Sunday 29 July 2012

"Christ did not say take and understand, He said take and eat."

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And for that folly of wanting to know to much and believe too little... the Church was split.

Peter Kreeft

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And that folly has been multiplied a thousandfold since.

We discern good from evil, now as ever, but let uncertainty about our understanding distract, disguise and paralyze us to the point that that which we do not understand fully and finally; we deny, displace and invert.

So we discern good from evil, yet we choose evil; and we do this again and again, yet only because we do not know-for-sure everything about the good; only because we cannot swiftly, briefly and completely answer every question that we can ask ourselves on the subject.

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And this is being 'rational'?

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3 comments:

FHL said...

Is there a typo in this post? In your third paragraph, did you mean "we do not know-for-sure" instead of "we do know-for-sure"?

Irregardless, I believe I understood your message, and I just wish to say bravo on this post! I'd been thinking this for quite some time. "Waiting for more data..." Ugh, is there no end to this?

An excuse fit for scientific and academic reports has been used to delay making the most consequential and personal choices of a man's life. And worse, people aren't even looking; they just wait for the "data" to come to them. And I'm sure half of them with fingers crossed hoping it never arrives- and even if does, of course it still doesn't answer EVERYTHING, so "phew! that's a relief!" No need to change anything! Just continue the course while "waiting for more data..."

FHL said...

My error, I mean "regardless," not "irregardless." Stupid word.

But also, I forget- I think it critical that people understand salvation is not merely having the right ideas, but entering into communion with God. I'm actually thinking that having the right ideas on many issues may not be all that important. Example: eating will nourish a person whether or not they understand the biological processes behind it. Likewise, a man who understand the biological processes but doesn't eat will starve. I find the religious issues to be of the same nature.

"What is it to me if someone does not understand this? Let him still rejoice and continue to ask, “What is this?” Let him also rejoice and prefer to seek thee, even if he fails to find an answer, rather than to seek an answer and
not find thee!"

St. Augustine, "Confessions"

Bruce Charlton said...

@FHL - Thanks, corrected...