Let us go today for what is difficult, hard to interpret, and difficult to comprehend. The first passage challenges us, for it talks about demonic opposition, and includes a fair amount of wisdom, none of which we want to hear. Paraphrasing Lewis, there are two errors when it comes to the spiritual: one is attribute everything to demonic possession, and the other is to deny the existence of Satan and the opposition. Now most people think they do not believe in Satan or the dark forces, but in effect, when the meme of Chluthu is in our society, we do. We prefer to think of it as fiction. And today’s passage strips that away from us[1].

You may not believe in Satan. You may think you are a member of the accepted religion of this day: Atheistic positivism, as preached by Sam Harris and Richard Dawkins. But you have horror books and movies. And you look at Social Justice Wimps persecuting those who are currently unfashionable with approval. But if there is an opposition, you have to work out who it is.

It is clear from the text that the master of the opposition is the Lord of Flies, Lucifer, the lightbringer. But he uses the power of the institutions, and as they swing society away from righteousness: it has been said that Chuluthu swims to the left, but it is deeper than that. If you like, Chuluthu is interested in what we think, not our brains, and in controlling our thoughts: perhaps not by force (pace 1984) but by making ungoodthink without a vocabulary.

Anyway, let’s define this vague charge. What do we mean by Orwellian?

I’d say a fair definition of an Orwellian government is one whose principle of public legitimacy (Mosca’s political formula, if you care) is contradicted by an accurate perception of reality. In other words, the government is existentially dependent on systematic public deception. If it fails in its mission to keep the lie alive, it at least stands some chance of falling.

The basic premise of UR is that all the competing 20th-century systems of government, including the Western democracies which came out on top and which rule us to this day, are best classified as Orwellian. They maintain their legitimacy by shaping public opinion. They shape public opinion by sculpting the information presented to the public. As part of that public, you peruse the world through a lens poured by your government. Ie: you are pwned.

We are pwned. We are 0wnzrd. And we like it. We do not want to be told to repent. We do not want to reform. We do not want to be challenged. And in that state of sloth we will be defeated.

Now he was casting out a demon that was mute. When the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke, and the people marveled. But some of them said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of demons,” while others, to test him, kept seeking from him a sign from heaven. But he, knowing their thoughts, said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls. And if Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul. And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are safe; but when one stronger than he attacks him and overcomes him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted and divides his spoil. Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.

“When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and finding none it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds the house swept and put in order. Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there. And the last state of that person is worse than the first.”

(Luke 11:14-26 ESV)

Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told, “Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there, but do not measure the court outside the temple; leave that out, for it is given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months. And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.”

These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. And if anyone would harm them, fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes. If anyone would harm them, this is how he is doomed to be killed. They have the power to shut the sky, that no rain may fall during the days of their prophesying, and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague, as often as they desire. And when they have finished their testimony, the beast that rises from the bottomless pit will make war on them and conquer them and kill them, and their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city that symbolically is called Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord was crucified. For three and a half days some from the peoples and tribes and languages and nations will gaze at their dead bodies and refuse to let them be placed in a tomb, and those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and make merry and exchange presents, because these two prophets had been a torment to those who dwell on the earth. But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood up on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here!” And they went up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies watched them. And at that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.

The second woe has passed; behold, the third woe is soon to come.

(Revelation 11:1-14 ESV)

Now, how does the cathedral treat the kirk? The Cathedral, please note, is not the kirk, although parts of the church belong to it: the kirk (using the scots word here) is the faithful, the church invisible, and the reason why there is unity in our salvation, our faith, despite divisions bought on by scholastic speculation and rejected reformation[2]. The Cathedral, however, is the publick religion, the seat of power, those who try to be relevant, use relativistic morality, and dump those of use who struggle daily with their desires in a hell where there is no sin, no ability to repent, and therefore no ability to be saved, and be restored.

If one loves Christ, you will obey his commands. If you love your spouse, you will pay attention to their needs: by provision and by service: if you truly love your spouse, husband, you will be driven to prayer so you can lead in righteousness, and if you truly love your spouse, wife, you will also be driven to prayer for your husband, that he leads, and that you follow, for the sake of Christ. This is the teaching of the church from the beginning: however, it is now hate speech.

So consider carefully what one does and what one teaches. If one moves towards mindfulness and meditation, and spiritual purity, are you making a nice clean brain for Chulthu to much down on? Jesus did not give his warning in vain.

And within the faith, be aware that sycretism is not merely an issue of bringing the ancient idols within the church, but that the West worships deeply, even with child sacrifice, at the altars of Apple, Mercedes, Chanel and to a false God we call spirituality or self esteem.

The forces behind the Cathedral would trample the temple. They will be destroyed. Do not be them, and do not be like them.

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1. The Chulthu images are from here. I’m with Stross on this one: if such an entity exists (Stross correctly says being an author is making up believable lies) I would be waiting for it with a shotgun.
2. And sometimes, divisions have been caused by Scholastic speculation AND corruption. There is a reason Calvin stuck close to the text. As should we.