Source: www.alternet.org | Original Post Date: February 11, 2015 –

Some of humanity’s technological innovations are things we would have been better off without: the medieval rack, the atomic bomb and powdered lead potions come to mind. Religions tend to invent ideas or concepts rather than technologies, but like every other creative human enterprise, they produce some really bad ones along with the good.

I’ve previously highlighted some of humanity’s best moral and spiritual concepts, our shared moral core. Here, by way of contrast, are some of the worst. These twelve dubious concepts promote conflict, cruelty, suffering and death rather than love and peace. To paraphrase Christopher Hitchens, they belong in the dustbin of history just as soon as we can get them there.

1. Chosen People –The term “Chosen People” typically refers to the Hebrew Bible and the ugly idea that God has given certain tribes a Promised Land...

Peter Gray, Ph.D., Guest
Waking Times

Forced education interferes with children’s abilities to educate themselves.

In my last post I took a step that, I must admit, made me feel uncomfortable. I said, several times: “School is prison.” I felt uncomfortable saying that because school is so much a part of my life and the lives of almost everyone I know. I, like most people I know, went through the full 12 years of public schooling. My mother taught in a public school for several years. My beloved half-sister is a public schoolteacher. I have many dear friends and cousins who are public schoolteachers. How can I say that these good people–who love children and have poured themselves passionately into the task of trying to help children–are involved in a system of imprisoning children? The comments on my last post showed that my references to school as prison made some other people feel uncomfortable also.

Whatever you are going through, no matter how difficult your life may be for you at this time, remind yourself that underlying everything is a field of peace. Within you, no matter what your circumstances, lies this peace. We can call it Vastness, Stillness, Love, Beauty, Truth, God, Allah, Jehovah, and more. There are many names I go by. By whatever name, individually or collectively, you call this field, it is the same field. This is Oneness. As I exist in your heart, so do you exist in Mine. We are of One Heart. Stay with Me.

When I say to see Me, I don’t mean literally to see, for I am formless. Your heart, however, can see. Whether you have acknowledged My Presence or not, I am here. I am here for you. I do not leave your heart no matter how far your heart may wander. You are made of My Heart, and I am incapable of leaving yours. I am God of the Universe. My love is indelible and, perhaps inscrutable to you.

If you do not presently feel love for Me, then, I ask you, feel the love in My Heart that beats for you. Don’t look for reasons not to feel My love. Don’t replicate non-love to all the human beings in the world. Don’t separate yourself from love on any pretext.

When it comes to living life, we spend almost 100% of our time living as an avatar.  We have an ego, a personality, a history, preferences, dislikes, beliefs, opinions, cultural viewpoints, and experiences. These ingredients comprise our ‘person’ and our worldly sense of self. But beneath all of these human ingredients lies one which is the foundation of all of them.  Without this ingredient, this avatar would not exist. This ingredient is the soul.

The soul is timeless, eternal, and infinitely wise. Our “intuition” is really just our soul whispering into the ear of our person.  You soul is not separate from you, but it will feel separate if you live life operating only from a personal or egoic level of consciousness.  Since the soul is the fountainhead of wisdom of guidance, it is always trying to communicate with us, especially in times where we are experiencing great suffering.

Here are 5 encouraging things your soul wants you to know...