This quote comes from Alvin Boyd Kuhn, who has studied religion in modern times. This is poignant, and this is why it deserves distinction today.
"Christianity only gained favour and held the allegiance of the masses of the populations of the West for centuries because it succeeded in accommodating its message to the prevalent levels of general unintelligence. In doing so it inevitably distorted its truths into ludicrous caricature and baneful forms of error and falsehood"
Lack of laws against discrimination etc, maybe cant have helped a whole lot either.For instance in times gone past people were much more reluctant to be honest about things like disbelieving.It could mean you lost your job or mean that people could legally abuse and treat you very badly.
ReplyDeleteYes. Absolutely.
ReplyDeleteHeretics, witches, you name it. And, it was not a good outcome.
Hell even now very near the year 2010 people have trouble being honest about their disbelief of god/s.
ReplyDeleteKids are afraid to tell parents,even older family members hold their tounge and maybe even go to church now and then to appease gods earthly bloodhounds from catching a trail wiff of their unbelief.Lest they be quickly torn to shreds by sharp rabid gnashings,and cursed forever more by rejection from family they still love.
They throw out stats of how many christians exist etc.But yet there is even a number of priests today who practice the practice,often only because its in their best interest to.
Cant help thinking its often also been more about entrapment and control and there being little other choices being on offer!,than always being so much about our allegiance or favouring of christianity.
L.o.l ... How funny it is sometimes when hearing the christians try suggesting ohhhh! the world is just getting more and more evil in everyway.How evil is it that religious bigotry once ruled us ?.How evil is it that religious bigotry also most likely plays a big part in much of the troubles we experience today?
Yes, it is really bad.
ReplyDeleteIt is so true. My mom is pretty bad about my atheism. Nothing she can do about it.
I am not too fond of using the word unintelligence in this quote though.... I know many religious people who are very intelligent. That is a little demeaning.
ReplyDeleteOhh sorry to hear it upsets your mum, i know what thats like mine hasnt talked to me for years due to my own de-conversion.
ReplyDeleteTinkbell i know religious people who are very intelligent too ... But maybe the "prevalent levels of general unintelligence" that Alvin Boyd Kuhn refers to here.Is more about the kind of religious unintelligent comatose type attitude that existed which allowed folks to just simply continue to believe these things.
Yes, I think that is what it means too.
ReplyDeleteAnd, the sociopathic nature of it all too makes in unintelligent. It is not critical of itself, has no sense of outside awareness.