NationStates Jolt Archive

http://www.truthbeknown.com/mygod.htm
I didnt write this
I just want ur opionion on this article


"Is religion is competition about whose god is superior to all the rest.? Is faith is facism to force others to believe in your god?

Let's face it: Religion is merely competition. One person or group of people comes up with an interpretation of a giant being or beings, and then they try to convince themselves and others that such a god person is ABSOLUTE REALITY, shoving their interpretation down everyone else's throats, or, as the case may be, into their minds. Competing books are written and/or compiled as to the nature and desires of this god person, and wars are fought in his name. So it goes, endlessly, as new interpretations are developed and new zealots created.

Rather than ABSOLUTE REALITY, however, since a formed being can never be absolute, because "absolute" includes formlessness and limitlessness, these various god creatures produced by human beings over the past millennia merely represent phallic-like extensions of the humans' own egos and psyches, with which they often violently attempt to penetrate the egos and psyches of others. Few humans have striven to grasp infinity, and no single human being or group has ever been able to completely portray the concept. And what is "God," if not the Infinite and Ineffable? If "God" or the quality of Divinity, is Ineffable, how can any human mind or book contain or express it? Ineffable is by its very definition indescribable and inexpressible. Hence, whatever interpretations of the Infinite, Ineffable Divine presented by humans are limited and, therefore, erroneous.

To perceive and portray the Infinite and Ineffable as a giant man or father-figure of one ethnicity or another, as interpreted through the limited mind of one individual or group, is more than just plain wrong; it is harmful to the human psyche and evolution. It keeps mankind retarded and childish. It also reduces the Infinite and Ineffable to a vulgar and base creature who is full of human neuroses such as jealousy, competition, retribution and hatred. According to the interpretations often presented by "God"-cheerleaders, "God" says in effect, "Go and spread my noxiousness over the entire earth! Enslave the souls and minds of as many people as you can find to be my (and your) puppets and serfs!"

So the competition continues, because this group and that have varying interpretations of such noxiousness, most of which are far from being divine. From an anthropological perspective, or from that of someone not from this planet, all of this human quarrelling over who knows and represents the biggest and best god/godman appears completely savage and barbaric, like so many hyenas grunting and squealing as they pull apart a carcass. It would also appear quite insulting to the concept of the Infinite and Ineffable, were these qualities able to feel insult. To wit, when a God-cheerleader goes about trying to bludgeon others with his/her "superior" interpretation of the Divine, he or she looks depraved and idiotic to freethinkers who understand that the Infinite and Ineffable cannot be portrayed or represented with any degree of accuracy or beauty through such a mind and ego.

"God," being the Infinite and Ineffable, is everchanging and inexpressible. Anyone who is portraying the Infinite and Ineffable as a formed being, i.e., a giant man of one race or another who is separate and apart from creation, does not truly know the nature of "God" and is, therefore, completely deluded. And, to repeat, those who pretend to represent the Infinite and Ineffable are wrong, and are creating harm upon this planet and the human mind. The next time you are tempted to defend competitively the existence of "God," or to say some silly platitude concerning "his" nature, remember what you will look like to a person who has studied the world's cultures and the widely varied and frequently ridiculous interpretations of the Infinite and Ineffable: foolish, arrogant and uneducated. You are not accurately perceiving or portraying any such god person; you are simply reflecting your own limited mind and experience. You are expressing your own smallness and incompleteness, instead of reaching for the grandeur and boundlessness of the Divine, which can be had and tasted as part of your own being only if you throw away preconceived notions of What Is and evolve into the omnidimensional being that is your true nature.

Do you see how the "my God is bigger than your god" game works? We have just made our God bigger and better than yours. And, hopefully, expanded your mind."

*Bombs your country out of god-envy.*

except for the gaelic, egyptian pagan religeons, they were invented to explain the unexplainable

Ugh. That absolutely drips with monotheism. Honestly, the romans should have stamped it out when they had the chance.

Ugh. That absolutely drips with monotheism. Honestly, the romans should have stamped it out when they had the chance.

Well the Romans were lazy. Damn Romans!

Well the Romans were lazy. Damn Romans!

True that. They were okay in the begining, but then they started to get other people to do all their work for them. It was all downhill after that.

