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A Center for Spiritual Awakening |
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| The Holy Heretic |
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To the reader:
If you are at peace with your current spiritual beliefs and traditions, and are not inclined to spend time considering other possibilities, then that is your chosen path, and I send you all blessings and positive intentions for your happiness. No one has the right to question the spiritual beliefs of another. Choosing the context in which we will our lives, and the relationship we will have with our Creator is ultimately the most personal decision of all, and also the most vital one.
Many blessings
Rev. Lauren
Freedom of Belief
If you are not familiar with New Thought (for example, Unity, Science of Mind), then some of the concepts you read about on our site, or hear in our church may be new to you; they may resonate deep within as truth, or you may find them outlandish, even antithetical to your current belief system or religious tradition. That’s okay. We believe there are many paths to spiritual awakening, and that every human being must seek and find his or her own truth.
That extends to every member of our congregation. All of my people are utterly free to define their own beliefs, seek new wisdom, and most of all, to follow their hearts. They are not required to agree with everything I say on Sunday, or in a class. As a matter of fact, Tuesdays with Spirit offers an opportunity for lively discussion, debate, and sharing of views. All this is by way of saying that the following section about foundational beliefs and principles comes from Heartlight’s senior minister. The fact that my wonderful congregants keeps showing up every Sunday would seem to indicate they agree with me on the important things.
Lastly, not all students of New Thought believe precisely the same things, and knowledge is not static. We refer to our community as an adventure for open minds, the operative word being “open.” Through seeking and learning, we evolve, so what we know today could change or expand tomorrow. The answers I’ve summarized here are what I know… right now. And this now moment is the only one in which evolution takes place. Let us not forget those lines spoken by Tommy Lee Jones in Men in Black: “Fifteen hundred years ago, people were absolutely certain the sun revolved around the Earth; five hundred years ago, people were absolutely certain the earth was flat.”
The following are to be considered “mini-responses.” There is a nearly inexhaustible supply of words that could be spoken on each. But the goal here is to give an overview, not a full-blown education in New Thought ideas, nor to represent all New Thought paths and principles.
Is There Such a Thing as Evil?
Is the Christian Bible the unerring word of God?
Do students/followers of New Thought refer to themselves as Christians?
But what about “original sin” and human imperfection?
Is New Thought an “easier” path than conventional religions?
Which religion is the “right” one?
What We Believe God Is…
God is absolutely omnipresent—absolutely everywhere in creation and (this is key) in every living being. Although we, as humans, cannot really grasp the totality of the Source of Life, it seems reasonable to suppose that we’re simply not ready yet for that level of enlightenment. In the meantime, it is incumbent upon us to continually choose to be the expressions of Divine Love that we truly are. That which created us may well be beyond our human comprehension, but were are still able to have “faith in things unseen,” and allow ourselves to be awed by the wonders and miracles of this universe. We believe ourselves to be forever connected to the One Mind, the One Source… to be an integral part of all that is. We believe that God is ultimately the creative power of Love, and thus, Love is who we are.
"We rarely think of the air we breathe, yet it is in us and around us all the time. In similar fashion, the presence of God penetrates us, is all around us, is always embracing us, and it is delightful.” –Father Thomas Keating
Since the first moment one of our ancient ancestors was startled by a flash of lightning, or terrified by an earthquake, human beings have sought to name the mysterious force or power behind what they did not understand intellectually. Many cultures and civilizations ended up with a pantheon of gods of various natural phenomena, and later, gods whose favors were required for specific human endeavors, such as war or architecture and the like. One by one, science explained most natural phenomena, though they still continue to drill down into matter and energy seeking the ultimate and original point of light – what some call the God particle. One of the marvelous trends in scientific endeavor of modern times is that gradually the rift between science and spirituality is being narrowed to the point where it will vanish altogether.
