Fillmorian Unity and A Course in Miracles

By Orren Evans Ministries, Inc. June 1998

Introduction There are many questions regarding Unity and A Course in Miracles. Since there are so many different Unity teachings, this discussion refers to a single set of Unity teachings. This is the Fillmorian Unity teachings; the teachings of Unity foundersMyrtle and Charles Fillmore. For the most part the terminology in Fillmorian Unity is greatly different from that in A Course in Miracles. Fillmorian Unity widely uses Biblical terminology and in many cases has extended the meanings of Biblical words beyond that used by more orthodox Christianity. Even though A Course in Miracles uses many Biblical quotes, it uses many terms with their own meanings. Suffice it to say, generally, one cannot interchangeably use terms from one teaching to the other. To understand the Fillmorian Unity teachings one must know the meanings of the words used to define these teachings. To understand A Course in Miracless teachings one must know the meanings of the words used to define these teachings. Without understanding the meanings of the words as used in context, there is little possibility of fully understanding either of the teachings. It is difficult to over emphasize the importance of knowing the meaning of words in context. We cannot assume that because we know a meaning of a word in a specific context that we know the meanings of the same word in different contexts. For example, in the book, The Revealing Word, the definition for manifestation is for material manifestation. However, Myrtle and Charles Fillmore wrote about manifestation on three planesmaterial, psychical, and spiritual. The definition is incomplete and has led many Unity students to use this single definition for all the uses of manifestations in the Fillmores writings. Thus, this has caused many people to misinterpret the Fillmorian doctrine, theology, Christology, etc. Overview Even though they use different terminology, the teachings of Fillmorian Unity and A Course in Miracles are nearly identical in overview. Both teachings are valid paths to salvationreturn to the kingdom of God, the Christ consciousness. The following overview uses Fillmorian Unity terminology. The Fillmorian overview goes into significantly more detail in many areas than does A Course in Miracles.

Documentation A Course in Miracles A Course in Miracles is well structured and scientifically organized. It contains three publicationsText, Workbook for Students, and a Manual for Teachers. They are published by Foundations for Inner Peace. The Text is the theory and contains more than 600 pages. The Workbook contains a lesson for each day of the year and contains almost 500 pages. The Manual for Teachers (88 pages) gives further information for those who want to teach. It also states and answers many questions that most of us would have as we study the publications. I can attest to the fact that I had life transformative experiences studying and contemplating the Truths taught here. However, ACIM is not for everyone. Its terminology and method of writing does not suit everyone. ACIM does state that there are thousands of versions of ACIM on the planet. Perhaps there are a sufficient number of versions that everyone can be accommodated. I believe that Fillmorian Unity could be considered a version of ACIM. Fillmorian Unity Myrtle and Charles Fillmore founded the Unity movement. Their work was never ending. They made major and monumental accomplishments. It is difficult to believe they could have done so much in their last physical lifetimes. They never had the time nor ever took the time and effort to logically reorganize and redocument their teachings. For the most part they wrote short articles, letters, lectures, sermons, and class material. Charles Fillmore probably wrote only two books (the original versions)The Mysteries of Genesis and the Mysteries of John. As I understand it, he supervised the writing of the Metaphysical Bible Dictionary and made many contributions to it. The other books attributed to Myrtle and Charles Fillmore are collections of the short writings they did for specific subjects as mentioned above. Two of Myrtle Fillmores published books are available. Thirteen of Charles Fillmores published books are available. Thus, the Fillmorian Unity teachings are buried in the many published writings, no longer published writings, and unpublished writings of Myrtle and Charles Fillmore. The Holy Spirit gave me the job of scientifically reorganizing their teachings in a logical and unified manner. I have been doing this even before I entered the Ministerial Education Program in 1988. I have completed the two new basic publications which represent the Fillmorian Unity teachings in a scientific, logical, consistent, and unified basis. These two publications are the Jesus Christ Gospel Glossary and the Jesus Christ Gospel. The Holy Spirit has instructed me to document a standard teaching methodology where each person can see and know where they are on their spiritual path. In addition, there will be recommended organization structures for delivering these teachings. When this is accomplished we will have a system that is effective in achieving its purpose. An Overview of this has been written titled Education Model. The Fillmorian view of the Unity Movements purpose is to help ourselves and others surrender our personalities to the Holy Spirit. Then the Holy Spirit will complete our regeneration to eternal spiritual life including spirit, soul, and body. Another way to state this goal is: With the Holy Spirits help, reawaken to our complete spiritual awareness and live our eternal spiritual lives as God planned. This is reawakening to the kingdom of heaven or the Garden of Eden that we knew before the fall.

