A
agangbern
Guest
Here is “Desiderata”. All along I thought this poem is not against the Church. But one poster here in CAF insinuated that this poem is heresy. What do you think?
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S
SemperUbiSubUbi
Guest
Heresy? I don’t know about that. There may be some things in there that one might consider doctrinally incorrect, but that might be reading too much into it. Overall, I’d say a fairly Christian approach to life. If I wanted to nitpick:
“You are a child of the universe
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.”
One could say this lumps humanity in with the rest of creation, but strictly speaking, it say you are a child no LESS than trees or stars, not no MORE. To say that I am no less important to creation than a giant sphere of gas, churning with nuclear fusion, releasing more energy in a split second than I will use in a lifetime seems a pretty good affirmation of man’s prominent place, not a denial thereof. Having a right to be here could be viewed either as a denial of the will of God (in that it might be construed as limiting His will) or an affirmation of it (we have a right to be here because God wants us here).
"Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be. "
Religious indifferentism? Perhaps. Or it could be viewed as an exhortation to follow, at the least, the “law written in our hearts” and whatsoever aspect of God we have come to know.
“With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.”
Sounds good to me. “He saw that it was very good.” Though the world is fallen, it is a good world, created by God, the ultimate good. And being cheerful and happy sound like much of Jesus’ advice to not worry about the evils of tomorrow, etc. Since God is the ultimate source and aim of our happiness, any true and open search for happiness should lead us closer to Him.
What parts do others find problematic, I wonder?
“You are a child of the universe
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.”
One could say this lumps humanity in with the rest of creation, but strictly speaking, it say you are a child no LESS than trees or stars, not no MORE. To say that I am no less important to creation than a giant sphere of gas, churning with nuclear fusion, releasing more energy in a split second than I will use in a lifetime seems a pretty good affirmation of man’s prominent place, not a denial thereof. Having a right to be here could be viewed either as a denial of the will of God (in that it might be construed as limiting His will) or an affirmation of it (we have a right to be here because God wants us here).
"Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be. "
Religious indifferentism? Perhaps. Or it could be viewed as an exhortation to follow, at the least, the “law written in our hearts” and whatsoever aspect of God we have come to know.
“With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.”
Sounds good to me. “He saw that it was very good.” Though the world is fallen, it is a good world, created by God, the ultimate good. And being cheerful and happy sound like much of Jesus’ advice to not worry about the evils of tomorrow, etc. Since God is the ultimate source and aim of our happiness, any true and open search for happiness should lead us closer to Him.
What parts do others find problematic, I wonder?
N
neuro_nurse
Guest
Are 12-step programs heretical? If people can overcome their addictions using them, then God bless them!"Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be. "
Religious indifferentism? Perhaps. Or it could be viewed as an exhortation to follow, at the least, the “law written in our hearts” and whatsoever aspect of God we have come to know.
I remember hearing Leonard Nimoy recite the Desiderata on “The Two Sides of Leonard Nimoy” when I was a child.
A couple of years ago I came across the Desiderata when I was feeling extremely depressed and distressed and it helped me realize how much God loves me and that all of the stuff that I was bothering me really didn’t matter in the long run.
My vote: No, the Desiderata is not heresy.
F
Fidelis
Guest
Does anyone remember when this poem (with a musical background) was being played on pop music stations in the late 60’s or early 70’s? I think they were calling it “You Are A Child of the Universe.” I had forgotten all about it until now.I remember hearing Leonard Nimoy recite the Desiderata on “The Two Sides of Leonard Nimoy” when I was a child.
No Desiderata is not heretical – a little fluffy, perhaps, but not likely to lead one to assume a “post-baptismal denial of some revealed article of the Faith,” which is what heresy technically is.
A
agangbern
Guest
Thank you for your reflections. Somehow, my doubts about this wonderful poem has thinned. Here is the copy of “Desiderata” that was found in Old Saint Paul’s Church,
Baltimore, U.S.A.
Dated 1692
You will notice, the words “be cheerful” or “be careful” near the end does not appear here.
Baltimore, U.S.A.
Dated 1692
You will notice, the words “be cheerful” or “be careful” near the end does not appear here.
K
kentuckyliz
Guest
Actually it was written by a lawyer, Max Ehrmann, in the 1920s. The church’s founding date has been confused with the publishing date. The writing style is too modern for 17th century writing.
fleurdelis.com/desidera.htm
It’s a nice poem, exhorting to prudence and peace in many matters of this life, but I can’t see it as heretical because it just doesn’t really deal with faith issues at all.
Ever read the book of Proverbs? Same kind of instruction to prudence. Lots of good wisdom there.
Nice poem, I hadn’t read it before. A bit mundane in a greeting card way but I appreciate the earnestness of its author to pass along some life wisdom.
Doesn’t Ignatius Press publish a book for teens by this same title? Is it an exposition of this poem to guide the young?
fleurdelis.com/desidera.htm
It’s a nice poem, exhorting to prudence and peace in many matters of this life, but I can’t see it as heretical because it just doesn’t really deal with faith issues at all.
Ever read the book of Proverbs? Same kind of instruction to prudence. Lots of good wisdom there.
Nice poem, I hadn’t read it before. A bit mundane in a greeting card way but I appreciate the earnestness of its author to pass along some life wisdom.
Doesn’t Ignatius Press publish a book for teens by this same title? Is it an exposition of this poem to guide the young?
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