Sunday, September 13, 2009

Eliade "Sacred Space & Making thhe World Sacred"

In Eliades " Sacred Space & Making the World Scared" writing, Eliade focuses on the religious man, in a religious world, surrounded by the sacred and superior world. A world divided by the "sacred" and the "profane". The inferior world making up the profane, mundane and nonreligious or unholy world. Religion was a necessary cognitive concept rooted in a primitive survival mechanism. Eliade proves my beliefs that religion ultimately separates people...And why not make everything sacred? Why would a religious man want to be surrounded by the mundane manifestations of a profane world? The universe is a vast space and by creating a significant or "fixed point of origin" that reaches into the cosmos, the religious man can play out their psychological needs of connecting to someone more powerful than themselves.
Myths, like the bible, are designed to teach lessons, instill fear, & control and attempt to explain the unknown. Religion causes groups of people to feel and do things in a ritualistic manner, while suspending reality. Just as the Kwakiutl tribe believed their "axis mundi" or fixed point passed through three cosmic levels, the underworld, earth & sky...it was seen as the "door to the World above". What do you think they would do to a tribe member who believed differently? The tribes survival depended on all of them being on the same page! Whether it's cosmic pillars, Roman pillars, copper poles or an "axis mundi" in the form of the Milky Way; religious societies, tribes and groups needed to believe in something larger than themselves. Otherwise, who are they suppose to thank and bow to, pray and give thanks for their survival and life on earth. Like Eliade suggests, connecting with others in a sacred space is/was important for survival. Religious believers want to feel safe and surround themselves with like-minded thinkers and believers. Modernity gives way to new ideas and theories, but we are hardwired to follow the leader and not make waves. Theophony, or the appearance of a God can appear anywhere if your living in the sacred world. Perhaps within the folds of bark on a tree. Whatever you want to create in your mind can ultimately become your religious or spiritual reality. All religions seem to share common interests, but it's the idea of mines better that yours, is where conlfict and holy wars press on.

3 comments:

  1. The idea of holy wars never ending is very ture, especially when someones sacred space is the only reality to them. I believe it is all about understanding and being sympathetic to the idea of someones reality as it is different from yours, if this were to exsist our holy wars would not be present.

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  2. In respose to the statement, "Theophany, or the appearance of a God can appear anywhere if you are living in the sacred world..." has me wondering how people that do not live in the sacred world ever come to "see" a God? If one does not live in the sacred world, how do they make the transition from living in the profane into the sacred?

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  3. "Religion causes groups of people to feel and do things in a ritualistic manner, while suspending reality." This is very true. Although it has been proven that evolution is true many people do not believe in it because of their own religious beliefs. Many people do not accept people who are not heterosexual because many religions say it is wrong to be anything but. Religion runs societies and make sit hard for people to fit in.

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