THE GOD WITHIN

THE GOD WITHIN How to Achieve the Maximum

of Health and Happiness

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· by Cristina Midence

Valentine. Exposition Press, New York, 1957. 222 pp. $3.50

For some months now I personally have been concerned, in my work with the Daughters of Bilitis and THE LADDER, with the apparent conflict and consequent suffering among homosexuals who have been unable to reconcile their way of life with their religious teachings. For my own part I have through the years been evolving a philosophy of life which works for me when I work at it. I am aware that I have only begun to scratch the surface in this search for universal truth, but to the degree that I have been able to find peace of mind I have wanted to reach out to those in our group who were, to me, bogged down with dogmatic and rigid concepts wholly incongrous and at odds with their basic personality.

I had wanted at least to impart the rewards of love, understanding, constructive thinking and actions as against the punishment of hate, resentment, negative thoughts and acts. I had wanted to convey the fact that we as individuals are exactly what we make of ourselves: if we are rejected, it is because we have accepted the rejection; if we are miserable, it is because we have allowed ourselves to wallow in self-pity; and if we are happy and prosperous, it is because we have risen above our handicaps and with self-discipline have sought a constructive outlet for our energie s.

As I was reaching out for help in presenting this problem adequately, the answer came. We received in the of fice a reviewing copy of Cristina Valentine's book, "The God Within". I was struck by the fact that I had met the author some months before and yet had no idea that she was working in this field. But more than that I was elated to find that she has put into words for the lay

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