The Celestine Blasphemy

Dear Friend

Just started to read `The Celestine Prophecy' during my study for my exams. And subsequent to our conversations I thought I'd write down some ideas that are going through my mind. I don't know what you will think but I figure you won't mind if I express what I'm thinking.

Back at the time of the wedding I was talking to you about how all this new age and aura stuff fits into the biblical framework that we've both grown up with. I'm not debating the existence of it all; I'm just striving to see the bigger picture of what it all means and how it really works. As I understand it, this book is meant to help me see how it all fits together.

I've just read the first two chapters and this is basically what they have said to me:

• We're all dissatisfied with where we are at - looking for something more. I can't argue with that.

• Of recent times there has been more and more people seeking meaning in their lives. I suppose this would be in the form of post-modernism, existentialism and the New Age Movement. More and more people are become dissatisfied with the structure of society and finding that there is a desire for something more. Cool.

• The Second Insight is about the history of spirituality over the last thousand years. In a page James Redfield has tried to sum up a thousand years of spiritual history. The Medieval Roman Catholic Church controlled the masses and finally Luther pointed out that they were abusing their power. This is true as far as I can see. People no longer had an organisation to rely on. They became disillusioned with organised spirituality handed down from on high and sought it in other places.

OK, now for what I'm not so sure about... as far as I can see there are two alternate philosophies being offered in this world. We are all searching for our deeper meaning, our greater purpose for being here.

Originally there was only one way - we are created beings put here to enjoy relationship with our Creator and the other created beings. Built deep inside us we have the intuitive knowledge that this is not how it is meant to be. We are all longing for perfect love, for perfect relationship.

The second way came about when Adam and Eve decided they could go it alone without God. They figured they were big enough to look after themselves and blew a raspberry at God. `We don't need you' they said `we are going to do it our way, independent of You'. This is sin.

Since then people have been trying to find a philosophy that would give them meaning outside of God's framework, some inside. Those outside strive for self-actualisation - to become the best that they can be in their own strength. Why? Essentially for their own glory and their own benefit. They strive to become what they feel in their hearts they are meant to be.

Some others recognise the depravity of their situation and turn to a loving God who has made a way back into that perfect relationship with Him through the death and resurrection of Jesus. They recognise that they are not sufficient to attain their own salvation. They recognise that they will never reach the state of sinless perfection and self sufficiency that they are striving for and let Jesus do it for them.

Sorry for being so narrow minded and black and white but I see everything but humbling yourself before the living God revealed to us in Jesus as selfish. It's hard to admit that we will never be self-sufficient or independent of God, and that we need to submit to Him. But for me that is the only way there is. Anything else is arrogance before the One that created us and the world that we live in.

Here's my reinterpretation of the `Second Insight': Humans have a tendency to want to be in control of themselves and other people. Both the devil and fallen humanity will mix truth and lie to control others for their own selfish ambition. In 323 AD Constantine made Christianity the official Roman religion. This seemed great at the time but all that really happened was that Christianity just got mixed up with government, the institution and the paganism of the day. Jesus got squeezed out.

The `Churchmen' did use Christianity to control the masses and become the dealers of salvation. What Martin Luther restabilised was `Faith alone, Grace alone, Word alone'. Our salvation has nothing to do with submission to some authoritative religious body or institution on this earth. It is dependant only on faith in Jesus Christ. The `Churchmen' are not meant to be the priests. Jesus is the High riest. That is what Hebrews talks about. The only way to salvation, according to the Bible, which claims to be the only true revelation of God, is through Jesus Christ, the Great High Priest (Hebrews 4:15).

Martin Luther may have shattered a lot of people who's faith relied on the established institutionalised church, but he gave new freedom to the masses to have a relationship with God for themselves in the way the Bible reveals to us - through Jesus.

It may sound noble, arrogant, and narrow minded, but I believe that all this searching for meaning outside the framework revealed in the Bible is just the individuals natural, sinful ambition to be their own god. We want to feel like we rule our own world. We can't handle the idea of submission. We can't handle the idea that we are sinful, or that we never will achieve fullness without submission and humbling ourselves before God and admitting our sin and receiving the gift of salvation. Only then can we enter into the relationship with God and others that we yearn for. Only when we stop trying to get and receive and start trying to give with no thought for ourselves, within the framework of Jesus, do we really find the meaning that we were striving to find all along.

Thanks for sharing your ideas and views. I suppose I'm just trying to do the same. I would like to hear what you think.

I'll continue to read away and maybe make some more comments. I just thought I'd update you on where I am up to at the moment.

Love

Marty

PS.... And the story continues.....

I've just read a few more chapters this morning. I'm up to the Fifth Insight. I can't put it down. It's very interesting... captivating even.

I don't understand auras. A friend once told me that I have a very impressive one. Another friend who was brought up as a witch told me that he used to be able to see auras using the help of demonic spirits. I suppose, like the guy in the story, until one day I might see one, I will never be totally convinced but I'm not saying it doesn't happen. I just don't know.

