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by Steve Keohane, BibleProbe.com

A Course in Miracles

another devilish attempt that proves Satan is losing

Satan tries to contradict Bible teachings with this "cutesy" course (lie)

In October 1965, a Jewish atheist psychologist named Helen Schucman, an associate professor of medical psychology at Columbia University in New York, claimed she began receiving channeled messages from an unknown entity in an audible voice. She claims that from 1956-1972 an inner Voice dictated to her the three books which comprise A Course in Miracles. This voice, claimed Schuchman, was the voice of Jesus.

Schuchman recalled, "The voice made no sound, but seemed to be giving me a kind of rapid inner diction which I took down in a shorthand notebook".   She claims the Voice chose moments when she was free--at work, on the subway, at home--to dictate Christ's update. 

The Course originated with two such people, Bill Thetford and Helen Schucman. They worked together in a stress filled environment in New York City. Their relationship was anything but peaceful. One day Bill had had enough of the strife and said to Helen, "There has got to be a better way!" To his surprise, Helen did not come back with her usual facetious remarks but said instead, "Yes Bill and I'll help you find it." With this joining, the Course was conceived.  In 1972, another psychologist and his wife, Ken and Gloria Wapnick, assisted Schucman with her book.  At a later date the entity identified itself as Jesus Christ according to A Talk Given On A Course In Miracles by Kenneth Wapnick, May 9, 1981, page 10. As a matter of record, for the next ten years the voice is said to have dictated "in an inaudible voice" the three volume, 1,188 page, 500,000 word book known as A Course In Miracles according to an article that appeared in Psychology Today, September 1980, page 75.  

Dr. William Thetford who was an associate of Helen's. He was a clinical psychologist at Columbia University. While he was present with Ms. Schuchman on several occasions when she was receiving her revelations, he never, at any time heard the voice. Yet, he believed (according to The Holy Encounter, September/ October 1990, page 5) that the revelation Schuchman was receiving was "the original teachings of Jesus…"   As a person who holds a degree in psychology he should have flagged as a BIG problem someone who says she is hearing voices.

This course is another subtle way for Satan to spread the lie that Satan and demons are nonexistent.  This course goes one step further by contradicting the truths in the Bible by perpetrating the lie that "Jesus said to the authors" that the Bible is in error. 

Biblical truth:
There can be no doubt that Jesus, his disciples, and authors of the New Testament had made it clear that Satan and the devils (or demons) exist.  And like Muhammad of Islam, they tremble at the sight of a cross; and they cringe at even the mention of the holy name Jesus.  There are at least 300 references to the devil in the New Testament.  There are seven episodes in the Gospel that deal with diabolical possession alone.  Three of these are simply references (Matthew 8:31-33, 12:22-32; Mark 16:9; Luke 8:2). The remaining 4 (demoniac of Capernaum, demoniacs of Gadara, Canaanite woman, and epileptic demoniac) are described in greater detail. Satan (or the devil) is a personal being. He is not some abstract concept, but a real spiritual being with a personality of his own.  The casting out of demons by both Jesus and His disciples is evident proof that "the kingdom of God has come upon you" (Matthew 12:28, Luke 11:20).  By a simple command, Jesus was able to cast out demons from persons in whom they had chosen to dwell.  And Christ gave his disciples power over demons (Mark 6:7, Luke 9:1)

In this course, the Holy Spirit is the Guru; the seeker is the disciple.  The Holy Spirit is never said to be part of the Trinity that is God.  The Course teaches that ego (not God) created the world. The world we see is illusion, and God does not know it exists. The Course stresses that it is not the only route people can follow, because "they all lead to God in the end".  Death, according to The Course, is the "central dream from which all illusions stem," and is the "symbol of the fear of God". It goes on to add, "If God created bodies, death would be real". But according to The Course, God does not create bodies.

According to the Course, Jesus is merely "an elder brother entitled to respect for his greater experience." The Jesus of the Course explains, "There is nothing about me that you cannot attain. This leaves me in a state which is only potential in you. I bridge the distance as an elder brother to you on the one hand, and as a Son of God on the other" (A Course In Miracles, Vol. 1, p. 5).  This course mirrors false Eastern Religious and New Age beliefs when it teaches Jesus is one of many Christ's, and we all have the possibility of becoming Christ.

Biblical truth about Jesus/Yeshua:

The Savior, who was obedient even to death on the cross, has destroyed the works of the devil; he has triumphed over Satan.  The Apostle Paul says: "Because of this, God highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name above every other name, so that at Jesus' name every knee must bend in the heavens, on the earth, and under the earth, and every tongue proclaim to the glory of God the Father: JESUS CHRIST IS LORD (Philippians 2:9-11)  Reference: "The Devil ...alive and active in our world" by Corrado Balducci

The voice dictating A Course in Miracles claimed to be Jesus Christ Himself, intent upon correcting errors in the Bible that have offended unbelievers because of their "narrow-mindedness." The Course explains that "forgiveness" is simply recognizing that sin does not exist and therefore there is nothing to forgive.

The Course is popular with those who dupe themselves by wanting to call themselves Christians, while rejecting sound biblical doctrine.  One simply cannot ignore or fail to embrace the work of Jesus on the cross, and expect eternal life.  Who will believe it? The greatest of kings; born in the humblest of places.... God, born in the flesh!

The dictating "Jesus" contradicted nearly everything the Bible says about Him. That fact is admitted by Kenneth Wapnick, head of the foundation that publishes the Course. Not surprisingly, what this "Jesus" said was in perfect agreement with the messages being communicated by a wide variety of entities through thousands of "channels" around the world. Yet Shucman was ignorant of the phenomenon of "channeling" until it suddenly happened to her.

