Jul 29·edited Jul 29Liked by The Druid Stares Back
A friend recently confided in me what she went through in her abusive marriage, and I was haunted by the story for a couple days. It went way beyond ordinary male insecurity and cowardice, which is what I'd imagined; it had to do with sadistic brutality, an intentional attempt to destroy her soul. So that got me to thinking about the reality of supernatural evil and the necessity of spiritual warfare. Would such warfare need to manifest on the physical plane, sometimes? Unfortunately, yes, I think so—because there is a type of creature that is dead to the spirit and can only understand violence.
I always wanted to believe in pacifism. But I've had to conclude that it is an untenable position because 1) that gives carte blanche for the worst among us to overrun the earth, 2) it merely amounts to letting someone else do the dirty work for us, and 3) it is very selfish to allow others to suffer because we want to safeguard our own sense of moral purity. Ultimately, then, we could say that pacifism is strangely un-Christian, because while we're at total liberty to sacrifice ourselves if we wish, we have no right to sacrifice others for the sake of our own half-baked convictions, and least of all those whom we are called to love and protect.
Yes, the question of whether or not it's right to defend your loved ones with violence is definitely a gnarly one. But also an entirely abstract one. What would I do? I have no idea, but I suspect that whatever choice I made in the moment would have very little to do with past theorizing.
To theorize anyway: what would Christ do? Hard to imagine him going karate on the Roman soldier holding a sword to Mary's throat. Or inverting the power that raised Lazarus.
And to up the ante, what weapons are you realistically going to need to really ensure your loved ones' protection from the global elites (or whatever you want to call them): armed robot drones, energy weapons and tactical nukes?
I hear you. My recent paranoid fantasy entails the police and rank and file military finally realizing they're supposed to be on the side of the people--and then the Archons release the robot dog soldiers.
What concerns me about the opening ceremonies is that it seems to be designed to taunt Christians into to outrage and worse, bringing our shadow sides out to point at us and say "see, they are violent fascist oppressors!" I'm already seeing it in the back and forth on social media with"whose the snowflake now" memes. This is coming at a time of elections and increasing warnings from the left of "Christian Nationalism."
As a Gen Xer I have been reflecting on my youth and relationship with Christianity and conservative culture. The punk and metal movements of the 70s, 80's and early 90's also taunted Christianity but from the fringes and not through mainstream spectacles. Those movements, along with films like The Life of Brian and even Passion of the Christ exposed the staleness and corruption of the Catholic Church and the excesses and hypocrisy of the evangelicals. I think in a way, our generation did Christianity a service, by exposing the bullshit and bringing out the essence. It's little wonder that many of our generation, punks and metal heads included, have been drawn to more traditional and simple forms of the faith.
What is troubling about the ceremonies and other events is that the parody is coming from the mainstream. It would have been funny if it was a Monty Python sketch, but it was an international event created by the top players of the culture. I'm not a pacifist, but I think maybe some of these culture war jabs, as obscene as they may be, should be treated with some turn the other cheek, or some good old fashioned punk/Python parody. There will be many battles yet to fight I'm sure but we can't let these powers bring out the worst in us. I'll leave with this recent commentary on these events by John St. Julien:
There is one philosophy and theology on earth that says return love no matter what, and its Christianity.
Isn't it strange it's the one people always choose to attack? Imagine you visit an alien planet, and they have a group promoting a message of value others above your own desires. Lay down your life for higher love, even for strangers, heal the sick, care for the poor and sick... and they are the ones being persistently mocked by people who are themselves being psychologically marched into behaviours that are too the contrary.
... and to the many Christians who fell into anger and outrage, do better. Yeshua would be sat at that table with love, hope and a smile. If you can't do the same, you must grow in the spirit, lest you become part of the problem. Return to them only love.
Definitely taunting--but, like most cowards, they taunt Christians because they are not likely to retaliate violently. Not so with other religions (or zealots). Just another type of propaganda, inspired by Satan. He doesn't have all that many tricks.
Eloquent and compelling writing here, as always, Michael!
Unfortunately, I suspect the painting is AI-generated. Ugh.
My favorite painting of La Pucelle resides in the Metropolitan Art Museum; it caused me to experience the Stendhal Syndrome! Saints Michael, Margaret, and Catherine appear to Jeanne d’Arc in her parents’ garden in the painting by Jules Bastien-Lepage. I also love Saint Joan Listening to her Voices by Diogenes Ulysses Maillart. Myriad great artists attempted to divulge her spirit and many surprising authors, John Steinbeck and Mark Twain among them, as well. Twain wrote about Joan: “by far the most extraordinary person the human race has ever produced.” The oldest portraits of her can be found at StellaEast.com, including a sketch from 1429!
Rachel Corrie died for her beliefs in Gaza in 2003. Strong men who would be martyrs - Lutheran Dietrich Bonhoeffer comes to mind - are absent regarding protesting the murder of babies in their mothers’ wombs, the abuse of women and children by husbands and the family court system, and the ongoing genocide in Palestine, to add to your examples.
Thank you for ending your posts with profoundly beautiful and meaningful music! “Music has charms to soothe the savage breast.”-Congreve (Inscribed on the old MSU Music Building)
Thank you for sharing all of this, Bonnie, I half suspected the painting might be AI, but it seems to be from around 2018. So it's probably not AI. But who knows?
That painting by Bastien-Lapage has haunted me since childhood--I would have used it but I think I've used it a few times before!
