“And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?
And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies.” Revelation 13:4-5.
As I have suggested in several places already, a new dual-morality religion of Christian Capitalism seems to have emerged, most notably, in America, as an ethical solution of convenience for the rich, and even for the not-so-rich, who wish to legitimize their wealth on moral grounds, thus buying themselves a first-class ticket to afterlife.
What particularly strikes me in the Revelation passage above is how readily people’s object of worship can be transferred from God to a Scriptures-quoting Satan, speaking great things and blasphemies, especially if he speaks ex cathedra, that is, in a proper American-Evangelical setting, from the pulpit.
The root cause of the ‘dual-morality’ schizophrenia within the psyche of the American society is strangely enough the high social prominence of religion and religious self-identification in it. Religion, particularly, the dogmatic fundamentalism of the Evangelical Christians, is therefore taken far more seriously, and it is pushed to far greater lengths than, say, in Europe, so that in the end Scriptural Faith should inevitably collide with the Capitalist Practice and, in fact, so it does. But the ensuing conflict is all-too conveniently resolved through the emergence of a bizarre, grotesquely split personality, in which these two irreconcilable worlds are being meticulously partitioned along the moral lines, thus perpetuating a double-morality and a double-life, kind of reminding one of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’s medical condition, in the spiritual sense, of course.
The born-again religion of American Evangelicals, in particular, reduces Christian morality to the simple ability of uttering the sweet “Open, Sesame!” words ensuring the unconditional salvation to the sinner.
Perfunctory repentance thus acquires such huge importance in the salvation ritual that the very existence of a horrific record of most egregious sins appears to emerge as a prerequisite qualifying virtue, making a mockery of quiet righteousness, trivializing and effectively negating the Ten Commandments, and the whole Christian Code of moral obligations. The weird philosophical vacuum, resulting from the ease, with which "salvation" is attained, gives plenty of room in it for all sorts of pseudo-religious garbage…
Great things and blasphemies… Salvation is one of the greatest of all things that can easily be turned into a blasphemous word by its frivolous use and dispensation... “And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark…” Revelation 13:16-17.
Here is where I see an Oral Roberts or a Jimmy Swaggart, or virtually any one of those mega-church mini-devils come into the picture, dispensing salvation like the beast dispenses his mark, speaking great things and blasphemies.
"Christian Capitalism," as I describe it, may have sprung deep root in the soul of the richest nation on earth, whose citizens naturally want to have the best of both worlds, but it is equally natural that their all-too-easy impostor “religion” should be eventually confronted by the indignant rightful owner.
And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies.” Revelation 13:4-5.
As I have suggested in several places already, a new dual-morality religion of Christian Capitalism seems to have emerged, most notably, in America, as an ethical solution of convenience for the rich, and even for the not-so-rich, who wish to legitimize their wealth on moral grounds, thus buying themselves a first-class ticket to afterlife.
What particularly strikes me in the Revelation passage above is how readily people’s object of worship can be transferred from God to a Scriptures-quoting Satan, speaking great things and blasphemies, especially if he speaks ex cathedra, that is, in a proper American-Evangelical setting, from the pulpit.
The root cause of the ‘dual-morality’ schizophrenia within the psyche of the American society is strangely enough the high social prominence of religion and religious self-identification in it. Religion, particularly, the dogmatic fundamentalism of the Evangelical Christians, is therefore taken far more seriously, and it is pushed to far greater lengths than, say, in Europe, so that in the end Scriptural Faith should inevitably collide with the Capitalist Practice and, in fact, so it does. But the ensuing conflict is all-too conveniently resolved through the emergence of a bizarre, grotesquely split personality, in which these two irreconcilable worlds are being meticulously partitioned along the moral lines, thus perpetuating a double-morality and a double-life, kind of reminding one of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’s medical condition, in the spiritual sense, of course.
The born-again religion of American Evangelicals, in particular, reduces Christian morality to the simple ability of uttering the sweet “Open, Sesame!” words ensuring the unconditional salvation to the sinner.
Perfunctory repentance thus acquires such huge importance in the salvation ritual that the very existence of a horrific record of most egregious sins appears to emerge as a prerequisite qualifying virtue, making a mockery of quiet righteousness, trivializing and effectively negating the Ten Commandments, and the whole Christian Code of moral obligations. The weird philosophical vacuum, resulting from the ease, with which "salvation" is attained, gives plenty of room in it for all sorts of pseudo-religious garbage…
Great things and blasphemies… Salvation is one of the greatest of all things that can easily be turned into a blasphemous word by its frivolous use and dispensation... “And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark…” Revelation 13:16-17.
Here is where I see an Oral Roberts or a Jimmy Swaggart, or virtually any one of those mega-church mini-devils come into the picture, dispensing salvation like the beast dispenses his mark, speaking great things and blasphemies.
"Christian Capitalism," as I describe it, may have sprung deep root in the soul of the richest nation on earth, whose citizens naturally want to have the best of both worlds, but it is equally natural that their all-too-easy impostor “religion” should be eventually confronted by the indignant rightful owner.
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