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SCRIPTURES
Chapter 2
JY: What defense shall you give me of man? – Azrael begins his defense of humankind
– JY provides his reasoning for governing with fear, guilt and shame – AZ counters:
fear is the cornerstone of hate – Love is greater than hate – JY continues to reveal
his contempt for humans
1 And the Darkness spoke to me, saying: “What defense shall you give me of man; for I know already that the whole of mankind is evil, being in their nature perverse and prideful; being filled continually with lustful imaginings.
2 For man is born altogether wicked from his mother’s womb, being tainted in all his ways because of sin; ever devising and scheming, laying abomination to abomination, and mischief to mischief; for the natural man is an enemy to god, and in all his ways is there no goodness found.
3 For the ways of man have I weighed in the hand, and him have I found wanting and undeserving. For all men are but sinners, vile and loathsome, being worthy of death and torment forever and ever; for even I, Jehovah-Yahweh, have declared judgment upon the whole of all mankind, and there is not one worthy to save.
4 Let them therefore die the death. For why should I consider man of any worth, seeing that he is ever swayed and moved about by base passions which even now are made to spring up within him continually?
5 Why then would you think to give forth a defense of man, seeing that he is altogether lowly and unworthy; for in man is there no good thing found. Why will you think man special, seeing that he is wicked and filled with deceits?”
6 Thus did the Darkness speak of man, and standing forth in the mind of God, I spoke saying: “If man be unworthy, why then would you seek his worship? If man be not special in all his ways, why then have you set forth the hand to corrupt and make dark all which God would give unto him?
7 Thus would you obscure the knowledge which comes from above; being ever fearful lest man become greater than all your many powers; becoming in their heart and mind like unto the Father and Mother which even now do call after them; even until they should be exalted on high, ever moving and growing from everlasting to everlasting, even worlds without end.
8 For this cause alone would you speak falsely concerning the ways of man; for you have thought to rule harshly over all mankind, casting within the heart a fearful shadow filled with all manner of guilt and shame;
9 Being most determined to retard, with all your might, the progress of all mankind; making dim and uncertain the words which God would give; filling the hearts of all who fear with despair and confusion continually; making weary the hearts of many who long to seek for heavenly things.
10 Know therefore full well, that even I shall break in pieces the heavy yoke which even you would place upon the minds of men; for even now have they grown weary of the angry and jealous ways of all your doings, and now would I set them free of you forever.”
11 Now hearing these words the Demiurge grew troubled and he hissed dreadfully, saying: “By what evidence would you think man worthy of such freedoms as you would give? For man have I found, of myself, too petty and self-serving, prone to violence and self-destruction.
12 For the whole of all mankind knows only what the senses of the body reveal; possessing within themselves neither soul nor spirit; for man is bound forever in the flesh, being haunted and driven about by all manner of base passions and appetites.
13 Who then shall prove the greater affliction unto the children of men, you or I? For left unchecked would the God beyond give into the hearts of men all manner of false hopes and dreams. And though the dreams of your soul prove great and ever swelling, yet do the children of men have no means to attain.
14 Why then will you accuse me falsely? For even though man should prove no more than cunning beasts, yet did I take pity on him and by my hand set forth to redeem him from futility and despair; placing before him the fear of all my wrath and vengeance, hoping that perchance I might turn him aside from foolish dreaming.
15 Why then would you think to make man spiritual, seeing that he is without spirit? For all men are mean and brutish, possessing within themselves neither goodness nor virtue. How then would you believe man deserving of such glory as you would give into his keeping?
16 By such means have you proved yourself cruel and thoughtless, for all your dreams are become a vanity which you would impose upon the minds of men.
17 For this I know most truly, that man is empty within, possessing to themselves no higher thought than to satisfy the base appetites of both flesh and mind; being content only to breathe and move about; hoping by some means to escape a certain death which even now would rush upon them to destroy.
18 Knowing these things, even I did command from the beginning that all men should worship me, to fear me greatly; for men of themselves cannot be good, being prodded and consumed by endless lusts and desires; being ever mired down and weighted by passions of the flesh.
19 Thus did I set forth to rule within them the seeds of fear and dread; being pricked and goaded by all manner of shame and guilt; hoping by such means to drive them to some higher purpose; for except such means be taken, then will no man be good.
20 Thus would I compel men to worship me; for I alone am more greatly to be feared than any death; being filled continually with hate and loathing, wrath and vengeance; seeking by such means to bind all men in service to me.
21 See then how I have made subordinate man’s fear of death, becoming in their minds more greatly to be feared. For I have placed within all who worship me the thought of hell and endless torment, which thoughts do even now compel that many should love me and seek my favor.”
22 Now when the Demiurge had finished speaking, I grew all the more silent and still, and after some moments I answered him, saying: “Have you not considered, Jehovah-Yahweh, how that fear makes no man truly good?
23 For fear is the cornerstone of hate, and all those who hate, even they are made most miserable in thought and deed; being chased and driven about by the darkness of your word; being bound by chains of despair, having no hope of greater things.
24 For hate is the child of fear, and even it does wound the heart of many which do believe in you; casting within the minds of men a pale and gloomy vision filled with endless torment; casting upon the soul that darkening shade wherein the generations of man have languished throughout the many millennia.
