I recently watched a movie called "The Man From Earth." It was a low budget movie; there were no effects, no intricate cinematography, just a group of people in a room, talking. Specifically, the plot focuses around John, a man who continually leaves wherever he resides every 10 years. He gathers some friends from his work for a final drink and to tell them about his life's secret: he's much older than he looks.
He reveals to his friends that he is somewhere around 30,000 years old. Obviously, they don't believe him; they think that he's interested in writing a fiction novel. He begins recounting his life, and some of his friends are more skeptical than others. For the purpose of the movie, he is actually that old, though some of his friends would rather not believe him.
WARNING- If you want to see the movie, stop reading here.
The most fascinating part of the movie comes when John reveals that he studied under the legendary Buddha. As he continued living and traveling, he found that he could try to bring the teachings of Buddha to the Roman Empire. Of course, the teachings of Buddha are similar to a mythical figure who espoused peace and understanding: Jesus Christ. John reveals that his name was misconstrued and re-translated multiple times, leading to the label of Jesus.
Being an Atheist, I found this to be pretty interesting; according to the movie, there was no one person named Jesus Christ. It was, instead, a "more evolved" man who was simply looking to spread a word of peace and understanding.
While it's not exactly the most probable explanation of the man called Jesus Christ, it might be a good way to understand how the myth of Jesus Christ was created. Seeing as the apostles wrote stories of Jesus a few decades after his supposed death, what's more likely is that several folk stories of healers and teachers were amalgamated into one story. For what reason, I don't know; perhaps the writers of the bible were interested in proselytizing all of the Roman Empire, or perhaps they wanted to have a competing religion with Paganism and Judaism. Either way, I don't know.
Thus, instead of the man from heaven, the Jesus is more likely to be a man, or men, from Earth. Nothing metaphysical, nothing phantasmagorical, just human.
I recommend watching the movie. While the ending is a bit contrived, the story itself is interesting.
That's all for now,
Das Flüg
Showing posts with label Jesus. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jesus. Show all posts
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Thursday, December 24, 2009
So What (and a merry Saturnalia to you too, sir!)
^Miles Davis, minus the parenthesized part.
Well, finals are done, and now I can allow my brain to slowly deform into a gelatinous, mushy cheese; I only have yet to decide whether or not I prefer Pepper-jack or Mozzarella. Anyway, since I shall be in my lactose-induced catatonic state, I shall divulge to my reader(s) my last bit of reputable information before my brain is likely to be used for a pizza topping.
As it is that time of year (Christmas/Jewish Movie & Take-out Day), I thought it prudent to recite the story of the first Christmas, minus the guy born in the dead of winter in a small wooden shack.
'Twas around the year 200 B.C., and all 'round Rome, one could hear the shouting and cheering of every Roman citizen singing songs, getting hopelessly inebriated and being generally merry. These jovial comrades were not celebrating a great military victory, or the destruction of Carthage, or even the free Viagra that everyone is offered in their spam boxes. No, they were celebrating Saturnalia, an entire week dedicated to being happy, drunk, and giving gifts to your fellow citizen. You see, this was the week of December 17th-23rd, a very special week indeed; this week, slaves and their respective owners would switch roles and be unassumingly kind to one another (note: the term "slave" to which we are accustomed had a different connotation in Rome; slaves were accorded some rights and were recognized as people; they were more, in contemporary sense, "butlers."). Families came together and feasted heartily while exchanging presents, all in honor of the god Saturn (each major god of the pantheon had their own specific times during the year of celebration). Sound familiar? I hope it does.
Going forward approximately 6 centuries (give or take 100 years), another holiday is celebrated, now on the 25th of December: Sol Invictus. Sol Invictus was somewhat a more minor holiday, as it corresponded with the Roman Winter Solstice. This holiday, while not a fundamental part of Roman culture much as Saturnalia was (and was still being celebrated at the time), was still a marked day on the calendar for the citizens of Rome. It marked a turning point in the vast tundra of winter where the days would grow longer and the farming season would soon begin again (thus, Sol Invictus translates to "Unconquered Sun").
Saturnalia, in its practices, was essentially a way to bolster spirit before a period of long hardship, where food and warmth would be scarce. The coming cold months typically meant the highest mortality rates of the year, both in newborns and those of ill-health, along with the elderly. Saturnalia instilled Roman citizens with a Brobdingnagian sense of pride and joy, something of which there would be a dearth of in the upcoming winter.
