We’re getting ever closer to biblical times, where the exploitation of the masses by a tiny minority was the norm. Democracy and equity are, historically speaking, a very new development and we’ve been backsliding for quite a while now.
new in western Europe* colonialism eliminated many societies that found ways to run their societies without the kinds of authoritarian power structures common in western Europe. the imperial powers, including eastern Asia (China and Japan), moscow, and western Europe wiped out threats to these authoritarian power structures. the societies they encountered were scientifically advanced in ways the imperial powers didn’t truly understand because those powers only interacted with the world around them via violence
Can you name any examples for such societies? With evidence, preferably.
- Village elders selecting a chief to represent their families was common in africa
- The Iroquois organized their tribes into a bicameral political structure as early as 1142, though most archaeologists believe the date was more likely to be around 1450
- The Cossacks of Eastern Europe were largely self organized as equals until the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth declared them to be protectorate subjects (which itself was… Not as good at being an anarchy as the Cossacks were, but was also FAR more democratic that the forces that ultimately partitioned it). I don’t have a good link for this one, unfortunately, but I’m sure if you do some light digging you can find some info
I read a bit about the Iroquois history. It sounds like as soon as they found strength in their political structure, they started conquering neighbors, a pattern that seems pretty much unbroken throughout human history :/
Thats because it is. We are still wired to be violent. Always have been. We came from a place where that was required.
There’s also ancient Greek and Rome which were republics 2000 and 2500 years ago.
Ancient Greece and Rome were societies that were based upon and heavily relied on slavery.
I dunno which version this is from, but damn, this was in a letter to Christians of the times, PEOPLE DIDN’T CHANGE! Interesting, and sad.
Nearly Infallible Version: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James+5&version=NIV
I don’t think it was aimed at the elect though, just rich people in general. Although any rich believers would have been wise to pay attention to the message.
I read this in the voice of “Macho Man” Randy Savage.
Now accepting preorders for black t-shirts with simple block letters across the chest:
JAMES 5:1-6
On the back:
THE INERRANT WORD OF GOD
The righteous shall become wicked, and the wicked shall become righteous. But remember, there is always fluxx. There is always a state of change. Oscillations and vibrations that, though there are small, shall have great effect over the whole.
Over, and over, and over…
Edited: I can not spell
righteous?
Hah! I must’ve accepted to override spellchecker. I. Feel. Stupid.
To the secular and the naturalist, this tells us it was a problem even then.
I’m an atheist, but isn’t a lot of the bible social commentary? The new testament at least, surely.
But did you consider the letters from Paul? I can assure you, powerful rich people are definitely right according to Paul. Or, if not wrong, can be saved merely through their faith.
Consider the origin and understand that today’s trials are just repeats of those referenced in the script
Rich people facing consequences? Right
And people wonder why many call the Bible fiction…
They don’t recognize their own dogmatic literature.
Oh I’ll be using this!
