Previous William Thomas Sherman Info Page postings, quotes, observations, etc.
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Earlier in my "New Treatise" I mentioned how getting or making others guilty is fundamental to (what I referred to as) "Hell" policy. One might say that inasmuch as hard core criminal spirit people are the most guilty people there are, it is as if they own the rights to wrong doing. So that if you act badly, and the more you act badly, you transgress or infringe on their rights and domain, and thus, at least if they care to make a case of it, you become answerable to them. This is in addition to the useful principle that, and generally speaking, the more stupid, and irrational a person, the easier it is for criminal spirit people in charge to control and, as need be, make use of them. As a logical corollary for establishing their criminal rule and themselves as would-authority, they seek to eliminate or remove from power and influence leadership among people that is most moral and rational. In this respect, they endeavor to remove more moral and virtuous persons from positions of leadership to increase their own power; at the same time in doing so they, by implication, send send a signal to the other would-be moral and virtuous not to challenge their sway and governance. In sum, by skimming off or removing the most good people from off the top tiers of society, they preserve, indoctrinate, and cultivate for their own benefit the much larger collective situated below that of the highest in the varied subsidiary moral, cultural, and political hierarchies of society.
Yet being "bad" or guilty is not, at least for many at any rate, without its down or regrettable side. For example, some might after all feel remorse or conscience for massacring innocents. One way they have or try to get around this as a possible problem is to deny or play down free will; the logic being that if a person is forced or compelled into wrong doing then they are not guilty or else coercion by others makes them seem less so. Such reasoning is not infrequently welcome by many, as they just as soon not be more guilty than they are. Consequently, the illusion is created and encouraged that they ARE forced, say by some mysterious greater order of the universe, to do wrong; so that given this approach a person feels less compunction acting badly since they have been led to believe they cannot or cannot much (depending on the crime) really help it. Guilt implies punishment which they understandably fear; indeed "Fear has to do with punishment," 1 John 4:18. And thus ways are sought to avoid guilt or the implication of such.
To make this all the more easy to take in and apply as a principle, there is this pronounced tendency among them to be childish, as if they were just and only mischievous children behaving in error, and not really BAD people as their actions might else suggest or imply.
In Matthew 11: 16-17, Jesus says: "To what shall I compare this generation? It is like children who sit in marketplaces and call to one another, We played the flute for you, but you did not dance, we sang a dirge but you did not mourn." "This generation" is acting as a tempter, a veritable devil, and seeking to draw God out to what they want him to do. And yet they are also seemingly and merely playful children just having fun.
As stated, they have different personalities, characters and backgrounds and when we speak of certain tendencies and attitudes such might be true of some and yet not others. Envy, jealousy, and self-pity are characteristic and not untypical of their leadership. Nor is it unusual to encounter these disposition from among their regular person followers. Indeed, if one have the least familiarity with how some of these sorts typically think, you will know one of their most favorite rebuttals or grounds of refusal to any and anything you might constructively suggest; and no matter how genuinely helpful to them your suggestion might be, is: "Absolutely not! I do it MY way -- not YOUR way," and this oft times with a sneer implying they don't think you are SO great as to do anything YOU think (i.e., such that they somehow, to their great insult and dishonor, MUST listen to you.)
With respect to darker behavior, some will have an acute and unbelievably high tolerance for cruelty, and make light of things that others would dread, blush at, or be utterly ashamed of. Truly, many would be utterly surprised and amazed at how persistently and incorrigibly bad, that is for such very long periods of time, some these people can be. Then there are those somewhat like this, but not so much so. "Fear is the father of cruelty," said James Kirke Paulding.[Note. From "The Little Dutch Sentinel" found in his short story collection "The Book of Saint Nicholas" (1836).] The more terror rules, the more cruelty can be expected. And in a world ruled by an amoral regime like this and for which terror, along with deception, are the basis and foundation of their power, there can be no wonder so many, whether people or animals, suffer so harshly and or unspeakably in this life (as many do.)
Again they like to pride themselves on the idea that they know virtually everything, at least that is worth knowing; often imagine themselves to be funny when they rarely are ever actually so; all of which only serves, as they see it, to excuse their not infrequent cold blooded arrogance.
