Nigel Nunn wrote: If we think of piety being connected with (A) private moral expectations, (B) prevailing social assumptions, and (C) intuitive insight into judicial form of the cosmic discrimination, then “piety” becomes a curious tool in the old workshop.
This reminds me of the difference between righteousness and self-righteousness. There must be sincere piety and false piety. I would think false piety and self-righteousness are in the same family. But are they from an over developed conscience or a misguided conscience? Or both?
In regards to the workshop, righteousness and piety come from a desire to do good which begins at the adjutant level of thinking. Self-righteousness and false piety, I’m guessing, never make it up to soul level thinking through spiritual insight. The spirit of worship is what gets the mind thinking about right and wrong, but it’s up to the personality to look both to outer human laws which dictate right and wrong behavior and inner divine laws which urge the personality to opt for the one that brings it closer to the highest form of the golden rule, spiritual love, the more Godlike option.
5:5.14 A human mind discerning right and wrong and possessing the capacity to worship God, in union with a divine Adjuster, is all that is required in that mortal to initiate and foster the production of his immortal soul of survival qualities if such a spirit-endowed individual seeks God and sincerely desires to become like him, honestly elects to do the will of the Father in heaven.
As a side note, there may be more curiouser things going on, as you say Nigel. We have run across a few people in the TUB community (actually more than a few) who are filled with self-righteousness because they believe they have gone all the way to the top and got the word directly from God himself . They go about preaching and establishing churches and causing all kinds of mischief. Is that due to an over developed conscience or self-delusion and egotism, or both? I don’t know, but I digress.
Following the letter of the law of the human moral code in regards to religion could certainly make one feel pious if all they are going by is a high human moral standard. And that high moral standard could be set by either religious or secular institutions. Which is why they mention the kingdom of good can fool people’s consciences into thinking it’s the kingdom of God. The kingdom of good is a human level of goodness, the kingdom of God is a divine level of goodness. And a divine level of goodness is unconscious, therefore the conscience is most likely bypassed, I would guess. How else would you insure that it be “void of offense”?
This is another reason why I think Zuimon, who claims the only way to be Godlike is to examine and embrace all your feelings, even the negative ones, is full of baloney. Self-examination is examination of the conscience. It is low level thinking which continues to bring up old offenses. How can you maintain a conscience void of offense if your spiritual life centers around human feelings? How can you clean your conscience of offense with the same dirty rag you used to fill it up? I don’t get it. But I digress again, sorry.
I don’t see anything wrong with following the highest human moral standards to keep your conscience from bothering you, but there is still a higher standard to be sought after, what is truly right. And that can only be found with sincerity and humility, like a child. So smug self-righteousness and false piety could never get you there, not in a million years.
p1207:7 110:5.1 Do not confuse and confound the mission and influence of the Adjuster with what is commonly called conscience; they are not directly related. Conscience is a human and purely psychic reaction. It is not to be despised, but it is hardly the voice of God to the soul, which indeed the Adjuster’s would be if such a voice could be heard. Conscience, rightly, admonishes you to do right; but the Adjuster, in addition, endeavors to tell you what truly is right; that is, when and as you are able to perceive the Monitor’s leading.
In regards to the cosmic insights contributing to a balanced personality, the judicial form of cosmic discrimination involves the recognition of right and wrong, a sixth adjutant function. But I believe philosophy is also supposed to involve the seventh, wisdom. Once the adjutant of wisdom is utilized, all the benefits of experience combine, and then the spirit of wisdom urges the mind to look even higher for solutions. At this point, the gateway to the soul can be opened, which would make it possible to utilize the worshipful form of discrimination to help discern what is truly right. Or, the person can be satisfied with the adjutant level and never try for anything higher. I think that is what they mean by stagnating due to cultural slavery.
101.7.4 The great difference between a religious and a nonreligious philosophy of living consists in the nature and level of recognized values and in the object of loyalties. There are four phases in the evolution of religious philosophy: Such an experience may become merely conformative, resigned to submission to tradition and authority. Or it may be satisfied with slight attainments, just enough to stabilize the daily living, and therefore becomes early arrested on such an adventitious level. Such mortals believe in letting well enough alone. A third group progress to the level of logical intellectuality but there stagnate in consequence of cultural slavery. It is indeed pitiful to behold giant intellects held so securely within the cruel grasp of cultural bondage. It is equally pathetic to observe those who trade their cultural bondage for the materialistic fetters of a science, falsely so called. The fourth level of philosophy attains freedom from all conventional and traditional handicaps and dares to think, act, and live honestly, loyally, fearlessly, and truthfully.
