Posted on 06/18/2013 2:34:06 PM PDT by NYer
The mainstream American right has remained almost entirely silent about the recent suicide of the French historian, Dominique Venner. The reasons for this, I do not know—perhaps it is a squeamishness about the symbolism of his final act, or a lack of understanding of it. Perhaps it is a refusal to see what the people of France already see, and are rising up against.
Venner shot himself on the altar of the Cathedral of Notre Dame on May 21st, 2013. The image of this act ought to make us pause in awe. The American left immediately dismissed him as a discontented right-wing Catholic crank, simply angry at the recent legalization of gay marriage in his country. None of them examined his last article, or his suicide note, which tell a different story: and one which ought to be heeded by the rest of the West.
The Christian mind has long rejected the possibility of suicide as a good, ever since Augustine’s prominent discussion of it in the first book of The City of God. In Chapter 22 of that discussion, Augustine denies that men who commit suicide can ever be admired for their greatness of soul. Given that Augustine’s prime task was to write “against the pagans,” this line of argument is understandable; he wants to discourage any admiration of individual pagans. I would like to suggest that this restriction be revisited. A Christian may admire the heights of pagan virtue without condoning its sinful aspects. After all, Augustine’s firm condemnation of all things pagan cannot be entirely reconciled with the Thomistic embrace of pre-Christian Greek philosophy in the High Middle Ages. Admiring Venner’s cause is not the same as condoning his self-annihilation.
Just maybe, there is something we can learn from the spirit of his deed, if not from the deed itself. It certainly seems clear that Venner did not mean for men of the West to follow his example and commit mass suicide; he meant for it to shake them out of their malaise. It was a cri-du-cœur against the modern age.
Dominique Venner was, from my understanding, neither Catholic nor formally pagan: his spiritual life was found in a kind of reverence for the heritage of Europe; that heritage includes both pagan and Christian religion, and so he admired both. His suicide in the cathedral was a final act of respect, as well as a powerful setting for the message he intended to convey. He saw the cathedrals of Europe as artistic manifestations of the genius of his people. In his suicide note, “Reasons for a Voluntary Death,” he explained,
I am healthy in body and mind… However, in the evening of my life, facing immense dangers to my French and European homeland, I feel the duty to act as long as I still have strength. I believe it necessary to sacrifice myself to break the lethargy that plagues us. I give up what life remains to me in order to protest and to found. I chose a highly symbolic place, the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris, which I respect and admire: she was built by the genius of my ancestors on the site of cults still more ancient, recalling our immemorial origins. [Emphasis mine.]
Venner sees himself as the founder of something new, in defense of something old. This calls to mind another founding, born out of rape. That is the founding of the Roman Republic, which was inspired in large part by the suicide of a Roman woman, Lucretia. As recounted by Livy, the chaste and honorable Lucretia was forcibly raped, after much protestation, by Sextus Tarquinius, son of the king. After her rapist left, she immediately sent messages to her father and husband, begging them to come to her along with their close friends. When they arrived, they came to her chamber and found her weeping for her lost honor. She said to them,
“There are the marks of another man in your bed, Conlatinus. My body is greatly soiled, though my heart is still pure, as my death will prove. But give me your right hand in faith that you will not allow the guilty to escape. It was Sextus Tarquinius who returned our hospitality with enmity last night. With his sword in his hand, he came to take his pleasure for my unhappiness, but it will also be his sorrow if you are real men.” They promised her that they would pursue him, and they tried to appease her sorrow, saying that it was the soul that did wrong, and not the body, and because she had had no bad intention, she did no wrong. “It is your responsibility to see that he gets what he deserves,” she said, “I will absolve myself of blame, and I will not free myself from punishment. No woman shall use Lucretia as her example in dishonor.” Then she took up a knife which she had hidden beneath her robe, and plunged it into her heart, collapsing from her wound; she died there amid the cries of her husband and father.
