early on our journey of faith, it can be a bit intimidating. In the Science of Mind he defines faith as

“an idea so inwardly embodied that the mind can no longer conceive of its opposite.”

Wow! Now that’s powerful stuff. But what if you do contemplate its opposite? Does that mean you have “less” faith? Often we approach life’s challenges with the notion of “if I only had more faith” or “I don’t have enough faith.” But the truth is you already possess all the faith you will ever have, right now!
If you have ever thought that all you need is more or enough faith in order to succeed, STOP. Begin to pay attention to where the faith that you do have is being used. Is is being used negatively or misplaced as Holmes describes? Do you find yourself saying “oh, I just knew that was going to happen!” when things go wrong? How about when things go better than expected? Do you think to yourself “gee, guess I was lucky?” If so, then its time to start re-investing your faith for higher yields.
It has been said that the difference between the mystic and the paranoid is a thin line. The paranoid believe that there is a grand conspiracy in the universe that is working against them. The mystic believes that there is a grand conspiracy in the universes that is working for them! All we need do to build our faith is to try on the idea that all things are working together for good, right now. In the bible we read: “All things work together for good to them that believe and those who are called according to his purpose” I like to think that since God is all that there is, then we are all called according to his purpose so the only question that remains is – do we believe it? This is what it is to have the faith of God.

for the full article on Faith by Ernest Holmes - pick up a copy of the March issue of Science of Mind magazine

Blog ReNewal

2009-03-04T12:11:00.000-08:00

Greetings everyone - It's been a while since my last post and I'm excited to announce that this blog will have regular postings once again!

I now have a monthly column published in the Science of Mind magazine The column is Philosophy in Action - and is intended to be a follow up the the Ernest Holmes published article.

On or after the 15th of each month - that article will be posted here - so you the reader can post comments, ask questions and otherwise interact with the column and Holmes article.

Of course, I'll continue to publish other content as well.

I hope you'll enjoy this new feature and will spread the link to your friends.

Noble Purpose

2008-10-28T12:15:00.000-07:00

All month long we've been focusing on the idea of living from "Noble Purpose" based on the book of same title by Berry Hermmann (www.noblepurpose.com) . Its been a wonderful series and continues for a few more weeks. In week 5 we discussed the step of "Claiming" which is about becoming 100% responsible and accountable for manifesting our noble purpose. Berry Hermmann suggests that we take our vision and break it down into bite size pieces and take action.

As I reflected on this throughout the week, I remembered that I had done just that. When I was 14yrs old I was inspired, guided and moved into my Noble Purpose of public speaking and a life of public service. The action that I took was to create a business card and tri-fold brochure that highlighted my volunteer position with New Mexico Peer Leadership program and my desire to serve. Inside the brochure I published the following quote from George Bernard Shaw - it became my beacon, my guiding light and vision statement for many years to come. Some 18 years latter I find that my life is a manifestation of this quote and it continues to guide and direct me.

“This is the true joy in life … being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one … being a force of Nature instead of a feverish selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy … I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and as long as I live it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die. For the harder I work the more I live. I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no brief candle to me. It’s a sort of splendid torch which I’ve got to hold up for the moment and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing on to future generations.” - George Bernard Shaw

Universal Human Rights

2008-10-15T14:58:00.000-07:00

9-11 Healing the Separation

2008-09-11T07:43:00.000-07:00

Today is a significant day, not only for our country - but for the world. It is a day that carries a heavy "pain body" triggered by the tragic events of 9-11. Today our country takes pause to remember the fallen, the heros, the triumph of the human spirit and the deep soulful cry of the morning.

We've all heard that in the face of conditions that we don't like - that we "Must Be the Change You wish to See in the World."

Well, today we have two organizations in the New Thought Movement, United Centers for Spiritual Living (formerly United Church of Religious Science) and International Centers for Spiritual Living (formerly Religious Science International) are giving the world a most powerful demonstration of what it is to be the change....

Twins.

Here in Los Angeles, a soft morning is awakening a new day.

