tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513199068907090344.post5546341462741352178..comments2024-03-26T16:24:34.218+00:00Comments on Meeting The Masters: God is Not NiceWilliam Wildbloodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13231219533755925897noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513199068907090344.post-46475103667047087122019-12-29T14:12:02.096+00:002019-12-29T14:12:02.096+00:00Thanks so much for this one!!Thanks so much for this one!!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08953795973295671983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513199068907090344.post-43886952223035208602019-12-22T10:53:42.710+00:002019-12-22T10:53:42.710+00:00RV, I would say this boils down to the ambiguity o...RV, I would say this boils down to the ambiguity of the word or the fact that there are different nuances of meaning in it. When human beings encounter angels in the Bible the angel will often say words along the lines of "Fear not" implying God does not want us to fearful of him. But fear does not necessarily mean to be frightened or scared as you would be of a tiger in your garden. It means to have a due sense of awe and wonder. With regard to God it means comprehending his holiness and magnitude and the corresponding littleness of your own self. It means to be fully open to the transcendent wonder of the Lord and the insignificance of your own little ego. God does not want us to be frightened of him but we can only begin to approach him as he is when we acknowledge something of the earth-shattering greatness of him. <br /><br />In the past the High Altar in great cathedrals was removed from the congregation, placed beyond this world as it were, at the far eastern end of the church in the sanctuary, sometimes even behind a screen. This marked its great holiness. But then in more recent times it has often been brought down and placed in the vicinity of the people so they no longer are required to transcend themselves in order to approach it. It was now on their level. This was making it nice and removing it from holy fear meaning great reverence.<br /><br />Fear in the spiritual sense makes us humble and it also turns love from a purely human emotion of the sort directed towards your neighbour into something much more that has an element of great mystery and fiery glory.<br /><br />Precisely Moonsphere!William Wildbloodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13231219533755925897noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513199068907090344.post-91757010028138821422019-12-22T07:47:17.728+00:002019-12-22T07:47:17.728+00:00Niceness is the vehicle by which the demonic force...Niceness is the vehicle by which the demonic forces have supplanted all that was good and righteous within our culture.<br /><br />The Archbishop of Canterbury is nice.<br />The Pope is nice.<br />Our politicians are nice.<br /><br />Niceness forbids the speaking of truth in these times where almost every value and principle has been inverted.Moonspherehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02015070450886972955noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513199068907090344.post-62161582279559716782019-12-22T03:34:35.040+00:002019-12-22T03:34:35.040+00:00William, as you may know Bruce Charlton has expres...William, as you may know Bruce Charlton has expressed the view that "Fear is now prohibited". How do you see that view in relation to your meditation on fear and wisdom? How important is fear to theosis?RVnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513199068907090344.post-24012657318887987912019-12-21T20:05:19.263+00:002019-12-21T20:05:19.263+00:00I was reading that since the second Vatican counci...I was reading that since the second Vatican council the catholic church has made some unfortunate doctrinal alterations with regards to the topic of your post. Traditional catholic baptism used to involve an 'exorcism', where you'd demand the devil to be casted out. This was tied to the idea of the world being the Devil's dominion, where a new born Christian must be actively vigilant toward evil after conversion, through repentance and regular confession. The world was always the enemy of the church, whereas today the approach seems to be that Jesus redeemed the world which has lead to a more open attitude towards it and non-Christians in general. Exorcism is no longer part of baptism, and the harsh attitude toward evil and the devil has generally been toned down. A dangerous complacency and niceness indeed.Adilhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12458942641355740167noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513199068907090344.post-24773279656838644002019-12-21T19:11:56.515+00:002019-12-21T19:11:56.515+00:00thanks edwin. Those crucial differences between th...thanks edwin. Those crucial differences between the way of Jesus and the way of the world are just what I was trying to bring out here.William Wildbloodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13231219533755925897noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513199068907090344.post-35496683959326036912019-12-21T18:49:03.001+00:002019-12-21T18:49:03.001+00:00Jesus said He would give us peace, but not as the ...Jesus said He would give us peace, but not as the world gives it. So, we have to ask, "What is the difference?" He also said that if we were of the world, the world would love us. But if we are not of the world, as He is not of the world, the world would hate us. It would seem that following Christ invites the emnity of the world. Again, why should this be so? Those who are of the world put self first. They want, above all else, to avoid any personal unpleasantness or discomfort. They commit what the old Catholic moral manuals call the sin of human respect: wanting to get along with others, not because we love them, but because we love ourselves, our own comfort. We go along to get along, to put it in a homely way. But to follow Christ is to love Him and obey His commandment, i.e. that we be willing to lay down our life for our friends, even if it is our friends who kill us for standing by the truth. There is, as you point out, a world of difference between being nice and being kind. Sometimes, being kind means telling someone we care about that he is being a fool or a knave; to try to hold him back from a spiritual abyss he is approaching. We may fail, but we are bound by love and truth to try. The world is not a nice place, and pretending it is or can be only makes it worse.edwinnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513199068907090344.post-77158364280227362942019-12-21T15:10:56.345+00:002019-12-21T15:10:56.345+00:00Yes, if niceness cannot say that right is right an...Yes, if niceness cannot say that right is right and wrong is wrong it is just spiritually nasty.William Wildbloodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13231219533755925897noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1513199068907090344.post-88613584661882680612019-12-21T14:27:21.536+00:002019-12-21T14:27:21.536+00:00When niceness refuses to acknowledge the existence...When niceness refuses to acknowledge the existence of, or discriminate between good and evil, then equality between good and evil has finally been achieved. Which i suppose, has to be the foundation for a truly fair society.Sean Fowlernoreply@blogger.com