This act inspired the revolution that overthrew the monarchy of Rome. It may be worth noting that it was this revolution and founding that also inspired the founders of the American regime. But the Roman founding was born out of suicide and shame—not the shame of Lucretia, but the shaming of her husband and father by the horrible acts done to her. So too, Dominique Venner’s suicide mirrors of the suicide of the West, and is meant to shame us.
The final piece that he wrote on his personal blog, “The May 26 Protests and Heidegger,” gives a clearer explanation of his death than does his suicide letter. It contains a warning and a call to arms. He addresses this warning to the French anti-gay marriage protesters, who, in his opinion, have addressed their rightful indignation at the wrong thing. Venner himself expressed horror at the notion of “gay marriage,” but his objection to the culture of relativism goes deeper than that. He relates the words of an Algerian blogger,
“In any case,” he said, “in 15 years the Islamists will be in power in France and will remove this law.” Not to please us, we suspect, but because it is contrary to Sharia (Islamic law).
This is the only superficially common point between the European tradition (that respects women) and Islam (which does not respect them). But the bald assertion of the Algerian is chilling. These consequences will be far greater and more catastrophic then the detestable Taubira law.
Ultimately, the objections of the May 26th protesters will be moot. Gay marriage is a smaller symptom of the disease. In the end, the suicide of Europe will result in conquest by Islam. He continues, “The May 26 protestors cannot ignore this reality. Their struggle cannot be limited to the rejection of gay marriage. The ‘great replacement’ of the population of France and Europe, denounced by the writer Renaud Camus, is a far more catastrophic danger for the future.”
“Polite street protests,” as he puts it, are not enough. He calls for “real intellectual and moral reform,” which ought to begin as quickly as possible. And it is here that Dominique Venner tells us (what he hopes will be) the meaning of his death:
It certainly will require new, spectacular, and symbolic gestures to stir our somnolence, shake our anesthetized consciousness, and awaken the memory of our origins. We are entering a time when words must be authenticated by deeds.
What does Venner’s revolt mean for Americans? We are not as far down the suicidal road as is Europe. We have more time, but just a little. His warning should be a source of reflection for us, just as much as it is for France and for Europe.
His final published words were these:
We should also remember, as brilliantly formulated by Heidegger in Being and Time, that the essence of man is in his existence and not in “another world.” It is here and now that our destiny is played out until the last second. And this final second is as important as the rest of a lifetime. That is why you must be yourself until the last moment. It is by deciding, truly willing one’s destiny, that one conquers nothingness. And there is no escape from this requirement, because we only have this life, in which it is our duty to be fully ourselves—or to be nothing.
Of course, this is not what Christians believe. Our home is not this world. But that does not mean we can renounce our duty to care for the good, the true, and the beautiful in this world. Those of us who do not join monasteries are called to care for the political and the highest civilizational things. Dominique Venner, historian and former soldier, sought to found a new resistance to the collapse of European civilization. Whatever civilizational Christians think of his means, we ought to admire his end.
Prager helped give further opening. If there is something which begs further addition, why wait? Going on about those, who according to you would "wine about weather and wine" is just so much more whining itself, as could be my pointing this out(?)...but it is not I whom in mourning for this one soul...
If there is something needing saying, spit it out. Or what is this? Some melodrama over the guy's carcass?
But it is complex, isn't it? The tendency towards the now disintegration of the West has many aspects, many fault lines upon which there is movement. Where is the immovable rock? It is simple. But to play along with the philosopher who not believing altars belong to but "the people" requires much thought, many hours of writing and editing. Then what? Contribute that sort of essay as "reply"?
Lead on. Until then...whiners Unite! Click glasses and toast one another.
Or we can all search for ways to preach the gospel in ways and languages others not only may understand, but which will have them turn in the only direction that ultimately matters. Some will. It does seem painfully obvious a great many wont. Harvest what is possible. The storm approaches, but for a while yet I do not know for how long...possibly the worst thunderheads will by-pass portions of the wider prairie.
