Friday, November 02, 2012

Earthers & Lumin Beings

Can we not all agree that man is possessed of no less than two natures?

I guess not. Anyone on the secular atheistic/scientistic side of the spectrum rejects any nature -- i.e., essences -- although never in a coherent way, mind you.

The leftist, for example, will insist that everyone is inherently racist except for blacks (and their white liberal scaretakers); or homosexuality is "fixed" whereas for the rest of us, gender is just a cultural construct.

So, let me get this straight: all sexuality is an arbitrary cultural construct except for homosexuality, which is why members of the latter group are entitled to special rights plus cash and other valuable prizes from the government?

Yes, exactly. You got a problem with that? It's all about voting blocs, not intellectual consistency, moron. To look for intellectual consistency in a leftist is like milking a bull. At best, you're in for a nasty surprise.

The two natures alluded to above are central to all religions, either explicitly or implicitly. Raccoons tend to take things a little too far, and posit two types of humans: children of Light and children of the earth.

This frankly sounds a little too gnostic for most folks. However, we don't say it because it is necessarily true literally, but because it works. We'll drop it as soon as we come up with a better idea.

Children of the earth -- at least in my experience -- tend to stay earthbound. If someone only superficially looks like an earther, as soon as he hears the dOctrine -- presented to him in the right way at the right time -- he will will recognize his Light-nature and soon enough go about shedding the earth-dross.

Can I get a witness?

Conversely, genuine children of the earth respond to the dOctrine either with bovine vacancy -- in other words, they just go on chewing while briefly looking up from the trough -- or a snake-like hissing fit.

In Judaism (or at least Kabbala) the higher and lower natures are called neshamah and nefesh, respectively. Importantly -- critically, even -- the lower soul is not intrinsically corrupt. To the contrary, it is intrinsically innocent -- or as innocent as any other animal.

Rather, it is corrupted by the soul -- which recalls Jesus' wise crack to the effect that Not that which goes into the mouth defiles a man; but that which comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.

You could say that our lower nature is like a fish in the sea -- it is plunged into the body and engulfed by the senses. It is that part of us which is of the earth and made of clay.

But there is another part -- obviously -- that always floats on the ocean or sits on the bank of the river, so to speak. Which is why we aren't all wet, and why the Light isn't completely extinguished.

Can I get a wetness? Without being totally drenched?

Completely out of time. I'm tempted to not even post this fragment, but why not? I'll pick up the strand Monday, no pun intended for once.

30 comments:

Cond0011 said...

"Completely out of time."

Dang.

mushroom said...

Can I get a witness?

Preach on!

Great point about sexual "preference".

Raccoons tend to take things a little too far, and posit two types of humans...

That, though, seems to be what Jesus is suggesting in His parable of the Wheat and the Tares. If "the field is the world" then we could easily assume that wheat represents the good guys and weeds are the bad guys.

However, as you have said, there is that inside-out thing between the world and the soul that allows us to look at "tares" in a more personal way.

John Lien said...

"Can I get a witness?"

Oh, ya sure.

Oh! There is some lovely filth down here."

mushroom said...

By the way, with all the gloom and doom about the latest post-Sandy polls, consider Missouri. McCain carried MO by less than a percentage point -- a few thousand votes that would have instigated a recount if it had mattered. It's the first time since 1956 MO has not gone with the winner -- 1904 before that.

Bush carried MO by about 3% in 2000, 7% in 2004. This year, Romney is in the mid-50s -- ahead of Obama by double-digits. So either MO is no longer a bellwether, quite possible -- or Bob is right and it ends up 53-47.

ge said...

Newt just quoted that 53-47 predic. to Sean. Morris might even add a point or 2

julie said...

So, let me get this straight: all sexuality is an arbitrary cultural construct except for homosexuality, which is why members of the latter group are entitled to special rights...

Apropos, a sex change procedure aborted. Guess he decided he's attached to his Johnson after all...

DeAnn said...

Hmmm... Looking forward to Monday then.

Gagdad Bob said...

Yeah, I'm a leading contemporary integral thinker, and there's not a damn thing I can do about it. (The link is to the wrong Robert Godwin.)

That list gives motley crews a bad name!

julie said...

That's funny. Is he any relation to you, or is thatjustpure coincidence?

Gagdad Bob said...

No relation as far as I know. My father emigrated from England, but it's apparently a common name there. Also common in the southern US, since so many British criminals & riffraff settled there.

Gagdad Bob said...

For all I know, I could be related to Mary Godwin, author of Frankenstein and daughter of uber-moonbat William Godwin.

