I love Vikings. In this day and age when people have their 'ninjas vs. pirates' debates I call upon the name of Odin and strike them down with my mighty hammer of war. If you are going to embrace the paths of warriors of old, I say go with the most barbaric you can. Frankly, the lives of scurvy-ridden criminals that participated in the slave trade is hardly the life I want. Nor do I feel that a life of feudal espinoage is for me. Perhaps then the life of a Nordic raider, filled with its constantly jovial good times would suit me. Of course, I haven't been conditioned to think that rape and murder are idealistic dreams leading to a glorious afterlife, so maybe that's not right for me either. Come to think of it, even the romanticized version of The Vikings with Kirk Douglas (which is a totally bad ass film) seems like a life wrought with an unglamorous peril. So what is it I like about Vikings? For one thing, as I will most likely never have to engage in hand-armed combat for myself and loved ones (thankfully), I can vicariously live the life of Dark Ages adventure through them; for they truly were war masters of land and sea. But what really gets me is their mythology and stories. Derived from pre-Germanic 'pagan' belief systems, the Vikings seemed to have developed a unique way to unite their mythology to their adherence to monarchy by having their kings be the descendants of gods.
But in reality, it isn't that unique of a strategy at all, is it? Leaders love touting divine authority.
We all remember from our middle school elementary class about how the pharaohs of Egypt were gods incarnate. Japanese and Roman emperors alike were divine. The Bible is filled with stories of individuals heavenly blessed to killed and slaughter tribes and children. The Bible throws an interesting curve though, rather than giving people superhuman powers to be gods, they exist narratively to perpetuate the import of religious and political hegemony. After all, in these tales, man is created in the image of the Jewish god. The whole 'Jewish god' thing will be dealt with at a later time, but it still demonstrates the perpetuation of homo sapien superiority through myth. All of these myth systems have purposefully distorted and changed their histories to tales of fantasy for the purpose of, well, misleading masses into battles and servitude.
I have received some criticism for being too hard on religion, both from this blog and my personal comments. I am accused of supplanting the human-created religion for human-researched science. Admittedly, both are subject to human foibles (although thorough scientific study is supposed include areas of potential error in its published research - I've yet to see scripture with such inclusions) particularly when it comes to areas of ideology. Religion is used to form and preserve ideology while ideology drives science. For example, space initiatives seemed far more dazzling to Americans when we discovered that satellites can both spy on us and beam home entertainment. Space travel has been commodified and become has since become just another rich person's dream. As an aside, I think astronomy and space exploration are pretty much the coolest human endeavors ever and I'm glad that the dream is still alive. I want to be wealthy just so I can buy a ticket into space!
As you can see, there is a huge difference between these two human approaches to understanding the world. If you think a scientific statement is invalid or incorrect you have very practical ways of challenging them. But when people have conflicts with a religious group or idea they use rhetoric and illusions that historically lead to schisms, wars, and crusades. If you have read my previous blogs then you know that I have trouble digesting statements about the world and what is in it without some sort of justification or proof. Praying to the East; fasting for days; if it helps you out, great. It is your act of devotion and I have no place or reason to admonish you for doing it. However, when you use your religion to dictate my life and the lives of others, I have a real problem.
This one is priceless - let's look at homosexuality. I spent some time today reading some anti-Disney statements made by various Christian sects and one of the most repeated comments about the fact that, apparently, Disney doesn't hate homosexuality or homosexuals. In fact, they have the gall to suggest that homosexuals are normal people and, thus, homosexuality is something normal people engage in. While I may be fine with this, many within the monotheistic community are downright appalled by it. It would seem that they are obliged to by incensed because their texts say so. Or are they?
Leviticus 18:22 "Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind; it is abomination."
- Levitical law are rules that Jews live by. In fact, they are rules that they live by to show that they are separate from the world and godly. Jews follow these laws because they love their god and feel that it is a display of faith and trust in him, not because they are absolute truths.
I Corintihians 6: 9, 10 "Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God." - Followers of the Christian god are likewise admonished for the act of homosexuality. Mind you, these individuals are practicing a religion that grew from Judaism and still embrace its exclusionary nature.
It is certainly within your rights as a practitioner of any religion to follow its tenants and live a life befitting a person of whatever faith. But to then say that everyone has to live the same way you do? Indefensible. I was a Christian for years and part of my commitment was to abstain from drugs, alcohol, tobacco, and eventually meat. Maybe those are potentially harmful substances and a good idea to avoid but just because I didn't use them mean that I thought legislation should exist to ban them (and you can sure as hell bet that I left vegetarianism behind with the church). Besides, it's not like religious people are concerned with consistency. Where would North Carolina be without Baptists and Big Tobacco?
You can keep your divine right of kings. Perhaps George W. Bush is right when he declared "Good speaks through me" (Lancester New Era, July 16, 2004). Personally I'd rather see a performance by Willie Tyler & Lester if I wanted to hear a dummy speak.
****Originally posted February 28, 2007****
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