Hi friends,
There's a new online service just launched here in Denmark where they interview writers about their new books and there's an interview with me talking about our new book The Awakening Human Being... so if you want to hear me (speaking Danish)... go to www.bogradio.dk...
Enjoy!
My son, Tim Ray, wrote this hilarious spoof about Bryon Katie doing the Work with Sauron, the Dark Lord from the Lord of the Rings... and then he sent it to Byron Katie. Katie and her husband Stephen Mitchell loved it so much that they put it in their newsletter... so if you don't get Katie's newsletter, I thought I would share it with you! Enjoy!
Katie wrote:
Tim is my Danish translator. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did.
Tim wrote:
Dear Katie, I’m glad you like the spoof. Here’s how it came about. I’m a great Lord of the Rings fan and one night a few weeks ago I had this amazing dream. I dreamt that you were standing before one of the Black Riders (the Nazgul), who was looming ominously before you. Your response: ”Oh sweetheart, what a beautiful black dress! I love it!” The Black Rider then drew his big silver sword and advanced menacingly towards you. Your response: ”Oh wow, what a beautiful silver sword! And look at those beautiful symbols!” The Black Rider then pierced your heart with the sword, the blood came gushing out. Your response was: ”Oh wow, how wonderful, you’re killing me. So beautiful and all the blood… Oh sweetheart…” And then I woke up and wrote the spoof.
I guess The Work is really penetrating into the deepest reaches of my subconscious now. That’s what you get for translating A Thousand Names for Joy!
Blessings, Tim
Byron Katie does the Work with Sauron, the Dark Lord by Tim Ray
BK: So, sweetheart, read what you wrote on your Worksheet.
Sauron: This is really hard for me.
BK: I know, honey, and I admire your courage. So let’s hear it.
Sauron: I am frustrated and angry at all the Free Peoples of Middle-Earth - the elves, the dwarves, the men, and those annoying little hobbits, not to mention Gandalf the White and his fellowship - for consistently opposing my plans to become Lord of Middle-Earth. They should realize that I am the Master of the World and bow down to me. They should be my slaves. They should worship me and give me love, approval and appreciation. I want them to see that I am the greatest. They are weak, stupid, annoying, irritating. I never ever want to experience them rebelling against my plans again.
BK: So basically, that’s about it.
Sauron: [Laughing] I’m sure there’s more. But I ran out of space. This thing with the Free Peoples of Middle-Earth has been bugging me for thousands of years. In fact, ever since those blasted Numenoreans landed on the shores of Middle-Earth…
BK: I hear you. Okay, so let’s do the Work. Let’s look at what you’ve written, sweetheart. I heard you say that “they should realize that you are the Master of the World”.
Sauron: Yes.
BK: So “They should realize that you are the Master of the World” – is that true? [To the audience] See if you can find the place in yourself where you believe that someone in your life should realize that you are the Master of the World and bow down to you and worship you and do exactly what you want them to do. It could be someone you knew a long time ago or someone you know today. So, sweetheart, “They should realize that you are the Master of the World” – is that true?
Sauron: [Fuming] Yes!
BK: You answered so quickly.
Sauron: Yes, they should all bow down to me and realize that I am the Master of Middle-Earth!
BK: I hear you. And can you absolutely know that it’s true?
Sauron: [After a pause] Well…
BK: Well? What’s the reality of it, sweetheart? Do the elves bow down to you and say that you are the Master of the World?
Sauron: No.
BK: The hobbits? The dwarves? The Dunedain? And what about Gandalf the Wizard? Does he bow down to you and realize that you are the Master of the World?
Sauron: [sighs] No.
BK: So “They should realize that you are the Master of the World” – how do you react when you believe that thought?
Sauron: I get furious, angry, frustrated. I release my armies of darkness – the Black Riders, the orcs, the trolls, the werewolves and the bats on all the Free Peoples of Middle-Earth. I start a war and burn, hack, destroy, annihilate. It’s like my whole being is consumed by darkness. I get very focused and lose sight of everything else. It’s like I have only One Eye of malice, bent on destroying anything and everything that doesn’t do my will.
BK: Yes, sweetheart. The mind has a job. And that’s to give us all the stories that prove that what it thinks is true.
