Tuesday, December 02, 2008

Bipolar Scimitar

Moshe, orphaned son of Rabbi & Rebbetzen Gavriel Holtzberg (via Pam Geller)

I post this via The Curt Jester not to provoke to mimetic rivalry, but to offer those fellow travelers on this garden planet who are interested in Marian chivalry and prayer knighthood grist for our 3:00 a.m. vigils: He is asking where his father is, and crying for his mother.

The problem is, of course, that the Scimitar is bipolar with scriptures that its adherents do not see in terms of progressive revelation. They can justify actions that are one-with the primitive sacred in bloodthirstiness in the words and actions of their Prophet.

And until the Holy Spirit - the Third Person of the Moly Holy Trinity - breaks through into enough hearts and souls of Scimitar religionists to reject this bloodthirsty "holy warrior" ethos, the world will continue to be a dangerous place - particularly for Jews and Christians.

Pray for us, Saint Francis. You had dealings with the Scimitar. We need your prayers again. And how.

2 comments:

Janet said...

I'm just starting to grasp this stuff, but would an example be to say that the primitive sacred in me would like for this little boy to grow up and join the Mossad and kick butt, but the Christian in me would like for him to be a peaceful Rabbi like his father?

Athos said...

As my fellow Mass'keteers probably get tired of hearing from me (here and at Chronicles of Atlantis), I assent to the Catholic teaching regarding legitimate defense, Janet. I suggest you read this portion of the official teaching of the Church if you get the chance.

Mimesis nearly dictates a contagious imitation, and no worse form of it is explicated in the New Testament canon than mimetic rivalry that turns violent. Once the doubling begins, it is bound to escalate, spiraling upward in a horrible dance of increasing hostilities, each blaming the other for starting it, each partly right in that blame.

What Our Lord did was offer a way out of this human funny business, a way to short-circuit the violent mimetic rivalry and skandalon. He did so by a forgiveness, an allowing the violence to do its worst to him, not cowering, but taking it in and over him not flicking the bird at his persecutors, but saying, "Father, forgive them; they know not what they do."

We would see them as ravenous wolves; he saw lost sheep.

The Church teaches that we may, we must, defend the innocent. It comes down to motive. If we just want revenge, we are buying into the same old same old accusatory principle (Gr; satan) that keeps the old rivalries going in endless destruction.

Can we legitimately defend without this? The tell-tale indicator, IMO, is that delicious sense of self-righteousness in "doing unto" the other vs. hating having to and going no further than one must and wrestling with damage one incurs when it takes place.

That's the best I can do just now. Cheers