Previous William Thomas Sherman Info Page postings, quotes, observations, etc.
It's nice to every now and then discover someone or something you didn't previously know of, and case in point for me just this past weekend was the 1962 William Castle film "The Old Dark House," starring Tom Poston and an all-star English cast. Now don't misunderstand me. The script is pretty bad -- in fact, mostly terrible. Nevertheless, the movie itself is well mounted, admirably scored (musically speaking), brims over with an early 60's elegant aura or spirit to it, and the perfomances are terrific. Once I started watching, I found I simply couldn't stop. With respect to the performances, two actresses I'd never seen or heard of before, Joyce Grenfell and Fenella Fielding, are especially charming and amusing; and have ways of speaking and expressing themselves that are peculiarly interesting and engaging to look at and listen to. I could have watched the film just for they alone.
To catch "TODH" on YouTube, see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fg3OXc97azc&feature=related
[“The Old Dark House (1963) P1” – the opening title credits give its date as 1962]
(Also, there is a very brief scene with an adorable little burro; hence my including the picture above.)
"Give us your capacity to reason correctly; your adherence to honesty and basic morals; your awareness of what is going on around you and at large; your ability to love sincerely and courageously -- and we will give you in return riches and privileges beyond your wildest dreams and wishes."
XXI. Be gentle, gracious, mild, without guile, without falsehood; not rigid, not insolent, not severe, not arrogant, not unmerciful, not puffed up, not a man-pleaser, not timorous, not double-minded, not one that insults over the people that are under you, not one that conceals the divine laws and the promises to repentance, not hasty in thrusting out and expelling, but steady, not one that delights in severity, not heady. Do not admit less evidence to convict any one than that of three witnesses, and those of known and established reputation; inquire whether they do not accuse out of ill-will or envy: for there are many that delight in mischief, forward in discourse, slanderous, haters of the brethren, making it their business to scatter the sheep of Christ; whose affirmation if you admit without nice scanning the same, you will disperse your flock, and betray it to be devoured by wolves, that is, by demons and wicked men, or rather not men, but wild beasts in the shape of men— by the heathen, by the Jews, and by the atheistic heretics. For those destroying wolves soon address themselves to any one that is cast out of the Church, and esteem him as a lamb delivered for them to devour, reckoning his destruction their own gain. For he that is “their father, the devil, is a murderer.” [John 8:44] He also who is separated unjustly by your want of care in judging will be overwhelmed with sorrow, and be disconsolate, and so will either wander over to the heathen, or be entangled in heresies, and so will be altogether estranged from the Church and from hope in God, and will be entangled in impiety, whereby you will be guilty of his perdition: for it is not fair to be too hasty in casting out an offender, but slow in receiving him when he returns; to be forward in cutting off, but unmerciful when he is sorrowful, and ought to be healed. For of such as these speaks the divine Scripture: “Their feet run to mischief; they are hasty to shed blood. Destruction and misery are in their ways, and the way of peace have they not known. The fear of God is not before their eyes.” Now the way of peace is our Saviour Jesus Christ, who has taught us, saying: “Forgive, and you shall be forgiven. Give, and it shall be given to you;” [Luke 6:37-38] that is, give remission of sins, and your offenses shall be forgiven you. As also He instructed us by His prayer to say unto God: “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” [Matthew 6:12] If, therefore, you do not forgive offenders, how can you expect the remission of your own sins? Do not you rather bind yourselves faster, by pretending in your prayers to forgive, when you really do not forgive? Will you not be confronted with your own words, when you say you forgive and do not forgive? For know that he who casts out one who has not behaved himself wickedly, or who will not receive him that returns, is a murderer of his brother, and sheds his blood, as Cain did that of his brother Abel, and his “blood cries to God,” [Genesis 4:10] and will be required. For a righteous man unjustly slain by any one will be in rest with God for ever. The same is the case of him who without cause is separated by his bishop. He who has cast him out as a pestilent fellow when he was innocent, is more furious than a murderer. Such a one has no regard to the mercy of God, nor is mindful of His goodness to those that are penitent, nor keeping in his eye the examples of those who, having been once great offenders, received forgiveness upon their repentance. Upon which account, he who casts off an innocent person is more cruel than he that murders the body. In like manner, he who does not receive the penitent, scatters the flock of Christ, being really against Him. For as God is just in judging of sinners, so is He merciful in receiving them when they return. For David, the man after God's own heart, in his hymns ascribes both mercy and judgment to Him.
