[MD] New Model Army, Mystic(DQ) Experience, and Religion (SQ) as Power

[ARLO J BENSINGER JR]

[Steve H]
NMA seemed to have an angry sentiment:[Arlo]
I
think the anger is directed towards the way the church (of any religion), when
it demands literal adherence and subserviance, has neglected the enlightenment
of the flock and moved instead as a power-structure. What you see as
"anger", I see simply as a vocal rejection of a power snare. There
can really be no debate over the historical consequences of abandoning esoteric
(personal, mystical, metaphorical) understandings of myth, whether that be
Aztec, Christian, Muslim or Viking. The result has always been the same;
destruction of "non-believers" and construction of social authority
and power.

DMB makes, I think, worthwhile warnings against just such
a thing. Does adherence to static doctrine actually dull one's ability to
perceive the mystic? I think this depends more on the USE of the static code
more than the particular CONTENT. Gnostics have used the Christian Mysteries
for centuries as a gateway-code to encourage a mystic experience. As such, the
Gnostic tradition seems to be the only Christian tradition that straightforth
claim the stories are just that, metaphorical narratives concealing
un-intellectualizable truth. On the other side of the spectrum are the
Fundamentalists, which just happens to be the "denomination" with the
largest growth in America.

There are two works I'd recommend to
anyone seriously interested in uncovering threads of esoteric commonality (what
is really important) throughout mankind's myths. The aforementioned Jospeh
Campbell's works ("Hero with a Thousand Faces" is a good start)
and Manly Hall's "The Secret Teachings of All Ages". Both of
these tend to have a similar theme. Static "myth" is a painting
concealing pointers to hidden, pre-linguistic, appreciations and understandings
of The Godhead. The "power" of the myth lies in its ability to direct
the traveler towards these cues. Sometimes a shaman or guide is used to orient
towards the cues, but the real journey is a personal one. When myth is used as
a blueprint like this, the rewards can be great. When myth is used to prop up a
social power structure, the dangers are equally great.