Changes

==100:1. RELIGIOUS GROWTH==

==100:1. RELIGIOUS GROWTH==

100:1.1 While religion produces growth of meanings and enhancement of values, evil always results when purely personal evaluations are elevated to the levels of absolutes. A child evaluates experience in accordance with the content of pleasure; maturity is proportional to the substitution of higher meanings for personal pleasure, even loyalties to the highest concepts of diversified life situations and cosmic relations.

100:1.1 While [[religion]] produces [[growth]] of [[meanings]] and enhancement of [[values]], [[evil]] always results when [[purely]] [[personal]] [[evaluation]]s are elevated to the [[levels]] of [[absolutes]]. A [[child]] evaluates [[experience]] in [[accordance]] with the [[content]] of [[pleasure]]; [[maturity]] is [[proportional]] to the substitution of higher [[meanings]] for [[personal]] [[pleasure]], even [[loyalties]] to the highest [[concepts]] of [[diversified]] life situations and [[cosmic]] relations.

100:1.2 Some persons are too busy to grow and are therefore in grave danger of spiritual fixation. Provision must be made for growth of meanings at differing ages, in successive cultures, and in the passing stages of advancing civilization. The chief inhibitors of growth are prejudice and ignorance.

100:1.2 Some [[persons]] are too [[busy]] to [[grow]] and are therefore in grave [[danger]] of [[spiritual]] fixation. [[Provision]] must be made for [[growth]] of [[meanings]] at differing ages, in successive [[cultures]], and in the passing [[stages]] of advancing [[civilization]]. The chief inhibitors of [[growth]] are [[prejudice]] and [[ignorance]].

100:1.3 Give every developing child a chance to grow his own religious experience; do not force a ready-made adult experience upon him. Remember, year-by-year progress through an established educational regime does not necessarily mean intellectual progress, much less spiritual growth. Enlargement of vocabulary does not signify development of character. Growth is not truly indicated by mere products but rather by progress. Real educational growth is indicated by enhancement of ideals, increased appreciation of values, new meanings of values, and augmented loyalty to supreme values.

100:1.3 Give every [[developing]] [[child]] a [[chance]] to [[grow]] his own religious [[experience]]; do not [[force]] a ready-made adult [[experience]] upon him. Remember, year-by-year [[progress]] through an [[established]] [[educational]] [[regime]] does not [[necessarily]] mean [[intellectual]] [[progress]], much less [[spiritual]] [[growth]]. Enlargement of [[vocabulary]] does not signify [[development]] of [[character]]. [[Growth]] is not truly indicated by mere [[products]] but rather by [[progress]]. Real [[educational]] [[growth]] is indicated by enhancement of [[ideals]], increased [[appreciation]] of [[values]], new [[meanings]] of values, and augmented [[loyalty]] to [[supreme]] [[values]].

100:1.4 Children are permanently impressed only by the loyalties of their adult associates; precept or even example is not lastingly influential. Loyal persons are growing persons, and growth is an impressive and inspiring reality. Live loyally today—grow—and tomorrow will attend to itself. The quickest way for a tadpole to become a frog is to live loyally each moment as a tadpole.

100:1.4 [[Children]] are permanently impressed only by the [[loyalties]] of their adult [[associates]]; precept or even example is not lastingly [[influential]]. [[Loyal]] persons are [[growing]] [[persons]], and [[growth]] is an impressive and [[inspiring]] [[reality]]. Live loyally today—[[grow]]—and [[tomorrow]] will attend to itself. The quickest way for a tadpole to become a frog is to live loyally each [[moment]] as a tadpole.

100:1.5 The soil essential for religious growth presupposes a progressive life of self-realization, the co-ordination of natural propensities, the exercise of curiosity and the enjoyment of reasonable adventure, the experiencing of feelings of satisfaction, the functioning of the fear stimulus of attention and awareness, the wonder-lure, and a normal consciousness of smallness, humility. Growth is also predicated on the discovery of selfhood accompanied by self-criticism—conscience, for conscience is really the criticism of oneself by one's own value-habits, personal ideals.

100:1.5 The [[soil]] [[essential]] for [[religious]] [[growth]] presupposes a [[progressive]] life of [[self-realization]], the [[co-ordination]] of [[natural]] [[propensities]], the [[exercise]] of [[curiosity]] and the [[enjoyment]] of reasonable [[adventure]], the experiencing of [[feelings]] of [[satisfaction]], the [[functioning]] of the [[fear]] [[stimulus]] of [[attention]] and [[awareness]], the [[wonder]]-lure, and a [[normal]] [[consciousness]] of smallness, [[humility]]. [[Growth]] is also predicated on the [[discovery]] of [[selfhood]] accompanied by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self_criticism self-criticism]—[[conscience]], for conscience is really the [[criticism]] of oneself by one's own [[value]]-[[habits]], [[personal]] [[ideals]].