Indeed. A godless pagan desecrates France’s primary altar in a selfish act of narcissism. Talk about losing the plot.
A man is dead and we read all this huffery and puffery. As if this were an opera and the blood not real, nor his view of the Present situation of France.
Lots of people just don’t get Venner. But the left hates him virulently.
Yes, 1914 introduces the concept of 1914 being the start of a 30 years war where the loser was Europe. He doesn’t seem to think much of the USA, USSR or Islam which makes sense in a Euro-centric sort of way.
Sorry I wasn’t clearer in my intent. Yes, I was replying to you -— or, rather, joining in your observation that “People commit suicide every day.” You were the only one in the thread up to that point to state that, so I wanted to chime in on it.
I just can’t see why was the author so upset that this one suicide was not making front-page news. I was agreeing with the point you’d made.
Venner simply sees USA as a separate nation that, as a winner of 1914-45 came to rule West Europe. He notes that the values that mesh in well with American national character, such as commercialism, do not match the European character nearly as well.
We are surprised by this because we are conditioned to think of our system as universal. It is not: it is American national.
Ok, I get it now.
Sometimes when we are posting to many people, the replies get mixed up.....silly humans.
One feature I wish FR had was the ability to go back and edit.
Thanks for explaining. ;-)
Congratulations! Your post is the longest stringing-together of words that have no meaning or objective in the history of mankind.
Meanwhile, tell us how you propose to fix the problem, how to halt then reverse this decline of the West as many here (including myself) perceive that to be occurring.
Like I said, that is complex, isn't it?
I doubt that I'm speaking that far over your head. Why reply from pride? Will that save the day for us?
In regards to those things which led this man to shoot himself at the altar of this famous French church, an altar seemingly one he believed only partially in primary sense as towards fundamental truth, but believed mightily in regarding the place for such altars of renown for past historical influence of European cultural formation; should it be expected that those who are in full backslide mode, the poofters and the rest of the modernists will chose now, since the guy slayed himself at that altar, to listen to anyone's "pride" but their own?
In their own view, it is they themselves who are enlightened. Not the church, nor the man who shot himself inside one of Europe's most noteworthy landmarks of "church". Which is why I said we have to preach the gospel in language (words) they understand...for they have turned their backs on religion itself as antiquated, as being more a product of mankind than place of clarity, and in regards to Judeo-Christianity, the place where truth itself can be found.
How to convince them?
Now that I have explained my own parabolic manner of speech to an extent as to the intent of those words, do you anything further yourself to say, that is not mere insult? If so, then speak on. Spit it out.
My original post was not addressed to you. Your original post was addressed to me. Then, you quote me using words that I never wrote. This is not just bad manners and poor writing, it is a lie.
Your writing is so full of fallacies that it would take up too much time, energy and space to point them out and then repudiate them.
I stand by my original post. The purpose of the story was to draw attention to WHY this obviously educated man killed himself. You trivialize his death and call him a carcass. What a shameful thing to do.
You make my point for me. In a discussion concerning a man’s decision to commit suicide, you go off topic to show us how much you know about a completely different topic. In reasoned discussion, it is expected that you will stick to the topic.
If you want me to save Western Civilization, then read ALL my previous writing here at Free Republic. If you want me to educate you, then I suggest you do some self-examination first.
Venner was a hero of the Algerian war, he has more than paid his dues. His suicide was his way of saying “with me dies the last honorable generation of our countrymen. The rest of you enjoy the multicultural cesspool that you’ve created.”
Gee, even I know.
The mainstream American right? There is no such thing.
There aren't 10 000 well-educated and conformed men of the right in the whole country.
The "mainstream" right is riddled with liberalism, collectivism, and equality-mongering.
