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The world is tired of mysteries, does not understand symbols, and longs for Reality.

The absolute Truth is: God Is All There Is. As Absolute Being, God is Infinite, Perfect, Unlimited, Unconditioned, Self-Existent, and all

Self-sufficient. (See Reality).

The Unconditioned--that which nothing can limite; that which forever transcends any conceivable limitation or determination. Unconditioned perfection, Self-Existent, Self-sufficient. Often used as a synonym for God. Truth is absolute and remains unaffected by the opinions, desires or beliefs of humanity.

The Bible was written 2,000 to 3,000 years ago, by the Semetic people, for the Semetic people. The Bible is a valuable and valid source of the Truth when read and understood according to the authors' consciousness and heritage. Truth is Truth and the Bible must be read with an open mind, looking for the higher meaning in the stories, metaphors, and parables. To fully understand the Bible, through the consciousness of human beings; therefore, we must understand humankind to understand the book.

Bible Interpretation
The keys to interpreting the Bible are 1) understanding the historical setting, the place, the time, the reason the Scripture was written. 2) Know the author is particularizing a general principle. 3) Find the general principle. 4) How can this general principle be applied in our life? 5) Apply it.

Cause is always that which produces an effect. Metaphysically, we are always becoming cause to our effect by our thinking and deepest beliefs (see Consciousness). Our conscious mind is the point where cause begins. The effect or result is reflected in our physical bodies and the body of our affairs. When we become aware of this process, we find that as we change the cause (our thinking), the effect (our lives) changes automatically. In New Thought, we deal in cause rather than effect. ( See Thought ).

The word "Christ" comes from the Greek word Christos, which means "anointed" or "enlightened one." Christ is a universal idea, and each one "puts on the Christ" to the degree that he surrenders a limited sense of life to the divine realization of wholeness and unity with Good, Spirit - God.

Christ is viewed as a universal principle rather than a person. It is the principle of God expressing through humanity. Jesus of Nazareth was a human personality through which the Christ Principle, or Divine Personality, expressed itself on Earth. The principle of Jesus Christ represents the mystical marriage of our inner spirit with our outer personality. This union produces an expression of Life that includes both, yet is greater than either. The potential for this expression lies within each one of us. Therefore, Jesus is viewed as a great example for humanity, rather than the great exception. Ernest Holmes, founder of the philosophy of Religious Science, says:

"Religious Science does not deny the divinity of Jesus; but it does affirm the divinity of all people. It does not deny that Jesus was the son of God; but affirms that all beings are children of God. It does not deny that the Kingdom of God was revealed through Jesus; but affirms that the Kingdom of God is also revealed through you and me."

Christ is a Greek word that is used to translate the Hebrew word “messiah.” The word “messiah” means the Anointed One of God. The anointed one is each person in potential. The Christ is not the title of one person, but is a state of consciousness that is attained when the individual realizes and lives from his full potential.

In the traditional sense, we do not consider ourselves Christian because we do not claim the man Jesus as our "Lord and Saviour" (see Saviour). However, we do believe in his teaching. The Science of Mind textbook, the writing of Joel Goldsmith, Divine Science Principle and Practice, as well as the writings of Unity are all based largely upon his teachings.

We believe that the teacher Jesus came to show us each the way of the Christ (see Christ). Therefore, it is up to each individual to analyze his own life to decide if he is Christian or not. The message of the Christ is Unconditional Love, Nonjudgment, Forgiveness, Brotherhood, and Peace. Perhaps true Christianity is more of a lifestyle than it is any one particular religion.

Our consciousness is our mental awareness. It is both the conscious and the subconscious mind and all they contain. In essence, our consciousness is simply the sum total of everything we have ever believed and accepted to be the Truth about ourselves from the moment we were born until this moment in time.

Our consciousness is how we make individual use of Universal Mind. Our consciousness forms a belief system into which Life pours Itself (see Mind). We can change our consciousness through Spiritual Mind Treatment (see Prayer). The ultimate consciousness we want to develop would embrace an awareness that "God Is All There Is."

Creative Process
The creative process occurs in the following manner. Spirit contemplates Itself. In order to see what It is contemplating, It steps outside of Itself, thus creating polarity. This creates the positive and negative, which results in manifestation and gives rise to evolution.

According to the dictionary , a cult is a group which studies a system of religious worship in admiration of, or devotion to, a person or thing.

In New Thought we worship God. We believe that God may be called many names, but that this does not change the all encompassing essence of God, this only changes the person who is using a particular name of God. New Thought teaches that there is no need for a "middle man" to intercede between ourselves and God.
We teach that people should use their minds and hearts and not simply follow like blind animals. If you look around in the world today, there are several religions which are focused on personality instead of the teaching.
There is no shunning in New Thought. New Thought does not excommunicate. There are no Fatwahs in New Thought. New Thought believes in freedom. Freedom to choose what to think and what you do with your life. Our teaching is universal, "in the open," and places no one above or below ourselves. We believe God is available to everyone equally. DivineUnity has the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on its websites. It has been said that the key difference between New Thought and most other teachings is that in New Thought a person does not have to remove her head at the door of the spiritual center. A person can come and go freely and is encouraged to use her heart and mind to test teachings in her life.

