I'm not entirely focused on the atrocities nor try to present any chronological order but merely presented historical realities regarding religion; a synopsis of events at any given point in time. BC, AD or CE is extraneous to the topic. While spirituality and faith may be differentiated from religion all three represent a synthesis with supernatural belief or transcendental awareness. Totem poles, blarney stones, quartz crystals, rabbits foot, Buddha, Dionysus, Muhammad or Christ it all comes down to what one believes; essentially they can all be good luck charms.
On Aug 17, 8:17 pm, Deane Kellison <[email protected]> wrote: > religion is not the same as spirituality or faith. and with more study, you > would realize that the abuses committed in the name of religion described by > you started around the 3rd century CE. check out Karen Armstrong's "A > History of God" > > Deane > > > Date: Tue, 17 Aug 2010 17:23:52 -0700 > > Subject: [Mind's Eye] Re: The Phenomenon ' I ' > > From: [email protected] > > To: [email protected] > > > Once it was realized that religion had a serious impact on human > > behavior it expanded into the control mechanism we know today; > > basically a user manual for the adherence to a moral credo a codified > > rules which later expanded to dogma and became the foundation of > > ritual, sacrifice and iniquitous attachments to certain food > > consumption; totally ridiculous. As theistic organizations became > > powerful political entities, economic manipulation also had a role and > > non believers or those outside the group were systematically condemned > > or driven to financial ruin in an attempt to display how advantageous > > believing was. No one wanted to be outcasts and so the organizations > > grew and so did tithing. It still works the same today as huge tracts > > of land are purchased and congregates gather to build their real > > estate empires based on theistic principles. Unfortunately the > > "truth" of it all has reared it's ugly head in the form of rampant > > immoral behavior among several organizations which again points to the > > uselessness of the whole idea. One could be just as afraid of the > > boogie man as any deity if it were to keep the person in line with > > rules and regulations but for argument sake I would agree that the > > "social club" atmosphere of many groups does provide a means of > > support and family like ties. > > > On Aug 17, 5:01 pm, rigsy03 <[email protected]> wrote: > > > I don't think religion was invented just to answer questions regarding > > > natural forces such as violent storms, predators, etc. It was also > > > seen as a taming power over the behavior of members of early > > > societies. The Ten Commandments of the OT are still valid guidelines > > > and have instructed civil laws in modern societies. Life was seen as > > > more than survival but a way of interacting with one another to the > > > benefit of all. Reason alone lacks the emotional spur to the Soul and > > > conscience and was a step forward in the understanding of just what > > > makes a human different from other creatures. The rituals of religion > > > binds a group together and instills a sense of community- even the > > > military understand this concept. A more important question might be > > > where is conscience developed or has the absence of God/religion in > > > modern society created a segment of the population with faulty or few > > > values and morals? An infant's world expands from his mother's > > > approval or disapproval into an ever widening experience and I do > > > think this is a valid point of departure to examine the development of > > > a conscience. Otherwise, we are speaking of relativism with nothing > > > and no one accountable or psychobabble. In addition, certain sects and > > > religions have coupled with wealth and power as a signature of divine > > > blessing. Even forms of government have justified conquests and unfair > > > policies plus plunder under the guise of being superior to others.// > > > England's wool production had a great influence on its domestic and > > > foreign policy even during the time of Elizabeth I. I do think England > > > had "little man's disease" among nations which has caused no end of > > > trouble. At least they gave us a splendid language and literature- > > > perhaps the least they could do. > > > > On Aug 17, 7:37 am, Slip Disc <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > It seems many things and possibly all things are perishable but it > > > > bears no meaning nor represents any point beyond something being > > > > perishable. To consider life being a product of "intelligent" design > > > > requires a great deal of blind faith, for nothing in our history has > > > > ever demonstrated that notion as conclusive evidence but has clearly > > > > maintained itself to be deduction. Fact is that any real observation > > > > of life will reveal numerous design flaws which fail to meet any > > > > standard of a super intelligence. Health and disease concerns are > > > > evidence of a faulty design just from start; tack on the natural > > > > disasters that kill millions each year and the intelligence portion of > > > > your argument continues to shrink. > > > > > A feral child is born and throughout life fails to reach any level of > > > > discernible intelligence therefore it could be reasonably understood > > > > that intelligence in