XPost: rec.arts.books.tolkien, alt.fan.tolkien, alt.religion.tolkienology   
   XPost: alt.religion.christian.roman-catholic, alt.religion.christian   
   From: hayesmstw@hotmail.com   
      
   On Thu, 4 Dec 2003 23:27:53 +0000 (UTC), "Douglas Eckhart"   
    wrote:   
      
   >   
   >"Steve Hayes"  wrote in message   
   >news:3fcf75f1.87420796@news.saix.net...   
   >> On Thu, 4 Dec 2003 12:27:59 +0000 (UTC), "Douglas Eckhart"   
   >>  wrote:   
   >>   
   >> >   
   >> >"the softrat"  wrote in message   
   >> >news:fbfqsvktsvfr01gt286bmockfnm1mjilah@4ax.com...   
   >>   
   >> >> >The Christian notion of 'demons' too stems from the old Greek   
   >'Daemones'   
   >> >> >which actually referred to any kind of spirit, not necessarily an   
   >'evil'   
   >> >> >one.   
   >> >> >   
   >> >> Not the 'notion', which is virtually universal. Just the word.   
   >>   
   >>    
   >>   
   >> >However, it was certainly not the case that 'Daimones' were universally   
   >> >recognised as 'evil' spirits. Daimones was a greek term which applied to   
   >all   
   >> >spirits, and they were not any more good or evil than people.   
   >> >However, with the advent of christianisation demons (and all pagan gods)   
   >> >were alterd to fit in with the the 'eternal battle' good/evil bollocks   
   >which   
   >> >was being promoted by Christianity, which of course it got from Judaism   
   >and   
   >> >before that Zoarostianism....   
   >>   
   >> Check again what Softrat said, and perhaps read up on the history   
   >   
   >I have read up on the history. And Im afraid you wont find that the   
   >good/evil polar opposite theme of christian mythology is present in the   
   >classical tradition. Yes there are good and bad spirits and so on, as well   
   >as good/not so good gods, Hecate wasnt a particularly nice lady, but what   
   >I'm saying is that the notion that the world was a battleground for good and   
   >evil was foreign to classical thought.   
   I did not say that you had misunderstood classical thought, but that you had   
   caricatured Christian thought. And you've done it again.   
      
      
      
      
   --   
   Steve Hayes   
   E-mail: hayesmstw@hotmail.com   
   Web: http://www.geocities.com/hayesstw/stevesig.htm   
        http://www.geocities.com/Athens/7734/books.htm   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)