BellaOnline Forums Relationships Married No Kids Interesting Articles

Hey! I haven't posted on here in awhile but I have been keeping up with all of the posts and love that there is a place where others who have chosen the same path in life are. :) Thank you for the constant support!! I was browsing my emails today and saw this article on Cosmo, right in between articles on "Positions" and "Toys". Good for them for trying to give decent health info but I thought the positioning of it was humorous! [url=http://http://www.cosmopolitan.com/advice/health/how-to-improve-fertility?src=nl&mag=cos&list=nl_chg_bhw_non_092811_improve-fertility&kw=ist]Cosmo Article[/url] Also, as someone who is anal about their budget (after digging themselves out of a debt crisis I created for myself), I found this next article fascinating. I like knowing I can pull this article out of my back pocket the next time someone tells me I, "...can't think of it like that", when I say that one of the reasons I have chosen to not have kids is because of financial reasons. [url=http://www.goldengirlfinance.ca/articles/whats-the-single-best-predictor-of-bankruptcy-the-answer-may-surprise-you]Bankruptcy predictor[/url] Oh, and if anyone has not read "Two is Enough", you should read it! It is fascinating. It's so great knowing that I'm not the only one out there who is happy with my family of two!

Surely thoughtful individuals will quickly rec�ognize that marrying and the giving in marriage, procreation and the perpetuation of present modes of civilization are not of themselves the ultimate purposes of life. All the world as a stage is not the cosmic coliseum; and ere the curtain is drawn on the final act, the drama of man�s existence shall be played out in many corners of the universe undreamed of by either early or modern man.

Men�s dreams of heaven are but fond glimpses into the imagery of Elysium graciously afforded mankind as encouragement until the time when they are able to expand their own spiritual vision and behold reality in the wonders of the Father in his many cosmic mansions. <8>

The supreme purpose of God for every lifestream upon earth is the selfsame victory which beloved Jesus manifested from the hill of Beth�any. The accent of Christendom upon the agony of Gethsemane, the crucifixion, and the vigil in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea has often eclipsed the great significance for every man, woman, and child of the glories of the res�ur�rec�tion and mysteries of the ascension.

Misunderstanding of the law of cause and effect and failure to apprehend the at-one-ment of the Universal Christ originated in the human concepts that were introduced in the parable of Eden and continue to the present day, perpetuated by the hoary mists of time and dogma. Un�for�tunately, the vicarious atonement has been ignorantly accepted and is widely used as an excuse for wrongdoings and their continuation. Thus, surrounded by an aura of godly but needless fear, men have persisted in passing on fallacies from generation to generation in the name of God and Holy Writ.

The registering of discord and wrongdoing upon man�s four lower bodies (i.e., the physical, mental, memory, and emotional bodies) is effected by scientific law, cosmically ordained and itself the very instrument of creation. As creators, men have sown the wind and reaped a karmic whirl�wind. <9>

The victory of the Universal Christ, which beloved Jesus demonstrated, was intended to show to man the way that would conduct him safely back to God�s image. That way was re�vealed as the Christ, or Divine Light within every man that cometh into the world. <10> It is this wondrous light, then, which is the light and life of the world <11>�of every man�s individual world. Only by walking in the light as he, the Universal Christ, is in the light <12> can men return to the Father�s house.

The forgiveness of sins is a merciful instrument of the Great Law whereby retribution, or the penalty for wrongdoing, is held in abeyance in order that a lifestream may have the freedom to �go and sin no more� <13> and then be given the opportunity for greater spiritual progress. How�ever, forgiveness does not absolve the soul of the requirement to balance the energies mis�used by the alchemical fires of transmutation. The bal�anc�ing of wrongs done to every part of life, in�clud�ing the self, must be accomplished in full with cosmic precision; hence every jot and tittle of the law must be fulfilled <14> either here or hereafter.

This process need not be a fearful looking for of judgment, <15> but it should preferably be a happy expectation of opportunity for service to life and the freeing of Life�s imprisoned splendor. For by ministering unto life indivi�dually and uni�ver�sally and by calling forth the alchemical fires on the altar of being, the individual can undo all of the inharmonies which he has thoughtlessly cast upon its beauteous presence. Truly, those who have been forgiven much can love much; <16> for they perceive the need to be everlastingly grate�ful for the goodness and mercy of God which endure forever! <17>

One of the major causes of recalcitrance, arro�gance, willful wrongdoing, disobedience, re�bellion, and stubbornness is the vain hope of in�di�vid�ual attainment without individual effort or of per�sonal salvation without personal sacrifice. Mankind do not relish the idea of painstakingly with�drawing every thread and snarl they have placed in the garment of life or of attaining heaven by honest application.

