(urth) Appearances of Inire

David Stockhoff dstockhoff at verizon.net
Thu Jul 1 05:53:41 PDT 2010


Well argued. Extra points for use of Tolkien.

Under #3, presumably, such a being might have enormous powers but feel 
just as lost as humans. Under #1, such a being might feel significantly 
more connected.

One can see how a #3 being might more often go astray, even with good 
intentions, while a #1 being might get carried away with how close to 
the deity he sits and become jealous or rebellious, causing far more damage.

John Watkins wrote:
> Well, I didn't want to get into various schools of angelology in 
> Christian and Gnostic thought.  Obvious there must be /some /possible 
> separation between angelic will and divine will, or fallen angels 
> wouldn't have been possible.  It's my understanding that there are 
> various interpretations of what this means even in our world, and in a 
> consciously created myth it could mean anything (Tolkien's Valar, for 
> instance, are not in constant communication with Illuvatar or anything 
> like it and they make various errors of judgment.  I don't think, 
> however, that they ever lie or commit acts of intentional evil, except 
> for of course Melkor and arguably Aule on one occasion).
>
> On Thu, Jul 1, 2010 at 8:35 AM, David Stockhoff 
> <dstockhoff at verizon.net <mailto:dstockhoff at verizon.net>> wrote:
>
>     #1 could be phrased more strongly, deleting "more or less" and
>     using the words "infallible" and "definitely in direct contact."
>     That would be more distinct.
>
>     As I understand it.
>
>     brunians at brunians.org <mailto:brunians at brunians.org> wrote:
>
>         There is no meaningful difference between one and three.
>
>         .
>
>
>          
>
>             Right.
>
>             Although now I will say such a thing.  Tzadkiel presents
>             himself not as
>             the
>             Outsider but as His agent.  Arguably the most important
>             question of the
>             series is whether Tzadkiel is lying.  I think there are in
>             fact three
>             options:
>
>             1)  Tzadkiel is, like a Christian archangel, more or less
>             in direct
>             contact
>             with the will of the deity.  Thus he/she is to be
>             completely trusted and
>             is
>             a more or less incontrovertible moral authority.
>             2)  Tzadkiel is a creepy insectoid alien thing and a liar.
>              The
>             pretentions
>             of religion are a means of controlling the human race.
>             3)  Tzadkiel is a "higher" being in some meaningful sense
>             but remains
>             metaphysically removed from the divine, like the angel in
>             "The Cock and
>             the
>             Angel."  His/her belief in the Increate and desire to do
>             its will is
>             sincere, and to that end he/she is just doing the best
>             he/she can, but
>             like
>             the angel in the story Tzadkiel remains fallible and
>             infinitely removed
>             from
>             the mind of the Increate.
>
>             I go back and forth between 2) and 3) myself.
>
>             On Thu, Jul 1, 2010 at 8:01 AM, David Stockhoff
>             <dstockhoff at verizon.net <mailto:dstockhoff at verizon.net>>wrote:
>
>                
>
>                 No one said anyone was pretending anything. It was a
>                 general theoretical
>                 observation.
>
>                 brunians at brunians.org <mailto:brunians at brunians.org>
>                 wrote:
>
>                      
>
>                      Who usurping where?
>
>                     Which archon is pretending to be the Outsider?
>                     Tzadkiel?
>
>                     I don't think so.
>
>                     .
>
>
>
>
>
>
>                            
>
>                         No, the definition of usurping demands it. So
>                         does the concept of a
>                         local archon pretending to be the Outsider.
>                         You can explain it any way
>                         you want, but that's the concept.
>
>                         Think Tolkien.
>
>                         brunians at brunians.org
>                         <mailto:brunians at brunians.org> wrote:
>
>
>                                  
>
>                             Maybe for you.
>
>                             .
>
>
>
>
>
>                                        
>
>                                 The question, then, is whether such
>                                 delegation occurred---or not.
>
>                                 brunians at brunians.org
>                                 <mailto:brunians at brunians.org> wrote:
>
>
>
>                                              
>
>                                     I don't buy it.
>
>                                     God delegates all the time.
>
>                                     .
>
>
>
>
>
>                                                    
>
>                                         Precisely.
>
>                                         Dan'l Danehy-Oakes wrote:
>
>
>
>
>                                                          
>
>                                             On Wed, Jun 30, 2010 at
>                                             11:28 AM, Jeff Wilson
>                                             <jwilson at io.com
>                                             <mailto:jwilson at io.com>>
>                                             wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
>                                                                
>
>                                                 Jeff Wilson wrote
>                                                 (30-06-2010 16:04):
>                                                                      
>
>
>
>
>                                                                      
>                                                          
>
>                                                         On 6/30/2010
>                                                         9:24 AM, James
>                                                         Wynn wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
>                                                                      
>                                                                    
>
>                                                     There's that thing
>                                                     about only God
>                                                     being creator.
>
>
>
>
>
>                                                                      
>                                                          
>
>                                                 How is that relevant
>                                                 here? Do you prefer
>                                                 that people use
>                                                 "assemble"
>                                                 instead of "create"?
>
>
>
>
>
>                                                                      
>
>                                             It's relevant because a
>                                             race that creates a
>                                             (slave) race is
>                                             usurping
>                                             the privilege of the
>                                             Creator -- is in fact
>                                             acting in daemonic
>                                             manner.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>                                                                
>
>
>
>
>                                        
>
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