Wolfe as Heretic

brunians at brunians.org · 19 May 2010, 15:41 · from 2010-May.txt.gz

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From: brunians at brunians.org (brunians at brunians.org)
Date: Wed, 19 May 2010 11:41:12 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: (urth) Wolfe as Heretic
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Y'all ought to speak for yourselves when talking about what the ancients
believed as opposed to what we believe.

There's plenty of people out there with other pictures of the World than
the Moderrun one that suit them very well.

.

> 2010/5/19 Ant?nio Pedro Marques <entonio at gmail.com>:
>> Church Fathers did not in general make a point of saying pagan gods
>> didn't
>> exist. I don't think any considered them divine, but instead of angelic
>> nature, though either fallen or miscontrued by their worshippers.
>
> That's what I read Wolfe as saying:  the being worshipped is real even
> if humans misconstrue their nature.  Let's say that an ancient Greek
> worshipping Apollo was really worshipping one of the angels to whom
> was given custody of poetry, the sun, music, etc.  The imperfect
> nature of the worshipper is such that all he knows how to call what he
> sees is "divine," even if that appellation might more properly refer
> to Apollo's boss, and not to Apollo himself.  Certainly the same sort
> of modernistic arguments against the existence of divinity apply with
> equanimity to the existence of Apollo or the god of monotheists.
> Wolfe is right that there is no reason for people that acknowledge the
> existence of that monotheistic god to assume that heathens were silly
> for believing in their many gods.  In fact, it is contrary to their
> own faith that they would be dismissive of the faith of others.
>
> Also, Wolfe is a learned man, and well aware of Christianity's roots
> being not too far removed from henotheistic Judaism.  I think our
> modern theological discussions are stripped very bare of the
> supernatural (except for, of course, those beings for which theodicies
> are traditionally maintained), and we tend to impart our rather
> cynical view to ancients, or view them as deficient in some regard
> because they believed in things we now consider seriously.  Every time
> I indulge myself in this prejudice, I recall all of the wonders the
> people of the ancient world produced, and am humbled a bit.
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