These Eternal Truths: Living a Life of Faith and Freedom

By Ronald R. & Simonetta M. Weik

The human spirit has a longing to know of a God who loves them. In a world filled with the uncertainties of suffering and sorrow there is always a need for hope in a better future. Hope that the God of the universe will continue to sustain us in our time of need.

For the past four thousand years Judeo-Christianity has been the sustaining faith that has renewed hope both in the ancient and modern world. Through this system of beliefs, handed down from generation to generation, mankind has found a scientifically sound foundation for successful living.

Each generation searches anew for the rational yet divinely inspired ideas that give life meaning and ultimately yield happiness. These Eternal Truths establishes the link between faith in God and his promise of abundance that all seek in their daily lives. If these truths are interwoven into the very fabric of ordinary life, extraordinary results will follow. Those who read this book will realize through their own understanding and trial results that the authors have captured and related the principles necessary for a life of success and happiness.

Very few books become classics that enter into the body of literature that continues to be read by succeeding generations. The Bible, the Iliad, Shakespeare and the poets teach us something about humanity that transcends their own time. In the modern era these truths are just as important to successful living as they were when first written. Therefore if a new book is to survive the crucible of the marketplace then it must bring alive the same principles that have served mankind through the ages. The writings must capture in modern language and thought the true tried and tested ideas of the past.

In this book the authors have challenged the reader to see himself caught up and his life made part of these timeless truths.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ronald R. & Simonetta M. Weik
• Release date: Feb 22, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311989390

Ronald R. & Simonetta M. Weik

Ronald Weik lives with his wife Simonetta near Richmond, Virginia in a pre-Civil War country home surrounded by rolling meadows and woods. Restoration of the home is a life long project along with maintaining a fleet of classic cars and gardening. He earned a Ph.D. in Microbiology from the Medical College of Virginia and taught at several universities. Simonetta earned a B.S. in Botany from the University of Maryland. Operating Oakwood Scientific Laboratory, a state certified water testing laboratory is their full time passion. Much of the material in this book has been taught and discussed in great detail with the authors' adult bible classes as well as with a number of young adults. If you would like to read more by the authors please see These Eternal Truths by Ronald and Simonetta Weik with the first chapter published herein.

Book preview

What is Truth?

The purpose of this book is to give the reader a comprehensive approach to truth and a way of living a life based on eternal truths. While there is only one truth, there are many paths which converge on it. Most people pursue truth from only one direction and may even study that way relatively thoroughly but become confused as to how to apply what they have learned to other areas of their lives. Truth is universal and knows no bounds. When the truth is completely embedded in your spirit, your soul, it becomes the guiding principle of your life. You never need to weigh each decision separately again. The truth of the situation automatically comes to mind and you know what choice to make. The only thing left is to do it.

Sometimes it takes a shock to the system to get something done. Eight years ago we started out to write this book. Ron wrote several chapters, Simonetta none. Then in February 2000, we were unjustly removed from our ministry of sixteen years in our church parish. We taught the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA), a nine month program (September to May) that prepared people of diverse faith backgrounds for entry into the Catholic Church. It was not a small commitment either, three Sundays a month for three hours. We held this to be the most important thing we did in our lives. Hence it was a great shock being torn away from it before the current class was completed. We were literally sick for a week and finally escaped for a weekend at the beach. There the healing process began. And it was there that we decided to turn this terrible thing that had happened into something good. Instead of spending all day Sunday preparing and teaching our class, we would write our book. The idea for the book remained the same, but now we had eight years more education and experience. The passion with which we wrote has carried this book to completion. The truths we have put down are not just for today but forever. You will find principles that will help you live each day to the fullest. You will learn not so much about economics, freedom and love as about a way of life. This is a philosophy that you can live by. And if you do, you will have life and have it abundantly. Life is a journey. Enjoy the ride.

Prologue

The reason I was born, the reason why I came into the world, is to testify to the truth. Anyone committed to the truth hears my voice.

Truth! said Pilate, What does that mean?

