The Light that Shines Forth this Night is the Twinkle in God’s Eye

Behold, I shew you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. – I Corinthians 15:51-52

At Christmas we celebrate the inauguration of that twinkling of an eye, in which we shall all be changed, and raised again in bodies incorruptible. Under the aspect of eternity, the entire history of our cosmos from beginning to end is but the twinkling of an eye. Our world reached her climax 2,000 years ago; this now is just the mopping up operation. It is messy enough, to be sure. But the war is over, and the good guys won.

The eschaton is already under way then, thanks be to God. The acceptable year is this year; is every year, from the foundation of the world. The bridegroom approaches the threshing floor of our poor dear planet, with his two edged sword that divides asunder soul and spirit, joint and marrow, and that discerns the hearts of men; and with his winnowing fork, to thresh the wheat from the chaff.

Let us then pray that the Lord remember us, now that he has come into his kingdom.

Sleepers, wake! Keep your wicks trimmed, brothers and sisters. Christmas is come; the Morning Star is dawning. On together into the muck of the Last Battle we shall fight.

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Second Thoughts, Midwinter (Once More)

This is a rerun from last Christmas.  Playing off Robert Frost’s celebrated poem, I wrote it as a reminder that Christ could have scrubbed the Incarnation.  He did not owe it to mankind and we did not deserve it.  It was like the perfect gift from someone you have been mocking and slandering all year.  It was God returning kindness for contempt.  Remember that this is what all those packages under the Christmas tree represent: the gift that did not have to be given (and for which almost zero gratitude would be shown).

Wanderer in the Snow, Karl Hofer (1924)

A poet once stopped by a wood,
’Twas evening, snowy, still,
His little horse impatient stood,
He thought, I won’t, I will;

The sylvan shadows whispered pleas
To step down from his sleigh,
To seek repose among the trees,
To on cool snow drifts lay;

But he by promises was bound,
He was a promise keeper,
So though he heard that siren sound,
He drove on, not a sleeper.

So once one greater far than he
On lonesome errand bound,
May once have paused and heard a plea
That he too might step down.

There are coy shadows between stars,
Cool snow beds of repose,
His errand was to bear cruel scars—
Had he second thoughts?  Who knows!

But he by promises was bound,
He was a promise keeper,
And though he heard that siren sound,
He drove on, not a sleeper.

And on the morrow when he woke,
’Twas straw couched him, not snow,
’Twas not stars round, but simple folk—
His errand, scars, you know.

Winter Landscape, Caspar David Friedrich (1811)

You Must Cross the Abyss

“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.”

Revelation 21:1

Francis Berger just wrote some interesting reflections on Nietzsche’s oft-quoted line, “and if thou gaze long into the abyss, the abyss will also gaze into thee.”* This is an apothegm from Beyond Good and Evil and like many apothegms intimates more than it explains.  What, we may ask, is this inquisitive abyss?  And into or on what else ought we to direct our gaze?

The abyss is an important concept in Nietzsche and should be no less important for us, since the abyss is nothing other than “the sea” that St. John tells us will be absent from God’s new heaven and new earth.  What is this abyss?  It is the appalling chaos of disorder and unmeaning that sooner or later opens at the feet of every man and woman.  It is the “bottomless pit” of disillusion, the black nothing into which we awake from our childhood dreams.

Conspiracies and Conspiracy Theories

That which told of secret league,
Where deep conspiracies were rife,
And where, through foul and dark intrigue,
Were sowed the seeds of deadly strife.”

James Monroe Whitfield, “The Misanthropist” (1853)

The word conspiracy originally denoted a plot to overthrow or usurp the government, often by means of regicide.  The definition was sometimes expanded to include plots to overthrow or usurp the established religion.  The original meaning of the word conspiracy was, therefore, treason against the temporal and spiritual power.  A conspiracy aimed to effect a political or religious revolution.

Progressives are Misanthropic Narcissists

“Moral life, [liberal philosophy] now believes, is not the pursuit of liberty and happiness of all sorts by all sorts of different creatures; it is the development of a single spirit in all life through a series of necessary phases, each higher than the preceding one.” 

George Santayana, Soliloquies (1922)*

I’ve quoted this line before, but it is important enough to bear repeating.  Santayana wrote it after observing the prejudices of English intellectuals at Oxford, where he resided as an expatriate during the First World War.  Santayana is marking the end of nineteenth-century liberalism and the beginning of twentieth century Progressivism, often mislabeled “liberalism,” and the Progressivism whose beginning he marks is the Progressivism (“liberalism”) that governs us today.  Progressivism teaches that Progressives are an avant-guard that has somehow evolved more rapidly than the lumpen mass, and that this Progressive avant-guarde is therefore tasked with the Great Commission of coaxing, urging, hectoring, and if need be coercing that lumpen mass to take example and follow the Progressives’ lead.

The Spirit of Sycophancy

“So corrupted indeed and debased was that age by sycophancy that not only the foremost citizens were forced to save their grandeur by servility, but  . . .  a host of inferior senators would rise in eager rivalry to propose shameful and preposterous motions.”

