Questions

Question:
Do you read or use the "Urtext" version of ACIM? Is it useful in any way, or would you recommend sticking to the standard text? Also, there is an Urtext quote from Jesus to Helen and Bill that is troubling to us. It reads: “As was said before, homosexuality is INHERENTLY more risky (or error prone) than heterosexuality, but both can be undertaken on an equally false basis. The falseness of the basis is clear in the accompanying fantasies. Homosexuality ALWAYS involves misperception of the self OR the partner, and generally both.” Jesus also mentions in this section that sex is for procreation only, and there are times when it is appropriate to use sex to allow room for more souls to come into the world. This feels like an unusual remark to make about a world that is illusory. I'm still a little troubled by the distinction made with homosexuality. Aren't all preferences in this area different forms of the same mistake? We are troubled by the distinction/judgment Jesus seems to be making here.

Answer:
I have read the "Urtext" version of ACIM, and yet I still feel that for most people, I suggest sticking to the standard text. The ideas you mention from the Urtext are stepping stone ideas. The Course is all about allowing Holy Spirit to undo all preferences, which simply reflect the belief in a hierarchy of illusions and deny the miracle, which has no order of difficulty. The body image is the self-concept which was made to take the place of Spirit, and that is why it is magic to engage in any form of body image activity at all. Healed perception or the forgiven world shows the sameness of all perception, reflecting the wholeness of the Christ Idea. What is the same cannot be different, and what is one cannot have separate parts. All sexuality was made by the ego and based on preferences and a hierarchy of needs. This misperception of the body and relationships and levels of consciousness is corrected by the miracle. All real pleasure comes from doing God's Will. Christ Calls everyone to their function as miracle workers. Much of the Urtext was edited out of the standard, published edition by Ken Wapnick and Helen under Jesus' instructions, and with good reason. I could write a whole book on that topic though. Ken Wapnick wrote this about the Urtext:

"Finally, there was, among other subjects, material on sexuality, statistics, and mental retardation; the last two being major interests of Helen's. For a number of reasons, none of this material belonged in the published version. First, much of it was personal to Helen and Bill, and had nothing to do with the teachings of "A Course in Miracles." Perhaps even more importantly, Helen was notoriously inaccurate when her own ego was involved. A great deal of this early material was colored by Helen. She was incredibly accurate when her ego was not in the way, however, and that is why the pure teaching of the Course is what it is. One could never imagine Jesus saying, for example, what is in the Urtext on sex. Not that it was anything horrific, but it obviously reflected Helen's own values and biases."

Showers of Forever Love,
David

Question:
I have been reading the "A Course in Miracles" (ACIM) Urtext online today, and it brought up another question about sex. I came across a passage on homosexuality which I would really appreciate your comment, translation, and explanation of: "As was said before, homosexuality is INHERENTLY more risky (or error prone) than heterosexuality, but both can be undertaken on an equally false basis. The falseness of the basis is clear in the accompanying fantasies. Homosexuality ALWAYS involves misperception of the self OR the partner, and generally both." I don't understand what Jeshua is saying here. Is it inherently more error prone because it is inherently narcissistic? I have always been attracted to women, and have done little about it, mainly out of fear and shame, especially when I was younger. These days I have a pretty dormant libido anyway, but I notice that if I do have a sexual dream at night, it almost always involves a woman rather than a man. I take this as meaning I'm sitting on and repressing a lot of desire in a way that may not be healthy. I'm sure the fear and shame are just buried away these days!

Answer:
Thanks for writing and for your question asking for clarification about the "A Course in Miracles" (ACIM) Urtext passage about homosexuality you mentioned. I have copied the entire context from the Urtext below in quotes, and will comment below each quote:

“Fantasies are distorted forms of thinking, because they always involve twisting perception into unreality. Fantasy is a debased form of vision. Visions and Revelations are closely related. Fantasies and projection are more closely associated, because both attempt to control external reality according to false internal needs.”

Fantasy, sex, and distorted miracle impulses are the ego's attempt to control the images it projected to bring a sense of stability and fulfillment into chaos.

