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Turning away


markdohle

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Turning away

During the Lenten season, conversion is a watchword that is used, to try to get to the central issue of the seasons meaning. The meaning of the word ‘conversion’ is to turn away from one thing, towards another. I suppose the word could have negative as well as positive connotations. Mortal and venial sin are concepts that Catholics are aware of and play a role in how the word conversion is understood. For instance, to sin mortally is turn towards something as a ‘good’, at the expense of all else. So mortally sinning is also a conversion, from one thing towards another. I guess if you use marriage as an example of this kind of thing; adultery would be a mortal wound to a marriage, a sin towards the wife, children, and yes in some way the culture lived in also. For the destruction of a marriage, have consequences that go far beyond just the act itself. It is life changing, and in its wake great harm is done to more than one person. It is a ripple effect that can have repercussions that extend for well over one generation. No act is really done in isolation, for our connections are deep and meaningful, so they have the power to hurt deeply or even heal even deeper. Of course adultery is an easy example for the harm done is there for all to see, however others ‘sins’ can do their damage in ways that are more hidden, but none the less harmful.

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I thought the Biblical "turning away" was when masses of people lost faith. I see it all around us today. People have lost faith...they seek fulfillment in all the wrong places. They are not looking within for the answers, they are looking toward "civilization" to give them meaning for their lives.

There is no meaning to life...it is what it is. We are here....we seek to find a reason for being and outside of the godhood, there is no reason for being. We want to feel like there is a purpose...that there is a game plan. There is not. I personally believe in a higher power but I do not try to comprehend it's goals and agenda...it would be so far above us that we have no hope of understanding it.

We will never understand the mind of God....it is so far above us that all we can do is hope that there is a reason that we all must suffer and die...One day...we will come to grips with the ideas....you cannot have light without darkness....you cannot have joy without sadness...you cannot have opulence without depression....

I don't follow your posts very often Mark....I know you have your center from which you draw your thoughts....I think, we as a species are approaching a moment....we will soon have to ask ourselves "is this it?...is this all that we are about?"

I think we have the capacity to be wonderful creatures.....I think we can do amazing things....but we must first come to terms with our predatory nature....no it is not ok to rise up by stepping on the throats of our brothers....

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Turning away from sin may be seen as a good thing, however many in doing this turn away from sinners to such an extent that they are seen as morally elite and unapproachable because they can seem to be damning and superior to sinners.

Of course, you can spend your whole life trying to turn away from sin, beating yourself up morally speaking, but the Christian Bible states we are all sinners, so there is the complex dilemma, how can you ever achieve the unacheivable?

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I thought the Biblical "turning away" was when masses of people lost faith. I see it all around us today. People have lost faith...they seek fulfillment in all the wrong places. They are not looking within for the answers, they are looking toward "civilization" to give them meaning for their lives.

There is no meaning to life...it is what it is. We are here....we seek to find a reason for being and outside of the godhood, there is no reason for being. We want to feel like there is a purpose...that there is a game plan. There is not. I personally believe in a higher power but I do not try to comprehend it's goals and agenda...it would be so far above us that we have no hope of understanding it.

We will never understand the mind of God....it is so far above us that all we can do is hope that there is a reason that we all must suffer and die...One day...we will come to grips with the ideas....you cannot have light without darkness....you cannot have joy without sadness...you cannot have opulence without depression....

I don't follow your posts very often Mark....I know you have your center from which you draw your thoughts....I think, we as a species are approaching a moment....we will soon have to ask ourselves "is this it?...is this all that we are about?"

I think we have the capacity to be wonderful creatures.....I think we can do amazing things....but we must first come to terms with our predatory nature....no it is not ok to rise up by stepping on the throats of our brothers....

Nice thoughts. We all have deep inner darkness and we can't deal with it unless we actuall know what we are capable of. Nor can we turn away from this merely instinctive way of life unless there is a type of inner death. If there is a God, then a revelation is not something that is irrational. However any kind of revealing would be done on the level that we can understand and perhaps seek to live, even if it seems impossible. I think we know of our predatory nature, we also know that our ways of doing things don't work, hence our self destructive irrationality in continuing to follow paths that lead nowhere. I have found that the only out is to seek grace, to seek deeper union with God, from that I have found healing, though of course I still struggle.

Our longings are for love in the end, at least that is what I believe, all things else are a destructive way to seek that love. I like the way you express yourself. Are you a follower of LeVeyan satanism?

Peace

mark

Edited by markdohle
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Turning away from sin may be seen as a good thing, however many in doing this turn away from sinners to such an extent that they are seen as morally elite and unapproachable because they can seem to be damning and superior to sinners.

Of course, you can spend your whole life trying to turn away from sin, beating yourself up morally speaking, but the Christian Bible states we are all sinners, so there is the complex dilemma, how can you ever achieve the unacheivable?

Humility is understanding oneself, to do that it is really impossible to look down on others, since I believe human nature is capable of just about anything both good and evil. It seems easier for us to go down a path that is self destructive and in doing that we influence others either way. Either towards deeper life, which comes from the healing of love, or deeper inner trumoil and pain. Sin is what tears us apart, destroys familes and nations and keeps us chained to fear.

Yes we are finite creatures, so we will always fail. To know of that failure and to accept responsiblity is the only way the keeps us from closing in on ourselves in fear of being seen by others. In fact God sees all, knows all, we are all naked before God, this knowlede can lead to freedom, the freedom to be open and honest with ourselves and others before God. Love is not earned, sin keeps us from embracing love.

Peace

Mark

Edited by markdohle
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