Acim?

[fellowtraveler]

Please forgive me, I tried a search but this book is so often-discussed that I came up with a dizzying array of results. So here I ask:

Apparently A Course in Miracles was transcribed by a woman who feels she is channeling Jesus, and the material takes a Christian approach. Correct? If so, does this detract from the message for anyone? For me, the Christian faiths have been worse than useless, and like many people I'm conditioned to feel revulsion when confronted with the standard versions of these soul-killing pieces of dog...ma.

Has anyone been able to get past such prejudices and find the book useful? I see some praise of it in here, but I don't want to waste time and money on what I might end up considering Christian drivel.

Thanks.

[torilink]

Originally Posted by fellowtraveler

Please forgive me, I tried a search but this book is so often-discussed that I came up with a dizzying array of results. So here I ask:

Apparently A Course in Miracles was transcribed by a woman who feels she is channeling Jesus, and the material takes a Christian approach. Correct? If so, does this detract from the message for anyone? For me, the Christian faiths have been worse than useless, and like many people I'm conditioned to feel revulsion when confronted with the standard versions of these soul-killing pieces of dog...ma.

Has anyone been able to get past such prejudices and find the book useful? I see some praise of it in here, but I don't want to waste time and money on what I might end up considering Christian drivel.

Thanks.

It is beautifully written. If you can get past the use of "Christ" "God" and "Holy Spirit" and substitute other words in your own mind while reading it - it could be beneficial.

If you have a lot of resistance to those words, I'd not bother with it.

[Who am I]

Hi fellowtraveler

The answer to the four questions you ask in your post is yes


I got past such prejudices and found the book useful in reaching its expressed aim... for anything other than that its useless. I also would agree with torilink and say if one has a lot of resistance to Christian vernacular don't bother with it.

This is what the authors of ACIM says its aim is

This is not a course in philosophical speculation, nor is it concerned with precise terminology. It is concerned only with Atonement, or the correction of perception. The means of the Atonement is forgiveness. The structure of "individual consciousness" is essentially irrelevant because it is a concept representing the "original error" or the "original sin." To study the error itself does not lead to correction, if you are indeed to succeed in overlooking the error. And it is just this process of overlooking at which the course aims.

All terms are potentially controversial, and those who seek controversy will find it. Yet those who seek clarification will find it as well. They must, however, be willing to overlook controversy, recognizing that it is a defense against truth in the form of a delaying maneuver. Theological considerations as such are necessarily controversial, since they depend on belief and can therefore be accepted or rejected. A universal theology is impossible, but a universal experience is not only possible but necessary. It is this experience toward which the course is directed. Here alone consistency becomes possible because here alone uncertainty ends.

This course remains within the ego framework, where it is needed. It is not concerned with what is beyond all error because it is planned only to set the direction towards it. Therefore it uses words, which are symbolic, and cannot express what lies beyond symbols. It is merely the ego that questions because it is only the ego that doubts. The course merely gives another answer, once a question has been raised. However, this answer does not attempt to resort to inventiveness or ingenuity. These are attributes of the ego. The course is simple. It has one function and one goal. Only in that does it remain wholly consistent because only that can be consistent.

The ego will demand many answers that this course does not give. It does not recognize as questions the mere form of a question to which an answer is impossible. The ego may ask, "How did the impossible occur?", "To what did the impossible happen?", and may ask this in many forms. Yet there is no answer; only an experience. Seek only this, and do not let theology delay you.

ACIM

I don't know about time or money but it can most certainly be seen as in Christian vernacular. take a look.

A Course In Miracles ~ Original typed Urtext in PDF format

Thanks

[fellowtraveler]

Thanks to both of you. I think I'll skip it for now since there are so many other resources that would probably be a better fit.

[Who am I]

Your welcome, and thank you

[supertom]

you should start off with "return to love" easier to understand

[fellowtraveler]

Originally Posted by supertom

you should start off with "return to love" easier to understand

Thanks.