n e w c h u r c h l i f e : j u ly / au g u s t 2 0 1 4
Charity is a spiritual state; it means regeneration, and in fact it is a celestial
state. So what is charity? Is it not being in a state of good, dependent upon
acknowledging that the Lord God Jesus Christ is the one God, the Lord in His
Glorified Divine Human, and shunning evils as sins against Him?
To me these are prerequisites to being in a state of charity. These cannot
apply to anyone of other faiths who do not accept this and make it one with
their lives. Only those who are in the spiritual state of charity can be in the
so-called “garland approach” and it is most presumptuous to assume that just
because we are members of the New Church we are in this state, and that we
have the effrontery of reaching out to others to join us in our high and mighty
state. The Word clearly states that those in a state of charity are averse to those
who are not.
It seems to me that by using the quotation above we are assuming that
everyone is in that spiritual state of charity; or alternatively, we are not seeing
charity as a spiritual state, but as a general, natural external state of feeling
well-disposed toward others.
There are pages and pages on charity in the Concordance, but a few are
worth mentioning. I quote them here, with my comments in italics:
“Charity is the Celestial, and all the good of charity is the Celestial.” (Arcana
Coelestia 353)
“That charity is extinguished with those who have separated faith and set it above
charity is described by Cain killing his brother Abel.” (Ibid. 329) (The inclusive
garland approach ignores this and other like passages which clearly show that we
cannot include them in the garland and they cannot be part of the universal church.)
“Unless the will and understanding are in concord, so as to make one, the man
is not regenerated; that is, unless good and truth, or what is the same, charity
and faith are one, for charity is of the will and faith of the understanding.” (Ibid.
2975) (Again, the garland approach, in relation to the universal church, can only be
considered in terms of the regenerate man. Only then is there charity, and for a person
to be regenerate, one must acknowledge and love the Lord God Jesus Christ in His
Glorified Divine Human and shun evils as sins against Him. How can this apply to
other religions? Surely the passage quoted by my correspondent can only apply to true
charity, to the celestial state, to the regenerate man?)
“The essence of charity toward the neighbor is the affection of good and truth, and
the acknowledgment of self as being evil and falsity; nay, the neighbor is good and
truth themselves, to be affected with these is to have charity; the opposite to the
neighbor is evil and falsity. To these, He who has charity is averse.” (So surely what
the Word is showing is that charity is a state of regeneration and that anyone in the
state of charity is averse to those who are not. Surely this means that we should not be
inclusive of other religions or have a garland approach?)
“There are spurious charity, hypocritical charity, and dead charity . . . Genuine
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