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"Man, coming from
Unity, is both male and female, and has, within himself, both attributes
of reality. In some the male predominates; in others the female. We have
two distinct types in man and woman; but they are types of one
fundamental principle. There is also an intermediate sex; that is, one
in which the two attributes seem to be almost equally balanced. The
greatest men and women of the ages have belonged to this type, for it is
a more complete balance between the two which are really one. But this
is too great a topic to discuss in the course of these lessons."
- Dr. Ernest Holmes, from the Original 1926 Science of Mind
The month of June is "Gay Pride
Month" in most civilized countries in the world. The
celebrations this month will be as diverse as the community that is
being celebrated. But in some parts of the world there is still
much ignorance and hatred directed at gay and lesbian people ... and
religion is the basis for this hatred. I believe that the
paragraph above written by Dr. Holmes was an attempt to open up this
aspect of Life to a more enlightened understanding. His
"intermediate sex" was a reference to gay and lesbian
people. This was a bold statement in 1926 ... an era in which the
words "gay and lesbian" were not used in books or newspapers.
However, this paragraph was edited out of the 1938 version of the
Science of Mind which is in use today. I have read every book
written by Dr. Holmes that is in print and some no longer in print ...
and I have never seen anything written on this topic in any of his
writings. I have come to the conclusion that Dr. Holmes perhaps
believed that the evolution of intelligence in man/woman would make the
exploration of this topic unnecessary ... for he understood that we are
All One ... and we are All Intelligent.
To greater understand One-ness, this basic
analogy can explain it fairly well: just like the waves are one
with the ocean ... and one with each other as they are part of the ocean
... but infinitely differentiated ... so are we One in our relationship
with each other and the Infinite. And it is in this
differentiation that we "appear" to be separate and apart ...
but we are not "of the physical" ... we are "of the
Spirit" ... and this Spirit dwells within us ... as One ...
expressing Itself through all of Life. As Jesus declared "I
and the Father are One" ... and this "I" is within
each of us ... heterosexual, homosexual, bi-sexual ... whatever our
sexual orientation may be ... it is the "Infinite I"
expressing through us, as us.
"Happiness is someone to love, something to
do,
and something to hope for." - Chinese Proverb
As we look at the Chinese Proverb above,
we can know that happiness is something that everyone wants ... no
matter what their sexual orientation may be. And in this
"collective desire" for happiness, we realize that we are all
more alike than we are different. Happiness is of the Spirit ...
and this desire for happiness is within all of us ... it is inherent
within our nature ... our spiritual nature. It is part of the
"likeness of God" in which we have been created. It is
also greater evidence that we are all of the "same stuff."
It is time we all realized that we are Spirit ...
that words like heterosexual, homosexual, bi-sexual ... gay, lesbian,
straight ... are just "labels." In and of themselves
there is nothing wrong with "labels" ... they can be very
useful. If I were to date someone, I definitely would like to know
if they identify as "gay, straight or bi" ... but, at the same
time, I am aware that "labels" can be very limiting.
Being expressions of the Infinite Spirit, we cannot be
"limited" ... and no matter how well we may think a
"label" defines someone or something ... it is still an
"effect" ... and therefore limited. Here is a good
example: I have a can in my kitchen labeled "Mixed Nuts"
... but I know that within this can there is more than just "mixed
nuts" ... there is salt, cottonseed oil ... calories and
cholesterol. The same is true of the "labels" that we
use to define each other; for we are not just male and female ... we are
many things ... fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, uncles, aunts ...
and even more. Labels can be limited ... but the Spirit cannot be.
We are all so much more than any label could ever define and that, I
believe, is what Dr. Holmes intended to explain.
As we realize the
limitations of labels, we get closer, in mind, to our realization of
One-ness with each other. "Gay Pride Month" is not just
for gay and lesbian people ... when anyone realizes their self-worth and
value to the Universe ... we are all lifted up to a greater realization
of our own self-worth and value in the collective consciousness.
Whenever we celebrate the self-worth and value in others, we celebrate
our own self-worth and value. The Universe is a Unity ... we are
part of this Unity ... and it is a beautiful and wonderful thing to
realize that this is so. And so for the entire month of June, let
us celebrate "Gay Pride" ... let's lift up our brothers and
sisters who the world defines as gay, lesbian and bi-sexual ... knowing
that as we do ... we too are lifted up ... for "I and the Father
(The Creator and the Created) are One!"
AND
SO IT IS!
Keep
the faith!
Rev.
Dr. Henry Lee Bates
Visit: www.IraqMemorial.org
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