OrEd-T-21.8-Perception and Wishes.1
70. Helplessness is sin's condition. This one requirement demands that helplessness be believed. It is the cost of sin, and only the helpless could believe in sin. I can see that all my misery comes from the strange belief that I am powerless. Enormity has appeal only to the little, and only those who believe that they are little could see attraction there. Treachery to the Son of God is the defense of those who do not identify with him. I am for him, or against him. Either I love him or attack him, protect his unity, or see him shattered and slain by my attack.
71. No one believes the Son of God is powerless. And those who see themselves as helpless, must believe that they are not the Son of God. They can only be his enemy. They envy him his power, and so make themselves afraid of his power. They are the dark ones, silent, afraid, alone, not communicating, and fearful that the power of the Son of God will strike them dead. They join the army of the powerless, raising their helplessness against the Son, waging their war of vengeance, bitterness and spite on him, to make him one with them. Only they do not know that they are one with him, and do not know whom they hate. Theirs is a sorry army indeed, each one as likely to attack his brother, or to turn on himself, as to remember that they thought theirs was a common cause.
72. The dark ones seem to be frantic, loud and strong. They do not know their enemy, yet they hate him. In hatred they come together, but they have not joined with each other. If they had joined, hatred would be impossible. An army in dreams would be treacherous, and act any way at all. It could be seen attacking anyone with anything. Dreams have no reason in them. A flower turns into a poisoned spear, a child becomes a giant, a mouse roars like a lion, and love turns to hate. This is no army, but a madhouse, and what seems to be a planned attack is bedlam. The powerless army will be disbanded in the presence of strength. Those who are strong have no need to dream of power, and to act out their dream.
73. The army of the powerless has no weapons, and it has no enemy. It can overrun the world and seek an enemy, but it can never find what is not there. This weak army can dream it found an enemy, but this will shift even as it attacks. It runs at once to find another enemy, and never comes to rest in victory. This treacherous enemy changes appearance, so it is always impossible to recognize him! This army turns against itself, thinking it caught a glimpse of the enemy which eludes its attack by turning into something else.
74. Yet hate must have a target. There can be no faith in sin without an enemy. No one who believes in sin can believe he has no enemy. He could not admit that no one made him powerless. Yet, reason tells him not to seek any longer for what is not there. First, he must be willing to perceive a world where there is no sin. It is not necessary that he understands how he can see a sinless world. He must not try to understand. He will emphasize his helplessness if he focuses on what he cannot understand. Let him ask himself only these questions, which he must decide, to have a sinless world shown to him:
75. Do I desire a world I rule instead of one which rules me?
Do I desire a world where I am powerful instead of helpless?
Do I desire a world in which I have no enemies and cannot sin?
And do I want to see what I denied, because it is the truth?
