"Conventionality is not morality"

[Milla]

"Conventionality is not morality. Self-righteousness is not religion. To attack the first is not to assail the last. To pluck the mask from the face of the Pharisee, is not to lift an impious hand to the Crown of Thorns.

These things and deeds are diametrically opposed: they are as distinct as is vice from virtue. Men too often confound them: they should not be confounded: appearance should not be mistaken for truth; narrow human doctirnes, that only tend to elate and magnify a few, should not be substituted for the world-redeeming creed of Christ. There is - I repeat it - a difference; and it is good, and not a bad action to mark broadly and clearly the line of separation between them.

The world may not like to see these ideas dissevered, for it has been accustomed to blend them; finding it convenient to make external show pass for sterling worth - to let whitewashed walls vouce for clean shrines. It may hate him who dares to scrutinise and expose - to rase the gilding, and show base metal under it - to penetrate the scepulchure, and reveal charnel relics -: but hate as it will, it is indebted to him."

-Currer Bell, aka Charlotte Bronte, 1847

She aiming this toward literary critics, I think, but upon reading this, the first thing that popped into my mind was the passage's applicability to modern US politics. God bless what few muckrakers remain...

 

[tollytee]

Way heavy stuff, Milla. I am pondering it.

 

[Milla]

Way heavy stuff, Milla. I am pondering it.

Me too. The question is, I think, how to discern "whitewashed walls" from actual virtue.

 

[Vylo]

Neat. I especially like

The world may not like to see these ideas dissevered, for it has been accustomed to blend them; finding it convenient to make external show pass for sterling worth

 

[Maynard Keenan]

beautiful

 

[Milla]

beautiful

agreed. I wish I were as eloquent!

 

[tollytee]

Me too. The question is, I think, how to discern "whitewashed walls" from actual virtue.

Yes. But I wonder if it is not in our human nature to 'whitewash' our personal 'walls'. If not, 'embarrassment' would not be a natural human emotion. Our respective 'selfs' have strong, built-in, defense mechanisms which, IMO, produce our need to 'whitewash' in order that we might be seen by others, not as we actually are, but the 'sterling worth' we want others to recognize and praise. If anyone could ever truly overcome this automatic 'self' preservation trigger, they would be able to discern all truths and realities around them, without the ever present 'how does this make me appear' voice from deep in our subconscience. I know I will never attain such a level of selflessness.

 

[angela 2]

Milla,

I like your quote. Too often we forget that Christianity began as a counter-cultural movement. Too often we forget that as Christians we can be at most resident aliens.

 

[Verv]

I think that this would be pertinent if we could all shed our skin, shed our imperfections, and take up the bowl of rice and the orange, saffron robe and live as monks with nothing, but in eternal contemplation of the beauty and hte power of the Universe.

But I hate to break it to you, until that day we will be 'white-washing' our walls and trying to look less sinful.

At the end of the day, we are all imperfect and to live like Christ would be a task that we cannot shake a stick at, yet for whatever reason people have the belief that because we do not live identical to Christ we are gigantic hypocrits. I would like them to succeed in this large Charge.

Many of us do our bests, and our best falls short -- I will heed this argument more carefully when it comes from the mouth of a Saint.