Bigotry is infectious. In its extreme, it causes death. Not to those who are infected, but the targets of their bigotry.
For many centuries, spiritual leaders have tried to spread peace and minimize violence and hatred. Others, however, have preached the opposite, and joined with political leaders to build a power structure and convert non-believers to their way of honoring the Otherworld.
Or face death.
That's the real problem. Not the difference in beliefs about the Otherworld, however they perceive it and the nature of the spirits there, but about who controls any organized belief system.
Then there is the right to choose a belief system that reflects a differing culture.
Some cultures were and are based on equality, in contrast to others that insist women are subservient to men. But there are some that face a conflict, as they try to honor their cultural tradition of equality with the newer insistence that women are by nature lesser creatures and should do as they are told.
In a way, this reflects the human impulse that someone must be in charge, and in many cultures, men have a stronger need to control than women.
Therein is the modern problem in Western cultures.
For many centuries, women were blamed for the sins of men. This is basic to the religious belief that Eve was at fault for the sin of Adam. Whether this is a true story matters not. It serves as the base for the notion in many cultures that men are the dominant creatures and women should do as they are told.
This was reinforced and given more detail in the Fourth Century by the theologian Augustine, whose philosophy formed the base for modern Christianity.
Even today, despite the growing acceptance of women's equality, many still insist that women do not have full control over their bodily functions, and should follow the rules set by men.
"But we were created that way," some men insist.
"That's what many men say," a woman replies. "Where does it say they're right?"
"It's in all the sacred books," the man claimed.
"Which were written by men," she noted.
For many centuries, spiritual leaders have tried to spread peace and minimize violence and hatred. Others, however, have preached the opposite, and joined with political leaders to build a power structure and convert non-believers to their way of honoring the Otherworld.
Or face death.
That's the real problem. Not the difference in beliefs about the Otherworld, however they perceive it and the nature of the spirits there, but about who controls any organized belief system.
Then there is the right to choose a belief system that reflects a differing culture.
Some cultures were and are based on equality, in contrast to others that insist women are subservient to men. But there are some that face a conflict, as they try to honor their cultural tradition of equality with the newer insistence that women are by nature lesser creatures and should do as they are told.
In a way, this reflects the human impulse that someone must be in charge, and in many cultures, men have a stronger need to control than women.
Therein is the modern problem in Western cultures.
For many centuries, women were blamed for the sins of men. This is basic to the religious belief that Eve was at fault for the sin of Adam. Whether this is a true story matters not. It serves as the base for the notion in many cultures that men are the dominant creatures and women should do as they are told.
This was reinforced and given more detail in the Fourth Century by the theologian Augustine, whose philosophy formed the base for modern Christianity.
Even today, despite the growing acceptance of women's equality, many still insist that women do not have full control over their bodily functions, and should follow the rules set by men.
"But we were created that way," some men insist.
"That's what many men say," a woman replies. "Where does it say they're right?"
"It's in all the sacred books," the man claimed.
"Which were written by men," she noted.
No comments:
Post a Comment