101 Questions and
Answers
On A Course in Miracles
by Gene Skaggs
Published by Fearless Books at Smashwords
© 2011 by Gene Skaggs
Smashwords Edition
All Rights Reserved
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Contents
1. How should I go about studying the Course?
2. Can you expand on Miracle Principle number one?
3. I don't understand why there are car accidents, plane crashes, etc. If there are accidents, then there must be things happening to us beyond our control.
4. Is the Course affiliated with any particular church or religion?
5. Explain in detail the different levels found in the Course.
6. What do you think is the most important message in the Course?
7. Can you explain forgiveness from a Course perspective? My definition just doesn't seem to fit with what the Course is saying.
8. The Course states that God doesn't forgive us. I thought through my Christian upbringing that He does. Please solve this conflict for me.
9. Are there different kinds of love? I feel that I love my mate, my children, and other people in the world differently.
10. The Course appears to state that if I say, "I want the peace of God," then I can have the peace of God. In my darkest hour I have truly seemed to want the peace of God, but I haven't felt God's presence. What am I doing wrong?
11. Often when I am in a dispute with a co-worker, I feel that I lose the peace of God. How can I begin to invite God into this relationship so that healing can occur?
12. Is the Course a guide to creating free energy through the recognition of counter energy?
13. I am very new to the Course, but I keep seeing the words "cause" and "effect." They seem to be very important, so could you explain them to me?
14. Why do I choose to stay in my ego?
15. How does the mindset of the Course differ from that of an unrealistic Pollyanna?
16. What gives the ego its power?
17. How should I go about praying for others?
18. I feel inadequate trying to explain the Course to friends when they ask. It seems the more I talk, the more I need to explain what I have just said. Could you help me with a short definition?
19. The Course teaches that we need not defend ourselves. One workbook lesson states, "In my defenselessness my safety lies." How should we understand this "defenselessness" when it concerns child abuse?
20. When should the Course be introduced to children?
The greater danger for most of us…
Quote from Michelangelo
21. I keep hearing Course students talk about a dualistic and a non-dualistic thought system. Could you clarify this topic for me?
22. How does the Course view analyzing dreams?
23. Can God forgive someone like Adolf Hitler?
24. In studying the Course, my "perfection issues" seem to raise their ugly heads. I don't seem to be able to do the Workbook lessons properly. Help!
25. I feel as if I'm practicing the Course and I pray a lot, but my prayers don't seem to get answered.
26. What is the effect of my seeing more and more common elements in the situations in my life?
27. The Bible states that God created the earth. The Course states that the ego created it. This is the biggest conflict that I can see between the two. Can you reconcile this difference?
28. The Course uses psychological terms. Does this mean that you have to have this type of background to understand the Course's principles?
29. Does the Course mention the Second Coming?
30. I am a doctor, and I am having difficulty putting ACIM principles into practice. How is the proper way to handle this situation?
Lord, make me an instrument of Your Peace...
Prayer by St. Francis
31. What is the Course's position on medicine?
32. How does the Course view angels?
33. Is the Course the only path back to God?
34. I personally feel that there are many problems in my life. Why does the Course keep saying that there is only one problem?
35. Since the title of the book is A Course in Miracles, the concept of a miracle must be integral to understanding the Course. Please give me the Course's definition of a "miracle."
36. What does the Course say about organized religions?
37. What is the Course's view on meditation?
38. Is there any additional material received by Helen Schucman that is not found in A Course in Miracles?
39. I am new to the Course and am confused as to how the forgiveness process works. At times the Course seems to be saying that this process can be accomplished in a couple of steps, and at other times it seems to get analytical and mention twice as many. Please clarify this.
40. How does the Course view homosexuality?
42. In the three steps of the forgiveness process, step two entails looking at one's unresolved issues. How long should one look at these feelings?
43. How can I know if I have forgiven someone?
44. I am having trouble with my spouse. She's not in the Course and is not very spiritual. With that in mind, does it take two people to forgive? Does she have to forgive me before I can receive the peace of God?
45. The Course uses the words "mind training" and "being vigilant." Those kinds of words scare me. Please clarify what is meant by the use of these terms.
46. What is the origin of guilt?
47. In several different places the Course says that it is simple. It sure doesn't seem simple to me. What does the Course mean by the word "simple"?