Sauron: It’s really quite horrible. I build all these defenses around myself, impenetrable walls of steel and mountains of horror. No one can get in or out. And yet all the time doubt keeps gnawing at my heart. What if someone really great and powerful, like Gandalf or Saruman or Aragorn or Galadriel gets a hold of the One Ring? That really worries me.
BK: Yes, I hear you sweetheart. So, whose business are you in when you believe the thought “They should realize that I am the Master of the World”?
Sauron: I can see that I’m mentally in their business.
BK: And how has that worked for you so far?
Sauron: It’s really quite hopeless. I’ve been trying for hundreds and thousands of years to bend them to my will. But they just won’t do it. I devised the One Ring to rule them all, but then they formed that blasted Last Allegiance of Elves and Men. And Isildur cut the Ring off my finger and I had to go into hiding for thousands of years. It was really depressing. And now the same thing is happening all over again. The One Ring has been found and I can’t seem to get a hold of it. The Riders of Rohan are proving more and more tenacious than I thought. Minas Tirith is still going strong. And the other day I realized that an heir of Isildur is still alive with the sword of Elendil reforged. That really worries me. I have trouble sleeping at night. I’ve started taking Valium. But none of it really works. It’s like a living nightmare.
BK: Yes. So can you find one stress-free reason to keep the thought?
Sauron: No.
BK: So, who would you be without the thought “They should realize that I am the Master of the World”?
Sauron: [After a pause] Hm. It’s… like a blank. I mean, I’ve been so used to that thought that it’s, you know, I really don’t know.
BK: So close your eyes for a moment. See Gandalf, Aragorn, the elves, the hobbits, the dwarves, the riders of Rohan, all the Free Peoples of Middle-Earth, just as they are. And you cannot believe the thought “They should realize that I am the Master of the World”. What do you see?
Sauron: [Taking a deep breath] Well, first of all I would realize that they don’t realize that I am the Master of the World. They just don’t. Never have and probably never will.
BK: I would drop the “probably”!
Sauron: Yes. And I would see that trying to get them to realize that I am the Master of the World is hopeless. So that would be a huge load off my back. Just seeing reality. And then I would be more realistic. I wouldn’t stress myself so hard all the time, constantly doing battle with reality. It feels more peaceful.
BK: So “They should realize that I am the Master of the World” – turn it around.
Sauron: They should not realize that I am the Master of the World.
BK: Okay, so give me three examples of where they should not realize that you are the Master of the World. Three genuine examples, and make them as specific as you can. [To the audience] I invite all of you to do this as well. [To Sauron] So, give me three specific, genuine examples.
Sauron: Well, at the Battle of the Pelennor Fields they sure as hell didn’t realize that I was the Master of the World! I mean none of them – the Dunedain of Gondor, the Rangers of the North, the Riders of Rohan, the sons of Elrond, I mean the list goes on and on.
BK: My goodness!
Sauron: And way back when the Valar, you know the Lords of the West, sent the Five Wizards – Gandalf, Saruman, Radagast and so on to help the Free Peoples in their struggle against me. The Valar sure didn’t think I was the Master of the World back then either.
BK: My goodness!
Sauron: And Saruman, that spineless worm, trying to get a hold of the One Ring himself and proclaim himself Master of Middle-Earth…
BK: That’s amazing.
Sauron: [Laughs] It’s amazing that I didn’t see something so obvious before!
BK: That’s what the mind does. It believes its story and then it finds all the proof. And in the end it can only see what it believes to be true, even though it isn’t. Okay, sweetheart, can you find another turnaround?
Sauron: I should realize that I am the Master of the World.
BK: Yes. And how are you doing in that department?
Sauron: [After a long pause] Well, I can see that actually I myself have some serious doubts in that department. Because, I mean hey, if I am really the Master of the World why can’t I get Gandalf and his lot to bow down to me and do what I want!
BK: Ah, you are good, sweetheart! So “You are the Master of the World” – is that true?
Sauron: [Starts to cry] No.
BK: And consider how you react when you believe that thought.
Sauron: It’s hopeless, hopeless. I mean I am totally in everybody else’s business, constantly trying to get them to do what I want. And it’s wearing me out. I don’t even have a physical body anymore. I’m just this one horrible lidless eye. I can’t sleep, I can’t eat. Mordor is a total mess – it’s no wonder they call it The Land of Shadow. All my employees have this total love-hate relationship with me. The orcs both worship and loathe me. Not to mention the elves and the dwarves. It’s pure hell.
