Hard times = More religion?

[Miss Anthrope]

This is actually a science article, so I put it in here instead of Religion.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg2 ... nline-news

Better hope this recession doesn't get too bad, huh?  

[Godless]

They better pray to God that it starts raining money!  

[VanReal]

That's an interesting article and reminds me of a show I watched years ago that showed the evolution of religion and how a team of scientists thought it started.  I wish I could remember the name.  Anyway, it showed early man living in tribes pre-religion and how when tribe members died during nomad movement, or old age, or during a hunt they would walk over and gather their belonging and leave the body there. (Much like animals do when they lose a member, they notice but don't sit there creating burial plots, etc)  

What was neat was that it showed religion starting when a tribe member was struck by lightening during a hunt at nearly the same time they had shot a deer with an arrow.  They assumed the tribe member was dead so gathered his belongings and moved over to the deer that was not quite dead.  A younger boy watched from the side, and while the deer died the tribe member moaned and rolled over.  It was mystical, the deer died so the man could live!  And thus belief in the supernatural began.

I found it an interesting theory, and of course that part of the show wasn't using language as we have today so it seemed much more interesting.  I think they call it wish fullfillment, and I think that is probably why church attendance increases during hard times.

[curiosityandthecat]

It was mystical, the deer died so the man could live! And thus belief in the supernatural began.

And thus, the mistake that correlation equates to causation begins, and the long, dark road of religion is set out upon.   What blows my mind is that the majority of people in this country haven't evolved beyond that ignorant, primitive system of thought. Buncha' savages in this town.

[VanReal]

It was mystical, the deer died so the man could live! And thus belief in the supernatural began.

And thus, the mistake that correlation equates to causation begins, and the long, dark road of religion is set out upon.  

[curiosityandthecat]

As far as Ohio I just watched hours of the grassman on MonsterQuest and it seems Ohio is REALLY interested in Bigfoot!  Not sure what to make of it.  Maybe a new religion is spurring there.  I would guess the church isn't seeing a rise in attendance there as they are all out there in the forest looking for Sasquatch I've asked all my students if they've ever heard of the Grassman and none of them said yes, either.

Hype, s'all it is.

[McQ]

As far as Ohio I just watched hours of the grassman on MonsterQuest and it seems Ohio is REALLY interested in Bigfoot!  Not sure what to make of it.  Maybe a new religion is spurring there.  I would guess the church isn't seeing a rise in attendance there as they are all out there in the forest looking for Sasquatch I've asked all my students if they've ever heard of the Grassman and none of them said yes, either.

Hype, s'all it is. :crazy:

I lived in Chillicothe for three years and roamed all over southern and southeastern Ohio. Never once saw the Grassman. Bummer.

[Miss Anthrope]

VanReal, that is an interesting take on the origins of religious thinking. The human ability to recognize "synchronicity" in general probably does have a lot to do with it. I'm not going to put religion on any kind of pedestal, but I can't deny that imagination and creative thinking, two things that, as an artist, I hold in high regard, are partly responsible for religion.

McQ, you've never seen the Grassman? I thought every town had an old hippie who shows up at gatherings of young people just when they're out of...oh, wait, not that kind of Grassman?  

[Kyuuketsuki]

This is actually a science article, so I put it in here instead of Religion.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg2 ... nline-news

As it happens I already have that issue of NS so I will read the article in due course

Kyu