an of itself is a product stemming from multiple > > > > factors such as environmental influence. You fail to recognize the > > > > fact that we have ascended from a prehistoric time of limited mental > > > > capacity, that we were simply another beast roaming the earth, that > > > > other now extinct beasts of mammoth proportion were our co-inhabitants > > > > and very little if any of that existence exhibited signs of > > > > intelligent design. > > > > > Humans developed the ability to speak and communicate ideas which were > > > > shared among groups and through travel were extended to other areas. > > > > While some groups progressed others remained primitive, which is still > > > > evidenced today by primitive cultures who for some reason remain > > > > isolated in remote areas of jungles and forests. Early man conjured > > > > ideas from simple deduction based on environment and finally reaching > > > > a point of recognition of helplessness over certain conditions began > > > > to look elsewhere for help, ergo; gods were created. By mere > > > > observation of cultural systems whereby different charges were > > > > delegated to certain individuals it became clear that the environment > > > > must have been commanded by individual gods, ergo; the sun god, god of > > > > the sea and others. > > > > > Then of course there came the ultimate source of knowledge "religion" > > > > and along with it came power and the destruction that ensued. > > > > Individuals became aware that others less astute would turn to them > > > > for answers and so having answers was a must in order to establish one > > > > as being an authority. At the same time there were others who > > > > branched off with other ideas such as monotheism and established their > > > > congregation. One led to another and the ramification of the idea > > > > that there were gods filled the earth. Governments were literally > > > > built on the ideas and once it was realized that the resultant bi- > > > > product of religion was monetary wealth it became clear that others > > > > needed to be destroyed because they were taking away from the > > > > profits. > > > > > Well here we are living in a world with thousands of years behind us > > > > filled with a myriad of religious beliefs and a gazillion hours of > > > > "prayer" to imaginary gods imploring them to help us out of our > > > > misery. Still after all this time and effort we find ourselves > > > > floundering in the muck and mire of a self induced quagmire of world > > > > hunger and poverty. Your god and any other person's god has done > > > > nothing about hunger and poverty and it remains a crucial human > > > > issue. But there is a cure without a god. > > > > > There are simple solutions to world hunger/poverty but humanity is > > > > just not doing anything about it. There are simple solutions to > > > > homelessness but humanity is not doing anything about it. > > > > > What humanity "IS" doing is foreclosing on homes and farms, paying > > > > farmers not to grow crops as a means of controlling stock figures and > > > > numerous other blockage devices designed to encourage quagmires. > > > > > What humanity "IS" doing is setting up systems of government and > > > > financial institutions that create "Mega Wealth" and "Wars" to gain > > > > wealth and it "IS" being accomplished without any problem. > > > > Mega wealth>No Problem War>No Problem Hunger>Problem > > > > Homelessness>Problem Poverty>Problem > > > > > And here is the story about how religion gets going...... > > > > > First you have the sheep that are freezing in the cold while their > > > > wool > > > > is constantly being fleeced. They don't understand why they are > > > > always in the cold when they have so much wool. They look and see > > > > the fleecers living warm and cozy with their wool and see piles of > > > > wool not being used but sold to other fleecers. The sheep get tired > > > > of being cold so they start to buy back their wool but the prices are > > > > really high and some sheep can't afford to buy any, so they must > > > > remain cold, some are so cold that they freeze to death. Some of the > > > > sheep protest but many of them are jailed, assassinated and turned > > > > into mutton soup. > > > > One of the sheep named Shep tells the other sheep that the reason they > > > > are cold is because they were born as bad sheep and must pray to > > > > BahBah the great sheep deity. Shep teaches the sheep how to pray and > > > > tells the sheep they need to keep him warm so that he can keep > > > > teaching them about BahBah. The sheep gather whatever wool they can > > > > glean from the fields and barns and keep Shep warm. Thousands of > > > > years go by and many sheep replace Shep and the sheep continue to > > > > support the huge organization that Shep built, but the sheep are still > > > > cold and giving all their wool to the fleecers 'and' the Shep while > > > > waiting for BahBah to deliver them to freedom. Nothing ever happens > > > > but the sheep are told not to worry because as long as they keep > > > > praying and giving wool to the Shep they will have everlasting life in > > > > Sheep Heaven. > > > > Then there is Wolfy, Shep's friend, he sees how Shep has created an > > > > empire and so starts telling the wolves that the reason they are > > > > hungry is because they were born as bad wolves and must pray to Wol > > ... > > read more »
