A KISSed History of Beliefs

[Inquisitor]

The purpose of this thread is to provide a succinct history of humanity's beliefs as context for the Christian faith, incorporating secular and scientific beliefs.

Beginning at the beginning, scientific research indicates the universe began when energy in a “singularity” exploded with a “big bang”. Science attempts to explain how the physical world operates, whereas the Bible focuses on why the world was created and how humanity should operate.

The Genesis account of creation (GN 1) portrays God as speaking the universe into existence, so that both the world and inspired scriptures manifest God’s Word, and then creating humanity in His image, who migrated from Babel after the flood during the lifetime of Noah (GN 11).

Secular histories of mankind commonly begin with the civilization near Babel at the Sumerian city-state of Ur in Mesopotamia, where archaeologists have found the earliest written language (pictographs on clay tablets) and wheeled vehicles.

Our study will continue from this point, trying to KISS the history as much as possible.

To the contrary, Science does not believe in a singularity preceding the Big Bang.

The singularity; a point of infinite energy with zero dimension is impossible.

• The concept of a "singularity" is generally considered a mathematical artifact resulting from applying classical general relativity to extreme conditions where it is no longer expected to be valid. Most physicists believe a true singularity with infinite density is physically impossible and an indication that a more complete theory, likely a theory of quantum gravity, is needed to describe that earliest moment.
• Cosmic inflation is a widely accepted hypothesis that describes a period of rapid, exponential expansion that occurred before the hot Big Bang phase. Inflation resolves several problems with the earlier Big Bang models, such as the uniformity (flatness problem) and smoothness (horizon problem) of the universe. The physics of what, if anything, came before the inflationary epoch remains in the realm of theoretical speculation, as we have no observational data from that time. (wiki)

Notice the word "hypothesis" is used to describe the exponential expansion of the infant universe.

Well, the hypothesis of the inflation of the infant universe is an educated guess at best.

Don't get intimidated by science as it's explanation for the start of the universe is non-existent.

 

[GWH]

To the contrary, Science does not believe in a singularity preceding the Big Bang.

The singularity; a point of infinite energy with zero dimension is impossible.

• The concept of a "singularity" is generally considered a mathematical artifact resulting from applying classical general relativity to extreme conditions where it is no longer expected to be valid. Most physicists believe a true singularity with infinite density is physically impossible and an indication that a more complete theory, likely a theory of quantum gravity, is needed to describe that earliest moment.
• Cosmic inflation is a widely accepted hypothesis that describes a period of rapid, exponential expansion that occurred before the hot Big Bang phase. Inflation resolves several problems with the earlier Big Bang models, such as the uniformity (flatness problem) and smoothness (horizon problem) of the universe. The physics of what, if anything, came before the inflationary epoch remains in the realm of theoretical speculation, as we have no observational data from that time. (wiki)

Notice the word "hypothesis" is used to describe the exponential expansion of the infant universe.
Well, the hypothesis of the inflation of the infant universe is an educated guess at best.
Don't get intimidated by science as it's explanation for the start of the universe is non-existent.

I see nothing suggested as the replacement for the singularity, in the beginning phase before the cosmic inflation period,
so I will not amend my statement yet, because it dovetails nicely with the Genesis account of creation ex nihilo.

 

[GWH]

The astute agnostics among us will notice that the HOB (the BB ex nihilo thru the crux/JC until now/possible WWIII holocaust)
tends to enhance rather than refute arguments for faith in the NT God. Hope is akin to faith.

 

[GWH]

Again. the HOB seems to have culminated in a climactic spiritual war between those who believe in the NT God/Christ
and atheists/Marxists/globalists and anti-Christian Muslims, who seek to subjugate humanity (and even to create trans-humans).

For most people, history is like a jigsaw puzzle with thousands of pieces, and here are fifteen border pieces citing the main events and beliefs in history that can serve as a framework for understanding how other events fit into the picture:

1E. The first event is the beginning of the universe (Creation/Alpha, the “Big Bang”, circa 14 billion years B.C.) and of Earth (c. 4 billion years B.C.), because history requires both geography/space and chronology/time.

1B. The first belief is that the universe was created for the purpose of providing humanity the possibility of attaining salvation from mortality and immorality to eternal joy/heaven in fellowship with their Creator.

2E. The beginning of humanity (c. 100,000?), because a HOB presupposes believers/historians.

