The bickerings of churches over which is nearest to God -- or which is God's most Holy Church -- is as empty and vain as the argument of the apostles of old over who would sit on His right hand and who on His left. Churches have very little meaning except to keep alive a knowledge of God on the earth. It is true that some churches have more truth than others. But no church has ALL TRUTH. If there was such a church it would have ALL POWER and every member would be able to do the works Christ promised to those who believe.The above written by Christine Mercie [Sons of God, pp 104-107]
Some churches are only fanatical works of darkness.
Every church that is not leading its members into those greater powers, promised by the Son of God, is but blocking the road of progress. Such churches permit none to attain a point beyond the organized mass of their orthodoxed conformity. Such churches have so completely sealed the doors of progress to their members that they are but instruments of damnation. Some have placed deadly seals upon the minds of men, permitting none to approach God except through themselves, who are but blocking the way of light. They deny the power of God and the gift of the Holy Spirit even while claiming that they alone possess the authority to bestow such a divine gift. Such claim loudly that they alone on earth possess the authority to bestow the Holy Ghost, by the laying on of hands, and at the same time deny that those on whom they bestow such divine power have any ability to use the gift and the powers it contains.
They deny that his great and Holy Gift of the Spirit can lead anyone into ALL truth, for only the, themselves can do that. If any humble individuals reach out to God for answers, and receive them, such answers are disclaimed and pronounced evil. Thus they deny the power of God to answer the prayers of the humble and contrite and deny the power of the Holy Ghost to fulfill its purpose. Those who place such seals on the way of progress permitting none to reach out beyond the stymied, orthodoxed leaders who live only on the traditions of the fathers and not according to the power of God will shortly be called into judgment.
As the great house of God is put in order the cluttered useless teachings shall be replaced by the great living principles of active power and light. And no man will need to be taught henceforth by his neighbor, brother, priest, bishop or minister, but all will be taught of god. [See I John 2:27; John 6:45 and Jer.]But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.Come Out of Her My People
It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Also see Isaiah 54:13
For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.
It takes great courage to give up the ideas one has lived for, worked for, held to and supported and see them crumble into dust and nothingness.
Few can face such a seeming catastrophe. This giving up, or letting go of all opinions requires more dynamic courage than most possess. For some it is much easier to relinquish their lives than to give up their opinions. Truth and Light can only enter the heart that is open – the heart that has let go – the spirit that has become humble, contrite and teachable.
The pure religion and undefiled is so simple, so completely beautiful that its very simplicity is a stumbling block to those who pin their pride on show and rituals. Its pure simplicity is perfection, and therefore is not desired, or understood. True religion does not need the props of great wordy prayers and learned sermons, it needs no high altars or even magnificent churches, or rich cathedrals. Man is the temple of God and upon his own altar, in the center of his soul, burns the everlasting fire of pure devotion. It is here that the great offering of love is sent forth, where the purity of soul is completely distilled, and the humbleness of heart is developed, and the purity of mind fulfilled. To such the love of one's neighbor is already a perfected reality and it is not an obligation to visit the widows and the fatherless, but a divine privilege. To such, every man is his brother and he loves them even as he loves himself, perhaps more. In his heart the universe is one. Such a one could no more consume great wealth upon his own lusts, while any member of society suffers want, than Christ could have gathered to Himself the thrones of the earth and the riches and honors thereof. The great test the rich young man could not pass is not even a test for such a one.
To serve without hope of reward, or even a desire for it, or a thought of it, is the true service. This is the true law of religion. It is the law of "let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth." To give without expecting to be rewarded or hoping to be paid in even the smallest token of appreciation is a part of the great religion. To serve without honor, or thanks, to serve for the very love of serving, this is the great love.
He who works expecting credit, honors, rewards or glory is working for himself, and not for mankind. And his service is inferior and vain. He who demands appreciation for his services is working for even less and inferior pay. To give service and pass on without giving it a second thought, without expecting reward, either in this world, or in the world to come, is the great service, the pure, Christ-like service of complete love. This is the complete releasing of the law of gravity, for in this way one even lets go of the desire for reward – and gives out love from a heart that is full and running over. Service must be rendered entirely through love and because of love – love must be its aim and its end. This is pure religion and undefiled. It is undefiled by empty forms, cumbersome, orthodox rituals, high seats of exalted honors – and many words. This is the religion of everlasting power and light.
In this religion controversial points of doctrine lose their meaning completely. This is the religion beyond race, or color or creed. And into this religion are gathered the noble and great ones of the earth -- the kindly Jew, the merciful Mohammedan, the truly understanding Chinese, the unselfish Gentile, the humble, sincere Christian -- all those who live the inner laws of righteousness that have been engraved upon the two tablets of man's soul since the world began. This is the law of Israel, which means literally, "Love and Light" -- or the sons of Love and Light. These are those who can live the higher laws of Truth -- letting go of all else.
This great Truth is beyond creed and dogma and orthodoxy. It isn't a strained, overtaxed, bigoted, contentious, wrangling, monstrous thing fighting against itself. It is the natural cleansing of the inner soul and the progressive march of the great brotherhood of all mankind.
Even the criminal often has a better chance suddenly to swing out into the light than the religious fanatic. The criminal knows in his soul he has failed. And sometimes the very burden of that failure is the balance or power that opens up the heart. Many a criminal, locked in solitary confinement, who in his desperate anguish at having reached the very lowest end of his trail, has suddenly been awakened by the great light and his broken heart has opened to receive. His very soul, has in an instant, changed and been exalted and his mind has been enlightened.
From the higher viewpoint it is seen that each person is in the exact place where his most needed lessons can be learned, if he will only learn them. Some are in high positions that they might learn the humility of holding power and many of them fail. Some can only learn by reaching the very lowest point of degradation and shame, some by physical handicaps, deep suffering, poverty or heartbreak. Some in one church, some in another, according to the amount of light and truth the individual is capable of living by, or will accept.
Each church has stood in the past to supply some need. The churches were established to help point the way to the higher life, but they have lost the perspective and no longer point the way, but claim they are the way. Some even assume that they are the entire goal and purpose of existence and the Celestial Authority of heaven itself. At present, all are blocking the way with their empty forms, bigoted ideas, powerless priesthoods, orthodoxed creeds of non-expansion, uninspired dogmatism and unbelievable usurpation of the rights of heaven.
It is time to go beyond the earthly churches, beyond the empty phrases, the dead forms, into the Holy-of-Holies in a man's own soul and contact God through individual effort. Each man must begin to do his own praying, his own searching, his own asking – and most of all he must learn to open up his own heart and mind to the great, outpouring of heavenly, divine light that is beginning to enfold the earth with increasing vibrations of everlasting glory. This is the preparation for the baptism of fire and membership in the Great Church of the Firstborn, which kingdom is not of this world.
"Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven."
Divided By God
Religious oppression and the rise of Toleration
Christian intolerance - dangers of a muscular Christianity
Judge Learned Hand - a government that trusts individuals
The lustre of our country: America's role in freedom of religion
Desiderius Erasmus - if only both sides had hearkened to this man's gentle wisdom
The poor are rich in faith - frontier populism and the recurring "group insanity" of gospel religion
