So… I wrote something about religion a while ago, and I promised to write some more about the subject.
Right… so… let me take you back to a time when I was a wiccan. I had a friend, who didn’t accept my religion, a friend who said I was being deceived by the devil himself. A friend who asked me if I wasn’t affraid I wouldn’t burn in hell for not believing in his God.
Later, it turned out this friend was being brainwashed by this sect. He managed to get out of this sect, but then, he was talking to me, talking about returning there. In that sect, he felt like he found a place where people cared about him, a place where he had friends.
But when he was out, he was all alone again, alone against he big bad world. And even though in that sect he didn’t have freedom. The music he liked to listen, and the music he liked to make himself, was being disapproved, for example. But still, he was thinking about going back there…
What does this mean??? What does it mean??? Maybe it’s not about believing in their God at all, maybe it’s just about belonging somewhere, to belong to a group. To be accepted… But in the end, to be accepted for someone you are not.
To belong somewhere, to be accepted, isn’t that what turned Christianity to it’s success in it’s early days. Yes, there have been the days of the Inquisition where non-believers were being punished, but before that?
The image of the devil was created after the Gods of the old religions. So, after converting enough people, peer pressure would persuide the ones not converted yet, and even…. made them prepared to kill those who didn’t believe in their new God.
Also, I wonder, what was the world like, before Christianity was forced upon the people. Things like marriage were things done by the Church in the early days. But what were relationships like before Christianity? Christianity promoted monogamous relationships, right? But were
they like that before Christianity?
Now, let me take a little detour to science fiction, okay? Star Trek: Enterprise. On board of this Enterprise, there is this Doctor Phlox, a Denobulan. In the Star Trek: Enterprise series, there are a few episodes in wich the Denobulan society, and their polygamous relationships have a role.
The way I watch the Star Trek series, and observe the different social structures of different species, makes me think sometimes as a reflection of our own. It makes me sometimes think they were created to question our own.
« Religion etc. SSL »
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'What was the world like before Christianity was forced upon the people. Things like marriage were things done by the Church in the early days. But what were relationships like before Christianity?'
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Marriage (binding two people together) is not only for Christian people. A few years ago I’ve witnessed the marriage of my cousin with a Muslim girl in the Mosque. The ceremony was a bit different from a Christian marriage, but some parts where similar. Both the Christian marriage and the Islamite marriage are leaded by one single man (for the Christians a Priest and for the Muslims an Imam). In both religions the marriage is sealed with wedding rings. And for both religions the engagement is blessed by the holy spirits (God for the Christians and Allah for the Muslims).
I think this is roughly the same for all religions, including the old ones. Two people who are meant to be together are bound together and this connection is blessed by the holy spirits of the specific religion. This engagement is often celebrated by the local people and during this celebration the two engaged people will receive a token of their engagement. This might be a special type of jewelry (like a wedding ring or a necklace) or some other type of token (like special colors painted in the face or special clothes).
And about your friend and the sect…
For each religion there are normal believers, strong believers and extremists. A sect is in most cases a group of people who have a strong or extremist believe in a specific religion. When you are a part of that group they’ll help you and they’re your friends. When you leave the group, they see it like you’ve abandoned the religion and in some cases they’re out for revenge. I’ve heard some stories about people who’ve left a sect and they’ve been hiding for the rest of their lives, afraid of the revenge of other people of the sect. However, it depends on the sect if any punishment for leaving the sect exists.
The good part of religions is the way they can stimulate your subconscious to do faster healing. They can also help you to control your feelings (when you’ve did something terrible, by accident or not, it may help to confess it to the gods so you can leave the guilty feeling behind and continue your life as normal) and to give you the feeling you’re a part of a group (which gives you the feeling you’re accepted in the society and this gives you strength to continue your life).
The big downside of religions is that some people will force their religion onto others (in some cases even causing a war) or harm other people in name of their religion.
Btw. Why is the text black? I can barely read it.
I am talking about the origin, how it all stared. Not about the situation nowadays. Also, keep in mind, I was referring to the situation *before* Christianity exsisted. Keep in mind the Islam doesn't exsist as long as Christianity does.
I am well aware that there is a similar ritual in the Wiccan religion: Handfesting. (Handbinding in dutch)
You state it's roughly the same for every religion. Nowadays perhaps. But I am talking about ancient times.
Also… but only after I wrote this article, I've read some Wikipedia, which states for example
Polygamy was practiced in many sections of Hindu society in ancient times.. So, wasn't always the case.
Oh, and the reason it's black is because I copy-pasted it from facebook and I didn't realise it containted markup. Should be fixed now.
And get your ass on facebook so I won't have to double post this thing!