Of slaves, religions and history

Can anyone doubt that we are still living with the consequences of history? Of course, this is true in many ways, but I'm thinking predominantly of the effects of religion--namely, the Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam). Before you click the 'next' button, I'm not here to rant about religion today, but more to wonder on how similar events and circumstances can effect different peoples in so dramatically different ways.

More precisely, I'm interested in how two groups of people, enslaved and mistreated throughout recorded history--namely, Jewish and African peoples--can have had such a different effect on the world. While the differences can be seen in many areas, simple observation has to suggest that, while Africans and their descendants have had a relatively minor effect on the world (outside of their more recently achieved domination in sports and music), the Jewish people have been at the center of events and ideas that have, and continue to, crucially effect the world--I'm speaking, of course, about their creation of a monotheistic religion, it's progenitors, and the conflicts that has spawned throughout the world.

There can be little argument that both groups spent a significant part of their early history enslaved (by the likes of the Egyptians, Romans and many others). However, while Africans continued to be enslaved by various groups until quite recently, the Jews liberated themselves from the Egyptians and then fought the Romans for freedom (something that, unfortunately, led to the creation of Christianity and further prosecution for the Jewish people). So, what interests me is what is the difference between the two groups that led to vastly different responses and outcomes to their persecution.

We can guess from the Torah (old testament) that the Israelites had already developed a sense of community, a loose nationality at the time they were enslaved by the Egyptian pharaohs. They already felt themselves 'a people'. Moses, or which ever person or group he might represent, was able to draw on this sense of community, forging it, through the bonds of religion, into a unified cause. A cause that has held the Jewish people together throughout time and distance in the millennia since.

Africa, to state the obvious, is much larger than Israel. In the early world, this would undoubtedly mean that the peoples and communities likely existed in much smaller, more independent forms. It's quite likely that, because of the vastness of distance, the richness of the nature and relative abundance of food, and the absence of competing neighbours (at a distance they could appreciate) there was little reason for a 'sense of community' or the larger concept of a 'people' to develop quickly. Thus, when the first empires invaded, seizing the people for slaves, there was no sense of a nation about which to form a resistance. Hence, the African people continued to be enslaved with relatively little trouble for thousands of years, accepting this lot with a fatalistic view but otherwise causing little trouble.

An analogy to the African people can likely be found in the indigenous people of North and South America. These people also lived on large continents in similarly nature-oriented communities. Of course, these North American peoples did develop strong loyalties toward their communities, their nations, but one could argue that they quite likely had many more thousands of years over which to develop this before the Europeans invaded. So when the Europeans did finally invade, the indigenous nations fought (and where, of course, slaughtered due to the greater technology of the Europeans).

I believe this idea of the influence of community can further be bourne out by following the plight of African slaves brought to America. Again their was little resistance amid the enslaved peoples as they were largely kept separate, unable to communicate or develop a greater sense of disenfranchised community. Once the civil war ended, however, African-American were more free to form communities through the US, although they were clearly still treated as 2nd or 3rd class citizens. However, from the end of the civil war it took only about a century until the event that lead to the rising of the African-Americans themselves and the granting of greater 'equality'.

Thus it appears, to me at least, that the sense of belonging to 'a people / a nation' has been a significant force in shaping the events of history right up to the modern world. It's amazing to think how the world would be different if the Jewish people had been enslaved before they had developed their own identity, or if the African people had been enslaved after they had developed their identity.

Hmm, I smell some interesting alternative history stories in the making.

I'm An Atheist...

I'm an Atheist, which means I have nothing to die for.


It's true, regardless of how you view it. Unlike the majority of the world (almost 40% claim to be a member of an Abrahamic religion with another almost 20% being Hindu), I have no reason to want to die. There is no heavenly host waiting for me, there are no 40 vestal virgins, no past and future loved ones after I shed the mortal coil. I have nothing to die for. Conversely, that means I have everything to live for.

