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Beth Schmillen

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Newest Terrorist Threat that is on the internet....
2/25/2008 3:26:59 AM
Greetings to the Imprisoned Citizens of the United States. We are Unitarian Ji.had. There is only God, unless there is more than one God. The vote of our God subcommittee is 10-8 in favor of one God, with two abstentions. Brother Flaming Sword of Moderation noted the possibility of there being no God at all, and his objection was noted with love by the secretary.

Greetings to the Imprisoned Citizens of the United States! Too long has your attention been waylaid by the bright baubles of extremist thought. Too long have fundamentalist yahoos of all religions (except Buddhism -- 14-5 vote, no abstentions, fundamentalism subcommittee) made your head hurt. Too long have you been buffeted by angry people who think that God talks to them. You have a right to your moderation! You have the power to be calm! We will use the IED of truth to explode the SUV of dogmatic expression!

People of the United States, why is everyone yelling at you??? Whatever happened to ... you know, everything? Why is the news dominated by nutballs saying that the Ten Commandments have to be tattooed inside the eyelids of every American, or that Allah has told them to kill Americans in order to rid the world of Satan, or that Yahweh has instructed them to go live wherever they feel like, or that Shiva thinks bombing mosques is a great idea? Sister Immaculate Dagger of Peace notes for the record that we mean no disrespect to Jews, Muslims, Christians or Hindus. Referred back to the committee of the whole for further discussion.

We are Unitarian Ji.had. We are everywhere. We have not been born again, nor have we sworn a blood oath. We do not think that God cares what we read, what we eat or whom we sleep with. Brother Neutron Bomb of Serenity notes for the record that he does not have a moral code but is nevertheless a good person, and Unexalted Leader Garrote of Forgiveness stipulates that Brother Neutron Bomb of Serenity is a good person, and this is to be reflected in the minutes.

Beware! Unless you people shut up and begin acting like grown-ups with brains enough to understand the difference between political belief and personal faith, the Unitarian Ji.had will begin a series of terrorist-like actions. We will take over television studios, kidnap so-called commentators and broadcast calm, well-reasoned discussions of the issues of the day. We will not try for "balance" by hiring fruitcakes; we will try for balance by hiring non-ideologues who have carefully thought through the issues.

We are Unitarian Ji.had. We will appear in public places and require people to shake hands with each other. (Sister Hand Grenade of Love suggested that we institute a terror regime of mandatory hugging, but her motion was not formally introduced because of lack of a quorum.) We will require all lobbyists, spokesmen and campaign managers to dress like trout in public. Televangelists will be forced to take jobs as Xerox repair specialists. Demagogues of all stripes will be required to read Proust out loud in prisons.

We are Unitarian Ji.had, and our motto is: "Sincerity is not enough." We have heard from enough sincere people to last a lifetime already. Just because you believe it's true doesn't make it true. Just because your motives are pure doesn't mean you are not doing harm. Get a dog, or comfort someone in a nursing home, or just feed the birds in the park. Play basketball. Lighten up. The world is not out to get you, except in the sense that the world is out to get everyone.

Brother Gatling Gun of Patience notes that he's pretty sure the world is out to get him because everyone laughs when he says he is a Unitarian. There were murmurs of assent around the room, and someone suggested that we buy some Congress members and really stick it to the Baptists. But this was deemed against Revolutionary Principles, and Brother Gatling Gun of Patience was remanded to the Sunday Flowers and Banners committee.

People of the United States! We are Unitarian Ji.had! We can strike without warning. Pockets of reasonableness and harmony will appear as if from nowhere! Nice people will run the government again! There will be coffee and cookies in the Gandhi Room after the revolution.  

=========================
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Helen Elias

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Re: Newest Terrorist Threat that is on the internet....
2/25/2008 5:10:23 AM


Hello Beth

I don't know if the article below fits here or not but I hope
you don't mind that I take this opportunity to give people
pause for thought.

This article is written by a Christian who once followed the New Age
and this "A Course In Miracles" but now, in this article, he is warning
us about the dangers of following these New Age teachings by
Marianne Williamson most of which originated from Helen Schucman.
See below.
 
