Are they important?

[PelagiathePenit]

Thoughts, feelings & emotions. In comparison to the truth, I do not think they matter. Why do some people not appreciate the truth/tough love? Why is it difficult for some people to swallow the truth & follow Christ?

 

[GEddie]

Thoughts, feelings & emotions. In comparison to the truth, I do not think they matter. Why do some people not appreciate the truth/tough love? Why is it difficult for some people to swallow the truth & follow Christ?

The feeling mechanism is far older, biologically, than our minds.

The question by rights is not why people follow their feelings over their mind, but why they would ever **not **do so.

ICXC NIKA

 

[eazyduzit]

The feeling mechanism is far older, biologically, than our minds.

The question by rights is not why people follow their feelings over their mind, but why they would ever **not **do so.

ICXC NIKA

Can you show that from scripture or do you mean we are just a highly evolved ape?

 

[Karen107]

Thoughts, feelings & emotions. In comparison to the truth, I do not think they matter. Why do some people not appreciate the truth/tough love? Why is it difficult for some people to swallow the truth & follow Christ?

Because people see ‘truth’ as relative to their own experiences or thoughts and find it hard to break out of that and open the door to the truth found in Jesus Christ and His Church. To believe that the truth is sourced from one-self is idolatry really. A common sin of us humans…

 

[Karen107]

Can you show that from scripture or do you mean we are just a highly evolved ape?

I believe I understand what hes getting at. God picked the Israelites as His chosen people because they were faithfilled people as well as more ‘civilized’ people who did not act solely on emotions but on acting on word of God such as the law which governed their their behavior over feelings. People who are not idolatrous follow the Word of God where it leads them as the chosen people of Israel strived to do. Obedience to God is key and so if a person has a hard time with that they will have a hard time following in the way of Christ.

 

[Gliggle]

Thoughts, feelings & emotions. In comparison to the truth, I do not think they matter. Why do some people not appreciate the truth/tough love? Why is it difficult for some people to swallow the truth & follow Christ?

They do matter, but they are disordered because of original sin, to varying degrees in different people. The more we sin the more they become disordered. That’s why it’s important not to sin, or to make reparation for sin, and to stay close to the sacraments. Then over time, with Gods grace, as he perfects us and readies us for his kingdom, they become more closely aligned to the truth and direct us towards the truth more reliably.

 

[bsf]

Thoughts, feelings & emotions. In comparison to the truth, I do not think they matter. Why do some people not appreciate the truth/tough love? Why is it difficult for some people to swallow the truth & follow Christ?

If I understand your question correctly, you are inquiring about the spiritual nature of man.

I agree with Gliggle. St. John of the Cross and others classify the faculties of the spiritual part of the person to be the intellect, memory, and the will. St. John of the Cross also identifies additional psychological operations: appetites or drives; emotions or passions; and feelings.

Consider the following quote concerning emotions only from Book 3, Chapter 16 (pg 293 of ICS’ The Collected Works of Saint John of the Cross).

When these emotions go unbridled they are the source of all vices and imperfections, but when they are put in order and calmed they give rise to all the virtues.

Disordered emotions, I believe, are a repercussion of Original Sin.

I think I understand your comment “I do not think they matter”, pertaining to the psychological operations. However, these are indeed aspects of our nature, and they absolutely cannot be ignored. Additionally, they are not always antagonistic to the will of God.