The Unforgiven
Just finished watching The God Who Wasn't There and learned something that I didn't know even during my days as a fundie . . .
31 Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.
32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.
--Matthew 12:31-32
Wow. Power of forgiveness. Fail.
On a somewhat related note . . . I've been meaning to read Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy for some time, and now I see that there is a movie adaptation out . . . which I'm going to avoid until after I've finished reading . . . but that may be a short while because I'm reading the entire Elric Saga again. It doesn't seem as good as the first time I read it, but that was back when I was 15 or 16 . . . and of course then I still had some delusions of faith, which was one of the reasons I found the ending so provacative, struggling with the invisible pre-determination of fate and the status of being damned.
The book actually became a focal point in a friendship I had with the first real atheist I had ever met a few years later when I was in the military and had finally had my existential crisis and rejected my faith. So this is an interesting re-read to say the least as I compare its modern day associations with such things as war and politics and leadership to those I remember from years past. I had much different views back then. Views I am certainly not proud of.
Reflecting back to those years also makes it disturbingly clearer that the life I pursued in the military was sought to fill the void I felt when I first stripped myself of religion. The sacrifice of individual self for the assurance and comfort of belonging to some greater whole. As the person I am today, I would never submit again willingly to such an automaton existence. I disagree with the principles of mindless obedience, to follow orders without question, to find justification in atrocious acts which you are programmed to believe serve a greater good, while somehow maintaining political innocence.
There are greater crimes in life than denying an egotistical spirit.
31 Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.
32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.
--Matthew 12:31-32
Wow. Power of forgiveness. Fail.
On a somewhat related note . . . I've been meaning to read Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy for some time, and now I see that there is a movie adaptation out . . . which I'm going to avoid until after I've finished reading . . . but that may be a short while because I'm reading the entire Elric Saga again. It doesn't seem as good as the first time I read it, but that was back when I was 15 or 16 . . . and of course then I still had some delusions of faith, which was one of the reasons I found the ending so provacative, struggling with the invisible pre-determination of fate and the status of being damned.
The book actually became a focal point in a friendship I had with the first real atheist I had ever met a few years later when I was in the military and had finally had my existential crisis and rejected my faith. So this is an interesting re-read to say the least as I compare its modern day associations with such things as war and politics and leadership to those I remember from years past. I had much different views back then. Views I am certainly not proud of.
Reflecting back to those years also makes it disturbingly clearer that the life I pursued in the military was sought to fill the void I felt when I first stripped myself of religion. The sacrifice of individual self for the assurance and comfort of belonging to some greater whole. As the person I am today, I would never submit again willingly to such an automaton existence. I disagree with the principles of mindless obedience, to follow orders without question, to find justification in atrocious acts which you are programmed to believe serve a greater good, while somehow maintaining political innocence.
There are greater crimes in life than denying an egotistical spirit.