Brink Porn

Footnotes:

{1  Fukuyama had already written a piece entitled “The End of History?” in the right-wing rag, “The National Interest” in the spring of 1989–betraying his eagerness for the confirmation of the triumphalist narrative (which he would soon thereafter parlay into a lucrative book).  Fukuyama’s catchy thesis–part triumphalism, part wishful thinking–was an exercise in self-congratulation to which many succumbed; as the implosion of the Soviet Union seemed–at the time–to validate the dubious narrative that the entire modern age could be boiled down to a feud between champions of the free market and the dastardly minions of Soviet-style “communism”.  The errancy and shortsightedness of this (laughably myopic) lens became blindingly apparent within just a few years of Fukuyama’s publication.  China would persist in its flagrant illiberalism–nay, authoritarianism; and fascism would continue to rear its grotesque head across the globe.  There was no “Last Man”.  History was very much still unfolding–presenting age-old problems in new guises.}

{2  Ideologues see the world through a lens tailored to their own preconceptions, then interpret it accordingly.  One of the most touted “prophecies” Christian apologists use to rationalize the deification of Jesus of Nazareth is chapter 53 in the Book of Isaiah.  To their ears, this is an indubitable prediction of their Messiah.  Canny exegetes read into a text what they want to read.  Such “eisegesis” is made possible by framing things in whatever way suits one’s purposes.  The meaning ascribed to the text does not inhere in the text; it is projected onto the text.  When hawking prognostication, the trick is to be vague enough–yet provocative enough–to strike a nerve.  (Nostradamus used this gimmick to staggering aplomb.)  So it should come as no surprise that the harbingers of the End Times found in Abrahamic scripture are–in general terms–things with which everyone at ANY TIME can readily identify.  Prognostications found in the New Testament are especially comical when it comes to this perfidious gambit.  Peter’s second letter says that Judgement Day will occur during an era of scoffers walking after their own lusts (3:3).  Check.  Paul’s second letter to Timothy notifies us that it will arrive in perilous times–characterized by self-love, covetousness, boasting, pride, and children disobeying their parents (3:1).  Check, check, check, check, and check.  He adds that another sign will be high-minded people who love pleasures more than they love god (3:4).  Check.  (“Wow! That must be US,” said everyone ever.)  We find similar rigamarole in Islamic lore.  Children will be insolent.  Check.  Treacherous people will be considered trustworthy, while trustworthy people will be accused of treachery.  Check and check.  Liars will be seen as truthful, while those who are truthful will be accused of lying.  Check and check.  Hypocrites will rule; and perfidious people will run the marketplace.  Check and check.  And lots of musical instruments will be all over the place.  Gosh-golly, it sounds like today!}

{3  The point of an eschatology is as much to provide a sense of purpose as it is to provide us with explanations for why things are the way they are.  That is: It meets existential as well as epistemological hankerings.  Once one has something to LIVE FOR, the rest is–as they say–icing on the cake.  Everything in the world can be explained in terms of THAT NARRATIVE.}

{4  The Shakers of northeastern United States died out for having considered sexual intercourse pointless, given the immanence of the Second Coming of Christ.  (If the End Times are going to occur any day now, then why even bother procreating?)  There has been no better demonstration of survival of the fittest with respect to memes.  Indeed, the Shaker memeplex had the mechanism for its own demise built into it.  Many of the “Desert Fathers” (itinerant monks starting in the 3rd and 4th centuries) supposed that procreation for ANYONE was pointless, as the End Times were nigh.  So far as they were concerned, their asceticism would all be worth it, as bountiful rewards awaited them in the hereafter.  Peddling false hope is one of the best ways to control people en masse, especially if one wants to persuade them to cope with a dire existence.}

{5  The Muslim takeover of the City of David was on the verge of happening at the time of MoM’s untimely death.  Sure enough, the momentous event came to pass within six years of the prophet’s passing.  That was almost 14 centuries ago…and counting.  Yet the occurrence–and prospects for its reprise–has kept hopes alive ever since.  For it seems to promise that the final reckoning will happen ANY TIME NOW.  This particular prophecy has become all the more dubious since the “Nakba” of 1948.}

