<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by JohnR7:
All I am saying is that good is more powerful than evil.</font>
Wow, that really opens up a big can of spirituality worms. A Buddhist might reply to a statement like that by saying that one wouldn't see the good if the evil ("not-good," to be a little more accurate) weren't there in opposition. The boundaries of good are defined by the evil around it, these boundaries are in a continual state of flux, etc. Then, after describing a long and less-complex-than-it-sounds analogy with a cup or bowl, would come to the conclusion that since good and evil are so interconnected, that one cannot be defined without the other, that they really are one and the same (although he or she would use a Sanskrit word which literally means "not two," which is vitally different than saying they are "one"). This of course, would lead the listener to a very confused state of mind, where (if they're lucky by Buddhist standards) the boundaries between light and dark (or good and evil) become so diffuse as to be indefinable.
Good and evil, light and dark, masculine & feminine, yin & yang.
In the beginning there was darkness. Then the Lord said: "Let there be light." The beginning of the classic X'n creation story. It's also how the Sumerian creation story begins, and the pagan Celtic creation story begins. From there the differences begin. From an over-simplified mythological point of view ...
In the X'n creation story, the darkness isn't so much darkness as it is nothingness. Then YHWH creates light, and all the divine hosts. Lucifer (whose name means "light") speaks out of turn, and is cast out, forever pitting good against evil, in all-out war. ("WAR! Hah! Good gawd, y'all, what is it good for?")
In a Greek good vs. evil/light vs. dark story, Prometheus brings fire (or light, AKA wisdom and goodness) to mankind. For his trouble, he gets pinned to a rock to be devoured by birds for eternity. Sound like anyone we know?
In the Sumerian creation story, the "darkness" out of which the universe is created is the dragon known as Tiamat. Some deity of light comes along and slays Tiamat, and makes the universe out of her body. No one denies that the building of the universe is a good idea, yet this same universe which is described as "good" is made of the body of the embodiment of darkness, or "evil." It is darkness ("evil") which pervades and sustains the universe. (Incidentally, the Sumerian creation story precedes the Judeo-X'n one by some thousands of years.)
In a Celtic pagan (specifically, Irish) creation story parallel, a race of demons (Fomor) come and make the land their own. They are a race of darkness, whose power comes from the unknown depths of sea and earth. Then along come the Tuatha De Danaan (literally, the "Tribe of Dana" - they are the forces of light/good), who oust the dark ("evil") Fomors. Sort of. You see, kings of the TDD send their daughters off to marry the sons of kings of the Fomors, and vice-versa. As a result, the bloodlines of light & dark/good & evil are forever mingled. One of the Irish pagan solar (or light/good) deities, Ogma (patron of wisdom) is half Fomor, or "evil." Nothing "good" happens unless a deity has determined a balance between their light aspects and dark ones.
In EVERY creation story, darkness/evil is the power which is subborned. Yet, in every one of these creation stories, it is this same darkness which pervades and sustains the "good" universe - it is either the actual substance of the universe (like Tiamat) or the source of the wisdom which sustains mankind and gods (Lucifer, Prometheus, Ogma). To come to my point as succintly as possible, "good" is not stronger than "evil," nor is "evil" stronger than "good." They exist in an ever-shifting, ever-grey, balance. But, that's just my opinion.
Whoah ... that was
sooooooo much longer than I wanted it to be!! I suspect one or all of our moderators may wish I had been less long-winded (and less off-topic). I promise not to be offended if this post gets edited for length.
Theology lesson over!
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What's that - bag of tricks?
... Bag of knives!
... stomp and squish as required ...
[This message has been edited by willOthewisp (edited 06-27-2001).]
