Source: https://www.bertha-dudde.org/en/proclamation/1603

1603 Understanding, reason and free will.... Preconceived ideas.... Responsibility....

September 8, 1940: Book 25

It is a certain spiritual inertia that causes people to adopt teachings that are imparted to them by human beings. As soon as his own thinking sets in, he will come across contradictions and recognise the flimsiness of what he has been offered. And therefore, every person is responsible for his thoughts and actions. He has been given the gift by the Creator of being able to use his intellect, and so it is his task to reflect on what he has been offered, to scrutinise it and only then to take a stand on it. It is reprehensible to accept something thoughtlessly just because it is deemed right by the person who has given it to him. His own judgement should be used, and the person should be able to accept or reject with full conviction, only then does he use the intellect that God has given him. It is an incredibly erroneous thought to want to uphold a view that was acquired purely intellectually. All pros and cons must be considered, the human being must also try to scrutinise what goes against his own opinion, he must allow himself to be guided spiritually without resistance, that is, he must not resist his thoughts if they go along with the opposing opinion. He must always and constantly desire the truth, and try to eliminate his own thoughts or preconceived opinions as far as possible, then the truth will suddenly come to him quite obviously from above, and he will also recognise it as truth. The only condition is to surrender to God Himself and to want what God wants.... to surrender his own opinion and then allow himself to be taught by God....

And man will truly be instructed correctly; he will suddenly be unable to do otherwise than to regard as right and good what the spirit from God now imparts to him. For God lets the spirit speak in those who call upon Him for the sake of truth. God admonishes and warns every person in various ways.... He approaches every person, often unrecognised but always wanting to stand by him, He knocks on everyone's door and wants to make Himself heard, He wants to guide the thoughts of those who are of good will, and He wants to direct this will of truth in order to be able to fill their hearts with His love.... For love and truth are one, just as unkindness and falsehood are one. The actions of those who are untruthful are unloving, but those who only desire the truth will also abide in love. In His infinite love, God gave human beings intellect, reason and free will.... And man should now use these gifts, he should use his intellect to seriously reflect on the behaviour of mankind, he should, once he has recognised, try to bring his actions and thoughts into harmony with his conviction, and he should use his free will and separate himself from everything that is wrong and unite himself with the truth.... Amen

Translated by Sven Immecke