1304. About punning on holy scripture
Some from habit, some from contempt, have acquired the custom of using words of holy scripture in common conversation in humorous phrases, or jokes, thinking that they are then joking in good taste. But those words are then bound to bodily ideas and bring much harm on them in the other life. For these words brought in due to that custom must be separated in the other life from their worldly and bodily mental imagery, every single one.
This is done by various methods of dismemberment, as I know from experience, so let them beware of mixing holy words with profane, and thus of profaning holy words. For mental images like these return, so that when worldly mental images come up, the holy words cling to them, and when holy mental images come up, profane ones cling to them. So they have to be separated, which may seem surprising to some, especially those who do not grasp how mental images get joined together.
But it is enough to give this warning, for without the use of painful methods of treatment, these disorders can scarcely be healed. 1748, 11 March.
1304. CONCERNING EQUIVOCAL EXPRESSIONS, CONCERNING HOLY SCRIPTURE
Some from custom, others from contempt, have acquired the habit of using things of Holy Scripture in familiar conversation as expressions of derision or as jokes, supposing that by so doing they jest with good taste. But such expressions are thereby adjoined to their corporeal ideas, and in the other life are very detrimental to them; for such things introduced by habit into their worldly and corporeal ideas, however numerous they are, must be separated in the other life, and this is usually brought about by means of various kinds of disception, as I know from experience. Let such persons, therefore, take heed to themselves lest they mingle holy things with profane, and so profane those which are holy. For like ideas return, that is to say, when the worldly ideas occur, holy things also cohere with them, and when holy ideas occur, those that are profane also adhere to them, which is the reason that they must be separated. This may indeed seem remarkable to some, especially to those who do not comprehend how ideas are thus joined together. But let it be sufficient to warn against these things for they can scarcely be cured without painful methods. 1748, Mar. 11.
1304. De formulis aequivocis, de sancta scriptura
Quidam ex usu, quidam ex contemtu, ceperunt eam consuetudinem, ut in familiari sermone utantur pro formulis irrisionis, aut nugarum, iis quae sunt sanctae scripturae, sic putantes quod nugentur eleganter; sed talia sic adjunguntur corporeis ideis, et in altera vita eis 1
multum detrimenti afferunt, nam talia in ideis mundanis et corporeis, in altera vita, separanda sunt, quotcunque sunt, consuetudine inducta, quod fieri solet, per varios discerptionis modos, quod scio ab experientia, quare caveant sibi, ut sancta prophanis 2
misceant, et sic sancta prophanent, ideae enim similes redeunt, nempe, dum mundanae, etiam sancta eis cohaerent, et cum sanctae, etiam prophanae eis 1
adhaerent, quare ea sunt separanda, quod quidem quibusdam mirum videri potest, cumprimis qui non capiunt, quomodo sic ideae jungantur, sed satis est haec monere; nam sine dolorificis modis, ea vix sanantur. 1748, 11 Martius.
Footnotes:
1. This is how it appears in J.F.I. Tafel's edition; the Manuscript has ei
2. This is how it appears in J.F.I. Tafel's edition; the Manuscript has prophani