I have come to understand to a degree that scripture is like an onion with many layers of metaphors and meanings, all of which are true simultaneously.
Some things are quite literal though. I have suspected the consciousness aspect after I realized Michaelangelo's "The Creation of Adam" is God riding towards Adam in a human brain. ( I do not mean to imply "I" discovered this.. just pointing out how my thinking changed when I became aware of it) Regarding Manly Hall, he is intriguing and the "Occult Anatomy of Man" is a great read. Also, his magnum opus " The secret Teachings of all ages" is worth the time. Admittedly, I have to read it again, it is a lot to digest. With that being said, I do suspect that the emergence of consciousness is embedded as a metaphor in more mythologies and scripture than I am aware of. I appreciate the thought provoking writing , you are quite a talented mind and spirit. Happy Easter
Today I had the realization that a "friend" will most likely not be paying me back a large sum of money I lent him to help him out. This is after losing large sums (relative to my current state of poverty) to my own vices. It really hurt-I'm really hurt. I think about how you should give and give freely and if you cannot give freely, you probably shouldn't.
I believe Jesus preached the literal forgiveness of debts. I see that I'm deeply wounded by a life of unpaid debts owed to me. I'm never happy. Until the balance is even I'm still the loser in all exchanges.
The money is not the problem, it's that you feel taken advantage of, and it just hits that extra hard because money happen to be important to you (relative state of poverty). It's signifier/signified. Don't try to focus on literally forgiving the literal debt. You can still be a caesar who something belongs to.
I feel determinism makes me powerful; when I make a positive change in my life, the rolling ball was ordained. I didn't choose my parents, genes, formative contemporaries. But this positive divergence is still happening. Your parents, their parents, and their parents all the way down influenced each other: you. Their influences have coupled with other's ancestry to form you, and your future choices. And you do not grovel. You reject.
And do I disagree? You must love yourself more than your mother and father, to love your parents.
Jakuniku kyoshoku does not need to influence your sphere of influence. I think lowering your guard to others is a defence against danger. You make yourself vulnerable to shore up weaknesses. Safety in numbers. Safety in commonality.
And to that personal example, does your father think he is not carrying a cross? Right now, what cross could your father pick up?
"the apostles were the first truly sentient human beings"
incredibly based sentiment here - tho I'd wonder what about Plato and Aristotle?
some of this sounds incredibly fresh, some of it has shades of Girard in it. Have you read him?
you're exactly right about 'breaking the conditioning' - but I have a similar father with similar shortfalls - he trades up for new stepfamilies - and my little bit of exposure to Al-anon gave me an understanding that sometimes the most loving thing to do is let go and move on.
Forgiveness can be taken too far, and that seems to be the issue that has come to hand. Christianity is unique for the fact that secular western society can guilelessly criticize it without feeling the same restraint if they were talking about another faith (respecting others' beliefs, cultures etc). Whether it is due to the normalization in the secular west of the critique of Christianity, part of its death in the west is due to its forgiveness to the point of losing all tension and in that we see it evaporating, in the developing world we see its firmness but only in-spite of timid forgiveness. Thoughts?
God would rather redeem via the Cross. Than send us to hell. But the unrepentant will still be subject to Eye for and Eye punishment. Appropriate to their crimes.
Amazing piece. Thank you.
Yes
This is all anyone needs to know, and in my case keep being reminded about. Thank you.
Fascinating. Have you written a breakdown on the gospels being a metaphor for consciousness? Also, are you familiar with Manly Hall?
Im not familiar, and thats sort of what I was going for here. But no not in detail
I have come to understand to a degree that scripture is like an onion with many layers of metaphors and meanings, all of which are true simultaneously.
Some things are quite literal though. I have suspected the consciousness aspect after I realized Michaelangelo's "The Creation of Adam" is God riding towards Adam in a human brain. ( I do not mean to imply "I" discovered this.. just pointing out how my thinking changed when I became aware of it) Regarding Manly Hall, he is intriguing and the "Occult Anatomy of Man" is a great read. Also, his magnum opus " The secret Teachings of all ages" is worth the time. Admittedly, I have to read it again, it is a lot to digest. With that being said, I do suspect that the emergence of consciousness is embedded as a metaphor in more mythologies and scripture than I am aware of. I appreciate the thought provoking writing , you are quite a talented mind and spirit. Happy Easter
this is a very old idea - google Augustine 'four senses of scripture' - it's an idea that Dante picked up and used himself
I will look into that, thank you for the suggestion.
It's a week early for the Orthodox: nevertheless, Christos Anesti! for all the Protestants and Catholics.
My own brother drowned (not dead) at 14. I'm glad you're still here.
"The doctrine of Forgiveness breaks the chain of revenge"
This is so but putting it into practice isn't easy .
"He is lost in a totally deranged boomer fantasy world, because he couldn't face the guilt he felt about not being able to save me from dying, at 14"
Um, this reads like you're dead, how are you communicating to us now ? .
-Nate
Today I had the realization that a "friend" will most likely not be paying me back a large sum of money I lent him to help him out. This is after losing large sums (relative to my current state of poverty) to my own vices. It really hurt-I'm really hurt. I think about how you should give and give freely and if you cannot give freely, you probably shouldn't.
I believe Jesus preached the literal forgiveness of debts. I see that I'm deeply wounded by a life of unpaid debts owed to me. I'm never happy. Until the balance is even I'm still the loser in all exchanges.
The money is not the problem, it's that you feel taken advantage of, and it just hits that extra hard because money happen to be important to you (relative state of poverty). It's signifier/signified. Don't try to focus on literally forgiving the literal debt. You can still be a caesar who something belongs to.
Vivo Cristo Rey!
I feel determinism makes me powerful; when I make a positive change in my life, the rolling ball was ordained. I didn't choose my parents, genes, formative contemporaries. But this positive divergence is still happening. Your parents, their parents, and their parents all the way down influenced each other: you. Their influences have coupled with other's ancestry to form you, and your future choices. And you do not grovel. You reject.
And do I disagree? You must love yourself more than your mother and father, to love your parents.
Jakuniku kyoshoku does not need to influence your sphere of influence. I think lowering your guard to others is a defence against danger. You make yourself vulnerable to shore up weaknesses. Safety in numbers. Safety in commonality.
And to that personal example, does your father think he is not carrying a cross? Right now, what cross could your father pick up?
"the apostles were the first truly sentient human beings"
incredibly based sentiment here - tho I'd wonder what about Plato and Aristotle?
some of this sounds incredibly fresh, some of it has shades of Girard in it. Have you read him?
you're exactly right about 'breaking the conditioning' - but I have a similar father with similar shortfalls - he trades up for new stepfamilies - and my little bit of exposure to Al-anon gave me an understanding that sometimes the most loving thing to do is let go and move on.
Happy belated Easter Randy
Forgiveness can be taken too far, and that seems to be the issue that has come to hand. Christianity is unique for the fact that secular western society can guilelessly criticize it without feeling the same restraint if they were talking about another faith (respecting others' beliefs, cultures etc). Whether it is due to the normalization in the secular west of the critique of Christianity, part of its death in the west is due to its forgiveness to the point of losing all tension and in that we see it evaporating, in the developing world we see its firmness but only in-spite of timid forgiveness. Thoughts?
God and Christians only forgives the repentant.
God would rather redeem via the Cross. Than send us to hell. But the unrepentant will still be subject to Eye for and Eye punishment. Appropriate to their crimes.
Carl Jung said something like "what the greeks call 'fate', is really psychology"
breaking conditioning, changing fate, becoming more fit for the kingdom