Working For Change

Six Soulforce Beliefs About Myself

I am a child of a loving Creator, a daughter or a son of the Soulforce at the center of the universe.*

I am loved by my Creator exactly as I am. My sexual orientation is not a sickness to be healed nor a sin to be forgiven. My sexual orientation is a gift from my Creator to be accepted, celebrated, and lived with integrity.

I am not an accident. I have a purpose. I was shaped by my Creator to love God and to assist in God's eternal struggle to win justice for all Her children who suffer injustice.

I will not discover my purpose nor realize my power (my own soulforce) until I join my Creator in doing justice (making things fair for all.)

When I join my Creator in doing justice, my own life will be renewed, empowered, and made more meaningful.

In serving others, it is as much my moral obligation to refuse to cooperate with evil as it is to cooperate with good.

SEVEN "SOUL FORCE" BELIEFS ABOUT MY ADVERSARY

My adversary is also a child of the Creator; we are both members of the same human family; we are sisters and brothers in need of reconciliation.

My adversary is not my enemy, but a victim of misinformation as I have been.

My only task is to bring my adversary truth in love* (nonviolence) relentlessly.

My adversary's motives are as pure as mine and of no relevance to our discussion.

My worst adversary has an amazing potential for positive change.

My adversary may have an insight into truth that I do not have.

My adversary and I will understand each other and come to a new position that will satisfy us both, if we conduct our search for truth guided by the principles of love.

A follower of soulforce has one basic premise.
Our adversaries are not evil or hateful or insane. They are "Victims of Untruth" as we have been.

A follower of soulforce has one task.
Bring truth to the victims of untruth.

A follower of soulforce has one method.
Show love (nonviolence) as you bring truth to the victims of untruth.

A follower of soulforce has one secret.
Accept suffering without retaliation or complaint as you bring truth in love to the victims of untruth.

A follower of soulforce has one goal.
Reconciliation with our adversary.

Working For Change

(Adapted from www.atimetoreconcile.org)

Different Types of Prejudice

Prejudice – To pre-judge something/someone. Also defined by Dr. Nathan Rutstein as an emotional commitment to ignorance.

Discrimination – Prejudice plus power.

1. Unaware Prejudice

2. Cultural Prejudice
3. Stereotyping
4. Internalized Prejudice

5. Institutionalized Prejudice
6. Denial

Ally Building
Adapted from Document Produced

by the Center for the Healing of Racism, Houston, TX.

Twelve ways to be an ally for healing the effects of prejudice and overcoming prejudicial conditioning:

Intervene in a situation where something prejudicial is happening; "interrupt" it.

Take the time to review your own history with regard to prejudice (alone, with a friend or in a workshop group); bring to consciousness how present behavior and thought patterns were established.

Decide to take action to establish meaningful relationships of friendship with people of different backgrounds; overcoming the societal pattern toward separation.

Develop the ability to listen objectively to the anger and hurt of another person without taking it personally, knowing that their feelings come from a long history of injustice and that getting it out to a true listener is in itself healing.

Make a commitment to correct (through reading, study, and investigation) the false and missing information you've been given about individuals of particular groups.

Seek out positive aspects of your own heritage; identifying true heroes and heroines from your background in order to take complete pride in your own heritage.

Become aware that unaware prejudicial patterns exist, and make a consistent effort to bring them to consciousness and overcome them.

Learn to risk making mistakes as growth experiences.

Continue to educate yourself about what is currently happening with others in our world by reading their newspapers and magazines, listening to their leaders, etc.

Form multi-cultural and multi-orientation/multi-gender expression support groups.

Adopt an attitude that the inherent nature of people who have been hurt is to want closeness with others, and not see a cautious response as rejection or cause to give up your efforts to build a friendly relationship whit such a person.

Seek to listen and find the fear in people who are acting out their prejudicial conditioning, rather than just blaming or getting angry with them; think of such people as "recovering" from prejudicial conditioning.

Make a personal list of goals in becoming an ally for healing the effects of prejudice and overcoming prejudicial conditioning.