Both of these holidays had a dominating impact upon the placement of Christmas on the Julian calendar. As Christianity had an ever-growing following and finally controlled the Roman Empire, it became evident that to placate the worries of the remaining original worshipers (at this time called paganus, meaning "one who dwells in the country"), it would be necessary to place the date of Jesus Christ's birth on the 25th so as to instill the idea that the deity being worshiped was the same that they had previously worshiped.
That, in a nutshell, is the story of the first Christmas. I hope that it left you with warm, fuzzy and jubilant feelings, though that just might be the contact high from reading this blog.
I suppose cheddar cheese is a viable option as well...
Das Flüg
Well, finals are done, and now I can allow my brain to slowly deform into a gelatinous, mushy cheese; I only have yet to decide whether or not I prefer Pepper-jack or Mozzarella. Anyway, since I shall be in my lactose-induced catatonic state, I shall divulge to my reader(s) my last bit of reputable information before my brain is likely to be used for a pizza topping.
As it is that time of year (Christmas/Jewish Movie & Take-out Day), I thought it prudent to recite the story of the first Christmas, minus the guy born in the dead of winter in a small wooden shack.
'Twas around the year 200 B.C., and all 'round Rome, one could hear the shouting and cheering of every Roman citizen singing songs, getting hopelessly inebriated and being generally merry. These jovial comrades were not celebrating a great military victory, or the destruction of Carthage, or even the free Viagra that everyone is offered in their spam boxes. No, they were celebrating Saturnalia, an entire week dedicated to being happy, drunk, and giving gifts to your fellow citizen. You see, this was the week of December 17th-23rd, a very special week indeed; this week, slaves and their respective owners would switch roles and be unassumingly kind to one another (note: the term "slave" to which we are accustomed had a different connotation in Rome; slaves were accorded some rights and were recognized as people; they were more, in contemporary sense, "butlers."). Families came together and feasted heartily while exchanging presents, all in honor of the god Saturn (each major god of the pantheon had their own specific times during the year of celebration). Sound familiar? I hope it does.
Going forward approximately 6 centuries (give or take 100 years), another holiday is celebrated, now on the 25th of December: Sol Invictus. Sol Invictus was somewhat a more minor holiday, as it corresponded with the Roman Winter Solstice. This holiday, while not a fundamental part of Roman culture much as Saturnalia was (and was still being celebrated at the time), was still a marked day on the calendar for the citizens of Rome. It marked a turning point in the vast tundra of winter where the days would grow longer and the farming season would soon begin again (thus, Sol Invictus translates to "Unconquered Sun").
Saturnalia, in its practices, was essentially a way to bolster spirit before a period of long hardship, where food and warmth would be scarce. The coming cold months typically meant the highest mortality rates of the year, both in newborns and those of ill-health, along with the elderly. Saturnalia instilled Roman citizens with a Brobdingnagian sense of pride and joy, something of which there would be a dearth of in the upcoming winter.
Both of these holidays had a dominating impact upon the placement of Christmas on the Julian calendar. As Christianity had an ever-growing following and finally controlled the Roman Empire, it became evident that to placate the worries of the remaining original worshipers (at this time called paganus, meaning "one who dwells in the country"), it would be necessary to place the date of Jesus Christ's birth on the 25th so as to instill the idea that the deity being worshiped was the same that they had previously worshiped.
That, in a nutshell, is the story of the first Christmas. I hope that it left you with warm, fuzzy and jubilant feelings, though that just might be the contact high from reading this blog.
I suppose cheddar cheese is a viable option as well...
Das Flüg
Saturday, November 7, 2009
To be or not to be
To tackle a subject as broad as "God," I would have to write my own novel. I will have to try to condense everything, unless someone actually wants me to write a novel. I wouldn't mind.
God: the ultimate power of the universe, the matter of all creation, the father of all being, or, simply an illusion. God is the factor that divides and paradoxically unites humans the most. For centuries, those believing that they are of righteous piety have struck down others with the claim that their god is superior. For what reason would humanity have so much devotion to a character neither seen nor heard?
