RESPONSE: Not merely learning about divine things but also experiencing themthat does not come from mere intellectual acquaintance with the terms of scientific theology, but from loving the things of God and cleaving to them by affection. Fellow-feeling comes from fondness rather than from cognizance, for things understood are in the mind in the mind's own fashion, whereas desire goes out to things as they are in themselves; love would transform us into the very condition of their being. Thus, by the settled bent of his affections, a virtuous man is well apt to judge straightway the affairs of virtue; so also the lover of divine matters divinely catches their gist.
Aquinas --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Vaj <vajradhatu@...> wrote: > > > On Dec 17, 2011, at 3:01 PM, maskedzebra wrote: > > > One thing (you wouldn't know about this personally) about TM and Maharishi: > > it makes you contemptuous and patronizing when it comes to discussing > > Christianity. > > Well, unfortunately for you, you've probably lost the best conduit to speak > deeply re: Christianity & TM in the person of Rev. Curtis D. Blues - as he's > the person on this list who spent the most time and attention (that I'm aware > of) getting to know the Catholic priest-meditators-as-TMers - the biggies > (most if not all whom saw through the veneer of the Faux Holey Tradition and > parted ways with TM). I think those who drank deeply of a mystical > Christianity broke easily with the sandy ground of TM, based on the rock of > their Christ-consciousness. Those with a more superficial Christian > sand-consciousness are doomed to the purgatory of up-bubbling mantra till > they part their mortal frame > > At one time Christian Centering Prayer actually resembled TM, although now, > not at all. I attribute that change to the Catholic contemplative break with > TM-as-perrenialist-panacea and Thomas Keating. > > > But I think the real giveaway about the East is its implicit sense of > > superiority over Catholicism, when in fact this very posture is itself > > evidence of something ultimately not in agreement with reality. > > Depends on the POV - the "east" is not one homogeneous whole - it's many > Points of View, sometimes not merely differing paths on the same mountain > (the Perennialists view), but more frequently different mountains altogether. > > > > > You never knew who Tim Tebow was a few weeks ago. I am glad you are now > > fully au courant. > > On reflection, I had heard of him, I just had little interest. For me, > commercial sports is the primary mechanism for embruing the acceptability of > endless war on our children. > > > > > But you are right: I will be ambivalent tomorrow; I like the Tebow miracle > > storyline, but I also love those Bill Belichick-coached Patriots. Tom Brady > > and Sidney Crosby and Roger Federer and Jonny Wilkenson are my favourite > > athletes. > > > > But I do like Tim Tebow very much: if only for his impressive humility. > > Indeed, a wonderful human quality so lacking in Christofascism; but I do not > know enough of Mr. Tebow to comment on his humility. I believe it was you who > once said the sole redeeming quality of mundane Christianity was to keep a > person clean till their next life (after which time they'd presumably take up > a higher path). >
