"A Course in Miracles" (ACIM) - An Introduction

What is, "A Course In Miracles" all about? Who created it? Is "ACIM" a path for me? What is the meaning of, "a miracle"?

The ideas represented herein are the personal interpretation and understanding of the author and are not necessarily endorsed by the copyright holder of A Course in Miracles, which is now, The Foundation For a Course in Miracles.

"This is a course in miracles. Please take notes." 1With these words, "A Course in Miracles" was first introduced to the human mind.
BACKGROUND:
The time was the fall of 1965; the place was New York City, and these words infiltrated the mind of a hard-nosed, Ph.D, research psychologist by the name of Helen Schucman. She would become the scribe of, "The Course", learning that the identity of the voice she was hearing was none-other than, Jesus, yet quite different from the one Christianity would exhalt to the status of, "The Only Begotten Son of God." This time, Jesus would identify himself as our elder brother - identifying us all as Christ, and part of the same Sonship to which he belongs. It is this Jesus that is the author of, "A Course in Miracles" - the same Jesus Helen had a love/hate relationship with for a good part of her life.

For the next seven years, Helen would have an ongoing relationship with Jesus as their minds joined in what would appear to have been an unlikely "partnership." Helen had been born Jewish and at different times flirted with Christianity through exposing herself to Catholicism and Baptist religious thinking - eventually spending the largest part of her life with agnostic or atheistic attitudes and beliefs, not unlike what she experienced during the "Course years". She was terrified by Catholiscim, yet was entranced by their pomp and circumstance.

Helen was a respected psychologist and Associate Professor at Columbia University's College of Physicians and Surgeons and assistant to William Thetford, Professor of Medical Psychology at the University. He was also Director of the Psychology Department at Presbyterian Hospital. They would work together over the next several years on this project - ACIM. William Thetford "held" Helen's hand during these exciting, but trying times and helped her not only transcribe her notes, but he gave her support in every way - which she needed often. For a long time the Course was their secret. Helen suffered from much anxiety during these times.

Eventually, others would lend support and help make the rough manuscript into what the world would come to know as "A Course in Miracles." The Course was published in 1976 by more of the principals, namely Judith Skutch and Robert Skutch, along with Kenneth Wapnick - all of which are still very much involved in ACIM through two foundations - The Foundation for Inner Peace, in California, and The Foundation for A Course in Miracles, in Roscoe, New York. The latter now holds all copyrights to the material, while retaining the position of the only official teaching arm of ACIM.. Also, it should be noted that this Foundation has since moved from Roscoe to Temecula, California. Helen Schucman and Bill Thetford have both since passed away; in 1981 and 1988 respectively.

In the almost 20 years since publication, many persons have either sought to interpret, "TheCourse", or "borrow" from it liberally to make a point in one way or another. I would caution everyone with a serious bent toward making The Course a path for themselves to choose wisely who they read or listen to since misinterpretation of The Course is easy to do; becoming very confusing to the proper study of its message. One excellent thought to hold onto is: "Seek Not To Change The Course." This was the subject of a workshop by Kenneth and Gloria Wapnick, and an issue with which Helen was very concerned. She knew the temptation that can befall us all - to change meaning to suit our own needs. Also, she was insistent that neither ACIM, nor those associated with it, should ever seek to become bigger than the message. The special relationship is of particular concern in The Course. Helen, herself, did not want her name on the Course, nor any unusual recognition, such as being a "prophet". In fact, during her life-time she refused to allow anyone to associate her with "The Course" apart from those who already knew her and her association.

PRIME SOURCE FOR THIS INTRODUCTION:
The primary source for this introductory facilitation of, "A Course in Miracles" will be Kenneth Wapnick's, "A Talk Given On A Course in Miracles - An Introduction". As stated earlier, Dr. Wapnick has been involved from its very early inception with a most integral role. While he is not the only interpreter of "The Course", he can be trusted to keep you on track. In fact, he not only knew the principal people involved, (right after the scribing was completed) but was instrumental in creating the final product from the multitude of notes, and verbatim transcription Helen recorded from Jesus.

