tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post4641423856058048151..comments2024-03-29T06:03:45.545-07:00Comments on One Cʘsmos: The Minus Religion (-R) of the Left: Passion, Cynicism, and Moral InversionGagdad Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14249005793605006679noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-68023161138057652732007-11-06T15:02:00.000-08:002007-11-06T15:02:00.000-08:00Ayn Rand said, speaking of the worst examples of b...<I>Ayn Rand said, speaking of the worst examples of both, that the Atilla's and the Witch Doctors (the mystics of muscle and the mystics of mind) couldn't exist without eachother.<BR/><BR/>Both have denied a chunk of Humanity, which the other does have a distorted grasp of, and they feed and feed off of (there's that apetite again) eachothers spiritual illness.</I><BR/><BR/>No matter where I go, I keep running into Rand. Something odd about that.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-48598970803937156912007-11-06T06:55:00.000-08:002007-11-06T06:55:00.000-08:00Hoarhey:Hard to say, since many of the cultural ch...Hoarhey:<BR/><BR/>Hard to say, since many of the cultural changes attributed to the Beatels seem to me to have been more or less inevitable, whether we like them or not. I just don't see how I could have <I>not</I> rebelled against Christianity as a young adult, since nowhere did I encounter someone capable of giving it a good account. <BR/><BR/>So part of the rebellion may be attributed to the weakness of the existing culture, or at least its weakness in being able to articulate its values and the reasons for having them. In the long run, this strengtghened the concervative movement, but even now, there are few conservatives who do a decent job of articulating classical liberal values, so the rebellion continues....<BR/><BR/>On another level, speaking as an individual, I believe it is possible to strengthen one's faith by seeing how concepts from one tradition illuminate neglected aspects of one's own. Also, it helps demonstrate that these are universal principles, not merely subjective or made up.Gagdad Bobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14249005793605006679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-55903187205128338722007-11-05T22:41:00.000-08:002007-11-05T22:41:00.000-08:00And I'm not putting down yoga in any way but I see...And I'm not putting down yoga in any way but I see the 60's rebellion types using it as a "screw you Mon and Dad and the religion you rode in on" attack on tradition which was directly aided and abetted by John, Paul, Ringo and George. One could argue that they were just doing their thing and people took it the wrong way but the messages they gave out, in my opinion, spoke differently.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-2267601344006885712007-11-05T22:33:00.000-08:002007-11-05T22:33:00.000-08:00Bob,On average, would you say that the Beatles dab...Bob,<BR/><BR/>On average, would you say that the Beatles dabbling in yoga and drugs had a positive or a negative effect on the American culture since these people were put on pedestals and looked upon as having found "the way" (along with many other musicians) which many young people would emulate. Given the rebellion of the 60's against the establishment and religion, I see their influence as a negative in many ways given that most who chose to emulate haven't the foresight to struggle through and continue the journey, seeing nothing beyond. I hear multiple examples of the arrested development daily from the talking heads in the mainstream media and leftist politicians still stuck at fourteen. I feel this is a direct result of not wanting to lose the "cool" they thought they had attained by their fantasy connections to these cultural "icons", and as a result, they resist the growth into truth.<BR/>As an example, I read an article by a jounalist entitled "Respect for the Boss" or "Respecting the Boss" I don't remember exactly. It had nothing to do with respecting his employer but was an article about how he had taken his kid to a Bruce Springsteen concert and had tried to instill the sort of reverence towards the Jersey Trash that he himself had. Reverence? Give me a break, but this pathology is rampant in this society particularly in the journalist and leftist political classes and in my humble opinion is by far a net negative to this country. I mean look at what being dead heads, self admitted no less, has done to Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi. ;^)<BR/><BR/><BR/>Also, the little voting box on the "Best Religious Blog" website doesn't work for me. Any ideas?