quote
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The Neophyte Slave
And how many slaves like me have perished,
as bloody victims to unrighteous deities,
and how many are still dying for that king,
who, as you say, has sentenced us to slavery?
Who’s measured the long way, all lined with crosses,
That we, we slaves, for centuries have walked?
Who has appraised the blood that’s yet to fall
upon the heads of torturers, still weighing
upon the kids of executed heroes?
A phalanx of innumerable deities
has walked over that blood—a crimson carpet
rolled out for the triumph of a caesar--
from heaven here. How long will they,
incorporeal tyrants, bloodless ghosts,
these lifeless apparitions, keep on treading
this priceless scarlet way of living blood?
As for my blood—I’ll never give a drop
for blood of Christ. If it indeed is true
that he is God, then, for a change, let God
spill blood for us—that would be quite a first.
I don’t care if there is but one God,
or three, three hundred, or a whole horde.
Not for a single one I want to die:
not for a king who rules somewhere in Eden,
not for the tyrants ruling from Olympus,--
I won’t be a slave to either one,
I’ve had enough of slavery right here!
I will extoll Prometheus the titan,
who did not make his humans to be slaves,
who spread enlightenment with fire, not with word,
who struggled violently and did not surrender,
and suffered for an aeon, not three days,
yet did not call his torturer his father,
but an ignoble tyrant, whom he cursed,
while prophesying death to all the gods.
That’s whom I’ll follow. And if I should die,
it won’t be for him—he doesn’t want it,—
but for the same things that he suffered for.
Let no one be scared of my cross,
for if I feel a holy fire in my heart,
and for an hour, or even for a moment
will live not as a miserable slave,
but as a soverign, unfettered demigod,
then happily shall I face my demise,
and calmly meet my end upon a cross.
More posts from this category: Thoughts on religion and oppressionCreepy signs on the walls? Looking like coffins?
Roger
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27-04-2014
Feel free to delete my comment if you think it's too left field.But at this time these emotive words suggest to me that now would be a good time to remember our mortality.Before we once again over indulge our instincts to a level of excess that risks unleashing catastrophic events with devastating consequences.It is apparent from current events that our Achilles heel continues to be our abject failure to find effective ways to set limits to control our most primitive and dangerous behaviour.
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![]() Irina |
27-04-2014
Yeah, our current humanistic morality, not the morality of the Old Testament I hope. Besides, religion never stopped people from carrying on with their primitive instincts. When wars start each side simply prays to god for the victory. Especially with Christianity, when all sinners have to do is ask for forgiveness and they're allowed in heaven again. Our psychology is such that we think gods judgement to be very similar to our own. There were experiments concluding that. And so when somebody think there are 'just wars' or 'wars for a greater good' he, being a religious person, simply projects this view onto his god and proceeds with his plan as if he got a blessing. |
M
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27-04-2014
well, the pathos of the poem is hair raising, i'll grant that, but what about
non-god based religions such as marxism and the various forms of nationalism ? I'm not using the term "religion" carelessly when I'm referring to these two, since they display pretty much the same characteristics of theistic religions: a fixed narrative, sacred symbols, the tendency to either ignore or bend facts that challenge their claims etc etc. I mean, look at how your country is currently being ravaged by people being fanatic about their nationalism. so really, I don't think that it's the "god's on our side" syndrome that you've described which deserves the sole blame. rather, I think that the fault lies in people's wish to see themselves as belonging to something which is grander than themselves. As I was watching the vice news feed from Donetsk and Sloviansk, Schopenauer's words echoed in my head: quote:
just my two cents... |
![]() Irina |
27-04-2014
I agree completely with the quote. And that communism in SovietUnion was exactly like a religion. But the nationalism in my country was blown way out of proportion by the media of the neighboring country which stole a part of our territory and is attempting to take more. If you'd like to continue on that topic please comment here for example |