(Looks like we've gone beyond the comment threshold for comments to automatically show up. If someone wants to dig and find this, so be it.)
I only learned the word "deism" when I went to college. (starting in the very late 80s)
Thomas Paine was a deist. Deism eventually fell out of favor so I suppose that is why many don't know it today.
Here's a video that you can watch the first part of. (make sure to unmute)
https://study.com/learn/lesson/age-of-reason-religion-summary-purpose.html
Deism is the belief in a "divine watchmaker". All of this couldn't have came out of nothing, right? There must have been a god who created it, right? Later on I looked into Richard Dawkins and what he had to say about evolution; like evolution of an eyeball and why this nerve/vessel (can't remember) takes this weird path down its neck and only to come back to the head of a giraffe. Things didn't look so "divine" after that. So now I had a real problem. If a god really doesn't exist then how is it that the Bible exists? So many people believe in the Bible. They couldn't have just made this crap up. Right? Down the rabbit hole I went.
I don't think it has to do with cannibalism; at least the New Testament. In the Old Testament, perhaps; even likely with Moloch.
As far as shamanism, it has a lot to do with mushrooms; principally, at least as far as the New Testament. With all of this talk of adrenochrome and what not I'm still learning.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sacred_Mushroom_and_the_Cross
The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross: A Study of the Nature and Origins of Christianity Within the Fertility Cults of the Ancient Near East is a 1970 book about the linguistics of early Christianity and fertility cults in the Ancient Near East. It was written by John Marco Allegro (1923–1988).
Allegro was one of those tasked with translating the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Here is a video that will really take you down the rabbit hole. I have the book and DVD.
The Pharmacratic Inquisition
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfkVnf4eEfM
The intro is done by John Marco Allegro. It is from a former recording. Years ago I did find that video on YouTube.
I was taken aback the other day when I watched a clip from The Pat McAfee Show. (YouTube suggestion.) Found some video of it. To his left the book on top and towards us is none other than The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross. He even talks to his guys about how good the book is. Seems to me he is not just a "sports bro".
https://youtu.be/hn9-OU9LP8w?t=715
As far as groupthink, years ago a colleague chatted me up (via a chat program) saying that he was taken aback because this guy was setting out his prayer mat and praying in his office. It didn't phase me as religious people have all sorts of weird rituals. After thinking for a bit, I asked him if he was Catholic. He said he was. I then asked, so you believe in literally drinking the blood and eating the flesh of Christ to which he replied with "good point".
(Looks like we've gone beyond the comment threshold for comments to automatically show up. If someone wants to dig and find this, so be it.)
I only learned the word "deism" when I went to college. (starting in the very late 80s)
Thomas Paine was a deist. Deism eventually fell out of favor so I suppose that is why many don't know it today.
Here's a video that you can watch the first part of. (make sure to unmute)
https://study.com/learn/lesson/age-of-reason-religion-summary-purpose.html
Deism is the belief in a "divine watchmaker". All of this couldn't have came out of nothing, right? There must have been a god who created it, right? Later on I looked into Richard Dawkins and what he had to say about evolution; like evolution of an eyeball and why this nerve/vessel (can't remember) takes this weird path down its neck and only to come back to the head of a giraffe. Things didn't look so "divine" after that. So now I had a real problem. If a god really doesn't exist then how is it that the Bible exists? So many people believe in the Bible. They couldn't have just made this crap up. Right? Down the rabbit hole I went.
I don't think it has to do with cannibalism; at least the New Testament. In the Old Testament, perhaps; even likely with Moloch.
As far as shamanism, it has a lot to do with mushrooms; principally, at least as far as the New Testament. With all of this talk of adrenochrome and what not I'm still learning.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sacred_Mushroom_and_the_Cross
The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross: A Study of the Nature and Origins of Christianity Within the Fertility Cults of the Ancient Near East is a 1970 book about the linguistics of early Christianity and fertility cults in the Ancient Near East. It was written by John Marco Allegro (1923–1988).
Allegro was one of those tasked with translating the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Here is a video that will really take you down the rabbit hole. I have the book and DVD.
The Pharmacratic Inquisition
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfkVnf4eEfM
The intro is done by John Marco Allegro. It is from a former recording. Years ago I did find that video on YouTube.
I was taken aback the other day when I watched a clip from The Pat McAfee Show. (YouTube suggestion.) Found some video of it. To his left the book on top and towards us is none other than The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross. He even talks to his guys about how good the book is. Seems to me he is not just a "sports bro".
https://youtu.be/hn9-OU9LP8w?t=715
As far as groupthink, years ago a colleague chatted me up (via a chat program) saying that he was taken aback because this guy was setting out his prayer mat and praying in his office. It didn't phase me as religious people have all sorts of weird rituals After thinking for a bit, I asked him if he was Catholic. He said he was. I then asked, so you believe in literally drinking the blood and eating the flesh of Christ to which he replied with "good point".