Eventually, monotheism became the norm for most world religions, though certainly not all. But when you come right down to it, what we did as a species was to consolidate all the characteristics of former deities into one, sort of like wrapping all the Olympian gods into one mighty version of Zeus. In doing so, though, we tragically underestimate the I Am that I Am. While we are, in metaphorical terms, made in the image of God (as expressions of Life), the converse is not true. But human beings fashioned a God in their image; we ascribed to God entirely human emotions and motivations that are traceable to the human ego. But God is not a person, so why would we give God a personality?
We do not believe God has any form other than that which is evidenced in all creation; we do not believe in the Biblical personification of a jealous, angry, vengeful, mercurial, arrogant deity who dispenses rewards and punishments and demands a groveling subservience and horrible sacrifices as proof of loyalty. That characterization is fear-based; it fits Zeus, a number of gods of ancient religions, and, interestingly, the omnipotent alien character “Q” from Star Trek: TNG, but not the Love from which all Life is sprung.
The fact that we have so many different views on this, and no one really knows for sure, leads us to a quite reasonable conclusion, (common sense) that God HAS no name. Some spiritual paths already acknowledge this. Remember, we humans are dedicated to naming, labeling, and fitting everything into pigeonholes. That doesn’t mean they fit. We do need to use language to communicate, of course, but people know that when I use the term “God,” or “Spirit,” or “Allah, “Love,” or the “I Am that I Am,” it’s always shorthand for an infinite vastness beyond anyone’s ability to verbalize.
“Neither God nor Being nor any other word can define or explain the ineffable reality behind the word, so the only important question is whether the word is a help or a hindrance in enabling you to experience That toward which it points.” –Eckhart Tolle
Is There Such a Thing as Evil?
Sometimes it seems so, particularly when we read about terrible events and horrible deeds. But, we do not believe in a force or power called “evil,” or that anything exists outside of the Oneness that is divine Reality. If God is everything and everywhere, and God is Love, then how do we explain the heinous and destructive acts of some human beings? This is a discussion that can, and has, consumed hundreds of years and millions of words. So let us risk a somewhat simplistic explanation.
From One Source came the universe that we perceive (and a lot we can’t perceive). Our existence is defined by dualities that balance each other: light and dark; up and down; female and male energies, and so forth. As we come into form, we tend to perceive ourselves as separate… from other people, from the rest of creation, but this is really only an illusion, and a useful one, since we came here to experience human life. “Evil” manifests (violence, mayhem, hatred, destruction) in the vacuum where humans have lost their sense of connection to God, are living from fear, and are unable or unwilling to live and express from Love.
Is the Christian Bible the unerring word of God?
If I were absolutely required to give a one-word answer, that word would have to be “no.” The Bible is an intriguing and enlightening document with much educational value, if studied with discernment and taken with a grain of salt. There are flashes of brilliant inspiration amidst much that is highly questionable--historically, theologically, and certainly spiritually. I have based Sunday sermons on material taken from the New Testament canon, however, only when that material resonates with what I believe Jesus came to teach – the Way of Love.
The Bible has been revered and studied, but it has also been pounded, thumped, waved, flourished and much quoted– again with a view to getting people to fall into line, to adopt a particular attitude, to gain the upper hand, to encourage segregation into religious groups, to pass judgment on other people, or, in the worst case scenario, to justify maiming, torturing, and destroying. Passages from Christian scripture have been used to legitimize slavery, wife-beating, stoning of people who break religious laws, hatred and punishment of homosexuals, the blood sacrifice of animals… the list goes on… and on. Clearly, the book cannot be taken as completely and utterly true or accurate.
But let us not completely discard the document simply because human beings exploit it. Rather let us consider that it is a set of narratives, stories, oral histories, and the like… about events that often had occurred decades, centuries, even millennia, before being written down. All of it was colored by the social and political settings of the times. Human beings, no matter how well-meaning, have agendas. The New Testament, in particular, is quite literally scripture by committee, cobbled together by individuals determined to assure the ascendancy of Roman Catholic Christianity in a completely standardized form… because they believed it was for the best. Since the discovery and publication of the Nag Hamadi materials, and various gnostic and other gospels, we see even more clearly the limitations on the credibility of the established Bible.
