100,000 years ago humans as well as the mighty herds
of animals grazing on the endless savannas of this planet were familiar with
lightning. They grew up with it occurring around them all of their lives. Neither
the humans nor the animals understood the cause or purpose of lightning. Today,
the animals of the savannahs still do not understand lightning; they just
tolerate and bear it. Ancient humans, on the other hand, with no more knowledge
of the cause or purpose of lightning than the animals around them developed a
theory that lightning was a mysterious force caused by the will of the Gods.[1] Any destructive
natural phenomena was probably regarded as the result of a God’s anger in
retaliation for someone or something that has been displeasing, as they had
witnessed the result of lightning strikes upon people, animals and trees.
Today, we know what lightning is and how it is
produced and how to avoid it. We have even seen it on some of our sister
planets. We know how rain, hurricanes, tsunamis, tornados, earthquakes, etc., are
produced. We know how to read and understand trends of weather patterns and how
droughts or floods occur. Yet we still cling to ancient explanations for these
natural phenomena as if it were the results of a manipulating Deity.
An ancient text was read from the pulpit recently
exhorting natural events as retribution by the hand of God for the iniquities
of man (Psalm 107: 33-43), “He (God) turned rivers into a desert, flowing
springs into thirsty ground, and fruitful land into a
salt waste, because of the wickedness of those who lived
there. He turned the desert into pools of water and
the parched ground into flowing springs; there he brought
the hungry to live, and they founded a city where they could settle. They
sowed fields and planted vineyards that yielded a fruitful
harvest; he blessed them, and their numbers greatly increased, and
he did not let their herds diminish.“
We have a very mixed heritage that has been passed down
to us by our ancestors. We have inherited minds capable of discerning, and an
inquisitiveness to search for information and truth in the world around us. Yet
we remain chained to ancient fears and superstitions that have no basis in fact
or reason.
The religions listed below by no means represent
unified groups; Christianity alone has over 3500 different divisions and sects.
Each of the other major religions today is also comprised of multiple divisions,
sects, groups and beliefs, influenced primarily by their geographical location.
Almost all religions are able to trace their origins to a single person,
including Christianity. Exceptions are the Primal-Indigenous and the African
Traditional & Diasporic religions which are practices and rituals of oral
traditions without much if any written sources. Religions did not begin spontaneously.
They were begun by someone with an idea, yet each religion claims to possess
the truth of God and our universe.
Judaism, Christianity, and Islam have many common
denominators, primarily stories on which their origins are based, as the Old
Testament (with some variations) is held, in part, as a common origin by all
three cultures. Two events is all it took to initiate the Jewish culture and
Christianity. Stories that read more like fairy tales or legends than reality
when measured against the yardstick of probability or fact. When compared to
other major religions of the world, they possess no more integrity or validity
than does any other religion.
The malleable mind of man[2] is capable of
being shaped to believe and accept anything, especially when applied in weekly doses from church pulpits over a lifetime.
Information based on ancient knowledge gained through fears and superstitions
has been the only message repeated by almost all religions, whose success is
often measured by the size and income of the church. By these standards, the
more members and money you can collect, the truer the tenets of your religion.
1800 BCE[3] (Estimated
world population at the time was 30 million.)
According
to Jewish tradition,
Abraham was born under the name Abram in the city of Ur Babylonia in the year 1948 from Creation. He was the son of
Terach, an idol merchant, but from his early childhood, he questioned the faith
of his father and sought the truth. He came to believe that the entire universe
was the work of a single Creator, and he began to teach this belief to others.
Eventually, the one true Creator that Abram had worshipped called to him, and
made him an offer: if Abram would leave his home and his family,
then God would make him a great nation and bless him. Abram accepted
this offer, and the b'rit (covenant) between God and the Jewish
people was established.
At a time when there were 30 million people living
around the world, a middle eastern merchant’s son announces that he has had a
meeting with God to receive a gift. God did not appear to anyone else to verify
or make this announcement; only Abram makes the announcement public. No other
people in the entire world were made aware of this special covenant. The common
belief at this time in history was that only Shaman, Witch Doctors, Medicine
Men, Priests, Kings, Rulers, etc., the pinnacle of elite, were capable of
personal communication with Deities of the day. The question is, “how credible
can this story possibly be?”
1391--1271 BCE[4] (Estimated
world population at the time was 38 million.)
According
to Jewish tradition,
Moses is born during the Jewish enslavement in Egypt Nile .
Hearing the crying child as she walks by, Pharaoh's daughter pities the crying
infant and adopts. It surely is no coincidence that the Jews' future liberator
is raised as an Egyptian prince. Had Moses grown up in slavery with his fellow
Hebrews, he probably would not have developed the pride, vision, and courage to
lead a revolt.
The story of a Jewish boy born into slavery, is saved
by a princess, raised as an Egyptian prince and lives in royalty, is banished
from the kingdom after committing a crime against a royal guard, eventually
returns to liberate the slaves and lead them to a land promised by God to
Abraham and his descendants. Not only did Moses liberate the Jews from Egyptian
slavery, he wrote the law and commandments describing how they must live. The
story describes how Moses led the slaves for 40 years through the desert of the
Arabian Peninsula , while the distance from Cairo Jerusalem
1000–900 BCE[5] (Estimated
world population at the time was 50 million.)
Solomon
succeeds King David, builds Jerusalem Israel Judah Spain Cadiz
While in captivity in Babylon
400–300 BCE[5] (Estimated
world population at the time was 100 million.)
