Is writing ‘evil’?

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amorphos_ii
Posts: 297
Joined: October 2nd, 2022, 1:19 am

Is writing ‘evil’?

Post by amorphos_ii »

Is writing ‘evil’?

A strange and ancient Druidic belief here for you.

The ancient Britons did have writing – Ogham, and the Gauls used Greek and later Roman writing mostly for commercial use, though it was considered to be ‘evil’. Consider that as you are reading this, you have to think what this is telling you to think! Also consider how advertising and propaganda works.

I had a rather spiritual dream or vision once, where I saw Gods hand pointing to a wall whereupon writing appeared. As I read it the letters fizzed around and changed such that I could not read the message. I was left with the notion that ‘the truth cannot be written’!

- I wonder what Moses would have thought.

I mean, God has not written anything and neither did Jesus.

Consider that when civilisation began in ancient eastern turkey, a temple was built. To me the expense of that could only be met by a ruling elite, probably to substantial and justify their leadership and control. Maybe people thought they could do it for themselves and kept rebelling.

Then when monotheism came along the rulers must have thought it was Christmas, I mean, one God, one king etc, must have been a dream religion to the elites, all of whom had their place in the hierarchy.

I Don’t think Jesus means for future kings to draw up their family tree with him at the root of it, and his religion appears to be totally against the whole elitism thing. Thing is, people began to think that God had a purpose and that they were part of it.

In short then, is writing evil? or at least be treated with suspicion. What does that mean for law and religion? Maybe that law should not be akin to shariah law, and religious works are not the truth!



_
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JackDaydream
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Re: Is writing ‘evil’?

Post by JackDaydream »

amorphos_ii wrote: February 3rd, 2023, 4:04 pm Is writing ‘evil’?

A strange and ancient Druidic belief here for you.

The ancient Britons did have writing – Ogham, and the Gauls used Greek and later Roman writing mostly for commercial use, though it was considered to be ‘evil’. Consider that as you are reading this, you have to think what this is telling you to think! Also consider how advertising and propaganda works.

I had a rather spiritual dream or vision once, where I saw Gods hand pointing to a wall whereupon writing appeared. As I read it the letters fizzed around and changed such that I could not read the message. I was left with the notion that ‘the truth cannot be written’!

- I wonder what Moses would have thought.

I mean, God has not written anything and neither did Jesus.

Consider that when civilisation began in ancient eastern turkey, a temple was built. To me the expense of that could only be met by a ruling elite, probably to substantial and justify their leadership and control. Maybe people thought they could do it for themselves and kept rebelling.

Then when monotheism came along the rulers must have thought it was Christmas, I mean, one God, one king etc, must have been a dream religion to the elites, all of whom had their place in the hierarchy.

I Don’t think Jesus means for future kings to draw up their family tree with him at the root of it, and his religion appears to be totally against the whole elitism thing. Thing is, people began to think that God had a purpose and that they were part of it.

In short then, is writing evil? or at least be treated with suspicion. What does that mean for law and religion? Maybe that law should not be akin to shariah law, and religious works are not the truth!



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It is interesting that most of the esteemel teachers didn't write but delivered their teachings orally, including Jesus, Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha) and Socrates. The ten commandments forbade images of God being made although Christianity went to the other extreme of making so many icons. My understanding of why making images of God was forbidden was that it could result in idolatry.

However, it may be that the issue of writing and spirituality says more about culture and writing. The teachers I mentioned may have spent more time engaging with the people rather than sitting down writing and reading. There is some speculation that the time prior to Jesus's ministry was spent in India studying, but whether it is anything other than speculation is questionable.

Writing, as you say, often was for the elite, whereas in the information age it is common place, and those who are unable to do, such as people with severe dyslexia, are left in a disadvantaged position. As far as elitism goes the politics of spiritual traditions comes into the picture. For example, in the first couple of centuries in Christianity there was so much tension over what was or was not considered to be Gnostic heresy. This influenced so much of what became included in the canon of the New Testament. Spiritual teachers may have been involved in direct teaching with the production of books being overseen by political authorities in many traditions.
amorphos_ii
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Re: Is writing ‘evil’?

Post by amorphos_ii »

Well those first centuries were spent fighting over what was ‘the truth’, when there was no need ~ except to the ruling elite. Just think, now there would be no different Christian religions nor denominations et al, if they just let it be.

Yea in this information age the idea of no writing isn’t plausible. However, how we view things like fake news and propaganda is very relevant and important. A safe bet imho is to regard all text with suspicion, which I have to say isn’t happening much. On the news yesterday was conspiracy theories about bill gates, as if ‘the man’ would be that obvious even if it did make covid happen on purpose.

I have to say that the amount of corruption in politics and business is intolerable. Companies like twitter and fb think they have the right to do as they please, because western governments believe in non-interference. Yet governments are there to watch over such things and the industry leaders like fb should be the safest.

