Let's Get Real, by Dr. Carol Carnes

 

As a Religious Science minister, and one who loves our teaching, I have never quite felt at ease wearing the robes and stoles our ministers seem to cherish. We are neither judges, academics, nor traditional religious ministers, so why are we acting as if we are part of one or more of those clubs? I get a little embarrassed when I see us all lined up to profess down an aisle clothed in our finery. Personally, I do not own a robe. We have never quite figured out where we belong. It all started when Dr. Ernest Holmes railed against becoming a “church.” He knew we did not belong in that milieu. He understood we are a teaching and a way of living that can be learned and practiced. Ridding humanity of superstition and dogma was his reason for organizing in the first place.

Our teaching has effectively kept millions of open-minded seekers outside our doors precisely due to our religious appearance. The teaching itself is beautiful, democratic, and a true blessing for anyone who can wade through the outer trappings of religion and practice its techniques of self-realization. Today it is often presented as a mind-control device alone or a path to “God,” neither of which is enough to satisfy the curiosity of the educated. We are spirituality, but that is not religion. It is a perception of Reality that frees us from fear and opens us to a higher level of livingness.

There must be a pairing of science and wisdom and a constant explaining of terms since we tend to use old-fashioned language in reference to our place in the grand dance of life. Some ministers leave out the science part, which, according to HH the Dalai Lama, any spiritual teaching must have to be valid. An interesting footnote: he refers to Tibetan Buddhism as “the Science of Mind.” When he read Holmes, he remarked it was the closest thing to Tibetan Buddhism he had ever seen, minus the cultural differences, of course. The rituals and symbols come from culture, not the teaching.

Our Centers (the word church has been replaced) have tacked on the rituals of other teachings to make us appear more…something! I am not sure what. We are not “Interfaith” nor are we a blend of other religions. We are the conclusions drawn from the observations of brilliant thinkers who have surmised how the universe appears to work and how we personalize what it is doing. It is a deep, complex and ongoing revelation, dependent on the latest in science, as well as the evolving awareness of dedicated students of Truth.

One of the most important additions to our open-at-the-top philosophy is meditation. When I first came into this teaching in 1975, meditation was considered taboo by, at that time, the president of the organization! I asked that person what they meant by “going within,” and they had no genuine answer. Over time, with so many of us having been initiated into Transcendental Meditation, it came to be seen as a natural part of Science of Mind. Now it is routinely taught by our ministers. What evolves is our awareness, our personal experience with Truth. We open our minds to the revelations of Quantum Physics and cosmology to the betterment of our teaching.

This teaching has surfaced in the world many times, over the millennia, in different forms and has been driven underground again and again. Holmes’ articulation of it was perfect for the early 20th century when so many were questioning Calvinistic Christianity that seemed to go against natural human desires and needs. It was, at that time, a way of setting the teachings of Jesus apart from the rest of the Bible, showing how he came to show us how to be human, not how to be religious fanatics.

Today, more ministers have adopted psychology in their version of the teaching, believing more in the “shadow” of Jung than the wholeness of our Essential Self. They have, perhaps unintentionally, somewhat abandoned the principle that “consciousness precedes form and experience” for some brand of Trauma is Cause. Yes, it is, if we do not know we are greater than even the worst kind of treatment. Why are we not comfortable teaching that?

I am not saying this is an easy fix. I am not setting myself up as the perfect example. I am not even close to realizing my true self, but I know we will go dormant once again if we continue to mask ourselves and our teaching, pretending to be what we are not. What Holmes gave us is the mechanism to transform this world. Can we accept the power in our hands? Will we stop trying to make people feel good about their pain and set them free? We have the means to liberate humanity from superstition and dogma. Let’s not add to the problem with our false rituals and our silly pomp and our fear of being misunderstood and challenged. As the great Dr. Kennedy Shultz always advised ministerial students; “If you are doing this to be loved, do something else because you will be sorely disappointed.”

Emerson said, “To be great is to be misunderstood.” I add, “Initially, perhaps, until we stand up and make clear the gift we are offering. Humbly and lovingly, all we want is for humanity to awaken to its spiritual magnificence.