THE COURSE:
The Course consists of three books (now consolidated under one cover). They are: a 669 page Text; a 488 page Workbook for Students; and a 92 page Manual for Teachers. Two pamphlets (Extensions of the Principles of ACIM) - are authored by the same source, Jesus, but are not a part of the Course, per se. They are, "The Song of Prayer - Prayer, Forgiveness, Healing" and "Psychotherapy: Purpose, Process and Practice." This is the complete course with extentions! All other material is ancillary and can be very helpful in understanding, "The Course."

The Course is not for everyone! At the risk of sounding snobbish, let me say that TheCourse recognizes many paths to God. This is but one of those paths. The Course holds forth essentially two things: To help collapse time (the illusion), and therefore shorten the amount of experiences we have believing in "life" in this world; and to help us find peace while believing we are still within the illusion. This is made possible through the help of The Holy Spirit - The Voice For God. The Course is not evangelistic, i.e., it does not seek to "gather people to it." Nor, does it make claims of being a special path to the exclusion of all others. It does not make claims of being a "religion", however it does have a theology. In fact, The Course says,: "A universal theology is impossible, but a universal experience is not only possible but necessary." (From the manual, pg. 77, Clarification of terms C-In 2:4)

The Course has a different theology than its closest association - Christianity. They are not the same thought system at all. In fact, ACIM speaks of a non-dualistic world, where, on the other hand, Christianity - and most other religions, as well as the world itself, are dualistic in thought. When "The Course" speaks of the "world" it is including the "whole physical universe." It might be mentioned at this point that ACIM views the "God" of the Holy Bible as a God more aligned with the ego thought system than as God Is otherwise viewed by "The Course". Since a direct knowing of God in the world is impossible, it is tempting to make one up - created in our own image, rather than as perceived by The Course. It is that part of the dualistic thinking we seem to have made at the conception - or that split into consciousness of, "A Tiny Mad Idea." (T-27 VIII 6:2)

But, before we get too far ahead of ourselves I will try and proceed with further information about what the course says in a more succinct manner.

THE BASIC MESSAGE:
"Nothing real can be threatened. Nothing unreal exists. Herein lies the peace of God." (T-Intro 2:1,2,3,4) If ACIM were to be accused of heresy, the following paragraph would certainly qualify. But, this thought is central to "Course" study.

God is all that there is! God is reality! Everything that is real is but an extension of God! God creates through extending His Thoughts (Ideas). As "humans" we cannot know God directly since we are not creations of God, nor is the physical world of His making. Our true identity, however, is The Christ and that is of God's making since God creates Spirit and that is what Christ is. Since we cannot know God directly, we simply say that God Is! We do, however, ascribe certain attributes to Him, and they are, that God is Formless; Changeless; and Eternal. This becomes our yardstick in which we can measure reality. All that does not measure up is not real and therefore, illusion. Of course, that includes the whole phenomenal world, including us! That is, we are not formless, changeless, nor eternal. (See attachment - Chart)

With that much said, let us hasten to add that ACIM, while radical to "our" thinking, is practical in its approach. The author, Jesus, having gone through this himself, knows that our experience of being, separate minds in separate bodies, completely on our own, is what we believe and therefore he teaches us from two standpoints: As though we knew our true identity (Christ) and knew we were at "home" in God (Heaven, where we never really left). We could call this Level I - contrasting One-Mindedness with the split mind. And then he teaches us from another level that we could call Level II, which is from within the experience that we believe we are having; contrasting wrong and Right mindedness in "the world" - fenced within a body surrounded by time and space; bearing mortal "specialness", like: Matthew, Ken, Mary, or George.

