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To: alt.magick.tyagi,alt.satanism,alt.magick,alt.christnet,talk.religion.misc,alt.pagan,alt.christnet,alt.religion.christianity,talk.religion.newage
From: tyagi@houseofkaos.abyss.com (nocTifer)
Subject: The Great Work and Martyrdom
Date: 23 Aug 1997 12:03:40 -0700

49970722 aa2 Hail Satan!

my Ministress, Lainie Petersen  types:
# ...It is amazing to me how many of those in the magickal community 
# (i.e. pagans, thelemites, and chaotes) will complain loudly about 
# the bigotry and intolerance of Christians, while at the same time 
# being just as bigoted and intolerant of those same Christians
# that they complain about.

like psychological and physical abuse, the tradition of condemnation
lives on in the human family, a symptom of the deep wounds yet to
be healed and the works yet ahead of us.

 
# ...many in the magickal community are "escapees" from punative 
# fundamentalist religion.  However, one would think that these 
# folks would "get over it" after awhile and realize that they 
# are just becoming what they hate.

for we never escape, we just perpetuate our prison in another
guise with other language when we run from that which we fear,
attack that which we hate.


#It is hard for those of us who are Christians to involve themselves in
#the magickal community because we can often end up being so alienated.

the history of magick is deeply imbued in the struggle of increasing
alienation from the conventional, community, popular and, unfortunately,
self-esteem.  magnifying the effect through specialization, the mage feels
deeply this massive gulf and, if engaging the Great Work, suffers the pain
of the Holy Cross.  that it is a willing passion makes it the more sweet.

Christians have a special role to play in the resolution of the human
condition.  ministering to the alienated while dwelling among the 
outcaste (Christ's Body), the Christian perfects hir soul and 
simultaneously draws the worlds of orthodoxy and heterodoxy into a 
loving embrace within hir and through the power of hir love forges
a reconciliation.
 

# Our Christian friends think we are going to hell. 

of course.  seeing one's beloved setting forth upon the Dangerous Journey,
how can we not weep for their safety and be certain of their demise?  if
it were not that the Safe Course were now considered the 'spiritual' this
attitude would of course be different.  religion and spirituality may
always be at odds with one another if this trend continues.

my aim is to change the notion of Hell rather than to change myself merely
so as to escape it.  the Devil is inside me.  what better cause than this
to love my enemy as myself?  then let my love also heal the Devil and Hir
minions, let my tears wash away the fevered visions the prejudice and fear.


# Some of our Magickal collegues react with suspicion, hostility, and in 
# some instances work pretty hard to "convert" us Christians. 

not without precursive history which they are no doubt duplicating,
attempting to resolve their own pain at having been condemned and
proselytized by 'Christians'.  as the Scripture indicates, we shall
know as a sign of the perfection of our works that we are hated,
slandered, condemned by the "virtuous", and cast out of the society.
this is part of the Path of the Martyr, and, especially if we are
walking a path of peace (no matter how controversial), it is the
Work of the Divine.


# ...most of the folks I have met in the Magickal community are 
# either Christians themselves, gnostics, or folks who are absolutely 
# delighted to have Christians in the magickal community. 

the eternal philosophic question becomes 'what is a Christian?' and,
perhaps in response to a reflection on this, 'what am I?'  too often
'Christianity' revolves around belief rather than love, allegiance
rather than compassion.  too often 'Christian' becomes a robe of
social authority with little spiritual value.
  

# ...those who are hostile to Christianity can try and make things 
# pretty miserable for me even in the midst of a generally 
# supportive community.

I will do the Work of the Divine when I can praise them who castigate
and condemn me for my Christianity, despite my knowledge of deep
dedication and devotion to deity, the Great Work and the spiritual.

what a beautiful opportunity it is that in the trenches of modern
Christianity I am condemned as 'destined for Hell' and 'the perpetrator
of all religious evils'.  what a challenge to my discipline and
patience, my ability to manifest divine love (without the 
conditionality of recompense or agreement).  far easier is this than
the path of the Orthodox who must face the disintegration of virtue
in an institution marred by human failings.

who better but to one who claims to know the divine I worship and
projects upon me hir deepest nightmares for me to offer my hand
in friendship, over and over, having it slapped away, searched,
whipped and scorched with the heat of the pain they conceal.  what
more is there to the testimony of the excellence of the path of
the Christian than this?  did not the Church Fathers speak of the
virtue of martyrdom?  is not the very condition of oppression a
crucible which calls out the Christian to witness?  without the
travesty of existential angst and the development of stabilized
religious co-option, Christianity would have vanished long ago.

peace be with you,
________________________________________________________________________
nocTifer: tyagi@houseofkaos.abyss.com  ---  http://www.abyss.com/tokus
TOKUS-COE Office: 408/2-666-SLUG --- Mother Church (CoE) coe@netcom.com
________________________________________________________________________

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