Environmentalism, the British Religion Nov 7, 2009
Animism, naturalistic pantheism, Gaia theory there are various belief systems that deify the natural world. But should a fervent belief in the need to fight climate change be given the same legal protection as an actual religion. (Time.com)
‘Sacred Monsters’ at Tufts explores the mythical powers of beasts Oct 28, 2009
But the Japanese Shinto religion, which is ancient and widespread in Japan and pervasive in the culture, has animism at its core ... Sacred Monsters: Everyday Animism in Contemporary Japanese Art and Anime, a smart and enchanting exhibit at Tufts University Art Gallery, taps Japanese artists who have beastly imaginations ... SACRED MONSTERS: Everyday Animism in Contemporary Japanese Art and Anime At: Tufts University Art Gallery, 40R Talbot Ave., Medford, through Nov. 22. (Boston Globe)
Cambodians worship cow with reptilian skin Aug 24, 2009
Un Dary, General Director of Religious Affairs for Cambodia's Ministry of Cults and Religions, said he did not know about the case, but that many Cambodians, who are almost all Buddhists, also subscribe to animism a belief that spirits can inhabit all sorts of living and inanimate objects. Whenever an odd animal makes an appearance, he said, it is cause for the superstitious to celebrate. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Weird News)
Making Sense Of The Blackwater Connection Aug 22, 2009
"The idea that the United States government should accept liability for the unprovoked criminal manslaughter of seventeen innocent Iraqis by Blackwater mercenaries, and place it on the back of taxpayers, is corporate animism run amok," says Ralph Nader, who has spent his entire career fighting against corporate personhood. "If Blackwater wants to be treated like a person, then its latest mutation, USTC, should be prosecuted, convicted and given the equivalent penalty of corporate capital... (CBS News)
Nigerian car thief turns into goat! Jul 8, 2009
In Nigeria, the sharp line between fact and fiction is badly blurred by centuries of animism and occultism that infects contemporary Muslim and Christian thinking as well as secular thought. Journalistic skepticism is hard to teach where public imagination supersedes rational disbelief. (Yahoo News)
‘Evolution of God’ makes case for cooperative monotheism Jun 28, 2009
The author traces the growth of gods from the animism of hunter-gatherers (where spirits rule over natural phenomena) to the polytheism of chiefdoms and ancient states (where multiple gods govern every aspect of life). These gods are hardly paragons of right living; they are capricious and often cruel. (Boston Globe)
Why People Believe Invisible Agents Control the World May 20, 2009
Together patternicity and agent-icity form the cognitive basis of shamanism, paganism, animism, polytheism, monotheism, and all modes of Old and New Age spiritualisms. Agenticity carries us far beyond the spirit world. (Scientific American)
Fascinating land of ancient rituals May 9, 2009
Although more than 80% of the Torajans have embraced Christianity, they still hold on to ancient Toraja traditions and their ancestors belief in animism. Their ancestors are always with them, watching over them, their family and their property, said Roby, our Torajan tour guide who, like most Indonesians, does not have a last name. (The Star Online, Malaysia)
Standing firm in their faith May 3, 2009
Some also retain aspects of animism, an old religion often equated with spiritualism. Sha Kay Har s mom, Ma Htwe Hla, said their religious beliefs in Burma led the government there to isolate them in a village only occupied by other Muslims, deny them citizenship and eventually give them reason to flee for their lives to Thailand refugee camps. (Logan Herald Journal, UT)
'BoneMan' creator grew up with cannibals Apr 29, 2009
"I grew up in one of the darkest places in the world you can imagine, in [the] jungle, with cannibals. I know we have certain images in our mind when we talk about cannibals, but we're talking about animism, heavy spiritualism, tremendous amounts of fear," Dekker tells CNN.. It's a past Dekker, 46, embraces. (CNN -- Showbiz)
Follen Church offers mini-services Apr 12, 2009
Planned for children ages 3-10, the services beginning April 19 will focus on religious ideas from earth-centered cultures, including Native American traditions, African animism, and Shintoism. Each service features a welcoming and closing song, a chalice lighting, and a focus on an idea that families can experience together and talk about at home. (Lexington Minuteman, MA)
Ponari sweats over poor health services Feb 25, 2009
Java, for instance, abounds with religious rituals blended with strong animism beliefs. The concept of musyrik in Islam clearly means that any attempt to ally to anything other than God's power is sinful. (Jakarta Post, Indonesia)
'Under the Sea 3D' is full of wonder Feb 13, 2009
For prolonged, non-IMAX exposure, you'll need to seek out the undersea spectaculars of the French nature filmmaker Jean Painleve, whose movies located a sort of animism in the aquatic world. He was an artist. (Boston Globe)