This necessitates an understanding of the origins of the concept of god. The most well-known example of this would be the ancient Greek religion, whose mythology continues to strive in contemporary society. Greeks, unlike today's major religions, were polytheists. They deified rivers, oceans, mountains, and anything that seemed mystical or phantasmagorical. We can analyze their reasoning through a very simple idea: lack of scientific knowledge. While the Greeks were aware that the world was round and that the stars were (to some extent) heavenly bodies, most ancient peoples attributed all life to some creator. Many couldn't comprehend living on a planet, orbiting a sun, which orbits the center of the galaxy amongst billions upon billions of other galaxies. People were unaware of the structure of a living cell or natural selection. They believed what ego taught them to believe, and that is a subject all in itself.
Ego, the part of the self which creates personality, pride, and determination, one might say. It also allows us to be arrogant and obdurate. As Aristotle put it, man is different from animal because we have the ability to reason. That being said, it would then be logical to reason that because only man has the ability to reason that we are, by some standard, special. This raises the question of "why?" Why were humans chosen instead of deer, or platypus? This hearkens back to ego; the arrogant belief that nothing is chance. Thus, a higher being created us. Logical? Perhaps. Perhaps not.
Skipping ahead a few millenia, past the cold-blooded killings of the crusades and the dank, unproductive time of the middle ages, we stop at a man called Nicolas Copernicus. Many (hopefully) would know that he was the literal beginning of the scientific revolution. While it may have been Galileo who was persecuted for believing in heliocentrism, it was Galileo who defended Copernicus' views on the solar system. As many know, it took the church approximately 500 years to issue an apology to Galileo.
Continue ahead to present day, past the discoveries of Newton, past the postulates of Da Vinci, past Kepler, past Einstein, to today, November 7th, 2009. Consider the great scientific strides made between the time of Copernicus and today: the invention of the telescope, the discovery of the animal cell, the invention of the microscope, the invention of the atomic bomb, planes, space shuttles, an international space station, and computers. One would think that with all those scientific innovations, religion would become less important as humans discover their place in the universe.
Pictured: Andromeda Galaxy
Instead, we see the persistence of theocracies and the denial of basic human rights based on someone's religion. We also see this (warning: not for those opposed to reason):
God is now the reason for everything. Some pray to him on daily basis, thanking him for bread. If that is the case, why not pray to the farmer who grows the wheat? Why not pray to the owner of the Stop & Shop, thanking him for importing this bread from Kansas? Hell, why not just pray to the cashier, thanking him/her for not telling you to go f*ck yourself? One can plead in court that one was "inhabited by the devil" when one commits a crime. Since when is NOT taking responsibility for one's actions the human action?
It is interesting to note that only one brain chemical separates the cognitive processes of apes from humans. One. Imagine if a different kind of ape had become the dominant species on the planet. Would they have worshiped the same gods we have? Would they have killed in their names? Would they have the same struggles that we do today? Possibly. One can only speculate how similar we are to our simian ancestors; however, one thing is certain: we may not consider ourselves animals, but at our core, we are not human either.
I could continue on this subject, but most people would not read it.
Das Flüg
God: the ultimate power of the universe, the matter of all creation, the father of all being, or, simply an illusion. God is the factor that divides and paradoxically unites humans the most. For centuries, those believing that they are of righteous piety have struck down others with the claim that their god is superior. For what reason would humanity have so much devotion to a character neither seen nor heard?
This necessitates an understanding of the origins of the concept of god. The most well-known example of this would be the ancient Greek religion, whose mythology continues to strive in contemporary society. Greeks, unlike today's major religions, were polytheists. They deified rivers, oceans, mountains, and anything that seemed mystical or phantasmagorical. We can analyze their reasoning through a very simple idea: lack of scientific knowledge. While the Greeks were aware that the world was round and that the stars were (to some extent) heavenly bodies, most ancient peoples attributed all life to some creator. Many couldn't comprehend living on a planet, orbiting a sun, which orbits the center of the galaxy amongst billions upon billions of other galaxies. People were unaware of the structure of a living cell or natural selection. They believed what ego taught them to believe, and that is a subject all in itself.
Ego, the part of the self which creates personality, pride, and determination, one might say. It also allows us to be arrogant and obdurate. As Aristotle put it, man is different from animal because we have the ability to reason. That being said, it would then be logical to reason that because only man has the ability to reason that we are, by some standard, special. This raises the question of "why?" Why were humans chosen instead of deer, or platypus? This hearkens back to ego; the arrogant belief that nothing is chance. Thus, a higher being created us. Logical? Perhaps. Perhaps not.
