Spudboy100@aol.com wrote:
> In a message dated 11/07/1999 3:06:07 AM Eastern Standard Time,
> rowen@technologist.com writes:
>
> > Unfortunately, this entire page is now beginning to exude
> > Nietzsche's "odor of sanctity"...
> Notice though what you despise, 8 of the 9 religious paths listed are, at
> least, quasi-Christian. The Way, Moonies, Church of Mormons... You did list
> Orthodox Hindu's..I wonder what non-Orthodox Hindu's believe in? As far as
> Neitszche, who wants to be locked into an Eternal Return-I even hate
> television re-runs...
Dear ___________,
I wish I knew your name -- your alias just doesn't fit a person of your high intelligence, although it it consistent with your spelling.
Clarification: I was neither [1] promoting the conceptual content of Nietzsche, nor [2] disparaging any spiritual practice.
Actually, however, I view Nietzsche's writings as "cultural criticism", not as "metaphysics", and as such possessing considerable merit. Further, I myself practice a non-ideological "spiritual" discipline.
My problem with the quotations is their vocabulary, and the metaphorical expression was meant to describe this vocabulary as decadent if not altogether moribund. Greg Burch and I were just discussing the need for a new semantics of artistic creativity and criticism for the coming Millennium.
For example, I could regard the term "sin" as "quaint" were it not for the repulsive connotations it has acquired over the years. The association of "sin" with "Sheol" (which today would refer to a sanitary landfill or a settling tank for human excrement), the intrinsic sadomasochism of the evolved usage of the concept of "hell" (c.f. "celare", "kalyptein") -- such terms are, in my view, anachronistic to say the least. I put the word "spiritual" within quotation marks because I also find its acquired burden of connotations distasteful. I'm sure I would be misunderstood if I used "pneumatic" instead.
I certainly apologize if you experienced my post as a demeaning and disrespectful reference to your belief-system,
Bob