paiktis22
14-08-2006, 00:20:34
I am your average person that thinks that everything is here by chance including the existence of satient life. That everything is an ununifrom chaos and humans simply try to create some order out of that unlimiteless chaos. Simple and logical assertion.
I never believed there's a benevolent God above that loves and cares for us and that has a plan or whatever.
It is very hard to believe that because you have no constants. No absolutes. And if everything is by chance and chaotic nothing has meaning. Of course I follow the socratic approach that says that whatever, men must apply to reach the agathon, to excel in personal and communotary level.
Anyway I had a discussion with an old friend recently. He has studied a lot of different topics but recently he enrolled in a class of theology provided by the orthodox church. He's not dogmatic and absolutist. He knows a great deal about psychology too but he got involved in theology as well recently.
Anyway most of what he said I already knew. Namely that one of the best victories for anti-christ is to make you believe there is no embodiment of evil as a separate entity. That there are "evil" actions but there is no evil as a separate entity.
We talked a lot and dwelled deep in contemporate orthodox christian teachings which I always found to be alluring due to their proximity to eastern believes such as buddhism. Apparently our holy fathers maintain that the East got influenced by us and not vice versa. In any case it remains a very alluring approach to life.
The theme goes inevitably back to our ancient thinkers who our religious fathers characherise as "pro-spermatic" (take it easy on the puns). Meaning that they have grasped a glimpse of the Theanthrope (or God-Man=Jesus) before his coming. A glimpse of the Truth. That way there can be reconciliation even between Socrates and Aristotle and Christianity. I've noticed a great deal of corelation between the ancient ideal of the Agathon and the Christian notion of the sanctification of man.
Anyway we were talking in a very non dogmatic way and it really warmed my soul to believe for a second that there is a belevolent God up there who cares. And that there's a purpose and a plan for us.
My friend's pneumatic (sort of spiritual guide) told him that the purpose of why we are on earth is to become "Saints".
I'm far from that so let's keep going.
Another thing he told him and he told me is that there is a perpetual battle between Good and Evil. And that Satan, if we accept the existance of Evil as a separate, autonomous entity, is trying to corrupt your soul. To those who are attracted to material possecions he simply drives them more towards it. To those who are inteligent he inflicts depression and apathy in order to distance them from the wordly. Somehow those words he said sounded very true. I might be working myself up but that made some godamn instant sense.
I'm not saying I've suddendly become a practising christian but the whole notion made perfect sense at the time and for a second there I felt pure balsam covering my aching soul.
I never believed there's a benevolent God above that loves and cares for us and that has a plan or whatever.
It is very hard to believe that because you have no constants. No absolutes. And if everything is by chance and chaotic nothing has meaning. Of course I follow the socratic approach that says that whatever, men must apply to reach the agathon, to excel in personal and communotary level.
Anyway I had a discussion with an old friend recently. He has studied a lot of different topics but recently he enrolled in a class of theology provided by the orthodox church. He's not dogmatic and absolutist. He knows a great deal about psychology too but he got involved in theology as well recently.
Anyway most of what he said I already knew. Namely that one of the best victories for anti-christ is to make you believe there is no embodiment of evil as a separate entity. That there are "evil" actions but there is no evil as a separate entity.
We talked a lot and dwelled deep in contemporate orthodox christian teachings which I always found to be alluring due to their proximity to eastern believes such as buddhism. Apparently our holy fathers maintain that the East got influenced by us and not vice versa. In any case it remains a very alluring approach to life.
The theme goes inevitably back to our ancient thinkers who our religious fathers characherise as "pro-spermatic" (take it easy on the puns). Meaning that they have grasped a glimpse of the Theanthrope (or God-Man=Jesus) before his coming. A glimpse of the Truth. That way there can be reconciliation even between Socrates and Aristotle and Christianity. I've noticed a great deal of corelation between the ancient ideal of the Agathon and the Christian notion of the sanctification of man.
Anyway we were talking in a very non dogmatic way and it really warmed my soul to believe for a second that there is a belevolent God up there who cares. And that there's a purpose and a plan for us.
My friend's pneumatic (sort of spiritual guide) told him that the purpose of why we are on earth is to become "Saints".
I'm far from that so let's keep going.
Another thing he told him and he told me is that there is a perpetual battle between Good and Evil. And that Satan, if we accept the existance of Evil as a separate, autonomous entity, is trying to corrupt your soul. To those who are attracted to material possecions he simply drives them more towards it. To those who are inteligent he inflicts depression and apathy in order to distance them from the wordly. Somehow those words he said sounded very true. I might be working myself up but that made some godamn instant sense.
I'm not saying I've suddendly become a practising christian but the whole notion made perfect sense at the time and for a second there I felt pure balsam covering my aching soul.