Arising out of the night, the eastern sky lights up its edges,
from within.

Standing on the tips of its toes,
whispering its love,
brotherhood bares its brave heart
while sisterhood,
smiling,
surrenders her veils,
softening the curve of her heart.

"Are we twins, then sister?"
"Oh Brother, I don't know..."
"I remember you from birth!"
"Yes! Me too! We slid into the world head first!"

Today in Los Angeles,
two organizations - twins if you will -
reach not into their heads,
but into their common heart
and find one another
dreaming their reunion.

We are those organizations.

Twin cities, twin towers, twin children separated at birth -

Today is both a day of remembrance and reunion.

It is a remarkable day, and yet unremarkable as well.

After all, doesn't every day change history?

Still...

We ARE changing history today, and in doing so, rearranging the future.

So as we enter this day, may we be all hold a high watch as the International Centers for Spiritual Living and the United Centers for Spiritual Living join today in Los Angeles to discover our commonality, to discover how inclusive we are.

Across this planet, in every community, may we celebrate who we are and who we are becoming - two twins becoming one again - and may the integration we seek for our organizations find itself in every one of us, and may we find at the end of the day, that none of us are strangers here.

We are twins.
We are everyone.
We are Love.

Ross Foti, RScP
September 11, 2008
Los Angeles, California

The Call: lost Poem of Ernest Holmes

2008-08-30T21:30:00.000-07:00

This poem, entitled "The Call" is one of my favorites by Ernest Holmes - however most do not know of its existence. It can only be found in the original 1926 edition of "The Science of Mind" text, in which its local is odd at bests. It can be found at the end of the Glossary and just before the Index (no page number). After the reorganization of the text in 1938 - the poem disappears - and to my knowledge is not published in any other location.

My soul is stirred by this poem and serves as a focal point of my calling as a minister of New Thought. Here it is...

The Call:

by Ernest Holmes

This I saw or else some greater presence made it known to thee,

the universe is filled with life, the earth, the sky, the sea

And teamed with Intelligence with majesty and might

Deep within me some subtle inner sight

Beholds and sees, comprehends and knows the All

No fears, no falters, but answers the Divine Call.

To be as one, beyond the bonds of time and space

To overcome the bondage of the human race

And to leap with Trust, undaunted and free,

into the deeps of that infinite sea

Who's waters, calm are ready to receive

Those who in simple faith Believe.

Faith, Doubt and Mother Teresa

2007-08-30T22:02:00.000-07:00

Mother Teresa has recently made the headlines with her soon to be published private journal. The book “Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light” reveals years of private journal writing exposing her personal thoughts throughout her ministry of service to the sick and poor.

The revelation that is making the news is that Mother Teresa writes about her Doubt and “lack of Faith” obviously for such a devoted servant of God this news comes as a surprise and even shock to most.

For me it opens the door to an important conversation, long overdue about the role of Doubt within the building of our Faith. We tend to think of the terms Faith and Doubt as being opposite and exclusive of each other. If you have doubt it means that you lack faith and if you have faith then doubt does not enter your mind. Particularly in the case of faith – we tend to think of it as an absolute. Homes says of faith – “Faith is a mental attitude, so inwardly embodied that the mind can no longer deny it.”

In New Thought we really like absolutes – they keep things clean and simple – easy for the intellect to take hold of. But the fact is that in a metaphysical universe – there is a lot of “gray matter” The danger of painting Faith and Doubt in such black and whites is that we end up holding faith as such a high spiritual ideal that few people actually possess it. We make Faith so pure that we can never fully attain it. Not only that, but we then begin to carry guilt for our lack of faith and our more common doubt. Let’s return to faith in a moment -

What of doubt? Is is simply the lack of or mis-placed faith? I think doubt can be these things – but is much deeper and much more important in our spiritual development. In New Thought we have done very little to understand the valuable role of doubt in our spiritual awakening. To doubt, fundamentally is to question, to question is to inquire and to inquire is to learn and grow. I believe that doubt plays a much larger role in our unfolding and spiritual growth than we have ever acknowledge. After all, was it not Ernest’s youthful and constant questioning of the world around him (the preverbial question mark, always asking Why?) that lead to his awakening and articulation of the wisdom we now call New Thought and Religious Science?

