The Canadian National Newspaper: "Forgiveness Politics" through "God's Plan for Salvation"

First, a personal perspective - or, where I have been "coming from" - spiritually and politically - practically my entire adult life.

After completing 7 1/2 years service in the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) during my twenties, I became eligible to join a political party of my choice, which in my case was Canada's Cooperative Commonwealth Federation (CCF).

In 1961 I helped found the merger of a new political entity consisting of the CCF, large sections of Canada's labour movement, and various other liberal and progressive elements in Canadian society which came together under the name of the New Democratic Party (NDP), with Tommy Douglas, Premier of Saskatchewan (and father of Canada's Medicare system), as our new party's first national leader.

Between 1962 and 1972 (during a period of minority governments), I ran for a seat in Parliament on five separate occasions in Northwest Toronto, earning the ironic distinction of having won more aggregate votes than any other candidate in the history of the CCF-NDP - win or lose, averaging 24,624 votes per election, or around 36 per cent of the vote on each occasion - while coming in second each time!

In 1973 I withdrew from electoral politics, became a committed student of A Course in Miracles (ACIM) from 1979 to this day, as well as a Gandhian in my political outlook and general philosophical orientation, which, in recent years, has transformed itself into what I now refer to as "forgiveness politics." As Lesson 71 (for illustration purposes) makes crystal clear, God's plan (forgiveness) is the "only" plan that "works."

Meaning, that forgiveness "works" -- and that nothing else does.

Consider the implications of this kind of "final word" logic. What the author of the Course is teaching us through God and/or the Holy Spirit, I suggest, is that our salvation is entirely contingent on how willing we are to apply forgiveness principles to the chaotic dream we find ourselves in. And, given my foregoing spiritual/political background within the dream, I, of course, can think of no better place to practice these principles than in the world of politics.

And so that is what I have been doing.

The process I have been following is to attempt to integrate what I have learned from the teachers I've been exposed to in both worlds, most particularly recently. Here is a short list of such people, arranged here in alphabetical order: David Ray Griffin, Willis Harman, Naomi Klein, Michael Lerner, Robert Perry, David Spangler, Colin Tipping, Neale Donald Walsch, and Marianne Williamson.

Then I drew from my Course background, which, in addition to the Course books themselves, included teachers such as Judy Skutch (who first introduced me to the Course), Ken Wapnick (my friend and first teacher), Jon Mundy (a long time friend and mentor), Robert Perry (my teacher since 1989), Marianne Williamson, Hugh and Gayle Prather -- along with many other kindred spirits. Most recently these associations have included practically all of the works developed by Robert Perry and his associates at the Circle of Atonement, and most particularly Robert's recent book, Return to the Heart of God, which I have now read slowly and carefully three times - for me, the most inspiring Course-based work that I have come across short of the Course itself.

Having stated that, it is also this particular book that has confronted me in a way that I never expected to be confronted on the subject of forgiveness, a spiritual process I had assumed all the major religions of the world had consciously embraced as one of their highest priorities. But apparently not so.

Here is an excerpt from page 253 of Return to the Heart of God:

" ... I have found it very revealing to look up forgiveness in The Encyclopedia of Religion. This is a comprehensive and masterful encyclopedia which had the great scholar Mircea Eliade as its editor in chief. It contains thousands of entries on virtually every conceivable topic in world religion. Most of the entry titles are so obscure that they would be familiar only to the specialist (the first three entries, for instance, are Isaac Abarbanel, Abbahu, and Abbaye). Yet there is no entry on forgiveness. There isn't even a subheading on forgiveness within any of the entries. In the fifteen volumes of the encyclopedia, there are two hundred passing references to variations on the word 'forgiveness'. Over 80% of these are about receiving forgiveness, from God, the gods, the church, the community, the pope, the king, other people, etc. Only thirty refer to one person giving forgiveness to another. Of these thirty, sixteen are about the ministry of Jesus, either about him giving forgiveness or about him teaching others to do so. If The Encyclopedia of Religion is any indication, the spiritual value of giving forgiveness is a very minor note in humanity's religions, a note that is primarily associated with the ministry of Jesus."

A "minor note in humanity's religions"!

Seems to me that our ACIM community has a major opportunity to demonstrate otherwise!

As I experience it, here is how forgiveness politics can and does work under God's plan for salvation:

So-called homo sapiens (top of the food chain) -- collectively and individually - are totally responsible for the insane mess we seemingly now find ourselves in.

I am a member of this so-called species.

As a member of this species, I am totally responsible for all thoughts of separation.

Genuine forgiveness automatically corrects this error.

Prayer or meditation (in this instance, an adaptation from Ho-oponopono, a Hawaiian healing process).

As a guideline, say to yourself, or hold in your mind:

- "I take total responsibility for all my thoughts within the dream."

-- Pause. "I'm very sorry."

-- Pause. "Please forgive me."

Read confrontive, challenging ("non-spiritual"), political best-sellers like Naomi Klein's The Shock Doctrine -- The Rise of Disaster Capitalism, and David Ray Griffin's Debunking 9/11 (both published this year) -- as I have -- and find out -- first-hand -- how this kind of an approach to forgiveness can or will work for you.

Taking darkness to light is a relatively simple process. If you are willing to stay focused - with the help of God and/or the Holy Spirit -- peace, clarity and helpful guidance is the experience.

However, in the grievance-based mind, it is anything but that!

For me, genuine forgiveness is a very simple, love-based process that invariably works. Forgiveness in politics is simply a different forum for that universal experience, indistinguishable from any other part of God's plan for salvation.

And, of course, also a great forum for learning to wake up fast!

In love, truth, peace ... through forgiveness politics.

About the writer:

Val Scott is a "social entrepreneur" who for most of his personal and professional life has focused on non-adversarial, all-win approaches to human relationships. He has served as an education director, general manager, executive director, chief executive officer, and consultant to a number of labour, management and professional employee organizations in both the private and public sectors of the Canadian economy.

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