Recent readings
Photo of Glacier National Park by Tony Reid on Unsplash
A Plea from a Heathen
Even the pagans want Christians back at their posts! From a good article by John Conlin:
And it is amazing how few of today’s secularists and atheists understand that most of their beliefs regarding equality, freedom, human rights—the inherent worth of every individual—are in fact Christian beliefs. Christianity is the reason they exist in the United States and Europe. Yes, some of these thoughts might go back to ancient Greeks but ancient Greeks aren’t the ones who propagated these beliefs for the modern world—that was the work of Christianity.
That is right. Slavery, including sexual slavery was an enormous component of the pagan world. It was a new Christian idea that our bodies are outposts of God in the world, and we must treat them with respect...and not only mine or yours but all the other people's too. Teaching that God is found within has enormous side effects on our moral thought. It took a very long time, but much of the planet turned away from slavery. Modern people don't know this history.
In addition, it seems when people aren’t bound by more fundamental truths, they often begin to consider themselves almost demi-gods—having the power to alter reality based solely on their wishes and beliefs. We see this in today’s woke insanity and since few of us are saints, it is a guarantee this way of thinking will lead to future atrocities.
Like the G. K. Chesterton quote: “When men choose not to believe in God, they do not thereafter believe in nothing, they then become capable of believing in anything.”
The most fundamental truth that we all are the sons and daughters of God is being lost. Christians cannot allow this to continue—you are our last defense.
That last point connects me to the idea of classical education. That kind of education is centered around the ability to discover and enlarge truth, virtue and beauty. An education like that needs a God. In that model, there is a single source from which all good things flow. These things attain diversity as they flow into creation downstream. Here, you've got room for the theory of evolution. It does not have to "kill" God. It is just one of the innumerable expressions of creation, of life, working it's way into the physical world.
Our modern educational system is all fragments of increasingly distant "facts." This system may lead to fluency but not wisdom. It is only useful as a counter-example...what not to do!
So I like this pagan, who says, I don't see it as those Christians do, but I do see that they are onto something, and this something they are on to may well have played a huge part in making our world. And our world does still have many good things. The Christians enlarged the good and destroyed much bad. As they recede, the bad ideas return to sit at the table they were banished from, and we don't recognize their faces.
A Collection of Articles Concerning Lust and Self-abuse
By orthodox church fathers, so it's good stuff. Link here.
This is one of those things no fun to talk about but I think it is so serious that the point has to be raised: sexual fantasy is a huge mistake. Fantasy of any kind is a poor idea. You are taking energy that could be used to build the thing in reality that you'd like to see, and directing it to a virtual world, where time spent may not only be useless but counter-productive.
It is like video games. Sitting in front of a game all day, you'll then go out into the world and feel inadequate. You'll resent all the people getting on with their lives. You'll wonder why you don't measure up. It's because you aren't even trying at all!
So fantasy in general is dangerous. Do you have a dream? Okay, spend a moment imagining its success. Smile. But then get to work bringing it into reality.
Sexual fantasy is particularly BAD. Here are two main reasons:
- Sexuality occurs in relationship, because another person is involved. This is unavoidable. The fantasist may pretend that his imaginary partner is a robot or something. But there is still a relationship. It will be a master/slave relationship. Question for you: what does it do to your kindness and patience in the real relationships of your life, if you spend so much time stepping into a world where you are a master? And it is a world that you energetically create?
- The sex drive is so deep and powerful in us, the flows of energy so high, that if we are willing to describe any part of the world as magic it must be that. After all, the creation of new beings is the result. So...if fantasy is to be avoided, then certainly, sex fantasy is doubly bad because it's lure is so powerful at the outset, and secondly, it keeps you coming back for more fantasy despite the knowledge that it is incorrect.
There are other reasons. Just to mention one more, it goes better for us if we orient our lives towards our challenges, and not towards our pleasures. Hope of overcoming a challenge is a more productive driver than hope of some pleasure.
An old zen monk was asked if he'd rather incarnate into hell or heaven.
"Hell," he said firmly. "I'd get lazy in heaven."
There is truth in that! In fact, the spiritual emptiness of modern society must have some relation with it's incredible, never-before-seen level of comfort.
Anyway. The society today likes to say that masturbation is fine, it's great, just do it, etc. And at the same time, society wrings tears out of its eyes constantly at the thought of "microaggressions" or any dynamic of slavery, however much they have to strain to see it. My question back to them is: how can you encourage people to build private worlds with coercive relationships in them, and then expect them to hold every relationship with exquisite sensitivity to what is right? Because fantasy is not about what is right, it is about what feels good for me.
Above, I talked about a classical education. About starting with goodness at the top, flowing down into the world where we live. In such a worldview, it is harder for such silly (and harmful) contradictions to land among us unexamined. The instructions a culture gives to itself should be in harmony with the Highest power we can imagine. And fantasy is not in such harmony. Jesus said that just imagining adultery is as if you have done it. I have thought long about this, and I have had certain experiences. I am not young. Those words are true. They are simply correct.
You will find out, if you don't believe it to be so.
The Karamazov Brothers
I read this book. It was so, so, so good. You should read it, if you haven't!