Yet they must one day face this truth of them�selves. Therefore, the present, when truth and justice of opportunity are at hand, is the right and accepted time. �Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.� <18>

The desire to find a scapegoat for one�s sins in a world teacher or saviour is not in keeping with the cosmic principles undergirding the law of the atonement. A master of great light such as Jesus the Christ or Gautama Buddha may hold the balance for millions of souls who are not able to carry the weight of their own sinful sense. This holding action is a staying of the law whereby, through mercy and through the personal sacrifice of one who keeps the flame for all, mankind might find their way back to God and then, in the power of the rebirth and in the presence of the Holy Spirit, return to take up the unfinished business of balancing their debts to life.

Christ is the saviour of the world because by his immaculate heart he postpones the day of judg�ment, affording humanity additional opportunity in time and space to fulfill the requirements of immortality.

I cannot, in the holy name of freedom, resist speak�ing out on these matters. For many have suffered� in the astral world after the change called death, and when they came before the Lords of Karma to give an accounting for their lives, they were found wanting. Unfortunately, this may have been only because while on earth they ac�cepted false religious doctrine and, in their mis�guided state, failed to do well in the time allotted to them. Then came to pass the words God spake to Adam�s son, �Sin lieth at the door� <19>�that is to say, the record of the misuse of God�s energy is at hand: render an accounting.

In God�s scheme of world order, the pro�pi�ti�a�tion for sin is permanent and effective; for the violet fire will transmute every unwanted condition and balance all by Light. This Light is the Universal Christ.

The precious violet flame, an aspect of the Comforter�s <20> consciousness, is the friend of every alchemist. It is both the cup and the elixir of Life that cannot fail to produce perfection every�where when it is called into action. After the violet flame has performed its perfect work, then let all rest in their labors that God may move upon the waters (waves of light) of the cre�ation to produce and sustain the righteousness of his eternal law.

The climax or initiation of the ascension can and will come to all, even to little children, when they are ready for it�when at least 51 percent of their karma has been balanced (this means that 51 percent of all the energy ever given to their use has been transmuted and put to constructive purpose) and their hearts are just toward God and man, aspiring to rise into the never-failing light of God�s eternally ascending Presence.

When this gift is given to anyone by his own I AM Presence and the Karmic Board, the ap�pear�ance of age drops from him as swiftly as a smile can raise the lips, and the magnetism and energy of that one becomes the unlimited power of God surging through his being. The dross of the physical, the weariness of the emotional body, tired of hatred and its monstrous creations, the ceaseless rote of the mental body�all drop away and are re�placed in perfect ease by their divine counterparts.

The feelings become charged by the love of God and the angels. The mind is the dia�mond-shin�ing mind of God�omnipresent, omniscient, om�nip�otent. The total being is inspired and aspiring!

Thus that which once hopefully descended now ascends back into the Light from whence it came. One with the company of angels and the nature and friendship of the Ascended Masters and in fellowship with the august fraternity of the Great White Brotherhood, each such one, by the divine merit within, attains the fullness of all that God would ever bestow upon each son with�out re�spect of any man�s person, but in joyful acknowl�edgment of man�s victory: Thou art my beloved Son; this day have I begotten thee! <21>

Epilogue

Religion and spirituality are no shame. These are the implements of the eternally creative arts. These are the friends of the alchemist who would change every base element of human nature and all life into the gold of Christed accomplishment.

In this teaching are keys to the highest portal. They must be fitted in the lock to gain entrance� to the highest initiation. I AM the door to the progressive unfoldment of ever-ascending planes of consciousness�all within your lovely God Presence, I AM.

Blessed ones, you are not limited in alchemy merely to the drawing forth from the universal light of three-dimensional objects. Alchemy can be mastered in order to illumine the mind, to heal any unwanted condition, and to spiritually exalt man�s total nature from its base state to the golden standard where the golden rule is law.

With you�as with God�all things are pos�sible. There is no other or higher way. For ex�ample, the brilliance of present Soviet science cannot win the universe for the blessed children of Mother Russia. Only God can bring eternal satisfaction to the whole earth. Let the ungodly tremble, for they shall be cut down as grass; <22> but the righteous shall shine as the sons of the Great Alchemist, Almighty God!

Further studies in alchemy are available to all who would progressively advance in this science of self-dominion. Some of this material I am releasing in the lessons of the Keepers of the Flame Fraternity, some in the weekly Pearls of Wisdom written by the Masters of our Brotherhood, and some I shall bring to you individually in answer to your heart�s calls. But call you must if this cause which is just shall be fulfilled in you!

