Nietzsche’s dead “God”

In the current of the Enlightenment, I think Nietzsche’s announcement that “God is dead” was close, but I don’t think “God” was yet dead. Just wounded. The work of killing has continued. And in my view, the “Enlightened” – materialists, rationalists, nihilists, skeptics, atheists – don’t deserve much credit at all for the ongoing killing. Instead, it is the “God” promoters who are managing to suck every last breath and drop of blood from the wounded “God.”

The Enlightenment had wounded the unreal, idealized, and idolized “God.” These are the “God”s defined by institutionalized religions organizing fearfully under the God banner, lusting for power to fortify their insecure egos as they sought more power over masses.

As power-lust will do, it propels these institutions to cling more tightly to their belief in definition. These institutional behaviors are reflections of individual behaviors: Each one of us, upon realizing we have not defined the world properly as it is, first clings even more tightly and grasps for control more desperately, before reality wrests our delusions from us. When we persist in our narrowness and do not surrender, we go insane. So have religious institutions, because so is their “God.”

To pretend we can define the undefinable is, well, nothing short of ill-logic, is it? Insane.

The Enlightenment suggested that many of the irrational claims and beliefs of religions were insane. Religion argues back that rationality is transcended by faith. Perhaps. But some religions also recognize that faith and reason, when both are authentic, do not conflict. These beliefs systems leave happily the dynamic equilibrium between faith and reason each informing the other. It does not have to be one or the other. But that takes a dose of humility that power institutions cannot abide. (Nor can most individual egos.)

Authentic faith demands assent from the intellect without conflict. It does not demand proof from the intellect, but it does demand assent from the intellect. When that required assent is diminished, suppressed, oppressed, ignored, or killed, faith is not authentic any longer. What “God” would demand faith be insane?

Yet, that is what many institutions still demand. These institutions are dying the same slow death as their idolized “God.” So Nietzsche’s announcement wasn’t wrong; his grammatical tense or voice was just a little too advanced. God was not dead then; God had just been wounded, and began to die.

That “God” continues to be put to death by “His” adherents. This is not to say that ALL of the beliefs and practices of these institutions is insane. but some surely are. And the longer and more vehemently these institutions cling to their insanities, the more quickly they will die, thank God (the God without quotes).

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Neil D. 2023-02-18
[origins ~2022-05-02]

For a plainly written, related reflection with no pretense to intellectualism, see Lonerwolf.com’s “Spirituality vs Religion: 11 Differences (With Pros + Cons List)“

“Hallelujah” in a cold parking lot

Need your soul stirred?

Sometimes, the only useful “words” are music, aren’t they?

“Hallelujah” in a parking lot:

I recommend the full 2:37 min (https://youtu.be/jItpkniJLVs), but if you can’t spare that right now, https://youtu.be/jItpkniJLVs?t=1m24s will start you later for the 74-sec climax.

These are brass horns warming up in a city parking lot at the chilly start of September, before the 2015 world championships.

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2023-02-17 Neil D

Related:

“Be Strong” – Chrome-Plated Plastic. Hypocrisy

[2-minute read]

We see chrome all the time. That shiny metal that gives a product some glitz. Perhaps you even know it’s just a coating. Chrome plated metal looks sexy on cars, motorcycles, big trucks and other vehicles. But even plastic can be coated with chrome, for other parts of vehicles, or your coffee maker or hairdryer. It has nothing to do with strength. It’s all about external appearances. Chrome plated plastic breaks pretty easily. It’s all mirrors.

A “trial by fire” might indeed make you strong. Or you may look at others who have suffered greatly, and think they are strong. But sometimes, that’s just a surface coating on a fragile person underneath.

Some people might look strong and shiny from the outside, externally. We think their determined responses are signs of strength. But they may be only signs, not manifestations. Signs can be misleading. They could be *acting* like a strong person – wearing the mask of strength, following a rehearsed script based on seeing other “strong”-appearing people.

The word “hypocrite” comes from the Greek word for actor.