Think of it this way: how would you evaluate an old, old book that someone handed you if there was no possible proof of who wrote it, when it was written, or why it was written, if it contained all sorts of internal inconsistencies, and different groups (religions) had created their own versions of it? Truth must be weighed in your heart, and it must resonate with your soul. That way you can find the true pearls.
Lastly, we honor the sacred scriptures of all religious paths, and would not presume to declare any one of them the only source of spiritual truth. We have so much to learn from our fellow human beings, and we have no need to be “right” at the expense of making someone else of faith “wrong.”
Do students/followers of New Thought refer to themselves as Christians?
Some do, and some don’t. Still, it is but a label, and, of course, labels almost always create problems. They encourage misunderstanding and give rise to clichés and judgments. For the past couple of decades, there has been a tendency to identify “Christian” with certain religious sects that define themselves as “born again” or “fundamentalist.” Some of them call themselves “Bible-based.” Of course, it is their God-given right to believe as they wish, but in some cases, this belief becomes a license to judge and to exclude those who do not share their religious views.
However, there are many people of deep faith who take a more ecumenical view of spirituality, and they don’t wish to have their beliefs lumped in with those who choose a path of judgment and exclusion. They hesitate to use the word Christian, unless they could also add that their idea of being a Christian is to live the path that Jesus taught, the path of love, peace, compassion and non-judgment. It seems clear that Jesus did not disdain people of other beliefs, other cultures, other races or other religions. As a matter of fact, the only people who seemed to arouse his ire were those who took advantage of their fellow human beings, those who used religious traditions and rituals like cudgels to keep people in line, to assert authority and control.
The word Christos refers to the “anointed one,” and this title was given to Jesus because of certain prophetic expectations as to his mission on Earth. We believe he carried out his true mission and vision of bringing a vital message to humankind, and we deeply honor his teachings of love and compassion. (see next section)
We teach that Jesus was among the greatest spiritual teachers who have ever walked the earth. He was born and raised a Jew and was as human as any of us. Unlike most of us, however, he was able to achieve a level of such extraordinary enlightenment that he knew himself to be an inseparable piece of God. He understood universal, spiritual law – that our thoughts take form, that we create our lives through our thoughts, our beliefs, and our ability to express love. He also said that we would “do these things and greater,” thus it is up to us to take personal responsibility for what we create, for the thoughts that we think, the words we speak, and the actions we take. New Thought is ultimately about personal responsibility and our decision to act from Love, not fear.
His disciples called him rabbi, a term of honor from student to teacher. He taught such elegantly simple principles: non-judgment, acceptance, and unity. He honored and accepted women in his circle of students; he was a reformer who rejected dogmatic thinking and obsolete rituals. He saw that his people, all people, had lost their personal connection with that which created them. We believe that Yeshua’s significance to humankind is to be found in his life, not his death, though the idea of dying as atonement for the acts of others is a tradition much more ancient than Christianity and is remarkably similar to the stories surrounding the god, Mithras. Coopting the myths and stories from other religions has always been used to help convert people. Thus a standard Roman means of execution of criminals, troublesome dissidents, and so forth, was transformed into a divine sacrifice for which all human beings ought to be grateful. But again, we are grateful for the Master’s teachings and believe that is the gift he brought.
But what about “original sin” and human imperfection?
We do not believe human beings, created out of perfect love, are fundamentally flawed, born in sin, or intended to suffer. Our humanity is a gift, not a curse, and it is a self-chosen path of soul experience. We reject the notion of “original sin” and the idea that someone, anyone, had to die to atone for it. Forgiveness for our errors is always available in the same measure as we extend forgiveness to others. We truly do reap what we sow, in every aspect of life.
