Following on from:
http://charltonteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2016/07/avoiding-mass-media-is-not-enough-we.html
The problem as stated is that we live in a world dominated by an evil conspiracy aiming at the corruption (ultimately, self-damnation) of Mankind.
This is being implemented by multiple mechanisms in public discourse - in essence, on average - the net effect of public discourse is spiritually corrupting.
Given this minute-by-minute onslaught by so many routes and in so many ways - how can we react?
The first step is to develop the self - to establish a better metaphysical framework of assumptions, and develop the habit of working from the true self rather than from one of the multiple false selves we habitually identify-with.
Then we need to inculcate a habit of reflective self-monitoring - because this will tell us what we need to know about 'what is really going on' so that we can maintain our values and avoid-corruption and pursue virtue, truth and beauty.
In essence, the response of our true selves is the guide to what to do. We (simply) need to read-off from our own true-self responses, what we need to do.
The necessary process is therefore introspective and intuitive - it relies on the fact that we have a divine (hence valid) inner guidance system - the difficulty is therefore not one caused by the impossibly vast volume and complexity of corrupting stimuli - but the problem is the much simpler one of failing to read, feel and respond to this guidance system.
This divine inner guidance system is traditionally termed 'the heart' - and the matter of living in accordance with it is sometimes termed 'discernment of the heart'.
The discernment of the heart (if developed) is of immense power - and is always adequate to any situation over a reasonable timescale - however it may be overwhelmed and misled in the immediate short term, plus of course we often fail to live by it (being imperfect and partly-wicked people).
So behind the discernment of the heart we have a fail-safe back-up, which is called repentance. This means that when we err, we merely need to acknowledge what we ought to have done; and the spiritual system is re-set. Any corruption we have accumulated due to error, is instantaneously and permanently deleted by the act of repentance (and the consequent divine forgiveness - the work of Jesus Christ).
If these mechanisms can be located, developed, strengthened - then we are safe from corruption - no matter what is thrown at us by the global conspiracy of purposive evil.
The problem is made worse by the fact that the very language in which everything is framed nowadays has been corrupted by the powers Bruce mentions. Therefore, unless we are careful, we are thinking in the enemy’s terms and that means that even if we oppose the ideology we will always be on the back foot when trying to counter it. That is why the use of words like sin and repentance is so important. These have not yet been corrupted and robbed of meaning as love, unfortunately, has, having come to describe a sort of universal benevolence towards everything and everybody regardless of whether it conforms or not to divine truth.
ReplyDelete@William - " words like sin and repentance is so important. These have not yet been corrupted and robbed of meaning as love, unfortunately, has, having come to describe a sort of universal benevolence towards everything and everybody regardless of whether it conforms or not to divine truth."
ReplyDeleteThat is very true - but we cannot allow Christianity to become negatively focused on sin and repentance - which involves telling people only or mainly that they are sinners who need repentance - because this is not the Good News of the Gospel.
My answer to this is (like Mormons, and like William Arkle in Letter from a Father) to try and express God's love and plans in very concrete and human terms, because I feel that modern Man is trapped in abstractions and needs to be shocked out of this state by forthright anthropomorphism - by explaining reality in very human terms.
Oh I quite agree. Those were just meant as examples of uncorrupted words. I'm not saying we should abandon the use of the word 'love' or focus on fire and brimstone! The most important thing is always the joy of the Resurrection.
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