There is, based on my own experience dealing with them, good reason to believe that it is not unusual for some to get high on some kind of drugs or intoxicants and or group orchestrated hysteria or terror of the moment, and which might on a particular occasion, disperse any qualms and free up dispositions for wrong doing which the targets of such manipulation might not else be so inclined to. Then there are things like bribes and various sorts of mind control and clever sophistry to persuade the potentially reluctant. But the fact is almost no one can escape the necessity of the moral law. Even so there are ways, and depending on the individual, that it can to some degree be minimized if not quashed and eradicated entirely.
I can by no means speak as somehow having proven the fact, but I would take it as a given that many if not all of the hideous and unnatural practices of tribal and primitive peoples were prompted and instilled by criminal spirit people. Such, at any rate, seems to me (though others are free to disagree) the more likely explanation for things like cannibalism, human and animal sacrifice in its various forms, as well as and incidentally practices like making shrunken heads or outlandish bodily disfiguring, as in tattooing and, as in the case of some African tribes, artificially stretched neck and lip extensions. Based on this surmise, it was criminal spirit people who conveyed to both the ancient Egyptians and Aztecs that if such and such ritual, no matter how absurd and or inhuman, proposed was not followed, the sun would not rise. This understood, the ancient Egyptians and Aztecs were (insofar as we know) sure to do what they were told. If he can get people to agree to make complete fools of themselves, what else can't the more cunning and sophisticated person acquire or get out of them?
Hard core criminal spirit people not unusually tend to be obsessed with degradation and humiliation, all the more so as they are inebriated with absolute power. And this, in part at least, is a product of perhaps their own self-loathing combined with a wish to more effectively mold and accustom unfortunate subjects and recipients of such treatment to wholesale submission and subservience, such as (for one of many instances that might be mentioned) how black slaves were sometimes brutally treated. One might object and say that it was "regular" people who acted thus. Yet for those who have ever been involved with criminal spirit at length, this preoccupation with degradation and humiliation will be readily recognized as being familiar; hence it is not entirely unreasonable to infer the possibility of criminal spirit people, on some level, influencing such actions and atrocities. Again, we cannot say we have proven HERE that such was necessarily the case, but it won't hurt to make mention of what I think many will agree, particularly those who are acquainted with these people, is a more than likely and correct explanation for grotesque and bizarre sadism, whether in our own times or historically.
[To be resumed next week.]
4. But speedily was the change from that more kindly reign announced to us; and great was the terror of threatening that was now made to reach us. Already, indeed, the edict had arrived; and it was of such a tenor as almost perfectly to correspond with what was intimated to us before-time by our Lord, setting before us the most dreadful horrors, so as, if that were possible, to cause the very elect to stumble. All verily were greatly alarmed, and of the more notable there were some, and these a large number, who speedily accommodated themselves to the decree in fear; others, who were engaged in the public service, were drawn into compliance by the very necessities of their official duties; others were dragged on to it by their friends, and on being called by name approached the impure and unholy sacrifices; others yielded pale and trembling, as if they were not to offer sacrifice, but to be themselves the sacrifices and victims for the idols, so that they were jeered by the large multitude surrounding the scene, and made it plain to all that they were too cowardly either to face death or to offer the sacrifices. But there were others who hurried up to, the altars with greater alacrity, stoutly asserting that they had never been Christians at all before; of whom our Lord's prophetic declaration holds most true, that it will be hard for such to be saved. Of the rest, some followed one or other of these parties already mentioned; some fled, and some were seized. And of these, some went as far in keeping their faith as bonds and imprisonment; and certain persons among them endured imprisonment even for several days, and then after all abjured the faith before coming into the court of justice; while others, after holding out against the torture for a time, sank before the prospect of further sufferings.
~Dionysius of Alexandria, "the Great"
(bishop c.247-265), Epistles, and fragments of epistles, of Dionysius
"On Reason, Morality and the would-be gods" (rough draft) continued from earlier.
