So last night I watched spirited away for the first time which is a studio Ghibli movie. Probably one of the best animated films ever made, and one of the main themes in it was the spirit world and Japanese polytheism. Typically when I watch a studio Ghibli movie I always notice the presence of "forest spirits" and "river spirits" and how the whole world, especially to the children usually involved, is so real and full of life and imagination. I also thought about how the west's universalist religions with one god is quite dull and drab. Why has monotheism taken over the west and why aren't there any larger polytheistic religions prevalent in western society?
>Personally monotheism & christianity to me at least has always, ever since I was a kid, to be quite boring and judgemental, lacking in individual freedom and expression. If there were actual alternatives in western society I'd probably consider adopting some of those beliefs into my life.
>Inb4 Terrible compaints and blogposting
Let's have a discussion about polytheism and western society and how it would compare or used to compare to polytheism in eastern society today and in the past.
The fall of polytheism in the west
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The western spirit is fundamentally different to eastern spirit
Western civilization is Faustian, eastern civilization is Magian
>Belief in leprechauns means you are not a monotheist
Asian cultures have always had belief in a mandate of heaven and a heavenly emperor.
Because a faceless god is a god that everyone can worship without stuff like tribalism and cultural identity. It has no rules, no name. Its a listening ear.
It survived in different forms.
The faeries, various remnants of pagan festivals. And a lot of it transformed into saint worship.
This. There is functionally no difference between a saint and a smaller god with a specific "job".
Its a good thing these zipperheads have mellowed out after their little chimp out. They should consider themselves lucky that LeMay didn't have to ignite their Shinto shrines with some napalm. Their little Jap spirits were no match to based LeMay.
op here. nice thread guys wtf
Both are superstitious and primitive.
Only the dharma is superior
Case in point: Ireland. The early church in Ireland co-opted many pagan deities (e.g. St Brigid) and rituals (e.g. Halloween).
>Why has monotheism taken over the west and why aren't there any larger polytheistic religions prevalent in western society?
Natural law - any animal can attempt to or successfully kill any other animal - so if you write a terrorist manifesto in the name of God and tell homo sapiens to run around murdering other homo sapiens because God says it's ok, natural law allows that to happen. That doesn't mean you're worshiping any gods.
"This statement is the incontrovertible word of God and the Pentateuch isn't."
"I believe in a soul, better become a terrorist!"
Judaism was fairly unique in saying 'our god is your god too but he doesn't like you'.
It was actually VERY common for people to think that they were created by their own god, and other people were too. And to switch gods. And to bring your god with you. And to mix gods.
PLEASE get some meds
>saint worship
retardestants OUT
i-i-its not worship its veneration!
Try reddit, you might fit in there better, judging by your complete idiocy and disregard for actual history to push a narrative
it's a fact that many pagan gods were adopted as saints.
>Why has monotheism taken over the west and why aren't there any larger polytheistic religions prevalent in western society?
Read the religion chapter in this book
I've seen Spirited Away as well, and left wondering more about fairies and shit.
like the old stories and bogarts and brownies and leaving oatmeal out at night in order to appease some kind of fairy or spirit who lived under the floorboards
>PLEASE get some meds
Please contribute to the conversation instead of just insulting. Anyone can commit murder - that's not hard. That doesn't make the gods go away.
>Why has monotheism taken over the west and why aren't there any larger polytheistic religions prevalent in western society?
If you are seriously asking, it's because Christianity became the religion of Rome after the conversion of Emperor Constantine. Then the other peoples of Europe like the Germans and Slavs converted after centuries of contact with Christian Rome and missionary works. The northern tribes wanted to be more Roman, and converting was a quick and easy way to do it. The rigorous theology and promise of an afterlife in Christianity was also appealing compared to the native folk beliefs in the north.
OP
Read Jan Assman's 'Price of Monotheism'
as well as other books and essays by him. You will come to understand the formation of monotheism and its danger.