Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Thus spake Zarathustra in Paris


     In his thought-provoking "Mere Christianity," the late British theologian C.S. Lewis saw evil  as perverted good.
     Hitler, Lewis noted, truly believed in the absolute morality of his Nazi ideology -- and that the forces of the Third Reich were engaged in a battle of Good versus Evil.
     For example, throughout his speeches and writing, Hitler defined his mission as one inspired by God -- which, early on, gained him strong support from both Protestant and Roman Catholic clergy.
     Even in occupied countries like Norway*,  Austria and France, Hitler drew willing volunteers for his Werhmacht  by declaring war on  the "Godless" Communism of Stalin's Soviet Union. *Which is why volunteers from German-occupied Norway fought side-by-side with Hitler's troops in a failed invasion of Russia.

     So now we have ISIS band of "True Believers" assembled from throughout across the globe willing to sacrifice their lives in yet another version the ancient Manichean notion of Good versus Evil. 
     Of course the concept of Good v Evil exist only on Earth.
     But as for the rest of the known universe...  
     Which suggests the existence of Good v Evil is a notion created by hairless apes.
     True, my dog Charley appears to view other dogs as threats or friends.
     Often for dog specific reasons known only to him.    
     Just as a chimpanzee will quickly learn the difference the difference between a red stick used to inflict pain versus a white stick used to reach bananas beyond his normal grasp.
     Yet its doubtful the ape will view a red stick as Evil and a white one as Good.
     But ask the Televangelist Pat Robertson about the forces of Darkness and Light...
                                  *    *    *       
      Certainly among the earliest traces of this battle between Good v Evil date back  some 5,000 years ago by Zoroaster (Zarathustra), who reduced the ancient notion of numerous warring  gods into a war between two opposing forces: Ahura Mazda (Illuminating Wisdom) and Angra Mainyu (Destructive Spirit).
      Which  is what drives today's bloody jihad spawned by ISIS today.
Same as it ever was

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