By Jean de Patmos, Inri Cristo’s disciple
Reading the Gospels, many times it is possible to presume that the study and the intellectualism are a very great obstacle to approach GOD, what INRI CRISTO has emphasized two thousand years ago by asserting: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs will be the kingdom of GOD” (Matthew c.5 v.3); “I thank you, FATHER, LORD of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants” (Matthew c.11 v.25).
In a superficial examination, it would be possible to conclude that those who study are finding their own misfortune and that GOD curses (only He would know why) the commonly called “intellectuals”. But the reality is amazingly different: most of times, the intellectual is who self-curses for denaturing the intelligence that GOD has given him with the pride, the arrogance, the prepotency, the vanity, the fantasy… originating from Satan, the prince of darkness spirits.
Otherwise, let us analyze: the intellectual generally considers that he is superior to the other common mortals because he was trained to solve any kind of problems and situations through reasoning. Proceeding by elimination, deduction, demonstration… from a series of possibilities, he finally comes to a conclusion that judges definitive… and irrefutable (otherwise it would make possible the existence of doubts regarding the quality of his intelligence!). This is the common behavior that, in general rule, gives positive results in the earthly realm (and I speak with experience for having learned from the teachers of the Sorbonne, in Paris).
In relation to GOD’s things, the procedure to be followed by intellectuals is very similar, but the result is very different. The intellectual, the most intelligent he may be, almost always forgets that the intelligence he thinks is his own, was the ALMIGHTY who granted him with, and the same intelligence is obviously nothing but a tiny part of the supreme intelligence coming from Him, the LORD of the Universe. And it is right here that the misfortune involves the learned: instead of recognizing with humility that GOD’s reasons and purposes are inaccessible to the human beings – except those for whom He considers relevant to reveal – the obstinate intellectual tries by all means to prove that he is always right. That means: because of his pride, despite of all his earthly limitations, he tries to be the owner of the truth in equality with GOD or even superior to Him! And the punishment is inherent to the sin: the gauge of intellectualism closes the doors of spirituality. GOD despises him, consequently he keeps turning around in circles inside this gauge and the narrow limits of his materialist reasoning, without any hope to access the spiritual world.
Did the intellectual not use the intelligence against himself, but in his own favor, he would understand that the humility – before the Supreme CREATOR or before His servant INRI CRISTO, when we have the opportunity to find him – is the key that, placing the mystical ideal and the faith above the intellectualism, would drive him again to the path that leads to GOD, as INRI CRISTO advised when he was called Jesus: “Whoever does not receive the kingdom of GOD as a little child, will never enter it” (Mark c.10 v.15); “Blessed are the pure hearts, for they shall see GOD” (Matthew c.5 v.8).
Intellectual? Intellectualism? (Part II)
Every ecclesiastic speech, in a general or particular approach, aims the relationship of the human beings with GOD. Under this view, it is necessary to observe the behavior of most so-called “intellectuals”, as they constitute a very typical category of people, starting from the middle to the higher-class, and whose level of study is not less than the high school. It must be observed that we have said “most of intellectuals”, as some of them escape from the general behavior of the majority, and are the exceptions that confirm the rule.
Firstly, let us see the opinion of dictionary Aurelio regarding the words “intellectual” and “intellectualism”. At the end we will explain the reason for the existence of an interrogation dot on the title soon after each one of these words:
– Intellectual (from the Latin intellectualle): one who has gifts of the spirit, of intelligence. Person who predominantly enjoys or has inclination for the things of spirit, of intelligence.
– Intellectualism: doctrine according to which all that exists is reducible to intellectual elements, or to ideas and relations between ideas, and that allows to justify the ultimate purposes of man through reason.
In a brief: the intellectual is a person endowed with determined intelligence, trained (and one could even say induced or conditioned) to think that everything that exists can be explained by the human reason… and mainly his one! The problem is on the fact of placing the human intelligence above everything, and this closes the channels of communication with GOD. It is not by chance that the most intellectualized countries are the least religious ones, and that the traitors of the divine cause – the proscribed roman church, the false religious men, etc. – seek for inspiration mainly in Paul, who was considered an intellectual. However, let us see the circumstances under another angle: nature, besides being integrant part of creation, is also the means by which GOD communicates with the humans. And even in this fact intellectualism is an obstacle.
For example: by seeing an orchid, just after the first instant of aesthetic emotion (oh, how beautiful is this flower!), the so-called intellectual announces: this is an orquidiacea, from the family of monocotyledon plants, order of micro-sperms, whose seeds can germinate only in association with determined fungus… etc. This is the brief scientific definition. However, for the intellectual (in a general rule, of course), it is not relevant the fact of who created the orchid, or that its beauty is a tiny reflex of the CREATOR’s perfection (things that the simple and humble people instinctively feel). He recognized the plant and qualified it according to his human concepts as he was trained to do, for him it is enough. In this sense we can say that the intellectual is narrow-minded, gauged, prisoner of the rationalism without access to the transcendental spirituality.
Behold the reason of his behavior when finds INRI CRISTO: instead of seeking the possibility of evolving by humbly hearing the Son of GOD’s teachings, he tries to show that he knows as much as INRI, or even more. And when he realizes that it is not possible, tries to prove by all means at his disposal that INRI is false, or a deceiver… It is enough that we remember who were his enemies two thousand years ago and who they are now…
For this reason, “blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven”. They are the ones who would not shine in intellectual debates. Nevertheless, as a compensation for not “deifying” the “human intelligence”, they are more easily in communication with the Supreme CREATOR, directly or through his emissary INRI CRISTO, who said two thousand years ago: “I am the way, the truth and the life. Nobody comes to the FATHER except through me” (John c.14 v.6). Only humility may clean the heart, obligatory condition to integrate the Kingdom of GOD (“Blessed are the pure hearts, for they shall see GOD” – Matthew c.5 v.8).
Behold the explanation about the interrogation dots following the words “intellectual” and “intellectualism”. It would mean that who does not surpass the human ordinary level of ratiocination makes bad use of his intelligence and for such reason cannot enjoy the title of “intellectual”. The “intellectualism”, which intends to value the reason, actually harms it for limiting it to the human dimensions, therefore “intellectualism” is an usurped qualification.
The procedure of ratiocination that the intellectual uses to achieve a conclusion that almost always considers definitive and irrefutable, also makes some people conclude by their own that GOD does not exist, like the Marxists, the atheists, etc. Some of them even say that GOD is dead; others, called “philosophers” and “theologians”, try to explain GOD (as if it were possible to explain Him, since GOD is ineffable, that means, inexplicable, indescribable, impossible to be explained!). He even refuses to let know His true name, because the fact of knowing someone’s name already exerts some power over this person. And so many were the ones trying to give a name for GOD!
When it is said that intellectualism makes the human being gauged, confined to the limits of his materialist ratiocination, let us remember the example of the house with doors and windows closed. When we say that GOD despises, it means the following: by no means GOD stops spreading light and spirituality upon everyone, however He will not beat at the door asking the sinner to accept His love! Each one has the free-will: who chose to remain in the darkness of ignorance, remains in the darkness and will further have to suffer the consequences! Only when he opens the doors and windows of his house, that means, only when he gets rid of the gauge imposed by the attributes of human meanness: pride, vanity, etc. he will then be able to enjoy the divine light and its benefits.
Finally, it is not the fact of cultivating the intelligence that determines someone will be or will not be received in the Kingdom of GOD. Actually, what really matters is a way of intelligently using intelligence until discovering that humility is the highest step of human achievement in the relation with GOD or with His emissary INRI CRISTO. Humility, and only it, allows the harmony between the CREATOR and His creation.