Skipping ahead a few millenia, past the cold-blooded killings of the crusades and the dank, unproductive time of the middle ages, we stop at a man called Nicolas Copernicus. Many (hopefully) would know that he was the literal beginning of the scientific revolution. While it may have been Galileo who was persecuted for believing in heliocentrism, it was Galileo who defended Copernicus' views on the solar system. As many know, it took the church approximately 500 years to issue an apology to Galileo.
Continue ahead to present day, past the discoveries of Newton, past the postulates of Da Vinci, past Kepler, past Einstein, to today, November 7th, 2009. Consider the great scientific strides made between the time of Copernicus and today: the invention of the telescope, the discovery of the animal cell, the invention of the microscope, the invention of the atomic bomb, planes, space shuttles, an international space station, and computers. One would think that with all those scientific innovations, religion would become less important as humans discover their place in the universe.
Pictured: Andromeda Galaxy
Instead, we see the persistence of theocracies and the denial of basic human rights based on someone's religion. We also see this (warning: not for those opposed to reason):
God is now the reason for everything. Some pray to him on daily basis, thanking him for bread. If that is the case, why not pray to the farmer who grows the wheat? Why not pray to the owner of the Stop & Shop, thanking him for importing this bread from Kansas? Hell, why not just pray to the cashier, thanking him/her for not telling you to go f*ck yourself? One can plead in court that one was "inhabited by the devil" when one commits a crime. Since when is NOT taking responsibility for one's actions the human action?
It is interesting to note that only one brain chemical separates the cognitive processes of apes from humans. One. Imagine if a different kind of ape had become the dominant species on the planet. Would they have worshiped the same gods we have? Would they have killed in their names? Would they have the same struggles that we do today? Possibly. One can only speculate how similar we are to our simian ancestors; however, one thing is certain: we may not consider ourselves animals, but at our core, we are not human either.
I could continue on this subject, but most people would not read it.
Das Flüg
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
What is God?
I hope that this turns out to be an interesting movie; I will give my two cents about what I think God is at another time. Right now, studying.
Das Flüg
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Das Religio!
Just a note:
I occasionally write blogs on www.shoutwire.com, usually just to pass the time. I suppose that I could start putting them here as well. Here is the first:
Religion, as it stands today, is the biggest institution in the world. Nowhere else does one find so many devout believers in a subject, nor so many willing to pontificate about something which no one really knows about. It is something questionable and grandiose, and something that almost no human can comprehend. That is one facet that deserves further study.
Religion, in its roots, was the original explanation for the natural occurrences that one would see in a normal Earth day. The sun rose and set because Ra rode his chariot across the sky. The seasons changed because Persephone was kidnapped by Hades. Everything revolved around the Earth because God created man, thus making them perfect, and everything revolves around perfection.
Technology and science have both debunked almost every religious explanation for the natural phenomena we see every day. Of course, mankind has not yet progressed to the stage in which we will be able to explain almost everything (though I'm hoping to see that in my lifetime), but that does not mean that everything does not have an explanation; it simply means that it is necessary to search.
There are a few advantages to religion, however, the largest one is that it provides solace to those who have lost loved ones. It is much more reassuring to hear that one has moved on to a better place rather then just gradually wearing away in the ground. The question remains, though: should we continue to follow a text that is 2000 years old?
Several instances warrant this question: the religious reluctance to allow gays to marry; the "necessity" for the leader of the United States to be a Christian (or Catholic, in JFK's case); the hatred of other ethnicities simply because their religions have clashed for the last millenia, and the simple scientific ignorance that religion encourages, amongst a plethora of other instances.
There are many arguments to be made in favor and in opposition, so I wanted to open the floor to debate. Please, try not to be overly insulting or condescending. Just because someone does not follow the same beliefs as you does not mean that they are idiotic.
One last caveat: instead of citing religious examples, such as the bible, use logic. It is much more convincing than going on a tangent about quoting Leviticus or John or...well, you get the picture.
addendum (after viewing several comments):
There is a fine line to draw between religious beliefs and the law. For instance, while watching Monty Python's Life of Brian (great movie, I recommend it), even the utterance of the name of god was punishable by stoning. Gladly, we have since moved past that stage in human development, but the question still remains: how much should religion impact the law, if not at all?
