I don’t think anyone seriously is suggesting that religion was created to control the masses. However in many cultures religion has been hijack by the ruling classes to do exactly that, to some degree of success.
There is no way of convincing infants
analytically
that God exists
the left brain of an infant
is not yet programmed with enough incoming data
to analyze much more than immediate infantile needs
So we
as parental guides
appealed directly to their right hemispheres
where images
of fairies and goblins
enchanted Princesses
and Santa are projected
and so after weaning
'they grew to believe vaguely
in the GOOD
It is the impish side
that gradually gets their constant attention
Within a year of first contact
with “accidental “ pain
each one of ours
Independently
for they are of different age groups
were totally convinced that trespass
was a no no
not just against the well being of Nature
but any hurt against human society too
specifically
disapproval
and disappointment in their behavior
by mom and dad
They grew
to respect our constant warnings against trespass
and slovenly behavior
and acknowledge
from first hand experience
at increasing levels of pain
that if any trespass
after warnings have been issued
has not been heeded
ouchy !!
inevitably resulted
Any hiding from the truth
via excuses
or outright denials
inevitably
lead to greater penalties
As a result
as parents
we were never victimized
along with them
in the political morass of social judgment
we never had to physically hurt them
in order to remind them to be more careful
Nature did it for us
in the form of scrapescutsbruisesmusclebleedsbonebreaks
in a magical dance
of synchronicities
Every time they crossed the line
pain reminded them
of a constant invisible witness
By age 5/6
as each “accident” played out its drama
their belief in superstition
as a guiding force
after careless cause
and painful effect
has being checked and rechecked countless times
by the analytical side of the brain
is pretty well seated
in BOTH sides of their brains
At 7 years
something magical takes place
the childish analysis of past cause
almost suddenly
wants those same events related
to future effect
if there is good cause
what will be the good effect?
This is when we as parents
begin talking about the clock machine
but only orally
by going back to the very beginning of Time
when tings were easier to understand
and working presentward
into increasing complexity
from there
[i]I dare not touch the text
between 7 and puberty
for i do not trust the thoughts of others
fiddling with the mind
of my child
Why Headstart?
What is wise about learning to decipher text
At age two
or younger yet?
No child is interested in measuring a parsec
or a real sec
They are interested in birthdays
and holidays
and the seasons in between
And when one teaches science
from this familiar organic perspective
where time has meaning
via seasonal growth
and harvested effort
the genetic imprints
of 100,000 generations of humanities collective ancestral experience
all the physics of the hunt
the organic touch of the farmer
the conscientiousness of the craftsman
and the intellectual inquiry of the scientist
all interwoven with superstition
stream out of the right brain
and stoke the analytical fires of the left brain
By age 9 of course
they are down to seconds
and you know that the divisions are started
So it is at age 7
all at once
the infant is gone
the child is present
and will remain there
superstitiously
until puberty
I can not imagine many of you would be much fun at a barbecue. Some of you are a bit uptight, and a tad serious.
This really is a simple question, have you forgotton how to be simple?
Of course control played a part in religion, but that came next.
The question was, why did religion start, and what was the purpose of the creator.
“Control” would have came next, what came before “control”?
MagnetMan~ That was a post worth reading to the end.
Cheers,
This is what always happens
when you analyze from the head down
with all its fuck-ups
instead of the roots up
Nice to know
you know
sky
Manner is wisdom. Existence is only one of the truth.
Religions are from both God and men.
Like Destiny and fate.
Power of birth is a natural rule.
Lives in different levels.
God Bless,
Teru
Ok Stumps, lets assume your collective answer is correct, because of course, it would be impossible to really know.
What do you suppose it was about their ( = homo-sapien) surroundings that would need to be understood ? Why did they feel the need for a proxy?
Although, your answer may answer part of the question, it does not really answer “the question”.
I was encouraged not to write in the forms of poems to answer.
Children of God. You are child. Mother need proofs. Proofs are sciences.
Philosopher is a thinker. You have the honour if you have minds.
Thank you.
