man, thats a good question, idk. Ive read stuff that suggested that they werent but then naturally devolved into politics/religion after they chose kings over judges, and ive read stuff that suggested they were. We do have the “no more fruit form this tree” thing, and Hebrew being constructed the way it is is revealing of how they thought, i guess; youre aware of the thing where your language kinda dictates your thought patterns?That is interesting that ancient Hebrew did not have a word for “religion.” Which was very much the ocean people’s thoughts swam in those days. With mysterious forces of nature and imperfect regularity of seasons and so forth.Ever studied where that word came from? In Greek its female (duh), and there is no Hebrew equivalent. I forget how now, but i recall getting to “that done by repetition, rote, or ritual,” which struck me as a decent enough summary. There’s also several Scriptures that reflect that pov, at least apparently, which i say bc in typical Bible fashion the identity of the subject is obscured.I think many people have a similar view. That if we look at the holy book too closely, well, something useful in hard times just might evaporate.Yes, the Bible is full of apparent contradictions, which turn out to not be contradictory at all when understood, but the discussion often turns into a competition that im just not interested in, and we have better means to contemplate them anyway now, bc websites are devoted to the subject, where you can get several diff perspectives
We might call ourselves “religion nerds” ? ! ?
* interested in subject of religion, may or may not be religious ourselves, and perhaps not in traditional ways
So, i mean obv i get what you mean by religion, and i even usually use it the same way, but really i drink a cup of coffee every morning, religiously
PS. Do you think the ancient Israelites were more religious than most persons of the time?
We describe according to appearances, whereas they describe according to more like actions or effects? And i guess thats unique enough that the Hebrews even abandoned speaking the language, adopting more popular dialects to like fit in or whatever? I was recommended a great book on that but i let it get away from me without reading it
I guess the concept of afterlife was foreign to them, so you would have to kinda question what role religion would have in that context? As…more than one Xtian believer has said in my hearing, “if i cant go to heaven after i die what is the point?” which, sorry Scooter, it just takes…a comprehensive lack of study to maintain imo, in light of all the Scripture about that.
But i also understand; bc no one in the CoSI is going to inform you about the CoSI, so there is that weird dynamic going on where you cant even talk about it? Up until about, idk, twenty years or so ago i was able to find some older pastors—one even Pentecostal, who told me about the CoSI and Apollos waters actually—who would admit in private, giving various reasons for why they didnt preach it from the pulpit, but they are mostly gone now i guess.
But i think a contemplation of the term religion, and how it arises, is informative there; as opposed to superstitions, which are kind of at least kin to religion, but by a diff path; iow (condensed) the ppl who first discover and invent prescribe certain whatever procedures for accomplishing some thing, and then their descendants forget the why and just memorize the how, and the more superstitious ppl—who really never knew and it was more like just magic to them—are kind of always sprinkled in and coloring the convo, and it seeps into religion and particularly the politics, maybe even first
Which minds me of a couple other really good books on the subject, but ive forgotten the titles, sorry. Anyway the point is that a “religion” can arise from a couple distinctly different pretty well defined paths, different but employed to comment on one another in this weird way…like, a polit/leader might make some ref to advanced knowledge (knowing his audience really cant grasp it) as if they were fluent in it (when they might barely understand it either, if at all) and thereby harness a sort of superstition about it
But we also have the thing about where ancient priests, even through early Catholicism, were the actual scientists? So ya, a nuanced question i guess, bc science and religion were connected in some intrinsic way, before they were supposedly disconnected? And science has gone on to kinda become its own religion now, right?
Plus, were scientists the ones trying to clear up superstitions, or the ones helping manufacture them? Both, as it turns out, with lots of shades in between
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