ABRAXAS

I, Iconoclast

I, Abraxas the Tired, did fall into a welcomed slumber after the sojourn of the day. But this respite from consciousness was short-lived, and into my dream-state I saw myself walking by the shores of a beautiful river with scores of women washing, bathing and chatting with each other. I smiled to myself. But then about half dozen or so of these women did stop by saunter, and one young girl of, say, 18 years or so, asked: “You are Abraxas. They say you are the people’s philosopher. I ask you this, good sir: Is there a Devil? And will I go to Hell for any sin I’ve committed?” I looked at this young woman and replied: “The Devil was not always the Devil. In the Genesis of your Holy Book the Devil is not mentioned at all. But there is implication of evil.”

“Funny is it not that we as people know more about the Devil than that of the Great Creator whose ways are said to be “mysterious?” But I ask you this: Did the Devil destroy the world by water? Did the Devil destroy Sodom and Gomorrah? Did the Devil make David into a juvenile murderer, and Sampson the first angry genocidal maniac?” I asked.

“You will surely burn in Hell Abraxas! What a thing to say!” an old woman of about 80 years rebuked me. “Yes, I guess so – if Hell was or is real. It’s funny that you who believe in universal love and compassion are quick to damn be to eternal hell-fire at the very slightest uncomfortable truth or disagreement!” I, Abraxas the Iconoclast retorted.

“Ah yes, you who love to speak about Adam and Eve – the original man and woman – cannot comprehend that as a man Adam was a very poor excuse for same! He blamed the woman for his transgressions in the first act of betrayal – “the woman mad me do it!” And then there was the Creator with a preference for grilled lamb! I guess He hates salads! Cain was a farmer and gave what he planted yet his genuine gift was rejected, spurned. But lazy Abel who simply watched over sheep eating grass and who FIRST KILLED A LIVING thing as a blood sacrifice was accepted!” I, Abraxas the Knowing said.

The another mature woman with a baby in her arms said: “God sees and knows everything; from the day you are born to the day you die…I believe that after that there will be the judgement day and people will have to answer for their sins!” the woman said to sundry “amens.” “You can believe what you want but that does not make it true or factual. Me? I believe that pigs will ultimately fly – one day…now, I am entitled to that belief no matter how preposterous and stupid it is! Sin is also a concept invented by a Roman Catholic priest – St. Francis something – now a saint – who had difficulty handling his early morning erections. So, over time EVERYTHING fun became a sin! It was not the Devil who invented that!” I said.

“The thing is that for good to exist there MUST be bad or evil. If there was no Satan or Devil humans would have invented one/him anywhere and that is what happened. First, my dear ladies, there is ignorance and superstition upon which ALL religions are built. Fear of the unknown also plays into the scheme of things. So, Lucifer that your Holy Book calls the Bright and Morning Star – his name means Bringer of Light – was not the Devil or called Satan. That came later when the early churches need to blame someone, some thing, for the plagues that riddled early society and could be explained by nascent science. Lucifer’s fight with the Creator, “fallen angels” and expulsion from Heaven created the perfect “Devil” – the Evil One – who could be blamed for every bad thing in society. Today, every church worship is more about the Devil and his alleged works than the will of the Creator,” I, Abraxas the Sane explained.

“But the Devil rules this world with his demons! He is the Deceiver and Liar! He uses people like you as False Prophets to confuse and spread his words! But he will be destroyed at the great battle of Armageddon!” said a wizened old preacher man. “Your Creator made this world and then bequeathed it to the Devil? Who has the Devil deceived lately? I see no churches set up to worship Satan, and he certainly has no holy book. So, the Devil made you do it? What a sad commentary on you who were made in His image and likeness!

“Why must there be another Great Battle for the earth? It would have been easier to simply banish Ole Satan to Jupiter or some other remote spot in the Milky Way. But nooooo, he just had to be allowed to come down to earth to corrupt and tempt two innocent people who could never handle such a powerful being. And what happens next? Well, the poor man and woman get blamed, kicked out of the Garden, and the woman gets the most vile child-bearing curse placed on her. And Ole Satan? Well, he just continues as usual and allowed to do this devious thing upon generations and generations of “God’s creations!” Does that make any sense to you?” I asked tartly.

“I never thought of it this way…but look we have all the miracles to prove the might of the Creator and the weakness of the Devil…Satan is reaaaaal!” said a priest nearby. “Miracles are hearsay. Early writers did not know the difference between a fish and mammal and so the story of Jonah in the belly of a whale is just plain laughable! The Devil never professed, according to all that I’ve read, to be able to do miracles. And tempting people is not a crime or a sin! Do you not have free will? For me I want to see a limb replaced or some big bold miracle…why is it when you get a new boyfriend, a raise on your job or some mundane thing that it’s a miracle? 40 people get killed in a plane crash and 2 are saved and that’s a miracle? A surgeon operates on you and removes a cancerous growth and that’s a miracle? Think man!” I snapped.

“Sampson wanted sex with a beautiful woman and gave up his secret – men do this EVERY DAY. So, do not blame Delilah for Sampson’s stupidity. Lot’s wife turned into a pillar of salt? That’s the best we can do? One shower of rain and it’s all gone into the top soil. No proof…poof! nothing. Why not a bronze or iron statue? King David? Hardly a role model and paradigm of morality – the lusted after another man’s wife. These things were NOT the Devil’s work…mush I go on?” I, Abraxas the Great said.