Gagdad Bob said...

For a minute there, the thought crossed my mind that we should name the boy "Audwin." Audwin Godwin. Has a nice ring. Sounds like "odd one."

julie said...

:D
Probably best that you didn't, it seems a bit like tempting fate...

Gagdad Bob said...

Another rejected name: Dexter, because I really like Dexter Gordon. And "Dex" would be a kind of cool nickname.

I thought no one would name their kid Dexter, but sure enough, he's got a Dexter in his class. Somehow, these names seem to be "in the air." You think you're being original, but you find out ten years later that the name you chose is in the top ten. We also considered Liam, Colin, and Trevor, all pretty common now...

On his baseball team there's not a single name you would have heard when I was a kid: Steve, Mark, John, etc. It's all Hudson, Chase, Wyatt, Logan, Phoenix, Kavi, Jayden, Ashton, Brody, Braydon...

Cond0011 said...

Good thing you didn't give him the 'Dexter' name. though I haven't had a Television for at least 19 years (minus a 2 year interlude), I have had the opprtunity to watch an episode or three of the TV Series called 'Dexter'.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dexter_%28TV_series%29

Brrrr...

(Of course you were doing it for other reasons...)

Makes me wonder about those who wanted to name their sons "Osama" after 9-11 over 12 years ago.

julie said...

Yeah, when we went with Liam we didn't figure there would be too many. Oddly, we've met two here in Florida (where native English speakers seem almost to be a minority), one about the same age who plays at the same playground.

Funny thing about the new crop of kids' names, even though they're meant to be unique they mostly have a similar feel to them. Also, it just now occurs to me that many of those sound like lead characters in a romance novel about cowboys...

julie said...

Cond, I was thinking of the TV show, too; I wonder whether Dexter has become more or less popular since the show came out?

Gagdad Bob said...

Seems like Old Testament names are making a comeback too: Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Isaac. I'm waiting for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And Nebuchadnezzar and Goliath.

Cond0011 said...

I'm a bit away from the mainstream culture, so I dunno, Julie.

...and considering the fact that I have been away from the 24/7 secularist pulpit, has probably contributed to my more Republican/Libertarian view of politics and my nearly allergic reaction to the violence that lashes out from the movies and television screens of today.

Just thinking in the direction of 'Dexter' is an agony akin to seeing the photos of the holocaust victims of World War 2.

Cond0011 said...

I hope so, Bob.

Van Harvey said...

Barely staying vertical the last couple weeks, don't know how flat on my back I'd be without OC to read. Of course I don't get the full medicinal effects without commenting, but it's still propping me upright.

Regarding the elections, and the wasted vote, here's my 2 posts:
When acting 'on principle' is unprincipled behavior - part 1 of 2 and
Putting your purpose into action - When acting 'on principle' is unprincipled behavior - part 2 of 2.

Cond0011 said...

I was wondering when you'ld pop up. Good to see you, Van.

Gagdad Bob said...

Surprise -- Deepak comes out for Romney!

julie said...

Now that's funny.

Van Harvey said...

Lol. At least he understood that there was only one obvious answer.

Van Harvey said...

Hey Cond0011, I've been reading, but I think this has been my longest absence from the comment box in 6 years.

Ugh. Two more daze.

Van Harvey said...

I tell ya what, those last two posts of mine really p'o'd the libertarians. They don't seem to be able to comment on blogger, but some facebook forums and email... very flattening.

julie said...

Oh, hell. Florida is already having election problems. And yeah, it really was that bad. DH went on Saturday, got there at about noon, and got out at six. I went on Thursday, kids in tow, and "only" had to wait three hours.

Gandalin said...

Hi Bob,

According to Kabbalah, if I am not mistaken, there are actually 5 aspects to the human soul. (One reason that many Kabbalistically inclined pray before a lectern illuminated by 5 little candles.) In additon to the neshomo and the nefesh which you mention, there are also the ruach, the chaya, and the yechidah.

The Jew prays every day, "ha neshomo sh' n'sata bi, tehora hi," that is, "the soul that You have placed within me is pure . . ." a phrase once considered to deny the concept of "original sin" and hence suppressed by the earthly powers who found the statement problematic.

The soul is pure because "You created it, You formed it, You breathed it into me, You preserve it within me, You will take it away from me and then restore it to me in the time to come . . ."

The animals that were created on the 6th day also have a nefesh chaya.

Gagdad Bob said...

Excellent points. I guess I'm starting with the big picture. Details to follow. Such as in today's post, which I hope is not too far off the mark.

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