Saturday, March 26, 2016

Pestaño: The subtle religious aspects of chess

THIS article is not to discourage people to play the game but to enlighten why religious leaders banned the game. In the dark ages, the Roman Catholic and Ortodox churches, Islam, Baptist and other evangelical churches had, at one time or another, banned or forbade the game. This was caused by misinterpretation.
As in life, chess is the ultimate battle between good (white) and evil (black).
Chess is war in miniature and a battle of the minds. It is about defeating and humiliating your adversary. It is also a waste of precious time which can be used much better in doing something helpful for us, family and society in general.
Our only competition has to be self, not with our friends and neighbors. They are not our enemies. The devil (black) is our enemy. We should help them and not exploit their weaknesses. What people need is inspiration.
The game is actually against Christianity and is not about helping others to grow and to win/overcome. We can`t use any tactics to prevent others from winning like you are taught to do in playing chess.
The King is the secular head of the state with the church at his side (King's Bishop)- liaison between Man and God. But there are two Bishops, one for the Church, one for the Congregation, and between the two of them, they can get anywhere. This shows the transparent myth of Separation of Church and State.
The Queen is a powerful tool of his administration and starts at his side, to show his dominance. The straight and diagonal movement shows the ability to apply to all problems and situations.
The Knight is able to attack from unseen angles, and retreat across obstacles. The 90-degree component is seen by many to symbolize the duality of God's might and man's will.
The Rook is portrayed as a castle and examination of early structures leads many to conclude it is actually a church. Whatever it is, it usually exemplifies a building made of Stone, and "On this stone, I shall build a church."
All the Pawns represents mankind, serving God best by stepping blindly forward.
Playing chess, especially on the White Side, is acting out a morality play, attacking the forces of darkness and crushing them under his heel. There lies the trick that ensnares and captivates millions of innocent souls to chess every year.
Evil has, mathematically, as much of a chance to win as good. The only restriction between the colors is that white moves first. In reality, the good side should have more power than the evil, for the Lord has said, regarding his believers: "Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you." Unfortunately, the 'powers' given to the individual units of a chess set are evenly matched by their direct opponents.
Anther problem is the power of the Queen. She is clearly portrayed as the King's wife, but granted greater power and maneuverability. She travels and works independently of the King, if nominally at his 'bidding.' This directly conflicts with many biblical verses, like:"...and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee."
A further heresy in chess, is that of returning lost souls to play. If a simple pawn makes it unmolested to the final rank of the enemy's side, he can be transmuted to any other piece of the game. In this manner, lost pieces can be regained. The bible clearly shows that there is only one event of importance and that is the judgment. After that, the soul is sent to heaven or hell . Reincarnation is the devils idea.

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