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April 20, 2006Judas & the Cult of Malevolent MendacityThanks for bearing with me; I’ve been too ill to write and am mending slowly, so blogging will continue light-ish.*
In my last post, I linked to Vanderleun’s remarkable post on Judas and how he is a “patron” for the times, as it were. He wrote: It was never a question of “if,” but only a question of “when” our contemporary society would discover an avatar who would make treason acceptable. It only codifies the realities of their secular belief system. Treason against others or one’s country has long been as common as adultery in this country. Like adultery the rate of treason is on the rise because, like adultery and similar forms of personal betrayal, it no longer has any consequences at all. This is more than an age of betrayal, though. Mere betrayal can be be misguided, as I believe Judas was misguided, thus lacking in malevolence. Our age has moved beyond betrayal to embrace a malevolent mendacity that is oddly, gleefully shameless in its ascendancy, and which some are only too quick to clutch to their breasts. Betrayal? That has a componant of humanity to it, of shame, of honor lost. This other - this mendacity - it quivers and shimmers in a shadowy light, all impression and stealth and slither. It lacks humanity because its DNA is other-encoded, tied to the Father of Lies, who must be inordinantly pleased with himself to find that truth has become such a changable thing, such a commodity of convenience for the mediating intelligences . Truth is a thing to be constantly revised. Hence, if a blogger prints a press release (by its nature a thing meant for wide dissemination) which contains the voluntarily-listed phone numbers of people intent on suppression and domination, that blogger is somehow guilty of exposing the already-exposed, and her security and the security of her children is fair game. If one examines the gamesters (I won’t link to them but they’re easy enough to find) one notes a strange unwillingness to tell the complete story. Lots of foul-to-reprehensible name-calling, lots of vengeful self-justification, but precious little willingness on the parts of the thugs to admit that the information published on the blogger’s site was meant for public release, was widely available on the internet, was - in fact - published in the same form on other, more “sympathetic” blogs. No, that information is not relevent to the Cult of Malevolent Mendacity, which is only interested in building a narrative so densely confused, so murky and thick, that the truth is crushed beneath it. The Cult is multiplying and descending upon society in continual and ever-growing waves; you can see its sticky and pearlescent trail everywhere. It lives and thrives on such food as this grief turned outward and slicked up. It drinks itself giddy by imbibing the moonshine of the charlatan, thus convincing itself that this is the way the world should work. It pretends to discretion and frugality as a means of fomenting doubt. The Cult of Malevolent Mendacity fogs up windows in order to distort the view, it creates victims where none exist except through distortion and willful misunderstanding. Threatened by blessings, it seeks to confuse innocence, and calls that virtue. In a pool of thousands, it finds six inconsistent men and labels them a majority. Discomfited by the glaring light of thoughtful and humble brilliance, it defines brilliance down and then puffs it up. Faced with a woman of disagreeable competence it offers up a competing mannequin. Over and over again, the Cult puts a negative connotation to the very action for which it had been clamoring. “Damned if you do and Damned if you don’t” is a witticism of the demented. It is merely tiresome for the rest. The Cult of Malevolent Mendacity is at its most dangerous when it knows it dare not lie outright; it then works to suppress and to spike that information of which we lose sight at our own grave peril. Even simple spelling is not safe from its ever-reaching, conscious destruction, because dumbing down the culture as it serves up its lies pays off in the end. Especially if the “interesting” spelling disguises a comedic view of terrorism and assassination in an age wherein those impulses are all-too ripe. The Cult is execrable - and too many have become too willing to believe that the squish and stench in which they slog is a pristine pasture rather than an overflowing latrine. A reader emailed me this week about Judas - did I believe he was forgiven? For the betrayal, certainly, in his remorse. Betrayal is one of those things mixed up with our flawed and faulty humanity - it is what gets served up when a