Have we been duped into performing rituals without realising it ?

Hi all ,

I've been a member here for some time - this is my first real thread so please be kind !

Firstly this isn't an idea I subscribe to - just something I thought I would throw out there for discussions sake.

Now I am by no means a vegetarian nor follow any spiritual path at all so this is purely furious thought for discussion only !


It occurred to me some time ago that alot of our day to day activities could be viewed from the outside as , for want of a better word, rituals of some kind.


- The daily consumption of animals and animal products.

Simply washing ourselves in the morning is essentially rubbing ourselves with the fats and oils of "sacrificed" animals - IE simple soap.
We also obviously consume said sacrificed animals as food.

So , most of us that is , on a daily basis have applied animal flesh , fats and oils internally and externally to our bodies without stopping once to even think about it or any larger repercussions.

If anyone can think of other , possibly unwitting ritual behaviour or cares to weigh in , I'd be glad to hear about it.

Thanks and peace to all,

Skonaz

reply to post by skonaz


I've always found it weird how random people say "bless you" after you sneeze. Its based on a way old superstition that people's hearts stop when you sneeze. But blessing someone in this day and age if they sneeze seems to be a thing people just simply do unwittingly.

What do you think? I know its not exactly what you describe, but this seems related.

reply to post by GreenManXphile


That's exactly the type of thing I was thinking about actually.
Then to get all tin foil hat - what are the origins of the words ?
Do the vowels and sounds mean something in other ancient languages etc

reply to post by skonaz


I may be slightly out of context on this one but it is about ritual. When I use to go to Church which of course is a ritual, I was always struck by the numbers of people who were attending and more importantly giving their energy (or wish for Godly intervention )to the Priest to direct as he saw fit. We take it its for the betterment of all but religion's example over the millenia shows its very much a secret, closed house with eg political issues allied to its survival.

The power that each group manage to raise by ritual comes under the teaching of Christ - when many are gathered together and ask it will be given. So if you take all the services together and the power raised synergistically how do we know who is directing what to whom. That also goes to all religious houses from Islam, Judaism etc etc. Morphic Resonance from Prof Rupert Sheldrake proposes that what we wish for gets raised up to this field and can somehow affect the world. (Its very vague but I do wonder if he was right - who knows

reply to post by skonaz


Well here's another thing ive always found interesting. Not to get too far into another direction, but the Jay-Z diamond gesture he does on album covers, music videos, and concerts. At shows he makes the gesture, and the whole crowd does it back. Anyone ever notice that its a square and compass?

I only actually ever noticed it after i became a mason. But as a kid i used to see it all the time without considering it weird.

reply to post by Shiloh7


Excellent !
Prof Rupert Sheldrake is now someone I will look into
Thanks for posting !

reply to post by GreenManXphile


I used to avoid the Hip Hop Illuminati threads a bit.
I've never ever considered that as the Masonic symbol.
Thanks for that , more to keep my mind ticking over.

reply to post by skonaz


I know what you mean. I definitely think theres something to it, but alot of the info about it is too bias and conflicting...

Some topics are just still too muddled.

Ill think of some others for a bit.

Animals were put on the earth to feed us to a large degree. We have i-teeth, we're omnivors if you haven't noticed. We don't have deer teeth.

spartacus699
Animals were put on the earth to feed us to a large degree. We have i-teeth, we're omnivors if you haven't noticed. We don't have deer teeth.

Thanks Spartacus699
That was very constructive and helpful to the thread.
I really thought I had deer teeth.

HINT - I said I WASNT a vegetarian - This thread isnt about eating animals it's about unwittingly performing rituals - please read the OP

reply to post by skonaz


I think for something to qualify as a ritual, it has to have personal meaning, or an intention to it. Otherwise it's just a habit or a routine action.

As far as eating animals, and using soap. It's just physiology, we have pointy teeth from a reason. Eating meat. And soap is just an efficient way of having good hygiene, which reduces sickness and contributes to overall health.

