Seduction

I ask for so little. Just let me rule you and you can have everything that you want. Just fear me, love me, do as I say, and I will be your slave! - The Goblin King, Labyrinth

I was pondering over a number of things when I ran across this quote in the sig of one of the members of a forum I frequent. Now, I remember when Labyrinth came out, always liked that movie. But pondering such matters as I am tonight - trust, betrayal, perception, love, God, and the gods - this one little line puts a lot of things into perspective. Jareth, the Goblin King's line there is obviously a seduction, a promise of all the world if only Sarah will bow to his will, give her life to him. The fallacy here is obvious - if Sarah does as the Goblin King says and lets him rule her, it matters little if he says he'll be her slave, because in the end he still rules her. She is still ends up the slave in this arrangement. Anyone with a brain can see this is a false promise then. A pretty lie intended to lure her in and make her give up her freedom of her own free will. A seduction. Further, it is obvious as well that this is not a promise made out of love but of a desire to control, to dominate, to supplement Sarah's will and mold her to the Goblin King's wishes. This is not love. This is tyranny, hidden beneath a velvet glove. In other words, the seduction is a lie.

A lot of times one hears so much about how God, the Christian god that is, loves us and gives us free will and all that, and how any other gods are o-so-dangerous demons out to eat our souls like so much trail mix. Or some such. There's lots of different variations on that theme out there, but who the hell cares really? After you've heard it the first million times, one-million-and-one sounds the same as all the rest.

Lets take a look at this rationally shall we? First, lets examine the Christian god. We know out the starting gate that he is a jealous god, as the traditional rendition of the 1st Commandment states:

"I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and fourth generation of those who reject me, but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments." - Deuteronomy 5:6-21

Regardless of the oddity that a supposedly all powerful and perfect being having feelings of jealousy (which by the way, is a sin as the 10th Commandment implies) and the obvious reference that yes Dorothy there are other gods, this alone shows us that this god cannot stand competition in the slightest. And certainly the idea of sharing is right out the window. Plus, he's already stated he's a right git - I mean, who the hell punishes kids for their parents' offenses? This is supposed to be just? Let's look further at the character this god exhibits shall we?

And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, - Deuteronomy 10:12

And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. - Matthew 21:22

I had planned on digging deeper, but as I was fighting with the search engine trying to find half remembered verses I came across the gem of Deuteronomy 10:12. Combined with the Matthew verse, I don't need to look for any further support do I? Combined, they echo the Goblin King's words almost verbatim. "Fear me, love me, do as I say, and I'll give you the world. Oh, and by the way, everyone else is an evil monster." With the unspoken addendum that if you don't take this "glorious" offer he'll ship you off to be tortured for all eternity in hell, of course.

Now, lets look at the pagan gods. Y'know, the ones everybody and their neighbor swears are evil demons out to corrupt our souls. I'm going to narrow it down a bit, and look only at my relationship with Hekate here, so as to be most accurate. Never once has she asked that I let her rule me, never once has she demanded I do as she asks. Not once. In fact, I've specifically not done as she asked on a number of occasions since my dedication, and she hasn't even gotten cross with me. Nor does she ask that I fear her. In fact, I have found it true that she favors those who don't fear her. And love? She never asked me to love her, I just do - not for what she can give me, but for who she is behind the veils and fearsome reputation. She has never promised me the world either, despite what some of you may think from a certain quote - remember, what's not said is as important as what's said. In many cases, she simply shows me the way, I have to do the work myself. It is the same with that enigmatic quote. She has given me some things, yes, but she has also stated flat out when she cannot or will not give me something asked for. So, in short yon peanut gallery, she does not rule me. It is instead all about us. Because that is what the focus of the relationship is like - not all about her or all about me, but all about us. Further, as I've belabored a good deal on the Cypress Nemeton forums (mainly here and here, also note my current attitudes toward "evil" here as opposed to a few short months ago when I didn't believe there was such a thing rather relativist fashion), she has prompted a good deal of change in me - I am, to use the phrase, a "better" person now than I was even as little as six months ago. Of my own free will, not because someone rules me. And, as a kicker, what happens if I don't take her up on this metaphoric offer, or if I want out later? I walk away, free and clear, no consequences. This she has promised.

So, in the final analysis, one offers an almost precise parroting of the Goblin King's fallacious promises, whereas the other offers only free partnership. Who's the real evil monster here, hmm? Seems rather damn obvious to me, despite the pretty lies. Or, as my ex-girlfriend once quoted "There is something more fearful than darkness, and that is a mask of garish light..."

You have no power over me, Goblin King.