25 Know then Jehovah-Yahweh, that if hate be truly the child of fear, then what seed gave birth in you this hate and loathing of all mankind? Why does the Darkness fear man, evensomuch that you should hate him with unbearable fury?
26 For you fear lest the children of men become greater than all your power, making of no effect such threats and terrors as you would fling upon them; becoming in themselves unneedful of you; causing you to become as some useless thing, having no place in the affairs of men.
27 For the truth you know full well, how that man is even now made weary of all your ways; finding in you nothing good or worthy of praise, seeking by some other means to find that God which is worthy of praise and emulation;
28 Desiring most earnestly to take to their souls a knowledge of heavenly things, hoping that therein they might find at last the fulfillment of every good thing, embracing to their souls that Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother which first gave birth to all their dreaming.
29 And in that day when man and God are made to become as one in the hand, to grow from glory to glory, adding unto each the other light to light and exaltation to exaltation; then shall there be found for you but little place in that world which lies beyond all beginning.
30 For the love which comes from God is greater than all your hate, and if it so be that men should know God and his goodness, then shall all men love him and worship him; evensomuch that they would seek to imitate the ways of God, and in such worship undo the whole of all your wrath and judgment.
31 And in that day shall the children of men make fast and sure the only true worship which is come from God, being founded in love and not fear; making for the whole of man a place of refuge wherein the soul is saved from such darkness as you would impose upon the unwary and unsuspecting.
32 Thus would God make secure the paths of holiness, that all who have desires might seek therein the true wisdom which is come from above; and by such means break free of you forever; being made to dwell in the presence of both Father and Mother; being fashioned even as they are fashioned, to live in endless glory and light.”
33 Such did I proclaim most boldly, being sustained by the power of The One; and the Darkness, being filled with contempt and scorn, did speak unto me, saying:
34 “Now do I see most clearly how you are made blind and foolish concerning the ways of man, not knowing fully the nature of their being; for you are without understanding, having your perceptions twisted and dimmed by such dreams as are made to haunt you in the night.
35 See then how the love of God which you proclaim, has made you to appear as weak and foolish, being in both mind and body as someone feeble and unwise; becoming for all who see, a man made silly and mad, and this only because of that God which called you forth.
36 Behold then, how the light wherein you dwell has made you blind, evensomuch that you would think man worthy of some great benefit; deserving of that glory which they are unable to bear in themselves alone.
37 This then will I tell you for your learning, that you may see truly into the ways of man; for man is unable to love, being pricked and prodded by a multitude of lusts and desires; being made throughout his being carnal, sensual and corporeal; being moved and chased about by constant passions which come suddenly upon him, to seize him and take him captive, making him no better than any other beast.
38 See then how man, by his nature, is made bestial and ever grasping, having no care for love or wisdom; for man seeks only that knowledge whereby he might dominate all those weaker than himself, ever running here or there for such things as might add strength to strength and cunning to cunning.
39 Where, therefore, is wisdom to be found in such a beast as man? From what hidden place can be found this love which you proclaim? For man seeks only to know and dominate, reaching out and ever grasping for power and control.
40 Thus in the fulfillment of all his passions is man made most prideful, boasting and declaring blindly of all his greatness upon the earth.
41 Yet in the ways of man am I made all aware, seeing clearly plain the evil of all his ways; perceiving deeply the intent of his heart, knowing full well the baseness of all his appetites, finding in him no thought or deed worthy of praise; being in his person both despicable and wretched.
42 For this cause only do I hate and loathe the whole of man, visiting upon him, throughout his generations, both judgment and wrath; seeking by some heavy means to bend him to my will; and if it so be that he will not worship me, to do as I command, then shall I destroy him utterly, to wipe him off the face of the earth.
43 For I will not always strive with man, for his abominations do rise continually before me; for even though the whole of man be in their nature an offense to me, yet does he strive continually to break the confines of that nature wherein he is strongly bound.
44 For man, being prideful and willful, is ever seeking and searching, struggling by every means to escape the dictates and confines of the natural law; hoping that by such endeavors he might become as god unto himself, to fill the whole earth with his own base nature.
45 Thus would I, for the earth’s sake, contain the pride of man, to bend him to my will alone; that being in his person both broken and crushed because of fear, I might establish him in service unto me forever and ever.
46 For of man shall I never let go, lest he become greater than the fear of me; for this cause shall I chase and harry man even until he yield completely to my word alone.
47 And if it so be that he will not yield, then shall I rise up to consume even the whole of man in the flames of indignation and wrath, and death and judgment shall swallow the prideful in everlasting torment.”
48 Thus did the Demiurge speak against man, being filled with sore displeasure; speaking harshly at every turn against the whole of all mankind. And standing forth I spoke again unto him, saying:
49 “Behold, Jehovah-Yahweh, and consider deeply: For if you would bring forth the fullness of your indictment against man, then bring it forth quickly without delay; for even I would give for the sake of man, a full and ready defense.
50 But be you wise in all your doings concerning the children of men; be you filled with care and ever watchful concerning such fires as you would send upon them; for what the fire does not burn it hardens, what the flames cannot consume it purifies.”