"War, destruction, ruin and decay"

 

Old Aristotle was quite an impressive thinker.  He was maligned, I think, by the novelist Mary Renault, who implied he was complicit in the death of Alexander the Great. Fans of Plato (we may also call him "old") tend to denigrate him, claiming he was inferior to that philosopher.  But I'm inclined to prefer Aristotle of the two since I think he was less of a totalitarian and more of a realist.  I'm not as much an admirer of him as was Thomas Aquinas, though.  Aquinas' thought is almost entirerly derivative of Aristotle.

Aristotle famously claimed that democracies tend to decay over time because the populace falls prey to demagogues.  A demagogue persuades the people to abandon reason and embrace fear and hatred.  The rule of law breaks down in that case and the republic is ruled by a despot.  So you can imagine why Aristotle comes to mind, or at least to my mind, today.

Recently I posted about the far too many people in our country who eagerly await the end of our sinful world.  [I wonder, in passing, whether they hope for the end of the universe as well?  Our world is but a tiny part of it, so from a cosmic perspective its destruction wouldn't even be noticed.  But I digress.]

Regardless, though I can't help but sigh at the thought of those happy folk who can't wait to be raptured and watch others die in agony during Earth's destruction (only as a prelude to eternal torment) I also can't help but wonder whether we face an end of sorts.  Not of the world, but a form of government, if not a nation.

Are we seeing Aristotle's claim being verified?  The political ads flooding the media in advance of the midterm elections have been particulary vile.  We see how AI may be misused each time we see one of the ads, and we see them all too often.  Are we truly such idiots as to believe the ridiculous claims being made? 

Then there is the new tendency to buy votes; new at least in that it's so brazen.  What was the practice once in corrupt local politics through party "bosses" is now the tactic being employed outright by major figures on the national stage.  We seem to have neither sense nor shame.

The title to this post is taken from Shakespeare's Richard II.  Shakespeare's plays rival the Bible in their evocation of disasters of various forms, though they lack the relish for them we find in the "Good Book."

We see war, ruin and destruction around the world each time we watch TV.  We read of them all the time.  Do we see decay here as well, of our system of government which it now seems is infused with corruption?  We'll know more than we do now soon enough.

Waiting for the End of the World

 

An article in The New Republic describing the existence of groups of people calling themselves Christians leaves me wondering if it is possible for them to tolerate, let alone respect, people who disagree with them or are different from them.

Unsurprisingly.  these folk, like others purporting to be Christians over the centuries, believe that the Apocalypse is nigh and the Second Coming is imminent, and eagerly await them.  They seem to rely on the same portions of the Bible which were relied on by the many others who have waited for and hoped for the end of the world in the past, but interpret them differently.  This time, they insist, it's really going to happen.  Get ready!  Again.

What distinguishes the current dreamers of the death of the world from those repeatedly disappointed in the past, though, is significant.  The current batch longing for annihilation think that they should actively pursue the Apocalypse.  They should, in other words, take steps to assure it takes place.

This strikes me as odd.  What they say will take place was prophesized long ago.  The Bible says it will take place.  If the Bible represents the word of God, then the Apocalypse and Second Coming will take place regardless of what they do.  Do they think God needs their help to accomplish these ends? Do they doubt they will take place without their assistance?

Also, unlike the others who gathered in expectation of the end of the world as we know it in years gone by, some of those now sharing this persistent delusion hold positions of power thanks to the vastly opportunistic gang which administers our Great Republic.  This cabal will utilize any source which will assist it in its pursuit of wealth and power, and gladly provides those assisting it with positions of influence in government.

This includes the preening, prancing, scripture-quoting chief of the Department of Defense who finds facial and body hair so offensive and has decreed that an execution by firing squad be livestreamed.  One suspects he'd prefer an auto da fe.  He seems so eager a showman.  Someone who would delight in such a bloody spectacle.

