heresy and retribution (in that order)

i took a quiz . . . the result has fun big words:

you scored as chalcedon compliant. congratulations, you're not a heretic. you believe that Jesus is truly God and truly man and like us in every respect, apart from sin. officially approved in AD 451.

chalcedon compliant - 100% - and i even know what it means!
pelagianism - 92% - "yeah!" for issues with original sin!
monophysitism - 33% - and i even know what it means!
monarchianism - 33% - yeah, no clue
apollanarian - 25% - i'm supposed to know what this means . . .
nestorianism - 25% - i get the feeling i'm supposed to know this one, too
donatism - 8% - ooh! this one's interesting. does sin affect sacraments?
adoptionist - 8% - my favourite heresy of all time!
docetism - 0% - i seem to know what this means
arianism - 0% - not for me
gnosticism - 0% - not for me
albigensianism - 0% - this word must be made up
modalism - 0% - ice, vapour, and water, my foot!
socinianism - 0% - this is unfamiliar . . .

are you a heretic? created with quizfarm.com

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we finished off woody allen's "crimes and misdemeanors" in ethics today . . . and i've been thinking a lot about forgiveness, retribution, and conscience. in the concluding scene, allen's character says that a guilty man will eventually turn himself in, betrayed by his own conscience. in the absence of God, he posits, man must be his own judge. the notion that man decides right and wrong for himself is not new, of course, but that's not entirely what allen is suggesting. no, what he proposes is that man must punish himself. that - again - in the absence of God, we must hold ourselves accountable and seek retribution not only for the sins committed against us, but for those committed by us.

interesting.

lately, i've been struggling with forgiveness, see. apparently martin luther did, too, 'cause he was never sure that he was repentant enough, sorry enough. my trouble is somewhat different. it is this: i often feel ("feel" being the operative word) that i must confess to someone in order to be forgiven. it is easier for me to feel (there's that word again!) forgiven if i hear someone say, "i know you hurt me. i forgive you." and there isn't always someone to go to, 'cause not all my stupid decisions hurt people. and some hurt people in very indirect ways, which might be awkward to talk about.

(hey, remember when my writing was clear and concise. i miss that.)

when woody allen (as cliff) says that man must be his own judge, in the absence of God, it kinda clicks for me: i don't live in the absence of God. none of us do (imho), but i'm supposed to conscious of that, right? so, what's this need to secure my forgiveness/redemption externally? it's forgetting that God is enough. dayenu, friends. that's all i have to say.

anyway. oh, and by the way, mia farrow is in "crimes and misdemeanors" (she and woody allen were married at the time) and i totally didn't recognize her. the whole time, i was all "who is that?!?!?" she was daisy in "great gatsby" and jacqueline in "death on the nile", but i far preferred her in "the last unicorn", wherein she voiced amalthea. they're doing a remake, btw. due out this year!