And I guess I have trouble seeing jealousy and spite as evil, because those things are such understandable emotions. Yeah, Iblis is bad (bad bad bad bad bad) news, but I have trouble seeing even Iblis as Evil with a capital E. Maybe that's because, at least in the Excoloverse, I'm seeing morality as residing in actions rather than in individuals. Iblis is *doing* evil - but so are a lot of the characters. (In my own life, I'm clsoer to being a virtue ethicist, but that's a whole 'nother kettle of kittens....).
And part of it to me is that Iblis is God (with a capital G, and a /-dess added as one sees fit) as much as any of the characters, human or small-g god or supernatural whatsit. Coming from a panentheistic POV, I don't know that I'm able to see Iblis as Not-Of-God.
I guess what it boils down to is that I don't believe in Evil in the dualistic sense.
(OT, out of the context of the game - somewhat - And I think what you said about Iblis being a Lilith-analogue is interesting, because that's a long-existing current of thought at least as regards Lucifer (as distinct from Muslim-Iblis). And as we discussed before (I think you were in that discussion?) to the Yezidis the Iblis-figure *was* redeemed, cooled the fires of hell and now stands with his feet in hell and the feathers of his peacock tail spread among the seven heavens - bridging all realms of existence, all moral universes and the divide between god and man. The serpent path between Kether and Malkhut on the Tree of Life, if you like (and of course, Kether is in Malkhut and vice versa). The mending of the vessels, too. What, Lilith comes into the game and you expect me *not* to get Kaballistic?! *grin*)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
branchandroot
(no subject)
Date: 2008-09-15 08:22 am (UTC)And part of it to me is that Iblis is God (with a capital G, and a /-dess added as one sees fit) as much as any of the characters, human or small-g god or supernatural whatsit. Coming from a panentheistic POV, I don't know that I'm able to see Iblis as Not-Of-God.
I guess what it boils down to is that I don't believe in Evil in the dualistic sense.
(OT, out of the context of the game - somewhat - And I think what you said about Iblis being a Lilith-analogue is interesting, because that's a long-existing current of thought at least as regards Lucifer (as distinct from Muslim-Iblis). And as we discussed before (I think you were in that discussion?) to the Yezidis the Iblis-figure *was* redeemed, cooled the fires of hell and now stands with his feet in hell and the feathers of his peacock tail spread among the seven heavens - bridging all realms of existence, all moral universes and the divide between god and man. The serpent path between Kether and Malkhut on the Tree of Life, if you like (and of course, Kether is in Malkhut and vice versa). The mending of the vessels, too. What, Lilith comes into the game and you expect me *not* to get Kaballistic?! *grin*)