Those having this influence are able to devote the power of government to hasten the Apocalypse and the Second Coming, and it seems that they're quite willing to take military action to do so.  In fact, the establishment of "Christian Dominium" not only in our Glorious Union but throughout the world is their goal.

Apparently, they perceive the world to be controlled by demons who have regional authority across the globe.  These demons and their minions must be eradicated.  To that end, and to establish this Dominium, these demon hunters include self-appointed apostles and prophets, recognized and honored as such openly.  The names of some of them are mentioned in the New Republic article referred to at the beginning of this post.

It's difficult to believe that this Dominium is sought in the modern world, especially through evocation of modern apostles and prophets. Theocracy has its supporters, certainly, but it takes a special kind of person to pretend to be apostles and prophets like those appearing in the Bible, casting out demons. A peculiar person.

There must be something about the Abrahamic religions which inspires fanaticism and a kind of spiritual imperialism.  We've seen it before, of course, and not only among purported Christians.  But any impartial and thorough study of the Bible reveals many inconsistences.  History establishes that what is now called Christianity was contrived over many years through the exclusion and suppression of many gospels and the beliefs of many who considered themselves Christians, but came to be called heretics.  Given that what passes for Christianity was created hrough a process of enforced selection over many years, the fact that those now living are certain their Christianity is the real Christianity is incredible.

Regardless of the fact that reasonable objections may be made against any organized religion, I feel that their members should be free to worship as they wish provided they do no harm to others  But those who seek what's being called "Christian Dominum" seem to believe that they worship through the imposition of their beliefs on others and control of goverment.  That would require the eradication of civil liberties and elimination of free thought and expression, but that evidently is something they want.  They think God wants it as well.

 

Never Despair

 

Nil desperandum (never despair) is a phrase from one of Horace's Odes, attributed to a Greek hero of the Trojan War, Teucer brother of Ajax.  Teucer was a great archer, who nearly killed the Trojan hero Hector.  But the god Apollo mischieviously diverted his arrows.  

It's a phrase that would make a good tattoo, as Latin phrases sometimes do. More to the point, it's a phrase that comes to mind--to my mind, at least--in these dreary days.

It comes most to my mind when I see that horrific ad "paid for by the U.S. government."  Have you seen it?  It shows him lumbering zombie-like down a hallway towards the camera.  He's expressionless, his eyes vacant. He walks slowly, as if he's in a kind of trance. Like Frankenstein's monster as depicted by Boris Karloff, though his hands aren't raised.  If this is a hero, it certainly isn't an ACTION hero. His droning voice is heard, saying he will, with the help of those who follow him, defeat the evil demons threatening America.  

The ad is entirely about him. No other person or party is mentioned.  It's typical of the man, who is all about himself as well.

It's hard to believe any person would find this display of political onanism attractive or inspiring, but some clearly do.  And the despair to be avoided is that which threatens when it's understood that this is the case.

That this is a case of narcissism has been apparent for some time.  What threatens us, what can cause us to despair, is that narcissism is found admirable.  There are people who want to be ruled by narcissists.  Or perhaps it's more accurate to say this is their expectation.  Cult leaders and autocrats are typically consumed by self-love.  Some must believe this is required of a great leader.

And that's something that can lead to despair as only the weakest people--those with little or no self-esteem--could sacrifice their self-respect so entirely as to surrender to a narcissist, as a narcissist by definition has no respect for them.  Such people will follow orders without question.  But following Horace, and Teucer, let's choose not to despair, ever.

A Modern Apsethus

 

One of my favorite stories of the religion-crazy times in which Christianity developed involves the remarkable Apsethus of Libya.  He was one of many men who wandered about in the first two centuries of the Common Era (AD) declaring themselves gods or being declared gods by others.

