I. An Introduction.

WHILE IT IS TRUE that I have had personal blogs from time to time, since they amount to a kind of intellectual journal, I have never settled on a format for my journal-as-such; my web-logs consisted mostly of collections of notes that intrigued me.

SYMPATHY FOR THE DEAD, however, represents the authorized voice of E. Antony Gray, speaking mainly on the topic of traditionalist new-reaction. (I will prefer the use of OE/Germanic terms over others where reasonable and applicable.)

EPHREM ANTONY GRAY, whose first name comes from the holy father Ephrem the Syrian, a poet and philosopher of the antique middle east, will focus his words mainly on the topic of Orthodox Christianity - that is, the so-called 'Eastern Orthodox-Catholic Apostolic Church' - and its connexion to new-reaction.

RELIGIOUS BELIEVERS, particularly Christians, are entering a period of terrible trial much like that which was experienced by the Russian Christians under the communist yoke. There is a great temptation for our leaders to subtly if not overtly acquiesce to the world, whether it be to adopt the program of the One World Religion and Government (elsewhere named The Cathedral) or to assent to its categories and framing.

THIS MATTER is especially pressing, given that the master-teachings of Christianity: freedom from thoughts, renunciation of worldly goods, love of enemies, estrangement from the world, absolute abasement, death of the passions, and others, will become inaccessible to anyone if things continue. And if inaccessible, the fruits of these practices also must become not merely inaccessible to those who are 'modern', but completely inaccessible to all men.

IT IS OUR BELIEF, though not dogmatized, that the world persists but for the prayers of certain nameless holy men in each generation. And though we certainly look forward to the Last Day, we are also aware of our own need to repent further (and our inability to do so after death) - the fact is that neither we nor those of our generation who dwell in darkness can be expected a second chance.

A TRUE PHILANTHROPY must therefore not include what is ephemeral, namely, immediate gratification, but what is enduring, namely, the victory of the soul over death, which we understand is not guaranteed. While it is true that all will have eternal being, not all will have eternal well-being, says the great Maximus. This means that though all of the corruptible bodies shall be raised, some shall be raised unto eternal death, a manner of being which befit the soul. Thus any who loves his body must first love his soul, for his body depends on it.

TO LOVE ALL MEN, even those who hate us, is not the subject of personal abasement. Instead, it is doing what is best, within our power, to move that soul toward repentance, towards God, towards truth, towards beauty, towards goodness. There are cases where an example of humiliation can help the soul of a man, but it must be real humiliation, a real sacrifice salted with fire.

HOLINESS SIGNALING, something I have mentioned before, is pharisaical, and forms of it that involve intentionally breaking the 'rules' to show that you are 'a sinner' as well as 'being an example of humility' in a broad sense are often nothing more than examples of pride, vainglory and self-esteem. "Publicanism" is pharisaism for the counter-culture. Narcissists and borderlines cannot properly humiliate themselves to benefit themselves and others.

RECOGNIZING THE FUTILITY of raising the dead with my own words, I will attempt instead to analyze and comment on things, as well as make connections and synthesis with Orthodox thought and new-reaction. The impossibility of doing anything more should chasten us. If more happens, it is by the will of God.

THIS BLOG is called 'Sympathy for the Dead', a saying which can have more than one interpretation. To love all men certainly means to love the dead, for most men are dead.