Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id PAA11235 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Tue, 19 Feb 2002 15:20:48 GMT X-Sender: unicorn@pop.greenepa.net Message-Id: <p04320416b89785949f30@[192.168.2.3]> In-Reply-To: <NEBBKOADILIOKGDJLPMAGEFPCLAA.debivort@umd5.umd.edu> References: <NEBBKOADILIOKGDJLPMAGEFPCLAA.debivort@umd5.umd.edu> Date: Tue, 19 Feb 2002 10:15:30 -0500 To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk From: "Francesca S. Alcorn" <unicorn@greenepa.net> Subject: RE: Words and memes: criteria for acceptance of new belief or meme Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" ; format="flowed" Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
>Not my field, but for what it is worth, Sherry Ortner describes just such a
>distinction between 'good' and 'bad' religious magical practitioners in her
>anthropological studies of modern Sherpa society, in her (misnamed) book,
>LIFE AND DEATH ON MOUNT EVEREST, Princeton, NJ: Princeton University press,
>1999. In popular Sherpa religion, gods protect people from evil forces (like
>witches, ghosts, sorcerers and poisoners). Lamas run the rituals needed to
>convince the gods to do so. Shamans (blawa in Sherpa), on the other hand,
>helped heal illness. At the beginning of the 20th century, a maor religious
>reform effort was launched in the Sherpa areas of Nepal: Buddhist
>monasticism with 'higher' religious beliefs and practices in contrast to the
>popular religious beliefs. The monastery monks introduced celibacy and other
>more demanding practices, and criticized the village lamas and shamans for
>inept practice, and worse, for working in collusion with evil 'black'
>forces, using black magic and sorcery. [Pp. 95-105.]
>
>Lawrence
>
Sounds interesting, I'll take a look. This sounds very similar, only
there were no gods to intervene on anyone's behalf. I forget who
used the "Big Alpha Male in the Sky" but it has sparked my interest
in religious beliefs where there is/are no gods. Is that animism?
Has there been any research done about them? Are there any
environmental/cultural correlates?
frankie
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