The divine principle of Life is an eternally unfolding, upward-spiraling movement. The spirit of God is the spirit of man, and it is both birthless and deathless. The principle of life life cannot know death.

The human experience of dying is but the laying off of an old garment and the donning of a new one. There is a material body and a spiritual body. This spiritual body is the so-called resurrection body.

A demonstration is simply the result of our mental and spiritual work, which creates a greater and more abundant life. Our demonstrations may be large or small. We should celebrate them all because they illustrate our ability to consciously know the Truth and use Principle in positive ways! ( See Principle and Truth).

The only destiny that we have we decree by what we think and embody today, becoming our reality tomorrow. Our destiny is simply the perfect outpicturing of our individualized use of Law of Cause and Effect. (See Cause and Effect and Consciousness)

To believe in a devil would be to believe in duality or, in other words, to believe that there could be a God - and some opposing power. There is not a power for good and a power for evil; there is only one power, and that is God. There are people, however, who misuse their power. The only devil we shall ever know is that which appears as a result of our own negative thinking, which then creates negative results. The devil is not a person, but an idea based in hellish thinking. (See hell).

New Thought teaches that, since the only power acting anywhere is God, the devil simply cannot exist as a force acting in opposition to God's expression through Spirit. Therefore, there really is no devil. There is only the manifestation of falsely held beliefs within our minds, which produces that appearance of some sinister invisible force, or being, acting in our lives. To blame unpleasant conditions and circumstances on the devil, or anyone else, is a way of avoiding responsibility for our own experience of life.

In New Thought, a diagnosis is considered nothing more than an opinion about current conditions. We know that while conditions may be facts, facts can also change. A diagnosis should not be ignored, because God's intelligence can be revealed in and through medical opinions, however it is not a verdict or a death sentence. We know that as we do our work in consciousness, we are operating at the Spiritual level. This means that we are reminding ourselves that God is First Cause to all our experiences and that in the mind of God there is no disease, nor any other discordant condition. (See Prayer).

It is an impersonal thought force operating through people which is not the truth about them. To the degree which our creative minds become "at-ease," dis-ease in our bodies will dis-appear. As we become more aware of the true presence of God at the very center of our being, inner peace will be the result. God-Self awareness is the key to being at-ease.

Distribution
We do not create the power of Spirit. Creation occurred once, and the power is given to us to discover. We are the discoverers and the distributors of the power of Spirit.