Spiritual knowing To know the things of the spiritual realm one must spiritually know them. To spiritually know one knows with certainty; knows without comparing, analyzing, discussing with others, or trying to convince others of the rightness of one's knowing. When one spiritually knows one experiences joy, peace, and happiness about the knowing and is satisfied. One does not need agreement from others; one just knows. One may be guided to share this knowing with others but one would not enter into arguments or any type of mental or emotional conflict with others about it. One shares this knowing with joy but with no coercion. One's knowing is not influenced by praise or criticism. One remains at peace with this spiritual knowing no matter what the external appearances may be. I Cor. 2:12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. I Cor. 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. John 7:24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment. For the most part, statements of beliefs developed from a consensus of a group of personalities (those operating from sense consciousness) will contain beliefs to assist in perpetuating sense consciousness. Those living in personality, rather than individuality, will develop beliefs based on personality (sense consciousness); the beliefs will not have been spiritually discerned. Thus, they are unreliable. This is the cause of the changes made to Jesus teachings and to all major and minor religions begun from the guidance of the Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ. Doctrine of Jesus Christ It is safe to assert that no one can know the doctrine of Jesus Christ without going direct to Him (and or the Holy Spirit) for information. The writings of the New Testament known as the four Gospels are the most reliable external guide. When these are studied with unbiased mind, it is perceived that Jesus delegated no ecclesiastical power to anybody; that He did not formulate His doctrine or authorize any other human being to do so. Jesus appointed one teacher: The Comforter, even the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said unto you RSV John 14:26. The Holy Spirit is the only authorized interpreter of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and no man can know what His doctrine is unless he gets it direct from this one and only custodian. It is not to come secondhand, but each of us must receive it from the Holy Spirit, who is sent by the Father in the name of the Son. This doctrine must be spiritually experienced. Intellectual knowing this doctrine is not enough. There can be but one leader for us in our search for God the Spirit within us. When we unreservedly gives ourselves up to this Spirit we find that the old world of forms and their limitations are no longer of interest. A new world is opened to our vision. What was the goal of our human life becomes a mere toy to our expanded concepts of God and our destiny. Elohim God As Absolute, God is independent, self-contained, and free from variability and error natural to human perception and human ways of thinking.

There is no Truth or reality outside its Godself. God is all; there is nothing else. Any other appearance is just a seeming appearance. God is known by pure reason (spiritual knowing). God is not perceived with the physical senses. As Spirit, God exists without space, matter, time, and limitation. There is only the eternal now. Spirit is the invisible cause that produces all reality. Those living in sense consciousness alone know nothing about Spirit. As Good, God is pure goodness without any awareness of any seeming opposites. As Love, God is the unifying and harmonizing essence that binds all spiritual creations and spiritual formations. Love sees and knows only good. As Mind, God is the universal storehouse of all perfect, divine ideas. As Principle, God is all of the spiritual laws. As the infinite, God embraces and is all. God is the totality of Being including all knowledge, all life; the complete all. God is without end or limitation. God is boundless, immeasurable, and inexhaustible. God is infinite and eternal. The fundamental principle is the creative plan and the creative law or creative process. As creative principle God is the creative plan with every detail in place. The creative plan is not separate from God; God is the underlying Creative Plan. The Creative Plan contains many sub-principles and or laws. The Creative Process consists of both creating and "forming." Only Elohim God creates while the Son and Holy Spirit form spiritual beings and spiritual beings form spiritual things. First Emanation Conceptually, Elohim God, first cause, created out of Godself the following: the creative plan and the resources to carry out the creative plan. The resources are: creative process, spiritual substance, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The creative process or creative law consists of three parts. In the spiritual plane it is (1) Spirit or I AM, (2) soul and (3) manifestation. First, I AM selects one or more divine ideas; second, the soul or mind becomes aware of the idea(s); third, the Holy Spirit, using spiritual substance, forms or manifests the idea(s) as mental pictures or thought images. The creative plan is eternal and complete in every detail. The creative process is eternal as a process but is also eternally active. The Son is the composite of all divine ideas. It is the one divine idea that contains all others. Divine ideas include both isnesses of Being and things that can be formed in and of the spiritual realm. There are an infinite number of divine ideas and their combinations. The Son is also referred to as the incarnating principle, Christ, and Jehovah. The Holy Spirit is the forming principle used both by the Son and spiritual beings. The combination of Son and Holy Spirit is called "creative word" or "Word" since it requires both functions to form spiritual beings. The Christ selected the divine ideas of spiritual beings. Using spiritual substance and these divine ideas the Holy Spirit formed us, spiritual beings. The Christ incarnated into spiritual beings. This spiritual beings consists of individualized centers of Christ consciousness or individualities. This represents you and me in the kingdom. From spiritual beings' (our) viewpoint we call the Son, "Father." The Son, Christ, is our Father since the Son and Holy Spirit formed us. The Son incarnated into each of us as spiritual beings and gave us the character and potential of the Christ in miniature.

