In an article included in On the Bible, Martin Buber states that a knowledge of the language and culture of ancient Hebrews tells us that the meaning of the “good and evil” related to the tree of knowledge in Eden is “adequate awareness of the opposites latent in creation.” Apparently, the phrase “good and evil” … [Read more…]
When we suspect or fear that a miracle of any sort has occurred, we fool ourselves and fail to see that the miracle is nothing but an event tied closely to the always Present Whom we fail to see or to acknowledge in a proper way. “Is nothing but…” is a funny phrase to use … [Read more…]
All reason is from God and of God. There is no immaterial reasoning agency part of or attached to the human creature. There is no mind or soul as many imagine, nor can we directly access even the manifested truths underlying Creation, let alone any transcendental truths which exist beyond this particular Creation. All reason … [Read more…]
The issue of mythology arises in this article about the responses of Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI), and some related thinkers, to neopaganism in modern times. The article tells us: In [the] judgment [of a philosopher supporting polytheism], man always needs myths, and the important thing is that these myths be numerous and open to … [Read more…]
Relationships of a more abstract sort, such as those in politics and economics, are not so much different from concrete relationships as we might think. Not so much different as we’ve led ourselves to believe. Those concrete entities which are more complex, such as a man or a rhinoceros, are made of substances which have … [Read more…]
From a letter in the Library of America collection of Flannery O’Connor’s works (page 953): To see Christ as God and man is probably no more difficult today than it has always been, even if today there seem to be more reasons to doubt. For you it may be a matter of not being able … [Read more…]
In a recent article, Freedom and Structure in Human Life — When Do We Become Persons?, I quoted a summary of a view of man developed by the theologian Metropolitan John Zizioulas of the Greek Orthodox Church. I see much good in that view as stated in the summary and didn’t go into a detailed … [Read more…]
In a recent newsletter, (Letter #50, 2010/09/24, see Inside the Vatican magazine), Dr. Robert Moynihan, a journalist covering the ‘Vatican beat’, discusses a recent meeting in Vienna of high-level church officials from the Catholic and Orthodox churches. At least some of those officials are also theologians. It would seem good that there are serious movements … [Read more…]
I haven’t read Stephen Hawking’s most recent book where he’s said to argue that a Creator-God is unnecessary nor have I read more than summaries of the efforts of certain Christian theologians to shoot down those arguments. I’ve read that Hawking argues gravity fills the need for such a God, but that’s irrelevant to the … [Read more…]
I’ll be writing articles on some aspects of politics and the history of government which interest me and doing so in terms of my concepts of created being. I’ll concentrate on American politics and will cover some interesting phenomena often seen as indicative of conspiracies. These articles will reflect both some of my reading of … [Read more…]