2B. Being human means having the ability to perceive God's Word in creation and having consciences capable of discerning God's moral will expressed logically via language as the Golden Rule, first orally and then by written symbols (c. 4,000 B.C).

3E. The beginning of revelation regarding salvation, when Abraham converted from polytheism based on general revelation via creation (cf. Rom. 1:20) to faith in one God (c. 2,000), because this provided ultimate significance to the beliefs.

3B. Souls are saved via having the same faith as Abraham in the Creator/God per Romans 4.

4E. The beginning of revelation regarding divine moral will or law, most notably by Moses (c.1200 B.C.) as written in the Torah, because this meant that behavior also matters.

4B. Saving faith in God is manifested by cooperation with His moral commandments (Matt. 22:37-40, cf. Exo. 20:1-17).

5E. The founding of atheist religions (including Buddhism in India c. 520 B.C., Confucianism in China c. 490 B.C., and Humanism in Greece by Protagoras d. 420 B.C., who said “Man is the measure of all things”), because this binary choice signified moral free will (MFW) rather than divine determinism as the cause of actual evil/immorality.

5B. How a person directs their faith, toward God (saving/heaven) or atheism (damning/hell) has ultimate consequences.

6E. The founding of an empire in the western part of the world by Alexander the Greek (d. 323 B.C.), whose Hellenist culture was adopted by the Romans, because this was the beginning of globalization of government and beliefs.

6B. Atheist/pagan government (the Pax Romana) prepared the way for the advent of Christ and the spread of Christianity as the Gospel was taught in many nations.

7E. The founding of Christianity by Jesus and his apostles/disciples (c. 30-68 A.D.), which is recorded in the New Testament, because it has influenced much of the HOB.

7B. The Christian Gospel fulfilled and superseded the Old Law or Covenant (per Hebrews 7:18-10:1).

 

[GWH]

8E. Biblical Christianity morphed into Roman Catholicism (RC) after Constantine authorized the Nicene Creed (325 A.D.)

8B. Gaining political power corrupted the true Gospel, ushering in a dark age regarding spiritual beliefs.

9E. Mohammed (c. 622) founded militant anti-Christian Islam by dictating the Qu’ran and beginning forcible conquest from India to Spain.

9B. Judaism, RC and Islam are condemned as atheist by Jesus (per John 8:42-47), so the exercise of faith essentially remains binary.

10E. The struggle for hegemony (“king of the hill” or KOTH) expanded during the medieval age, when Germanic tribes supplanted the Romans (c. 476), Eastern Orthodoxy separated from RC (in 1054) and RC popes ordered crusades to retake Jerusalem from the Muslims (c. 1095-1209).

10B. KOTH resulted from failure to learn and cooperate with God’s plan of salvation/peace (per Ephesians 2:11-3:6).

 

[GWH]

11E. The renewal and resurgence of biblical Christianity officially began with Martin Luther’s attempt to reform the corrupt Roman Catholic Church (in 1517).

11B. God's revelation of ultimate truth is contained in the Scriptures He inspired God's requirement for salvation is faith in Jesus as Messiah and Lord--not contained in an ecclesiastic organization requiring fealty to a pope.

12E. The evangelical Protestant movement spread despite the RC Inquisition and proliferated into many denominations in the U.S.
due to political freedom (even as European philosophy became increasingly agnostic and deist) leading to the First Great Awakening in 1736.

12B. Denominations of Christians may disagree about doctrinal details but should agree or be spiritually unified
regarding the essential New Testament Gospel/Creed expressed succinctly by Paul in Acts 16:31, 2Cor. 4:5 & Col. 2:6
as "Believe on Jesus as Messiah and Lord" (cf. Eph. 2:8-10, Rom. 3:21-5:2).

 

[GWH]

13E. The rise of irrationalism in reaction to authoritarian RC during the latter half of the 1700s was represented by numerous people, including Voltaire, Mendelssohn, Kant, Paine, Hegel, J. Smith and D. Strauss.

13B. The history of salvation continued to be convoluted and corrupted in Europe as biblical Christianity spread in the United States except for adherents of deism and Mormonism.

 

[GWH]

14E. Atheism was manifested in many ways: by Marx’s militant socialism (1848), illogical positivism, religious skepticism, Darwin affirming survival of the fittest (1859), Freud's psychoanalysis (1900) and anti-Semitism.

14B. Disbelief in Christianity and consequent hatred was foretold by Jesus (in Matt. 24:10-12).