Hi again Rhony,

I also wanted to mention that it would be a good idea to keep an "anchor" on the "outside", someone outside of Unity who can help to gauge your state of mental health. If you start getting flaky and gushing about positive thinking all the time, they can smack you and pull you out again! Might not be a bad idea also to write down some of your feelings now, like you did with your post, only in hard copy, just to help you keep your perspective.

Mikko,

I understand your frustration and I also believe you when you say that not all Unity churches are like that, and if they are they're misrepresenting the principles of the church. I am Unitarian and I have actually quit attending my church for awhile; like Unity, Unitarians live by a basic set of principles that are pretty open and non-discriminitory. HOWEVER, each congregation tends to drive their own direction and sometimes they can veer off the original intended path. For example, the first Unitarian principle is that we recognize that all people have value; however my own congregation has much Conservative-bashing and Kyoto-worship, and if you are not extremely left-leaning, tree-hugging and a vocal activist then you sort of feel like maybe you're in the wrong place.... Seems that first principle is mis-read by many people in the congregation. Again, not everyone is like that, but the vocal majority are.

Unity churches also tend to find their own direction and this tends to depend on the minister as well as the congregants. It could be that Rhony's church is hung up on "New Thought" while disregarding some of the other principles. That's why I'm suggesting she approach with caution, not because I think Unity itself is inherently dangerous or wrong-thinking.

Thank you to everyone who responded. I need time to think about each response and digest it. I will read at least one of the books recommended - can't remember the name right now but will go back to the forum and get it and read it. Actually, most of this belief has been presented to me from a Course in Miracles class and not so much by the pastor at this point.

It's hard to explain what happened without going into detail, but I was trying to explain how in helping with this situation with the children that some of the fundamentalist friends I have judged the situation very harshly without having the details. Had they listened instead of jumping on their political bandwagon, they would have realized that we were handling the situation in exactly the way they wanted us to but they reacted immediately and harshly to political trigger words as we explained the options we had weighed in coming to our final decision - our final decision being to handle it exactly the way the fundamentalists wanted us to but many of them never heard that due to their reaction to early political words as we explained the options we had been presented to us that we had to choose from.

I was so disturbed by that that I shared in in a Course in Miracles meeting, and I was again cut off half way through the story, and it felt like the same reaction the fundamentalists gave us. Since I saw a parallel in the way they both reacted to the trigger words as I told the story without waiting to hear the final outcome, I felt I needed to fight to be understood. The reason I felt that way was that I wanted to express to all religions - fundamentalist Christianity, Unity - whatever, that we need to listen to the whole story and give compassionate support rather than jump on the political trigger words. In both of these cases, the political trigger words cut off the story and did not allow the people to see that across the board everyone was getting what they wanted any way but as human beings facing a problem we had had to weed through a series of decisions to get there. That assuming based on trigger words that they knew the outcome when they did not in both environments made me fear for the political state of religion over all in our country, so I continued to express myself in the hope that hearing the final outcome would help people understand this.

I went back and talked to the fundamentalist Christians and the Unity class to try to help them see that the final outcome was what should have been focused on when listening to our story. Some were understanding and apologized. Some of the Christians still mark us as evil because we considered an option (and rejected it) that was given by a doctor that they didn't agree with. Some of the Unity people expressed that they felt this was all my own ego that caused me to battle to be understood and that I should have just dropped it. Maybe I am evil and maybe it is all my ego, but I felt like my motives were positive in trying to teach people to ignore the political trigger words and hear the whole story before you make any judgments, because those judgments can negatively affect the people being judged. Some of the people in the Unity class quoted Shirley McClaine and told me that nothing had happened any way. Well, maybe in the big spiritual picture of the universe nothing happened, but in the physical existence God chose for me to experience right now it appeared as something that I should help with since God chose to expose me to it in the existence I now have. I realize many bad (and good) things happen every day and that in the big picture this is a very small point, but it is the very small point that God chose to acquaint me with personally and therefore the very small point that I feel I should act on.

But, now I find myself confused. I want to share my religion with others. I don't want to be led to emulate others and I don't want to lead others to emulate me. I just want to share the unique personality God gave me with the unique personalities God gave them and allow the Holy Spirit to guide each of us in the way that we as individuals are supposed to go. I think we need to trust each other that if we are on a spiritual path that we really are seeking and that wherever the Holy Spirit leads us is truly part of our relationship with God. We don't all need to be exactly alike. We don't all need to come off the same mold. I believe that each of our own spiritual experiences is unique just as we are unique as individuals (just the way God created us). I believe God and the Holy Spirit will speak to each of us in a unique way that will allow all of us to use the unique gifts he gave each of us. I just am getting concerned that it's harder and harder to find a place where we can worship in this culture that allows us to let the Holy Spirit guide us rather than pressure from other members who are jumping on key political words guiding us.