Divine Science
"The Practice of the Presence of God is the whole of Divine Science."
--Nona Brooks
~~~
Divine Science has two roots, one in San Francisco and the other in Denver. Malinda Cramer from San Francisco, California had a similar experience as Nona Brooks in Pueblo, Colorado. Cramer's experience presaged Brooks by a year or two. From their separate experiences similar movements began. Then Nona Brooks and her two sisters Althea Brooks Small, and Fannie Brooks James learned about Malinda Cramer's teachings and their similarity and asked if they could use the name Divine Science which was the name that Cramer was using for her teachings. In 1898 the Brooks Sisters incorporated the Divine Science College in Denver to educate teachers and practitioners, organize churches and ordain ministers.

Divine Science teaches that the Creator/God/Great Spirit is limitless Being, equally present everywhere, Creator has its center everywhere with a circumference nowhere. Eternal and manifesting in all Creation and beyond Creation, Great Spirit, the Creator is all Good.

Divine Science is a practical teaching which has its roots in the Teachings of Christ and includes teachings from wherever Truth is found. This is a teaching that can be practiced and applied to everyday living to improve our relationship with self, and to others in our lives so that we may be divinely guided for highest good. Divine Science views Yesua (the original Aramaic name for Jesus) the Christ as the Wayshower. Jesus attained the highest conscious awareness of God the creator as the living Spirit within. By studying and living the principle that God is present at all times, in all places, in all beings, we begin to demonstrate the power of positive consciousness through love and compassion.

DivineUnity
DivineUnity is New Thought with a focus on compassion. Helen Zagat was the Pastor of the Church of DivineUnity in New York in the 1950's. Like many of the smaller New Thought Churches and denominations, DivineUnity slumbered for many years until as the movement grew and more and more people asked about a denomination that placed a clear emphasis on compassion as opposed to manifestation, it reawakened through the work of various ministers and practitioners around the world. Today DivineUnity is the fastest growing denomination in the world. DivineUnity places an emphasis on ability and understanding. There are classes to learn to be an effective practitioner and to become an ordained minister of DivineUnity. But if a seeker masters the principles and passes the tests, then DivineUnity will certify them. One must demonstrate mastery to be a practitioner and feel a call to be a minister. Then to become a minister one must also master a body of knowledge that will ensure that you can share New Thought effectively with any seeker. DivineUnity is the latest evolution in New Thought answering the needs and desires of millions of seekers.

The 7 Basic Beliefs of DivineUnity
1. We believe in the unity of all life and the unity of all life with the Divine Energy that is the root and fruit of all being.

2. We believe in spiritual evolution. The entire universe is evolving and growing and we are evolving from human self-conscious individuals into complete awareness of our DivineUnity as divine centered people.

3. We believe in the goodness of Spirit and in our innate goodness, because we are made in the image and likeness of the Divine. We believe that through perceiving our DivineUnity we are able to best embody the Divine will. We are worthy and loved.

4. We believe in responsibility and compassion. We take full responsibility for our lives because we are free, spontaneous, and unique individualization's of the Divine and we embody Divine love through compassionate action.

5. We believe in healing. We believe in using doctors and healers to achieve healing but that any condition can be transformed through affirmative prayer. Where doctors fail, the Divine will prevail.

6. We believe there is truth in all religions. We respect all love based ministries and all compassionate spiritual paths. We believe in harmony among diverse peoples, cultures, families, and life styles of the world rooted in and respecting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

7. We believe in spiritual transformation. As we open our minds and hearts to the Divine, and consciously love and serve others, we are transformed into the embodiment of DivineUnity. We choose our lives as spiritual beings with courage and grace.

We believe that God is omnipresent and therefore can do Its healing work in many ways. Certainly if God is everywhere, in everyone, then the intelligence of God can and does work through the doctor's mind and body as well as through any medication prescribed.

Of course, the ultimate goal for us in New Thought is to understand that it is our thinking which creates all conditions in our bodies and in the body of our affairs. It is a simple case of cause and effect. As we grow in our awareness of this truth, we know that there will come a time when we are so fully aligned with the power and presence of God within us that there is no need for medical attention, for we are maintained in our natural state of perfection and wholeness. "Perfect God, perfect man, perfect being"!

Yes. In New Thought, we believe that all is God, and that God is expressed through doctors and medicine just as God is expressed through all of the physical universe. New Thought believers believe in spiritual as well as physical healing, and New Thought Practitioners often work in conjunction with doctors and other physical and mental health practitioners to facilitate healing. If we look at the current work in medicine on the Mind-Body-Spirit connection, then we see that Medicine is finally catching up to the New Thought teachings that Phineas Quimby taught in the 1800's and that was taught by Origen, Servitus, and Empedocles and Yesua.

Duality is the belief in two separate and opposing powers. We heal this fear by experiencing God's presence within us first, then realizing that God is always Omnipresent.

Duality results from a fear-based belief that we are, could, or might possibly be separate from God or Good; and the appearance of "things, conditions, and individuals" in the material world seems to reinforce this belief. (See Omnipresent, Reality, and Devil)

To embody is to "give form or make part of." When we embody our thoughts and words through Affirmative Prayer/Spiritual Mind Treatment, we are actually allowing our thoughts to generate feelings. Our thought generates a feeling, we "give it form or make it part of" our entire being, spiritually, mentally, and physically.

Embodiment conveys to subconscious mind our acceptance of a conscious idea. We embody things constructively when we believe in what we want and want what we believe in. (See Truth).

Divine Energy is at the center and circumference of all that is. Quantum physics tells us energy is everywhere present and working even down to the subatomic level. Metaphysics tells us that energy in any form is God in action. All energy is creative. We direct energy first by understanding it and then by unifying with it. (See Thought).

