you can prove the existence of God and His self-communicative character without even knowing about natural substances that happen to act in an analogously similar fashion (fire generating fire; the oak producing its like through the acorn, etc)
natural theology has no relation to them, yet they bear witness to it in their own operations
natural theology has no relation to them, yet they bear witness to it in their own operations
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simplified version of the argument from change:
change implies the distinction between being in potency and being in actuality
potency does not possess act by virtue of itself but can only receive act by virtue of another given that potency is really distinct from act and is by definition not actual in and of itself
if all that is are beings that receive act by virtue of another, nothing could be in act
so there must be that which is actual by virtue of itself and does not in any respect receive act by virtue of another, such that there must be reality that just is pure actuality itself, to which is given the name “God”
change implies the distinction between being in potency and being in actuality
potency does not possess act by virtue of itself but can only receive act by virtue of another given that potency is really distinct from act and is by definition not actual in and of itself
if all that is are beings that receive act by virtue of another, nothing could be in act
so there must be that which is actual by virtue of itself and does not in any respect receive act by virtue of another, such that there must be reality that just is pure actuality itself, to which is given the name “God”
“For it is by no means an uncommon occurrence for a flourishing technological development, even with regard to the amenities and comforts of life, to be accompanied by a pitiful lack of true internal and personal culture.” - Fr Bonaventura Hinwood
Memes and shitposting are great in the realm of political discourse because of the vulgar nature of politics but you should never ever let them dictate your theological discernment (eg, rad trads who meme/shitpost their way into rejecting Vatican II and even the mere liceity of the Novus Ordo wholesale)
That said, intuition has a place in maneuvering through theological confusion. not everything has to be nuanced to death, and nuance should never lend itself to implausible rationalizations. but when we’re talking about the living Magisterium itself, rashness is always a vice
That said, intuition has a place in maneuvering through theological confusion. not everything has to be nuanced to death, and nuance should never lend itself to implausible rationalizations. but when we’re talking about the living Magisterium itself, rashness is always a vice
This is probably one of the most accessible yet also deeply profound and insightful treatises on Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell ever written within the last century, and you can read it in full here: https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/library/life-everlasting-12603
while man may be small in the order of corporeal quantity, he is a microcosm of the whole universe and through his unique composition of spirit and matter can by Divine elevation (the principal source of this elevation being the Incarnation of His own Son, or self-Image) deify the whole cosmos in a manner that escapes the capacity of even the highest angel
this is why God cares about the seemingly insignificant realm of each and every human act
this is why God cares about the seemingly insignificant realm of each and every human act
Forwarded from JON MILLER
Praying for guidance tonight. Need God’s direction and clarity. Learning two prayers for the Rosary. I obviously know Our Father, because I wasn’t raised by Pawnee Indians, and even my lesbo led episcopal church made us learn that. I don’t know Hail Mary and Glory Be. So that’s my homework tn. Then I will own a Rosary, but not knowing anything about the Pentecost other than the fact that Europe gets a 5 day weekend signals to me that I am still at the very beginning of this spiritual journey.
