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[Anonymous]

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[_The Nehor]

So you go to shamanism....where blood is an acceptable offering.

[_bcspace]

So you go to shamanism....where blood is an acceptable offering.

That's hilarious.

If you want to discuss this than why not comment on my other thread?

Done!

[Anonymous]

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[_The Nehor]

So you go to shamanism....where blood is an acceptable offering.

Ha. If you are serious than you miss the point. Shamansim is the origin of all mythology, including Mormonism. By studying shamanism, a truer and clearer picture of all religion forms. I am not saying shamanism is the true religion per se, because it is just mythology. However, only by understanding it can you understand religion in general.

Shamanism is an unfair term used to describe all cultures that had someone attempt to contact the spirit world/plane/etc. It generalizes diverse beliefs and the reality is we have almost no idea what most shamans believed or taught so modern practitioners make it up as they go and take in hallucinogens. Most 'shamans' I've known are druggies trying to sound spiritual and sophisticated.

[Anonymous]

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[_John Larsen]

Cool pic. If you have a better explanation for religion than the anthropological perspetive of shamanistic roots than I'd be glad to hear it. I'm sorry that it sounds like nonesense to you. To me it is the only explanation that makes sense of religion, and it fits virtually every religion in existence. It is a workable theory.

Mormonism was created by Smith who had classic shamanic experiences and created his own mythology and subsequently built an institution based on these things. Smith created the institution on purpose. Same way all cult leaders do.

Religion is simply a byproduct of the evolution of our minds. We are social beings that share information from generation to generation by learning rather than by instinct. It is important for group interaction and survivability of the tribe that we have the same beliefs and core values. We are thus naturally disposed to believe what the group believes, so long as those beliefs do not interfere with the reproductive success of the clan.

This is also informed by the way we learn. Our brains have the ability to make connections between events and actions. For example we learn that dark clouds and thunder indicate rain. But this feature of our brains is hyperactive and can make erroneous connections. For example if we dance a particular way the rain will come or if we wear our lucky underwear our team will win. These false connections, along with the good ones, get solidified in the cultural transmission of the group, which we tend to call religion.

Religion can thus be an evolutionary advantage even when wrong, because it can aid in the overall reproductive success of the group even if at the expense of the emotional state of the individual.

[_John Larsen]

Also, it is true the Mormonism was created by Smith, ostensibly following the age old methods for creating religion, but Smith's Mormonism has precious little to do with the corporate religion that is Mormonism today. Ironically, Smith has been recruited by the Modern church as an icon to represent what he rebelled against. But that is partly his own doing so I am not shedding any tears over his plight in history.

[_harmony]

Mormonism was created by Smith who had classic shamanic experiences and created his own mythology and subsequently built an institution based on these things. Smith created the institution on purpose.

So... you're saying you think the First Vision actually happened? That angels and resurrected beings visited Joesph at various times? That Joseph had visions and received revelations from God?

[_JoetheClerk]

"... or if we wear our lucky underwear our team will win."

Doesn't seem to help BYU. Must be because they compete while not wearing the magic undies?