Quote:
Originally Posted by Daradon
Lol, I don't think anyone is wrong if they try to act morally. One must remember that most religious rules were most likely created by groups of men trying to control various populations of people or thought, and not by 'their god' or any 'god'.
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I am not too sure when the split occurred, presumably at the second destruction of the temple 70CE, but people must understabd that at this point (and much before) in Israel religion, Hebrew religion, Caananite relgion, there was no difference between state and religion. So yes men used the concept of divinity to not so much control populaces but to make rules and guidelines to live by. 'God' was used to legitamize politics. A little history.... When the jews were to be taken into Babylon in around 586 BCE, they were held by the neo-babylonians for 40 years until the Persian king Cyrus allowed them to return to Israel ok?
He allowed them to on 4 conditions.
1. They create a constitution. So there is a book of laws made that are god-given to the people. (the Torah)
2. They had to pay taxes. So Cyrus funded them to build the temple, this acts quite superbly as a centre of taxation no?
3. No king. Once again this is fitted into the Torah with a prophecy that Israel would be without king.
4.Prove ownership - What better way to say you deserve to live there then have a document saying the land was given to you by God. The Torah. (AKA first five books of jewish bible) That was how it was done back then.
So the question from this example is... How/when did a political document make the jump to a religous one???