In reflecting on the (apparent) demise of neorxn.com, that legacy of the middle-late noughties neo-reactionary, dark-enlightenment, alt-right movement; I was reminded of that movement's critical built-in falsehood with a poisonous legacy - which was to state that Christianity led to Leftism.
This idea probably originated with Nietzsche - but was propagated by Mencius Moldbug and seems to have spread from him.
I have often explained why this is wrong, and I cannot be bothered to re-hash it now. Christianity-causing-Leftism is one of those inverted-truths that is so very obviously false (to those whose assumptions are Christian and who are informed about history), that explanations have no traction.
Indeed - because those who believe this are not Christian and are not informed about the history of Leftism in relation to Christianity - to explain seems actually to reinforce the error.
(Much like trying to 'explain' or prove why men and women cannot really change their sex. Anyone who believes they can is already too far gone to respond to explanations.)
The real truth is that it was the decline of Christianity that led to Leftism, Indeed, the only two sides in The West are Leftism versus Christianity (i.e. Satan versus God) - there is No political 'Right', distinct from Christianity - it simply does not exist, as has become apparent over the past year.
This is why neo-reaction cannot accurately be described as a half-way-house to Christianity (a 'gateway drug' to use that false analogy), or supportive of Christianity - even though some individuals traversed that path to some extent.
(There are innumerable paths to Christ - including alcoholism, crime and sexual debauchery - this does not justify any of these activities; any more than having-been a route to Christianity for some people endorses the Secular Right - or the validity of someone like Jordan Peterson!)
The Secular Right movement was founded-upon the same 'anything-but-Christianity' assumptions that have generated mainstream Western culture for the past century; and which continue to sustain the evolving sexual revolution and the other Litmus Tests of the past year.
10 comments:
If Christianity led to leftism it took a very long time to get there. Nearly 2,000 years!
@SM - Thanks - I've bookmarked it and will give it a try...
I came by way of that aggregator.
It would go down on occasion so I bookmarked the sites I found valuable. So while convenient, it became superfluous.
Looking at the sites I made sure to bookmark I now notice they are all overtly Christian in theme. I skipped saving the nihilists, never noticed that until you pointed out the content.
Yes, this is my main disagreement with Moldbug. He quotes old Protestant manuals with lots of leftist ideas as a proof that Leftism was Christianity without God. But the truth is that sone parts of Christianity have been mixed with leftists ideas for centuries. This does not mean that these ideas have origin in Christianity.
Having said that, neoreaction was a positive intellectual movement. Of course it was not spiritual but its deconstruction of Leftism were useful. Some bloggers, such as Zippy Catholic RIP, used to defend Christianity.
In a more personal tone, I cannot defend Christianity in my college classes in a third-world country. But I can attack Leftism with the weapons I have learned from neoreaction. This have been useful.
This is why neorxn.com was my daily read. Please, Sasha, provide an alternative.
Thank you, Sasha. What you did is great. And I like the new sources you have included
The comments were mostly positive, so clearly there is too much applause.
First, you conflate neoreaction with the secular right - why is this? Surely it can be agreed that they see themselves as distinct from this? Applying your litmus tests to Moldbug we get 2/3 or 2.5/3. (If you count the fact that he thinks the pandemic response was botched)
The only other person I know is Monsieur le Baron and he is 3/3.
This brings to the main contention - I would say that there was a great deal of crossover and mutual influence between the figures of dissident christianity and dissident politics of the last century (back when the current left had been dissident politics).
But, as it you noted, the current left is not Christian.
I personally am both a religious revolutionary & a political revolutionary.
My revolutionary religion is in the domain of Buddhism, but I will keep that seperate from the politics. Why? Because it is not well suited to be a state religion (That will need something else).
In my opinion, christianity is not well suited for this either - Mencius probably shares this assessment.
I've found a sensible domain for the feed - it is now at https://synlogos.org - syn meaning 'with' and also being greek - it is also mildly humorous since syn most commonly to refers to the first packet of an internet connection.
The original link now refers to the new domain, and is the same feed.
I hope some of you benefit from it. I'll be using it actively myself.
Thank you for the work on a replacement for neorxn.
Consider as well using/linking this aggregator for links to dissenters in the former USA:
https://normalamerican.com/news/
Is Francis OK? Cannot access his place.
Godspeed to all.
CA
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