John 18:37

Introduction

How does one write about God's truth? His truth is everywhere around us if we would just look and think. Albert Sweitzer, the great doctor and Nobel Prize winner, was asked what was wrong with men today. He said, Men simply don't think. Well women don't think either and our country is more the mess for it. Sometimes it seems like people do not want to think because if they did they would see the truth and then have to admit that they had believed and done wrong for a long time. People do not want to say, I was wrong. I'm sorry. Let's change and move along from here. It is the sin of pride. And yet these same people are often churchgoing people who are well-meaning. The problem seems to stem from lack of recognition that our faith permeates all of our life—not just Sunday at church. When we taught R.C.I.A. one of the ideas we tried to get across to our students (who were called catechumens) was that Christianity was a way of life. We see it as a three legged stool. There are three elements to life and without one of these, the whole cannot stand. The first is free market capitalism, the second personal freedom and the third is Judeo-Christianity. Notice that the three encompass economic, freedom and faith philosophies. The three are in harmony—no part contradicts the other. The laws of life are laid out by our faith as written in the Bible. And what is the Law? In the Old Testament God said to the Hebrews, I will be your God and you will be my people. Then he asked, How will I know you are my people? The answer came, Because we will keep your commandments. Later in the New Testament Jesus was asked which was the greatest of the commandments. He replied, To love God with all your mind, with all your soul and all your heart and to love your neighbor as yourself. So what is the law? Love! It is that simple. Each of the three supports to life must answer to the law of love. The practice of capitalism, freedom and Judeo-Christianity must be examined in light of the law of love.

Chapter 1 ─ Thought ─ The Shape of Destiny

How can one determine the starting point of truth? In reality there is no one point in human life that begins this path, just as there is no one moment in time when man first became aware of his own humanity.

Ages ago, over the course of one million years, there arose a group of animal species with intelligence as their cutting edge. This ability helped them to survive in a competitive world where survival didn't always go to the quickest of foot but to the one who could think and plan a safe present and future. These same traits were passed on from generation to generation genetically. But what was even more important was the knowledge handed from father to son, mother to daughter and family to family within a clan. Then a million years passed and another individual was born who inherited a great many capabilities. This person received a tremendous sum of what these clans joined together knew. This individual is you.

In all the realm of textbook knowledge and all of the experiences through life what makes you the person you are? Surely a great part of you is made up by your understanding of the patterns of truth that you have organized in your mind. Every action you take will reflect what you know to be true or what you believe to be true. How are these thought patterns changed? In 1972 Milton Friedman delivered an economist's protest against government intrusion in our lives by interference with the free market. In the crowded lecture hall we forgot the time and place as his thoughts met the patterns of our thoughts and so formed new patterns with a deeper understanding of our economic lives and political relationships.

We recognized that each pattern change is ever so light like a gentle breeze. The older pattern of thought may reassert its dominance but the rift is still there. What then is the influence of such focused thought pattern on our lives? Very little perhaps, unless followed by new study in these areas of thought. Then the whole pattern changes and a new foundation for truth is built.

After hearing these most influential ideas we purchased a book on the same topic which lead to more books. Each writer at the forefront in his field knows others also at the frontier as well as those writers in the past who have influenced them. Fairly soon we found ourselves in a circle of writers who have built upon others who came before them. And now our patterns of thought have been laid in solid stepping stones leading to a continual search for more understanding.

The person you are, is formed to a great extent by the thoughts of others that you have been exposed to. If you have been exposed to love, hope, joy and faith then those same thoughts will be present in you. Exposed to hate, fear and cynicism then you will think the same. Now you have a mechanism whereby you can shape the person you wish to become. You need only to select those ideas from others that you wish to make your own.

The person you will be ten years from now is greatly dependent upon the books you read and the people you associate with. Therefore, choose your books and friends carefully. They will shape your thoughts. Your thoughts will shape your being. Time has no control over thoughts which are timeless. Thoughts of writers and philosophers of centuries ago shape your very nature today. Ideas of freedom by citizens of the early Greek city states were only shared by an elite few. Slavery was rampant in every society. Then one day man realized that the only thought worse than the desire to control was the will to submit. You choose freedom or you choose slavery by the thoughts you think. Slavery to money, possessions or fame is built on the desire to control. Yet you cannot control time. Time makes a mockery of control. Kings rule, then die, but thoughts continue.

Pure Thought

In the beginning there was Pure Thought. This Thought created the universe with a word. And the universe reflected the image of the Creator for his vibration was in all things. Then beings of thought evolved or were made from the Supreme Thought and were in his image and likeness. These beings could also create and each of their creations began with thought. Look around you. What objects do you see? A chair? Clear glass? A pen? Each object began with a thought and therefore thought created them. Even the castles you build begin with thought.

