MDMD(8) Christ's truly Pithy

[Sojourner]

In an attempt to do absolutely no work today, I respond:

At 08:50 AM 9/15/97 -0800, Doug Millison wrote:

>>231.16 - 231.18  "for Christ's true Pity lies so beyond us, that we may
>>best jump and whimper like Dogs who cannot quite catch the Trick of it."
>>What is Christ's true pity?  What does this remark reveal of Fr. Maire
>>and Pynchon's attitudes towards him?  (It is significant to consider this
>>question in terms of Dogs we have encountered.)
>

Maybe so... but spiritual doctrine is a highly entrenched field, and
it makes most TRP-listers of even the most cultish rabidity seem
like tame canines indeed.

I must say that the doctrine of this particular man should be
examined, as Christian theology is highly developed, analysed,
categorized and notated beyond comprehension to all but
the most scholarly of scholars.  

In my few years upon this earth, i count what I know on this
matter to be a dribble of spit in a 40 gallon bucket.

>Seems to me Pynchon has the good father express a fairly standard Christian
>priestly insight -- Christ occupies a realm as fundamentally
>incomprehensible to the human as human is incomprehensible to dog, humans
>being as gods from the dog's point of view. 

To crank the works with a monkeyfied wrench, I must say that
this is almost entirely the reason why Luther went nuts.

Many sects of Christianity believe the complete opposite, even
Catholics (or universalists hahahahah *laughs till cries*).  Christ
came to Earth precisely BECAUSE the lord was impossible to
comprehend, so He formed a Man, with Two Arms, and Two Eyes,
with Two Hands to lay on us, to Speak with a Human Tongue,
and to Walk on Two Legs just like you and me.

>As dogs learn to perform on the
>basis of visual and verbal cues without knowing the human's deeper thoughts
>or motivations, so humans try to conform behavior and belief based on what
>they guess Christ wants or expects

or Pavlovian respect for Papal Authority, Church Doctrine,
Pastoral Benediction, Bishopric Integrity, Abbotlicious Teachings,
and the world-famous Olde Fashioned DoAsYourTold school
of the LifeSucksHeavenIsCool crowd.

Aka the mirror has two faces *grin* (love you too babs)

> direct experience of Christ lies on the
>other side of what can be imagined, verbalized, conceived in the human
>realm. Depending on how you feel about dogs, this comparison may be more or
>less flattering; those who love dogs for their unselfconscious trust and
>love for their masters may not be offended, while those who see dogs as
>craven and servile may not like it so much.

or, that our Lord who Made Us In His Image, would not
make us incomplete or insufficient, but that By His Grace,
we could can become Inseparate Unto Him.

Sorry for the religious intervention here, but its something with a
lot of load in it already.  People make their pets (dogs and
otherwise) to be in their image, but we aren't god, or god-like,
or even demi-gods (or demisemigods for you brits *grin*).  

Considering that this passage is from a member of the Organized
Church, I rather imagine it sticks more to doctrine than not (of
course this is all from TRP, who sofarasweknow is not a priest).

I have a feeling the line is intended to tweak any believer in
Christ (both the reader and literary character) into assessing his/her
role and position w/ said Christ.

In domino patrii... 




	"Augun mín og Augun þín
                 Ó þá fögru steina
	 Mitt var þitt og þitt var mitt 
                 þú veist hvað ég meina
                 Langt er síðan sá ég hann
                 Sannlega fríður var hann
                 Allt sem prýða má einn mann
                 mest af lýðum bar hann 
                 þig ég trega manna mest
                 Mædda af tára flóði 
                 Ó að við hefðum aldrei sést 
                 elsku vinurinn góði"

	    --Björk Gudmundsdöttir


(sorryabouttheicelandicbutgodimsoinlove)

*grin*