I've never participated or listened to a "conference chat" type of thing, GfS, but I'd certainly be interested.

I think what you say about original innocence is dead right. We all sprang from orginal innocence as far as I'm concerned, not original sin. I have never thought of myself as having any origin in "sin", but I do recognize having made numerous errors. Error is a step on the path of learning. In fact, without making errors learning is probably not even possible...each error made raises a flag in consciousness which points the way toward a correction of that error, and in the process of correction something valuable is learned and one improves oneself. Thus error is not to be feared or denied, but to be appreciated for the lesson it teaches.

The ego is so intent on observing and critizing others that it generally manages to almost totally avoid real self-observation and self-criticism. It manages, though, to erect a wall of pride...a defensive reaction, but it rarely succeeds in experiencing genuine love of either self or others.

The ego fears its own death if it should be honest and confront its own weaknesses and failings, but the love that sustains it through all that fear and sorrow cannot die. The ego itself WILL die when it truly surrenders to love...and that's what it fears. It will die and that which one truly is, which is way beyond the fragile ego, will step magnificently out of the shadow of fear and be seen to be the true self after all. And what is the true self? Love in all its forms!

The ego believes in separation and lives BY the belief in separation. Love believes in oneness and lives by no separation whatsoever. Love embraces everything. Light banishes darkness, and in the light the darkness is seen to have been...nothing at all, just an absence of light. We all want that love, because we know at heart that love is the one and only thing that can sustain us.