Religion Series : THELEMA

[evildoctor]

Thelema + Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aleister_Crowley + Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thelema Crux: DO WHAT THOU WILL SHALL BE THE WHOLE OF THE LAW. LOVE IS THE LAW, LOVE UNDER WILL. THERE IS NO LAW BEYOND DO WHAT THOU WILL. Thelema is a philosophy and/or religion. Thelema is a greek word meaning “Free Will” or “True Will”. Thelema owes its roots to the French Humanist and writer Francois Rabelais. Rabelais rebelled against the authoritarianism of the evangelical french church of his period. He wrote a number of works that criticized and lambasted the religious authorities and prevailing dogma of his day. Aleister Crowley expanded on Rabelais’s themes and the fictional “abbey of thelema”. Crowley was a prolific writer and wrote a vast collection of “libri” – thelemic scripture, instructions, poety, fiction, etc. He also formed several Thelemic fraternal organizations to assist individuals find and follow their own free wills. The law of Thelema states that the individual is free to follow their own free will, and that every act should be an act of love, as long it is under free will. Thelemic deity is archetypal in nature. We do not believe in any praternatural supreme beings. Indeed thelemic credo is represented well by the following : “There is no god but man” “Let there be neither god nor master above us” “Deus Est Homo / Homo Est Deus” Thelemites therefore are libertarians and anti-dogma, be it political, religious or cultural. If you think religion is BS, democracy is a farce, and seeth with anger whenever anyone in a uniform tells you what to do or what you are not allowed to do – then congratulations you are a thelemite. Crowley wrote a manifesto for the law of Thelma in simple words of one syllable where possible so ALL could understand : 1. Man has the right to live by his own law-- to live in the way that he wills to do: to work as he will: to play as he will: to rest as he will: to die when and how he will. 2. Man has the right to eat what he will: to drink what he will: to dwell where he will: to move as he will on the face of the earth. 3. Man has the right to think what he will: to speak what he will: to write what he will: to draw, paint, carve, etch, mould, build as he will: to dress as he will. 4. Man has the right to love as he will:-- "take your fill and will of love as ye will, when, where, and with whom ye will." --AL. I. 51 5. Man has the right to kill those who would thwart these rights. Background Crowley was raised by ultra religious parents, who belonged to an evangelical movement called the Plymouth Brethren. This group has two main claims to fame – they pretty much invented the concept of the pre-tribulation rapture and exported it to the USA – and spawned Aleister Crowley. The Plymouth Brethren believed all other Christians were doomed to hell for not being devout enough. They only allowed the bible and approved essays on the bible as reading material. All non approved art & literature were deemed “sinful” – and sex of course was disgusting and only to be used for procreation. Young Crowley was sent to an “approved” (fundamentalist) Christian boarding school where he was beaten and subjected to verbal and sexual abuse. Doctors were so concerned about him that they thought he would not live past 11 years old. To avoid the scandal of his mistreatment he was sent to live with an uncle. His Uncle was much more liberal and young Crowley soon discovered the joys of art, the theater, literature, fine wine and food, good clothes…….and sex. At 11 he seduced a 14 year old serving girl on his uncles domestic staff and had an epthiany: Christians claim to be caring and loving – but in actuality are moralizing, life hating, judgmental and authoritarian. Therefore Christians say they are good – but in actuality are rather evil. Everything Christians say is evil (sex, art, literature, wine, drugs, fine apparel,etc) is in actuality rather wonderful and good. Crowley became a Buddhist. Even spending several years in a Buddist monastery in the far east. HE was an expert on Hinduism. Also Islam – he could read the Qur-an directly in its native language – so well in fact that he was asked to give readings in a mosque in cairo when he lived there for a while. Being an expert in the worlds big five religions, he still found something missing. Budhism he felt was the closest to the truth, but he did not agree with the axiom “life is sorrow”. Crowley felt that life should be pure joy – as long as the ego could be controlled or even slain. Conversley, in crowley’s opinion the most dishonest and fucked up religion of all the big 5 by a long way was Christianity. It is important to know that Crowley was not the “Satanist” that the xtians still like to paint him as to this day. He did not hate Christ or the teachings of Christ. He dispised the power seeking, profiteering, authoritarian edifices of organized religion that pollutes and corrupts the core messages. Crowley merged east and western mystism to create Thelema. And in 1904 the Book Of the Law (Liber Al Vel Legis) was written. This was followed by a wealth of other “holy books” and commentaries, plus the formation of the A.’.A.’. and O.T.O. Literature The works of Francois Rabelais The Libri of Aleister Crowley http://www.hermetic.com/crowley/ The works of Robert Anton Wilson Phd (RAW) – Prometheus Rising, Cosmic Trigger, Illuminati Trilogy. The works of Christopher Hyatt Phd The works of Jack Parsons – founder of the Jet Propulsion Lab TO BE FINISHED LATER……..WORK IN PROGRESS……….. Artwork Music

