We all know that religion has a history of violence... fact is atheism does too, look at Russia before the fall of communism when they declared Atheism not the national religion, but the only scientific fact. I guess they didn't count it as a religion even though it takes faith, and the followers seem so vehement when told about anyone's religious beliefs. I wanted to do a blog that was pretty much just strait verses from Holy Books, since comparatively they are all pretty angry. I guess I can throw in some real life stories from now and past. I've already shown some of the history, such as the Crusades, and Constantine's dislike of the Pagans, and of course some of the Muslim community has always had a problem with Christians. Seems to me that the Jews are the most peaceful religion, my research may prove me wrong, if you have info let me know.
Actual stories of religious violence in the present.
I'll start with 9/11, call it an inside job, but I don't really want to hear it. The same people calling it an inside job by President Bush are the people saying he was a retard. No retard masterminded 9/11. No one in congress was laughing, and it just made their jobs harder. Sure some people say they just wanted a war of distraction, but the government knew it would hurt their popularity. In life as in football, the best defense is a good offence.
I think the reasoning behind it was this... lets remember that I was 16 when this happened, and I don't remember their actual logic... I was just reading the last few books of the Quran. It says specifically that if you are rich, instead of counting your money, you should give it to the poor. Basically if you are rich, and you aren't spreading it around Allah dislikes it. I'm not downing Islam, but lets face it, Socialism is the way for them. I do stand behind this in that if you are rich you should feel a draw on your heart to give. I however do not think that the government should take, but things don't work like they should, people don't ALL have the draw to give, so the government takes because they have to fund themselves, but I know someone who makes 120,000 a year, one third of her money was going in taxes, I believe that is too much. I believe that the Muslims who believe in the external Jihad wanted to take us down, I never doubted that. They believe Allah told them to do it, but then again pretty much everyone hates America, there are Muslims who want peace, and there are those who would like to forcefully convert or kill everyone else, they fight each other too.
Next example can be Ireland. Two bands have songs about this conflict... Zombie, and Sunday bloody Sunday. I had to research this, as I've said before history, politics, and religion are new areas of interest to me. (So any attacks on my knowledge base will be well met, I don't claim to know everything). As I understand it, Northern Ireland didn't exist until 1920, when the British Government divided Ireland. Before that the north and south had been divided not only geographically, but economically too. In the 1800s the Catholics had a generally low standard of living, while the protestants enjoyed relative wealth. In the south, even after England separated them the Catholics continues to want complete independence. Armed conflict subsided after that agreement, but in the 1960s it started up again. It continued into the 90s and was referred to as "The Troubles". It was considered terrorism, and that was between Christians, just different types, which confuses me a little. Same Bible, why so much hate? It just goes to show that Holy Books can be interpreted 20 different ways. This includes the Quran, for those who say it preaches violence and only violence, I just finished it and that's not what I gleaned from it at all. Safe to say that Christianity is a religion of violence too, whether you like it or not.
I have a few other examples... Jerusalem and Palestine, The shootings at Ft. Hood, Current persecution of Muslims in the US... the list goes on and on, and no one is perfect. I don't understand why some of the Christians I know fail to see that we are at fault too, everyone is.
Okay, for some scripture from the Holy Books of the big 3 Abrahamic faiths. If the quote is from the Bible and the Torah, since they are partially the same thing I'll just put both.
The problem with the Quran is this... verse from the Internet taken out of context..."Slay the idolaters wherever ye find them, arrest them, besiege them, and lie in ambush everywhere for them," Allah instructs the Prophet Muhammad (Quran, 9:5)
When reading this the verses before and after show that the book is talking about idolaters or polytheists who they had a treaty with who broke the treaty, so basically treason. Violent yes, without provocation no. The rest of these will be out of context, I suggest you look them up.
Bible
2 John
9 Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.
10 If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:
Titus 1
1:10 For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision:(Jews)
1:11 Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake.
1 Thessalonnians 2
Judaea are in Christ Jesus: for ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews:
2:15 Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men:
Matthew 10
10:21 And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death.
10:22 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.
10:23 But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.
Bible/Torah
Exodus 23
23:24 Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their works: but thou shalt utterly overthrow them, and quite break down their images.
