CJ-MORGAN said – “Crikey – they’re talking in tongues!”

It was by faith that Moses held to his purpose, like a man who could SEE the INVISIBLE (Hebrews 11:27).

The true mystics or spiritual “seers” of all times, places and traditions tend to speak the same language – in “tongues of Fire” – because they have been to the same country,[1] They have caught at least a glimpse of the Promised Land – the Inner Kingdom – Paradise.

Like Gerard Manley Hopkins SJ (1844-89), they are “doomed” to “seem the stranger”!

“Yes!” said Pierre Teilhard SJ (1881-1955), “Of this he was certain – even for his brothers in God [better men than he], he would henceforth speak in an incomprehensible tongue – he whom the Lord had drawn to follow the Road of Fire! Even for those he loved the most, his love henceforth would be a burden. For they would sense his compulsion to be forever seeking something [or Someone] beyond themselves!”[2]
_________________________________________________

[1] Evelyn Underhill 1911 “Mysticism – The nature and development of Man’s spiritual consciousness” E.P.Dutton p.80
[2] Teilhard 1919 p.67 in “Hymn of the Universe” 1966; p.74 in “The Heart of Matter” 1978

My Body and I

On 24 February [page 5] “Fractelle” said – “Dear Foxy - Thank you for your sincere and heart felt replies. I believe in the universe. It exists. It is all around me and at the end of my life that of which I am made will continue as a part of the universe. I find this truly inspiring.”

With respect – I ask – What is THAT of which I am made?

On Ash Wednesday – beginning the 40 days of Lent – a priest “branded” my forehead with ashes marking the Sign of the Cross. Quoting Genesis 3:18 from the Hebrew Bible or “Old Testament” he said, “Remember man – you are dust and to dust you shall return!”

Excuse me! My ever-changing body is about two-thirds water and one-third mostly combustible substance, leaving a residue of dust or mineral ash which will be mostly the calcium of my old bones.

But what I recognize and call “I” or “me” or “my self” is not a “matter” of atoms. There is more to the essential “I” than the atoms of my body! Indeed – with dying, death and disintegration all around us, human beings are naturally inclined to cry out from the depths of our own Gethsemanes, “Who will rescue me from this body doomed to death?”(Romans 7:24).

Then a “Voice” [the Voice of Conscience] seems to echo from the depths, inviting us to the heights of cosmic super-vision. There – together with Christ on that Cosmic Mountain – we may say of every “particle” of cosmic matter and “quantum” of radiant energy. “This is my body!” and “This is my blood!”

Yours in Christ [the Total Christ] - Roch

As I say so many times, we are not primary body, we are essentially soul. Though our body may briefly identify us at a glance but it is our soul that makes us eternally identifiable. It is our character, ideas, communications, attitudes, actions, creativity, wisdom etc that identifies who we really are as a person. We are held acountable eternally for these things over which our will has power. This is part of our telling of the true story of the nature of God incarnate - His - story.

It is this divine character that bears the eternal nature of God. God is not a spatial being he is the unseen spirit.

It is only the rebellious and wilful man acting outside of the divine nature that is doomed to self destruction. God does not place wasted lives into garbage, he prefers to demonstrates in Christ dead men can come alive. Man by his unrepentant wilfulness soul places himself into destruction. The graces of the divine are eternal - sacrificial love for the undeserving is divine - Love. While we were the enemies of the divine God loved us and desired our eternal salvation.

Mjpb – apart from being patronising and condescending, you comment that I “lost” my religion when a child; I did not “lose” it, I rejected it as a fairy tale as I had with Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, tooth fairy – as children do we learn what is real when given the opportunity. Unfortunately many children are brainwashed into taking religion as a belief into adulthood.

Philo, you complained: “I believe for once this subject could be properly discussed by totally ignoring [not reacting] side issues by unbelievers and their sarcasm.”

Do the words democracy, open forum mean anything to you, and since when did you hold back from sarcasm yourself?

You present and discuss a vengeful god for which there is no evidence. Believers in this god have a direct effect on the lives of non-believers, vis a vis;

Influence in parliament (Exclusive Brethren, Christian Democrats, Family First etc)

Attempt to control women’s fertility, education, independence.

Discriminate against gays.

Discriminate against different religions.

Receive special treatment regards tax breaks, funding for religious schools.

And so on…

If you refuse to be open to scrutiny, resent questions by ‘non-believers’ and react patronisingly and frequently derisively of others, then expect more questions, and yes ridicule.

Religious people have a direct effect on all our lives – whether we want it or not. And in many areas of life we don’t.

We are adults who are responsible for our actions, we don’t require ‘rewards’ to behave civilly, we just do it because that is how social creatures generally behave. It makes good evolutionary sense to cooperate with each other.

It also makes good evolutionary sense to resist those who wish to impose their will on our lives – we are not slaves to an imaginary daddy in the sky. We are free to choose, make our mistakes and live with the consequences.

It appears to me that to be fully pious is to deny your own humanity.

The meaning of life is simple: Live and let live

Only the ignorant can critique the life others using inferior measures and believe they themselves are exempt or the expected standard. Our negative or positive words demonstrate the nature of our aspirations for others. If we truly aspire for a better world we ourselves will be the people we expect others to be. Christ is both the standard, and the aspirant of a better society. Examine the societies who aspire to follow his character and attitudes.

Dear Fractelle,

Your ethos of - "Live and Let Live," seems to me to say it pretty well.

It's a far more meaningful ethic to me, than that taken by some people who feel that - "I'm right" and "Your wrong."

The older I get the more I realize how little I actually know.

I don't live without worry or responsible concern. In fact, I have
never felt so responsible since I discovered that the Church cannot absorb my conscience, nor replace my mind. Life was easier when I knew where everything fits, when I could lose myself in the structure
of a massive organization. There heaven and hell were governed by careful laws. There God's friendship was certain and manageable, and I was satisfied when I kept the Church's rules.

Now I feel certain, but ever in doubt. I don't fear hell because I can't fathom it. I don't seek heaven because it offers no image I can grasp. I only struggle to find myself, to love my fellow human beings, and to hope that in this way I am truly loving God.

Take care.