When it comes to building our faith, doubt is an important component. M. Holmes Hartshorne reminds us in his work “The Faith to Doubt” that is was Luther’s dare to doubt the means of grace which the Church presumed to guarantee to the faithful, that “cut the ground out from under medieval Christianity.” I agree with Hartshorne that in terms of exploring spiritual principles it is “not reassurance but the courage to doubt critically” that we need. Similarly, Augustine observed that we doubt for the sake of truth.

I believe that it is through doubt that we are able to plumb the depths of our soul and uncover hidden beliefs – bringing them out of the dark shadows and into the light for close examination. In order to build our faith – we need doubt. Without it our spiritual principles become self serving Polly-Anne platitudes that lack meaning and substance.
Don’t feel guilty about your doubts – embrace them, explore them and allow them to deepen your faith. To do so is to develop healthy and mature faith.
Paul Tillich says this best…

“Faith comprises both of itself and the doubt of itself…To live serenely and courageously in these tensions and to discover their ultimate unity in the depths of our own soul and in the depths of the divine life is the task and dignity of human thought.”

Through exploring our doubts and darkness we can truly come to understand our Faith.

Thank God for Mother Teresa’s doubt - she has reminded us all that Doubt is a natural part of the Faith walk – while one day the church will make her a saint, today we know she was human. A great human with great Faith and Doubt.

More about Bishop Carlton Pearson

2007-08-03T11:24:00.000-07:00

"The story of Reverend Carlton Pearson, a renowned evangelical pastor in Tulsa, Oklahoma, who cast aside the idea of Hell, and with it everything he'd worked for over his entire life.

Carlton Pearson's church, Higher Dimensions, was once one of the biggest in the city, drawing crowds of 5,000 people every Sunday. But several years ago, scandal engulfed the reverend. He didn't have an affair. He didn't embezzle lots of money. His sin was something that to a lot of people is far worse: He stopped believing in Hell." (From This American Life)

Now Bishop Pearson is preaching and teaching a New Gospel - The Gospel of Inclusion - which is the title of his latest book.

"When love, healing, tolerance and justice cease to be the cornerstones of the Christian faith, it is not the non-Christians of the world who are damned. It is Christianity itself - .... Christianity deserves better. Christ deserves better."

"In the Oneness of God there is room for all. It includes much more than any one religion contains."

(exerpts from The Gospel of Inclusion")

Since being cast out by the Evangelical community and labeled a heretic, Bishop Pearson has found a new community of believers - believers of Oneness, Love and Inclusivity. He has been accepted for "Privilege of Call and Ministry" by the United Church of Christ and embraced by a widening circle of faith communities including Episcopalians, UCC, MCC, Unitarians Universalist, Buddhist, Native American, Jewish, Islamic, GLBT and New Thought. Bishop Pearson has been embraced and befriended by Bishop John Shelby Spong, Jim Garrison of Wisdom University and Rev. Dr. Michael Beckwith along with many others.

New Thought Ministries of Oregon is proud to be among those embracing his message and supporting his new ministry.

Bishop Carlton Pearson on 20/20 Friday July 13

2007-07-12T15:46:00.000-07:00

A Question of Hell...This Friday July 13th at 10E/9C, see Bishop Pearson on ABC 20/20! Don't Miss it.

visit ABC.com and learn more about Friday's Show...

Tell you friends to tune in and watch - then be sure register for Bishop Pearson's Book Tour event in Portland OR July 27-28, 2008

www.bishoppearson.com/portland/ to register

Did you miss Bishop Carlton on CNN?

go here to see his CNN interview about the GLBT community:
http://www.cnn.com/video/player/player.html?url=/video/us/2007/06/24/sanchez.pro.gay.evangelist.newdim

Did you know that you can view the CNN interview PLUS find links to Dateline NBC interview, This American Life interivew as well as links to Newspaper and magazine articles on Bishop Pearson - all by visiting http://www.ntmo.org/?content=pearson.php

visit the site, tell your friends and help us spread the word on this exciting story.

