Once I thought that it was all true, the stuff they dished out in School, Church and elsewhere. Glad that I learned to find and read Books, lots of them.

There's a few Books by Sitchin that clearly show how the Judaic/Christo family derived from a much earlier one. He argues that Sumeria and not Israel is the place to start. I agree and add even Abraham tells us he begun his Journey in what is now the Yemen.

According to the Sumerian record the heavenly things came out of the sky - there are several studies of this topic so I leave that to your interest to follow up.

Some say that these references relate to ETs, perhaps we will soon know the truth of that one.

Relgionizing the mind etc. Yes it does control and like music is also some kind of selfevident truth. Reading modern sources, Koresh, Smith etc I often wonder how like some of the OT writers these were?

Syphilis and Polygamy. Seems to me an Insane old man impreganting young girls would need some kind of control and the writings certainly show that. I suppose the sexual 'laws' are more of 'don't' do that because 'I' ( insane old man ) have a private line to it ( some kind of God thing ) The real reason is of course because the 'prophet' wants to keep these for himself.

Some of these individuals had hundreds of partners and there absolutely no doubt in my mind they DID have STDs big time.

Nowadays Religions are used by Politicians for pure gain. Look at NI and Israel, look at the Balkans. The wonder is more how gullable we are to believe this junk than why we act on these ridiculous cues.

Xtainity and sexuality. Kept purely to the traditional form there is nothing in that but good healthy habits, but we certainly do not have to belong to a 'religion' to realize that the less partners, the less likely infection.