The good news is that there is a local Christian church that is more progressive while still sticking to biblical principles who saw the value in the point I was trying to make. The pastor and the secretary of this church are both published authors, and they are helping me to write this story and present it to their literary contacts. They saw it as important as I saw it.

I guess I just got concerned, because religion shouldn't be ruled with trigger words. We should always be able to sit and listen to a story to it's conclusion without judgment and support people while gently guiding them to the best decisions. But, I do LOVE the people involved very much, and I do plan to continue to attend these classes and get to know these people better and give them the chance to know me better. They are all very good people from what I can see, and I'm very happy to know them. I just came here, because I want to make sure my perspective is correct and that I hold onto my own perspectives rather than succumb to the belief systems of others just to be accepted. I did that once in my early twenties with one of the campus ministries, and that was so devastating to recover from that I'm super careful now. I agree with whoever gave me the response about having an anchor in the outside world to pull me back if I start getting too indoctrinated - so so so important. I learned that the hard way with my early life campus ministries experience, and now I'm super careful.

I hope I was able to explain that in a way that made sense. I don't want to give all of the details of the situation, because the privacy of a young girl might be compromised if anyone recognized the details of the story. I doubt that would happen, but everyone has access to the internet, and I don't want to take even the smallest risk of compromising this young girl's anonymity.

Thank you. Rhonda

If i can relay my experience with religious science and my mother. She came to become enrolled in the landmark forum via some attendees of the church, not a solid indightment of the church perhaps merely some oppurtunistic affinity leveraging there, an infiltration of sorts. To my knowledge not all the attendees are lekkies so that is some comfort.

I also see that two months ago, 'the secret' was book of the month in the local church's leaflets.

I also have issues with the grandiose leanings of some of Holmes writings, I know what his education level is and to me this is markedly incongruent with the things he is offering.

Reading dawkins is not difficult in this way at all.

Anyhow I have an opinion of the church formed from limited experience it is true, but I have very grave reservations at this time considering what's at stake.

Before the lekkie imposition I had well left the church alone, new age has reached out and touched me so to speak.

My tendancy to write diatribes, generally be reactionary stems from anger of mine(i would assume). How could i be so gullible, why didn't i do my homework. And from frustration, ie - why hasn't the government done something, why won't the media do something etc.

Anyway, I mean not to do harm with my posts, however to be clear I think it's obvious i have big issues with religion of all stripes.

Quote
Rhony
Thank you to everyone who responded. I need time to think about each response and digest it. I will read at least one of the books recommended - can't remember the name right now but will go back to the forum and get it and read it. Actually, most of this belief has been presented to me from a Course in Miracles class and not so much by the pastor at this point.

It's hard to explain what happened without going into detail, but I was trying to explain how in helping with this situation with the children that some of the fundamentalist friends I have judged the situation very harshly without having the details. Had they listened instead of jumping on their political bandwagon, they would have realized that we were handling the situation in exactly the way they wanted us to but they reacted immediately and harshly to political trigger words as we explained the options we had weighed in coming to our final decision - our final decision being to handle it exactly the way the fundamentalists wanted us to but many of them never heard that due to their reaction to early political words as we explained the options we had been presented to us that we had to choose from.

I was so disturbed by that that I shared in in a Course in Miracles meeting, and I was again cut off half way through the story, and it felt like the same reaction the fundamentalists gave us. Since I saw a parallel in the way they both reacted to the trigger words as I told the story without waiting to hear the final outcome, I felt I needed to fight to be understood. The reason I felt that way was that I wanted to express to all religions - fundamentalist Christianity, Unity - whatever, that we need to listen to the whole story and give compassionate support rather than jump on the political trigger words. In both of these cases, the political trigger words cut off the story and did not allow the people to see that across the board everyone was getting what they wanted any way but as human beings facing a problem we had had to weed through a series of decisions to get there. That assuming based on trigger words that they knew the outcome when they did not in both environments made me fear for the political state of religion over all in our country, so I continued to express myself in the hope that hearing the final outcome would help people understand this.

I went back and talked to the fundamentalist Christians and the Unity class to try to help them see that the final outcome was what should have been focused on when listening to our story. Some were understanding and apologized. Some of the Christians still mark us as evil because we considered an option (and rejected it) that was given by a doctor that they didn't agree with. Some of the Unity people expressed that they felt this was all my own ego that caused me to battle to be understood and that I should have just dropped it. Maybe I am evil and maybe it is all my ego, but I felt like my motives were positive in trying to teach people to ignore the political trigger words and hear the whole story before you make any judgments, because those judgments can negatively affect the people being judged. Some of the people in the Unity class quoted Shirley McClaine and told me that nothing had happened any way. Well, maybe in the big spiritual picture of the universe nothing happened, but in the physical existence God chose for me to experience right now it appeared as something that I should help with since God chose to expose me to it in the existence I now have. I realize many bad (and good) things happen every day and that in the big picture this is a very small point, but it is the very small point that God chose to acquaint me with personally and therefore the very small point that I feel I should act on.

