This Present Darkness
While in Gudalajara, I noticed the great interest (maybe even obsession) with the supernatural. The hunger for Jesus was quite intense. However, in places (and faces) the spiritual darkness was palpable.
It is fascinating to me that the darkness here in the US is a different kind of darkness. Spiritual hunger is not as present and spiritual darkness is masked, yet I know both exist. It is notable that material goods and spiritual emptyness go together and that poverty and spiritual hunger do as well. And I do not think it has anything to do with education or class. What thinkest ye?
posted by fatherneo at 3:21 PM
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5 Comments:
Screwtape advised Wormwood that to be successful in his work he should encourage two views of the reality of the Devil. First, that there was no Devil...he was a myth for the uneducated or the naive. In this version, using a caricature of a red-horned, barb-tailed comic character that appears at Halloween has been useful. His existence is then made too little of. In the second approach, the Devil's existence is distorted in the opposite direction. He is seen as powerful and real, and, in the vacuum left by the church's "belief" that he doesn't exist, the people are left to believe that he overshadows Christ, because evil is so omnipresent.
America has both views. "Intelligent" American people don't believe he exists, the naive believe he rules. This says to me that the best mission field is to those whose worldview allows them to appreciate salvation. The "intelligent" ones are too sophisticated to believe that they need to be saved from anything, except gullibility and superstition. They are doomed. Screwtape's advice has been followed scrupulously in America, which has proved to be a fertile mission field for Satan. The flock is unguarded because most Shepherd's don't believe in wolves!
Father may we have some definitions first. What spritual darkness are you referring to?
Oly,
Spiritual darkness as in the demonic.
I agree with everything everyone has said. having nothing further to add, I am a bit curious. Fr. Neo, what kind of supernatural encounters have you had? If you wish to respond privately by email that is fine.
You are correct in your surmise, WIGIAT. "Foolishness to the wise" is still our lot in the Christian community. However, it is also true that there are many well-educated Christian brothers and sisters out there. Do you know about www.touchstonemag.com and the wonderful Touchstone Magazine? Check it out.
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