I came across these words on the blog of cognitive (atheist) mystic, Sabio Lanz. No wonder I am drawn to St. John of the Cross (above) and St. Theresa of Avila. Though I may differ with Mr. Lanz on the role of God in the world, I like what he has to say here. Religious mystics are generally despised by the orthodox in their home religion. The orthodox value creeds, doctrines and right thinking. The Mystic values relationships and being. The mystic’s first offense, a social one, is to deny the need the religious specialists or traditions to communicate to their god. The Mystic’s second offense, a philosophical one, is to hold doctrines as suspect — Mystics questions the power of language to capture that truth of the encounter with the divine. Sabio Lanz This video from Peter Rollins ties in quite nicely.