/lit/ - Literature

>>17488625
I agree with your judgement of Anna's declining thoughts about her son, although Serezha does remain a powerful catalyst for her until the latter third of the novel. From the decision to follow her own passions ahead of her duty as a wife and mother, the novel slowly charts her descent into herself. The culmination of this is jealousy, which is shown in both Anna and Levin to be a destructive, internalising force. In the end Anna is so far gone she is simply living amongst her own delusions and paranoia and is essentially monomaniacal.

In terms of Dolly, you are right in your observation of her suffering, BUT bear in mind that Christianity - and Orthodox Christianity in particular - emphasises and exalts individual suffering and sacrifice. For Dolly to suffer while raising her children is not mutually exclusive from her satisfaction and higher purpose, at least in Tolstoy's eyes.

>>17488645
Kind of related to the above. Karenin suffers from society, but Tolstoy sees society as wicked, hypocritical and unjust. Would Karenin have been scorned as much by Levin, or Kitty, after her religious conversion? Pierre in W&P? As I mentioned, suffering is imbued with a special transformative power in Catholic and Orthodox traditions. Karenin willingly accepts the suffering and is in a sense exalted by it, however he throws it all away by confusing his genuine religious love at the birth with his loft personal character, and allows himself to be flattered and corrupted with Lydia Ivanovna, so the spark of true faith in him dies.

>>17051208
>Why must you hate music, anon?
I just disapprove of putting him on a pedestal where he (at least in my eyes) does not belong. He's amazing at what he does, but I would not call any of his work masterpieces. I did start playing guitar because of him. I did probably cry when I first heard Soothsayer for the first time back in 8th grade. But then again, I also did when I read the Little Prince.
>Nothing wrong with lots of content
I do think there is a problem there. Even apart from the inconvenience that so much output makes it more difficult to navigate the expansive library of content. Or that the listener tends to gravitate to the more accessible, more popular set of songs anyways. The main problem is that I just can't take it seriously. Of course, instrumental records may well omit the subtleties of language and thus the possibility of linguistic depth, but still, an album (I do consider Pikes albums) that took the guy like a week to arrange and record? I feel like I can't see that as high art, no matter how beautiful I may feel like they are, they fundamentally betray my concept of what a masterpiece is supposed to be. Through the Looking Garden was enjoyable, sure. But this same reason is the one I refuse to give Schubertfags a pass for. Quality shitposting, no matter how beautiful, is shitposting all the same. I must treat this issue as such otherwise my Jamie Joyce's efforts may have been for naught.

>>16954278
Bigger minds than mine have grappled with the question, anon. You'd be better served by turning to Augustine or Aquinas.

However, human evil seems an unfortunately necessary byproduct of free will. Natural evil is a bigger issue that I struggle with myself, but it's important to separate evil from suffering. Suffering itself isn't strictly good or bad, it simply is, existing as an unpleasant state which all experience to varying degrees. If temporal suffering helps someone attain salvation, was the suffering in vain? We must simply trust that suffering plays some inscrutable role in the plan of salvation that we will know someday, but don't right now.

The last thing I read on the topic was an article on JP2 views, which can be read here:

https://www.catholic.com/magazine/print-edition/a-popes-answer-to-the-problem-of-pain

I also recommend reading this excerpt from the Imitation of Christ, which illustrates how suffering may in fact be embraced and used for our salvation:

https://biblehub.com/library/kempis/the_imitation_of_christ/the_twelfth_chapter_the_royal.htm

And, lastly, a little bit on redemptive suffering, which is deep theology and spirituality and which may be inscrutable. Nonetheless, you may find it of some use:

http://www.religious-vocation.com/redemptive_suffering.html#.X8wTALenzN6

>>15749236
fine, roll

>>15647089
Intellectualism can indeed draw one to God, but a relationship with God cannot subsist purely through it. God is known through prayer and active love. A man who accepts God intellectually but lacks true faith will always fall next to a simple peasant who authentically loves God and shapes his life with his faith. Aquinas himself declared all his philosophy to be "straw" after a spiritual experience later in his life and never wrote another word. Note that I am not dismissing intellectualism, merely stating that authentic faith is more important, and that it can be received by God through grace in prayer.

>>15583325
> Transcendental argument
Here you are friend, pulled from Google and looks okay at first glance:

https://carm.org/atheism/transcendental-argument

As far as Aquinas, a Google search should fill you in. The state he reached is something found in contemplative prayer. In Catholic Theology, there are three 'levels' of prayer, which off the top of my head I believe are:
> Verbal (Lord, I am sorry for X, thank you for X, help me to grow in X virtue etc. The most common prayer.
> Meditative (Lectio Divina, Spiritual Exercises, meditations in Imitation of Christ and the other books I mentioned in previous post)
> Contemplative (simply gazing as God is the best way I can put it).

Generally mystical experiences happen in contemplative prayer. It is hard to pray contemplatively. People are quick to disparage prayer because most of what they see is superficial verbal prayer, which in many cases is hardly that, and is just 'I want this'. Prayer should be about making your will align with God's, not the other way around. But in any case, people will disparage prayer when there are Priests and Monks and Nuns, holy people and saints living today who spend whole lifetimes growing in prayer. Prayer is essential to attaining holiness and it's one of those things that nobody ever really wants to get round to doing, but when you do, and properly, you realise what it actually is.

>>15493165
Since a few people have expressed interest in the past when I posted, I'll try to make a recommendation chart this evening, and I'll post it here.

>>15360641
Eastern Rites are Catholic. Orthodox still have valid Sacraments, and are extremely close to the RCC, however their teaching on certain moral issues including abortion lead me to believe that they were on the wrong side of the Schism. I still hold out hope that the two may be reunited again someday.

A bad police officer does not spoil the value of law enforcement, just as a bad teacher does not devalue education, nor a bad politician democracy, nor a a bad priest the Truth of the Church.

I still deeply believe a police officer to be one of the noblest callings. Societal law finds its source in natural law, for the most part; which itself proceeds from God. Indeed, a good police officer is analogous to a good priest in their servitude to their fellow man, opposition to Evil and function as an agent of a higher moral power.