Yes, that's right. Contrary to what religion teaches, atheists have everything to live for. We accept that there is only one life--for us or for anyone else. Somehow, religion has twisted this idea into the suggestion that atheists should therefore be violent and untrustworthy. The very opposite of what would be expected of most atheists. After all, if you only have one life, you don't want to screw it up.

Of course, everyone needs a scapegoat and, besides members of other religions, theists commonly choose the rationalists or non-joiners. After all, we're 'different' and most people consider 'different' as strange at best, bad at worst.

The funny thing to me...and that's funny 'on no!', not funny 'ha, ha', is that it is really the theists who are to be feared in life. At least, the true believers. After all, there are no reasons that I can see for any good Christian or Muslim not to rush immediately to the afterlife. What do they have to gain by staying on Earth? Furthermore, I can see no reason for any true believer to justify their staying on Earth. After all, who in their right mind wouldn't want to go to heaven, and both those major religions provide easy ways to get there.

The west is currently facing an onslaught of devout Muslims eager to ascend in service of their Lord. They are the true believers, the ones who are certain there is something waiting for them. Fortunately for the world, there are many less devout Christians these days (their days were spent in service of fighting the Roman Empire and during the Crusades, etc). I leave it to your imagination to visualize the horror of 1 billion soldiers on either side of a modern war eager to reach their just rewards in the sky.

I suppose I should back up a moment because I hear the outraged cry of countless Christians screaming in my ears 'we are good Christians! just because we don't want to go to heaven yet...'. Well, my point is actually that, in my opinion, most Christians don't really believe in a heaven and thus aren't really 'good' Christians. I mean, the evidence is all around you...ever been to a Christian funeral? What's all that about? When a good friend goes on vacation to a great place for a few months I, and I'm sure most people, don't start bawling their eyes out and crying 'I'll miss you so much!' Instead, they congratulate the person 'you lucky dog! I wish I was going with you.' For a good Christian, death is only a stepping stone to the next life. Regardless of what you've done in this one, as long as you accept Jesus as your savior, you're set. So what's the problem? Why aren't you happy when a good Christian friend dies? Funerals should be grand events with lots of celebration, music, dancing and generally good times. After all, in the big scope of eternity, a few years wait to see them again is nothing. Hell, if I really thought there was something that great up there, I'd be game to get there as quick as possible. If only the anti-abortionist activists really believed! Then they could spend as much time killing themselves as they do other people.

So, I'm forced to understand that most Christians don't really believe. Which also, fortunately, explains why they're not throwing themselves at the terrorist horde. Oh, and there's no use claiming that suicide is a sin in Christianity. You, conveniently, have a 'get out of hell free' card in Jesus's crucifixion. There's no point in claiming otherwise, the logic doesn't stand. Either his death forgives all sins if you believe, or it doesn't. Anyway, I'm sure you've committed other sins in a premeditated fashion--ever steal stationary from the office? download mp3s or movies you didn't own...you get the idea. A different scale, you say? I don't recall the 10 commandments specifying which theft or which murder. And Jesus didn't put limits on the sins he was dying for. Which all brings us back to the fact that most Christians don't really believe.

Now, if only they were willing to admit it to themselves we could get on with the business of fixing the world without everyone holding their collective breath for their magic flying pasta monster to save them.

Christmas Thought #2

(only Christmassy in that it relates to religion and the buying season)

I would like to see the inventor of the DVD region code spend a long painful eternity being tortured in the most gruesome ways possible.

Global warming update...

For those who thought my recent global warming post might be a bit on the pessimistic side, there comes a new model (which the creator already suggests is overly optimistic as it doesn't consider 2005 or 2007, the two worst years on record). Basically, his model predicts no more summer arctic ice cap by 2013. So, as I said in the other post, by the time the governments make their decisions we will already have surfers in the arctic circle, and battles over shipping and oil drilling rights will be well and truly joined. Well, people are already surfing the wakes from melting icebergs, so I guess moving to the poles isn't too much of a stretch really.