Your god might be an inch or two bigger, but me and my passive-aggressive friends are quite comfortable in saying we know how to use ours better, you insensitive brute. *nods emphatically*

True that. They were okay in the begining, but then they started to get other people to do all their work for them. It was all downhill after that.
Yeah, that Outsourcing advance can really disrupt your government if you haven't already discovered Information Networks, and The Corporation.

right; roman gods. I am monotheistic and believe in Jesus.

right; roman gods. I am monotheistic and believe in Jesus.
Then you'd really dig Mithra.
And/or Horus.

BTW, do you mean to spell, kiyi (as in Japanese yell)?

don't dig 'em. only my God.
And no, it is meant to be spelled Keyi (it is a 'club'- for lack of a better word that my cousins and I are in, well and a few other friends, all we do is study the Bible and talk about current events)

Ugh. That absolutely drips with monotheism. Honestly, the romans should have stamped it out when they had the chance.
The Roman's had a chance to stamp out all monotheism????

Anyways, this article is more proof that there's lots of dumb people who write dumb things on the internet

Yeah, they could have executed every single monotheist in their borders, at the most extreme. At the least they could have made it mandatory to be romanist(Whatever you call the religion they had.)

Religion is a quest for some, but an excuse for others.

Religion is a quest for some, but an excuse for others.
and for others, a way of life

Yeah, they could have executed every single monotheist in their borders, at the most extreme. At the least they could have made it mandatory to be romanist(Whatever you call the religion they had.)
the Romans could not have wiped out monotheism, even within their own borders, and not every one would have obeyed the law; if I were required to betray my God or die, I would die.

Yes the beginning post only applies to the monothiestic abrahamic religions. And of those three (Islam, Christianity, Judaism), the Jews don't feel the need to shove their God down other people's throats (only shove the people off of their land). The anthropomorphic nature of "God" is inevitable when you consider its origin. All of the ancient civilizations of the mideast and mediterrean created their conceptions of gods (all of them finite and anthropomorphic) to explain the various natural phenomenon of their nations (a god for the sky, a god of fertility, etc.). The Jews, as a nomadic people, had no land to be ruled over by a pantheon of gods so instead they created for themselves a single a God to look over their people. In time, largely after they were banished from Babylon, they declared that their God was the only God and that he was infinite. Since Christianity and Islam both stemmed from Judaism they maintained this conception of God; but Christ completely altered it to a God of love (his judgemental side was large kept on by Christ's followers and later christians) and Mohammed put in his take on God when he founded Islam.
The pagan faiths never fought over whose gods were real (it was generally believed that different pantheons stood watch over different nations, and the Romans believed that the same universal pantheon represented itself to different cultures differently) or "bigger." And of course Eastern religions have nothing even approximating it.

don't dig 'em. only my God.
And no, it is meant to be spelled Keyi (it is a 'club'- for lack of a better word that my cousins and I are in, well and a few other friends, all we do is study the Bible and talk about current events)
Form a cult! :eek:

Form a cult! :eek:
A cult? No way, never. I am a Christian, so I refuse to worship Satan.

Cult is not a bad thing, it is a religion that has just pissed off too many people before in its history.

The Mormons were a cult in the 19th century.

But the best religion and the numerous gods it has, which actually followers are just ideal ways for us to live as, is the Asatru, or heathen religion.

besides, if we die in battle, we get to go to Valhalla, the religion of the good old Vikings.

Cult is not a bad thing, it is a religion that has just pissed off too many people before in its history.

The Mormons were a cult in the 19th century.

But the best religion and the numerous gods it has, which actually followers are just ideal ways for us to live as, is the Asatru, or heathen religion.

besides, if we die in battle, we get to go to Valhalla, the religion of the good old Vikings.
If you die, you go heaven or hell. It doesn't matter how you die. I believe that there is only one true God, so please do not try to convice me otherwise because it will not work.

A cult? No way, never. I am a Christian, so I refuse to worship Satan.

You don't have to worship satan....Just David Blaine :rolleyes:

You don't have to worship satan....Just David Blaine :rolleyes:
Nope. I will bow to no man or thing save for the Lord my God.

If you die, you go heaven or hell. It doesn't matter how you die. I believe that there is only one true God, so please do not try to convice me otherwise because it will not work.

No my religion and the people who follow the Asatru or Heathen religion and there is at least 50,000 of us.