Dr. Carol Carnes

Judgment, Condemnation and Discernment, by Dr. Carol Carnes

In my 45 years in New Thought, as a student, board member, and then minister, I have noticed a rather dangerous trait in those of us who truly want to see the best in others and to love everyone. We sometimes make the mistake of thinking our good intentions will keep us and our Centers out of harm’s way. In the process we can put people who are clearly not yet equipped into positions of responsibility, thinking their spiritual potential will come through. That is an emotional reaction. So intent on not being ‘judgmental” we seem to lack serious good sense when what is needed is Spiritual Discernment.

Spiritual Discernment is something we must develop if we want to keep our heads out of the clouds of delusion. While we love all people as spiritual Beings, we know not everyone behaves in ways that are supportable. His Holiness the Dalai Lama defined compassion as understanding the motivation behind the act. In a compassionate awareness, we use Spiritual Discernment, not our emotions, to choose how to respond. We may well understand the motivations of a criminal, their childhood perhaps being a factor, but we would not necessarily go into business with them.

It is simply true that we are not all on the same level of self-development or awareness. There are those who cannot imagine relying on an invisible power to supply them with everything they need to prosper. They truly believe it is a dog-eat-dog world and they must take their good from wherever they can, even if it means stealing or cheating. Acts of crime, whether violent or “white collar” stem from the fear of Lack. There is a belief in “not enough.” However, underneath that psychological state is spiritual DNA which knows “there is Good for me and I ought to have it.” Emma Curtis Hopkins said that and added, “even the thief believes it, they just do not know how to get it.” When we do not know how our Good comes through us and are ignorant of our relationship with Cause, we will do just about anything to obtain what we think we must have, what is our Good.

Recognizing these traits in others is not a condemnation of their soul. It is simply an acceptance of where they are in consciousness. It is rather tricky to acknowledge this while also knowing they are capable of great leaps and profound change. Until there is evidence of that, however, it is wise to choose whom to associate with carefully. We do not kick them out of our mind or heart, and certainly not our “prayers” but we know it is not spiritual enlightenment to pretend everyone is motivated by their higher Self.

Sometimes in New Thought, I hear well-meaning students equate judgments with condemnation. They are not the same thing. We make judgments all the time; it is necessary to live and remain safe in this dimension of time/space. When we say, as an example, “Marvin is not to be trusted with the Center’s money,” we are not condemning him to a life of crime. We are not denying his wholeness or his boundless potential. We hold those to be true, but we also discern that he is on a level of consciousness that is not conducive to holding a position of financial responsibility at this time. It would be spiritual malpractice to put him there.

Too many ministers have rued the day they put someone in charge, thinking, “they will rise to the occasion,” when they clearly were not yet capable of doing so. Everyone deserves our love, that is, our recognition of their innate goodness and unlimited potential. Spiritual discernment is not a denial of the current human expression; it includes it. We love all Beings while knowing we are each on the path of awakening; some are ahead of us and some behind. We can learn from both, but it takes good judgment and spiritual discernment to extend our compassion and to choose wisely.

Dr. Carol Carnes comes from a varied background in service and Global Ministry. Her career has spanned three decades and has taken her around the world. In the company of some of the great minds on the planet; scientists, religious leaders and cultural icons, she has participated in three Synthesis Dialogues with HH the Dalai Lama and other world leaders in Italy and India. She helped plan the 2014 Awakened World Film Festival in Santa Barbara, the Gandhi King Peace Train and several New Thought conferences. Her service to the international Centers for Spiritual Living included being the Director of Education and Member of the Board of Directors.

She has written for Creative Thought and Science of Mind magazines. Morehouse College, the alma mater of Dr. Martin Luther King inducted her into the MLK International Board of Preachers in 2000.

Author of three books, she has a daily blog “Living Consciously” which serves as inspiration for thousands of people around the world

Her latest book “Emerson and New Thought” was published through Devorss. She has a featured article on Creativity in the April issue of Science of Mind Magazine.

In her own words “I believe the world is awakening to its spiritual roots, relieving itself of the superstition and dogma of Religion. To be spiritual is a way of living and thinking, not an institutionalized set of rules and regulations to follow. Spirituality ought to set us free to be authentically who we are and fully present wherever we are. Learning to honor and respect the creative nature of our own mind, seeing how we are one with the universal intelligence, can change lives dramatically. From physical healings to financial prosperity and all manner of healthy relationships, we can direct our own destiny with the right use of mind.”