stew has too much of the sweetness of ego, and not enough of the salt of discipline. It is often served on a platter of golden nobility, thus it blinds many who indulge. It is many-times regretted and regret leaves an opening for shame, and who knows what happens in those infinitisimal moments wherein one is making the transition from life into death, death into life? If God is Merciful as well as Just, He can be trusted to sort it out. But mendacity - particularly when it is spat out from the sharp teeth of the malevolent - there is something beneath it that speaks of more than simple human weaknesses and missteps. Malevolent Mendacity arrived with a serpentine hisssssss - a flick of the forked tongue and a satisfied, superior sort of smile. It hisses still, but its smile seems plastered on, and it fails to pursuade. UPDATE: In retrospect, some of this prose is a bit florid; my apologies. I was recovering from illness when I wrote it and a little undisciplined! Related: On Wandering Wombs H/T Vanderleun. Ace and Mac, Tom and AJ and the intrepid Alexandra are all going gangbusters on the CIA leak story. *Until I’m fully on my feet, e-mail responses will be slow to non-existant, as well, sorry. Related: Dick Meyer on Political Parenting. http://theanchoressonline.com/2006/04/20/judas-and-cult-of-malevolent-mendacity/trackback/ 22 Responses to “Judas & the Cult of Malevolent Mendacity” |
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April 20th, 2006 at 10:26 am
One of your best- a classic, really. You have no tolerance for the intoxicating drug of smoke and mirrors.
You remain anchored in reality, sort of like a lighthouse.
April 20th, 2006 at 10:29 am
Wow
Well said….
April 20th, 2006 at 11:20 am
Oh Anchoress, I am sorry you are still feeling poorly. Hope you get better soon!
April 20th, 2006 at 11:55 am
Beautifully said, absolutely on the mark!
April 20th, 2006 at 12:19 pm
Simply stunning. I’ll have more, probably much more, to say later. This merits re-reading and a careful trek through the links.
April 20th, 2006 at 12:26 pm
For Today
I DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU, but I’ll be spending some time today reading, thinking about, and following the links within The Anchoress’ � “Judas & the Cult of Malevolent Mendacity. ” Excerpt: “The Cult is multiplying and descending upon society in …
April 20th, 2006 at 5:07 pm
A,
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If this is what you do whilst “too ill to write,” I am truly in awe.
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Unfortunately, I often feel that there is much “preaching to the choir” and that my evangelizing efforts are for nought.
April 20th, 2006 at 8:50 pm
When you wax lyrical, you don’t waste words, ma’am.
You described Evil. I would say that Judas was not evil, but misguided. He sought a version of the Truth that was not there. His suicide may have been penance enough for GOD, but that is for HIM to say.
What we are seeing and hearing these days goes beyond such a simple view as Judas may have held. We are seeing men and women who lie. Knowingly. And knowing what sort of results those lies will cause. Death, destruction, pain, horror, terror, and much more.
They are evil. We see them on both sides of the political spectrum as well as smack-dab in the middle. We know them when they open their mouths. And yet, we, the people, continue to vote for them, tune in to their programs, buy their books, watch their movies.
If they are damned for their actions, what of those of us who feed them?
You, Anchoress, are one formidable thinker whilst under the weather. Kudos, Toots!
April 20th, 2006 at 10:52 pm
Admirable essay. I just got home after listening to the 12 Passion Gospels. (Orthodox Holy Week, you know…) It occurs to me that if Judas was misguided, then the High Priests might be members of the cult you describe as mendacious.
But there is one more player, in the Creed and in the scenario you outline. That is Pilate - the politically expedient one. He sees the envy of the High Priests, sees through their distortion of the facts, and (despite the advice of his worried wife) follows the path of least resistance. And I would assert that those pragmatists selling their soul for political expediency allow the hissing, slithering One to have his way. (Your imagery reminded me of Mel Gibson’s PASSION, where the androgynous evil one was present in each crowd.)
As I reflect on three hours of Gospel readings, I would hate to find that my posture may be that of Pilate. “Suffered under Pontius Pilate” is one hell of a legacy. But as I await the light of Pascha, I must own my own sins, even those, or maybe especially those, of expediency.
Outstanding job!