The thought of freedom preceded the ancient Greeks for it existed in the beginning. The Prime Thought was free and gave freedom to all sentient beings. After life itself, the first gift given was freedom or free will. Those who came before us understood that in the First Garden was the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Prior to eating this fruit they knew only goodness and their thoughts were aligned with God's thoughts. Though pride may have been the motivation for eating the forbidden fruit, the result was the realization that the choices in life were theirs to make. And by their choices would they live or die. A choice was made as to who would control their destiny. Henley, the poet expressed it well when he wrote, I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.

The gift of free will allowed them to return to the Prime Thought or remain alone and was never taken from them, not in life and not even in death. Thought is immortal and never dies. That which is called death only separates what comes after from what came before. They could choose, even at death, to return to the Creator Thought or to remain forever assundered. But how did they find peace without reunion? Even after union, they were still free for their thought was divine thought.

Many thoughts remained sundered from the prime thought for they knew not, or chose not, the way of return. They still existed but remained lost. The Prime Thought, sensing the plight of these lost souls, sent others to call them back. He filled these beings with his own thought when they looked to the Prime Thought for guidance. These others were sometimes called prophets for they proclaimed the way of return. Many were ignored. Some were killed and the offspring of the Prime Thought continued to fall away and lose the path of return. Finally, The Prime Thought came himself to show them the way. In his coming he separated himself from his majesty and took his place among them as a child of the Prime Thought in every way like them. None, including him, knew of his identity. The child grew in all ways like every one else. He had to study and learn, to grow, to teach and to search for the way back.

Fifteen years after reaching manhood he went to the desert to think and pray. His prayer was for guidance. He asked the Prime Thought to be with him on his journey. He thought of power and control and gathering armies who would bow down and worship him. After his long fast in the desert he thought of food and drink. Finally, he thought of submission to the Prince of Darkness. But he took control of his thoughts and turned to the light of truth. This was the reason he was born, the reason he came into the world was to testify to the truth, to show others by example the way, and the way he chose was love.

He selected from his friends, a few, to share what he had learned in the desert. They walked together and he taught them. These hearts also learned to love. He remained close to his mother who had taught him love. The new way of love was radically different from the law which proscribed every detail of life. This brought him in conflict with the authorities. People flocked to hear him. Love one another for all are children of the Prime Thought. He cared for the poor, the sick, the lame and outcasts and beggars. He dined with the rich and the tax collectors and called them back to the path of righteousness. Some heard his thoughts and the flame of love grew in their hearts. Many turned away. He shared in the joys and sufferings of their human thoughts and taught that they shared in divine thoughts. Even this he had to learn. Some sought to trap him in speech against the emperor. And one he loved tried to force his hand to rise up against the overlords and lead his people to a temporal kingdom that time would destroy. Free he was to choose his destiny and he continued to teach love of the Prime Thought and love of those with him, even those who wished to destroy him. He spoke of the promise from the Prime Thought that he would draw all things back to him. The promise that nothing could destroy you, not sin, not sickness, not darkness, not even death could destroy you. His insight that all were divine beings came from others who had come before who through prayer and reflection aligned their thought with the Prime Thought.

Through the authority of his teaching and through his works of love, others came to believe in him. All his works reflected the glory of the Prime Thought who sent him. When people marveled at his works he told them, These things which I have done you can do, and even greater things. For he did not fly through the air or dive to the depths of the sea or travel to the stars. These great things he left for you to do with your thoughts. For thoughts are things and thoughts can bring all things into being. Knowledge he possessed but no more than your own capabilities. For all things are knowable and available to the sympathetic mind. Where the mind is closed few thoughts can enter or escape. In his own town, people's minds were closed to him. Few works could he accomplish there and he was distraught as he left them. In other towns and villages people invited him into their homes. He spoke to them of life eternal. Many more came to believe. When they were healed of their infirmities he sent them on their way with the instruction that it was their faith that healed them and it was their faith that would save them. The Prime Thought loved them.

