12-25-2012, 08:32 AM
Self-imposed ignorance is perhaps the greatest danger in the world.
One of the best ways to retain power over people is to keep the people ignorant of what is going on around them.
It is interesting to note the differences between various cultures, geographic locations, religions, and other factors.
Among some American Indian tribes, you'd find the "shaman," etc. taking peyote or other hallucinogens, and then providing guidance to their tribes. In the Judeo-Christian realm, you have religious leaders who would go into the desert and fast for X days, and come back with "visions" to lead their people. Different physiological mechanism, but similar results; and similar issues.
For centuries Catholicism practiced a similar suppression of knowledge. Who knows how far Europe might have advanced without those issues. Perhaps Spain gives an excellent example when F&I kicked the Moors out of Spain.
I find it interesting that when people comment about Islam, they tend to forget that Islam is not going anywhere that has not been gone before. The tactics might be different. The weaponry is definitely different, thanks to modern devices. However, Islam is not that far removed from what Christianity was back in the Middle Ages... which is about at the same age of the religion, given that Islam dates from roughly 620 AD, IIRC.
One of the best ways to retain power over people is to keep the people ignorant of what is going on around them.
It is interesting to note the differences between various cultures, geographic locations, religions, and other factors.
Among some American Indian tribes, you'd find the "shaman," etc. taking peyote or other hallucinogens, and then providing guidance to their tribes. In the Judeo-Christian realm, you have religious leaders who would go into the desert and fast for X days, and come back with "visions" to lead their people. Different physiological mechanism, but similar results; and similar issues.
For centuries Catholicism practiced a similar suppression of knowledge. Who knows how far Europe might have advanced without those issues. Perhaps Spain gives an excellent example when F&I kicked the Moors out of Spain.
I find it interesting that when people comment about Islam, they tend to forget that Islam is not going anywhere that has not been gone before. The tactics might be different. The weaponry is definitely different, thanks to modern devices. However, Islam is not that far removed from what Christianity was back in the Middle Ages... which is about at the same age of the religion, given that Islam dates from roughly 620 AD, IIRC.