after an unforgivably long hiatus Night Errantry and I are back with In Taberna’s return https://t.co/QfFrWIWnUz
Anchor
Episode 4: In Taberna Returns! With Retractions! by In Taberna
In this episode In Taberna. . . returns! Páidín (@nighterrantry) and CT (@classicaltheis) make retractions regarding last year’s covdinal episode, and discuss the millenial-zoomer desire for the world to just be over so that things can get better; the new…
sometime this week I will be uploading a prelude to my metaphysics of gender series that I hope to complete by the end of the summer
I hope to make it as comprehensive as possible, so make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel if you haven’t already https://youtube.com/c/ClassicalTheist
I hope to make it as comprehensive as possible, so make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel if you haven’t already https://youtube.com/c/ClassicalTheist
There is a certain kind of presumably well meaning Catholic that will misdirect their (usually female) compassion toward homosexuals and allow it to compromise the theological precision of Catholic anthropological principles about human sexuality
Even using the “LGBT” acronym unironically as if to imply that it corresponds to an affirmative identity with ontological positivity is deeply destructive to the Divine mandate to call such persons not only to chastity and holiness, but also to a theologically sound understanding of their own identity
Even using the “LGBT” acronym unironically as if to imply that it corresponds to an affirmative identity with ontological positivity is deeply destructive to the Divine mandate to call such persons not only to chastity and holiness, but also to a theologically sound understanding of their own identity
the distinction between male and female is a cosmic theophany reflecting the fecund union of God’s inner Triune life within the broader grand cosmic theophany that is man himself
man himself reflects the twofold orders of God’s intention (manifestation and union) to create the cosmos in the first place insofar he sums the entirety of the created order (inanimate matter, vegetative, sensuous, and rational life) and unites the whole cosmos to God by virtue of his embodied rational soul made in His image and likeness
but within man himself is a microcosm within a microcosm insofar as male and female reflect the inner dimension of that divine union manifested within Himself and throughout the Cosmos (Trinitarian union; God and the world; the Logos and the rational soul; act and potency; form and matter, existence and essence; active and passive intellect; the soul and the body, Christ and the Church, etc)
man himself reflects the twofold orders of God’s intention (manifestation and union) to create the cosmos in the first place insofar he sums the entirety of the created order (inanimate matter, vegetative, sensuous, and rational life) and unites the whole cosmos to God by virtue of his embodied rational soul made in His image and likeness
but within man himself is a microcosm within a microcosm insofar as male and female reflect the inner dimension of that divine union manifested within Himself and throughout the Cosmos (Trinitarian union; God and the world; the Logos and the rational soul; act and potency; form and matter, existence and essence; active and passive intellect; the soul and the body, Christ and the Church, etc)
Forwarded from Classical Theist
Not saying Francis has necessarily supported any of the following, but if you’re worried about the future of the Church as far as liberalism is concerned, take solace in the fact that the gravest evils of liberalism are already condemned infallibly by the universal/ordinary magisterium as well as the extraordinary magisterium:
So even if the Pope were to call for a different approach to sodomy, know it is already solemnly condemned as abominable by the Third and Fourth Lateran Councils (as well as by the unbroken and constant apostolic/patristic tradition)
If a Pope were to criticize Humanae vitae’s teaching on contraception, know that its teaching is already safeguarded by the universal and ordinary magisterium as well as the solemn, infallible condemnation of Pius XI in Casti connubii (as well as by the unbroken apostolic/patristic tradition)
If a Pope were to call for a softer approach to abortion, know that a strong condemnation is called for by the infallible Magisterium both in its universal/ ordinary and extraordinary form (unbroken apostolic/patristic tradition, and solemnly condemned in Evangelium vitae of John Paul II)
If a Pope were to embrace classical liberalism or religious indifferentism, know that this is already infallibly condemned by Pius IX’s Quanta cura
And if a Pope were to flirt with women’s ordination, know that women’s ordination is solemnly condemned by John Paul II
These teachings have been codified in the Church’s infallible Magisterium, and are irreformable in and of themselves, binding to all successors of St Peter, and so no future Pope can even in principle dare to overturn them.
So even if the Pope were to call for a different approach to sodomy, know it is already solemnly condemned as abominable by the Third and Fourth Lateran Councils (as well as by the unbroken and constant apostolic/patristic tradition)
If a Pope were to criticize Humanae vitae’s teaching on contraception, know that its teaching is already safeguarded by the universal and ordinary magisterium as well as the solemn, infallible condemnation of Pius XI in Casti connubii (as well as by the unbroken apostolic/patristic tradition)
If a Pope were to call for a softer approach to abortion, know that a strong condemnation is called for by the infallible Magisterium both in its universal/ ordinary and extraordinary form (unbroken apostolic/patristic tradition, and solemnly condemned in Evangelium vitae of John Paul II)
If a Pope were to embrace classical liberalism or religious indifferentism, know that this is already infallibly condemned by Pius IX’s Quanta cura
And if a Pope were to flirt with women’s ordination, know that women’s ordination is solemnly condemned by John Paul II
These teachings have been codified in the Church’s infallible Magisterium, and are irreformable in and of themselves, binding to all successors of St Peter, and so no future Pope can even in principle dare to overturn them.