Yes, but what morals does it actually teach to a majority of christians? That our god is right and the only one invariably, is the great moralistic conclusion. There is only one god and you see it our way. Same message as was always preached no matter who was top dog.
These morals you talk about were established long before the O.T. was written(Around 650 B.C.), or civilization could not have been founded. Giving the bible the credit for establishing the morals and values we have today is like saying that god is responsible for things like greco/roman laws, the dark ages, the magna carta, the renaissance, the enlightenment ,civil laws of France and common laws of England as well as the confrontational laws of America. All laws grew from previous ideas that established precedents for actions, and long before there was one god, there were laws being established. The Egyptians were writing laws and inventing gods 1000's of years before the Hebrews set of borrowed laws down, or devised their one god theory.
By the beginning of the Old Kingdom Dynasty (3100 BC), a national religion developed out of the primitive tribal and local religions. However, ongoing changes in political power resulted in the changing status of Egyptian gods.
Generally, as different cities or regions became politically dominant, their particular god also became dominant. Many Egyptian gods find their origin in several of the Egyptian creation myths. These myths attempted to explain the Egyptians' place in the cosmos based on the observation of natural processes. Ancient Egyptian religion was an ever-changing mishmash of several Egyptian gods and tribal and regional traditions. As a result, there were several conflicting beliefs. Over time, these conflicts were reconciled and a trend towards monotheism developed. This trend reached its zenith during the reign of Amenhotep IV 1369-1332 BC: (Akhenaten)- when he established Aten as the only universal god. This concept went against thousands of years of Egyptian religious tradition. The one god concept ended soon after hisdeath. The worship of multiple gods was fully reinstated during the reign of a boy king named Tutankhaten (Tut). However, the concepts of divine creation and life after death are at least common themes.
A prevailing thought is that Egyptian gods, like all gods and religious belief systems, developed as a result of mankind attempting to explain the physical world. Another thought is that all humans are born with the innate understanding of the existence of a sovereign Creator, and that many ancient religions sprouted as a result of this universal truth. Seeking out a meaning and purpose to life is a common human experience.
Akhenaten is principally famous for his religious reforms, where the polytheism of Egypt was to be supplanted by monotheism centered around Aten, the god of the solar disc. This was possibly a move to lessen the political power of the Priests. Now the Pharaoh, not the priesthood, was the sole link between the people and Aten which effectively ended the power of the various temples.
Akhenaten built a temple to his god Aten immediately outside the east gate of the temple of Amun at Karnak, but clearly the coexistence of the two cults could not last. He therefore proscribed the cult of Amun, closed the god's temples, took over the revenues. He then sent his officials around to destroy Amun's statues and to desecrate the worship sites. These actions were so contrary to the traditional that opposition arose against him. As is a common theme in history, the church ansd state must be of one mind to succeed. They work best when in common agreement. Thus Bush uses religious belief to justify his politics, and establish a blend of tyranny with morals and values.
Gods have been at war with each other for thousands of years. If the Romans hadn't adopted christianity to replace their outdated gods then we wouldn't be following it either. Soon this phony religious structure will be replaced by something more realistic hopefully. One based in tolerance, conscience and equality, not fear, intolerance and ignorance.
Politicians use religion to control people. Belief works, not becase it is true, but because it works. All religions are warped. Christianity has warped through so many changes that no one really knows what it was originally intended to be. The information is made to fit the mold as required and so it develops a chamelion like structure.
Like you said, it has been warped to fit agendas. Like Hitler and the German theologians did before WW2.
_________________ Completely sane world
madness the only freedom
An ability to see both sides of a question
one of the marks of a mature mind
People don't choose to be dishonest
the choice chooses them
Now I know how Kusinich feels.
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