{"id":249,"date":"2008-03-19T01:07:26","date_gmt":"2008-03-19T01:07:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/conversationswithgod\/2008\/03\/are-we-really-divine.html"},"modified":"2008-03-19T01:07:26","modified_gmt":"2008-03-19T01:07:26","slug":"are-we-really-divine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/conversationswithgod\/2008\/03\/are-we-really-divine.html","title":{"rendered":"Are we really Divine?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Some people believe that human beings are individuated aspects of The Divine. Others believe that we were created by God, but we are not Divinity Itself. The question makes for some interesting theological discussion.
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\nWednesday is Question and Answer Day <\/strong>on the blog…a time for exploring many of the questions that people have recently asked about the nine Conversations with God <\/em>books and the New Spirituality. Here’s this week’s entry…
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\nQuestion:<\/strong> I already know I am God’s experience of what life is. The clergy and most of the people I talk to think it is blasphemy for me to say that I am God. I know that I am and I know that we are one. It’s tough to practice unconditional love with people who want to crucify me for my beliefs. Do I accept punishment or do I keep my mouth shut?
\nNeale’s Response: <\/strong>You might find a gentler way of stating your beliefs. “I am God” does not go over so well. How about, “I am as Aspect of Divinity.” Or, “I am an Individuation of the Divine.”
\nThese statements mean the same thing, but are not nearly as confrontive for people who believe in Separation Theology.
\nSeparation Theology is a theology that says “I am ‘over here’ and God is ‘over there’, and never the ‘twain shall meet\u0014until I die and God decides whether I have been good enough to come back \u0018home\u0019 and to be back with Him ‘over there’.”
\nThe problem with a Separation Theology is that it produces a Separation Cosmology. That is, a cosmological way of looking at all of Life which holds that everything is separate from everything else. And a Separation Cosmology produces a Separation Sociology. That is, a way of socializing the human species that separates every person from every other person by declaring their interests to be separate. And a Separation Sociology produces a Separation Pathology. That is, pathological behaviors of self-destruction, engaged in individually and collectively and evidenced everywhere on our planet throughout human history.
\nSaying “I am God” only creates more separation, Blake, because most people cannot believe that about themselves. Saying “I am a part of That Which Is Divine,” or….”I am an Aspect of Divinity” is much more paletable. Most people would feel okay with someone saying that.
\nTry it!
\n(Ask Neale<\/em> may be accessed on a daily basis in the Messengers\u2019 Circle at Neale’s personal website: www.nealedonaldwalsch.com<\/a>. Each week Neale selects a question from those posted there and publishes it in this blog.)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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