C.C. Campbell's Blog: Going Beyond with C.C. Campbell
June 6, 2021
To All My Listeners and Readers...
I want to thank all the thousands and thousands of people around the world who have continued to tune in and listen to my podcast What Lies Beyond these last few years. Especially to our newest listeners in Macedonia, Lithuania, and Zambia! In late 2019 there were so many big plans afoot for What Lies Beyond and my next book...
But, perhaps, the one thing every single human being on the planet can share is the fact that 2020 did not go the way any single person thought it would.
For some of us, 2020 will have been the worst year of our lives - businesses lost, economy lost, jobs lost, but more heart achingly, the loss of friends, parents, children, siblings, partners, and loved ones.
My family and I were fortunate to weather 2020 from a place of relative safety and we did - and continue to do - as much as we could to help others.
2021 is a year of renewal.
We are still here and we still have plans for releases in 2022.
Here in the States, we are fortunate to now have access to vaccines, but I am well aware that is not the case in many other places in this world.
This pandemic is NOT over.
We must continue to care for one another, help one another, and do what we can to mitigate the spread of the virus, especially when traveling by still wearing a mask, social distancing, and common-sense hygiene.
I recently returned from seeing family in the UK, which is at this moment experiencing a third wave and dealing with the Delta (India) variant.
Thankfully my family in Scotland has taken the same stringent precautions that we have in our own home and while there have been losses of close friends and a few who are now dealing with 'long-haul' symptoms, mostly my family is whole. I could enjoy my time with them and my trip only because I have been vaccinated.
I understand the fears and uncertainties, but if you are able to be vaccinated, please do so.
Everyone assumes that the worst thing COVID can do is to kill you or someone you love - little is being said about those who survive and are being left now with what may be permanent, debilitating immunological aftereffects.
We have entered a new age of medicine and science, but we are in an uncharted territory of human history.
I can tell you that the few people I now know who are suffering long-term effects wish to the heavens that the vaccine had been available. It is a personal choice, but for the sake of our global brothers and sisters and those close to us at home, it is better to be safe than sorry.
I returned from my family and ancestral land not only with a renewal of love and support from them, but with a renewal of purpose and life from the sacred land itself.
I hope that you all will also feel renewal and enrichment as I have gone back to the drawing board to completely redraft what will be What Lies Beyond Season 3, and, perhaps, my next book.
I know I have tantalized everyone for several years now with the release of my second world, but to be honest, I think the delays were meant to happen so that this next book could come when the world needs it most.
I will leave this much to whet the appetite - the next book will deal with Death. But not Death as we know it, especially here in the West. For this work, I have been pulling research from all over the world that calls out to the blood of the ancients - from East, West, North, and South.
While The Stolen Light of Women had no choice but to dive deep into theology and scriptural history, this book is a work that unleashes the hidden histories of the human Soul and its relationship to the Spirits and Beings still remembered in so many places... yet lost to so many in our modern technological world.
This is a book that when you have closed the final page, you will know with certainty that those you have loved and lost are truly only a breath away.
To everyone who has honored me by taking the time to listen to my voice and find peace and knowledge in the words I share, I wish you the blessing of your health, the love of others and support of the Universe.
Until we meet again via the magic of the airwaves and digital media, I wish you all Love, Peace, and Light. ~ C.C. Campbell
But, perhaps, the one thing every single human being on the planet can share is the fact that 2020 did not go the way any single person thought it would.
For some of us, 2020 will have been the worst year of our lives - businesses lost, economy lost, jobs lost, but more heart achingly, the loss of friends, parents, children, siblings, partners, and loved ones.
My family and I were fortunate to weather 2020 from a place of relative safety and we did - and continue to do - as much as we could to help others.
2021 is a year of renewal.
We are still here and we still have plans for releases in 2022.
Here in the States, we are fortunate to now have access to vaccines, but I am well aware that is not the case in many other places in this world.
This pandemic is NOT over.
We must continue to care for one another, help one another, and do what we can to mitigate the spread of the virus, especially when traveling by still wearing a mask, social distancing, and common-sense hygiene.
I recently returned from seeing family in the UK, which is at this moment experiencing a third wave and dealing with the Delta (India) variant.
Thankfully my family in Scotland has taken the same stringent precautions that we have in our own home and while there have been losses of close friends and a few who are now dealing with 'long-haul' symptoms, mostly my family is whole. I could enjoy my time with them and my trip only because I have been vaccinated.
I understand the fears and uncertainties, but if you are able to be vaccinated, please do so.
Everyone assumes that the worst thing COVID can do is to kill you or someone you love - little is being said about those who survive and are being left now with what may be permanent, debilitating immunological aftereffects.
We have entered a new age of medicine and science, but we are in an uncharted territory of human history.
I can tell you that the few people I now know who are suffering long-term effects wish to the heavens that the vaccine had been available. It is a personal choice, but for the sake of our global brothers and sisters and those close to us at home, it is better to be safe than sorry.
I returned from my family and ancestral land not only with a renewal of love and support from them, but with a renewal of purpose and life from the sacred land itself.
I hope that you all will also feel renewal and enrichment as I have gone back to the drawing board to completely redraft what will be What Lies Beyond Season 3, and, perhaps, my next book.
I know I have tantalized everyone for several years now with the release of my second world, but to be honest, I think the delays were meant to happen so that this next book could come when the world needs it most.
I will leave this much to whet the appetite - the next book will deal with Death. But not Death as we know it, especially here in the West. For this work, I have been pulling research from all over the world that calls out to the blood of the ancients - from East, West, North, and South.
While The Stolen Light of Women had no choice but to dive deep into theology and scriptural history, this book is a work that unleashes the hidden histories of the human Soul and its relationship to the Spirits and Beings still remembered in so many places... yet lost to so many in our modern technological world.
This is a book that when you have closed the final page, you will know with certainty that those you have loved and lost are truly only a breath away.
To everyone who has honored me by taking the time to listen to my voice and find peace and knowledge in the words I share, I wish you the blessing of your health, the love of others and support of the Universe.
Until we meet again via the magic of the airwaves and digital media, I wish you all Love, Peace, and Light. ~ C.C. Campbell
April 22, 2020
COVID19 and What Lies Beyond
Failte, Anam Cara! Let me begin this post with thanks.
Thank you to every doctor, nurse, physicians assistant, hospital sanitation staff, healthcare worker, and first responder who is going through unimaginable stress, loneliness, grief, and anxiety right now as they battle a common viral enemy the likes of which has not been suffered by humanity for over a century. Everyone has always called you heroes, but may you finally be treated like heroes and see your needs met and blessings rain down from grateful nations.
Thank you to every essential worker coming into their workplace underpaid, overstressed, worried for themselves and their families, day after day to ensure that the economic engines of the world do not halt entirely and plunge us all into desperation, chaos, and despair. Grocery workers, delivery women/men, food services, utility workers, and so many more - thank you from the bottom of our hearts. In nations that don’t already provide it, may this be the catalyst that finally sees all of you provided for with a living wage, health insurance, and the security we all deserve as human beings in a modern world.
