This was a good read, it reminded me of how people in my life both religious and not would condescend to me by recommending me books such as Hogfather in Terry Pratchett's Discworld novel series. Talking to me as if I was a retarded child as to why this heavily biased, 20th century work of fiction about a fictitious winter deity, somehow held a candle in merit to the faith/s the author kept disrespecting.
Also very eager with time to articulate what I might want to say to you instead of giving these half-baked comments. It's nice to think about Christ with others.
I'm rereading the Tao Te Ching, and every time I get a new insight into "God" aka "The Way" aka "the divine". Western culture tends to focus around the sun, while the Tao has been compared to the path the moon moves across the night sky. Both are seeking God through nature. Both deal heavily with sacrifice. Where the Romans eventually consolidated all religions into one (Catholic is Greek/Latin for "general" or "universal"), the Taoists became the bureaucrats who standardized nascent spiritual practices (e.g. "drop the blood sacrificing and your deity can join the canon").
The seeking of signs and the absolution of guilt, incidentally, is the origin of language. We've always been readers and communicators. If you want to eat a deer, you have to "read" its tracks. If you want to trick a predator, you might leave false tracks. From there it's a half-step to reading the general state of your world by, say, reading a dead animal's entrails or cooking its shell and studying the cracks (you can learn a lot about a creature's environment by studying its diet and how it burns).
I believe our ancestors also knew that the ideal kill is one that causes as little suffering as possible. An animal that goes unwillingly, fights and kills your mates as it dies, is traumatizing. You can imagine it the memory doesn't sit well in the stomach, neither does the flesh which is now flushed with fear and adrenaline. For that, you need rituals to dispel the bad energy, to ease your dreams.
Lastly, I'm not convinced everyone made the leap to monotheism. I believe saints and angels are training wheels that we never fully took off.
Eager to read through this one and then share my thoughts afterwards!
You outdid yourself my randyfriend.
I overslept and missed sunrise service. This was a nice substitution for the sermon I missed. Thank you
Christ is risen!
This was a good read, it reminded me of how people in my life both religious and not would condescend to me by recommending me books such as Hogfather in Terry Pratchett's Discworld novel series. Talking to me as if I was a retarded child as to why this heavily biased, 20th century work of fiction about a fictitious winter deity, somehow held a candle in merit to the faith/s the author kept disrespecting.
Also very eager with time to articulate what I might want to say to you instead of giving these half-baked comments. It's nice to think about Christ with others.
Randy, you are my favorite online retard/genius. Thank you for writing this. Christ is risen!
very good!
I'm rereading the Tao Te Ching, and every time I get a new insight into "God" aka "The Way" aka "the divine". Western culture tends to focus around the sun, while the Tao has been compared to the path the moon moves across the night sky. Both are seeking God through nature. Both deal heavily with sacrifice. Where the Romans eventually consolidated all religions into one (Catholic is Greek/Latin for "general" or "universal"), the Taoists became the bureaucrats who standardized nascent spiritual practices (e.g. "drop the blood sacrificing and your deity can join the canon").
The seeking of signs and the absolution of guilt, incidentally, is the origin of language. We've always been readers and communicators. If you want to eat a deer, you have to "read" its tracks. If you want to trick a predator, you might leave false tracks. From there it's a half-step to reading the general state of your world by, say, reading a dead animal's entrails or cooking its shell and studying the cracks (you can learn a lot about a creature's environment by studying its diet and how it burns).
I believe our ancestors also knew that the ideal kill is one that causes as little suffering as possible. An animal that goes unwillingly, fights and kills your mates as it dies, is traumatizing. You can imagine it the memory doesn't sit well in the stomach, neither does the flesh which is now flushed with fear and adrenaline. For that, you need rituals to dispel the bad energy, to ease your dreams.
Lastly, I'm not convinced everyone made the leap to monotheism. I believe saints and angels are training wheels that we never fully took off.
I love you
That last paragraph hit me really hard. I haven't felt any real emotion for the last year but that cracked me open like an egg. Fantastic job.
Superb writing.