“‘Live and let live’ happens to be a very meaningful injunction. Twist reality in any way, and you are perceiving destructively. Reality was lost through usurpation, which in turn produced tyranny.”

Images cannot be controlled, only forgiven or seen as over and gone.

“I told you, you were now restored to your former role in the Plan of Atonement. But you must still choose freely to devote your heritage to the greater Restoration. As long as a single slave remains to walk the earth, your release is not complete. Complete restoration of the Sonship is the only true goal of the miracle-minded. Sexual fantasies are distortions of perception by definition. They are a means of making false associations, and obtaining pleasure from them.”

This is the purpose and the goal of fantasies, for they were made to offer a substitute for Peace of Mind.

“Man can do this only because he IS creative. But although he can perceive false associations, he can never make them real except to himself.”

Only Spirit is real, as a Creation of God.

“As was said before, man believes in what he creates. If he creates a miracle, he will be equally strong in his belief in that. The strength of his conviction will then sustain the belief of the miracle receiver. NO fantasies, sexual or otherwise, are true. Fantasies become totally unnecessary as the Wholly satisfying nature of reality becomes apparent.”

Therefore fantasies fade from awareness as one becomes consistently miracle minded.

“The sex impulse IS a miracle impulse when it is in proper focus.”

Proper focus is under the direction and instructions of the Holy Spirit & Christ.

“One individual sees in another the right partner for "procreating the stock" (Wolff was not too far off here), and also for their joint establishment of a creative home. This does not involve fantasy at all. If I am asked to participate in the decision, the decision will be a Right one, too. In a situation where you or another person, or both, experience inappropriate sex impulses, KNOW FIRST that this is an expression of fear. Your love toward each other is NOT perfect, and this is why the fear arose. Turn immediately to me by denying the power of the fear, and ask me to help you to replace it with love. This shifts the sexual impulse immediately to the miracle-impulse, and places it at MY disposal.”

Again, proper focus is under the direction and instructions of the Holy Spirit & Christ.

“Then acknowledge the true creative worth of both yourself AND the other one. This places strength where it belongs. Note that sexual fantasies are ALWAYS destructive (or depleting), in that they perceive another in an inappropriate creative role. Both people are perceived essentially as 'objects' fulfilling THEIR OWN pleasure drives.”

The ego uses the body for pride, pleasure, and attack, and this reinforces the separation in awareness.

“This dehumanized view is the source of the DEPLETING use of Freud's description is purely NEGATIVE, i.e., as a release from the UNPLEASANT. He also observed that the tension from id impulses never completely abates. What he should have said is that the shift from miracle-impulses to sexual impulses…” (the problem) “...was debilitating in the first place, because of the level-confusion (problem)...involved. This set up a state in which real release was impossible. Note also that Freud's notion of sex was as a device for inducing RELAXATION, which he confused with PEACE.”

Level confusion is allotting causation where there is none, and this induces stress, conflict, confusion, though never peace or true relaxation.

“Inappropriate sex relaxes only in the sense that it may induce physical sleep. The miracle, on the other hand, is an ENERGIZER. It always strengthens, and never depletes. It DOES induce peace, and by establishing tranquillity (not relaxation) it enables both giver and receiver to enter into a state of Grace. Here his miracle-mindedness, (not release from tension) is restored.”

Peace of mind is always the goal.

“Tension is the result of a building-up of unexpressed miracle-impulses, This can be truly abated only by releasing the miracle-drive, which has been blocked. Converting it to sexual libido merely produces further blocking. Never foster this illusion in yourself, or encourage it in others. An 'object' is incapable of release, because it is a concept which is deprived of creative power. The recognition of the real creative power in yourself AND others brings release because it brings peace. The peace of God which passeth understanding CAN keep your hearts now and forever. A man acts according to the particular hierarchy of needs he establishes for himself. His hierarchy, in turn, depends on his perception of what he IS, i.e., what he LACKS. This establishes his own rules for what he needs to know. Separation from God is the only lack he really needs to correct. But his Separation would never have occurred if he had not distorted his perception of truth, and thus perceived himself as lacking.”

Lack is the basis of all fantasies and distorted miracle impulses.