XLII. But if the slanderous accusation be false, and you that are the pastors, with the deacons, admit of that falsehood for truth, either by acceptance of persons or receiving of bribes, as willing to do that which will he pleasing to the devil, and so you thrust out from the Church him that is accused, but is clear of the crime, you shall give an account in the day of the Lord. For it is written: “The innocent and the righteous you shall not slay.” [Exodus 23:7-8] “You shall not take gifts to smite the soul: for gifts blind the eyes of the wise, and destroy the words of the righteous.” And again: “They that justify the wicked for gifts, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him.” [Isaiah 5:23] Be careful, therefore, not to condemn any persons unjustly, and so to assist the wicked. For “woe to him that calls evil good, and good evil; bitter sweet, and sweet bitter; that puts light for darkness, and darkness for light.” [Isaiah 5:20] Take care, therefore, lest by any means you become acceptors of persons, and thereby fall under this voice of the Lord. For if you condemn others unjustly, you pass sentence against yourselves. For the Lord says: “With what judgment you judge, you shall be judged; and as you condemn, you shall be condemned.” [Matthew 7:2; Luke 6:37] If, therefore, you judge without respect of persons, you will discover that accuser who bears false witness against his neighbour, and will prove him to be a sycophant, a spiteful person, and a murderer, causing perplexity by accusing the man as if he were wicked, inconstant in his words, contradicting himself in what he affirms, and entangled with the words of his own mouth; for his own lips are a dangerous snare to him: whom, when you have convicted him of speaking falsely, you shall judge severely, and shall deliver him to the fiery sword, and you shall do to him as he wickedly proposed to do to his brother; for as much as in him lay he slew his brother, by forestalling the ears of the judge. [Deuteronomy 19:19] Now it is written, that “he that sheds man's blood, for that his own blood shall be shed.” [Genesis 9:6] And: “You shall take away that innocent blood, which was shed without cause, from you.” [Deuteronomy 19:13]
~ Apostolic Constitutions (c. 300 A.D.) Book II
Did you know -- it is by no means impossible for sophisticated crooked spirit people to target, dupe, and groom someone from a very young age, carefully guiding their education, relationships, and contacts (including with respect to the law or legal system), to become one of society's mighty, rich, and influential -- while at the same time having them act as a puppet of theirs? Though this is not to say doing so or accomplishing this is inexpensive or without its hurdles to overcome. The subject, for their part, simply see themselves as chosen for greatness; without in the least suspecting that they have merely been set up and are being used.
I like the version on his "Spirit" album much better, but this will do.
["Willie Nelson - I'm Not Trying To Forget You" -- studio orchestration version]
It is and has been the fatal error of mankind to associate divinity with spirit people. This is not to say there are no good spirit people or that there are not such as may, by their character and or ties with someone else, be likened to divine, but only and no more so than can be said of regular (flesh and blood) people -- and of which is to say such as are are a rare and highly unusual minority -- and this being the case, further, only as may be. At the same time, when you talk about really bad spirit people, they are or can be characterized as the great bane and evil of existence and creation; indeed, it is an utter marvel, like the Black Death, Aids, or other hideous plague, how or why they even exist.
It's ironic in retrospect to think that when I had all this spirit people falderol thrown at me, the expectation on the part of those who did this and or set me up was that I was to be so impressed and in awe of them. But, in truth, my reaction is and has proven to be mostly one of complete loathing and disgust, and I have to think that those who matter of factly take spirit people so seriously are the most childish, irresponsible, and ignorant of people -- such as and like, for example, those who would make or accept J.K. Rowling and Steven Spielberg as billionaires; rather than the criminals, and these among the very worst, they really are.
For the sake of review, why are bad spirit people the greatest possible evil? Here are some reasons:
(a) No one else is more arrantly and calculatingly cruel and or more relentlessly so.
(b) No one else so incites others to guilt and wrong doing.
(c) They set themselves as rivals or else superior to right reason, honest morals, and honest discussion of fact.
(d) While, within our realm of things, countless are blamed and punished for wrong doing, such spirit people who are more guilty than anyone else, are not permitted (generally speaking) to be seriously or scientifically discussed.
(e) The most elaborate and intricate crimes and tortures originate with them (again, and as in the case with these other enumerated bad traits, relatively speaking.)
(f) They are the consummate deceivers and illusionists, and it is only with, through, and in them can the most malevolent and satanic evil pass itself off as divinity and benevolence.
(g) It is common among the most persistent and unapologetic felons and immoralists to defer to them as justification and authority; again, in the face of and despite law and right reason.
Are they gone for good yet?
"No."
I'm sorry to hear it.
"Happy Black Friday Eve Everybody!
Your trusted religious advisor,
The Ghoulish Magician."
As one gets older, there's something about Parmenides that seems all the more convincing and preferable -- even though and hitherto we've lived pretty much most of our lives as Heracliteans.
I don't know that Rogers Williams' version of Johnny Mercer's "Autumn Leaves" was so tremendous; in fact, it probably was over-rated. Yet when it came to charm and appeal, I never else knew of or could imagine a more pleasant and likeable person and personality.
["Roger Williams 1924-2011 (Mr. Piano) R.I.P." -- playing "Autumn Leaves" on PBS]
Who then, pray tell me, is the jack ass who put all these poor children and innocent animals at risk and in danger in order to accomodate the career and ambition of this miserable, brutal, and self-pitying hypocrite?
It is because so many prefer the authority of surreptitious (what other kind is there?) spirit people that society ends up rejecting right reason, common sense, and an obligation to deal with what is going on in reality. Listening to spirit people, as they come to see it, has all the advantages: a) money, wealth and power (since clearly such are the devil's domain and province); 2) the feasibility of serving God and Mammon while not offending either (this based on the seemingly irrefutable supernatural assurances spirit people can provide); 3) being spared torture, murder, scandal, social ostracism, etc., and which is routinely the lot of those who do not go along with spirit people based group-think.