GreenManXphile
reply to post by skonaz

 

I've always found it weird how random people say "bless you" after you sneeze. Its based on a way old superstition that people's hearts stop when you sneeze.
.

edit on 25-9-2013 by GreenManXphile because: Forgot word

This must vary by geographical region. Because here in my corner of the world (Scotland/United Kingdom) the reason you say 'bless you' when somebody sneezes is because opening your mouth that wide is an invitation for the devil to jump in, so you say 'bless you' to drive him back out again.

I eat meats and other animal products because I A.) I like them, they're more satiating than plant-based foods to me. And B.) I rather dislike hunger, and prefer to answer my body's signals that it's in need of calories, fats, vitamins and minerals. Call that a "ritual" if you want, but understand that the car doesn't go anywhere without whatever fuel you prefer to use.

As for soaps, I prefer to remove the dead skin build up, dirt, body oils and whatever else clings to me over the course of a day. It can be done without soap, but not as thoroughly. Also, there are plenty of plant-based soaps out there to use (I use Nature's Gate, among other animal-free ones)
at the risk of over-sharing, I'm also a naturally pungently scented person. I don't like fumigating the immediate area if I can help it. Ergo, I bathe regularly because I dislike being grimy and smelly. Again, not a ritual to me, but if you want to call it one, knock yourself out.

i heard the bless you thing relates to the plague . Found reference on wikipedia to this.

One explanation holds that the custom originally began as an actual blessing. Gregory I became Pope in AD 590 as an outbreak of the bubonic plague was reaching Rome. In hopes of fighting off the disease, he ordered unending prayer and parades of chanters through the streets. At the time, sneezing was thought to be an early symptom of the plague. The blessing ("God bless you!") became a common effort to halt the disease.[2]

I was always told tats why we say it, when i was a child.

reply to post by watchitburn


Good point.

I agree that intent could make all the difference.

reply to post by leopardpimps


I'd never heard that before, thankyou
It is a common phrase in Australia too

Nyiah
I eat meats and other animal products because I A.) I like them, they're more satiating than plant-based foods to me. And B.) I rather dislike hunger, and prefer to answer my body's signals that it's in need of calories, fats, vitamins and minerals. Call that a "ritual" if you want, but understand that the car doesn't go anywhere without whatever fuel you prefer to use.

As for soaps, I prefer to remove the dead skin build up, dirt, body oils and whatever else clings to me over the course of a day. It can be done without soap, but not as thoroughly. Also, there are plenty of plant-based soaps out there to use (I use Nature's Gate, among other animal-free ones)
at the risk of over-sharing, I'm also a naturally pungently scented person. I don't like fumigating the immediate area if I can help it. Ergo, I bathe regularly because I dislike being grimy and smelly. Again, not a ritual to me, but if you want to call it one, knock yourself out.

Thanks Nyiah ,

I too love a steak and use soap everyday

Just looking for examples of things we do that could have more sinister overtones / ritualistic natures that we are unaware of.

Nyiah
I rather dislike hunger, and prefer to answer my body's signals that it's in need of calories, fats, vitamins and minerals.

The sensation of hunger is caused by the stomach contracting. It doesn't mean your body "needs" food.

Once the stomach is completely empty, the sensation will go away. Try fasting for 2 days. You will feel more hungry the first day than the second. Have a glass of water and the hunger will come back in a few minutes.

And yes, eating is a ritual for us. We don't eat to survive in western society, we eat for pleasure and more often than not, because a clock tells us to.

What about the ritual of the commute to work? That could interpreted as a pilgrimage for Capitalism. Additionally what about the use of technology:

Charging appliances

Powering them on etc

It depends on interpretation and the scope of what your parameters are when defining a ritual. Certainly, many activities do exist. It is up to us whether we choose to categorize them as rituals. Thought-provoking thread. Good work.

MysteriousHusky
What about the ritual of the commute to work? That could interpreted as a pilgrimage for Capitalism. Additionally what about the use of technology:

Charging appliances

Powering them on etc

It depends on interpretation and the scope of what your parameters are when defining a ritual. Certainly, many activities do exist. It is up to us whether we choose to categorize them as rituals. Thought-provoking thread. Good work.

Thankyou !
I feel that the purpose of the thread may have been misunderstood by some
I think abandoning ones home and family for the pursuit of material / capitalist needs as being a great example of what I was looking for.