Thank you to everyone who has embraced science over superstition, generosity to your fellow human beings regardless of manmade borders, dedicated themselves to social distancing for the good of others as well as yourself, and put your hands and hearts to helping others however you can.
Everyday now is a battle to choose hope over despair. Not only are we witnessing the ravages of this virus, but now we also contend with the depressing reality of seeing so many humans fight against love, unity, science, and common sense in the name of their bizarre sense of ‘liberty’. May the generosity of the human Soul win out over fear and the spirit of greed, hoarding, and selfishness.
This is a Turning Point of History and we must remember that the majority are bringing Light even as a loud, ugly minority insist on darkness. May every Light Bringer right now take heart that history teaches us this vital truth: With Great Change, Comes Great Hope.
This is not the first time it has felt like the world was burning… but there is also healing. Phoenixes will rise from these ashes and tears.
As I write this, I sincerely hope and pray that each of you reading this are safe and well and may your loved ones be too. I deeply regret that this is the first chance I’ve had to truly sit and update this blog or any of my social media. From the bottom of my heart, I thank the wonderful people who have taken the time to contact me and ask about my health and my family’s. As many know, I do have an autoimmune disorder and fall under the ‘immune suppressed’ category. Along with my age and my husband’s (we’re in my late 60s), this means we fall under the most at risk group for COVID19. My daughter, born premature, has always had to take care to avoid lung infections. That said, my family and I have been taking every precaution to stay safe since the New Year including wearing masks and preparing for social distancing. Thankfully, as an author I am able to work from home and we are all healthy.
My husband and I are deeply privileged to be riding out this storm from a position of economic safety so far. Because of this, my daughter and I have put all work f on hold in order to put our hands to helping during this crisis along with so many others. We have been fortunate to be able to go out in relative safety and bought in bulk to donate to local food banks. Though my sewing skills were rusty, I pulled out my sewing machine and have so far managed to make countless fabric masks complete with inserted 3M allergen/antibacterial/antiviral filters.
*A tip for those making masks, I highly recommend buying 3M Filtrete Ultra Allergen Air Filters - you deconstruct the cardboard, carefully remove the wire, and you are left with a very long sheet of filter from which you can cut dozens of filter rectangles for inserting into masks; if you can’t sew, considering using Liquid Stitch or a sewing bonding material to attach this filter into ‘no-sew’ masks. Current science indicates masks with a such a filter are overwhelmingly more suited to blocking airborne viruses than merely wearing a scarf/bandana/plain material. These filters are sold in America at Wal-Mart, Target, and I even found them sold at my local grocery store in their small housewares/petfood section.*
While I wholeheartedly applaud the surge *sewing pun intended* of efforts to sew masks for First Responders, I decided to apply the need for masks by giving them away to workers at grocery stores and other essential workers who also desperately need sturdy, suitable masks to keep themselves healthy and help ‘Crush the Curve’. I deeply encourage everyone to also think of ways to help our essential workers - they are among the most vulnerable economically and yet this catastrophe has only highlighted how crucial they are to the global economy, let alone as our friends, family, and fellow human beings! With my daughter’s help, we are waiting for more elastic and supplies to arrive soon and intend to continue making masks for the foreseeable future as it is evident that until a vaccine or treatment is found for COVID19, mask wearing is likely to be with all of us for some time to come. I’ve already been asked to make some and had inquiries about orders, but this is a work of the soul and I will give out as Fate leads for as long as we can.
Every single one of us at this very moment are living through a true historical event. For some this is a temporary disruption to their lives. For many others this has caused a permanent, life altering shift to their lives whether to their careers or suffering the loss of loved ones.
Either way, one thing is certain: Our World is Changed.
Soon I will post a message concerning this Change and its impact on nature and the human Soul.
As you might imagine, along with everyone else, my own plans have been entirely altered and the slate of my schedule cleared. I had hoped to see 2020 be the year I would release multiple books, a new season of What Lies Beyond, and the release of those books on Audible audiobooks, and the beginnings of a YouTube vlog. I had plans to arrange a book tour that would have seen me visit several major cities here in the US, as well as London and Edinburgh. All of those plans have been wiped clean.
Even if we ‘crush the curve’, given my own health issues, I cannot imagine daring to undertake plane travel until there is a proven vaccine/treatment - something that is not likely to happen for a year or two. Instead any events I may hold in the future will likely be virtual which may be a blessing in disguise. Every storm has a silver lining. We are continuing to explore new technology and I am going back to the drawing board on certain things and hope to bring something truly special to the world between the end of this year and into 2021, likely through a platform like YouTube.
This is a time for Hope and we cannot lose sight of the support that we give to each other as living beings and the support we receive from all those who love us on the Other Side.
Thank you to everyone for understanding and supporting me in these endeavors.
Stay safe for yourself, your loved ones, and for everyone who does not have the luxury of staying home. When you do go out, whether you are at risk or not, please wear a mask not only for your health and others but to show your awareness of how vulnerable too many are to this virus young and elder alike. Masks have been a part of daily life in Japan, Korea, China, Singapore, the Philippines, Taiwan, amongst others, for ages not just out of concern for personal health, but as a recognition that the individual has a responsibility to help protect everyone else.
We are all in this together, but we cannot be blind to those who need more help than others or the responsibilities we all have to each other.
To paraphrase (fictional) moral philosophy professor Chidi from NBC’s superb spiritual comedy ‘The Good Place’, now is the time to truly examine “What We Owe To Each Other.”
And to quote the indomitable Helen Keller: “Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.”
Blessings of peace, love, and light, to all of you and your loved ones in these historic times ~ C.C. Campbell
Follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/realCCCampbell
Thank you to every doctor, nurse, physicians assistant, hospital sanitation staff, healthcare worker, and first responder who is going through unimaginable stress, loneliness, grief, and anxiety right now as they battle a common viral enemy the likes of which has not been suffered by humanity for over a century. Everyone has always called you heroes, but may you finally be treated like heroes and see your needs met and blessings rain down from grateful nations.
Thank you to every essential worker coming into their workplace underpaid, overstressed, worried for themselves and their families, day after day to ensure that the economic engines of the world do not halt entirely and plunge us all into desperation, chaos, and despair. Grocery workers, delivery women/men, food services, utility workers, and so many more - thank you from the bottom of our hearts. In nations that don’t already provide it, may this be the catalyst that finally sees all of you provided for with a living wage, health insurance, and the security we all deserve as human beings in a modern world.
Thank you to everyone who has embraced science over superstition, generosity to your fellow human beings regardless of manmade borders, dedicated themselves to social distancing for the good of others as well as yourself, and put your hands and hearts to helping others however you can.
Everyday now is a battle to choose hope over despair. Not only are we witnessing the ravages of this virus, but now we also contend with the depressing reality of seeing so many humans fight against love, unity, science, and common sense in the name of their bizarre sense of ‘liberty’. May the generosity of the human Soul win out over fear and the spirit of greed, hoarding, and selfishness.
