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Unstoppable Defencelessness - ACIM - Manual for Teachers

Unstoppable Defencelessness - ACIM - Manual for Teachers

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 Transition to Study Material: Joy: Jevon Perra announced the group was moving on to the topic of "joy" in their manual, "Manual for Teachers". Jevon Perra and Brian Genovese briefly sang a song with lyrics about having joy in their heart.Soo Kim’s Status and Return: Soo Kim joined the call, apologizing for being on mute, and shared that they are doing okay and are finished with midterms for the week. Jevon Perra acknowledged that Soo Kim is managing a difficult schedule of full-time school and full-time work.Reading and Analysis of "Joy": Jevon Perra read a passage stating that joy is the "inevitable result of gentleness," which was the previous week's characteristic, and that gentleness makes harm and fear impossible. Jevon Perra connected the text to a spiritual concept that the joyous cannot suffer, referencing a verse about the sinless having no pain. They elaborated that suffering is linked to identifying with the physical body or the character, and that striving and difficulty, while necessary for the physical world, are also the destiny of a character that believes they are separate.God’s Teachers and the Purpose of Salvation: The reading continued, affirming that God’s teachers trust in God and are protected from harm, with joy serving as their song of thanks. The material suggests that Christ looks on them in thanks as well, noting Christ’s need for them is as great as their need for Christ, and how "joyous is it to share the purpose of salvation".The Nature of God, Jesus, and Christ: Jevon Perra initiated a discussion about the distinction between God, Jesus, and Christ, spurred by a question from their eight-year-old about how the world kept going when Jesus was on Earth. Brian Genovese suggested that God puts things on autopilot, while Soo Kim offered the analogy of a dream, asking who takes care of the body while one is dreaming. The conversation shifted to the idea that science is beginning to align with spiritual explanations, but Jevon Perra criticized that current medical science can still cause harm.Spiral Dynamics and Expanding Identity: Jevon Perra introduced the concept of Spiral Dynamics, describing it as a framework for human social development from individuals striving for survival to expanding groups like families, villages, regions, and eventually countries. Jevon Perra noted that while people can expand their identity to include more and more individuals, there is always a tendency to define an "other" or an "enemy".God as Impersonal and Non-Dualism: Jevon Perra postulated that Jesus was an example of God incarnate, but that God is an impersonal, ever-present source, not a person. This perspective suggests that a person is a separate individual, whereas God is everything, including the good, the bad, and the indifferent. Brian Genovese agreed that "we label everything," and the non-dual explanation suggests there are no things or labels.Self-Realization and Character in the Dream: The speakers discussed that the character in the dream who remembers God is no different from anyone else, and every manifestation, including a rock, is "God stuff". They briefly discussed concepts related to a system of ladders or levels of consciousness and the idea that animals may operate as a group consciousness.Reading and Analysis of "Defenselessness": Soo Kim read the next passage, "Defenselessness," which states that God's teachers are simple and have "no dreams that need defense against the truth". The text concludes that laying down defenses does not bring danger but safety, peace, joy, and God.Defense as Attack and the Illusion of Guilt: Jevon Perra equated defense with attack, explaining that guilty people often see judgment and offense everywhere, and angry people constantly dish out attacks, which they often rationalize as defense or correcting what is right. Brian Genovese supported this idea, noting that people who feel the need to be right are often wrong and trying to defend the ego.Astrology, Defense Mode, and Internal State: Soo Kim provided an example from their class where a peer became defensive while discussing Western versus Vedic astrology, insisting that Vedic astrology was the only accurate system and attempting to make up explanations when confronted with conflicting data. Jevon Perra suggested that in such engagement, the most important thing is one’s internal state, specifically whether they view the other person as a "beautiful expression of God" or an "imbecile".Pity versus Perfection and Separation: Soo Kim wondered if pity could be a step toward compassion, which Jevon Perra suggested is a step on a "continuum of resonance" towards the much higher resonance of seeing everyone as perfect. They concluded that pity is still a judgment and an expression of separation, where one views themselves as "better" than the person they are pitying.Time as a Construct and Limited Perception: Jevon Perra discussed the concept of time as a construct of diminished ...
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