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From: David
Category: Category 1
Date: 18/07/05
Time: 21:43:29
Remote Name: 222.152.234.49
that there were only 144,000 seats in heaven ( perhaps it is that Natural Selection proposition that so impels us that is at fault as well) . Could we then have moderated or even avoided the stampede for those seats ? Ironically that has brought out both the best and the worst in us . Look at the chaos we are left to clean up as a consequence . Now that everyone seeks their own preferment in those stakes . Conceded someone will say - but what about those alleged words of Jesus "In my father`s house are many mansions - - - if it was not so I would have told you - - - I go to prepare a place for you - - - ." Forgive me if I have not quoted those words verbatim as I do not read the Bible . Or not at least since I was in a Church Preparatory School .
Would those words moderate the behaviour of those who would once have even considered it worthwhile to commit murder or even genocide in the stakes for those seats ? There are numerous instances throughout history where contrary opinion has so threatened prevailing opinion or authority that such ruthless measures have been taken . After all none of us like to entertain nagging doubts that just maybe we are "being carried away with ourselves " or going down the wrong path . In the case of Authority - better to nip in the bud or better still remove such heresies that can be so disquieting . And remember that so many of those seats already have an exclusive reserved sign on them according to the hopes/ aspirations of many of the devout of those other two religions as well as numerous sects within the other religion .
And those alleged words of Jesus . If true , why the mystical allegory ? Okay , those putting the Bible together appreciated the poetic and it`s impact like most of us . Being non specific it, as usual, is unchallengeable .But even that master of allegory Khalil Gibrain would have been more specific in a statement about an issue that was supposedly so fundamental to existence . Not necessarily that science would want to tease out it`s own meaning as a validation or refutation but so much could have been achieved with but a few more words . That opportunity was lost for all time . That is if we were to seriously concern ourselves with the alleged statement in the first place . That clearer statement would have removed that much doubt and equivocation as to whether we were hearing the Truth spoken and not merely hollow words of others down the centuries .
It is becoming clearer now why we as individuals , races and countries are so intent on differentiation / removing ourselves from the " rest ". The unpreferred . The unwashed . Whether we refer to them as Gentiles , Barbarians or at the individual level "Them next door ". Remember that even Hitler had his own little quirks and was not immune from differentiation . As graphically exemplified in how he viewed the Aryan race in comparison to "others ".
The desire for differentiation is manifested at all levels . It is built into our psyche . That fact is recognised within the techniques of the marketeers , and , not excluding the snake oil preachers etc. etc. Hidden and overt persuaders tell us to aspire to keep up with , if not surpass , those hypothetical or symbolic " Jones` " of this world . And we are so easily persuaded by these manipulators to be that much fitter, slimmer (different) etc etc - that much more admired ,even envied, by our one-time peers , friends , the group ,tribe , society or even that utmost Authority . To fall short of those prescribed aspirations there is always that handy refuge guilt which is indirectly prescribed . Powerful stuff ! We are told we can only achieve these goals by using this or that product or service . Other persuaders speak their nonsense from soap-boxes or even pulpits . The platform does not matter it is how the message is delivered and received that counts for it`s effect not it`s ultimate truth or ultimate value .
Consequently even the best of us succumb despite the filters of reason and common sense that we think we use and rely upon to make sense of the world . Even worse , persuasion finds a ready listener within the unsophisticated ( and I use that word in it`s best sense ) human psyche . After all it has every reason to believe what is fed to it . It is all win , win , or at least as it is spelt out !
That infantile need to seek parental approval or even preferment over other siblings was learnt years before on the nursery floor . Nothing really changes . We never shake it off ( akin to "give us a child to the age of seven and he is ours for life") . Entering "MATURITY "it merely assumes a different form .
On a different tack it seems that the branching out of religious belief per se into separate faiths has curious resemblance to that evolutionary tree that always seems to crop up in philosophical discussions . My above crude comments do have relevance to that spread of religion . Human Language - it`s emergence and it`s growth and those factors that influenced it`s development can be patterned against that symbolic evolutionary tree . Similar to religion in a sense the diversification into differing tongues serves to nourish those developing cultures around the world . Cultures that even if they have no other merit present an intriguing tapestry of what is possible to man .
Perhaps religion , as we have viewed it in practice to date , should be given no more credit than that it adds to those cultures , for better or for worse , of all those different countries around the world . Yes , along the way those religions can be a force for redressing unfairness in the world and other merit as Bill points out elsewhere . That by product would justify their existence . But let us not ignore the total context .