by cyranorox » February 22nd, 2009, 11:37 pm
regarding divorce, that is always a change from better to worse, and an evil, but permitted and reasonable when things have gone too far wrong. In effect, it is the social and public expression of a change to the worse that is already in the past. I only say that it is no part of the ideal.
Is it grace against law? a man is diminished when he breaks or abandons his vows or oaths, This is not development or growth, though often presented as such. I'd look long and hard at what proposed itself as grace in that context - much false praise and interested support is given to those who leave marriage, for example, to take a lover or to seek some individual goal. It is not a foundation natural or congenial to spiritual growth, though of course with repentance and acknowledgement of the entangled wrongs, progress can be attained.
The role of a counselor is limited to the mind and emotions; when they shade over into spiritual claims or presume to offer spiritual guidance, I think they are out of their professional domain.
We do not know all our sins; we often feel guilt over mere social blunders, embarassments, defeats, etc. and this is evidence of a poorly developed conscience. This is my situation. It is hard to train the feelings to shrink from real evil and not from mere loss of face, failure or being outplayed.
If we dont always judge rightly, we can still look at what is plainly bad, and reject it- and this cannot be evaded by reference to cultural differences ['but the Inuit/Maori/Suomi/etc consider it virtue...']. I cannot easily think of a part of myself of which i am ashamed, yet on reflexion I should see as not bad at all. Can you offer at least two examples?
re: AD, since we are tied to Latin, I propose ADM, anno domini mei [if that is the grammar], year of the Lord of me
Apocatastasis Now!