Western Civilization

Early Days

Families have always been the foundation of human groupings and they still are.  If our families were large enough and existential threats small enough, our families became the Clans we belonged too.  We were subject to “house rules”.  We were “hunter-gatherers or farmers or fishermen.  Tribes of family Clans formed when more protection from threats was needed.  The parents were in charge in family Clans and a Tribal Leader was chosen from among them in Tribes with more than one family.  They established “house rules”.  Tribal life required military service to protect the Tribe from aggressors or to act as aggressors.

Religion

Religion consisted of Pagans and Jews.  We know the Old Testament of the Bible from Genesis on and that codified Jewish history.  Pagan history was varied and colorful, with some similarities between Greek, Germanic, Celtic and Roman gods.  These Pagan gods were thought to affect our well-being and survival through weather, crops, livestock fertility, health and success, but had few “house rules” regarding our morals.

The Judeo-Christian culture began to spread after 33AD with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Christians embraced the Old Testament, but preached the New Testament that included the promise of “paradise”.  Some house rules changed and the moral code got tougher.  Sex was restricted to monogamous man-women marital relations and everybody else got celibacy.

Civilizations

Egypt, Greece & Rome formed civilizations that grew much larger than Tribes.  Greece invented democracy and the “voters” decided their laws.  Pharos, Kings and Emperors appeared to begin the Feudal System of succession by birth.  The Rulers made the laws with and without advice. 

Laws

Property laws were established to allow trade to progress without murder and theft, but laws weren’t always followed.  Rulers eventually enforced laws if they wanted the trade.  Property ownership was often the wealth acquired as a reward from a ruler or was taken by conquest.  Roman law was well known, but taxes were oppressive.  Pax Romana, the Roman Peace lasted from 27 BC to 180 AD gave subjugated people protection from invasion. 

Wars

Wars were common world-wide as Tribes and Civilizations sought out “safe” places to be and other Tribes and Civilizations sought to replace them.  The necessity to survive made it critical that everybody learn how to fight.  That perpetuated a “War Culture” for centuries.  During times of peace, large Civilizations survived by employing “professional armies”.  Smaller groupings of tribes relied on the farmers and livestock herders who had forgotten how to shoot an arrow and they had problems.

Slaves

Slaves were the logical result of winning wars and having captives; they became slaves if they behaved. They gave the winners a free labor source to build their infrastructure and buildings.  Slaves built the first water aqueducts, sanitary sewers, pyramids, coliseums, bridges and roads. They served households as cooks, maids, laborers and sex slaves.

Catholicism

Roman Emperor Constantine established Christianity for the Roman Empire with the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD.  This was a blessing for the Catholic Church, because it made the Church wealthy and large but that brought its own problems.  The Emperor was the boss until about 500 AD and then the Kings took over.  The Pope was expected to be a King at times and even had to rule Italy for a time.  The Pope was the pipeline to God, so they got the Pope to invent the “divine right of kings”.  The Pope could use “excommunication” as a weapon, but was always dependent on getting money and help from the Kings. The Pope crowned Charlemagne Holy Roman Emperor in 800 AD.  The Pope served as the exclusive head of the Christian Church until the early 1500s

Europe

By 700 AD, Europe included the current European countries plus Russia, occupied by the Slavs and joined by the Vikings who migrated to Russia and began to expand in the 800s. 

The European culture developed under Christianity in Europe and included Russia.

Feudalism

The Catholic Pope was used like a football by the Roman Emperors and the Kings of Germany, France, Spain, Portugal England and other European countries throughout the Feudal period.  For a time, Prince- Bishops ruled large chunks of European countries, a job usually filled by a friend or relative of the King.

Protestant Reformation

The printing press was invented in 1448 and the protestant reformation was kicked off by Martin Luther in 1517.  In 1537 England formed its own church.   The next 100 years saw a plethora of Christian denominations who fled to America in the 1600s.

Western Culture vs Islam

Islam began in the 700s in Mecca and spread north through other Arab countries using the “convert or die” method.  Islam attempted to invade Europe from the 800s to the 1400s, but were defeated.  Now they are using migration to expand into Europe.

Multiculturalism by force won’t work in Europe or the US.  Sharia law is incompatible with Western law and culture.  70% of Muslims prefer Sharia and should return to Muslim countries.

Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader