Humanity and Materialism

[Landon_Caeli]

I’ve been thinking lately about mans relationship with the material world and what we’re supposed to be doing here during this life. I think that people are basically souls or spirits, made in the image of God’s Holy Spirit, but like Jesus, we have been delivered here to this material world giving us the ability to manipulate and “animate” matter. Our bodies themselves are animated matter. We tend to manipulate every aspect of matter we possibly can. From metals to bacteria to whatever. It’s just what we do.

So why is it?

Could it be that there is a bigger, more spiritual reason that we are unaware of as to why we have this ability? Are we similar to God?

 

[Jesus_Lives]

I’ve been thinking lately about mans relationship with the material world and what we’re supposed to be doing here during this life. I think that people are basically souls or spirits, made in the image of God’s Holy Spirit, but like Jesus, we have been delivered here to this material world giving us the ability to manipulate and “animate” matter. Our bodies themselves are animated matter. We tend to manipulate every aspect of matter we possibly can. From metals to bacteria to whatever. It’s just what we do.

So why is it?

Could it be that there is a bigger, more spiritual reason that we are unaware of as to why we have this ability? Are we similar to God?

I believe that our programming dictates that we must search for a better place, and to discover our creator. Thus we manipulate and learn, and reach to heaven where God the father is thought to reside…

If you stop on the highway to untangle a bird caught in some fishing line, then set it free to resume it’s life, are you similar to God? or is this exactly what God would do? This is the answer.

 

[Landon_Caeli]

If you stop on the highway to untangle a bird caught in some fishing line, then set it free to resume it’s life, are you similar to God? or is this exactly what God would do? This is the answer.

Interesting.

People manipulate matter for the good of God and his creation as well as the souls of others and our own.

 

[St_Francis]

I’ve been thinking lately about mans relationship with the material world and what we’re supposed to be doing here during this life. I think that people are basically souls or spirits, made in the image of God’s Holy Spirit, but like Jesus, we have been delivered here to this material world giving us the ability to manipulate and “animate” matter. Our bodies themselves are animated matter. We tend to manipulate every aspect of matter we possibly can. From metals to bacteria to whatever. It’s just what we do.

So why is it?

Could it be that there is a bigger, more spiritual reason that we are unaware of as to why we have this ability? Are we similar to God?

People are not “basically souls or spirits.” We are *both *spirit and material–both united is what our nature is.

 

[Landon_Caeli]

People are not “basically souls or spirits.” We are *both *spirit and material–both united is what our nature is.

But I believe that I am a soul first and foremost. I believe that God infused me with matter and that is why I am currently a person -capable of manipulating the matter that is my body.

If this were not true, then how did God know us before we were born as the bible states in Jeremiah 1:5?
Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you"
openbible.info/topics/god_knew_us_before_we_were_born

 

[Landon_Caeli]

Also, when this material body expires, my soul abandons it and continues to exist elsewhere. Right?

 

[Aloysium]

But I believe that I am a soul first and foremost. I believe that God infused me with matter and that is why I am currently a person -capable of manipulating the matter that is my body. . . .

So what we have is this “I” who is capable of believing and conceiving of itself as being a soul.
I am not sure what being “infused” with matter means;
it gives a sense that matter would foreign to who one is, although as you say, it is what makes one a person.
That to me is primary, being a person.
The material-spiritual being is a unity, who we are meant to be.
We were not created to die; it is sin that brought to us this state of affairs.
I don’t manipulate matter. The soul is not a material force which propels the body in the physical world.
Being one body-and-soul, I move myself. Mind and brain are one, seen through different intellectual lenses.
We need somewhere to meet, and that is the physical universe which has time and space at its foundations.
When we die, we enter into an unnatural state, albeit hopefully in the presence of God.
We will be resurrected at the end of time, again as one body-and-spirit.

 

[mikekle]

If you stop on the highway to untangle a bird caught in some fishing line, then set it free to resume it’s life, are you similar to God? or is this exactly what God would do? This is the answer.

Well, if you think about it, if there was a bird tangled in something and could not get free, and no human came by to free it, God would most likely not intervene and the bird would just eventually die.