The Eternal is the essence of God, which has no beginning and no end. It is without time or space. There is that part of each of us which is also eternal because we are One in God. (See Death and Reincarnation)

Evil is an experience of the soul on its journey toward the realization of Reality. (See Reality)

Of itself, evil is neither person, place, nor thing and will disappear in exact proportion as we cease thinking negatively and using destructive methods. As long as we make mistakes we shall be automatically punished. A simple case of cause and effect. (See Sin)

Evil remains a problem as long as we continue to believe in it as a separate force and refuse to address the cause of whatever effect is in the world.
Evil is not a place, a person, nor thing and will disappear in direct proportion to our discontinuance of destructive methods.

New Thought does not deny the appearance of evil. However, it teaches that evil does not exist as a force or power in the world. That which is called evil is merely the obstruction, or inversion, of the only power acting, which is Spirit. The obstruction of Spirit's expression always occurs in the mind through the holding of false beliefs. According to Religious Science, the only presence acting in the universe is God, which is always Good. Evil is merely the way that we withhold our expression and experience of that good by accepting false beliefs into our minds.
Evil. It can be summed up in one word: limitation.

Metaphysically, fear is an emotional experience generated by a sense of separation from Source, God. All fear is attached to a concern of loss at some level. A full realization of God's Presence, as source and supply of whatever is needed to sustain us in wholeness, will neutralize fear. Fear is simply the lack of the awareness of God's Presence, which in It's highest vibration is love. (See Love)

Five Kingdoms
There are five evolutionary kingdoms. Each is a prerequisite for the other and each higher kingdom is nourished by the kingdom below it. The first is the mineral kingdom, the second is the plant kingdom, the third is the animal kingdom (the kingdom of simple consciousness), the fourth is the human kingdom (the kingdom of self-consciousness), and the fifth is the Divine kingdom (the kingdom of unconditional love). We are in the evolutionary process of moving from the fourth kingdom to the fifth kingdom, from species, “Homo sapien” to species, “Homo noeticus.”

Forgiveness
It is the ability to cleanse ourselves of our past mistakes, by relying totally on Spirit. “Behold, I make all things new.” True forgiveness involves true worship. “All-creating Spirit is able to forgive our sin and desires to do so.”

Fulfillment
The secret of the fulfilled life is the embodiment that God has already given everything to us, and all we need to do is assume the attitude of a grateful and expectant receiver. Then as we receive, we dispense. The word for “dispenser” in Sanskrit is "human."

God is the First Cause, the Great I Am, the One and Only. God is Spirit or Creative Energy, which is the cause of all visible things. God is all we that we see and do not see.

God is Love, Wisdom, Intelligence, Power, Substance, and Mind. God is the Truth that is real, the Principle that is dependable.

To the degree that we can experience the presence of God in us, and as us, we shall be whole

Heaven is the inner state of happiness. It is not a place or locality "out there" somewhere with streets paved with gold. It is the real state of being. The Kingdom of Heaven is within and can be fully experienced when we bond and unify with the presence of God at the center of our being.

Do we believe in a Hell?

Hell, just like Heaven, is a state of mind, all based on our awareness or lack of awareness of the presence of God within us.

Hell is a discordant state of being, a belief in duality, a belief or sense of separation from Source, God. Many people are filled with hellish thoughts and therefore experience a "living hell" every day.

New Thought teaches that heaven and hell are states of mind. We experience heaven when we are are in harmony with the Life that surrounds us.

Hell is a state of mind that we experience when we don't understand why something unpleasant is happening to us. We can choose to create our own heaven or hell on Earth, and take our beliefs with us when we go through the transition the world calls death to the next plane of existence.

Human Kingdom
The human kingdom consists of three forms of consciousness: ego self-consciousness, which is aware of itself as an individual but sees itself as a victim of circumstances; alter ego consciousness, which is aware of the Law of Mind but uses it for selfish purposes and Unity Consciousness, which uses the Law and Love of God simultaneously. Functioning from the level of Unity Consciousness brings about the Divine Kingdom.

The "I Am" is both individual and universal. As we begin to walk in the "I Am" consciousness, we heal all sense of separation from God. God In Me As Me Is Me! Affirming "I Am" is the most powerful statement we can make. The impartial Law of Mind also affirms that what we place "I Am" in front of, we become.
I AM. The I AM is the creative principle in the universal and the individual. In Hindu scripture, it is called Brahmin in the universal and Atman in the individual. “I AM that I AM.”

Immanent and Transcendent
Spirit is both immanent and transcendent at the same time. It is both in creation, as creation, and beyond creation, unmanifest, at the same time. It is in creation but not used up by creation. That would be pantheism. Science of Mind is not pantheistic, it is panentheistic.

Intuition
The inner knowingness of Divine Right Action in every situation. The ability to use and rely on our intuition takes practice.
The small wee voice inside us. The inner feeling that stems from our DivineUnity which allows us to easily discern. 'The power or faculty of attaining direct knowledge or cognition without evident rational thought.' in other words it means to know something instinctually. For me intuition means an inner sensing or knowing based on relaxing into the divine flow and trusting my connection with God by following through with my instincts, it is like following the small voice from within which is a direct connection with God. We are open to intuition to the extent that we are relaxed enough to listen to the flow of Divine Knowledge which manifests as 'God in us, as us, is us.' When we are listening to the divine flow, our intuitive nature allows for us to transcend the surface information and come to a deeper gnosis of a situation, person or group.

Involution
Involution is the process by which Spirit manifests as matter.
Involution/Evolution
Spirit involves Itself in creation by becoming form. The form or matter then evolves into higher and higher degrees of consciousness. Spirit becoming matter is involution; matter becoming Spirit is evolution.

Jachin and Boaz
These are the twin pillars of the Temple of Solomon, which can loosely be seen to symbolize the Law of God, Jachin, and the Word of God, Boaz, holding up Creation, the Temple.