�Call unto me, and I will answer thee,� <23> declares the Most High God. The Father shall reward you openly for each prayerful call you make in secret. <24> Within the inner recesses of your heart, unknown by any man, you may ever silently call. There in your heart is the crucible of the eternal essence, the white stone, the elixir and full potency of Life.

Alchemists of the sacred fire, here is the sa�cred cosmic formula: Theos = God; Rule = Law; You=Being; Theos+Rule+You=God�s law active as Principle within your being (TRY).

I AM in constant attunement with your true being,

Pax vobiscum
Sanctus Germanus

NOTES:

8. John 14:2.

9. Hosea 8:7.

10. John 1:9.

11. Matt. 5:14; John 8:12; 9:5.

12. I John 1:7.

13. John 8:11.

14. Matt. 5:18.

15. Heb. 10:27.

16. Luke 7:47.

17. Ps. 136.

18. II Cor. 6:2.

19. Gen. 4:7.

20. John 14:16, 26; 15:26.

21. Ps. 2:7.

22. Ps. 37:1, 2.

23.Jer. 33:3.

24. Matt. 6:6.

Compassion for Animals is Not Neurosis

Ever wonder why people devoted to caring for pets and animals (other than human) are repeatedly typecast as pathologically needy? This is especially true for childfree pet owners, and even more so for women. I attended a "compassion fatigue" workshop the past weekend for people volunteering and working in animal shelters and rescues. The presenter was intelligent, caring, and childfree. Much of what she said was helpful. Yet, as we were discussing therapy for shelter workers overwhelmed by feelings of sadness and guilt, the presenter�s advice was to find out "what triggers are coming from childhood. What unmet needs are being met by caring for animals?" The presentation took a negative turn at that point; with discussion focusing on perceived neurosis in animal care workers and pet owners.

I had to ask myself, "If this were a seminar for parents stressed out by taking care of problem children, would the question of a parents' psychological issues come up at all? How often are parents asked to explore the "unmet needs of childhood" as motivators for parenthood, or question the nature of their devotion to their kids?

There is, of course, neediness or pathology in the decision of some people to become parents. Yet, while parents of humans are buffered from constant requests for self-reflective inquiry, pet parents and animal care workers are subject to regular intrusive questions about the nature of their caring. Even my veterinarian complains that he gets comments such as, "You are such a talented surgeon. Why aren�t you caring for humans instead of dogs and cats?"

Volunteers at our shelter take in "problem pets" - the undesirable, unadoptable ones with behavior or health issues. We are often subjected to psychobabble suggesting some deficit in our psyches is motivating our behavior, causing us to spend so much time taking care of beings considered worthless by many.

Are parents equally questioned about the sanity of producing children in an overpopulated planet? Most parents of humans rightly persist in the care of problem children, but pet parents are encouraged to euthanize a pet suffering from a chronic illness or deviant behavior. I'm always amazed how otherwise caring people can have an utter callousness regarding non-human animals.

Yet, the ability to feel only human compassion is a symptom of a sick culture. It fuels overpopulation, environmental degradation, and cruelty. Human parents are celebrated. People caring for pets - with similar levels of devotion - are pitied or ridiculed.

Even cultural icons, such as scientist Jane Goodall, are subjected to this subtle form of discrimination. One writer smugly attributes her lifetime dedication to ground breaking primate work to early loss of a parent: "Mortimer divorced Jane Goodall's mother, Vanne, in 1950, consigning Jane to the fate of so many children who cathect with the animal kingdom to compensate for missing parents." - Judith Lewis; Observing the Observer: Jane Goodall, The Woman Who Redefined Man; Los Angeles Times; Nov 19, 2006.

Cathect is the word Lewis uses to define the nature of Goodall's love for primates. Cathect means to invest mental or emotional energy in an idea, object, or person - it is contrived, not "natural" affection. Lewis' statement is the second time I've encountered the word "cathect." The first was in reading M. Scott Peck's The Road Less Taken when I first decided to not have kids. Peck uses the word cathect divisively, claiming that people can only "cathect" pets, not love them as human children. His reasoning is that pets can't return affection or conversation - which suggests that Peck probably never spent time caring for pets in his life. And, if he did, I'm sure his pets never slept on the bed or sofa.

Love, compassion, concern and caring are in equal parts exhilarating and draining. If imbalance occurs - all giving and no receiving - spirit is exhausted. It's important to replenish our giving by loving ourselves and allowing others to love us, whether our children, our pets, our community. I don't believe there are hierarchies in love - no form that is nobler or more mature than others. Love and compassion are - like every experience - subjective. Any attempt to label one type of love "pure" and another "pathological" only diminishes us and contributes to creating a bleak and harsh culture. Like it or not, we really do create our own worlds.

