A Course in Miracles

A Course in Miracles, (ACIM) was occultically inspired. It was put into written form by two psychologists, Dr. Helen Schucman and Dr. William Thetford during the years 1965-1962. It came to Helen through the “supernatural” contacting of spirits for wisdom and guidance and Bill wrote it down for her. Helen called it “inner dictation.” She says a voice in her head, a voice, which identified himself as "Jesus," told her, "This is a course in miracles. Please take notes." She confided these to her friend Bill on October 21, 1965 and they made a lot of notes.

A Course in Miracles is supposed to be what this spirit who identified himself as Jesus gave to her directly and it claims to be spiritual wisdom for the coming age of peace and prosperity for planet earth. If it sounds at first a little bit like Christianity, tht is because the wisdom Helen got was given to her in order to set Christianity on a “right” course again. Helen's Jesus told her that he was giving her a message to give the world, because it had strayed so far from truth.

In the realm of incredibly diverse thinking it might almost be considered slightly possible that somewhere along the way people got this thing called Christianity wrong and swerved dramatically from the truth, after all the world is rather topsy-turvy at times.

If you happen to think there is perhaps a bit of wisdom to at least consider the remote possibility that Jesus, the true Jesus, was talking to her, planning to use her like one of the other prophets, giving her a message for the world. Consider the spirit of disdain in the tone of the words he gave her and recognize that such a thing as this is not the same spirit as the holy Spirit of God. REmember that Jesus said, His sheep would know him and know his voice, and the true Jesus would be true to peace and love and kindness, for these things are from God.

This Jesus does not have a friendship or familial relationship with His Father... instead he tells Helen, "The esoteric spiritual traditions -- whether Christian mystics, Hebrew Kabbalists, Zen Buddhists, Islamic Sufis, or Hindu yogis -- all have specific practices to help individuals overcome this great 'illusion of separation' and to experience the One True Self, which is in us all." (ACIM p.149) The One True Self? To Jesus, God was the Father, His Father. It should strike the Christian as odd, to hear the Savior speak this way.

Non Christians should take the time to read the Bible and learn more about what this man Jesus is believe to have said for the last few hunderds of years.

Furthermore, this ACIM “Jesus” who spoke to Helen in her experience, calls “the cross”... “the last useless journey.” He calls it a “pathetic error” for people to cling to the concept of the cross, and he does this as he quotes a Christian hymn, The Old Rugged Cross. (see The Illusions of the Ego, Introduction, @ acim.miraclevision.com) Anyone reading the differences, comparing and contrasting the two will see a world of difference between this ACIM JEsus and the JEsus of the Bible.

Be reminded of the truth that has been passed down for the last two thousand years as you read and consider.... It was Jesus who was mercilessly nailed to the cross, without cause, not even a legal issue was found against him.

God allowed it and endured it with nothing but forgiveness to those around him who were doing such an evil thing. Not only that, he endured it without pointing a finger of blame at anyone or using as words of offense or disdain. Jesus exclaimed... "father forgive them..." The cross... contrary to what ACIM teaches, was not a usless journey.

It was here at the cross that God forgave all our sin, because of Jesus... Somewhere between life and death, Jesus performed the ultimate miracle... he raised from the dead, and by it he made a way for us to return to life as God intended, even though we die. Through JEsus we have a real hope for today and a hope for tomaorrow too, one that we can believe in, one that will never perish, spoil or fade.

Jesus Christ, the real Jesus, didn't consider the cross, "the last useless journey." It was not pleasant for him to think about, not pleasant for him to endure, but he did and he didn;t do it to save himself... and it was not useless. He knew it had a reason and a purpose. If he didn't why would he, being so very wise and good, worth listening to, even do it?

The following words are often quoted in ACIM, and students themselves say they hold forth to us who want to know what ACIM is all about "the essense of all The Course teaches..."

"The course does not aim at teaching the meaning of love, for that is beyond what can be taught. It does aim however at removing the blocks to the awarness of love's presence, which is your natural inheritance. The opposite of love is fear, but what is all encompassing can have no opposite. The course can therefore be summed up very simply in this way, "Nothing real can be threatened, nothing unreal exists. Herein lies the peace of God."

In contrast to this summary, Jesus on the cross does teach the meaning of love, and this not by mere words alone, but by his action and words. He did this because for each of us our "natural inheiritance" is death, we get it from our parents... just like everyone else who has ever been born even before them. The reason is not becuse God intended life to be this way but because of sin. You are a sinner and the wages of sin is death. IF there is any blessing in your life, it is merely because life is a blessing from God... and if there is to be any real hope for humanity... anyway for us to know and understand what love is, to get a glimpse of God.. it will be because of Jesus at the cross. God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten son and his love was demonstrated not only in this death upon the cross, but in His Words and in the miracles JEsus did, and in the resurrection of JEsus Christ from the dead.