For details for these and other upcoming events visit our website: www.ntmo.org

Rev. David Alexander
Community Spiritual Leader
New Thought Ministries of Oregon
revdavid@ntmo.org
www.ntmo.org

Thoughts from Bishop John Shelby Spong

2007-07-05T10:42:00.000-07:00

Examining Politics in America on our 231st Birthday

As our nation pauses to celebrate its birthday many things vie for our people's attention. There is the drain of human life and treasure in the ill-begotten, mismanaged war in Iraq; the emotional and divisive debate over reforming immigration; the growing gap between the rich and the poor with the top ten per cent of our population controlling the largest share of our nation's wealth in our history; the growing awareness of our environmental crisis after decades of either denial or game-playing empty gestures; the erosion of privacy with unauthorized wiretaps on American citizens, and the embarrassment to our national character seen in the prison camps at Guantanamo, Abu Ghraib and the secret foreign detention places. People once saw this nation as a shining city on a hill. That has been replaced by resentment at our insensitivity, making us more unpopular than at any previous time in our history.

Our 231st birthday also finds us in a presidential race that will not be decided for sixteen months. Since federal elections serve to define a nation, in today's column I will look briefly at the major candidates to whom our citizens look to address the list of debilitating problems outlined above.

The first thing of note about the Republican candidates is that none of them is seeking President Bush's endorsement. These Republican aspirants know better than anyone else how unpopular this administration is with the American people and how little credibility it has left.

Limiting our discussion to the top candidates according to the latest polls, we begin with the present Republican leader, Rudy Giuliani, the former mayor of New York City. For an urban, liberal candidate to be on top of the polls for this party's nomination is a major surprise. Giuliani is pro-abortion, pro-gay and pro-gun control. He is a Roman Catholic, but not an overtly pious man. He has had three wives and has endured a seamy public airing of his marital problems. He has connections with organized crime, as his recommendation of Bernie Kerik for appointment as President Bush's Director of Homeland Security revealed. Yet he was a good mayor. His competence is recognized even by his enemies. He lowered the city's crime rate significantly. He provided strong leadership in the traumatic times of the 9/11 crisis. He is a powerful orator, possesses a winning smile and charms audiences. If nominated most Democrats believe him to be the GOP's strongest vote-getter and would win over many Democratic voters. He would, however, not appeal to his party's base, making a third party on the right, a real possibility.

Second in the polls is former Senator Fred Thompson from Tennessee, now a star in "Law and Order" on NBC Television. He has some health issues, but is seen as an intelligent, consistent conservative with strength of character. While generally respected, he is not yet known among the voters. The religious right would probably be satisfied with him, but no evidence suggests that he elicits their enthusiasm. His appears rather to be an acceptable alternative to a generally unacceptable Republican field. That is not a strong political position.

Senator John McCain of Arizona is third. One year ago he was the presumptive nominee. Today he is struggling to save his candidacy. A conservative voting record combined with a maverick, independent personality, John McCain has never been a George Bush fan since the two competed for the 2000 nomination. He is, however, the only major political voice supporting Bush in Iraq. That is not a winning ticket. I think this man has been an important senator, taking courageous stands against torture and in favor of campaign finance laws. I have the feeling, however, that both his age and his issues are better suited for a run in 2000 than they are in 2008. My experience teaches me that once a candidate begins to fade in the polls like Senator McCain has in the last year, he never recovers. His candidacy appears to me to be mortally wounded. The money is drying up. An early withdrawal would not be a surprise.

Governor Mitt Romney is fourth in the current polls, which means, given the money he has spent, that he has not yet ignited any surge of support. That surprises me, since this man is a person of unquestioned ability. He rescued the Olympics from financial disaster. He was a highly competent Governor of Massachusetts. He lives by high moral standards. His Mormon religion is frequently mentioned as a detriment in his White House bid, but in no way was it a problem during his years as Massachusetts' governor. His ability to abandon the positions he took on abortion and gay rights when running for Governor of Massachusetts to aid his run for the presidency will be a greater problem. People want to know which Romney is soliciting their votes. Basic inconsistency on emotional issues is normally the pathway to political death.