April 21st, 2006 at 10:13 am
[...] I suspect what we're seeing here is a case of Malevolent Mendacity. [...]
April 21st, 2006 at 11:34 am
[...] The Anchoress, though on the mend, writes a hale and hearty commentary that connects many many dots on the subtle relationship between Judas and today's evil society. Just a taste – The Cult is multiplying and descending upon society in continual and ever-growing waves; you can see its sticky and pearlescent trail everywhere. It lives and thrives on such food as this grief turned outward and slicked up. It drinks itself giddy by imbibing the moonshine of the charlatan, thus convincing itself that this is the way the world should work. Read the whole thing - it's a gift. [...]
April 21st, 2006 at 5:28 pm
I stopped being afraid of James Wolcott and his rapier wit after reading this:
http://www.lileks.com/bleats/archive/04/1204/122204.html
be sure to read to the end - my favorite quote “incessant pissy hauteur”, really seems to sum up Tosspot, er, I mean Wolcott nicely.
April 21st, 2006 at 6:37 pm
Weekend Calling You-hoo-hoo-hooooo-hoo-hoo-hooooo!
This afternoon a co-worker and I pressure washed 9 big outside trashcans. You know the kind: smelly to the heavens! Yeesh! Looking forward to other views, such as:
April 22nd, 2006 at 9:07 am
Heaven forgive me for saying it, but I fear and wish for some terrible and purifying storm to clear out these foulnesses. Powerful writing, Ma’am.
April 22nd, 2006 at 1:16 pm
[...] James Wolcott has a post up about this site. The Anchoress is best described as “doing therapy in public” which is only slightly less civil than “doing surgery in public”. Check out the header material, where “anchoress” is explained. Then ask (I know my kids would) “Where does she pee?” After reading her posts, I know where she poops. [...]
April 22nd, 2006 at 1:43 pm
We all know who “we” are and it is mere pedantry to demand that the program for the fans in the stands lists the lineup of the opposing team, the positions they actually play, or their lifetime batting averages.
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We all also know what “truth” is. It is clearly, “not-lies” or, perhaps, “anti-lies”. And we know what lies are. “Lies” is a synonym for “things I don’t happen to believe” and “judgments that I disagree with”.
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We, further, all know what “betrayal” and “treason” are. They are “non-loyalty” or, perhaps, “anti-loyalty”.
And we also all know what loyalty is, don’t we? We have the example of the great St. Peter for that. And St. Thomas.
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Finally, we all know what “evil” is. Evil is the smell of the fear in our nightmares. It is a gathering mass of of quite personal mendacity, disloyalty, and malice among the legions of demons in human form who surround us, and the demons beyond human form–large, abstract, and star-blotting against the sky–who pull the puppet strings of the demons in human form.
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But are there any among us can be wholly sure that our truth, our loyalty, and our goodness don’t come with some strings attached?
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When you wake up from nightmares, all you see are fallible human beings, blind and struggling to see, limited and struggling to be free, hag-ridden by nightmares and struggling to escape the fear by obliterating the demons chasing them–whatever violence they stain themselves with in the process.
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It’s really rather a bore. For then the only realistic thing to think about your adversaries is that they are devastatingly and dangerously wrong.
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And wrong is so much less than evil.
April 22nd, 2006 at 9:20 pm
Joseph, I must admit I don’t understand what you mean by “dangerously wrong”. This particular post struck a chord with me because one of my relatives was killed recently. It’s a curious thing, as I hadn’t really known him.
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He’d been a relocated witness for a couple decades. Interestingly enough, he was “outed” by his ex-wife. And she didn’t just let it slip. She actually contacted one of the felons who wanted him dead. And now he is.
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I personally find her actions wrong and, yes, evil. “Evil” is the knowledge that something is wrong, knowing the consequences of the “bad choice”, and choosing it anyway. Just as “to lie” - at least the definition in my culture - is to be aware of the facts (reality, as it were) and invent some contrary device. (Probably bad English there. Sorry.)
