The Gods Go to War -- Again?
In the ancient world the gods were thought to lead their warring human troops into battle and the defeat of a nation (tribe) was viewed either as the defeat of its patron god or goddess -- or punishment for crimes of a people whose god(s) had abandoned them at a critical moment, perhaps as punishment for their moral wrong doing (See various Hebrew prophets on this latter subject).
Thus, one of the reasons to view our modern religions with concern is that they, too, are being used to justify wars against THEM. In Sri Lanka (once Ceylon off the east coast of India) the Hindu Tamils do battle with the Buddhist Sri Lankan majority. I recall a human rights conference some years ago where representatives of each scowled at their 'enemies' across the conference table. We outsiders could not grasp why intelligent people with so many interests in common could be engaged in brutal warfare against each other? Perhaps the madness with which the gods afflict their adherents?
Needless to say Christians and Jews now seem to be moving into increasing confrontation with Muslims in the Middle East -- Yahweh and Jehovah (the misconstruing of the Hebrew vowels by the King James translators in the 17th century) taking on Allah? Note the citations of ancient religious authorities used to justify brutal cruelties -- the "collateral" deaths and woundings of the innocent -- whether rockets from on high or bombs below. What sort of gods are these -- perhaps the ancient Babylonian ones in disguise who held humans in contempt and tormented them for their godly entertainment? Enlil (desert) storms again?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enlil
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babylonian_and_Assyrian_religion
Note how the "axis of evil" mentality fits this framework. What goes around comes around? Iraq and Afghanistan destroyed -- now on to demonize Iran and the Iranians?
May the most powerful god win. However, such warfare may ultimately prove deadly for us mere humans in this era of WMD!
--
"A war is just if there is no alternative, and the resort to arms is legitimate if they represent your last hope." (Livy cited by Machiavelli)
--
Ed Kent 718-951-5324 (voice mail only) [blind copies]
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PeaceEfforts
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Israel_Palestine
http://BlogByEdKent.blogspot.com/
http://www.bloggernews.net
Thus, one of the reasons to view our modern religions with concern is that they, too, are being used to justify wars against THEM. In Sri Lanka (once Ceylon off the east coast of India) the Hindu Tamils do battle with the Buddhist Sri Lankan majority. I recall a human rights conference some years ago where representatives of each scowled at their 'enemies' across the conference table. We outsiders could not grasp why intelligent people with so many interests in common could be engaged in brutal warfare against each other? Perhaps the madness with which the gods afflict their adherents?
Needless to say Christians and Jews now seem to be moving into increasing confrontation with Muslims in the Middle East -- Yahweh and Jehovah (the misconstruing of the Hebrew vowels by the King James translators in the 17th century) taking on Allah? Note the citations of ancient religious authorities used to justify brutal cruelties -- the "collateral" deaths and woundings of the innocent -- whether rockets from on high or bombs below. What sort of gods are these -- perhaps the ancient Babylonian ones in disguise who held humans in contempt and tormented them for their godly entertainment? Enlil (desert) storms again?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enlil
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babylonian_and_Assyrian_religion
Note how the "axis of evil" mentality fits this framework. What goes around comes around? Iraq and Afghanistan destroyed -- now on to demonize Iran and the Iranians?
May the most powerful god win. However, such warfare may ultimately prove deadly for us mere humans in this era of WMD!
--
"A war is just if there is no alternative, and the resort to arms is legitimate if they represent your last hope." (Livy cited by Machiavelli)
--
Ed Kent 718-951-5324 (voice mail only) [blind copies]
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PeaceEfforts
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Israel_Palestine
http://BlogByEdKent.blogspot.com/
http://www.bloggernews.net
posted by Ed Kent at 7:48 AM
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