The final poll-ranked Republican candidate is Newt Gingrich who has not yet announced, but surely he is positioning himself to run. Gingrich, a radical conservative reformer, is probably the brightest Republican in the field. James Dobson has conveyed his blessing to a Gingrich candidacy, but that may not be enough to win him the nomination. He carries lots of baggage from his years as Majority Leader of the House, particularly when in a showdown with President Clinton he twice closed down the Federal Government. His public voice and his private life have also never been in sync. When he enters this race the quality of the debate will rise because Gingrich is a big idea candidate. While he is a deeply unpopular and polarizing figure in Democratic circles that might even help him in a polarized electorate. Don't count him out!

Turning now to the major Democratic candidates and again in order of their poll numbers, I will consider only four. Senator Clinton from New York tops the poll charts with a double digit lead over her closest opponent. She has surprised even her critics with the competent way she has represented New York in the Senate. Her 69 percent reelection to a second term was an incredible vote of confidence. She even carried Republican districts in upstate New York. She has impressed her critics with her strong showing in the debates. Positioning herself as a centrist in the party, she has endured the criticism of the Democratic left. Her health care failure in the first Clinton administration still draws fire, but the fact is that when one places each individual proposal of that health care plan before the public, it receives majority approval. It is only when these proposals are packaged together that people have problems. That probably means that she was right, but too early. The fact that she is a woman cuts both ways with her candidacy, but most of that is not rational and is hard to quantify. Her great contribution thus far is that because of her, America can now visualize a female president. That is a new state of consciousness. If Hillary does not make it to the White House, she will have made it much easier for the next woman to do so. It will not be a long wait.

Senator Barack Obama of Illinois is the shooting star of this presidential race. Coming out of nowhere with only two years in the Senate, he has already done better than anyone would have predicted a year ago. Articulate, bright and charismatic, one has the sense that Obama is destined to be President, if not in 2008 then soon. I was in the hall in Boston in 2004 when he key-noted the Democratic National Convention. There is no doubt about his ability to rouse a crowd. Positioning himself slightly to the left of Senator Clinton, he will be a tough adversary. He, like Hillary, has raised the consciousness of the nation for he has made people everywhere imagine for the first time that an African American can be President. The candidacies of Shirley Chisholm, Doug Wilder, Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton did not do that. His future is unlimited. Whether that future begins in 2008 is still much in doubt.

Former Senator and Vice Presidential nominee John Edwards of North Carolina is a deeply appealing candidate. He has a flare for the dramatic. He champions the poor when it is not popular to do so. He launched his campaign in New Orleans, the classic example of this nation's forgotten poor. His political instincts are incredible. His marriage and family life are admirable and the way he and his wife have handled her now incurable, but hopefully controllable, cancer is commendable. Edwards provocatively positions himself as a new Franklin D. Roosevelt. Whether he can compete in the battle for campaign money or make what is now essentially a two person Democratic race into a three person race is still in doubt. He deserves to be watched. It is of interest to note that Republican leaders rank him their most formidable opponent with a broad populist appeal that would cut into their Southern religious voters.

The final candidate scoring in the high single digits in the polls is the Governor of New Mexico, Bill Richardson. A bi-lingual leader with a Mexican mother, he is the first legitimate Hispanic candidate for the presidency. This man probably has the best resume and is arguably the most qualified person in this crowded field. He has been a seven term congressman, a cabinet Secretary of Energy, Ambassador to the United Nations and an effective governor of a Western State. In each of these positions he has demonstrated great ability. His foreign policy credentials are outstanding. Foreign leaders trust him. With all this going for him, he should be a major force in the campaign. He is not, however, at least not yet, and probably has a better chance to wind up as a vice presidential candidate than he does to win the prize himself. He needs big breaks in both money and endorsements soon and I do not see them coming.