BK: Who would you be without the thought “I am the Master of the World”?
Sauron: I would just give up. Give up the hopeless struggle to try to control other people. End the war. Close down the Dark Land of Mordor and Mount Doom. Let all the orcs and Black Riders and trolls go their own way. And then I think I would just go into retirement for a while. Walk in the fair woods of Lothlorien and smell the leaves and the wind, maybe go to the sea. Just watch and notice how I am not the Master of anything. How everything is doing just fine without me. But I have to admit I am little worried that after all the insanity, murder and destruction I’ve committed over the last thousands of years, it won’t be easy just to take a stroll in the wood or by the sea.
BK: Well, sweetheart, if you’re really serious about your freedom and peace of mind, there’s a quick route called “making amends”. Making amends means to right your wrongs. So turn the thought around.
Sauron: I am not the Master of the World.
BK: Could that be as true or truer?
Sauron: It seems much truer now.
BK: So, give me three genuine examples of how the turnaround is as true as or truer than your original statement.
Sauron: Well, I’ve tried for thousands of years now and I still can’t control the wind, the ocean, the sun and the moon. They just do what they do with or without my interference.
BK: Good, that’s one.
Sauron: Heck, I can’t even control my own slaves! You have no idea what a logistics nightmare it is to command tens of thousands of brain-dead orcs!
BK: Good that you’re noticing!
Sauron: And then there’s that slimy little creature Gollum. You have no idea how much I tortured him to get him to tell me the location of the One Ring, but he still wouldn’t budge. Talk about frustrating!
BK: Excellent, sweetheart. Make amends, make it right. And I see another turnaround.
Sauron: I am… the servant of the world?
BK: Yes. How are you the servant of the world?
Sauron: Well, what comes to mind is that without the thought “I am the Master of the World” I could actually be of service to the world. I mean, I am after all one of the Maia, at least as powerful or more powerful than Gandalf or Saruman or the Balrog or even Tom Bombadil. I can actually do pretty neat things when my mind is not hell-bent on destruction. You know, build things and make magic rings and stuff. I guess I could use those talents and skills for some more constructive purpose.
BK: It’s good that you’re noticing. So how can you use your specific talents and skills to serve the world – to serve the Free Peoples of Middle-Earth?
Sauron: Well, the first thing that comes to mind is that I have quite a bit of clean-up to do! You know, repairing the great gate and walls of Minas Tirith, cleaning up Osgiliath and Minas Morgul – or Minas Anor. There’s a lot of work to be done in Rohan as well and up north by the Lonely Mountain.
BK: Seems like you could be busy for quite a while making amends!
Sauron: Yes, And I could let Gandalf and the White Council destroy the One Ring, so that the other rings would no longer be enslaved to it and could do some more good in the world. Although that would probably mean the end of a lot of my negative power, since I put so much of that power into the One Ring.
BK: Well, what do you need all that negative power for if everything is going on quite fine without you?
Sauron: [Laughs] You have a point there. And it would be such a load off my shoulders.
BK: Yes. And isn’t that what you wanted to be Lord of the World for anyway? So you could sit down one day and take a deep breath and enjoy life?
Sauron: [Sighs deeply] Yes. You know I’ve never told anyone about this, but secretly I’ve thought a lot about joining D-Anon lately.
BK: D-Anon?
Sauron: Dictators Anonymous. I heard about it from Darth Vader. He’s been doing The Work and going to their meetings for quite a while. He says it’s really worked wonders for him. His breathing is a lot better now.
BK: Dictators Anonymous – I love it! Okay, sweetheart, let’s move on. Read the next statement on your Worksheet.
Sauron: The Free Peoples of Middle-Earth should worship me – and give me love, approval and appreciation. Man, that statement just seems totally absurd now! I mean, first I kill, murder, destroy and annihilate their people and their country – and then I expect them to give me love, approval and appreciation! Talk about insane!
BK: It’s good that you’re noticing. Turn the thought around.
Sauron: I should worship me and give me love, approval and appreciation.
BK: Yes, honey. That’s your job.
Sauron: It doesn’t feel like I’m doing a very good job.
