From: Robert Owen (rowen@technologist.com)
Date: Sun Nov 07 1999 - 14:25:09 MST
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 meta-
phorical 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
=======================
Robert M. Owen
Director
The Orion Institute
57 W. Morgan Street
Brevard, NC 28712-3659 USA
=======================
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