My hopes are that the current political process will do what a campaign is supposed to do, namely debate the real issues, not spin them, and present the country with a clear sense of how to deal with the future. This nation desperately needs that, since we seem to have no real sense of direction at this moment. July 4th, 2007, thus has much hope attached to it.

John Shelby Spong

Thanks "Uncle Jack" as always for your insightful words and courageous ministry. Our world needs you. Peace.

Howard Thurman on Freedom

2007-07-04T18:54:00.000-07:00

Strength to be Free
from Meditations from the Heart by Howard Thurman

"Give me the strength to be free." The thought of being free comes upon us sometimes with such power that under its impact we lost the meaning that the thought implies. Often, "being free" means to be where we are not at the moment, to be relieved of a particular set of chores or responsibilities that are bearing heavily upon our minds, to be surrounded by a careless rapture with no reminders of costs of any kind, to be on the open road with nothing overhead, but the blue sky and whole days in which to roam. For many, "being free" means movement, change and reordering.

To be free may not mean any of these things. It may not involve a single change in a single circumstance, or it may not extend beyond one's own gate, beyond the four walls in the midst of which all of one's working hours and endless nights are spent. It may mean no surcrease from the old familiar routine and perennial cares which have become one's persistent lot. Quite possibly, your days mean the deepening or your rut, the increasing of your monotony and the enlarging of the areas of your dullness. All of this, and more, may be true for you.

"Give me the strength to be free." Often, to be free means the ability to deal with the realities of one's situation so as not to be overcome by them. It is the manifestation of a quality of being and living that results not only from understanding one's situation but also from wisdom in dealing with it. It takes no strength to give up, to accept shackles of circumstances so that they become shackles of soul, to shrug the shoulders in bland acquiescence. This is easy. But do not congratulate yourself that you have solved anything. In simple language, you have sold out, surrendered, given up. It takes strength to affirm the highest prerogative of your spirit. And you will find that if you do, a host of invisible angels will wing to your defense, and the glory of the living God will envelop your surroundings because in you He has come into His own."

Give me the strength to be free.

Thank you to Howard Thurman for these powerful words and reminder of what true freedom is about. What does freedom mean to you?

Holmes on Freedom

2007-07-04T11:36:00.000-07:00

The Spiritual Meaning of Freedom
From a talk given at the Wiltern Theatre, Sunday morning, July 4, 1937 by Ernest Holmes.

