Political Crossfire Forums

[Anyis]

Thought Provoking

I find it ironic that when discussing the ancient Greek and Roman religions, many students laugh at the idea of an almighty being pulling the sun across a vast plain, in order to light the Earth. However, people are quick to defend the miraculous happening that are written in the Bible and other Holy Books. People often forget that thousands of years ago, ancient people believed in their religion just as passionately (if not more so) than people today. I'm sure, thousands of years ago, the ancient Greeks never imagined that an intelligent society would mock their beliefs...

Perhaps, then, if history will repeat itself as it has so many times before...One day the younglings of a superier society will laugh at the billions of people who believed and devoted their lives to Christianity , or Islam, or Buddhism, or Judaism, just as the people of our society mock the beliefs of the ancient societies of the past.

[maskedJR]

Anyis wrote: Thought Provoking

I find it ironic that when discussing the ancient Greek and Roman religions, many students laugh at the idea of an almighty being pulling the sun across a vast plain, in order to light the Earth. However, people are quick to defend the miraculous happening that are written in the Bible and other Holy Books. People often forget that thousands of years ago, ancient people believed in their religion just as passionately (if not more so) than people today. I'm sure, thousands of years ago, the ancient Greeks never imagined that an intelligent society would mock their beliefs...

Perhaps, then, if history will repeat itself as it has so many times before...One day the younglings of a superier society will laugh at the billions of people who believed and devoted their lives to Christianity , or Islam, or Buddhism, or Judaism, just as the people of our society mock the beliefs of the ancient societies of the past.

Maybe, but religion will always be with mankind. Maybe a far future society will finally learn to live peacefully with one another, and finally individual religions will realize that they alone are not the soul holder the divine truth.

[usuchamp]

I don't know who you know that mocks ancient religions, but I find them fascinating. Finding the sources of the beliefs and the evolution of these beliefs over time allows for parallels in present-day religion and where it is going. The real question is when does a religious belief become a "myth?"

[maskedJR]

usuchamp wrote: I don't know who you know that mocks ancient religions, but I find them fascinating. Finding the sources of the beliefs and the evolution of these beliefs over time allows for parallels in present-day religion and where it is going. The real question is when does a religious belief become a "myth?"

I too find the evolution of religion fascinating, still yet, many ancient beliefs are still held by most religions, in the simple term of animism.

In regards to your question of when religious beliefs become myth, I would be inclined to say never. Man has struggled with the reality of his own mortality since the most ancient of times. It will forever remain the ultimate unknown, which will always stir fear, superstition, and religious beliefs.

[i z 3 r]

People are naturally looking for a purpose to life, or something after the life. Some people can't comprehend the mind stopping. Some can't comprehend that there really is no purpose in life but just to "be".

The universe is infinite. It never ends or stops. Time never ends, therefore it never began....

Always got my mind tied into a knot :-)

[Anyis]

i z 3 r wrote: The universe is infinite. It never ends or stops. Time never ends, therefore it never began....

I have personally always somehow believed that, I just don't think I fully comprehend it since it defies the basic laws of science that everything has a beginning and an end...I don't know if you understand what I'm saying, I don't quite know how to phrase it.

[letsgooilers]

maskedJR wrote: Anyis wrote: Thought Provoking

I find it ironic that when discussing the ancient Greek and Roman religions, many students laugh at the idea of an almighty being pulling the sun across a vast plain, in order to light the Earth. However, people are quick to defend the miraculous happening that are written in the Bible and other Holy Books. People often forget that thousands of years ago, ancient people believed in their religion just as passionately (if not more so) than people today. I'm sure, thousands of years ago, the ancient Greeks never imagined that an intelligent society would mock their beliefs...

Perhaps, then, if history will repeat itself as it has so many times before...One day the younglings of a superier society will laugh at the billions of people who believed and devoted their lives to Christianity , or Islam, or Buddhism, or Judaism, just as the people of our society mock the beliefs of the ancient societies of the past.

Maybe, but religion will always be with mankind. Maybe a far future society will finally learn to live peacefully with one another, and finally individual religions will realize that they alone are not the soul holder the divine truth.

Well, I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you.

As for the topic at hand, I gotta admit, this is my problem with excepting the Bible as being a literal truth of what exactly happened. I mean, if I accept the bible as being literally true, why shouldn't I accept the Illiad as being true?

Will there be a major shift in religion, to the point that humans look back at current religions and shake their head, there's a very good chance. Mind you all of the big religions today(Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, etc.) have lasted this long, I cannot see why they wouldn't last for another couple of thousand of years, or even longer.

[i z 3 r]

Anyis wrote: i z 3 r wrote: The universe is infinite. It never ends or stops. Time never ends, therefore it never began....

I have personally always somehow believed that, I just don't think I fully comprehend it since it defies the basic laws of science that everything has a beginning and an end...I don't know if you understand what I'm saying, I don't quite know how to phrase it.

I know what you are saying. But how can time, how can "is" stop? Wouldnt there be time after the "stop" Numbers are infinite and i think therefore time is.

[_reticentness]

Anyis wrote: Thought Provoking

I find it ironic that when discussing the ancient Greek and Roman religions, many students laugh at the idea of an almighty being pulling the sun across a vast plain, in order to light the Earth. However, people are quick to defend the miraculous happening that are written in the Bible and other Holy Books. People often forget that thousands of years ago, ancient people believed in their religion just as passionately (if not more so) than people today. I'm sure, thousands of years ago, the ancient Greeks never imagined that an intelligent society would mock their beliefs...

Perhaps, then, if history will repeat itself as it has so many times before...One day the younglings of a superier society will laugh at the billions of people who believed and devoted their lives to Christianity , or Islam, or Buddhism, or Judaism, just as the people of our society mock the beliefs of the ancient societies of the past.

I know. Mythology was created by those people to explain the unexplainable. I wonder if it's the same for us and our religion.

[abeyer]

It would seem to me that a religion becomes a myth once it has been replaced by a new religion in society's collective mind and it's stories no longer revered. Also to an extent it's in the eye of the beholder. Many Native American religious stories are regarded as myth by mainstream society yet they are still revered by the native sub-culture.