Encyclopedia of sacred theology - pagina 132

108 the

§ 43.

[Div. II

(4) A fourth evil resides in our In a normal condition the self-consciousness

results.

final

imagination.

would be

SCIENCE AND SIN

able at once accurately to indicate the boundar}'-

between what enters into our consciousness from the world without, and what is wrought in our consciousBut this boundary line is not ness by our imagination. only uncertain because of sin, but in strongly impassioned natures it is sometimes absolutely undiscoverable, so that phantasy and reality frequently pass into one another. The difficulty does not consist merely in the uncertainty or in the destruction of this boundary line; the imagination itself In one it works too weakly, is in an abnormal condition. line

real

in another retains

its

dominion

it

is

over-excited.

When

it

imperfect images, subjects of

images,

these

falsifies

is

over-excited,

thereby our self-con-

sciousness, so that the deliverance of our inner selves lost in this imagery.

it

our minds to the is

This imaginary world will then assert

dominion over us, and weaken the susceptibility in us knowledge of ourselves and of the cosmos. (5) Equally injurious are the influences which this abnormal element in the condition of other minds exerts uj3on us, since this evil, which by itself is already enough of a hindrance, is Not only are we subject to thereby given a coefficient. these influences from infancy, but our education frequently Lantends intentionally to give them domination over us. All kinds of guage also adds its contribution. untruths have entered into our every-day speech, and the names and words we use unconsciously mould our self-consciousness. The proverbs and common sayings (Schlagworter) which from our youth up we have adopted as a sort of axioms affect us no " Truth defends itself " is what the ancients less strongly. said, and theologians of the ethical color take up the refrain, but do not perceive that by this ver}^ thing our outlook upon history is blurred and our sense of duty weakened. Even in theological interests such an adage is bound to effect its its

for

fallacious influence, in causing the transcendence of

God

to

be lost to our sense in a mere pantheistic consideration.

Add

to

this

the

several

ideas

and current expressions

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