Back to Trilling The Recognitions

[Paul Mackin]

On 5/5/2011 3:32 PM, Richard Ryan wrote:
> Yeah baby!  This is the way I'm heading with my *very* preliminary
> interpretation of book - it's a high watermark of what Bloom would
> call "American Gnosticism"...an exposure of how false values
> (originality, chastity, unity) try to crowd out more powerful and
> resonant - but also banned or hidden - frameworks.  Those secret but
> emergent frameworks might include: extensibility [to use the systems
> architecture term], engagement, diversity, the cult of experience....

I guess as a recent secretary of defense might have said there is true 
truth and there is untrue truth.

Some truth is cozy and pleasant such as God knows me and loves me and 
that if I just open my heart up to him I will know all.  This is 
American gnosticism.  The Gospel of Thomas sort of made famous by Elaine 
Pagels is the bible even though not very gnostic in the ancient 
meaning.  It was discovered among actual gnostic writings is my 
understanding.

The other truth is grim and includes violence, disease, death.

And as the secretary would say we have to work with the truth which we have.

Gosh, I'm getting all mixed up.

P

> On Thu, May 5, 2011 at 3:07 PM, Paul Mackin<mackin.paul at verizon.net>  wrote:
>> On 5/5/2011 12:48 PM, kelber at mindspring.com wrote:
>>>> On Thu, May 5, 2011 at 10:24 AM, Paul Mackin<mackin.paul at verizon.net>
>>>>   wrote:
>>>>> On 5/5/2011 9:52 AM, Jed Kelestron wrote:
>>>>>>>   It's
>>>>>>> my experience that females can sometimes be quite adept at pointing
>>>>>>> out
>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>> delusions of males.  (not that this will necessary always be the case)
>>> A pointless exercise for the woman whose opinions the man holds in
>>> contempt[she grumbled].
>> We have to admit this is often how it is.
>>
>> According to the Clementine Recognitions,  God has concealed that which is
>> profitable to man.  An observable fact in that ancient time, as it is today.
>>   Only today we would substitute evolutionary development for God.
>>
>> Is there some adaptive reason that the truth of the world is so hidden from
>> us that we require artists and philosophers to force us into a tiny glimmer
>> of recognition?
>>
>> As a matter of fact I think there is a good reason.  Knowledge of, and
>> living in accordance with, the full truth of our being would be too
>> dangerous  for all but the most intrepid (and perhaps insanely suicidal) of
>> us.
>>
>> As Jack Nicholson said, we can't handle the truth.
>>
>> P
>>
>>> Laura
>>>
>>
>>
>
>