While God is not aware of the content of our illusion, [since for God to know about it would make it real,] He is aware that His Son - Christ is in a "dream" and He has placed the Holy Spirit into the dream as His Voice and as an available correction to unreality, should His Son want it. So,"You are at Home In God, dreaming of exile . . ."(T-10.I 2:1)! Jesus, having been through this also, has reached the Atonement and knows the truth about the illusion - seeing his and our true identity as, Changeless, Formless and Eternal, One with God and All Creation. Accordingly, Jesus is the Manifestation of, The Holy Spirt.

Before we go any further, let's define a miracle:
A miracle is a shift in our perception! A correction! (T-5.II.1:3,7) A reflection between The Father and His Son. "Seek not to change the world, but choose to change your mind about the world." (T-21 In. 1:7)

In Heaven we have no need of miracles. In Heaven we live in a complete state of Knowledge. We have traded that certainty for a "world" of perception; a world of opposites and uncertainty where the reality of LOVE'S presence - our natural inheritance, is blocked from our memory. We seem to have replaced that inheritance with a seeming opposite - FEAR, . . . but what is all encompassing can have no opposite .(T-In. 1:8) The way for us to remember God's love and our true identity within the illusion is FORGIVENESS! While forgiveness reflects the Law of Heaven, forgiveness will not be found there because there is no need of it in Heaven. To offer it is the only way to have it and to have it offers correction for all the mistakes (sins) we think we have committed. Thus, forgiveness of the world becomes the gate of Heaven and, at last, forgiveness of ourselves.

REALITY AND ILLUSION:
Simply stated: ACIM is a path to correct the illusion that seems to keep us separate from the memory of our Father; God! No real separation ever took place, since this would be impossible. However, we are experiencing "life" as though we were separated from His Love and this course will help us re-establish the memory of that reality in a non-dualistic "world", called Heaven. The course also helps us to understand our experience and thus understand the mechanism of relationships and the use of substitutes for our seeming lack in the reality of love. It has been said that the Holy Spirit uses our bodies and our experiences as teaching aids in the classroom of "life".

To repeat one very important point: God does not know about our world because God Is in the reality business and we are not really happening - we are - simply stated . . . illusion. If He were to have "Knowledge" of us then that would make our world, and us, real.

With that much said, what is the implication and full impact of such a statement? Does it make any difference if the physical universe is "real" as long as we experience it as real? Are we just engaged in a game of semantics, or mind bending exercises? Illusion vs. Reality? If we experience the terror of death, the pain and joy of life, the belief in yesterday or the promise of a tomorrow, does it really matter whether we label it illusion or reality? At the risk of simply sounding rhetorical, I will answer these questions with a qualified: Yes, I think it does matter!

If all of this is real, then what is God? If the physical world and the world of Spirit, i.e. God, are both real, then for better or worse we are but the pawns of a "master" we cannot know. Or, perhaps no master at all - no God. On the other hand, with God in the reality business and His Son (us) believing in reality through a filter of dreams (illusions), we can see hope and expectations of some very promising experiences at the threshold of eternity. Eternity is that point where the twilight of time ends, as do all illusions, and life continues unceasingly, in a state of reality - in Love and Oneness.

If we believe in Spirit and a Creator of that Spirit, it becomes only a small step to see that a physical world of limitation could not occupy the same idea with limitlessness, i.e., GOD! The course states a very important principle here: "Ideas leave not their source, and their effects but seem to be apart from them." (T-26. VII 4:7) The reality of anything lies within the creation of it - the Idea. No idea leaves the domain of its creator - nothing is Created outside the Mind of God! Semantics? I think not!

Remember this: All that we perceive - about what we call the world, is temporary and passes away. What we know, in our true state of being about God, is always, enduring, and eternal. Which, would you prefer? Well, a line from The Course asks, "Do you prefer that you be right or happy?"(T-29 VII 1:9) Which do you think we choose?

