RE: The Bible
March 31, 2012 at 11:31 am
(This post was last modified: March 31, 2012 at 11:32 am by The Grand Nudger.)
Similar to the results of taking the Tain Bo Cuailgne to be some sort of moral/historical/metaphorical procedural for life.
It isn't so much that you can't use just about anything as the backdrop for your inner narrative (The Tao of Poo...anyone?), as that one has to be honest at least with themselves with regards to what they're engaging in.
If you interpret a fairy tale as a literal history then you've gone completely off the res.
If you cherry pick certain parts of the narrative it helps to at least acknowledge that you are doing so, if for no other reason than to avoid looking like a complete ass as you loudly proclaim the truth of this bit, and the falsehood of that bit. You'd better have either A: a rock solid reason for your separating the two bits, or B: an easy time of saying "yeah that part sucks and I don't think it's useful so I discarded it, it doesn't sit right with me".
If you interpret the entire bit as metaphor then so what? People who believe in fairies or sift through the narrative like a spiritual buffet will point fingers? Who gives a shit what either of these groups of people think? If you can draw a useful metaphor out of a dated ghost story then more power to you. I'm an atheist and I can draw a useful metaphor from the bible. Of course "Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely" isn't as long winded as the narrative in question and gets the same message across for me.
Just who "gets it right" when it comes to fairy tales...honestly? They don't have to be consistent with reality, or even with themselves. Nobody makes such demands of the Tain Bo Cuailnge.
It isn't so much that you can't use just about anything as the backdrop for your inner narrative (The Tao of Poo...anyone?), as that one has to be honest at least with themselves with regards to what they're engaging in.
If you interpret a fairy tale as a literal history then you've gone completely off the res.
If you cherry pick certain parts of the narrative it helps to at least acknowledge that you are doing so, if for no other reason than to avoid looking like a complete ass as you loudly proclaim the truth of this bit, and the falsehood of that bit. You'd better have either A: a rock solid reason for your separating the two bits, or B: an easy time of saying "yeah that part sucks and I don't think it's useful so I discarded it, it doesn't sit right with me".
If you interpret the entire bit as metaphor then so what? People who believe in fairies or sift through the narrative like a spiritual buffet will point fingers? Who gives a shit what either of these groups of people think? If you can draw a useful metaphor out of a dated ghost story then more power to you. I'm an atheist and I can draw a useful metaphor from the bible. Of course "Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely" isn't as long winded as the narrative in question and gets the same message across for me.
Just who "gets it right" when it comes to fairy tales...honestly? They don't have to be consistent with reality, or even with themselves. Nobody makes such demands of the Tain Bo Cuailnge.
I am the Infantry. I am my country’s strength in war, her deterrent in peace. I am the heart of the fight… wherever, whenever. I carry America’s faith and honor against her enemies. I am the Queen of Battle. I am what my country expects me to be, the best trained Soldier in the world. In the race for victory, I am swift, determined, and courageous, armed with a fierce will to win. Never will I fail my country’s trust. Always I fight on…through the foe, to the objective, to triumph overall. If necessary, I will fight to my death. By my steadfast courage, I have won more than 200 years of freedom. I yield not to weakness, to hunger, to cowardice, to fatigue, to superior odds, For I am mentally tough, physically strong, and morally straight. I forsake not, my country, my mission, my comrades, my sacred duty. I am relentless. I am always there, now and forever. I AM THE INFANTRY! FOLLOW ME!
