[Materialist ideologies do not recognize immaterial gains. They just attain them.

Progressive materialist idolatry itself serves as a basis for spiritual exploitation.]

Summary of text [comment] page 61-62

[Think^pro-object accuses others of think^anti-object.

Innocents are disfigured by accusations of think^anti-object.

Ironically, immaterial disfiguration does not fit any Marxist schema of material exploitation. But that does not mitigate its effectiveness.

Some will say: If the accuser does not gain from the accusation, then the accusation must be true.

Indeed, the accuser may not materially gain.

But the accuser may immaterially gain, by asserting power, sowing fear and preaching falsehoods.]

Summary of text [comment] page 61-62

[Our Lebenswelt closes whenever a think^group gains sovereign power and becomes think^pro-object and think^anti-object.

In practice, these two thinks are complementary ways of sinning.

One encourages the sins of sovereign power. Think^pro-object forces their organizational objectives onto others.

The other fosters sins of resistance and resentment. One great temptation of anyone falsely accused of think^anti-object is to embrace anger or bitterness.]

Summary of text [comment] page 60

[Schoonenberg’s phrase (sins of ‘man’ against ‘man’) sounds like Thomas Hobbes’ vision of “the war of all against all”.

According to Rene Girard, Hobbes’ vision describes the onset of a mimetic crisis.]

[Think^groups do not always seek sovereign power.

When they do, think^group fits this image of “idolatry”.

“The object that brings the person into organization” may become an “idol”.

Ambitious institutions, inspired by their own righteousness, will form alliances in order to attain sovereign power.

These alliances can turn deadly. Each organization wants sovereign power for its own organizational goals. Furthermore, the attainment of sovereign power incites competition for positional power within institutions.

The sovereign cannot contain the infighting “among (infra)sovereign religions” because “these fighting bands have taken over sovereign power”.

In this manner, idolatry eventually leads to sins of ‘man’ against ‘man’.]

Summary of text [comment] page 60

In both the Old and New Testaments, sins are ascribed to idolatry. “Idolatry” defines “a power in its own right”. The sinner is a slave to this power.

Sin breeds sin. “Sins against God” lead to “sins of ‘man’ against ‘man'”.

The reverse also holds.

Summary of text [comment] page 60

‘Man’ is punished by having to live with ‘his’ own sin. The sinner faces anxiety, engenders wrath, condemns ‘himself’, magnifies ‘his’ misfortunes, and suffers impurity. The sinner trusts in soulless idols. The sinner expects no harm from false oaths (Wisdom 14:23-9).

Summary of text [comment] pages 58 and 59

In the Scriptures, sin and death unite. Israel’s unfaithfulness to Yahweh joined military catastrophe.

Virtue and life unite. “The people’s devotion to Yahweh” inspired “the King of Persia to act as an instrument of God’s ordination”.

In the Scriptures, the image of “a God who punishes with death” was refined by a growing awareness that sin punishes itself. A man reaps what he sows (Hos 10:13, Job 2:8, Prov. 20:24 and 22:8). The retribution is contained within the sin itself. The books of Wisdom and Proverbs both express this. Sinners ally themselves with death.

Summary of text [comment] pages 57 and 58

The third question that Schoonenberg addressed is:

What do we mean when we say that God punishes sin?

In the Old Testament, God’s mercy comes after God’s punishment.

What was this punishment?

Sometimes, it was death. The sons of Levi killed the worshipers of the golden calf, for example.

There are many Old Testament examples of people who were suddenly struck dead for various transgressions. Sometimes, it was individuals. Sometimes, it was whole groups. Even in the New Testament, the death of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11) reminds us of the connection between sin and death.

The connection between sin and death became a Scriptural theme.