This is the end of the first emanation. This first emanation was done instantaneously, that is, without time and without space because there is no time and no space in the spiritual realm, a nonmaterial universe. Second emanation Each spiritual being is an individuality in the spiritual realm. An individuality is a replica of the Christ in miniature with similar attributes and potentialities. A major difference being that we are formed directly from Spirit. We are mind organs or ideas of Christ. Therefore, our formations are ideas of ideas; thus our ideas are on a secondary level thus, the second emanation. As spiritual beings, we begin our function in the creative process according to the creative plan. Our first awareness is "I." Then our awareness is "I AM. We possess nothing. Yet all the treasures of God must and do pass through our consciousness. These treasures are divine ideas. For the divine ideas to express or manifest they must past through our consciousness. This begins our use of the creative law or law of mind action. I AM becomes aware of one or more divine ideas. The ideas in mind, the forming function of the Holy Spirit, with spiritual substance form spiritual bodies or things. These manifestations are mental images or thought pictures in the spiritual realm. In the spiritual realm "body" is synonymous with "thing," "Earth," and "ground." "Body" represents anything formed in the spiritual realm. In spirit this forming is instantaneous. When I AM selects another combination of divine ideas, the previous formations disappear. This is similar to our current consciousness when we think of a thing, such as a lion, we mentally see a lion. When we change the image to an elephant, the image of the lion disappears. We may believe that spiritual manifestations are permanent and eternal. Generally, this is true of the creations and formations in the first emanation. In the creative process of the second emanation the formations or manifestations are dynamic and ever changing. This is living in the Christ consciousness. This is having the Christ, divine ideas, as our source and using the forming function of the Holy Spirit to form selected combinations of divine ideas. As intended by the creative process, this is properly using the "law of cause and effect" or the "law of mind action." The first two parts (spirit and soul) of the "law of mind action" is the kingdom of God (kingdom of heaven, paradise, Eden) while the third part (spiritual body) is the spiritual earth. Thus, this is the meaning of the terms "kingdom" and "earth." Body and earth are synonymous and refer to any and all spiritual formations. In this Christ consciousness we, I AMs, are continually at cause over our formations or effects. We notice that in the second emanation the flow of the law of mind action is in one directionI AM to soul to manifestation. This flow is from the inner to the outer. Here the soul contains only pure divine ideas (no error thoughts or false beliefs); it is a transparency for the I AM. Therefore the spiritual body is the product of both the I AM and the soul. With the flow in only one direction, the soul is only aware of pure spirit and the body is only spiritual; ideal. The soul is completely aware of the I AM consciousness or Super consciousness. The individuality, I AM, is expressing the image and likeness of God. Our goal as spiritual beings

