Creating a formidable and unforgiving enemy

 

Gaza, White Phosphor...

Creating a formidable and unforgiving enemy

"Sin has many tools, but a lie is the handle which fits them all." -Edmond Burke

"Be careful of the institution who promotes itself truthful... but  caught in a lie." -Ken LaRive

A consideration of forgiveness...

There are two aspects of Christian thought when considering forgiveness, and it has caused much consternation throughout history. The first is what is emphatically written in the Bible, and the second is the reality of a human mind.

First in Matthew 5:44, -"But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;"

And then the unforgivable sin....

“I promise you that any of the sinful things you say or do can be forgiven, no matter how terrible those things are. But if you speak against the Holy Spirit, you can never be forgiven. That sin will be held against you forever.” — Mark 3:28-29 (CEV) Beyond forgiveness forever, and ever... 

Now, I'm not here to define or interpret these ideas, just to point them out. These thoughts are indeed Christian, and not of the Talmud, the Koran, or the Old Testament, and yet I struggle to understand them in my own mind and heart. Only the New Testament speaks of Love in a selfless way, and yet we have a powerful threat from God. 

A consideration of truth, Love, and slavery...

After years of reading and studying a good sampling of these works can one conclude that there is a difference between revenge and justice, wrath and vengeance as opposed to forgiveness, and the difference is as profound as war and peace... A God of wrath and vengeance, and a God of Love, do not seem compatible, or in any way like-minded. A Christian, for instance, who exclaims their Love of God in one breath, and fear in another, seems very confused indeed. 

Slavery of spirit, are what is termed volunteer servitude, is in direct opposition to free will, and Liberty from tyranny. Of all of the different forms of slavery, surely slavery of the spirit is the most horrific of all. Be careful of any person or intuition who will quote the wrath and revenge of the Old Testament to justify their intentions, insinuating it was spoken by Jesus. Trust no person, religion or institution who puts words or ideas in the mouths of another, to make their point. Truth can never be gained by the use of a lie.  

 It can't be denied that war has been a constant companion to every one of these religions, and amazingly, few will question why. Let us consider three question in the quest to understand... 1.) If we all pray to the same God, why is there such a difference in perception? 2.) Why is there so much hate, and so little Love, with intolerance for the differences in ideology? 3.) If religion teaches self-responsibility, free-will,  and accountability, why do we go to war without knowing why?

Creating a monster, and then destroying him... is very lucrative...

How can you create an unforgiving enemy in the mind of men? Seems, according to the teachings of Christ, that anything we do to each other can be forgiven. Love one another, forgive one another, is at the very heart of Christianity, but is that possible in every situation? Are some things beyond forgiveness, as found in the very heart of God, in Mark?

When we compare the atrocities of a far-away war, with mayhem close to home, is seems the latter will take precedence. If something has the potential to affect your family personally, you will take much more of a notice. So easy to judge others without empathy, when you are safe and sound in your home. So easy to have an opinion, and to promote it as truth, as you sit comfortably and without consequence, behind your computer screen.

 

Nagasaki

The monsters we create...

And yes, there is one unforgivable sin in the mind of man, and it is so horrendous, so profound, that we would actually rearrange both our mind and life, with a reality undeniably and forever altered. It could never be forgotten, nor could it be forgiven: It is the intentional death of a child by the hand of another. I'm not talking about an accident, but a planned, premeditated, calculated murder. Revenge killing, without a thought for innocence, killing for effect, to achieve an agenda, or to promote and instill shock, awe, and fear, and justifying the act as a casualty of war...  for profit. Yes, all wars are banker wars...

Of everything we could face on this beautiful earth, no matter what religion, race, or country of origin... if someone kills your child out of hate and malice, forgiveness is impossible. So profound is the thought of this, the mere suggestion is unthinkable, even the consideration of a veiled threat is virtually intolerable, and a parent will attempt to bend even eternity to prevent it. And yet, at this very moment in time, whole nations, whole religions, whole races think that everything they are is coming to an end. What is the greatest motivation in the face of fear? Protect our children.

Heaven forbid the reality of it, but in the dark of night, while you thought safe in your beds, your home is bombed and your children are killed... What then? Well, your book of life would close, and another would open, and from that moment on your existence would have a new direction, a singular purpose, to bring those who did this deed to task. Is a Christian beyond the scope of this scenario? No, because he too is only human, and he too can be reborn a monster.

What happens if, in your anguish and grief, in the very epicenter of that horror, you cannot find the person who did such a thing? Who pulled the lever, pushed the button, or squeezed the trigger? What if you could not find the person who made the decision to bomb you?

                                                                              Hiroshima

The trigger of the mind...

What toggle triggered you to scream in horror, trying to get them to breathe again? What element of sanity can save you, and your future, as you run and stumble sobbing without direction, holding their bloody and lifeless bodies in your arms? What solace could you ever find, what justification could you ever exact as you looked into that black void of sky with blinding tears, and a broken heart? What happens to your soul, you mind, your character, as their blood coagulates down your night-clothes, and their bodies grow cold and stiff? What happens to your spirit as your wife finds you there, unable to let go? What happens when you look into your child's face together? What do you do, what do you think, as the dirt is piled over their graves, and you walk home to the rubble of your home, and your dreams? You would look to exact revenge on the group who supported it, the race, the religion, or even a philosophy, and hatred would be your guiding force, tit for tat forever. This tit for tat is found in every religion, even with the Love and tolerance of Christianity...

You would become, for all intent and purpose, totally insane, and you could never be put whole again. You would no longer, and could never again consider or define what is right and wrong, good and bad, and would relive that moment for the rest your life, like an endless loop. And this is why Christians, Muslims, and Jews have persecuted each other for thousands of years. 

Sam Keen, the author of Fire in the Belly and Faces of the Enemy, is what I consider the most important philosopher of our time. Only in a poem could such a profound idea be expressed, as we are again dehumanizing enemies for the power elite; war for the sake of a war machine that must be fed. Truth is so very hard to swallow, in a world screaming in fear.

How to Create an Enemy by Sam Keen

Start with an empty canvas

Sketch in broad outline the forms of

men, women, and children.

Dip into the unconsciousness well of your own

disowned darkness

with a wide brush and

strain the strangers with the sinister hue

of the shadow.

Trace onto the face of the enemy the greed,

hatred, carelessness you dare not claim as

your own.

Obscure the sweet individuality of each face.

Erase all hints of the myriad loves, hopes,

fears that play through the kaleidoscope of

every infinite heart.

Twist the smile until it forms the downward

arc of cruelty.

Strip flesh from bone until only the

abstract skeleton of death remains.

Exaggerate each feature until man is

metamorphasized into beast, vermin, insect.

Fill in the background with malignant

figures from ancient nightmares – devils,

demons, myrmidons of evil.

When your icon of the enemy is complete

you will be able to kill without guilt,

slaughter without shame.

The thing you destroy will have become

merely an enemy of God, an impediment

to the sacred dialectic of history.

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"Forgive your enemies, but never forget their names." -John F. Kennedy

“When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it--always.”
― Mahatma Gandhi