by rusmeister » October 31st, 2007, 2:49 am
As to the first, I don't care. I'm not pushing the subject - just not talking about something is a good way to kill it. I've nothing to add to that particular topic.
I think you may not see a connection because of your theology. 'My' (Orthodox) theology makes a very definite connection. From that standpoint, it is not necessarily 'game over' yet and things like prayers for mercy and repose of souls to God and asking saints to pray for us (as something permitted/made possible by God) become possible. Hope that helps explain why this concept was brought up.
As to the latter, it's good to know what people we have been taught to lionize in any field - the arts, politics, or whatever - believed, as that's the prism through which they viewed life, and their works reflect what they believed.
My own experience that led me to realize that - I got my BA and MA in Russian lang. and lit., and was taught all of the 'great' writers. It wasn't until I came (back) to faith and began examining what they believed from a perspective of maturity and faith that I realized that a lot of what I was taught was 'great' was either simply wrong, or just plain drivel. In Shaw's case, he was a genius - a genius who was sincerely wrong.
"Eh? Two views? There are a dozen views about everything until you know the answer. Then there's never more than one."
Bill "The Blizzard" Hingest - That Hideous Strength