In broad, working terms, and given that due to lack of more direct information it is not possible for me as yet to be more specific, we can speak of three basic classes of criminal spirit people: 1) the executives or bosses (and to which class we can, if we care to, include a single overriding ruler); 2) the lieutenants of the executive or executives, and who typically are skilled and adept at magic (i.e., as in the creation of illusions), deception, mind control, and or perhaps some other expertise calculated to frighten, intimidate or fool people, and 3) servants and slave people. There may perhaps be posited a fourth category; that is, those who are not "lieutenants" but are not quite slaves either, and whom we might think of as part-time rather than regular employees or servants, and who, depending on circumstances, possess some amount of independence ("Puck" in "A Midsummer's Night Dream" comes to mind as perhaps an out of hand illustration in literature of this type.) Inasmuch as we have contact with criminal spirit people or they come our way, it would seem highly unlikely that we very rarely, if ever, will be dealing directly with the executive sorts. Nevertheless, such leaders are the ones who make policy, call the shots and wield the far greater sway over what goes on. For which reason, it is necessary therefore to keep in mind the command and policy setting position they occupy, and even though they are or might be absent from our own midst; since, for one thing, being the ones in charge, they naturally are the ones most deserving of blame and therefore the ones that most need to be combated and stopped. True the servant may plague us, but the servant after all, whether coerced or for hire, is only doing and at the behest of the master's bidding.
To what extent are the overlords working in tandem or direct cooperation with the lower classes? For this, and to my own knowledge, we have as yet no ready or easy answer. But it would seem reasonable to infer and looked at from a broader perspective that we have here something not unlike a military hierarchy with higher ups giving orders, officers under them transmitting and carrying out the same, and the lowest ranks acting and doing as they are assigned, and yet each potentially, depending on their character and disposition, having the ability to do things on their own initiative, and perhaps not always in a way that is entirely pleasing or acceptable to their possible peers and or their superiors.
Returning to the question of motive, does a supposed "evil one" seek to breed, groom and indoctrinate people to be his slaves and victims and thus, as a matter of false pride, mock higher good? And or does he seek annihilation of who and what is good and morally virtuous in order to more effectively enslave people for his personal benefit? Or both? Evil or willful, deliberate and serious wrong doing is or can be both an end and a means, depending on the individual and present circumstances. And perhaps in the extended time frame a high power criminal spirit person is living in (i.e., as opposed to time as we ordinary mortals see it), it is not necessarily quite one or the other, and perhaps he oscillates between "end" and "means" depending on his mood and exigencies of the moment. One certainly does in any case get the sense that the battle between good and evil is something like a game; for which reason, motives and policy for some, and again given the sort of individual criminal spirit person is, may actual change over time depending on how things are going. This possibility, at least, is something to be borne in mind when attempting to ascertain and identify purpose and intent.
Ideologically speaking and in practice criminal spirit people are manichean-like or moral dualists/relativists in their thinking. With such, "Good" (as, say, Good as it is commonly thought of) is good and "Bad" is good, or "Good" is bad or "Bad" is bad as suits the occasion. Now many will object that this (in most instances at least) would be highly irrational. But then there are, as we know, people like this, and whom it does not bother being irrational. And after all, we don't expect a "devil" to concern himself with acting rightly, justly, or with rational consistently.
Conceivably or at least in theory a supposed Orkonist only adopts a manichean-like guise but is not actually one. Alternatively, his pro-evil stance is something adopted to advantage him in immediate circumstances. Either way, the end goal of his actions and decisions will be the furtherance and aggrandizement of his self-interest (such, at any rate, as he perceives his self-interest to be.) Ordinarily and among more common ranks, some version of manicheanism or moral dualism is the prevalent or would-be theology and outlook; that is, few or nothing is good or bad but that it serves cravenly selfish self-interest.
This naturally raises the question as to what they see constitutes good for them. Revenge against God? A bitter hatred and contempt, perhaps jealousy, of humanity (ostensibly inspired or instilled by "fallen angels")? Power and dominance over others? Material wealth? Receiving or acquiring the recognition, esteem, and or admiration of others? For a given individual it may be some combination of these. But needless to say what a given individual sees as higher good depends on that individual. And also presumably, individuals though they are of the same party, it is possible will differ to some extent in their priorities of what they value; which itself may change depending on circumstances; that is, present priorities might at a later time vary from what was decided upon earlier.
These qualifiers and caveats aside, it is possible otherwise to make out their general characters and personality types based on their behaviors; bearing and mind that much of these behaviors, emotional dispositions, and attitudes, and to some greater or lesser degree depending on the individual, are shared by their "regular" people hirelings or hench-people.