This is a Turning Point of History and we must remember that the majority are bringing Light even as a loud, ugly minority insist on darkness. May every Light Bringer right now take heart that history teaches us this vital truth: With Great Change, Comes Great Hope.
This is not the first time it has felt like the world was burning… but there is also healing. Phoenixes will rise from these ashes and tears.
As I write this, I sincerely hope and pray that each of you reading this are safe and well and may your loved ones be too. I deeply regret that this is the first chance I’ve had to truly sit and update this blog or any of my social media. From the bottom of my heart, I thank the wonderful people who have taken the time to contact me and ask about my health and my family’s. As many know, I do have an autoimmune disorder and fall under the ‘immune suppressed’ category. Along with my age and my husband’s (we’re in my late 60s), this means we fall under the most at risk group for COVID19. My daughter, born premature, has always had to take care to avoid lung infections. That said, my family and I have been taking every precaution to stay safe since the New Year including wearing masks and preparing for social distancing. Thankfully, as an author I am able to work from home and we are all healthy.
My husband and I are deeply privileged to be riding out this storm from a position of economic safety so far. Because of this, my daughter and I have put all work f on hold in order to put our hands to helping during this crisis along with so many others. We have been fortunate to be able to go out in relative safety and bought in bulk to donate to local food banks. Though my sewing skills were rusty, I pulled out my sewing machine and have so far managed to make countless fabric masks complete with inserted 3M allergen/antibacterial/antiviral filters.
*A tip for those making masks, I highly recommend buying 3M Filtrete Ultra Allergen Air Filters - you deconstruct the cardboard, carefully remove the wire, and you are left with a very long sheet of filter from which you can cut dozens of filter rectangles for inserting into masks; if you can’t sew, considering using Liquid Stitch or a sewing bonding material to attach this filter into ‘no-sew’ masks. Current science indicates masks with a such a filter are overwhelmingly more suited to blocking airborne viruses than merely wearing a scarf/bandana/plain material. These filters are sold in America at Wal-Mart, Target, and I even found them sold at my local grocery store in their small housewares/petfood section.*
While I wholeheartedly applaud the surge *sewing pun intended* of efforts to sew masks for First Responders, I decided to apply the need for masks by giving them away to workers at grocery stores and other essential workers who also desperately need sturdy, suitable masks to keep themselves healthy and help ‘Crush the Curve’. I deeply encourage everyone to also think of ways to help our essential workers - they are among the most vulnerable economically and yet this catastrophe has only highlighted how crucial they are to the global economy, let alone as our friends, family, and fellow human beings! With my daughter’s help, we are waiting for more elastic and supplies to arrive soon and intend to continue making masks for the foreseeable future as it is evident that until a vaccine or treatment is found for COVID19, mask wearing is likely to be with all of us for some time to come. I’ve already been asked to make some and had inquiries about orders, but this is a work of the soul and I will give out as Fate leads for as long as we can.
Every single one of us at this very moment are living through a true historical event. For some this is a temporary disruption to their lives. For many others this has caused a permanent, life altering shift to their lives whether to their careers or suffering the loss of loved ones.
Either way, one thing is certain: Our World is Changed.
Soon I will post a message concerning this Change and its impact on nature and the human Soul.
As you might imagine, along with everyone else, my own plans have been entirely altered and the slate of my schedule cleared. I had hoped to see 2020 be the year I would release multiple books, a new season of What Lies Beyond, and the release of those books on Audible audiobooks, and the beginnings of a YouTube vlog. I had plans to arrange a book tour that would have seen me visit several major cities here in the US, as well as London and Edinburgh. All of those plans have been wiped clean.
Even if we ‘crush the curve’, given my own health issues, I cannot imagine daring to undertake plane travel until there is a proven vaccine/treatment - something that is not likely to happen for a year or two. Instead any events I may hold in the future will likely be virtual which may be a blessing in disguise. Every storm has a silver lining. We are continuing to explore new technology and I am going back to the drawing board on certain things and hope to bring something truly special to the world between the end of this year and into 2021, likely through a platform like YouTube.
This is a time for Hope and we cannot lose sight of the support that we give to each other as living beings and the support we receive from all those who love us on the Other Side.
Thank you to everyone for understanding and supporting me in these endeavors.
Stay safe for yourself, your loved ones, and for everyone who does not have the luxury of staying home. When you do go out, whether you are at risk or not, please wear a mask not only for your health and others but to show your awareness of how vulnerable too many are to this virus young and elder alike. Masks have been a part of daily life in Japan, Korea, China, Singapore, the Philippines, Taiwan, amongst others, for ages not just out of concern for personal health, but as a recognition that the individual has a responsibility to help protect everyone else.
We are all in this together, but we cannot be blind to those who need more help than others or the responsibilities we all have to each other.
To paraphrase (fictional) moral philosophy professor Chidi from NBC’s superb spiritual comedy ‘The Good Place’, now is the time to truly examine “What We Owe To Each Other.”
And to quote the indomitable Helen Keller: “Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.”
Blessings of peace, love, and light, to all of you and your loved ones in these historic times ~ C.C. Campbell
Follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/realCCCampbell
August 12, 2019
Big Things for 2020!
After a long absence I am excited to announce that big things are on the horizon for 2020!
A new book!
A new season for What Lies Beyond!
My books on Audible!
Follow me on Twitter @realCCCampbell
and Instagram @realcccampbell
to get the latest as we reveal titles, book covers, and episode topics!
Updates Coming Soon!
With Best Wishes and Thanks to all my fans,
C.C. Campbell
A new book!
A new season for What Lies Beyond!
My books on Audible!
Follow me on Twitter @realCCCampbell
and Instagram @realcccampbell
to get the latest as we reveal titles, book covers, and episode topics!
Updates Coming Soon!
With Best Wishes and Thanks to all my fans,
C.C. Campbell
June 27, 2015
CONGRATS, AMERICA! (A Response To Anyone Upset By SCOTUS' Marriage Equality Act)
CONGRATULATIONS, AMERICA! I had to come out of my 'writer's seclusion' to congratulate America on this wonderful moment in history! This week is momentously history changing and I am so incredibly proud and awed to have lived to have seen the Supreme Court rule in favor of nationwide marriage equality!
I was born in 1952. When I came into this world, racial segregation was still law throughout the South, and being gay was not only illegal in most places, but viewed as a kind of mental illness that condemned untold numbers to barbaric psychiatric practices like electro-shock, poisoning through anti-psychotic medications, and sometimes even full blown medical procedures like lobotomies, castration, or genital mutilation. How many brilliant, compassionate, world-changing men and women have we lost over the decades to suicide alone? How could we ever condemn the depression and hopelessness faced by people who were told that they had to settle for living a lie, or living with the dark weight of loneliness faced by human beings who could never be with the soul they loved? (see the tale of Alan Turing, inventor of the world's first computer and breaker of the Nazi Enigma code, in The Imitation Game for example) Once the western world got it into its religious tradition and psyches that homosexuality was sinful, wrong, and damned, the world became a crueler, darker place for anyone who loved outside of what religion deemed appropriate.
