A Useful Simplification
Rev. Emerick
When mixed together, two historically significant ideas make a toxic cultural cocktail: (1) the idea that everything that happens, will happen, or can happen, is determined by forces above and beyond us – forces like God, the gods, nature, the “divine right of kings” (and the Church), the “Invisible Hand” of laissez-faire, or fate (which is called “pre-destination” in the Church’s teaching); and, (2) the idea that we are all born rotten to the core (the Church’s doctrine of Original Sin), and therefore we can never do anything intelligent, right, or good.
“Christendom” has been serving this toxic cocktail to Western culture for many centuries. And Western culture has been imbibing the toxic cocktail to the point of spiritual, moral, and intellectual intoxication. Today, even though the toxic cocktail is not served as openly as it was in the past, we are suffering its ill effects – it’s painful even to open our eyes. It is extremely difficult to focus our vision, to think clearly, to function as well as we can, and to know and feel the health, beauty, and power of the image of God within all of us (the Soul).
Now it’s time to sober up, grow up, and take full responsibility for ourselves, for “all creatures here below,” and for the planet that supplies our food, air, and water. In other words, it’s time to take full responsibility for the children’s future.
THE TOXIC COCKTAIL DOES NOT EXIST IN JESUS’ TEACHING.