The question is what is there that doesn’t need to be understood. Mankind has a natural inquisitive nature. Even now with all we know, we still strive to further our understanding. Imagine how primitvie our methods of science will be in 2000 years time, then think back to what science would have consisted of 2000+ years ago. Religion started effectively as primitive science, ways of understanding and explaining our world.
More importantly
it provided a standard text of good social behavior
and provide hope for those without it
It tried to explain the inexplicable nature
of good and bad fortune
and thereby keep congregations thoughtful
about the rewards of good neighborliness
and the penalties of trespass
and that honest labor would always be rewarded
by a compassionate Supreme Witness
The Hindu texts
gave each of the castes the hope
of rebirth
The Buddhist sutras
provided a method to transcend
the enigma of inequality
Hindualism and Buddhism are mental states.
God is everwhere, because you are inside.
The mental states are what they want.
Love, Hope and Truth.
Old and New, Both from God.
Texts are not important, but the meanings behind.
=D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D>
=D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D>
=D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D>
=D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D>
=D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D>
=D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D>
=D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> [-o< =D> =D> =D> =D> =D>
=D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D>
Ok, so do you suppose humans just woke up one day with an idea for a religion, to worship the invisible, or do you believe we have always had it?
What do you suppose sparked the idea for new thought? Why, was it thought?
The thread on Superstition
is busy answering that
The is an earlier thread
The Origins of Human Consciousness
Death, weather (because that directly related to food and survival), animals to hunt, fire, the ocean, mountains…basically walk out and imagine that you have no idea what the hell is going on and start trying to make an understanding of what the hell all this crap happens for…why does the weather change, why does the ground shake, why does the mountain collapse, why does the food grow and not grow, why do people die, why … etc…
Then flip it around once you start making the answers.
How do I get the weather we need to live, how do I get the ground to stay calm, how do I get long life, how do I get people to come back from heading to death, how do I survive…etc…
If you believe in a force beyond yourself that has control over these elements, then you will attempt to use them as proxy for your control; a benefit to yourself and those you care about.
Control is minds, not the beliefs. Faith in the God will not make you become empty.
Minds are minds, thinking cause you are living.
Benifits to all, doorway to the truth will brings new directions.
Truth may save. Lies must dead. Knowledge to the truth, not for own well beings, but future of the mankind.
Congra for being a Philosopher.
Truth is always.
All religions are valid because of the existence of the God.
God is only one. She is not alone because we are here.
Feel her temperature.
Feel her Love by heart.
God Bless.
Teru
More wise words from the genius of Pi?
Look, no one said anything about anyone being empty from religion.
No one even came close to such a ridiculous statement.
Care to insert more random fortune cookie gibberish about nothing what-so-ever again?
I’m starting to get a grasp on why you might have been banned from previous sites; I give you merit for interest, but you are truly annoying in your stance of knowing secrets about life while truly knowing nothing at all…in fact, your conversations make as much sense as an AliceBot.
I’m actually starting to wonder if you aren’t someone’s pet project to see if they can get their AliceBot to talk on forums.
Is it just me, but I find Wong to be interesting. When I see he left a post, out of curiousity I read it, there are a few of you that write interesting responses to questions. I am sure I am not the only one reading out of curiosity, because his post get a lot of reads.
I do not speak whatever language it is that Wong is speaking, ie… math and science, but most of what he writes sounds poetic and makes sense. He writes what we already know in a different way.
Athough, the “Save the Planet” thing threw me for a loop.
Wong, what is the message you are trying to convey, most people already believe in a “God”. Some think Male, some think Female, Some think both. Either way, they believe in a Creator.
Stumps… Would you consider this just another extension to the main line?
I don’t mind if he talks about philosophy and poetry, I have nothing against that. It’s just science isn’t poetry and spiritual issues aren’t resolved with maths, that’s vaguely irksome I suppose. Nowhere near as annoying as string groupies though or crackpots. I also think he’s kind of corrupting more orthodox Christianity and its core tenets which is probably why the religious posters tend to be more annoyed by him than I.