How much devotion will there be to St. Kossara on Dennitza?
Will some Merseians become open to a more universal monotheism when they have been disillusioned with their plan for galactic hegemony?
Will Aenean messianism be redirected into the realization that we, not They, must build the future?
What will come of the fusion of human beings and Ythrians into a single civilization on Avalon?
How many isolated planetary populations will regress to polytheism during the Long Night?
What will happen that we cannot anticipate?
"Technic civilization," although not technological civilization, ends with the Long Night. The questions asked here will have been answered by the time of the Commonalty.
18 comments:
"regress to polytheism"
Would everyone regard that as a 'regresion' ?
Polytheists would not.
Certainly monotheists would.
How many atheists or agnostics would regard polytheism as no worse than monotheism?
Many would regard belief in many gods on inadequate evidence to be somewhat worse than belief in one God on inadequate evidence.
Many would regard polytheism as less bad because it has less persecution over religious beliefs than monotheism.
I agree with a lot of that.
I regard Hinduism as having progressed from polytheism through monotheism to monism. Polytheism is great as myth, metaphor, fiction, ritual and religious tolerance.
Kaor, Paul!
No, Hinduism is simply the last polytheistic religion which still has any life or vitality left. Most Hindus don't care about the philosophizing of some upper caste Hindus. For "Hindus in the street" it's still about actual belief in multitudinous gods and barbarities like the caste system.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
Sure but I am talking about the part of it that I get with.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
Then I think it should be stressed your view of Hinduism reflects only the ideas of a small subset of Hindus.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
But I am not claiming to represent all Hindus. There are many devotional monotheists and yogis, not just old-style polytheists.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
But the views of such persons don't set the tone for most Hindus.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
But I am not saying that it does.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
Yes, but the way you write most times about Hinduism makes it easy for me to think you pass lightly over how the vast majority of Hindus are not like the ones you favor most.
Ad astra! Sean
But I don't.
Kaor, Paul!
Understood.
Ad astra! Sean
Late Classical paganism also had a monotheistic "fringe" at the top; but for the common or garden believer... well, Paul got mistaken for a manifestation of Zeus, once, IIRC.
Another time, Paul preached about Jesus and Resurrection. The latter was a feminine noun. Someone asked, "What is this loudmouth shouting about?" Or words to that effect. Someone else listened and said, "New gods."
From Sean M. Brooks:
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
There were some educated Romans of the Late Republic and Early Empire, such as the Stoics, who were functionally monotheists. Others, attracted by Jewish monotheism and ethics, became "God fearers." After Christianity arose there were converts from both of these groups.
Ad astra! Sean
They were Paul's audience. He gave them Jewish monotheism and morality without circumcision, dietary laws or repeated animal sacrifices in a Temple. The clincher was one perfect sacrifice efficacious for all time. Sacrifice made sense to Jews and Pagans then but not to us now.
Kaor, Paul!
No, you are exaggerating too much the role of St. Paul. Peter, first of the popes, did exactly the same in the first ten chapters of Acts. Paul also repeatedly stressed in his letters that he taught only what the other apostles preached.
Your last sentence was gravely wrong, that the once and for all, infinitely sufficient sacrifice of Christ makes not sense to "us now." All convinced Christians will not agree that His sacrifice makes no sense. That is only your opinion.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
Sacrifice was a common idea back then. Not now. Christians have inherited it, of course.
Paul.
Kaor. Paul!
And every Mass by a validly ordained priest has that once and for all sacrifice of Christ offered to the Father in an unbloody manner.
Ad astra! Sean
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