As he traveled back to the capital the crowds grew immense and sang out to him as king. The authorities were aghast but he told them that the very stones would cry out if his followers were to remain silent. Thoughts can not remain silent. The authorities then plotted to kill him. Each day he taught in the open all who would listen. The city filled with people to celebrate a great feast. The authorities feared to touch him lest they arouse the crowds. One night they came in secret to his place of refuge. The one who sought to force his hand to declare the kingdom brought guards who arrested him. His followers scattered for their faith was weak. He stood in defiance before the authorities as false charges were lodged against him. He would not back down. He spoke of the Prime Thought, the mover of all things, but they would not listen and they hardened their hearts and condemned him. The emperor's representative asked him if he was a king but he spoke of a kingdom not of this world. For the Prime Thought would send legions to rescue him if his kingdom were of this world. His kingdom was in thought and the thought was truth. He had come into this world to bear witness to the truth, to show all how to live. Truth, what does that mean, asked his judge. Later, some who knew him would come to recognize him as the Prime Thought, the One Thought, as Truth.

He was sentenced to die that very day. Two were to die with him, one on his right and the other to his left. One taunted him and mocked him by saying, Save yourself and save us if you are a king. But the other said, We did wrong and deserve to die, and turned to the one and said, Remember me when you come into your kingdom. With love, he responded, This day you will enter with me into my Father's house. And shortly thereafter he died.

Thought does not end with death. It lives on. On the third day the Thought threw off the lethargy of death and rose to new life. Many did not recognize the Thought who returned from the dead and others refused to believe without proof. The Thought appeared first to those who loved him and they went and told others. In a locked room his followers were cowering in fear. Suddenly, the One Thought appeared in their midst. He breathed on them and his breath was the spirit of life. This breath of life was the same given to the first man who walked on the earth. Touch me, for I live, and give me something to eat. Many times the One Thought appeared to the others and spoke with them until they all came to believe. Their thoughts were now of faith and hope in eternal life. No longer did they need to fear death, for death had been conquered. Life is everlasting! Death and darkness was forever vanquished by the One Thought who came back to tell his friends there is no death, for, I am the bread of life. He who believes in me will never die. and, Fear not for I am with you always. Then the One Thought returned to his Father's house to prepare a place for them.

Thought Begets the Person

Where is the One Thought? How is he with us always? He is there in our thoughts, shaping us and guiding us, if we will only look for him.

In The Richest Man in Babylon, George C. Clason wrote of a young man named Arkad who ran up high debts that he could not pay. In desperation, he sold himself into slavery but in reality he had been a slave for some time. Arkad was the slave of money and slave thoughts controlled him. The story shows Arkad discovering some fundamental thoughts about wealth which diligently applied would one day set him free. The first thought of wealth that he discovered became the first law. A part of all you earn is yours to keep. Arkad began to apply this law to his own circumstances. By saving a part of the money he earned he was eventually able to buy his way to freedom. The part that he saved he invested to make that savings multiply and thus discovered the second great law of wealth. Make your savings multiply. Arkad rose to become the richest man in the richest city in the world by applying right thoughts. Wrong thoughts tear you down just as right thoughts build you up.

Dr. Norman Vincent Peale wrote of a visit he made to Hong Kong. While his wife went shopping he wandered down the back street markets of the city until he came to a tattoo parlor. The variety of emblems and words imprintable on the human body astounded him. One in particular caught his eye. This was a tattoo of three words, Born to Lose. Intrigued that anyone would imprint such a tattoo he asked the proprietor why someone would choose such words. The proprietor spoke halting English and paused for a moment and then said, First tattoo on mind, then tattoo on skin. It is the dominant thoughts that you hold in your mind that determine your destiny. Likewise, it is the prevalent thought that a people hold in their minds that determine the destiny of a nation. A corporation is only the reflection of the thoughts of the people who built it or run it. Thoughts are things, powerful things that shape a person, a company, a nation, a world, a destiny.

Twelve hundred years ago the venerable Bede, a monk in England, first devised a western calendar where all dates were calculated from the birth of Christ. In his mind this One Thought had so profoundly influenced the world that all thought had to be demarcated by that which came before to that which came during the year of our Lord. Thought rules your destiny and shapes your world and everything in it. Marcus Aurelius, the great Roman emperor said, Your life is what your thoughts make of it. William James, philosopher, professor at Harvard, spoke of the greatest discovery of his generation which in 1900 saw the discovery of the electric light and the first practical automobile. The greatest discovery was that one could alter one's life by altering one's attitude of mind. And Norman Vincent Peale, the twentieth century's greatest teacher of practical Christianity remarked that, The greatest discovery of my life outside of my relationship to God is that if you think in positive terms you will get positive results. If you think in negative terms you will get negative results. So fill your mind with positive thoughts and all good things will come to you. The mind transmits and receives thoughts. Send out negative thoughts and negative thoughts will come back to you. The greatest teacher of all, the carpenter from the plains of Galilee, told us over and over again, As you believe so shall it be done unto you. The book of Job states that the thing he greatly feared had come upon him. It is expectations of great events in your life that bring these events into being. You are what you think about all day long.

