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Vicarion
I think you're forgetting the part about Helen growing up in a Christian Science environment, and a house full of metaphysical texts. She had plenty of years of exposure to this kind of material.

I did not know that Dr. Schuchman had a Christian Science/metaphysical background. All I knew was that she was of Jewish background. It's interesting how promoters of ACIM only tell you what supports their point of view (granted, a lot of them may not know any information which is critical of Helen). And somehow the fact that Helen was Jewish and distanced herself from her own writings is supposed to lend more credibility to Dr. Schuchman's assertion that she was channeling Jesus. Thinking critically, I just don't buy this any more.

Promoters of the course also like to point to the consistency of the writings to prove their validity. IMO, there are many inconsistencies in the course and much of it is a just a rehashing of the same ideas over and over again. It's main ideas could probably be expounded clearly and concisely in a page or less. IMO, spending time studying and trying to figure out ACIM is a colossal waste of precious time. (And I have read probably 90% of the course.)

QE

[quote="QuestionEverything"
I did not know that Dr. Schuchman had a Christian Science/metaphysical background. All I knew was that she was of Jewish background. [/quote]

I didn't know that either. I've never seen that written anywhere. All I ever heard was that she was Jewish. Is there any reliable source that backs that Christian Science story up? I'm very curious now!

PS: I hope people know the difference between Christian Science and Scientology!

It's out there, but at the moment I can't pin it down. Might have been in The Guru Papers or another book which looked into ACIM, or perhaps on the "Skepdic" website. Obviously the theology of ACIM reveals that she was not new to CS and metaphysical literature. Now, I did just read a couple days ago that the original ACIM "urtext" gives specific kudos to Mary Baker Eddy, [i:afcf9f529c]by name.[/i:afcf9f529c] I suggest a Google search. That's how I found this stuff, after some Googling and following links.

If I find the specific pages again, I'll certainly post the links in this thread.

As for Christian Science and Scientology, of course they're different! However CS is clearly dangerous and destructive in its own way. I lost a friend 30 years ago, for whom a simple operation would have saved his life. He was CS so he refused medical attention. He died, slowly and painfully. That may have been his choice, but it was a foolish and selfish one, because his family and friends suffered for his choice as well. End of that story.

EDITED TO ADD:

From (of all places) Wikipedia:

[en.wikipedia.org]

[i:afcf9f529c]One Urtext passage that was not included in the published version calls Christian Science "clearly incomplete," but praises one of the observations of Christian Science founder Mary Baker Eddy. This is Eddy's observation that while the Bible describes how Adam, while in the Garden of Eden was put into a deep sleep, nowhere does the Bible ever describe that Adam was awakened from that sleep. This same observation about Adam is also made within the pages of ACIM.[/i:afcf9f529c]

So Helen WAS exposed to CS and the writings of Eddy. More elsewhere, as soon as I track it down again...

(One must remember that material on Wikipedia is suspect, due to the input from anonymous and unattributed authors and editors. Personally, I can see hints of redaction from ACIM devotees in the entry on the book.)

