Hooray!! In the finest Socratic tradition, interlocutors have commented on my first post. "Greg" reminds us that recognition of our physical, mental and spiritual strengths and weaknesses is an ongoing process throughout our lives, and questions how we can know whether we are fulfilling our essence given the difficulties of grasping our physical, mental and spiritual complexities at a given moment. "Forbearance" asserts that (i) the approach I suggested in my initial post goes astray by attempting to "find yourselves outside of the larger purpose of the Preserver of the universe," (ii) "[o]ur purpose is to seek out righteousness" and (iii) eschewing all pursuits outside of seeking out righteousness by putting ourselves into the service of love and charity with our neighbors is the way to find ourselves.
To "Greg," I would suggest that looking within ourselves in a practical, non-judgmental way is the closest imperfect humans can come to achieving self-knowledge. Yes, this is a life long process fraught with uncertainty, and ultimately, neither religious nor secular authorities can provide a formula for achieving self-knowledge (or to put it in a more modest way, to approach that level of self-knowledge possible for humans given our level of creation). If we study religious and secular authorities humbly and with attention, we can be aided in our quest, but all will be in vain without relentless, practical and non-judgmental examination of ourselves.
To "forbearance," I say "Thank God" (so to speak) that in this therapeutic state era there are those who will speak up for righteousness. I would respond to your posted comment by suggesting that while our ultimate purpose may be putting ourselves into the service of love and charity with our neighbors, we do so from the houses of our beings, and that those houses will have been built upon shifting sand, not rock, without the base of self knowledge (I realize that many will argue with this interpretation of Matthew VII 24-27; at this point, I simply request that you be open to this line of interpretation).
Well, let us not forget that "Know thyself" was only the first inscription written at the entrance to the sacred temple of Delphi. The second was "Nothing too much." Does this suggest a "sensible center" approach to everything? Or need we make some prior measurement or have some fine purpose before we know what is "too much?" If the life of a loved one is threatened, is putting ourselves in harm's way to attempt to save the loved one "too much?" Is Seinfeldian irony a useful buffer against pursuing matters too seriously, or is it an opiate keeping us in a state of seeming lightness but actual darkness as to our measuring what is "too much," "too little" or "just enough?"
I hope that "Greg" and "forbearance" continue to weigh in with comments, and I hope that the rest of you also feel free to comment. If Socrates and the Bible didn't entice you, certainly Seinfeld should.
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5 comments:
Your question on putting your life on the line is a good one; we were just thinking on this.
I'm boring here, I know, but here are three relevant passages:
You shall not hate any man; but some you shall reprove, and concerning some you shall pray, and some you shall love more than your own life. (Didache, Chapter 2)
For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. (Mark 8:35)
As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
(John 15:9,12-13)
I know this an appeal to authority, but to what authority? I believe the conscience, marked with the Law ere time began, knows and recognizes this truth.
The case seems relatively simple: Someone truly born of the Spirit would give up his life. In the end, grace alone would guide us through such a path. Of course, with perfect faith in the promises of Christ, there is no risk, as you will not die.
Hence, this is also where Christ becomes the great Liberator. If you live pure in heart, with true faith, you will never have to fear the judgment of any man.
Yet why do Western critics denigrate Muslims who die in the name of submission to a higher celestial authority? Aren't Muslims living in "true faith", in Forbearnance's words? Aren't they "knowing thyself", in Nunway's words?
Additionally, I find it interesting the contrast between forbearance's biblical references at the outset of his post and his concluding remarks:
"Hence, this is also where Christ becomes the great Liberator. If you live pure in heart, with true faith, you will never have to fear the judgment of any man."
I was wondering why forbearance did not replace the pronoun 'you' with 'Christian' or 'Muslim or 'Jew' or 'Hindu.' Are all individuals capable of salvation, and thus are capable of 'knowing thyself'? Are only a specific group of people capable of 'knowing thyself'?
"Nothing too much" raises a crucial question: is moderation a means to an end or does it happy to be the end? Is the final criterion for our mental, physical, and spiritual decision-making processes "moderation"? Or rather, in making these decisions through knowing thyself, moderation happens to emerge as an end?
I suggest that the second option is closer to the truth and enables individuals to fulfill the essence of their own existence more so than making decisions justified by invoking moderation as a means.
