Ivanhoe's question in a thread

Originally posted by mmanuel
Yes, I am rebelling against the perpetuation of a two thousand year old creation myth (one of several thousand documented throughout the world). What makes this one any more special than the others?

Mark

I know a man who asked that exact same question. He went to church to find out. I don't know if he found out, but he's been going for several years now.

Honestly though, if you are asking this you need to research it for yourself. There are many distinctions of the Christian religion that are completely unique to it. I could list a good sermons worth, but if you really want to know do your homework. There's reason as to why it has been here for over two thousand years and is so prevalent world wide.

Originally posted by Omnislash
I know a man who asked that exact same question. He went to church to find out. I don't know if he found out, but he's been going for several years now.

Honestly though, if you are asking this you need to research it for yourself. There are many distinctions of the Christian religion that are completely unique to it. I could list a good sermons worth ...[text shortened]... s reason as to why it has been here for over two thousand years and is so prevalent world wide.

Don't worry I know a fair bit about creation myths, the question I was asking is that Christianity is based upon a creation myth (well the Old Testament specifically), so what makes that creation myth any more applicable than say the Hua of PNG, or Australian Aborigines, or the !Kung bushmen of Southern Africa, or Norse/Greek/Roman mythology.

All of these people have there own versions of where they come from, and all are equally plausible in my eyes.

Back to ivanhoe' original question "do i know what i am rebelling against?". The answer is yes.

My second question is what makes any one religion/belief more "correct" than another? To believe in one, surely means you have to discount all other belief strucutures round the world?

Mark

Originally posted by fjord
Thanks Omnislash and Ncrosby. I appreciate your openness for the personal approach.
For myself it remains a mystery if there is an entity we could call God. A long time ago I accepted the fact that I just don't know and probably never will ...[text shortened]... find in believers, non-believers and not-knowers alike.

Fjord

Fjord: "It is my experience that compassion is something you can find in believers, non-believers and not-knowers alike."

... of course, same thing with anger, joy, jealousy, rage, fear, arms, eyes and legs.

Originally posted by mmanuel
Don't worry I know a fair bit about creation myths, the question I was asking is that Christianity is based upon a creation myth (well the Old Testament specifically), so what makes that creation myth any more applicable than say the Hua of PNG, or Australian Aborigines, or the !Kung bushmen of Southern Africa, or Norse/Greek/Roman mythology.

All of the ...[text shortened]... in one, surely means you have to discount all other belief strucutures round the world?

Mark

Not necessarily. There are startling commonalities between what appear, at first glance, to be radically different religions. I would bet that the core beliefs of Sufi Muslims, Zen Buddhists, and Christian Mystics are more similar than different. If you're interested, you could do worse than reading Aldous Huxley's "The Perennial Philosophy" or Thomas Mertons "Mystics and Zen Masters".

Originally posted by bbarr
Not necessarily. There are startling commonalities between what appear, at first glance, to be radically different religions. I would bet that the core beliefs of Sufi Muslims, Zen Buddhists, and Christian Mystics are more similar than different. If you're interested, you could do worse than reading Aldous Huxley's "The Perennial Philosophy" or Thomas Mertons "Mystics and Zen Masters".

of course many religions core beliefs are similar - they have been propogated in order to achieve one result: the maintenance of social order. It's a simple principle - people in different environments at different times will arrive at similar solutions to similar problems.

Just because Pyramids were constructed in ancient Mexico, Egypt and Cambodia does not mean that these societies were in any way linked, just that it is easier to construct buildings that are larger at the base and narrow at the top, as opposed to the opposite way round.

Similarly, because different religions/beliefs are based on similar "core values" does not mean they are intrinsically linked, just that they are similar solutions to similar problems

Mark

Originally posted by mmanuel
of course many religions core beliefs are similar - they have been propogated in order to achieve one result: the maintenance of social order. It's a simple principle - people in different environments at different times will arrive at similar solutions to similar problems.

Just because Pyramids were constructed in ancient Mexico, Egypt and Cambodia does ...[text shortened]... they are intrinsically linked, just that they are similar solutions to similar problems

Mark

Mmanuel: "of course many religions core beliefs are similar - they have been propogated in order to achieve one result: the maintenance of social order. It's a simple principle - people in different environments at different times will arrive at similar solutions to similar problems."

Religions are a part of the cultural and spiritual evolution of mankind. Yes indeed they are part of evolution theory, survival of the fittest in a spiritual way.