Christmas Thought #1

How can Jesus be a descendant of David if Mary was a virgin?

(remember, it was Joseph, not Mary who was in the line of David)

Global warming is here to stay... ID #554435

...so you'd better get used to it. I had this revelation recently, during my travel to/from England and my stay in a Newcastle student residence. But let me backpedal for a moment.

Until recently, I was of the belief that global warming had to be fought as best we could, being conscientious to reduce emissions by taking transit and conserving electricity. Oh, don't get me wrong, I'm still convinced, as are 99% of climate scientists, that global warming is happening and that it is the fault of humanity--the evidence is too strong to believe otherwise.

No, my recent change of heart has nothing to do with the imminent climate changes that are and will continue to assail us. Rather, it stems from a recent understanding of humanity. Simply put, while global warming is happening and the majority agree it is a bad thing, no one is willing to do anything about it, no one is even willing to turn of those lights, or the TV or to use their car less, try taking transit or walk that block to the corner store for their bag of jumbo crunchy crisps. And if no one cares at the level of the individual, why should anyone hurry to do anything at the level of governments? In fact, the last I've heard is that concerned countries have agreed to agree to...something...by 2012. That's four years away, for those who are counting.

So? you say, That should be enough time, no? Well, not to burst your Hollywood watching, last-second-save expecting hieny but, probably no. This is the real world, not Star Trek, McGyver or the A-Team. We're not going to reverse decades of neglect overnight. Especially considering that, not only will that neglect continue until the government decisions (at the least), but that neglect is, in fact, increasing daily in scope and in the damage it causes.

I used to get very frustrated at the lack of concern, the apathy or the intentional ignorance of many people. But now that, as far as I believe, we are past the point of no return, I feel a lightness of being. Like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders. There's no reason to worry now, the future is decided. Sure there will be many hardships ahead from rampant destruction by tropical storms to ocean wildlife being threatened and, in turn, threatening humanity as their habitats and food supplies shift or are destroyed, to vast flooding and forest fires. But it doesn't bother me anymore because humanity has made its choice and now we have to live with it.

Which reminds me, I'm moving to England soon and, based on recent flooding and flood scares, I have a feeling in a decade or so, much of central England will be underwater. Perhaps I should start building my ferry company for the United Kingdom Archipelago (seriously, I'm going to take a look at some contour maps of the UK and try and work out my own projection. If I can find the info I need, check back to see the results). Better yet, maybe I'll just move back to Canada. As far as I can see that is one of the only western countries that won't be significantly affected by either flooding or bad weather. If Toronto or Montreal goes under water, we can just move everyone to the prairie provinces, there's lots of room there.

Things to be thankful the gov hasn't thought of

Regarding potential bomb threats--things to be thankful the government hasn't thought of yet (because if they did, air travel would even less enjoyable and more restrictive):

1) that people might hide hazardous materials in their underwear

2) that plastiqus could be molded into the shape of dentures. The fuse could be disguised as floss.

3) that a few tubes of toothpaste would likely hold enough c4 to blow out the side of an airplane.

4) that 100mL of a ricin solution, looking like water, would be enough, if properly distributed, to kill an entire planeful of people.

5) that x-rays are high energy electromagnetic radiation and thus could probably, with some research, be used to trigger explosives in carry-on luggage--why blow up the plane when you can take apart the airport with almost as many people clustered in the same area?

6) that shoe laces can be deadly weapons

7) that a toothbrush with a sharpened handle could be as deadly in stabbing as a knife.

8) or a pen/pencil

9) that not all solid explosives are x-ray dense or require a fuse


Hmmm, maybe I shouldn't have written this blog, I'm starting to scare myself. Surely, if the government thought of even some of the things mentioned above, they would ban public air travel altogether.