OK 2b Luddite?

[pynchonoid]

I guess the point is, the belief that faith alone is
all it takes for salvation comes quite a bit before
Luther's time, in the history of the development of
Christian theology.  It must have been common in early
Christian times, as reflected in James 1:  if people
hadn't been believing something like that, there would
have been no need for the author of James 1 to tell
them that faith alone isn't enough, to teach that
faith *and* deeds are necessary. Whether  any
particular reader has faith in any of this as an
article of religious belief, that's another question. 
I don't see what's wrong with encouraging people to
help other people when they need help, no matter what
the source of that advice might be, religious or
otherwise.

Faith, deeds - and gnosis, direct knowledge of the
divine, as taught by Jesus and others (Buddha, Rumi,
etc.), as parodied in GR by a faith in the possibility
of escaping imperfect Earth and the trials of this
life into space,  through analysis and control, using
technological extensions of human capabilities. 
Pynchon plays with it all.


--- MalignD at aol.com wrote:

pynchonoid:
> > <<It seems to go back to the earliest Christian
> community, given the 
> > admonition in James 1:14-17
> > 
> > "What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you
> say you have faith but do 
> > not have works?>>

> This is really not at all relevant to what Luther
> means about grace.   
> Luther's point was that a lifetime of good work
> brings one no closer to God.   One 
> can't become worthy.   One is worthy even though one
> is not.   Grace is given.  
>  It's a mystery.
> 
> It's also all hogwash, but that's what Luther meant.
> 
> 
> 

=====
http://pynchonoid.org
"everything connects"


		
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