Göbekli Tepe and the Great Cultural Bifurcation

One can imagine...

The group, having found some stability in a region,... an animal population that replenishes itself often enough feeding on plants and grasses in the area that also come back quickly enough to keep the herd from moving too far away... decides to establish a small settlement. Members who dedicate themselves to activities outside of hunting and gathering find more time for creative endeavors, children can be looked after and educated while mothers and fathers are out in the fields and groves procuring food for everyone. Everyone in the group, that is.

One can now imagine...

A more powerful group comes into the region and realizes quickly that the available animals, plants, grasses, etc... may not be sufficient for the survival of two groups. So, the original, weaker group is driven out. For the group that lost its hold on something that seemed to be a gift from whatever god or gods they worshiped, despair is likely to follow. And, in the lean months or years, they might come close to dying off completely.

But, then, one can imagine...

A small group of scouts from the larger, wandering group follows some tracks in the dirt and mud around a small mountain ridge, and in the valley below an amazing sight presents itself. The scouts rub their eyes in disbelief for a moment, and then unrestrained excitement ensues. Uncountable numbers of animal herds are spread out across the most fertile grounds they've ever encountered as far as their eyes can see.

And, they know that the game has changed.

Probability and the Boogeyman

For those who wish to be honest, there’s only one reality when it comes to human rights, and that is that there are none. Universally speaking, all lifeforms have the same basic right, which is the right to try to survive and thrive in whatever situations they find themselves in. Each and every one of us is entitled to nothing but a death. For those of us who drew a lucky card and were born into a life full of opportunities to thrive, we are usually imbued with a sense of gratitude, though we are aware of the fact that many are born into suffering. Only deranged thinking allows one to believe that some divine power blessed them with a good life while condemning others to enter the world, live short, painful existences and then be forgotten as easily as they were conceived. So, gratitude is not the best word to use in this context; it should be appreciation. If this appreciation leads to altruistic behavior, all the better.

Of course, explaining this all to a child is a challenge. No one in his or her right mind would have the following exchange with their five-year-old:

“Mommy, I’m afraid of the dark. I think there’s a monster in my closet.”
“Whatever gave you that idea?”
“Timmy was talking about it today.”
“Maybe he was just trying to scare you.”
“So, I’ll be OK? There are no monsters”
“Well, there are no monsters, but there are people in the world who do terrible things to others, even children. There may even be such a person in our town; he may be driving the streets right now, looking for a house to break into, a child to take away somewhere to torture and kill…”
“Mommy, you’re scaring me!”
“Don’t be afraid, there are so many houses out there that the possibility of the bad man choosing our house is so small, it’s not worth worrying about…”

However, encouraging beliefs in fairy tales isn’t the best approach either. Saying things like “God loves you and will protect you” seems ridiculous when your child is bound to learn that some other children in similar communities, whose parents have said the same thing to them, fall ill, suffer and die. And, to say then, “Well, the Lord works in mysterious ways” is likely to be seen as a cop out by many kids. Moreover, it could lead a child to think, “Geez, maybe I should try harder to be good, so the Lord doesn’t work any of his mysterious ways on me!”

Clearly, children need important people in their lives, like parents, other family, and teachers to guide them in their moral development. Teaching them critical thinking, and allowing them to come to their own conclusions with a minimal amount of bias should be the main strategy used. Endless explanations and repeated admonishments without attention given to making sure a child understands what it all means is likely to create moral deficiencies.

A Life Less Meaningful

"You don't believe in God, you don't believe we were created to live here on this beautifully designed world... In fact, you believe that humanity has no divine purpose and could disappear in a very short time, and the universe would be hardly changed at all... So, tell me, what motivates you to get out of bed in the morning? I mean, what are you living for?"

"I get out of bed in the morning, because the brewing coffee down the hall in the kitchen smells rather good, and I should quite like to have a cup or two with a bagel and cream cheese. I enjoy having my first meal by the window of my breakfast nook and looking out on the front lawn, seeing the squirrels run about while hummingbirds drink from the feeder hanging on a branch of the tree in the middle of the grass."

"You're not being facetious, are you?"

"I live for long hikes in the forest and slow walks on the beach, Scotch whisky by the fire on cold winter nights, the pleasure of lying with a beautiful woman, the thrill of discovering something new..."

"Yes, yes, I see where you're going. But, is that enough?"

"Enough for me, yes."

Priests of the New Enlightenment

Take this. You'll need it.

All that you can and can't live without... 

You'll know it before you know the face of your mother.

And that...

That map is out of date, my child.

Use it at your peril.

When you lose your way, approach the nearest temple and with your senses follow the eastward-moving star.

And know that it has always followed you.