canonism CANONISM AND CAUSALITY IN THE WORLD; Aspects by which We differ

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CANONISM AND CAUSALITY IN THE WORLD

Aspects by which We differ

 

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Written by Father Witmar Barclay

 

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I. PROLOGUE

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One of the fundamental principles that distinguishes our Canonist faith from all philosophical aspects, as well as from the teachings of certain non-Canonist denominations, is the concept of causality. Those outside the Canonist Church, some even within it, often label our faith as a schism and our church as one of mystics. This is why non-Canonist philosophers reproach us, and non-believers ridicule us. However, we do not consider ourselves mystics. Our learned theologians do not even engage with this issue. Thus, we neither identify as mystics nor entertain such claims, instead choosing to wisely remain silent and invite those who label us as such to precisely define the term “mysticism.”

 

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II. MYSTICISM

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What do they say about our mysticism so far? For non-Canonist philosophers, it is a kind of emphasis or simply a passive “immersion” in divine contemplation. Contemporaries from neighboring regions and other countries call our religion mysticism, equating it with superstition. We choose not to respond to either perspective but instead reject both theories of our so-called mysticism as untrue. Contemplation is, indeed, an integral part of our spiritual life, but not in the form of quietism or as a universally obligatory practice. Within our Holy Mother Church, among the great saints, there are not only those who practiced contemplation through asceticism in quiet solitude but also numerous warriors, benefactors, missionaries, holy writers, painters, and many others who dedicated their lives to God.

They have the least right to label our religion as such, for they deny the existence of God, the Creator, and all rational spirits. In doing so, they have become representatives of a senseless and fatalistic superstition, the likes of which have existed only once in the history of humankind. However, if those who speak of our mysticism are unable to provide a true definition of the term, we are obliged to explore it and illuminate it from our perspective. Our religious mysticism contains nothing nebulous, unclear, obscure, or mystified. Our teaching on causality is both clear and rationally grounded. If we were to call this teaching an “invention,” we would more appropriately name it personalism.

Here and there, people speak of causes. This or that happens as a result of something else, and so on. If a stone falls and crushes a child, people say the stone is the cause of the event. If a storm knocks down a house, they attribute the cause to the storm. If a sown field produces a bountiful harvest, it is explained as the result of wisely organized labor, favorable weather conditions, and so forth. In other words, the most immediate preceding thing, case, fact, or event is seen as the cause of the most immediate subsequent thing, case, fact, or event.

This is merely a superficial and short-sighted understanding of causality. We are not surprised when such superficiality is found among unenlightened individuals, especially the perpetually busy inhabitants of large tribes, who lack the opportunity for higher, calm, and profound reasoning. However, we are surprised when such an understanding emerges among philosophically inclined and learned individuals, such as materialists, naturalists, and even deists. While we consider their theory of causality naive and fatalistic, they, in turn, label us as mystics.

 

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III. PROGENITORS

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Our God exists – that is a blow to atheists.

Our God is active – that is a blow to the rest.

Yes, God is the activity itself. He does not merely intervene occasionally in the lives of nations or individuals but remains constantly and continuously active, preserving and enlivening His creation. He is not distant from any of us and “knows even the thoughts of man.” God takes an active role in human actions: He grants or withholds good fruits, approves or warns, brings peace to the faithful, and calls for war against the worshipers of Ibless. He governs all the elements—fire and water, hail and storm—for the benefit of the oppressed righteous or the punishment of the ungodly. He refers to locusts, caterpillars, and worms as “His army” and commands them to destroy and devour the food of sinners. He holds the power to destroy the soul within the body. He knows the number of hairs on our heads, and without His will and command, not even a single sparrow can fall from a branch.

The second causal factor, the adversary of God, is Ibless and his many fallen spirits. He is the primary culprit and source of all evil. Once like wax, he fell from the heights of glory into the deep darkness of the Void. Since then, he has relentlessly sown evil and sin into God’s creations, particularly humanity. Envious of both God and man, he loves neither. Only with divine permission can he afflict people with disease, misfortune, death, and destruction. The more a person or nation sins against God, the greater the power Ibless holds over them.

The third causal factor, as witnessed in our world, is man. What man truly is—you theologians understand better than most. Despite his shortcomings, which he often acknowledges, man holds immense value in the eyes of God. So great is this value that Horen sacrificed himself for it, and Ibless fought—and continues to fight—desperately over it. Torn between God and Ibless, man, strengthened by God yet deceived and tormented by Ibless, stumbles through life. Though he feels drawn to the material world, clinging to life and fleeting happiness during his brief existence on earth, man remains a powerful being. Despite his smallness in the vastness of creation, he wields the capacity to reshape and transform existence through his actions.

By following God, man becomes good; by following Ibless, he becomes evil. From the very beginning, man has stood as an active force in the world—aligned either with God or with God’s adversary—and remains one of the three primary causes of all events and changes on the world stage. Everything that occurs happens either by God’s permission, through the evil will of Ibless, or by the will of man, who holds the freedom to choose between good and evil, justice and injustice.

 

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IV. CONCLUSION

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Our Scrolls neither acknowledge nor mention any impersonal or blind accidental causes behind the happenings in the world. On the contrary, they teach us that the causes of all things, events, and changes are rooted in higher, personal beings and intelligent forces. We firmly adhere to this teaching of our Holy Scrolls. Therefore, let us make no concessions to secular or scientific theories that propose impersonal, unknowable, unreasonable, or accidental laws of causality. When I say “we,” I refer not only to the great Fathers of the Church, learned theologians, and teachers, but also to the masses of our Canonist faithful across the world.

Our Canonist world does not attribute events to mere physical causes, such as a wolf killing a sheep, a falling stone crushing a child, a storm collapsing a house, or good weather yielding a bountiful harvest. Instead, we look beyond the veil of the physical world into the spiritual realm, where we find the root causes of these phenomena. We say: “God punished someone,” “God blessed us with a good harvest,” or “Thanks to God, I succeeded,” and so on. In the realm of physical phenomena, we consistently recognize personal causes.

Our apparent mysticism is, at its core, the profound dive into the spiritual reality, discerning the intelligent forces that actively participate in and shape all events. These forces wield natural phenomena and elements as their tools, instruments, channels, symbols, and signs.

All that has been said brings us to the following conclusion: First, Canonism is not merely a religion of principles, rules, and regulations rooted in ancient events. Above all, it is a tender, loving relationship with the person of our Lord, and through Him and in Him, with the other members of the Church, both living and deceased. Second, our Canonist understanding of causality in nature and world history is, without question, an honest teaching. It was fully received, nurtured, and developed by the Fathers of the Church and has been preserved—and continues to be preserved—as sacred knowledge within the Canonist community.

Followers of impersonal causalism, on the other hand, lack these profound and positive influences. They are deprived of the power and means to truly know the truth.

[____Spectral____ 168]

Norido would spontaneously stumble across said missive whilst traveling the canonist lands, he'd take a glance at said missive before turning his head to ride on-wards exclaiming "Bleh, more canonist talking points most likely. Maybe when they stop sacrificing and murdering innocent families and children, they'll come to their senses and realize that they're actually the villians."

[Irishmanmichael 504]

Manfred von Berkhoven read the massive carefully and inspected its meaning before declaring “Got mit uns.” To himself as he started walking away.

[Borin 7645]

Father Matteo piously throttles more heretic elves and their children to death in the name of GOD