spiritual
Silver Birch - the seven principles
Principle One. The fatherhood of God.
This is very inadequately phrased, because God, the Great Spirit, is not a father in the sense that you understand the word. This is that you equate the Great Spirit, the infinite power of love and wisdom, the creative spirit of all life, with a human father, a male. Thus the picture that is presented is one of a personal deity who is a magnified male.
The Great Spirit has all the attributes of male and female. The Great Spirit must of necessity contain within itself every expression of life for which it is responsible, paternal, maternal, fraternal: all aspects are of necessity within the ambit of the Great Spirit.
Principle Two. The brotherhood of man.
Here again the phrasing is inadequate. Although the word ‘man’ can be used as a composite term to include both male and female, it does imply in one sense a purely masculine belief.
Brotherhood is a male description of for what the feminine equivalent would be sisterhood. So you have to get rid of the idea of a division of the sexes and visualise all peoples of the world as being members of one spiritual family.
Principle three. The communion of spirits and the ministry of angels.
Here once more you have a problem of language and definition is required. “Spirit communion and communication” would be preferable to “communion of spirits”.
With ‘the ministry of angels’ we are confronted again with the problem of semantics. What is meant by ‘angels’? Winged creatures who have never assumed human form? A separate creation which has no relationship with the beings which dwell on earth?
The principle is badly phrased. There is a spirit ministry in which, guidance, sustenance, help, love and affection are freely offered by those who are either close to you through kindred ties or by other beings in our world who see in you a channel through whom service can be rendered.
Principle four. The continuous existence of the human soul.
There can be no exception to this phrasing. The human soul, being part of the Oversoul, the Great Spirit, cannot be destroyed because the physical body through which it has expressed itself has served its purpose. The soul must continue because it is eternal.
Principle five. Personal responsibility.
That too is perfectly phrased. There can be no argument about it because it is at the centre of everything we try to teach the people of your world. It contradicts any doctrine which says that you can in some magical way cheat the law of cause and effect, place the results of your actions on somebody else’s shoulders and as a result automatically erase any problems you have caused through selfishness, deception or other practices which are the reverse of spiritual.
We enshrine personal responsibility as the heart of our teachings. All individuals must learn that only on their shoulders can be placed the burden which they have created. They must regard it as a challenge to strive gradually to eliminate the human imperfections and allow the latent divinity to find fuller expression. There is no theological doctrine, no creed, no ritual and no ceremony that can in any way transform the sinner into a saint.
Principle six. Compensation and retribution hereafter for all good and evil deeds done on earth.
Here again it is understanding the words that are used. It must not be implied that there is a being equivalent to a personal deity on a throne meting out on the one hand compensation and on the other retribution. It does not work that way.
Here is the law of cause and effect, sowing and reaping, in action. The law is automatic, mechanical in operation. The law must fulfil itself. By whatever you do you create the effect of your action. Compensation and retribution are the automatic results of your actions.
Principle seven. Eternal progress is available to every soul.
Life, because it is spiritual, is infinite. No matter who, what or where you are, no matter what step of the ladder of progress you have reached, there are infinite rungs awaiting you. The process of eliminating all blemished will require eternity to be accomplished. Perfection will not be achieved because always there will be a greater realisation of the progress which can still be made. It is an infinite progress.
This is very inadequately phrased, because God, the Great Spirit, is not a father in the sense that you understand the word. This is that you equate the Great Spirit, the infinite power of love and wisdom, the creative spirit of all life, with a human father, a male. Thus the picture that is presented is one of a personal deity who is a magnified male.
The Great Spirit has all the attributes of male and female. The Great Spirit must of necessity contain within itself every expression of life for which it is responsible, paternal, maternal, fraternal: all aspects are of necessity within the ambit of the Great Spirit.
Principle Two. The brotherhood of man.
Here again the phrasing is inadequate. Although the word ‘man’ can be used as a composite term to include both male and female, it does imply in one sense a purely masculine belief.
Brotherhood is a male description of for what the feminine equivalent would be sisterhood. So you have to get rid of the idea of a division of the sexes and visualise all peoples of the world as being members of one spiritual family.
Principle three. The communion of spirits and the ministry of angels.
Here once more you have a problem of language and definition is required. “Spirit communion and communication” would be preferable to “communion of spirits”.
With ‘the ministry of angels’ we are confronted again with the problem of semantics. What is meant by ‘angels’? Winged creatures who have never assumed human form? A separate creation which has no relationship with the beings which dwell on earth?
The principle is badly phrased. There is a spirit ministry in which, guidance, sustenance, help, love and affection are freely offered by those who are either close to you through kindred ties or by other beings in our world who see in you a channel through whom service can be rendered.
Principle four. The continuous existence of the human soul.
There can be no exception to this phrasing. The human soul, being part of the Oversoul, the Great Spirit, cannot be destroyed because the physical body through which it has expressed itself has served its purpose. The soul must continue because it is eternal.
Principle five. Personal responsibility.
That too is perfectly phrased. There can be no argument about it because it is at the centre of everything we try to teach the people of your world. It contradicts any doctrine which says that you can in some magical way cheat the law of cause and effect, place the results of your actions on somebody else’s shoulders and as a result automatically erase any problems you have caused through selfishness, deception or other practices which are the reverse of spiritual.
We enshrine personal responsibility as the heart of our teachings. All individuals must learn that only on their shoulders can be placed the burden which they have created. They must regard it as a challenge to strive gradually to eliminate the human imperfections and allow the latent divinity to find fuller expression. There is no theological doctrine, no creed, no ritual and no ceremony that can in any way transform the sinner into a saint.
Principle six. Compensation and retribution hereafter for all good and evil deeds done on earth.
Here again it is understanding the words that are used. It must not be implied that there is a being equivalent to a personal deity on a throne meting out on the one hand compensation and on the other retribution. It does not work that way.
Here is the law of cause and effect, sowing and reaping, in action. The law is automatic, mechanical in operation. The law must fulfil itself. By whatever you do you create the effect of your action. Compensation and retribution are the automatic results of your actions.
Principle seven. Eternal progress is available to every soul.
Life, because it is spiritual, is infinite. No matter who, what or where you are, no matter what step of the ladder of progress you have reached, there are infinite rungs awaiting you. The process of eliminating all blemished will require eternity to be accomplished. Perfection will not be achieved because always there will be a greater realisation of the progress which can still be made. It is an infinite progress.
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The above was taken from the book “Lift up your Hearts” compiled by Tony Ortzen.
The ISBN is 0 85384 106 3
The book is available from
The Spiritual Truth Press
15 Broom Hall, Oxshott,
Surrey.
KT22 0JZ
U.K.
© Spiritual Truth Foundation 1998 and placed here without permission.
The ISBN is 0 85384 106 3
The book is available from
The Spiritual Truth Press
15 Broom Hall, Oxshott,
Surrey.
KT22 0JZ
U.K.
© Spiritual Truth Foundation 1998 and placed here without permission.