The use of the creative process in the second emanation is "spiritual evolution." It is the making or evolving of spiritual beings. It is without end. The continual expansion of I AM through the use of the creative process is spiritual evolution. It is going from Glory unto Glory. Spiritual evolution is the goal of spiritual beings. Our goal is to bring forth God's perfect patterns; continue spiritually evolving; continue to realize and know divine unity; and continue being an I AM in the Christ consciousness. End of the creative plan God's creative plan ends here. The seeming fall of man is not a part of the creative plan. Seeming third emanationThe Fall of Man We are by birth a spiritual race, and we should never have known matter or material conditions if we had continued the creative flow in only one directionfrom the inner to the outer. I AM has its freedom. It loves to be. To be is to enjoy. To enjoy is, for a time, to be that which one enjoys. For example, when one is absorbed in a movie, play, or book then one may be lost to all else. During that time I AM is identified with that which it enjoys. For seemingly millions of years we, I AMs, became our effects and forgot to be cause. We, I AMs, seemingly became entangled in our formations or effects. This is sense consciousness without the material world. This is the answer to the question "How did we, I AMs, come to separate ourselves from the kingdom of heaven?" There was a fall in consciousness. There was a sense of separation from pure divine ideas. We glued our attention to our formations (mental pictures or thought images), bodies, time, space, planets, animals, etc. We became entangled in our effects and our effects began to rule us. The flow is no longer in one direction, from the inner to the outer. The flow is a circulation of ideas of entangled forms from the outer to the inner to the outer. Pure divine ideas are no longer the source of our being. We are seemingly separated from our Christ consciousness. We just continue to circulate what is happening in the outer. We decided to be our effects and began to enjoy the being of them. We began to form false beliefs or error thoughts. These false beliefs became our entanglement in our effects. These false beliefs are also the contamination of the soul realm or psychic realm. We, I AMs, spent millions of years of thought upon the reality and solidarity of our effects in the soul or psychic realm. This formed a mental impression that preceded and seemed to form the present material world and everything in it. Hence, all materiality is a part of the "fall of man" including our physical bodies. Contaminated psychic thought forms of our bodies precede and form the physical bodies. Then upon the death of a physical body, the soul consciousness returns to the contaminated psychic realm between physical bodies. Thus, there is reincarnation. We, fallen humankind, made civil laws and enforce them with penalties, even to death. We, fallen I AMs, formed laws of physical birth and death; of sickness and physical inability; making food the source of bodily existence; of mind recognizing no other source of existence except the physical, the material. This is sense consciousness or race consciousness which is separate from and independent of creative mind. I AM entangled in its effects is "I AM used adversely" or the "adverse ego" or "personality." This is "I AM kept in bonds by its own actions." The adverse ego desires to keep the I

AM in bonds (entanglement) so that it can seem to continue to exist. This is the answer to "Adam falling asleep" and has yet to fully reawaken. The five outer senses are a part of the Fall. These five senses is "Adam during his sleep." This is the reason that we are not to judge by appearances. The appearances are what we perceive with the five outer senses. Judging by appearances is not reliable. Only spiritual knowing is reliable. The goal of fallen humankind is regeneration Our goal is to transform our fallen sense consciousness to our spiritual or Christ consciousness. This is salvation. As a byproduct the physical body is regenerated to a spiritual body. We will then continue with our goal as spiritual beings. Barriers to achieving the goal of fallen humankind We are mind. Our consciousness is formed of thoughts and beliefs. These thoughts form barriers and when we believe the thoughts are true they are impregnable to other thoughts. These barriers are false beliefs. Belief is closely related to faith. It is an inner acceptance of an idea as true. Belief functions both consciously and subconsciously. Many false individual and race beliefs are very active below the conscious level. Opposing thoughts exist in our consciousness when we have any mental and emotional conflict. If these are not handled and the emotional energy discharged while we are aware of it, then the conflicts may be suppressed into the subconscious (and race consciousness) to become blocks and barriers to our salvation. False race beliefs bind humankind to sin, disease, poverty, war, and death. Examples are: We believe that life is what we perceive with the five physical senses. The race use of "resistance" is the greatest disintegrating element in consciousness. Thoughts and feelings of resistance are associated with every type of conflict within our consciousness. Resisting evil is a method of affirming its power and reality. We have doubt. We give undue attention to ritual and ceremony and not the spirit of religion. We believe that mind evolved from and is subject to matter. Millions are held in bondage to the belief that they must be helped. The belief that we must provide for the future produces many burdens. This fear of future want affects almost all of us. We believe that we have fallen human ancestors. This is a strong entanglement The following is a short representative list of false individual beliefs. Spiritual pride is personal vanity. It is a holier than thou attitude. False prophets are deceptive religious thoughts or beliefs. For example, God punishes us for our sins; hell is an eternal pit of fire; we will be raised up from the dead with a physical body. Gaining some spiritual knowledge but not being obedient to the Holy Spirit. Belief that we must physically die to receive salvation. We believe there is progress in death. Beliefs that it is valid for us to judge and thus condemn and criticize others. Using fear draws to us those things which we fear. It paralyzes us from proper action.

Belief in superstitions gives us unsubstantiated beliefs. We are placed in bondage to those things which we give undue attachment to; such as race, class, age, sex, and personality. Beliefs that some are superior to us and that some are inferior to us. Beliefs that we are what we are currently expressing as our character traits. Beliefs that we need the approval of others to be happy. Beliefs that we have friends and enemies.

