Treachery

The Fall of the Rebel Angels

(in part this is backstory for the previous post: Any Different)

As a gentle reminder, in Dante’s Inferno, the final (as in worst) two circles of Hell are reserved for those who commit Fraud and finally for those who commit Treachery.

Included among the list of Fraudsters are: Panderers, Seducers, Flatterers, False Prophets and Corrupt Politicians, Hypocrites, Thieves, and finally counterfeiters, perjurers and imposters! (While not the exhaustive list by Dante, I’ve included some of the more applicable examples for our contemporary discourse, – forgoing the Simonists, Sorcerers, Astrologers, people who use their position to advise others to engage in fraud, sowers of discord and the rest – for another discussion).

The traitors are distinguished from the “merely” fraudulent in that their acts involve betraying a special relationship of some kind.

In the ninth (and final) circle, we find those who have committed the worst of all sins – Treachery! The traitors are distinguished from the “merely” fraudulent in that their acts involve betraying a special relationship of some kind. Those familiar with the Tanakh or the Christian Old Testament will know the narrative of Cain who slew his brother Able. Many are also familiar with the account of Judas Iscariot who betrayed Jesus Christ. Finally, in the very center of Hell, condemned for committing the ultimate sin is Satan: who is the personification of evil for leading the rebellion against God.

In today’s post modern world; nihilists reign, the devil has pulled his greatest trick (convincing the world he doesn’t exist) and Corrupt Politicians pander to the seduced, with ill-gotten gains confiscated from the seduced. Fraudsters do what is right in their own eyes, while deceiving the trust of their countrymen and women and betraying their oaths of office. Moreover, engaging in subversion of existing law and aiding and abetting the enemies of our nation are ample enough offenses for (more than) impeachment for ANY office holder who betrays his or her country.

If you remain among the un-seduced, ‘gird yourselves for a hard task’: go be ‘Salt and Light’ amongst your friends, co-workers and in the world. ‘For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.’