Unmasking AIT

[dhu]

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->atwill forum 

nelson-johnson

Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by the rulers as useful.
— Seneca

The above quote does seem to indicate that rulers of Rome in Seneca's day knew quite well how to manipulate the superstitious masses using religion.  The wisdom of that statement echoes down through the centuries to today's government.  There will always be those who believe for no reason, and those with no reason to believe.

Nelson
_______________________________
atwill

Hi Nelson:
<b>Notice below that Cicero not only prefigures much of Christian theology but also actually advocates for the State to ‘persuade’ the masses to adopt the theology most appropriate for the empire.</b>

"We must persuade our citizens that the gods are the lords and rulers of all things and what is done, is done by their will and authority; and they are the great benefactors of men, and know who everyone is, and what he does, and what sins he commits, and what he intends to do, and with what piety he fulfills his religious duties."

Joe
_______________________________________
Mr. Prancer

If the ancient royals weren't so incredibly superstitious one might suspect they were proto-Secular Humanists, Atheists or Deists.  Possibly Gnosticm was the closest thing to that in those times.  By the way, Tobias Churton (Gnostic Philosophy, 2005) makes the case that Existentialism is an outgrowth of ancient Gnosticism.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->