48. Can you explain what the Course means by "meaningless thoughts"? I think that all my thoughts have meaning.
49. Can somebody study the Course and other spiritual paths at the same time?
Quote from William James
50. Are the Workbook lessons' repetitive exercises a form of self-hypnosis or a form of brainwashing?
51. Why is gratitude so good for healing the illusion of separation? Does God want our thanks and gratitude? If so, why?
52. What happens after we die? Even more specifically, what happens between incarnations?
53. What is the Course's view on reincarnation?
54. What is the proper use of the body according to the Course?
55. I started my spiritual journey at a very young age in the Baptist church. In my forties I began studying various New Thought beliefs. I am now presently studying A Course in Miracles. All of these various belief systems use the word "atonement" differently. Could you clear up some of my confusion?
56. Why does Jesus quote the Bible and then reinterpret what is said, especially early in the Text? I believe that it is never mentioned in the Workbook or The Manual for Teachers.
57. I have been involved in a Twelve Step program. I have found it and the Course to be compatible. Am I correct in this assumption?
58. The Course tells us to ask the Holy Spirit where to go, what to do, what to say, etc. How can we do this in all circumstances throughout the day?
59. Why does the Course constantly switch from our relationship with God to our relationship with our brothers and sisters? Is there a difference between the two?
60. I have a background in psychology. Does the Course refer to a superego?
61. I would like to become very wealthy. What is the Course's position on money?
62. I am in a difficult romantic relationship. How do I know whether I should stay in the relationship or if I should leave?
63. The Course talks about an ego form of love which I assume is called "special love." It also refers to a spiritual love that I believe is called a "holy relationship." Could you explain the difference as well as how to make a relationship holy?
64. Does the Course want us to take sides on issues in the world? Does it have a view on moral issues?
66. I have just recently started studying the Course. Now my life seems to have more problems than before I started studying the book. Am I doing something wrong?
67. What is the Course's definition of "hell"?
68. The Course uses the word "illusions." I am definitely confused about what is meant by this. Please explain.
69. How does the Course view someone who has psychic powers?
Poem by Janice Cook
70. If life on earth is an illusion, why are we here?
71. How do I help someone who thinks that only material things will make him happy?
72. What does the Course mean by "don't make the error real"?
73. Describe how the Course has impacted your life.
74. What caused the "tiny tick of time"?
75. Can you explain the difference between a sin and a mistake?
76. Are "joy" and "peace" synonymous in Course terminology?
77. How can I know if I have truly forgiven someone?
78. What is the role of the Course in the future?
79. What does the Course mean when it refers to "lies of the serpent"?
80. Since evil doesn't exist, how can we project its illusion?
81. What is the Course's view on sex?
82. What is the meaning of life?
83. Does God make us sick to teach us lessons?
84. I'm having a difficult time raising my teenage son. Does the Course give any guidance on raising teenagers?
85. What is the relationship between "Heaven's justice" and "judgment"?
86. How can one vote while practicing A Course in Miracles?
87. Why are we seemingly able to forgive some people and not others?
88. If the Course states that we are not a body and that we are sustained by the Love of God, why do we need to eat and take care of the body?
89. How does the Course define "judgment"?
Poem by Dante
90. If we are already perfect, why do we have to "acquire" forgiveness?
91. The Course doesn't seem to be written in any logical order as far as its teaching is concerned, especially the Text and the Workbook. Could you help me with this?
92. I have a college education and have studied numerous spiritual paths back to God. Why is the Course so difficult to understand?
93. Discuss briefly the Course's view of time.
94. How does the Course deal with the concept of the devil or of evil forces?
95. What does "accepting the Atonement for myself" mean? The Course refers to that often enough to have me take note.
96. Is there any difference between the many different relationships we all form throughout our lives?
97. The Course talks about death as the laying down of the body, but it also seems at times to be referring to our ego thoughts. Could you shed some clarity on this subject for me?
98. How does the Course view sending "light" to other people?
100. Why can't I hear the voice of the Holy Spirit?
101. Is there a difference between God, the Holy Spirit, and Jesus from a Course Perspective?
Great is the overflow of Divine Love…
Quotes from Mechthild of Magdeburg
and
Therese of Lisieux
To order print copies and get more information
The conception of this book originated in the summer of 2000. Several students asked me if there were any books that would answer the specific questions they had as novices in the Course. I mentioned the two books I had previously written, but I realized they didn't cover the specific subject matter the students had requested. If I am asked a question by one person, I will probably not see its importance. However, when I am asked the same question several times, I realize the world is trying to give me a message. I asked the Holy Spirit, "What is it I'm not hearing?" The answer I received was to write a book and title it One Hundred and One Questions on A Course in Miracles. I thought, "No problem. Write down a question, answer it, and in probably six months I will have a book." Somehow it just didn't work out that way.
