Did God Shed a Tear? Reverence of the Oppressor: Slaughter of the Innocent

Presented by Dr. Michael Conforti,
Jungian Analyst and Founder/Director of The Assisi Institute

Saturday, May 3rd, 2025 live via Zoom

All registered participants will receive a recording of the lecture afterwards

11:00 – 12:30 pm US Eastern Time

Fee: $35.00

Click Here To Register

“And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: 
Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering…”
Genesis 22:1-2

Did God Shed a Tear? Reverence for the Oppressor: Slaughter of the Innocent

This presentation addresses the emergence and archetypal roots of violence and its justification and denial.  It presents the findings that throughout history, transgressors are not only rewarded but revered, while their victims are rarely, if ever, given a second thought. “Basta cosi”   Enough! -this has gone on far too long and far too many of our loved ones will never return home to our tables or rest in the arms of  those who love them.  It is imperative that we learn about the archetypal nature of these events if we are to have any hope.

 This inquiry into the nature and origins of violence has been addressed by many, including; C.G. Jung, Rene Girard, and in Einstein and Freud’s brilliant work entitled:  “Why War.” Throughout history, there have always been brave women and men whose acts of resistance against those collective regimes responsible for such abuse, have awakened our collective awareness to the atrocities of slavery, racial prejudice, violence against women, and horrific war crimes. 

These pioneers sought to know something about the nature of these dark, irruptive forces within the Psyche in the hopes of stemming the tide of ongoing slaughter. 

A Jungian understanding of innate, archetypal dynamics may more fully speak to the emergence, longevity, and enormity of these forces, helping us to address this perennial question regarding the existence and contagious nature of violence and hatred.

These irruptions of destructive, archetypal forces emerging from the dark unconscious, take hostage all who cross its path. The uncomfortable truth is that not only have these acts been repeated but even more terrifying, is that they have been revered throughout history. Unfortunately, this confirms their origins within the Psyche, living on as pre-formed, pre-existent archetypal realities, ready and more than willing to re-emerge as they have done since the beginning of time. 

Elie Wiesel taught us that silence only serves the aggressor and never the victim.  As we linger in our muted silence of ongoing “Crimes Against Humanity”, our hands will forevermore carry the stain and blood of the victims.  Not only have we become accomplices, but sin-eaters for the heartless dictators responsible for wars and legislations against human decency. 

Please join us for this presentation, offered by Dr Michael Conforti, whose work has touched the lives of individuals from more than 40 countries worldwide.

About this Lecture:

In a time where the personal and collective psyche is experiencing a profound archetypal shift in perspective, it is our hope that these Foundation lectures will support our community to face, understand and respond to these turbulent times in more conscious and soulful way.

The purpose of this series is to:

• Reach a broad global audience about the very real collective issues we are facing in the world today;
• Raise awareness and funding to advance the global reach of The Assisi Foundation’s work on archetypes and the objective psyche;
• Offer an understanding of the meaning and purpose of the archetypal patterns that lie beneath the headlines.

About the presenter:

Dr. Michael Conforti, Founder and Director of the Assisi Institute
He is a faculty member at the C.G. Jung Institute of Boston, the C.G. Jung Institute of New York, and for many years served as a Senior Associate faculty member in the Doctoral and Master’s Programs in Clinical Psychology at Antioch New England. A pioneer in the field of matter-psyche studies, he is actively investigating the workings of archetypal fields and the relationship between Jungian psychology and the New Sciences.

He has presented his work at; The C.G. Jung Institute – Zurich, and Jungian organizations in Australia, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, Ecuador, Israel, Italy, Romania, Russia, South Africa, Turkey, the Ukraine and Venezuela. He is the author of Threshold Experiences: The Archetype of Beginnings (2007) and Field, Form and Fate: Patterns in Mind, Nature and Psyche (2002). His books have been translated into Italian, Russian, and Spanish.