{6  And pray tell: What were these ominous signs, exactly?  Consulting vol. 41 of Muslim’s Hadith, we find that prophecy-mongers held that the appointed hour will be heralded by a celestial trumpet, blown by the angel, “Israfil” [“he who burns”] from the Dome of the Rock (no. 7023).  We are also notified that the anti-Christ (“Dajjal”) will be coming from Isfahan (no. 6931 and 7034); while a (black) menace from Abyssinia will destroy the Meccan Kaaba (no. 6951).  (MoM averred that Satan himself resembled a black Ethiopian.)  Thus Dar al-Islam was furnished with both a Persian and an African nemesis (see footnote 11 below).  And that wasn’t all.  The Romans would seize Dabiq, Syria (no. 6924); and the looming menace of Gog and Magog [rendered “Ya-juj and Ma-juj”] would appear from the Eurasian Steppes, presumably to wreak havoc on the Ummah (no. 6931).  (See footnote 17 below.)  But fear not, because JoN [“Issa”] shall return to Damascus and slay the anti-Christ (no. 7015)…as well as exterminate Jews and pigs.  (Also ref. Koran 43:61 and Bukhari 3/43/656.)  Finally, we are told about a sign of the End Times that clearly reflected the concerns of Arabians at the time: A contingent of apostates will once again circumambulate the original (Yemeni) Kaaba–contemptuously referred to as “D[h]u al-Khalasa” [alt. “Dhul Khalasa”] (Bukhari 9/88/232); see my essay on “Mecca’s Cube”.  It is impossible not to notice how comically-dated such foreboding prognostications are.  As it happens, the Koran is rife with fantastical harbingers of the apocalypse.  For instance, we are notified that the moon will be split in two (54:1)…even as the sun and moon will be joined (75:9).  (Which is it?)  But how will we know it is eventually coming?  In Islamic scripture, omens for the End Times include such travesties as female singers becoming popular (MoM despised lyrical poets), women walking in the marketplace with thighs exposed, people dancing at night, people imbibing, men wedding [“nikkah”] men, women wedding [“nikkah”] women, women seducing men, and nubile women deciding not to have children.  (Spoiler alert: How things have been everywhere, at every point in history…and continue to be to the present day.)  What is touted, then, is–effectively–a general description that was as accurate a thousand years ago as it will be a thousand years from now.  That such ominous signs turn out to be quotidian banalities is, of course, THE POINT (see footnote 2).  The most renown commentary on the signs of the Last Days was composed by a student of the fanatic, Ibn Taymiyya (the Syrian theologian, Ibn Kathir) in 14th century.  (Saner heads, like Ibn Khaldun, thought such outlandish eschatology was hogwash; and announced this to those not prone to delusion.)  For more on the ominous depiction of Judgement Day in Mohammedan lore (as well as examples from myths around the world).  For Judaic antecedents of this menacing eschatology, see the Books of Hos[h]ea [“Yehoshua”] and of Daniel.  For Christian antecedents, see the Book of Revelation.}

{7  We find the same schtick in politics: “I realize that things haven’t worked out as we’d hoped.  But trust me, THIS time, it’ll be different.”  Keeping the (false) hope alive is the trick.  The pitch is effective in ALL contexts.  “It’s morning in America.”  “It’s time to seize our destiny.  Our time is now!”  “The moment is upon us!”  The simplistic message has an undeniable appeal.  Everyone–especially anyone who is existentially beleaguered–likes to be told: “Take heart!  Things will work out in the end.”  For a parable that makes this point, see my essay: “The Island”.}

{8  Again, this derangement is not limited to Jewish and Christian fanatics.  Apocalyptic Messianism is found throughout Dar al-Islam as well.  As I write this (in 2016), the most popular Muslim-American proselytizer, “shaykh” Hamza Yusuf, declared: “We are in the age of the Dajjal.  This is it, people.  As far as I’m concerned, it’s the end game.”  It seemed not to occur to him that “People of the Book” have been saying the same kind of thing for over two thousand years.  What ominous signs does Yusuf cite for this zany alarmism?  Technology of the space age (which he considers tools of the devil).  Note that Yusuf is considered by many in the American Muslim community to be a “moderate”.  Moreover, he does not believe in evolution, and believes that the video game “Tetris” and all Disney movies are evil.  Even so, Yusuf is widely seen as a serious intellectual–a shining light in America’s Muslim community.  God help us.}

{9  Jehovah’s Witnesses actually associate Abaddon / Apollyon not with a morbid place, but with an exalted being.  Per the lore concocted by the impresarios of the Watchtower Society, Apollyon is synonymous with the Archangel Michael…who, along with JoN, was considered a personification of the Abrahamic deity.  This involves portraying the tri-fold divine personage as a sword-wielding, swashbuckling Messianic hero.}