Correct. The establishment "right" (i.e. most of the GOP Senate, and every GOP Presidential nominee from GHW Bush on) has largely embraced multiculturalism and liberalism. The Bush/McCain wing of the GOP differs from the Democrats in style, not substance.
Reminds me of an old quote from Churchill where he acknowledges that he’s not a pillar of the church but rather a flying buttress. “I support the Church, but from the outside.”
I’m not sure that we are a single race descended from Adam and Eve. Is that understanding as a result of a literal interpretation of Genesis?
Amen to that.
That matters not one whit on this forum.
Excuse me?
Here's the quote again, addressed to your own comment #19.
Go back and review that (I even provided the link), then tell me that phrase is not found there. You accused me of misquoting you, even lying. Apologize for that, the better for us to move forward.
I chose to focus upon it in particular, for as you reword it in this last "attack response" to my own comments;
Yes, like I said above. I wasn't disputing that. I read the article, briefly scanned through links for a more a than a few provided in this thread, read a few more articles from elsewhere, etc.
Right out of the gate you have already stumbled. I didn't misquote you. Apologize for calling me a liar. If it had been a mistake, I would have owned up to it. Check again for fallacies, conduct some of that self-examination you proscribed for me...
And what topic was that? Preaching the gospel? Or was it the off-hand chiding I delivered about clinking glasses as "toasts" to one selves? That last one left a little dent, did it? Is that what this is all about?
Isn't that much the subject of the thread? That the guy shot himself over what he saw as serious challenge to the continuation of civilization as he knew of such in France in particular? If there are "previous writings of yours" that have the magic formula, it's up to you to bring forth any treasures which may be found there. Since you couldn't remember what you said just the other day...perhaps you should reread them yourself. As for self-examination, take a deep breath, go back over the comments here, see where you have falsely accused me, then go back over the whole thing again and see if we though perhaps not precisely on the same page in all things...might be reading out of adjacent chapters of the same book.
For my own, I don't think I could convince very many lefty losers of the dangers to civilization of their own ways, even by using guy's like Venner, his work as historian, and the reasons for his own taking his life as he did. Though I can see how that may be tempting, perhaps better his story could set among various items of consideration which could be pointed to.
If others can, and convince more than a bare few of the sort who already need little or no further convincing, then go for it. Is that the answer? A new nationalism, a national tribalism aimed against who precisely? But it's not enough to wake many of the rest of them from their stupor, AFAIKT. My own preaching at them too, could be counter-productive at some points. Wise as serpents, yet harmless as doves is a directive that may apply along about here...
Would they repent at the news of his death, once the "saw" why, once they were shown the bigger picture? Would they suddenly realize ---they have been somewhat wrong all along? Or would they simply continue on in their own pride of being the (all things modernist lefty) enlightened ones? But you force me to repeat that question...
For my own part, I do see storm clouds on the horizon. In fact, there are scattered storms right now. Bigger ones to come? Even a clash of civilizations? Or will such clash not occur due to muzzies and faggots taking over the West, leaving us go out with a whimper, and the retrograde force that is Islam spread still further? Is this last the real fear? The fear that those whom are too accommodating will weaken us to point of collapse, or at least to point we will no longer be able to match the "them", war for bloody war?
Meanwhile, I cannot proscribe the cure. But I can preach the gospel, yet realize that using 'church language' can be counter-productive with many, hence my inclusion of recommendation of using words that people can understand, words that won't turn them off...but not at the price of compromising the gospel. If that sort of thing is part of that which you declare so full of fallacies that it would take up too much time, energy and space to point them out and then repudiate them. then spare yourself the effort, for I doubt I would hear a word, even AFTER the apology due was forthcoming...but which I rather suspect will not be.
You sure you're a "tradical" Catholic?
Isn't trasubstantiation a result of a literal interpretation of John 6?
Yep . . . no matter how "tradical," all Catholics have to believe in evolution to prove they don't live in a trailer park. Lol!
Ping to wideawake for his interest.
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