I do not eat potato chips for every meal not because this is not a diet in moderation. Instead, I do not eat them every meal because I am aware my physical being needs a multitude of nutrients through healthy eating in order to function properly and effectively. After taking into account what constitutes eating healthy (which does necessarily eliminate consuming potato chips), the final result of my eating habits happens to be eating in moderation (in the sense that one should eat a balance of fruits, veggies, meat, etc. to certain degrees). Knowing what to put into your body to maintain physical strength is one aspect of knowing thyself, and moderation in this case happens to be an end to living up to this goal.
Criticisizing others, without possessing a sincere concern for their welfare, seems to me to be disingenious and the last refuge of arrogant fools. If you disagree with someone, then it's up to you to do something about it, not whine and tell someone else to do it.
Just as it's easy for elitist left-wingers to pretend that they care about justice, when they do nothing themselves, and all they do is criticize others. In their arrogance, they invoke the power of government, through taxation, unjustly and against its own people, and in defiance of God's law. Our Savior Christ proclaimed strongly that you tax strangers, not your brothers. You don't tax people whom you love and share a common bond of brotherhood. A just government taxes its people very lightly and with the consent of the governed.
America is an unrighteous nation and our cause in the Terror War is an unjust one. The idea that we should expect the followers of the Prophet Mohammed to try to fight the American war machine in a traditional manner is completely insane. Why should they not adopt their current strategy? It is the last hope of a desparate people. Our armies did not come to bring them liberty and self-government, but to impose the unrighteous modern American way of life upon them. Is liberty defined by the right to flood a country with filthy, amoral Hollywood movies, which have already damaged our own nation? Nay, it is the right to voluntarily form a covenant, with God and one another, for the common good.
The idea of a "constitutional" liberty to engage in vile sin, harming our community and nation, is only the path to our own destruction, and this concept, while embraced by our arrogant judiciary, was completely foreign to our fathers who founded this nation. If the Constitution embraces all kinds of immorality, then it ceases to be a covenant with God, and it becomes, as abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison stated, "a covenant with death and an agreement with hell."
This is precisely what happened with our forefathers, the children of Israel, when time after time, they broke their covenant with God and one another, and failed to listen to the words of the holy Prophets, which God sent to them over and over again. (So the children of Israel were scattered into exile, until that day which the Son of Man did appear, and in perfect love and compassion for us paid in full the debt of Adam(man), so that we may no longer live under the tyranny of sin, but in the liberty of grace and truth.)
This birthright of freedom comes by God's grace, not from the consent of any man or government. Righteousness, righteousness, justice, justice, frees the soul, and allows people to live according to their fullest potential as foreordained by God even before our very conception.
One does not become justified by professing a particular doctrine, or claiming special knowledge of the Most High. You become a son of Abraham, not by blood, but by doing the things that Abraham did. You confess Christ, not by saying "Lord, Lord," but by doing the things that Christ did. Salvation is freely available to all men, though the path is narrow and very few find it.
Now this gospel of "Sculpting Bod" is a false one, though with a slight change in mindset, the virtue of "Bod," as you have laid out elegantly, is one worthy of praise. However, in it's present "know thyself"/"self-love" manifestation, it's nothing more than vainglory.
From ashes you have come and to ashes you will go. Everything you have been given, your body and soul, is on loan from above. Instead of asking what is good for yourself, ask what will bring the most glory to God. God will be expecting interest on his loan, and by good diet and fitness, as one component of hopefully many others, certainly brings praise and glory to God.
To whom much is given, much is expected, and that is the case with you. God has favored you much more highly than others, look at all he has given you, and he will expecting quite a lot in return. With your mind, you will be judged harshly, as you much knowledge of right and wrong. You might bend the knee and pray that you are not judged on your merits, but pardoned for your offenses.
Well, well. You pose an interesting question regarding self knowledge. I believe, as you suggest, that we constantly change, morph, degenerate, grow. We establish new neurological pathways, new memories. Some memories get deeply ingrained into long term memory. Some fade as quickly as a passing vision. Most memories blast into little pieces which are stored in various cerebral compartment. A smell may bring them back, or a favorite song. But, I have not answered your question Nunway. My plea is to lead a life of virtue, work hard, be curious about everything, be a good friend, keep a good humor, stand up for what you believe, and the knowledge of who you are at the core will come through.
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