Wolfe as Heretic

Lee Berman · 20 May 2010, 04:06 · from 2010-May.txt.gz

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From: severiansola at hotmail.com (Lee Berman)
Date: Thu, 20 May 2010 00:06:59 -0400
Subject: (urth) Wolfe as Heretic
Message-ID: <SNT123-W23A3E634C447107F31305DCFE30 at phx.gbl>


Perhaps this well-known quote is relevant here. Toward the
end is, maybe, a statement regarding gnosticicm.
 
>We believe that we invent symbols. The truth is that they invent us;
>we are their creatures, shaped by their hard, defining edges. When
>soldiers take their oath they are given a coin, an asimi stamped
>a profile of the Autarch. The acceptance of that coin is their
>acceptance of the special duties and burdens of military 
>life--they are soldiers from that moment, though they may know
>nothing of the management of arms. I did not know that then, but
>it is a profound mistake to believe that we must know of such
>things to be influenced by them, and in fact to believe so is to
>believe in the most debased and superstitious kind of magic. The
>would-be sorcerer alone has faith in the efficacy of pure knowledge;
>rational people know that things act of themselves or not at all.  		 	   		  
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