{10  alt. “Tzadikim”; resurrected from the dreary valley, “Gehinnom” (alt. “Gehenna”), likely referring to “Gai ben-Hinnom”.}

{11  “Dajjal” means “false”.  The alternate moniker for the anti-Christ is “D’Abbatul Ard”.  This nefarious character (the “Masih ad-Dajjal”; false Messiah) is never mentioned explicitly in the Koran.  There is also foretelling of the coming of the nefarious “Sufyani”: progeny of Sakhr ibn Harb, leader of the demonized Quraysh tribe during MoM’s life.}

{12  This moniker, coined in the 7th century, was likely a variant of the name of the Roman (Byzantine) Emperor of the time, Heraclius, who persecuted the Jews during the first three decades of that century.  The reference appears in the “Seref Zerubbabel”, a work named after the 6th-century B.C. king of Judah (who ruled at the end of the Exilic Period, and purportedly initiated construction of the Second Temple).  In Judaic eschatology, “Olam Ha-Ba” is a resplendently Edenic world, which will be ushered in after the apocalypse.  During this era, the wolf will live with the lamb, and the leopard will lie with the goat, in accordance with Isaiah 11:6.}

{13  “The day of reckoning is nigh!  So you better get your act together!”  The Koran’s authors picked up where the Book of Revelation left off.  “If you don’t sign up for the program, you’ll be sorry.”  Gosh-golly.  The combination of hope (for paradise) and fear (of perdition) creates a potent incentive structure.  Damnation vs. salvation: NOBODY wants to get out of line when the stakes are so high.  Why take the chance?  And so it goes: Trying to remain in god’s good graces (and avert his wrath) is what motivates fealty (and thus piety).  When life is all about not rousing the ire of a temperamental super-being (poised for drastic action in the immanent future), then everything we do is about preparing for the cosmic extravaganza awaiting us at the end of human history.  Supplicants enjoy the gratification that, no matter what befalls them during life, there will be a final “settling of accounts” in their favor.}

{14  An alternate way of posing this query: “Where is this all going?”  Someone who answers such a pressing inquiry, and does so decisively, will tend to catch our attention.  “Jeepers.  Is THAT what is held in store for me?  Well, then, I better get in line!”  And so, when we look around ourselves at a bewildering world (and upwards at a mysterious night sky), we can’t help but ask, “This is all for WHAT, again?”  When it comes to cosmogony, the answer typically involves a culmination point.}

{15  This would reflect the interpretation found in 2 Peter 2:9 of the New Testament, which explains that god will “reserve the unjust unto Judgement Day to be punished”; meaning there’s nobody in hell YET.  This affirms the statement in Matthew’s Gospel: “So shall it be in the end of this world [that] the Son of Man shall send forth his angels; and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend; and shall cast them into a furnace of fire” (13:40-42).  (Also note 5:28-29 in John’s Gospel.)  None of this comports with the Koran’s descriptions of what is happening to those who are ALREADY IN hell.}

{16  Note that 10:45 comports with both these interpretations.  Either way, it will SEEM to the deceased that barely an hour had elapsed when the day of judgement eventually arrives.  Or so we are told.}

{17  In such passages, we hear echoes of the anti-Roman propaganda–as well as undercurrents of seething contempt for the heretical Romans–that could be found in “The Book of Revelation”.  This makes sense, as the both the Byzantines and the Holy Roman Empire continued to be an adversary (Dar al-Kufr, and thus Dar al-Harb) to Dar al-Islam throughout the Middle Ages.  And what shall happen when the day of reckoning arrives?  In 21:104, the Koran’s protagonist promises that he will “roll up the heavens like a scroll”…punctuating the verse with: “We will do as we promised!”  In other words: You’ve been forewarned.  This idiom is telling, as it indicates that the Abrahamic deity will soon be finished with the whole cosmic scheme–the scheme that he has laid out for us.  Such is the case when one announces that one is about to ROLL EVERYTHING UP.  When might that be?  Well, in due course.  (Again: see 33:63, 42:17, and 47:18 for the immanence conveyed in the Koran.)  The implication is unequivocal: You best be prepared when the time comes.  It could be any day now.}

