The evolution of written religion was due to constant revolution of the arts

Man may not have had technology, but he had a thirst for knowledge and was ever more and more creative.
Writing is basically all there was. There was no video game development, big budget movies, pop music, etc.
There has always been creative writing.
I'd even point to earlier man's religions had less emotion in them; in the stories. They were more beliefs than stories. As the writers advanced there techniques, the tales become more relatable to everyday existence.
Heck, I think it would be amazing if they kept updating the bible with new books every 5-10 years. Did God's teachings stop? What happened to the families of those mentioned in the bible?

Thus, I say if people had been in contact with God, it would still happen today.
God must have known that 2,000 years ago man was still somewhat "primitive" to what we are now. Why would God leave it up to the kindergateners to lay out the laws of civilization?

If appropriate could the mods please move this thread to the Conspiracy in Religion forum?
Thanks.

reply to post by dlifesjrny


Hey Dlifesjrny,

Interesting concept, however I must disagree. Earlier religions and their mythologies are just as complex, if not more, than later mythologies and religions. Unless you're not looking at pagan and polytheistic religions.

• Aboriginal mythology is filled with insight and wild speculations. Reading about the Aboriginal Dreamtime has always been interesting to me.

• Myths from Egypt have spread and become the "building blocks" for Greek and Christian mythology. These myths related to times of the year, phases of the sun/moon, and more.

• Mythology from Mesopotamia started giving us the literature archetypes (the hero - Gilgamesh, the cycles of good and evil - a harlot raising Enkidu, and more)

All that man has done by progressing is scientifically expounded on the assumptions made by early religions. Demeter losing Persephone is no longer the reason we have Winter. It is because of the Earth's angle of rotation around the sun.

Laws are no longer handed down from mountaintops by gods, we now recognize (or should) that laws are moral ethics related to subjective realities we must all prescribe to so we can live the most beneficial life.

On and on. Early religion is great. I love the mythologies and stories. And most of today modern fiction writers use the allegory, metaphor and allusion from early religious myths as a foundation for their new works.



Great post though!

~ Scribe

There has always been creative writing.
No, there has not always been "creative writing". Creative writing only came about in the last 3,500-or-so years.
Heck, I think it would be amazing if they kept updating the bible with new books every 5-10 years.
Who could read that? It would be self-defeating, in the end; people read the Bible because they think they are forging some sort of 'relationship with God'. If the Bible was a never-ending book, the complexities would be behemoth in nature.
What happened to the families of those mentioned in the bible?
You seem to be writing this from the perspective of a Christian - or an atheist who is mocking Christians - and thus believe in some sort of 'Heaven'.
Wait, and you'll find out.
Thus, I say if people had been in contact with God, it would still happen today.
Are there not many, many people who claim to be in communication - whether direct or indirect - with God?

reply to post by FoxMulderX


Writing - Hieroglyphic or Cuneiform - is dated earliest from roughly 4000 BCE to 3000 BCE. This makes "creative writing" anywhere between 5000 and 6000 years old. As well, the shamans of pre-history utilized cave paintings and artwork to discuss "stories" or "events that occurred". So "creative writing" may in fact be as old as humanity is.



As for continuous updates... Have you ever read any series of books? Star Wars, Harry Potter, Star Trek, The Sookie Stackhouse novels... any of those? How about Goosebumps as a kid, or Animorphs? These are all continuous books containing morals and lessons, along with opinion, ethics, and adventure/action.

They are no different than the Bible... excluding that RL Stine, or JK Rowling never tried to say their works should lead human consciousness.

If the Bible continued to expand, it would continue to be read and believed by those who are subservient to the whim and will of the Lord God Almighty.



I don't believe Dlifesjrny is writing from any religious lense. I believe he is merely using a common-place religious creed to make a good thread about the evolution of religious thought.

In fact, in the thread responsible for his creation of this thread, he says the Bible is not his bag of tricks, but he is using it because it is universally familiar.

