The Trial Of The Man Who Said He Was God Read Online Free PDF
Author: Douglas Harding
ones I have chosen:
In appearance a man, in reality God.
Chuang-tzu
Jesus said: What I now seem to be, that am I not... And so speak I, separating off the manhood.
Acts of John
They saw the body, and supposed he was a man.
Rumi
Man is not, he becomes: he is neither limited being nor unlimited, but the passage of limited being into unlimited; a search for his own perfection, which lies beyond him and is not himself but God... The stirring of religion is the feeling that my only true self is God.
A. C Bradley
No matter how often he thinks of God or goes to church, or how much he believes in religious ideas, if he, the whole man, is deaf to the question of existence, if he does not have an answer to it, he is marking time, and he lives and dies like one of the million things he produces. He thinks of God, instead of experiencing being God.
Erich Fromm
God is alive and well - and living guess where.
Graffito in a lavatory
Prosecution Witness No. 3
THE SCHOOLGIRL
COUNSEL: Your Honour, in the public gallery there’s a class of schoolchildren aged between ten and twelve. They are here as part of their education in citizenship. I’m told by their teacher that any one of them whom the Accused may choose is willing to take the stand and give evidence. Provided, of course, Your Honour and the Accused agree.
The peculiar nature of the offence, and the informality of these proceedings, encourage me to make this proposal. The reason for making it is that the Accused, in books and lectures and now here in court, insists that the children are on his side, and that if only we become like them we shall see eye to eye with him. Well, the Prosecution wishes to co-operate with the Defence to arrive at the truth. Let it not be said that the Crown is unfair. Have I Your Honour’s permission to take the evidence of one of these children?
JUDGE: You do. Provided the Accused is willing —
MYSELF: I am, Your Honour.
JUDGE: — and provided the child hasn’t been biased by parents or teachers against the Accused. Or, too strongly, for him.
COUNSEL: I’m assured that what little prejudice there may be is in favour of the Accused.
JUDGE addressing me: So you agree that the Prosecution goes ahead?
MYSELF: Certainly, Your Honour. As for which child testifies, let’s say the youngest...
The teacher brings one of the children down from the gallery, and takes her to a chair placed in front of the witness-box.
COUNSEL, to Witness: Will you please tell us your name and how old you are.
WITNESS: I’m Mary. I’m ten.
COUNSEL: Mary, what do you know about Mr John a-Nokes there in the dock?
WITNESS: Our teacher told us he asks funny questions about himself. Like, is he really Mr Nokes?
COUNSEL: What do you say about that, Mary?
WITNESS: I think he’s being silly. All he’s got to do is look in the mirror.
COUNSEL: Will you please repeat that a little louder for the benefit of the Jury?
WITNESS: I feel sorry for him. All he’s got to do is look in the mirror.
COUNSEL: Thank you, Mary. Now, Mr Nokes will ask you some questions.
MYSELF: Mary, do you have any brothers and sisters?
WITNESS: I’ve got a brother. His name is Dick. He’s eighteen months old.
MYSELF: How does he react to what he sees in the mirror?
WITNESS: When he was very little he didn’t take any notice. Now he’s started making noises at the baby behind the glass and playing with him. Of course he’s too young to realise it’s himself. He’s like a robin I saw who started pecking at his own reflection in a window-pane.
MYSELF: Mary, I know a little girl called Madge. She made up her face with her mother’s lipstick - applying it to the bathroom mirror.
WITNESS: That’s silly! She’ll soon grow up.
MYSELF: That’s all, Mary. Thank you for being so helpful and answering our questions. Please go back to your class now.
COUNSEL, to Jury: In the course of his Defence against the previous Witness - the Humanist, you’ll remember - the Accused said two
In appearance a man, in reality God.
Chuang-tzu
Jesus said: What I now seem to be, that am I not... And so speak I, separating off the manhood.
Acts of John
They saw the body, and supposed he was a man.
Rumi
Man is not, he becomes: he is neither limited being nor unlimited, but the passage of limited being into unlimited; a search for his own perfection, which lies beyond him and is not himself but God... The stirring of religion is the feeling that my only true self is God.
A. C Bradley
No matter how often he thinks of God or goes to church, or how much he believes in religious ideas, if he, the whole man, is deaf to the question of existence, if he does not have an answer to it, he is marking time, and he lives and dies like one of the million things he produces. He thinks of God, instead of experiencing being God.
Erich Fromm
God is alive and well - and living guess where.
Graffito in a lavatory
Prosecution Witness No. 3
THE SCHOOLGIRL
COUNSEL: Your Honour, in the public gallery there’s a class of schoolchildren aged between ten and twelve. They are here as part of their education in citizenship. I’m told by their teacher that any one of them whom the Accused may choose is willing to take the stand and give evidence. Provided, of course, Your Honour and the Accused agree.
The peculiar nature of the offence, and the informality of these proceedings, encourage me to make this proposal. The reason for making it is that the Accused, in books and lectures and now here in court, insists that the children are on his side, and that if only we become like them we shall see eye to eye with him. Well, the Prosecution wishes to co-operate with the Defence to arrive at the truth. Let it not be said that the Crown is unfair. Have I Your Honour’s permission to take the evidence of one of these children?
JUDGE: You do. Provided the Accused is willing —
MYSELF: I am, Your Honour.
JUDGE: — and provided the child hasn’t been biased by parents or teachers against the Accused. Or, too strongly, for him.
COUNSEL: I’m assured that what little prejudice there may be is in favour of the Accused.
JUDGE addressing me: So you agree that the Prosecution goes ahead?
MYSELF: Certainly, Your Honour. As for which child testifies, let’s say the youngest...
The teacher brings one of the children down from the gallery, and takes her to a chair placed in front of the witness-box.
COUNSEL, to Witness: Will you please tell us your name and how old you are.
WITNESS: I’m Mary. I’m ten.
COUNSEL: Mary, what do you know about Mr John a-Nokes there in the dock?
WITNESS: Our teacher told us he asks funny questions about himself. Like, is he really Mr Nokes?
COUNSEL: What do you say about that, Mary?
WITNESS: I think he’s being silly. All he’s got to do is look in the mirror.
COUNSEL: Will you please repeat that a little louder for the benefit of the Jury?
WITNESS: I feel sorry for him. All he’s got to do is look in the mirror.
COUNSEL: Thank you, Mary. Now, Mr Nokes will ask you some questions.
MYSELF: Mary, do you have any brothers and sisters?
WITNESS: I’ve got a brother. His name is Dick. He’s eighteen months old.
MYSELF: How does he react to what he sees in the mirror?
WITNESS: When he was very little he didn’t take any notice. Now he’s started making noises at the baby behind the glass and playing with him. Of course he’s too young to realise it’s himself. He’s like a robin I saw who started pecking at his own reflection in a window-pane.
MYSELF: Mary, I know a little girl called Madge. She made up her face with her mother’s lipstick - applying it to the bathroom mirror.
WITNESS: That’s silly! She’ll soon grow up.
MYSELF: That’s all, Mary. Thank you for being so helpful and answering our questions. Please go back to your class now.
COUNSEL, to Jury: In the course of his Defence against the previous Witness - the Humanist, you’ll remember - the Accused said two
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