I was just wondering if anyone knew the origonal reason that religon was created? I personally believe that it was to explain the unexplainable - life, death, pain, suffering, etc. Anyone else have any good thoughts? ~Robin
I just realized something that can be tagged onto this: I am annoyed with the major religions of the world all having to do soley with mankind. The subject of Human Arrogance is frusterating to me; it seems that religion just propetuates that arrogance: "The world was created for MAN" Anyone know of any religions that share some sense of worldly cohesiveness? Not Man v. Nature or something along those lines? Im rambling. ~Robin
Try Druids....you will be both amazed and enlightened by the "Old Religion" and the way it feeds in to its predecesor Christianity. It will also give you a better understanding and respect for much of the biblical teachings that seem to make no sense to you. We shall not cease from exploring, And the end of our exploring Will be to arrive where we started And know the place for the first time. ~T.S. Eliot
Plenty of them: Buddhism (all flavors) Taoism Most of the Neo Pagan sects Vodun (Voodoo) Drlounatianity
Most non-Creator religions started with animism - the belief that nature and everything is part of the same lifeforce-god. It did not really explain much, but made people feel much more "at home". From this seat of comfort and harmony, it was later adapted to explain (and interact with) things like life, death, pain and suffering. But Christianity doesn't really explain these things in a comforting way, as you know. It also doesn't deify man above nature, as some seem to think. We are both animals, and more than animals. The only thing that differentiates us is the amount of atention God pays to us ... almost like we need 'special care'.
So the world wasn't created for man.....? Am i misinformed, because i thought that in Judio-Christian teachings the world was created for man? Genesis 1:28 God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground." Perhaps thats why some believe that God placed man "above nature" I think its also interesting to note that God declared that man should subdue the earth - as if nature couldn't take care of itself on that matter, that the earth needed a master to tame its wild and horribly animalistic nature. Im not sure that i buy it, we havn't done such a hot job thus far. ~Robin
I'd also like to point out that Christianity was made to allow people to feel 'at home' as well, it (like any other religion) was a way to explain the unexplainable. ~Robin
But we ARE at "home"...born of the Earth and given life by the Spirit. Christians can recognize that idea in that God fashioned us from the Dirt and He; the father of Spirits, the Great I Am...breathed the breath of life in to man. Christianity was created a loooong time after the begining of life. See it for what it is. I dont like the word religion much...it is so muddled in mans definitions. But the need to understand and learn are not the same as the need to explain. All men share it...if you were not called by your own spirit to seek understanding then you wouldn't be on this forum.
I we were less than nature, it would have power over us. If we were equal to nature, we wouldn't be having this conversation because there would have been harmony. We are in charge of nature, but that does not make us better - or gods. God is God over us and over nature.
