The human condition requires a standard of conduct so that the species may survive the conflicts of interaction between groups with competing goals. It was out of this necessity that religion was created as a survival technique. The human mind evolves in computer-like fashion , storing information as it is received for later use. Through trial and error man learned to create a set of responses to cope with the stress of survival . He discovered that conflict can be resolved either by force or persuasion, and that persuasion was the less painful and therefore the most rewarding of the two.
Once these discoveries were etched in the human mind it was logical for mankind to refine the knowledge with artful methods of persuasion; and so religion was introduced. Our records show that mankind developed a technique called worship thousands of years ago. It is significant that all religions mandate submission to a higher power. Early religions revolved around the worship of Gods in the form of idols or natural phenomenon such as the sun, moon or other celestial objects. Later refinements directed worship towards a single power.
It is interesting to note that the shepherds of religion founds a niche for themselves in the process of directing others. As conductors of mysticism they became synonymous with the single power to be worshipped. The result was a reflected glory in which the clergy basked and obviously enjoyed. Their position in society was elevated to a much higher level and they often had an authority which exceeded governmental constraints.
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It is interesting to observe that man's submission to a higher power takes paths that are always self-serving. Each culture interprets and chronicles the intricate details or their "religion" in a manner that best serves their respective demographics. Though each religion attempts to define right and wrong, the methods by which right and wrong are administered vary considerably. In the world today and in the past, man has been willing to kill his fellow man simply to impose his will and his religious interpretations on those of different faiths. Sadly, each believes his religion is the ultimate salvation and that those of differing beliefs are bound for condemnation.
ReplyDeleteOR, Dad...when God created man/woman, He instilled them/us with a deep sense of His presence so that they would recognize Him and be able to determine the difference between right and wrong, having the choice to do behave either way, but clearly knowing the difference...a sort of "internal/automatic recognition mechanism," if you will. And because of this knowledge of right and wrong and our sense of God, we began to seek His favor and pay Him the respect and honor deserving of our creator. - julie
ReplyDeleteFootnote to my previous post: A few years ago I heard someone talking about God and the ongoing arguments of "...is there, or isn't there?..." Then the speaker referred to research that shows even the most severely mentally ill person - and even people who have amnesia know who God is and revere Him as the creator. Even the non-believer recognizes God as the being that other people have faith in even if they do not. I found that information to incredibly interesting.
ReplyDeleteI hear people blame God for the horrors in this world and all I can tell you is that is not God. That is "Godlessness."
Sadly, there are too many Christians in this world who behave immorally, or like idiots. But that is also NOT God. That is vanity, and sin. The old bumper sticker is true: "Christians aren't perfect - just forgiven."
come the rapture, can i have your car?
ReplyDeleteMarty should definitely get Julie's car - doesn't she already own some of the dents? ;-)
ReplyDeleteOf course I can't help reacting to Julie's observation about the "recognition" of god by posing a different interpretation... perhaps it isn't recognition of god, but a very basic desire to understand the world around us that causes people to attribute to an all-powerful being both that which they cannot explain, and that which makes them feel powerless.
I'm just saying it's possible...
There are so many plausible explanations, and like a good mystery novel, it would ruin the experience if we knew the ending before we read the book. I just have a problem with organized religions that try to do anything more than share their belief systems with people searching for answers. Religion, or belief systems, is a private matter that no government should interfere with, which is one of the bedrocks our Founding Fathers established this country upon. Like Thomas Jefferson, I understand a "moral compass" - in our country's case, Christianity - is necessary for the survival of any civilized society, but people should be allowed to seek their own religious belief system as long as they obey the laws of the land. The televangelists who delight in pointing out that the majority of the Founding Fathers were devout Christians to push their agendas obviously never took Logic 101 and don't understand why these great men insisted on separation of church and state. I have no idea why we are here, what happens when we die, etc., etc., but it is illogical and strikes at my very core to believe in a loving God and fear his wrath upon my demise if I just didn't "get it" during this short tenure on earth. Human beings, in my opinion, have not evolved enough to figure any of this stuff out, and I happen to believe that if dinosaurs ruled the earth for about 130 million years, the "end of days" for humans isn't just around the corner. The concept of "intelligent design" makes more sense to me. Like Lee Strobel points out in "A Case for Faith", if you believe it possible for a tornado to roar through a junkyard and leave a fully functional 747 commercial airliner, then you can easily believe that life can spring up on its own. While it is possible - though highly unlikely - for some amino acids to be formed under the exact right conditions, the steps leading to protein formation and DNA sequencing (life as we define it) are less likely than the above-mentioned creation of a 747. I just think it more likely that there is a God who set down some laws of physics than one who listens to our prayers every night and knows everything we do or say - I couldn't possibly believe in a God so powerful and so involved in the trivial details of every human's life. How boring it must be for Him/Her/It! I just think current religions are very primitive and that humans don't yet have the capacity to perceive, much less understand, the workings of the universe. Maybe our natural state is one of pure energy and we choose to take a physical form for a while. Wasn't all matter once together prior to The Big Bang? It seems the job of all atoms is to fill their outer electron shells and form larger compounds, bringing matter back together as it once was. What about the concept of Dark Matter rather than the emptiness of outer space? I'm rambling a bit here because I don't have any answers or definitive beliefs and really don't expect to in my lifetime - I just refuse to be fearful of my own death and a vengeful God. I do believe in the basic Christian tenets of "Do unto others", love, etc., but the rest of it is like the ingredients of a fruit cake and just as nutty. Anyhow, I enjoy your musings, Dad, and the comments from family. Now that I can access your site I will try to participate more often. Love to you all! Mark
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