-
Unknown Member
Deleted UserMarch 26, 2010 at 8:12 am
ORIGINAL: itchn2help
The historical premise of many organized religions is the enforced belief that one cannot access god on one’s own; in fact, if a person believes
they can receive instruction from god independantly of the priest, they are treated as either 1) a lunatic, and locked up or 2) possessed by the devil and exorcised, or 3) made into a saint.
So it may not be the Pope, exclusively, but is certainly the priests/ministers, who are marketed as ones only safe, reliable translator of god’s will.
It was the scam of the multi-millenia, the original Ponzi scheme. And it enriched and empowered the Catholic church, so that they were loath to let go of the lucritive propaganda. Look what happened to the Cathars, and the early Knights Templar, who through their usury and economic competition with the Church, had to be put down.i always thought it was funny, too. not only in a judeo-christian sense, but even aborigines had shamen, etc. which always struck me as odd, because anybody should be “qualified” to be a spiritual conduit, if such a thing exists. its not like being spiritual or connected to god is something that can be measured and compared for aptitude, like running fast or jumping high. the fact that people have taken it upon themselves to tell their various cultures throughout history that [i]they[/i] have god’s ear amazes me. well, maybe the idea that people believe them is what’s amazing to me, i’m not even sure anymore.