WHO or WHAT ARE WE - WHO or WHAT IS CHRIST?:
All of this talk about "us" and our human experience, and that of Spirit and the experience of God - what does it all mean? ACIM teaches that God has one Son - The Christ. He is the extension of God's Mind, since that is how God creates - by extension. God is Spirit and therefore so is Christ. This state of beingness is called Heaven, and is perceived in our "world" as a state of Unconditional Love - still implying the duality of opposites. In our natural state of being, however, we Are, simply - Love. We should ask: "What are we? Not, who are we?

So, what about "us", you and I? Well, we believe we are people, called human-beings. The Course tells us we are Spirit, believing, if you will, that we are having a human experience. The Christ Mind, called the big "M" Mind, has fallen into a deep sleep in Heaven - or so Jesus describes metaphorically for us how the illusion seemed to begin. We say metaphorically because such a thing could never have happened, i.e., a perfect Mind entertaining an imperfect thought, such as the making of the ego and a domain such as the world - a miscreation made by the ego as an attack on God. "A place where 'we' could hide from God." A place where our self-authorship could fragment over and over and over again, causing our mind to believe it has become many separate minds, in many separate bodies, and all of us - completely on our own. A place where time exists for us and in a linear manner; where we believe in yesterday and tomorrow instead of thinking of time as a spiral where everything is in the now - simultaneous!

And thus, the "tiny mad idea" appeared: "Into eternity, where all is one, there crept a tiny, mad idea, at which the Son of God remembered not to laugh. In his forgetting (to laugh) did the thought become a serious idea, and possible of both accomplishment and real effects." (T-27.VIII 6:2,3) Believing that we separated from Our Father - mis-creating ourself as our own father (becoming first cause - God) in this moment of seeming madness, we took this whole idea seriously and the carpet of time rolled out, splitting our mind against the non-duality of Heaven and finding instead a dualistic world of opposites where fear would rule over abundance or scarcity and demand would give rise to war. We would perceive ourselvs as separate and outside the Mind of God, where projection - not extension, perceives instead of Knowing.

A perception of "Separate minds in separate bodies, completly on our own, would dictate necessity."31 The miracle does nothing just because the minds are joined, and cannot separate. 2 "Yet in the dreaming this has been reversed, and separate minds are seen as bodies, which are separated and which cannot join."(T-28.III.3: 1&2) And thus our seeming needs were born as our descent into Hell began and the unholy trinity of sin, guilt and fear rode heavy upon our backs to make our many decisions in the sandbox of time. A world where linear concepts of time and space would raise impossibilities - not to mention hardships in many forms, yet always with an unchanging content. A place where separation drives wedges against peace, and guilt and judgement is hurled at our brother in some attempt to rid ourselves of sin. I, not you, are God's Perfect Son! Our experience takes many forms, but the content is either an expression of love or a call for love (attack).

One of the most eloquent passages within the Course reminds us that a miracle is an inner shift: "The holiest of all the spots on earth is where an ancient hatred has become a present love." (T-26.IX.6:1). Truly a correction by the Holy Spirit over the ego's way of presentation.

A GLIMPSE AT METAPHYSICS:
The world has become our screen; a place to act out our scripts that we project upon it. Our mind, like a projector, unfolds our dramas with more reality than would be believed. Dreams are thrust forth and we interact with our "brothers" in endless loops of myriad sets - sometime we are the victim and sometimes the victimizer. Bonding and separateness - two extremes upon the field of life, and the special relationship plays out substitute roles for the real thing - Love.

That which we experience is but of our choosing, yet while none would choose death one might choose life (in a body) knowing that it must surely die. Choice is made in some unusual ways and yet the memory of that choice is dissociated from our mind and seemingly never made. What is illness, then, except an expression of sorrow and guilt - a judgement upon the son of man and a decision against God and His Holy Son, Christ!

