INSIDE THE UPSIDE-DOWNWORLD OF "A COURSE IN MIRACLES"
by Paul Architetto Ó 1995 The Christian Sentinel

"Together we are as one, we are the Messiah. It is about God. You're scared (blank) of God. The Course teaches that the miracle is the correction of error. We have the illusion that the guy over there is a (blankety blank), but that's our problem. That guy is the Messiah!".

Thus began my indoctrination into A Course in Miracles last spring. I had phoned Karen hoping to learn more about the people and practices of this strange New Age religion that has been creeping its way into the Christian church (an invitation to attend the Course was listed in New Frontiers Magazine, a New Age publication). Its origins are clearly outlined in the Course book, published in 1976 by the Foundation for Inner Peace, located in California. It was written (channeled) by a Columbia University atheist psychologist over the span of seven years, by a woman named Helen Schucman. Channeling is the process by which one hears an inner dictation (demonic), in this case described by Schucman as the "Voice". She goes on to state that this Voice made no sound, but gave her a rapid, inner dictation which was written down in a shorthand notebook, later being typed by her collaborator Bill. It was, as she described, an attempt to find "another way" to deal with "the angry and aggressive feelings our attitudes reflected", meaning herself and Bill, the head of her department at Columbia. "Apparently this Course is the other way" she claims.

The 1,200 page book is laid out in chapter and verse and is divided into three parts, the "Text", the "Workbook For Students", and the "Manual For Teachers". There are over 1 million copies in print. With its royal blue cover with gold lettering, the $25 book (available at bookstores) is suggestive of a Bible. It even has its own concordance. Its followers believe that it was written by Jesus Christ through the process of channeling. The Course's popularity is soaring with the help of its chief guru Marianne Williamson. She is the influential speaker and author of the best-selling book "A Return to Love" which expounds upon the principles presented in A Course in Miracles.

The written style of the Course is noticeably alluring and poetic, seeking to draw the reader in deeper (it "illuminates the concepts presented" says Schucman). Topics include The Forgiveness of Illusions (Text 16), What is the Christ?; What is the Real World?; What am I? (Workbook 6,8, 14 respectively), How Do God's Teachers Deal with Magic Thoughts?; Is Reincarnation So? (Manual 17, 24 respectively). Each page is intense, with strange new concepts presented to radically change the way you think and perceive the world around you. Other related material available from the Foundation are cassettes, lesson cards, videos, and channeled prayer, poetry, and psychotherapy (by Schucman).

I soon discovered A Course in Miracles to be a combination of New Age philosophy, psychology, and religion combined. For the first hour there was allot of talk about ego, fear, God, judging, love and illusion (e.g. anything that is not love is an illusion). Christian terminology was thrown in for good measure although it was wholly insincere, deviating from sound doctrine. The Christian guise is so extensive that one must wonder whether Schucman truly channeled the book, or simply perverted God's word using the New Testament as her resource. The book is a supreme attempt to explain what the Bible is really saying. Diverse terms and ideas were served up, thrown together, and tossed around like some philosophical salad. "Jesus" was mentioned once or twice in passing, as well as "Holy Spirit". The sad irony is that here was a group gathered around discussing how "holy" they were, not realizing that their definition of "holiness" came from the pit of hell, not heaven. I found it all to be very disturbing, but most of all confusing. Geri seemed to be struggling as well. She expressed still having trouble understanding the Course material even after several years of study. Nancy took this opportunity to say that she believed the entire Course could be summarized into one page, one main theme. She then went on about angles, and right angles, and whatever. She tried to encourage Geri, saying that the understanding would just come to you eventually.

After about an hour of reading and discussion, Karen excused herself and brought back a small box from upstairs. The box was labeled "Sayings From A Course In Miracles" and contained a few hundred small cards with sayings on them. It was passed around and we each randomly picked a card and read it aloud. Then Karen asked everyone to "Share the miracles that happened during the week". Miracles, as the Course defines them, can happen every day. During this time of sharing, Geri talked about her son Tommy who died a few years ago. She claimed to hear his voice in her head, very clearly. He is with her all the time now. She is at peace, and she functions better now because he is with her. After bringing this subject up again during my second visit, Karen finally asked Geri a very pointed question. "When you're speaking with Tommy, and the phone rings, do you go to pick up the phone?" she asked. Geri seemed startled by this question, and simply replied "Well that's just never happened". For the record, Karen said that she was not judging, and that anything that was O.K. with Geri was O.K. with her. But it was evident that Karen had great reservations about this matter, as well as everyone else based on their silence.

The Course is potentially dangerous. The teacher is given the power to make things up, and will go unchallenged due to the willingness of the Students. During my second session with the group, I heard Karen exclaim "As Jesus said, "Grab hold of your humanity"", and the group accepted it at face value. Apparently the way is cleared for such flagitious use of authority. The Course exhorts the Student to use the ideas presented even though they "will be hard to believe", while others may be "quite startling" (Preface ix). It unashamedly admits "It cannot be too strongly emphasized that this course aims at a complete reversal of thought" (Manual 24). It reinforces this with an entire lesson devoted to releasing the Student from all that is now believed, entitled "My thoughts do not mean anything" (Workbook, 10). What other fictions would the Teacher feed these hungry Students who are so willing to be brainwashed? Moreover, how was Karen the grade school teacher influencing the minds of the teenagers that she educates?

