I was talking with a friend the other day who is really into learning about zodiac signs and their meanings. She was telling me about all the different personality types associated with when someone is born and what moon he or she is born under, etc. Listening to her, I found what a complex "science" astrology is. Many disregard that zodiac signs have any real meaning and that those daily astrology advice columns are just bogus. After all, if you read through them, they're all give very general advice that can be applied to most life situations and problems. So why get hooked?
My friend made it clear that she studied all of this stuff out of entertainment and for the "psychiological" aspect of it all, not as a religion. She does believe that some of it is true, but still has a Christian-based faith. It made me think that although there is little hard, factual evidence to back up astrology, it's still a way that people make sense of the world. For my friend, it was a way to make sense of the actions and behaviors of herself and the people around her, and a way to seek self-improvement when her religion couldn't clearly answer these questions. After all, aren't we all looking for clarity in life? Don't we all want to know that what we believe is the true and right way? Just in the same way the Puritans held fast to their faith, we all need some sort of belief system by which to orient our lives. And even though others may think these beliefs are bogus or radical, they're still important to those who are faithful to them.
Thoughts?
(emily)
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This reminded me of the study that Dr. B showed my Euro class about how flexible alot of people are with their religions.
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure this was it:
http://pewforum.org/docs/?DocID=490
-Bryce C.
Just like the Puritans, followers of any other religion or belief are entitled to their own opinions. While some people think astrology is bogus, others find meaning in it. Such is the same in the case of the myriads of religions in the world today.
ReplyDeleteIn America, the First Amendment is about freedom of speech and expression. Americans value individualistic opinions on any matter, whether they are popular or not. People should accept others the way they are and respect their different beliefs and ideas, rather than ostracize and ridicule them.
-Chloe Martianou
I completely agree with Emily's thoughts. I've always theorized that the Puritan's extremely strong faith was rooted in how uncertain they were about the world around them. No matter how hard life got, or how dangerous it seemed, their faith always served as protection. For the Puritans, faith not only served as an explanation for the unknown, but also served as a comfort and protection from the hardships which they encountered.
ReplyDelete-Tara
I agree with Emily that people seek clarity and attempt to make sense of the world in many different ways. This is not a new idea but something that has been universal throughout history. One example is in Greek myths. They used the stories of the gods and such to explain things like echos or lightening that they had no scientific explanation for. People eventually stopped believing those in favor of the biblical stories. As science begins to explain more and more, we rely less on pure faith and more on cold facts. However, that faith is not totally shaken. People still lean on God, or astrology, or whatever they believe to explain what cannot be explain.
ReplyDeleteoops...that was Becca
ReplyDelete