How does our understanding of the World of God come to our understanding in this world of material intellect? How does one know the beauty of love or even if it has what we could call, beauty? We sons of man come to know something through the interpretation of our physical senses, and perhaps what we call intuition - the sixth, "non-physical" sense. Yet knowing things outside our belief system; beyond our experience, is where the Holy Spirit is helpful. Jesus tells us in M-21 that he must speak to us in metaphorical language that we can relate to, because: " . . . words are but symbols of symbols. They are thus twice removed from reality."(M-21 1:9,10) In other words, in Heaven no need exists for language or learning. Perfect knowledge is our constant state in oneness.

Contrast this absence of dualistic thinking and symbolism for the world we experience through perception with the following quote from Jesus' sometimes tongue-in-cheek humor: "The Laws of Chaos", in Chapter 23 of the text, illustrates this well:

"Can you paint rosy lips upon a skeleton, dress it in loveliness, pet it and pamper it, and make it live? And can you be content with an illusion that you are living?
There is no life outside of Heaven. Where God created life, there life must be. In any state apart from Heaven life is illusion. At best it seems like life; at worst, like death. Yet both are judgments on what is not life, equal in their inaccuracy and lack of meaning. Life not in Heaven is impossible, and what is not in Heaven is not anywhere. Outside of Heaven, only the conflict of illusion stands; senseless, impossible and beyond all reason, and yet perceived as an eternal barrier to Heaven. Illusions are but forms. Their content is never true.

Thus, we have a beginning for an introduction to ACIM. This syllabus, as it stands, is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. We are caught in time, with a split-mind - the ego on the wrong side and the Holy Spirit on the right side. The Course offers us "another way" of viewing our script - a choice in a world of choices - in a world of duality: "How shall I look at this?" And, thus, we offer our script to Jesus, or the Holy Spirit in the hope of a better interpretation - not to awaken from the dream entirely, but to experience a happier dream upon peaceful fields where Lillies grow.

If another chosen path is yours, that is fine - The Course believes all paths lead to God. After-all, our belief is that we never really left Him! If this path is for you, I can only reiterate what has already been said with this final statement of welcome - this is a course in unlearning; peeling away the layers of mistakenness that seem to have made the illusion real and obscured our true identity as Spirit! May Love, Peace and Joy be your experience along the way!
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1 A Talk Given On A Course in Miracles - An Introduction 5th Ed. 1993 By Kenneth Wapnick, Ph.D, pg. 10. - Foundation for a "A Course in Miracles" 41397 Buecking Drive Temecula, CA 92590
2 A Course in Miracles, 1975 (ACIM) - Foundation For Inner Peace, Inc. P. O. Box 598 Mill Valley, California 94942-0598.
http://Miracles-IllusionsAndTheWorld.net
Rev. 5/26/96 at Roscoe, N.Y.- G.P.W.

Syllabus For: "A Course in Miracles and Christianity: A Dialogue"

Prepared by: George P. Walmsley, Jr.

The ideas represented herein are the personal interpretation and understanding of the author and are not necessarily endorsed by the copyright holder of A Course in Miracles, which is now The Foundation for A Course in Miracles.

Both systems of thought have very different premises; even to the point of being mutually exclusive of each other. To begin with, Christianity takes the form of a formal religion while A Course in Miracles does not, because it is not. Both, however, have a theology that attempts to show the way of man's relationship to God. I think it is safe to say ACIM. is not even a religion in so far as the Course does not seek members, nor make claims of a special system of worship to a supernatural power or as a singular path to God.

In so far as ACIM is concerned, the treatment of behavior towards one another, or the reference to any matter within the world, is to be seen only as a relational teaching tool and not considered as fact. We should be careful here not to make the error real. This is the "drama" within the illusion that the Holy Spirit uses as a classroom lesson. The treatment of information as it relates to the level of God and Heaven within ACIM, however, would be considered more literal, at least metaphorically, since these references and those to our true identity as the Sonship are to be considered part of reality, albeit taken in the same context, as learning tools along with the rest.