As a case in point, speakers at the 2010 Animal Rights Conference (arconference.org) in July devote their lives to non-human animals. Some have children of their own. Some do not. Collectively, these compassionate people work to improve the world by caring for, and loving, non-human animals. I don't believe their motives stem from lack or pathology but, conversely, a healthy sense of responsibility towards our ecosystem. As opposed to being sick, animal welfare workers and advocates are some of the healthiest people on the planet.

I found this right on the page that comes up before entering the forum. Apparently, the only pure and true love you can experience as a human is that of the bond you share with your human offspring. Any love or compassion you experience toward any other creature is pathological. Really? Stupid, just...stupid. I agree with the writer. It's not unhealthy to have a love for the other creatures we share this world with. I guess then I'm just some horrible creature and diseased in the mind for not enjoying a screaming infant or toddler more than the unwavering guilelessness of a faithful pooch or the unrelenting glint of curiosity in a kitten's eye when his interest is peaked. I guess I owe the world an apology for feeling my family is complete, healthy and loving enough without any children in it.

Sam.....wow....I am with you on so many of your points. I read everything starting with the very first post.

As for loving and caring for animals, I can agree with the seminar presenter that a lot of people do have deep seated issues from childhood or adulthood even, and that can lead to animal hoarding. In that case the welfare of the animals and the animal owner themselves should be considered, because many times the animals are not cared for properly because the owner has taken on more than he or she can handle. In that case, I can see the points being made.

But.....most people I know who have animals do not have numbers and numbers of pets, and I see nothing wrong with the love and caring they bestow on their animals. Animals are feeling beings and those with higher intelligence like dogs and cats do love unconditionally. What could be better than that? It is difficult to find a human being to share your life with who would love you the same way.

I am an animal lover myself, and at one time I had many animals in my house. I raised canaries and finches and their total population was 85, along with my 7 cats at the time (rescues), bunnies, two pidgeons (rescues), a parrot, etc. When I moved out into the country and sold off the bulk of my small birds, I still had a dozen or so left. I still had my parrot and seven cats. When I got down to about 4 cats I acquired two horses and then two dogs. I have always had animals. At different times it would get draining because they can be a lot of work, but they were always well cared for and they brought me a lot of joy.

My ex-husband thought I was a little wacky to want so many animals. He went along with it but then later when our marriage ended because he wanted kids and I did not, he said, "If we didn't have all the animals we could have had kids." WHAT?????

I didn't want kids and he knew it. Having my animals was not an excuse or replacement for kids. How stupid he was. He thought of course that I had a problem, some mental problem making me want animals and not kids. I find animals more enjoyable, thank you very much. It's what makes me ME.

I am down to two dogs and two horses now, and hanging on to them by the skin of my teeth because of financial difficulty. And why don't I just give them up? Because they are family to me. I love them and they love me, and I feel a responsibility towards them.

They are more of a loyal family than kids would ever think of being !!!

As for the religion topic you dicussed, I am sorry you had so much negativity in your church. I can see where others as well would have the harrassment from small congregations where everybody knows everyone else, and they all know your business. It is unfortunate though that some churches have to treat people this way.

I was brought up Roman Catholic. As an adult I stopped going to church but as the years went on I felt the need to go back. It is a part of who I am and I don't want to change it. I have always been in churches where there were a lot of parishioners and I don't know them, so I feel anonymous there and at peace to sit and take in what comforts me in church. I don't go every weekend to Mass, but I do go. I go for myself, not anyone else.

I don't discuss my private life with anyone there or with the priests. They do not know I am divorced. I receive Communion, which I understand is a big no-no when you are divorced. Frankly I don't care. I am there for me and I am comforted by what I do there. I am not dicussing my life and I am not answering to anyone. In my opinion God loves everybody, and I belong in that church just like anyone else.

So I guess you can say that I am staying strong to stay within my religion and to go to church in spite of the fact that I am child free and divorced on top of it. I am not a parishioner of my church, so to speak, because I just moved to the area and I am not registered with the church, etc. But I am going to Mass and going only for myself, in spite of any rules they may have. Maybe that is the key to achieving peace.....go to a church with a lot of parishioners, keep to yourself and stay anonymous. I may give for fund raisers and things like that, but I am not into the activities outside of Mass that people engage in.

I enjoy going because I feel God in church and I feel peace when I am there. And that is a very personal thing to me that I do not have to share with other parishioners or the priests. My reasons and my life are my own.

"They are more of a loyal family than kids would ever think of being !!!"

You've got that right, Burt!