One side can argue, philosophically, that man has developed preconceptions about what is right and wrong, i.e. causing harm to others, burglary, arson, etc. It is not necessary for religion to interfere in the legal processes of the state, as law already has a firm legal grounding in thousands of years of philosophical precedent.
On the religious side, one can argue that the bible and other religious scriptures give a firm outlining of a secure law in which all would be content and satisfied. Obvious examples are do not kill, respect thy elders, etc. Keep in mind, however, that these were written in a time when it was not uncommon for two men to fight over the ownership of a sheep.
Aside from law, hearkening back to what cbjrdm stated before, it is quite evident in today's world that many (if not every human) are searching for a purpose. Whether they know it or not, we all search for something to fulfill our lives. Several of my friends gamble profusely, some only know of sports, and a few spend their entire lives dedicated to either video games or religion (reference to the Monty Python quote "You're a messiah, I should know; I've followed three."). Should we look to fill that need with trivial things, or should we work towards something meaningful? In fact, what do we, as a society, consider meaningful?
The original is http://shoutwire.com/ecomments/273155/E_Religion_hopefully_This_One_Works_.html. Enjoy.
Das Flüg
I occasionally write blogs on www.shoutwire.com, usually just to pass the time. I suppose that I could start putting them here as well. Here is the first:
Religion, as it stands today, is the biggest institution in the world. Nowhere else does one find so many devout believers in a subject, nor so many willing to pontificate about something which no one really knows about. It is something questionable and grandiose, and something that almost no human can comprehend. That is one facet that deserves further study.
Religion, in its roots, was the original explanation for the natural occurrences that one would see in a normal Earth day. The sun rose and set because Ra rode his chariot across the sky. The seasons changed because Persephone was kidnapped by Hades. Everything revolved around the Earth because God created man, thus making them perfect, and everything revolves around perfection.
Technology and science have both debunked almost every religious explanation for the natural phenomena we see every day. Of course, mankind has not yet progressed to the stage in which we will be able to explain almost everything (though I'm hoping to see that in my lifetime), but that does not mean that everything does not have an explanation; it simply means that it is necessary to search.
There are a few advantages to religion, however, the largest one is that it provides solace to those who have lost loved ones. It is much more reassuring to hear that one has moved on to a better place rather then just gradually wearing away in the ground. The question remains, though: should we continue to follow a text that is 2000 years old?
Several instances warrant this question: the religious reluctance to allow gays to marry; the "necessity" for the leader of the United States to be a Christian (or Catholic, in JFK's case); the hatred of other ethnicities simply because their religions have clashed for the last millenia, and the simple scientific ignorance that religion encourages, amongst a plethora of other instances.
There are many arguments to be made in favor and in opposition, so I wanted to open the floor to debate. Please, try not to be overly insulting or condescending. Just because someone does not follow the same beliefs as you does not mean that they are idiotic.
One last caveat: instead of citing religious examples, such as the bible, use logic. It is much more convincing than going on a tangent about quoting Leviticus or John or...well, you get the picture.
addendum (after viewing several comments):
There is a fine line to draw between religious beliefs and the law. For instance, while watching Monty Python's Life of Brian (great movie, I recommend it), even the utterance of the name of god was punishable by stoning. Gladly, we have since moved past that stage in human development, but the question still remains: how much should religion impact the law, if not at all?
One side can argue, philosophically, that man has developed preconceptions about what is right and wrong, i.e. causing harm to others, burglary, arson, etc. It is not necessary for religion to interfere in the legal processes of the state, as law already has a firm legal grounding in thousands of years of philosophical precedent.
On the religious side, one can argue that the bible and other religious scriptures give a firm outlining of a secure law in which all would be content and satisfied. Obvious examples are do not kill, respect thy elders, etc. Keep in mind, however, that these were written in a time when it was not uncommon for two men to fight over the ownership of a sheep.
Aside from law, hearkening back to what cbjrdm stated before, it is quite evident in today's world that many (if not every human) are searching for a purpose. Whether they know it or not, we all search for something to fulfill our lives. Several of my friends gamble profusely, some only know of sports, and a few spend their entire lives dedicated to either video games or religion (reference to the Monty Python quote "You're a messiah, I should know; I've followed three."). Should we look to fill that need with trivial things, or should we work towards something meaningful? In fact, what do we, as a society, consider meaningful?
The original is http://shoutwire.com/ecomments/273155/E_Religion_hopefully_This_One_Works_.html. Enjoy.
Das Flüg
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