The safety of the world is at stake as the Ukraine has a pair of scales sat right on it. Yet western propagandists keep pushing and prodding Russia and China, then if Putin fails it will be Iran next then somehow China. It seams they wont be happy until the entire world is subjugated, regardless of the consequences. We could end them or they us in a day.
Ecurb
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Re: Is writing ‘evil’?

Post by Ecurb »

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God...
Writing, and words in general, have long been associated with mystical and magical power. However, I'm not sure about God not writing. What about the Ten Commandments? Were'nt they written?

St. Augustine recounts seeing St. Ambrose (I think, I may remember the names wrong) reading without (horrors!) speaking aloud or moving his lips. He thought there might be some sort of strange, Satanic possession that allowed Ambrose to do this. Words -- in those days -- were evidently meant to be spoken -- even if they were also written down.

So I writing may not be thought to be evil -- but it is powerful, and power can promote the wicked as well as the good.
amorphos_ii
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Re: Is writing ‘evil’?

Post by amorphos_ii »

all religious texts are writen by people, no one claims otherwise except that as you say, that they were listenning to God or thought they were. i dunno maybe there was another monk stood behind a tree saying stuff lol. either way, none of such instances actually God speaking directly to us. i mean come on, God could surely speak and write if he wanted to!

so God was lying to me then? the truth can be written! now where is that piece of writing that is true!!!!!!!
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Pattern-chaser
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Re: Is writing ‘evil’?

Post by Pattern-chaser »

I don't disagree with the comments made so far, but I wonder if we are neglecting the practicalities? At the time of the Druids, paper was not generally available, parchment was rare and expensive, and writing incised on rocks isn't very portable. The Druid culture was therefore an oral one, by necessity.

So, when writing was starting to become more common, 'traditionalists' will probably have objected. They were only human, after all! Perhaps the idea that writing was/is 'evil' came from this?
Pattern-chaser

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value
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Re: Is writing ‘evil’?

Post by value »

It is an interesting question. Pattern-chaser seems to be right with his question "could they have written anything?" but perhaps there is more to the question, with a clue being the notion of JackDaydream: "The ten commandments forbade images of God being made".

Morality in my opinion cannot be "Written Down". But does that mean that writing is evil?

The complex philosophical work by French philosopher Emmanuel Levinas The saying and the said might provide interesting insights from a non-religious philosophical perspective. Emmanuel Levinas his works are similar to that of Martin Heidegger and are named Totality and Infinity (Ethics as First Philosophy) and Otherwise than Being.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_saying_and_the_said
https://academic.oup.com/fordham-schola ... /181772996
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/levinas/
amorphos_ii
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Re: Is writing ‘evil’?

Post by amorphos_ii »

The druids had Ogham writing written on hazelwood fews. It’s simple lines bisected by other lines and only meant for short messages and occult stuff [as runes were used].

I concur with your point, but should add that Gauls used greek and later roman, but only for commerce.

It is the Druidic attitude that I go with, ~ to view everything with suspicion, as if people are trying to persuade or control us with words and indeed images. Also that talking can invite discussion intervention etc, whereas writing is more dictum.
Ecurb
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Re: Is writing ‘evil’?

Post by Ecurb »

amorphos_ii wrote: February 6th, 2023, 4:56 am

It is the Druidic attitude that I go with, ~ to view everything with suspicion, as if people are trying to persuade or control us with words and indeed images. Also that talking can invite discussion intervention etc, whereas writing is more dictum.
Oh, no! People are trying to persuade me! Fear not. Nobody can persuade me about anything, because I was always right in the first place.

The Druid suspicions about writing may have been economic. Without copyrights, once something is written it becomes public knowledge. The Druids may have wanted to keep their secrets "in house". Homer probably lost some performing opportunities when the Iliad was written down. Buy the book instead of listening to the show. (Although books may have been more expensive than shows, in those days.)
JDBowden
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Re: Is writing ‘evil’?

Post by JDBowden »

If you could write back in the day (even now), you were taught it by someone. Therefore, you would have been/are educated. We can see from history that educated individuals posed a danger to the status quo. These individuals began to think independently and question things. Obviously, this was no bueno for the old guys in charge. So, yes: writing was "evil" as a ploy to scare and control the spread of information. Sounds applicable for today. I must throw into the mix the invention of the printing press. The church did NOT want this and even went as far to stop it. Educated individuals, yet again, would begin to question the faith. That for them, again, was no bueno. To label writing as "evil" would be like labeling someone a "witch."
amorphos_ii
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Re: Is writing ‘evil’?

Post by amorphos_ii »

Good point ecurb, the ancients would definitely have wanted their secrets to remain so, and probably thought that if you write them down then what they mean wont be present in the text.

Jd, those things are true, though I don’t think the druids had anything to hide in that particular way, but the elites sure would have. Religion has always been misused by the ruling classes.
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