{18  The folkloric figures listed here aren’t to be confused with entirely fictional characters–such as Hecate and Circe of Aeaea (Greek); Huld[a] (Nordic); Muma Padurii (Romanian); Morgan[a] La Faye (English); the Germanic witches, Alrune, Heid, and Haegse; or the Moorish sorcerers, Maugraby, Adbaldar, and Thalaba of Domdaniel.  Hence I don’t count mythic oracles like Tiresias of Thebes.  Nor am I counting alchemists–such as the fabled Gnostic, Zosimos of Panopolis (a.k.a. “Zosimus Alchemista”; see footnote 23), and the Augustinian, George Ripley of Bridlington.  Mystics (Nostradamus, John Dee, Helena Blavatsky, Grigori Rasputin, Aleister Crowley, etc.) don’t qualify as mages; as this survey is only concerned with those touting “magic”…as apposed to, say, those simply claiming powers of clairvoyance (see footnote 19 below).  Finally, I am not counting any of the charismatic leaders listed in “The Long History Of Exalted Figures”; as their notoriety is primarily that of demagogy.}

{19  A major proponent of the occult was 15th-century Hermeticist, Marsilio Ficino of Florence, who incorporated the more esoteric elements of Neo-platonism with a fascination with the fabled Chaldean Oracles.  Ficino’s resounding promotion of the occult (he was patronized by the Medici family) was largely responsible for the craze in mysticism during the High Renaissance.  Quacks like John Dee in London (who had the ear of Queen Elizabeth of England) would ride the wave thereafter, duping people–even savvy monarchs like Elizabeth–with mesmerizing mystical hogwash.}

{20  Many of us have horrible statistical intuitions.  Indeed, we only notice the coincidences that come to pass–failing to take into account the trillions upon trillions of possible coincidences EACH MINUTE that never happen.  At any given moment, there are innumerable one-in-a-million coincidences occurring in a given person’s orbit.  Every so often, some of these coincidences are noticed–especially when they are salient and consequential.  When that occurs, our natural reaction is beguilement.}

{21  The Greek oracle, the Pythia of Apollo at Phocis [a.k.a. the “Oracle of Delphi”] (who resided on Mount Parnassus, and was associated with the titaness, Phoebe) was not a specific person; and did not perform magic (she was a seer).  The “Pythia” was more a station than an individual.  The same goes for the Chaldean Oracles, the Sibylline Oracles (a.k.a. “sibyls”), the Tibetan “Nechung” Oracle, and–more recently–the Igbo “Ibini Ukpabi” at Arochukwu.  Generally, there have always been people considered prognosticators of some sort, for some reason (usually some combination of seers and heelers): the Karelian “tietäjä”, the Norse “Spækona” / “klok gumma”, the Celtic “Drai” [a.k.a. Druids], the Anglo-Saxon “hægtis” / “burgrune”, the Germanic “hexenmeister”, witch-doctors in the Voodoo and Santeria traditions, and Latin American “curanderos”.  Shamans in Mongolia come from the Tengri tradition, while shamans across Africa come from countless local animist traditions.  Note that the Old Norse “spæ” referred to prophesying–as in relaying a message delivered from the gods.}

{22  It is, in a way, the flip-side of demonology–in which designated “exorcists” are believed to have the power to extirpate evil spirits from their victims.  Human hosts being infiltrated by nefarious entities is a topic found in many cultures–including Islamic cultures.  Demonic “possession” has been used to explain anything from sickness and despair to errant behavior and heresy.  For more on “djinn” and the imagined machinations of satanic figures (via proxies, like demons).}

{23  He supposedly lived c. 300 A.D.  The history of alchemy is a long one; and is connected to the occult (most notably, Hermeticism).  The vocation serves as a prime case-study in superstition and credulity that lies outside the purview of conventional (formally codified) religion.  There has never been an official institution of alchemy; it was only ever a cottage industry.  See also the discussion of Theurgy in my essay on “Prayer”.}

{24  The most persuasive case for tying historicism–and thus utopianism–to “Leftist” thinking (read: socialism) is Karl Popper’s “The Open Society And Its Enemies” vol. I and II.  His suspicions of utopian thinking were warranted; but his conclusions were significantly flawed; as he ended up throwing the baby out with the bathwater.}

{25  Medea, priestess of Hecate, is a staple of Greco-Roman legend.  She is likely apocryphal, though possibly based on a real figure.  First found in Apollonius of Rhodes’ “Argonautica”, then in Ovid’s “Metamorphosis”, she eventually inspired Shakespeare’s villainous “Sycorax”.}

{26  She was the basis for Morga[i]n le Fay[e] in Arthurian legend.}

{27  Rendered Jamnes and Mambres in Latin.  They are possibly apocryphal, their story originating in Judaic lore.  However, they are mentioned in various accounts–including the New Testament, the Gospel of Nicodemus, and the Targumim.}