It is no surprise that the biggest challenges this ruling will face will come from the religious right and (to no one's surprise) the southern states entrenched in the Bible Belt. I do not endorse my book for vanity. I endorse it here because I KNOW it can help so many. Because the whole purpose of my book and my teaching is to help people open their minds and come out of the kind of religious ignorance I was once in, I wanted to pen down at least this helpful tip to anyone dealing with people or family who are still against SCOTUS' ruling for marriage equality.
What is the core of the argument by the religious right?
They claim God tells them being gay is wrong because it says so in Leviticus.
The problem is that this is a big, bold LIE.
Jewish rabbis have acknowledged that nowhere in the Old Testament does the oldest Hebrew versions condemn homosexuality. The translations into English are not only wrong, but they persist this horrible belief system that makes many religious people feel vindicated in excluding gays and refusing to acknowledge their right to marry (or even exist!).
"man shall not lay with man as he lays with woman, this is an abomination to God" is not how the text is even supposed to read.
If in having to face religious ignorance you commit this fact and only this fact from my book to memory, then you may indeed succeed in cracking open someone's mind to being more open and compassionate:
1. The Leviticus commandment is addressed only to men. If you are going to read it literally, then technically God doesn't care about lesbians being lesbians. Neither the verse above nor the verse below ever address 'women laying with women', and despite attempts at arguing that 'man' implies both sexes, that is a lie and is not implied in the Hebrew nor Greek translations.
2. Rabbinic scholars (Jewish, the actual experts in the Old Testament) have said that what the verse means in its Hebrew version is that 'man should not lay with a man in the tent of his wife' - ironically this is not a law against homosexuality, but against a bisexual man forcing a threesome onto his wife, or flaunting his male lover around his wife.
Some will argue that God demands that gay people be 'put to death' in Leviticus and Deuteronomy, but guess what?
The EXACT same wording is used when 'God' condemns a child that curses his parents, and yet I don't see anyone in any church insisting that children who sass their elders shoulder be taken out into the desert and stoned or thrown in the fire!
Also, if they insist on believing that homosexuality is an 'abomination', they need to be given the reality check that 'God' has a bigger list of 'abominations' in Leviticus that include: eating shellfish or pork (no more surf'n'turf or BBQ!), wearing clothes made of two different kinds of material (bye-bye polyester!), and getting tattoos (all the more ironic if it's a tattoo of the 10 Commandments, Christ, or a Bible verse).
You can see all these 'abominations' and more at a July 4th picnic!
Marriage equality has come.
We cannot let the blindness of others threaten it or ruin its beauty and impact.
Knowledge, hand in hand with compassion, is the only way to change minds and hearts and carve a path forward so that no one has to live in fear of someone who believes it is 'God's will' that they fight, hurt, or challenge the beautiful life of someone who is gay. I only wish I had joined the fight much, much sooner, and I feel sorry for all the people that history will remember as being on the wrong side. Just as the young generation looks back upon mine and sees that people against racial equality were on the wrong side of history, someday soon our children and grandchildren will view those who are angry about marriage equality right now the same way.
PLEASE, print this, pass it on, and use this information freely! If you want to know even more and have even more knowledge in your back pocket both for yourself, your friends, and your family, consider looking into my book The Stolen Light of WoMen. Believe me, there is so much more on this issue than just the little bit of information I wrote here. This is my background and my speciality and everything I write here (and in my book) is backed by research and hard evidence. Irregardless, I hope you will pass this information on.
You never know whose mind (and heart) you may open up.
I know they say 'never argue religion or politics', but guess what?
Nothing changes if people stay silent.
Also, people CAN change. I know because I did. I am a straight woman who used to sincerely believe that 'God' wanted me to view gay people as wrong and horrible because 'the Bible says so'. I woke up. I changed. I am an immense ally now and am committed to helping others whether gay or straight, transgender or cis, to release any old feelings due to religious upbringing, and to help start dialogues with family and friends who have caused more harm than they know all because they sincerely believe in their faith.
Faith can be a beautiful thing, and Christ urged humanity to love God and love one another - ultimately those were the only spiritual commandments that counted.
Don't let faith be an excuse for anger, fear, and denying other human beings the chance to live their lives to the fullest, raising families in united in love.
To all my friends who are gay, whether single, in a relationship , or already married, I send you my immense and heartfelt congratulations. May your unions, present or future, always be blessed with love, peace, and light... and now ultimate recognition by all of the United States by legal order of the Supreme Court of the United States!
"I say this to anyone reading this work who is openly gay, transgender, or bisexual: I see you as soldiers in the fight for the freedom of the human Soul. You who love without the blinders of the ego have come to possess the true meaning of love... Happiness and love are the greatest gifts you can possess in the face of prejudice and those who would insist on living in ignorance.
Wisdom persists that love is blind. Love sees no figure. It does not condemn the color of the skin, nor ethnicity, nor gender. How incredible it truly is for the human being who allows their Soul to fall in love with someone without prejudice or expectation and truly finds their soulmate! To me, this potential is one of the greatest gifts that was given to humanity." - C.C. Campbell, The Stolen Light of WoMen
... and now back to work on my next book and into my hermit writer's cave. Party for me everyone!
I was born in 1952. When I came into this world, racial segregation was still law throughout the South, and being gay was not only illegal in most places, but viewed as a kind of mental illness that condemned untold numbers to barbaric psychiatric practices like electro-shock, poisoning through anti-psychotic medications, and sometimes even full blown medical procedures like lobotomies, castration, or genital mutilation. How many brilliant, compassionate, world-changing men and women have we lost over the decades to suicide alone? How could we ever condemn the depression and hopelessness faced by people who were told that they had to settle for living a lie, or living with the dark weight of loneliness faced by human beings who could never be with the soul they loved? (see the tale of Alan Turing, inventor of the world's first computer and breaker of the Nazi Enigma code, in The Imitation Game for example) Once the western world got it into its religious tradition and psyches that homosexuality was sinful, wrong, and damned, the world became a crueler, darker place for anyone who loved outside of what religion deemed appropriate.
It is no surprise that the biggest challenges this ruling will face will come from the religious right and (to no one's surprise) the southern states entrenched in the Bible Belt. I do not endorse my book for vanity. I endorse it here because I KNOW it can help so many. Because the whole purpose of my book and my teaching is to help people open their minds and come out of the kind of religious ignorance I was once in, I wanted to pen down at least this helpful tip to anyone dealing with people or family who are still against SCOTUS' ruling for marriage equality.
What is the core of the argument by the religious right?
They claim God tells them being gay is wrong because it says so in Leviticus.
The problem is that this is a big, bold LIE.
Jewish rabbis have acknowledged that nowhere in the Old Testament does the oldest Hebrew versions condemn homosexuality. The translations into English are not only wrong, but they persist this horrible belief system that makes many religious people feel vindicated in excluding gays and refusing to acknowledge their right to marry (or even exist!).