100:1.6 Religious experience is markedly influenced by physical health, inherited temperament, and social environment. But these temporal conditions do not inhibit inner spiritual progress by a soul dedicated to the doing of the will of the Father in heaven. There are present in all normal mortals certain innate drives toward growth and self-realization which function if they are not specifically inhibited. The certain technique of fostering this constitutive endowment of the potential of spiritual growth is to maintain an attitude of wholehearted devotion to supreme values.

100:1.6 [[Religious]] [[experience]] is markedly [[influenced]] by [[physical]] [[health]], inherited [[temperament]], and [[social]] [[environment]]. But these [[temporal]] conditions do not inhibit inner [[spiritual]] [[progress]] by a [[soul]] [[dedicated]] to the [[doing of the will of the Father]] in [[heaven]]. There are [[present]] in all [[normal]] [[mortals]] certain innate drives toward [[growth]] and [[self-realization]] which [[function]] if they are not specifically inhibited. The certain [[technique]] of fostering this constitutive [[endowment]] of the [[potential]] of [[spiritual]] [[growth]] is to [[maintain]] an [[attitude]] of wholehearted [[devotion]] to [[supreme]] [[values]].

100:1.7 Religion cannot be bestowed, received, loaned, learned, or lost. It is a personal experience which grows proportionally to the growing quest for final values. Cosmic growth thus attends on the accumulation of meanings and the ever-expanding elevation of values. But nobility itself is always an unconscious growth.

100:1.7 [[Religion]] cannot be [[bestowed]], received, loaned, learned, or lost. It is a [[personal]] [[experience]] which grows [[proportionally]] to the growing [[quest]] for final [[values]]. [[Cosmic]] [[growth]] thus attends on the accumulation of [[meanings]] and the ever-expanding elevation of [[values]]. But [[nobility]] itself is always an [[unconscious]] [[growth]].

100:1.8 Religious habits of thinking and acting are contributory to the economy of spiritual growth. One can develop religious predispositions toward favorable reaction to spiritual stimuli, a sort of conditioned spiritual reflex. Habits which favor religious growth embrace cultivated sensitivity to divine values, recognition of religious living in others, reflective meditation on cosmic meanings, worshipful problem solving, sharing one's spiritual life with one's fellows, avoidance of selfishness, refusal to presume on divine mercy, living as in the presence of God. The factors of religious growth may be intentional, but the growth itself is unvaryingly unconscious.

100:1.8 [[Religious]] [[habits]] of [[thinking]] and acting are contributory to the [[economy]] of [[spiritual]] [[growth]]. One can [[develop]] [[religious]] predispositions toward favorable [[reaction]] to [[spiritual]] [[stimuli]], a sort of conditioned [[spiritual]] [[reflex]]. [[Habits]] which favor religious [[growth]] [[embrace]] cultivated [[sensitivity]] to [[divine]] [[values]], recognition of religious living in others, [[reflective]] [[meditation]] on [[cosmic]] [[meanings]], [[worshipful]] [[problem]] solving, [[sharing]] one's [[spiritual]] life with one's fellows, avoidance of [[selfishness]], refusal to presume on [[divine]] [[mercy]], living as in the [[presence]] of [[God]]. The [[factors]] of [[religious]] [[growth]] may be [[intentional]], but the [[growth]] itself is unvaryingly [[unconscious]].

100:1.9 The unconscious nature of religious growth does not, however, signify that it is an activity functioning in the supposed subconscious realms of human intellect; rather does it signify creative activities in the superconscious levels of mortal mind. The experience of the realization of the reality of unconscious religious growth is the one positive proof of the functional existence of the superconsciousness.

100:1.9 The [[unconscious]] [[nature]] of [[religious]] [[growth]] does not, however, signify that it is an [[activity]] functioning in the supposed [[subconscious]] realms of [[human]] [[intellect]]; rather does it signify [[creative]] activities in the [[superconscious]] [[levels]] of [[mortal]] [[mind]]. The [[experience]] of the [[realization]] of the [[reality]] of [[unconscious]] religious [[growth]] is the one positive [[proof]] of the [[functional]] [[existence]] of the [[superconsciousness]].

==100:2. SPIRITUAL GROWTH==

==100:2. SPIRITUAL GROWTH==