Re: The creational point of view

On Mon, 24 Nov 2003 00:44:28 +0000 (UTC), "Roadrunner"
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:

>
>"Tom" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
>news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]


>> Tom: You would do well to open your eyes and learn how the bible was
>> written. Open your eyes and learn how Christianity borrowed from all the
>> other mythologies that predated Christianity.
>
>Any idea how many 'scriptures' there are from around this planet, never
>noticed the amazing similarity shared in them?  All coincedence?

I notice that our species, which has a long infant dependency on parental
authority figures who keep us safe from harm and tell us what to do as part
of the family, comes up with lots of myths for adults no longer dependent on
their parents where divine authority figure(s) promise to keep us safe from
harm in the afterlife and tell us what to do as part of the faith.

These stories all share a myth of a time when life was paradisiacal until
mankind broke faith with the divine authority and punished by degeneration
into a life of toil, disease, pain and misery.  The various stories of this
type tend to be extremely colourful and dramatic, so that they are
memorable, and the trope of submission to divine will is the fundamental
underlying message, with graphic illustrations of the gory fates of those
who refuse divine will peppering the narrative .  

The scriptures tend to promise a return to paradise after death so long as
the faithful honour the divine being, work hard as acknowledgement of the
justice of the divine punishment and demonstration of a desire to atone, and
*obey the political hierarchy* supported by the priests/shamans as something
to be endured in this life that is irrelevant to the afterlife.  Those who
do not adhere to the scriptures tend to be ostracised and lose all the
physical and social benefits of community.

I also notice that priests/prophets/scribes/shamans share a tendency towards
inside work with no heavy lifting as a result of contributions from the
faithful to the altars.

So, scriptures worldwide tend to posit a divine being who through
temples/priests insists that the populace obey and provide labour to the
political hierarchy in order to be part of the faith-family and gain the
afterlife.  These myths tend to promote resigned social order amongst the
underclasses and great wealth amongst the elite.

What other similarities in scriptures worldwide have you noticed?

Vivienne Smythe
-- 
I've never understood why "do what the deity says -- he's got the
power to send you to hell!" is more of a moral statement than "do what
the robber says -- he's got a gun!"  (Louann Miller)