BK: How can you? How can you give yourself love, approval and appreciation if you’re so busy minding every elf, dwarf and hobbit in Middle-Earth’s business?
Sauron: Phew. That one is a stinger. But so true. In a way I think that’s the reason why I tried to control them all along. Because I wanted their love, approval and appreciation.
BK: I often say that if I had one prayer it would be this: “God spare me from the desire for love, approval and appreciation”. Because this belief is the direct route to the hell of a false identity.
Sauron: It sure was for me.
BK: Let’s look at the next statement.
Sauron: The Free Peoples of Middle-Earth are weak, stupid, annoying, irritating.
BK: Turn it around.
Sauron: I am weak, stupid, annoying, irritating. That’s so true! I mean they’re all just doing fine minding their own business in Hobbiton and Minas Tirith and Rivendell and then I come raising hell. Saying that I am stupid, annoying and irritating is the understatement of the century!
BK: Yes, I can see that.
Sauron: And being such a control freak has definitely made me weak. I can’t sleep, I can’t eat, I don’t even have a body, I’m constantly worried, and I obsess.
BK: Yes. Okay, honey, the next statement?
Sauron: I never ever want to experience the Free Peoples of Middle-Earth rebelling against my plans again.
BK: So now, “I’m willing to…”
Sauron: I’m willing to…
BK: “… experience…”
Sauron: … the Free Peoples of Middle-Earth rebelling against my plans again.
BK: “I look forward to…”
Sauron: I look forward to the Free Peoples of Middle-Earth rebelling against my plans again. Whoa! That’s radical!
BK: Yes. Because when you believe and feel that – and feeling will let you know what you’re believing – then you can put your thoughts on paper and begin again to question your negative beliefs.
Sauron: Okay.
BK: Thank you, sweetheart, it’s been a privilege to sit with you. Nice Work.
Sauron: Thank you so much, Katie.
BK: For my part, you’re welcome. For your part, thank you.
Dear Friends,
The Danish edition of our new book The Awakening Human Being is out… and our publisher here in Denmark has really done a wonderful job in presenting the material. (Many thanks to Lindhart & Ringhof.)
And to celebrate, we wanted to invite everyone to a launch party here in Copenhagen, but I’ve been sick. So the party is going to have to wait until I get better! We’re not cancelling the party, we’re just postponing it! So it’s not going to be a launch party, but an “after” launch celebration… so we hope you will all come when I’m better.
In the meantime, please send me all your prayers. I would appreciate it so much. In case you’re wondering, I have this ear condition. The hospital diagnosis for those who are interested is “perilymphatic fistula” and “BPPV” (benign positional paroxysmal vertigo). The result of this condition is that I am dizzy. I’ve had the condition on and off since 2003 and it’s flared up again. The hospital believes I’ve opened the fistula (a small tear in the inner ear) again when I went swimming in August. So now I have to sleep with my head up (sitting up) and keep still so the fistula can heal again. So yes, please send me love and light!
Also I just want to say to all the people who had sessions with me that I have had to cancel, I hope I’ll be back soon, but remember Tim does sessions too and I can tell you he’s a great facilitator (he’s really helped me a lot with my issues).
Well friends, hope to see you soon at our party!
Love, Barbara
PS: About the book: The Awakening Human Being – A Guide to the Power of Mind is a presentation in written form of our basic teaching. When writing it, I tried to put down as concisely as possible the teaching that Tim and I have developed over the years. Tim likes to call the book “our greatest hits”!
When you realize you are having stressful thoughts about something or someone or are caught up in thinking about something that is highly unpleasant, what can you do about it? In other words, when you can see that whatever you're thinking about at the moment is causing you to feel unhappy, afraid, or worried - what can you do?
Well besides believing your stressful thinking (and then experiencing the feelings that arise when you believe whatever it is you are worried about), there are basically 3 options:
1) Witnessing: You can just witness the thought. You can just step back and watch the thoughts come and go and realize since you are the one who is watching and witnessing these thoughts (or this story), you can't be the thoughts or the story. Meditation is a good way to do this.