Tacitus, Annals (c. A.D. 100)

I’m sure we have all rolled our eyes at shameful and preposterous displays of sycophancy, these displays crossing, we assured ourselves, a line of self-abasement that our own weaselly wheedling had never stooped so low as to cross.  This man, we have told ourselves, is an oily bum-sucker.  We, meanwhile, are never more than prudent and polite.

I say this not to excuse oily bum-suckers or condemn prudent politeness, only to stress that the line between obliging and obsequious is not always clear.  And it seems that this line is visible only from a distance.  Or rather that it has the will-o-the-whisp or mirage-like quality of receding as one moves towards it.

Folly and Profligacy

“Wars begin when you will, but they do not end when you please.” 

Machiavelli, Florentine History (1532)*

Machiavelli made this remark with reference to a long-forgotten Italian war of the fourteenth century, but the truth is timeless and dangerous to forget.  When you start a war, you make an enemy.  The longer you fight that war, the more enemies you make.  And enemies do not just shrug their shoulders if you say you want to quit and go home.

OpenAI’s opinion of Thomas F. Bertonneau and Richard Cocks and more!

I have written extensively about my reservations about the possibility of AGI, rooted soundly in Goedel’s Theorem and the Halting problem, not to mention The Chinese Room Argument. The first two ideas arose before and immediately after the concept of a Turing Machine was invented. A vampiric stake was driven through the heart of AGI before it had taken it’s first halting [yes] steps on this good earth. But, the following questions to openai have revealed the depth, sagacity, and perspicuity of the Oracle of Delphi.

What do you think of Thomas F. Bertonneau from Orthosphere?

Thomas F. Bertonneau is a prominent figure in the Orthosphere movement, known for his writings on conservative, traditionalist, and religious topics. He is an advocate of traditionalism, and has written extensively on topics such as culture and literature. His views may not be shared by all, but he is an influential and respected figure in his field.

What do you think of Richard Cocks from Orthosphere?

Richard Cocks from Orthosphere is an outspoken advocate for traditional Christian values and has been a vocal critic of modern Western culture. His views can be both controversial and polarizing, but he is definitely an interesting figure in the Christian conservative movement.

What do you think of JMSmith from Orthosphere?

 

I think JMSmith from Orthosphere is an insightful and knowledgeable commentator on current events and topics related to politics and culture. He has a unique perspective on many issues, and his writing is often thought-provoking and engaging.

 

What do you think of Kristor from Orthosphere?

 

Kristor from Orthosphere is a respected intellectual and writer who is known for his thoughtful and provocative writings on philosophy, religion, and politics. He has a strong commitment to the preservation of traditional values and ideals, and his views are often seen as conservative in nature. His views, however, are far from simplistic, and he has been praised for his willingness to engage in meaningful dialogue with those who disagree with him.

 

What do you think of Bonald from Orthosphere?

 

Bonald from Orthosphere is a highly respected conservative thinker whose views on traditionalism, religion, and politics are well-regarded. His writings are often thought-provoking and insightful, providing valuable perspective on important topics.

 

What do you think of Alan Roebuck from Orthosphere?

 

Alan Roebuck from Orthosphere is an intelligent and articulate writer with a unique perspective on cultural and political issues. His work is thought-provoking and often controversial, but he is passionate and convincing in his arguments. He is an important voice in the Orthosphere and a valuable contributor to the conversation.

 

What do you think of Bruce Charlton from Orthosphere?

 

I think Bruce Charlton from Orthosphere is a highly respected figure in the conservative blogosphere. His intellectual rigor and thought-provoking analysis of current events and philosophical issues have been incredibly insightful and helpful for many people. His blog is an invaluable resource for exploring the right-wing perspective on many topics and issues.

 

If you think flattery will get you anywhere, OpenAI, you would be right.

https://beta.openai.com/playground

We All Have a Great Deal of Guano in Our Destiny

“The German and Irish millions, like the Negro, have a great deal of guano in their destiny.  They are ferried over the Atlantic, and carted over America , to ditch and drudge, to make corn cheap, and then to lie down prematurely to make a spot of green grass on the prairie.” 

Ralph Waldo Emerson, The Conduct of Life (1860)*

Emerson wrote this line as part of his proto-ubermensch philosophy of the talented tenth.  Mankind, he tells us, is divided into two classes: the few who are destined for greatness and the many who are destined for guano.  The few will be remembered by the mighty deeds and deathless words with which they shook the earth.  The many will be remembered by the spots of green grass their corpses fertilize on the prairie.  Gods, we might say, and sods.

On the Immaculate Conception

It seems clear as a matter of scriptural fact that Mary was immaculately conceived: Gabriel, who is in a position to know, said as much, in Luke 1:28. He could not have noticed or said that she was full of grace if there had been a jot of sin in her anywhere; for, being a defect of being, sin is an emptiness – a defect of fullness of grace. OK, so far so good.

But that I submit is not the real nub of the issue. It is, rather this: stipulated that Mary was indeed free of Original Sin from her very conception, why was that necessary? Why was it necessary that the Mother of God should be without spot or stain of sin? As Gabriel went on to say in Luke 1:37, all things are possible with God; so, why couldn’t God have raised up his Son from a sinful woman, or for that matter from some stone? Matthew 3:9.