Miracle Voices: Judith Skutch Whitson

In this episode Robert and Emily interview Tam Morgan, president of the Foundation for Inner Peace. Tam is the daughter of co-scribe Judith Skutch Whitson and a key player in the movement that brought ACIM to a wide audience.

Judith worked with Helen Schucman and William Thetford scribing the three-volume set of A Course in Miracles. In April of 2004, a Federal court set aside the 1975 copyright and ACIM entered public domain.
About Judith Skutch

In this episode of Miracle Voices Robert and Emily interview Tam Morgan, the daughter of FIP cofounder and scribe-authorized publisher Judith Skutch Whitson. She shares how her psychic gifts inspired her mother’s interest in A Course in Miracles and how that led to meeting Bill Thetford, Helen Schucman, Ken Wapnick, and the rest of the team that published the first edition of ACIM in 1975.

When Judith met Helen, Bill, and Kenneth in 1972 at a luncheon in New York City she did not realize how profoundly their lives were about to change. At the time she had a small foundation that she operated in conjunction with her husband, Bob. They were dedicated to bringing the principles of forgiveness into the world.

That day she brought along a friend to introduce them to her work. She was hoping to garner their interest in her project on holistic healing, and to make some connections within the medical community. It was at that point that she told them about A Course in Miracles, and that they should take a look at it.

After that initial introduction the three transcriber-editors became lifelong friends. They helped bring the Course from a rough manuscript to its final form, and worked to spread its teachings. The Course was published without a single author being credited, and despite some resistance from members of the scientific community it spread widely.

The course is divided into two volumes, the Text and the Workbook. It is a self-study curriculum that teaches the principle that cause a course in miracles
for all of our problems lies not in the outside world, but in our own mind and the choice we make to believe in illusion or reality.

When Helen turned her copyright interest in the Course over to the Foundation for Inner Peace in 1975, she also explicitly instructed that it be copyrighted. Judy was asked why such a spiritual document needed to be copyrighted, and she responded that it is because He says so. She believed that Jesus was the source of the words in the Course, and he clearly indicated their meaning to her.
Judith’s Life Story

Judith is one of the most courageous and remarkable women in the Bible. Despite being a widow, she is self-reliant and takes action to save her people. Her story is a lesson in the power of a single person to make a difference. She is a true role model for all women. She is an inspiration to us all for her strength and devotion to God.

Judith, an aristocratic woman from the besieged Jewish city of Bethulia, beheads Holofernes, the general of the Assyrian army. A pious young widow, she is moved by the plight of her people and filled with trust in God. She leaves her family and, using her beauty, enters the enemy camp under the pretense of delivering information to aid in their defense. While there, she enchants the general with her beauty, and while he is sleeping, she cuts off his head with her sword. Afterward, she returns to her people and is publicly celebrated as their savior.

She later retires to live a life of pious and acetic devotion, and she fills her life with gifts for others. She is a strong and powerful woman, but she also has a sensitive side. She is a loving and generous woman, who does not suffer in silence. She is an example of a wise woman who uses her powers to the best of her ability, and she has the courage to stand up for what she believes is right.

The Book of Judith—considered canonical by Roman Catholics, considered Apocrypha literature by Protestants and disavowed by Jews centuries ago—is full of moral teaching. It condemns aggression, praises patriotism and piety of freedom fighters, and shows the responsibility of kings and generals for their war campaigns. Its narrative and personal examples teach respect for individual rights, self-respect and loyalty to God.

In addition to her many books, Judith wrote several children’s stories. Among them is the popular ‘The Tiger Who Came to Tea.’ The book was published in 1968, and is still loved by children today. In recent years, Judith has recorded podcasts for the Foundation for Inner Peace. Her passion for the Course in Miracles is evident in her talks.
Judith’s Teachings

Judith’s teachings are about recognizing our true nature as the loving and creative Presence of God. She has developed and taught a number of workshops, classes, and retreats over the years. She has also written two supplemental ACIM pamphlets and a collection of poetry, The Gifts of God. She was a longtime member of the Foundation for Inner Peace board and also served as its chairperson.

When she was first introduced to the Course in 1975, Judy was a young woman turning her New York apartment into a consciousness salon. She had no idea what the Course was and when she heard an inner voice say “This is a course in miracles” she cried out in desperation, “Won’t someone up there please help me?”

Within days, she was introduced to Helen Schucman and Bill Thetford who were scribes for the Course. The scribes had been transcribing and editing the text for over seven years. They were working on the final printing which was published as a three volume set of books in 1975. The publishers were the Foundation for Inner Peace and they did not claim authorship because they believed the text was channeled directly to Helen from the Creator.

The copyright that Wapnick eventually acquired in 1999 was based on the 1975 Criswell edition. But it is now known that there were many copies of the manuscript that were circulated before that publication. Omaha attorney Tom Whitmore was a key energy in bringing about the Federal court ruling in April of 2004 that set aside the copyright and placed A Course in Miracles into public domain.

Judith has been an ACIM teacher for over 36 years and continues to teach worldwide through her online live classes, retreats, and seminars. Her work is to encourage others to recognize the loving presence of God and to allow that to be their guide in life. She is passionate about forgiveness and healing and brings a wonderful energy to the classroom and to the field of ACIM. She is an inspiration to all who are touched by her wisdom and kindness.
Judith’s Writings

Judith was a prolific writer and her works were widely available. She wrote two novels, memoirs, poetry, and nonfiction. She also published two books of spiritual teachings, including A Course in Miracles, and was an accomplished workshop leader. Her writing appeared in several publications, including Lilith magazine and the Martha’s Vineyard Times for whom she penned a twice-monthly column.

During her lifetime, Judith was committed to bringing A Course in Miracles to as many people as possible. As the co-founder and president of the Foundation for Inner Peace, the scribe-authorized publisher of A Course in Miracles, Judy did everything she could to make that happen. She worked tirelessly and was always happy to be doing so.

One of her most beloved projects was to record podcasts that covered A Course in Miracles teachings. In these, Judith’s absolute seriousness about the Course and her dedication to practicing its forgiveness principles were evident. Her deep wisdom and humor were also present in every podcast.

A devoted student of A Course in Miracles, Judy took this work very seriously and wanted to be sure that all who read it had the best possible experience with it. This dedicated approach to her life’s work was reflected in all aspects of it, from her teachings to the organization she ran to her daily interactions with others.

The Book of Judith is written in the guise of an ancient historical story and discusses a modern situation in an ancient historical setting. It is one of the Apocrypha / Deuterocanonical scriptures and appears in the Old Testament section of Catholic Bibles. It was well-received in Jewish and Christian times, although the Nation of Israel never considered it part of their Hebrew Scripture.

Judith is a widow living in the town of Bethulia. She becomes incensed with her town leaders when they test God rather than trust Him. They decide to surrender to King Nebuchadnezzar’s top general, Holofernes, if He does not save them within five days. Judith then goes to confront him alone. She prostrates herself before him and begs God to see their pride, to send Him vengeance on them, to deliver them from their enemies, and to crush their arrogance with the strength of a woman (Judith 9:10-12). The Book of Judith was deemed sacred by the Council of Trent in 1546 and thus became a part of the Catholic biblical canon.