WONDROUSNESS OF COSMOS
To impute emotions, ergo, sensate sensibilities to divinity is the height of human presumption or apostasy; or, so it may seem to be, if this act of imputation is exclusively viewed through the dark lens of casuistry .
"Casuistry" is the use of clever but unsound reasoning, especially on moral questions like divinity. In fact we exist in a vast, unending world.
The African philosopher, Plotinus in his 3rd Century classic treatise, THE ENNEADS, writes movingly on this most vital of human subjects, as follows:
"To make the existence and the coherent structure of this Universe depend upon automatic activity and upon chance is against all good sense....
"But there is still the question as to the process by which individual things in this sphere have come into being, how they were made...
"This matter must be examined through and through from the very first principles....
"The authentic and primal Cosmos is the Being of the Intellectual Principle and of the Veritable Existent. This contains within itself no spatial distinction, and has none of the feebleness of division, and even in its parts bring no incompleteness to it since here the individual is not severed from the entire. In this nature inheres all life and all intellect, a life living and having intellection, as one act within a unity ; every part that it gives forth is a whole; all its content is its very own, for there is here no separation of thing from thing, no part standing in isolated existence estranged from the rest, and therefore nowhere is there is any wronging of any other, even among contraries. Everywhere one and complete, it is at rest throughout and invites difference at no point; it does not make over any of its content into any new form; there can be no reason for changing what is everywhere perfect....
"Those whose nature is blessedness have no more to do than repose in themselves and be their being.
"A widespread activity is dangerous to those who must go out from themselves to act. But such is the blessedness of this Being that in its very non-action it magnificently operates and in its self-dwelling it produces mightily."
P. 135-137, "Providence : First Treatise, THE ENNEADS by Plotinus (1991)
Sayings like "God is not pleased, not playing, is angry, was grieved with mankind," or even "so loved the world as to give his only begotten son," are but mere figures of speech, rhetorical devices of writers to humanize to the common people the infinite, eternal, mystery of our undeniable affinity-divinity.
It imputes human characteristics to God to show that our God may be petitioned, entreated, accessed by us, even though we are so far away.
"It rains on the just and the unjust and the sun shines on good and evil." Moreover, death does not discriminate; nor does wealth, by itself, incriminate, since Solomon was the wealthiest man and the wisest, according to Bible stories.
What better ways exist to explain our affinity to divinity than kinship ?
Indeed we are "joint heirs with Christ." Romans 8:16-17 states:
"The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory."
By any means necessary please get to know God! Get to know the Creator! By works, by story, study, meditation, charity, by procreation ; by any means necessary whatever!
Wednesday, September 20, 2017
COSMOS
WONDROUSNESS OF COSMOS
To impute emotions, ergo, sensate sensibilities to divinity is the height of human presumption or apostasy; or, so it may seem to be, if this act of imputation is exclusively viewed through the dark lens of casuistry .
"Casuistry" is the use of clever but unsound reasoning, especially on moral questions like divinity. In fact we exist in a vast, unending world.
The African philosopher, Plotinus in his 3rd Century classic treatise, THE ENNEADS, writes movingly on this most vital of human subjects, as follows:
"To make the existence and the coherent structure of this Universe depend upon automatic activity and upon chance is against all good sense....
"But there is still the question as to the process by which individual things in this sphere have come into being, how they were made...
"This matter must be examined through and through from the very first principles....
"The authentic and primal Cosmos is the Being of the Intellectual Principle and of the Veritable Existent. This contains within itself no spatial distinction, and has none of the feebleness of division, and even in its parts bring no incompleteness to it since here the individual is not severed from the entire. In this nature inheres all life and all intellect, a life living and having intellection, as one act within a unity ; every part that it gives forth is a whole; all its content is its very own, for there is here no separation of thing from thing, no part standing in isolated existence estranged from the rest, and therefore nowhere is there is any wronging of any other, even among contraries. Everywhere one and complete, it is at rest throughout and invites difference at no point; it does not make over any of its content into any new form; there can be no reason for changing what is everywhere perfect....
"Those whose nature is blessedness have no more to do than repose in themselves and be their being.
"A widespread activity is dangerous to those who must go out from themselves to act. But such is the blessedness of this Being that in its very non-action it magnificently operates and in its self-dwelling it produces mightily."
P. 135-137, "Providence : First Treatise, THE ENNEADS by Plotinus (1991)
Sayings like "God is not pleased, not playing, is angry, was grieved with mankind," or even "so loved the world as to give his only begotten son," are but mere figures of speech, rhetorical devices of writers to humanize to the common people the infinite, eternal, mystery of our undeniable affinity-divinity.
It imputes human characteristics to God to show that our God may be petitioned, entreated, accessed by us, even though we are so far away.
"It rains on the just and the unjust and the sun shines on good and evil." Moreover, death does not discriminate; nor does wealth, by itself, incriminate, since Solomon was the wealthiest man and the wisest, according to Bible stories.
What better ways exist to explain our affinity to divinity than kinship ?
Indeed we are "joint heirs with Christ." Romans 8:16-17 states:
"The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory."
By any means necessary please get to know God! Get to know the Creator! By works, by story, study, meditation, charity, by procreation ; by any means necessary whatever!