A friend recently confided in me what she went through in her abusive marriage, and I was haunted by the story for a couple days. It went way beyond ordinary male insecurity and cowardice, which is what I'd imagined; it had to do with sadistic brutality, an intentional attempt to destroy her soul. So that got me to thinking about the reality of supernatural evil and the necessity of spiritual warfare. Would such warfare need to manifest on the physical plane, sometimes? Unfortunately, yes, I think so—because there is a type of creature that is dead to the spirit and can only understand violence.
I always wanted to believe in pacifism. But I've had to conclude that it is an untenable position because 1) that gives carte blanche for the worst among us to overrun the earth, 2) it merely amounts to letting someone else do the dirty work for us, and 3) it is very selfish to allow others to suffer because we want to safeguard our own sense of moral purity. Ultimately, then, we could say that pacifism is strangely un-Christian, because while we're at total liberty to sacrifice ourselves if we wish, we have no right to sacrifice others for the sake of our own half-baked convictions, and least of all those whom we are called to love and protect.
Wow. That is so powerfully put. Thanks!
The egg is still fermenting and has not yet hatched from the primordial ooze of the populace. Seek the seekers.
This is incredibly important: societas et reciprocum
The painting is clearly AI generated.
Yes, the question of whether or not it's right to defend your loved ones with violence is definitely a gnarly one. But also an entirely abstract one. What would I do? I have no idea, but I suspect that whatever choice I made in the moment would have very little to do with past theorizing.
To theorize anyway: what would Christ do? Hard to imagine him going karate on the Roman soldier holding a sword to Mary's throat. Or inverting the power that raised Lazarus.
And to up the ante, what weapons are you realistically going to need to really ensure your loved ones' protection from the global elites (or whatever you want to call them): armed robot drones, energy weapons and tactical nukes?
But, yes. In the moment...
Still, I have no idea.
I hear you. My recent paranoid fantasy entails the police and rank and file military finally realizing they're supposed to be on the side of the people--and then the Archons release the robot dog soldiers.
Yes thanks Michael, that's a lovely image I can take away with me 😅
One of the many services we provide
What concerns me about the opening ceremonies is that it seems to be designed to taunt Christians into to outrage and worse, bringing our shadow sides out to point at us and say "see, they are violent fascist oppressors!" I'm already seeing it in the back and forth on social media with"whose the snowflake now" memes. This is coming at a time of elections and increasing warnings from the left of "Christian Nationalism."
As a Gen Xer I have been reflecting on my youth and relationship with Christianity and conservative culture. The punk and metal movements of the 70s, 80's and early 90's also taunted Christianity but from the fringes and not through mainstream spectacles. Those movements, along with films like The Life of Brian and even Passion of the Christ exposed the staleness and corruption of the Catholic Church and the excesses and hypocrisy of the evangelicals. I think in a way, our generation did Christianity a service, by exposing the bullshit and bringing out the essence. It's little wonder that many of our generation, punks and metal heads included, have been drawn to more traditional and simple forms of the faith.
What is troubling about the ceremonies and other events is that the parody is coming from the mainstream. It would have been funny if it was a Monty Python sketch, but it was an international event created by the top players of the culture. I'm not a pacifist, but I think maybe some of these culture war jabs, as obscene as they may be, should be treated with some turn the other cheek, or some good old fashioned punk/Python parody. There will be many battles yet to fight I'm sure but we can't let these powers bring out the worst in us. I'll leave with this recent commentary on these events by John St. Julien:
There is one philosophy and theology on earth that says return love no matter what, and its Christianity.
Isn't it strange it's the one people always choose to attack? Imagine you visit an alien planet, and they have a group promoting a message of value others above your own desires. Lay down your life for higher love, even for strangers, heal the sick, care for the poor and sick... and they are the ones being persistently mocked by people who are themselves being psychologically marched into behaviours that are too the contrary.
... and to the many Christians who fell into anger and outrage, do better. Yeshua would be sat at that table with love, hope and a smile. If you can't do the same, you must grow in the spirit, lest you become part of the problem. Return to them only love.
Definitely taunting--but, like most cowards, they taunt Christians because they are not likely to retaliate violently. Not so with other religions (or zealots). Just another type of propaganda, inspired by Satan. He doesn't have all that many tricks.
Eloquent and compelling writing here, as always, Michael!
Unfortunately, I suspect the painting is AI-generated. Ugh.
My favorite painting of La Pucelle resides in the Metropolitan Art Museum; it caused me to experience the Stendhal Syndrome! Saints Michael, Margaret, and Catherine appear to Jeanne d’Arc in her parents’ garden in the painting by Jules Bastien-Lepage. I also love Saint Joan Listening to her Voices by Diogenes Ulysses Maillart. Myriad great artists attempted to divulge her spirit and many surprising authors, John Steinbeck and Mark Twain among them, as well. Twain wrote about Joan: “by far the most extraordinary person the human race has ever produced.” The oldest portraits of her can be found at StellaEast.com, including a sketch from 1429!
Rachel Corrie died for her beliefs in Gaza in 2003. Strong men who would be martyrs - Lutheran Dietrich Bonhoeffer comes to mind - are absent regarding protesting the murder of babies in their mothers’ wombs, the abuse of women and children by husbands and the family court system, and the ongoing genocide in Palestine, to add to your examples.
Thank you for ending your posts with profoundly beautiful and meaningful music! “Music has charms to soothe the savage breast.”-Congreve (Inscribed on the old MSU Music Building)
Thank you for sharing all of this, Bonnie, I half suspected the painting might be AI, but it seems to be from around 2018. So it's probably not AI. But who knows?
That painting by Bastien-Lapage has haunted me since childhood--I would have used it but I think I've used it a few times before!