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Love,

Linda

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Marianne Williamson's boards...

Were up for around 3 years.

I was there the last 8 months (long after she had stopped
participating there, herself)

Who knows what might have happened differently if she had remained
there, and been an example for others?

There are and were many rumors about why her boards finally closed,
the ones who had come there and "found fault" and tried to get it
moderated and changed and some thrown off and banned (who supposedly
complained to her about it- but she never responded to people who
wrote saying how much they loved the boards and thought of it as
family, so why would she pay attention to the few "do-gooders" who
wrote with complaints?)- took credit for them being closed.

Like "haha we tried to warn you if you didn't change your wicked
ways you'd get the boards closed!" Of course, they got them closed
for them, too.

There was one theory that since she was (then) a minister of a
Unity Church, she didn't want her name associated with discussion
boards where everyone could write whatever they wanted, learn their
own lessons, get feedback and maybe grow and change (in what looked
like, at times a rough way)

About a year later I learned that the REAL (allegedly) reason was
because of Endeaver Academy. I knew people there had kind of taken
over the ACIM topic board, but I mainly stayed on General Discussion.

But some from E.A. had (supposedly) started heckling her at some of
her talks, and then bragged about it and laughed about it on the ACIM
topic board.

Seems like this would have been a good chance for Marianne to put
HER beliefs about ACIM into practice and be an example, but maybe all
of it combined... her being a Unity Minister now, and people
complaining to her about the abusive people on her board- which even
then nobody seemed to realize they had a choice of reading and tying
in to them, etc... was too much.

And she closed the boards.

Without regard to the fact that some of us there felt like family.

We met in the chatroom that day (the boards were gone, without
explaination) and it was like a funeral.

Of course there were those who had a ball with "ha ha I told you
this would happen if you didn't play nice!"

Was it the abusive/open and outspoken people who got it closed?

Or the do-gooders who came along and didn't like this and went on a
campaign to get it changed.

At least Marianne closed the boards, rather than changing them to
moderated, with registering and deleting and banning, etc.

She allowed and accepted how we were.

I heard later some asked her about it, personally, like after her
talks and at first she seemed surprised, like she didn't know
anything about the boards and them closing. And, also like she was
surprised to learn so many people had cared about it.

But, it was part of our lives, like I said "a family". Different
boards spun off from it, but mainly people drifted away and lost
touch.

I guess it's time was over, it had served it's purpose, whatever
that was.

It was my first experience with discussion boards, I had just
gotten a computer, and discovered online (I knew NOTHING about) and
was feeling newly depressed and overwhelmed by my husband's recent
stroke.

I put "miracle" in SEARCH (one day when I was really down) not
really expecting anything real back...

And marianne.com came up, and I found "the boards" and got the hang
of writing and sharing there (and learning lessons, sometimes the
hard way) and it became a big part of my life for the next 8 months.

As someone else from there once wrote "It was sometimes rough, and
I kept getting mad and leaving and then coming back, and I got my
heart broke on there more than once, but every now and then people
connected, and resolved their differences and made peace. And this
was such a wonderful feeling, it made everything else worthwhile..."

(paraphrased from memory, the writer was much better at expressing
it than I am)

Maybe this is possible on controlled and moderated boards, too,
but from my experience with them I don't think so.

When someone is trying to decide and control and manipulate peace,
and what everyone's lessons should be, miracles can still happen (for
real) but probably not as easy and often.

Maybe why I've always been so dead set against someone moderating
and controlling people on a board. Or trying to. I don't think it
ever really works, at least in a genuine, for real way, and seems to
create more resentment. Then letting people have the freedom to feel
and say what they want, and others having the freedom to learn from
it.

But, getting along on controlled boards, and not resenting it (and
not saying something someone else doesn't like- which can apply to
anything and anyone, if this is what they want) is also lessons in
itself.

Most of the time for me, it's lessons in not even trying.

I've joined ACIM boards and groups where I didn't even have a
chance to post or get into the feel of the board. Before I got
warning emails and lists of rules I had to "go by". Even though the
rules seemed to change with the people they were being applied to,
and the mood of the one applying them.

I don't know if rules can be made, clearly stated and clearly
applied and enforced by one ego- onto others, on a board or group.

Seems so easy for the contoller to get into playing God.

Anyway, my point, I don't know if it was Marianne's boards being
free and unmoderated that was the problem, or the people who'd come
along and get scared by that (the freedom) and try and change it,
control people there, and yell about it.

I believe that people, left alone can and do work through their
issues and come to their own peace. Either with others on the board,
or by deciding not to be part of it. There are so many controlled
boards they can join if that's how they feel safe.

I don't feel safe on boards with rules and someone's ego enforcing
them.


~ Carrie





--- In Disappearance_of_the_Universe@..., "garyrrenard"
<garyrrenard@y...> wrote:

Tom wrote:

I see D_of_U list as a good outlet for people to express

themselves freely.

Thanks Tom, which reminded me, I wanted to express my gratitude to
the founder of this group, Nelson, for giving everyone this space

to

communicate in. The idea of having an unrestricted group was a

brave

one, considering the history of some of the unmoderated boards.

I've

been told that Marianne Williamson tried a similar approach but it
didn't work out, and the Fearless board met the same fate. This one
may have a chance though; so far so good! Love and peace, Gary.

Linda wrote:

Gary, have you figured out which form Thessalonius has taken in this

lifetime?

Linda

Hi Linda. Not yet! But I have some ideas, and I'm sure the answer
will present itself when it's supposed to. I'll let you know. Love
and peace, Gary.

