If you believe your customs and traditions hold a moral value, consider the regional differences in Throat Singing.
One of the oldest forms of music, as reported by the Smithsonian Folk Ways, these three distinct styles also have interesting traditions forces associated with them.
Throats singing in Tuva, a remote region in Russia, NW of Mongolia is sung predominantly by men, based on the belief that such singing may cause infertility in women.
The Inuit of Northern Canada is performed almost exclusively by women, although throat-singing was banned in the area over 100 years ago by local Christian priests, it has recently made a comeback. I guess even throat-singing customs can be used as a control mechanism for religion. No infertility reported.
Xhosa throat singing of SE South Africa comes from the same area as Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela. It appears that they can sing just fine with or without the threat of the church or infertility.
Taboos and customs are typically amoral activities. What works well one place is often forbidden in others, as if there is a dividing line between right and wrong. Superstition and religion go hand in hand, Reason and Superstition Religion will never meet, as one is as different as Zion and Babylon. One foot in and one foot out will never do. Escaping religious indoctrination must be a complete severance if you ever want peace.
“Escaping religious indoctrination must be a complete severance if you ever want peace.”
Absolutely. I know this from personal experience. The more I hold on to the past, the more doubt, anger and hurt I feel. When I accept the changes in my life after religion as being positive, the more at peace I feel. It’s the second-guessing that kills me every time. It’s the worrying over whether or not I made a mistake. A famous saying of Christians is “Let go and let God.” I never found comfort in that. I am finding more and more comfort each day when I simply say, “Let go.”
Great post as always Jim.
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We can all overthink things no doubt, and religion is banking on that in a big way. I have to remind myself the basics from time to time, and for me it’s the catch phrases. God is good, merciful, patient, and love. Gets me back in track every time, because what we see versus what we here are always at complete odds with each other in every way. Don’t believe me, believe your own eyes.
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The catch phrase that gets me is “God answers prayers in his timing, not ours.” The proper translation for “In his timing” is “Not in your lifetime.” That’s why every single prayer ever prayed has gone unanswered. You’ll never see an answer to prayer while you are still breathing. The timing’s off….every time.
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The simplicity of the gospel only takes a million volumes of explanations. Hairsplitting even the most mundane aspects to overcome the contradictions takes a lifetime.
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Good post. So often religions take local customs and incorporate them into the “will of the gods” when they are really just tribal identifiers or old folk superstitions.
Good thing I didn’t learn how to throat sing until after I had my children! 🙂
(I actually can overtone sing, but I never could get the overtone to work in my throat, for me it’s a nasal thing. But it’s cool that I can sing two notes at the same time.)
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That is cool. I can play overtone finger drumming on the outside of my throat. It’s a skill I normally hide. 🙂 Also, if throat singing causes infertility we may have to review their sexual practices. Hmm. Lol
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It’s terrible the way so many cultural traditions were banished and destroyed by missionaries imposing “God’s” moral code. I’m glad that some lived on in secret and eventually revived.
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A few years back in the 70’s, a local Yakama Tribal member wrote down all the Sahaptin words she could remember phonetically to preserve the language. Now there are a few that have learned it, but there are entire languages and customs that have vanished. What a dull world we have because of what we have done.
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I watched a video once about reviving the Mayan language from their hieroglyphics and a sort of “Rosetta Stone” that led to an understanding of the spoken language. Modern Mayan descendants knew nothing of this language, but have since been taught.
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or how the cultural traditions were… “embraced” by Christianity. (See Pagan Traditions used in Christmas and Easter) Embraced rhymes with Erased.. 🙂
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I know David. Isn’t that the ultimate in contradictory travesties? Remove all but your own language and enforce pagan tradition through Christ. Good point! It amazed me how Latin America proudly embraces the Spanish language. They are very proud of the Spanish heritage that violated every aspect of the culture and land—and they celebrate it! Spaniards did a masterful job at erasing every semblance of originality. They don’t even remember who they were in most cases. Praise be to jesus.
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Yeah, the Christians have conveniently forgotten the pagan origins of many of their holidays and rituals.
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I live in a retirement mobile home park. Every christmas we get a bunch of the older white christians putting signs on their lawns saying ” Put Christ back in christmas”. I get in trouble every year if talking to one of these people I start pointing out the pagan rituals that form christmas. They either get really angry or tell me I don’t understand, it all started with their lord. Either way I can’t make head way, I am wrong and they, so badly misinformed, will believe their religious leaders or their own self generated views to their death. Sadly this is the USA today. Hugs
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The sleight of hand mastered by the church is incredible. In fact, I believe it is so deep that they don’t really even worship the person they think they do. They are following paganistic ritual and times — Everything about it is evil except the claimed name. And the history behind the name is even suspect.
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Jim I think the same is true about a lot of tRump supporters. I talk to them and they really do not know or understand the person they support. It is like two different people we are talking about. When I ask them if they know about X or Z they are confused, they have no idea of what I am talking about. Yet they have all the talking points of the republican party / fox news down pat and it is so hard to shake them from that position despite facts or proof. People think the health care people, nurses and such with educations are progressive, yet I find I am badly outnumbered by people who buy the white house line hook , line, and yes eat the sinker. Hugs
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I think it was J.Z. in a comment I read the other day that said something like, why are religious people taking 13th century understanding over current scientific discoveries and understandings of today. I thought that was grand. Why do religious apologist constantly use the science and knowledge of the way past to try to defeat the knowledge we have today? It makes no sense to me. It is like trying to argue the fastest transportation known is the horse. Weird way to look at life, and it ruins their argument as far as I can see. Thanks for the great post. Hugs
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A monstrous, head-exploding, palm tree bending sneeze on the Banks Islands of Polynesia is cause for serious concern as someone is certainly talking badly of you, but for the Maoris in nearby New Zealand the same roof-lifting nose orgasm is reason to celebrate because someone fun is surely about to visit.
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te abençoe! I keep forgetting you are the superstitiousNakedApe guru. In Spanish the first sneeze is health, 2nd love, 3rd money. Five must be a reset button needed.
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I have a cat who sneezes like a human, only louder. It scared the shit out of me at night.
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Catchooo!!!
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Oh, nicely played, Sir. Nicely played indeed!
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