Determinism & Apocolypse: the Grim Irony of Our Fortunate Fall

[Joseph Tracy]

I see the similarities but I see what is to me the dramatic  
difference of Satan/Lucifer/the serpent while coming to have a kind  
of dominion did not actually create anything. Now there are  
interpretations of the Bible that are closer to gnosticism, but I  
would contend that Calvinism is not really ascetic or anti physical  
but disciplined and anti-sin. It has in almost every iteration  
created groups that saw themselves as the  true Israel and as such  
has designated others as caananites/ heathens and freely colonized or  
made war with said infidels. In other words they see themselves as   
an incarnate and physical kingdom. This does not fit with most   
Gnosticism.

One thing about Gnosticism. Scientology Manichaeism, medieval  
Christianity that relates to Pynchon is the sense that they raise  
paranoia to the level of being the the natural response to the true  
state of the world.  When the world is created and/or ruled by an  
evil demi-god, paranoia is the key to the kingdom.
On Oct 2, 2009, at 4:11 PM, David Morris wrote:

> Re. the origins of the **present state** of the world, the Bible
> attributes the creation of evil and the present disastrous state of
> this world to a demigod called Lucifer.  Interpretations vary, but a
> not-uncommon one depicts Adam as having been given dominion of this
> world.  He is then portrayed transferring dominion of the world to
> Lucifer, whom the Bible calls "the god of this world."  So both the
> present pervasive evil environment and the inherent sin of men
> thereafter born into this world are the the creations of this evil
> demigod who now has legal possession of it.
>
> Not identical to Gnosticism, but full of similarities.
>
> 2 Corinthians 1:20
> Where [is] the wise? where [is] the scribe? where [is] the disputer of
> this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
>
> 2 Corinthians 4:3-4
> But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
> In whom the   **god of this world**   hath blinded the minds of them
> which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ,
> who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
>
> Galatians 1:4
> Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from  **this
> present evil world,**  according to the will of God and our Father:
>
>
> On Fri, Oct 2, 2009 at 2:14 PM, Joseph Tracy <brook7 at sover.net> wrote:
>>
>> The creation difference is enough for me to find no meaningful  
>> connection (Calvinist theology  makes creation the work of The one  
>> and only creator God, and casts evil as rebellion and subversion  
>> of divine will. Gnosticism  has a demigod with creative powers who  
>> creates a physical world which obscures the spiritual universe-  
>> that's a big fucking difference ) other than what I mentioned  
>> before, that both stem from an agonistic vision of the cosmos.
>>