If you’ve undergone trials by fire via suffering imposed from external sources, and you’ve coated your outside to look strong and attractive, you’ve done so out of fear of further victimization. If you “look strong,” you believe you signal to others that they shouldn’t mess with you. That’s acting.

What if your trial by fire has been internal?

You’ve become more perpetually aware of your own hypocrisy. You’ve examined the secrets that you keep from the rest of the world, and the delusions you have been telling yourself. It leads to a place of self honesty. And then honesty with the whole world. It also leads to compassion and the recognition that everyone else is keeping secrets also, out of fear.

Facing one’s own imperfections, hypocrisy, and vulnerabilities is a paradox of strength. Authentic strength, forged by fire from the inside, not the outside.

That’s the kind of person who breathes fire from the inside. And that is not a dragon who imposes fear, but one who embraces the world in flames of compassion and original expressions of love.

That’s the kind of person who cannot be messed with.

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Neil D. 2023-01-20

Theology, kids, mom beer on a plane

Long after the little backpack bounced with her skips onto the jetbridge out of sight, this remained on a seat with a working TV…

Row 20 opposite window seat

A half hour earlier, I shared with friends and fam, “Work went horribly yesterday. This AM I’ve seen so many excited kids at the airport, I can’t help but be cheerful. If only we could all be as in-the-moment and full of awe as children are❤️.”

Now, in row 23, a couple asked if I’d give up my aisle and move to row 20. Hmm, a cramped window seat. My mood was wonderful, so, “Ok.”

I disrupted a woman on the aisle to let me to the window. We buckled. Across the aisle, the TV didn’t work, frustrating her 5-year-old daughter who wore a rainbow tie-dye mask, earphones with glitter, bright pants with unicorns, and mismatched socks. I saw her in the terminal, gleefully toting a cute little black-sequined backpack. I learned later they were heading to grandparents they’d just seen over Christmas, but they usually drove the 10 hours, so this was a kids’ treat. Dad and two other kids stayed home.

For the TV fail, a flight attendant offered mom points, a menu drink… She chose beer.

She asked me, “You an Irish fan?” from my sweatshirt. She went there too. I asked what she studied. Theology!

“You?”
Biology. 3 credits short of a theology minor:)

Her husband – met there – finance, with a theology minor.

At a different place, she got a theology Ph.D. in ecclesiology and church-as-sacrament. Still teaches there for adult continuing education, and is a mission director for a high school.

The family shuffled seats to get the youngest in front of a working a TV. Dr. Mom opened her laptop to work. The son, probably 8 or 10, settled beside me as I held his Canada Dry.

“I’m Neil. What’s your name?”
James.

“That’s a cool name; you like it?”
Nod. Who’s this weirdo stranger danger.

“James, I got 3 little sisters. They can be a pain.”
Wordless smile.

I chose Cheezits.

Since they didn’t have chips, James chose them too. Put his headphones back on, back to TV.

I smiled under my mask, ear to ear, a teardrop fell my mask’s ridge.

My goodness, kids rock.

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Neil D. 2023-01-13.
Friday the 13th is an awesome day

Worthy Because You’re You

You’re not worthy because of anything you’ve done

You’re not worthy because of new friends/partners who like you

You’re not worthy because of a promotion or new job

You’re not worthy because of social media Likes

You’re not worthy because of love from friends/family

You’re not worthy because of your achievements

You’re not worthy because of boundaries you enforce

You’re not worthy because of inner strength you’ve developed

You’re not worthy because of your assertiveness or your vulnerability

You’re not worthy because of your resilience, learning, and growth

You’re not worthy because of your inner work

You’re not worthy because of anything you’ve done to your self or for your self

You’re not worthy because of anything that has been done to you

You’re not worthy because of suffering you survived

You’re not worthy because of your existence and being

You’re not worthy because of your soul

You’re not even worthy because God loves you just as you are

You’re not worthy for any of these reasons

You’re not worthy for any reason 

Any single one of these reasons may be lost – from time to time, or entirely.

You’re worthy because of ALL of them.

Which is to say, you are worthy because you are you, and you are enormous.

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Neil D. 2023-01-09

Related: Contrast. Paradox. Fullness.