Ever since the dawn of civilization, ever since the first humans began to grasp the significant fact that they were individual beings in a universe that seemed to be more or less hostile to them, the entire search of the human mind, its whole endeavor, has been to get free from evil, from bondage and the shackles of lack, want, fear, superstition, uncertainty, pain, disease, poverty, and fear of the hereafter. And because of this, human systems exist -- organized philosophies spring up, sciences develop, educational systems are conducted, collective security is sought after, and religions are formulated to allay the fear of humankind relative to the soul. The great demand in the world today is for a sense of security, freedom, and liberty. But we must be very certain that we do not swap one image of bondage for another. I have read a large part of the religious and philosophic history of the world and I have noticed that almost invariably, when the world traded one kind of religion for another, it didn't get a good deal. The Pilgrim Fathers who came to the shores of New England came to worship God in their own way, but the moment they got there, everybody in the colony worshiped God in the way that the strong-minded members of that colony decided was the way to worship God. That was not freedom.
Even in our newer religions of the last seventy-five or a hundred years, very frequently we meet people who say they have now found the truth, and then, unfortunately, a large majority of them disclose that they merely have found an idea they liked and called it the truth because they were egotistical, self-conscious, self-righteous people with an attitude of condemnation toward others. That is not the truth. In studying one system of thought after another that has transpired in the last seven thousand years of human history, I have noted how extremely difficult it is for the human mind to conceive liberty without license, without egotism; and we can only give birth to freedom when we have conceived liberty.
True freedom -- true liberty -- has something cosmic behind it. If the time has come that modern science has proved that we cannot move a piece of paper without changing the balance of the entire physical universe; if we have come to the place where we know that the stuff of which our physical bodies are made is the same stuff of which the planets are made; if we have come to the place where such a profound unity is maintained that physicists believe there is no such thing as disunity in the physical world; then we can easily see what the great spiritual leaders of the ages meant when they told us of that greater unity in which we all live and move and have our being, and that the idea of freedom itself is tied up with the true concept of the unity of good. If our nature is one, if God is one -- and we know that God must be one, for the universe cannot be divided against itself -- then we are all tied into an indivisible unity. We shall have to get back to this unity to find the meaning of freedom. Nothing in any part of this cosmic whole could be considered freedom that would destroy the liberty of some other part of it. That would be self-destruction, would it not? As Jesus pointed out two thousand years ago, that would be a kingdom divided against itself. The kingdom of God is one kingdom. So we know that true liberty must spring from true unity.
We are bound into a supreme unity, we are tied into an immutable law of irrevocable cause and effect -- that is unity moving into action. Cause and effect is something that happens as a result of the use of unity. Consequently we are one even while we are many, and since each one of us is a part of the whole, if we seek to destroy each other we only ultimately hurt ourselves. That is the great lesson of life.
Freedom, then, will come only in such degree as we no longer do anything that hurts anyone, but that does not mean we have to become spiritual or intellectual doormats. I do not believe in that. Nothing in my belief causes me to feel that God or the Creative Principle wants me to suffer for myself or for anyone else. I do it, I have always done it, perhaps I always shall in this world -- but I know that it is wrong. How can the Supreme Being desire my suffering without imposing that suffering, and what kind of a universe has a God who suffers and imposes suffering in a changeless reality? The whole theology and religious reaction of people who believe that arises out of morbidity and fear and superstition and nothing else.
Well, it is not so -- and still we suffer. Why? Because we do not understand. We might say that the world suffered darkness until somebody discovered electricity. It suffered crawling around on the face of the earth until technology was developed so we could fly and drive. It suffers limitation, not because the Infinite imposes limitation, but because the world does not understand its freedom. And when it begins to develop its freedom, seldom does it do it directly; it generally creates a new bondage. When we kill the old devil we are very likely to give birth to a new and more subtle one. War is more to be feared than ever before because we have more knowledge without more wisdom. And final freedom will come only as it is tied into divine wisdom.
What is divine wisdom? I am no prophet, but I would suggest that divine wisdom must be as simple and profound as this: Jesus said, "The kingdom of God cannot be divided against itself." I think that is all there is to divine wisdom. The kingdom of God cannot and will not be divided; so long as I will seek to hurt, I will be hurt.
We desire freedom. We do not like evil, we do not like pain, we do not like poverty, we do not like unhappiness. Why should we? None of us likes to go to bed and worry all night and get up tired out in the morning. God does not impose it on us. Why do we do it? Because we sense freedom, we sense liberty, we sense God, yet out here in the objective world we experience limitation; and the argument is between what we feel ought to take place and what we see and the world experiences. It seems as though we are two people, one that experiences evil and one that knows there should be no evil.
The evolution of freedom in the human mind is a slow process. Many movements in the world that claim to be seeking liberty only produce new kinds of bondage. We should beware of them. They are born out of the idea of depression; they are born out of the spirit of bondage. If we want freedom, we must understand that freedom can never come by the imposition of a will of the minority over the majority. It is born finally, and only in such degree as some system is devised whereby individuals are allowed complete freedom so long as they do not, in their freedom, impose bondage on someone else.
I believe that the true spirit of democracy is a spiritual conception where there is freedom, liberty without license, and a flexibility that makes evolution possible on the foundation of freedom. As we enter into the spirit of the meaning of Independence Day, the day when liberty, symbolically, was conceived, the day when freedom, objectively, in our country was announced, we should think of it not merely as a political system or form of government, but we should think of it as a spiritual conception, an idea in the Divine Mind Itself, taking form in human experience; we should learn to love that liberty, and in loving the idea we should learn to tenderly and prayerfully handle the embodiment of that idea and nourish it always to greater strength; we should really conceive again the great spiritual conception of that rugged man of God who said: "...that government of the people, by the people, and for the people, shall not perish from the earth."