[J.D.]

This, I like. Very much. I read a trilogy of sci-fi books a while back which got me thinking about this kind of philosophy. Actually, this exact philosophy. Thousands of years in the future, mankind's greatest civilisation was governed by a body which stuck to Thelema. (Although it was never called that) In fact, this was quoted frequently in the books: DO WHAT THOU WILL SHALL BE THE WHOLE OF THE LAW. This was also a major theme: “There is no god but man” “Deus Est Homo / Homo Est Deus” And, evildoctor, your signature, Every Man and Every Woman is a Star - There is no god but Man. was used more times than I could count! Can I assume you have some affinity with Thelema? It really got me thinking about society. I believe Thelema is a great way to live, maybe the best! But do you think a society based on this could ever practically exist?

[Noogah]

In regards to this religion: I'm sorry, but I seem to be missing the point here. Basically, the religion simply states that people can do as they please, and kill anyone who tries to keep them from doing so. How is this a religion? It sounds like common human nature to me. Perhaps I don't understand the true definition of religion. To be honest, this sounds like what anybody would do, regardless of religion. I also have a problem with this religion due to the fact that there are no morals in it. Do what you please? So, I can kill anyone? I can steal anything? I can do ANYTHING? Really? This would crate a rather dangerous world, I think. I mean, it's basically each to his own. That's a quick way to war. Everything Christians say is evil (sex, art, literature, wine, drugs, fine apparel,etc) To be fair, the Bible doesn't actually label any of those things as evil.

[OuroborosEterna]

In regards to this religion: I'm sorry, but I seem to be missing the point here. Basically, the religion simply states that people can do as they please, and kill anyone who tries to keep them from doing so. How is this a religion? It sounds like common human nature to me. Perhaps I don't understand the true definition of religion. To be honest, this sounds like what anybody would do, regardless of religion. I also have a problem with this religion due to the fact that there are no morals in it. Do what you please? So, I can kill anyone? I can steal anything? I can do ANYTHING? Really? This would crate a rather dangerous world, I think. I mean, it's basically each to his own. That's a quick way to war. To be fair, the Bible doesn't actually label any of those things as evil. It's not that simplistic. See, the idea is that you can do whatever you want, as long as you don't infringe on anyone else's right to do what they want. When you do, they have the right to use any means necessary to protect their rights. So murder and theft aren't really good choices because they open you up to all sorts of reprisals. It actually requires a stronger code of ethics to live by such a system than something like Christianity for instance, which uses fear as its primary motivator. "Do this, OR ELSE!" That's not morality. That's blackmail.

[J.D.]

It's also more of a philosophy than a religion. And it doesn't give you license to go forth and steal/murder, it just sets out a list of fundamental freedoms for the individual, excluding anything which hurts others or their freedoms. To be fair, the Bible doesn't actually label any of those things as evil. But historically, Christians have. And lots still do.

