To make me out as a defender of Christianity after reading my post is nonplussing. I just pointed out that 3 major religions find their gods origins in Babylonian Shamanism.

Sure Abraham envisioned his god as distinct and different from ANNA, and as can be seen religion was still very flexible, mainly due to universal illiteracy.

I hold Jesus in a different light than Mohammed or Abraham, because unlike these others he never threatened the unbelieving masses. Sure his riff with the money-lenders was a sign of imbalance, but Jesus fits in a better category because he was far more often than not non-violent. This fits him alongside Buddha and other folks espousing philosophical/religious lectures.

Abraham sounds like a first rate psycho, ready to kill his child because the voices in his head tell him too. The constant bloodletting of animals and sacrifices set up everywhere show how primitive his outlook was and how Shamanistic rituals dominated religious thought in this time.

Mohammed's seizures are documented in accepted history. His slave class followers are also mentioned liberally in old texts.

Is it not easy to understand that the downtrodden always seek a way out of their present circumstances or at least a new escape mechanism?

Christianity, Judaism, Islam are all derived from the same Babylonian mumbo-jumbo. Sure the names changed, but from Genesis to the deluge, the stuff has been swiped.

My point is not that Christianity is a better religion than Islam. It has temples whose foundation are made of wall to wall blood and bones of its victims. Sure its more peaceful now, but that's not much of a consolation.

Like those olden days, folks seek an escape, a power greater than themselves to turn to. Religions are designed to scoop up these insecure folks in droves and the folks in charge acquire power over their adherents and those who look to them to act as a 'voice' from god.

Like children who need to be guided by parents, younger souls seek the comfort of structured religion. It requires little thought.

Yes.
No.
Right.
Wrong.
Good.
Evil.

Religions last as long as they do because of this human need. It makes it very simple and easy for some folk to think that with a few prayers and rituals some misdeed can be made whole again.

And the charms and holy water haven't disappeared either. Folks who wear a cross, or a crystal or any other 'holy' or 'special' object may be separated by millennia from the Babylonians, but they are doing exactly the same thing. Baptism also has its roots in these Shamanistic rituals. The water as a symbol of purity or of sustenance is age-old and harks back to these times when everyone worshipped nature spirits.

It's unbelievable to think that in 2006 these things still have hold over humanity. It's also hard to believe how many folks can't read in the world in 2006 though either. That the two figures are intimately related there can be little doubt. Sadly, I now suspect in 3006 there may still be a sizable number of folks who cling to such beliefs and symbolisms. Just by the time they have lasted, impresses young people. It's hard to imagine that something wrong could have survived so long or have so many millions, and over time billions of followers if it wasn't true, right?

I would be remiss if I didn't mention the good religions can do for folks. For folks whose impulse might be natural to kill or destroy, being told men are all brothers or are all children of God, may keep casualties lower than they would be withot such rhetoric. Naturally, the crusades or Islamofascist terror show that's not always true. As an escape mechanism too it's top notch. Belief is powerful. Religion also teaches continuity. Science, at this time, has failed to provide any data on the continuity of consciousness or "the soul" and so religion "feels" right because folks instinctively see the fundamental illogic of a universe that creates and teaches only to destroy to nothingness.

This is probably religion's strongest draw.

You still sure I'm pro-Christianity or holding my tongue because I'm conservative?

;-)