What Denomination Are You? - Page 3

AletheiaRivers · 05-08-2006, 08:59 PM

I haven't been to any church or meeting since I left my former denomination. However, if I ever get off my butt on Sunday morning, I plan to attend a local Episcopalian congregation.

lunamoth · 05-08-2006, 09:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AletheiaRivers

I haven't been to any church or meeting since I left my former denomination. However, if I ever get off my butt on Sunday morning, I plan to attend a local Episcopalian congregation.

An aside Aletheia, I had to look up Aletheia to learn that it is Greek for Truth. What does the 'Rivers' part of your screename mean to you?

cheers,
luna

AletheiaRivers · 05-08-2006, 10:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lunamoth

An aside Aletheia, I had to look up Aletheia to learn that it is Greek for Truth. What does the 'Rivers' part of your screename mean to you?

cheers,
luna

I first came across the idea of A-Lethe-ia a few years ago in Parabola magazine. The author of the article (and one of my favorite writers) Thomas Moore explained the myth of the River Lethe, which humankind had to drink from after death so that he/she would forget the previous life, and then drink again from before rebirth, in order to forget having been in God's presence, etc ...

A-Lethe-ia is the opposite of drinking of Lethe. It means Uncovering the Truth (or remembering or something of that flavor). I simply added on "Rivers" because Lethe is a river (and because there are actually quite a few Aletheias out there, and I wanted to differentiate myself).

AletheiaRivers · 05-08-2006, 10:25 PM

Ok wait, I didn't explain it quite right. Here is a blurb from the article. Unfortunately, the entire article is not available online, and I no longer have the magazine.

"Lethe is the river of forgetfulness that everyone must cross to reach the Underworld. Therefore, a-lethe-ia, no Lethe, is unforgetting. By crossing the river and forgetting, you can be rinsed of all ideas and concerns of this world and then remember the mysterious truths of the otherworld. Almost like a shaman, the real artist, the master of truth, makes this journey and recalls the deep and hidden nature of things, helping to give order to the world and meaning to our lives." - Parabola Magazine

Another site says - "For truth is originally a-le-theia, where lethe means hiddenness and the alpha privative suggests privation, like the removal of a veil of darkness."

Jeannot · 05-08-2006, 11:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AletheiaRivers

Ok wait, I didn't explain it quite right. Here is a blurb from the article. Unfortunately, the entire article is not available online, and I no longer have the magazine.

"Lethe is the river of forgetfulness that everyone must cross to reach the Underworld. Therefore, a-lethe-ia, no Lethe, is unforgetting. By crossing the river and forgetting, you can be rinsed of all ideas and concerns of this world and then remember the mysterious truths of the otherworld. Almost like a shaman, the real artist, the master of truth, makes this journey and recalls the deep and hidden nature of things, helping to give order to the world and meaning to our lives." - Parabola Magazine

Another site says - "For truth is originally a-le-theia, where lethe means hiddenness and the alpha privative suggests privation, like the removal of a veil of darkness."

I know I posted this before, but it seems appropriate to a-Letheia.

It's from Wm Brodrick's THE SIXTH LAMENTATION. In a discussion between a Jew, Solomon Lachaise, and a monk, Anselm. Lachaise says,

"'When I was a boy, my mother used to say that hell was the painless place where everything has been forgotten.'

'That doesn't sound so bad.'

'It couldn't be worse.'

'Why?'

'Because there's no love. That's why there's no pain.'

'Then what's heaven?'

'An inferno where you burn, remembering all that should be remembered.'"

lunamoth · 05-08-2006, 11:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AletheiaRivers

Ok wait, I didn't explain it quite right. Here is a blurb from the article. Unfortunately, the entire article is not available online, and I no longer have the magazine.

"Lethe is the river of forgetfulness that everyone must cross to reach the Underworld. Therefore, a-lethe-ia, no Lethe, is unforgetting. By crossing the river and forgetting, you can be rinsed of all ideas and concerns of this world and then remember the mysterious truths of the otherworld. Almost like a shaman, the real artist, the master of truth, makes this journey and recalls the deep and hidden nature of things, helping to give order to the world and meaning to our lives." - Parabola Magazine

Another site says - "For truth is originally a-le-theia, where lethe means hiddenness and the alpha privative suggests privation, like the removal of a veil of darkness."

