At first it was a little like reading Shakespeare in that I had to adjust to the language before it started to flow. But once it did I was almost immediately horrified at the amount of rape, death, and destruction that poured from its blood soaked pages.
The god of the Old Testament was a tyrannical creature who relied on abject terror in order to control his subjects. And the New Testament god was not much better in that he killed without mercy and even sacrificed his own son in the most brutal way imaginable when he could have easily done away with original sin with a wave of his omniscient hand.
I came away wondering how the words in that book could have inspired even a small cult, much less the largest religion in the world.
Gryphon I just thought you might not have ever seen this.
ReplyDeletehttps://spacezilotes.wordpress.com/2010/09/10/the-cannibalism-of-christians-in-maarra/
AMEN
ReplyDeleteThe fact people still believe in that hocus pocus is scary!
ReplyDeleteYeah and they vote; get themselves into office (even if they have to stuff the ballot boxes) and meld their religion with governance. VERY scary.
DeleteYeah and they vote; get themselves into office (even if they have to stuff the ballot boxes) and meld their religion with governance. VERY scary.
Delete"...how the words in that book could have even inspired even a small cult, much less the largest religion in the world."
ReplyDeleteFear. Most adults never grow up or lose their fear of being without daddy to comfort them in the dark night, save them from boogymen.
Fear. Of dying and being nothing. Don't know why -- they were nothing before they were born. It didn't hurt or matter to them then, so why would it after they die.
Fearing that horror of living their shitty lives on earth will be all they get -- they need to believe in better times after death.
But mostly -- fear of thinking for themselves.
"...inspired ... even a small cult, much less the largest religion in the world."
ReplyDeleteUmmm... not so much.
Christianity didn't become the juggernaut that it is today by inspiration of "The Word".
There were many "Holy Crusades" where soldiers were sent out across the "civilized" world to kill and torture any and everyone who didn't accept "The Word".
People were 'convinced' to accept Jesus as their personal savior alright ...at the point of a sword.
Actually, Randall, that is a feature common to all 3 mid-east monotheistic religions! They all either converted by violence of just killed those believing differently.
Delete...'cause their bible(s) told them to do it!
DeleteI think you nailed it, Barbara.
ReplyDelete...oh, and fearing if they do think for themselves, they will be ostracized from the Tribe. That would be like living off the grid -- for most people inconceivable.
DeleteI had put this added comment on the wrong Post (the Walmart gun/toys story).
And Randall has another good point -- sword points make for quick conversions.
But it makes a handy-dandy excuse for controlling/destroying people, and for feeling superior.
ReplyDeleteFunny you should mention the human sacrifices (like even of Jesus)... Just a week or two ago, there was a crazed woman who drowned her 18month old and tried to poison her ten year old, after hearing a sermon about Abraham being told to sacrifice his son on an altar, and God at the last minute interfered and stopped him from doing so. She did not 'get it' why 'God hadn't told her to stop' before it was too late...
ReplyDeleteThe OT and NT versions of God are similar to sims players. The OT spent a lot of time making the world, the rules, the people, trees etc, then diligently led them into battle, not allowing them to swim until two hours after they ate the fish and bread (Good one)
ReplyDeleteThe NT God kind of let the game play out itself and only came back to make corrections as needed with much less death, violence, destruction. It must have been a hard life for women back then, there were a lot more rules and consequences for them than men.
Gryphen, try the teaching company tapes (scholarly lectures on the origins of religion.) The eschatology (End Times) urgency was new back in 100 A.d. And life expectancy was short, life itself was nasty and brutish. Explains a lot!
ReplyDelete