Re: virus: Church of Virus

Pastor Talon (Euthanist@prodigy.net)
Tue, 3 Feb 1998 16:27:47 -0500

> Why don't you consider yourself to be rational?

Quite simply because I have been responsible for many changes in the
ideologies and concepts of those around me. As a daDa provocateur, the
demonstrations I have led have certainly been "irrational" if you want to
take that route. Perhaps, considering my goals, I am acting rationally, but
then again, as Kant said, truth is subjectivity, and I set my own
standards. Perhaps I was being too Hegelian in my last letter. A wise man
once said that all progress rests upon the "irrational" man. It all gets
down to subjectivity. I consider myself rational based on my goals, and
that appears to be what Virus is all about. The only reason I made such a
statement before is that the vast majority of people can not set their own
standards, and their goals are "high and lofty." That or pure materialism.

> I disagree, I see rationality and conformity as orthogonal concepts.
> I'm not even sure there is a statistical correlation, given the kind
> of behavior I observe in society.

I am just making a basic statement that conformity still twists the small
and feeble minds of those afraid to be their own person. As far as
statistical correlation, all you need do is observe human behavior in a
shopping mall, or grocery store. Look for "norms" and deviations from that
norm. Again, I am making the assumption that Virus doesn't buy into that
concept of norms. I certainly don't. But it is healthy to at least know
where you stand in the eyes of the general public. There is a certain power
in knowing the ideas of norms to be false, knowing yourself to be outside
of those views, and acting in your own best interests as far as goals go.

> I guess if we want to be relatively popular we should cater to small
> minds. As a group we still haven't decided whether to being popular
> or elitist is the way to go. Any opinions?

Actually, I take that back. Certainly, a concept such as yours is elitist,
and perhaps that is as it should be. Nietzsche and even Maslow, both two
very different schools of philosophy/psychology, had the concept of the
alien elite. The "overman," the "self-actualized" individual. I would also
like to tell you that I have recently found out the Church of Satan to be
even more of an empty sham, LaVey himself once called it an attempt to
"make sheep feel like wolves." Maybe you folks are more on the ball than I
originally assumed.

Thank you for not breeding,
Pastor Talon

-----------------------------------------
"Greetings.
We are not this planet.
We do not understand
Your strange customs
Your planet's ecosystem
Is failing.
Your leaders deny this.
Explain.

Why
Do your leaders lie to you?
Why
Do so many of you
Believe these lies?
Explain
Your strange customs
Why
Believe these lies?

Save the planet.
Kill yourself.
Save the planet!
Kill yourself."

-the Being