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I don't think Jesus figures into it. If Jesus had never existed, nor the events in his life, the people of Europe would have simply embraced another theistic faith, and adapted it as necessary to take advantage of their economic development. Maybe just unadulterated Judaism. Of course, things would have developed somewhat differently, but in the end, would probably come out as a world lwith pretty much the same socio-economic and technological flavor. After all, the influence of Christ had almost no positive effect on European development in the Dark and Middle Ages, and Europeans had to afterwards piece things together, and it wouldn't really matter what theistic faith they adhered to, as long it could be hammered and bent into something that tolerated European greed.
My view as well. Christian in name and rituals, but hardly in behavioral practice. "I'm killing you and stealing your land in the name of Jesus" isn't any sort of improvement, or distinction over "I'm killing you and stealing your land."
My view as well. Christian in name and rituals, but hardly in behavioral practice. "I'm killing you and stealing your land in the name of Jesus" isn't any sort of improvement, or distinction over "I'm killing you and stealing your land."
Would "I'm killing you in the name of the "common good", (or just "da people")" be an improvement???
Monotheism promoted individual accountability, which played a key role in the development of codified law and the evolution of stronger market and production systems and of representative, parliamentary pluralism (although it could be argued that the "flip side" to this is the rise of Fascism and collectivism in weak or failed societies).
Buddhism is very much about individual accountability. More so than Christianity, which promises pie in the sky if you repent before you die, no matter what horrific acts you committed in the course of your lifetime.
I could think of several significant events that might qualify for MOST significant:
Dropping the atomic bomb
The development of agriculture (which took place at different times around the world, not a single event)
Industrial revolution
Exodus out of Africa, to eventually populate the planet
Invention of gunpowder
Discovery of how to make fire
Last edited by Ruth4Truth; 05-23-2013 at 10:46 PM..
If there is one single event in human history that changed everything about humanity what would it be?
I would say the Resurrection of Christ over two thousand years ago.
No proof that this happened. Some say he went East after surviving his ordeal on the cross, and ministered to the Jewish community in Kashmir. No proof of that yet either, other than mention of Jesus turning up somewhere around Persia on his way to India, mentioned in Act of Thomas.
I would agree, Gutenberg's printing press changed the world forever. Imagine a world where books were handwritten, scarce and very expensive. Information was hard to come by... then here comes a way to print faster and cheaper, information for the little guy! Newspapers, magazines.... material to read!
The Chinese already had printed books centuries before Europe.
Writing. For the first time we were able to capture words and retain / share them. Before this, knowledge was shared through story telling, but once we learned how to write, knowledge could actually be stored outside of human heads and passed on even after the person with the knowledge passed away.
Writing, however, wasn't shared. It was the province of the elite for a very long time, wherever it was invented. The lower classes were not taught to read. In many cultures it was thought best to keep them ignorant by prohibiting them from learning to read, or by making such learning inaccessible to most.
The first securable storage containers for foodstuffs. Throughout history - prior to this event in varying cultures - the tenuous relationship of inventory and location of varying foods for a balanced diet made everyone nomadic hunter gatherers.
Even if it took some time to refine agricultural knowledge over time one needed to have food storage capacity and inventory to support groups large enough to contain / secure an area from others and then subsequently lead to stable commerce.
Foodstuffs being mostly perishable, needed the development of good secure containers, and the weights and measuring element along with it to effect widespread commerce and trade.
Would "I'm killing you in the name of the "common good", (or just "da people")" be an improvement???
My own country's vanguard of Christian ethics, in my own lifetime, told the Vietnamese "I'm killing you for your own good", which is, at least, unselfish.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ciceropolo
The first securable storage containers for foodstuffs. . . .
Foodstuffs being mostly perishable, needed the development of good secure containers, and the weights and measuring element along with it to effect widespread commerce and trade.
You mean, like Pop-Tarts, and other such great leaps forward in assured nutrition?
The UADA and CDC say one American in six suffers each year from foodborne illness, which is probably higher than most third world countries. Due almost exclusively to the absence of any acquired immunity to pathogens. Rather than helping us, we have actually created a dependence on food sterility. Besides the fact that 50% of all edible food harvested in or imported to the USA is discarded and wasted even before it becomes unsafe to eat. In China, that figure is almost certainly less than 10% and probably much closer to 1%.
My view as well. Christian in name and rituals, but hardly in behavioral practice. "I'm killing you and stealing your land in the name of Jesus" isn't any sort of improvement, or distinction over "I'm killing you and stealing your land."
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