Hubris from Revelation: the Social Engineering of Ultimate Truths [Monday, Period 2]

[atreideslioness]

"Today we are looking at one of the more dominant faiths on this planet," Ghanima said crisply. "Or rather, four faiths that share one founder. Our focus today is on the Abrahamic religions."

"Abrahamic religions, "Abrahamic faiths" or "religions of Abraham" has become a popular and oft-used designation for the monotheistic faiths of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, emphasizing their common origin and values. For some 1,300 years their histories and thought have been intertwined. The three are all considered inextricably linked to one another because of a ‘family likeness’ and a certain commonality in theology. They are faiths that recognize a spiritual tradition identified with Abraham. However, relationships among them have varied from time and place and have often been characterized by mistrust and even hatred," she continued. "Which, really, is not that shocking. Sometimes 'family' is the most vicious opponent of all; simply look at the tale of Cain and Abel."

"Even as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all acknowledge Abraham as an ancestor, members of the three traditions have also tried to claim him as exclusively theirs. Definition of the term "Abrahamic" is far from being universal and has been found to be problematic to some. Certain smaller religions, while not included in the main three Abrahamic faiths, claim to have Abrahamic tradition. An example is the Baha'i Faith which was born in the Middle East, founded within Islam, and recognizes the same prophets plus Bahá'u'llá'h. Today, there are an estimated 3.8 billion followers of the three largest Abrahamic religions, accounting for more than half of the world's population."

Ghanima scooped up handouts on the common aspects and basic overview of the three largest sects, and handed them to Savannah if she was there to pass out.

"Now, some of you may already be familiar of the concept of the divine right to rule," Ghanima stated. "This is a concept that has been largely abandoned in the Western countries, particularly the democratic ones, but still holds strong sway elsewhere. It has been extremely popular with Abrahamic rulers for hundreds of years, because it is a political and religious doctrine of royal absolutism. It asserts that a monarch is subject to no earthly authority, deriving his right to rule directly from the will of God. The king is thus not subject to the will of his people, the aristocracy, or any other estate of the realm, including the church. The doctrine implies that any attempt to depose the king or to restrict his powers runs contrary to the will of God and may constitute heresy. Especially since revolution is never legitimate under the concept of the divine right of kings. While this is not a concept limited to the Abrahamic faiths -- at all -- it is notable that its counterpart in Eastern theology, the Mandate of Heaven, does allow for rebellion against an unjust ruler. This inflexibility in the divine right of kings may be attributed in-part to the fact that their God is often viewed as omniscient and omnipresent, and thus would not have put an unworthy ruler -- or someone who would become unworthy -- on the throne in the first place. Of course, usurpers can always claim they were the one with divine right, and the former king an impostor, but you'll always have loyalists holding out, and they'd have to woo the clergy to their side before any sort of legitimacy could be established."

[OCD up, beware the teal deer!]

Comments

Sign-In #3

[atreideslioness]

Like a Chosen One

Re: Sign-In #3

[rocksthescarf.livejournal.com]

Chuck Bass

Re: Sign-In #3

[iamnotallgirl]

Jill McTeague

During the Lecture

[atreideslioness]

Take notes, pass notes, chat quietly, raise a hand with a question...

Re: During the Lecture

[weetuskenraider]

The Yuuzhan Vong's Supreme Overlord was considered the culture's direct link to the gods, the only one who had the strength and ability to address the supreme deity, Yun-Yuuzhan. True, becoming the new Supreme Overlord involved a long, complicated process of murdering the other candidates and the current Supreme Overlord, but Tahiri figured it fell more or less into this category. The will of the gods was hugely influential in that society.

. . . you could say she knew something about it, in that case, which explained her thoughtful expression and the way she was biting her lip, and staring focusedly at her desk.

Re: During the Lecture

[endsthegame]

For some reason, Ender's thoughts were yoinked back towards that whole Sinterklaas debacle back in Battle School; Alai and his own ideas about religion, and Han Tzu. The mandate of heaven.

It was far away now, and nothing if not a theoretical construct. He toyed with it for a while, putting a few notes to paper that had little to do with capturing Ghanima's ideas word for word.

Re: During the Lecture

[see-beyond.livejournal.com]

Jonas took hurried, scribbled notes, trying to catch every single unfamiliar word he could. They were many, of course, but as the weeks progressed, things were becoming a little clearer on this subject, at least.

He couldn't help trying to compare the Elders of the Community to what was being described here and found that they had a lot of similar traits though he didn't think they considered it anything divine. He didn't know what they considered it. It just was and everyone accepted it.

Re: During the Lecture

[momslilassassin]

Ben, even after a year in Fandom, still had problems differentiating between the various Earth religions, so he was taking careful notes.

Re: During the Lecture

[solo_sword]

There was one bit at the beginning of the lecture that kind of hit a little close to home, but Jaina relaxed once she figured out that wasn't what the class was actually about. She could listen without being distracted now.

Re: During the Lecture

[cutsthestrings.livejournal.com]

Fiona listened to the lecture thoughtfully, piecing this information in with the history she'd learned. Because of the restrictions she'd grown up with, history was a somewhat puzzling, hole-ridden pile of facts and contradictions. Religion, and some of what she was learning in class, was filling in the holes even if she, logically, had some problems with the whole idea.

