The Star of Azazel - Azazelin Tähti

I would say that Mercy is true Justice and that what passes for Justice is little more than rationalized vengeance. Legalism and vengeance are attributes I associate with Jehovah , not with Christ or Satan who I view as basically two sides of the same coin, a light side and a dark side but ultimately both representing the same principle.

This has popped up in conversations from time to time that because of our (SoA) beliefs in Love and Understanding and talk about Jesus' teachings ect that we might appear kind of wuss-Satanists to some interested in the darker side of being.

At a young age satanistic rebellion can sometimes manifest in a somewhat blustering demeanor and this kind of thinking might seem the wrong way of getting ones needs justified.

Of course this is just generalisation, but people usually get calmer as they mature. This doesnt necessarily mean physical aging, but as the internal growth proceeds usually this kind of declaring state moves aside and the more balanced rational side takes over.

Violence is never the answer.

swordofapostasy wrote:I would say that Mercy is true Justice and that what passes for Justice is little more than rationalized vengeance.

Agreed. But I would change the term to "legalized vengeance".

RaktaZoci wrote:Violence is never the answer.

swordofapostasy wrote:I would say that Mercy is true Justice and that what passes for Justice is little more than rationalized vengeance.

Agreed. But I would change the term to "legalized vengeance".

This reminds me of Christopher Nolan's movie Batman Begins, which gives a bit different view on the issue. Quite early in the movie Rachel Dawes gives Bruce Wayne a lecture about difference of justice and revenge, and a bit later Henri Ducard teaches him about severity, claiming that Bruce's father was guilty of his own and his wifes death because he failed to defend against the attacker. I think both of these statements have some truth behind them.

Justice is not about vengeance, but making or keeping things just, and doing some adjustment if they are not. All-encompassing nonviolence sounds like a beautiful ideal, but there are situations where it only creates opportunities for one-sided violence, if it is not counterbalanced with severity that manifests in willingness to protect yourself (and others) from destructive and life-threatening conduct.

Nefastos wrote:If we see the dual opposites as Christ & Satan, and see Christ's primary attribute as Mercy,

A prominent example of this attribute of Mercy is Jesus's advice 'to turn the other cheek' in Sermon on the Mount. This is often interpreted to mean submissiveness and peacefulness at any price, but Walter Wink has made a quite radically different interpretation, explained here:
http://www.ualberta.ca/~cbidwell/DCAS/third.htm

When put into historical and cultural context, turning another cheek can actually be seen as non-violent resistance, where you refuse to accept humiliation and oppression, and stand up for justice demanding equality (meanwhile refraining from violent impulses). You can say that this requires a severe attitude.

Only people who can give mercy are those who expect others to play by their rules; otherwise there's no crime to be merciful about & in that sense, severity is the same: the harm is done before the conflict even starts. Mercy towards others is severity towards self & vice versa.