At first glance this article appears to advertising this course, which
will be taught on Oprah's radio station, as a good thing but as you
read further, you will see the warnings that Warren Smith puts
forth in this article.  Please read it carefully and be forewarned.
Also don't take his word for it; check out what he says ...against
what is written in the Bible.
 
In the event you don't have time to read the whole article, I have
highlighted some of what I feel are the most important parts. You
can decide what is important and what is not by reading the article
in
its entirety, if you wish.
 
Should we believe Marianne who wants to reinvent Jesus to suit
the needs of the New Age era or should we believe the Bible that
says, "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever"
Heb 13:8.  I am not suggesting that Marianne or Schucman are liars. 
It is Satan who is the Deceiver and the Liar.  Indeed, Helen
Schucman
 may have had a visitation of deception and earnestly
believes
what it told her.
 
I hope you will read your Bible and discover the truth as God (not
me) gives it to you.
 
Helen Elias


 
 
 
"Oprah and Friends" to teach course on New Age Christ
By Warren Smith
November 2007
See also Deliver us from evil and
 
 
See note below concerning a widely distributed email

Oprah Winfrey will be letting out all the stops on her XM Satellite Radio program this coming year. Beginning January 1, 2008, "Oprah & Friends" will offer a year-long course on the New Age teachings of A Course in Miracles.
1 A lesson a day throughout the year will completely cover the 365 lessons from the Course in Miracles "Workbook."
For example, Lesson #29 asks you to go through your day affirming that "God is in everything I see."2 Lesson #61 tells each person to repeat the affirmation "I am the light of the world."3 Lesson #70 teaches the student to say and believe "My salvation comes from me."4

By the end of the year, "Oprah & Friends" listeners will have completed all of the lessons laid out in the Course in Miracles Workbook. Those who finish the Course will have a wholly redefined spiritual mindset—a New Age worldview that includes the belief that there is no sin, no evil, no devil, and that God is "in" everyone and everything. A Course in Miracles teaches its students to rethink everything they believe about God and life. The Course Workbook bluntly states: "This is a course in mind training"
5 and is dedicated to "thought reversal."6

Teaching A Course in Miracles will be Oprah's longtime friend and special XM Satellite Radio reporter Marianne Williamson—who also happens to be one of today's premier New Age leaders. She and Conversations with God author Neale Donald Walsch co-founded the American Renaissance Alliance in 1997, that later became the Global Renaissance Alliance of New Age leaders, that changed its name again in 2005 to the Peace Alliance. This Peace Alliance seeks to usher in an era of global peace founded on the principles of a New Age/New Spirituality that they are now referring to as a "civil rights movement for the soul."
7 They all agree that the principles of this New Age/New Spirituality are clearly articulated in A Course in Miracles—which is fast becoming the New Age Bible. So what is A Course in Miracles and what does it teach?

A Course in Miracles is allegedly "new revelation" from "Jesus" to help humanity work through these troubled times. This "Jesus"—who bears no doctrinal resemblance to the Bible's Jesus Christ—began delivering his channeled teachings in 1965 to a Columbia University Professor of Medical Psychology by the name of Helen Schucman.
One day Schucman heard an "inner voice" stating, "This is a course in miracles. Please take notes."8 For seven years she diligently took spiritual dictation from this inner voice that described himself as "Jesus." A Course in Miracles was quietly published in 1975 by the Foundation for Inner Peace. For many years "the Course" was an underground cult classic for New Age seekers who studied "the Course" individually, with friends, or in small study groups.

As a former New Age follower and devoted student of A Course in Miracles, I eventually discovered that the Course in Miracles was—in reality—the truth of the Bible turned upside down. Not having a true understanding of the Bible at the time of my involvement, I was led to believe that A Course in Miracles was "a gift from God" to help everyone understand the "real" meaning of the Bible and to help bring peace to the world. Little did I know that the New Age "Christ" and the New Age teachings of A Course in Miracles were everything the real Jesus Christ warned us to watch out for. In Matthew 24 Jesus warned about false teachers, false teachings and the false "Christs" who would pretend to be He.

