Religion

Mosby

(19,421 posts)

10. I don't know

Mon Jan 2, 2012, 01:59 PM

Jan 2012

but the last paragraph caught my eye:

Superstition that human sacrifices are the most potent for warding off certain categories of danger persists in remote rural parts of India where the people are illiterate and superstitious. Sanal Edamaruku, president of the Indian Rationalist Association, said: "Modern India is home to hundreds of millions who can't read or write, but who often seek refuge from life's realities through astrology or the magical arts of shamans. Unfortunately these people focus their horrific attention on society's weaker members, mainly women and children who are easier to handle and kidnap."

That sound like Shamanism to me, is that a religion?

Are superstitions and astrology a religion?

Isn't Shamanism more like a proto-religion?

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Highlight:

Seven-year-old sacrificed to the gods for good harvest in India [View all] cleanhippie Jan 2012 OP

And hey, what's the harm skepticscott Jan 2012 #1

A perfect example of how religions of the world contribute so much.. MarkCharles Jan 2012 #2

That's just plain flat slap fucked up. nt rrneck Jan 2012 #3

How horrible. The poor child! LeftishBrit Jan 2012 #4

Well then, by that measure we should end our respect and tolerance cleanhippie Jan 2012 #5

So have many things, depending on circumstances LeftishBrit Jan 2012 #15

Tell me. Have more people been murdered under the guise of religion than humblebum Jan 2012 #16

Yawn. cleanhippie Jan 2012 #18

I would tell you the same thing. humblebum Jan 2012 #21

Zzzzzzzzzz cleanhippie Jan 2012 #22

IOW, You'll say just about anything and you really couldn't humblebum Jan 2012 #23

Zzzzzzzzzzz cleanhippie Jan 2012 #24

Does anybody suggest totalitarian tyranny deserves respect or accommodation? dmallind Jan 2012 #38

Why answer a question with a question that has little to do with the subject at hand? humblebum Jan 2012 #39

You raised the irrelevant issue. I can't answer it? dmallind Jan 2012 #40

How is it irrelevant? When it is being implied that religion is responsible for so humblebum Jan 2012 #41

That makes no sense. laconicsax Jan 2012 #42

Now that makes no sense. When certain atheists or anti-religious people attack religion frequently humblebum Jan 2012 #43

IOW: You will always try to change the subject. Got it. laconicsax Jan 2012 #44

Exposing the real problem is hardly changing the subject. humblebum Jan 2012 #46

Changing the subject is changing the subect. n/t laconicsax Jan 2012 #47

Kinda like saying the Dalai Lama blew up the WTC. Things humblebum Jan 2012 #48

Like you just did? Iggo Jan 2012 #54

Yep. It made the point didn't it? That was my point. It's a non-answer.nt humblebum Jan 2012 #55

And if the harvest doesn't improve -- ritual facepalms all around! immoderate Jan 2012 #6

I can't seem to find the name of the religion that encourages these practices Mosby Jan 2012 #7

Is that important? cleanhippie Jan 2012 #8

....Only to those of the "no true Scotsman" religions. MarkCharles Jan 2012 #9

I don't know Mosby Jan 2012 #10

Care to point out the differenced between what you define as a religion and MarkCharles Jan 2012 #11

I would agree that it is much more like a proto-religion. It does not appear to cbayer Jan 2012 #13

Based on magic and astrology, huh? cleanhippie Jan 2012 #19

Shaminism is a religion. ZombieHorde Jan 2012 #14

This dude with a phd said astrology is a religion Mosby Jan 2012 #27

A phd in what? ZombieHorde Jan 2012 #31

I don't speak the language Mosby Jan 2012 #32

That is his office hours. ZombieHorde Jan 2012 #34

Shamanhood tama Jan 2012 #51

It looks to be a cultish sect of Hinduism practised only in the very rural, most poor and illiterate cbayer Jan 2012 #12

So what exactly would you say IS an example skepticscott Jan 2012 #17

It would be rather redundant for me to do that, as it is done every day cbayer Jan 2012 #20

No, that's NOT what you were pointing out skepticscott Jan 2012 #25

These subthreads that focus mainly on the exact words used and not the cbayer Jan 2012 #26

Well now, THAT'S a familiar argument, isn't it. cleanhippie Jan 2012 #28

You took the words right out of my mouth skepticscott Jan 2012 #33

It's been a long-used tactic among the apologists here skepticscott Jan 2012 #30

It's not an example because Shamanism is not a religion nt. Mosby Jan 2012 #29

Sorry, it's just too tiresome to waste much time skepticscott Jan 2012 #35

It's not shamanism tama Jan 2012 #45

Actually, Shaminism is a religion. ZombieHorde Jan 2012 #49

Ah, dictionary definition! tama Jan 2012 #50

That is completely ridiculous. ZombieHorde Jan 2012 #52

Lost me there tama Jan 2012 #53

I was saying shaminsim is a religion. ZombieHorde Jan 2012 #56

Sure tama Jan 2012 #57

Tribal people Vehl Jan 2012 #36

Perhaps we should be using the word "allegedly" here, since details may not yet be clear struggle4progress Jan 2012 #37