Aaron Swartz was a major figure in the Open Access movement, believing in Human Rights and the inherent dignity of human beings.

Links to Aaron Swartz's Works:

• The Guerilla Open Access Manifesto

When an assortment of corporate and government interests created legislation to limit the rights of netizens ostensibly to "protect copyright infringment" Aaron valiantly led the fight to preserve digital rights for all people. In words that echoed Joseph Campell, Aaron said: "We won this fight because everyone made themselves the hero of their own story. Everyone took it as their job to save this crucial freedom." This attempt to limit our right to information under the guise of preventiing copyright infringment is not the first, it will most likely not be the last.

It is up to us to not only remember Aaron but continue his ideals and bring the world's important scientific and philosophical information to everyone's fingertips. New Thought Library is not as large as archive.org or gutenberg.org, and we have a focus whereas those are major archives of everything. As we move forward, we are implementing a set of principles based upon Aaron Swartz's manifesto.

Since the inception of New Thought Library, we have learned that there are around a billion people in the world who believe in the root principles of New Thought:  In 1914, Abel Allen illuminated the truth of New Thought in the Message of New Thought: "In considering this subject, the word "New" should be duly and freely emphasized, because the expression "New Thought" relates only to what is new and progressive."

In my journey through New Thought Today, I have learned that New Thought is filled with wonderful adherents who believe in Human Rights and the dignity of humanity. Sometimes lost souls wander into New Thought simply due to prosperity writings or because they are seeking refuge from religious abuse. Those who refresh themselves from the well of truth awaken to the higher wisdom embodied within New Thought Today which is embodied within the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and compassionate action.

I had a New Thought grandmother and aunts who taught the principles of New Thought through Ancient Wisdom teachings, but I was influenced for most of my life by New Thought conservatives who would respond to my questions about obvious problems in the world with: "it's all good" and "everything is spiritual." It eventually became apparent that these were false tautologies. If everything is spiritual, then why do we have spiritual teachings and spiritual teachers. If everything is good, then there is no difference between what is good versus what is bad. After a series of terrible things happened in my life, beginning with an auto-accident at the turn of the century, followed by being assaulted, persecuted, deceived and more.

I began to apply critical thinking in my examination of New Thought. I did not immediately benefit from what I had learned from Doc Spot until he died in 2012. Doc died almost exactly one year after an auto-accident in which I was a passenger. We would have been killed if he had not taken swift and precise action. We were t-boned by a large Mercedes.

I had to deal with a lot because of that accident. There is a great deal of physical pain. I have a hard time walking, yet I can still do so. If I am careful I think I can walk without drawing attention to myself. Subsequent events have exasperated things.

I have learned that real spiritual leaders are always here for their congregants and colleagues, the false ones are only there for themselves. I have awakened to the truth that the original New Thought teachings espoused by Abel Allen and others who understand the importance of progressive change for the positive good of all humanity which includes Human Rights and compassionate action are the essential teachings in New Thought.

In the late 20th Century, when first created the first digital Universal New Thought Directory, there were over 2600 New Thought Communities throughout the world. When Matt Boggs called me for his mother Mary Manin Morrisey, asking about the total number of New Thought Communites in the world, that was the number at that time. Today there are less than half that amount. From 2011 to 2015, there was a shrinkage of 21%. People often ask why? Why do people not wish to attend New Thought centers?

This shrinkage is not a shrinkage of New Thought overall. This shrinkage simply reflects a dissatisfaction in what New Thought leaders are sharing and teaching at their centers. It also reflects a strong tribalist tendency in New Thought in which leaders within the various "transdenominations" support their own "parent" organizations while neglecting to support Universal Resources which feed their centers with new seekers.

Through years of serving all new thought communities with the Universal New Thought directory, the answer is clear. When the directory was free, there was no support from any New Thought Community. While hundreds of New Thought Centers took advantage of the free hosting and free websites, only a few of those tithed to support these resources. We have recently moved to a sponsorship model. Few regular sponsors are interested in updating the information within the listings they sponsor. Only a handful of New Thought centers are self sponsored. Most spiritual leaders delegate responsibility to others. Webmasters are primarily interested in earning a living and are therefore not motivated to support the propagation of New Thought. We have given away close to 100 computers and only one of the recipients contributed a dollar per day to support our work.

Decreasing attendance at New Thought Centers cannot be attributed to a "church like atmosphere". Declining attendance at New Thought Centers is not due to the fact that New Thought views Christ as a "wayshower" and not a "savior." Attendance at New Thought Centers will not be bolstered with Crystal beds. Reunification and amalgamation may reduce the costs of manning the offices of parent organizations, but it does so at the expense of growth through diversification of thought.

While New Thought is gaining more adherents, attendance at New Thought Centers is declining because of a number of reasons that are willfully ignored:

• Attendance at New Thought Centers is suffering from an inablity on the part of some leaders to discern between magical thinking and positive thinking.
• Attendance at New Thought Churches may also be shrinking due to tribalism.
• New Thought Communties are experiencing declining attendance because groups in the same city seldom, if ever work together, despite encouragement.
• The biggest reason for declining attendance at New Thought Communities is a consistent deviation from the core truth of New Thought as a powerful progressive teaching which requires the transformation of oneself not with the goal of selfish gain but for highest good.

There are people within New Thought who feel that the New Thought movement be solely centered upon selfish objectives. These people push a program that pays lip service to compassionate action and shared progress but do not truly believe in shared progress to prosperity. For years I believed what those conservatives espoused despite the difficulties I was encountering. Today, I am awake and realize that New Thought will grow and thrive as we teach its core teachings with are progressive and powerful.

Being progressive is a way of thinking. It is not shared by all people in the world. Some cultures ban progressive thinking outright and constrain human creativity through legal codes based on decadent interpretations of religious texts. Others cultures constrain human creativity through manipulation of copyright laws to inhibit access to texts which are in the public domain. This was what Aaron was drawing attention to when powerful corporate interests prompted his persecution which led to his death. There are some today who feel that he was in fact murdered. I don't know. I know that I miss him. His absence is felt. I will endeavor to do my best to continue his legacy and to stay positive as I proceed forth.

When Aaron died 3 months after Doc Spot, I felt a profound sense of loss. and had to think carefully about what I could do. Because of my situation, the best I can do is to follow their profound guidance, publish the dialogues Doc Spot and I had, and to provide a vehicle for all who wish to participate to support the digital empowerment of all beings and thereby the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

One can read more about Aaron at:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aaron_Swartz

https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Aaron_Swartz

http://www.aaronsw.com/