The ideas represented herein are the personal interpretation and understanding of the author and are not necessarily endorsed by the copyright holder of A Course in Miracles, which is now The Foundation for A Course in Miracles.

          In so far as ACIM is concerned, the treatment of behavior towards one another, or the reference to any matter within the world, is to be seen only as a relational teaching tool and not considered as fact. We should be careful here not to make the error real. This is the "drama" within the illusion that the Holy Spirit uses as a classroom lesson. The treatment of information as it relates to the level of God and Heaven within ACIM, however, would be considered more literal, at least metaphorically, since these references and those to our true identity as the Sonship are to be considered part of reality, albeit taken in the same context, as learning tools along with the rest.
 

          The meeting ground and yet too its separation from A Course in Miracles and that of Christianity are found in the identity of the figure called, Jesus. In Christianity, Jesus is seen as, "The Christ" . . . the only begotten Son of God, and Divine. In A Course in Miracles, Jesus (the same physical person) is seen as one of us [our elder brother] - BUT, with one big difference: he has seen through the illusion of the physical world; connected with God through the Holy Spirit and in knowing the truth about the real world and our true identities, he seeks to help us see truth. He sees us equal as brothers and equal as sons. In the illusion that we experience as life, his presence is as the manifestation of The Holy Spirit - The Voice for God! It is only from this position - between equals - that it is possible to communicate miracles.
 

          The theology and lessons of each system of belief are found more or less within their respective writings: The Holy Bible, consisting of Old and New Testaments, is the form that delivers the Christian Scriptures as, "The Holy Word of God". Then, "A Course in Miracles", is found in the form of a Text[book], Workbook for Students, and Manual for Teachers, as well as two pamphlets, "Psychotherapy: Purpose, Process and Practice" and "The Song of Prayer", all of which contain its thought system and lessons. The authorship of the complete Course is ascribed to Jesus as a metaphysical experience by Helen Schucman, the scribe.
 

          Treating this opening information within the context of the Course, we should not only see the differences and similarities between the two thought systems, but the seeming separation from God clearly as an illusion and not as real. We should also have an even clearer understanding that the Course considers all material - regardless of the source, to be part of the illusion. That includes the Holy Bible and ACIM.

1.      A Course in Miracles teaches that God did not create the physical universe - The Bible states that He did.
 

2.      The God of ACIM does not even know about the sin of separation (since to know about it would make it real). The God of the Bible not only perceives of sin directly, as in the Garden of Eden, but His responses toward it can be very human, such as demonstrating anger or jealousy and taking punitive measures - sometimes including the infliction of death.
 

3.      ACIM' Jesus is equal to everyone else, a part of God's one Son or Christ; while the Bible's Jesus is seen as special, apart and therefore ontologically different from everyone else, and being the second person of the Trinity.
 

4.      The Jesus of, ACIM is not sent by God to suffer and die on the cross in a sacrificial act of atonement for sin, but rather teaches that there is no sin by demonstrating that nothing happened to him in reality; while the Jesus of the Bible agonizes, suffers, and dies for the sins of the world in an act that brings vicarious salvation to humanity.

          Now, what exactly does this mean to those of us who were raised within the religion of Christianity? The answer to this question is simple: What do you want it to mean? Obviously we cannot reconcile both thought systems. Most of us have worn "labels" all our lives. If we have called ourselves Christians with little or no adherence or belief in traditional theology, then perhaps it is time to move on to something in which we can believe. What we call ourselves is really only a matter of personal choice. The important point to remember is: Do not try to mix the two systems - it will not work and will serve only to confuse and undermine your willingness to see through the illusion.
 

          There is a line in the Course that says: "Teacher of God, your one assignment could be stated thus: Accept no compromise in which duality plays a part". (Manual, p. 64; M-27.7:1) We not only can see that the thought system of the Holy Bible and "its" God are dualistic, but all of life within the illusion, as well. Allow this statement from the "Manual for Teachers" to be your guide in recognizing non-duality as Real and duality as a deceptive trap of the ego. Anywhere you see the word "duality", substitute the word "death" because duality is the illusion of separation where opposites are always lurking in the shadows with all their changing forms.

