Musings

[mellanella]

"The proper perspective of a servant of God must not simply be as near to the highest as he can get, but it must be the highest. Be careful that you vigorously maintain God's perspective, and remember that it must be done every day, little by little. Don't think on a finite level. No outside power can touch the proper perspective

Comments

[walesdrgn]

OK, you got me curious, what's Anselm's argument?

[mellanella]

Hehe, essentially, it goes like this:

i. Suppose that the greatest conceivable being (GCB) exists in the mind alone and not in the world.
ii. Existence in reality is greater than in the mind alone.
iii. We can conceive of a GCB that exists in reality as well as the mind.
iv. Therefore, there is a being that is greater than the GCB.
v. But this is impossible, for it is a contradiction.
vi. Therefore, it is false that a GBC exists in the mind alone and not in reality. A GCB must exist in reality as well as in the mind.

Basically, he makes a value judgement that something existing in reality is better than something existing in the mind along. Example: if you're hungry, the greatest conceivable burger in your mind isn't as good as the burger in your hand, even if it doesn't match up with your greatest conceivable burger.

Even so, there are still some limitations, i.e., you're already limited by what your mind can come up with (there are some interesting interplays here with the limitations of language, but I haven't read up on those

[walesdrgn]

Interesting argument. It appeals to my mathematical/physical mind to actually have some sort of argument. However, in my experience, I must say that reality rarely lives up to preconcieved notions I have in my mind. Annoying how that tends to work, though at the same time there are exceptions.

[koinegeek]

"Don't think on a finite level"

Very interesting in so many ways. I find scientific-thought (with the rare exceptions like Einstein) to be constrained by the finite, the observable. We as believers are definitely called to look beyond. In the first steps of my walk in faith, I tried to constrain it to some fundamental rules and regulations. Only when I opened up to the Grace that is infinite am I seeing how to truly walk with God.

Thanks for sharing :)

[mellanella]

You're very welcome!

I think that's one of the reasons I like Einstein so much. He really shows a depth of soul that is shaped by this view of the infinite.

It's interesting to note how there's a popular view of Christianity as a constrained set of rules, when in reality, there's something in the infinite that transcends those rules...if that makes any sense at all.

[koinegeek]

Very true. In my view: two commandments (Matt 22:37-40), infinite applications - a life lived not constrained by rules, but with changed hearts which in turn naturally live well within the boundaries of those kind of rules :).