The first step I took was to hand out index cards in class and have the students write questions that they would like to have answered. All the questions in this book were either taken down verbatim or are questions which were asked in class.
The format of this book is designed in such a way that each question and accompanying answer are independently sufficient and don't need other questions and answers to clarify the topic. Although I tried to keep most answers to a page or a page and a half, there are some questions that couldn't be adequately answered in this format. There are some questions that would have taken a whole chapter or even a book to answer completely. These are relatively few. The rest should give the reader a clear understanding of the topic being discussed.
After taking down the questions, writing the answers, and then rewriting the answers, I thought that I needed to rewrite them one more time before taking the manuscript to an editor. Early in the year 2002 as a group of us were going to lunch after class one Sunday there were several inquiries as to my progress on the book. There was a student present, Janice Cook, who volunteered to "cross the t's and dot the i 's." I told her I needed to rewrite it one more time, but she thought that she could work with it as it was. Looking back, I personally think that she should have let me rewrite it one more time. (She now agrees with me.) I got to practice the forgiveness process as she said I was the "King of the Run-on Sentence" and if she saw one more "therefore" she would pull her hair out. I really think she must have been kidding as she had the whole summer off from her teaching profession. What better use could she have made of her vacation?
Janice is truly an angel. Without her the book would have taken at least another year.
Everyone who has ever picked up the book A Course in Miracles has said, "I have no idea what it's talking about," "Surely I'm not that stupid," "Why didn't they write this in plain English?", or "Isn't there a book I could read first to get me started?" I hear these same questions from the students in my classes. One day while I was studying the Course a voice seemed to speak to me and direct me to write this book that would answer these questions and many more, especially for students who are new to the Course.
We all come to the Course with previous experience from at least one spiritual thought system. Our views of God and what He is like and how we can best live our lives in accordance with His Will and blessing differs greatly. My formative years in spiritual understanding were comprised of various eastern religions, most notably The Theosophical Society. Two of The Theosophical Society's main tenets are the ideas of karma and reincarnation. I found this philosophy mentally stimulating, but these doctrines didn't fill the void when I felt I was in pain. In my late twenties I was introduced to Unity. I resonated with this spiritual philosophy and many of its tenets parallel the Course. I began studying the Course in 1979 and have been a teacher since 1988. For me the Course has been the answer to the path I was seeking.
All humans question the meaning of pain. We have all been plagued with fears and guilt. We have all struggled with relationships with ourselves, with our bodies, with others, and with God. For me the Course answers these problems in the most satisfyingly complete way. It seems to interweave modern psychology with the eternal truths of love and forgiveness. It assists in the undoing, or unlearning, of our fear and guilt. It tells us in great detail where our pain originates and how to eliminate it. The Course has its own unique, loving way of having us examine all the falsities of our ego thought system. It lovingly addresses all of our relationships. The philosophy of the Course professes to offer mind-training exercises for if you "Change your mind on what you view outwardly, the world will change accordingly."
A direct, specific reference to the Text will be given after each question when applicable. Others will be a composite of many sources within the Course. I also generally used the pronoun "he" throughout as "he/she" and "him/her" became cumbersome. The Course is not concerned with gender or sexual preference, but with the healing of our minds through forgiveness.
I truly feel that this book has been inspired and will aid in your understanding of the Course no matter how long you've studied the Course, but especially if you are just beginning. I have noticed that when people have difficulty with the Course, they sometimes leave it and take another spiritual path to God. There is nothing wrong with another form of transportation; but it is my hope that if you choose another approach to God, it will be because the Holy Spirit has chosen that path, not because the Course is too difficult to understand or brings up too much of your fear. It is my sincere wish that this book will help you better understand the Course, but, even more importantly, that it will help you realize that your true identity is that of a precious child of God.
A Course In Miracles is written in a style known as iambic pentameter, the style of writing Shakespeare often used. It is uncommon today, and it makes understanding the Course a daunting task. Even the most studious and thoughtful person may find it difficult to discern the theoretical principles as they are presented in the Course. It was my goal to write this book in simple and present-day terminology so I could convey the Course's psychological and spiritual concepts in a manner easily understood by those beginning their spiritual quest.