JESUS Christ incarnated into the physical Jesus. Jesus brought to our immediate attention both spiritually and physically the abundant life of Elohim God. Hence the proclamation of Christ in Jesus, "I come that they may have life, and may have it abundantly (John 10:10). The name of a physical being and a spiritual being The name Jesus identifies the spiritual being that incarnated into the physical being named Jesus. Jesus still lives in the spiritual plane which interpenetrates this planet. He is available to us who sincerely desire in our soul for His companionship and help. Jesus, a fallen human being, gained salvation billions of years ago Jesus was a fallen human being in a former cycle of time, billions of years ago, who completed His transformation from sense consciousness to Christ consciousness. Jesus was and is a spiritual being within the Christ consciousness. Jesus, to us, is Jehovah and Christ Jesus assumed the responsibility for fallen humankind on planet earth. It is His responsibility to help us in our efforts to overcome our fall into sense consciousness. From our point of view Jesus, the spiritual being in the Christ consciousness, is Jehovah of the Old Testament and the Christ of the New Testament. He is the head of our race. Jesus incarnation was preplanned with a divine mission Jesus incarnation in human physical form was divinely preplanned with a specific mission for Jesus to perform. Using the creative process, Jesus selected the idea of incarnation into a physical body through the virgin Mary. The Holy Spirit manifested this idea through the virgin Mary. There was no necessity of going through the man-made laws of procreation. This process probably minimized the effect of race consciousness on Jesus. Jesus mission was to teach, demonstrate, lead, and help humankind return their awareness completely to the Christ consciousness. This included opening the way for the Holy Spirit to enter into the minds of men. Jesus (spiritual identity) has been and is aware of the status of fallen humankind, their interrelationships, and the condition of the planet itself. Jesus became our elder brother, our way shower, our Lord, and our Savior. He did this by fulfilling His divine mission. He continues this mission in His current spiritual consciousness. Jesus Crucifixion Jesus allowed Himself to be crucified. Spiritually interpreted, crucifixion means to cross out or dissolve all the false beliefs that hold us in sense consciousness. It is the crossing out of

the whole personality in order to perfectly express the Christ consciousness. We give up the mortal to gain the immortal. We give up the physical body to gain the spiritual body. Jesus Resurrection Resurrection is a result of crucifixion. It restores the mind and body to their original undying state. This suggests that there has been a falling short of the divine standard. Therefore, because of the Fall there is a necessity for being restored. Jesus was raised from the dead. That is, He overcame death of His physical body. However, physical death is not necessary for resurrection. Enoch and Elijah demonstrated this. Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus. Easter's inner meaning is raising to spiritual consciousness the "I AM used adversely" which has been buried in false beliefs and the tomb of materiality. Jesus Ascension Ascension can be viewed as both a noun (a destination) and a verb (a process). As a process it is the progressive unfoldment of humankind from sense consciousness to Christ consciousness. Jesus manifested Himself on the physical plane. Next, He ascended to the mental or psychical plane. Finally, He completed the process of ascension and arrived at the destination of the spiritual plane. And I, if I be lifted up from earth will draw all men unto me (John 12:32). Jesus wants us to join Him. He is anxious for us to join Him. The more of us that join Him the more we increase His drawing power to draw others to the spiritual plane. We, humankind, individually and collectively, are seemingly different from Jesus only in the degree in which our consciousness has been cleansed of false beliefs or barriers. When will be like Him? We will be like Him when we have followed Him in the resurrection and ascension. Why have we not joined Jesus as He promised? In our high spiritual realizations we make temporary contact with Jesus and His character, represented by His "name." But we, like His disciples, are not yet able to go there and abide, because we have not overcome earthly attachments. We should clearly understand that we cannot join Him through death. We must overcome death through regeneration. Regeneration is the transformation of our sense consciousness to our Christ consciousness. In the name of Jesus or Jesus Christ The mightiest vibration is set up by speaking the name Jesus Christ. This is the name that is named "far above all rule, and authority," the name above all names, holding in itself all power in heaven and in earth. It is the name that has power in heaven and in earth. It is the name that has power to mold the universal substance. It is at one with the FatherMother substance, and when spoken it sets forces into activity that bring results. "Whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it to you." "If ye shall ask anything in my name, that will I do." There could be nothing simpler, easier, or freer from conditions in demonstrating supply. "Hitherto before the name Jesus Christ was given to the world} have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be made full." But we must not only ask but bring the Spirit in our consciousness by affirming its abundance to be the source of all our good. Then perfection will begin to be manifested right in the

