Why This is Hell, Nor am I Out of It

We recently received a cash donation by snail-mail from someone who lives in the Chicago area. There was no return address or signature, so we were unable to send the donor a thank-you note.

A card that enclosed the cash was inscribed with this brief note:

If we’re wrong, and they’re right, we’ll be in the best of company in hell.

Thanks for all you do!

Although not entirely apropos, a literary quote was suggested by our donor’s note.

Today is William Shakespeare’s birthday, but the following excerpt is from Scene 3 of Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe, a contemporary of Shakespeare’s. Faustus has just conjured up Mephistophilis and is about to negotiate the sale of his soul to Lucifer:

Faustus:   Tell me what is that Lucifer thy lord?
Mephistophilis:   Arch-regent and commander of all spirits.
Faustus:   Was not that Lucifer an angel once?
Mephistophilis:   Yes, Faustus, and most dearly lov’d of God.
Faustus:   How comes it then that he is Prince of devils?
Mephistophilis:   O, by aspiring pride and insolence;
For which God threw him from the face of Heaven.
Faustus:   And what are you that you live with Lucifer?
Mephistophilis:   Unhappy spirits that fell with Lucifer,
Conspir’d against our God with Lucifer,
And are for ever damn’d with Lucifer.
Faustus:   Where are you damn’d?
Mephistophilis:   In hell.
Faustus:   How comes it then that thou art out of hell?
Mephistophilis:   Why this is hell, nor am I out of it.
Think’st thou that I who saw the face of God,
And tasted the eternal joys of Heaven,
Am not tormented with ten thousand hells,
In being depriv’d of everlasting bliss?
O Faustus! leave these frivolous demands,
Which strike a terror to my fainting soul.
 

Many thanks to our new mystery donor. You know who you are, but I sure don’t!

3 thoughts on “Why This is Hell, Nor am I Out of It

  1. “O Faustus! leave these frivolous demands,
    Which strike a terror to my fainting soul.”

    This is the heart of the passage, which reveals the “true” soul of Islam – that which cannot extricate itself from the horror that it is – begging to be released from its death gasps.

    Oh, how simple it is – to see the evil in men’s minds, joined at the trunk to the Devil’s.

  2. Been a long time since I briefed this famous passage, so much more laden with emotion, passion, now, for many reasons.

    ‘WHY, THIS IS HELL, NOR AM I OUT OF IT.
    THINK’ST THOU THAT I WHO SAW THE FACE OF GOD,
    AND TASTED THE ETERNAL JOYS OF HEAVEN,
    AM NOT TORMENTED WITH TEN THOUSAND HELLS,
    IN BEING DEPRIV’D OF EVERLASTING BLISS?’
    Thanks, Baron, for bringing it back, really so apropos for all to see, on occasion, given the very real devil’s disciples we are again in history, facing. So many sell out to that very devil, the islam construct of hell on earth, daily, yet other’s realize their grave errors, and usually perilously, leave.

    Unfortunately, there are so many lesser, still very serious other personal devils, (e.g. power, wealth, sloth, drink, drugs, sex cowardice,….) we all must face, and deal with, successfully or not. It is always so gratifying to see those who have succeeded in winning over facing their own devils! Again, nice reminder, Baron.

  3. I’m think the guy who, in 1994, wrote, “God is dead and no-one cares; If there is a Hell, I’ll see you there”, and released it on a cd called The Downward Spiral, he sent you the donation. His views are “evolving.”

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