The meeting ground and yet too its separation from A Course in Miracles and that of Christianity are found in the identity of the figure called, Jesus. In Christianity, Jesus is seen as, "The Christ" . . . the only begotten Son of God, and Divine. In A Course in Miracles, Jesus (the same physical person) is seen as one of us [our elder brother] - BUT, with one big difference: he has seen through the illusion of the physical world; connected with God through the Holy Spirit and in knowing the truth about the real world and our true identities, he seeks to help us see truth. He sees us equal as brothers and equal as sons. In the illusion that we experience as life, his presence is as the manifestation of The Holy Spirit - The Voice for God! It is only from this position - between equals - that it is possible to communicate miracles.

The theology and lessons of each system of belief are found more or less within their respective writings: The Holy Bible, consisting of Old and New Testaments, is the form that delivers the Christian Scriptures as, "The Holy Word of God". Then, "A Course in Miracles", is found in the form of a Text[book], Workbook for Students, and Manual for Teachers, as well as two pamphlets, "Psychotherapy: Purpose, Process and Practice" and "The Song of Prayer", all of which contain its thought system and lessons. The authorship of the complete Course is ascribed to Jesus as a metaphysical experience by Helen Schucman, the scribe.

Treating this opening information within the context of the Course, we should not only see the differences and similarities between the two thought systems, but the seeming separation from God clearly as an illusion and not as real. We should also have an even clearer understanding that the Course considers all material - regardless of the source, to be part of the illusion. That includes the Holy Bible and ACIM.

MAJOR DIFFERENCES:
1. A Course in Miracles teaches that God did not create the physical universe - The Bible states that He did.
2. The God of ACIM does not even know about the sin of separation (since to know about it would make it real). The God of the Bible not only perceives of sin directly, as in the Garden of Eden, but His responses toward it can be very human, such as demonstrating anger or jealousy and taking punitive measures - sometimes including the infliction of death.
3. ACIM' Jesus is equal to everyone else, a part of God's one Son or Christ; while the Bible's Jesus is seen as special, apart and therefore ontologically different from everyone else, and being the second person of the Trinity.
4. The Jesus of, ACIM is not sent by God to suffer and die on the cross in a sacrificial act of atonement for sin, but rather teaches that there is no sin by demonstrating that nothing happened to him in reality; while the Jesus of the Bible agonizes, suffers, and dies for the sins of the world in an act that brings vicarious salvation to humanity.

Now, what exactly does this mean to those of us who were raised within the religion of Christianity? The answer to this question is simple: What do you want it to mean? Obviously we cannot reconcile both thought systems. Most of us have worn "labels" all our lives. If we have called ourselves Christians with little or no adherence or belief in traditional theology, then perhaps it is time to move on to something in which we can believe. What we call ourselves is really only a matter of personal choice. The important point to remember is: Do not try to mix the two systems - it will not work and will serve only to confuse and undermine your willingness to see through the illusion.

There is a line in the Course that says: "Teacher of God, your one assignment could be stated thus: Accept no compromise in which duality plays a part". (Manual, p. 64; M-27.7:1) We not only can see that the thought system of the Holy Bible and "its" God are dualistic, but all of life within the illusion, as well. Allow this statement from the "Manual for Teachers" to be your guide in recognizing non-duality as Real and duality as a deceptive trap of the ego. Anywhere you see the word "duality", substitute the word "death" because duality is the illusion of separation where opposites are always lurking in the shadows with all their changing forms.

While the above is more than sufficient to demonstrate Christianity and A Course in Miracles as mutually exclusive thought systems, the Course does make an important and insightful point that we should all try to remember: "A universal theology is impossible, but a universal experience is not only possible, but necessary".

