Many of us have lost ourselves to harmful beliefs, ideologies, and generational and cultural traumas. This separation from our Self and the experience of the Sacred and our interbeing with all of life causes immeasurable pain, suffering, and violence.
I deeply appreciate the wisdom of Jim Palmer and how it is that he weaves healing antidotes to the trauma of our mistaken beliefs that we've absorbed in our families and society. And as Thích Nhất Hạnh has wisely reflected, "We are here to awaken from the illusion of separateness."
This is the journey of healing and awakening that grows our hearts strong and deep, something so needed within ourselves and our families, our communities and country, and other nations and the world. Yes, truly, love is what we are all born with. Blessed be. 🙏💜 Molly
Love is what we’re born with. Fear is what we learn.
It is not natural for a child to believe that there is a God who sends human beings to eternal conscious torment (Hell) as punishment for being bad and not having correct theology. Teaching this to a child is psychological abuse. If that wasn't damaging enough, it is further explained to the child that this never-ending lake of fire is a tribute to God's infinite, love, wisdom and justice. It is explained that the severity of our vileness required this, and that the only way out of this was the blood-child sacrifice of God's only son. Wait. What? Seriously? Is it me, or does all that sound pathological?
I have an advanced degree in theology. I have studied the Bible in its original languages, with a fine tooth and comb. We can do better than this. Coming up with that above religious story from the Bible is criminal and unnecessary. You can take or leave the Bible, but let's not pretend that the above nonsense is "biblical". It's mostly a narrative that toxic religion programmed into us that we project on and insert into the Bible.
Religion is obsessed with the idea of separation from God. All its other teachings are a derivative of this catastrophically false idea.
By definition, if there is a "God" there is no separation from God. Separation from God is not possible ontologically, regardless of how hard religion tries to convince people otherwise. It wouldn't take more than ten minutes to discredit this separation idea using verses from the Bible itself. I do not view all religion as meaningless or without value and benefit. However, the orthodox Christian doctrine of separation from God is not only false and indefensible, it catastrophically harms people.
Nothing is separate by itself or in itself. Nothing has an independent self-generating existence. The word "God" is often used to identify Ultimate Reality. This "God" or Ultimate Reality is the unifying force in and though all things. Concepts such as “near” or “far” have no relevance to this reality. God is neither “near” nor “far.” You are neither “near” nor “far.”
It may startle you to know that you are not separate from God. You are part of God. There is no separation, gap or chasm to be crossed or resolved. Jesus did not die on the cross to bridge the gap between you and God because there is no gap to bridge.
Separation is the disease. Nothing changes until the separation dies, and we find harmony and accord with ourselves, one another, nature, universe, and the transcendent.
Hey, guess what? There is no separation. There is no angry sky-God sending anyone to a lake of fire. There is nothing to fear now or ever.
Welcome to the real world.
— Jim Palmer
From Inner Anarchy
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