Source: https://www.bertha-dudde.org/en/proclamation/2484

2484 Distorted doctrine.... spiritual flattening....

September 26, 1942: Book 33

The fact that people are moving further and further away from God is largely due to the fact that they are no longer being instructed correctly, i.e. in the truth. For only the truth leads to God, but every error increases the distance from Him. And mankind is already too far entangled in error, and that is why the spiritual flattening has also progressed so far that it brings about such conditions to which people are now exposed. This spiritual flattening has a deeper reason than humanity realizes.... An unprecedented error has caused people to turn away from faith, to slacken in their spiritual endeavours because they did not want to and could not believe what they were asked to believe. The divine wisdoms are probably only comprehensible to those who have made themselves receptive to them through their way of life, yet every willing person feels a certain strength emanating from the divine word, even if he is not yet able to fully understand it. However, if the divine teaching is distorted, i.e., if people are offered something as God's word, as truth, which no longer corresponds to the truth, then the person who thinks rightly in his heart will feel repelled by it and reject it.... or he will accept it and poison his entire thinking because what he is offered is untruth. And a teaching that is not of divine origin can never bring spiritual success.... it can certainly be followed, but this following cannot be called spiritual endeavour, for something is carried out more mechanically without establishing an intimate connection with God. And such a teaching results in distance from God rather than intimate union. However, if this teaching is very widespread, then a general spiritual flattening is also understandable, for the pure truth enlightens people and stimulates them to spiritual endeavour, whereas everything that deviates from the pure truth suppresses spiritual endeavour. words can certainly be used which echo the pure truth but they will never have the power which the divine word carries within itself, nor will they have the effect of.... the maturing of the soul and thus a light-filled, i.e. knowing state.... They will only remain words without power and effect, the souls will remain in a certain standstill until the pure truth displaces this erroneous teaching. Only then will humanity reduce its distance from God when it recognizes the pure truth and establishes the bond with God in order to receive divine wisdom.... Only then will it abandon the erroneous teaching because it feels the power of the divine word and can now also believe with conviction....

Amen

Translated by Doris Boekers