Exodus 31
31:14 Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people
Leviticus 20
20:9 For every one that curseth his father or his mother shall be surely put to death: he hath cursed his father or his mother; his blood shall be upon him.
Leviticus 24
24:16 And he that blasphemeth the name of the LORD, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him: as well the stranger, as he that is born in the land, when he blasphemeth the name of the Lord, shall be put to death
Quran
Quran (66:9) - "O Prophet! Strive against the disbelievers and the hypocrites, and be stern with them. Hell will be their home, a hapless journey's end."
Quran (9:123) - "O you who believe! fight those of the unbelievers who are near to you and let them find in you hardness."
Quran (40:22) - "That was because their messengers kept bringing them clear proofs (of Allah's Sovereignty) but they disbelieved; so Allah seized them. Lo! He is Strong, severe in punishment."
Quran (2:10) - "In their hearts is a disease, and Allah increaseth their disease. A painful doom is theirs because they lie."
*Try as I might I can't find anything in the Quran about the Muslims beheading, stoning, or otherwise hurting non-believers, infidels, whatever (except when talking about people who invade their lands, or stories in the book of a historical nature). I know people keep saying it, but I read the whole darn thing, and it just isn't in there. There is a lot about non-believers burning in hell, but that isn't really the same thing. I haven't read the Sunni or some other Muslim texts, but from what I hear the Quran is considered a stand alone book like the Bible.*
In church today we learned some about the Lord's Supper and Baptism, my preacher is very theologically minded, and has agreed to meet with me and answer my questions. Since there are so many questions I have about my religion I hope he doesn't get overwhelmed. My Dad is going to talk to me too, he is a music minister, but also very into history and logic, I think he will have a very moderate but intelligent perspective. If anyone has any questions that they want answered let me know... A few people who read this tend to ask questions in an almost mocking way (I believe you know who you are) I know you don't mean it that way, but if you do have questions that I may be able to get answered try to word them as nice as possible. I do want to add that I'm still Christian, I do believe that Jesus in necessary in my life, he is like one of my oldest friends, if anyone would ever like to talk to me about that shoot me an e-mail.
Showing posts with label History. Show all posts
Showing posts with label History. Show all posts
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Saturday, November 19, 2011
The (actual) reason for the season -warning, it's long-
One of my friends asked us to address this, and then I found myself extremely curious. A few questions...
Why x-mas? Are you really just that lazy?
Why does Jesus' Resurrection have anything to do with bunnies, or eggs?
Where did Santa come from?
Why do Pagans and Christians alike claim these holidays?
What do Jews do on Christmas? I don't know but the word sounds gross...
What the heck is Kwanzaa?
Who doesn't celebrate these days?
Okay first x-mas, I assumed it was just a shorthand, but many claim it's people trying to take God out of a holiday they hold dear. Actually it turns out that it is a Greek translation issue. The term x-mas is actually as old as the holiday, and it has nothing to do with Atheists. Apparently the first letter in the Greek word for Christ is 'Chi' and it's symbol looked something like an X. Spell it out, and if you see the abbreviation, inform people, they may love to tell others that Jesus is even in that spelling for the day :)
Next Easter, and that bunny with the eggs. Apparently the egg comes from the Druids, yes like the class is WoW, but not exactly the same thing.
"The origin of the Pasch [Easter] eggs is just as clear [as the origin of Easter]. The ancient druids bore an egg, as the sacred emblem of their order. In the Dionysiaca, or mysteries of Bacchus, as celebrated in Athens, one part of the nocturnal ceremony consisted in the consecration of an egg. The Hindu fables celebrate their mundane egg as of a golden color. The people of Japan make their sacred egg to have been brazen. In China, at this hour, dyed or painted eggs are used on sacred festivals, even as in this country [England]. In ancient times eggs were used in the religious rites of the Egyptians and the Greeks, and were hung up for mystic purposes in their temples. From Egypt these sacred eggs can be distinctly traced to the banks of the Euphrates. The classic poets are full of the fable of the mystic egg of the Babylonians."
Find the link here http://godkind.org/pagan-holidays.html I don't agree with everything on this page, but the information when cross referenced appears to be accurate.