face of apparent negation. Remember the invitation of the Master "Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be made full." Would you meet your God in this sacred place? Then quietly enter this holy of holies in the name and through the power of Jesus Christ. Here reality reigns supreme. Neither doubt nor fear can enter. You will be conscious only of the great omnipresence of God, where the light, joy, peace, and satisfaction of His Spirit abide, where Truth reigns supreme. But the name does not represent the real character of the person unless it is known to us through our acquaintance with the person himself. Unless you have read about Jesus and tried to realize His love, wisdom, and supermind power, you have no conception of the meaning of His name. Paul urged that we let Christ be formed in us. That means that through the study of the life of Jesus and the discipline He gave His mind we shall put into our mind the same ideas that He had. These ideas will form in our mind a new kind of man, which is God's man. Just speaking in His name in a perfunctory manner is not sufficient, we must assimilate His spiritual character sufficiently to know its meaning, then we can get what we ask for in His name. The Way to Overcome the Barriers The following list shows only some of the ways found in the Bible and the writings of Myrtle and Charles Fillmore. Each of these subtitles could have hours of classes. Many books have been written about a single topic. The Glossary of Charles Fillmore's Terms goes into more detail. General Our goal is to regain our spiritual dominion. We do this by spiritualizing or dissolving our false beliefs. This is removing the veil or mask of sense consciousness. The result is our soul is purified of false beliefs, leaving only spiritual awarenessspirit, spiritual soul, and spiritual body. We then continue with spiritual evolution, the goal of spiritual beings. Over nineteen hundred years ago Jesus taught a religion that changed the whole trend of people's thinking. His teachings are called "the Way." Jesus placed a spiritual center in race consciousness for us to contact in our moments of high spiritual realizations. He traveled the way or road to Truth. He knows the hard places and how to get through them. We need help from one who sees wholly in spirit; a safe guide. Jesus and the Holy Spirit are safe guides. We can reach them in prayer. These processes or techniques are not independent of each other. They overlap and are normally used together. The more one studies, uses these techniques, meditates, contemplates, and prays the more these techniques seem to become one. Desire for a Better Life There is a divine goodness at the root of all existence. We can see it with our spiritual vision. We may stifle it for awhile but eventually the inner secret spring will be touched and this divine goodness will be brought to light. There is an innate urge in humankind for worthwhile achievements; for our divine inheritance; to receive the inspiration of the Holy Spirit which urges us to forsake earthly things and desire heavenly things. Education on the Gospel of Jesus Christ

This education begins in the study of the New Testament, the writings of the Fillmores, and other publications consistent with them. The education continues in spiritual knowing which is from the Holy Spirit. Love God, humankind, and all creation Jesus instructed us to love God supremely and humankind as we love ourselves. In addition, we must love all creation in order to gain pure God love. If we continue to hold others in thought of sin, we will not demonstrate our freedom. To free ourselves from sense consciousness we must see others as they are in the absolute (in Spirit). To gain our complete individual freedom the entire fallen humankind must gain their freedom. Discipline the mind We are influenced by race beliefs as well as our own beliefs. Therefore, we must stand guard at our portal of thought. This portal is our conscious mind or intellect. We must discriminate as to whether the beliefs contain conflict or peace; whether they are from sense consciousness or the Christ consciousness. We must dissolve those beliefs which produce mental and emotional conflict. This overcoming is not done in an instant but little by little our spiritual being is rebuilt from the within to the without. Change our belief systems We must change our belief systems that entangle us in the outer to those belief systems that are in line with us as spiritual cause. We must love and be at peace with everyone and everything. To do this we must practice nonresistance. Charles Fillmore says that the law of nonresistance as taught by Jesus is demonstrated only by erasing from the individual consciousness every thought of personal rights. To get perfect results we must deal in both the absolute and relative realms. Practicing nonresistance It is easy to love others when they love us and treat us lovingly. But how can we love others who treat us hatefully? How can we love criminals? We must change our beliefs. We must see others as they truly are in the absolute. We must realize that the current actions of others reflect their current beliefs. They are doing the very best they can with their current beliefs. What they are saying and doing comes from their beliefs and has nothing to do with what you are or I am. We are doing the best we can with our current beliefs. Our attitudes come from our beliefs. By beginning to change our beliefs we will see others differently and cease to take offense at whatever they do. This is done a step at a time. We can see our progress as we move forward. Follow Jesus teachings, examples, and commands We are to keep His sayings or words. To do this we must know what He said. We must consider His sayings in our mind under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Then we will know their meaning and how we are to apply them in our life. We are to love one another as He loved us. We are to heal the sick, bind the broken hearted, raise the dead, and preach the gospel to all the world.

