… see Worldly “Duty”

Is Serving Jury Duty A Forbidden Activity In ACIM?

As the eyes scan a mailer that comes in this week and has included a request for donations from a large Course In Miracles organization I sit here and ponder and the thought comes that there is need to clarify.

It seems that a lot of ‘level confusion’ is taught by several of these newer ACIM based organizations, a very common thing nowadays. This is a natural process of making a transition in the mind from the worldly way in which we see things to a more abstract and benign way, Another Way, a way that is less entangled in the formalities of form and more in line with the fluidity of Spirit for the betterment of all humanity.

Here is an example: If you become a supporting member of this organization by making a pledge / donation you enjoy the many benefits of membership. Here is one of these benefits listed: “Supporting Members who feel morally guided to not serve on a jury because they do not want to sit in judgment of another "brother" can receive a letter to help them explain to the Judge why it is against their religion to be on a jury. This letter has been 100% effective.“

The mind travels back to a time last year when I had to serve jury duty in a local murder case in the town where I live. Two teenagers ages 18 and 19 had killed a 40 year old drug dealer in a robbery stint. They were trying to rob him of his drugs and accidentally killed him, according to them they didn’t mean to and that was not their intent, though in the end that is what happened.

As it is I prayed and talked to Jesus that if my help and judgment were needed in this capacity I would do the best job I could with integrity, and I was made alternate juror no. 13. I had to listen to the entire trial, examine the evidence, and be ready to vote if someone became unavailable. But no one got sick or missed a day of the trial, so at the moment of deliberation I was sent away. The votes came in. One was found guilty on all charges, the other guilty on all but one. The 12 agreed with what would have been my vote. While we waited, the bailiffs and I took a pool, and everyone’s vote agreed as well. Not a single one disagreed.

Now, was I sitting in judgment of my brothers?

Well, there was no guilt. It was a job, and I gave it my honest best. I was called to Jury Duty, it was a duty. My brothers in the community were asking me to represent them and do my duty on their behalf. I listened to the evidence and prayed to let any bias pass by, in case one may be there, one never knows (one of them was Hispanic).

Now, these are the laws of the land, these are the laws of the world we made, our very own version of ‘cause and consequence’. I felt no guilt, no remorse, but only peace and gratitude for the learning experience.

Additionally, is ACIM a religion?

Of course not! It is not intended to be one, never was and never will be, though that is how many of these new organizations are setting themselves up to function. We are reminded of the words of Helen Schucman, the course’s scribe, in the brief summary she wrote about the course in 1977 where she says (the bold and underline are mine): “The names of the collaborators in the recording of the Course do not appear on the cover because the Course can and should stand on its own. It is not intended to become the basis for another cult. Its only purpose is to provide a way in which some people will be able to find their own Internal Teacher.” (http://www.acim.org/ACIM/HowItCame.htm)

Nothing Jesus asks of us in his course is about form, but it is all about content. And contents is always the same, one or the other. We are either being guided by the idea of fear and separation, or the Thought of Love that KNOWS what is best for everyone of the Sons of God, the entire Sonship.

Nothing is to be applied on the level of form, but on the level of mind where the contents rests and where the cause of this world rests as well. The world is the effects of its choices. The effect of this cause is reflected in the world we experience and perceive.

As I serve in jury duty I personally do not sit in judgment of my brother. I bless him and hope that he can find the way home after making such a sad mistake. But we do not know what anything is for. What if as young as they are they find their way home in jail? There are many programs nowadays that teach both The Work of Byron Katie and ACIM, like Joe Wolfe (http://www.prayguy.com) an ex-convict turned Teacher of God that is doing such a wonderful job mailing the transcribed summary of Gary Renard’s workshops for free to prisoners and others who cannot hear or attend workshops.

The course tells us not to judge, but this means not to condemn, because we do not know everything as the Holy Spirit does in order to judge justly. We are not to judge because we simply can not judge, not because it is an edict, a commandment, or a sin.

However, doing a job as a juror and following the guidance of the Legal System is a duty and a service to the community, and a responsibility as a citizen on the level of the world. The judgment is passed by the law of the community, for the community’s well being in a world filled with confused brothers who have chosen to act mostly based on fear instead of love, for now, not by the juror.

No wonder the course says: “Nothing so blinding as perception of form” (T-22.III.6.7). If one thinks everything the course teaches applies on the level of form one ends up literally paralyzed, unable to serve jury duty, unable to be a judge or an attorney, unable to even pray for any thing or anyone or to attend a funeral and be appropriately kind and loving, since it also says that the idea of death itself is unreal.

I was so impressed with how the system works, how the jurors are instructed to cast a vote, not to judge, only based on the letter of the law, only based on the ‘evidence’ presented and nothing else. They must read the law and understand it, then understand their boundaries. But they are not asked to condemn their brother.

If we learn to tune in to the Thought of Love instead of acting out of fear, we may be guided at times to go ahead and serve Jury Duty, go ahead and give testimony that sends someone to prison, go ahead and sue someone, go ahead and teach some one, go ahead and hug someone. The actions don’t matter. We may at times be guided not to do any of those things, but do others that in that one instance represent the beneficence of God for the entire Sonship. We do not know, so let us not think that our actions by our individual decisions are what is right or wrong. It is our thinking that makes it so, and is our thinking that will lead us out of fear, not our action in the world.

There are no "forbidden" activities in ACIM. Only mistaken thoughts.