Monday, October 10, 2011

Yahwism: An Anachronistic Curiosity

Here's how people might summarize Christianity if it were an obscure and unfamiliar religion with no influence on its surrounding culture.

In our modern and enlightened world, an unusual but interesting group of religious sects still thrives in surprisingly large numbers. Research into this arcane order has revealed that its members appear to worship a heavily modified version of an ancient Near Eastern tribal war god known as YHWH (pronounced "Yahweh"). While followers of Yahweh will henceforth be referred to as "Yahwists," they are also sometimes called "Christians" or "Trinitarians," for reasons that will become clear shortly.

Yahwists believe that Yahweh is a perfectly benevolent, all-powerful, all-knowing entity who is timeless, unchanging and eternal. While Yahwists ostensibly worship a single god, they also claim that Yahweh exists in three distinct "persons"—the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit—collectively known as the Trinity. Because these persons have discrete personalities and functions, many researchers have classified Yahwism as a polytheistic religion involving the worship of three gods, despite vehement insistence from Yahwists that these beings are somehow one and the same.

In the Yahwist creation myth, Yahweh creates the universe and life on earth in six days. This includes the first two humans: the man is fashioned from dust, and the woman from a rib of the man. After a talking snake (sometimes said to be the embodiment of the powerful evil spirit Satan) convinces them to disobey Yahweh, the human race becomes cursed with an inherent tendency towards evil, or "sin." Once humanity has flourished, he judges the humanity's evil to be so great that he destroys almost all life in a worldwide flood.

Later, after the earth has been repopulated, Yahweh selects a tribal nation called the Israelites (or later "Jews") to be his "chosen people," and aids them in conquering and killing the neighboring tribes who worship other, competing gods. He also creates a strict system of laws that seem primitive by today's standards: homosexuality is punished with death, while the keeping and beating of slaves is merely regulated. After the Jews lose favor with Yahweh and fall into the captivity of rival nations, Jewish prophets predict that an anointed one (or "Messiah") will conquer their enemies and establish a new reign of peace and prosperity.

Yahwists believe that this Messiah is a Jewish carpenter-turned-preacher named Yeshua bar Yosef (often referred to as "Jesus Christ"). Yeshua claims to be both Yahweh's Son and Yahweh himself (see the "Trinity" explanation above). Although he is crucified by the Roman Empire, he then comes back from the dead and ascends into the sky. This act of death and resurrection is seen as a blood sacrifice that atones for all human sin. (Further research is needed to clarify this process, as Yahweh is seemingly obligated to sacrifice himself in order to appease himself.) Many Yahwists expect that Yeshua will soon descend from the clouds to take them up with him, ushering in the apocalypse and the final judgment of the world.

According to many Yahwists, one's place in the afterlife is determined by one's belief in the deity of Yeshua and acceptance of his act of vicarious atonement. Upon death, those who believe (who have been "born again" and "washed in the blood of the Lamb") are said to enter a state of endless, blissful Yahweh-worship known as "heaven." Those who do not will enter hell, an underworld where they will experience eternal suffering. Moral actions do not factor into this fate: Yahwists believe that their god considers any human who doesn't follow his laws perfectly to be unambiguously evil.

The above summary represents but one Yahwist view; the hundreds of individual sects disagree about nearly every conceivable issue. Most of these doctrines originate from the Yahwist holy book, called ta biblia or simply "the Bible." Interestingly, while adherents of Yahwism believe the Bible to be a vital source of divine authority, relatively few take the time to read it. Yahwists use a combination of prosyletizing and child inculcation to propagate their beliefs, while heaven and hell create a high-pressure reward and punishment system to motivate conversion and deter deconversion.

Yahwism as a whole is not considered a major, direct source of harm to society at this time. However, some extremist sects discriminate significantly against other groups, and have attempted to subvert scientific research and enact their moral views into law. As with other religious orders, Yahwism's emphasis on faith and personal revelation over reason and empirical evidence could also have a negative influence on the population at large.

4 comments:

  1. Possibly one of the most clearly articulated accounts of the history of the inception-to-present state of Chrisitanity. It takes a largely objective view of the evolution and while it editorialises here and there, it generally presents the facts as they have been known to occur. As an anthropologist, and having had to study comparative religions, I have searched for such clarity in the description of this particular religion, and have never been able to state it so clearly. The only real criticism I have is that the final claim that of the negative effects of Yahwism ohn the populatoin at large isn't more thoroughly eplained...maybe next installment?Kudos.

