Comments on: Nineveh was a great city before God, of about a three-day journey http://bloggingsbetter.wordpress.com/2007/11/26/nineveh-was-a-great-city-before-god-of-about-a-three-day-journey/ Mainly Orthodox, along with philosophical and literary classics Wed, 11 Nov 2009 04:51:51 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: George http://bloggingsbetter.wordpress.com/2007/11/26/nineveh-was-a-great-city-before-god-of-about-a-three-day-journey/#comment-2895 George Tue, 27 Nov 2007 03:07:33 +0000 http://bloggingsbetter.wordpress.com/2007/11/26/nineveh-was-a-great-city-before-god-of-about-a-three-day-journey/#comment-2895 I take it that St. Maximus sees Natural Law as leading to civility, or a way for men to live together peacefully - it might not be about selfishness, but at the end of the day, it's about self preservation. I knew an atheist years ago who argued that the existence of a common morality across cultures does not prove the existence of God - he maintained that the phenomenon is just a manifestation of natural law, whereby the best way for me to ensure my survival is to work also for your survival - has nothing to do with love. Spiritual Law transcends natural law in that it will eventually, through a training process, lead to love for others - it affects the will, and creates spiritual desire, as opposed to just getting along. And of course the law of Grace is entirely transcendent as it involves deification. I take it that St. Maximus sees Natural Law as leading to civility, or a way for men to live together peacefully – it might not be about selfishness, but at the end of the day, it’s about self preservation. I knew an atheist years ago who argued that the existence of a common morality across cultures does not prove the existence of God – he maintained that the phenomenon is just a manifestation of natural law, whereby the best way for me to ensure my survival is to work also for your survival – has nothing to do with love.

Spiritual Law transcends natural law in that it will eventually, through a training process, lead to love for others – it affects the will, and creates spiritual desire, as opposed to just getting along.

And of course the law of Grace is entirely transcendent as it involves deification.

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