2) Questioning: You can question the thought or story. Is it true? When you have thoughts that make you afraid or unhappy, ask yourself if what you are thinking is true. A good way to do this is to write the stressful thoughts down and then question them using the Work of Byron Katie. For more about the 4 questions see her Web site - www.thework.com
3) Change your focus: Since whatever you focus your attention on grows, you can deal with stressful thinking by changing your focus. In other words by substituting another thought or thoughts for the ones that are bothering you. Prayer is a good way to do this. Or you can read a spiritual text that you like such as something from the Bhagavad Gita or a chapter from Emmet Fox and then think deeply about what you have just read. And finally, if you are too freaked out to do this, you can go for a run, or watch a movie or do something to change the flow of your thinking. But whatever you do, don't dwell on the thoughts that are bothering you. (Because whatever you focus your attention on grows!)
I use each of the above - depending on the situation. I suggest you give each of them a try. They all work beautifully if you are persistant!
Well she didn't actually tell me this... but here's my story about her story! The Nature of Reality according to Byron Katie is "God is All and God is Good". That's what she says in her books. And she also says Reality = God.
So I figure that must mean that whatever is - is the absolute best possible thing for you and for me - no matter what it is. Also because the minute you oppose what is, you suffer. When you don't oppose what is, you feel fine. And this is going on in every moment - all the time. Our resistance, your resistance, my resistance is our only suffering. All suffering is resisting what is. And resisting what is, is not having faith in God the Good. Because if God is All and God is Good, then THIS has to be Good. There is no other possibility.
So why don't I get it?
Why can't I clearly see and understand this and release myself from the prison of my own scary thoughts? I guess the truth is that the WORK is what this is all about and that by doing the Work on a regular basis, I am releasing myself - one thought at a time - thought by thought.
Byron Katie said (when she was in Copenhagen at the beginning of the year) that she wanted to find out how to be happy even when she didn't get what she wanted. And she did find out how. She found out that as long she didn't believe her thoughts, she was fine. It was only her thinking that made her suffer - not life itself. Life doesn't make anyone suffer. Life just unfolds - only we don't see this, so we don't experience it. We have all our stories about how Life "should" be - and that's what we get to live. And all the resistance is painful. All resistance is "ouch", "ouch" "ouch"! Without the story - no resistance.
This is just such a radical view of life - it takes us way way beyond anything and everything we've ever learned. The short version is: Resistance = suffering / Acceptance = peace
If you can only do one minute at a time, there's nothing to worry about. And doing one minute at a time is actually reality because you CAN only do one minute at a time. Always. Nothing else is required or possible. This rest is speculation.
It's the future - the thought of a future - that scares us and drives us crazy. But this moment is manageable. You CAN do this moment. And in fact, when you look at it, this moment is ALREADY DONE! It is, because when you look at this moment, it's already happened! Oooppps! And who actually did it? I mean where is the so-called "you" in all this? When you look at this moment, when you notice this moment you realize that well it couldn't be "you" who made it happen (if there is a "you" at all) because by the time you noticed it, this moment is gone. So.... something else must be "doing it"! Something else!
And who or what could that something else be but GOD....!
So why not relax and enjoy the ride...?? It's happening anyway...
But don't believe me. Try taking a look and see what you find. It might surprise you! It sure surprised me!
Here's another excerpt from my new book - The Awakening Human Being - A Guide to the Power of Mind. Enjoy!
Reality check: So what happens if we drop our thoughts about the meaning of what’s going on?
First of all is this possible? Can we drop our thoughts about what’s going on? And if we can—even for just a few moments—what then do we experience?
Well let’s give it a try.
Here’s what to do. After you read this, put this book down and take a look at what is going on right now, right where you are. With no thoughts about the meaning of what’s going on. Can you do this for just a minute or two? And when you do this, what do you experience?
When I try, the first thing I always notice (when I let go of my thoughts about the meaning of what’s going on) is that it suddenly gets very peaceful and quiet. The second thing I notice is that there is only me, here and now. And that’s about it. There is this moment with whatever is going on. And I’m just in it or I am just it! For example, this moment right now, just me sitting in front of my computer. Or it could be this moment walking down the street with the sun on my face. Or this moment, drinking a cup of tea. Or brushing my teeth. Or doing the dishes. Or talking to a friend.
That’s about it.
Life is right before me.
Plain and simple.
And it’s very peaceful.
Interesting isn’t it?
