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Why Are There Rituals In Religions?

Sunstone

De Diablo Del Fora
Premium Member
Anthropologists have identified rituals in every religion they've studied. Why are rituals so wide-spread in religions? What function(s) do they serve?
 

lunamoth

Will to love
Anthropologists have identified rituals in every religion they've studied. Why are rituals so wide-spread in religions? What function(s) do they serve?

Rituals raise the ordinary to the extraordinary by imbuing them with greater significance. Repetition of actions and words fix the rituals deeply into our brains so we access the meaning of the ritual without really even thinking about it. It also creates a shared experience which bonds a community together and taps into the history of the people and gives them a unified context from which to talk about their religous experience.
 

Katzpur

Not your average Mormon
Rituals raise the ordinary to the extraordinary by imbuing them with greater significance. Repetition of actions and words fix the rituals deeply into our brains so we access the meaning of the ritual without really even thinking about it. It also creates a shared experience which bonds a community together and taps into the history of the people and gives them a unified context from which to talk about their religous experience.
Great answer. I was trying to think how to respond to the question and you came up with exactly what I was trying to find words to say. :)
 

Sunstone

De Diablo Del Fora
Premium Member
Rituals raise the ordinary to the extraordinary by imbuing them with greater significance. Repetition of actions and words fix the rituals deeply into our brains so we access the meaning of the ritual without really even thinking about it. It also creates a shared experience which bonds a community together and taps into the history of the people and gives them a unified context from which to talk about their religous experience.

Excellent post! Frubals! That's the best explanation of ritual that I've yet to hear.
 

Terrywoodenpic

Oldest Heretic
Rituals raise the ordinary to the extraordinary by imbuing them with greater significance. Repetition of actions and words fix the rituals deeply into our brains so we access the meaning of the ritual without really even thinking about it. It also creates a shared experience which bonds a community together and taps into the history of the people and gives them a unified context from which to talk about their religous experience.

Best answer I have seen on the subject:bow:
I am not worthy to reply:eek:
 

michel

Administrator Emeritus
Staff member
Rituals raise the ordinary to the extraordinary by imbuing them with greater significance. Repetition of actions and words fix the rituals deeply into our brains so we access the meaning of the ritual without really even thinking about it. It also creates a shared experience which bonds a community together and taps into the history of the people and gives them a unified context from which to talk about their religous experience.

Like others have said, an excellent answer!
 

Burchfam

Member
Our ritual gives us the ability to channel the energies of the earth through our bodies, then direct it back outwards to very powerful effect.
 

Guitar's Cry

Disciple of Pan
A danger I see in rituals is that they tend to lose the symbolism they are meant to convey and are seen as intrinsically powerful. In other words, they slip into dogma.

But rituals are certainly important. They connect people to each other and the wonderment of existence. They provide a physical (or mental) outlet for spiritual emotion. And, they can be just plain fun. :)
 

BruceDLimber

Well-Known Member
Hi!

We Baha'is tend to minimize rituals!

We have only five in the Faith, and are specifically discouraged from creating any additional ones.

The five are:
  • the daily obligatory prayer,
  • daily recitation of "Allah-u-Abha" ("God is Most Glorious") 95 times,
  • the annual fast,
  • the Baha'i wedding vow, and
  • the Baha'i burial prayer (our only congregational prayer).
Works for us! :)

Best,

Bruce
 
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