What is it that God really wants?

Friday is Book Day on the blog, when we take a look at books – old and new -- that I highly recommend you not miss. This week’s recommended reading: What God Wants, Neale Donald Walsch

I want you to know that it is not my intention to review in this space many of my own books (as I have proven over the past four months, during which none of my own writings have been mentioned.) I also want you to know that every once in a while I am going to include observations about some of the specific books in the Conversations with God body of work, mainly because I believe that they are significant works of spiritual insight -- and because I am clear that the insight and wisdom found in these writings has not come from me, but, rather, through me from Another Source.

Between now and the holidays, especially, I will include, every so often, a look at one of the nine books in the CwG cosmology because...well, frankly, because I want you to know about them, and to read them, and the even share them with others if you feel moved to do so. DOes this seem blatantly self-promoting? I hope not, but it may, depending upon your point of view about me. You see, I see myself as a person on a mission. My life mission is to change the world's mind about God. Why? Because I think a great deal hinges on this, including our ability as a humanity to create peace, love, joy, and abundance in our world in the years ahead, and not the Nightmare Tomorrow that so many fear we are now creating.

I am shameless in that undertaking, and so, indeed, I may "come off" now and then as self-promoting. What I do hope that you will see is that what I am trying to "promote" here is the message of the New Spirituality -- which, in turn, seeks to advance a new Cultural Story into the world, a cultural story that could change the world forever.

The biggest danger in the world today is not the asking of questions, but the assumption that we have all the answers. This is the point made in the CwG book to which I draw your attention today. It is the eighth and second-to-last book in the CwG series, and it is called What God Wants.

This book is dangerous.

Why?

Because it explores with startling freshness the most important question you could ever ask -- and offers the most extraordinary answer you could ever imagine. That answer is so theologically revolutionary and spiritually empowering that it could change the course of human history. If embraced, it most certainly will change your life.

There are people and institutions in the world, long in place and long in power, that want neither of these outcomes to occur. They would rather that you put this book down right now.

So ask yourself, When was the last time you read a dangerous book?

I really do not want to "review" my own work here, so for the purposes of this blog posting today I am going to quote some reviews offered by others and posted on Internet bookstore websites...

...Hang on to your seats, because author Neale Donald Walsch challenges the sacred cows of every major world religion by daring to examine what God (truly) wants. An equal opportunity offender, his singular, simple answer to the question "What does God want?" will surprise most, offend the inert close-minded, and thrill those who are already (all ready!) riding the wave of New Spirituality.

Walsch explores two basic questions in his book:

1. Who and What is God?
2. What does God want, and why?

Declaring that fear and guilt are the real enemies of humanity (and differentiating them from caution and remorse) Walsh traces war, world hunger, violence, sexism, racism and more, directly to humanity's belief about God and what He wants.

On June 23, 2004, the fascinating results of a scientific survey conducted by Harris Interactive hit the wire services: 69% of adult Americans believe religious differences are the biggest hurdle to global peace. This overwhelming percentage is evidence that individuals are starting to wake up and realize that humanity's beliefs about God and what He wants is THE biggest problem in the world today.

For many nations, entire social and judicial structures are built upon beliefs about various interpretations of sacred scriptures. The major religions, without exception, advocate an "us versus them" Separation Theology. In the 19th century, Americans sincerely accepted the biblical story of Noah's son Ham to justify slavery. In that time, to raise one's voice in protest to enslavement would have been met with persecution, accusations of heresy, and possibly death.

Yet, even now, many followers of religions such as Islam, Christianity, and Judaism justify discrimination, superiority ("specialness"), indifference, hatred, and violence based on what the "sacred scriptures" say. At the risk of being labeled an infidel, subversive, or "lost sinner", Walsch sounds a clarion call that NOW is the time to ruthlessly examine what humanity believes about God, and what Deity wants from humanity.

Walsch asserts:

"When it comes to its most sacred beliefs, our society will not tolerate new ideas that violate doctrine -- or even question it. Thus, we are trying to build a twenty-first-century reality with first-century moral, ethical, and spiritual tools. This would be akin to a surgeon stepping into a modern-day operating room with a very sharp stone. It is not necessary to build our tomorrows with such primitive tools. The prohibition against new ideas and new thoughts about God can and must be lifted. A new discussion about God and What God Wants must begin."

Fortunately for humanity, Walsch (and Atria Books) had the courage to open the discussion by asking difficult questions, presenting the global consequences of centuries of religious assumptions, and offering a compellingly simple solution to mankind's greatest challenges.

Walsch examines ideas on morality, suffering, free will, death, male and female, money, sex, and so on through the lens of Separation Theology (which is what we've had up until now), and how those same ideas look through the lens of Unity Theology.

While humanity is in some deep do-do right now, the good news is that we can choose TODAY to make different choices-including how we choose to see God, life, and our fellow man.

Indeed, our very lives -- and the life of the planet -- may depend on it.

As Walsch succinctly puts it: "We human beings do not need to be saved from the `snares of the Devil', we need to be saved from ourselves. We are threatening to condemn ourselves to Hell right here on earth. We can yet create Heaven on earth, but we must choose now very wisely...That new understanding can launch the Thousand Years of Peace of which it has been written. It can give birth to a Golden Age of Glory."

Amen and Amen.
Janet Boyer/JanetBoyer.com

First of all, I was compelled to read this book as I have loved others by Neale Donald Walsch.
I picked it up and finished it a couple hours later. In my opinion it simplified the entire spiritual journey for me. Without negating belief systems/religions, it offers a fresh new prospective of God to the human experience on this planet.

I had a deep feeling of peace and contentment upon finishing the book and I would recommend it highly to the spiritual seeker.
Margaret M. Keegan

what can I say, I just loved reading it. it touched me and I wont even try to figure out what "god" wrote it - its just plain fun to read. highly recommended.
Gunnar Kossatz "Samvado" (Hamburg)

If you enjoy books that push your envelope, this one will do it for you, I promise!
Joan Kelly

If you are uninitiated into the Conversation with God series, this book will give you a lot of the information in a straightforward format. This isn't set up with the questions and answers format that all of the other books have, so if you were turned off by that, this book will be a great read for you. You need this information! It will free your soul to be the very grandest version of the greatest vision you ever had about yourself!
J. Kennedy

So there you have it. A smattering of reviews posted online by readers. I consider What God Wants to be one of the most important books I have ever written, and one of the most powerful in the CwG series. It is the "perfect book" to point another to if they are asking, "What is this 'Conversations with God thing' that you are into? What is that all about?"

This is the perfect I-can-read-it-on-the-airplane book. It's also a wonderful book to accidentally leave on the airplane (or in the hair styling salon, or on the subway, or at the doctor's office) for someone else to pick up!

Hope you enjoy it!