This time happened to jive with Jewish passover and the Christian Resurrection. To be honest many other religions use this time for a holiday, not just Pagans and Christians. Jews, and specifically Catholics have a holiday around this time, all with ancient influences. It is really interesting, there is more information on it's origin than I don't have time to read at the moment, as we like to say... Just Google it. I will have to add that the bunnies and eggs also come from the Pagan holiday of fertility. As in, they do it like bunnies, and of course eggs are always associated with the fertility of every animal.
Okay, on to Mr. Santa Clause. Shew all literate children from the computer...
It comes from Germanic legends that Santa Claus punishes naughty children with the knout, hmmm, scary. I always thought the Santa thing was a little scary anyway, and I'd like to add that I never actually believed in him, didn't scar me any, I promise. Santa can also be linked back to the legend of St. Nick, he gave widows money so that they could marry off their daughters. German art started shaping his look in the eighteen hundreds, Coca Cola finished him off with his festive red and white.
It appears that so many religions practice these days because they are linked to endings and beginnings, the solstice, or other important times. Pagans where much disliked by the Christians, and the Christians wanted to convert them, so they just superimposed their holiday over it, (no one will notice, right?). Interestingly the Christmas tree comes from the belief that tree branches in the corners of homes will scare away ghosts. The wreath came from Pagans decorating for feasts.
Chanukah (Hanukkah) First off a link http://www.chabad.org/holidays/chanukah/article_cdo/aid/102911/jewish/Chanukah-in-a-Nutshell.htm
When they sought to light the Temple's menorah(the seven branched candelabrum), they found only a single cruse of olive oil that had escaped contamination by the Greeks; miraculously, the one-day supply burned for eight days, until new oil could be prepared under conditions of ritual purity.
Hanukkah is meant to teach kids about charity, and it also celebrates the freedom of the Jewish people.
I will go more in depth when I specifically study Judaism.
Kwanzaa? Well turns out its a cultural holiday, not a religious one. It is a time of gathering for African people, it was also a time to thank their creator. The celebration of this holiday is growing as some African Americans try to reconnect with their roots. The holiday celebrates family, charity, and purpose among other things. It lasts 7 days, it is not an alternative to Christmas as it is not religious, many African Americans celebrate both.
Who doesn't like gifts? Well some Christians don't apparently, due to certain verses in the Bible, and the Pagan roots. Jehovah's Witness' don't because of the pagan roots. Muslims and Jews have their own holidays, as do most other faiths. Atheists do sometimes celebrate, but just as a get together, yes even Atheists like presents.
The Christian Perspective- or at least my perspective
Why I celebrate- I think it's my right to celebrate the birth of my Savior. As with gifts on Christmas its the thought that counts. I know he wasn't born on December 25th, but this is when we choose to celebrate, Pagan holiday or not. It is a time when I can tell my family the wonderful news in a different way than we do it all year. It brings families together, and it makes us happy. I love to think about Jesus as a baby, before all the strife and the huge burden he had. Also now that I have a son it makes an even bigger impact on me, I don't think if I was asked to give him up I could, him or my daughter, what a hard thing to do.
If you don't believe the way I do, it doesn't mean that you should rain on our parade, you could always just humor us, spell out the word, and don't tell me that none of us remember the reason for the season. Christian is not synonymous with uneducated. In my desire to educate myself I have found all these interesting facts, can't argue with em, don't have to like em, but I will continue to celebrate, because that's what faith is about.
Sara
Why x-mas? Are you really just that lazy?
Why does Jesus' Resurrection have anything to do with bunnies, or eggs?
Where did Santa come from?
Why do Pagans and Christians alike claim these holidays?
What do Jews do on Christmas? I don't know but the word sounds gross...
What the heck is Kwanzaa?
Who doesn't celebrate these days?
Okay first x-mas, I assumed it was just a shorthand, but many claim it's people trying to take God out of a holiday they hold dear. Actually it turns out that it is a Greek translation issue. The term x-mas is actually as old as the holiday, and it has nothing to do with Atheists. Apparently the first letter in the Greek word for Christ is 'Chi' and it's symbol looked something like an X. Spell it out, and if you see the abbreviation, inform people, they may love to tell others that Jesus is even in that spelling for the day :)
Next Easter, and that bunny with the eggs. Apparently the egg comes from the Druids, yes like the class is WoW, but not exactly the same thing.