[evildoctor]

THELEMIC ART:

[evildoctor]

I'm sorry, but I seem to be missing the point here. Basically, the religion simply states that people can do as they please, and kill anyone who tries to keep them from doing so. How is this a religion? It sounds like common human nature to me. Actually Noogah, prepare for a shock, for the first time ever on the R/S board YOU ARE COMPLETELY CORRECT!!!! We celebrate human nature and life. This is why our religions are 180 degrees of each other. YOU/XTIAN beleive you are born a sinner. You are by nature bad - born to screw up. You fear your god and need to grovel and appologise to him all the time. You refer to yourself as a member of a "flock" - a sheep. Sheep being the most mindless and stupid of animals who epitomise group think. You have to follow "gods will" and not your own. To understand "gods will you and the other sheep you flock with go to church. Paying of course for entry to sit in the stalls (and no doubt heaven also). There you get life advice from a preacher who tells you what he thinks a book of 2000+ year old creation myths and tribal law "means" in the modern day. You live in fear of "sinning" and that if you sins are too big, or you do not say sorry enough, will be punished for eternity. I/THELEMITES beleive that mankind has evolved to be a social animal. Sure we fight sometimes and often fuck up. But we have a huge appetite fo love, we seek companionship, love to laugh and be with each other. We are capable of amazing acts of kindness, love and compassion - THESE THINGS ARE NOT EXCLUSIVELY CHRISTIAN!!!! We do not live in fear. We do not beleive we are born bad. We do not appologise unless we have fucked up. We do not worship anything except the fact we are alive. We do not follow (unless it suits our own agendas). We do not turn the other cheek - hit us and we will happily kick seven shades of shit out of you - and this will be an act of love. If our families, homes or freedom are threatened then we fight - gladly so - as man has done thoughout the centuries regardless of religion. We do not need a church and we most certainly do not need preachers - the answers to our own lives are within us. We are responsible to and for ourselves - we cannot project our responisibility (or lack thereof) onto a god or devil - we must walk our own paths and take the consequences for our own actions. Perhaps I don't understand the true definition of religion. To be honest, this sounds like what anybody would do, regardless of religion. I also have a problem with this religion due to the fact that there are no morals in it. Do what you please? So, I can kill anyone? I can steal anything? I can do ANYTHING? Really? This would crate a rather dangerous world, I think. I mean, it's basically each to his own. That's a quick way to war. Its funny. I have had this conversation many times with fundie christians. It is the most mindless type of arrogance to think that without your xtian "morals" we would all be raping, murdering and pillaging each other. You do realize that there are vast numbers of people out there that are not christians? Bhuddists beleive that sorrow exists because we react blindly to our egos. Therefore Acting without Thinking is what gets us in trouble and makes us crappy to each other on occasions. Thelemites beleive you must "Know Thyself!". Every act should be a considered act. A thelemite uses meditation, analysis, logic to decide how to act - not react. AND that this act should be an act of love. AND having decided to act we must excell, exceed and succeed. EXAMPLE. AS we all know you hate gays and think they are disgusting perverts. Lets say you came accross a gay Thelemite in a street in your town and verbally abused him/her. They would try not to react immediately unless they actually felt physically threatened. They would talk to you, try to find out why you felt this way. They would analyze their own emotions and gut reactions - thinking through where each might have came from. They would weigh up the various options for responding, thinking through the possible outcome and consequences of each. Once decided and having fully accepted the probable consequences, then they would act. If they had decided to knock your teeth out then this would be an act of love, first towards you so as to help you understand that your behaviors and beliefs are insulting and potentially dangerous to you and others, and as an act of love to wider society, many of whom would probably agree that you were entirely deserved of a burst mouth. The beating would be somewhat severe as it is pointless to do things half heartedley. They would then pick you up off the floor, dust you down, and bid you farewell without further malice or grudge. Crowley taught that you must face your fears and confront your own dogma, that you should seek out your predjustices and beat them down. Many/Most beleifes are inflicted on us by our parents, family, religion, culture, peers, etc. In your case this would mean that you should go out of your way to befreind some gays. Hang out with them, involve them in your life. Learn to understand them, experiment sexually with them. Learn to love and appreciate them. You wont/cant do this of course - you dont have the equipment - your preist and 2000 year old book of fairy stories tell you that gays are nasty and there is no further thought on the matter required, after all it hurts to think no? Yes you can do anything you want - as long as your are prepared to accept the consequences. The fact is Noogah that most people - the really great majority of us just want to laugh and love and do something cool with their lives - very few would actually want to run around murdering, raping and burning things down - and I suggest that those who do are already doing so regardless of yours or anyones elses "morals".