Starlight
Spiritual but not religious, new age and omnist
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I suspect for most people the rituals they follow will be those of their religion, information about which is readily available. Also, for many, it's a bit of a tedious question, as there are many different ones, for various circumstances. So not many will want to embark on a detailed explanation that could go on for pages. The rituals of the Catholic church, for instance, can be the subject of entire manuals.No one?..
The rituals of the Catholic church, for instance, can be the subject of entire manuals.
Any! We have hundreds of them, every other day. People will celebrate them according to their sect. Many are celebrated by all people.
We have few rituals. We do ablutions before obligatory prayers, which I see as a preparation of prayer and a symbol of us purifying ourselves before the prayer. Fasting could also be seen as being a ritual.
Some, like myself, might be interested in learning about the varieties of ritual experience, as an aid in developing private rituals for personal practice.I suspect for most people the rituals they follow will be those of their religion…
Yes, then in such cases the “short form” or outline might suffice.So not many will want to embark on a detailed explanation that could go on for pages.
We atheists need rituals, too. It is incumbent upon us to develop those which have meaning for us.…as an atheist Hindu, they are only fun for me.
Yes.
Have a go, then.I think that this is quite an important thread, for a couple of reasons. Ritual appears to myself to be the binding element in religious community. Also, the familiarity associated with ritual can be a catalyst to deep reflection, even apart from the dogmatic tenets which underpin the ritual in question. I was raised Roman Catholic, but have been atheist for several years, now. Even so, I enjoy on occasion, to attend a mass, especially a “Low Mass”, a spoken mass without music. Even though my participation is now quite limited, I have found that observing the familiar ritual can act as a catalyst in solving some or another source of perplexity. The ritual itself seems to have effects apart from the meaning of it.
Some, like myself, might be interested in learning about the varieties of ritual experience, as an aid in developing private rituals for personal practice.
Yes, then in such cases the “short form” or outline might suffice.
Yes, of course, you speak the truth, but I was thinking more of “meaning” in the sense of “metaphysical significance”.is more meaningful than fun in this short life?
Yes, ritual seems more like precious metal as opposed to fiat currency. While fiat currency has no value other than monetary, a gold or silver piece has intrinsic value derived from its material nature. In a similar way, ritual still retains a significance and power to effect us apart from whatever religious meaning it is determined to express, having cathartic and other psychological effects. Because of this effect, people will often turn to tiny personal ‘micro rituals’ to help relieve the effects of daily stressors.Have a go, then.
By the way, I think you make excellent points about the purpose and effect of ritual.