Hi AletheiaRivers, Thank you for the explanation.

I like your name then, Truth Rivers. The symbol of a river has a deep meditative resonance with me. When I am praying I often get the vision of floating on a river, so I guess God is my 'River of Being,' more than my Ground of Being.

I also like that line from Isaiah, something along the lines of "let My justice roll on like a river."

peace,
luna

AletheiaRivers · 05-09-2006, 12:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeannot

"'When I was a boy, my mother used to say that hell was the painless place where everything has been forgotten.'

'That doesn't sound so bad.'

'It couldn't be worse.'

'Why?'

'Because there's no love. That's why there's no pain.'

'Then what's heaven?'

'An inferno where you burn, remembering all that should be remembered.'"

You know John, when you posted that on Tweb, I didn't connect it with Aletheia.

I don't know what I was thinking that day, but it makes so much more sense now, and I love it! Heaven is an inferno where you burn, remembering all that should be remembered. And so yes, in reference to another comment you made, one might view a common understanding of enlightenment as Hell.

AletheiaRivers · 05-09-2006, 12:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lunamoth

Hi AletheiaRivers, Thank you for the explanation.

I like your name then, Truth Rivers. The symbol of a river has a deep meditative resonance with me. When I am praying I often get the vision of floating on a river, so I guess God is my 'River of Being,' more than my Ground of Being.

I also like that line from Isaiah, something along the lines of "let My justice roll on like a river."

peace,
luna

You are welcome Luna. You can call me AR, or Allie (John does), or Aletheia. No need to type the whole thing out.

I like the symbolism of God being a River of Being rather than a Ground of Being.

Jeannot · 05-09-2006, 12:51 AM

(In answer to your post to me)

Maybe that's why Dante makes an ice lake the center of Hell.

AletheiaRivers · 05-09-2006, 12:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeannot

(In answer to your post to me)

Maybe that's why Dante makes an ice lake the center of Hell.

The Teaching Company has a lecture series on Dante that I keep meaning to order. I think it covers both The Divine Comedy and Inferno.

And

I deleted the comment about the glacier in my response to Luna cause it seemed a little out of place, what with the inferno and ice lake and all.

Jeannot · 05-09-2006, 12:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AletheiaRivers

The Teaching Company has a lecture series on Dante that I keep meaning to order. I think it covers both The Divine Comedy and Inferno.

And

I deleted the comment about the glacier in my response to Luna cause it seemed a little out of place, what with the inferno and ice lake and all.

Awww, you didn't have to do that!

AletheiaRivers · 05-09-2006, 01:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeannot

Awww, you didn't have to do that!

It was very strange, cross posting like that. I post my comment to Luna and then see your comment about the ice lake. I KNEW you were talking to me, but I thought "That just looks off." No big deal. I'll have to dig up Yancey's quote later and post it in context.

(This all sounds very mysterious doesn't it?)

lunamoth · 05-09-2006, 05:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AletheiaRivers

You are welcome Luna. You can call me AR, or Allie (John does), or Aletheia. No need to type the whole thing out.

I like the symbolism of God being a River of Being rather than a Ground of Being.

OK Allie, thank you.

But I have no idea what you and John are talking about above. I take it you both came over from another forum? Also, I like your new Dory avatar. I can be a lot like Dory at times, and I can also speak whale.

luna

lunamoth · 05-09-2006, 06:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AletheiaRivers

It was very strange, cross posting like that. I post my comment to Luna and then see your comment about the ice lake. I KNEW you were talking to me, but I thought "That just looks off." No big deal. I'll have to dig up Yancey's quote later and post it in context.

(This all sounds very mysterious doesn't it?)

Almost forgot. I'd like to encourage you and John and any other new members (and longtime members who have not done so yet) to say hello in the Introductions board. here

luna

AletheiaRivers · 05-09-2006, 02:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lunamoth

OK Allie, thank you.

But I have no idea what you and John are talking about above. I take it you both came over from another forum? Also, I like your new Dory avatar. I can be a lot like Dory at times, and I can also speak whale.

luna

Dory is my HERO! And I speak whale too. My husbands tummy is rather fluent as well.

I notice your location is in The Rockies. Mine too. The Mormon side. How about you?