Millenarianism

[Astarte]

Is anyone besides me familiar with the concept of Millenarianism and its revolutionary potentials?

[ComradeMan]

Is anyone besides me familiar with the concept of Millenarianism and its revolutionary potentials?


Well which one as this kind of eschatology can be found in various religions and/or movements.

Is it time for the Ghost Dance?

[Astarte]

A new one based on the synthesis of the most progressive aspects of the world's spiritual traditions.

[ComradeMan]

Could you explain more....there are a lot?

2012 stuff perhaps?

[Bud Struggle]

A new one based on the synthesis of the most progressive aspects of the world's spiritual traditions.

That's kind of like saying when all the best parts of the world's political philosophies like Communism and Fascism and Capitalism get together to form the perfect economy.

[Le Corsaire Rouge]

That's kind of like saying when all the best parts of the world's political philosophies like Communism and Fascism and Capitalism get together to form the perfect economy.
The system you describe sounds a lot like Stalinist state capitalism... :D

[Astarte]

That's kind of like saying when all the best parts of the world's political philosophies like Communism and Fascism and Capitalism get together to form the perfect economy.
Actually no. It is more like Freemasonic secular spiritualism. That is what masonic ideology is after all - an amalgamation of all of the worlds religions. I would like to talk more about mine ideas in terms of a New Millenarianism (no it has nothing to do with 2012 either), but I am afraid I would be misconstrued as "preaching" and be banned.

[ComradeMan]

Actually no. It is more like Freemasonic secular spiritualism. That is what masonic ideology is after all - an amalgamation of all of the worlds religions. I would like to talk more about mine ideas in terms of a New Millenarianism (no it has nothing to do with 2012 either), but I am afraid I would be misconstrued as "preaching" and be banned.

Not if you post here in Religion and don't try to convert people.

However your point about Freemasonry.... Freemasonry is not a religion.

[Dimentio]

Is anyone besides me familiar with the concept of Millenarianism and its revolutionary potentials?

Okay.

One post and you've managed to creep me out.

Good work.

[Dimentio]

That's kind of like saying when all the best parts of the world's political philosophies like Communism and Fascism and Capitalism get together to form the perfect economy.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People%27s_Republic_of_China

[Le Corsaire Rouge]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People%27s_Republic_of_China
Hey, that was my joke! :laugh:

[Astarte]

Not if you post here in Religion and don't try to convert people.

However your point about Freemasonry.... Freemasonry is not a religion.
It is not an official religion but belongs to the traditions of the ancient "Mystery Schools". The point stands though that it is a concrete spiritual system; I would suggest investigating the volume "Morals and Dogma" for more information as to how so. I will have something written in the next few days to post on this thread.

[Astarte]

Merriam-Webster's dictionary defines the word "Millenarianism" as:
"1. belief in the millennium of Christian prophecy
2. belief in a coming ideal society and especially one created by revolutionary action".

Notice the similarity of the second definition to Marxian and anarchist thought generally.

Let us first sketch a couple examples of politico-revolutionary spiritual movements in contrast to a few truly Millenarian movements history. Approximately some time between 2,300-2,100 BC Sargon the first Emperor of "Sumer and Akkad" gained supremacy over the Sumerian city-states of Mesopotamia. These semitic Akkadian people essentially co-opted the apparatuses of statecraft from the Sumerians. To legitimize their rule, the daughter of Sargon, Enheduanna, reconciled the Sumerian deity Inanna with the Akkadian/Semitic Ishtar using the power of her position as high priestess of the moon god Sin.

Some authors have given Akhenaten the appellation of "rebel pharaoh". From 1353-1336 BC Akhenaten's regime threw off the hegemonic reign of the ancient priest caste of Amun-Ra by ushering in a brief epoch of of Egyptian monotheism - to shake off these masters of society was no trivial accomplishment. His death and the death of his son and successor TutanhkATEN represent a political counter-revolution waged on the behalf of the priest caste of Amun-Ra against the monotheism Akhenaten introduced. After his death the state art Akhenaten commissioned was mostly all destroyed and defaced. "King Tut", his son, began his reign with the name of "TutankhATEN", but as the priest caste of Amun-Ra grew more and more powerful they coerced him to change his name to TutankhAMUN. Aten was the monotheistic god of Akhenaten, thus the name change was necessary to the Amun-Ra priest caste in symbolically re-asserting their power. For whatever reason or the other, "King Tut" proved to be still an unreliable Pharaoh to the Amun-Ra priest caste and thus they had him killed.