Most of them did what was usually done to earn this designation--heal the sick, drive out demons, raise the dead, etc.  The ancients believed in magic of this kind.  Even early Christians did.  Some of the earliest images of Jesus show him using a magic wand while performing miracles. Initially, Christians welcomed comparisons of Jesus with pagan wonder workers like Apollonius of Tyana.  They thought it would mitigate pagan criticism of Christianity to point out pagans believed in miracles as well. Later, they decided only Jesus worked real miracles.

Apsethus was compared with Simon Magus, also a contemporary of Jesus. Apsethus, though, was more inventive than other holy magicians.  Rather than performing the same miracles, he trained parrots common to the area to cry out "Apsethus is God!" The parrots were believed by many.

Unfortunately for Apsethus, someone, "a Greek" (Greeks apparently being less gullible than Libyans), trained other parrots to cry out "Apsethus isn't God! He captured us and made us call him God!"  The Greek-trained parrots were more persuasive.  Apsethus' followers turned on him and he met a bad end.

This history lesson teaches us something about how incredibly stupid we can be when we're desparate to believe something that we find agreeable to us, particularly when it promises us success or salvation in this world or the next.  It also teaches us something about parrots and their trainers.

It's not difficult to find amenable parrots, and parrot-trainers, in these times. Oddly enough there's little to distinguish us from those poor dupes of antiquity who listened to parrots.  It seems we're fated to be fools, and not merely in matters of religion.

Many of our politicians are parrots, trained to praise one person in particular as a god or god-like or, at best, simply repeat whatever they've learned from someone who has given them money enough to buy them.  It should be embarrassing to us all, but it isn't as they're mere parrots and no longer have the capacity to be embarassed, and we listen to them and believe them without question.

Who's worse, the parrot-trainers, the parrots or those who listen to the parrots?

Is there Balm in Gilead?

 

The title to this post is a question asked by the narrator of Poe's poem The Raven. He asks it of the Raven, of course, there being nobody else to ask. The Raven responds (spoiler!) "Nevermore."

Balm in Gilead is, or was, a kind of medicinal ointment referred to in the Old Testament, and subsequently by pagan authors such as Tacitus, Pliny and Galen.  It's unclear whether its healing qualities were more legendary than anything else. Gilead is located in modern Jordan.  Regardless, it had a reputation for healing ills of all sorts, and via Christianity became considered as providing healing for spiritual problems as well as, or instead of, physical ills.

In Poe's poem the narrator seeks "surcease of sorrow" for "the lost Lenore."  Lenore was the narrator's love, a beautiful young woman who had died young, as the subjects of Romantic poetry and literature were prone to do, and in fact many were prone to do in real life, given the state of medicine and hygiene at the time. He asks the Raven whether the Balm in Gilead, which will heal his sorrow, exists.  The Raven, famously, thinks not and says so.

It happens our Glorious Union could use a dose of Gilead's wondrous Balm, if there is such a thing, as it becomes clear that it's in a crisis which may justly be called spiritual as well as political and financial.  This isn't because we're becoming godless or irreligious, though. There's evidence that what passes as religion here--a kind of angry, intolerant Christian fundamentalism- is on the rise.  Instead, in my humble opinion, it's because religion as practised in God's Favorite Country isn't spiritual.

The religion and the religious are overwhelming concerned with material things.  Money and power, primarily. But also success.  Success in sports, for example.  There's nothing God enjoys more than hearing himself praised by the stars of winning teams. War, certainly, especially against heathens and particularly when the conflict may seem to bring us closer to the eagerly awaited Apocalpse and Second Comming.  Comfort as provided through status and possessions.  Fame, and prominence in society.

Absent are honor, honesty, compassion, tolerance, humility, wisdom, and virtue in general.  Characteristics typically thought to be spiritual, in other words.  Their absence is especially notable in our leaders and representatives, who are marvels of corruption.

So, what can we conclude is the answer to Poe's question?  Is there Balm in Gilead?  Well, there is indeed Balm OF Gilead.  You'll find it at Walmart and other stores.  Possibly on sale.  And not a raven in sight.