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Hello, ideaofgod,

On the comment I made below, I did not go back and edit what I
wrote. If I did, I would not have written that I made the Atonement.
What I meant was that I made the world. As is discussed in
Disappearance, not me at this level - Linda - but the Son of God.
Once awakened, I will see that it all never happened, but the Course
speaks to what I can understand now. Or at least that is within my
grasp with the help of the Holy Spirit.

Thanks for pointing it out as it may have been confusing to some
people. All the other things I said, I have seen numerous references
in reading, but I do not write them down. The Disappearance of the
Universe is full of them, though, as are Ken Wapnick's tapes and
books. Two others I like are daan dehn's webpages and David
Hoffmeister's. daan dehn is now in New Zealand moving there from
Arizona, but his website was and is still a wonderful resource for
me.

Love,
Linda

--- In Disappearance_of_the_Universe@..., "ideaofgod"
wrote:

--- In Disappearance_of_the_Universe@..., LindaL

wrote:

"The whole world is a lie. EVERYTHING but the Atonement. That I
made."

Citation? Where does it say you made the atonement? As for the

world

being a lie, if you buy the idea that space-time is a learning
device, it follows it is a part of the atonement.

Hi, Ossie.

Yes, I have heard that, too. In this case I tend not to agree. She
is like an "old spirit" and has a very good understanding of the
Course having really good insight and really delving in looking at
the ego. She is willing to do the work whole heartedly. If it seems
that she is not ready because of her "external" problems as
mentioned below, these did not come about until she and her
boyfriend attended some intense workshops by David Hoffmeister and
really committed to the Course. Her boyfriend say to the ego, "Bring
it on". And that is when it all started. I mentioned what you said
to her, though, and her first answer was that the Course seems to
make it so much easier - meaning that these problems may have
happened, anyway, but the Course shows you how to look within and
find the true source. Nonetheless, she is taking this seriously and
asking within whether or not she should continue to study the
Course, because of her age.

By the way, it is interesting because her mother studies the Course
and when my roommate was between the age of 9 and 16, her mother
used to have her read with her and my roommate even at that age
consciously practiced the Workbook. Their outlook of the Course now
varies from each other. My roommate now believes there is not world,
etc. but her mother does not.

Love,
Linda

--- In Disappearance_of_the_Universe@..., BBFBBN@a...
wrote:

In a message dated 7/11/2003 12:10:21 PM Eastern Standard Time,

lklanglois@y... writes:

As I have mentioned, I have in my home a 25 year old young

woman, a student of ACIM who came to me asking for help as she is
involved in a relationship where there has been some

"seeming" <smile> lies and a feeling of abandonment, etc.

Now I see why Ken does not recommend the Course for young people.


"Ideas Leave Not Their Source"

Gary, have you figured out which form Thessalonius has taken in this lifetime?

Linda

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Hi Suzanne. I'm really glad to hear your group's book study is
proceeding well. I've heard that some Course study groups are giving
the book to their new visitors and members as a primer so they'll be
able to catch up fast with what the group is talking about. Between
hearing that and hearing from you today, it makes me feel like the
book is doing its job. Of course Arten and Pursah knew it would, but
what do I know? (LOL) BTW, if anyone in your book group has a
question that's important to them please feel free to pass it along
and I'll answer the best I can. I really appreciate you keeping me
posted. Love and peace, Gary.

Hi Deb. Thanks for your postings. I assure you I will take your
advice. Just one correction: I never said this was my first priority.
I only gave you a couple of reasons why I was making a few public
appearances, which included advising people to not back away from the
teachings. But I would not consider any particular appearances to be
as important as promoting interest in the studying of ACIM, which is
clearly the major goal of the book, and will also be a major part of
any workshop that I do. BTW, I like your suggestion about talking to
Hugh. I'll see what he has to say. Love and peace, Gary.

Hi Gary,

About your response …

Okay … what I'm hearing from you about this is that your first
priority is deeply personal ~ you want to make sure (as best you
can/or can be done) that people know your feelings (unlike those
important teachers before you) and understand that your experience
was real and not embellished (again, like the confusion left by those
first teachers), and your second priority is to promote interest in
the studying of ACIM.

I can also see & hear your sincerity and your depth of feelings about
your experience.

I think I don't have the same `intensity' (?) of emotion about your
experience(s), and their being `accepted' as truth and such, first
because this is your experience (*I have had that same intensity
about my own though), and second because I don't think your
experience (or your book) are all that `radical' (as you call it)
….but you're right ~ for some people, your experience certainly
will be seen as radical (or a fantasy, embellished, etc.)

But, Gary ~ remember … you can be totally sincere in all you say & do
~ but it can still not be enough. (!) To be understood and accepted
still requires that those seeing and hearing are first open, with
eyes to see and ears to hear ~ and are interested.

But those that aren't the problem(s) I was referring to. (The traps)

Be careful of pedestals that will be offered to you. Be careful of
the seductions. [physically/energetically] Those that have fallen
into these (and other) traps also started upon their personal paths
of success with the same `high hopes' as you do.

The audience, Gary ~ they mean well … and it feels so `good' …
(there's nothing like it). Talk to others about this before you go.
(I'd suggest Hugh Prathers)

Those questions you asked – "Why should it have any effect on me? Why
should I be nervous?" – Well, you'll get your answer(s).

It helps to keep your priorities clear, and staying checked in with
friends that you trust, friends that were your friends `before' all
of this.

Thanks Gary, for listening to my concerns, and for taking the time
to explain yourself with such depth & feeling.

Good luck, and Happy days to you.
Love,
Deb