"The origin of the Pasch [Easter] eggs is just as clear [as the origin of Easter]. The ancient druids bore an egg, as the sacred emblem of their order. In the Dionysiaca, or mysteries of Bacchus, as celebrated in Athens, one part of the nocturnal ceremony consisted in the consecration of an egg. The Hindu fables celebrate their mundane egg as of a golden color. The people of Japan make their sacred egg to have been brazen. In China, at this hour, dyed or painted eggs are used on sacred festivals, even as in this country [England]. In ancient times eggs were used in the religious rites of the Egyptians and the Greeks, and were hung up for mystic purposes in their temples. From Egypt these sacred eggs can be distinctly traced to the banks of the Euphrates. The classic poets are full of the fable of the mystic egg of the Babylonians."
Find the link here http://godkind.org/pagan-holidays.html I don't agree with everything on this page, but the information when cross referenced appears to be accurate.
This time happened to jive with Jewish passover and the Christian Resurrection. To be honest many other religions use this time for a holiday, not just Pagans and Christians. Jews, and specifically Catholics have a holiday around this time, all with ancient influences. It is really interesting, there is more information on it's origin than I don't have time to read at the moment, as we like to say... Just Google it. I will have to add that the bunnies and eggs also come from the Pagan holiday of fertility. As in, they do it like bunnies, and of course eggs are always associated with the fertility of every animal.
Okay, on to Mr. Santa Clause. Shew all literate children from the computer...
It comes from Germanic legends that Santa Claus punishes naughty children with the knout, hmmm, scary. I always thought the Santa thing was a little scary anyway, and I'd like to add that I never actually believed in him, didn't scar me any, I promise. Santa can also be linked back to the legend of St. Nick, he gave widows money so that they could marry off their daughters. German art started shaping his look in the eighteen hundreds, Coca Cola finished him off with his festive red and white.
It appears that so many religions practice these days because they are linked to endings and beginnings, the solstice, or other important times. Pagans where much disliked by the Christians, and the Christians wanted to convert them, so they just superimposed their holiday over it, (no one will notice, right?). Interestingly the Christmas tree comes from the belief that tree branches in the corners of homes will scare away ghosts. The wreath came from Pagans decorating for feasts.
Chanukah (Hanukkah) First off a link http://www.chabad.org/holidays/chanukah/article_cdo/aid/102911/jewish/Chanukah-in-a-Nutshell.htm
When they sought to light the Temple's menorah(the seven branched candelabrum), they found only a single cruse of olive oil that had escaped contamination by the Greeks; miraculously, the one-day supply burned for eight days, until new oil could be prepared under conditions of ritual purity.
Hanukkah is meant to teach kids about charity, and it also celebrates the freedom of the Jewish people.
I will go more in depth when I specifically study Judaism.
Kwanzaa? Well turns out its a cultural holiday, not a religious one. It is a time of gathering for African people, it was also a time to thank their creator. The celebration of this holiday is growing as some African Americans try to reconnect with their roots. The holiday celebrates family, charity, and purpose among other things. It lasts 7 days, it is not an alternative to Christmas as it is not religious, many African Americans celebrate both.
Who doesn't like gifts? Well some Christians don't apparently, due to certain verses in the Bible, and the Pagan roots. Jehovah's Witness' don't because of the pagan roots. Muslims and Jews have their own holidays, as do most other faiths. Atheists do sometimes celebrate, but just as a get together, yes even Atheists like presents.
The Christian Perspective- or at least my perspective
Why I celebrate- I think it's my right to celebrate the birth of my Savior. As with gifts on Christmas its the thought that counts. I know he wasn't born on December 25th, but this is when we choose to celebrate, Pagan holiday or not. It is a time when I can tell my family the wonderful news in a different way than we do it all year. It brings families together, and it makes us happy. I love to think about Jesus as a baby, before all the strife and the huge burden he had. Also now that I have a son it makes an even bigger impact on me, I don't think if I was asked to give him up I could, him or my daughter, what a hard thing to do.
If you don't believe the way I do, it doesn't mean that you should rain on our parade, you could always just humor us, spell out the word, and don't tell me that none of us remember the reason for the season. Christian is not synonymous with uneducated. In my desire to educate myself I have found all these interesting facts, can't argue with em, don't have to like em, but I will continue to celebrate, because that's what faith is about.
Sara
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