We believe that Jesus was indeed the son of God - and so is every human being the son or daughter of God.
It is the purpose of Jesus to show us the Standard for Living to guard us from the inverted use of the Law. He is the living model or prototype of the Christ-Man.

When the teacher Jesus said, "Judge not that you shall not be judged" he was simply referring to the Law of Cause and Effect. Since judgment is passed in our own mind, it impacts necessarily in our own experience, and not necessarily the experience of the person we are judging. When we judge others (or ourselves), we only create a sense of separation between ourselves and God.

It is also not ours to judge if others are deserving of some form of punishment. The Law of Cause and Effect operates without judgment. There is no punishment - only consequences. When we begin to see first and foremost the Presence of God in ourselves and others we have no need or desire to judge. (See Sin)

Karma is neither good nor bad, as it is not a thing in itself. It is simply the use we make of our mentality through the Law of Cause and Effect. Therefore, at any given moment we can begin to change our present as well as our future, because we can change our minds about the way we think and believe.

We do not recognize karma as inevitable retribution or reward, because God cannot hold judgments or grudges. As we learn from our mistakes and forgive ourselves, we let go of the past and all of its ties. This moment is our point of power and now is when we become a cause to a new effect or new karma. (See Destiny)

The Law of Mind is the creative medium through which Spirit of Conscious Mind moves. The Law is deductive only. It receives the impress of thought and acts upon it much in the same way the creative medium of the earth's soil receives a seed, never rejecting it.

Whatever we think, believe in, feel, visualize, image, read, and talk about is going into the creative medium of our subconscious mind, which is our individualized use of Universal Mind. The Law is a blind force, and whatever goes into the subconscious state of our thought tends to return as some condition or effect. (See Mind)

Law of Averages. The evolutionary workings of Cosmic Intelligence without the conscious participation of the self-conscious individual. We subject ourselves to the Law of Averages where “things happen to us,” or we can decide to transcend the Law of Averages by taking dominion, using the Personal Factor, and then things happen through us.

Law of Growth. The inherent necessity for an idea or seed thought to germinate. This explains why demonstrations appear to take time.

The Law of One. The Law of One is the Law of Unity. It is our starting and ending place and is symbolized by the circle. There is unity in seeming multiplicity. Everything proceeds from the One Unified Source and everything flows back to the One. If we become confused in the world of effect, we remember to go back to the One, the cause and source of all.

The Law of Seven . The Law of Seven corresponds to the principle of evolution. There are seven steps in any evolutionary process until the next dimension or level of consciousness is reached. Just as notes on a musical scale move to a new octave, so does the evolution in consciousness. See Octave.

The Law of Three. Before any manifestation takes place, there are three forces that are acting within the primordial energy. These are the positive, the negative and the neutral; the creator, the disintegrator and the sustainer. The Law of Three is the law of trinity that explains the creative process. The Universal creation is a three-fold process of Spirit involving Itself into Mind to create Body. We are threefold beings, Spirit, Mind and Body. In Science of Mind terms, the Law of Three is the Law of Involution or Spirit involving itself in matter.

"He that loveth not, knoweth not God; for God is Love" (1 John 4:8). Love is the self-givingness of spirit to its creation and is a cosmic force who sweep is irresistible. Love is the highest vibration in the universe; nothing can withstand its embrace. The opposite of love is fear. In the light and vibration of love, the darkness of fear cannot exist. To know God's presence is to experience unconditional love. To see the presence of God in others is to love them. Unconditional love is always the answer

What is meditation, and how do we use it?

Meditation is the time honored technique for taming, training and transforming the mind. New Thought endorses all forms of meditation, from guided meditation which include visualization to the more traditional mind stilling techniques. It is through meditation that we come into a state of God communion and thereby experience a greater sense of unity of all life.

Meditation quiets the conscious mind to facilitate a fuller expression of God's presence. Meditation is not for the purpose of praying or receiving answers. It is after we meditate that the higher Self may be revealed in the form of guidance or desired answers.

There are many forms of meditation, and one is not better than another. Meditation will help instill a deep sense of inner peace and relaxation, which benefits us spiritually, mentally, and physically.

New Thought is a metaphysically based teaching. There is nothing mysterious or supernatural about metaphysics. Meta means above and beyond, and physical means material or that which is experienced by the five senses. Metaphysics is simply the study of God as Creative Intelligence or Universal Mind, which is everywhere present, in and through all that we see, touch, smell, hear, taste. . . . and beyond! Today Physics is catching up with metaphysics. When we study quantum physics we discover that many of the principles that have been taught throughout time through the various mystic paths from different parts of the world are now being proven and used to create higher technology or effect healing and transformation.

(See Omnipresent)

We also mean our own mind, as we are all one in God. There is actually no such thing as "your" mind and "my" mind, or "his" mind or "her" mind, and God's mind. There is just one mind in which we all live, move, and have our being.

This mind is both conscious and subconscious, Conscious mind is the spirit either in God or man, and the subconscious mind is the law of conscious mind in action and is, therefore, subject to conscious mind. Spirit moves through the law of mind to create (see Cause and Effect). That which we call "our mind" is simply that point in God-consciousness where we are aware of Self. (See Spirit)

Miracles?

Everything that occurs in our lives is simply the out-picturing of our consciousness operating through the Law of Mind. Therefore, those events that seem to be miraculous in nature are actually the Law acting at a level beyond our awareness. As we evolve our consciousness, what previously seemed miraculous becomes a natural, normal and understandable way of life. In actuality, there is only one miracle, this is Life itself.

