Organized Religion

I don't have much to write about lately but my brother's blog struck a chord with me. He said, to paraphrase, that he is having a "crisis of faith" and is unsure what his religious views are. Yet, he does feel that there is some divine power working in the world.

"The blood of "Christendom" is oppression and manipulation thru skewed theology and the formation of hierarchical systems." ~ Mark Twain, A Connecticut Yankee in King Authur's Court


First: Organized religion

Organized religion grew organically out of early social constructs. People sought to identify themselves and how they related to the world. They began to settle and to create civiliaztions. These civilazations began to distinguish themselves in many ways--through language, dress, tradition, worldviews(how they fit into the world). These worldviews amongst different cultures soon grew into religions that became major facets of their daily lives (i.e. commerce & trade, daily routines, socialization--both secular and religious). As we all know from these rudimentary days of religion "the church" and religion in the universal sense of their definitions took on much greater and pronounced roles in their day to day lives.


Second: Why there is no Christian god

I believe there is no Christian god for many reasons. First, major religions, along with their deities, have sprung up geographically through out the world. Where worldviews are different so are religions. Traditionally speaking, in India, we have Hinduism & Bhuddism, Bhuddism bleeds into Western China where there is Bhuddism, Confuciansim, and Taoism, this then bleeds into the far East into Japan and Korea where we have Confucianism, and Taoism; however, today there are no more noticeable dividing lines. If there is one, omnipotent Jewish/Christian God, then why did he not reveal himself to humans before the hebrews? Why did he choose only this one part of the earth to reveal himself? Because this was the way that the Hebrews began to understand and make since of their world or perhaps to cope with their oppressors, a product of suffering; this is the way their religion evolved. Judahism and Christianity are composed of so many other religions that it is quite comical to think it unique. All of these predate Christianity and were organized religions from the same geographical location, Syria, Egypt, Macedonia, and so on.


Third: Christianity is appealing

Christianity and Judahism were and are appealing. This god in Christendom is not vengeful unlike many of its contemporary polytheistic rivals with gods that used humans as play things, and were vindictive and angry rulers (reference any mythology out of Ancient, Greece, Rome, Babylon, Egypt, and so on.)

The God of the Old Testament was vengeful and wrathful, but he was an immanent god that was very real in every minute of their lives, who pronounced undying love for his people, and promised the dejected Jews that they would thrive. This deity was not a god that would throw lightning bolts at them from a far off places when the mood struck. God, in his covenant with Abraham, set forth a guide and with Moses rules, by which they were to live their lives and be faithful to their creator. It was very clear on how to worship and how to live; they weren't hanging in limbo about whether or not they pissed their god off that day, unlike the animistic religions that were beginning to die out at the time.

But this idea of one ultimate god who has got your back, as long as you keep the faith and the covenant, is very appealing to people, A) who are poor (it costs less to tithe or sacrifice to one god instead of 10 or 15), and B) who were getting dominated by all the polytheistic religions of the region. And take a guess why the "Land of Milk and Honey" was in the middle of the desert. Because there never was one; it was a story to get people to join the exodus. The nile in Egypt was more fertile than anywhere they would end up. People followed Moses into the desert because of the appeal of the God's promise coupled with the fear and suffering at the hands of their Egyptian masters.

Why else is Judahism and modern day Christianity appealing. These two religions were the first to truly label and market the idea of faith, thus making them foolproof and unarguable. Oh you can't see God and so you don't believe he is real. Well you don't have faith! I can't see the air I breath, but I know it's real (that little anecdote makes me ill to my stomach). It sounds like a cute little counter argument some third grade children's churcher made up, an I hear it from adults and laugh. It is hard to discount a religion when you can't even argue it. Arguing with a devoutly faithful person is like hitting your head against a wall.

This idea of faith and safety in numbers, as well as, and I admit, charming since of charity and compassion found in the religion, made it quite appealing to people of weaker religious faiths, weaker civilizations(poor people, poor countries). Yeah I will worship your god, I am starving and have no food or protection, give me that bread and you can have my soul. I am certain that I am going to hell for the deeds I have done. There is something to be said for the stereotype of jailhouse salvation. What is that the Christian God pardons all sins as long as I believe; okay I believe.