But, now I find myself confused. I want to share my religion with others. I don't want to be led to emulate others and I don't want to lead others to emulate me. I just want to share the unique personality God gave me with the unique personalities God gave them and allow the Holy Spirit to guide each of us in the way that we as individuals are supposed to go. I think we need to trust each other that if we are on a spiritual path that we really are seeking and that wherever the Holy Spirit leads us is truly part of our relationship with God. We don't all need to be exactly alike. We don't all need to come off the same mold. I believe that each of our own spiritual experiences is unique just as we are unique as individuals (just the way God created us). I believe God and the Holy Spirit will speak to each of us in a unique way that will allow all of us to use the unique gifts he gave each of us. I just am getting concerned that it's harder and harder to find a place where we can worship in this culture that allows us to let the Holy Spirit guide us rather than pressure from other members who are jumping on key political words guiding us.

The good news is that there is a local Christian church that is more progressive while still sticking to biblical principles who saw the value in the point I was trying to make. The pastor and the secretary of this church are both published authors, and they are helping me to write this story and present it to their literary contacts. They saw it as important as I saw it.

I guess I just got concerned, because religion shouldn't be ruled with trigger words. We should always be able to sit and listen to a story to it's conclusion without judgment and support people while gently guiding them to the best decisions. But, I do LOVE the people involved very much, and I do plan to continue to attend these classes and get to know these people better and give them the chance to know me better. They are all very good people from what I can see, and I'm very happy to know them. I just came here, because I want to make sure my perspective is correct and that I hold onto my own perspectives rather than succumb to the belief systems of others just to be accepted. I did that once in my early twenties with one of the campus ministries, and that was so devastating to recover from that I'm super careful now. I agree with whoever gave me the response about having an anchor in the outside world to pull me back if I start getting too indoctrinated - so so so important. I learned that the hard way with my early life campus ministries experience, and now I'm super careful.

I hope I was able to explain that in a way that made sense. I don't want to give all of the details of the situation, because the privacy of a young girl might be compromised if anyone recognized the details of the story. I doubt that would happen, but everyone has access to the internet, and I don't want to take even the smallest risk of compromising this young girl's anonymity.

Thank you. Rhonda

Rhony,
Follow your guidance as you've been doing. It sounds to me like you are in touch with God's voice within you. A lot of people in Unity oversimplify the principles that Unity teaches. I have been around Unity for a long time, and I have a lot of education under my belt at Unity Village. I can tell you for certain that if you followed your inner guidance and the action you took on behalf of the children you mentioned resulted in a good outcome that served the welfare of the children, it was not evil and it was not your ego. You will find the right church. It might be a Unity church, and it might not, but you will find it. God bless you on your search.

Kastlefeer - I thank you for your response and to me you do not seem to be expressing diatribes of anger. You seem to be trying very hard to be fair and you seem to be very honest. I appreciate you speaking up.

I also have been reached out and touched by New Age in the past, and this experience lets me know that I need to listen to your advice and be careful and research the credentials of authors of these books such as the Secret, which is very recommended by the Unity church I have been attending. I work in a field as a state licensed professional where I rented a room from someone who was New Age in a way that she charged exorbitant money for services she was minimally trained and not state licensed in but had read a few new age books and deemed herself perfect enough from that experience to charge people exorbitant amounts of money to tell them how to live (even though her own life needed much work to regain balance). As soon as I saw what was going on, I ended my rent contract and moved on. And, I've asked myself the same question you have asked: why hasn't the government or the media done something? I'm not saying all new age is that way, but that is the negative extreme that can happen if we are not careful; therefore, I can only imagine what you might have gone through and do promise that I will be very very careful.

I thank you for your honest direction.

Thank you Mikko. I will continue to follow my heart, and as I do so I plan to give every religious community I am in every chance. I do not want to judge too harshly. Thank you for the words of wisdom that are helping me to get there.

The situation with the children came to as positive a resolution as was possible in the very difficultd situation. One of the girls is now calling me her Aunt, which is such a gift. And, I'm able to continue to be there to give her some adult direction she very much needs by being accepted into her life in this way. I think her overall situation will continue to improve over time.

Quote
Rhony
Thank you Mikko. I will continue to follow my heart, and as I do so I plan to give every religious community I am in every chance. I do not want to judge too harshly. Thank you for the words of wisdom that are helping me to get there.

The situation with the children came to as positive a resolution as was possible in the very difficultd situation. One of the girls is now calling me her Aunt, which is such a gift. And, I'm able to continue to be there to give her some adult direction she very much needs by being accepted into her life in this way. I think her overall situation will continue to improve over time.

Well, if that's the case, then what you did was positive. I can't imagine anyone in my congregation saying anything otherwise.