We don't believe in Heaven and Hell, mumbo gumbo. But, if you want to that is fine.

Nope. I will bow to no man or thing save for the Lord my God.

Fool you shall kneel down before the power of Blainetology :rolleyes:

Fool you shall kneel down before the power of Blainetology :rolleyes:
So funny. I won't and you can't make me.

So funny. I won't and you can't make me.

Hey David Blaine has already beaten Jesus in a contest. Just watch the glorious South Park and you'll become a true believer.

No my religion and the people who follow the Asatru or Heathen religion and there is at least 50,000 of us.

We don't believe in Heaven and Hell, mumbo gumbo. But, if you want to that is fine.

Asatru, now there is a religion that nows how to LIVE. From what I hear it is the fastest expanding religion in the world and likely has far more 50,000 members by now. If it weren't for my intellectual conscience (that pesky voice that insists that I follow truth) I'd likely join it.

A cult? No way, never. I am a Christian, so I refuse to worship Satan.

"Cult" is essentially a meaningless word that is used to condemn any new religious movement regardless of their beliefs or practices (the genuinely harmful ones are an extreme minority). But many of these "cults" are Christian, they just approach the bible and Christ a different way.

Asatru, now there is a religion that nows how to LIVE. From what I hear it is the fastest expanding religion in the world and likely has far more 50,000 members by now. If it weren't for my intellectual conscience (that pesky voice that insists that I follow truth) I'd likely join it.

Well that is all I could tract down, but if I spent time in Europe I probably would have found more.

So funny. I won't and you can't make me.No one's trying to make you do anything; they're being sarcastic. :p

No one's trying to make you do anything; they're being sarcastic. :p

No I'm not. You'll bow to David Blaine before the day is done. Actually yes I am being sarcastic

No I'm not. You'll bow to David Blaine before the day is done. Actually yes I am being sarcasticNo I won't. You can't make me! :D

I will say his tricks are cool though. :)

No I won't. You can't make me! :D

I will say his tricks are cool though. :)

Fool no one can resist the power of a giant living statue of Abraham Lincoln.

Hey David Blaine has already beaten Jesus in a contest. Just watch the glorious South Park and you'll become a true believer.
That is not reality. It is fiction.

No one's trying to make you do anything; they're being sarcastic. :p
I know that. I was responding jokingly.

That is not reality. It is fiction.

Derf Derf on that one. :rolleyes:

The Romans?!? surely they instigated the whole christianity thing and based it all in rome, hence the roman catholic, its all a matter of ancient power people controlled their people by what they beleived in, or what they were taught to beleive in.
I dont think they are actually in competition but when someone thinks they are right, they think they are right and that means everyone else has got it wrong (in their opinion) so they begin to beleive that their religion si the true religion or the greatest or the best (as their beliefs are challenged they fall further and further back into a protective mines the best theory.)

Same with people with alot of things, try argueing with someone from a different (more extreme point of view - remember ofc that when it comes to religions there is right or wrong (false idols and the like) so its the equivlent to arguing a capatilist/communist, right/wrong, racist/non racist liberal/conservative) for example i would have arguments with room mates etc argueing the opposite of their femminist rants, not because i am heavily sexist but just for the debate (they would ahve all men behave like women.. thats not equalty :P )

people beleive what they beleive because they believe it, unfortunatelyu most people beleive that they are right, and if they are right for themselves they are right for everyone :P

I know that. I was responding jokingly.Well, it's dangerous to assume sarcasm in General... sometimes people *really do* mean it. :D

The Roman's had a chance to stamp out all monotheism????

Anyways, this article is more proof that there's lots of dumb people who write dumb things on the internet

No-one remembers the gods that carthage worshipped. They just happened to be a little more mellow about Judea.

No-one remembers the gods that carthage worshipped. They just happened to be a little more mellow about Judea.

I remember the gods that the Carthaginians worshiped.

I remember the gods that the Carthaginians worshiped.

So do I, I think.... Ba'al (Baal, El, Ruler of the Universe), Tanit (Goddess of Carthage), Anath (Goddess of Love and War), Adon (handsome and young God), Melqart (Lord of the underworld), to name some.

I remember the gods that the Carthaginians worshiped.

