My dear Ann,
How happy I am to hear from you and to know that you are evidently not afraid of controversy. We live in an age where the 'authority' of The Church has been supplanted by the 'authority' of anyone who cares to author a book or publish opinions on the internet. It is hard to estimate which medium will prove to be the more toxic in the end historically. The Church kept people afraid by keeping them ingnorant (The Dark Ages) and filling their minds with fears. The Age of Media, has put a little bit of information by selective publication of 'facts' (misinformation and disinformation) therefore distorting whatever truths there may have been into a form of media circus and fear inducing drama in nearly every area of our lives.
Since the mind is that place in which which fears naturally thrive because of ignorance, doubt and misinformation, it is not difficult to understand why in the Biblical allegory the fallen angel Lucifer was the 'Light Bearer' since he was the bearer of information without understanding, of knowledge without wisdom or heart! When the eighteenth century English poet Alexander Pope wrote "A little knowledge is a dangerous thing..." he was eluding to the kinds of false assumptions which are often drawn from fragmented bits of truth. Thus such an angel becomes a tormenting demon to those who do not seek or know how to find the heart wisdom of Love which is the basis of Truth. There are many who serve this demonic angel and who terrorize the ignorant and the innocent while attempting to trivialize or demonize (or both) those of us who follow a different path of connection to the Universe and who encourage others to do the same.
Ours is an age of instant authorities. This is an understandable backlash reaction to the days of religious and political authoritarianism. Nowadays, anyone with an opinion may become an expert and an authority instantly by disseminating a variety of personal ideas and opinions to those who thrive on novelty, which is quickly and easily done in the form of an internet 'newsletter' or by publishing a collection of them as a book. The public's seemingly insatiable appetite for novelty, rumor and gossip has always kept newspapers in business. It has now become the very heart and soul of publishing (because it sells books) . Internet chat room provide ample opportunity for some phenomenal creativity and dramatic personalities are given full rein to present their personal opinions as alarming facts. How quickly these fantastic morsels are swallowed or gobbled up with equally amazing credulity! But having been broadcast or orpublished,, these theories, beliefs and speculations upon a variety of subjects (about which they are often ill informed) take on an aura of authority
Conspiracy theories and rumors still abound and never cease to amaze us at the ridiculous lengths of fictionalization which are resorted to in order to justify fear, hatred, prejudice and injustice. Do we really wonder at a world in which still so much cruelty, malice and viciousness thrive in televised imagery and where it is still believed that the way to resolve global differences is by intimidation and force while refusing to give equal rights to same sex couples who want to dignify their their loving relationships through a legal marriage! What name could we use to describe a place where the darkest side of human nature has always been so readily exploited for ridicule and 'enterainment', 'healthy competition', profit and 'honors' which are only for the ultimate benefit those who have studied well and subscribe to the precepts of Machiavelli, who told the Prince that in matters pertaining to the maintaining his power over his subjects "It is better to be Feared than to be Loved".
I remember so well when we were working together in France and Belgium many years ago to open peoples eyes, minds and hearts to the personal paths of freedom and enlightenment. It was at a time when there was a great fear of all groups who followed gurus or the teaching not acceptable to the R.C. Church who labeled all 'New Age' practitioners 'cults' and embarked upon a massive campaign (both in churches and the press) at that time to suppress and eradicate all forms of it. As it happened a group in Switzerland committed a mass group suicide at the direction of their leader. The Newspapers were full of all the sensational and lurid details (as one would expect in such a situation) and The Church seized upon this opportunity to attack every 'New Age' practitioner as a force of Satan and a public menace! The ferocity of Christian charity was something extreme and to be marveled at in whart we thought was a time of philosophical toleration. Luckily for us all there were no stakes or kindling wood around or we would likely have all been burned alive (to some suitably religious chanting).
It seemed so ironic that the Cult in Europe, namely the Cult of Christianity (orthodox dogma) would accuse anyone of us of being guilty (without any substantiating evidence other than a group suicide in Switzerland) of what they themselves as a cult had practiced for centuries. And furthermore the reason there was never any need for suicides was because The Churches in Europe (Catholic and Protestant) along with various Heads of State, tortured and executed nearly 4 million people (men, women and children) from the 13th - 17th centuries for 'Heresy, Satanism and Witchcraft (the Churches' common name for Paganism) etc, etc,' Indeed the fires of Hell never burned hotter than in those places in which those pitiful Martyrs were tortured and executed! It is evident from this hastily forgotten stain on the cults of Christianity (along with feuding Leaders eager to cut deals with the churches for the material bounty confiscated from have these persecutions) that the real threat to human life and well being was never from any supposedly dangerous and subversive satanic cults or evil heresies but rather from the accusers themselves who intimidated and terrorized millions of people for centuries
I am reminded of President Franklin Roosevelt's famous statement "The only thing we have to fear is Fear itself!" On this account there are a great number of 'wolves in sheep's clothing' who would have us fear anything that will make us dependant on them as authorities or prophets. Some would have us fear secret conspiracies, others would have us fear global ecological disasters, and there are all too many who would mistrust their own, and their neighbor's motivations and intentions. There is a lot more terrorism against our minds by such people who would like to control us through fear than there is in a physical sense by fanatical extremists.
In times of change, it is natural to want to cling to what seems to have supported us before, even if it never really did or can no longer do so. Changing times require courage, the courage to make errors and to discover (as Christopher Columbus did) that our 'mistakes' often lead us to the real discoveries which enable many major changes in our lives and in the world to take place. I, for one, have not the least capacity to fear in troubled times or circumstances. I have survived countless incarnations (and some ugly deaths, to, which I have just alluded and that I can vividly remember) only to realize that I am very much alive and well now and will always be somewhere or other in the Universe, in some form or other (not necessarily human) as the consciousness which has developed and evolved through it all. So I am not frightened or terrorized by those would try to warn me about the dangers that have always been, and will always be, ever present in our lives.
Sometimes odd marriages between 'New Age' thinking and time honored spiritual teachings produce confusing derivatives and hybrids which try to merge contrasting points of view and practice. While there are always those who merely restate old thinking in new phraseology. One thing to me is as certain as those "Inalienable Rights of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness" articulated so powerfully in our American Declaration of Independence, and that is this: if there is merit to a philosophy and to a practice, it must confer a sense of self esteem and dignity equally and respect to those who practice it as well as those who do not. Likewise it must endorse individual contributions from whatever talents and abilities each person possesses, encouraging originality, discouraging imitation and people pleasing acts of pandering for approval. Nor will it demand the sacrifice of any victims to promote or sustain itself or those who are its acknowledged leaders or spokespersons.
I subscribe wholeheartedly to the words of Thomas Jefferson, who said "Let the right to Freedom Of Religion also confer the right to Freedom From Religion." It is the fear of being wrong which is at the root of the of all Fear. But how can we know without the courage to face unknown, untried and uncertain realities. Religions and self appointed authorities have always tried to seduce our our minds into believing in that which neither they nor we can know for certain until we go there.. Whereas a healthy search for knowledge and truth demands that we set our beliefs aside (as the ignorant speculations they are) so that we can go forth into unknown and unexplored realms of truth, understanding and compassion for those who still fear.
With my warmest regards and love,
Alex
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