G*D
Francoise Herrmann (fherrmann who-is-at igc.apc.org)
Tue, 7 Nov 1995 09:24:31 -0800
Hi Angel and everyone, I read your message about G*D and thought
this. Perhaps that G*D is in the sky when you are an astronomer
or even when you are an astrologer. Perhaps that G*D is in the sky
when you see the colors of the sunset or the sunrise and when you
look at the clouds and see all kinds of strange shapes. I am now a
little skeptical about the wisdom of the ancient (with all due
respect). There is a really beautiful essay by Audre Lorde in
"Sister Outsider" called "Uses of the erotic: The erotic as
power" which to me says just about all that I would like to know
about G*D. Here is a quote: "For once we begin to feel deeply all
aspects of our lives, we begin to demand from ourselves and from
our life pursuits that they feel in accordance with that joy which
we know ourselves to be capable of. Our erotic knowledge
[knowledge of G*D] empowers us, becomes a lens through which we
scrutinize all aspects of our existence, forcing us to evaluate
those aspects honestly in terms of their relative meaning in our
lives. And this is a grave responsibility, projected from within
each one of us, not to settle for the convenient, expected or
merely safe. [...] Recognizing the power of the erotic [G*D]
within our lives can give us the energy to pursue genuine change
within our world... For not only do we touch our most profoundly
creative source, but we do that which is female and self-affirming
in the face of a racist, patriarchal and an anti-erotic
society".... There is also a great essay by Jean Paul Sartre on
Phenomenology, which demosntrates that G*D does not exist because
the carpenter made the chair... Perhaps that Audre Lorde would
add, "sure, G*D happened when the carpenter made the chair" (and
we get G*D when we sit in the chair, meditate about it or see how
beautifully it was crafted).
G*D is a hot topic! Thanks for helping me think.
Francoise Francoise Herrmann fherrmann who-is-at igc.org