A second reason A Course In Miracles is hard to read is because of the Judeo-Christian terminology.  Religious words like “son of God” and “salvation” can be a real stumbling block for people like me who do not engage in practicing institutionalized religion. Hearing outdated and gender-specific language has on several occasions caused so much irritation in me that I wanted to throw the book across the room. If we can refrain from tearing up the book and push through, however, we actually become part of a movement that seeks to restore religious words to their original spiritual purposes.
The archaic religious language is actually a subtle history lesson in the evolution of human thinking which were in the process of evolving and expanding.  Exact translations of ancient texts often read as offensive because the modern reader has moved beyond that old world view.  While old translations excluded the feminine principle, these translations hope to bridge the distance and focus mainly on the intent of the outdated metaphors.  The history of the religious phrases and the actual dictionary definitions are fascinating to discover. Looking up definitions can really help reading A Course In Miracles.  In an effort to make the daily teachings easier to understand, I set out here to clarify what is meant by each religious term used. Clarifying exactly what is meant by the words “God,” “forgiveness”, “salvation,” and many other stumbling block phrases, I will bring the teaching into a more effective, non-religious reading experience.