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Daniel Hutchinson
Installment One
Hello Everybody,’
Ol’ Dan hasn’t been saying too much. Gary Acker and I have occasional exchanges via email, but other than that there isn’t much interaction with the BLHS group. I suppose Karen was right, “people just aren’t interested”. I’ve had a few thoughts rolling around in my head and thought I’d make one more attempt to get some feedback; that is, other than Gary; even though I value Gary’s input and conversation.
I’ve often thought about Janet Eller’s remarks regarding religion a few years ago. I’ve mentioned my offering some comments a few times, and think it’s about time.
As most of you know I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS), holding the Priesthood of High Priest, which was conferred upon me in Asuncion, Paraguay, by a good friend, who was born in Tremonton, Utah. He and I both worked for the CIA, posted to Paraguay. I’ve mentioned him before, David Calderwood. David has written a very interesting book entitled Voices From the Dust, a very in-depth and detailed search into the records of the ancients of South America. David began collecting old manuscripts, mostly written by Jesuit Priests several hundred years ago. Some of the manuscripts are one of a kind. David even traveled to Seville, Spain, the largest repository of such manuscripts in the world, learning several of his are indeed one of a kind. Some written in local native languages, which he has learned so he could translate them. David served a mission to Uruguay back in about 1957. There is much about David I could share, but my main point isn’t to discuss David’s book or the fact he is a very spiritual man, an interesting, affable, wonderful person. My lead in here is to discuss some of my personal thoughts/views about why we’re here, where we’re going and how it all works; that is, from a scientific and religious point of view.
It is not my intention to delve into strange occult type thinking, rather to stimulate some thinking and illicit comments.
I recall a Psychology professor once making the comment that “religion satisfies adults with the same need for a hero, a need for fantasy to cling to, much the same as children need Santa Clause, The Wizard of OZ, Cinderella, Super Man, etcetera.. I’ve never believed this idea, but it is an interesting thought leading me into a couple other areas not normally discussed.
Many of you are well traveled, having been exposed to different cultures and religions: however, I wonder how many have had the time, or inclination to delve into what makes people believe what they believe, how societies have evolved anthropologically. I’m not a scholar, realizing many of you are perhaps more educated along these line than I. I would relish seeing some feedback and/or input from those who have studied these things.
As an example, when we see these cute little ornaments of angles with wings, or similar customs which have evolved over thousands of years, it has caused me to question and try to analyze these things. It’s obvious to me that during the ancient times when it was improper for scribes to take notes while someone was talking, resulting at times in lengthy delays, even years after something was observed or a speech heard, before it was written down. During the Biblical scribes recording visitations from above(?). We see many examples in the Bible, Numbers, Job, Isaiah Jeremiah (several), Hosea, Micah, to name a few. In those ancient times a scribe hearing of how the heavenly personages ascended from above, the only logical explanation is ‘they must have flown’, thus ‘wings’ were given, otherwise how could they have come from above? Logically, to many of us, this is an example of the rather infantile reasoning. We have never seen a depiction of God, Jesus or other angels of old sporting wings. If we are created in the image of God and He didn’t have wings why would anyone? There were no wings folks.
Now I’m going to post this in two installments, because it is lengthy. In the LDS Church, we are told after leaving this moral existence, depending on our works and deeds, we will be assigned to one of three ‘Degrees of Glory’. This takes me to the meat of my following comments – continued in installment two.
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