CHAPTER 11

I Am Innocent

“FATHER FORGIVE THEM, FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO”

Have you heard this phrase from our Lord Jesus? He asked His Father to forgive those who were sacrificing him. He asked forgiveness in the name of humanity because He knew that humanity was submerged in ignorance and confusion.
Yes, all of humanity is full of misunderstandings and confusion, and it is for this reason that we have not been able to remember our true reason for living, the true purpose of our lives. The purpose that we must remember is love itself, true love that strips away the veil of ignorance and confusion; true love and the forgiveness that dissolves blame, guilty, resentment, greed, fear. The true purpose of our life was never to be important, influential, rich, with many women or children. The true purpose of life is to find within oneself love, and through that love to find wisdom, God’s wisdom.
This chapter began with one of the most important legacies that Jesus left humanity, because in this saying he reminds each individual, “I forgive you for your ignorance. You don’t know what you are doing; and if you don’t know, then you are innocent. If you are innocent then you are free of guilt; if you are free of guilt and free of punishment, then you deserve FORGIVENESS from God and from yourself.”

Having received God’s forgiveness, then you must forgive yourself. To not do so is to be guilty of arrogance-you believe that you are more important than God, that you have more authority than God by not forgiving yourself. How can you refuse to forgive yourself, after Jesus and God did so centuries ago?

You wonder, how can I apply this to my life?

The formula is in letting yourself believe dialogue sent by your Lying Mind and the Enemy Within, speaking of situations such as those already mentioned in previous chapters, the human loses his true reason for living, the true purpose of his life. In the case of unexpected or unplanned children, these have felt guilt from the time they were in their mother’s womb; in the case of planned and wanted children, these began to feel guilty as a result of negative influences received after birth for something that was not their fault, taking on the responsibility of the life or happiness of his parents, siblings, aunts and uncles, grandparents, etc.
If you are the child of parents who did not plan their pregnancy, then your mother’s pregnancy was never your fault. She and he decided to pass some moments with love or sexual excitement, from which you appeared. You never forced them to produce you! You are free of guilt! Whether your mother or father rejected taking responsibility for themselves, choosing to engage in sex, each couple knows that every sexual relationship has the possibility of ending in pregnancy. Therefore, you are innocent!
If you are the result of a planned pregnancy and had the misfortune that your parents suffered negative situations after your conception or birth, causing you to make promises that you have not been able to fulfill, the great news is - You are innocent! By Nature’s and Divine Law, you will never be able to change the life of another or take responsibility for the happiness of others. This can in no way be you role; by nature’s law the parents are responsible for the children, not the opposite; and not the children’s responsibility to care for their parents.
Let this be very clear: Whether planned or unplanned, the belief that you can cause another’s suffering is FALSE; that you can cause the illness or death of another is FALSE, that you are responsible for the happiness or unhappiness of another is FALSE, that you can choose for others is FALSE.

When God created man, He gave him a gift, one of the most wonderful gifts: the gift of FREE CHOICE (the right to decide). Each and every human being has this quality, and it is the decision of every individual to seek and to find his happiness, peace and wellbeing. Nobody in the world can force you to be happy if you do not wish, just as nobody in the world can sleep for you and enjoy your hours of rest if you don’t do this for yourself. This same principle applies in all senses of your life and for everybody around you, your parents, spouse, children, siblings, nieces and nephews, etc. Nobody can change the life of another person if that person does not wish.
This may all sound selfish and arrogant, but it isn’t. As an individual our growth occurs on two levels: emotional and spiritual. As these two levels fill with love and self-esteem, then, and only then can we share with others.
In no way does this harden your heart, preventing you from feeling for another person, leaving you indifferent to the pain and suffering of others, making you a despot or a threat against the life or physical safety of another. Neither does it cause to repent for any negative acts you may have committed in your past as a result of your confusion. Never! This would be to flout Divine law. The lesson is Each person is responsible for his own acts; in no way is he guilty. As said before, guilt brings punishment, and a person ignorant of his acts should never be punished, although he should be made responsible for his actions.

Example:
Jhon: I am an alcoholic. My wife doesn’t want to stay with me anymore; she says she can’t stand that every weekend I go to see my mother, who is also an alcoholic, and I return to the house drunk. I don’t know what to do; if I don’t go see my mother I’m afraid that something will happen to her. She is very sick. She drinks lot every Sunday; if I’m not there with her feel like something is going to happen. I have to take care of her, but I can’t help drinking when I go.
She says that she began to drink after I was born. My father left her because of me, she had me even though he didn’t want children. From as far back as I can remember she always drank, and I promised myself that I would be with her to take care of her. I began to drink because when she was drunk she told me that she had become a drunk because of me, and that I should accompany her in her drinking.
J. took on the role of his mother’s protector, because he felt guilty for her being abandoned. She reminded him constantly of this guilt, and he agreed to drink with her, becoming an alcoholic.
J. wishes to change his life. First he must take the responsibility for his own alcoholism, understanding that nobody forced him to drink. His mother may have invited him, she may have suggested it to him, but she didn’t force him. He made that decision, due to the guilt he felt. Secondly, understanding that he is innocent of his father’s abandoning them and understanding that there is no justification for his mother becoming an alcoholic, that many women have been left by their husbands and they choose to work and live a decent life, instead of taking the path of self-pity as his mother did. He is innocent of his mother’s pain; it was her decision to make love; in no way could J. have forced her to engage in the sexual act that resulted in his conception.

By understanding this he is freed of guilt, he begins to value himself, he accepts that he is good and innocent, and was only confused by the situation in which he grow up. In no way did he need alcohol as a punishment. For the first time in his life he felt success, confidence, love and respect for himself. Freeing himself of the guilt and promises he had made, he was freed of the emptiness, the void of love that he had felt since he was a child. He had the opportunity to see life through the eyes of another, those of a free being that feels fulfilled, that loves and respects himself. He understood in his heart the meaning of Free Choice. He realized the pain that his mother had suffered, he felt compassion for her, and with love and humility he forgave her mistakes. He tried again to help her, although this time his help was different: this time he respected the choices made by her and he respected her. Since his mother rejects the opportunities for healing that he offered her, J. continues visiting and helping her, but only when she is free of the effects of alcohol.
Remember our Teacher Jesus said, “Love your neighbor as you love yourself”. He never asked you to love others first and then yourself, but rather that if you do not love yourself then you cannot love others. If you believe that this is selfish or wrong, then you are misinterpreting Jesus’ message.