I think it would be like the "Ring of Gyges" that Glaucon talks about in Plato's REPUBLIC (Book II). This guy Gyges gets a ring that has the power to take him invisible. With the assurance that he can do what he wants without consequences, he becomes an adulterer, commits regicide and other atrocious acts.
Are Christians so very different than the pagan Gyges? If my connection to Christ is so unalterable that it matters not what I become -- He'll fix me somehow in the end -- why wouldn't I act like a pig every day?
So what is it, finally, that "drives" Christian morality? Is it mere fear of punishment? Has Christianity suppressed eros as Nietzsche claimed?
No! Only the experience of the overwhelming presence of Christ prevents both moralism (which is basically Narcissism) and hedonistic nihilism (the Nietzschean option).
Let us not evacuate the drama from life by demanding "exact knowledge" about the state of our souls. Let us live wildly and fully, convinced of the power of Christ to overcome our sins, our weaknesses, and our silliness. That's romance, baby, yeah!
2 comments:
Hey Dustin,
We love to have you back. Keep on doing the good work.
Best regards,
Carlos and Tatiana
I think it would be like the "Ring of Gyges" that Glaucon talks about in Plato's REPUBLIC (Book II). This guy Gyges gets a ring that has the power to take him invisible. With the assurance that he can do what he wants without consequences, he becomes an adulterer, commits regicide and other atrocious acts.
Are Christians so very different than the pagan Gyges? If my connection to Christ is so unalterable that it matters not what I become -- He'll fix me somehow in the end -- why wouldn't I act like a pig every day?
So what is it, finally, that "drives" Christian morality? Is it mere fear of punishment? Has Christianity suppressed eros as Nietzsche claimed?
No! Only the experience of the overwhelming presence of Christ prevents both moralism (which is basically Narcissism) and hedonistic nihilism (the Nietzschean option).
Let us not evacuate the drama from life by demanding "exact knowledge" about the state of our souls. Let us live wildly and fully, convinced of the power of Christ to overcome our sins, our weaknesses, and our silliness. That's romance, baby, yeah!
Ciao, Dustin! -Matt
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