the only piece of “evidence” most religions have is a book written by humans.
Evangelism typically involves more than just a book. There’s inevitably some amount of mysticism - faith healing, weather events that turn the tide of a pitched battle, communing with the dead, miraculous survival stories, straight up stage magic.
Any belief in the sun/moon/stars/whatever… At least you can point and say, there it is.
There’s inevitably some kind of reverse causation in these faiths. Humans are constantly asserting they can manipulate the heavens with ritual and sacrifice.
It reminds me of a meme I recently saw of a preacher in front of a bunch of Indians, and he says “Before we came, you worshipped the SUN!”
And one of the Indians says “Dude, the sun is real.”
He has a point. It’s ironic that the only piece of “evidence” most religions have is a book written by humans.
Any belief in the sun/moon/stars/whatever… At least you can point and say, there it is.
But Christianity is normal and not crazy at all, and believing in Ra is the crazy thing… Sure. Yeah.
I think it’s all nuts. But whatever.
Evangelism typically involves more than just a book. There’s inevitably some amount of mysticism - faith healing, weather events that turn the tide of a pitched battle, communing with the dead, miraculous survival stories, straight up stage magic.
There’s inevitably some kind of reverse causation in these faiths. Humans are constantly asserting they can manipulate the heavens with ritual and sacrifice.
You won’t find me coming to the defense of either large structured religions nor to the defense of the sun god, or his celestial counterparts.
It’s all Hocus pokus.
For less insane religions and catholicism, they have centuries of philosophy and reinterpretation to fit new societal contexts to look back on.