Combining Philosophers

Ideas for Roger Fry, Jonathan Tallant and John Gray

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4 ideas

29. Religion / B. Monotheistic Religion / 2. Judaism
23056 Judaism only became monotheistic around 550 BCE [Gray]
     Full Idea: It was only sometime around the sixth century BC, during the period when the Israelites returned to Jerusalem, that the idea that there is only one God emerged in Jewish religion.
     From: John Gray (Seven Types of Atheism [2018], Intro)
     A reaction: There seems to be a parallel move among the Greeks to elevate Zeus to special status.
29. Religion / B. Monotheistic Religion / 4. Christianity / a. Christianity
9272 Without Christianity we lose the idea that human history has a meaning [Gray]
     Full Idea: For Christians, it is because they occur in history that the lives of humans have a meaning that the lives of other animals do not. ..If we truly leave Christianity behind, we must give up the idea that human history has a meaning.
     From: John Gray (Straw Dogs [2002], 2.3)
     A reaction: Interesting. Compare the dispute between 'whig' and 'tory' historians, the former of whom believe that history is going somewhere.
9279 What was our original sin, and how could Christ's suffering redeem it? [Gray]
     Full Idea: No one can say what was humankind's original sin, and no one understands how the suffering of Christ can redeem it.
     From: John Gray (Straw Dogs [2002], 4.1)
     A reaction: This nicely articulates a problem that has half bothered me, but I have never put into words. I always assumed Eve committed the sin, and Adam cops the blame for not controlling his woman. Dying for our sins has always puzzled me.
23055 Christians introduced the idea that a religion needs a creed [Gray]
     Full Idea: The notion that religions are creeds - lists of propositions or doctrines that everyone must accept or reject - emerged only with Christianity.
     From: John Gray (Seven Types of Atheism [2018], Intro)
     A reaction: With a creed comes the possibility of heresy. I''m not happy with children being taught to recite something which begins 'I believe…', but which they have never thought about and barely understand.