As alluded to earlier, by getting people generally and at large to be more stupid, irrational, coarse and profane, it becomes that much easier for them to be lorded over, frightened, manipulated, and controlled. Insofar as they do not infrequently require the talents of experts and technicians, some of those working for criminal spirit people can be quite intelligent in a given field of expertise. But these are a relatively rare exception, and even among these some can still in other way prove to be rather dumb, else wise ignorant and not very bright or thinking people. Again, much ultimately depends on the character of the individual and how best to effectively use and manipulate them for purposes of serving the master or masters.
The bad behaviors of criminal spirit people are, at least to a large degree as administered by higher-ups, a matter of formal policy and doctrine. While, true and for example, a particular individual might or will have no qualm forcing themselves physically on another (i.e., without that's other's consent), the practice of violating or forcing oneself on another or their property is, as we could expect and by definition, part and parcel of being a serious criminal. So even if a given criminal spirit person, again in a given instance, is not necessarily so disposed to force themselves on someone else, they would or might do so if paid and or commanded to do so. Yet others might do so readily and on their own initiative, and not feel the least compunction about being so arrogant and obnoxious.
[To be resumed next week.]
3. But they also seized that most admirable virgin Apollonia, then in advanced life, and knocked out all her teeth, and cut her jaws; and then kindling a fire before the city, they threatened to burn her alive unless she would! repeat along with them their expressions of impiety. And although she seemed to deprecate her fate for a little, on being let go, she leaped eagerly into the fire and was consumed. They also laid hold of a certain Serapion in his own house; and after torturing him with severe cruelties, and breaking all his limbs, they dashed him headlong from an upper storey to the ground. And there was no road, no thoroughfare, no lane even, where we could walk, whether by night or by day; for at all times and in every place they all kept crying out, that if any one should refuse to repeat their blasphemous expressions, he must be at once dragged off and burnt. These in inflictions were carried rigorously on for a considerable time in this manner. But when the insurrection and the civil war in due time overtook these wretched people, that diverted their savage cruelty from us, and turned it against themselves. And we enjoyed a little breathing time, as long as leisure failed them for exercising their fury against us.
~Dionysius of Alexandria, "the Great"
(bishop c.247-265), Epistles, and fragments of epistles, of Dionysius
"On Reason, Morality and the would-be gods" (rough draft) continued from earlier.
One of the biggest problems when dealing with spirit people is the power of some of them -- thinking here particularly of such who are professional or veteran criminals -- to pass themselves off as gods or other sort of superior being that "knows better" than we do. Why listen to a would-be just, correct, or rational argument when here we have a god or someone somehow superior to decide the matter for us instead? Some people are little able or disposed to be honest and rational in the first place, and are perhaps easily frightened as well. How much less rational and more skittish are they if a professional criminal spirit, armed with all kinds of proven magic tricks, mind control, and scare tactics tells them what to do and or think? Right reason or a seeming "god," who will people listen to as authority?
We can assume God, and by definition, is perfect. But is anyone else? It in no way follows that because a person, whether spirit or otherwise, is in some ways superior that they are also perfect. And yet in dealing with a high power, con-artist criminal spirit person, most will tend to be so dazzled and in awe of such that they do not pause to consider what are or might be the failings, drawbacks, and weaknesses of this supposed superior being. Nor is it in the least likely that a criminal spirit person, who are themselves autocratic minded or else work for someone who is, will allow you room to question or challenge their deity like importance and presumed higher authority. Why should they? When by deceit, intimation and bamboozling they can as much as get away with all kinds of robbery and murder, and even and perhaps (to some greater or lesser degree) transform you into their accommodating dupe or even slave?
As much as the more professional criminal spirit person can astound, awe and frighten with magic (i.e., create incredible and convincing illusions), including and possibly predicting the future while displaying other real or seeming extraordinary powers and abilities it is nonetheless necessary and all-important to bear in mind that there are as many and more things they are NOT capable of. And it is such inability that gives the lie to their claims or implied pretensions of being "gods." If you are the least bit intelligent yourself, scrutinize and look carefully for a weak spot or frailty in any one or other of them and you will assuredly find and detect it. We will be considering more specifically some of their characters and personalities as we proceed, however, among the traits, to give one example, that very frequently stand out in these people are an extreme pettiness, hypocrisy, and childishness, and which one also invariably finds in their followers.
