The orgins of mankind of today, have been highly, and heatedly debated by everyone from the science communities to religious communities. The science community have gotten as far back as, circa 30,000 years ago, a more " inteligent" form of mankind surfaced. As yet, no origins found. However he is scientifically theorized as being the creator of civilization, as he had a larger brain capacity allowing the ability to farm the land, allowing mankind to break away from the nomadic life style a hunter and gatherer must live to survive. With the capability to stay in one place, he was able to build permanent structures, and live in much more comfortable conditions. It is also thought that he mixed with the populations of a humanoid beings that the origins of have been traced to millions of years back. The religious community, has their ancient religious texts to tell this story. I will use the Christian version for my example, since that's the religion I have the most academical knowledge about. In Christianity there's the story of Adam and Eve. Adam was created from the dirt of the Earth. Eve was created from a rib taken from Adam, while in a deep induced sleep. This too, not scientifically provable, nor religiously provable, due to the course of the many different translations of the ancient texts, from a language supposedly taken from the Earth at the time of the Tower of Babbel, when the Lord took his language from mankind, and confounded the languages, an underestimated calculation in interpretation of the texts. However, this belief dominates a large percentage of todays population. Hence the great debate! Now,,, this is not a blog to further the endless debate. This is to hopefully to bring the two together, as an endless debate has no progression. One thing religion has, is the story of the fruit of the tree of knowledge. Of course there's many religious theories on this, and science can't touch it with out a physical site to excavate, and forensically prove, and are looking for the "Garden of Eden." I propose a middle ground; The partaking of the fruit of the tree of knowledge (forbidden knowledge), plunged mankind into a cerebral state of a larger brain. Giving him the thought capability beyond any existing creatures on Earth. The power of carnal (corporeal) knowledge. This choice, to eat the fruit, required the employment of the Ego, to defy what was prescribed to mankind. The I Know Best side of man. He was then told to go and "Master" this existence of corporeal knowledge. The Ego, being the culprit here, if there is even a culprit. I'll call the Ego the obstacle, The Lord layed in mankinds path to over come. Due to the nature of life on Earth, they had sex, and therefore children. Another chapter in the struggle to "Master" the Ego. They had Cain and Able, which most people reading this blog know the story of. Able being a happy-go-lucky hunter and gatherer. Cain being a hard driven proud "Farmer". When offerings to the Lord time came, Able humbly offered a slain animal from his hunting. Cain offered his hard earned crops, which he cleared the Earth's flora to make room for his own agenda. The Lord accepted Able's offerings, and denied Cain's. No real reason I've gleaned for this denial, other than the possiblity that the Lord was not happy with the change of agenda from the natural order. Never the less, out of his Ego (pride), Cain became insane, with jealosy and rage, and killed his brother. For this he was bannished from what was the Garden at that time. And, given a mark on his head to protect him from the peoples in the land of Nod! Whoa! Peoples,,, farmer surfacing,,, some tens of thousand years ago?! That puts it in the realm of possiblity, that Cain is the man sufacing, mixing with the "People of nod", and creating civilization. A combination of all the pieces of academical knowledge, to come to an understanding availible now. However, what real difference does it make, knowing all the exact academia, of a situation of life, unprovable. The one thing to know is of the Ego, that we are to "Master". It is the academical Ego that has distracted from the one piece of Spiritual knowledge we have for this pursuit of "Mastery". That being humility. This is taught in all religions I have studied, and considered reasonable, or benevolent. Yet it is not practiced, or cultivated in most ruling cultures today. Quite the opposite. We are taught to be Proud Christians, Proud Americans. This has nurtured arrogance in mankind that has led to, "Greed" being just good business. Nothing personal, just good business, as any good business man will tell you, as he destoys your finacial life for the business deal he is so "Proud" of pulling off. If for monaterial gain, that he already has his share of and then some, it is greed. If simply for the pride of out smarting, one upping someone for prestige, it's lust for power. Any misgiving of mankind can be traced to the Ego. As Cristians, we believe in Jesus as the Master. Jesus said he was the seed of Adam, come down through David, to Joseph. He, in the course of his life, "Mastered" the Ego. Completed the obstacle course Adam created, and renounced the self, even unto death. He taught humility, compassion (empathy), and universal love (not lust or possession, as is practiced in marraige), unconditional love. There is a belief among Christians, that He died to save them from their sins. Which seems to give them the right to do all the things He said don't do. This is the tenet that has allowed Christians to slaughter, persecute, and condemn his neighbor, in the name of the Master Jesus Christ! There is the belief also that He lived and died teaching us the humble way of life that He lived and died for. To show us the Way to Heaven. This is the belief that all who have been killed in His name practiced, even unto death. He said "He who seeks to save his life, will surely lose it." As I said this is a Christian pespective, however in my studies I find it to be a multicultural belief. With slightly different versions that all come down to one basic moral; Be humble, and follow the one rule, " The Golden Rule." The struggle to be smarter than another, or more rightious than another, or richer than another, or more powerful than another, or more loving than another, or more praising than another is all an Ego trip. Funny that word Trip. Have we "Tripped" over our own Egos, causing this world of lost souls bickering over the inanities of carnal corporeal knowledge? Has our Egos blocked our souls connection to the permeating energies of the Universe? If so, what ever religion one hails from, it will not save him from perishing from the lack of connection to the Vital Force that is Heaven, Eternity, Nirvanna! If we direct our awareness to the infinite, it can carry on Infinitely. If we direct our awareness to the physical world, there it will perish, as all things do in the physical world. As I have said, I am ancient Christian. The originator of that, is Jesus. He also told the rules to it. They were for the Disciples to pass along, and they did to the best of their comprehension. Though they themselves were grappling with the academia of the situation. The rules can be read without, interference of academia in a red letter edition of the New Testiment. The red letters being Jesus's words, Rules. So I'll take my rules from the horse's mouth. ~ Terry Lay~