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  2. Pew!! I smell the documentary hypothesis x-P. Ad verecundiam, my friend.

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    1. There's no argument from authority here. I'm using the scholarly tone as a rhetorical device. Christianity has had two thousand years to ingrain itself into our society, and this is just a way of describing it that counteracts our cultural biases.

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    2. True Basics of the Yahwism Belief

      Yahwism is the belief in the Almighty Sovereign Creator and his Covenant, Deut. 5:2-22, as revealed to Ancient Israel in the Hebrew Bible. Yahwism is the name of original monotheism, the belief in the ONE only True Almighty Sovereign Creator Power, as was revealed by Him to the ancient Biblical Israelites, as distinct from the polytheism of the surrounding nations. The word Yah-wism comes from the name YHWH the covenant name given to Moses and Israel by the Almighty Sovereign Creator Power Life-Force of everything that exists, Exodus 3:15-16. YHWH (Yahweh) means He-Is, or He Exists in Hebrew and it is the only name for the Almighty that Yahwists (believers in Yahweh as their Almighty Sovereign) accept as the personal proper name for the Almighty. Yahwists reject all replacement names such as God, Jehovah, and Lord, since they are pagan in origin. Yahwists use the Hebrew name Yahshua for the proper name of the prophet “Jesus” of the Greek Testament. Yahshua means “YHWH-is Savior” in Hebrew.

      Yahwists believe that the Hebrew Bible contains the only authoritative inspired words of the Almighty to man. The Gospel of John fabricates the Prophet Yahshua into a human equality with YHWH and re-establishes human sacrifice that YHWH condemns, therefore it is false Doctrine. The Pharisee Paul/Saul was not of the twelve chosen disciples, he is an imposter, Acts 1:23-26. Yahwists believe that all other religious writings represent human attempts to add and change YHWH’s inspired words by opinions and conjecture of uninspired men. Yahwists also reject the Jewish Talmud, the Jewish Kabala and all other rabbinical religious additions or traditions subsequent to those found in the Hebrew Bible.

      Yahwists sometimes refer to Yahwism as “Israelism” and to themselves as “True Israelites.” Anyone who calls on “YHWH” (with names such as “God”) or who accepts the oral traditions of the Jews are not True Israelites and have bought into a false religion. According to Biblical Yahwism, Christianity in all its forms and most versions of Judaism, and other similar beliefs like Mormonism, etc. are all false religions.

      Yahwism rejects the pagan doctrine of the Trinity. The Hebrew Bible teaches that YHWH is a unified one. YHWH cannot be “divided” into persons or beings. YHWH is a pure (non-physical) Life-Force essence that fills His entire Created Universe, all that exists. Yahwists believe in strict monotheism, that YHWH is one. Isaiah 45:5-6. Yahwism teaches that Yahshua (Jesus) honored the Hebrew Bible, and taught from it, as an appointed true teacher of Yahwism. He was not divine in any way and did not die for anyone’s sins since human Sacrifice is forbidden by YHWH, Psalm 106: 37-40. Yahwists believe that all communication by YHWH that is recorded in the Hebrew Bible was through YHWH’s appointed created agents, the messengers (angels), so that any homage given to any of them is ultimately given to YHWH.

      Yahwism teaches that salvation only comes from YHWH, through the keeping of YHWH’s covenant and by righteous living according to the principles as established in the Hebrew Bible. Yahwists deny that Jesus is both Lord and Savior they believe only YHWH is Savior, and the Sovereign. Isaiah 43:10-11.

      Yahwism rejects the teachings of “progressive revelation.” The term “progressive revelation” is used to justify all kinds of additions revisions and changes to the revealed inspired word of YHWH as found only in the Hebrew Scriptures. Yahwists believe all newer religions like Christianity, Islam, Mormonism, and others depend upon some ones “new” revelation in order for it to appear valid to the ignorant masses. Yahwism attempts to remain true to the Hebrew Bible, and to the Sovereign of the ancient Israelites. YHWH never changes; He is the same yesterday today and tomorrow. Yahwism is the foundational belief for all Yahwists as it was also for Yahshua (Jesus) of the Greek New Testament. Aw-mane!


      http://Yahwismbelief.com

      This document may be freely reproduced, provided no changes are made to it.

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