Gods of Others, Egypt, and Oxford

This conversation was one amongst many such in various sites on the net. What is often characteristic is the all too willingness of a certain brand of people of one religion - any branch thereof, of which there are at least a couple of dozen, belying clains of the unity - to be ever willing to offend those of other faiths or religions. In this they are only parallel to those they oppose, the atheists, whether of leftist leaning or otherwise.

Often these people fail to see that their attempts towards inflicting injuries or humiliations to faiths of others is not returned in kind not due to a weakness of those of other faiths, but due to a greater perception - atheists have no qualms inflicting similar on them and these people have a great deal of indignation fighting against them, but without success on either side. That lack of success is due to most atheists being brought up in the same religion and being disenchanted and hence atheist but unwilling to deal a death blow.

One wonders, if ever the Chinese forgot their ancient culture and were willing to offend in kind with an equal and opposite blow, how will these people take it? Will they merely complain of blasphemy or will their faith never recover from the deadly blow? Or will they finally comprehend that civility is required?
.................................
.................................



LGBT Historical Fiction
Justine Saracen (moi) writes 'thriller' historical fiction in a variety of settings and periods, but all of them have gay or lesbian protagonists. The gay themes are secondary to the main plots which mostly address religion. In a nutshell, The 100th Generation is about the return of the Egyptian gods (polytheism anyone?); its sequel Vulture's Kiss is about the first crusade, (accept Jesus or die!) and Sistine Heresy is built around Michelangelo's painting of the Sistine Chapel ceiling, with creepy hints of the Italian Inquisition. Coming out in February is Mephisto Aria, about opera, but partially set in Stalingrad and the Eastern Front in WWII. Not much god-bothering there, more an obsession with the devil. since it's really a Faust story. All four are 'fast reads', the kind of books you settle in with when you've got a cold or get on a long airplane flight.
Elaine S
.......................................


Dr. J. G.

"In a nutshell, The 100th Generation is about the return of the Egyptian gods" - Elaine S or Justine Saracen, is this a notion that existed or something you thought of? Just wondering.

Return of Gods is a curious notion, Gods are not supposed to go away (from a nation or land, definitely not from the earth, and from the universe not at all) if not worshipped, as far as I know - that is, as far as any reading of mine goes.
.................................


Elaine S
Dear Dr. J.G.
Very good question. And one that,in fact, is a theme in the novel. Specifically, the question of what is a god -- a creator or a created entity? Can gods go into hiding, or be temporarily impotent? (Where, for example, was Jahwe lurking before Abraham's' discovery of him? Or Allah, before the Angel spoke to Mohammed?)
Is there more than one hereafter? (I suppose that is another way of asking, is there more than one 'absolute truth'?) And if so, do we sustain them or do they sustain us? And on a personal note, would you prefer to dwell forever in one that includes a hell, or one that pretty much duplicates the world you already live in, except with animal-headed gods?) Obviously a story that plays with those ideas is not a religious tract, but a fantasy, but in this case, one that sticks pretty close to authentic Egyptian theology. My partner is an Oxford educated Egyptologist.
Perhaps you would enjoy reading it.
.................................


Dr. J. G.

About the first paragraph, I think the word impotence ought to be changed - it denotes an animal level of existence and a male at that, neither appropriate for the level we are talking about. Gods by definition (even if there is a lack of perception) are above all that.

The questions above are a beginning of a questing consciousness (unless it is all just a play to drive to a specific predetermined goal? hope not - ) and if one is lucky might lead to a higher perception, beginning the level where Gods are - and Gods do not need to always care about humans or material world and what happens down here.

Reality is not a one point up there and a huge world down here, up is a far more vast existence of many many levels, many worlds, and if you have a concept of an ultimate Divine above it all, that is far beyond in existence. Everything else is a manifestation and in a rigid mindset you might take the first higher (or worse, not even higher but just a level other than material - when gravity does not guide high and low are not automatic to determine) perception for the ultimate, a danger that besets one without purity of intention and being.

If you deny existence of any higher being that is a choice one is allowed to make, but if you postulate or conceive existence of higher beings then "we sustain them" is a bad joke.

As for "animal headed gods" - that sounds like a strike at another culture, one that is now gone or another that is far away from you. Every culture is vulnerable to such strikes and thrusts and material power is not a defence, nor is numbers of adherents.

I am reminded of the "Restaurant At The End Of The Universe" series where at a dinner someone informs another that "the mice won't like it" and when the person told thus is unable to comprehend why it matters, he is informed that mice we see on earth are little representations of the actual powerful beings that rule the universe while humans are their laboratory experiment objects.

This is not to say that I personally believe this to be the ultimate reality, but another example, this time of reality, is that recent scientific research has discovered how much some animals do perceive, care, feel and are able to think and remember. An arrogant pose of superiority to all other species has led to the disaster looming before earth, while a more real perception of the planet's need of biodiversity and importance of all other species for the purpose is being understood by science and denied by only right wing profit oriented igs.

And humanity has not reached the end of evolution, for all that.

Neither Greece nor Egypt have come to terms with the loss of their heritage due to marauding outsiders, from what one reads - "Elgin marbles" are Greek heritage they keep demanding return of pretty much as Egypt is all too aware of the valuable historic antiques taken away.
..................................
..................................


Notice the "Oxford educated Egyptologist" pointedly refered to - obviously a higher level Egyptologist might be from Egypt, although not necessarily living there, and Oxford rating higher in this is a perception biased at best.

In a final twist, the very name Oxford clearly states the original purpose of the place, it was where the river Thames could be and was forded by oxen. Yet today the name stands without change for supposedly the most prestigious university of recent centuries. So much for the derisive "animal headed Gods" thrust just above the reference to Oxford qualified Egyptologist!