BV, I created this thread with the purpose of giving some idea of the existence of other traditional religions (some Indians today don't know about other religions and so think Hindus are an island), preferably through the way traditional people of various times have viewed their religion and those who continue to view it that way. As one can read for instance in the Seneca quote in #52 above. Or Julian's own words, say in his Contra Galilaeos - a translation of this was to be found at an Aus site I think. It is their religion as per their own words which documents Natural Traditions as they are. Or (outside of this site) one can look at the vigrahas of the Shinto Gods made by traditional Shintos or those of Daoist Gods made by traditional Daoists - it is their religion, as described by their own hands (and rituals). Or it would be more helpful for people to speak to the traditional (Ch/Tw) Daoists and (Jp) Shintos if such a chance ever presents itself.
This was not meant to be a thread on how modern ideas/theories/discoveries/... view traditional religion. Especially that of other people who are not here - and many who are dead and therefore cannot be here - to speak for themselves. Their non-representation (or silence due to other causes) does not negate their existence or invalidate the knowledge they had of what is after all *their* religion, and not ours. Ideally - no actually, it should be *their* views that document their religion. We learn of other religions from those who practised and lived it (from those whose life it was) - well, from what they were willing to reveal of it.
I only really care about 2 threads in this entire forum (that's not to say other threads don't interest me; it's different). This is one - the primary one. And it is on a matter I consider important to 'heathens' (actually: to people following the traditional religions where Gods are central; in particular the Hindu religion) even if I never posted half the material I think could belong here. It is the *idea* of this thread, that it exists at all on this forum.
I should have been more energetic and posted interesting stuff here, but I wished to use my finds for other purposes (for private interests; but duplication is out of the question). May not have been a very regular poster at IF of late, but even were I to stop coming that wouldn't change the topic of this thread.
And it was certainly never intended to become a thread on the totally different matters of IE/PIE and neopaganism. (If such interests you, there are many forums out there on the web that are specifically about the topics of IE-ism, PIE reconstructionism, even Vedic reconstructionism. And neopaganism. Many sources out there for such material that you can repost from, but not into this thread please.)
Please do make another thread and move all of your material on IE/PIE and on neopaganism there.
Hmmm. I don't understand how #53 was posted only to be succeeded by the subsequent posts - in this same thread (breath). Clearly the material in #53 does not belong on this forum (even though this is the thread it otherwise conceptually belonged).
This was not meant to be a thread on how modern ideas/theories/discoveries/... view traditional religion. Especially that of other people who are not here - and many who are dead and therefore cannot be here - to speak for themselves. Their non-representation (or silence due to other causes) does not negate their existence or invalidate the knowledge they had of what is after all *their* religion, and not ours. Ideally - no actually, it should be *their* views that document their religion. We learn of other religions from those who practised and lived it (from those whose life it was) - well, from what they were willing to reveal of it.
I only really care about 2 threads in this entire forum (that's not to say other threads don't interest me; it's different). This is one - the primary one. And it is on a matter I consider important to 'heathens' (actually: to people following the traditional religions where Gods are central; in particular the Hindu religion) even if I never posted half the material I think could belong here. It is the *idea* of this thread, that it exists at all on this forum.
I should have been more energetic and posted interesting stuff here, but I wished to use my finds for other purposes (for private interests; but duplication is out of the question). May not have been a very regular poster at IF of late, but even were I to stop coming that wouldn't change the topic of this thread.
And it was certainly never intended to become a thread on the totally different matters of IE/PIE and neopaganism. (If such interests you, there are many forums out there on the web that are specifically about the topics of IE-ism, PIE reconstructionism, even Vedic reconstructionism. And neopaganism. Many sources out there for such material that you can repost from, but not into this thread please.)
Please do make another thread and move all of your material on IE/PIE and on neopaganism there.
Hmmm. I don't understand how #53 was posted only to be succeeded by the subsequent posts - in this same thread (breath). Clearly the material in #53 does not belong on this forum (even though this is the thread it otherwise conceptually belonged).