Encyclopedia of sacred theology - pagina 139

Chap. II]

§ 44.

And

serpent does not die.

new

TRUTH

115

Proteus-like, the false and untrue

form, and the battle of

life and death between truth and falsehood begins anew. Obviously, therefore, the lie is no mistake, nor a temporary dominating untruth, but a power, which affects injuriously the consciousness of man, and not merely puts into his hands phantasy for reality, and fiction for history, but intentionally brings into our mind a representation of existing things which proscribes reality, with the avowed aim of estranging us "*^ from it.

reappear in a

i

i

In this condition of affairs a holy interest this struggle for

correction

the

neither does

but

truth.

tlie

of

at stake in

This conflict does not aim at

simple mistakes in the representation,

combat prejudice, nor

it

is

rectify inaccuracies

arrays itself against a power, which ever in a

it

;

new form

human consciousness in that which is false, makes us servants to falsehood, and blinds us to reality. Thus the saying of Christ, " I am the truth," has a deep since he alone possessed such spiritual power significance of resistance that he was able to withdraw himself absolutely from the dominion of the false. The word "lie" itentangles our

;

confirms this interpretation.

self

word band the

;

lie

In our daily

almost never used in circles where the

is

life this evil lie is

contra-

while on the other hand, in circles which, alas, admit as a

common weapon

true or untrue epithet of "

is

you

of defence, the contention for

constantly in order with the reproachful

lie."

If

you think

of life in heaven,

you

perceive at once that every effort to establish truth falls

Who

away.

would enter the arena

place where the

lie is

not conceivable?

in behalf of truth, in a

Neither can truth have

had a place among the conceptions which were

common sin

to

man

in the state of his innocence.

had not entered the

to defend ence.

In

tive of the

what marks the that

original!}^

As long

as

no impulse truth against the lie which had as yet no existentire accordance with this the Scriptural narrafall presents Satan as the first to whisper the lie, God had said was not true, and that moment beginning of the conflict for the truth. heart, there could be

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