New Thought is not New Age. . While we are in the new age of scientific discoveries and spiritual awakenings, there is nothing new about the principles we study and strive to apply to our daily lives. New Thought teaches the age-old wisdom of many of the world's great religions in a new and contemporary format. This wisdom always leads us back to the fact that our Truth and connection to God can only be found within; therefore, we feel no need to use any "tool" outside our own consciousness to experience total wholeness, peace of mind, and a balanced life.

We do not feel the need to turn to aids or entities outside our own innate intelligence for divine guidance or advice. To do so would be to give our power away. New Thought and Science of Mind exist for one reason: "To help each person discover his own true inner power," not to take it away from him. God is the only true power. It is First Cause and must be found within each individual, not in the outer world. Our desire is to heal any and all feeling of belief in separation from the source of all our good - God. This is an inner experience and an age-old Truth!

Although many people with New Age leanings are attracted to the various New Thought denominations such as DivineUnity & Religious Science and some New Thought practices such as meditation are also practiced by those who consider themselves New Age, New Thought does not consider itself a New Age Religion. DivineUnity and all New Thought denominations honor all paths that lead to God, whether they be Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, New Age, or any other spiritual paths.

NEW THOUGHT
It is more than a philosophy that explains our true relationship to God. It is a new level of awareness where everything we think is new, where we are creating from Principle and not from past experience, precedent. New Thought teaches the absolute oneness of creator and creation, cause and effect. It consists of clear teaching that the Power and Presence of God resides in the individual, but yet at the same time is greater than any individual.

Objective Mind
The objective mind is an organ of the relative and reasons from the perspective of the relative world. Objective mind becomes Individual Conscious Mind when it transcends the relative and dwells in the Absolute.

The benefit in knowing that God is all-powerful lies in the fact that we are One with this Power. As we begin to experience the presence of God within, we know we can let this power do wonderful things through us.

This is where our power in Spiritual Mind Treatment comes from. We know that we of ourselves do nothing but realize the Divine Truth. It is God within that does the work. (See Truth)

There's not a spot where God is not! The entire premise of New Thought rests solely on the fact that "God Is All There Is", the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, and everything in-between.

While we know we are not all that God is, God is all that we are. All discord in our lives arises because at some level we have created a sense of separation from God. Our ultimate goal in New Thought is to heal this mistaken belief. As we daily practice our unity with God by experiencing God's full presence at the center and circumference of our experience, a deep and fulfilling sense of Inner Peace and Wholeness will be the result. This is the Peace of God which truly does pass all understanding.
Because Spirit is infinite, It must be everywhere present at the same time; not just part of It, but all of It. Therefore, all of the presence and power of Spirit is within each of us.

The truth is there has never been now will there ever be a problem or question the solution or answer to which doesn't already exist in the Omniscient Mind of God.

Through Spiritual Mind Treatment and meditation, we can consciously align with the Omniscient Mind of God, realizing that we already exist in It. As we do this, we begin to draw into our minds the wisdom and courage necessary to heal us in our difficulties.

We could begin daily to affirm and know: God in me as me Is me, and therefore I now know what I need to know!"

Personal Factor
The Personal Factor is the decision of the self-conscious individual to consciously participate in the evolutionary process. Up to the introduction of the Personal Factor, evolution proceeds mechanically. To continue the process, the self-conscious individual must decide to participate. We need Spirit to provide the potential and energy, and Spirit needs us to fully manifest Itself.

Personality, Standard of. The Divine Personality is the individual who embraces the attributes of Spirit and lives those attributes: Life, Light, Love, Peace, Power, Beauty, and Joy.

Polarity
It is the interaction of the active and passive aspects of Spirit resulting in creation and the beginning of the evolutionary process.

A practitioner is a person who embodies the principles of New Thought usually with training through one of the denominations. A "certified" or "licensed" practitioner has undergone a process leading to certification which insures that he or she is trained and capable. Practitioners may be trained and licensed through any New Thought denomination to perform Spiritual Mind Treatment for others (see Prayer). Each denomination has varying methods of achieving this but the end result is the same. A person who can see the truth of Divinity as the root of your being. A practitioner does not counsel or give advice.

To do treatment work is to practice mental and spiritual healing. All healing is done in consciousness and is reflected in the physical body and the body of one's affairs. Because the practitioner knows he and the person for whom he is treating are both one in the Mind of God, he treats to know within himself the truth about that person. Being one in Mind, this self knowingness rises into consciousness of the one being treated. (See Mind and Consciousness)

One might use the services of a licensed practitioner when one is emotionally entangled or too close to a problem to consciously know the Spiritual Truth about himself. (See Truth)

Prayer, by definition, means a "humble communication in thought or speech to God, or an object of worship expressing supplication, confession, and praise."

In New Thought we do communicate in thought and speech with God, through a process we call Spiritual Mind Treatment, or affirmative prayer. We believe that God has already given us, by our divine birthright, all that we ever will need to live a comfortable, healthy, whole, and prosperous life; our only job is to accept it! The communication always takes place within our own consciousness and mind.

Affirmative Prayer or Spiritual Mind Treatment is simply a process used to change our consciousness or belief system.

Treatment acknowledges to Mind (or Law) that what we are treating for already exists and is ours. There is never any begging, or supplication - only acceptance. The Law of Cause and Effect makes it so. Indeed, it is done unto us as we believe!

New Thought honors and endorses all forms of sincere prayer. In addition, it teaches a unique and scientific form of prayer called Spiritual Mind Treatment. This is a powerful, affirmative method of prayer based on the practices of Jesus the Christ that was developed by early New Thought Leaders and refined by Dr. Ernest Holmes, the founder of Religious Science.
