Holy Spirit or Fitra?


Start 3:50 PM.

I was hoping to consult with Frank Hoffman sometime between 2-5 PM this afternoon but that didn't work out. I was going to take a nap after lunch, too, and that didn't work out, either! Instead, I finished up with some pressing research on the Russia question and then turned my attention to reflection on my Q4 2025 "Consultation with Mentors" goal. I am wondering if the Holy Spirit is truly my indwelling mentor and guide, or if this is not something I should be thinking unless I have undergone a valid baptism.


The above link shows how Google Gemini responded to the following thread of questions:

  • Is the Holy Spirit indwelling in a person prior to baptism according to Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant teaching?
  • Does baptism cleanse original sin according to orthodox Christian teaching?
  • How do Catholic theologians respond to the Orthodox distinction between ancestral and original sin?
  • Did Pelagius believe in original/ancestral sin?
  • Did the thought of Pelagius influence the formation of Islam at all?
  • Does Judaism believe in something closer to Islamic fitra or Orthodox Christian ancestral sin?
  • Is there any theological connection between Orthodox/Catholic priestly celibacy and the doctrine of inherited sin (concupiscence)?
  • How do Muslims view the sexual drive - is it naturally inclined to the good?
  • Is this similar to the view in Judaism?
  • Do Orthodox Christians believe the human sexual drive was corrupted in some way by ancestral sin? What do Catholic theologians think?
  • On the Christian view, does baptism fundamentally reorder the soul away from concupiscence and toward chastity?
  • Is there a parallel between askesis and jihad?
  • Is there anything comparable to "grace for the struggle" in Islam?

According to this line of thought, if I want to maintain integrity with Catholic and Orthodox Christianity, I should probably not say that the Holy Spirit is my indwelling mentor and guide, unless I want to claim a Cornelius exception.

Where, then, is my guidance coming from now?

I will have to leave it there. I've basically skipped dinner, and it's time to log in for my Zoom class with Rabbi Dauermann.

End 6:55 PM.

Image credit: Fitra | Wikipedia.

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