2009-08-30

I share with Snoopy my opinion on intellectual and spiritual humility (a svithe)

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Aug 9 1976

INTELLECTUAL
    The example one of my fellow teachers uses is dinosaurs. Not long ago, we all "knew" dinosaurs were giant plodding cold-blooded behemoths whose tails dragged on the ground. And today? They're birds. The second I meet someone utterly convinced of anything, is the moment my skepticism in their claims triples.



SPIRITUAL
    Sometimes we Mormons give off the impression that we agree with Joseph Smith when he says "We believe all that God has revealed, [and] all that He does now reveal," but that we've forgotten the end of the sentence, viz, that we also believe "He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God." And to me, that last third is every bit as vital to my spiritual self-identity. And so, once again, any mortal convinced he knows all there is to know--even if by virtue of being part of the One True Church--instantly makes me wary. It's good to have faith and it's good to know what we know. I just need to remember that I'm not the source of the knowledge. And the view I have is awfully myopic.



We can't form communities without these humilities.





last week's svithe

2 comments:

  1. What about being utterly convinced of basic things? Like... some force keeps us from flying. And... God exists?

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  2. .

    I don't see why being utterly convinced of things can't coexist with humility. If humility is the opposite of pride and pride is enmity then humility is love. Even when we do know something absolutely, that should only make us grateful.

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