A COURSE IN MIRACLES

1. What is an idol? Do you think you know? For idols are unrecognized as such, and never seen for what they really are. That is the only power that they have. Their purpose is obscure, and they are feared and worshipped, both, *because* you do not know what they are for, and why they have been made. An idol is an image of your brother that you would value more than what he *is*. Idols are made that he may be replaced, no matter what their form. And it is this that never is perceived and recognized. Be it a body or a thing, a place, a situation or a circumstance, an object owned or wanted, or a right demanded or achieved, it is the same .

1. What is an idol? Do you think you know? For idols are unrecognized as such [idols], and never seen for what they [idols] really are. That [not being seen for what idols really are] is the only power that they [idols] have. Their [an idol’s] purpose is obscure, and they [idols] are feared and worshipped, both, *because* you do not know what they [idols] are for, and why they [idols] have been made. An idol is an image of your brother that you would value more than what he [your brother] *is*. Idols are made that he [your brother] may be replaced, no matter what their [idols’] form. And it is this [idols being made to replace your brother] that never is perceived and recognized. Be it [the idol] a body or a thing, a place, a situation or a circumstance, an object owned or wanted, or a right demanded or achieved, it [the idol] is the same [made to replace your brother].

1. What is an idol? Do you think you know? For idols are unrecognized as idols, and never seen for what idols really are. Not being seen for what idols really are is the only power that idols have. An idol’s purpose is obscure, and idols are feared and worshipped, both, *because* you do not know what idols are for, and why idols have been made. An idol is an image of your brother that you would value more than what your brother *is*. Idols are made that your brother may be replaced, no matter what the idols’ form. And it is idols being made to replace your brother that never is perceived and recognized. Be the idol a body or a thing, a place, a situation or a circumstance, an object owned or wanted, or a right demanded or achieved, the idol is made to replace your brother.

Do you think you know what an idol is? Idols have power because we don’t recognize them. We both fear and worship idols, because we don't know what they are for. An idol is any image of our brother that we value more than him. All idols are made to replace our brother. An idol could be anything.

2. Let not their form deceive you. Idols are but substitutes for your reality. In some way, you believe they will complete your little self, for safety in a world perceived as dangerous, with forces massed against your confidence and peace of mind. They have the power to supply your lacks, and add the value that you do not have. No one believes in idols who has not enslaved himself to littleness and loss. And thus must seek beyond his little self for strength to raise his head, and stand apart from all the misery the world reflects. This is the penalty for looking not within for certainty and quiet calm that liberates you from the world, and lets you stand apart, in quiet and in peace.

2. Let not their [idols’] form deceive you. Idols are but substitutes for your reality. In some way, you believe they [idols] will complete your little self, for safety in a world perceived as dangerous, with forces massed against your confidence and peace of mind. [You believe] They [idols] have the power to supply your lacks, and add the value that you do not have. No one believes in idols who has not enslaved himself to littleness and loss. And thus must seek beyond his [the enslaved idol-believer’s] little self for strength to raise his [the enslaved idol-believer’s] head, and stand apart from all the misery the world reflects. This is the penalty for looking not within for certainty and quiet calm that liberates you from the world, and lets you stand apart, in quiet and in peace.

2. Let not idols’ form deceive you. Idols are but substitutes for your reality. In some way, you believe idols will complete your little self, for safety in a world perceived as dangerous, with forces massed against your confidence and peace of mind. You believe idols have the power to supply your lacks, and add the value that you do not have. No one believes in idols who has not enslaved himself to littleness and loss. And thus must seek beyond the enslaved idol-believer’s little self for strength to raise the enslaved idol-believer’s head, and stand apart from all the misery the world reflects. This is the penalty for looking not within for certainty and quiet calm that liberates you from the world, and lets you stand apart, in quiet and in peace.

Idols can deceive. Idols substitute for reality. We might believe idols can complete our little-self. We believe a completed little-self would make us safe. Safe in a dangerous world that threatens our confidence and peace of mind. We might also believe idols can supply a lack of value we see in ourselves. By believing these things we enslave ourselves to littleness and loss. We might look for strength outside ourselves, hoping to stay apart from the world’s misery. Instead it’s better to look within for certainty and quiet calm. That way we will be free from the world. Then we can stand apart, in quiet and peace.

3. An idol is a false impression, or a false belief; some form of anti-Christ, that constitutes a gap between the Christ and what you see. An idol is a wish, made tangible and given form, and thus perceived as real and seen outside the mind. Yet it is still a thought, and cannot leave the mind that is its source. Nor is its form apart from the idea it represents. All forms of anti-Christ oppose the Christ. And fall before His face like a dark veil that seems to shut you off from Him, alone in darkness. Yet the light is there. A cloud does not put out the sun. No more a veil can banish what it seems to separate, nor darken by one whit the light itself.

3. An idol is a false impression, or a false belief; some form of anti-Christ, that constitutes a gap between the Christ and what you see. An idol is a wish, made tangible and given form, and thus perceived as real and seen outside the mind. Yet it [an idol] is still a thought, and cannot leave the mind that is its [the idol’s] source. Nor is its [the idol’s] form apart from the idea it [the idol] represents. All forms of anti-Christ oppose the Christ. And fall before His [Christ’s] face like a dark veil that seems to shut you off from Him [Christ], alone in darkness. Yet the light is there [in Christ’s face]. A cloud does not put out the sun. No more a veil can banish what it [the veil] seems to separate, nor darken by one whit the light itself.

3. An idol is a false impression, or a false belief; some form of anti-Christ, that constitutes a gap between the Christ and what you see. An idol is a wish, made tangible and given form, and thus perceived as real and seen outside the mind. Yet an idol is still a thought, and cannot leave the mind that is the idol’s source. Nor is the idol’s form apart from the idea the idol represents. All forms of anti-Christ oppose the Christ. And fall before Christ’s face like a dark veil that seems to shut you off from Christ, alone in darkness. Yet the light is in Christ’s face. A cloud does not put out the sun. No more a veil can banish what the veil seems to separate, nor darken by one whit the light itself.

Idols are a false impression, or a false belief. Idols come between Christ and what we see. Idols start as a wish. The wish is perceived as real and seen outside the mind. But an idol is only ever a thought. An idol remains in the mind. Idols are an anti-Christ, because all idols oppose Christ. Idols oppose Christ by veiling the light of His face. Perceiving idols makes us feel shut off and alone in darkness. But a veil cannot change the light.