To experience the present moment without any interpretations or thoughts about the meaning of what is going on is a very interesting experience. If you can find this space, try to rest there for a moment or two—without judging or forming any opinions about this moment. If you can do this for just a moment, I am quite sure the law of cause and effect will make perfect sense to you because you will see that without interpretations, there is just this moment. Without thinking about the past or the future, there is absolutely nothing to compare this moment to. There is only this moment—this—exactly as it is—happening now.
Usually we don’t see this because we’re so busy living our interpretation of what’s going on. We are comparing “this” to “that”. We think “this is good” or “that is bad” and then we get to experience “this is good” or “that is bad” instead of the pristine simplicity of this moment.
And well, this is the story of our lives—your life and of my life too. Your experience is your interpretation of what’s going on. My experience is my interpretation of what’s going on.
This is a pretty wild discovery isn’t it? Why? Because when we understand the law of cause and effect, it means we have nothing to deal with but our own thoughts. Reality never gives us any problems—it’s our thinking that does! And even though I have been saying this for years in all my books, the ramifications of this discovery are just mind-boggling and continue to be mind-boggling.
So now you know.
If you want to know the truth, there is only one place to look and that’s inside yourself! Because the law of cause and effect tells us that all our experiences are internal events.
And that’s life!
So the big question is—who decides what your experience of life is going to be like? Good question right?
I was talking to a guy on the phone today and I mentioned that I was having problems with my left ear and he said - oh you know Barbara all sickness is mental. And I thought - is that true? In one way you can say it is true, because everything is mental - our whole experience of the world and everything in it is mental... but I know that's not what he meant. He meant (I think) that our health is determined by the way we think. And I believe he said that to me because I wrote something about this in "The Road to Power / Fast Food for the Soul" so he thought I should know this! But let's look at it again.
Is it true that our thinking affects our health? I think the problem with this belief is that it's too black and white and too linear. I don't think it's fair to say that if you have a negative thought you are going to get sick or that if you are sick it's because of some specific thoughts you are having. That's too simplistic a way of looking at it. And it's also a very cruel way of treating ourselves. And what does it mean? Does it mean that if you have cancer it's because of the way you think? How cruel. Nobody wants to get cancer. Nobody wants to be sick.
On the other hand, it seems that our thinking does affect our health! At least that's what a lot of research points to. But it's a more general, benign type of influence and we can all understand that if we are thinking kind, loving and positive thoughts, we tend to relax and feel more at ease with life and the world and this influences everything in our body which is good for our health. It reminds me of the story I read in Sogyal Rinpoche's book "The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying"... he writes about this woman who had terminal cancer who went to this lama in New York and was crying oh help me I am dying and have only 3 months to live. The lama laughed and said we are all dying. Then he taught her how to meditate and find peace of mind... so she began meditating and did find peace and then to everyone's surprise, her cancer went away....
One of my favorite techniques or triggers when it comes to sitting and being present is to say to myself that now I am not going to resist this moment anymore. Now, for the moment, I am just going to let everything be. I am just going to let everything be as it is. I am not going to resist anything.
It is amazing what this does for me.
Just the thought—letting everything be—makes me blissfully happy!
I love it… just to let everything be.
I suggest you give it a try.
What happens when you just let everything be as it is? When you have no resistance to anything? When you just are…
How can I describe it?
Why don’t you try it for yourself and see what happens.
Why don’t you do it right now.
It’s simply so liberating. Also because when you let everything be and rest in this moment, you have no comparisons.
Because what in fact is resistance? Resistance is when you are comparing this moment, this something, to something else. This moment can only be “not good enough” if I compare it to something else. Without comparisons, everything is perfectly OK as it is. How could it be otherwise? Without comparisons, I’m home free. Without comparisons there is just this. Just this. And what could be wrong with this without the thought of that? Now you see it don’t you? Now you see that without the thought of something else, nothing can possibly be wrong with this. Without the thought of “if only”, this is always perfect. And that’s what I always discover when I decide to let everything be.
It’s the perfect meditation—always!
Because it’s just this!
So please give it a try. Just sit and keep coming back to that thought… and let everything be.
by Jimmy Carter
July 15, 2009
Women and girls have been discriminated against for too long in a twisted interpretation of the word of God.
