Quote Of The Day: In Mockery

 

“Of course leftists hate Christianity. Leftism was created in mockery of Christianity as Orcs were created in mockery of the Elves.” — Prof. Glenn “Instapundit” Reynolds

I’ve lost count of the times I’ve heard Leftism compared to a religion. It’s a fairly common reference, and the evidence is common to see. Obviously, Leftist revolutions tended to create cults of personality, Stalin and Mao most notably. There’s also a long train of martyrs to the Left, from Revolutionary France until now. Surprisingly, many Christians don’t seem to have gotten the message — consider the Social Gospel and the Liberation Theology movement — but the hostility always resurfaces.

Why? Why would the existence of Christians be a problem for the Left? Perhaps Prof. Reynolds may shed light upon this.

The reference is to Tolkien, naturally. In the world of Middle-Earth, the fallen archangel/demigod Melkor was driven to create his own vision independent of the Creator, but he cannot. He cannot make truly new creations, just twist what was already created. If you look at the Elves in the Lord of the Rings movies, it is almost impossible to see them as the ancestor of the Orcs, but the very first orcs were made from tortured, mutated elves that Melkor (now known as Morgoth) had captured. It’s both lacking any originality and an abomination, as all creations out of line with the Creator must be. The Dwarves, it this mythos, are derived from an original creation in line with the Creator’s vision, and are granted life. All of Morgoth’s works end up being industrialized brutality applied to an existing creation, inherently flawed. Witness the mightiest dragons all having a weakness in their armor, orcs lacking much in the way of tactical cunning, and trolls turning to stone in daylight.

Western culture is immersed in Christian tradition, so it makes sense that people use Christian themes and elements. (Both Tron and The Matrix have pretty explicit messiah archetypes) The Left formed itself out of rebellion from the Christian tradition, just like Western atheism tends to be particularly against Christian faith, with arguments directed specifically at the Christian God. (Arguments from imperfection and theodicy, for example, only work against an omnibenevolent and omnipotent God.) For the Left, it takes the essential narrative of Christianity and perverts it.

Instead of all having sinned, only the bourgeois, whites, etc., have sinned. Ironically, it’s usually precisely the same class as Leftism appeals to — all of you people are sinful and need to get woke like me. Instead of grace freely given and sanctification, there is a grueling, ever-shifting road of continuous adherence to the current dogma, with an inquisition that would shame Torquemada. It’s a never-ending struggle session, without any fixed morality.

For example, mistreatment of women and gays is only bad in Western countries, their violence is speech while your speech is violence, police are oppressors but only police can have guns, etc. They make the Way of the Cross look positively easy. And their heaven seems so uninteresting — a society with more equality? Their utopia is soulless and dead, without actually fixing the problems of the human condition. I’m reminded of Richard Fulmer’s post on urban renewal — the slum may be bad, but the housing project is actually worse. People still have unfulfilled lives and die in Leftist Utopia. Who is actually most worried that other people have more money or power than they do?

Then we have sacraments. Abortion is among their holiest of holies. Abortion is allowed at all times, for any reason, at any age. It’s become a positive good, not a regretful decision. Transgression is another sacrament — any breach of the old rules is glorious. So much art and media is given value since it transgresses the old rules — any behavior that mocks the old standards is to be praised, even if it is boring, unoriginal trash. It’s even better if the original good can be twisted into something progressive. Leftist sacraments are more degrading and anti-Christian than an actual Satanist Black Mass.

Leftism truly represents a bastardized Christianity – an illegitimate successor, conceived in violence.

Published in Group Writing
This post was promoted to the Main Feed by a Ricochet Editor at the recommendation of Ricochet members. Like this post? Want to comment? Join Ricochet’s community of conservatives and be part of the conversation. Join Ricochet for Free.

There are 7 comments.

Become a member to join the conversation. Or sign in if you're already a member.
  1. OmegaPaladin Moderator
    OmegaPaladin
    @OmegaPaladin

    One of the comments on that article had an amazing line for those despairing of the condition of the Church (it was about the Roman church, but it is generally applicable)

    In history, every time the Church appears dead, a generation or two later, she seems to pop back up again (as Chesterton said, like “a jack-in-the-box”). That’s because she has a secret: Her Lord knows the way out of the grave.

    So, yes, for the moment, if something gets said publicly by a Catholic bishop, 70% of the time it’ll be boldly-leftist claptrap, 20% of the time it’ll be weak-tea feints at orthodoxy, and 10% of the time it’ll sound unapologetically Christian. That’s scandalous and annoying.

    But, uniquely with this particular institution, it’s not a permanent situation. The patient is dead; but we’ll let you know when her condition changes. – Dagnabbit42


    This is the Quote of the Day. We still have a few openings for July. . Sign up now and figure out your quote later.

    • #1
  2. Saint Augustine Member
    Saint Augustine
    @SaintAugustine

    That is a magnificent quote. Well analyzed on your part.

    • #2
  3. Western Chauvinist Member
    Western Chauvinist
    @WesternChauvinist

    Klavan had a great line related to this the other day: “Anytime you’ve reached the mountaintop, all movement is downhill.” 

    Leftists think they’re going to build a better society based on what? Godless communism? A materialist conception of human anthropology? It’s all corruption of the founding principles — namely government is intended to secure our God-based, pre-political natural rights. 

    I’d wish them and their project to hell, but sadly, they’ll be bringing hell to us all. The United States of Mordor. 

    • #3
  4. Arahant Member
    Arahant
    @Arahant

    Marvelous.


    This is the Quote of the Day. We still have a few openings this month. If you have run across someone’s saying something interesting, why not share it with us? Our sign-up sheet is here waiting like the lonely Maytag repairman.

    • #4
  5. Michael Brehm Lincoln
    Michael Brehm
    @MichaelBrehm

    Chesterton had another quote wherein he stated that the real problem with the modern world was not that the vices set loose to run riot, but that the virtues were left to wander.  A solitary virtue is far more destructive than vice when not moderated by its fellows.

    • #5
  6. Saint Augustine Member
    Saint Augustine
    @SaintAugustine

    Michael Brehm (View Comment):

    Chesterton had another quote wherein he stated that the real problem with the modern world was not that the vices set loose to run riot, but that the virtues were left to wander. A solitary virtue is far more destructive than vice when not moderated by its fellows.

    The old idea of the unity of the virtues.

    My first journal article was on that topic in the Republic.  Good stuff in Boethius.  Some C. S. Lewis too. Etc., etc., blah, blah.

    • #6
  7. TempTime Member
    TempTime
    @TempTime

    Saint Augustine (View Comment):

    That is a magnificent quote. Well analyzed on your part.

    Totally agree.

    • #7
Become a member to join the conversation. Or sign in if you're already a member.