"man shall not lay with man as he lays with woman, this is an abomination to God" is not how the text is even supposed to read.
If in having to face religious ignorance you commit this fact and only this fact from my book to memory, then you may indeed succeed in cracking open someone's mind to being more open and compassionate:
1. The Leviticus commandment is addressed only to men. If you are going to read it literally, then technically God doesn't care about lesbians being lesbians. Neither the verse above nor the verse below ever address 'women laying with women', and despite attempts at arguing that 'man' implies both sexes, that is a lie and is not implied in the Hebrew nor Greek translations.
2. Rabbinic scholars (Jewish, the actual experts in the Old Testament) have said that what the verse means in its Hebrew version is that 'man should not lay with a man in the tent of his wife' - ironically this is not a law against homosexuality, but against a bisexual man forcing a threesome onto his wife, or flaunting his male lover around his wife.
Some will argue that God demands that gay people be 'put to death' in Leviticus and Deuteronomy, but guess what?
The EXACT same wording is used when 'God' condemns a child that curses his parents, and yet I don't see anyone in any church insisting that children who sass their elders shoulder be taken out into the desert and stoned or thrown in the fire!
Also, if they insist on believing that homosexuality is an 'abomination', they need to be given the reality check that 'God' has a bigger list of 'abominations' in Leviticus that include: eating shellfish or pork (no more surf'n'turf or BBQ!), wearing clothes made of two different kinds of material (bye-bye polyester!), and getting tattoos (all the more ironic if it's a tattoo of the 10 Commandments, Christ, or a Bible verse).
You can see all these 'abominations' and more at a July 4th picnic!
Marriage equality has come.
We cannot let the blindness of others threaten it or ruin its beauty and impact.
Knowledge, hand in hand with compassion, is the only way to change minds and hearts and carve a path forward so that no one has to live in fear of someone who believes it is 'God's will' that they fight, hurt, or challenge the beautiful life of someone who is gay. I only wish I had joined the fight much, much sooner, and I feel sorry for all the people that history will remember as being on the wrong side. Just as the young generation looks back upon mine and sees that people against racial equality were on the wrong side of history, someday soon our children and grandchildren will view those who are angry about marriage equality right now the same way.
PLEASE, print this, pass it on, and use this information freely! If you want to know even more and have even more knowledge in your back pocket both for yourself, your friends, and your family, consider looking into my book The Stolen Light of WoMen. Believe me, there is so much more on this issue than just the little bit of information I wrote here. This is my background and my speciality and everything I write here (and in my book) is backed by research and hard evidence. Irregardless, I hope you will pass this information on.
You never know whose mind (and heart) you may open up.
I know they say 'never argue religion or politics', but guess what?
Nothing changes if people stay silent.
Also, people CAN change. I know because I did. I am a straight woman who used to sincerely believe that 'God' wanted me to view gay people as wrong and horrible because 'the Bible says so'. I woke up. I changed. I am an immense ally now and am committed to helping others whether gay or straight, transgender or cis, to release any old feelings due to religious upbringing, and to help start dialogues with family and friends who have caused more harm than they know all because they sincerely believe in their faith.
Faith can be a beautiful thing, and Christ urged humanity to love God and love one another - ultimately those were the only spiritual commandments that counted.
Don't let faith be an excuse for anger, fear, and denying other human beings the chance to live their lives to the fullest, raising families in united in love.
To all my friends who are gay, whether single, in a relationship , or already married, I send you my immense and heartfelt congratulations. May your unions, present or future, always be blessed with love, peace, and light... and now ultimate recognition by all of the United States by legal order of the Supreme Court of the United States!
"I say this to anyone reading this work who is openly gay, transgender, or bisexual: I see you as soldiers in the fight for the freedom of the human Soul. You who love without the blinders of the ego have come to possess the true meaning of love... Happiness and love are the greatest gifts you can possess in the face of prejudice and those who would insist on living in ignorance.
Wisdom persists that love is blind. Love sees no figure. It does not condemn the color of the skin, nor ethnicity, nor gender. How incredible it truly is for the human being who allows their Soul to fall in love with someone without prejudice or expectation and truly finds their soulmate! To me, this potential is one of the greatest gifts that was given to humanity." - C.C. Campbell, The Stolen Light of WoMen
... and now back to work on my next book and into my hermit writer's cave. Party for me everyone!
May 10, 2015
A Mother's Day For All Who Embody the Feminine Aspect
I would like to wish a Happy Mother's Day to everyone. Many of you are mothers (and grandmothers). Many of you love your mothers. But I know there are also many of you who have not had children (by choice or design). Some of you are fathers who have found yourselves having to be both mother and father. And some of you have children of the four legged variety. Mother's Day is indeed the time to honor the woman who birthed and nurtured us... but it is also a time to honor the divine energy of the mother that resides in us all if we wish to bring it forth.
Male or female, we are all capable of the feminine, maternal energy that brings beauty, wisdom, nurturing, and life to this world. If you are a soul who embodies these maternal attributes, I feel you deserve to be wished a Happy Mother's Day!
If you nurture a garden, you have linked to divine maternal energy.
If you care for your animals as the precious souls they are, you are have linked to divine maternal energy.
If you love children irregardless of whether or not they are biologically yours, you are communing with the divine feminine in this world.
If you seek to make the world a better place by helping others, you are showing that energy of love that a mother does to the world.
My daughter is the greatest joy and love of my life, but fate has deemed that she will likely never have children. Before anyone starts relaying sympathy, you should know that even though we both love children, my daughter has never felt that having children was going to be part of her life, nor was it her great interest.
We talked today, amidst the flowers, cards, and beautiful words she gave me this morning.
I wished her a Happy Mother's Day.
She looked at me in surprise.
My daughter may never have children, but she is one of the most caring sources of maternal energy you can meet. Plants, animals, babies, and people, she has truly embodied everything I have sought to pass on to her. Because she will soon be turning 30, she has begun to notice the way people react to finding out she does not want and will not be having children.
The point I am trying to make is that the world is changing and ideas grow and evolve. I embrace her decision whole heartedly. I remember her saying once that she was sorry I would not know what it's like to be a grandmother because she felt I would be incredible and it was unfair to deny that to children.
I looked at her, held her close, and thanked her.
I reminded her that in a way I already was. For so long I have been told I embody the Mother archetype and many people of all ages have crossed my path... but for me, my daughter is more than enough and as much joy as grandchildren would inevitably bring, they are not more important to me than her.
Children do not guarantee happiness.
Not all women who give birth and keep their children ever become mothers in anything but name.
Not all women who do not have children are doing so because they are not maternal.
We are in an age of expansion.
What it means to be a mother is something that can be embraced by everyone who cherishes beauty, love, and the nurturing of life that comes with being open to your own divine feminine energy.
