RELIGIOUS ZEALOTS IMPOSE STONE AGE IGNORANCE ON AMERICA
America’s right-wing creationist moralizing bible thumpers cling tenaciously to primitive religious convictions. In practice this is not much better than the higher cultural levels of Cro-Magnon men of 25,000 years ago. At least there was agreement at that time to band together to kill a hairy mammoth to eat.
Today there is a blockade of Congress by the religious right that is against helping millions of Americans near starvation daily.
What is it about religion in prehistoric and primitive cultures that is clearly seen in the behavior of the Teaparty Creationist Republicans? Going backwards in time, social anthropologists have concluded that religion is a product of the earliest attempts of the human mind to achieve a sense of security in a very tenuous existence.
Neanderthals’ who flourished 100,000 to 25,000 years ago, before the times of Cro-Magnon men, left definite evidence of their religious practices in their graves. Primitive man had no resources to explain the mysterious realities of natural forces – so turned to explanations that allowed him to locate himself in the midst of everything that was confounding to achieve a sense of security. Bear cults and the worship of animals, animism, were among the earliest precursors of creationism. And sacrificial victims to appease the spirit-powers had developed.
By the time Cro-Magnons appeared in the higher cultural levels of the Stone Age, religion had become more sophisticated, as Cro-Magnons had turned to belief in magic to assure future success. And one pervading characteristic of religion in primitive people was that they were so personally identified with the group or community to which they belonged (like members of the Teapublicans) that they almost never fell back on their own private judgment regarding what may be termed public matters – (like voting in lockstep against the public good).
The common features of Primitive Religions are the same common features today:
- Recognition of the sacred – a sense of holy mystery, awe, reverence, and devote “fear of the lord.” (www.nae.net/…/what-is-an-evangeli … Cached : National Association of Evangelicals. Evangelicals take the Bible seriously and believe in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. The term “evangelical” comes from the Greek word euangelion, meaning …
- Expression of anxiety in ritual – provides comfort and reassurance, as well as binding the individuals participating to a rigid adherence to continuation with the threat that failing to do so will result in terrible consequences – christianity.about.com › … › Denominations › Christian Doctrines . Cached . Similar . by Mary Fairchild – in 1,091 Google+ circles . Definition: “Speaking in Tongues” is one of the supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit referred to in 1 Corinthians 12:4-10. “Glossolalia” is the most commonly …
- Inextricable intermingling of religion and magic – religion appeared when magic failed, (Lessa and Vogt, Reader in Comparative Religion) really? https://www.ernestangley.org/miracles . Similar . Do you need a miracle or healing? Agree with Rev. Ernest Angley in prayer and receive your miracle or
- Belief in mana – belief in the occult force or spirits. Like – the “holy ghost.” www.tomorrowsworld.org/ The Bible Answers Your Key Questions. Receive a Free Booklet! The Kingdom of God. The True Gospel . Original Christianity . Telecast
- Veneration and worship of spirits – see #4
- Recognition of high gods – a supreme being. From anthropologists we understand it is common among many primitive groups to find a god far up in the sky who made everything: man, earth, sea and sky; who sees everything, sometime disapproves but does not interferre.
- Sacrifice – Clearly the Teapublicans are willing to kill Congress to reduce the size of government so their shamans – the Kochs etal – can further their power and wealth. (See: https://www.the5thestate.net/2013/11/05/american-taliban-are-christian-terrorists-dominionists-christian-reconstructionists-crusading-against-america/
- 8. Mythology – This is universal among man, and certain myths have persisted for thousands of decades. The original happening: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother_goddess
Get the parallels?
Evidence about Cro-Magnons has shown it appears that each man made personal choices acting in the restricted sphere of his private life. There is evidence that primitives while not being analytical or logical were capable of inductive and deductive reasoning to provide order within their own personal existence. The exceptions were the atypical individuals – geniuses and talented eccentrics who, in rare instances, added new paths which expanded the range of thought and actions. However, on the whole, anthropologists have concluded that traditions and customs were closely followed. From this knowledge it is obvious why belief in “intelligent design” is still followed by 50% of the globe’s inhabitants – http://www.christianpost.com/news/global-poll-most-believe-in-god-afterlife-49994/.
“Old habits die hard” – like religion driven ignorance: https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid… Cached .. Dec 3, 2007 – Some conditions (addictions, for example) may appear to be “cured”, but are only waiting to resurface. “Old habits die hard” means that you must …
So for all who wonder how the Christian Creationist-religious right “wingers” want to subvert and crash our Republic; and are confounded by their grotesque ignorance and lack of concern for the common good by all the intelligent design believers who do not acknowledge why America’s founding fathers believed in the “Separation of Church and State” — this is it.
Faith-based is code for being a moralizing bible thumper relying on Stone Age thought to feel more secure about the insecure nature of life. When the most important thing is to be on a path to be a compassionate, empathic flexible thinker without prejudice, who is concerned enough about their neighbors’ problems to find some self-interest in the common good. The rest is an excuse to remain in a coma of mental rigor mortis to maintain an illusion of security to be found in ignorance by the ignorant.
(you can also refer to Man’s Religions, by John Noss)