Prayer, meditation, silence We must learn to pray and meditate in the silence within our own minds. This is a place in our consciousness where we receive guidance from the Holy Spirit. This is where our prayers are answered and we receive spiritual peace, joy, and happiness. Denials and affirmations Denials should be made as though we are gently sweeping away cobwebs. Our affirmations should be made with a strong, bold attitude of mind. These are most effectively done while poised in Divine Mind. Denials should address the false beliefs first and the outer conditions second. It is the beliefs that form the outer conditions. Denials and affirmations will take us part way through the journey of overcoming. But they will not take us all the way. Praising and thanksgiving Praise is one the avenues through which spirituality is expressed. We increase whatever we praise. All creation responds positively to praise. A weak body can be praised into strength; fear into peace and joy; a failing business into prosperity; and insufficiency into supply and support. Thanksgiving works similar to praise. Giving gratitude to God and thanks to our friends causes even more inflow of good into our lives. Giving and receiving Giving and receiving are two views of the same thinglaw of circulation. God gives to us without limitation. God always gives us more than we can possibly give away. Yet, we must demonstrate this step by step. This is the reason the Bible says the Lord loves a cheerful giver. When we give freely with love and joy we are opening our minds to receive even more good from God. However we do not give with the motive of receiving. We give to help others and from just the joy of giving. Our good can come directly from God or through others as channels for God's good. Forgiveness Forgiveness is really a combination of denials and affirmations. It is giving up false beliefs for true beliefs. We feel the need to forgive when we are angry and resentful toward others or ourselves. How do we know when we have really forgiven others or ourselves? This is done when we no longer have any mental and emotional conflict regarding the associated incidents. When we are proficient in the use of this method it will allow us to more effectively open our minds to communicate with the Holy Spirit. Live in the now guided by the Holy Spirit We may be told to live only in the "now" moment without any regard to the past or future. From the view of personality this seems impossible and it probably is. However, we can do this when we have developed an open channel of communication with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will guide us in every detail of our life. When we do this our progress of overcoming will be swift and certain. Let go of everything in sense consciousness

What? Let go of everything in sense consciousness? How can I do that? Salvation cannot occur in sense consciousness. Sense consciousness is the "fall of man." Therefore, to gain salvation, sense consciousness must be dissolved or spiritualized. You must build upon faith in the reality of the spiritual. The next step is to put your selfishness away. There cannot be two in this kingdom. It is the kingdom of God, and humankind must give up. The kingdom is for the larger man. The personal man must be eliminated (Jesus Christ Heals 61). willingness to give up the natural man to the divine is a most propitious sign in one who is in the regenerative process. Many persons are ambitious to put on Christ, but are not willing to give up the present man in order to do so (Mysteries of John 19). When you have renounced the fleshly consciousness and have resolved to live in the Spirit, you have made a covenant with the Most High to Ieave the domain of the flesh forever. You have entered into an agreement with your invisible self that is far more binding than any man-made contract could possibly be (Talks on Truth 84). End of the material world Every manifestation is ensouled. For a manifestation to persist the thoughts of it in the soul must persist. Once the soul releases the thoughts of the manifestation, it just disappears. It is no longer ensouled. The material world was formed by race consciousness (collective sense consciousness) of fallen human beings. When a sufficient number of fallen human beings transform their sense consciousness back to their Christ consciousness, then the material world will just cease to appear-to-exist. The material thoughts holding the material world together will have been transformed to spiritual thoughts. Then the material world will have been transformed to the spiritual world. The "new heaven and new earth" will be the same "heaven and earth" that spiritually existed before the fall and exists now. It awaits our reawakening. The "end of the world" is the point in consciousness where the true thoughts are in the majority and the error thoughts have lost their hold. This is the consummation of the regenerative process (Metaphysical Bible Dictionary 266, Col. 2, 3rd paragraph). Fillmorian Unity is open ended Spiritual Truths are always true. They are changeless. They can be stated in different ways and in different terminology. For people with different languages and changing cultures we need to restate the spiritual Truths in languages and symbols most understandable to them. Unity does not claim to know all of Truth. Unity does not attempt to force Truth on anyone. It is a set of guidelines for each person to learn spiritual Truths directly from the Holy Spirit. However, expansion of these known Truths should come only from the Holy Spirit and/or Jesus. Comparison of some terms: Fillmorian Unity and A Course in Miracles Fillmorian Unity altar angels A Course in Miracles altar angels (a subset of Fillmorian Unity meanings.)

atonement barriers: blocks Christ Christ, first coming ofThe dawning in mind that spiritual man is the real son of God. Christ, second coming ofRegeneration; salvation. creation