“The concept of ANY sort of need HIERARCHY arose because, having made this fundamental error, he had already fragmented himself into levels with DIFFERENT needs. As he integrates, HE becomes one, and his ONE need becomes one accordingly. Only the fragmented can be confused about this.”

Integration is returning to the awareness of wholeness.

“Internal integration within the self will not (suffice to?) correct the lack fallacy, but it WILL correct the NEED fallacy. (Thank you for writing this as given.) Unified need produces unified action, because it produces lack of ambivalence. The concept of need hierarchy, a corollary to the original error, requires correction at its OWN level, before the error of levels itself can be corrected. Man cannot operate (or behave) effectively while he operates at split levels. But as long as he does so, he must introduce correction from the bottom UP. This is because he now operates in space, where 'up' and 'down' are meaningful terms. Ultimately, of course, space is as meaningless as time. The concept is really one of space-time BELIEF. The physical world exists only because man can use it to correct his UNBELIEF, which placed him in it originally. As long as man KNEW he did not need anything, the whole device was unnecessary. The need to know is not safely under man's control at this time. It is MUCH better off under mine. Let's just leave it at that. (Specific question raised by Bill regarding sex under existing conditions) (Helen raised previous question about the past, which has just been answered.) The other question, however, I am more than willing to answer, because it is appropriate for NOW. You and Bill both chose your present sex partners shamefully, and would have to atone for the lack of love which was involved in any case. You selected them precisely BECAUSE they were NOT suited to gratify your fantasies. This was not because you wanted to abandon or give up the fantasies, but because you were AFRAID of them. You saw in your partners a means of protecting against the fear, but both of you continued to 'look around' for chances to indulge the fantasies. The dream of the 'perfect partner' is an attempt to find EXTERNAL integration, while retaining conflicting needs in the self.”

So much for finding a soulmate.

“Bill was somewhat less guilty of this than you, but largely because he was more afraid. He had abandoned the hope (of finding a perfect partner) in a neurotic sense of despair of finding it. You, on the other hand, insisted that the hope was justified. Neither of you, therefore, was in your Right Mind. As was said before, homosexuality is INHERENTLY more risky (or error prone) than heterosexuality, but both can be undertaken on an equally false basis. The falseness of the basis is clear in the accompanying fantasies. Homosexuality ALWAYS...'(not SOMETIMES, because sameness can never apply to sexuality or the body. Hetero is from the Greek 'heteros' meaning 'different.' The opposite is 'homo' from the Greek 'homos' meaning 'same.' For example, heterogeneous and homogeneous, heterosexual and homosexual, etc.)'...involves misperception of the self OR the partner, and generally both. Penetration DOES NOT involve magic, nor DOES ANY form of sexual behavior. It IS a magic belief to engage in ANY form of body image activity at all. You neither created yourselves, nor controlled your creation. By introducing levels into your own perception, you opened the way for body-image distortions.”

The body image is the self-concept which was made to take the place of Spirit, and that is why it is magic to engage in any form of body image activity at all. Healed perception or the forgiven world shows the sameness of all perception, reflecting the wholeness of the Christ Idea. What is the same cannot be different, and what is one cannot have separate parts. All sexuality was made by the ego and based on preferences and a hierarchy of needs, yet this misperception of the body and relationships and levels of consciousness is corrected by the miracle. All real pleasure comes from doing God's Will. Christ Calls everyone to their function as miracle workers.

“The lack of love (or faulty need-orientation) which led to your particular person (not OBJECT) choices (choices of partners) CAN BE corrected within the existent framework, and would HAVE to be in the larger interest of overall progress.”

All such choices need be left to the Holy Spirit & Christ to direct.

“The situation is questionable largely because of its inherent vulnerability to fantasy-gratification. Doing the best you can WITHIN this limitation is probably the best corrective measure at present. Any relationship you have undertaken for whatever reasons becomes a responsibility.”

The responsibility spoken of is to allow the relationship to be used to expand your perception and have as many errors corrected as possible, thus allowing the body to be used solely as a communication device that frees the mind through its right-minded use or function. You are responsible to use the body so miraculously that you realize that you have no need of a body at all.

In Love & Gratitude & Happiness,
David