It involves a five step process that embodies all of the elements of the creative process of Life itself.

It is the heart's sincere desire, uttered or unexpressed.

Presence
Personalness. Infinite Personalness is the Love of God, which cannot be explained but can be only experienced. It is also called “the Presence.” It has both intelligence and volition. We touch “the face of God” when we reach “that indescribable reciprocity of feeling by which we instinctually recognize something in another making it kin to ourselves.”

New Thought is the study of the Principle of Being. Principle is defined as : "A fundamental Truth of Law." We might say that because God Is All There Is, Principle is the Intelligence of God in Action.

How does Principle operate? By means of each of us, the Intelligence of God, as conscious mind, moves through a field of subconscious mind (or creative medium), creating a result (or effect). Knowing that we all exist in the One Mind of God, we each individualize this Principle every time we think and feel. As we understand Principle and how It operates, we can chose to rely upon It to change our lives in positive ways. As Thomas Troward taught: "Principle is not bound by precedent!" It is unlimited potential, which each person accesses as they open their awareness to Universal Spirit.

(See Law)

Also referred to as the collective unconscious or social belief system, race mind is the collective unconscious thought of the entire human race. It is a thought force that permeates the entire planet.

Race mind suggestion is the human belief system operating through the mentality of the individual who is open to and receptive to it. If we are not aware it is quite easy to slip into the vibration and influence of race mind. Race suggestion can be prolific source of negative energy resulting in disease.

We can rise above the negative vibration of race thought by consciously focusing our awareness daily upon a higher reality. Race mind cannot operate through one who is fully aware of God's presence in and around him.

The "Ultimate Reality" is the absolute truth, which behind all form is the formless energy and intelligence of the one God. The apparent reality (that which we see, touch, and smell) is just that - it appears to be something, and is always subject to change. Ultimate Reality is changeless perfection; therefore, the Real Self is perfection, for God could not know anything unlike Itself. The Spirit of God within us all and all around us is the only true reality.

As we begin to get in touch daily with this perfect principle, we can then demonstrate it in our daily lives. Perfect God, Perfect Man, Perfect Being - this is the Absolute Truth.

The ultimate Reality is: God Is All There Is. As we live and move and have our Being within this reality, divine Realization will become commonplace for us.

A realization may be experienced as a divine "Ah-ha!" It's simply an awareness of God's presence, infused within us and around us in whatever we are saying or doing.
(See Reality)

Receptiveness
It is the necessary attitude of the individual to receive the Power of Spirit.

Reciprocity
The energy process whereby the universal becomes individual and the individual becomes universal.

Redemption
Redemption comes through the realization of individuals that they are one with the Universal.

REINCARNATION

What do we believe about reincarnation?

On page 387 of the Science of Mind textbook, Dr Holmes writes: The spiral of life is upward. Evolution carries us forward, not backward. Eternal and progressive expansion is law and there are no breaks in continuity. . . . . I can believe in planes beyond this one without number, in eternal progress. I cannot believe that nature is limited to one sphere of action.

Life is an eternal flow, and we are streams of consciousness within this flow, forever unfolding. The question of reincarnation is meaningless when we accept the fact that at some level we have always been and will always be; it's what we do today with who we are that matters. (See Eternal and Destiny)

New Thought neither endorses nor rejects any particular theory or concept of reincarnation. Since life is eternal, there are an unlimited number of possibilities for its evolvement after the experience of physical death. In Religious Science, it is accepted that there is an on-goingness of life and we deal with what is before us in the present moment.

RELATIVE

The relative is that which depends on something else for its existence.

In New Thought, the relative is anything we experience with the five senses of sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell. While the relative world may appear as conditions separate and apart from the All, it is not. God is all there is.

In the beginning, there was only God, who so desired to be more fully expressed, that out of Itself It created form through which to do so. Hence, the relative. The relative is really another term for the Body of God. God is Absolute and Relative! (See Absolute and Universe)

RELIGION

Any religion is simply the giving of a

certain form to humankind's idea of God.

The word "religion" comes from the Greek/Latin word religare, which means to "bind together."

It seems, however, that many of the world's religions have done just the opposite, separating humanity not only from each other but from God as well. All religions can assist their members in realizing their divineunity with one another and God. This is what New Thought teaches.

Religious opinions

We strive not just for toleration in the religious opinions of others, but to see the positive and affirmative and help others grow from the root they are already living by.

RELIGIOUS SCIENCE

Is Religious Science a religion?

Religious Science was founded by Ernest Holmes, a five foot three powerhouse of metaphysics. Holmes did not attend university but was a self-taught philosopher who rigorously studied all of the world's Spiritual paths for most of his life. Ernest Holmes created the first edition of his Science of Mind text in 1927. The term Science of Mind was used by many early New Thought Leaders in the late 1800's. Holmes book synthesizes the truths that he discerned were present throughout all of the world's faiths. That book is the foundation of the principles of Religious Science. He never intended to begin a new faith, but people around him were deeply moved by his insights and thus he was persuaded to allow a church to be created to assure that the principles he revealed would be forever available to the world.

Religious Science is based on Holmes' Science of Mind text which is a spiritual philosophy for today’s world which draws upon the various New Thought Traditions through the spiritual lens of Ernest Holmes. It is the "correlation of the laws of science, opinions of Philosophy, and revelations of religion, applied to human needs and the aspirations of each person".

"Uncomplicated by dogma, hidden doctrine, superstition, or outdated concepts, Science of Mind probes deeply and directly into the very Source of Life, emerging with a pure and useful knowledge of principles which are universal."