The world is certainly not short of theologies, nor religious vehicles to convey them, but when we ascribe our human frailties to God, we can surely feel certain that we just created God in our own likeness, once again. After all, unless we simply say that, GOD IS, and stop there, we are bound to impute limitations to Him because we would not know how to do otherwise. Our ego's insistance that we personify God is a summons we cannot ignore. We substitute form for content in the physical world all the time. This would not be possible in Reality - Heaven, since Jesus in ACIM tells us, God Is formless, changeless, and eternal. This, then, is a measure of, Reality. The physical world that we believe in does not meet such attributes as presented, and so, would be the miscreation of the Ego God that we read about in the Bible.

The world that we perceive as real - the physical world, is a world of opposites, set against a back-drop of time and space. An illusion of cause and effect whereby even perception does not exist in reality since perception would be a substitute for Knowledge (truth); and a thought system of duality whereby everything has an opposite; doomed from its inception since it incorporates its own weaknesses and perceives of separateness. The reality we attribute to God in ACIM, however, is non-dualistic; a oneness and completeness that extends only Love, making separation impossible - in effect, a seamless joining, for love is all there is. A basic tenet in the course states ". . . ideas leave not their source". The cause and effect of reality leaves nothing outside of God's Mind. We are as Thought; we are Spirit and in unity with The Reality of God. Our true identity, then, is an extention of His love, we are, The Christ.

It should be noted, perhaps, that Christianity does not stand alone as a religious system which finds incompatibility with A Course in Miracles. I believe it could be said that no other theology is in line with Course thinking. So, with the exception of obvious references to that of Christianity, one could probably apply the same thinking within ACIM to other religions, also. With this thought in mind it might be a good idea to approach the matter of interpreting ACIM through some of the basics which permit us to study the Course, whether as it relates to other thought systems or in its own right as another path.

It might be observed here that, ACIM does not seek to impede anyone's desire to seek some other path to God. The promise that the Course makes is two-fold: It will help you to find the experience of peace within the illusion, and it will help to collapse time that seems to stand between you and the eternal peace of God by trading a world you made of illusion for the reality of Heaven. These are miracles in response to forgiveness.

THE LEVELS OF UNDERSTANDING:
ACIM is basically written on two levels. This is so Jesus can relate to us back and forth on both levels - from within the framework of Reality and also within the framework of the illusionary world we made up, yet a world we believing ourselves to be living in.
LEVEL ONE: The metaphysical level where Jesus can contrast the State of Heaven as the only reality and truth with that of the illusory nature of the physical world, e.g. God and ego, truth and illusion, Heaven and the world. Demonstrating a knowledge of both "places".
LEVEL TWO: As we perceive reality, i.e., within the illusion of the physical world and the dream of experiences where choices are made between the default guidance of the ego or by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit's voice speaks of unity, joining and forgivness, while the ego's voice speaks of sin, guilt, fear, separation, attack, and judgement. Some sources have, with tongue in cheek, labeled the first three -, sin guilt and fear, as the, "unholy trinity".

At Level One, the metaphysical level, we can view the "real world" and contrast it with the illusory world. However, Jesus speaks to us at this level to demonstrate awareness of right thinking from wrong thinking and to contrast the real thought system of Heaven and the perceived thought system of illusion. It is here we get a good look at the contrast between non-dualistic and dualistic thought systems, or put another way, between reality vs. illusion. One is real, created by God, the other we made up - seemingly, a long, long time ago.
At Level Two, Jesus demonstrates the practical lessons of forgiveness within the illusion of the physical world as we as dreamers experience the influence of ego. He would show us the two basic ways of perceiving this world and ask us to ignore the ego's perception and be guided instead by the voice of the Holy Spirit. At this level he shows us the conflictedness that comes from trying to serve a dualistic thought system of perceptions and asks us to seek the Holy Spirit's help in making that shift. Basically, this level demonstrates our lessons from within the illusion, where we believe we are.