Actually you don't. You remember what the greeks and romans told us they worshipped. Some of which, was undoubtedly propaganda.

Virtually nothing less durable than stone and a few bits of metal survives of the carthaginian culture. The romans killed 90%+ of the population, sold the rest into slavery, razed the city, and then ploughed salt into the ground.

Like I said, they were ok at the begining. They just got lazy at the end.

So do I, I think.... Ba'al (Baal, El, Ruler of the Universe), Tanit (Goddess of Carthage), Anath (Goddess of Love and War), Adon (handsome and young God), Melqart (Lord of the underworld), to name some.

Yes, indeedy! Carthage was orginally a colony of the Phoenician culture, if I recall correctly, which was itself a daughter culture of the old Canaanites. So the gods they worshiped were pretty much the same. They would have been the same general bunch of gods that Jews were into before they decided to start proclaiming their national/tribal deity as the One True God(tm).


Actually you don't. You remember what the greeks and romans told us they worshipped. Some of which, was undoubtedly propaganda.

Virtually nothing less durable than stone and a few bits of metal survives of the carthaginian culture. The romans killed 90%+ of the population, sold the rest into slavery, razed the city, and then ploughed salt into the ground.

Like I said, they were ok at the begining. They just got lazy at the end.

There are some fairly major archeological sites throughout the terrirtory that Carthage held and while the cities aren't in as good condition as those of cultures that survived for longer, there is still enough to verify or dismiss much of what the Roman records said. There is a fairly complete temple site in one of them that I saw in a documentary about Carthage a couple of weeks ago, I'll see if I can find a link for you.

There are some fairly major archeological sites throughout the terrirtory that Carthage held and while the cities aren't in as good condition as those of cultures that survived for longer, there is still enough to verify or dismiss much of what the Roman records said. There is a fairly complete temple site in one of them that I saw in a documentary about Carthage a couple of weeks ago, I'll see if I can find a link for you.

I don't dispute that there is some archeological evidence. However, the written record of the carthaginians has be completely destroyed, as has all trace of their oral tradition.

And while the roman records are no doubt based in truth, as is all good propaganda, it is impossible to say what has been added or overlooked. For example the claims of frequent and brutal human sacrifice, which would be at sharp contrast with the rest of mediteranian culture at that time.

In any event, this is a minor digression. When you compare what is known of carthage practices of worship (heresay at best), to what is known of eygpt, it's clear that the romans could destroy entire cultures under thier dominion for good. (Like druids).

I don't dispute that there is some archeological evidence. However, the written record of the carthaginians has be completely destroyed, as has all trace of their oral tradition.

And while the roman records are no doubt based in truth, as is all good propaganda, it is impossible to say what has been added or overlooked. For example the claims of frequent and brutal human sacrifice, which would be at sharp contrast with the rest of mediteranian culture at that time.

In any event, this is a minor digression. When you compare what is known of carthage practices of worship (heresay at best), to what is known of eygpt, it's clear that the romans could destroy entire cultures under thier dominion for good. (Like druids).

Oh, of course. The majority of Carthage's own written record is lost, and the oral tradition was certainly ended after Rome won the Punic Wars. We definitely have to take what the conquering Romans write about their adversaries with a pinch of salt, but using what limited evidence still remains, we can see a lot of what was obviously propaganda in the records and what is more truthful.

There is actually some evidence that might point to the Carthaginians performing child sacrifice like the Romans said (the bones of children in jars alongside jars of other offerings), but there's no way of knowing for sure, especially given the Romans' penchant for demonising their enemies.

It's a lot worse with the ancient Celtic cultures, because Roman written records are all we have to go on, since the Celts didn't write. There are some vague traditions in Western European folklore that point to what the oral tradition may have resembled, but we'll never know details without some major archeological breakthrough or a time machine.

don't dig 'em. only my God.
And no, it is meant to be spelled Keyi (it is a 'club'- for lack of a better word that my cousins and I are in, well and a few other friends, all we do is study the Bible and talk about current events)
Ah, thank you.

A cult? No way, never. I am a Christian, so I refuse to worship Satan.
Christianity (in its various forms) started AS a cult. The only difference now is in the numbers, NOT the underpinings.

I remember the gods that the Carthaginians worshiped.
I do too, every holiday season, with a gift basket and a fruitcake!