As for what happens to people, the Bible doesn't tell you what happens to everyone in it. For instance, King Solomon has no "exit" in the Bible. Enoch just "rises up to be with God", and such. People's lives are left open-ended in the Bible frequently.



As for people in contact with God, yeah, plenty of people claim it. How many have tried to write an addendum to the Bible with God's new words and commands? He changed His mind once - from Old Testament to New Testament - and then again - from New Testament to the Qur'an - so why hasn't He commanded any of his new Prophets to speak His prophecy?



Overall, relax some man. Why are you so serious about this? Literature is a great thing, whether it's religious, spiritual, fictitious, fantastical, or for children. It's all good.

~ Scribe

reply to post by dlifesjrny


You mentioned something about art in the title of the thread.

Long before there were written words, maybe even long before there was much of a complex verbal language, there were visual arts. Like in drawings and paintings and such.
Just saying.........

I'm not an expert, just an observer.

reply to post by Wandering Scribe

Thank you for two excellent posts here and for clarifying my stance on the bible.

I guess to some up my point, man had a thirst for knowledge yet limited scientific tools tools (please let's not side track this into ancient astrology or pyramids). He also had a creative/productive bent, and what better muse than that which you want to know more about?

Originally posted by kyred
reply to post by dlifesjrny

 

You mentioned something about art in the title of the thread.

Long before there were written words, maybe even long before there was much of a complex verbal language, there were visual arts. Like in drawings and paintings and such.
Just saying.........

I'm not an expert, just an observer.

Yeah, that was mentioned before. I totally agree with you (both).

Hi,

Yes, religion has a intimate relationship with art. Both come from longing, suffering and joy. Real art is energized by those three factors. If one creates art and considers it art himself, he is most likely driven by any or all of those three. One doesn't just make Michelangelo out of boredom.

Originally posted by dlifesjrny
Heck, I think it would be amazing if they kept updating the bible with new books every 5-10 years. Did God's teachings stop? What happened to the families of those mentioned in the bible?

Thus, I say if people had been in contact with God, it would still happen today.
God must have known that 2,000 years ago man was still somewhat "primitive" to what we are now. Why would God leave it up to the kindergateners to lay out the laws of civilization?

Oh how terribly wrong you are!

For example:

In Islam in 20th century there have been 2 great saints, in fact one is considered above sainthood and in line with godhood. They both have incredible life stories, even photographs exist.

Zoroastrians, Hindus, Muslims and Sufis have had a chance to see Avatar (greatest "enlightenment" one can achieve) in, you guessed it, 20th century. You can read his most incredible 7 000 pages long biography and many of his books.

One can't even conceive how many cave dwelling yogis, gurus and sadgurus Hindus have had in 20th century. So many, that it looks as if all the previous (deceased) spiritual masters have come back in 19th and 20th century.

Many Buddhists are currently witnessing a boy trying to reach enlightenment of Buddha (Buddhahood) as we speak, his story is pretty interesting even though he's born in 1990.

You can say Christians are not up to date, the truth is they are, but only in the realm of what most other religions would call "world of illusion" [material world]. Most new saints are martyrs, evangelists, scholars, etc [therefore material things]. Not really enlightened. One who died in name of a church or founded a movement doesn't necessarily have anything to do with God. Rather than respecting truly enlightened Christians who give all to the poor and live on nothing but scraps (I bet most "Christians" can't even name one in 19th+ century), Christians respect Pope who lives lavishly in his golden palace. along with his minions . That said, I think eastern religions are far more into spirituality than westerners, mostly because true words of 2000 years old prophet Christ are manipulated to the point of pointlessness.

So, to conclude, yes, much, very much happens in religion and spirituality. We live in the most interesting times of human civilisation, religion has evolved as much as science. But still there are many frauds in both areas, just like many inject poisonous vaccines in them believing they'll be healthier, they inject false spiritual teachings as well believing in better after-life.