Mt. Hood Photo Courtesy of Cheri Smith (c)
Frequently Asked Questions
About
New Thought Teachings
What is your belief about God?
God is that transcendent and beautiful mystery, the origin of all, the sustainer of all, the truth of all that is. It is a presence, immanent in our lives no matter how we live our lives. It is the set of principles that govern all existence. It is love and it is law. This is, in part, our concept of God, but we realize no person can fully explain what God is, since God is infinite and we are currently on a finite place. God is ONE!
What do you teach about Good and evil?
Infinite God is all there is, the source of all and beyond good and evil. There is only ONE POWER in the entire universe, not two. There is no spot where God is not! What appears as evil is simply ignorant misuse of a good creative power. To say there is a power other than God is to say that God is not omnipotent, all powerful.
What about heaven and hell?
These are states of mind, not physical places. Either may be experienced here and now without waiting until after death, because they are simply the reflection of our own consciousness. Hell is a sense of separation from God. Heaven is an exalted state of consciousness of Oneness with God and All-Good.
What do you believe about death?
We believe in the eternality of life, that our physical bodies operate within a natural cycle of birth and death. However, even though we may have a body, we are not just our body. What we really are is the Life that animates our body, and that Life is infinite and immortal. It was never born and will never die. As we become increasingly identified with our divine and eternal nature, our underlying fear of death begins to dissolve and our experience of life becomes more joyous
Do you believe in the divinity of Jesus?
Jesus was not the great exception, but a great example of what we can be when we accept that the “Father” (or" Mother”) is in each of us. We don’t deny the divinity of Jesus, but we do affirm the divinity of every person. He agreed, noting that “These things I do and greater things shall you do.” We do not deny that Jesus was the son of God; we affirm that ALL beings are equally children of God. We do not deny that Jesus understood, experienced and taught about the “Kingdom of God.” but we do believe that the Kingdom of God is also revealed through you and me. It is not something we search for, for we are already within that Kingdom. The quality of our experience within that Kingdom depends on our belief system and our willingness to act on our beliefs.
What do you believe about God and the Devil/ Satan?
The Aramaic word for Satan is “Sitnah,” which means “adversary, accuser, opposer, hater, an enemy.” These are states of consciousness we may experience when not centered on the Oneness of God that is in all. This concept of Devil/Satan does not relate to a spiritual entity or Being that is anti-God, but to our own limited awareness when we forget who and what we are. Falsely held beliefs within our minds can produce the 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.
Are you a cult?
Cults are groups which adhere to a specific set of principles usually defined by and revolving around an individual person. We rely on definite spiritual principles and remain open to ongoing revelations.
What about Prayer and Meditation?
Prayer is how we communicate with the vast essence of Universal Life. When we create a specific intention for what we desire, we consciously set into motion the very thing we seek. We prefer Affirmative Prayer, a true statement of faith that recognizes the creative principles of a loving God with which we are one. Our feeling of Oneness opens us to gratitude and we release our prayer in faith knowing that the Law of Creation is now bringing forth our desired request.
We practicing meditation to still our minds and come into a greater awareness of the Truth of our Being. When we are at peace in our minds and hearts, our lives become transformed, our bodies stay healthier and we are moved by inspiration to contribute our unique gifts to humanity.
Do you believe in Mental Healing?
We recognize the close connection between mind, body and spirit. Meditation and Prayer bring our lives into greater balance. We have believed many things that are not true which have caused us to demonstrate chaos and limitation. Understanding the nature of our Source helps us to eliminate these false ideas which have created disturbances. Speaking words of Truth about our connection with God and our natural inheritance of Good sets the law of healing in motion so that we experience greater health and wholeness in our lives.
Compiled by
Rev. Neil Heilpern
Rev. Frances Lancaster
March 2007