1. How should I go about studying the Course?
Whenever possible, it is best to start studying the Course with the support of a group. There are certain fundamental insights that will ensure a successful start and, hopefully, eliminate as much confusion as possible. Even though it is challenging to integrate A Course in Miracles into your life, it is not meant to be intimidating. God did not send us a message that would be impossible to implement in order for us to fail.
The first thing to realize is that A Course in Miracles is composed of three separate books. It is, in fact, available as three separate volumes or bound together in one volume.
The first book is entitled the Text. It covers in great detail all of the fundamental elements of the Course and is, without a doubt, the most difficult of the three. It often ends up being a student's favorite, however, but usually only after his curiosity has been piqued enough by the other two books. Then the student turns to the Text with some passion in his search for greater clarity and more detailed explanations on points made by the other two books.
The second book, A Workbook for Students, consists of 365 lessons or affirmations, one for each day of the year.
The third book, A Manual for Teachers, is a relatively short one and is designed to answer some of the more common questions that might be raised between a teacher and a student. The student should begin in whichever book she feels that the Holy Spirit is guiding her. Sometimes a person is guided to ask for help from someone experienced in the Course as to where it is best to start.
It is for these students I present the following insights and suggestions. These suggestions are based on my personal experience, as well as that of others. I urge students to try always to remain open for guidance directly from their own Internal Healer, the Holy Spirit. Whatever I say here is subject to detailed editing by the Spirit within each person.
My first suggestion would be to start with the Workbook and then integrate the Text and A Manual for Teachers into daily study. The reason for this is that the Workbook is designed to give you a closeness to the Holy Spirit which you might not become aware of so quickly in studying the more abstract Text or Manual for Teachers. Nevertheless, if you just study the Workbook alone, you might never get a clear grasp of the meaning of guilt and how guilt originated; nor would you understand your fear of God that leads you to seek illusory substitutes in the perceptual world. The Workbook is designed to be a one-year training program. It is not intended or necessary that we do it over and over again. From a personal perspective and from talking to others who have spent time with the Course, however, it seems that most people do feel a need to do the Workbook lessons more than once. Every time I personally do them I enhance my understanding of the Course and, even more importantly, they enable me to achieve a growing closeness with the Holy Spirit.
The Workbook is structured in such a way that it will change our view of the world because we change our view of ourselves. We presently believe that we are at the mercy of a vengeful and wicked world. The Workbook gradually convinces us that we are in complete control of what happens to us. Using Course terminology, we come to realize that we are the cause of what happens to us in our lives. The events of our lives are the effects of our thoughts. We begin to realize that we are similar to a motion picture projector in that what we see outwardly is a result of what is in our minds.
Should we be strict in doing one lesson a day? I personally do not know of anyone, nor have I heard of anyone, who has adequately done the Workbook in 365 days. Most people find that they want to pause on a lesson here and there for two or more days.
The lessons are not concerned with clear understanding at first, but with application. Thankfully, complete understanding is not necessary at this stage because I guarantee that you initially will not understand what is being presented. The first few lessons will seem extremely confusing and may even irritate you; but they will, nevertheless, succeed in turning your thought system completely around.
Far from being a hindrance, it is actually helpful to admit that we don't understand the first lessons in the Workbook. This allows the Holy Spirit to give us the meaning without having to work around erroneous preconceptions of our own.
Unlike the Workbook, the Text is planned as a lifelong study program. It shows us in great detail how the belief in separation from God occurred. An illusory separation from God created a dualistic thought system in which we believe there are two options to choose between. Our belief in sin created a God buried so deeply that He seems to be forever out of the reach of our conscious minds.
Fortunately for us, Jesus doesn't ask us to get in touch with this fear, but simply to look at the fear our brothers and sisters bring up and ask the Holy Spirit to heal our misconceptions. This healing process and the resulting removal of fear take place through the dynamics of forgiveness. The Course presents an entirely different meaning for forgiveness from the one we were taught as children.
Students often ask if there are ways to help their understanding of the Text, I will suggest a few. It helps to remember that it is a singular spiritual master, Jesus Himself, who is doing the instructing or dictating to Helen. Secondly, it is also helpful to carefully distinguish to which view the author is referring in a given section, that of the ego or the Holy Spirit. A third bit of advice is to be cautious as to what meaning you apply to the many Christian terms used in the Course. Jesus gave these familiar words meanings entirely different from those attached to them in their Judeo-Christian roots.