And so, again, I wish a very Happy Mother's Day to you all. The Mothers by birth. The Mothers of nature. The Mothers of animals. The Mothers who step into that role regardless of gender. The Mothers who give their love to the world. May the divine feminine energy and mother aspect within you bless and keep you all.
Male or female, we are all capable of the feminine, maternal energy that brings beauty, wisdom, nurturing, and life to this world. If you are a soul who embodies these maternal attributes, I feel you deserve to be wished a Happy Mother's Day!
If you nurture a garden, you have linked to divine maternal energy.
If you care for your animals as the precious souls they are, you are have linked to divine maternal energy.
If you love children irregardless of whether or not they are biologically yours, you are communing with the divine feminine in this world.
If you seek to make the world a better place by helping others, you are showing that energy of love that a mother does to the world.
My daughter is the greatest joy and love of my life, but fate has deemed that she will likely never have children. Before anyone starts relaying sympathy, you should know that even though we both love children, my daughter has never felt that having children was going to be part of her life, nor was it her great interest.
We talked today, amidst the flowers, cards, and beautiful words she gave me this morning.
I wished her a Happy Mother's Day.
She looked at me in surprise.
My daughter may never have children, but she is one of the most caring sources of maternal energy you can meet. Plants, animals, babies, and people, she has truly embodied everything I have sought to pass on to her. Because she will soon be turning 30, she has begun to notice the way people react to finding out she does not want and will not be having children.
The point I am trying to make is that the world is changing and ideas grow and evolve. I embrace her decision whole heartedly. I remember her saying once that she was sorry I would not know what it's like to be a grandmother because she felt I would be incredible and it was unfair to deny that to children.
I looked at her, held her close, and thanked her.
I reminded her that in a way I already was. For so long I have been told I embody the Mother archetype and many people of all ages have crossed my path... but for me, my daughter is more than enough and as much joy as grandchildren would inevitably bring, they are not more important to me than her.
Children do not guarantee happiness.
Not all women who give birth and keep their children ever become mothers in anything but name.
Not all women who do not have children are doing so because they are not maternal.
We are in an age of expansion.
What it means to be a mother is something that can be embraced by everyone who cherishes beauty, love, and the nurturing of life that comes with being open to your own divine feminine energy.
And so, again, I wish a very Happy Mother's Day to you all. The Mothers by birth. The Mothers of nature. The Mothers of animals. The Mothers who step into that role regardless of gender. The Mothers who give their love to the world. May the divine feminine energy and mother aspect within you bless and keep you all.
March 25, 2015
WILL FRIENDS HELP ME STOP OTHERS FROM TURNING A BLIND EYE TO HOMOPHOBIA?
WILL FRIENDS HELP ME STOP OTHERS TURNING A BLIND EYE TO HOMOPHOBIA?
The disheartening reality of why my book has not gotten more exposure...
Hello everyone! I am peeking out of writer's seclusion to give everyone a much needed update on how things are going. I will soon be sharing some very good news around the second week of April. I wish it was announcing dates for my book signings, but that is still in the works both here and nationally. Indeed, my signings may be for both The Stolen Light of WoMen and its sequel which I hope to have available this summer. This is a strategic move that I may not have a choice but to use.
In spite of so much praise, 5 star reviews, and interest, it has been deeply disheartening to find that efforts to get the book out to a broader market have been very hard work. I have had great interest from many independent bookstores, only to have the buyers back down because of the controversy of the topic.
Despite so many believing we are living in a more enlightened society, the fact that the book takes such a strong stand for gay rights by tackling religious homophobia at its source (the Bible) has caused many to tell me they will not take a chance on it. Small, independent bookstores whose buyers were thrilled with the topic have regretfully let me know they don't think they can carry it or risk a book signing. At least they acknowledge the dangers of taking on this topic.
On the other end of the spectrum I have experienced an unbelievable level of ignorance. Nothing has been more frustrating than having puzzled looks and being asked, "Is it really that big of a problem?" (i.e. religious discrimination against gays, lesbians, and transgender individuals)
In answer to that, consider these two high profile instances of discrimination directly caused by Biblical homophobia that happened just this January 2015:
In Ohio a 17 year old transgender teen who named herself Leelah (born Josh Alcorn) committed suicide by walking out into a highway to be struck by a tractor-trailer. Her parents cited the age old religious feel-good excuse of loving their son but could not support his need to be a girl because it was a 'sin' according to the Bible. Leelah was forced into 'conversion' therapy - a barbaric, mentally abusive brain washing procedure used by homophobic churches to try to 'correct' gay and transgender youth back to the way 'God wants them to be'.
In Colorado, a Lakewood church visited by a married lesbian couple was hosting the funeral of the woman's wife. This loving couple had felt safe and accepted at this church. Then, the very day of the funeral, when the wife was mourning the loss of her beloved partner, the pastor let her know that unless pictures showing them sharing a kiss and getting engaged were removed, the funeral would be kicked out. The wife refused and the funeral was thrown out. On the worst day of this woman's life, a church that had dared to make them feel accepted, kicked them out over their zero-tolerance stand on gay marriage. Even worse, when this story hit the news, droves of evangelicals made it known that they supported the pastor's homophobic decision!
Meanwhile, on Change dot org a petition is going around to disbar a lawyer in California who has made it known he thinks it should not be a crime if a gay person is murdered...
It is 2015. Tell me again that my book, which dares to tackle each of the Bible verses that such people use to defend and legitimize their homo/transphobia, is not important for our day and time! I know the information in my book would have made Leelah's parents think twice and I know that pastor in Lakewood would not have had an argument to stand on if someone had made him face the truth that nothing in the Bible condemns homosexuality. I did not write this book because it was my opinion. I wrote it because decades of research PROVES it, but no one has been daring enough to put it out for the average reader or brought the argument straight to the church.
I have never felt more alone than I have in writing this book...
I am a straight woman with a family, but it has only made me understand the loneliness and rejection that so many in the LGBT community suffer through, all because modern homo and transphobia is built on a tradition of Biblical ignorance and control (even in our nation of freedom of expression).
I am hoping that the sequel I am writing will open more doors as its subject matter tackles all the deep, esoteric topics I could not fit into this first book: death, the afterlife, ghosts, demons, angels, and the other side. While no less fascinating, the sequel should be a great deal less controversial, and perhaps in being drawn in to that volume, more people will look back towards this first book.
With that being said, I am so grateful to see that I have been getting some Christian readers opening their minds and that the book has already begun to open the minds of at least a handful of parents. Once the fear of going against their religious beliefs is wiped away, many parents are ready to embrace their children regardless of sexual orientation or gender. To be honest that is my greatest hope at this point and I am planning on creating a shorter, more accessible book focused solely on this issue of taking away the Biblical blinders that keep so many from truly loving humanity unconditionally.
Someday I hope teens will look back on our time period and be shocked that anyone would ever kill themselves over being gay or transgender, the same way it is inconceivable now that someone would kill themselves just because of their race. Someday gender choice and sexual persuasion will be seen as the utterly normal spectrum that it is... but right now, too many are persecuted, isolated, and abused right in our own backyard, let alone the rest of the world. Personally, for me, one more youth driven to suicide over their gender or sexual orientation is one too many. But it can't stop until the last barrier is removed, until homophobic and transphobic people are stripped of their last defense: the claim that 'God' hates gay/trans people because the Bible says so.
