In this section addressing Judaism and Christianity – we really address the foundations of organized religion as we recognize it in today’s world. However, the organization of these religions was not so unlike the creation of previous ancient beliefs and worships, nor do these formulizations of “faith” differ in any fashion from those that come later – or those which continue to appear throughout the march of time.
When addressing any subject as delicate, personal, and volatile as religious faith – one must tread very lightly. Yet, truth is undeniable. All religions establish rules of order, and command obedience to the religion’s particular deity(ies) – as well as the religion’s structured hierarchy. With the exceptions of Buddhism, Hinduism, …show more content…
Reality, though, is the truth most us fail to see – or choose not to recognize. That truth is organized religion is mostly used to control, not to free; it is used to suppress, not to uplift. Organized religion is a quest for power, and this is exampled in the extreme throughout the histories of both Judaism and …show more content…
The fervor of Christian (and Islamic) believers often borders on the extreme; at times on the fanatical; and all too often on the blind. However, the teachings within the accounts of Jesus’ life and times are extraordinary, beautiful, and as always – political. The main accounts of Jesus come to us through the Gospels in the Bible. Each Gospel: Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John have a different ‘take” on the story and teachings of Jesus. While Mark, Matthew, and Luke are similar in the basic conception as to a narrative of Jesus’ life – they naturally have differences as well. Mostly, they are the accounts of “secretaries” to men, or groups of men, who told and retold the story of Jesus Christ. They are not the direct words and/or writings of Mark, Matthew, and Luke (Ward). John also follows this “format” of others writing the words of “the Gospel according to John.” Though, the Gospel of John takes the story of Jesus to another dimension not reached in the other three – that of Jesus being the “revealer of cosmic truths, and teaching the possibility of being born again to eternal life” (Matthews 158). Moreover, the politics of religion are shown in the Gospels. Mark was written in part to support Paul’s evangelistic preaching; Matthew was written in part to make the Apostle “Peter the ‘rock’ on which the church was founded;” and Luke was an effort to deny any schism ever existed
When addressing any subject as delicate, personal, and volatile as religious faith – one must tread very lightly. Yet, truth is undeniable. All religions establish rules of order, and command obedience to the religion’s particular deity(ies) – as well as the religion’s structured hierarchy. With the exceptions of Buddhism, Hinduism, …show more content…
Reality, though, is the truth most us fail to see – or choose not to recognize. That truth is organized religion is mostly used to control, not to free; it is used to suppress, not to uplift. Organized religion is a quest for power, and this is exampled in the extreme throughout the histories of both Judaism and …show more content…
The fervor of Christian (and Islamic) believers often borders on the extreme; at times on the fanatical; and all too often on the blind. However, the teachings within the accounts of Jesus’ life and times are extraordinary, beautiful, and as always – political. The main accounts of Jesus come to us through the Gospels in the Bible. Each Gospel: Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John have a different ‘take” on the story and teachings of Jesus. While Mark, Matthew, and Luke are similar in the basic conception as to a narrative of Jesus’ life – they naturally have differences as well. Mostly, they are the accounts of “secretaries” to men, or groups of men, who told and retold the story of Jesus Christ. They are not the direct words and/or writings of Mark, Matthew, and Luke (Ward). John also follows this “format” of others writing the words of “the Gospel according to John.” Though, the Gospel of John takes the story of Jesus to another dimension not reached in the other three – that of Jesus being the “revealer of cosmic truths, and teaching the possibility of being born again to eternal life” (Matthews 158). Moreover, the politics of religion are shown in the Gospels. Mark was written in part to support Paul’s evangelistic preaching; Matthew was written in part to make the Apostle “Peter the ‘rock’ on which the church was founded;” and Luke was an effort to deny any schism ever existed