Misquoting seems to be systemic of A Course in Miracles. Inaccurate references taken out of context seem to be par for the Course. For example, in the Preface, page xii, it states "Only minds can really join, and whom God has joined no man can put asunder" and specifically references the Text, page 356. But on page 356 the text reads "God's Son is one. Whom God has joined as one, the ego cannot put asunder." Not only is this a direct misquoting of the text, but the context is different. Furthermore, this is just one example of many feeble attempts to sound Christian in nature. Certainly this reference is a distortion of Matthew 19:6 where Jesus says "Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate". The twisted interpretation of God's word in the Bible is characteristic of most cults.

Nancy, a veteran of about five New Age Conferences, recalled the time when she met up with someone from a cult who was concurrently studying the Course. "A real cult" as she put it, somewhere, was using the Course as the focal point for their religion! This revelation unfortunately fell upon deaf ears since no group discussion ensued. A clear warning signal fell unheeded. It is amazing how naive can these seemingly intelligent people can be. Perhaps the Students were not doing their homework. Apparently they did not recall reading that "It (the Course) is not intended to become the basis for another cult" (Preface xiii). They were clueless.

Clearly one the most despicable aspects of the Course is the wholesale attack on Jesus Christ by redefining who he is. Although many false religions lower Christ's position from that of deity to just a mere person, the Course goes one step further. It reduces Jesus to that of a "term", an ideology, the so-called Christ Consciousness (whereby you can be like God by getting over your spiritual amnesia, achieving this enlightenment through various methods e.g. meditation). It states

"The name of Jesus is the name of one who was a man but saw the face of

Christ in all his brothers and remembered God. So he became identified

with Christ, a man no longer, but at one with God. The man was an

illusion... And Christ needed his form that He might appear to men and

save them from their own illusions" (Manual/Clarification of Terms 5).

Of course Jesus Christ is God incarnate and came into the world to save man from sin, not from illusions. The Course however denies that sin exists in the world. This point cannot be overemphasized. It also dismisses the reality of death and the devil. The Course teaches that there is only error, and error can be corrected. Without sin, there is no guilt, and thus one can achieve peace of mind. This is the Miracle. The ramification of this denial of sin is that man's atonement through the blood of Jesus Christ on Calvary is effectively eliminated. Indeed, who needs a Savior to save us from imagined evils? Striking at the very essence of the cross, the Course boldly states that "The crucifixion did not establish the Atonement; the resurrection did. Many sincere Christians have misunderstood this." More to the point, it states "Sacrifice is a notion totally unknown to God" (Text 3).

The Course continues to malign Christ on various levels. It impugns the Christ that Christians have accepted into their hearts and lives, as well as belittling its own "illusionary Christ". Discussing Christ, it states "It is possible to read his words and benefit from them without accepting him into your life" (Manual, Clarification of Terms 5). The Course preaches its very own fabricated "Jesus", and yet contradicts itself by downplaying his importance! It even has the audacity to proclaim that it is "Christian in statement"! (Preface, ix).

During a second session with the group, while others were reading aloud from a section called "The Choice for Completion", I silently read on. I discovered what I thought to be something sexual in nature. My suspicion was soon confirmed when the group came upon this particular section. Karen started a discussion about the exchanging of power in relationships between men and women. Then she got sexually explicit, and as I sat there aghast, Karen spewed forth some profanity which really spiced things up. I was shocked.

After completing the group reading, Sayings from the Course, and sharing time, Karen suggested group meditation. She whimsically stated that she was not sure if she could "get a channel tonight" but here goes. With meditation being more evil than television but just as dumb, I knew to start praying heavily at this point. Karen asked everyone to close their eyes, relax, and then led the group on some ten minute astral journey. She started the trek by telling everybody to focus on a ball of light above their heads. She ended up with everyone sitting around God's feet. I silently prayed the entire time, ignoring the evil nonsense around me. I prayed for protection from evil. I prayed that Jesus Christ of Nazareth would reveal himself and deliver these people from their bondage. After the demonic crescendo had passed, I actually felt refreshed from fellowshipping with the true Lord of the universe.

Finally, everyone stood up and joined hands in a circle. There was prayer for miracles in the upcoming week. Then the group drew closer, everyone resting their arms atop of everyone else's shoulders. Names were called out as there was prayer for healing for the friends and family of the group. Wanting to have a little fun, I yelled out "Gus!" (Gus is a friends dog who had recently been stung in the nose by a bee after attacking a hive). I figured that Gus the dog would not be opened up for any spiritual attack by me naming him. I nearly lost my composure at the thought of this mockery of their "holy circle". When it was all over, hugs were going around. I tried to maintain my distance. But Karen made sure to get me, saying I had to get one since I came out, and "everyone gets a hug".

A Course in Miracles is a New Age religion that claims to have all of life's answers. Unfortunately, there is nothing new under the sun. Its followers have embraced the same old lie from Satan, that you can be like God, and surely you will not die (Ge 3:4,5). These pious practitioners have become so sophisticated in their ways of thinking, that they have become fools in their naivete. Even a five year old child is capable of understanding the difference between good and bad, and that evil is a real thing. The Bible asks "Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?" (1 Cor 1:20). A five year old can understand the simplicity of the gospel, where the message of the cross is that Jesus Christ died for our sins (1 Pe 2:24). But the Course is confusing and altogether burdensome in its complexity. The Course itself is the illusion. It has much to say about absolutely nothing. With faithful study, it will scramble your mind, turn your world upside-down, and get you to believe the absurd. It is a lie from Satan who is a liar and the father of lies (Jn 8:44). It is intellectual as well as spiritual death to all those unfortunate enough to be caught in its snare.