Leaving the Near East for the Far East we find in 184 AD the Yellow Turban rebellion which was the pre-amble of the disintegration of the Chinese Han dynasty. Here we find a true Millenarian movement based on Taoism.

The article on the "Yellow Turban Rebellion" on Wikipedia reads:

"A major cause of the Yellow Turban Rebellion was an agrarian crisis, in which famine forced many farmers and former military settlers in the north to seek employment in the south, where large landowners exploited the labor surplus to amass large fortunes. The situation was further aggravated by smaller floods along the lower course of the Yellow River. The peasants were further oppressed by high taxes imposed in order to fund the construction of fortifications along the Silk Road and garrisons against foreign infiltration and invasion. In this situation, landowners, landless peasants, and unemployed former-soldiers formed armed bands (around AD 170), and eventually private armies, setting the stage for armed conflict.
At the same time, the Han was weakening internally. The power of the landowners had become a longstanding problem (see Wang Mang), but in the run-up to the Yellow Turban Rebellion, the court eunuchs in particular gained considerably in influence over the emperor, which they abused to enrich themselves. Ten of the most powerful eunuchs formed a group known as The Ten Regular Attendants and the emperor referred to one of them (Zhang Rang) as his "foster father". The government was widely regarded as corrupt and incapable and the famines and floods were seen as an indication that a decadent emperor had lost his mandate of heaven.
Because of its plan for a new beginning, the Yellow Turban sect of Zhang Jiao was to prove the Han dynasty's most dangerous enemy. In preparation for his revolt, Zhang sent disciples out to gain support and organize followers throughout North China. They were helped by local political discontent, and by droughts and plague among the people. The rebels even had allies in the imperial court, and they were able to make their preparations while government officials were either ignorant of their intentions or intimidated by their power.[1]
Zhang Jiao planned a rising throughout the empire, but before the call to arms had been issued the plan was betrayed, the rebel sympathizers in Luoyang were arrested and executed, and the revolt in the provinces had to begin ahead of time, in the second month of 184. Despite the premature call and an inevitable lack of co-ordination, tens of thousands of men rose in rebellion, government offices were plundered and destroyed and the imperial armies were immediately forced onto the defensive.
The Yellow Turban Rebellion was led by Zhang Jiao known as the "General of Heaven" (who is also referred to as Zhang Jue) and his two younger brothers Zhang Bao and Zhang Liang, who were born in the Julu district of the Ye Prefecture (today Pingxiang County in Hebei Province). The brothers had founded a taoist religious sect in Shandong Province. They were healers, usually accepting patients pro bono who could not afford to pay them. The two brothers saw the harshness of the world through their work with the peasants who were often abused by the local government, overburdened and hungry due to the heavy taxes that were levied upon them.
The Yellow Turbans were the first but not last followers of the "Way of Supreme Peace" (太平道, Taiping Dao) and venerated the deity Huang-lao, who according to Zhang Jiao had given him a sacred book called the Crucial Keys to the Way of Peace (太平要術, Taiping Yaoshu). Zhang Jiao was said to be a sorcerer and styled himself as the "Great Teacher". The sect taught the principles of equal rights of all peoples and equal distribution of land; when the rebellion was proclaimed, the sixteen-word slogan was created by Zhang Jiao: "The Blue Sky (ie. the Han Dynasty) has perished, the Yellow Sky (ie. the rebellion) will soon rise; in this year of Jia Zi, let there be prosperity in the world!" (蒼天已死，黃天當立。歲在甲子，天下大吉。) Since all three of the brothers were healers, they spread it easily by telling their patients to spread it amongst the peasants."

For in depth information please see the "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" by Luo Guanzhong, I believe there is at least one translation of it available online.

Since we are on the subject of China, let me also briefly mention the late 19th to early 20th century AD "Boxer Rebellion" lead by the "Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists", as well as the "Heavenly Kingdom of Great Peace" 1850-1864 AD Taiping rebellion. Both of these movements follow the pattern of oppressed people seeking social and economic justice and a better society via revolutionary spiritualism, just as the ancient Yellow Turbans did.

I almost feel like it is unnecessary to go on as I think I have describe the nature of a Millenarian movement.

Now - my point is - why should not Millenarianist spirituality not be linked to Marxian and proletarian politics? Merely because the dogma of dialectical materialist atheism forbids it?