Fourth, the Course is written on two completely different levels. There is a cosmic level where all is One (sometimes referred to as Heaven). At this level our perceptual world and body do not exist. The second level is where we typically believe we exist, in a dualistic world with a dualistic thought system. This is where the main focus of the Course is placed because this is where we believe reality is. It is at this level that forgiveness is applicable, and it is also here that we believe that guilt takes place.
The fifth insight I would share is needed less often. A form of poetic license occurs in the Course. For example, Jesus says in one place that God is lonely without His separated sons or that God weeps for us. God cannot be lonely nor weep because He knows no separation nor does God have tear ducts.
New students of the Course should find comfort from the writings of various authors. I personally think that Dr. Kenneth Wapnick is the most profound writer on the Course, but there are many others such as Marianne Williamson and Dr. Wayne Dyer. To repeat what was said previously, new students of A Course in Miracles should strongly consider joining a study group if available. Shop around to find the one that best speaks to your needs.
Love and peace be with you on your spiritual journey.
2. Can you expand on miracle principle number one?
The first principle of miracles, listed at the beginning of the Text, sets the stage for the whole course. It states that there are no big problems and, therefore, no small problems. Miracle number one says that there are just two voices to listen to, love and fear. Although there appears to be degrees of love and fear, that is not so. There are no degrees of love and fear. I personally found that hard to grasp at the beginning. Our ego experiences degrees of pain, be it either in illness or anger. Our emotions range from being slightly upset to rage. Sickness can take the form of the common cold or any number of terminal illnesses.
Our penal code is set up where the verdict can range from acquittal to death. The ego world is set up so that no matter how hard we try, no matter how much we achieve, we can never truly find the peace of God in the world. Thank goodness we can't. Because if we could, we would forever search outwardly and never look inside where the peace of God exists. The Course constantly tells us that it is simple. It is simple because the Holy Spirit can heal all problems. The Holy Spirit does not view problems as monumental or small. It simply sees that there is a need, and the Voice for God fills that need. With our egos we see degrees in problems. If we believe that there are big problems, we really mean someone has hurt us. We will then be unwilling to relinquish our grievance. We can't turn our fears over to the Voice for God if we feel the other person has inflicted the pain. This doesn't mean that someone hasn't done that which resulted in our feelings getting hurt. What it does mean is that his unloving thoughts mirror our unloving thoughts, and it is our unloving thoughts we need to turn over to the Holy Spirit.
The only problem that the Holy Spirit can't heal is the one we won't give Her. Again, it comes to a choice. Do we want the peace of God, or do we want to hold onto grievances and punish our brothers and sisters?
Text pages 3, 158, 334, 351, 554, and 639
3. I don't understand why there are car accidents, plane crashes, etc. If there are accidents, then there must be things happening to us beyond our control.
The doctrine of cause and effect is important to the Course. Every event in this world is a result of thoughts. There are no accidents; things that happen are thoughts projected outwardly. We then put a veil over them or repress them so there appears to be things that happen to us by accident.
Freud's subconscious mind is technically impossible because that would imply things or thoughts happen beyond our awareness. What really takes place is that when we have thoughts that make us feel bad we don't like that feeling, so we project them outwardly. Then we place a veil over those thoughts. What appears in our outer world seems to have happened beyond our control.
What we want to do is project or extend our thoughts externally. If we come from the Holy Spirit, we don't drop a veil over those thoughts because we realize our oneness with them. This might be a difficult concept to accept, but once you grasp the magnitude of this thought process you are in complete control of everything that happens in your life. If you don't like what is happening, you can change your thoughts about the event. Then how you experience the event will have to change.
4. Is the Course affiliated with any particular church or religion?
No! It is a set of three books with a certain formula or method concerned with how to remove your ego thought system and replace it with the Holy Spirit's thought system so you can remember who you truly are. The Course should stand on its own as should all other spiritual paths back to God. There are similarities between the Course and other paths, but there are important differences as well. I personally think that Jesus chose Helen Schucman and William Thetford because they were not affiliated with any organized religion.
Preface vii, viii, ix, x, xi, xii, xiii
5. Explain in detail the different levels found in the Course.
The Course is written on three distinct levels which causes a great deal of confusion for the novice. The first level on which the Course is written refers to the level of God or Heaven. At this level there are no bodies, just Love, just a Oneness that the Course tells us is beyond our understanding. Also at this level there is no forgiveness because we don't judge, condemn, or attack others. At this level there truly aren't any "others." This, however, is not the goal of the Course. The goal of the Course is the complete removal of one's ego. This can only be accomplished while in a body.