tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2068219912533170221.post6675772565682383382..comments2018-04-07T23:32:34.087-07:00Comments on Out Not Up: TraditionUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2068219912533170221.post-46253451994794885622011-07-26T10:39:17.058-07:002011-07-26T10:39:17.058-07:00You place me in a slightly difficult position by c...You place me in a slightly difficult position by conflating several ideas, so pardon me if I have to parse them out a bit.<br /><br />The fundamental principles of cooperation, altruism, and the common good are not exclusive to what you label "Christ's teachings"; in fact, most of what is present in the Christian mythos actually predates his time period by hundreds if not thousands of years. Cooperation is intrinsic to human civilization and has been a driving force for as long as we've been tribal - which goes back to even our pre-homo sapiens ancestors. In a sense, "Christ's teachings aren't just his anymore" is misleading; they were co-opted into "his teachings" rather than originating with "him", and exist with or without the Christian myth. It'd be like me claiming that "gravity is Newton's teaching" simply because he presented one view of it; the recognition of gravity existed before Newton's country was even founded, much less before he was born.<br /><br />Those princples are not "traditions" in themselves; they're psychosocial traits expressed from, fundamentally, genetic characteristics. People who <i>aren't</i> altruistic are abnormal, not the other way around, so it's not as if such behavior is a cultural artifact. There are cultural modifiers to said behavior, and these do in fact change over time: look at how minorities are treated today versus even 40 years ago. The process is far from complete, but it <i>is</i> changing. So, yes, some of how the behavior is expressed is dependent upon tradition (some of which comes from religious sources), and luckily those traditions are being overruled.<br /><br />I would certainly agree that the Christian myth - as most myths - is a cultural artifact that no longer holds relevance. Religion in general was useful as a tool for the formation of citystates as well as for manipulating uneducated or uninformed populations for their own benefit; it formalized concepts such as planting and harvesting cycles as well as ceding to authority. I would hope that, in this age, we were beyond such childish manipulation.<br /><br />I could be further blunt and point out that modern-day Christian behavior hardly reflect these philosophies of hospitality, kinship, and generosity: the church as it stands today is world-reknowned for being bigoted, isolated, and power-hungry, even to the point of ignoring its repeated abuse of its own supplicants far beyond what is considered acceptable by any modern society. If there were only one example of a tradition or traditional structure that was well past its usefulness, the Vatican would be that example, but one could quite easily substitute in most formalized religions - even "modern" ones like Scientology - and still be as disparaging.Austinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15289493499922076048noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2068219912533170221.post-16821394285395373042011-07-26T00:12:54.365-07:002011-07-26T00:12:54.365-07:00As I read this post, I thought, "Is he saying...As I read this post, I thought, "Is he saying that Christ's teachings have worn out their usefulness?" Of course, you aren't saying that. You took great care to specifically avoid saying that. What I do think you would say, and if I'm wrong please correct me, is that Christ's teachings aren't just his anymore. Lessons of generosity and hospitality and kinship are available through several philosophies, and while the modern-day Church may still profess them, it may no longer be the best vehicle to express or enact them in our daily lives.<br /><br />Would you more or less agree with that?Matthew Leehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12174026817589213973noreply@blogger.com