Post 5

Smoke and Mirrors, Snake Oil, Song and Dance, Ye Olde Pony Show, Yada Yada..

   Now that the women were “safely” removed from the religious arena, (that being their main route to power), the men were free to build a world in their image. The linear writing took off like a rocket, and women were excluded from learning uh……, well, from just learning in general. (No need for the dainty little things to have to dirty their little hands with Man stuff!!! After all we know what’s best! And we’ll whip this world into shape in no time at all. We can call this the barefoot and pregnant age, spanning a few thousand years of colorful history),

(Now, where did I put that Ritalin, there that’s better!)

   Basically at this time in history the main religions were male dominated, god being a male, there was no way a woman could possibly perceive the teachings he had to impart to us, and any woman making such a claim was soon dispatched with extreme prejudice.
 
   The devil plays a more dominant role and, the feminine based religions become demonized, that is, the symbols of these feminine religions become the symbols of our new devils, a convenient propaganda technique used to debase ones enemies which is still used quite effectively today. Prior to this, the closest things we had to pure evil were a few mischievous little gods to blame for our screw ups and misfortunes, and the occasional whacked out ruler.

   The newer versions are far more effective, in fact some of the male gods themselves were fearsome in nature, pulling ships to the depths, launching lightning bolts, smashing things with a giant hammer etc….

                                                                                                      

   Religion more or less served the purpose of controlling our primitive lust for power and the means we used to achieve such, (or more generally religion contained our desire to be desirable by any means necessary). But, unfortunately religion itself was soon corrupted into a tool for acquiring power, (damn ogglets screw up everything they touch).

   The vast majority of people live with a “is this all there is, there must be more” feeling and so they search for a more meaningful purpose to life. Unfortunately they tend to look outside themselves for the answer, and there is always someone, or some group, more than willing to fill the void, (just sign on the line, follow these rules, do what you’re told, and you too can get to paradise, oh and don’t forget to pay in cash). So, for the outward seekers, religion fills the void, and if honor and decency isn’t enough reward in and of itself, then the fear of damnation and eternal hellfire is waiting in the wings like a cattle prod to push the faithful along (oh and don’t forget to pay in cash).

   The interesting part of this is that earlier in evolution we did what was necessary for the survival of the tribe, or you were soon not a member of the tribe, there was a sense of honor and belonging. The search for meaning and purpose of existence had a cohesive effect and bound the tribe tightly together. Today we no longer have that sense of tribal connection, (there being too many of us to relate on that level), so we do what gratifies the individual, but even then, we do it in an attempt to belong to a group that has something in common, whether it be the same taste in music, clothing, sports, video games, cologne/perfume, religion, etc…. The need to belong, in a tribal sense, may be a reason behind the rise in street gangs, that and the overcrowded conditions that tend to foster a sense of uncertainty and despair over the future.

   Religion is still a binding force, but with so many variations on a theme, the effect is lost and we tend to pit one god against the other in a divine, cosmic, cock fight, (pun intended), winner take all. The general acceptance is that there three main religions, they share some of the same shrines, prophets, divine rules and regulations, and their holy days tend to share the same seasons. From these three come numerous variations on the theme, and these variations have variations, etc….(right down to the outright bizarre cults that tend to last only long enough to generate a respectable body count at the time of their mass suicide.)

   You have to admit that it is convenient of the gods to all have their births, deaths, persecutions, and resurrections at relatively the same time, (specifically those moments in time that the oggs and agnes’ held their celebration to the changes in nature and other noted celestial markers). It is also convenient that they share the same general commandments, (although enforcement is subject to interpretation). It is not convenient however, that they tend to share the same holy land, as this seems to bring out the ogg in us and the bludgeoning soon follows. For a more in depth comparison of the ancient and modern religions and their respective gods you can check out: www.religionfacts.com --- (nice charts!!).


   You can continue on with this line of thought elsewhere if you so choose, but I’m moving on, (AADHD kicking in), to the other Faux Pas’ of the social soirées (parties), politics and money.


  (To be continued…)