Based on the Truth which arises in every culture in the form of science, philosophy, and religion, Religious Science provides a blueprint which reveals the Truth about the seemingly unknown forces that shape our universe. This enables us to consciously participate in our own life as a co-creator with the Divine.

Religious Science is not scientology.

Religious Science is not Christian Science.

Religious Science exists to facilitate the reawakening of each individual's awareness of the higher Self.

Each Church of Religious Science, through Sunday services, Science of Mind classes, self-growth seminars, and individual counseling,provides an educational and spiritual process in a supportive environment, enabling all who desire to discover and know the ultimate Oneness of Universal Life to do so.

Religious Science is not in opposition to any religious belief or philosophy. Rather it seeks to bring to light the thread of truth that exists in all religions.

Religious Science recognizes that each individual is on a path to his own fulfillment and must be guided by his own inner voice.* Religious Science offers practical and definite methods with which each individual can create positive life changes. Among the benefits of teachings of Religious Science is the understanding of positive prayer or spiritual mind healing. We

Religious Scientists often refer to Affirmative Prayer as Spiritual Mind Treatment.

In summary, Religious Science offers healing, spiritual understanding, and an opportunity to experience greater love , greater joy, and greater life expression. In the words of Dr. Ernest Holmes,

"There is a power for good in the universe, greater than you are, and you can use it!"

In its broadest sense, Religious Science can be approached as a science, a philosophy and a religion. One of the later New Thought denomination, Religious Science is a straightforward approach to the Universal Truths found in many of the world's greatest religions. The Principles we believe in free us from guilt, fear, and, superstition. (See Science of Mind)

RESURRECTION

See Death

SAVIOR

Is Jesus our Savior? No.

Jesus was a wayshower and master teacher who knew the divine Truth about himself and all others. We do not believe he died on the cross to save us from sin. (See Sin)

We look to the teacher Jesus as the great example rather than the great exception. In this teaching, no attempt is made to rob Jesus of his greatness or refute his teachings. "The works that I do shall you do also; and greater works than these you shall do." Therein lies the divine potential for all humankind.

SCIENCE OF MIND

What is the Science of Mind?

The Science of Mind is the name of the book first written by Dr. Ernest Holmes in 1926 and revised in 1938. It became the text and basis for the teaching of Science of Mind as a science, philosophy, and religion for many thousands of people worldwide.

As a science, the Science of Mind is based on specific universal principles that many of the world's leading scientists are now proving. As a philosophy, the Science of Mind is a simple, practical, and down-to-earth way of understanding the full nature of the Universe and our relationship to it.

For the dedicated student, the Science of Mind is not just a teaching but a way of life!
(See Religious Science)

SIN

Do we believe that humanity is born of Sin and will always be sinners?

The original meaning of sin was simply to fall short of or "miss the mark" of spiritual perfection. A sin is not a thing, it is merely an activity that produces an undesirable effect in out lives. In other words, we are punished by our sins, not for them.

The word "sin" comes from an ancient Greek term. When an archer missed his target with his arrow, he sinned. Sin means to miss the mark or to make a mistake.

There is no sin but a mistake, and no punishment but a consequence. The Law of Cause and Effect always brings with it the consequences of the action or mistake.

God does not punish sin. As we correct our mistakes, we "forgive" our own sins". God does not sit in judgment, or punishment. God allows us to answer for our own mistakes (sins) to the immutable law of Cause and Effect. There is no good or bad - only consequences.

Spirit becomes what It contemplates and as individualizations of Spirit, we become what we contemplate. Therefore, sin in a result of turning our mental mirror the wrong way and reflecting limitation rather than divinity. Sin is caused by misidentification - identifying with condition rather than cause. It is the separation of individuals from their true source. Actually, it is illusion, because we never can be separated from our true source. Sin is making decisions from effect rather than from cause.

Sorcery
The inverted use of spiritual power. It is the use of Law without Love.
See Antichrist.

SOUL

Do we believe that man has a Soul? Yes.

The truth is there is only one Soul and it is the Soul of the Universe. Individual man's soul is simply that point within him where the Universe (or God) personalizes itself.

We believe that the soul is man's creative medium and is therefore subjective (or subject) to conscious thought. The soul is that perfect part of our being which accepts us and our actions, never judging us as right or wrong, always ready to "assist" us in achieving whatever we chose to do when we believe we can do it.

The soul has been referred to as the "mirror of mind," because it reflects forms of thought which are given it. We choose the thoughts it reflects (or in other words, brings into experience). (See Law)

Speaking the Word

SPIRIT

Does man have a Spirit? Of course!

More than that, man actually is spirit. We believe that the Spirit of God desired to be more fully expressed, so that out of Itself It created form to express through.

That form takes many different shapes and conditions. Among the highest forms of God's expression is the human form - You! Rather than trying as human beings to have a "spiritual experience," we should realize that were are truly spiritual beings having a human experience.

You are not just a body of flesh and bones! There is a self-conscious, free-choosing, volitional spirit at the center of your being. This Spirit is sometimes referred to as the "Inner Observer."

As we become more aware of the presence of the spirit that we really are, we automatically begin to live in the awareness that God and we are truly one, Spirit thinks consciously, and this thought moves through the creative, subjective medium of mind (our soul) and becomes objectified in our outer world of effect. Spirit is the cause; the result of the thought is the effect.

Spirit and Matter. Spirit is the highest degree of intelligence and is non conditioned. Matter is the result of lower degrees of intelligence and is conditioned as form.

Spirit, Properties of. The properties of Spirit are 1. Intelligence. Spirit permeates the universe with intelligence and order. 2. Responsiveness. Intelligence plus responsiveness implies personality. 3. Goodness. Goodness is the general ten

What is An Affirmation?

Miracles?