Non-Theistic Affirmations

I really enjoy the writings of Ernest Holmes known primarily for his Science of Mind book. I do struggle with the belief in God as taught by most religions and common interpretations. This caused me to slightly modify some of the affirmations he suggests in his book How To Change Your Life so that I could be feel more in tune with their message.

This brings to mind a discussion I once had with the deacon at the St. Marks Church where he advised that if you have trouble with the word God then find a word that works for you. He suggested love. You can find that conversation embedded in Episode 5 of Norm Scott's Audio Zine Lo-fi Confessional. All you have to do is scroll down and click the bar to listen. One thing you are guaranteed to find out is that I laugh a lot. There are plenty instances on there of me cackling away. That tape is one of my favorites of his very impressive body of archival works. It captures an important moment in time, the protests surrounding the 2004 NYC Republican National Convention, but I digress.

Another important teacher that brought home the power of a minor semantics makeover is Emma Curtis Hopkins. She is commonly referred to as the teacher of teachers for the string of students that went on to become household names within the new thought movement. In her later years she even taught Mr. Holmes himself. As a matter of fact she forced him to recognize something he had been hesitant to embrace his whole life - that he was a mystic. Although she heavily used the word God in her own work, she also likens it to "good" stating that "God is Love" and also "My Good is my God." It is in the service of these concepts that I began to work with the appearance of the word God I keep coming across in New Thought literature as "My Good" and "Love." Perhaps blasphemy to some but a lifeboat to others. There is no reason why we can't work with the power of spirit even if we have a lot of questions. I now present to you the aforementioned affirmations:

Abundance
I identify myself with abundance; I surrender all fear and doubt. I let go of all uncertainty. I know there is no confusion, no lack of confidence. The Presence of All Good is with me. The Mind of All Good is my mind. The Freedom of All Good is my freedom. The power of All Good is my power. The abundance of All Good fills my every good desire right now.

Success
I know exactly what to do in every situation. Every idea necessary to successful living is brought to my attention. The doorway to ever-increasing opportunities for self-expression is open before me. I am continually meeting new and larger experiences. Every day brings some greater good. Every day brings more blessings and greater self-expression. I am prospered in everything I do. There is no deferment, no delay, no obstruction or obstacle to impede the progress of right action.

How to Attract Good Things
I know accepting only good in my life penetrates any unbelief in my mind, casts out fear, removes doubt and clears away obstacles, permitting that which is enduring perfect and true to be realized. I have complete faith and acceptance that all the worthwhile ideas I now affirm will be fulfilled as I have believed. I do everything with a sense of reliance upon the Law of Mind, therefore I know that my word shall not return unto me void. I accept this word and rejoice in it. I expect complete and success fulfillment of the thoughts of increased good which I now establish.

Make Your Denials

Kenny Scharf (Opera Gallery)

Once you have got all your good out in the form of a list, freewritten, thought about, spoken aloud, and you are continually working with this idea, you can begin the 2nd step which is your denials. According to Emma Curtis Hopkins you must deny:

• Evil, 
• Matter, 
• Absence of Life Substance or Intelligence
• Hate
• Sin sickness or death

It is that easy so far, Name Your Good, and Make your Denials...

In a nutshell what Emma is asking us to do is connect directly with our ever-present and evolving sense of Good, and follow this "Good Orderly Direction" as Julia Cameron teaches, and if the word God hangs you up then switch it to a word you don't have a problem with like Love. There is nothing beneficial to be gained from sitting in a sea of doubt because your skeptical mind can't prove everything, and it feels like a constant insult.

So from the being in touch with Good, we make the denials, this is where Emma goes hardcore, not only does she deny evil, but matter all together, she see only the spiritual universe, the malleable, and the mind ether. This is the radical approach, solipsism? I can't be hung up by fancy words just yet, so let us think about what our good, and all the things Emma is asking us to deny.

As you may have guessed Emma moves from denials into affirmations in Step 3.

Name Your Good

Emma Curtis Hopkins wrote a landmark book in the New Thought world quite a long time ago by the name of Scientific Christian Mental Practice. I am lucky enough to have a copy that my Metaphysics teacher Father Max gave me. It is broken up into 12 steps that she refers to as the Doctrines of Jesus Christ. I often thought of using them in a less strictly religious light but retaining their core assertions. What follows is this exploration.

The First Doctrine is to Name Your Good. She suggests a Statement of Good of Being that you can repeat. She suggests we write down the name of the Good we are seeking, think of this Good, and Speak of this Good.

What is your Good?