Pentateuch—first five books of the Old
Testament evolve in final form. Philip of Macedon,
who believed himself to be a descendant of the Greek people,
assassinated (336 BCE) after subduing the Greek city-states;
succeeded by son, Alexander the Great (356–323 BCE), who destroys Thebes Tyre Jerusalem Babylon India Babylon Middle
East empire with capitals
at Antioch Syria Seleucia Iraq Euclid
The final form of the Pentateuch has now aged 1,400
years since the Abrahamic story, and 600 years since Moses and the Exodus
event. With a world population of approximately 100 million, and perhaps a
hundred different religions with their own stories and legends, it is difficult
to accept these stories with any more validity or integrity than any of the religions
of the rest of the world.
1–49 CE[5] (Estimated
world population at the time was 200 million.)
Birth of Jesus Christ (variously given
from 4 B.C. to A.D. 7). After
Augustus, Tiberius becomes emperor (dies, A.D. 37), succeeded by
Caligula (assassinated, A.D. 41), who is followed by Claudius.
Crucifixion of Jesus (probably A.D. 30). Han dynasty in China China
It has now been approximately 4.5 billion years since
the formation of the world, and after 200,000 years of human existence, which
now numbers a worldwide population of approximately 200 million people. Why
would there suddenly be a need to provide a human sacrifice for the atonement
of “sins,” to a small group of Jewish peasants in a place as obscure as Nazareth
300–349 CE[5] (Estimated
world population at the time was 250 million.)
Constantine
the Great (rules A.D. 312–337) reunites eastern and western Roman
empires, with new capital (Constantinople ) on site of Byzantium Milan Nicaea India
During the past 300 years, independent Christian
sects of various kinds have proliferated throughout the Roman Empire . Each possesses its own written literature from
dubious sources which they use to enlist and educate new converts into their
sect. The friction between the various sects has grown and results in violent
disputes over who possesses the true writings for Christianity. As these sects are
independent from each other, there is no central agency to control or discipline
their growing numbers. Most other sects of any kind tolerated in the Roman Empire , whether religious or secular, had a central agency
to which they must answer; such as the Sanhedrin which rules over all Jewish
activity in the Roman Empire .
Since there is no way only one meeting of any Council
can settle all disputes, a series of Council meetings is held over the next 400
years[6] to hone
the tenets for all Christianity, as well as the undisputable authority of the
Roman Church. [First Council of Nicaea (325); First Council of
Constantinople (381); Council of Ephesus (431); Council of
Chalcedon (451); Second Council of Constantinople (553); Third
Council of Constantinople (680–681); Second Council of Nicaea (787)]
A quasi religious empire within a political empire was
created and is politically supported, sanctioned and enforced by the Emperor of
the Roman Empire . The rest of the 250 million people in the world are
left clueless and are not included in this alleged new Salvation.
Meanwhile the world in search of a Deity, a religion,
a unity with nature, etc. marches on, led by Shaman, Witchdoctors, Medicine
Men, Priests, Preachers, Bishops, and Charlatans selling holy relics and
indulgences while hawking the carrot of immortality in an afterlife. The
religious tenets of obedience, chastity, charity, compassion, allegiance, etc.,
have not only been repeatedly broken by members of the various flocks, but by
many of the Spiritual Leaders in gross dimensions.
The common theme among all religions is, “Don’t ask
questions, just believe what we tell you. We are your spiritual leaders. If you
begin asking questions, you risk the loss of your soul on a slippery slope.” A
fictitious descent from the side of an artificial hill religions have created.
I believe in man’s creativity, curiosity and search
for knowledge and truth. We have evolved into a unique species more by accident
than design. And in this state, have gained a knowledge never before attained.
During the last 50 years, we have learned more of our planet and universe than
at any time during the past 200,000 years. We know what we are made of and how
we will end. All life forms, not only of this planet, but on any planet in the
universe, both flora and fauna, share not only a common ancestry, but a common
assortment of elemental building blocks.
Animals live from day to day and do not anticipate or
fret over death. On the other hand, humans have been groomed to fear death as
if it were a horrible sentence pronounced on us by a vengeful God. Yet, at the
same time, also believe that if we are obedient to this God, we will pass
through death into immortality with rewards of mansions, streets of gold, jeweled
crowns,72 dark eyed virgins, to join our ancestors and continue to live in
eternal bliss. This is better known as the ancient practice of fear mongering
to sell snake oil.
Death is a natural event and comes to everything in
the universe including suns, stars, planets, galaxies, vegetation, insects and
humans. When death comes, the material of which we are all made is released to
be used in the reconstruction of new suns, stars, planets, galaxies, vegetation,
insects and humans. The only afterlife experience is the use of our elemental
building blocks (atoms) in the growth and formation of new life forms. The
ancient fears and superstitions of death by our ancestors was fed by spiritual
leaders (Shaman, Witchdoctors, Medicine men, Priests, etc.) to justify tales of
immortality. Unfortunately for mankind, current spiritual leaders continue to
promote the same ancient fears and superstitions of death over the mounting knowledge
discovered everyday by our continued search for the nature of our universe.
The conflict we have in this new age is whether to
continue to live under the fears and superstitions of our ancient ancestors, or
accept these myths and legends of our past as stepping stones into our future. I
see churches (not the religions) of today as social organizations of “like
minds.” Where personal interaction exists to facilitate a desire to support
each other and corporately provide outreach charities that are not easily accomplished
on an individual basis. I see the stories of ancient texts as models of
inspiration for a noble lifestyle and charitable behavior as opposed to
superstitions of salvation into an immortal afterlife in order to avoid the
damnation of a netherworld.
-- o --
No comments:
Post a Comment