Atonement barriers: blocks Christ Coming, firstOur original spiritual creation. Coming, second(same) creation (a subset of Fillmorian Unity meanings.) create and form (verb) create; extend crucifixion Crucifixion denials (denials of the unreal) denial (same) desire for a better life little willingness Divine Ideas (none) faith faith fall: (see: world, material) separation fear fear forgiveness (same meaning but the definitions are worded forgiveness differently) free will free will giving and receiving giving and receiving God God grace (Used more along the Biblical usage. However, either grace usage will bring about similar results.) gratitude gratitude healing healing heaven (defined in more detail than in ACIM) heaven hell (very similar to ACIM but has interesting differences) hell (not separately emphasized) Holy instantthe interval of time in which we choose forgiveness instead of guilt Holy Spirit Holy Spirit (subset of Fillmorian Unity.) I AM used adversely Ego Synonyms: absence from the Lord; accuser; Adam man; adultery; Adversary; adverse ego; adverse mentality; antichrist; carnal mind; carnal or sensual flesh; consciousness, false; consciousness, material; consciousness, negative; consciousness, personal; consciousness, race; Devil; double mindedness; evil; flesh; intellect; man of sin; lust of the flesh; mentality, adverse; mind of the flesh; mind of sense; mortal consciousness; mortal ego; mortal man; mortal mind; mortal plane; negative consciousness; personal aims; personal mind; personality; physical earth; race mind; Satan; sense consciousness; sense man; sense mind; separation

from God; serpent; sin; son of man; ungodly man. idol illusion Jesus judgment justice law of mind action: creative process (more encompassing than ACIM) (not separately emphasized) (not separately emphasized)

idol illusion Jesus judgment justice cause and effect

attack denial (of the original denial of God) (not separately emphasized) face of Christ (not separately emphasized) happy dream (not separately emphasized) having/being (not separately emphasized) holy instant (not separately emphasized) holy relationship (not separately emphasized) right mindedness (not separately emphasized) projection (not separately emphasized) song of heaven (not separately emphasized) special relationships (not separately emphasized) teaching/learning (not separately emphasized) thorns (not separately emphasized) Thoughts of God. (not separately emphasized) toys (not separately emphasized) true perception (not separately emphasized) war: belief in our conflict with God and the world. (not separately emphasized) world, real (not separately emphasized) wrong mindedness physical body body prayer prayer resurrection resurrection pure reason: revelation; spiritual knowing; intuition; spiri- Revelation tual communication; faith thinking; spiritual discernment. sacrificegiving up false beliefs for true beliefs. Very dif- Sacrificea form of suffering ferent from the A Course in Miracles definition. to pay for our guilt. Salvationrestitution of man to his spiritual birthright. Salvationundoing of the separation. Same meaning SelfThe true spiritual self of every person. Not the same SelfOur true identity as Son as in A Course in Miracles. of God; Christ; 2nd person in the Trinity. sinliving in the material world and sense consciousness is sinbelief in the reality of our sin or a falling short of divine ideal. Within the fall of hu- separation from God. Same as mankind are many other seeming beliefs and actions that are Fillmorian Unity.

considered sin Sonship/sonshipIncludes A Course in Miracles meaning plus much more. See The Glossary of Charles Fillmores Terms for more detail. Spirit spiritual body star (extended meaning over ACIM) suffering (not emphasized)

Son of God2nd person in the Trinity; the Christ who is our true Self. Spirit (none) star: symbol of Christ. suffering: a witness to the reality of the separation from God. teacher of God: The Holy Spirit. Teacher of God: We, teaching the lessons of the Holy Spirit Temptation: A proving, testing, or trying such as Jesus Temptation: wishing to make temptation in the wilderness. illusion real. Time: is a human invention and is a barrier. Same meaning. Time: part of the separation. Is illusory. Trinity Trinity Truth Truth vision, spiritual: Seeing God as the foundation of all, the Vision: similar meaning. source of all, and the substance of all. Will of God: man exercising his will in divine wisdom, love Will of God: expression of and spiritual understanding. Gods being. Word of God: is both the Son and the Holy Spirit; the divine Word of God: Gods answer to dynamic; the energy and self-revelation of God. separatione.g., forgiveness, peace, love, world, material: concept of fallen humankind; delusion; World, material: (quite similar) dream; duality of good and evil; has no existence whatsoever in Being; illusion; imaginary; it is nothing; malformation; not real; not based on truth; part of the fall; temporal; transit.