- "America, America, God shed His grace on thee, and
crown thy good with brotherhood, from sea to shining sea." --Katherine
Lee Bates
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- The alleged Judeo-Christian principles of America's founding
fathers are the topic of a long-standing debate in this country. Atheists
and secularists argue that separation of Church and State is guaranteed
by the 1st Amendment, which states, "Congress shall make no law respecting
an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof"
Christians counter that our nation's entire heritage is rooted in religion,
including our laws, which many believe were directly derived from the Ten
Commandments. Secularists view religion as a threat to freedom, while Christians
view Scripture as essential to the national interests.
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- I must admit that I have never found this debate particularly
interesting. Nothing that I've heard from either side has ever resonated
with me. Frankly, I think they're both more wrong than they are right.
I agree with Christians that a "Godless" society can be a dangerous
one, but I don't agree that their doctrine is the inarguable "Word
of God." I agree with secularists that Christian fundamentalism can
cause tremendous harm, but I don't agree that it's necessary or helpful
to remove all mention of "God" from public life.
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- In truth, I would love if the United States were a genuinely
CHRISTIAN nation, i.e. a nation that honors and lives by the actual teachings
of Jesus Christ. But even with the undeniable influence of Scripture in
our laws and traditions, I do not believe that American culture is ruled
by Christian values. Christ taught forgiveness over vengeance, yet a majority
of Americans (including most "Christians") support the death
penalty. Christ taught selflessness over greed, yet most Americans are
obsessed with wealth and material acquisitions. Christ taught worship over
idolatry, yet tens of millions of Americans make "false idols"
of movie stars, rock gods, professional athletes, and elected officials
(including a President who claims to have a direct line to the Almighty
Himself).
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- The word "Satanic" is not a part of my personal
lexicon, but I am tempted to use it when discussing the current state of
American culture. I see a nation that essentially forces its citizens to
live by principles contrary to spiritual Truth. A child born in 21st century
America will step onto a veritable minefield, encountering obstacles and
booby traps that will lead them astray from a spiritual path.
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- I've written a number of articles on sociological phenomena
in the U.S. that I call "cultural plagues." This is a term that
I use to describe sicknesses that result from pathologically narcissistic
mindsets. Anorexia, bulimia, serial murder, sexual obsession, and every
variety of addiction are all largely endemic to Western civilization. I
believe this is because Americans, more than citizens of any other nation
in the world, lead lives that can best be described as "egocentric."
Our collective affluence enables us to live physically independent of one
another, which has contributed to a loss of community; we simply don't
NEED one another in a literal sense. Our attention is no longer focused
on what we MUST do to survive, but rather what we would LIKE to do to find
"happiness." And "happiness," in the minds of most
Americans, is defined as ego-empowerment and external rewards - material
acquisition, social stature, and physical gratification.
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- I don't believe that either secularism or mainstream
Christianity has the answers to these fundamental problems. The secular
"solution" to aberrant and self-destructive behavior is psychotherapy
and drugs - dope people up, and have them cathartically "dispel"
their inner demons by digging up the past and talking about it. The Christian
"solution" is to tell people that they are evil and sinful, and
will be cast into Hell if they don't play by the "rules" laid
out in the "the Bible." Of course, even if they DO follow the
"rules," there's still a good chance they'll be condemned, because
one never knows what a vengeful God who sent his own son to die on the
cross is capable of.
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- Any approach to improving the mental, emotional, and
spiritual wellbeing of Westerners must be designed for our unique pathologies.
We simply don't look at the world like any other culture in history. Our
perceptions have been grotesquely distorted by imagined entitlements, voracious
desires, and an endlessly combative drive to be better than everyone else.
The cant hooks of egotism are as deeply ingrained in our cells as the most
pervasive cancer, and radical and invasive treatment is required to root
it out.
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- I hate to insert myself into my essays, but by necessity,
my comments here must be partly autobiographical. I have felt this issue
at the most personal level, having experienced many of these "cultural
plagues" first hand. Spiritually and intellectually, I take full responsibility
for all of my problems, but I doubt it is coincidental that I was born
and raised in the United States just as these social ills became fully
manifested.
