It was a different world . Christian people believed God was in the sky looking down on them and that their prayers would reach God if the church steeple was tall enough. Be glad we survived until now and for the science we have.
It was a different world . Christian people believed God was in the sky looking down on them and that their prayers would reach God if the church steeple was tall enough. Be glad we survived until now and for the science we have.
And I wonder if perhaps you might be hired by a great university to teach history where you could help educate future voters - would the school board of directors approve of your selection and let you teach what you have written here? I have recently learned about racism in places where I never suspected it existed. It’s deplorable and, for me, unforgivable. Knowing makes me responsible, but I haven’t yet learned how to effectively change humanity. How do we learn that? Who teaches that?
It depends on how one defines Christians, by word or by deed. Jesus was a Jew who taught certain values, upon which Western civil law is based. Fervor directed in a civil way is not destructive. Irrational fervor can become a frenzied killing spree. I seem always to come back to human fear of death, or even of being ignored, and our need for validation, everyones need to justify their existence. Every time I bring up over-population, the human need to procreate overwhelms rational thought, but it seems to me that our biggest dilemma is a fight for a place in the world, not heaven.
But wait, I was taught that our laws were based on the Greeks and Romans, with a bit of help from the original people's covenants, the very ones the "pilgrims" massacred. I'm embarrassed to say that I can't remember the exact tribe at this moment, even though it was mentioned.
I think the whole "we owe our nation's laws (ie values) to Christianity" is a dangerous simplification.
Many of our greatest founding fathers rejected the Judeo-Christian-Muslim tradition in favor of agnosticism or deism, largely because of the history of war and oppression associated with Christianity in their own motherland.
Their fate is outlined in the Book of Job, but a lot of them don’t read the Old Testament and don’t have the cultural history of it to understand what they’re reading. They remind me of Renaissance painters who painted biblical characters costumed in 15th century Florentine clothing.
Some did. Cultural relativity is often used as an excuse for overlooking something uncomfortable: Not all people at the time bought into that story. There were arguments and schisms among congregations over the treatment of indigenous peoples. There was the interesting tendency of white settlers to leave and go to live with native people- as one of them. Towns of both sometimes existed side by side or intermixed. Things were much, much more complex than even our "enlightened" revisions recognize. The world was not so different then as we think.
But isn't that exactly what the White "Christian" Nationalists being weaponized by the Oligarchy are still saying now, in 2024? They are not focused on the height of the steeple, but on the dome of Congress and the White House porch. (they have already completed a judicial coup, thus proving their Divine Destiny.)
It was a different world . Christian people believed God was in the sky looking down on them and that their prayers would reach God if the church steeple was tall enough. Be glad we survived until now and for the science we have.
And I wonder if perhaps you might be hired by a great university to teach history where you could help educate future voters - would the school board of directors approve of your selection and let you teach what you have written here? I have recently learned about racism in places where I never suspected it existed. It’s deplorable and, for me, unforgivable. Knowing makes me responsible, but I haven’t yet learned how to effectively change humanity. How do we learn that? Who teaches that?
Seems to me Christian numbers are decreasing, but their fervor might be increasing?
It depends on how one defines Christians, by word or by deed. Jesus was a Jew who taught certain values, upon which Western civil law is based. Fervor directed in a civil way is not destructive. Irrational fervor can become a frenzied killing spree. I seem always to come back to human fear of death, or even of being ignored, and our need for validation, everyones need to justify their existence. Every time I bring up over-population, the human need to procreate overwhelms rational thought, but it seems to me that our biggest dilemma is a fight for a place in the world, not heaven.
Yup, irrational fervor
But wait, I was taught that our laws were based on the Greeks and Romans, with a bit of help from the original people's covenants, the very ones the "pilgrims" massacred. I'm embarrassed to say that I can't remember the exact tribe at this moment, even though it was mentioned.
I think the whole "we owe our nation's laws (ie values) to Christianity" is a dangerous simplification.
Many of our greatest founding fathers rejected the Judeo-Christian-Muslim tradition in favor of agnosticism or deism, largely because of the history of war and oppression associated with Christianity in their own motherland.
Yes it’s an everyday fight.
But they believed that God only shined on them and not the other...a common problem to this day
Their fate is outlined in the Book of Job, but a lot of them don’t read the Old Testament and don’t have the cultural history of it to understand what they’re reading. They remind me of Renaissance painters who painted biblical characters costumed in 15th century Florentine clothing.
Severe problem
Some did. Cultural relativity is often used as an excuse for overlooking something uncomfortable: Not all people at the time bought into that story. There were arguments and schisms among congregations over the treatment of indigenous peoples. There was the interesting tendency of white settlers to leave and go to live with native people- as one of them. Towns of both sometimes existed side by side or intermixed. Things were much, much more complex than even our "enlightened" revisions recognize. The world was not so different then as we think.
But isn't that exactly what the White "Christian" Nationalists being weaponized by the Oligarchy are still saying now, in 2024? They are not focused on the height of the steeple, but on the dome of Congress and the White House porch. (they have already completed a judicial coup, thus proving their Divine Destiny.)