(February 13, 2013 at 5:53 pm)John V Wrote:Quote:Jews and Christians refuse to see that the reality is that EVERY religion has always been a spinoff of something prior.Paul notes in Romans 1:
21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.
So, from a Biblical POV, some similar motifs are not surprising.
There is absolutely NOTHING new in that passage that has not been a motif in other cultures. Superstitious writings of all sorts of myths always set the writer up to be the upstart victim who merely dared to question, then they write the characters of the "outsiders" as being the bullies, that way they get to look like the oppressed. In psychological terms it's called passive aggressive. From a propaganda standpoint, it is a great way to sell fear and get people to fear change.
Socrates in "The Apology" was also persecuted for questioning the alleged wise people and teachers and government authorities.
There is a huge difference in reality, in being a victim, and pretending to be a victim.
Galileo was a victim, the woman who was burned alive for falsely being accused of being a fictional being(witch) was a victim. Christians and gays and non Shiite Muslims living in Iran are victims.
Being the bully like the religions of Abraham are, and falsely pretending to be the victim, doesn't make them victims.
