In Regard to the Title of this Blog

“Roused, Readied, Reaped” is meant in contradistinction to “Conceived, Considered, Consigned” (or some such), the latter triad being what I contend is the generalized Christian conception of the life of human beings.

In Christianity, the life of humans as moral agents is invariably measured against some instantaneous beginning.  Believers who choose to subscribe to the salvation or damnation of single-celled organisms will fixate on life from biological conception; others will emphasize the moment of birth; still others will talk of some age at which the child or adolescent incurs moral responsibility.  The upshot in any event is the same: the person attains a status of accountability in an instant—the person as a moral agent is “conceived.”

It is my contention that, as opposed to being “conceived,” the person liable to moral accountability is “roused” to that state by a gradual process—as this blog will show.

In Christianity, the life of humans is invariably understood to be punctuated by instances of judgmental finality.  Either that judgment is pre-ordained—final in its solemnity and unalterable; or that judgment falls instantaneously, for good or ill, once for all; or that judgment knows moments of mortal sin or of absolution.  The person is, in the judgment of heaven, “considered” saved or damned as of any moment—and, crucially, as of the criteria taught in the respective sect’s theology.

It is my contention that, as opposed to being “considered,” the person is endlessly being “readied” to serve the kingdom of heaven—as this blog will show.

In Christianity, the life of humans is invariably described as ending with final and unalterable judgment—being “consigned” either to salvation or to damnation.  A state of being consigned to heaven or hell can—in the theology of predestination—exist throughout a person’s life, or, in other theologies, a state of unalterable salvation or damnation can precede physical death—a kind of living death.  Or physical death and the process of final consignment can occur together.

It is my contention that, as opposed to being “consigned” to heaven or hell, humans are confronted in life with the death of their innocent created natures, and in the living death of moral accountability are presented with ceaseless opportunities to forsake themselves for the enrichment of the kingdom of heaven.  They are “reaped” —as this blog will show.