April 23rd, 2006 at 1:22 pm
Speaking of pedantic pedagoguery Joseph… I think you have made it apparent that you wouldn’t recognize a malevolent being if they came up and whispered sweet nothings in your ear. Still, I suppose you could always blame it on being bipolar.
April 23rd, 2006 at 4:56 pm
Sunday Nite/Monday Morning Rolling Links
New news about the art and science of hitting a baseball: "Don’t keep your eye on the ball." It’s not possible.Auster explains "anarcho-tyranny", as exemplified in Britain. He does have a point. All About Mary McCarthy - a couple …
April 29th, 2006 at 7:32 am
Jean, I am truly sorry that the press of my own business did not allow me to even re-read my comment and the responses to it for a week and a half. I can, and do, pray for both you and your relatives.
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My point was simple: I do not think my own political adversaries are anything but philosophically misguided, though I think that those “wrong views” are leading to quite dangerous consequences. Some of them do evil things but none of them are evil in and of themselves.
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I also thing that wholesale claims of their “mendacity” is a way of evading the fact that they merely have “wrong views” which may or may not lead to evil actions. For if you acknowledge this then you have to confront the actual views they hold on their own merits.
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Christ said to forgive our enemies. If they were evil in and of themselves this would be an impossible task.
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I deal on about a bi-weekly basis with people who are criminally insane. A fair number of these would still be criminals even if they were not insane, and, contrary to smmtheory, I have quite a good nose for malevolence. I have to.
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But even the worst of these people are mere men and women, not demons. They are the product of evil actions and evil habits, not an evil essence. They may have a plainly horrible future. As a Buddhist I suspect that most of them probably do, but this is solely due to the consequences of their evil actions.
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The likelihood of their changing may be small, but it is not non-existent. This is the point of the Good Thief at the crucifixion.
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Ted Kennedy, Hillary Clinton, and the editors of the New York Times are far from being either criminally insane or demons. They are mere fallible men and women, as prone to “stretch” things to fit their own beliefs as anyone else. And as prone to sin as anyone else. But no more so.
February 23rd, 2007 at 6:54 pm
[...] what do I know, I’m just one of those silly deluded Christian creeps who is clinging to her superstitions and is not interested in the bleak “truth” that [...]
February 24th, 2007 at 11:04 am
Mere betrayal can be be misguided, as I believe Judas was misguided, thus lacking in malevolence.
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But all sin is necessarily similarly misguided, stemming from the premise that we know best, rather than trusting in some Truth who is not us. Very, very few sins are committed with a desire to cause malicious harm. Even Adolf Hitler, the epitome of modern evil, believed himself to be acting in good faith for the good of the German nation and people. That he was merely “misguided” in his belief in the non-human status of Jews, believing them to be instead vermin causing disease in humanity hardly exculpates him.
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Judas may have been merely “misguided” as to Jesus’ divinity and perhaps as to the intentions of the authorities, but he knowingly, willingly, and intentionally placed himself first and his own ideas of the proper Messiah first — after all, he was an educated intellectual and scholar! That first step toward betrayal was not misguided, but intentional.
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did I believe he was forgiven?
For the betrayal, certainly, in his remorse.
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The only problem is that forgiveness, to be effective, requires that it not only be given, but that it be accepted by the recipient-sinner. It is not enough to be sorry. It is not enough to be contrite. You also have to accept God’s forgiveness. Indeed, God was there with open arms, ready to forgive, but Judas never sought nor accepted forgiveness. Instead, he again took things into his own hands and committed self-murder (sui-cide), thus, not only betraying Jesus, not only violating the Commandment against killing, but intentionally throwing away the gift of life that God had given him.
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Did God forgive him for this multitude of sins? Has God since forgiven him? I don’t see how that is possible. God does not force Himself on anyone; He does not force forgiveness on anyone, it has to be accepted. And so we see how, as Jesus said, there can be such a thing as an unforgiveable sin — the rejection of offered forgiveness cannot be forgiven, as a matter of reason and logic, because it is never accepted.