Whither Thou Goest
I certainly don't think it's foolish to accept and live by a literal reading of the Bible, if for no other reason (and there are myriad others) than, clearly, worshippers and doers of evil, who e.g. practice satan/lucifer-ism, live by that same/similar literal interpretation, but rather from opposing conformity - i.e. transcendence of life and death via ontology (alchemic/metaphysical/scientific knowledge). Transcendence through all manner of amoral experience. Transcendence through the body and not bodily self control, divine grace and forgiveness of sin.
Even to assume the Bible is not a prophetic work and the antichrist came and
went with e.g. Roman emperor Constantine, then just the inspiration contained
in the Sermon on the Mount remains sufficient to elevate humanity above its
perpetual existential crisis. Yet no message or messenger, not even George W.
Carey, has or ever will elevate humanity above a basic tendency to depravity,
and that alone seems proof of intrinsic human nature, such as the Bible
attributes to The Fall. And if not a fall, from divine grace, then simply
intrinsic depravity.
But why then does depravity rule the world? Without
a literal reading of the Bible, what is the explanation for it? Carey implies
little more than centuries of hoodwinking and ignorance as explanation.
Carey, for example, died in 1924. And there has been little if any moral
progress, despite his published claims and writings, despite the
New Age spiritual movement he and others inspired to date and today.
In short, there is genius and extensive occulted and Hermetic Natural Law behind Carey's allegory-as-glory biblical arguments, as well as those inherent in e.g. David Icke's simulation explanation, but I do not see them as all there is to the Bible, to spiritual works in general, especially the New Testament. I do not see them replacing but rather reinforcing a supernatural/divine essence in the literal biblical text, metaphor, parables and prophesy. George W. Carey was clearly an enlightened man. But, by his own precepts, he should be alive today by them, and not languishing in the grave, whither thou goest.