Religion is intertwined in culture itself, not just our values. And like culture, it is an attempt to explain and adapt to reality as a given people know it. Why there are certain taboos in a religion are often explained by hazards that a given people who invented the religion faced. The rewards of the gods often reflect what a people need or desire most.
Part of the reason Hollywood depicts Heaven as a domain in the clouds has to do with primitive humans looking up to the sky and deciding that the deceptively solid looking formations above was the abode of the gods. Christians, when in feelings of religious bliss, will reach their hands up to the sky, even in an age when we know the world is round and "up" is relative and there is are no angles dancing in the wisps of condensation above. This is one example of how perceived reality by primitive humans affected how the religion was shaped.
Religion, like art, also changes over time and adopts other ideas from other cultures. Christianity itself seems like the clear amalgamation of Judaism with various pagan ideas. The very concepts of Hell and eternal salvation are nowhere to be found in the OT and the idea of an intercessor deity in Christ is positively blasphemous to the Jewish god who demanded the undivided attention of his people (the need for the mental gymnastics of the Trinity is obvious in this conundrum).
We see this even in minor aspects of Christianity, so easy to overlook. Yahweh NEVER smote anyone with lightning in the Bible. Yet, it's a cliche of the modern Christian concept of God isn't it? That's Zeus' schtick, smiting sinners with the thunderbolt. In fact, the vision of the anthropomorphic god of Christianity looks suspiciously like Zeus, the old-yet-youthful man with the long beard and the Greek style robe. And Lucifer is a cross between the god of passion Pan (with his goat legs and horns) and Hades, the god of the underworld.
If you change a culture's religion, you change the culture in ways that are immediately noticeable. A people that convert to Islam begin to adopt trappings of Arabic or Middle-Eastern style culture. Even atheists in America will exclaim "Jesus" in moments of surprise, reflecting growing up in a Christian majority culture. As a culture loses its religion, the culture also changes. We'll see what happens in the world as this development unfolds.
That's my long answer. The short one is art, culture, values and religion are all interwoven.
Part of the reason Hollywood depicts Heaven as a domain in the clouds has to do with primitive humans looking up to the sky and deciding that the deceptively solid looking formations above was the abode of the gods. Christians, when in feelings of religious bliss, will reach their hands up to the sky, even in an age when we know the world is round and "up" is relative and there is are no angles dancing in the wisps of condensation above. This is one example of how perceived reality by primitive humans affected how the religion was shaped.
Religion, like art, also changes over time and adopts other ideas from other cultures. Christianity itself seems like the clear amalgamation of Judaism with various pagan ideas. The very concepts of Hell and eternal salvation are nowhere to be found in the OT and the idea of an intercessor deity in Christ is positively blasphemous to the Jewish god who demanded the undivided attention of his people (the need for the mental gymnastics of the Trinity is obvious in this conundrum).
We see this even in minor aspects of Christianity, so easy to overlook. Yahweh NEVER smote anyone with lightning in the Bible. Yet, it's a cliche of the modern Christian concept of God isn't it? That's Zeus' schtick, smiting sinners with the thunderbolt. In fact, the vision of the anthropomorphic god of Christianity looks suspiciously like Zeus, the old-yet-youthful man with the long beard and the Greek style robe. And Lucifer is a cross between the god of passion Pan (with his goat legs and horns) and Hades, the god of the underworld.
If you change a culture's religion, you change the culture in ways that are immediately noticeable. A people that convert to Islam begin to adopt trappings of Arabic or Middle-Eastern style culture. Even atheists in America will exclaim "Jesus" in moments of surprise, reflecting growing up in a Christian majority culture. As a culture loses its religion, the culture also changes. We'll see what happens in the world as this development unfolds.
That's my long answer. The short one is art, culture, values and religion are all interwoven.
Atheist Forums Hall of Shame:
"The trinity can be equated to having your cake and eating it too."
... -Lucent, trying to defend the Trinity concept
"(Yahweh's) actions are good because (Yahweh) is the ultimate standard of goodness. That’s not begging the question"
... -Statler Waldorf, Christian apologist
"The trinity can be equated to having your cake and eating it too."
... -Lucent, trying to defend the Trinity concept
"(Yahweh's) actions are good because (Yahweh) is the ultimate standard of goodness. That’s not begging the question"
... -Statler Waldorf, Christian apologist