In 1979 we longed to return from New Orleans to our Virginia home. That thought came to be an obsession with us. No job offers in Virginia and other obligations kept us there. Then one day out of sheer desperation we bought a sign 'For Sale by Owner' and planted it in our yard. That very day the sky darkened to green and it began to rain. The torrent continued for twenty-four hours without letup. Only the top of the sign was visible after the floodwaters covered the neighborhood. Our boat was loaded with provisions as well as the cat which had adopted us. All moveable possessions were crammed upstairs as the floodwaters rose. The next day the sun came out and the neighborhood was evacuated by water craft but still we stayed. With the threat of snakes and alligators from the nearby bayous no one thought to wade out in waist high, brown, murky water. Still the thought of high ground in Virginia gave us hope that one day we would learn to welcome the rain.

When the flood receded life returned to normal with even more mosquitoes, good food and humid weather. The desire to leave Louisiana was redoubled. But how could we find the perfect dream house from eleven hundred miles away? We booked a flight to Virginia for Easter but mistakenly arrived a week early. A job interview lead us to stop by a real estate office and let the agent on duty know we wished for something big, old, unusual, with some land around it. Two weeks later in New Orleans some pictures arrived of a tree shrouded manor house in the country. Every night we told stories to each other about what it would be like to live there. The images that we planted on our minds grew with each telling until we could make out many chimneys and multiple roof lines with a tower room. All other details were hidden in shadow. Still the story grew. One picture showed a tree lined driveway. Another revealed a glass house with pulleys and cranks and many windows. Still another hinted of towering oak trees that covered all the sky and darkened the pictures. Our thoughts filled in the rest. The comfortable parlor, the fireplaces glowing with living flames and red embers, the snow and ice on the window panes and a sunrise skate across the frozen pond. The story grew with each telling for we learned of the nine out buildings, barn and garage. We were told of rolling hills and meadows, trees and woods. We heard of tall broom grass that bent in the breeze. All these thoughts we held in our mind as we made our first offer to buy this dream house.

A week later the agent called and said the settlor just laughed at an offer to purchase sight unseen on a house vacant at least ten years. The owner in his nineties had long ago moved away to his son's home. The evening stories continued despite no job offers and no sale of our current house. We wrote back with a new offer to purchase which stated that we would see this house within ten days of acceptance of this contract. Back and forth counteroffers continued for many weeks. Never was our offer high enough to meet the price and the seller was thinking that no one would buy a house sight unseen. But many times we had seen it in our dreams. Our thoughts were real. By chance, a friend's wedding brought us to Boston in June with a stopover in Washington so we could see this dream house. We looked at another house to satisfy the agent as our thoughts drew us home. Finally, the day arrived for a quick visit. The driveway was chained. The fields were overgrown. The pond was dry and the house was full of trash! Mountains of debris! The floors sagged, the roof leaked in fifteen places, another mountain of trash filled the parking area. So we lowered our offer and flew to Boston.

Weeks later, back in the Deep South, our current house was finally under contract to be sold. Still the counteroffers flew by express mail. Finally in exasperation our agent simply snail mailed the last counteroffer with no breakthrough and tears in her voice. But overlooked, on arrival, there it was! A dream house with no money down! We did not realize our nightly stories had sent out our thoughts on wings until they returned to us. That was the key. Preserve all cash for future repairs and finance the whole purchase. At night with our thoughts we built dream castles in the air. By day we put foundations under them. That is as it should be with you.

Refuge

Would our new home be a refuge from the world? Every person needs a refuge from the thoughts of others which tend to crowd our own. When all thoughts come from the outside, from others, our creative thoughts get buried in the avalanche of mundane thoughts. Often we need to chain out the outside world. Then the Prime Thought who lives deep within our being can be heard. And what do we hear if we listen? Thoughts of guidance there are for we do not travel this journey unaided. We are being called home.

Our new house was a fenced ten acre eden. The tall oak trees sheltered us from the hot sun. The same chain at the entrance to the driveway locked out the rest of the world. But there were still intrusions. First conquered was the telephone, never to be answered again. Our automatic butler took care of that. Second, never answer the door again. Since there