On Drunkenness

 

A couple weeks ago I attended a bonfire that was not very much to my liking, so I kept my new bottle of Forty Creek Copper Pot close to my side. A little too close, apparently; the next morning I awoke dizzy with disgust and soreness, and my bedding was covered in vomit. Examining the remainder of the bottle, I determined that I had imbibed five hundred mills of the forty-percent beverage. Accordingly, the next eight hours were spent detoxing, and I vomited ten more times, the worst hangover my well-seasoned roommate had ever seen.

This morning I read a letter of Seneca regarding drunkenness, which made an interesting observation: to the drunk, "constant motion is his home." This dizziness or false motion, as well as the passiveness of thoughts and senses that characterize drunkenness, produce a non-being full of restlessness; a shaking ghost; a violent phantom without a place to lay his head. Such seems the lot of the demons: spiritual beings who have lost all sense of good. Gregory of Nyssa, in his Life of Moses, describes the process of sanctification as an infinite ascent, an acceleration deeper into the inner life of the Eternal God. The demonic, drunken state, then, is the same, but in the opposite direction; it is a downward spiral toward nothingness, eternal change, heat death, utter chaos.

I pray we find rest in God. Be careful with the drink.

Evolution is a Regression, not a Progression

Sanctity!

The claim that we are "progressing" and becoming better over time is repeated ad nauseum in our left-wing civilization, so it was comforting to hear that a convincing opposite perspective exists in some religious historical models. The Hindu model of history portrays a descent of humankind over the course of four dharmic ages; in meditating on this, I thought about an argument against the supposed ascent of the evolutionary model of Darwin, rooted in Zoroastrianism. This argument proceeds assuming evolution is true; whether it really is or not won't be discussed here.

• Humans have a supernatural end; namely, to look upon God.
• God is immaterial; likewise, we must become detached from material things in order to be united with God.
• Evolution, however, adapts us to our environment on earth, so that we are more united to it. According to evolutionary principles, we are smarter, more comfortable, more secure, and more pleasured with materiality than any point in history prior.
• In an inverse manner, then, we are more distant from the immaterial God, and, therefore, more distant from our own end, which is union with Him.
• Evolution, then, is a regression of true human nature.

This is doubtless in my mind. I think in our day and age, we can still maybe get to heaven by the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary. But I don't doubt that heaven is brimming with proto-humans, whose mysterious communion with the Logos preceded the necessity of sacraments. As Jeremiah 6:16 says, "Stand ye on the ways, and see and ask for the old paths which is the good way, and walk ye in it: and you shall find refreshment for your souls."

Against Mirrors

Henry Rollins knows...

Mirrors have been integrated so wholly into modern interior decoration that the eye glazes over them; indeed, the mirror itself is invisible. But they are sneaking and malicious entities, venomous snakes blended into the foliage of space.

One could make the obvious point that mirrors are the beacon of vanity and self-lust. This is true, but not only that: they carry a quality of inversion. One finds photographs of himself uncanny or distasteful when he is too familiar with mirrors; this is because the self-image is flipped horizontally. Right becomes left, and vice versa (quite significant when one considers the Biblical significance of orientation). The composition of mirrors, too, share this inverted quality. Silver, along with glass, is the key metal in the mirror effect and the main component, suggesting a vulgarization of the sacred (read "The Significance of Metallurgy" from Rene Guenon's Reign of Quantity for an expanded idea). Judas' betrayal of Christ for silver pieces illustrates this inversion further; good is used for evil, selfish purposes.

An expanded essay could undoubtedly be written on the subject, dealing with the mirror's literary, cultural, and/or Biblical significance (1 Cor. 13:12). But one only has to avoiding looking in a mirror for a week, even a day, to feel the relief of the burden of self-image, and enjoy the wonderful world as it is. If I ever escape being a rentoid and get some of my own property, I will certainly do away with any mirrors around.

Descartes is in Hell

Descartes' cogito ergo sum epitomizes the deadly sin prominent in theological history. He stands alongside Lucifer, who made his prideful maneuver toward power through hatred of his position in the hierarchy of creation. Likewise, Descartes violates the true, objective model of classical foundationalism through the absent-minded justification of existence through his own ego. Adding insult to injury is his laughable proof for God, which undoubtedly serves as a demonically stupid distraction from his true anti-Catholic nature.

Tonnes of Christians are misled into accepting Descartes’ starting point, or at least into sharing the quest for philosophical certainty, at the expense of the only foundation for certainty, which is God. They attempt to work within these boundaries to no avail. Creation, as Saint Athanasius recognizes, is corrupt by virtue of its nature, and passes away like a shadow; we must assume the same for our purely human ideas.

Isn’t cogito ergo sum correct, though? Is not our subjective view the most immediate thing? No. Such an idea can be destroyed by observing the simplest among us: infants, and some mentally handicapped. These apprehend exterior things prior to the self; in fact, only by observing things outside oneself does one come to an awareness of a subject. Augustine’s condemnation of himself in infancy seems faulty, because the infant is perfectly humble; never thinking himself greater nor less; doing what is necessary to ensure his own survival and perform God’s work on earth. Of course, this is why the Church declares that infants are free from personal sin. Now, however, we are doubting everything except ourselves, and even ourselves, so that we are slipping down a slope into nothingness. That Descartes spearheaded the cultural shift toward this attitude says nothing good about his soul.

There remains one question: which circle does Descartes occupy? I cannot say for certain, but if he has borne the seal of the Holy priesthood of Christ, only to have thrown it away at the cost of many souls, I would not be surprised if he is dialoguing with the Devil himself.