Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site umcp-cs.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!unc!mcnc!decvax!ucbvax!ucdavis!lll-crg!seismo!umcp-cs!mangoe From: mangoe@umcp-cs.UUCP (Charley Wingate) Newsgroups: net.religion Subject: Death of various religions Message-ID: <1595@umcp-cs.UUCP> Date: Sun, 15-Sep-85 16:08:18 EDT Article-I.D.: umcp-cs.1595 Posted: Sun Sep 15 16:08:18 1985 Date-Received: Wed, 18-Sep-85 02:47:40 EDT References: <1699@pyuxd.UUCP> Organization: U of Maryland, Computer Science Dept., College Park, MD Lines: 27 In article <1699@pyuxd.UUCP> rlr@pyuxd.UUCP (Rich Rosen) writes: >I think the only reason they can "get away" with teaching about ancient >Greek and Viking religion in schools because (I think there's a joke I'm >taking this from) there are no more ancient Greeks (or Vikings). They >are "treading" on a religion that nobody currently believes in (to my >knowledge). You'ld be suprised what some people believe in..... >What would be interesting in teaching about religions that nobody believes >in anymore (like these ancient myths) is to talk about why nobody believes >them anymore, the flaws and presumptions these ancient peoples made in >designing these religious systems, and how this learning can be applied >in general today. That is perhaps the truest way to foster real FREEDOM >of religion I can think of. (Probably scares the hell out of some people, >though.) Actually, in the case of the Norse religions, the answer is quite simple; the various Norse people were exposed to Christianity, and decided that it was the better religion. I think this is a worthwhile topic for discussion, if we can restrain ourselves from wishful thinking about whether or not the religions in question were (or are) true. Charley Wingate