Oh! My! Goodness! Gracious!
JAK wrote:You had a response on Shintoism from me. Rather than address that, you attacked me for using a source which I did not use. The fact that my 1985 World Book Encyclopedia paralleled your on-line source should be no surprise since little new if anything has been added in the past 20+ years to the fundamental information about Shintoism.
NO! I did NOT attack your source! I posted (A FEW TIMES) why the article you used was incorrect on a FEW POINTS! Is anyone else following this?
Did I take a crazy pill?Moniker stated:
Shintoism is MY rebuttal to your central thesis! I have said these NUMEROUS TIMES! You are ignoring it!
It’s not a rebuttal. Here is why. I’ll use your source since you don’t like the World Book Encyclopedia vintage 1985.
The word Shinto means the way of the gods. Shintoists worship many gods, which are called kami. According to Shinto, kami are the basic force in mountains, rivers, rocks, trees, and other parts of nature.
UHHHH.. JAK -- that is YOUR source -- NOT MINE! I used NO source at first. I just KNEW that "god" should be replaced by "spirit". I ALSO knew that there are no moral dictates from Shintoism! That refuted your copy and pasted post! HOW DOES THAT ATTACK YOU OR YOUR SOURCE? IT ATTACKS THE INFORMATION IN YOUR SOURCE.
JUST TO BE CLEAR -- the above is NOT my source -- you just copy and pasted your original copy and paste into this post.
*looks in mirror to make sure pupils aren't enormously dilated*
Belief that “gods” are responsible for “mountains, rivers, rocks, trees and other parts if nature” is not “reason” or “evidence” for what in fact we know about all the things mentioned. The danger lies in wrong conclusions.
Go read up on Shintoism -- or read the MANY posts in this thread I made about Shintoism, JAK. They are spirits that reside in almost everything. You can be a Shintoist and not have beliefs in these spirits as it is the rituals that make one essentially a practitioner of Shintoism. There is no belief that you MUST believe!
What is YOUR definition of "dogma", JAK?
There is
no evidence for “gods” being responsible via Shintoism.
Shinto by the definition on this link “is a type of polytheism and involves
worship of kimi. You can read the link. Under cultural effects, find this:
“A more explicit link to Shinto is seen in sumo wrestling, where, even in the modern version of the sport, many Shinto-inspired ceremonies must be performed before a bout, such as purifying the wrestling arena by sprinkling it with salt.”
Of course nothing was
purified by the practice. It was/is a belief which is incorrect. Wrong conclusions are inherently dangerous to those who have them and rely on them. I don’t know all the Shinto believe. But what is stated in various sources demonstrates that Shintos believe things which are not supported by information and evidence.
Oh............. oh............. oh................... oh............... Uhhh........ YOU WERE THE ONE THAT ASSERTED THAT GODS WERE IMPORTANT TO SHINTOISM!! NOT ME!!!!!!!!!!!
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhoooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhoooooooooooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
ladddiiiiiiiiiiiiiidaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiidddddddddddiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
The above is a straw bunny. :)
So how do they address health care for example? If they rely on “the gods” they rely on that which is unreliable. That’s a danger to the believers in the gods.
In the source, we find that they build “shrines” to the “gods.” Doing that took and takes time, energy, wealth which might have addressed disease, cultural problems, social problems, etc.
Ah, so you are saying that the Japanese rely on Kami for health care, JAK? haaa haaa haaaaaaaaaaaa hhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaa
They go to the hospital for health care. :)
What disease, cultural, and social problems should they be combating that are not being done 'cause they build Shrines?
I'd love for you to explain how this entire country is not ESSENTIALLY Shintoism itself and is behind the more Western secular societies!
There is danger in relying on myth for answers. Myths do not produce reliable answers.
Umhum. Sure -- so you show me what myths they rely on that is a danger to them.
How great the dangers of that religion are may be difficult to assess. Certainly they do not appear to be as great as the dangers of Christianity over 2,000 years. If you read my websites on a few pages back, you know many deaths from wars fought in The Battle for God took place (book title).
My thesis does not suggest (as some have tried to attack) that all “dangers” are equal. Of course they are not. But misinformation or false conclusions are dangerous and Shintoism has demonstrable false conclusions.
JAK
I don't have to read your links -- I've read a few books on History (especially since my father shoved history down my throat for 18 years!) and am quite fascinated with history in general. I do NOT dispute that religion can be dangerous, or has been dangerous -- I dispute your original premise!
You've made a few false conclusions! Are YOU dangerous?
lalalaaalllaaaaaaaaaaaaaaalllldddddddiiiiiiiiiiiiiidddddddddiiiiiiiiiii
strawbunny hopping down the bunny trail now..........................