When insurance supervisor Jach Pursel tried Eastern meditation at the prompting of his wife, he thought he kept falling asleep. She found herself, however, talking with the strangely accented "Lazaris" when Jach was in this state. "Lazaris’s" themes echo A Course in Miracles, "Seth" (recorded in numerous books over a 24-year period through Jane Roberts), "Ramtha," and many other channeled entities: All is One and we are reincarnating, evolving, spiritual, immortal beings, all part of God but unaware of that great fact and on a journey of enlightenment to realize who we really are.

The "higher Self" of Meredith Lady Young, a New Hampshire publisher, channeled through her Agartha: A Journey to the Stars. Once again the message was positive thinking, evolutionary advancement to perfection, the oneness of all, that "God" is an energy, and that man is God: "We [channeling spirits] are multidimensional beings from another more spiritually evolved plane. Our aim is one of positive reinforcement to further man’s development…. The human race must recognize its deeply buried bond with Universal Energy or no significant spiritual growth is possible."

When genuine contact is made with the "spirit realm", the communications that come through are inevitably anti-Christian and particularly blasphemous of the Son of God, Jesus Christ. The "God" of the channeled materials inevitably contradicts God’s Word and usually even holds God up to ridicule. One of the boldest, latest, and most popular examples is found in Conversations with God: An Uncommon Dialogue, which Neale Donald Walsch claims just "happened" to him and is "God’s latest word on things." 48 In an obvious put-down of Jesus, this "God" says:

There was once... a new soul... anxious for experience. "I am the light," it said. "I am the light…." Every soul was grand ... and every soul shone with the brilliance of My awesome light. And so the little soul in question was as a candle in the sun. 49

The blasphemy continues with this "little soul" coming to earth to discover its true self. Like Buddha and many others, Jesus eventually "attained mastery…. What Jesus did... is the path of the Buddha, the way of Krishna, the walk of every Master who has appeared on the plane.... So who said Jesus was perfect?" 50 Yet we’re born as gods and goddesses and there is neither sin nor judgment. 51 There are no morals; God has no opinions and makes no judgments; we are free to do whatever makes us feel good. 52 It is all very comforting to those who, like Phil Jackson, want to justify their rejection of the Christ of the Bible and replace Him with "another Jesus" (2 Corinthians 11:4) and "another gospel" (Galatians 1:6-9).

2 Corinthians 11:4 warns us about things like this A Course in Miracles, you might say it also applies to Mormon so-called later revelations also:

This "God" (who claims to be the author of A Course in Miracles) 53 also tells Walsch that Satan and demons are nonexistent: "You have created in your mythology the being you call ‘devil.’ You have even imagined a God at war with this being…. Of course, a real devil does not exist…." 54 Of course "God" says we are all evolving through many lifetimes ever higher to oneness with God. Walsch has been on earth during many life-times and may have as many chances to do it over again and again as he wants or needs. 55 "God" says:

This "be Who You Really Are" business... [is] the most challenging thing you’ll ever do.... You may never get there. Few people do. Not in one lifetime. Not in many….

You are immortal. You never do die. You simply change form. [Concerning Adam and Eve,] there were more than two. [Life] evolved over billions of years... the evolutionists are right…!

Using psychic ability is nothing more than using your sixth sense... not trafficking with the devil…. there is no devil…. Each to his own without judgment. 56

It is the amazing unity of the channeled material and the fact that its basic message consistently reflects the four lies of the serpent in the Garden that both proves its reality and identifies its source. Enlightenment involves recognizing the illusion of our daily entranced experience and awakening to the true reality lying behind it. 57 Jean Houston declares:

These [channeled] "entities" as we call them—are essentially "goddings" of the depth of the psyche. They are personae of the self that take on acceptable form so that we can have relationship and thus dialogue. 58

Goddings of the depth of the psyche so we can dialogue with ourselves? Jean can’t even tell us what that means! How much more reasonable to accept the evidence that demonic entities are deceiving mankind.

Reality Manipulation:

As the Course explains, Man has not left Heaven. Man is still in the presence of God, but has created this illusionary World from "...false perceptions. It is born of error, and it has not left its source". Because Man believes he is separated from God, through his own ego and mistaken beliefs, Man has created the reality in which he now finds himself.

A BIBLICAL RESPONSE

Though the Course explains Man's ego created the world, the Bible disagrees: Genesis 1:1, John 1:1-3, Colossians 1:16.

Genesis 1:1: In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

John 1:1-3:  1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

Colossians 1:16:  For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and are on the earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him

Though the Course teaches Man is still in heaven with God, Jesus said He was going to prepare a place for Man. Hence man is obviously not already in heaven: John 14:1-3.

John 1:1-3: 1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.  2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you.  I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there you may be also.

While the Course denies the reality of death, the Bible teaches that every person will die: Hebrews 9:27.

Hebrews 9:27: And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment

The Course claims Jesus' body was an illusion. The Bible, however, stresses the physical reality of Jesus' human body: John 1:14

John 1:14: And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

Sin is an illusion according to the Course, but the Bible warns of sin's reality and consequences: Romans 3:23, John 1:7-10.

Romans 3:23: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God

John 1:7: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

According to the Course, Jesus is not the only Savior. The Bible presents Jesus as the unique and only Savior of the world: John 14:6, Acts 4:10-12, Acts 16:29-31.

John 14:6: Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me

Acts 4:10-12: 10 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand before you whole. 11 This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. 12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved

In conclusion, A Course In Miracles is the product of demonic revelation. Those who believe the Course is Christian should read 1 Timothy 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.

There is nothing Christian about A Course In Miracles!

2 Timothy 4:3-4 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.