I am very convinced about interpersonal spiritual interaction though. Like anyone, I really feed off other people. And yeah, sometimes I work to build myself up by feeding off others, sometimes I give myself to others sacrificially and end up more fulfilled than when I tried to control. This book contains a lot of truth. I'm just surprised that he managed to get through the Third and Fourth Insights without using the words `love' or `agape'. I suppose that's just the Biblical terminology for what Redfield is on about.

The Fifth Insight I can also relate to. He describes a mystical experience where he connects with something greater than himself and is both blown away and refreshed. He sees himself fitting into the whole cosmic oneness... with himself, humanity as the pinnacle of the evolutionary process.

As I said, I can relate to this when I go for a walk and get away from life and stuff. Not every day do I have an amazing experience like this guy is describing, but there are some time when just contemplating the wonder of God can totally spin me out and fully refresh my soul. When I think about God and my position in the universe and understand how it all fits together. God has made me a co-heir with Christ of the universe (Romans 4:13). One day I will rule the universe with Jesus. All this will be mine!!! Pretty spinny! Through Christ I can have an intimate relationship and communion with the God that created all this!!!! What am I, little me, that God would go out of His way in such an awesome way to make friends with me?

That's my experience for what it's worth. I suppose other people get blown away by thinking about the big things of life too, whatever they believe.

I suppose the experience of this love and this relationship with God drenching me is a similar experience to the mystic spiritual experience that Redfield is talking about in the Fifth Insight. I just still wonder from my Christian point of view how this fits in.

This book talks a lot about what we can do to achieve this utopian ideal state of being.

Satan is the father of lies (John 8:44). Since the beginning the devil has mixed truth with the lie to deceive. As I understand it, as long as people eventually die without encountering salvation through Jesus then he is happy (Matt 12:22-30). We search for this communion, this oneness with God and with other people.

For me it all relates back to a fundamental Christian doctrine - grace through faith or works - what Martin Luther, tried to re-establish in the Reformation, which was so tragically distorted in the `Second Insight'.

We naturally think that we have to work to be right with God or with ourselves or with others or whatever. We know fundamentally that there is something more. That we are not complete. That we need something more. We need to be better, perfect... whatever. We naturally try to do the right thing and work against our evil desires to do what is right. We try to follow the law that is written on our hearts (Romans 2:15) but always end up frustrated because we never really measure up to it. We work and strive to become, to become whatever. This is works.

(Doesn't this law that is on all of our hearts give us a clue that we may have been created by a moral and personal God rather than merely evolved from nothing. How can something personal and moral come form something impersonal and amoral?)

Grace through faith is about stopping striving to become right with God. It is admitting that we will never meet up to God's standard, the standard written on our hearts. It's about handing all our frustrated works to become right with God, or works to be right, our works to become, to self-actualise, our works to become God, our rebellion against Him, and rest in Him. It's about letting him take our burden, our sin, and enjoying a relationship with Him; honouring him as God because he is God and he has done so much for us. This is worship. For me anything else, any philosophy that negates God being God and having the final say in judging one day whether we have honoured him to the best of our knowledge is arrogance, rebellion and sin. There are consequences that come with this... un-fun consequences.

I know you are just trying to be true to what you know to be truth. I am too. I have bitten my lip for a while now about all this. I'd just rather get it all off my chest now rather than later.

I have no guarantee that I am right in what I say. I suppose that is what faith is about. All I have is the Bible, which claims to be God's only true written revelation to the world, which reveals Jesus, God's ultimate revelation of Himself and His love for humanity.

And as far as I can see there is no better, more accurate revelation of God's truth and his will for humanity than the Bible. God is there and He is not silent. It would be very cruel for God to create us and leave us in this world alone with no idea why we are here or how we fit into the universe.

PPS... This guy seems to know his Bible really well. I've got to give him heaps of credit for that. He keeps putting the words of Jesus in other peoples mouth (i.e. p116 - `The truth shall set you free' - direct quote of John 8:31&32). Pity they're out of context. Satan is the master of mixing truth with lie in order to deceive.

He was telling the truth when he said that if we chose to we could be like God and know both good and evil (Genesis 3:1-7). Well now we do know both good and evil and it separates us from God. Yippie!!!

PPPS... Nearly finished it now!!! There are a lot of impressive truths revealed in this book. I am particularly impressed by the discussion on group dynamics. How if everyone understands how a large number of people can lead an orderly conversation and all have a significant input without controlling the group. This is something that has grabbed my attention recently. After studying community over the past few months I was really impressed when I went to a church for the mentally handicapped, mainly run by people with mental disabilities. I saw the way that many people had a significant contribution and in spite of their seemingly unorganised manner and their handicap. Everything they did flowed smoothly together as if there was something higher controlling the whole meeting. There was also an amazing sense of love and respect and beautiful joy that I have found in few other places.

One truth that this book points out is that people in church organisations do tend to control and hog the limelight. I think God's original intention is that if everyone is controlled by the Holy Spirit and has love and respect for each other then they will be able to act in a way as a whole, as a body, that we could never administrate with our natural minds. A lot of the time churches miss out on a synergy, a dynamic, that could be achieved if they ceased to feel that they had to prove themselves by controlling others.

