The other day, I wrote about faith. "Without faith it is impossible to please God", and "whatever is not of faith is sin". But, James says, that "faith without works is dead". Luther called this the "straw gospel", as he understood the "just to live by faith". That is because he believed that Christ's substitutionary death and our belief in it "justified us" before God.
If one does not believe that the Atonement of Christ clears one of sin, as in substituionary death, and that we are accountable for our actions, and yet, we still believe that there is a "judgement seat" to be faced, then, we must believe that our lives must be "faithful"...faithfulness to the Church and to what the Church's leaders would desire our lives to express. This is similar to what Luther stood against in penance, as he had no clear conscience toward God and he saw many abuses of power within the Church that brought into his focus the discrepancies of "holiness".
Conscience is a universal according to Lewis (perhaps he would not label it as conscience). But, conscience is the ability to innately know right from wrong. Self awareness is a necessary development, so that one recognizes what the boundaries of "right behavior" is... This is what Western civilized cultures would term civility. Animals behave instinctually and since we develop our understanding through cultural conditioning and education. There is a need for behavior to be understood within a cultural framework before one can judge it. Punitive parenting can produce low self-esteem and negativity toward life, in general. Positive parenting helps the child to develop socially, so that they are not overly self=conscious and can be independent thinkers, while acting respectfully toward another. These are boundary markers, which begin with the rules that are taught in the home.
Spiritual formation is nothing really other than character development in self-reflection and it is similar to the Eastern practice of meditation. Accountability for one's actions, and thoughts is character formation which is caught as much as taught. Mentoring is necessary for the young for guidance. Some believe that self-reflection and its insights are given through the Holy Spirit, but I believe that any reflective person can grow in this way...
So, what is faith about? It is about how one views life and all its variables and answering the questions of "why"....So, faith is not about works, but about perspective....an honest agnostic understands that there are many ways of answering those questions...
Showing posts with label training. Show all posts
Showing posts with label training. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Monday, December 8, 2008
A Grandmother's View of Fairy Tales
The human "heart" has been formed in such a way that we can "dream". My grand-daughter, Hannah, is the tender age of 2 and has already "dreamed" of being a princess! We didn't have to tell her this, or expose her overly to 'fairy tales". She just "knew" she was meant for "big things".
When my daughter and I went home with the grandkids to visit family this past October, Hannah entertained my grandfather and mother with singing the song from "Sleeping Beauty" and dancing. She got us all to participate with her. Although these childish dreams and antics are so adorable, I cringe somewhere inside, when life doesn't "meet up" to her desires. Do you remember the first time you understood that you weren't the center of the earth, or that "dreams don't come true". Life is more tragic, than fairy tale-like.
In training Hannah, I don't look at her like I did my own children (as oftentimes, grandparents have learned some wisdom). Just as I wrote in my last blog about dog training, dogs must be trained, but that does not mean that I look at my grand-daughter with those eyes. In the past, with my own children, I saw them as "totally depraved", which is not dissimilar from an evolutionist's view of animalistic behavior. Because I believed in their total depravity, I did not "listen" well to them as individuals, for I knew before they made a request "what the real problem was", and it was their need to learn to obey! I wanted full authority over them, as this would teach them that I was the "law" and this is what I thought would make them prepared for the world! Little did I understand that a child's heart is crushed and diminished by such an attitude. It is a much healthier attitude to understand their need for guidance, not control.
So, in regards to those who are rearing children, take care to know your children. Listen to their bents and listen to their hearts. And who know, perhaps, fairy tales will come true for them! I truelyhope so!
When my daughter and I went home with the grandkids to visit family this past October, Hannah entertained my grandfather and mother with singing the song from "Sleeping Beauty" and dancing. She got us all to participate with her. Although these childish dreams and antics are so adorable, I cringe somewhere inside, when life doesn't "meet up" to her desires. Do you remember the first time you understood that you weren't the center of the earth, or that "dreams don't come true". Life is more tragic, than fairy tale-like.
In training Hannah, I don't look at her like I did my own children (as oftentimes, grandparents have learned some wisdom). Just as I wrote in my last blog about dog training, dogs must be trained, but that does not mean that I look at my grand-daughter with those eyes. In the past, with my own children, I saw them as "totally depraved", which is not dissimilar from an evolutionist's view of animalistic behavior. Because I believed in their total depravity, I did not "listen" well to them as individuals, for I knew before they made a request "what the real problem was", and it was their need to learn to obey! I wanted full authority over them, as this would teach them that I was the "law" and this is what I thought would make them prepared for the world! Little did I understand that a child's heart is crushed and diminished by such an attitude. It is a much healthier attitude to understand their need for guidance, not control.
So, in regards to those who are rearing children, take care to know your children. Listen to their bents and listen to their hearts. And who know, perhaps, fairy tales will come true for them! I truelyhope so!
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Dogs, Training, and Incarnation
Evolutionary biologists, psychologists, and moral philosophers all concur that humans are animals. Animal behavior, such as dogs, must be trained. Without training, dogs are not socialized and may have destructive behavior toward others.
I have been thinking about this, as we just got a new puppy this week-end. Top dog (alpha) behavior must be trained out of the animal, so that the human can control the environment according to ends that meet the humans needs and desires.
In organizational structures, unless "top dogs" have learned to curtail their behavior, then, there are disastarous consequences for the person, organization and others within the organization. Many of the religious traditions have a meditative "arm" that lends itself to self-examination. These meditative "ways' are called various things by the different religious traditions. These "ways" where the tendencies to "run over" others, or to lack self-reflection are recognized and re-directed, re-focused or limited.
On the other hand, those whose tendency is reticence, will find that these self-reflective "ways" will help them to recognize their own limitations and seek help. Dogs who haven't been socialized, as humans that have not had the proper training, also need socialization and someone who knows how to handle them so that resistance, attack or self-defeating behavior can subside.
I do not think that affirming evolutionary thinking in the disciplines is "wrong headed" unless one uses it as ultimate truth. Science does reduce man, but does not affirm man's giftedness, potentialities, etc. That is the re-direction that must happen when one takes evolutionary thinking seriously. In reductionistic thinking, materialist, or physicalist do not give leeway for man's difference from the animal kingdom. Behaviorists who treat man as an animal in "training" wil be implementing a form of legalistic uniformity that ultimately destroys the personability of the person.
I have been thinking about this, as we just got a new puppy this week-end. Top dog (alpha) behavior must be trained out of the animal, so that the human can control the environment according to ends that meet the humans needs and desires.
In organizational structures, unless "top dogs" have learned to curtail their behavior, then, there are disastarous consequences for the person, organization and others within the organization. Many of the religious traditions have a meditative "arm" that lends itself to self-examination. These meditative "ways' are called various things by the different religious traditions. These "ways" where the tendencies to "run over" others, or to lack self-reflection are recognized and re-directed, re-focused or limited.
On the other hand, those whose tendency is reticence, will find that these self-reflective "ways" will help them to recognize their own limitations and seek help. Dogs who haven't been socialized, as humans that have not had the proper training, also need socialization and someone who knows how to handle them so that resistance, attack or self-defeating behavior can subside.
I do not think that affirming evolutionary thinking in the disciplines is "wrong headed" unless one uses it as ultimate truth. Science does reduce man, but does not affirm man's giftedness, potentialities, etc. That is the re-direction that must happen when one takes evolutionary thinking seriously. In reductionistic thinking, materialist, or physicalist do not give leeway for man's difference from the animal kingdom. Behaviorists who treat man as an animal in "training" wil be implementing a form of legalistic uniformity that ultimately destroys the personability of the person.
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