Alleluia!!! I for one, who has NEVER been deliberately involved in any
religious ceremony, would have a difficult time in a ritual with an
obscure
meaning and/or history or involving metaphysics. On the other hand, I
can
sincerely participate in one based upon real and measurable things that
also
carry some significance to the planet or mankind.
My understanding of a "good" ritual means that during the ritual I will
have an
altered state of consciousness - be it from a crowd singing in harmony,
or
intense focus, or surrounding affection. For this to happen, I need to
believe
in what I am doing, and it's benefits. I think that for many of us, to
believe
in something we are going to need it to be real, or shall we say,
"true".
Bill Roh
"Wade T.Smith" wrote:
> >> Please show me the empirical evidence showing that rituals must be
> >> based around the seasons -- either of the earth or man -- in order to be
> >> effective.
>
> The objections to these starting points have truly astounded me.
>
> Because what these things are- the seasons, the menstrual cycle, the sky
> above, etc., are, and have been, and will probably continue to be, where
> we got gods from in the first place.
>
> The empirical evidence is, um, Stonehendge... the pyramids... the
> Parthenon... that church around the corner....
>
> Xmas... Easter... Hallowe'en... Carnaval....
>
> I am here, memetics (whatever that is) in the way I am (whatever that is)
> because I want the answer, and this is my personal reason, I want the
> reason, I want to get into the head, of the first being that went into a
> cave and drew on the walls.
>
> I minored in Anthropology in college, loved it, and see Cultural
> Anthropology, now more ravaged by scandal, to be a seed of Memetics-
> combining this with the Philosophy of Aesthetics, I see the two true
> 'soft' sciences. And the recent advances in Forensic Anthropology are
> exciting and wonderful things. The primate studies of behavior form
> another consilience with psychology and neuro-imaging.
>
> The CoV, could, I suppose, become the first church of the real.
>
> - Wade