Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!rutgers!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: sandrock@aries.scs.uiuc.edu (Mark T. Sandrock) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: One of the best kept secrets in the Catholic Church Message-ID: Date: 21 Oct 90 05:23:21 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: School of Chemical Sciences, Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Lines: 84 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu In article bralick@finglas.entmoot.cs.psu.edu (Will Bralick) writes: >> >> Sorry, but "conscience" is not "intuitive perception." >> >> ... >> >> conscience - the judgement of our reason as to whether an act is >> good or bad. >> >> Note in particular the words _judgement_ and _reason_. >> If we want to talk about *reason*, then we must in the first place bring the notion of *spirit* into the picture. Reason consists of the cooperation of spirit and intellect in a person: the spirit leading, and the intellect serving as a tool that is necessary for earthly life. Without the guidance of the spiritual intuitive perception, the intellect goes immediately astray, and stays there, for it is lost on its own! Intuitive perception is the broader concept, and "conscience" is one aspect of it. That is, our "conscience" is perceived intuitively within us, but originates from outside of us. This explains why conscience is *not* under our control, and why it does not need to be "formed", but only "awakened" or "uncovered", just as we can also choose to "bury" it. (The intuitive perception, that is, and *therewith* also our conscience.) When Jesus admonished us to "watch and pray", He was referring specifically to the ability of our spirit to peceive intuitively all the influences that approach us from without, as well as those emanating from us out to others. In the parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins, the lamp represents the earthly intellect, which absolutely requires the "oil" of the spiritual intuitive perception in order to work correctly, and thus to illuminate the path through life for each person. When it is said "unless a man be born again...", then this is referring to the absolute need for our own spiritual awakening, so that we can become capable of hearing and being guided by our intuitive perception. When it is said that "The first impression is always right!", then this is simply referring to the inherant ability of the intuitive perception to perceive the truth about a given situation. When it is said "Let the dead bury their dead", then this is referring to those who have "buried" their intuitive perception, yet who presume to lead and to teach others what they themselves do not know. >> What Mr. Sandrock seems to be referring to is some sort of spiritual >> sense or charism which is extra-rational -- that is, not at all what >> Catholics refer to when speaking of "conscience." How little we know ourselves and our God! The Will of God is Spirit! We ourselves are spiritual creatures, who dwell for a time within the physical world ("...and breathed into them the breath of life"). Presumably we all long to return someday to Paradise, which itself is of course spiritual! ("My Kingdom is not of this world!") Without the use of our spiritual intuitive perception, it is impossible for us to know the Will of God. For the intellect itself is incapable of grasping anything of the spiritual--only the spiritual intuitive perception itself is capable of perceiving the Will of the Creator (which is spiritual). God's Truth, His Will, is all around us. It is shining down upon everything that exists. But we can only learn to perceive it and absorb it by becoming spiritual! By awakening to our "inner voice", to our intuitive perception! The knowledge given in the Grail Message, "In the Light of Truth", is there for exactly this purpose: to show us the way to becoming spiritual, as we should have been all along, and therewith to help us to learn to become capable of clearly perceiving God's Will in all of life! (What can be called learning "The language of the Lord", since all of Creation *is* His Language!) This process is not a "forming", but simply an "awakening" to life, to God's Will, which has actually been there all along, were we to know it, and which is naturally quite independent of any and all human opinion. With warm regards, Mark Sandrock -- BITNET: sandrock@uiucscs Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Internet: sandrock@aries.scs.uiuc.edu Chemical Sciences Computing Services Voice: 217-244-0561 505 S. Mathews Ave., Urbana, IL 61801