When I left the New Age "Christ" to follow the Bible's Jesus Christ, I had come to understand that the "Jesus" of A Course in Miracles was a false "Christ," and that his Course in Miracles was dangerously deceptive. Here are some quotes from the "Jesus" of A Course in Miracles:
  • "There is no sin. . . " 9  [See note]
  •  A "slain Christ has no meaning."10
  • "The journey to the cross should be the last `useless journey."11
  • "Do not make the pathetic error of `clinging to the old rugged cross.'"12
  • "The Name of Jesus Christ as such is but a symbol... It is a symbol that is safely used as a replacement for the many names of all the gods to which you pray."13
  • "God is in everything I see."14
  • "The recognition of God is the recognition of yourself."15
  • "The oneness of the Creator and the creation is your wholeness, your sanity and your limitless power."16
  • "The Atonement is the final lesson he [man] need learn, for it teaches him that, never having sinned, he has no need of salvation."17
Most Christians recognize that these teachings are the opposite of what the Bible teaches. In the Bible, Jesus Christ's atoning death on the cross of Calvary was hardly a "useless journey." His triumph on the cross provides salvation to all those who confess their sin, accept Him and follow Him as their Lord and Saviour. His victory on the cross rings throughout the New Testament. It has been gloriously sung about in beloved hymns through the ages and is at the heart of our Christian testimony.
I found the Jesus of the Bible to be wholly believable as He taught God's truth and warned about the spiritual deception that would come in His name. The "Jesus" of A Course in Miracles reveals himself to be an imposter when he blasphemes the true Jesus Christ by saying that a "slain Christ has no meaning" and that we are all "God" and that we are all "Christ." It was by reading the Bible's true teachings of Jesus Christ that I came to understand how deceived I had been by A Course in Miracles and my other New Age teachings.  
(Satan does not care if you believe in God.  He hates it if you believe that Jesus
died on the cross for 
your sins and will come to live within you and be your life. 
This is not the only
following that twists the death of Jesus.  The Moslems also
teach that Jesus did not die on the cross but that someone died in His place for
Him.  This is the
greatest deception of all.  Since nothing you do in life is more
important than your
salvation, you need to ask "What if the Bible is true?"   Shut
out everything except God and ask Him what is the truth.  If you are sincere
about wanting to
know the truth, He will show you truth.  You will come to know
the Truth that will
set you free and make you whole. ...Helen)

I was introduced to A Course in Miracles by Dr. Gerald Jampolsky's book Love is Letting Go of Fear. Jampolsky declared in his easy-to-read book how the teachings of A Course in Miracles had changed his life. As an ambassador for A Course in Miracles over the years, Jampolsky has been featured not only in New Age circles but at least twice on Robert Schuller's Hour of Power. While Schuller introduced Jampolsky and his "fabulous"
18 Course in Miracles-based books to his worldwide television audience, it was Marianne Williamson's appearance on a 1992 Oprah Winfrey Show that really shook the rafters.

On that program, Oprah enthusiastically endorsed Williamson's book, A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles. Oprah told her television audience that Williamson's book about A Course in Miracles was one of her favorite books, and that she had already bought a thousand copies and would be handing them out to everyone in her studio audience. Oprah's endorsement skyrocketed Williamson's book about A Course in Miracles to the top of the New York Times bestseller list. Ironically, all of this was happening after I had left the Course and the New Age. In fact, I was doing the final editing on my book
The Light That Was Dark that warned about the dangers of the New Age—and in particular A Course in Miracles.

