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It wasn't established, at least not in the usual sense that we use the word "establish" but it was a very gradual thing.
It grew out of caveman days where everyone in the village had to work in unison for sheer survival. Anyone who disrupted village life was a threat to the whole village, thus violators were either killed or sent out alone into the wilderness. Those shunned and sent out were soon killed by predators unless they found another tribe or village to take them in. Thus began the basic commandments that all religions have, i.e., do not kill or steal, etc.
Then you get villagers wondering how babies came about, what was death, where do you go when you die, what is that bright thing in the sky, and on and on. The best they could do 25,000 years ago was make up the answers; all of which were nothing but myths and superstitions, which became refined over thousands of years. Eventually the keepers of these answers became the village elders who learned how to work the village to their liking.
The old kings used religion as an adjunct to royal control. Use the village preacher to control the village idiots, i.e., do good things and you'll live forever in a wonderful paradise with the great creator or conversely, do bad things and the great father will have you burn forever in an awful place. Sure. The kings let the preachers keep ten percent of the village output as a cheap bargain to keep the peace. In many cases, the elders/preachers were also judge, jury and executioner of those who got out of line, just as we see to this day in some Islamic areas.
Bottom line is yes, religion is the great controller of human beings, using grandiose promises or threats to keep people in line.
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No, I don't believe religion was established to control people...at least not in the very beginning and in the sense you mean it. When religions first started forming around the world, they were part of the evolution and development of ethics and morality as per the ancient philosophers. It wasn't to control people as much as people just trying to figure out what life and living in a civilized society was all about. It wasn't until centuries later that religion became a tool for the powerful.
No, I don't believe religion was established to control people...at least not in the very beginning and in the sense you mean it. When religions first started forming around the world, they were part of the evolution and development of ethics and morality as per the ancient philosophers. It wasn't to control people as much as people just trying to figure out what life and living in a civilized society was all about. It wasn't until centuries later that religion became a tool for the powerful.
Christianity was not established to control people because the message of Jesus Christ and the Disciples in the New Testament runs counter to the interest of the robber baron class. It runs counter to capitalism, the rich, wars and all the things modern day conservatives- that do run America- seem to like.
Try reading it again. Not just the parts your preacher told you to read.
No, I don't believe religion was established to control people...at least not in the very beginning and in the sense you mean it. When religions first started forming around the world, they were part of the evolution and development of ethics and morality as per the ancient philosophers. It wasn't to control people as much as people just trying to figure out what life and living in a civilized society was all about. It wasn't until centuries later that religion became a tool for the powerful.
if you read the thread you will understand the sense I mean it as opposed to guessing incorrectly
No, I don't believe religion was established to control people...at least not in the very beginning and in the sense you mean it. When religions first started forming around the world, they were part of the evolution and development of ethics and morality as per the ancient philosophers. It wasn't to control people as much as people just trying to figure out what life and living in a civilized society was all about. It wasn't until centuries later that religion became a tool for the powerful.
Quote:
Originally Posted by organick
if you read the thread you will understand the sense I mean it as opposed to guessing incorrectly
Your orginal question was: Was religion established and continued to control people?
Sorry you don't like my answer but I stand by it. Religion in the beginning was not about control. It was about a spiritual awakening that was happening all over the world as the stories and parables traveled word of mouth and got attributed to different key people who became the cornerstones of our major religions. It wasn't until centuries later that some church leaders (but not all) started using religion to elevate themselves and try to control the masses in the process.
Last edited by Wayland Woman; 12-02-2009 at 10:53 AM..
Reason: fleshed out the last sentence
Your orginal question was: Was religion established and continued to control people?
Sorry you don't like my answer but I stand by it. Religion in the beginning was not about control. It was about a spiritual awakening that was happening all over the world as the stories and parables traveled word of mouth and got attributed to different key people who became the cornerstones of our major religions. It wasn't until centuries later that some church leaders (but not all) started using religion to elevate themselves and try to control the masses in the process.
read other posts. spiritual awakening has zip to do with organized religion. simply having something around does not constitute the establishment of an organization.
read this too for example...ever adrift summed it up nicely
read other posts. spiritual awakening has zip to do with organized religion. simply having something around does not constitute the establishment of an organization.
read this too for example...ever adrift summed it up nicely
I know that spiritual awaking and organized religion aren't the same. I just took your original question of "was religion established..." more literal than you meant it. If you had said "were churches established...." we would have been on the same page from the start and my answer would have been, yes.
The post you directed me too is interesting and something I already knew about. I wish people who take the Bible so literally understood better how it came about and about all the missing books in the Bible that got censored out at various times in history. In addition to what was written in that post, the Catholic church did a lot of 'creative editing'.
I know that spiritual awaking and organized religion aren't the same. I just took your original question of "was religion established..." more literal than you meant it. If you had said "were churches established...." we would have been on the same page from the start and my answer would have been, yes.
The post you directed me too is interesting and something I already knew about. I wish people who take the Bible so literally understood better how it came about and about all the missing books in the Bible that got censored out at various times in history. In addition to what was written in that post, the Catholic church did a lot of 'creative editing'.
sorry for jumping on you. I am just used to being attacked by fundamentalists on here.
sorry for jumping on you. I am just used to being attacked by fundamentalists on here.
No problem. I understand completely. Being mistaken for a fundamentalist is the funnest thing that's happened to me in a long time.
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