a post script to my previous post...
Nar: very good explanation of the "time perspective", only may i modify your explanation slightly. Catholics do not exactly believe that
Quote:
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The church does its best to make people feel at the service that the events of the New Testament are happening again, both then and now.
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It's more like the event that took place at a particular point in time is made present to us in this time...it doesn't happen again, it happens once and for ever, and is made present, not repeated. Splitting hairs, perhaps, but to me at least, it is significant enough. It does color your whole view of time...everything that was,in a way, still exists. It's just not present to us.
And on the subject of suffering being necessary for growth (at least certain types of growth)...and analogy comes to mind.
Iron ore in its raw form is basically useless. But torture the ore with fire and beat it with hammers, and it becomes Narsil, or Anduril. Without the fire and hammer, it would have remained only potential, and stayed useless.