After being introduced to the world on Oprah,
Marianne Williamson has continued to grow in popularity and, as previously mentioned, has become one of today's foremost New Age leaders. Williamson credits Winfrey for bringing her book about A Course in Miracles before the world: "For that, my deepest thanks to Oprah Winfrey. Her enthusiasm and generosity have given the book, and me, an audience we would never otherwise have had."
19 In her 2004 book, The Gift of Change, Williamson wrote:
"Twenty years ago, I saw the guidance of the Course as key to changing one's personal life; today, I see its guidance as key to changing the world. More than anything else, I see how deeply the two are connected."20
Thus the New Age teachings of A Course in Miracles are about to be taught by Marianne Williamson to millions of listeners on Oprah's XM Satellite Radio program. Listeners are encouraged to buy A Course in Miracles for the year-long course. An audio version of A Course in Miracles recited by Richard (John Boy Walton) Thomas is also available on compact disc.
Popular author Wayne Dyer told his PBS television audience that the "brilliant writing" of A Course in Miracles would produce more peace in the world.21 Williamson's New Age colleague, Neale Donald Walsch, said his "God" stated that "the era of the Single Saviour is over"22 and that he ("God") was responsible for authoring the teachings of A Course in Miracles.23
Meanwhile, Gerald Jampolsky's Course in Miracles-based book, Forgiveness, continues to be sold in Robert Schuller's Crystal Cathedral bookstore as Schuller prepares to host a January 17-19, 2008, "Rethink Conference" at his Crystal Cathedral.24

At this critical time in the history of the world, the New Gospel/New Spirituality is coming right at the world and the church with its New Age teachings and its New Age Peace Plan. But this New Age Peace Plan has at its deceptive core the bottom-line teaching from A Course in Miracles that "we are all one" because God is "in" everyone and everything. But the Bible is clear that we are not God (Ezekiel 28:2; Hosea 11:9). And per Galatians 3:26-28, our only oneness is in Jesus Christ—not in ourselves as "God" and "Christ." What Oprah and Marianne Williamson and the world will learn one day is that humanity's only real and lasting peace is with the true Jesus Christ who is described and quoted in the Holy Bible (Romans 5:1).

Oprah Winfrey's misplaced faith in Marianne Williamson and the New Age teachings of A Course in Miracles is a sure sign of the times. But an even surer sign of the times is that most Christians are not taking heed to what is happening in the world and in the church. We are not contending for the faith as the Bible admonishes us to do (Jude 3).
It is time for all of our Purpose-Driven and Emerging church pastors to address the real issue of the day. Our true Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is being reinvented, redefined, and blasphemed right in front of our eyes and hardly anyone seems to notice or care. If we want the world to know who Jesus Christ is, we need to also warn them about who He is not. There is a false New Age "Christ" making huge inroads into the world and into the church. The Apostle Paul said that "it is a shame" we have to even talk about these things, but talk about them we must (Ephesians 5:12-16).

If people want to follow Oprah Winfrey and the New Age "Christ" of A Course in Miracles they certainly have that right. But let them be warned that the New Age "Christ" they are following is not the same Jesus Christ who is so clearly and authoritatively presented in the pages of the Bible.
(You and I have a free will to choose which was given to us by God.  It is not my
job to tell you what to believe. I can show you some things you should know but
in the end it is you who makes the decision and this decision is the most
important one you will make in your lifetime whether is it for Jesus of the Bible or
not.  ....Helen)
Note from Andy and Berit: Many of you are here because of a letter that is circulating on the Internet with a link to this article. We thank you for coming to our website and hope it will encourage you. But we also want you to know that we didn't write the letter.
  For more information on this topic, we recommend that you also read:
 
Warren Smith is a former New Age follower who at one time was deeply involved in the New Age teachings of A Course in Miracles. He is the author of these insightful books:
Reinventing Jesus Christ (2nd edition which is posted online): http://www.reinvent ingjesuschrist. com