Please help that to happen by educating yourself and others and spreading the word about my book to anyone you think needs this information not only for their own soul, but to hopefully save lives by opening minds and changing hearts.
The disheartening reality of why my book has not gotten more exposure...
Hello everyone! I am peeking out of writer's seclusion to give everyone a much needed update on how things are going. I will soon be sharing some very good news around the second week of April. I wish it was announcing dates for my book signings, but that is still in the works both here and nationally. Indeed, my signings may be for both The Stolen Light of WoMen and its sequel which I hope to have available this summer. This is a strategic move that I may not have a choice but to use.
In spite of so much praise, 5 star reviews, and interest, it has been deeply disheartening to find that efforts to get the book out to a broader market have been very hard work. I have had great interest from many independent bookstores, only to have the buyers back down because of the controversy of the topic.
Despite so many believing we are living in a more enlightened society, the fact that the book takes such a strong stand for gay rights by tackling religious homophobia at its source (the Bible) has caused many to tell me they will not take a chance on it. Small, independent bookstores whose buyers were thrilled with the topic have regretfully let me know they don't think they can carry it or risk a book signing. At least they acknowledge the dangers of taking on this topic.
On the other end of the spectrum I have experienced an unbelievable level of ignorance. Nothing has been more frustrating than having puzzled looks and being asked, "Is it really that big of a problem?" (i.e. religious discrimination against gays, lesbians, and transgender individuals)
In answer to that, consider these two high profile instances of discrimination directly caused by Biblical homophobia that happened just this January 2015:
In Ohio a 17 year old transgender teen who named herself Leelah (born Josh Alcorn) committed suicide by walking out into a highway to be struck by a tractor-trailer. Her parents cited the age old religious feel-good excuse of loving their son but could not support his need to be a girl because it was a 'sin' according to the Bible. Leelah was forced into 'conversion' therapy - a barbaric, mentally abusive brain washing procedure used by homophobic churches to try to 'correct' gay and transgender youth back to the way 'God wants them to be'.
In Colorado, a Lakewood church visited by a married lesbian couple was hosting the funeral of the woman's wife. This loving couple had felt safe and accepted at this church. Then, the very day of the funeral, when the wife was mourning the loss of her beloved partner, the pastor let her know that unless pictures showing them sharing a kiss and getting engaged were removed, the funeral would be kicked out. The wife refused and the funeral was thrown out. On the worst day of this woman's life, a church that had dared to make them feel accepted, kicked them out over their zero-tolerance stand on gay marriage. Even worse, when this story hit the news, droves of evangelicals made it known that they supported the pastor's homophobic decision!
Meanwhile, on Change dot org a petition is going around to disbar a lawyer in California who has made it known he thinks it should not be a crime if a gay person is murdered...
It is 2015. Tell me again that my book, which dares to tackle each of the Bible verses that such people use to defend and legitimize their homo/transphobia, is not important for our day and time! I know the information in my book would have made Leelah's parents think twice and I know that pastor in Lakewood would not have had an argument to stand on if someone had made him face the truth that nothing in the Bible condemns homosexuality. I did not write this book because it was my opinion. I wrote it because decades of research PROVES it, but no one has been daring enough to put it out for the average reader or brought the argument straight to the church.
I have never felt more alone than I have in writing this book...
I am a straight woman with a family, but it has only made me understand the loneliness and rejection that so many in the LGBT community suffer through, all because modern homo and transphobia is built on a tradition of Biblical ignorance and control (even in our nation of freedom of expression).
I am hoping that the sequel I am writing will open more doors as its subject matter tackles all the deep, esoteric topics I could not fit into this first book: death, the afterlife, ghosts, demons, angels, and the other side. While no less fascinating, the sequel should be a great deal less controversial, and perhaps in being drawn in to that volume, more people will look back towards this first book.
With that being said, I am so grateful to see that I have been getting some Christian readers opening their minds and that the book has already begun to open the minds of at least a handful of parents. Once the fear of going against their religious beliefs is wiped away, many parents are ready to embrace their children regardless of sexual orientation or gender. To be honest that is my greatest hope at this point and I am planning on creating a shorter, more accessible book focused solely on this issue of taking away the Biblical blinders that keep so many from truly loving humanity unconditionally.
Someday I hope teens will look back on our time period and be shocked that anyone would ever kill themselves over being gay or transgender, the same way it is inconceivable now that someone would kill themselves just because of their race. Someday gender choice and sexual persuasion will be seen as the utterly normal spectrum that it is... but right now, too many are persecuted, isolated, and abused right in our own backyard, let alone the rest of the world. Personally, for me, one more youth driven to suicide over their gender or sexual orientation is one too many. But it can't stop until the last barrier is removed, until homophobic and transphobic people are stripped of their last defense: the claim that 'God' hates gay/trans people because the Bible says so.
Please help that to happen by educating yourself and others and spreading the word about my book to anyone you think needs this information not only for their own soul, but to hopefully save lives by opening minds and changing hearts.
February 3, 2015
What Inspired Me To Write 'The Stolen Light Of WoMen'
Q: “What inspired you to write your book?”
A: 'The Stolen Light Of WoMen' came from a lifetime of being immersed in religion and seeing the fallout for women, gays, lesbians, and transgender individuals. I came from a deeply religious background that was steeped in old dogma and beliefs: 'A woman's highest calling was to get married and have children. Gay people were an abomination in the eyes of the Lord. God made man the head of the household and his wife. God consecrated sex to only be between a man and a woman in marriage.' and on and on.
Many, many times in my adult life my instinct for compassion was in direct contradiction to the Bible. I believed in women's rights and equality. I never felt God would condemn a gay person for loving another human being. I did not believe ONLY Christians went to heaven. Yet I was reminded again and again that this went against the 'inerrant Word of God'. For someone who was a full Believer, this presented a very real crisis of faith! I didn't dare question. To question these things felt like questioning God and I loved God too much to ever think of it...
Until I had a near death experience.
When I did, my experience had nothing to do with Christianity and it spurred this lifelong journey to understand the Bible and religion.
The book details all of this, but it holds all of the decades of information I had to learn in order to undo the indoctrination of my faith.
I learned why the Bible treats women as second rate, and I discovered how that mindset has been continued even to this day in society and a workforce that still pays women less than men for the same job!
I found out just why the Bible is used to condemn gays, and in researching discovered that every verse used is either mistranslated, misinterpreted, and even purposely turned into propaganda in a way it was never meant to!