We not only can see there are radical differences in theology between Christianity and A Course in Miracles, but in cosmology also. Christianity would make the illusion of the physical world real, as well as Heaven. This would mean that we, as God's creations and what we perceive as the whole phenomenal world, would have been created outside of God - yet retain the status of reality. "Christianity believes that God created this material world out of nothing preexisting, that it is imperfect but still an image of God and basically good, and a theater for our moral and spiritual growth . . . ." On the other hand, ACIM believes the perception of the world is just an illusion, however in essence it would agree the world could be perceived as imperfect and therefore it could not be created by God; that God is perfect, creates only perfection and therefore needs no theater to learn anything that is not already known by our birthright as Christ. A Course in Miracles further sees that in reality, we are one with God, the Father - that separation is not possible, and if God created anything outside Himself He would be creating separateness, therefore making the separation real and intentional. As well, we would be "outside" the Mind of God, which is not possible.

SUMMATION:
One of the ways this contrast could be summarized neatly would be by looking at the Christian liturgy of The Nicene, or Apostolic Creeds. Some Bible Churches may not recognize the form of either of these Creeds, but I think they would accept their content as essentially the basis of Christian belief. On page 101 of the book, "A Course In Miracles and Christianity - A Dialogue", we find The Nicene Creed. If we read this we can see a very succinct statement of Christian belief whereby ACIM would stand in disagreement.
While it does not address The Nicene Creed on a point by point basis, I believe ACIM makes a basic statement of faith also:

"Nothing Real Can Be Threatened. Nothing Unreal Exists. Herein Lies The Peace of God."

As, A Course in Miracles unfolds before the student, this statement makes sense as a succinct statement, not only of faith, but as a basis for Course study.

One final note of marked disagreement with Christian thought is that the, "final blissful union with God" occurs in a transformed or "glorified" body. This would not be acceptable in ACIM. In Course theology, bodies keep us separate and in a state unlike our true Identity as spirit; as Christ, God's one Son. For us to look forward to such an action would have us look forward to separation from our source as not only desirable, but negating our final goal in eternity - the experience of Oneness, once again - uniting with the truth that we never left.

This paper is not considered a complete treatment of differences between ACIM and Christianity, but is sufficient to make the point that they are very different. A complete reading of the dialogue between Kenneth Wapnick, Ph.D., representing ACIM views, and Father W. Norris Clarke, S.J., Ph.D., representing the Christian position in the book, "A Course in Miracles and Christianity - A Dialogue", would serve those of us well that have a desire to study the Course, or to just know more about the subject.

To Where Is Each Thought System Heading In The End?

FINAL JUDGEMENT: In the end, when the day of judgement is upon us, the living and the dead will be judged and divided into two camps - those adjudged good, or saved, will be forever rewarded in Heaven, and those adjudged sinners, or unsaved, will be cast into Hell for everlasting punishment. In the Christian way of atonement the expiation of humanity's sins are through the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ, as willed by God - based upon the Old Testament tradition of atonement through sacrifice. The acceptance of Jesus as the only begotten Son of God, etc., as more or less seen in the words of The Nicene Creed, determines if one has been saved or not.

NOTE: The Following Paragraph Is a Personal Observation - Not From The Course or, A Dialogue.

Self-righteousness has a pronouncement about it which makes the specialness of the ego appear in all its arrogance and is thus summed up, I believe, as stated above in the "final judgement. Some people seem to revel in this thought, looking forward to it happening just the way the Bible prophesy would have it happen; their happiness seeming to depend on being right about Judgement Day - not only dividing the Sonship for evermore, but making the ego-god once again in the likeness of man.

ATONEMENT: Atonement in ACIM is the waking from the dream - the end of all illusions and the acceptance of the truth that the separation from God never really happened. Clearly, oneness with all of God's creations, and the end of time, but not eternity!

NOTE: This paper was not intended as an debate to determine authenticity between two monotheistic thought systems, but rather to note how they are different - a dialogue. It should be noted that preparation was by ACIM student, and facillitator, G.P.W. on 6/05/95. A minor revision was made on 4/99.