Yet "Judge not lest ye be judge" applies here also. It of course would be wrong for us to attempt to judge them, or anyone, in absolute terms; though admittedly our opinion of one or other of them, quite understandably, might be very harsh or pronounced. Even so, what we are at here is that if they are in their actions criminal, we have an inherent, common sense right to protect ourselves from them. And we will be all the more able to do this if we better know and understand what they are really like and how and why they act as they do.
Compounding the danger posed by misconceptions about criminal spirit persons and combined with their efforts on their part to mislead and deceive is the widespread tendency of many people to think more like or as herd animals than rationally empowered human beings. The final and ultimate test or criterion of what is real for such is what others or "everybody" thinks; that is, the given person cannot themselves reflect or analyze very rationally or deeply so that they then too readily let others do their thinking for them. Needless to say, this foible or failing can be made to work greatly to professional criminal spirit people's undeniable advantage.
In passing and I would urge, it is important in this respect to remember that whenever something is believed or decided as being true or false, whether the proposition concerns a FACTUAL and or a VALUE judgment, a JUDGE is necessarily implied. Nothing is thought of as real or unreal, as true or false (or in part true or in part false) unless there is a PERSON who makes the given judgment. If then and whenever we say something like A is B, or B is C, etc., what is concluded can never be so unless SOMEONE decides it so. I address this point at greater length and depth in my book "Peithology: The Nature and Origin of Belief" and for further and more proper expounding on this point I would direct you to that. But suffice to say, and in short, nothing is real or unreal but that SOMEONE decides it to be so, and if we would avoid being fooled or or taken in by a con-artist, it is necessary for us to ask WHO this person is and then how trustworthy and qualified are they to make a judgment or decision on a given question. There is in point of fact no faceless truth; since any and each assertion or conclusion implies a judge, and therefore a person. Granted, such a fine, albeit crucial, distinction will probably be lost on most, and even those aware of it may forget its application; still it is something well worth bearing in mind; hence its mention is we desire to judge and decide more correctly and in a manner consistent with honest, rational truth.
Both ostensibly and by inference and traditionally, the motive of criminal spirit people might be construed as a) challenge and effort to diminish the authority of true God in humanity's eyes (at least so the religious will see it), and b) to enrich and empower themselves by setting up their own authority and government over others and ourselves; such usurpation being possible insofar as we permit and allow such to happen by our overt surrender or acquiescence to their con-artistry, bullying and manipulation.
Just as with regular people, criminal spirit people are individuals with different experiences, life stories, outlooks, and behaviors peculiar to each. Like us their attitude, enthusiasm, optimism and outlook might periodically change. They have their good days and bad days. Not perhaps counting so-denoted "fallen angels," as likely as not they have relatives somewhere who would or might be ashamed or embarrassed by by being associated with them (i.e., with their being a criminal.) [Note. I had heard at one point that "Simon the Magician," a notorious CSP felon, had/has a daughter, for example.] And even as much as they are criminal (by our definition) in their behavior, they are not always disposed to act badly if behaving themselves rightly will secure what they want. Yes, they are invariably liars, tricksters and hypocrites, indeed incorrigibly so again depending upon the individual. Yet they are at times not without a certain wisdom and they can be quite right and correct on a given point, just as say a lawyer arguing a bad case might be, and it would be foolish to say they are always wrong, or wrong about everything. This said, it would be no less foolish to trust them; when craftily getting the better of you is after all and in practice their vocation. They for example can, in a given instance, imply that they value love, but love on their dishonest, selfish terms; not in fact unlike a rapist would. People will say "all you need is love," and yet what kind of love is it that is being referred to? Honest, fair dealing, reliably consistent love? Obviously not everyone feels the need to be either so qualifying or specific. Similarly what, albeit and perhaps unstated, is included in their conception of that love? Blind obedience? But blind obedience to what exactly? In short, one needs must be on one guard sometimes when someone throws about the word or praises "love," all the more so when it comes to criminals spirit people and their dupes and acolytes.
[To be resumed next week.]