Gorloche
2005-02-15, 21:08
I recently read a book called God's Debris, which is a philo/theological book that covers a discussion of a delivery man and an older man explaining the world to him. One aprt stuck out at me, and I'd like to share it.
Most religions ahve a holy land that they call their own. The Hindus have the Ganges river, the Babylonians, Assyrians, and Hyksos had the Tigris and Euphrates, Christianity, Islam, and Judaism all have Jerusalem. There are various places, whose names and locations are absolutely unimportant for this discussion, that are considered to be holy by their respective faith. Among the lsit of other holy things are relics, such as the Ark of the Covenant, the Ark, Buddha's throne, and the rock from which Mohammed ascended to Heaven are a few examples.
Why do these exist? Why are there relics and holy lands? Most likely, they are around for a physical form of faith. It is far more comforting for one's faith and ideology if there are things that they can comprehend, as msot faiths are based on an incomprehensible divinity. It's a way to comfort one's soul and reassure themselves of what is right.
Unfortunately, people get carried away. What once was a place where thought could be focused became senseless dogma. People fight and die over land in Israel, and why? Because their faith points to important events happening there. In Europe, wars and battles were fought heavily in the Middle Ages for relics of saints and pieces of the True Cross. People quickly became entangled in the objects taht once were simple tools of reassurance.
This can only truly be attributed to a momentary lapse in judgement. The people who are fighting and dying over these items and handfuls of dirt have lost what these tiems stand for. The True Cross shouldn't be important to Christians because of the physical events surrounding it or the fact that Jesus was on it, but because it symbolizes God's sacrifice for mankind. Muslims and Jews shouldn't fight over a wall and a rock due to the stories of ascendence to Heaven about them, but because they symbolize a God that is in touch with and is sympathetic for the people. People lust after worldly possessions with greed, and this is sin, but if they lust after worldly possessions that belonged to a religious figure, they are wise and holy. These actions are the same.
If one were to take the entirety of Jerusalem, leaving nothing but a crater where it once stood, and placed it, perfectly intact, in Morocco, would it still be holy? And, according to science, not a single atom remains in the areas or items considered holy that were once there upon divinity; each one has been spread accross the world. Truly, these items are only in the same form as the one considered bright and holy, not truly the same item anymore.
The meanings have been lsot to people. The words they say that plead for capture of these places are but lip-service; each of these faiths preaches against such acts of greed and agression for worldly items. The importance of these things and places is in what they symbolize and the meanings behind them, not the physicallity itself. And, for note, I am trying to write this from a non-biased viewpoint, so don't nag. I'm not picking on you.
Discuss, if you will.
Most religions ahve a holy land that they call their own. The Hindus have the Ganges river, the Babylonians, Assyrians, and Hyksos had the Tigris and Euphrates, Christianity, Islam, and Judaism all have Jerusalem. There are various places, whose names and locations are absolutely unimportant for this discussion, that are considered to be holy by their respective faith. Among the lsit of other holy things are relics, such as the Ark of the Covenant, the Ark, Buddha's throne, and the rock from which Mohammed ascended to Heaven are a few examples.
Why do these exist? Why are there relics and holy lands? Most likely, they are around for a physical form of faith. It is far more comforting for one's faith and ideology if there are things that they can comprehend, as msot faiths are based on an incomprehensible divinity. It's a way to comfort one's soul and reassure themselves of what is right.
Unfortunately, people get carried away. What once was a place where thought could be focused became senseless dogma. People fight and die over land in Israel, and why? Because their faith points to important events happening there. In Europe, wars and battles were fought heavily in the Middle Ages for relics of saints and pieces of the True Cross. People quickly became entangled in the objects taht once were simple tools of reassurance.
This can only truly be attributed to a momentary lapse in judgement. The people who are fighting and dying over these items and handfuls of dirt have lost what these tiems stand for. The True Cross shouldn't be important to Christians because of the physical events surrounding it or the fact that Jesus was on it, but because it symbolizes God's sacrifice for mankind. Muslims and Jews shouldn't fight over a wall and a rock due to the stories of ascendence to Heaven about them, but because they symbolize a God that is in touch with and is sympathetic for the people. People lust after worldly possessions with greed, and this is sin, but if they lust after worldly possessions that belonged to a religious figure, they are wise and holy. These actions are the same.
If one were to take the entirety of Jerusalem, leaving nothing but a crater where it once stood, and placed it, perfectly intact, in Morocco, would it still be holy? And, according to science, not a single atom remains in the areas or items considered holy that were once there upon divinity; each one has been spread accross the world. Truly, these items are only in the same form as the one considered bright and holy, not truly the same item anymore.
The meanings have been lsot to people. The words they say that plead for capture of these places are but lip-service; each of these faiths preaches against such acts of greed and agression for worldly items. The importance of these things and places is in what they symbolize and the meanings behind them, not the physicallity itself. And, for note, I am trying to write this from a non-biased viewpoint, so don't nag. I'm not picking on you.
Discuss, if you will.