I HAVE been a practicing Christian all my life and a deacon and Bible teacher for many years. My faith is a source of strength and comfort to me, as religious beliefs are to hundreds of millions of people around the world. So my decision to sever my ties with the Southern Baptist Convention, after six decades, was painful and difficult. It was, however, an unavoidable decision when the convention's leaders, quoting a few carefully selected Bible verses and claiming that Eve was created second to Adam and was responsible for original sin, ordained that women must be "subservient" to their husbands and prohibited from serving as deacons, pastors or chaplains in the military service.
This view that women are somehow inferior to men is not restricted to one religion or belief. Women are prevented from playing a full and equal role in many faiths. Nor, tragically, does its influence stop at the walls of the church, mosque, synagogue or temple. This discrimination, unjustifiably attributed to a Higher Authority, has provided a reason or excuse for the deprivation of women's equal rights across the world for centuries.
At its most repugnant, the belief that women must be subjugated to the wishes of men excuses slavery, violence, forced prostitution, genital mutilation and national laws that omit rape as a crime. But it also costs many millions of girls and women control over their own bodies and lives, and continues to deny them fair access to education, health, employment and influence within their own communities.
The impact of these religious beliefs touches every aspect of our lives. They help explain why in many countries boys are educated before girls; why girls are told when and whom they must marry; and why many face enormous and unacceptable risks in pregnancy and childbirth because their basic health needs are not met.
In some Islamic nations, women are restricted in their movements, punished for permitting the exposure of an arm or ankle, deprived of education, prohibited from driving a car or competing with men for a job. If a woman is raped, she is often most severely punished as the guilty party in the crime.
The same discriminatory thinking lies behind the continuing gender gap in pay and why there are still so few women in office in the West. The root of this prejudice lies deep in our histories, but its impact is felt every day. It is not women and girls alone who suffer. It damages all of us. The evidence shows that investing in women and girls delivers major benefits for society. An educated woman has healthier children. She is more likely to send them to school. She earns more and invests what she earns in her family.
It is simply self-defeating for any community to discriminate against half its population. We need to challenge these self-serving and outdated attitudes and practices -- as we are seeing in Iran, where women are at the forefront of the battle for democracy and freedom.
I understand, however, why many political leaders can be reluctant about stepping into this minefield. Religion, and tradition, are powerful and sensitive areas to challenge. But my fellow Elders and I, who come from many faiths and backgrounds, no longer need to worry about winning votes or avoiding controversy -- and we are deeply committed to challenging injustice wherever we see it.
The Elders are an independent group of eminent global leaders, brought together by former South African president Nelson Mandela, who offer their influence and experience to support peace building, help address major causes of human suffering and promote the shared interests of humanity. We have decided to draw particular attention to the responsibility of religious and traditional leaders in ensuring equality and human rights and have recently published a statement that declares: "The justification of discrimination against women and girls on grounds of religion or tradition, as if it were prescribed by a Higher Authority, is unacceptable."
We are calling on all leaders to challenge and change the harmful teachings and practices, no matter how ingrained, which justify discrimination against women. We ask, in particular, that leaders of all religions have the courage to acknowledge and emphasize the positive messages of dignity and equality that all the world's major faiths share.
The carefully selected verses found in the Holy Scriptures to justify the superiority of men owe more to time and place -- and the determination of male leaders to hold onto their influence -- than eternal truths. Similar biblical excerpts could be found to support the approval of slavery and the timid acquiescence to oppressive rulers.
I am also familiar with vivid descriptions in the same Scriptures in which women are revered as pre-eminent leaders. During the years of the early Christian church women served as deacons, priests, bishops, apostles, teachers and prophets. It wasn't until the fourth century that dominant Christian leaders, all men, twisted and distorted Holy Scriptures to perpetuate their ascendant positions within the religious hierarchy.
The truth is that male religious leaders have had -- and still have -- an option to interpret holy teachings either to exalt or subjugate women. They have, for their own selfish ends, overwhelmingly chosen the latter. Their continuing choice provides the foundation or justification for much of the pervasive persecution and abuse of women throughout the world. This is in clear violation not just of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights but also the teachings of Jesus Christ, the Apostle Paul, Moses and the prophets, Muhammad, and founders of other great religions -- all of whom have called for proper and equitable treatment of all the children of God. It is time we had the courage to challenge these views.
(Jimmy Carter was president of the United States from 1977 to 1981.)