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-11853399454742662052007-11-05T21:48:00.000-08:002007-11-05T21:48:00.000-08:00As Bob has referenced before, regarding the Word a...As Bob has referenced before, regarding the Word and His words, here is one of many astounding claims made by Jesus that have indeed held true - and it appears in 3 of the 4 gospels: Matt 24:35, Mark 13:31, and Luke 21:33. This is important. I suggest reading the words (the whole Bible, that is) for yourself first - then perhaps listen to what others have to say. There is only one Bible. There are countless commentaries, countless reflections - but mirrors are still only mirrors. Fear God, but do not fear that He might actually want to "speak" to you directly, "in person".<BR/><BR/>"No guru, no method, no teacher..."NoMohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01100042056270224683noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-18690499102071101642007-11-05T21:28:00.000-08:002007-11-05T21:28:00.000-08:00Tsebring:re Lennon -- the K is amoral, or at least...Tsebring:<BR/><BR/>re Lennon -- the K is amoral, or at least becomes so, upon contact with the human element. In the past, it was safeguarded by religious tradition, but in the modern world there are no such safegards for an unhinged, activated K. <BR/><BR/>Interestingly Elvis was very aware that the force that moved through him was essentially spiritual, and he struggled to work with it. The Beatles too recognized it, what with their dabbling in yoga, but only George made it a lifelong commitment. I think this is why the quality of his body of solo work vastly surpasses the others.Gagdad Bobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14249005793605006679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-76887030516067340302007-11-05T21:20:00.000-08:002007-11-05T21:20:00.000-08:00Another insight that I forgot to mention; Bloom wa...Another insight that I forgot to mention; Bloom was right on when he said that to be able to compare the Beatles with Malher, you first have to know Mahler. Ah, but you also have to know the Beatles. Bloom I think is missing out when he opts out of the cultural mileiu entirely because he sees it as bankrupt; as I have said, there are nuggets of gold to be found in the swill, and, the main point being, the whole picture of how culture works and doesn't work can only be seen in its totality if you at least have some inkling of the new as well as the old. That doesn't mean you immerse yourself in Britney Spears and Kanye West to educate yourself (like they do in some schools these days), but that you at least know who they are and what their music sounds like (just a listen to the samples on Amazon is usually sufficient). As excruciating as it often is, I sometimes listen to samples of the "hot" stuff just to give it a critical analysis of sorts (it usually rates F-) and file it away in the memory banks. You must know your enemy, after all. And, who knows, you may actually find something interesting and inspiring in the s***pile, like Charlotte Church or Glass Hammer. I'm reminded of this little ditty that my sister's Girl Scout troop used to sing at their meetings:<BR/><BR/>Make new friends,but keep the old<BR/>One is silver and the other's gold.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-606126112766722602007-11-05T20:55:00.000-08:002007-11-05T20:55:00.000-08:00Bob,that's a helpful insight...the K (or is it the...Bob,<BR/>that's a helpful insight...the K (or is it the C, Coondalini)as a driving force behind music. Supposedly before his fall, Lucifer was the angel that created music; don't know if Scripture supports that, but it might explain how it can be so easily used for evil as well as good. It also reminds me of the creation myth in Tolkien's Sylmarillion, where the harmony of the Valar is disrupted by Melkor, who thinks he can do it better, but who brings only dischord.<BR/><BR/> I thought about the musicians that you cited as well; prog does not have a monopoly on true intellection through music. Kind of torn about John Lennon, though; his music was genius, but some of his words were pure poison ("Imagine" I'm sure has become the anthem of many a postmodern atheist, and "Give Peace a Chance" became the pacifist anthem for many years). Still, the Beatles were pretty much the progs of their time, at least from '66 to '70. But they're also good examples of how drugs, pseudo-religion, money, and venomous reptiles called Yokos can ruin a good thing.