          While the above is more than sufficient to demonstrate Christianity and A Course in Miracles as mutually exclusive thought systems, the Course does make an important and insightful point that we should all try to remember: "A universal theology is impossible, but a universal experience is not only possible, but necessary".
 

          The world is certainly not short of theologies, nor religious vehicles to convey them, but when we ascribe our human frailties to God, we can surely feel certain that we just created God in our own likeness, once again. After all, unless we simply say that, GOD IS, and stop there, we are bound to impute limitations to Him because we would not know how to do otherwise. Our ego's insistance that we personify God is a summons we cannot ignore. We substitute form for content in the physical world all the time. This would not be possible in Reality - Heaven, since Jesus in ACIM tells us, God Is formless, changeless, and eternal. This, then, is a measure of, Reality. The physical world that we believe in does not meet such attributes as presented, and so, would be the miscreation of the Ego God that we read about in the Bible.
 

          The world that we perceive as real - the physical world, is a world of opposites, set against a back-drop of time and space. An illusion of cause and effect whereby even perception does not exist in reality since perception would be a substitute for Knowledge (truth); and a thought system of duality whereby everything has an opposite; doomed from its inception since it incorporates its own weaknesses and perceives of separateness. The reality we attribute to God in ACIM, however, is non-dualistic; a oneness and completeness that extends only Love, making separation impossible - in effect, a seamless joining, for love is all there is. A basic tenet in the course states ". . . ideas leave not their source". The cause and effect of reality leaves nothing outside of God's Mind. We are as Thought; we are Spirit and in unity with The Reality of God. Our true identity, then, is an extention of His love, we are, The Christ.
 

          It should be noted, perhaps, that Christianity does not stand alone as a religious system which finds incompatibility with A Course in Miracles. I believe it could be said that no other theology is in line with Course thinking. So, with the exception of obvious references to that of Christianity, one could probably apply the same thinking within ACIM to other religions, also. With this thought in mind it might be a good idea to approach the matter of interpreting ACIM through some of the basics which permit us to study the Course, whether as it relates to other thought systems or in its own right as another path.
 

          It might be observed here that, ACIM does not seek to impede anyone's desire to seek some other path to God. The promise that the Course makes is two-fold: It will help you to find the experience of peace within the illusion, and it will help to collapse time that seems to stand between you and the eternal peace of God by trading a world you made of illusion for the reality of Heaven. These are miracles in response to forgiveness.
 
 

          ACIM is basically written on two levels. This is so Jesus can relate to us back and forth on both levels - from within the framework of Reality and also within the framework of the illusionary world we made up, yet a world we believing ourselves to be living in.
 

LEVEL ONE: The metaphysical level where Jesus can contrast the State of Heaven as the only reality and truth with that of the illusory nature of the physical world, e.g. God and ego, truth and illusion, Heaven and the world. Demonstrating a knowledge of both "places".
 

LEVEL TWO: As we perceive reality, i.e., within the illusion of the physical world and the dream of experiences where choices are made between the default guidance of the ego or by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit's voice speaks of unity, joining and forgivness, while the ego's voice speaks of sin, guilt, fear, separation, attack, and judgement. Some sources have, with tongue in cheek, labeled the first three -, sin guilt and fear, as the, "unholy trinity".
 

          At Level One, the metaphysical level, we can view the "real world" and contrast it with the illusory world. However, Jesus speaks to us at this level to demonstrate awareness of right thinking from wrong thinking and to contrast the real thought system of Heaven and the perceived thought system of illusion. It is here we get a good look at the contrast between non-dualistic and dualistic thought systems, or put another way, between reality vs. illusion. One is real, created by God, the other we made up - seemingly, a long, long time ago.
 

          At Level Two, Jesus demonstrates the practical lessons of forgiveness within the illusion of the physical world as we as dreamers experience the influence of ego. He would show us the two basic ways of perceiving this world and ask us to ignore the ego's perception and be guided instead by the voice of the Holy Spirit. At this level he shows us the conflictedness that comes from trying to serve a dualistic thought system of perceptions and asks us to seek the Holy Spirit's help in making that shift. Basically, this level demonstrates our lessons from within the illusion, where we believe we are.
 

