Say no to the Grand Inquisitor

Nicholas Berdyaev in his book, DOSTOEVSKY, writes that the absence of an age of chivalry in Russia was disastrous for her moral values. This 1934 statement postdates the Russian Revolution but precedes most of the disastrous consequences of the reign of Stalin who probably represents a re-incarnation of the antichrist which Dostoevsky ably portrays as the Grand Inquisitor in THE BROTHERS KARAMAZOV. Through the voice of a character in one of his novels, Dostoevsky even said that “Russia had only one religious mission - to give birth to the antichrist. The Grand Inquisitor (the Devil) presents a wonderful world with no suffering, no responsibility and no freedom, perfect for sheep-like, non-thinking fellow travelers to Hell. The Grand Inquisitor, full of pity for man, a democrat, a socialist, is allured by evil masquerading as good. For the Antichrist, too, wickedness looks like goodness. Note that socialism is in full accord with the Grand Inquisitor’s projected state of sociey..

How does this affect to me? Seems to me that America is losing her hold on traditional culture, that the birth of an antichrist is made possible by a people compromising their moral principles. Seems to me that Dostoevsky’s insight (and conviction) that only through God can man find his spiritual soul (conflicted though it may be) and enjoy true freedom could still lead us out of darkness today. An understanding of the horror of a Stalin and his time of godlessness should be sufficient inspiration. A simulated conversation with the Grand Inquisitor also couldn’t hurt.

The top 3

Italy produced Dante, England, Shakespeare and Russia, Dostoevsky. The Italian poet viewed man as an organic part of the objective order of the world, the divine cosmos. Man is one of the grades in the universal hierarchy. God and Satan, Heaven and Hell are not revealed within the human spirit and by human experience; they are given to man from outside and have a reality equal to that of objects in the material world. The poet Shakespeare, living in the humanistic period of modern times, believed that man is no longer bound by any objective world-order given from above; rather he feels free in his world of self-affirmation which opened up a psychic human world endlessly complicated and varied, directed inwards to the psychic not the spiritual aspect of man’s existence. Enter Dostoevsky who probes the depths of the human spirit. Heaven and Hell, God and Satan will no longer be revealed in accordance with an objective order imposed from without but rather by way of a personal meeting at the ultimate depths of the human spirit, an inner reality. Spiritual life is restored; freedom can co-exist with transcendentalism. According to Dostoevsky, true liberty and true equality are possible only in Christ, in following the way of God-made man. The anti-Christ and self-will involve tyranny; any idea of world-wide happiness and the common unity of mankind from which God is excluded means disaster for man and loss of his freedom of spirit. Furthermore, for Dostoevsky, the existence of evil is proof of the existence of God. If the world consisted wholly of goodness, there would be no need for God, for the world itself would be god. God is, because evil is, and that means that God is because freedom is. Neither a man nor a nation can live without a ‘higher idea’ and there is only one such idea on earth, that of an immortal human soul. These conclusions from Dostoevsky lead me to ask ...

What great spiritual thinker has America wrought? How about the current choice between Barack Obama or Rush Limbaugh? From what each man has said, it’s obvious, it’s Rush. On the radio today, he concluded that the slouching of America to Gomorrah is the result of the loss of God. With eloquence he put forward this hypothesis. A secondary cause for the downfall of American culture, Rush postulated, is the influence of liberals, whose tendency is to be insane, unhinged from reality. He questions how only 20% of our country could have led us to our present, debased condition. Which leads me the other name dropped above, Barack Obama, who represents appositional thinking to Rush Limbaugh. Obama’s name fills in the blank for the answer to the question, ‘Who represents the loss of America’s spiritual soul?’ In the summer of 2010, we’ve come a long way from Dante whose hierarchy is obviously obselete, from Shakespeare whose humanism superceded Dante’s truth and from Dostoevsky’s concept of freedom that defines mankind’s inner, conflicted search for God. Rather we have arrived at Obama’s world in which both God and freedom are dead.

Just Desserts

Does a child have a ‘right’ to dessert? A right emanates from a law of nature and nature’s God. Yes, a child of nature and God has a right to a dessert. But with a right comes a duty. Of course. The child’s duty requires that she/he not abuse the right but use it within the boundary of a good. Too philosophical? Michele Obama simplifies the parenting lie for her unwise subjects by telling us that a child does not have a right to a dessert. She/he will get ‘used’ to it just like she/he will get ‘used’ to water instead of a sugary drink. Now as I have repeatedly stated, unless the major premise is true, all else that follows is false. Common sense rendered uncommon leads to this snobbish, liberal, elitist, do-gooder thinking and dictatorial, unwise, parenting. Remember with me if you can, the old days when every manner of evil, sweet, fattening and tasty victual and drink made possible, was permissible. Except to excess. To live in or re-live the past, that today is a consecration devoutly to be wished, Romeo and Juliet as delicious food and me. Michele Obama ought to know this fact; instead she scolds. She who was never proud of her country until the political possibility of fame and fortune came her way via an appealing fraud.

Of course, just because there is a right to dessert there is no duty on anyone to give it to you.

Obama should read

INDEPENDENCE-DAY THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: From Robert Heinlein:


Throughout history, poverty is the normal condition of man. Advances which permit this norm to be exceeded — here and there, now and then — are the work of an extremely small minority, frequently despised, often condemned, and almost always opposed by all right-thinking people. Whenever this tiny minority is kept from creating, or (as sometimes happens) is driven out of a society, the people then slip back into abject poverty.

This is known as “bad luck.”

3 Thoughts on the 4th

Happy 4th of July!

1. Reflecting on the passing of Robert Byrd of West VA, I realize that after 50 years of pork production in his state, West VA now symbolizes what’s the worst show of Americans for obesity, poverty and stupidity. The 3 why’s. Question? Why have not the billions of dollars of government largess larded into his state not produced a better outcome?

2. Thinking about my Cool Whip and Rasberries on top of ice cream, the Eureka moment occurred - why we have obesity and type 2 diabetes epidemics in America ( 2 decades in the making). When the light, low fat, fat free, fit n’active craze blew across the nation, dieters and the health conscious consumed more fat free foods which also contained more sugar and corn syrup ( to reduce the fat calories). Eureka. More sugar, not less, more calories not less in an unnatural diet. An addiction to sweets can trigger type 2 diabetes many people. A habit of eating more calories can have the deleterious affect of weight gain.

3. Remembering it’s the 4th of July, a day to celebrate American freedom, the ability to make choices, I will disclose my effort to acknowledge tradition. All natural, all not light. Breakfast: pancakes, butter, maple syrup, pork patty and rasberries for a colorful topping. Lunch: Hot dogs on buns with ketchup, dill relish, mayonnaise and sweet chopped onions. Tea time: Black Walnut chocolate chip cookies with lemon and ginsing tea. Dinner: Foreman grilled beef burger with fresh sweet corn and asparagus spear. Dessert: Chocolate mint chip ice cream with cool whip and rasberries. TV movie treat time, a tortilla cheese and Italian spiced pizza with fresh basil. To drink? Don’t ask; just let your imagination run wild. After all, it’s the 4th of July, a day to celebrate my independence.