 

[Landon_Caeli]

So what we have is this “I” who is capable of believing and conceiving of itself as being a soul.
I am not sure what being “infused” with matter means;
it gives a sense that matter would foreign to who one is, although as you say, it is what makes one a person.
That to me is primary, being a person.
The material-spiritual being is a unity, who we are meant to be.
We were not created to die; it is sin that brought to us this state of affairs.
I don’t manipulate matter. The soul is not a material force which propels the body in the physical world.
Being one body-and-soul, I move myself. Mind and brain are one, seen through different intellectual lenses.
We need somewhere to meet, and that is the physical universe which has time and space at its foundations.
When we die, we enter into an unnatural state, albeit hopefully in the presence of God.
We will be resurrected at the end of time, again as one body-and-spirit.

If all people are of equal value and loved equally by God, and we should be charitable both materially and spiritually, then I should focus on my health and treat my body as well as I do my soul and the body and soul of others -because we are to love our neighbor as ourselves.

So working out and maintaining a good diet for a healthy and sound body is just as important as going to confession and receiving the Sacraments?

 

[Landon_Caeli]

Also then we should be encouraging other Catholics to workout and eat properly as equal to recieving confession since the body and soul are unified “spiritual-material beings”?

 

[Aloysium]

If all people are of equal value and loved equally by God, and we should be charitable both materially and spiritually, then I should focus on my health and treat my body as well as I do my soul and the body and soul of others -because we are to love our neighbor as ourselves.

So working out and maintaining a good diet for a healthy and sound body is just as important as going to confession and receiving the Sacraments?

I don’t understand what you are getting at with the “as important”.

Eating well and getting exercise is important for one’s health.
To not do so might be a form of self-abuse.
It also lessens one’s capacity to be of service to others, and thus it might be seen as being uncharitable not to care for oneself.

There is a time and a place for everything.

The good Samaritan tended to his neighbours injuries and physical needs. In such an encounter, I would think it not appropriate to bring the person to a church for the sacraments, although in other circumstances, it might be very reasonable.

This body and its presence in this world is temporary. One must tend to what is eternal - our human soul. In this respect, it might be said that it is better to tend to one’s spiritual needs. For example, it is of supreme importance to love, even to the point of giving up one’s life for another.

To your question, I would reply “no”.

 

[Landon_Caeli]

I think Thomas Aquinas’ may have mentioned something about there being 3 parts. The mind, body and spirit.

There are some good PDF’s on the internet that I have a hard time linking to for some reason. But I wouldnt trust anyones ‘interpretation’ of what Aquinas actually said, I’d go straight to his works. There’s a lot of bias out there.

 

[Aloysium]

I think Thomas Aquinas’ may have mentioned something about there being 3 parts. The mind, body and spirit.

There are some good PDF’s on the internet that I have a hard time linking to for some reason. But I wouldnt trust anyones ‘interpretation’ of what Aquinas actually said, I’d go straight to his works. There’s a lot of bias out there.

No point just thinking about what might be, I concur, go straight to the source.
Some of the greatest minds are out there available to share their thoughts.
If you want to know what another random internet idiot thinks, I am at your service.

 

[Landon_Caeli]

No point just thinking about what might be, I concur, go straight to the source.
Some of the greatest minds are out there available to share their thoughts.
If you want to know what another random internet idiot thinks, I am at your service.

I’m just trying to explore and expand my understanding too.

Life is a learning process, it has been since the time we were born.

But I promise you, my conscience is completely Catholic informed. I have no point other than just exploring and trying to learn.

 

[Landon_Caeli]

What I love about Aquinas was that he laid out fresh ideas and used Scripture to back it up. He used common sense, philosophy, and was able to capture the ‘big picture’ in a really ‘Catholic-avant-garde’ kind of way.

I’d like to rekindle that Spirit here on Catholic answers.

…Ive spent the last few days here in Oakland/Alameda visiting the new Cathedral and going on nature hikes and I really feel the Holy Spirit now more than ever. I’m refreshed! My responsibilities are closing in fast on me though, and I know this special gift has a time limit, but I feel like I’m exploding with Grace right now. My intentions are good.

