11. -Original sin: I think the word "sin" confuses people, because there are really two definitions: the one everyone thinks of is "doing something wrong." But things like Original Sin and the Seven Deadlies (OMG! That's my new Christian Death Metal Band) refer more to STATES of sin rather than sinful actions-- as opposed to states of grace. A state of sin is more an attitude that separates you from God than any particular thing anyone did wrong. I think of Original Sin as being a similar thing as The Human Condition, whatever those mean. And I think Original Sin is particularly the attitude of "I don't need God." Because that's basically what the whole losing-the-Garden-of-Eden thing is about. Weird trivia thing I find fascinating: you know that weird verse about "because of this sin woman will now have pain in childbirth" and you're like "what's that all about" and misogynists are all like "YES BECAUSE WOMEN ARE THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL"? Actually, in natural history, the reason human childbirth is painful is because: humans started walking upright, unlike other animals; and at the same time, humans developed the ability to reason AND THEIR HEADS GOT REALLY BIG. And isn't that what the whole original sin was, Adam and Eve saying "OH hey, we're smart now, we're not animals, we don't need to listen to God anymore"? I just find that really interesting. - Mysticism: whenever anybody mentions mysticism I always think of this time I was visiting a college friend and we went to her (particularly liberal, if it makes a difference, Roman Catholic) church, and there was this little flier in the pew that said "Why Not Be a Mystic?" And I always just liked running that through my head: "Why NOT be a mystic? Give mysticism a try today!" I think I approve of mysticism, but as someone else said above, not so much like speaking-in-tongues or laying-on-hands-- not public displays of SPIRIT. More a gentle, natural Oneness with the Universe. - Intercession of saints: I see relationships with saints not as WORSHIP of saints, not praying TO saints, but more like having a chat, asking advice of a role model who's gone before. I actually recently started asking for intercession through a woman who was actually an atheist in life, just because I could FEEL that the truth wasn't in her religious attitudes but in her spiritual ones and I KNEW talking to her would help me get closer to the Holy Spirit in this one particular area of my life (namely, writing). It JUST FELT RIGHT. Sometimes I sort of want to share what I've written to her, but then I don't, because it's too personal. It's a real prayer-- like I said, not one of worship, but more one of "Hi, I'm trying to reach the Font of Creation here, do you think you could help me?" -the resurrection of the body/life everlasting: I don't know if I believe in the resurrection of the body, but I do believe in life everlasting. I always felt like I could never be a ghost, because as soon as my soul isn't chained down by this body anymore I just KNOW it's going to go flying out in all directions. I've actually always said I want to be reincarnated as the color cerulean. Just, wherever you see cerulean, THAT'S ME. I'm also more inclined toward the Becoming One With the Universe idea after death-- our souls are all part of God, and if we've maintained, rather than rejected, that connection, after our bodies are gone our soul is one with the Whole again. 12.Manifestoes I have written that I can link to: "On Being a Bad Catholic", an entry that is in fact TITLED "Manifesto", "Rules of Life That I (Used to) Know", and I'm tired of scrolling through my "Philosophizing" tag looking for posts that can pass as manifestos, so here's the whole tag instead.
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timeasmymeasure
part 2
Date: 2013-07-03 01:47 am (UTC)- Mysticism: whenever anybody mentions mysticism I always think of this time I was visiting a college friend and we went to her (particularly liberal, if it makes a difference, Roman Catholic) church, and there was this little flier in the pew that said "Why Not Be a Mystic?" And I always just liked running that through my head: "Why NOT be a mystic? Give mysticism a try today!" I think I approve of mysticism, but as someone else said above, not so much like speaking-in-tongues or laying-on-hands-- not public displays of SPIRIT. More a gentle, natural Oneness with the Universe.
- Intercession of saints: I see relationships with saints not as WORSHIP of saints, not praying TO saints, but more like having a chat, asking advice of a role model who's gone before. I actually recently started asking for intercession through a woman who was actually an atheist in life, just because I could FEEL that the truth wasn't in her religious attitudes but in her spiritual ones and I KNEW talking to her would help me get closer to the Holy Spirit in this one particular area of my life (namely, writing). It JUST FELT RIGHT. Sometimes I sort of want to share what I've written to her, but then I don't, because it's too personal. It's a real prayer-- like I said, not one of worship, but more one of "Hi, I'm trying to reach the Font of Creation here, do you think you could help me?"
-the resurrection of the body/life everlasting: I don't know if I believe in the resurrection of the body, but I do believe in life everlasting. I always felt like I could never be a ghost, because as soon as my soul isn't chained down by this body anymore I just KNOW it's going to go flying out in all directions. I've actually always said I want to be reincarnated as the color cerulean. Just, wherever you see cerulean, THAT'S ME. I'm also more inclined toward the Becoming One With the Universe idea after death-- our souls are all part of God, and if we've maintained, rather than rejected, that connection, after our bodies are gone our soul is one with the Whole again.
12.Manifestoes I have written that I can link to: "On Being a Bad Catholic", an entry that is in fact TITLED "Manifesto", "Rules of Life That I (Used to) Know", and I'm tired of scrolling through my "Philosophizing" tag looking for posts that can pass as manifestos, so here's the whole tag instead.