1047. The mother of the whoredoms and of the abominations of the earth, signifies a religious persuasion which is the source of adulterations of good and truth, and profanations of the holy things of the church. This is evident from the signification of "mother," as being the church, but here a religious persuasion which in the general sense is meant by "Babylon;" also from the signification of "whoredoms," as being adulterations of good and falsifications of truth (see n. 141, 161, 817, 881); also from the signification of "abominations," as being profanations (see n. 1045); also from the signification of the "earth," as being the church, here as to its holy things. That in the Word "earth" signifies the church may be seen (n. 29, 304, 413, 417, 697, 741, 742, 752, 876).
(Continuation respecting Profanation)
[2] Profanations are of many kinds. The most grievous kind is when one acknowledges and lives according to the truths and goods of the Word, of the church, and of worship, and afterwards denies them and lives contrary to them, or even lives contrary to them and does not deny them. Such profanation effects a conjunction and coherence of good with falsity, and of truth with evil, and from this it comes to pass that man is at the same time in heaven and in hell; consequently, when heaven wills to have its own, and hell wills to have its own, and yet they cohere, they are both swept away, and thus the proper human life perishes, and the man becomes like a brute animal, continually delirious, and carried hither and thither by fantasy like a dragon in the air, and in his fantasy shreds and specks appear like giants and crowds, and a little platter like the universe; and so on. [3] As such have no longer any human life they are not called spirits, but something profane, nor are they called he or she, but it; and when they are seen in the light of heaven they appear like dried skeletons. But this kind of profanation is rare, since the Lord provides against a man's entering into a belief in truth and a life of good unless he can be kept in them continually even to the end of his life. But this profanation, and other kinds of profanations, will be further treated of in the following articles.
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