07-10-2002, 05:24 AM
"God" is perfect. Since the concept of what "perfection" actually entails varies from person to person, "God" will also vary depending on the individual. Thus, everyone, be they Agnostic, Atheist, Catholic, Jew, Muslim, Buddhist, Pagan, Wiccan, Druidic (to which the terms "pagan" and "wicca" owe their origins), monotheistic, polytheistic, Mormon, Shamanistic, Ancestral, or any of the other forms of identifying or worshiping of the divine and supernatural that I may have overlooked, everyone, deep down, even if only subconciously, knows what "God" is, since they have a personal concept of perfection. Prayer, Magic, communing with spirits, medititation, seeking Ancestral guidance, are all means of tapping one's own subconcious or concious awareness of "god" as spiritual signposts or reassurance as one travels the path towards or in the footsteps of one's "god".
From a sociological standpoint, organized religion is a tool to keep the masses of humanity behaved. While religion varies depending on culture, the spiritual message tends to remain one of growth and awareness. It is the codified MORAL and ETHICAL cultural guidelines that are imposed by structured religion that have made it a handmaiden of politicians. Were there no Religion, we would not have the promise of an "afterlife" a place where our souls/spirits go once we have shuffled off the mortal coil... a place of ultimate, undeniable punishment for our moral or ethical "failures", I do not say "sin" because not all religions dictate "sin", but they ALL dictate a postitive and negative means of behavior, some will say it is a balance between the two that must be maintained to move onward, some will say it must be a strong inclination towards the positive, some will say that no stain of negative may be present at all.. in order to move forward to the prize at the bottom of the divine cracker jacks. Should the "correct" path be followed, the prize will be a rewarding one, be it reincarnation, eternal rest, merging of conciousness into the divine, etc.. etc.. Should it be the "incorrect" path that is followed, the prize will be a dud, or worse... a moustrap stuck at the bottom, ie: hell, reincarnation as a lower life form, bound eternally to wander the earth never knowing rest, etc... etc..
Organized Religion uses that threat of spiritual reward and punishment to instill in us a set of moral and ethical values that are acceptable for our culture. Without that threat, we would have nothing to fear from actions we would normally not undertake, and instead of being concerned with the moral good, we would only look after our own interests. Nowadays something like NAMBLA is a sick and twisted, morally reprehensible, entity. Yet, in Sparta during the reign of the Roman Empire, boys were seperated from Girls, and older men frequently engaged in sex with young boys, and this practice was accepted. Why? Because it was morally allowed, the purpose being that Sparta was a military state, and the frequent act of sex between Young soldiers in training and their superior officers would help instill and reinforce the sense of loyalty among troops. At least, that was the reasoning. The point is, what we are told is "right" and "wrong" by organized religion is determined by the needs of our culture and society. While we still look after our own interests, there are guidelines in place (instilled by religion) that keep us generally from crossing certain boundaries. Those guidelines are often reinforced by government by means of law. Ever notice how Man's law and God's Law tend to compliment each other? Is this man striving for god, or god striving for man?
In essence, organized religion is based on spiritual guidance, but also teaches moral and ethical guidelines that are determined by those in power in order to keep society running the way they deem most benificial. Organized Religion cares something for the soul of the individual, but it's true purpose is to caretake the soul of society.
edit- at least, that's my take on what "god" is.. and I went off on a tangent about what i thought about religion... sorry
Edited By Lord Magus on July 10 2002 at 01:39
From a sociological standpoint, organized religion is a tool to keep the masses of humanity behaved. While religion varies depending on culture, the spiritual message tends to remain one of growth and awareness. It is the codified MORAL and ETHICAL cultural guidelines that are imposed by structured religion that have made it a handmaiden of politicians. Were there no Religion, we would not have the promise of an "afterlife" a place where our souls/spirits go once we have shuffled off the mortal coil... a place of ultimate, undeniable punishment for our moral or ethical "failures", I do not say "sin" because not all religions dictate "sin", but they ALL dictate a postitive and negative means of behavior, some will say it is a balance between the two that must be maintained to move onward, some will say it must be a strong inclination towards the positive, some will say that no stain of negative may be present at all.. in order to move forward to the prize at the bottom of the divine cracker jacks. Should the "correct" path be followed, the prize will be a rewarding one, be it reincarnation, eternal rest, merging of conciousness into the divine, etc.. etc.. Should it be the "incorrect" path that is followed, the prize will be a dud, or worse... a moustrap stuck at the bottom, ie: hell, reincarnation as a lower life form, bound eternally to wander the earth never knowing rest, etc... etc..
Organized Religion uses that threat of spiritual reward and punishment to instill in us a set of moral and ethical values that are acceptable for our culture. Without that threat, we would have nothing to fear from actions we would normally not undertake, and instead of being concerned with the moral good, we would only look after our own interests. Nowadays something like NAMBLA is a sick and twisted, morally reprehensible, entity. Yet, in Sparta during the reign of the Roman Empire, boys were seperated from Girls, and older men frequently engaged in sex with young boys, and this practice was accepted. Why? Because it was morally allowed, the purpose being that Sparta was a military state, and the frequent act of sex between Young soldiers in training and their superior officers would help instill and reinforce the sense of loyalty among troops. At least, that was the reasoning. The point is, what we are told is "right" and "wrong" by organized religion is determined by the needs of our culture and society. While we still look after our own interests, there are guidelines in place (instilled by religion) that keep us generally from crossing certain boundaries. Those guidelines are often reinforced by government by means of law. Ever notice how Man's law and God's Law tend to compliment each other? Is this man striving for god, or god striving for man?
In essence, organized religion is based on spiritual guidance, but also teaches moral and ethical guidelines that are determined by those in power in order to keep society running the way they deem most benificial. Organized Religion cares something for the soul of the individual, but it's true purpose is to caretake the soul of society.
edit- at least, that's my take on what "god" is.. and I went off on a tangent about what i thought about religion... sorry
Edited By Lord Magus on July 10 2002 at 01:39
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You're workin' with a professional here. You bunch of losers!! NICE FUCKING MODEL!!!