If
man creates Gods and religions, and each one vies for members and power, how
can the men that are supposed to represent these supposed to keep their
faith? The business like actions of
religions to adopt holidays and reasons for holidays from other religions
cannot represent a faith. The faith
should provide the holidays. It should
provide the meanings. It should not
adapt it’s self to another if it is the true path.
The true path should have a discernible
source. It should be traceable. It should be believable without trying to
market it. Faith is not a marketable
item. It is an item that is felt from
within.
From what I see, man has a need to
have a God or Gods. The reasons I feel
are very basic. People (groups) need
something to make them feel that it all has a reason. By it all, I mean what happens to a person
during their life. It would be like a
security blanket. It certainly feels
like a very cold place if it all is for nothing, if it all is
happenstance.
Perhaps the “faith” needs to be in
what a person can do to leave a memory or effect a change that will transcend
them after they have died, to leave something behind that satisfies a need of
humans to be remembered.
Religions do play a large role in
getting people to get along. They have
some very sound advise about behavior and conduct. Perhaps the learned men of the past knew that
people as groups, do not or will not believe an idea that causes them to put
aside their own needs to help another.
Nobles of the past were to provide food and shelter for their
serfs. Most of these noble families were
started by wealthy or powerful people that claimed some rite to the lands. They got this by force or money or both. The religions (I believe) sought to gain
favor by showing the nobles methods to get the serfs to work more
productively. Thus increasing the
noble’s status by increasing wealth.
Since most people believe that the accumulation of items is the measure
of status, this worked out well.
In Egypt, the Pharaoh’s used the
same forces to accomplish this. Then
secured it through the enacting of “Birth Rite”. This enabled them to keep what they had
achieved in their family. The Greeks,
Romans, Celts, Turks and all others that I have heard of, used that same
tactics.
The difference came in what group
they used to assist them to keep their power.
A combination of armies controlled by the government and the giving of
power and favor to a religion (or in some cases, several religions) that gave
them tools to wield. By telling the
populace that their rule is blessed by something larger than their abilities to
obtain power, they bought time. The next
step was to get the army to restore or create order and make themselves the focus
for decisions. Then the religions sent
their representatives to the people spreading the ideas that the ruling body
was just because of a higher power than man was giving them rules that enabled
them to live peaceably. To use this set
of conditions, the populace would gain security and a place in humanities
history for remembrance. That to not
work within these conditions would mean that you did not fit in with
humanity. You did not deserve the
protection of the government and populace.
You are on your own, alone.
The change from plural to singular
in these areas is the key in my opinion.
We get back to the pack mentality of the basic animals we derived
from. Man has never wanted to admit that
were an evolved species, that we were what we are studying now. Humans have their pride. Humans have their needs. Humans do not like to be alone. Humans like to be favored. Humans like to deflect communal focus in
areas where they may be questionable in their conformity. So they find others that either do not
conform or are slightly different. They
focus other humans to this difference.
Since conformity is the social normal, non-conformity is anti-social. Thus, the now anti-social or non-conformist
element becomes the focus. If the ruling
body, religion, or army needs to pull the majority together, now they have
their catalyst. Hence, humans feed the
need once again and perpetuate the circle.
The main point of all this is, think
about what drives you. Why are you doing
what you are doing? Why would another
person want your support? If you think
about the basic needs of every person, you will find the answer you seek.
Scott
N. Smiley
April
23, 2001
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