Comments on: Mayan civilization’s collapse — and us http://www.hamptonroadspub.com/blog/2006/08/30/mayan-civilizations-collapse-and-us/ News, notes, updates, and insights from the editors and staff of Hampton Roads Publishing Company Tue, 14 Oct 2008 10:52:25 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Diana Clarke http://www.hamptonroadspub.com/blog/2006/08/30/mayan-civilizations-collapse-and-us/#comment-25 Diana Clarke Sat, 02 Sep 2006 18:02:14 +0000 http://www.hamptonroadspub.com/blog/2006/08/30/mayan-civilizations-collapse-and-us/#comment-25 Having spent years living in Belize and visiting Mayan ruins there and in Guatemal and Mexico - the Mayan civilization has always been a great source of fascination for me. The theory that Mayan civilization collapsed because the people realized that `their rulers were not god(s)', (therefore God was not God?) - makes sense, especially if you include the corollary that - Therefore it was no longer necessary to perform human sacrifices anymore. Like the Aztecs who actually welcomed the arrival of Cortez as the returning Quetzalcoatl - the peaceful god who was driven out of Mexico; Mayan people may have experienced a movement AWAY from the bloodthirsty gods and their representatives on earth - the royalty and priesthood. These things happen. Just as Christianity was a movement away from the Blood Sacrifice required by the Solar Serpent cults which controlled Europe and the Mediteranean Basin for thousands of years. Sometimes I think the Aztecs were caught in a time warp. The high levels of human sacrifice that the Spanish saw when they arrived in Mexico is how mankind had lived in the Meditteranean 1500 years before with child sacrifices to Baal, etc. Having spent years living in Belize and visiting Mayan ruins there and in Guatemal and Mexico - the Mayan civilization has always been a great source of fascination for me.

The theory that Mayan civilization collapsed because the people realized that `their rulers were not god(s)’, (therefore God was not God?) - makes sense, especially if you include the corollary that - Therefore it was no longer necessary to perform human sacrifices anymore. Like the Aztecs who actually welcomed the arrival of Cortez as the returning Quetzalcoatl - the peaceful god who was driven out of Mexico; Mayan people may have experienced a movement AWAY from the bloodthirsty gods and their representatives on earth - the royalty and priesthood.

These things happen. Just as Christianity was a movement away from the Blood Sacrifice required by the Solar Serpent cults which controlled Europe and the Mediteranean Basin for thousands of years. Sometimes I think the Aztecs were caught in a time warp. The high levels of human sacrifice that the Spanish saw when they arrived in Mexico is how mankind had lived in the Meditteranean 1500 years before with child sacrifices to Baal, etc.

]]> By: Dawn of "Love is there..." http://www.hamptonroadspub.com/blog/2006/08/30/mayan-civilizations-collapse-and-us/#comment-22 Dawn of "Love is there..." Sat, 02 Sep 2006 16:22:54 +0000 http://www.hamptonroadspub.com/blog/2006/08/30/mayan-civilizations-collapse-and-us/#comment-22 'ello! :) I loved this line! "We do not need a faith that we must force ourselves to try to believe in; we need a faith that so embodies truth that we are forced to believe despite ourselves." This is so very true - it feels good and right. I never really understood religions... When I was growing up, I saw that people around me who were religious were doing things without thinking about what they're doing. And they were doing it, for the most part, out of fear... Out of fear of ridicule, of not getting into heaven. Some just did it because "this is the way things are done." I would look and see a God...always at the culmination of a religion appeared to be a God of some kind. And I would be jealous. Someone I could believe in more than myself? It must be nice to not have that kind of responsibility anymore... It wasn't until later in life that I discovered... That responsibility (of believing in ourselves) is where our true power resides. If you can start *there*, taking total responsibility for your entire life and everything it is, was or ever will be - every tiny little bit of it, the good and the bad - then you step into your place of power and take your spot as the primary creator of your life. *That* is where true choice comes from - not out of rote, or fear, but out of total respect for the Self. My thoughts! :) *hugs!* - Dawn ‘ello! :)

I loved this line!

“We do not need a faith that we must force ourselves to try to believe in; we need a faith that so embodies truth that we are forced to believe despite ourselves.”

This is so very true - it feels good and right. I never really understood religions… When I was growing up, I saw that people around me who were religious were doing things without thinking about what they’re doing. And they were doing it, for the most part, out of fear… Out of fear of ridicule, of not getting into heaven. Some just did it because “this is the way things are done.”

I would look and see a God…always at the culmination of a religion appeared to be a God of some kind. And I would be jealous. Someone I could believe in more than myself? It must be nice to not have that kind of responsibility anymore…

It wasn’t until later in life that I discovered… That responsibility (of believing in ourselves) is where our true power resides. If you can start *there*, taking total responsibility for your entire life and everything it is, was or ever will be - every tiny little bit of it, the good and the bad - then you step into your place of power and take your spot as the primary creator of your life. *That* is where true choice comes from - not out of rote, or fear, but out of total respect for the Self.

My thoughts! :)
*hugs!*
- Dawn

]]> By: Joe Cooke http://www.hamptonroadspub.com/blog/2006/08/30/mayan-civilizations-collapse-and-us/#comment-17 Joe Cooke Wed, 30 Aug 2006 17:15:40 +0000 http://www.hamptonroadspub.com/blog/2006/08/30/mayan-civilizations-collapse-and-us/#comment-17 Interesting paradigm. This is essentially the vision I had that spawned my first novel, Elysen. A total unravelling of society and civilization because people lost faith. p.s. The definition of dogma could be this: comfortable, but not very exciting. Interesting paradigm. This is essentially the vision I had that spawned my first novel, Elysen. A total unravelling of society and civilization because people lost faith.

p.s. The definition of dogma could be this: comfortable, but not very exciting.

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