I strive each day to live up to what he taught was the sum total of God’s law—to love God with all your heart, and love your neighbor as yourself. That one gem of prose covers all of life, every situation, answers every question of choice. If every one of us could achieve that goal, there really would be peace on earth.
Most religious traditions have had a less than stellar track record when it comes to the equal treatment of, and regard for, women. From Paul admonishing women to keep silent in church, to determinations by religious authorities in the not so long ago past that women did not actually have souls, we have seen the name of God used to demean, control, and abuse women. This is not what the chief spokesperson for Christianity (Jesus) taught. It is a tradition of behavior devised by human beings, not God. Mary Magdalene, arguably one of the Apostles, sometimes even referred to as the Apostle to the Apostles, and the only individual who fulfilled the canonical requirements for “apostle-hood,” (being a student of Jesus, being in his presence when he was crucified, and being present when he appeared after his death), was turned into a lowly prostitute by various gospel writers—a theological “fact” fairly recently retracted by the Catholic Church.
We believe all human beings are indeed created equal; all human beings are equally capable of teaching, receiving inspiration and revelation; and all human beings have the right of determination, the right to live in peace and safety. We believe that that this magnificent creation of which we are a part is sustained by the interaction of and balance between the divine feminine and the divine masculine. The most ancient traditions recognized this, but sometimes the species loses track of some precious truths along the way.
If we embrace the understanding that God is pure Love, and I do, then there is no place in that statement for judgment, punishment, and the idea of a soul on trial. I believe heaven is a place we create right here, right now, and the same goes for “hell.” Fire and brimstone, and eternal suffering, or, in the alternative, harps, clouds, and pearly gates with St. Peter on guard make for good stories and more than a few jokes over the centuries, but they were the myths of our spiritual childhood and adolescence. We have the ability to see a much greater picture of Creation now.
Granted, the concept of a heavenly reward was used effectively throughout history to placate the poor, the enslaved, the lowest social classes, but we believe we have outgrown that particular myth. Besides, where is the logic in creating something simply to toy with it, test it, punish it, and then damn it to torment for eternity? If one wants to look at God in even the most paternal terms, who could respect such a parent?
I cannot imagine something as magnificent as the human soul (a piece of the substance of God, “in the image and likeness”) existing for the purpose of taking one spin around the block, so to speak– a comparative instant in the ebb and flow of time. Thus I have absolute faith in reincarnation, the repeating birth and rebirth of the soul as a human being. This is not necessarily a tenet of New Thought, but it is a common belief in this spiritual tradition. In any event, the immortality of the soul is a belief we all share.
Is New Thought an “easier” path than conventional religions?
No. As a matter of fact, people mostly find it more challenging. First of all, in the absence of dogma, much more of the process of discovery is up to the individual. Secondly, because we believe in free will and ultimate personal responsibility for the conditions of one’s life, there is nothing outside ourselves to blame. We do not believe in “fate” or “destiny” or “luck.” We definitely reject any notion of divine punishment or reward. Each of us knows that we are responsible for our choices, and we know the difference between love and fear. Love (Spirit within us) guides to make the compassionate, moral, honorable, healing choices. Fear takes us in the opposite direction.
Which religion is the “right” one?
There is no one “right” religion. No single school of thought, spiritual path, sect, or tradition has managed to embody ALL the Truth there is, and there is no reason or need to judge the beliefs of other human beings. And religion (as opposed to spirituality) has been the single greatest cause of human strife throughout history. Religion has been wielded as a weapon, as if actions claimed to be “pleasing to God” can be carried out with utter impunity. This strategy is intended to lend legitimacy, however, illusory, to human fear, prejudice, and violence.
Again, there is no superior religion, no group “chosen” for special favors, and certainly, as mentioned earlier, we could not believe in a God who would play favorites.
“[R]eligions "have become so overlaid with extraneous matter that their spiritual substance has become almost completely obscured" that they have become "to a large extent ... divisive rather than unifying forces" and become "themselves part of the insanity." –Eckhart Tolle
