Good, lesser good, and nonexistence

[DeFide]

“Tis better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all.”

A corollary of this may be at least part of why God allows us to choose evil. Even when we choose evil, we are choosing a good, although it is a lesser good, and a rejection of a far greater good. If there was absolutely nothing good in the sins and evils we choose, we likely wouldn’t be choosing them at all.

For example, with the sin of pride, we neglect the greater good of humility and reality, and attach ourselves to the lesser good of (disproportionate) love of self.

God creates us partly because he knew that we should like it - something that wouldn’t have happened if we hadn’t been created. That applies even to our choices of lesser goods, although God and his Saints want us to strive to open ourselves up to His greater goods rather than wallow in the near non-existence of rebellion. We live the most when we live in the bosom of God.

I may be all wet. What say you?

 

[thistle]

“Tis better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all.”

A corollary of this may be at least part of why God allows us to choose evil. Even when we choose evil, we are choosing a good, although it is a lesser good, and a rejection of a far greater good. If there was absolutely nothing good in the sins and evils we choose, we likely wouldn’t be choosing them at all.

For example, with the sin of pride, we neglect the greater good of humility and reality, and attach ourselves to the lesser good of (disproportionate) love of self.

God creates us partly because he knew that we should like it - something that wouldn’t have happened if we hadn’t been created. That applies even to our choices of lesser goods, although God and his Saints want us to strive to open ourselves up to His greater goods rather than wallow in the near non-existence of rebellion. We live the most when we live in the bosom of God.

I may be all wet. What say you?

Sorry but you lost me after your initial quote!

 

[PraRFLEsEkHm]

I’ll take a stab at it

Sounds (to me) like Relativism at it’s finest.
Because - there is no ‘good’ apart from God. God alone is Good - Mt 19:17. So, if everything we choose is a lesser form of ‘good’, then there would be no need of hell, because everything would be good - just imperfect.

Originally Posted by DeFide
For example, with the sin of pride, we neglect the greater good of humility and reality, and attach ourselves to the lesser good of (disproportionate) love of self.

Pride is taking credit due God, and giving it to ourselves - therebye making ourselves (g)od. That also is why evil things ARE evil - they are evil precisely because God said they are evil, for us to decide that they are not evil - is to say that we know better than God what is good and what is evil.

The fact that God allows evil things to happen and turns them into a good (Uses them to fulfill His perfect will and purpose) is to the Glory of God, not tacit approval for the evil committed. There is economy in God, far beyond my understanding at least, which ought to bring humility to even the hardest of hearts.

Is that what you were looking for…or am I way off?

Veritas,
Peace

John

 

[DeFide]

PraRFLEsEkHm:

I’ll take a stab at it

Sounds (to me) like Relativism at it’s finest.

That may be the downfall of this approach. I do not mean to blur the lines between good and evil, but merely show that we do in fact enjoy choosing evil, at least partly. Perhaps I should not use the term “lesser good”, to signify that we find something appealing or something worthwhile in settling for something less than the true Good and fullest degree of Life that God lays before us.

 

[PraRFLEsEkHm]

DeFide:

That may be the downfall of this approach. I do not mean to blur the lines between good and evil, but merely show that we do in fact enjoy choosing evil, at least partly. Perhaps I should not use the term “lesser good”, to signify that we find something appealing or something worthwhile in settling for something less than the true Good and fullest degree of Life that God lays before us.

OK - so correct me if I am wrong again, but what you are saying is: We choose evil because it is in fact good (At least in part), and because we find pleasure, (I.E:some goodness) in it - therefore it must, in fact, contain some good - right?

Peace

John

 

[DeFide]

PraRFLEsEkHm:

OK - so correct me if I am wrong again, but what you are saying is: We choose evil because it is in fact good (At least in part), and because we find pleasure, (I.E:some goodness) in it - therefore it must, in fact, contain some good - right?

Peace

John

Well, I’m going to try to find a better way to say it (someday).

I’m also exploring the issue that living, even when we do it badly, is better than nonexistence because we derive good out of living, even if we settle for much less than we should.

 

[PraRFLEsEkHm]

If that is what you are meaning - I think, for myself - the pleasure (the ‘something appealing’…‘worthwhile’) found is not from any goodness inherent in an act…but rather from the “Freedom” dis-obediance brings due to the lack of any governing authority - other than our own.

Again…we set ourselves up as (g)ods, when we stray from the authority of God, and make our own decisions…our own judgements on what is good, and what is evil - or, what is acceptable in the eyes of God, and what is not. Rationalization of an act…denotes from the beginning that it is not something God approves of.

My :twocents:

Pax et Veritas

John