Class Discussion

[atreideslioness]

"Earlier I mentioned the Bahá'í," Ghanima said, picking up another stack of handouts, this time giving them to Chuck again, if he was there to distribute. "I would like you to read over this, then discuss as a class why you think this particular Abrahamic sect has come under such persecution. While the "big three" are often in-conflict with each other, the persecution of the smaller faiths is often overlooked, or viewed as being not as severe. However, sometimes the penalty for being a member of these fringe groups is far more dangerous than openly belonging to an opposing major religion. I would like to hear your views as to why you think that is, and what in the Bahá'í creed might be threatening."

Re: Class Discussion

[rocksthescarf.livejournal.com]

"Well I can see why the bigger religions wouldn't like them. The Bahá'í is promoting unity between all religions. If you look at it from a business point of view and you're, like, the CEO of Islam, you wouldn't want to merge your company with everyone else now would you?" Chuck said. "It'd mean less power for yourself. You can't have that happening so, naturally, you crush the people promoting unity."

Truly, his father would be proud.

Re: Class Discussion

[furnaceface]

//It's easier to target a smaller faith, before they can get the opportunity to grow into another major opposing power,// Jono noted, catching on to a train of thought that made sense somewhere in his head and then just going with it. //If there aren't as many followers as there are in the larger faith, then they don't have nearly as much of a chance for successful resistance. If they don't have the numbers, or the money, then they're... a safer target, I suppose. Other major religions might think, 'at least it isn't us.' People on the outside might just be thankful that they're not picking fights against other groups with power, who have the capacity to fight back in ways that make the playing field unsafe for everybody.//

Re: Class Discussion

[see-beyond.livejournal.com]

"People who think differently from the established...mindset," he said, unable to really use the word religion since he didn't feel comfortable with his own definition, "are dangerous to the overall stability of a community."

Not the Community, like he almost said. This wasn't about him even it kind of was. He shook his head.

"If one person thinks differently, they could be hunted and easily suppressed before causing any trouble," he continued. "But, if a large group thinks differently than what the majority wants you to think, they become dangerous because they gain the ability to convince other people to join them. Most majority groups don't want to give them that choice, or any choice at all, and do what it takes to eliminate it."

Even without the knowledge of what a lot of the information in the handouts meant, Jonas knew that, if this group was different, they would be ostracized and eliminated because of it. Jonas himself was that different person and he'd been ostracized from the Community and barely managed to escape that barren place. If he went back now, Release would be imminent.

Re: Class Discussion

[weetuskenraider]

"Too much change to the balance of power," Tahiri ventured, late into the discussion. "If everyone is equal, and this god is inaccessible to everyone equally, then no one can claim divine authority, and the priest caste -- sorry, I mean priests or anyone like that can't say 'This is what we have to do because it's decreed by the gods that it's our destiny,' and expect almost everyone to just go along with it."

The last couple of messages from home had mentioned rumblings of some kind of heretical belief spreading among the Yuuzhan Vong's Shamed Ones, having to do with the Jedi. Nobody had mentioned to Tahiri that she and Anakin both factored into it. Which was a good thing -- as much as that would make an interesting class talking point, boy, did she not need that tidbit of knowledge right now.

Re: Class Discussion

[bitten_notshy]

"It's new," Jack said easily, going into an argument some of the other students had made. "It's small and appealing. It's safest for the power structure to root it out before too much of the population goes over to it. Romans did the same thing to Christians two thousand years ago."

Re: Class Discussion

[momslilassassin]

"If the big three are really, um, fanatical, about their particular version, it can also be seen as an affront to compromise on any portion of what they've been believing for thousands of years. It'd be really hard to just split the difference about the divinity of someone, wouldn't it?"

Re: Class Discussion

[cutsthestrings.livejournal.com]

"It points out the many similarities between religions, which makes lording over others difficult. It teaches to listen to all as opposed to one, which makes it hard to isolate people's thinking and makes them more difficult to control. Talking on pure religion, on the other hand, the faith takes from other 'teachers' but doesn't give to those religions. The Bahá'í know what, to each religion, is the 'right' way but are choosing something different, which is almost like a slap in the face."

Beat.

"At least, that's how I'd think of it."

Re: Class Discussion

[solo_sword]

"I think it's basic majority rule," Jaina said. "If you're part of a big group of people facing off against a big group of people, you know you have all these others backing you up. Smaller groups just don't get taken as seriously, because you might not know where they stand, or understand what they're all about, so what does it matter if they don't agree with you? But at the same time, having people believe and think something you don't understand is threatening, and the first people tend to do when faced with something they don't understand is squash it, or try to discredit it."

Ahem. Not that Jaina had thought about this ever.

Talk to the TAs

[atreideslioness]

Once they tag in!

Re: Talk to the TAs

[rocksthescarf.livejournal.com]

Ooh, look at that, Chuck could pass out papers like a pro.

Maybe he wouldn't run Bass Industries into the ground after all.

Talk to Ghanima

[atreideslioness]

She's around, before and after class.

Re: Talk to Ghanima

[cutsthestrings.livejournal.com]

Fiona made sure her emotions were in check after class and finally, some weeks after promising Leto she would, approached his sister.

"Professor Atreides?"

OOC

[atreideslioness]

Ninjas actually tried to help me write this class, and it ended up looking like a cross between xkcd and Sinfest written on a cocktail napkin. Seriously.

Sadly, it scanned in really blurry, so ya'll get this instead.

Re: OOC

[cutsthestrings.livejournal.com]

... Damn that scanner. That would have been the only thing that could be awesomer.