But my final sentence yesterday did set one reader to musing:
Ah, yes, book burning—it has such a distinguished pedigree in western history. I'm sure you've seen old footage showing the Nazi party doing this in Germany—on their way to taking over the country. And, then, of course we have had book burnings in America.It provoked a thought in me too, the fantasy that religionists of all stripes come to realize that their only hope for reconciliation is to start from scratch on common ground. After thoughtful deliberation, to avoid the whole unseemly mess of burning each others' books, they strike an unexpected bargain.
And in that most Catholic of countries, Portugal, the sure way to quell dissent during hard times in the 17th century was to incite the mobs in Lisbon to look for Protestants or Jews and burn them on a stake for having brought God's anger (evidenced by the hard times) on the country. I guess we can congratulate ourselves that we're only burning books (printed heresies, rather than the heretic).
On a mutually agreed and appointed day, they will all burn every last copy of their own holy book. In one quick, concerted action, they will sweep away all official barriers to amity and concord.
They expect that a good measure of peace on earth will have arrived at last.
Amusing fantasy! I had a funny tickle in my head when I read it.
ReplyDeleteSorry, I can't resist.
ReplyDeletePossibly you know that chief among burned books is the Bible itself, particularly the first translations into English, or whatever language common people were familiar with. For centuries, the Catholic Church disallowed translations into anything other than Latin, long after Latin had ceased to be a language known to anyone but priests and those specifically educated.
They maintained that the new translations were "coarse" and "vulgar." We maintain that knowledge of scripture made clear to the most ordinary person how the clergy was abusing their status and misrepresenting God. At any rate, the Church itself authorized no translations into English for centuries to come.
Odd that I should receive a link from you now. As I write this, the wife and I are in the most rustic of settings on a getaway just about to end: a renovated cabin sitting on the Lehigh River in Pennsylvania amid the ruins of a failed grist mill of the 1800's. I am living just like the grist mill founder, with the exception of the internet....oh, and electricity....um...and heat. Oh, and we drove here, as well. But other than that, things here are pretty primitive.
You are prolific as always, Moristotle. As before, I'm been reading through some of your posts.
And, my dear Tom, I can't resist acknowledging. Yes, I am aware that the priestly class attempted to suppress vernacular translations of the Bible. Tyndale was burned at the stake in 1536 (gratuitously, since he was already dead by asphyxiation).
ReplyDeleteHow did you "receive a link" from me? I didn't realize I was sending you anything by the innocent act of providing my readers a link to your blog. Could I, too, be receiving links from anyone out there on the web who is sharing links to Moristotle (assuming anyone ever does that)? I haven't been aware of it (unless I was, as I rarely am, asked for permission).
Sounds like quite an idyll there, for you and "the wife"; I'm glad that you and she are enjoying some basic comforts of electricity.