Which all very nicely speaks to the relativity of evil. I am not a Waldorf student, but know several people who have educated their children there in various parts of the country, and know some folks who, at some point in their professional careers, taught there. As part of my research for novels that I have written, I worked with the Steiner Library in New York, and several Steiner groups around the world, including Switzerland and LA, two of the biggest. I agree with his idea that there is more to opposition than its relative aspects in each of us, there is a process of the reconciliation of opposites that we, collectively, participate in as we move from era to era. What distracts us from our internal journey and limits our experience and identity to what we perceive to be external - other, society, technology, possession etc., can be seen as oppositional if it bars us from, as Juan would say, God (the God within us) The process becomes collective as we together, progress in the way we are distracted, i.e.: material possessions (in the industrial age) technology (in the age of information) morality (in the age of ethics). I site these eras because they have occurred in my lifetime.
Realizing the integration of the internal and external aspects of our experience, then reconciles the opposition for us, and good and evil are limited only to our experience that is of duality, and hold no value in a non dual experience. On Jun 25, 10:15 am, Slip Disc <[email protected]> wrote: > Are you a Waldorf grad Molly? lol > How would you judge Berg's inability to reveal truth that would have > vindicated Hanna Schmitz? His inaction is as much a direct action in > the cause of suffering endured by her incarceration and final demise. > Was he as evil as she?. Perhaps recognition of evil begins with the > awareness of good and bad which in terms of humanity, sets off a > series of contrapositives. If all is perceived good then bad cannot > exist. Schmitz regardless, as with all participants in Nazism were > aware of the specific infliction being imposed upon others. I don't > see how a one can relinquish personal moral responsibility based on > performing employment related duties. Does evil become non evil when > one acts within the realm of puppetry? This aspect is prevalent in > PTSD among military personnel and a cogent qualifier in the > diagnosis. Conversely in some criminal cases non evil becomes evil > when the inmate through retrospection reaches a new awareness. This > essentially is in concert with Steiner's correlation and distinctions > of spirituality and science, the separation of basic human needs. > This was Hanna Schmitz modus operandi, it was simply a job and one > that she wanted to perform satisfactorily. No more or less than the > flight crew of the Enola Gay, where circumstance circumvented all > moral and ethical issue. Duality is interchangeable depending on > which side of the river you stand. The 9/11 attacks were not deemed > evil by the perpetrators but by the recipients of the attacks. > > On Jun 25, 7:17 am, Molly Brogan <[email protected]> wrote: > > > I am not sure that the concept of evil has been or is limited to > > behavior. Theosophy and Anthroposophy, Hermetics and other systems > > all include ideas of evil that are inherent in us and life, and form > > the opposition to spirit. Christianity is based on the well known > > story of Adam and Eve;s fall from grace, having tasted the fruit of > > the tree of knowledge of good and evil and tempted by Lucifer to do > > so. To my thinking, much of what we know, are aware of and experience > > includes opposition and the spectrum that lies between. This is often > > how we measure change. Good and evil, bad and good, right and wrong, > > all concepts of duality that we form as a way to understand our > > experience. > > > I thought the movie with Kate Winslett, The Reader, was fascinating > > because it presented the notion that we cannot judge the German people > > who participated in Nazi society during the war on the basis of > > morality, or even on a legal basis of our time, but must judge them > > according to the laws of their own society in their own time. This > > really speaks to the concept of "our reality" and how our behavior is > > effected by our cultural norms, survival needs and societal laws of > > our place and time. Which is different from other places and times. > > And so, evil as behavior, becomes relative. > > > Rudolph Steiner does a good job of defining the notion of opposition > > (good and evil) in volumes that address his idea of the Christ and > > universal opposing forces. His idea is that through epochs of time, > > there are three different opposing forces that call each of us away > > from spirit, unity consciousness, or the Christ. We are currently in > > the epoch of the Azurus, that manifests in material possession and > > technology. As we place our identity more in these than in our own > > spiritual nature, the forces of "evil" are winning. > > > While I think there is a genius in his insight into what distracts us > > and what connects us on a soul level, there is much of his philosophy/ > > theosophy that loses me. But I will say that I think we need to look > > beyond our own or someone else's individual behavior to understand > > evil, and include that which takes us collectively away from unity > > though good, and into separation. > > > On Jun 25, 6:09 am, iam deheretic <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > Till this topic was brought up I never really looked at the definition of > > > evil, what I had in my mind verses what is defined. Yes it would be acts > > > and not a force that are seen as evil. I think you are right intent needs > > > to be part of the equation. > > > > I wonder how often the word is missed used. > > > Allan > > > > On Thu, Jun 25, 2009 at 10:19 AM, [email protected] < > > > > [email protected]> wrote: > > > > > So evil is not a force but some acts of mankind can be seen as evil? > > > > I guess then intent needs to be part of this equation? > > > > -- > > > ( > > > ) > > > I_D Allan --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups ""Minds Eye"" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/Minds-Eye?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