For more on this message see Sunday's Sermon; Soul Freedom - podcast http://web.mac.com/revdavid1/iWeb/NTMOPodcast/Podcast/4AA25FF2-FF96-4E35-AD89-F8C0C216E47B.html

Faith

2007-06-29T21:36:00.000-07:00

Faith comprises both of itself and the doubt of itself...to live serenely and courageously in these tensions and to discover their ultimate unity in the depths of our own soul and in the depths of the divine life is the task and the dignity of human thought.

Paul Tillich

What does faith mean to you?

New Thought: To Be or Not to Be - Christian...

2007-06-29T20:35:00.000-07:00

"Is New Thought Christian?" This seems to be a frequent and popular question in New Thought, and a hotly contested one among our own. The question that I have is Why? Why is this a debated issue and why is it important?

*Disclaimer before I go on* While using the term "New Thought" in this post I am mostly referring to Religious Science. Being that Unity historically is more biblically based and "Christian" identified. However, the issues I'm attempting to address may be relevant to the Unity movement.

The most common answer to the "Christian Question" within New Thought is "Yes and No" Yes, in that we are followers of the Christ Principles, No in that we are not burdened with dogmatic creeds or other limitations. Much of New Thought has attempted to separate its identity from the standard labels and race-consciousness associated with Christianity. Indeed a separation from the race-consciousness and general perception of Christianity is a very good idea. However, this has occurred at the cost of a true knowledge/Gnosis of our theological roots. And that should be of great concern.

Most of the ministers and general practitioners of New Thought that I have engaged with on this issue bring up the same concern. That is, if we align ourselves with the term "Christianity" it will automatically alienate our roots in other great world religions and traditions. Afterall, we believe in the golden thread of truth that runs through all faith traditions. Is it not the great gift of our theology - the ability to "stand for something and against nothing." Therefore, we believe in and honor all paths to God.

Yes - that is exactly true! Which is exactly why a true, deep theological understanding of Christianity and our connection to it is so important. For if we stay clear of the term due to the modern and current interpretations, most of which make us fairly uncomfortable, then we are doing a disservice to the deeper meaning of Christianity that New Thought is uniquely poised to express in the world. So much so , that one could argue that with out our expression - it would be lost to history forever.

Consider for a moment that all of our most important founding writers within New Thought both have and express a deep embodiment and understanding of this unique and powerful expression of Christianity. These writers understood, as we must do today, that embracing our Christian roots does not exclude our connection to eastern and other spiritual wisdom. In fact, it does just the opposite! Embracing our authentic form of Christianity - theologically empowers us us to embrace all paths to God. This is why and how our founding writers were able to so clearly speak of terms like "Christ Consciousness"

How? Because Christianity at its core is not about religion or creeds, nor is it about a man. It is fundamentally about a new way of Being.

Jesus represents a New Way of Being (with God).

Paul Tillich

...no religion as such produces the New Being. No religion matters - only a new state of things.

Paul Tillich, The New Being - p. 16

Christianity is more than a religion; it is the message of a New Creation. Christianity as a Religion is not important.

Paul Tillich, The New Being - p. 16

What do you think? is this perspective of Christianity important in defining New Thought?

Faith and Theology: For the love of God (4): Why I love Paul Tillich

2006-08-01T12:57:00.000-07:00

Faith and Theology: For the love of God (4): Why I love Paul Tillich

This is a link to a nice blog on the importance of Paul Tillich.

Choosing to Live: Questioning Theology, Part I: Sin and the Perfect God

2006-08-01T12:54:00.000-07:00

Choosing to Live: Questioning Theology, Part I: Sin and the Perfect God

Paul Tillich

Integral Options Cafe: What Is Integral Environmentalism?

2006-08-01T12:47:00.000-07:00

Integral Options Cafe: What Is Integral Environmentalism?

Spiral Dynamics blogg