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Date: 04 Nov 2000 00:00:00 GMT
Subject: Re: In response to an attack
Message-ID: <20001104120927.25945.00000593@ng-fv1.aol.com>
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>Not so long ago I also experienced insinuations and attacks not only on
>the authenticity of my religious background but of my sincerity and
>committment to my faith. These were followed by insinuations that my
>godfather and his line were either frauds or willing to sell their secrets
>for a few dollars.
As usual, Eoghan distorts and mischaracterizes what his opponent has said in
order to gain debating advantage. If his opponent says A, Eoghan will ascribe
to him the statement A', a twisting and distortion of A, then, having set up
this straw-man, would lunge boldly and fearlessly in riposte. There is no
integrity in that. Here is my accusation, again. Eoghan may address it or not,
as he pleases. Eoghan holds Africa, Africans, and African traditional religion
in low regard. He certainly engages in the spreading of falsehoods about all
three that would have the effect of bringing them into disrepute. By his own
mouth, Eoghan claims to have an interest in "sorcery". I would conclude from
that, based on the assumption that sorcerer-apprentices will find sorcerers for
teachers, or that the teachers that they do find will likely not waste their
time teaching a sorcerer's apprentice higher religious concepts. I do not
expect Einstein to waste his time discussing relativity with, for example, his
butcher. Therefore, the limitations of the student do not necessarily reflect
on the teacher. More than likely, however, the sorcerer-apprentice will find a
sorcerer-teacher. Certainly, I do not question the "authenticity" of the
sorcerer-teacher that Eoghan might have had, or even of a priest-teacher that
he might have had. But I do question, just so it is clear, the extent to which
Eoghan's teachers would have taught him the higher religious concepts of ATR,
since the student evidently had neither interest nor aptitude. Otherwise, the
group would not be treated to the ignorant falsehoods, in derogation of ATR,
that repeatedly issue from Eoghan's pen. It is not a matter of the secrets that
were disclosed, but of the secrets that were *not* disclosed. How could Eoghan
not know, for example, that ATR is intimately familiar with reincarnation as a
spiritual fact? How could he claim, for example, that the moral and ethical
concerns of ATR are a post-colonial pre-occupation, and only in reaction to
Christian missionary teachings?
Let me add the following: anyone that takes up residence in the Academy as an
anthropologist or Africanist, essaying forth to "study" Africans and ATR, who
then claims to have become part of that which he studies, i.e. to become an
initiated priest, is to me prima facie a fraud. It makes as much sense as
making an elephant a member of the Zoology department ... or the reverse. At
any rate, if an Africanist seeks to become an initiate of ATR, he can expect
his sincerity to be questioned, and to be tested. The burden of proof of his
sincerity also rests with him. What and how much he can expect any true priest
of ATR to teach him also becomes an issue.
>Whether such claims are made anonymously or with an identity they are not
>worthy of attention. They say all that need be said - not of you or of me,
>but about the people making such claims. They have nothing positive to
>contribute and will reap what they sow. If not now, later. Do not waste
>your time responding to them.
I quite agree that we will ALL reap what we sow.
As to the anonymity or otherwise of the accuser, it is essential that in a fair
society that one's accusers face one squarely. It is the coward's way to make
anonymous accusation, and is reprehensible in itself. Eshu would give such an
accuser plenty of rope with which to hang himself. Ogun and Shango are less
accommodating.
Finally, as to whether the fact of accusation says more about the accuser than
the accused really depends. In a fair justice system, sometimes the accuser
prevails, and sometimes the accused is vindicated. What is essential in making
a fair determination, is that the accuser face the accused squarely, that the
latter have opportunity to respond. Note, by the way, that in such a system it
simply does no good for the accused to distort or mischaracterize the
accusation. A defense against accusation A' does not succeed in defeating a
charge A. In neither case does one have a blanket protection from all
accusation. Certainly not every accused is a rogue or scoundrel, but neither is
it the case that every accused, like Christ, is blameless.
>
>Eoghan
>
Peace,
Grisso
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