Cargo Cults (Dawkins)

Post Reply New Topic

I tend to wander around the internet reading about different religions and stumbled across this strange phenomenon. Very primitive island dwellers who's homeland are used as cargo airstrips. This is a sudden exposure to modernity and leaves primitive religions in it's wake.

One example is a cult around John Frum which I guess resulted when the military had to use an island as a cargo supply site during WW2. My understanding is the John Frum cult is still active today waiting for him to return with Cargo from their ancestors in paradise.

(NOTE: this is presented by Richard Dawkins as part of his God Delusion study. Just think it's fair to say up front this feeds his bias. Yet otherwise I think this is still fascinating and informative)

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1skNgYdJXK8&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jel5by93REs[/youtube]

Oddly enough I was reading about this the other day too. Thanks for the videos.

This Cargo Cult is obviously silly. They don't have an ancient book to prove its validity. It has a small number of followers compared to that other religion. Everyone knows that majority rules.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMkVxry-YJI[/youtube]

They have a point in that anecdote.

"It's been 19 years. Do you still believe he'll return?"
"You've been waiting for Jesus Christ for 2000 years."

Ouch.

... and here's how religious conflicts get started:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QPYQtc2nd8[/youtube]

I kind of wonder if there is another possibility here.

Suppose you could say Christianity bridged off of Judaism. I wonder if these are brand new religions or ones that suddenly expanded.

It kind of makes me think of Voodoo type religions which will bend and change while absorbing new things. I think this is what's called Syncretic religion. People who will worship or deify just about anything.

I think whats going on is in order to understand everything around them, and not being able to comprehend how for instance, (and I've heard christians make this arguemnt) the human eye works. They believe it has to be a miricle from The Lord because there is just no way something like that can come into being without some devine intervention

My eyes are all messed up so what I wanna know is why god let it be this way. Of course I'm joking, I know my eyes are messed up because thats just the way it is, I dont look for some supernatural being for a reason or a cure.

Most people do however. and it has completely ruined this place we like to call home