“This is why guilt goes on demented moralistic crusades. This is why we want to save polar bears that didn’t need saving, this is why we want to make the world safe for democracy, this is why we build bloody empires, this is why we call the practice of dismembering babies ‘women’s reproductive health’ and why sanctified sodomy is rapidly assuming the status of a civic sacrament. Guilt must be declared righteous; guilt must attain to glory. But apart from repentance and faith in Jesus, the only way to get there is by means of a moralistic and very public frenzy. In order to keep that frenzy from being identified for what it is, thus wrecking the glory party, it is also necessary to club any dissenters.”
Anemic Sin
“Sin is not seeking after glory, but rather falling short of it.”
Deep Difference
“Now God’s intention for the company of believers is not to have this spirit of accusation imported into the church, only with the addition of theological and orthodox adjectives to liven up the accusations. We are called to do something completely different, not to do the same thing decorated differently.”
From or To
“But there are only two possible bases of justification—one is the blood of Christ which frees us from accusation, and the other is relative superiority to somebody else, which only and always binds us to accusation.”
The Devil’s Checkpoints
“Our baggage really is filled with unholy things, and the locks we have placed on that baggage—guilty, shame, fear—do not keep us from remembering what is in there. This is why the devil has so much fun with us at all his security checkpoints Standing in line there, we find ourselves swallowing a lot and our left eye is starting to twitch.”
All the Condemnation in the World, p. 7
That Devil, Accusation
“This spirit of accusation, this devil, has a good cop/bad cop routine. The indulgent cop, the one who seems so nice, invites you to smoke this, sleep with her, take that , strive for the other, and to help yourself to this, which was just sitting there. We chase after honors, orgasms, riches, and all their accoutrements. The world is filled with shiny baubles, and we are positively enticed to fondle them all. Having done so, like so many monkeys offered some free nuts, we hear the shutter click of all the hidden cameras, and that information about what we have done goes into our file.”
All the Condemnation in the World, p. 5
And Get a Job
[Concerning 2 Therss. 3:6-8] “So what is the apostolic tradition? Work hard. Show up on time. Don’t call in sick when you aren’t. Don’t be a malingerer. In short, the apostolic tradition is not esoteric at all. Change your oil every three thousand miles. Rotate your tires.”
Mines of Difficulty, p. 81
One for the Other
“When we surrender the glory of man, He invites us up into the glory of God.”
Mines of Difficulty, p. 82
Spiritual AIDS
“A church that does not practice church discipline is a church with an immune system collapse.”
Mines of Difficulty, p. 89
What You Always Loved
“Damnation is a function of loving a lie, preeminently the lies you tell yourself. Self-deception is the prince of all deceptions. The wrath of God is seen in this, when God gives people over to what they have loved all along.”
Mines of Difficulty, pp. 78-79