/lit/ - Literature

>>13098884
Yes I've read all of the writers you've listed. I have found them rather underwhelming given the fact they are solely concerned with the theological plane and not the esoteric, and in general are far too obsessed with morality even when they could be concentrating on higher spiritual goals with God. It makes me rather depressed to even read half the lives of the Saints nowadays since there seems to be such an obsession on Sin and no attempt to go beyond the ego. I was at the most miserable in my life when I was the most orthodox Catholic. I am still Catholic but the protestant-style reductions of spirituality to merely ethics is frankly disgusting. It only makes me more frustrated to see the state of the Church; it is mind boggling to me that people find the Novus Ordo sect to be spiritually edifying.

I have gone to a Byzantine rite Church for a few liturgies but it is far away and very small. There is no community and it is probably going to close soon. Frankly, you are incorrect that the theology is pretty much the same. The Eastern Catholics practically just practice western spirituality. They say the Rosary and have Adoration at this Byzantine rite parish I go to. That's fine, but it's not what I'm looking for. I want Hesychasm and such a practice based on its Palamist theology cannot exist in the western Church in its current dogma. If I could find a Catholic Church with Hesychast spirituality I would be eternally happy, but such a thing is not possible where I live. I unironically thought about learning Ukrainian and going there for a while to join a Eastern Catholic monastery. Too bad the war has destabilized the region. I would've already converted to Russian Orthodoxy and joined the monastery in Jordanville if I could commit to big decisions better. I am entirely convinced that the Filioque was simply added at the behest of secular authority; even if it wasn't it wasn't added in an ecumenical council making it invalid. Tell me if I'm mistaken though.

>>12591637
This is all I have.

Are there any books, fiction or non-fiction, which propose that sex and sexual urges are something inherently "evil" or worthy of being suppressed and ignored?

The older I get, the more I observe sex to be the motivating force behind various aspects of society, especially those I find loathsome. I also have a lingering suspicion that sexual urges themselves, especially when consummated or allowed to serve as a dominant influence on one's behaviour / outlook, are somehow more trouble than they are worth.

Any thoughts on this in general?

Not trolling by the way.

/lit/ could I ask for some lit-related advice please?

I've been reflecting a lot on my life, and on my motivations and faults etc. Right now I've been working in a big city for five years, in a job that is mind-numbing (basically customer support, with excel stuff added on) but pays pretty well (now at least). In a year's time the company will likely sell, and I now have shares in it meaning I can expect a relatively large financial reward when it does. My vague plan is to resign when that happens, and move back to my home region to take a few years off to write and read.

One part of me says that I've done a practical responsible thing, i.e. living independently, saving money, for long-term gain. Another part of me says that the reason I haven't quit this job already (which I've thought about doing countless times) is because I'm a cowardly person who lacks courage and conviction, and that the money I will receive in a year or so's time will just confirm the fact that I am a sell-out who didn't bother taking any kind of risks for his art and therefore doesn't really care much about it. Should I ever write about poverty in my home region, for example, I already fear the accusation of somebody from that region pointing out that I hadn't lived there in almost ten years and that I haven't witnessed the day-to-day life and struggles of people there in full detail. I can't see any way of countering such an accusation.

Another thing is that in 2016 I won a writing competition for writers in my home region, which I applied to at the start of that year because I was certain I'd have quit my job and moved back by the time the winner was announced. I did apply to study for a Master's back home starting that Fall, but in the end only returned for a week or so to accept the reward, and ended up not moving back to start the MA (it was a dumb idea that would have landed me with more debt). At the end of the year I emailed the people running the award explaining that my plan to move back and study for an MA fell through and therefore I felt as if I had bent the rules of the competition and was not a worthy winner. I offered to hand back the prize money etc but they insisted I hadn't broken any rules. But still, I feel like a complete sell-out at this moment, and the prospect of having enough money to live comfortable on for several years potentially isn't something that makes me enthusiastic any more, it just makes me feel like a sinister, money-grabbing fraud.

May I ask then what your opinion is about the relationship between wealth and writing literature?

And may I also what you think the relationship should be between a writer and his subject material?