Mark Rizk Farag > Recent Status Updates

'In essence, neocolonial society and colonial society do not differ in the least. Thus, we saw the colonial administration replaced by a neocolonial administration identical to it in every repect. The colonial army was replaced by a neocolonial army with the same characteristics, the same functions, and the same role of safeguarding the interests of imperialism and its national allies...'

Somewhat similar to 'The Consolations of Philosophy' by Boethius, inasmuch as the author has lost power, status, influence, comfort, friends and family and is seeking consolation and understanding. The difference of course being that Chrysostom focuses on faith as opposed to philosophy.

Thought I'd be put off by the 'horror' aspect but loving this so far. Weirdly reminds me Quentin Tarrantino.

For cultural invasion to succeed it is essential that those invaded become conivinced of their intrinsic inferiority. Since everything has its opposite, if those who are invaded consider themselves inferior, hey must necessarily recognize the superiority of the invaders The values of the latter thereby become the pattern for the former...'

Very compelling and unique prose and perspective so far!

Shout out to Keir Starmer's Labour Party lmao:

'In a situation of manipulation, the Left is almost always tempted by a "quick return to power," forgets the necessity of joining with the oppressed to forge an organization, and strays into an impossible "dialogue" with the dominant elites. It ends by being manipulated by these elites, and not infrequently itself falls into an elitist game, which it calls "realism."

The idea that revolutionary leaders must maintain their links and dialogue with the people, and that education must be revolutionary is very interesting. It runs in stark contrast to 'revolutionary' leaders like Gaddafi and Abdel Nasser, who were ostensibly leftists but seem to have lost their link to the common people and run very autocratic education systems.

',For the Master is not outmatched by the difficulty of these things, even if everything is brought to the verge of destruction. For he is able to raise up those who have fallen, and to set aright those who have gone astray, and to correct those who have been ensnared, and to set free and make righteous those who have been filled with a multitude of sins, and to give life to those who are dead... '

'have fellowship with me through my books' is such an amazing way to think about reading the works of am author.

Me and the current chapter are quite dense, it seems. I am getting less out of this chapter than I did out of the critical consciousness and banking model chapters. It feels like Hegel.

I love a good book that recommends other good books 💪🏼🔥

"Abouna (father), plesse return to your cell, I am about to cuss the prisoners" sounds like something out of rush hour 😂

"Abouna (father), plesse return to your cell, I am about to cuss the prisoners" sounds like something out of rush hour 😭😅

The right book at the right time 🙏🏼👌🏽

Writing a book with aspects that could seem mystical, and then proceeding to have the characters engage in very deep scientific, materialistic discourse to ground in an agnostic world view is so quintessentially British 😅

'... the thing is .. . what we consider to be the most successful route for us to take, actually isn't. Because too often our view of success is about some external bullshit idea of achievement an Olympic medal, the ideal husband, a good salary. And we have all these metrics that we try and reach. What success isn't something you measure, and life isn't a race yo can win. It's all bollocks, actually'

'Bertrand Russell wrote that "To fear love is to fear life, and those who fear life are already three-parts dead", Maybe that was her problem. Maybe she was just scared of living. But Bertrand Rusell had more marriages and affairs than hot dinners, so perhaps he was not one to give advice'

My wife confiscated this book, claiming it was not good for my wellbeing. Sorry uncle Fyodor 😔

I definitely should have read this at a point in my life where I was feeling more mentally stable than I am now lmao.

'We should not express our prayer merely in syllables, but the power of prayer should be pressed in the moral attitude of our soul and in the virtuous actions that extend throughout our life. This is how you pray continually-not by offering prayer in words, but by joining yourself to God through your whole way your whole way of ie. so that your life becomes one continuous and uninterrupted prayer'

'as the oppressor oppresses and dehumanises others they too become dehuamised'

Allende knows how to write a family saga 👌🏽

So.... It seems the idea that Copts had nationalist tendencies and wanted to be rid of the Byzantines for theological reasons is untrue. The idea they welcomed the Arab/Muslim invasion is also untrue and most likely Arab nationalist/Muslim propoganda

Too many characters, not enough reasons to care for them.

'Our faith is a living thing precisely BECAUSE it lives hand in hand with doubt. If there was only certainty, and if there were no doubt, there would be no mystery, and therefore there would be no reason for faith.'

Dostoevsky mentioned 🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️

This book is just making me miss Pope Francis tbh.

Sahlep and the Akathist are indeed both sensational 😭👌🏽