Obviously tradition and history has governed the functioning of the church, rather than the Word of God, love and the Holy Spirit. I, like you struggle with this.

The `control drama' thing is also very interesting (i.e. identifying people's ways of protecting themselves and showing them up so you can remove their masks and relate to them more intimately). I find myself lately seeing people's `control dramas', and usually indirectly, trying to point out what they are doing. Their reaction to this usually defines how we will relate. If they won't let down their mask when you point it out to them then it's going to be hard to have any sort of meaningful friendship.

I'm not sure about the positive evolution stuff. Sounds nice but... You've probably heard of the second law of thermodynamics - everything tends to advance to a state of maximum chaos. I don't see the world getting better. I don't see people loving each other more in their own strength. I can't grow taller by my own will. I can't be morally right by my own will. I believe that we are getting worse rather than better. We are naturally selfish, hedonistic beings.

I'm not sure about the definition of love in this section either. Love here seems to be a feeling, an emotion, rather than a choice, or a sacrificial action. I'm not sure I understand what this section is on about yet.

The other thing I'm not sure about is the stuff about relationships and submission. It says that it is bad to become `addicted' to a person. You must keep control of yourself and keep drawing from the world rather than expecting everything to come from one person. This will form a depletive, co-dependant relationship. That's cool. I'm just not sure about the stuff about submission. It states on page 194 that `Perhaps in the past one of the partners was willing to submit themselves to the other one, usually the woman, sometimes the man. But we are waking up now. No one wants to be subservient to anyone else any longer.'

Ephesians 4 talks about a sacrificial duty of both the husband and wife in a marriage and the different roles that each take to make up a whole. If there is no submission, one to the other in love, then there is chaos (Ephesians 5:21). If there is no stable marriage, then where is the cosy environment that it describes for the children to grow up in? If I have to wait until I `complete the circle on my own' and to 'stabilise our channel with the universe' then I will never be ready for marriage. If we could be complete on our own then we wouldn't need God we would be God. And if we were all God's you'd get the mess that ended up in Greek Mythology - all the little God's fighting against each other with all the power they had. Messy! We already to that to a large extent. Luckily we don't have ultimate power to fight with.

I think there is a lot of excellent psychology and spirituality in all this. There is so much truth in it. My mind naturally wants to understand the universe too!! I want to know how it all works. I want to understand exactly why I'm here and what I'm meant to do next. But the more I question the more I learn but also the more I realise I have yet to learn, the more I realise I don't know, the more I realise there are conflicting ideas and that my brain isn't quite big enough to make a cognitive whole out of everything. I will always continue to learn and think but I know that there is only one thing that I have to know and accept in this world to give meaning to this life and assurance for the next.

PPPPS I just finished it and I'm scared, disturbed even. Have these guys read the Bible? I think they have. `...the Manuscript as a whole doesn't negate but clarifies the truth of the Church.' What do I say?

Firstly, I learnt in physics that `energy cannot be created, nor destroyed, only changed from one form to another'. If this is true of this spiritual energy that is talked about growing and growing until we achieve the critical mass of awareness and then oneness, where is it to come from? Or do humans create it? Have you created energy? I haven't. I may be a channel of spiritual energy but that energy comes from outside me, not from inside me. Spiritual energy comes from an outside source.

As for their interpretation of the person and life of Jesus Christ. Check out what he says about himself and see if you would agree with what this book says.

This New Age stuff is just making up another set of laws that we can try to follow to ease our consciences of sin and try to regain our unfallen state.

We imitate Christ because we love Him and want to show our respect for Him because of the sacrifice that he has made for us so that we could have a restored relationship with God. This book says that if we imitate Christ we can become like him by our own works and cross over into heaven by our own strength without making use of the atoning sacrifice of the Son of God (see page 242).

To say that the men of the church have distorted the message of the gospel and horded truth in order to manipulate people and become disillusioned with the church structure as many have is one thing. To take the life and death of Christ and distort the word of God and mix it with selfish `I am my own god' philosophy is another thing.

This is not an attack on you. It's just my honest, heartfelt response to what I read in this book. If I did not share it with you I would not be being true to you, myself, or what I believe. I think that is all both of us are trying to do. I would be interested in what you think of what I have said here. My understanding of all this stuff is far from complete. One day I will understand the whole picture.

The Bible is not meant to be a science book. It doesn't tell me how the world was created, it just tells me who created it. It also doesn't tell me everything about myself but I believe it tells me all I need to know about my sin and how I can be made right with God again. It tells me all I need to know about the universe and myself to be content and happy. The rest is just a bonus. Once we begin to stand in judgement of the Bible and add or subtract from the Bible what we don't like then I think you're stuffed.

Sometimes I wonder why I'm on the part I'm on in life... Sometimes I've doubted why I'm doing engineering and have been really frustrated. But the way all this has seemingly coincidentally fallen into place partially convinces me that there is really some (divine providential) coincidence happening all around us. The big challenge for me is to continue to honour God when things do not go my way, when things don't fall into place the way I want them to, the times when I don't have these mystical experiences with God and feel his intense intimate love. This is when I have to live by faith.

Humbly,

Marty