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-41339676791934701352007-11-05T18:18:00.000-08:002007-11-05T18:18:00.000-08:00tsebring--Cooncur. It's all about the K (the kund...tsebring--<BR/><BR/>Cooncur. It's all about the K (the kundalini, the force, the shakti), not "culture." The latter is just a way for a certain type of person without the K to feel superior. Some have it, most don't. Van Morrison has it. Stevie Ray Vaughan. Duane Allman. Louis Armstong, certainly. John Lennon. Coltrane. James Brown. Johnny Cash. Keith Jarrett. Etc., etc. Like grace, it blows where it will.Gagdad Bobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14249005793605006679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-65998406737106617172007-11-05T16:55:00.000-08:002007-11-05T16:55:00.000-08:00Some commentary on Steyn's essay, as it relates to...Some commentary on Steyn's essay, as it relates to today's post (and Dr Sanity's):<BR/><BR/>Though I have never read Bloom's book, as a music aficionado I too might take issue with some of his generalizations about modern music. I truly get his central point about our musical matrix and ethos being mired in the immediate present, the Beatles, Duran Duran, and even Nirvana being "so yesterday" in our frenetic rush to be current and go with "what's hot", like fanatical stock market gurus; anything older than 50 Cent and Kanye West becomes yesterday's news. <BR/><BR/>However, I would take issue with the idea that ALL rock music is stuck in such a rut. I think as a Coonhead my general attraction to the cooniversal whorledview of this site perhaps explains my love of Prog Rock. I think when Bloom complains about the total lack of musicianship of Rock Era musicians, he is mostly right. But I think of Keith Emerson and Rick Wakeman, both members of prog rock groups, and both superb, CLASSICALLY TRAINED musicians. Emerson or Wakeman would be just as able to play an entire movement of Handel, Mahler or Prokofiev as they would to play Roundabout or Karn Eval 9. Wakeman's little foray into Brahms on the Fragile album was a great musical education for me; now I recognize that Brahms symphony whenever I hear it. And I keep remembering the photo I saw once of Renaissance key player John Camp wearing a "Prokofiev Rules" t-shirt. Classical (and Jazz, and Celtic, and other venerable influences, are there to be found in modern music if one knows where to look. And the same with classical poetry; Peter Gabriel, in his Genesis days, was fond of citing Greek mythology. And plenty of Ayn Rand's philosophical thought can be found in the lyrics of Rush (though I don't agree with a lot of them). And lots of Tolkien references can be found in everything from Rush to Led Zeppelin (Tolkien, of course, got most of his ideas from Early Germanic mythology, as did Wagner). I don't think the landscape of modern art is quite as bleak as Bloom (or Steyn) paints it, but it's almost that bleak, admittedly. The problem is not so much the art but the observers, who, being products of our bankrupt educational system, are incapable of seeing the meaning, or lack of it, in any work of art, literature or music, past or present. <BR/><BR/>I think that the three qualifications that Steyn cites (sex, hate, and smarmy coombaya pseudo-brotherhood) are right on the money when it comes to most modern music. Most stuff on the airwaves for the past 30 years either spoke of sex, drugs, adolescent fantasy, or leftie political ideas. Those of us who like Prog Rock, and the classical and jazz pieces that inspired it, are in the great minority, but we are here and breathing. <BR/>Notice I am not howling with indignation and victimization about Bloom's musical ideas; I'm just doing the proper Coon thing and adding my own 50 Cent. :DAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-86772163835767012442007-11-05T16:20:00.000-08:002007-11-05T16:20:00.000-08:00"That the baby boomer generation was the first to ..."That the baby boomer generation was the first to accomplish this mission only explains everything about their politics, for it is nothing less than the impossible Triumph of Infantile Fantasy."<BR/><BR/>No need to watch Kid Nation on TV...we already have it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-63482988358435221612007-11-05T15:41:00.000-08:002007-11-05T15:41:00.000-08:00because if there is one thing that is exactly like...because if there is one thing that is exactly like math, its politics. pass along the suck!