Library of Christ Mind Teachings
ACIM Original Edition
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3 The darkest of your hidden cornerstones holds your belief in guilt
from your awareness. For in that dark and secret place is the
realization that you have betrayed God’s Son by condemning him to death.
You do not even suspect this murderous but insane idea lies hidden
there, for the ego’s destructive urge is so intense that nothing short
of the crucifixion of God’s Son can ultimately satisfy it. It does not
know who the Son of God is because it is blind. Yet let it perceive
guiltlessness anywhere, and it will try to destroy it because it is
afraid.
4 Much of the ego’s strange behavior is directly attributable to its
definition of guilt. To the ego, the guiltless are guilty. Those who
do not attack are its “enemies” because, by not valuing its
interpretation of salvation, they are in an excellent position to let
it go. They have approached the darkest and deepest cornerstone in the
ego’s foundation, and while the ego can withstand your raising all else
to question, it guards this one secret with its life, for its existence
does depend on keeping this secret. So it is this secret that we must
look upon calmly, for the ego cannot protect you against truth, and in
its presence the ego is dispelled.
5 In the calm light of truth, let us recognize that you believe you
have crucified God’s Son. You have not admitted to this “terrible”
secret because you still wish to crucify him if you could find him.
Yet the wish has hidden him from you because it is very fearful, and you
are afraid to find him. You have handled this wish to kill yourself
by not knowing who you are and identifying with something else. You
have projected guilt blindly and indiscriminately, but you have not
uncovered its source. For the ego does want to kill you, and if you
identify with it, you must believe its goal is yours.
6 We once said that the crucifixion is the symbol of the ego. When it
was confronted with the real guiltlessness of God’s Son, it did
attempt to kill him, and the reason it gave was that guiltlessness is
blasphemous to God. To the ego the ego is god, and guiltlessness
must be interpreted as the final guilt which fully justifies murder.
You do not yet understand that all your fear of this course stems
ultimately from this interpretation, but if you will consider your
reactions to it, you will become increasingly convinced that this is so.
7 This course has explicitly stated that its goal for you is happiness
and peace. Yet you are afraid of it. You have been told again and
again that it will make you free, yet you react as if it is trying to
imprison you. Most of the time you dismiss it, but you do not dismiss
the ego’s thought system. You have seen its results and you still
lack faith in it. You must, then, believe that by not learning the
course, you are protecting yourself. And you do not realize that it is
only your guiltlessness which can protect you.
8 The Atonement has always been interpreted as the release from guilt,
and this is correct if it is understood. Yet even when I have
interpreted it for you, you have rejected it and have not accepted
it for yourself. You have recognized the futility of the ego and its
offerings, but though you do not want the ego, you do not look upon the
alternative with gladness. You are afraid of redemption, and you
believe it will kill you. Make no mistake about the depth of your fear.
For you believe that in the presence of truth you will turn on yourself
and destroy yourself.
9 Little children, this is not so. Your “guilty secret” is nothing, and
if you will but bring it to the light, the light will dispel it. And
then no dark cloud will remain between you and the remembrance of your
Father, for you will remember His guiltless Son, who did not die because
he is immortal. And you will see that you were redeemed with him and
have never been separated from him. In this understanding lies your
remembering, for it is the recognition of love without fear. There
will be great joy in Heaven on your homecoming, and the joy will be
yours. For the redeemed son of man is the guiltless Son of God, and
to recognize him is your redemption.