Blog:Salvation is for the "childlike"? Matthew 11:25: Difference between revisions
Blog:Salvation is for the "childlike"? Matthew 11:25 (view source)
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As "poor banished children of Eve" with limited reason, our [[Sin|three-fold concupiscence]] drives our biases: ''what our flesh desires, what we jealously see around us, and what we think we are over others.'' When any of those tendencies toward sin feel threatened, they lash us, bind us, take us where ought not to go, knowingly or not. | As "poor banished children of Eve" with limited reason, our [[Sin|three-fold concupiscence]] drives our biases: ''what our flesh desires, what we jealously see around us, and what we think we are over others.'' When any of those tendencies toward sin feel threatened, they lash us, bind us, take us where ought not to go, knowingly or not. | ||
Sadly, we usually know better. So we get around the "cognitive dissonance" of doing wrong while knowing right through rationalization. Either rationalized or through ignorance, we engage the worst form of confirmation bias when it completely binds us to an entrenched point of view that shields a truth. Note that I am using the word "bind" where "blind" would fit. If you think about it, "blind" can mean not being fooled by one's own eyes -- or flawed perceptions, which is why blind people develop and exercise perceptions that go unseen by others.<ref>All kinds of interesting places to wander with the miracles of healing the blind. As opposed to the ancient world's view that the blind are wise because they are not blinded by what they see -- such as the blind Greek poet Homer | Sadly, we usually know better. So we get around the "cognitive dissonance" of doing wrong while knowing right through rationalization. Either rationalized or through ignorance, we engage the worst form of confirmation bias when it completely binds us to an entrenched point of view that shields a truth. Note that I am using the word "bind" where "blind" would fit. If you think about it, "blind" can mean not being fooled by one's own eyes -- or flawed perceptions, which is why blind people develop and exercise perceptions that go unseen by others.<ref>All kinds of interesting places to wander with the miracles of healing the blind. As opposed to the ancient world's view that the blind are wise because they are not blinded by what they see -- such as the blind Greek poet Homer, Jesus inverts the paradigm and gives sight (faith) to the blind (unbelieving). One of my favorite scenes in the Bible is that of Paul being filled by the Holy Spirit, and "Immediately things like scales fell from his eyes and he regained his sight. He got up and was baptized" ([https://bible.usccb.org/bible/acts/9?18 Acts 9:18]).</ref> With or without sight, we see what we want to see, and all the learning and wisdom in the world becomes but a servant to our biases. | ||
Here we see how God doesn't have to hide anything from us. Like Adam and Eve scurrying about, feeling naked "among the trees of the garden" ([https://bible.usccb.org/bible/genesis/3?8 Gen 3:8]), we ourselves bury God under our guilt, pride and sins. On the upside, here we can see that God chooses us when we make ourselves available to him. | Here we see how God doesn't have to hide anything from us. Like Adam and Eve scurrying about, feeling naked "among the trees of the garden" ([https://bible.usccb.org/bible/genesis/3?8 Gen 3:8]), we ourselves bury God under our guilt, pride and sins. On the upside, here we can see that God chooses us when we make ourselves available to him. | ||