Dr. Jay Forrest

The moral law requires us to place the interests of others on equal footing with our own. It means seeking the highest good of others as we seek our own highest good. This is impartial benevolence, or goodwill.

Many traditions express this as “love your neighbor as yourself.” But in English, the word love can mislead. Love is often taken as a feeling, and feelings cannot be commanded. One cannot be told to feel warmly toward an enemy.

What is required is not a feeling, but a way of acting grounded in a right motive. Benevolence is an act of the will, not an emotion. Feelings may follow, but they are not the foundation.

Another term for this is altruism: unselfish concern for others that does not place one’s own interests above theirs. It is the opposite of selfishness. It does not put self first, but treats others as equals, each with the same claim to be treated justly and decently.

People tend to resist talk of law and sin, partly because they associate it with a particular religion. But it is not confined to any one tradition.

The moral law is built into human life. Everyone, upon reaching moral awareness, recognizes that they should treat others as they themselves wish to be treated. This principle of impartial benevolence is expressed in the Golden Rule, which appears in every major wisdom tradition.

C.S. Lewis illustrated this point. Two people argue about someone’s behavior. One says, “That wasn’t fair; you shouldn’t have done that.” The other defends himself by saying, “I didn’t realize you’d object,” or “I thought it was okay.” Even in defending himself, he still appeals to what is right or wrong, not merely to what he wanted. Both assume there is a standard of right conduct they ought to follow, even if they disagree about how it applies. That assumed standard is the moral law.

The intrinsic value of the good of others is the foundation of our obligation to choose it and the necessary conditions for securing it. This is why the moral law is binding, and why breaking it results in karmic consequences, both in this life and in future lives.

The Gnostics were among the earliest Christian mystics, seekers of direct knowledge of and union with God. This is important, because later mystics often had to distance themselves from them to avoid being labeled heretical.

The Gnostics were not simply heretics, but lovers of God pursuing transformation. Over time, however, the institutional church moved in a different direction, aligning with political power and authority.

There were many groups called “Gnostic,” with varied and often conflicting beliefs. Even today, the subject remains complex and debated. For this reason, it is simpler to speak in terms of Christian mysticism.

Christian mysticism traces a path through figures like Paul and John, as well as later voices such as Valentinus and the Desert Fathers and Mothers, continuing across both Eastern and Western traditions.

To call oneself a mystic can sound presumptuous. Yet at its core, mysticism is not a title but a disposition: the experience of the divine presence and the desire for union with it. In that sense, it is defined less by claims and more by pursuit.

The 1966 Congress of Messina wrongly defined “gnosis” as “knowledge of the divine mysteries reserved for an elite.” This mistake has been widely repeated.

Gnosis is not primarily rational knowledge. It is an intuitive process of knowing, an acquaintance with an object. It is a mystical experience—ineffable, more like feeling than intellect. It is not knowledge of something, but a direct encounter with Ultimate Reality.

Gnosis has a noetic quality. As William James notes, mystical states resemble feelings but are experienced as knowledge. They yield intuitions, a knowing beyond knowing.

Such experiences cannot be sustained indefinitely, nor produced on demand. They are initiated by God—an act of grace we can prepare for but never cause.

We must distinguish mysteria—mystic secrets for the initiated—from gnosis. The mysteria are truths communicated ordinarily but requiring spiritual illumination. Gnosis is not knowledge about God; it is the experience of Ultimate Reality, meeting the Divine in the heart.

Thus, “knowledge of divine mysteries for the elite” refers to mysteria. Gnosis is the awareness of the Divine presence when Reality manifests to the spirit. It is not knowledge about, but acquaintance with the Divine.

Abortion is a difficult and deeply contested issue. A balanced view recognizes both the moral weight of human life and the complexity of real situations.

One thoughtful position holds that human life is sacred from its beginning, and that decisions about bringing life into the world should be made with care, responsibility, and moral awareness. At the same time, it acknowledges that abortion carries a tragic dimension and should never be treated lightly or as a matter of convenience.

This perspective affirms responsible family planning and encourages serious reflection, guided by conscience, community, and ethical consideration. It also emphasizes compassion, recognizing that those facing such decisions often do so under difficult circumstances.

Importantly, it maintains that while abortion should be rare and approached with gravity, the role of law is limited. Legal restrictions alone cannot resolve the deeper moral and personal realities involved. Respect for individual conscience and access to safe medical care are therefore upheld.

This approach avoids extremes. It neither dismisses the value of life nor ignores the complexity of human situations. Instead, it calls for responsibility, compassion, and thoughtful moral judgment.

One of the great lessons in life is to realize that feelings follow our thoughts. We can change the way we feel by changing the way we think. This is a great help in times of stress, grief, and loss. How we conceptualize and judge an event produces the way we feel.

This truth, that our judgments about events and people create the way we feel, is the basis of cognitive behavioral therapy. CBT is one of the most successful psychotherapies currently available for mood disorders. You can take that element of truth and apply it to your own life.

Look at the way you feel, and examine the way you’re thinking. See the connection between your thoughts and your feelings. If you’re feeling depressed, sad, or lonely, stop and look at the way you’re thinking. Notice how your thoughts are negative, how they focus on loss and pain. Then try to change those thoughts and replace them with positive, realistic ones, thoughts that build you up and encourage you.