What if real metaphysical thinking can only be done with the heart, and it all revolves around the truth of that which is love, and that which is not love? It seems as if all the lies of the modern world serve one master-lie: to call that which is love not-love, and to call that which is not-love, love. It's as if that's the purpose of the whole thing - to lie about the true nature of love, with the ultimate purpose of purging true love from the Earth.
But I feel that there is not a sufficiently clear and simple True understanding of Christian love, at least not one that is generally available or accessible. This makes it difficult to correct the false idea that are so prevalent.
The reason for this lack of understanding of love is - I think - wrong metaphysics, again! Including the denial that Christian metaphysics is (and should be understood as) separable from Christian faith. Far too many Christians put their metaphysical assumptions above their Christianity; without being aware that they are doing it.
25 May 2024 at 15:41
Modern Man's fundamental assumptions about the nature of reality (that is - his metaphysics) is By Far the most important reason for the continued and increasing rule and domination of evil in this world.This is because Metaphysics Rules! (OK?)Over the long term, and irresistibly, how we regard the fundamental nature of reality will dissolve anything that contradicts it. I see people all over the place, in daily life and writers, who are flailing-around and going around in futile circles; because they are trapped by metaphysical assumptions of which they are unaware, or deny to be assumptions (but instead regard as "facts"). Their intuitions, hopes, aspirations, insights, instincts, logic, may point away from the mainstream ideology; but these are all eroded and made-ultimately-irrelevant by the deeper conviction arising from ultimate assumptions: "But, it's not real!" All the potentially good things in life (e.g. beauty, virtue and morals, truth, coherence, relationships) are continually undermined by corrosive convictions of that have become primary assumptions: There is No God; this universe is Not a Creation but made by "physics", "mathematics", "evolution"; there exists only The Material realm (nothing spiritual, no divine); every-thing that ever happened was either utterly random, or else determined by physical cases. And these, and other similar, assumptions structure reality; so that people cannot help but regard life as without purpose or meaning. Unless these metaphysical assumptions are changed - then nothing else matters in the long run; anything else - any other changes or aspirations - will be destroyed. But metaphysical assumptions cannot be removed; they must be replaced. This is because we do not and cannot consciously live without metaphysics. It is not possible; because all meaning, action, purpose... depends on assumptions. Without these is only chaos. And this means that people will-not, they cannot, give up their current metaphysics; until they are able to replace it with another metaphysics. Which is why our situation is so difficult! People hold themselves in a double-bind. They will not first give-up their current metaphysics because it explains everything already. They will not adopt another set of fundamental assumptions because - from their current POV - any other metaphysics is just arbitrary, false and... wrong! To happen, metaphysical change needs to be simultaneous. As the one dissolves, the other takes its place. (This is a "conversion experience.") Everybody has already experienced this, because we are born and spend early childhood with very different assumptions; and during childhood and adolescence have absorbed mainstream modern materialist metaphysics from our social situation. But that was passive and unconscious; and thus seemed like "reality" - seemed like The Facts - seemed an inevitable consequence of growing more mature, informed, intelligent; and came from externally, from "authority" and from "experts", and was endorsed by all the institutions with power, wealth and high status. Whereas from here and from now; what needs to happen is conscious and active - thus inwardly initiated and sustained; and has aspects of becoming more childlike ("immature") and simple-minded ("dumb") and apparently arbitrary ("crazy"). Metaphysical replacement is also something done alone - there aren't people, or organizations (not even churches - except partially and therefore incoherently) that encourage it - because that is the nature of the modern world. Modernity is built on modern metaphysical assumptions. You see the depth of the problem? You see why so many people and organizations are embarked on a strategy of self-destruction and chaos? You see why this multi-generational trends has been to very resistant to change and reverse? They are simply manifesting their metaphysics. The good news is that the answer is in our own hands, each and all of us... And that is the bad news as well.
"Metaphysics Rules! Because we Are ruled by metaphysical assumptions, these will only change when Replaced"
2 Comments -
What if real metaphysical thinking can only be done with the heart, and it all revolves around the truth of that which is love, and that which is not love? It seems as if all the lies of the modern world serve one master-lie: to call that which is love not-love, and to call that which is not-love, love. It's as if that's the purpose of the whole thing - to lie about the true nature of love, with the ultimate purpose of purging true love from the Earth.
25 May 2024 at 14:31
@Epi - Well that is certainly a part of it.
But I feel that there is not a sufficiently clear and simple True understanding of Christian love, at least not one that is generally available or accessible. This makes it difficult to correct the false idea that are so prevalent.
The reason for this lack of understanding of love is - I think - wrong metaphysics, again! Including the denial that Christian metaphysics is (and should be understood as) separable from Christian faith. Far too many Christians put their metaphysical assumptions above their Christianity; without being aware that they are doing it.
25 May 2024 at 15:41