I recently came across the author Bruce Fraser MacDonald who claims to be the reincarnated twin brother of Jesus Christ. He believes that ACIM was written my Simon Magus, a magician who lived the same time as Jesus. It's just amazing that there is all this insane stuff out there and I admit to having been one who allowed myself to be brainwashed by one of the ACIM "Teachers of God." I read in a previous entry that ACIM followers have infiltrated themselves into society and I discovered one in Charleston, SC who was advertising himself on the internet as a hypnotherapist, spiritual teacher and having a PhD in counseling. I "worked" with this man, seeing him 2X a month for 2- hour audio taped sessions for a little less than a year. Initially he was kind and caring but slowly became more and more emotionally and verbally abusive. I was expected to give this man a full body hug following our sessions. He claimed his intent was guided by the love of the Holy Spirit, having temporary special priviledge from God to do whatever it took to destroy my will which would be replaced by God's will resulting in health, wealth, and happiness. In one session after asking me to describe problems I was having with my job as a home visitor, he stated, "Are you prepared to slam Ms. Minnie against the wall and say, did you hear what I *ucking said, bitch." I thought he was joking until he said, "You'd be surprised what he'll have you do." When I asked who "he" was, the guy said (with a straight face, mind you), "The Holy Spirit." This dude is a former heavy metal musician who in almost every session I had with him was compelled to tell me, "All the girls were wetting up their panties for me." The sessions ended when I checked out all his supposed membeships in about 14 professional organizations. Only one had ever heard of him and they told me he was no longer a member but refused to say why. This agency then contacted him resulting in him phoning me late one evening and telling me he was going to report me to the police for threatening to kill him on one of our taped sessions....which I had never done. The following day, I reported HIM to the police for blackmail, emailed him that I was onto his b.s. and shortly after he removed all his so called memberships off his web site and he no longer had a PhD either. Unfortunately, he then had a law firm contact me to say he would sue me for defamation of character. It's true that they maintain very close conections with each other and cover for each other as well. I dropped all charges and prayed he would not come after me. I am still so angry that I could have been sucked into this crap and wasted thousands of dollars. If murder where NOT a crime, I would take this guy out with a smile on my face. He also used other statements like, "Once I admitted I was a liar, I was no longer a liar." "If everyone says (name omitted to prevent retaliation) is wrong, he can still be right. After all, they used to say the world was flat." If there is anyone else out there who has had this happen, please respond to this. I just finished reading "Awake Among The Sleeping" by Ian Blair Hamilton. It's helped me a little but it took me months to find a copy but I eventually found one online from a bookstore in Australia. I'm grateful for this forum.

The book Top Secret by Robert M. Price has a chapter on ACIM.

Thank you so much. I'm about ready to author my own book! There's got to be a way to stop these abusers.

Is "Scott Perry" really Robert Perry...A Course in Miracles Teacher who lives in England and makes his living "interpreting" A Course In Miracles?" NO WHERE IN THE COURSE DOES JESUS (? OR IS IT SIMON MAGUS) SAY WE NEED YOU TO INTERPRET A COURSE IN MIRACLES. It IS a cult, Robert. And you, Robert are one of the egotistical humans who think they are endowed with the brilliance to interpret anything for anybody. Read "Crazy For God." See if it doesn't fit you to a "T."

spiritedangel, you're most welcome. I finally finished the book a few days ago. If you decide to read Top Secret, it's worth reading the entire thing as the author will relate stuff in one chapter to previous chapters. He also includes info on The Secret, Deepak Chopra, Eckhart Tolle, Marianne Williamson's A return to love...

The last several pages focus on cults in general: what is a cult, who joins cults and why, and why some cults erupt in violence.

The next book I want to read is Sham: How the Self-Help Movement Made America Helpless by Steve Salerno. I don't visit his blog all that often, but you might find it useful: [shambook.blogspot.ca].

Take care and good luck!

Thank you for the suggested readings. I need all the help I can get to forgive this man before I get up enough courge to go after him.

I read Absence From Felicity. Helen Shuchman was a confused person. She was frustrated with her collegue and co-writer (conspirator?) because he rebuffed her sexual advances. He was gay as well as a good ten years her junior. Helen also had exposure to Catholicism during her childhood, introduced to her by her nanny who would take her to church. She loved "negro spirituals" and the drama of Catholic rituals. I think she was spirtually confused like many of us making her easily manipulated by her imagination. Her husband was Jewish and never wanted to hear about anything to do with Helen's involvement in ACIM. She was very secretive with him in regards to her "channeling". Upon her death, the first thing he did was "purge" his home of all her ACIM, Catholic stuff, anything not having to do with the Jewish religion. I wish someone could get him to do an interview on his perspective of his wife's activities. I think it would be fascinating.

As a side note, I have read "Gorgeous For God" by Lisa Natoli, a ACIM/Endeavor Academy graduate and "teacher of God." She noted on her Facebook account that someone had bumped into her in a grocery store, supporting the fact that she "vibrates at a higher frequency, making her invisible" to the "dead ones"(term EA grads use to describe those of us who have not been sufficiantly brainwashed to believe we are specially called by God to save the universe) around her. I guess it was too difficult for her to understand that if in fact she was invisible, no one COULD bump into her. Also, even though Charles Anderson taught that he could not die, HE DID DIE!! Or perhaps his followers didn't have their camera phones available to video his ascension or crossing over to another dimension. I wonder if they buried him with his ill-fitting dentures and a can of Coke?