Percy-L: Literary, Religious, Scientific, and Philosophical Discussion of Walker Percy

["RHONDA MCDONNELL" <rhonda_mcdonnell AT msn.com>]

So what do you all think Percy might make of the jihadists? I've been wondering that lately, in light of his thoughts regarding Nazi Germany and the "tenderness leads to terror" concept that he and Flannery O'Connor shared. We can't accuse the jihadists of falling prey to scientific humanism, that's for sure. But what to make of their sort of belief? It seems to me to be as abstracted as any -ism out there, but I'm looking from the outside. Anyone with insight?

--Rhonda

"I'd rather learn from one bird how to sing
than teach ten thousand stars how not to dance"
 
                                    e.e. cummings

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From: <Robert_Pauley AT oxy.com>
Reply-To: "Percy-L: Literary and Philosophical Discussion" <percy-l AT lists.ibiblio.org>
To: <percy-l AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: Re: [percy-l] Believers...
Date: Wed, 20 Dec 2006 16:25:39 -0800

Rhonda: I was drawn in to a running conversation about God with a group of men. The sort of conversation which, to quite Percy, "give me a neckache." This passage came to me, vaguely, but with a memory of pungent satisfaction. (Percy's ruminations on faith are always on the edges of my consciousness, I guess). I remembered how Percy managed to displease everybody and yet get at the old dilemma of faith in a fresh way. I, too, wanted to displease and provoke. I also thought it was a good opportunity to introduce Percy to a bunch of young people.

regards, R

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From: percy-l-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org [mailto:percy-l-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of RHONDA MCDONNELL
Sent: Wednesday, December 20, 2006 4:09 PM
To: percy-l AT lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: Re: [percy-l] Believers...

Just for curiousity's sake, what are you using the passage for?

--Rhonda

"I'd rather learn from one bird how to sing
than teach ten thousand stars how not to dance"
 
                                    e.e. cummings

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From: <Robert_Pauley AT oxy.com>
Reply-To: "Percy-L: Literary and Philosophical Discussion" <percy-l AT lists.ibiblio.org>
To: <percy-l AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: Re: [percy-l] Believers...
Date: Wed, 20 Dec 2006 15:55:08 -0800

Found it referred to in an essay by Kent Gramm. From The Second Coming. Of course it is much longer than this. Thank you.

 

Excerpts:

There are only two classes of people, the believers and the unbelievers. The only difficulty is deciding which is the more feckless.

… As unacceptable as believers are, unbelievers are even worse.

… The present day unbeliever is crazy because he finds himself born into a world of endless wonders, having no notion how he got here, a world in which he eats, sleeps … works, grows old, gets sick, and dies, and… Not once in his entire life does it cross his mind to say to himself that his situation is preposterous…

… The more intelligent he is, the crazier he is… He is as insane as a French intellectual.

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From: percy-l-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org [mailto:percy-l-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of RobtSchaefer AT aol.com
Sent: Wednesday, December 20, 2006 3:33 PM
To: percy-l AT lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: Re: [percy-l] Believers...

"To people! To unbelievers and to so-called believers." ...

 

Fr. Smith is talking to Tom More about how words have been deprived of their meaning. 

 

The Thanatos Syndrome, Section II, part 6 (or chapter 6)

 

R. Schaefer

Mobile

 

 

 

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