Religion Notes

Local Notes - file:///C:/Users/micro/Documents/_peterga/religion/indexrel.htm 

Some Areas in which Historical Scholars Agree

Jesus was a disciple of John the Baptist

About the time John was put to death, Jesus became a teacher

The core of Jesus' message was about the Kingdom of God

Jesus was unusually egalitarian for the time and place

Jesus practiced communal eating in which everyone was equal regardless of social status

Jesus was a healer with a reputation as a miracle worker

During Passover Jesus got into trouble in Jerusalem and was summarily put to death

The JS's list of 15 things Jesus almost certainly said

Turn the other cheek. 

Give the shirt off your back. 

Congratulations to the poor! 

Go the second mile! 

Love your enemies. 

The parable of the leaven. 

Give to Caesar and to God. 

Give to everyone who begs. 

The parable of the Samaritan. 

Congratulations to the hungry! 

Congratulations to those who grieve. 

The parable of the shrewd manager. 

The parable of the vineyard laborers hired at different hours. 

God called "Abba" (Father). 

The parable of the mustard seed.

The Socioeconomic Insecurity Hypothesis of Faith

From "The Big Religion Questions Finally Solved" -- Gregory S. Paul, Free Inquiry Dec 08 / Jan 09

"It is no coincidence that religiosity is low in every first-world nation with universal health coverage and high in the only one without it. High levels of religiosity are largely a symptom of dysfunctional socioeconomic circumstances, and high levels of secularism are largely a symptom of healthier, more secure socioeconomic circumstances. Simply put, insecurity breeds religion; security promotes non-theism."

"Together, then, the contributions by naturalistic science, socioeconomic security, and corporate-consumer culture combine to form the "Triple-Threat Hypothesis of Democratic Secularization."

"One such critical factor is not per capita income but rather income inequality. Across the first world, lower income inequality correlates with lower religiosity. Higher income inequality correlates with higher religiosity. The pattern is statistically progressive, and no deviations are known."

"On a planetary scale, another unprecedented phenomenon must be recognized. During the past century, the *only* life stance that has proven able to achieve significant growth by conversion has been disbelief in the supernatural."

"America is repidly secularizing. The population that tells pollsters they think the Bible is built on legends and fables has soared -- from 1 in 10 to nearly 1 in 4 in just three decades."

"Consider that eighteen in out of the nineteen of the most prosperous democracies, the share of population reporting absolute belief in a god or gods ranges between as little as a few percent, and, at most, half."

"On some indices, the United States scores so poorly that its status as a first-world nation must be regarded as provisional." (E.g. homicide, incarceration, adult mortality, youth mortality, abortion, teen pregnancy, suicide, marriage failure, employment levels, etc.)

"We can now say with some confidence that the United States is a religious anomaly because its socioeconomic system is correspondingly anomalous and pathological in contrast to first-world norms. Citizens enjoy far lower levels of government support and protection. Most members of the middle class face serious risk of financial and personal ruin if they lose their insecure jobs or their private health insurance."

"Among the first world's nineteen prosperous democracies, all but the United States have adopted pragmatic, progressive, and secular socioeconomic policies that maximize the financial security of the middle class (that is to say, the majority of citizens). In most first world countries, it is hard to lose middle class status -- no western European or Australian goes bankrupt due to overwhelming medical bills."

Cults

When Prophecies Fail - https://slate.com/technology/2011/05/apocalypse-2011-what-happens-to-a-doomsday-cult-when-the-world-doesn-t-end.html

• "A few people might abandon the group, typically the newest or least-committed adherents, but the vast majority experience little cognitive dissonance and so make only minor adjustments to their beliefs. They carry on, often feeling more spiritually enriched as a result."

Disbelief

In the U.S., 39% of people who don't believe in God describe themselves at "atheists." (Understanding Unbelief, University of Kent, 2019).

Angels

https://www.historydefined.net/biblically-accurate-angels-would-actually-be-pretty-scary/