mangoe@umcp-cs.UUCP (Charley Wingate) (09/15/85)
In article <1699@pyuxd.UUCP> rlr@pyuxd.UUCP (Rich Rosen) writes: >I think the only reason they can "get away" with teaching about ancient >Greek and Viking religion in schools because (I think there's a joke I'm >taking this from) there are no more ancient Greeks (or Vikings). They >are "treading" on a religion that nobody currently believes in (to my >knowledge). You'ld be suprised what some people believe in..... >What would be interesting in teaching about religions that nobody believes >in anymore (like these ancient myths) is to talk about why nobody believes >them anymore, the flaws and presumptions these ancient peoples made in >designing these religious systems, and how this learning can be applied >in general today. That is perhaps the truest way to foster real FREEDOM >of religion I can think of. (Probably scares the hell out of some people, >though.) Actually, in the case of the Norse religions, the answer is quite simple; the various Norse people were exposed to Christianity, and decided that it was the better religion. I think this is a worthwhile topic for discussion, if we can restrain ourselves from wishful thinking about whether or not the religions in question were (or are) true. Charley Wingate
padraig@utastro.UUCP (Padraig Houlahan) (09/16/85)
> I think this is a worthwhile topic for discussion, if we can restrain > ourselves from wishful thinking about whether or not the religions in > question were (or are) true. > > Charley Wingate How about this scenario: Long ago people formed groups that believed in certain things. The groups were sects of different religions. As time went by and more and more became sceptical of the set of beliefs that they were introduced to as children and gradually began dropping tenets, one by one, from the cental set. Eventually if this procedure continues they will be left believing in the quantities that religious beliefs were originally introduced to promote in the first case i.e. social harmony, mutual respect, etc. Of course there are two interesting aspects to this: 1) The religions are really evolving and not dying 2) Some of the non-christians were there all along. Padraig Houlahan.
scott@hou2g.UUCP (Racer X) (09/17/85)
Re: The Norse turning away from their mythology/religion
because they found Christianity "better"...
Ah, but WHY did they find it "better"?
SJBerrymrh@cybvax0.UUCP (Mike Huybensz) (09/19/85)
In article <634@hou2g.UUCP> scott@hou2g.UUCP (Racer X) writes: > > Re: The Norse turning away from their mythology/religion > because they found Christianity "better"... > > Ah, but WHY did they find it "better"? Probably for the same reason that Marxism/communism has been found "better" by enough people to fuel numerous popular revolutionary movements. It promises enfranchisement of various sorts to everybody, not just heroes who get to go to Valhalla. -- Mike Huybensz ...decvax!genrad!mit-eddie!cybvax0!mrh