01-06-2008, 12:00 AM
"As agricultural societies emerged, whenever that may have been, I agree it's unlikely that there was a tendency to atheism.
I'd think that religion would continue on, after it stopped having survival benefits.
I believe the tendency in religious thought was to abstraction.
There are not many elements in an aboriginal religion rightly called abstract. There are few elements of an industrial age religion (different than agricultural) that are not abstract."
I don't look at these things in terms of mankind evolving from hunters gatherers to farmers. There is an innate sense in mankind as a whole that there are invisible, intelligent beings that reside here.
Monotheists believe in one Creator. That does not mean they don't believe in spiritual beings more powerful than mankind that are in charge of and can control certain elements of nature.
Catholicism even absorbed the ideas of Seasonal Festivals into their system in order to gain more converts. Hebrew calenders are base upon both moon phases and the solar year. The Winter Solstice, (the appreciation and thanks that the days are going to begin getting longer) is an important Pagan and Catholic ceremony and festival. The Catholic church actually moved the celebration of the birth of Jesus from September to accomadate their Pagan converts belief systems.
A hunter may ask for the wind to be at his back when stalking prey, a farmer may wish for a mild spring and summer that his seeds aren't washed away or crops scorched.
And they will appeal to the spirit they believe is in control of those particular functions of nature. A Catholic has a whole pantheon of "Saints" he can choose to help him with these natural phenomena. Many of these so called "saints" have been overlayed on pagan gods just as Jesus' birth was overlayed on the Winter Solstice. This was done to win converts not to teach Christianity.
Just look at Catholic communities around the world. Fishermen in Ireland still appealing to the same gods of the sea. Down in Haiti and places like Yucatan using saints names in ceremonies that are from before the Spanish arrived. In Northern europe their Christmas celebrations reflect a much different pantheon with yule logs and such.
There is not much difference in our beliefs except in the West where we have come to believe in nothing.
Well, that is not quite true, As a society, we in the "Civilized West" believe in One God that is above all, (but that we really can't communicate with), and pretend as if all the lesser gods, nature spirits, seasonal spirits etc., do not exist.
Our science books have become our "Holy Books." Our school teachers have become our priests. The blind leading the blind. And that even when science admits that it's realm only extends to that which can be quantified, measured, repeated and proven using earthly tools to do so. In other words, we as a society, have allowed those who are admittedly blind to spiritual things to dictate what we can believe to be spiritually true.
Now I'm rambling.Bob
I'd think that religion would continue on, after it stopped having survival benefits.
I believe the tendency in religious thought was to abstraction.
There are not many elements in an aboriginal religion rightly called abstract. There are few elements of an industrial age religion (different than agricultural) that are not abstract."
I don't look at these things in terms of mankind evolving from hunters gatherers to farmers. There is an innate sense in mankind as a whole that there are invisible, intelligent beings that reside here.
Monotheists believe in one Creator. That does not mean they don't believe in spiritual beings more powerful than mankind that are in charge of and can control certain elements of nature.
Catholicism even absorbed the ideas of Seasonal Festivals into their system in order to gain more converts. Hebrew calenders are base upon both moon phases and the solar year. The Winter Solstice, (the appreciation and thanks that the days are going to begin getting longer) is an important Pagan and Catholic ceremony and festival. The Catholic church actually moved the celebration of the birth of Jesus from September to accomadate their Pagan converts belief systems.
A hunter may ask for the wind to be at his back when stalking prey, a farmer may wish for a mild spring and summer that his seeds aren't washed away or crops scorched.
And they will appeal to the spirit they believe is in control of those particular functions of nature. A Catholic has a whole pantheon of "Saints" he can choose to help him with these natural phenomena. Many of these so called "saints" have been overlayed on pagan gods just as Jesus' birth was overlayed on the Winter Solstice. This was done to win converts not to teach Christianity.
Just look at Catholic communities around the world. Fishermen in Ireland still appealing to the same gods of the sea. Down in Haiti and places like Yucatan using saints names in ceremonies that are from before the Spanish arrived. In Northern europe their Christmas celebrations reflect a much different pantheon with yule logs and such.
There is not much difference in our beliefs except in the West where we have come to believe in nothing.
Well, that is not quite true, As a society, we in the "Civilized West" believe in One God that is above all, (but that we really can't communicate with), and pretend as if all the lesser gods, nature spirits, seasonal spirits etc., do not exist.
Our science books have become our "Holy Books." Our school teachers have become our priests. The blind leading the blind. And that even when science admits that it's realm only extends to that which can be quantified, measured, repeated and proven using earthly tools to do so. In other words, we as a society, have allowed those who are admittedly blind to spiritual things to dictate what we can believe to be spiritually true.
Now I'm rambling.Bob