Next week I’ll probably say: what the heck I was thinking, when I wrote this.

 

[Bahman]

I’ve been thinking lately about mans relationship with the material world and what we’re supposed to be doing here during this life. I think that people are basically souls or spirits, made in the image of God’s Holy Spirit, but like Jesus, we have been delivered here to this material world giving us the ability to manipulate and “animate” matter. Our bodies themselves are animated matter. We tend to manipulate every aspect of matter we possibly can. From metals to bacteria to whatever. It’s just what we do.

So why is it?

Could it be that there is a bigger, more spiritual reason that we are unaware of as to why we have this ability? Are we similar to God?

I think the most important fact is that we have creativity power which makes us similar to God if there is any. Why we should need God if we as conscious beings having the creativity power meaning that we can have the ability to abstract things and affect our environments.

 

[ynotzap]

Materialism; When the term is used it means that humans spend a lot of time involved with the things of the material world, worldliness to the exclusion, or near exclusion of the most important things of the spirit. We spend much time in the pleasures, and distractions that material things can give, eg. riches, luxury, sensuality, the pleasures of the senses, obsessions with physical health, etc. All of this, to the poverty of our spirit ( our spiritual soul) we neglect our spiritual riches, spiritual pleasures, and our spiritual health. It is known that we are created for God, who is Pure Spirit, and the Creator of the Material World. We are to be good stewards of this world. Material things are temporal, spiritual things are eternal, endure. We are to use material things for good, eg. feed the hungry, cloth the naked, give shelter to the homeless etc. By doing these things we grow in spiritual virtue becoming more like God. We are embodied spirits, and this truth gets lost in one who is greatly involved with material things. the spiritual part of man is the noblist part of man, God-like.

 

[Landon_Caeli]

Materialism; When the term is used it means that humans spend a lot of time involved with the things of the material world, worldliness to the exclusion, or near exclusion of the most important things of the spirit. We spend much time in the pleasures, and distractions that material things can give, eg. riches, luxury, sensuality, the pleasures of the senses, obsessions with physical health, etc. All of this, to the poverty of our spirit ( our spiritual soul) we neglect our spiritual riches, spiritual pleasures, and our spiritual health. It is known that we are created for God, who is Pure Spirit, and the Creator of the Material World. We are to be good stewards of this world. Material things are temporal, spiritual things are eternal, endure. We are to use material things for good, eg. feed the hungry, cloth the naked, give shelter to the homeless etc. By doing these things we grow in spiritual virtue becoming more like God. We are embodied spirits, and this truth gets lost in one who is greatly involved with material things. the spiritual part of man is the noblist part of man, God-like.

There is an alternate way to view materialism that I’ve stumbled upon recently. If we view our bodies as ‘material’ and our posessions as material, then we can say that these things are all related. Our skin is literally stardust just like the plastic and sand that make up our computer screens and hard drives. But our ability to communicate with each other by manipulating these materials is different.

But why do I feel good when I eat vegetables, balance my budget, and buy a new laptop? Because we are destined to manipulate matter? Therefore we should be careful before dismissing the worldly material goods as mere distractions…

I admit eating vegetables feels similarly pleasant to recieving communion. Caring for the environment also feels good. So shouldn’t opening an expensive clothing store or a high end furniture outlet or an expensive electronics store also feel good ? Yet that’s materialism…

 

[Landon_Caeli]

I think the most important fact is that we have creativity power which makes us similar to God if there is any. Why we should need God if we as conscious beings having the creativity power meaning that we can have the ability to abstract things and affect our environments.

I think humanity has not yet developed the knowledge on why we manipulate matter or why we can make complex things such as the devices you and I are currently using to communicate. We know these abilities have progressed greatly over time, which means we can see God communicating to us by what He allows and what he prevents. So if it occurs, it is destined.

We should search for the purpose of it all.

 

[Landon_Caeli]

Is our ability to manipulate matter a direct result of our soul? Maybe getting to heaven isn’t the only goal -maybe it’s to create. Both here and there. Now and then.

When we post here, we create ideas. Communication is the tool being used.

Maybe by being charitable to our neighbors, and assisting those in need improves their ability to ‘create’.

So, Life = Creation