Fortunate Fall Redux

Eureka!

Sir?

I've devised my best creation since the fortunate fall.

What's that?

To construct a person so abominable, humanity can witness the most depraved an individual can become, like holding a mirror up for it to see its worst flaws. To achieve such ignominy, the man must be free to willfully commit atrocity upon atrocity, and for this, he must ascend to the height of power and influence. His rise will compound this revelation, as the mass of humanity will bear witness, and his acts will become so widely known, as to prevent any person from ever denying his existence.

I meant the fall thing.

I said all of that and you weren't even listening?

No, I got it, but back up one step.

The fortunate fall: allowing the embodiment of pride to corrupt the most innocent of creatures, allowing Myself to redeem them and enhance My own glory. It's irrelevant to the conversation, an unnecessary comparison. This is a more subtle work of art. With this illustration humanity is forever warned against tolerating further obscenity.

But you remember those lines you inspired Paul to compose, and I quote, “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For the powers that be are ordained of God and whoever resists the power, resists the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. For he is the minister of God to you for good. But if you do that which is evil, be afraid; for he bares not the sword in vain: he is the minister of God, able to execute wrath upon him that does evil. Therefore be subject to the ruler, not only for fear of God's wrath, but for your own conscience compels you. And for this reason also pay your taxes to the authorities, for they are God's ministers, laboring for His good.”

Way to take that out of context.

Maybe, maybe not. You know it's been read for two millennium, among certain people, as a strict commandment to obey those in authority. He knows better than me, (they say) and since everything moves according to His plan (they say), and these people have ascended to the pinnacles of power, then they must be chosen by him (they say), and so we must follow their decrees, for they are His decrees (they say).

Couldn't I, theoretically, have placed these evil rulers in positions of power so the righteous have a task to accomplish, a trial to overcome?

Only, if you believe suffering improves the soul, and tragedy strengthens the sinews of virtue.

Let's leave that argument for another time. Surely there must be someone who has interpreted R. 13 differently?

Unsurprising, everyone reinterpreting Paul's passage unorthodoxly, does so to their own benefit. King believed the virtuous honor secular authorities, not to become virtuous, but as a result of their prior virtue. The righteous, he said, need no authority other than You. And in Life and Doctrine: Christian Teaching with Study Question, the German government of 1941...

My current creation is responsible for this result. How can we discuss this, if it hasn't already happened yet?

You know as well as I do, all times are readily apparent to Your perspective. Anyways, Sigmund Feyling, wrote this book as a Norwegian religious official during the occupation, and his occupation was to persuade the population of their righteousness in the eyes of Yourself. In this atrocity, the writer tweaked the interpretation just enough, while remaining within the canonical imprint. In it scripture is quoted, “What are those called in Romans 13:1 who God has set over us? Have you considered that your parents, your school teachers (your principal), policemen, police chief, judges, the priest, the bishop, the county commission, the state government, are the authorities who are installed by God, and that you owe them obedience?”

The writer makes a good point. Isn't obedience a virtue?

But then it continues, “Overall, we owe the Fuhrer and the government obedience. If you set yourself up against the authorities and against the state, you are standing against God’s structure and are subject to punishment.”

Paul was a bit overambitious, overly...

Certainly.

It didn't set the right example in this case, but the end result of my creation correct the error, a repudiation of a particular of Pauline doctrine.

Every event upon the face of the Earth can't be a message, a confirmation or a dispersion. Humanity doesn't have the capacity to distinguish or even interpret correctly. You can't send occasional messages because they'll never notice which are messages and which are not, and you can't make everything a message, because it would exhaust them, and anyways they'd never agree on the correct interpretation. People will always twist whatever occurs into a message from above. Like, why did you have to award a depraved institution and its cause, such a heroic figure as Lee?

That wasn't my fault. He wasn't worthy of any moral distinction, neither superior to those with who he resided, nor worse. But somehow, someway, those devoted to such a lost cause, convinced everyone, that as long as one was fighting for a strongly held conviction, one was innocent of any sin. That's the reason for this new creation, to repudiate the old falicies, for they overwhelmed and defiled a people under their rule. This work is a partial remediation.

Doesn't it just compound the error. After all, if this guy is the most monstrous person imaginable, everyone can say, “Hey, at least I'm not as disgusting as that guy.

This guy is going to lose though. That's a clear sign, when he was so close to success. A sign that even evil upon the highest peak of power is doomed to failure. And this doctrine which he used, phut.

As long as people oppose it.

Of course.

But, others will read it as, a sign that he could have gotten so far in spite of the massive opposition arrayed as obstacles. And what if they repeat such ill-fated choices regardless?

Let there be Godwin's law, finis.