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-25963152187057665352007-11-05T15:37:00.000-08:002007-11-05T15:37:00.000-08:00aninnymouse said "...know for sure is that leftist...aninnymouse said "...know for sure is that leftists are wrong about everything"<BR/><BR/>Well you got one thing right today... too bad you don't believe it's right, but then I guess that just goes back to the fundamentals - if you start out your equation with 1 + 1 = 1.1, then no matter how elegant (oops... that presupposes truth and beauty)... uhm... intricate your calculations, you're just gonna be wrong all the way down.Van Harveyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08470413719262297062noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-62432365572861943992007-11-05T15:14:00.000-08:002007-11-05T15:14:00.000-08:00what a weird world, where the only things conserva...what a weird world, where the only things conservatives know for sure is that leftists are wrong about everything. anyway, back to ya'lls circle jerk. lemme throw you a boner - leftists postmodernist antichristian materialist wrong wrong wrong!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-17938464474557320722007-11-05T14:49:00.000-08:002007-11-05T14:49:00.000-08:00"The comedic possibilities of a Raccoon winning th..."The comedic possibilities of a Raccoon winning this contest are truly Infinite."<BR/><I>Ohh...See!Ohh...See!Ohh...See!Ohh...See!Ohh...See!...</I>Van Harveyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08470413719262297062noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-27824152757092701752007-11-05T14:44:00.000-08:002007-11-05T14:44:00.000-08:00Anonymous said... "Cynical and skeptical, hard-hea...Anonymous said... "Cynical and skeptical, hard-headed, practical to the point of ruthlessness, yet they'd consult soothsayers or astrologers or omens to see whether they should get out of bed in the morning."<BR/><BR/><BR/>Ayn Rand said, speaking of the worst examples of both, that the Atilla's and the Witch Doctors (the mystics of muscle and the mystics of mind) couldn't exist without eachother. <BR/><BR/>Both have denied a chunk of Humanity, which the other does have a distorted grasp of, and they feed and feed off of (there's that apetite again) eachothers spiritual illness.Van Harveyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08470413719262297062noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-15942178858728117112007-11-05T14:42:00.001-08:002007-11-05T14:42:00.001-08:00We're now approaching second place. Victory is ac...We're now approaching second place. Victory is achievable, but it will require a two-day <I>surge</I> with more paws on the ground, so get out and <A HREF="http://2007.weblogawards.org/polls/best-religious-blog-1.php" REL="nofollow">vote</A>. The comedic possibilities of a Raccoon winning this contest are truly Infinite.Gagdad Bobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14249005793605006679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-45526915987137443982007-11-05T14:42:00.000-08:002007-11-05T14:42:00.000-08:00Whenever I try to go to the New Criterion I get th...Whenever I try to go to the New Criterion I get the following message "The server at newcriterion.com is taking too long to respond" and it times out.<BR/><BR/>Is this some sort of leftwing conspiracy!?!?<BR/><BR/>Any thoughts?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-84833008832522615492007-11-05T14:20:00.000-08:002007-11-05T14:20:00.000-08:00Paul said "C.S. Lewis' repeated use of "consuming"...Paul said "C.S. Lewis' repeated use of "consuming" imagery in describing Hell, especially (and literally) in "The Screwtape Letters"."<BR/><BR/>I suppose that would be the nature of the Vital Man, the man of apetite... horizontal man consumes the many things from below, and passes over the One from above...Van Harveyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08470413719262297062noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-43886739885919116292007-11-05T14:03:00.000-08:002007-11-05T14:03:00.000-08:00Thus, the radical secular modman is a dangerous co...<I>Thus, the radical secular modman is a dangerous combination of fanatical passion and hard-headed, biting cynicism...</I><BR/><BR/>Like the movers and shakers of the Early Roman Empire. Cynical and skeptical, hard-headed, practical to the point of ruthlessness, yet they'd consult soothsayers or astrologers or omens to see whether they should get out of bed in the morning.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-89026604142151973562007-11-05T13:56:00.000-08:002007-11-05T13:56:00.000-08:00Stagingmarching to zionbeautiful city of godthird ...