Religion
Printed From: History Community ~ All Empires
Category: Scholarly Pursuits
Forum Name: Philosophy and Theology
Forum Discription: Topics relating to philosophy
URL: http://www.allempires.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=12633
Printed Date: 14-May-2024 at 18:10
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 9.56a - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Religion
Posted By: Stark
Subject: Religion
Date Posted: 10-Jun-2006 at 22:10
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Just been wondering about something, and it is about Religion. Are there any cultures that never had a Religion, or that didn't follow any god(s)? ------------- Winter Comes But We Do Not Sleep. |
Replies:
Posted By: Akolouthos
Date Posted: 10-Jun-2006 at 22:29
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Depends on who you ask. There are definitely cultures that haven't followed a "god" as we traditionally think of "god" (universal and monotheistic). However, I think you would find that in every culture there has been some extra-natural spiritual dimension.
-Akolouthos
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Posted By: Stark
Date Posted: 10-Jun-2006 at 22:35
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Yeah I kinda figured it would be unlikely, but I didn't know, and wanted to find out. It would nice to see how a cultire would turn out if it didn't have any 'extra-natural spiritual dimension'. ------------- Winter Comes But We Do Not Sleep. |
Posted By: Richard XIII
Date Posted: 11-Jun-2006 at 01:37
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nordic countries in our days are close to "don't follow any god"
------------- "I want to know God's thoughts... ...the rest are details." Albert Einstein |
Posted By: Arbėr Z
Date Posted: 11-Jun-2006 at 11:43
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Albanian people are very agnostic, or anyway, far from religious, even though most of them are not conscious about this ------------- Prej heshtjes...! |
Posted By: xi_tujue
Date Posted: 11-Jun-2006 at 13:02
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When the first human open his eyes an looked out on the stars he wonder if there was something more then this. what I mean is even in the prehistory and I don't mean late 10 000 I mean 60 000 people wonder if there was something greater. How do you act on something that couldn't be explained at that point Gods spirits I was easier ------------- I rather be a nomadic barbarian than a sedentary savage |
Posted By: red clay
Date Posted: 11-Jun-2006 at 15:06
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There are I believe several cultures still in existence,either in the amazon basin or the Pacific rim that, had only a loose ancestor based faith, if one could call it that, but no belief in an all powerful, or even spiritual entity, or entities. My anthro. isn't all that good but I do remember reading several essays regarding them.
I remember the concept because of the idea, how do you account for something with no logical explanation. The attitude was, it just is, thats the way it is nothing to do but live with it. That attitude is kind of unique to humankind, we most always need reasons for everything ------------- "Arguing with someone who hates you or your ideas, is like playing chess with a pigeon. No matter what move you make, your opponent will walk all over the board and scramble the pieces". Unknown. |
Posted By: louanna
Date Posted: 25-Jun-2006 at 08:55
| Do surnames give an indication if Albanians are Muslim or Christian? |
Posted By: Arbėr Z
Date Posted: 25-Jun-2006 at 20:17
Not always. Sometimes from somebodys surname you can understand his family background, but not always. Many surnames are used in catholic, orthodox an islam faith.
Those family names that indicate the faith are the ones usually similar to turlish or greek. If some albanian three centuries ago was a muslim named Mehmet, and gave his name to the family, probably the Mehmeti family is of muslim background. Same is with some orthodox and catholic family names, but anyway, it is impossible to tell by the surname the religion. ------------- Prej heshtjes...! |
Posted By: flyingzone
Date Posted: 25-Jun-2006 at 22:01
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Japan is probably one of the least religious countries on earth. I've recently come across an article that talks about how "formalism" is a form of religion in Japan, hence the elaborate tea ceremony and the fancy packaging of all the merchandise one can think of.
Strictly speaking, neither Confucianism or Buddhism should be considered as a "religion" in the sense that Christianity or Islam is. So Red Clay is actually right in pointing out that people in East Asian countries in general do not really follow a specific "god".
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Posted By: edgewaters
Date Posted: 27-Jun-2006 at 04:55
I don't think there are any that never had supernatural beliefs of some sort, but of course, there are many in which such beliefs were not taken so seriously and sometimes not even held at all by the majority. Also, there are many cultures whose supernatural beliefs are difficult to reconcile with the notion of a "god". Many varieties of animism imbue all objects with a spirit or personality, but they are generally on a level with the spirit or personality that inhabits human beings - they have a physical body, they are destructible, and so forth. Go a step up the ladder of religious evolution, and some of these beings are elevated to have a "portfolio" of natural phenomena attributed to them, for instance, rain or wind - and, therefore, unlike simple animist spirits they are incorporeal or dwell in an alternate reality. Go a little further and people are offering things so they don't cause a flood or blow their house down. Go a little further and these beings gain a priesthood to accept the offerings, who often campaign to take over the portfolios belonging to other deities, so that one being consolidates power over the wind, the rain, and lightning. Eventually you arrive at monotheism. So, it all depends where along the line you draw the line between a spirit and a god. |