Endnotes:
1. http://marianne. com/book/ index/htm
2. A Course in Miracles: Combined Volume (Glen Ellen, California: Foundation for Inner Peace, 1975), (Workbook), p. 45.
3. Ibid., p. 102.
4. Ibid., p. 119.
5. Ibid., (Text), p. 16.
6. Ibid., (Preface), p. ix.
7. Neale Donald Walsch, Tomorrow's God: Our Greatest Spiritual Challenge (New York: Atria Books, Simon & Schuster, 2004), pp. 262-263.
8. Robert Skutch, Journey Without Distance: The Story behind "A Course in Miracles" (Berkeley, California: Celestial Arts, 1984), p. 54.
9. A Course in Miracles: Combined Volume, (Workbook), p. 183.
10. Ibid., (Text), p. 425.
11. Ibid., p. 52.
12. Ibid.
13. Ibid., (Teachers Manual), p. 58.
14. Ibid., (Workbook), p. 45.
15. Ibid., (Text), p. 147.
16. Ibid., p. 125.
17. Ibid., p. 237.
18. http://www.hourofpo wer.org/intervie ws/interviews_ detail.cfm? ArticleID= 3079
19. Marianne Williamson, A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles A Course in Miracles (New York: Harper Perennial, 1996), p. ix.
20. Marianne Williamson, The Gift Of Change: Spiritual Guidance for a Radically New Life (San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 2004), p. 5.
21. Wayne Dyer, "There's a Spiritual Solution to Every Problem," Public Broadcasting System broadcast in 2001.
22. Neale Donald Walsch, The New Revelations: A Conversation with God (New York: Atria Books, 2002), p. 157.
23. Neale Donald Walsch, Conversations with God: an uncommon dialogue, Book 1 (New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1996), p. 90.
24. http://www.rethinkc onference. com (See also WorldNetDaily. com 10/30/07 "What is Robert Schuller `rethinking' ?" by Joseph Farah and "Rethinking Robert Schuller" by Warren Smith. See also Herescope: "Rethinking Culture" and "Rethinking and Reinventing" (10/30/07)
 
Spend $4 and get back $10 every time you spend. Contact me (Helen) at this email »»» zhebee@yahoo.com
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Re: Newest Terrorist Threat that is on the internet....
2/25/2008 10:31:31 AM

Greetings Beth,

As a fellow Universalist-Unitarian myself, all I can say about this article is;

"RIGHT ON, MAN!!!"

Can I put this on my site??? Awaiting your reply, I am,

The Benster!

Create Your Own Job, Because EVERYBODY'S an expert at something! Don't know how? Get your FREE 10-STEP BLUEPRINT at: Http://www.CreateYourOwnJob.net/blueprint
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Nick Sym

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Re: Newest Terrorist Threat that is on the internet....
2/25/2008 11:27:56 AM




Our Symbol: the Flaming Chalice

A flame within a chalice (a wide-lipped stemmed cup), like that which you can see at the top of this page, represents the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) and is a symbol of the Unitarian Universalist (UU) faith.

"At the opening of Unitarian Universalist worship services, many congregations light a flame inside a chalice. This flaming chalice has become a well-known symbol of our denomination. It unites our members in worship and symbolizes the spirit of our work." -Dan Hotchkiss

Hans Deutsch, an Austrian artist, first brought together the chalice and the flame as a Unitarian symbol during his work with the Unitarian Service Committee during World War II.   To Deutsch, the image had connotations of sacrifice and love.  Unitarian Universalists today have many different interpretations of the image. To many, the cup represents religious community, while the flame represents ideas including the sacrificial flame, the flame of the spirit, and more.

The flaming chalice image has changed many times over the past 65 years.  There is no single interpretation of today's flaming chalice symbol.  Modern chalice designs often incorporate two overlapping circles which, for many people, represent our Unitarian and Universalist heritages.  Other images include additional elements, some of which are merely decorative and others which are very meaningful.


Breast Cancer Awareness On My Site! http://www.freewebs.com/nicksym Free exposure that works http://www.webbizinsider.com/Home.asp?RID=55242
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Beth Schmillen

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Re: Newest Terrorist Threat that is on the internet....
2/25/2008 2:14:19 PM
reply to:

Greetings Beth,

As a fellow Universalist-Unitarian myself, all I can say about this article is;

"RIGHT ON, MAN!!!"

Can I put this on my site??? Awaiting your reply, I am,

The Benster!

*********

Glad to see the Satirical and spiritual nature of this writing (unfortunately isn'tmine) is recognized! Many Universalists and or Unitarians... do have a sense of humor! LOL

Sure... you can put it on your site Benster.

I got it off the internet from an anymous source and it had also been sent to SFGate columnist ??? can't recall his name sorry... not the one I usually read.

Satire rocks
Beth  



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