Origins of the Male and Female Gods, Soul, and Reincarnation

by Geronimo 0 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Geronimo

  Hey, this is from my sis Jacquie. I think she's hit on some really important insights. See what you think.
  The sky is swirling, greenish black amorphous gobs of angry clouds bring a noonday gloom. The air feels almost wet and is difficult to breathe, so full of moisture it is. A bright flash, far too close to ignore, is quickly followed by a thunderclap so loud the ground shakes. In response, a huge male stands straight and tall, his penis erect as he beats his chest in defiance and roars his challenge to the mighty Male in the Sky.
  
  Thunder shakes the now-enraged male again, and in response he grabs a small young tree and uproots it, shaking it menacingly at the Sky-Challenger, the mighty ape just beyond the clouds. Flash after flash and thunderclap after thunderclap finally sends the huge male into frightened hiding until the wrath of the Sky-Male passes. Our huge male, a gorilla, has been vanquished by the Sky-Challenger who is clearly far more powerful and must be submitted to.
  
  Is this a fantasy scene? No. It happens often, and has been happening for as long as there have been primates. Primates, especially gorillas and chimps--distant cousins to humans--challenge one another in this fashion. Standing tall, penis erect, roaring as loudly as possible, beating their chest, and thrashing about with the shrubberies and trees. Usually the less dominant ape backs down, but occasionally both males are evenly matched and an actual battle ensues. Gorillas and chimps also engage in this behavior when challenged by the Giant Ape In The Sky. I've watched films of a number of enraged apes react to the Sky Challenger in this way, finally submitting in fear and in hiding.
  
  Could this be the origin of our belief in a Deity? An angry male Deity that is so overwhelmingly powerful that it must be submitted to? I have zero doubts about it, though it's impossible to empirically prove, because our prehistoric ancestors are dead and cannot be interrogated or observed. Yet, it makes profound sense. It's so very simple, yet devastating in it's evident logic and reasonableness. I bears the ring of truth. Using Occam's Razor, this simple yet elegant theory is the best explanation of the origin of the Angry Male God In The Sky that I have ever considered.
  
  In the womb, the first person we hear is our mother. Her voice sooths us and comforts us and brings us joy in our tranquil idyllic existence. Hence when we're born we automatically seek out her breasts to feed upon. The dear mother who brought us forth and nurtured us. As we grow older we observe female animals giving birth, and our love and reverence for Motherhood is increased thereby.
  
  Could it be that the voice of our mother as we floated in the warmth and comfort of the womb is the origin of the belief in a Mother Goddess? Again, this idea is so positively devastating in it's self-evident truthfulness, it's elegant and profound simplicity, that it makes a lasting impact on our minds.
  
  When primitive humans slept, they "went" to wonderful, mysterious, and sometimes horrible places. Flying just like the birds, free of the constraints and restraints of the body. Dead family members would be encountered and a joyful reunion would ensue. Omens and portents were observed this way. Is this the origin of the belief in a "soul" that leaves the body at death? Could it be as simple (and profound) as this? Indeed it can, for most societies at one time pointed to dreams as evidence of the existence of the soul, and many societies (and even countless individuals in developed societies) still do believe this. The belief in life after death and rebirth is strengthened by observing the death and rebirth of nature as it cycles through the seasons.
  
  As for reincarnation, I point to the cycles of death and rebirth which the earth goes through every year. In fact, people still use the illustration of the earth-cycles to "prove" reincarnation, or at least the reasonableness of it.
  
  These ideas remain undeveloped in my mind, but I'll work on them.
  
  Love,
  Jacquie