It’s about control. Specifically, enabling control of the average people by the religious class - the clergy, the prophetsx the priests, nuns, preachers, anyone who claims to be of a higher authority between a person and whatever gods they might believe in.
Existence is suffering because it’s supposed to be unimportant. It doesn’t really matter. The afterlife matters because it’s all happiness, it’s without suffering, and it lasts forever. Oh and of course you’re only allowed to get to that afterlife if you do exactly what members of said class say.
While I agree that RELIGIONS do that, it is why I point out that I don’t think the original authors (ancient as they may be) had the individual intent to control people, but help them.
Like the Bible as a whole is clearly constructed for control. Same with the Torah, Quran, Vedas, and at LEAST to some extent the Tripitaka.
But, taken individually, understanding the historical context, and understanding the identification of different authors, the patterns arise that there was some good intent.
That good intent is all overshadowed by the manipulative tactics.
“Do these ten things that are basic human morality, or the invisible Man in the sky will be angry and once you’re done suffering in this life, you will spend even more time suffering”
is the message, not “do these ten things because they’re morally right”.
It’s about control. Specifically, enabling control of the average people by the religious class - the clergy, the prophetsx the priests, nuns, preachers, anyone who claims to be of a higher authority between a person and whatever gods they might believe in.
Existence is suffering because it’s supposed to be unimportant. It doesn’t really matter. The afterlife matters because it’s all happiness, it’s without suffering, and it lasts forever. Oh and of course you’re only allowed to get to that afterlife if you do exactly what members of said class say.
While I agree that RELIGIONS do that, it is why I point out that I don’t think the original authors (ancient as they may be) had the individual intent to control people, but help them.
Like the Bible as a whole is clearly constructed for control. Same with the Torah, Quran, Vedas, and at LEAST to some extent the Tripitaka.
But, taken individually, understanding the historical context, and understanding the identification of different authors, the patterns arise that there was some good intent.
That good intent is all overshadowed by the manipulative tactics.
“Do these ten things that are basic human morality, or the invisible Man in the sky will be angry and once you’re done suffering in this life, you will spend even more time suffering”
is the message, not “do these ten things because they’re morally right”.