          We not only can see there are radical differences in theology between Christianity and A Course in Miracles, but in cosmology also. Christianity would make the illusion of the physical world real, as well as Heaven. This would mean that we, as God's creations and what we perceive as the whole phenomenal world, would have been created outside of God - yet retain the status of reality. "Christianity believes that God created this material world out of nothing preexisting, that it is imperfect but still an image of God and basically good, and a theater for our moral and spiritual growth . . . ." On the other hand, ACIM believes the perception of the world is just an illusion, however in essence it would agree the world could be perceived as imperfect and therefore it could not be created by God; that God is perfect, creates only perfection and therefore needs no theater to learn anything that is not already known by our birthright as Christ. A Course in Miracles further sees that in reality, we are one with God, the Father - that separation is not possible, and if God created anything outside Himself He would be creating separateness, therefore making the separation real and intentional. As well, we would be "outside" the Mind of God, which is not possible.
 
 

          One of the ways this contrast could be summarized neatly would be by looking at the Christian liturgy of The Nicene, or Apostolic Creeds. Some Bible Churches may not recognize the form of either of these Creeds, but I think they would accept their content as essentially the basis of Christian belief. On page 101 of the book, "A Course In Miracles and Christianity - A Dialogue", we find The Nicene Creed. If we read this we can see a very succinct statement of Christian belief whereby ACIM would stand in disagreement.
 

          While it does not address The Nicene Creed on a point by point basis, I believe ACIM makes a basic statement of faith also:
 

          As, A Course in Miracles unfolds before the student, this statement makes sense as a succinct statement, not only of faith, but as a basis for Course study.
 

          One final note of marked disagreement with Christian thought is that the, "final blissful union with God" occurs in a transformed or "glorified" body. This would not be acceptable in ACIM. In Course theology, bodies keep us separate and in a state unlike our true Identity as spirit; as Christ, God's one Son. For us to look forward to such an action would have us look forward to separation from our source as not only desirable, but negating our final goal in eternity - the experience of Oneness, once again - uniting with the truth that we never left.
 

          This paper is not considered a complete treatment of differences between ACIM and Christianity, but is sufficient to make the point that they are very different. A complete reading of the dialogue between Kenneth Wapnick, Ph.D., representing ACIM views, and Father W. Norris Clarke, S.J., Ph.D., representing the Christian position in the book, "A Course in Miracles and Christianity - A Dialogue", would serve those of us well that have a desire to study the Course, or to just know more about the subject.
 

FINAL JUDGEMENT: In the end, when the day of judgement is upon us, the living and the dead will be judged and divided into two camps - those adjudged good, or saved, will be forever rewarded in Heaven, and those adjudged sinners, or unsaved, will be cast into Hell for everlasting punishment. In the Christian way of atonement the expiation of humanity's sins are through the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ, as willed by God - based upon the Old Testament tradition of atonement through sacrifice. The acceptance of Jesus as the only begotten Son of God, etc., as more or less seen in the words of The Nicene Creed, determines if one has been saved or not.
 

NOTE: The Following Paragraph Is a Personal Observation - Not From The Course or A Dialogue.

Self-righteousness has a pronouncement about it which makes the specialness of the ego appear in all its arrogance and is thus summed up, I believe, as stated above in the "final judgement. Some people seem to revel in this thought, looking forward to it happening just the way the Bible prophesy would have it happen; their happiness seeming to depend on being right about Judgement Day - not only dividing the Sonship for evermore, but making the ego-god once again in the likeness of man.
 

ATONEMENT: Atonement in ACIM is the waking from the dream - the end of all illusions and the acceptance of the truth that the separation from God never really happened. Clearly, oneness with all of God's creations, and the end of time, but not eternity!

NOTE: This paper was not intended as an argument to determine authenticity between two monotheistic thought systems, but rather to note how they are different. It should be noted that preparation was by ACIM student, G.P.W. on 6/05/95. A minor revision was made on 4/99.

                                                                                                  
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