Not only the appeal of the religions helped it to spread through the world. It is well documented how the strong arms of Judahism and Christianity, just like Rome, helped to spread the religion. The bottom line is that Christianity was the first religion to come along that was quite nearly fullproof to all second-guessers. No one was able to successfully debunk the flaws of the foundations of Judahism and Christiantiy, and by the Age of Enlightment and the publishing of The Origin of Species, these two religions were already dug in for the fight.


Fourth: Christianity has no backbone

Christianity has no backbone. We bend and break the bible and put it back together so that we can justify just about whatever we want. "Be neither hot nor cold, for I will spew you out" I take this to mean two things. Live the Christian life with full faith and commitment, and that the Christian way of life is no penumbra; it is a black and white religion just as the Old Testament supposes. In referencing the Old Testament, (NOT MY BELIEFS) if a man lies with a man this is an abomination and he is to be killed. If a woman lies with another man whom is not her husband, then she is stoned to death. In the New Testament the message is love and compassion. So this obviously means that all men are equal and will forever be forgiven, so our perspective on sin changes. People say oh that is just Old Testament hub bub, the bible is symbolic not literal now. Funny how 150 years ago Christians who don't readily accept the harsh ways of the Old Testament "hub bub" used the Old Testament to justify slavery. Now we reject it so they can justify forgiveness for any sin. Christianity has become a farce to say the least with numerous theological and biblical contradictions. I mean Jesus, just look how man different religions exist and within these religions, sects and denominations. I used to feel like that Nazi dude from Indiana Jones who was looking for the Holy Grail. The last thing I wanted to do was get to St. Peter and hear him say, "You chose POORLY! Actually the Mormans were right."

It is so funny to me that people have so much faith in a book with superhuman men, talking animals, water walking, talking bushes, and all other kinds of unexplainable phenomena. Did a burning bush speak to moses, did women came from Adam's rib, did Jesus walked on water? (And Christians laugh at L. Ron Hubbard) Why do these things exist in the bible. Because they were superstitious people who lived in a time without science. Now that we have scientific law Christians and Jews alike, rebuke the stories as literal translations and say that it was meant to be deep and symbolic. So the ten commandments are meant to be literal but not far from that the burning bush was meant to be symbolic? Come on you can't pick and choose.
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I do believe in a God however; I just don't believe in a Christian god. Humans possess a deep and abstract self-awareness; a phenomena that exists nowhere else in the world. We are people that live according to concscience, employing our analytical, self-aware minds. We have the ability to do things like no one else in the known universe. This power comes from somewhere. Consider art. These abstract creations that directly reflect us. I believe humans are the highest art, for we are an artistic expression as well because any creation is an artistic endeavor.

Some will say that God cannot exist in our world, the way that science defines it. But remember God is not a part of our world, at least not the way we define God as being transcendent. So if God is not part of our world then what makes our laws apply to God. But then again what makes our notions of semantics and categorization apply to the holy. We cannot, no matter how hard we try to, put a finger on God. God is undefinable and untouchable. So why try. I do know that humans are special and that something divine exists in us; I know that there is a clear order in the world that exists from our concscience, a moral law. This moral notion existed before religion, it is natural to the world and to humans. I believe that if we live in accordance to the moral nature of the world, the way it was made, then if there is a judgement day we won't be condemned.

Religion, over time, has grown into a social construct that is manipulated by the powerful to breed fear, guilt, and conformation to secular political and social views. Religion is dead weight. People, in my general opinion, are religious for two reasons: First because their parents were; it spreads through family tradition like any other gene(an exaggerated point). Why do you go to church? Because my parents did and their parents did and nobody thought to ask why. And why ask why, which brings me to number two. In the right context, the moral fiber offered with the correct and temperate theological views make for a very satisfying atmosphere. Add to that a charismatic environment with good spiritual leaders and a real sense of community and fellowship, and one can't deny the advantages of the Christian church life. And finally as a point contained in both these reasons, there is a social pressure that exists in church life; we gain a reputation as being, or at least attempting to be, morally sound and pious. To tarnish either of those values in a public arena is a serious pressure to be considered.

I don't have a beef with anyone who is religious. God bless you you're trying. And for all we know I could be wrong, but I believe my logic is sound. If logic is a gift from a god, then I think he is smiling on me.


SORRY FOR ANY TYPOS.