What is, in your opinion, the coolest religion ?
I always had a soft spot for Buddhism (although I'm not sure whether it's strictly considered a religion or rather a philosophy), for its stance on respect for life. I always picture Buddhists in fables stopping to let snails cross their paths, which is one of those iconic images in my mind that just makes me smile ...
Plus, of course, having respect for life is a healthy mentality ... he says, eating his chicken sandwich ... :redface:.
!?!?! Shadow !?!?!
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Coolest religion? Zoroastrianism, hands down. The way they dispose of their dead... is freaking awesome.
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I have written a little about how the Japanese use religion a little bit here. They used Buddhism and Shinto together before finding other religions to mix in with...
One of my best (elderly female) friends is the daughter of a buddhist monk who was killed during one of the wars Japan fought. I have visited their temple a couple times and it was really cool. The room was full of their followers meditating to the taps of sticks hitting each other. Now that is a ceremony I could dig.
The only thing I experienced about Shinto was with a form of theatre called No. Shinto is based on spirits. Everything has a spirit and they are all worshiped to some degree. The theatre based on Shinto is out of this - fucking - world. It is performed in a specially built theatre where the sounds are super muffled. I cant explain the feeling of even sitting in the theatre but it is kinda spooky.
One scene I will never forget is when a Princess entered the stage with her entourage of about six other females. She wore about 30 layers of kimonos and they wear this wooden mask. It took her about 10 mins to walk across the stage. It was very slow but because it was soooo beautiful with amazing colors and stage craft it wasnt boring. The kimonos were very long and covered her feet so it appeared that she was floating across the stage.
Part of the story had her meeting with spirits of this world and other worlds. It was so bizarre. Like the most bizarre film you could ever imagine but on a theatre stage.
The masks are built to show different expressions so if the character wants to show one expression for five mins then he has to carry his head/mask in that exact position for that amount of time.
It is such an intense control that their heart rate reaches the same rate as an olympic sprinter. Really wild stuff.
Hinduism also has some really wild theatrics.
just some food for thought,
sorry no answer,
frank
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Yer that Shinto things sound cool.
I've always thought Judaism is cool. Dunno why, just do.
Maybe it's association... Somewhere inbetween The Merchant of Venice, and Angels In America...
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Jainism would go down as 'cool' in my book... not that I could follow it myself given some of their strict ethics.
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Ancient Greeek polytheism. I'd sacrifice an ox to Zeus any day than go to a boring church sermon.
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I don't know the name of it but there is 1 religion that sort of treats every organism as equal. Even plants, bacteria, fungi, etc. It totally does not work as how on earth can you treat something you have to eat in order to survive as your equal. But whatever, it seems cool yet slightly ilogical.
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