Ultimately I had to take the blinders off. It was painful. I understand both sides. I know where the heartfelt Believer comes from, but I also know now how damaging all these dogmas and beliefs are to our modern society, especially to women, gays, transgenders, and even the men who dare to step out of the norm. That is why I wrote this book. I wanted to speak to those who are religious and those who are not be they agnostic or atheist. Religious people need to know these things so that they can make the decision once and for all about what they believe. If they insist on staying in their religion, understand where it came from, know what the Bible REALLY says, and ask yourself if you are following the heart of your faith or is it all the dictates of imperfect men with their own agendas? And if you do not agree with these aspects of your religion, you have a responsibility to speak out against it.
Non-religious people, whether gay or straight, should read the book because it reveals the hardcore religious mindset... but more than that, religion is coming to a crossroads. People who fight for reason and equality are coming up against religious backlash more and more. This book arms them with information to properly stand against the Biblical mindset. Already I am hearing from gay youth who have used the book to start a conversation with religious parents with great success.
Every time I hear that the book is changing someone's views, or helping them to rid themselves of feelings of religious guilt, my heart soars.
As an academic, I read my fair share of boring, dry text books about the Bible. As the Kirkus Review for this book notes, the information itself is not new because academics have known it for a long time, but what I strove for and succeeded in doing was making it interesting and accessible for everybody. At every turn I tried to make this an easy read. I tried to instill not just dry facts, but spiritual insight into how the information matters for every individual in their lives right here, right now.
As several reviewers on Amazon have noted, the book is fast paced and held their interest to the point of sacrificing sleep to read on to the end. I am grateful that the reviews are showing that I accomplished what I set out to do.
I do not envision a world without religion...
What I envision is a world where religion does not hold the power to control the minds and souls of others. This can only happen when religion’s history and the truth of who shaped rules, beliefs, and ’sacred’ texts over thousands of years is made clear. The meaning of religion is to reconnect humanity to the divine, but the actual history of religion reveals the prejudices and will of imperfect men over great spans of history. Do we continue as human beings to let that dictate our minds, hearts, and souls in our modern world, or are we ready to look to our own Souls in order to find spiritual fulfillment and true peace? I envision a world where compassion, respect, equality, and love exist for all human beings regardless of gender, sexual orientation, race, and especially religious belief. Everybody assumes religious fanaticism is something that only exists right now in the Middle East, but the truth is that it is growing everywhere and the only way to fight it is with knowledge, education, and compassion.
Am I religious now? The short answer is no, and the long answer is 'read the book'.
I personally no longer hold to religion, but I am deeply spiritual.
I have a deeper connection with my Soul than I ever had before, and my relationship with what religion calls 'God' did not die, but underwent a revolution. Religion says it has the light, but as a woman I never realized that I had lost mine because of it. It was a great spiritual journey to find it again. Like far too many I lived in happy ignorance while so many suffered around me. All I can hope is that the book will help many, many individuals also find their Light.
- C.C. Campbell
A: 'The Stolen Light Of WoMen' came from a lifetime of being immersed in religion and seeing the fallout for women, gays, lesbians, and transgender individuals. I came from a deeply religious background that was steeped in old dogma and beliefs: 'A woman's highest calling was to get married and have children. Gay people were an abomination in the eyes of the Lord. God made man the head of the household and his wife. God consecrated sex to only be between a man and a woman in marriage.' and on and on.
Many, many times in my adult life my instinct for compassion was in direct contradiction to the Bible. I believed in women's rights and equality. I never felt God would condemn a gay person for loving another human being. I did not believe ONLY Christians went to heaven. Yet I was reminded again and again that this went against the 'inerrant Word of God'. For someone who was a full Believer, this presented a very real crisis of faith! I didn't dare question. To question these things felt like questioning God and I loved God too much to ever think of it...
Until I had a near death experience.
When I did, my experience had nothing to do with Christianity and it spurred this lifelong journey to understand the Bible and religion.
The book details all of this, but it holds all of the decades of information I had to learn in order to undo the indoctrination of my faith.
I learned why the Bible treats women as second rate, and I discovered how that mindset has been continued even to this day in society and a workforce that still pays women less than men for the same job!
I found out just why the Bible is used to condemn gays, and in researching discovered that every verse used is either mistranslated, misinterpreted, and even purposely turned into propaganda in a way it was never meant to!
Ultimately I had to take the blinders off. It was painful. I understand both sides. I know where the heartfelt Believer comes from, but I also know now how damaging all these dogmas and beliefs are to our modern society, especially to women, gays, transgenders, and even the men who dare to step out of the norm. That is why I wrote this book. I wanted to speak to those who are religious and those who are not be they agnostic or atheist. Religious people need to know these things so that they can make the decision once and for all about what they believe. If they insist on staying in their religion, understand where it came from, know what the Bible REALLY says, and ask yourself if you are following the heart of your faith or is it all the dictates of imperfect men with their own agendas? And if you do not agree with these aspects of your religion, you have a responsibility to speak out against it.
Non-religious people, whether gay or straight, should read the book because it reveals the hardcore religious mindset... but more than that, religion is coming to a crossroads. People who fight for reason and equality are coming up against religious backlash more and more. This book arms them with information to properly stand against the Biblical mindset. Already I am hearing from gay youth who have used the book to start a conversation with religious parents with great success.
Every time I hear that the book is changing someone's views, or helping them to rid themselves of feelings of religious guilt, my heart soars.
As an academic, I read my fair share of boring, dry text books about the Bible. As the Kirkus Review for this book notes, the information itself is not new because academics have known it for a long time, but what I strove for and succeeded in doing was making it interesting and accessible for everybody. At every turn I tried to make this an easy read. I tried to instill not just dry facts, but spiritual insight into how the information matters for every individual in their lives right here, right now.
As several reviewers on Amazon have noted, the book is fast paced and held their interest to the point of sacrificing sleep to read on to the end. I am grateful that the reviews are showing that I accomplished what I set out to do.
I do not envision a world without religion...
What I envision is a world where religion does not hold the power to control the minds and souls of others. This can only happen when religion’s history and the truth of who shaped rules, beliefs, and ’sacred’ texts over thousands of years is made clear. The meaning of religion is to reconnect humanity to the divine, but the actual history of religion reveals the prejudices and will of imperfect men over great spans of history. Do we continue as human beings to let that dictate our minds, hearts, and souls in our modern world, or are we ready to look to our own Souls in order to find spiritual fulfillment and true peace? I envision a world where compassion, respect, equality, and love exist for all human beings regardless of gender, sexual orientation, race, and especially religious belief. Everybody assumes religious fanaticism is something that only exists right now in the Middle East, but the truth is that it is growing everywhere and the only way to fight it is with knowledge, education, and compassion.
Am I religious now? The short answer is no, and the long answer is 'read the book'.
I personally no longer hold to religion, but I am deeply spiritual.
I have a deeper connection with my Soul than I ever had before, and my relationship with what religion calls 'God' did not die, but underwent a revolution. Religion says it has the light, but as a woman I never realized that I had lost mine because of it. It was a great spiritual journey to find it again. Like far too many I lived in happy ignorance while so many suffered around me. All I can hope is that the book will help many, many individuals also find their Light.
- C.C. Campbell
