this post was submitted on 03 Aug 2024
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[–] atro_city@fedia.io 41 points 1 month ago (4 children)

The most baffling thing is once subjugated peoples now being the most ardent in their beliefs.

[–] MotoAsh@lemmy.world 18 points 1 month ago

Makes sense. The smart disobedient ones were murdered.

[–] Nuke_the_whales@lemmy.world 15 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Thankfully this is changing with the new generation. Atheism is on the rise throughout Latin America. From 1996 to 2019 it went from 4% to 16%. I've been back to my birth country recently and it was like a whole other place from when I left in the 90s. The fact that so many young people have tattoos now, when growing up that was completely unacceptable.

[–] Rolando@lemmy.world 9 points 1 month ago

In Latin America, the christian conquerers forced people to pray to their god. So people adapted by praying to their old gods in the guise of the new.

Catholicism was the only religion allowed in the colonial era; the indigenous were forced to abandon their beliefs, although many did not abandon it at all, for example, countries with predominantly Amerindian population such as Bolivia and Peru there is a syncretism between indigenous religions and the Catholic religion, that has occurred since colonial times. In Brazil or Colombia, Catholicism was mixed with certain African rituals.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_South_America

[–] Phegan@lemmy.world 7 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Many of those people were intentionally replaced or mixed with settlers.

[–] atro_city@fedia.io 2 points 1 month ago

Yes, how many centuries ago?

[–] someguy3@lemmy.world 37 points 1 month ago (3 children)

I never understood the disdain for sun worshipping religions. Seems just as valid as any other.

[–] III@lemmy.world 26 points 1 month ago (3 children)

Seems more valid given that which they worship exists.

[–] ReputedlyDeplorable@lemmy.world 21 points 1 month ago (2 children)

And it IS essential to life

[–] disgrunty@lemmy.world 14 points 1 month ago (1 children)

And it provides warm spots for cats to bask in.

[–] Noodle07@lemmy.world 6 points 1 month ago

The proof that god sun is good

[–] Honytawk@lemmy.zip 5 points 1 month ago

It also created the Earth

[–] Routhinator@startrek.website 6 points 1 month ago

That's the source of the disdain

[–] abbotsbury@lemmy.world 15 points 1 month ago (1 children)

As the source of all energy in the solar system, I'd say it's the only valid deity.

[–] Cypher@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago

Well, most energy. There’s also plenty of chemical and potential energy on planets and moons.

[–] boonhet@lemm.ee 5 points 1 month ago

More valid than most religions, I'd say.

Plus you don't have to pray to the sun, you can pray to Joe Pesci and worship the sun.

[–] gencha@lemm.ee 26 points 1 month ago (2 children)

That's actually a great thought. Of all things, worshipping the sun has merit. But you can't control people with that concept, because you can't control the sun. People who want to find solitude in the things that actually matter, and are available to anyone, must be converted into sheep. And they literally call themselves that, as their Lord is their shepherd.

WTF

[–] fsxylo@sh.itjust.works 14 points 1 month ago (1 children)

But think of all the things that puritans offer! Like working! And... Um. Uhh...

[–] PugJesus@lemmy.world 7 points 1 month ago

Working, and hating fun. What a fantastic religion!

[–] arken@lemmy.world 5 points 1 month ago (1 children)

But you can't control people with that concept, because you can't control the sun.

Oh, so Akhenaten couldn't control people?

[–] rekorse@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Didnt they mostly just pay the workers?

[–] arken@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Well, Michelangelo got paid for painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel as well. Who's "they" and what's your point?

[–] rekorse@lemmy.world 1 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

That people weren't tricked into work. They were paid for it and likely held great pride in it.

[–] arken@lemmy.world 1 points 2 weeks ago

I reacted to, paraphrased: "you can't control people with sun worship".

During his reign, Akhenaten instated monotheistic worship of Aten - the sun disc - and did away with all other gods worshipped in Egypt at that time. Whether or not the workers who built his monuments were paid well I do not know - I suspect you have the Diary of Merer in mind, but remember that Khufu's and Akhenaten's respective reigns were more than a thousand years apart - as a pharaoh, Akhenaten could most certainly control people. And if you believe religion can be used as a means to control people, this is definitely a historic example of sun worship being used to this end, wouldn't you agree?

[–] weariedfae@lemmy.world 25 points 1 month ago (3 children)

Jokes on the white dude, Jesus is a reskinned sun god.

[–] eestileib@sh.itjust.works 14 points 1 month ago (1 children)

December 25 literally the Day of the Birth of the Unconquered Sun, invented by Emperor Julian in an attempt to restore paganism to the Roman Empire in the early 300s.

Dec 25 only became accepted as the birth date of Jesus afterwards.

Can't make it up.

[–] PugJesus@lemmy.world 8 points 1 month ago

tbf Julian was more of a neoplatonist rather than a sun cultist, and Dies Natalis Solis Invicti predates Julian. But yes, December 25 being 'Christmas' is absolutely part of the Christian exploitation of pre-existing pagan traditions to make conversion easier - as is Christmas's relation to Saturnalia, a way cooler holiday than some dweeb being born in Bethlehem, smh.

[–] Kolanaki@yiffit.net 8 points 1 month ago (1 children)
[–] weariedfae@lemmy.world 5 points 1 month ago

It's like the "I made this" meme

[–] smayonak@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Reskinned cultic Persian diety known as Mithras. Mithras was not related in any way to the Abrahamic god and it's not known how the historical Jesus borrowed large elements from the Mithras legend other than plagiarism.

El is the name of an abrahamic storm god believed to be God. He was once a member of a Canaanite (and probably before then) pantheon but its clerics overthrew the old order and installed El as the sole god. Hilariously the clerics didn't remove all references to El's divine wife, Asherah, from the bible and you can still see references to her even today. Although most references are to the symbols of Ashera and not the goddess.

Religious scholars do backflips to try and explain why a pagan god exists in the bible and they can't get around the most obvious answer that it's a error and the name had been partially edited out of older versions of the bible.

[–] Rubisco@slrpnk.net 11 points 1 month ago
[–] solsangraal@lemmy.zip 9 points 1 month ago

christian apologists HATE this one trick!!

[–] rustydomino@lemmy.world 7 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Alternatively, you could worship Joe Pesci, since he seems like a guy that can get shit done.

[–] eestileib@sh.itjust.works 5 points 1 month ago (1 children)

According to Carlin, you should worship the sun and pray to Joe Pesci.

[–] rustydomino@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago

Yeah I just went back to rewatch the video. My bad.

[–] Kolanaki@yiffit.net 7 points 1 month ago

Worship the sun, but pray to Joe Pesci.

[–] Phegan@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)
[–] dellish@lemmy.world 4 points 1 month ago

Damn straight. I feel if we still worshipped nature maybe we'd take better care of it. Instead we have religions that propose we're above nature, owners of the world, and we're ripping it to shreds. Such a pity.

[–] dumbass@leminal.space 2 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

If I'm gonna worship a celestial body I can see with my eyes, its gonna be the moon! I hate day time, nighttime is where I get my best work done.

[–] flamingo_pinyata@sopuli.xyz 1 points 1 month ago

Although they must have been surprised that the Sun kept rising after human sacrifices stopped

Tap for spoilerYes yes, I know nobody literally believed the sacrifices kept the sun rising, not even sure these are Aztecs in the picture. Can't let that get in the way of a joke 🙂

[–] therealjcdenton@lemmy.zip 0 points 1 month ago

Nice one, way to stick it to your parents, just make sure you get your homework done