19 of 30 - IV - The Agnostic Pilgrimage

[aggienaut]

   I'm going to have a lot of time to think during this roadtrip. I think I'll make kind of an agnostic pilgrimage to nowhere of it and do a lot of self-reflection. I have always believed it is dangerous not only to believe you are optimum, but to believe you are even satisfactory. There is always room for improvement. I have severe personality flaws, and so do you, especially if you think you don't.
   However, one must believe that perfection of personality IS attainable, & therefore never give up. I believe that a common flaw with Christian theology is that they accept that the human is imperfect and sin is inescapable, and therefore do not truly make an effort to irradicate such things from their lives.
   In particular, I intend to focus on rededicating myself to morale & ethical rectitude, rhadamanthine justice, & grace. By grace I mean the absense of speaking rashly or without adequate forethought, having greater freedom from emotion.
   Hippies believe in spirituality without moral structure. I believe in moral structure without spirituality.

   On a related, but more general theological note, in terms of remorse, Christian theologians hasve identified attrition & contrition. I think I've written about this before but I can't find it in this lj. Attrition is remorse due only to negative repricussions of one's actions, whereas contrition is remorse "out of love for God" by which they really mean because one realizes the act was wrong and genuinely regret it. I would like to posit that in fact, the belief and "love of God" ini fact make it impossible for a theist to be truly contrite. They can never truly be responsible for their own actions - they regret because they believe GOD thinks they should regret.
   I believe in morality for the sake of morality. I believe I've made mistakes, and I believe I can improve. The pilgrimage to nowhere begins.

Comments

[ironlioninzion.livejournal.com]

In my 12 years of Catholic eduation, I've pretty much always been told while that humans have a bunch of flaws, that doesnt mean we should try as hard as humanly possible to correct. Remember, were the "good works = heaven" people.

It must be a protestant thing to be happy with being flawed.

this sounds like a good personal journey

[eatrice.livejournal.com]

somewhat related,
in my personal journey I am taking a 12 step study to help identify and correct many of my personal character flaws through my church. and with the help of "God's Love" and Jesus it is going quite well.

although i do not know your personal "theological" beliefs I would invite you to attend Saddleback, because it Is for everyone, and I have been having a wonderful experience there so far.

If nothing else, they do giveyou a lot of helpful tools for living a good and satisfying life.

best.