I was looking up at the moon the other day and I suddenly felt awed by it. Then I started to think about religion. Allow me to explain.

Even today we marvel at the sun and the moon. Well 3500 years ago people must have appreciated these magnificent creations even more because they did not have the kind of luxuries or distractions that we have. Up until about 200 years ago nobody had electric lights. Imagine what life would be like without televisions, washing machines, telephones, automobiles etc.

So way back when times were harsh, people were more inclined to believe in a divine creator. Then Moses had an idea. He was a good man I believe and wanted his people to live long and prosperous. So he pretended to receive instruction directly from god. That way everybody hung on his every word. You will notice in the old testament there are lots of silly instructions about making sacrifices and circumcisions. Pardon me, but something that created the sun and the moon would not care about things like foreskin and burnt offerings.

So there you have it.

Millions of others also claim to "receive instruction directly" from one of the thousands of proposed "gods" and convince people to "hang on their every word."

Perhaps some of the "inspired" are good people who have had a psychological / mystical / emotional experience and actually think they know what one of the "gods" wants for or from humans (from worship to sacrifice to bodily mutilation, etc). Perhaps some are charlatans and con artists who lust for wealth and power.

A few of the ideas transmitted by "religious leaders" may be beneficial to individuals or societies -- but many are pure nonsense. Sorting the beneficial from the nonsense can be difficult, particularly for those who have been convinced or indoctrinated to believe that their chosen religion and its "god(s)" have the answers to human questions, problems, difficulties, etc.

Many are comfortable living within a religious frame that provides structure and relieves them of responsibility for making decisions based on experience, intelligence and reasoning.

Kind of stunning, huh. Have you thought about how close we ourselves are to that scenario? Just one enormous solar flare storm or a viral pandemic and bingo! We're back to square one.
Ever watched "Survivors"? The 70's version from the BBC that is. That series will really make you think! Based on Terry Nation's novel.
The big difference between us and our ancestors: we haven't got any knowledge whatsoever anymore about growing crops, making flour, cheese, breeding animals and so on. And no more things like soap, shampoo ... (how the heck do we stay clean? Back to circumcision?? LOL)
We'd be worse off than the ppl thousands of years ago, we'd have to re-invent the wheel. Think about what we'd have to do just to have a slice of bread on our plates when we can't go to Tesco's to buy a loaf anymore. Kill a pig for a fry-up (and where the he(k is the meat for bacon????). Collect its blood for black-pudding, eeww. Bet you're going to revere deities, the sun and the moon as well. You're life would depend on it. Crops rotting on the fields due to bad weather and people will die.


What god wanted or 'said' to ppl is not necessarily what is recorded in the bible.
After the fall of Atlantis mankind plunged into chaos and darkness. I believe we needed guidelines to get us out and the scrolls/bible were guidelines that were needed, and were contemporary at that time. Foreskin - hygiene makes sense. In Medieval European times Ppl bathed once a year or less as they thought bathing was unhealthy.
Sacrifice would've made sense to ppl back then, blood being the force of life and virginity equaled being pure. And who's to say it didn't work, bodily fluids have always been considered to be very powerful in magick.
Still, that doesn't mean to say god wanted or needed such sacrifices. People did.