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- As a child, I was the perfect incubator for what is commonly
known as a disease of affluence, or "affluenza." Before my 13th
birthday, I had battled profound depression, Munchausen syndrome (the act
of feigning or inflicting injury on oneself), repeated suicide attempts,
and prolonged bouts with anorexia and bulimia. I take no glee in making
such personal revelations in a public forum, as this is an exercise in
education rather than self-flagellation. I was immersed in and nearly eaten
alive by Western pathologies, yet I managed to overcome them before I entered
adulthood.
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- The answer for me came outside of both mainstream religion
and traditional mental health. Through alternative spiritual literature
and teachings, I discovered a life-philosophy that changed my perception
of myself, and the world. It was the anecdote for the cancerous narcissism
eating away at my being, opening my eyes to a larger reality and a more
beautiful world than I had ever thought possible.
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- At the age of 15, I discovered the controversial teachings
of A Course In Miracles. I'm aware that many have reacted strongly against
ACIM, and I don't endorse its lessons as "the word of God." But
as a product of 20th century Western culture, I can say that it has provided
the perfect teachings for me, given my unique troubles.
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- I am not an "expert" on ACIM, and it is difficult
to succinctly summarize its teachings, but there are a few key tenets that
can be neatly encapsulated. The Course is predicated on the idea that man
was created as a perfect spiritual entity, completely Whole and at One
with Everything. In this original state of Perfection, he felt no desire
to obtain anything outside of himself, as everything was already provided.
His mind was timeless, boundless, and all encompassing. But this all "changed"
the moment he entertained the notion that he might be a separate and limited
being. He "fell" from this Perfect union into an illusory state
of "form" - space, time, physical birth and death, and separateness
from everyone, including God.
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- The Course asserts that the physical world is actually
a "dream," and the separation from Oneness never really occurred.
Our desire to be "special," i.e. better than everyone else, is
a childish impulse born of the illusion that we must acquire happiness
and love outside of ourselves. I remember feeling quite startled when I
read the Course's comment, that: "By choosing to finish second, I
will finish first"
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- While mainstream Christianity preaches that mankind was
born into Original Sin, and must be "washed" of the Sin before
Heaven can be "granted," the Course teaches that Heaven was never
really lost, and is an entitlement to everyone. I think this is one reason
some people dislike the Course, because they mistakenly interpret it as
"condoning" bad or harmful behavior. Quite to the contrary, the
Course uncompromisingly teaches that we are obligated to offer one another
nothing but kindness and respect, that our brother's interests are not
separate from our own, and that we achieve real peace by forgiving every
imagined wrong that we think has been done to us.
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- As someone who had always suspected that the world wasn't
"real," and that God was only good and loving, these lessons
resonated deeply with me. I had always found the traditional Christian
notion of an angry man-God dispensing wrath from his blood-drenched throne
quite absurd, and insulting to my intelligence. I don't believe it is helpful
to tell people that they are intrinsically "guilty" and must
"atone" for their guilt in order to avoid eternity in a fiery
Hell. Aside from the fact that it's not true, it's stupid and doesn't even
prevent "bad" behavior. We discover our own worth and the worth
of our brothers and sisters by recognizing the intrinsic and incorruptible
INNOCENCE and GOODNESS of all of God's children.
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- I think the Course may be an ideal "remedy"
for many who suffer from Western pathologies. It deals with the key flaws
in our unique mindset, which keep us locked in a destructive cycle of competition,
and a never-ending seeking of external rewards. There is no aspect of mental
health and human suffering that is not touched by the Course's lessons,
and its specificity for 21st century Westerners is remarkable.
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- The U.S. culture is in desperate need of clearer vision.
Everything we view as an "advantage" in this country is a double-edged
sword, with as much potential for harm as good. No nation in the history
of the world has experienced such wealth, comfort, and privilege, and no
nation has ever produced a people who are so pathologically immersed in
the illusion of ego. It is not helpful to ignore the enormous and often
deadly consequences of this. We must acknowledge the real obstacles presented
by our way of life before a safe and joyous journey on life's path will
be possible.
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- Part I of this essay may be read at http://rense.com/general54/spit.htm
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