The darkest of your hidden cornerstones holds your belief in guilt from
your awareness. For in that dark and secret place is the realization
that you have betrayed God’s Son by condemning him to death. You do not
even suspect this murderous but insane idea lies hidden there, for the
ego’s destructive urge is so intense that nothing
short of the crucifixion of God’s Son can ultimately satisfy it. It does
not know who the Son of God is, because it is blind. Yet let it perceive
guiltlessness anywhere, and it will try to destroy it, because it is
afraid.

Much of the ego’s strange behavior is directly attributable to its
definition of guilt. To the ego, THE GUILTLESS ARE GUILTY. Those who do
not attack are its “enemies”, because, by not valuing its interpretation
of salvation, they are in an excellent position TO LET IT GO. They have
approached the darkest and deepest cornerstone in the ego’s foundation,
and while the ego can withstand your raising all else to question, it
guards this one secret with its life, for its existence DOES depend on
keeping this secret. So it is this secret that we must look upon calmly,
for the ego cannot protect you against truth, and in ITS presence the
ego is dispelled.

In the calm light of truth, let us recognize that you believe you HAVE
crucified God’s Son. You have not admitted to this “terrible” secret
because you STILL wish to crucify him if you could FIND him. Yet the wish
has hidden him from you because it is very fearful, and you are AFRAID
to find him. You have handled this wish to kill YOURSELF by NOT KNOWING
who you are, and identifying with something ELSE. You have projected
guilt blindly and indiscriminately, but you have NOT uncovered its
source. For the ego DOES want to kill you, and if you identify WITH it
you must believe ITS goal is YOURS.

We once said that the crucifixion is the symbol of the ego. When it was
confronted with the REAL guiltlessness of God’s Son it DID attempt to
kill him, and the reason it gave was that guiltlessness is blasphemous
to God. To the ego THE EGO is god, and guiltlessness MUST be interpreted
as the final guilt which fully justifies murder. You do not yet
understand that all your fear of this course stems ultimately from this
interpretation, but if you will consider your reactions to it, you will
become increasingly convinced that this is so.

This course has explicitly stated that its goal for you is happiness and
peace. Yet you are AFRAID of it. You have been told again and again that
it will make you free, yet you react as if it is trying to imprison you.
Most of the time you dismiss it, but you do NOT dismiss the EGO’S
thought system. You have SEEN its results and you
STILL lack faith in it. You MUST, then, believe that by NOT learning the
course you are PROTECTING yourself. And you do not realize that it is
only your guiltlessness which CAN protect you.

The Atonement has always been interpreted as the release from guilt, and
this is correct if it is understood. Yet even when I have interpreted it
FOR you you have rejected it and have NOT accepted it for yourself. You
have recognized the futility of the ego and its offerings, but though
you do not want the ego you do not look upon the alternative with
gladness. You are AFRAID of redemption, and you believe it will kill
you. Make no mistake about the depth of your fear. For you believe that,
in the presence of truth, you will turn on yourself and destroy
yourself.

Little children, this is not so. Your “guilty secret” is nothing, and if
you will but bring it to the light the Light will dispel it. And then no
dark cloud will remain between you and the remembrance of your Father,
for you will remember His guiltless Son, who did not die because he is
immortal. And you will see that you were redeemed WITH him, and have
never been separated FROM him. In this understanding lies your
remembering, for it is the recognition of love WITHOUT fear. There will
be great joy in Heaven on your home-coming, and the joy will be YOURS.
For the redeemed son of man IS the guiltless Son of God, and to
recognize him IS your redemption.