Satan and a minor demon were following a man walking down a deserted country road. The man bent to pick something up from the ground, then continued walking.
"What do you think he is doing?" asked the demon of Satan.
"I believe he has just picked up a very small piece of the Truth," the devil replied.
"Doesn't that bother you?" the demon asked.
"Not at all," said Satan. "With any luck it will become a belief."
I just heard this from a co-worker today. It made me think a bit. Any comments?
Maybe I need to go to bed. But I think I'm supposed to be insulted.
Or my reasoning is lacking due to need for sleep.
Beliefs come from a little Truth. That doesn't bother Satan, which means beliefs do not bother Satan.
What comes from a lot of Truth (which, implied, does bother Satan)?
Most of the scientists I know think "Truth" is "Science" (or that which can be proven as fact).
OK. I"ll go to bed and re-read it tomorrow!
Night Night!
Loretta:
I don't think you should be insulted. My thought was that if one only holds on to a piece of the Truth, believing that it contains the whole of Truth, without further exploration, one allows Satan room to keep that person from discovering Truth in its entirety. I think that it could be argued that beliefs don't bother Satan if those beliefs keep a person from discovering the fullness of the Truth.
Just my quick take, however.
In Christ,
Michael
I guess I pick up the thread in it that belief are bad ... I've heard that from time to time ... "everybody has idea's about what is true, but when they come belief they are willing to die or kill over them. Nothing is worth dieing or killing for so it is better to have 'idea's' the beliefes'
I've heard that rehtoric in two places so far. A methodist frend of mine , and the movie Dogma ( which I accidently watched not knowing what it was going to contain and didn't have the fortitude to stand up and walk out on at that time in my life with the company I attended with).
Fishman
many thanks for your most recent and honest post.
It seems there is only a handful of us here, Michaelme, Lpioch, Laurak, yourself, myself and perhaps a few others. I am getting discouraged checking to see if anyone is here.
How can we get back to the interesting and frank discussions we used to have? They are a great help in clarifying our murtual faith and building each other up in Christ.
God bless,
Noelfitz.
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IN NECESSARIIS UNITAS, IN DUBIIS LIBERTAS, IN OMNIBUS CARITAS.
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Noel-part of the lack of posting is the convoluted login page. I can in sometimes and other I can't and then I give up.
You question is interesting and I immediately thought of this as a question of discernment. In other words, do we truly attempt to know what the will of God is for us in our lives. This is different that doing God's work or even from our weakned human nature thinking we are allwing God's will in our life. So in your story, how do I know it is "truth" or that it is of God. I submit that one would have to prayerfully discern. Yes, some of this involves our human nature, but to truley discern we need to have God himself confirm and conform us. Some of this, Praise Be to God, has been done for us through our Holy Church, our Holy Fathers and Bishops through infallible dogma that cannot be changed through any of our personal discernment. The entire Creed is a statement of Truths and is Our Belief. So as humans we may experience or encounter situations that may or may not be truths. For example, I don't think one would need to discern as a truth that abortion is evil-it is murder. Other expericnes may be harder to discern as truths-divorce, a call to a vocation, etc. No matter what though, I believe that God can speak to us through his Holy Spirit, but at same time, one needs to realize and be careful that the spirit of the evil one will be competeing for our attention to. So prayful discernment is required.
Thank you for your post re discernment.
In my 'favorites' I have http://forums.catholicexchange.com/forum/1 and this immediately brings me to the 'Faith & Life' page.
Discernment is important. However, Loretta may disagree, my spiritual guide/friend/director is an Opus Dei priest and they have a simple approach to vocation and discernment in life. One’s vocation is to do one’s job, professionally and in the family, as best one can.
Opus Dei people always seem to me to be positive and optimistic, not given to excessive introversion or discernment, if this means worrying about the will of God excessively. They have a simple way of seeking holiness - doing the duties of one’s state and fulfilling a number of spiritual practices, which are similar to those recommended by Cardinal Newman in the 19th century (Mass is omitted from Newman’s recommendations, because he assumed Mass would be participated in daily).
A Short Road to Perfection – Cardinal John Henry Newman
September 27, 1856
It is the saying of holy men that, if we wish to be perfect, we have nothing more to do than to perform the ordinary duties of the day well. A short road to perfection—short, not because easy, but because pertinent and intelligible. There are no short ways to perfection, but there are sure ones.
I think this is an instruction which may be of great practical use to persons like ourselves. It is easy to have vague ideas what perfection is, which serve well enough to talk about, when we do not intend to aim at it; but as soon as a person really desires and sets about seeking it himself, he is dissatisfied with anything but what is tangible and clear, and constitutes some sort of direction towards the practice of it.
We must bear in mind what is meant by perfection. It does not mean any extraordinary service, anything out of the way, or especially heroic—not all have the opportunity of heroic acts, of sufferings—but it means what the word perfection ordinarily means. By perfect we mean that which has no flaw in it, that which is complete, that which is consistent, that which is sound—we mean the opposite to imperfect. As we know well what imperfection in religious service means, we know by the contrast what is meant by perfection.
He, then, is perfect who does the work of the day perfectly, and we need not go beyond this to seek for perfection. You need not go out of the round of the day.
I insist on this because I think it will simplify our views, and fix our exertions on a definite aim. If you ask me what you are to do in order to be perfect, I say, first—Do not lie in bed beyond the due time of rising; give your first thoughts to God; make a good visit to the Blessed Sacrament; say the Angelus devoutly; eat and drink to God’s glory; say the Rosary well; be recollected; keep out bad thoughts; make your evening meditation well; examine yourself daily; go to bed in good time, and you are already perfect.
http://www.newmanreader.org/works/meditations/meditations8.html
The concept of our daily work bringing us to perfection I think is a wonderful and wonderfully sound one. Still I think, when we are able at least, that we must discern our daily work as well. For instance, if a prostitute is a perfect prostitute will that help him or her towards thier salvation. Pehapse it would , if they have been forced into prostitution and truely have no other chioce in the matter. However I think that most due. death is sometimes a better choice, espcially if standing for the truth in it.
fishman,
errr...Sanctification of ordinary work applies only to legitimate or "upstanding" work.
Interesting point. I had not considered the option of a prostitute seeking salvation through her/his work.
This is why I think your story is really one of discernment. If something is intrinsically wrong/evil we do not need to discern this. Violation of one of the commandments is wrong-we don't need to spend any time trying to find out if this is the will of God. Obviously, trying to see if your are called as a priest or religious does require discernment. Not that many of us did it (at least speaking for myself), so is the call to marriage to determine if this is whom you are to spend the rest of your life with. I'm sure there are many other examples we could think of that would fit the story above of discovering a bit of the "truth". Jesus said,"I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father accept through me". There are many voice today saying they are the way, truth and life so I say again we must carefully and prayfully discern the voice of God.
Okay - I picked up this tiny hunk of truth. Satan could care less?
It depends on whether Satan knows that when I have this one wee answer to a question or two, I let God lead me to further questions for questing for more and deeper truth. I can believe based on this one hunk only so far as further questions and answer permit it.
Science simply has to admit that answering one question tends to raise at least a couple more questions. Their answers are always contingent on yet more answers. Yet, they seemingly only permit such answers to obscure their limits and contingencies, are hence no longer dealing in 'science', but their own choice of beliefs.
Still, it is but a tiny piece of truth to realize that "God loves me" - and in that belief from that realized answer Satan is doomed.
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Rock Solid with Mark Shea: April 14, 2008 - Confirmation: Piety and Knowledge