<A HREF="http://robinstarfish.blogspot.com/2007/11/staging.html" REL="nofollow">Staging</A><BR/>marching to zion<BR/>beautiful city of god<BR/>third of four facesrobinstarfishhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15665546554663005609noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-71275767655827349582007-11-05T12:35:00.000-08:002007-11-05T12:35:00.000-08:00Reading this piece, and Dr. Sanity's, I was remind...Reading this piece, and Dr. Sanity's, I was reminded of C.S. Lewis' repeated use of "consuming" imagery in describing Hell, especially (and literally) in "The Screwtape Letters". Hell and Heaven both seek union of the cosmos. The difference is that Hell seeks it by consumption. Heaven seeks it by consummation. <BR/><BR/>Lewis' devils constantly mocked the laughable idea that God genuinely wanted union via Love, to offer it freely and without condition. Lewis alluded that their cynicism was born out of their ignorance (and therefore fear) of even the basic concept. It was simply inconceivable (<I>"You keep using that word. I dunna think it means what you think it means."</I>).<BR/><BR/>The "fanatical passion and hard-headed, biting cynicism" Bob describes are much easier to understand when you realize that it is merely the expression of Hell's most genuine, ravenous desires.Paul Griffinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11266956202232070017noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-35818890970165461252007-11-05T12:26:00.000-08:002007-11-05T12:26:00.000-08:00River said "What happens when the wild shoots are ...River said "What happens when the wild shoots are not grafted?"<BR/><BR/>Or worse, when Fenrir lifts a leg up on Yggdrasil?<BR/><BR/>wv:hfnldaa - not quite, try again, its 'Heimdall'Van Harveyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08470413719262297062noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-17989904542427315832007-11-05T11:49:00.000-08:002007-11-05T11:49:00.000-08:00BranchesTree of Might, True VineA Revelation of Fi...<A HREF="http://blog.riverc.org/?q=haiku/branches" REL="nofollow">Branches</A><BR/><BR/>Tree of Might, True Vine<BR/>A Revelation of Fire<BR/>He is Yggdrasil<BR/><BR/>What happens when the wild shoots are not grafted?Ephrem Antony Grayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00032465992619034619noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-31066028015303227072007-11-05T11:37:00.000-08:002007-11-05T11:37:00.000-08:00"One of the lessons of history is that, in order f..."One of the lessons of history is that, in order for culture to function, children cannot succeed in their perennial effort to overturn the world of the parents. That the baby boomer generation was the first to accomplish this mission only explains everything about their politics, for it is nothing less than the impossible Triumph of Infantile Fantasy."<BR/><BR/>Since the frenchy enlitenmeant took 'I think therefore I am' and declared that 'They thought the world was so, therefore it is, so there!', they've been playing philosophical 'Lets Pretend', and then pretending its not pretend.<BR/><BR/>The lefties don't wanted to work to bring something about, they want to declare that it is as they say, and the rest of us are just big meanies for not admitting it. As RueSo said, people are born Noble savages, pure and good - so there's no need to put effort into learning to be civilized or anything else, we're already better than that, just stop stopping us from letting our utopia's bloom! If you don't stop stopping us, we're going to call our Big Brother and make you stop!"<BR/><BR/>But when you want something to 'BE', not want to bring it about or create it, but just. want. it. to. be. what. I. Want. Now. you're faced with coontradictions, and the easiest way out of those is to throw a tantrum and blame the coontradiction for being so coontra to what you're dictatin'.<BR/><BR/>Sadly, reality believes in spanking. Sadder still, spanking doesn't work if the kids convinced they're all right.<BR/><BR/>"They falsely labeled her an "anti-Semite," which then sanctioned -- literally -- the same moral outrage that would normally be reserved for an Adolf Hitler."<BR/><BR/>Speaking of playing let's pretend, did anyone see Alan Colmes trying to put on a stern and morally outraged grown up face while trying to tell Ann Coulter how anti-semitic she was? That was a hoot.Van Harveyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08470413719262297062noreply@blogger.com