Mystic Politics

Agrarian Magic: 20 Theories on the Origin of Religion

Agrarian Magic: 20 Theories on the Origin of Religion Mystic Politics has compiled the top 20 theories on the origin of religion, from animism to agrarian magic.

Religion is a species-specific human universal phenomenon, complex, full of paradoxes, and found in all cultures. Social scientists and anthropologists since the late 17th century have attempted to rationally answer questions about religion, and while we can’t evaluate the veracity of religion’s claims, we can attempt to understand its functions.

The methods of comparative religion, comparative mythology, with interdisciplinary analysis throughout the fields of ethnography, neuroscience, psychology, sociology, anthropology, history, and linguistics have made a lot of progress in the last 100 years, with a boom of database-driven analysis in the last decade.

There are a number of theories attempting to explain the mystery of religion’s origin, purpose, functions and spread, from ancestor and soul worship, animism, totemism, spirit propitiation, magic theory, cultural memes, agrarian overseer gods, fear and worship of spirits, evolved adaption, or by-product of evolved adaption, and as a control mechanism.

There are multiple definitions and criterion of religion, most dealing with the supernatural, the unknown, the ineffable, the numinous, that terrific agency of the gods, or the comfort of ancestors and hero archetypes.

Let’s examine some of these meta-theories of religion’s origins to see what we can sort out.

How do you think religion got started? (:

Read the article: Agrarian Magic: 20 Theories on the Origin of Religion

Capitalism and Theology: The Market Revolution and American Religion

Capitalism and Theology: The Market Revolution & American Religion Capitalism and Theology: Did America’s capitalistic modes of production lead to the rich and varied philosophy, theology, and beliefs that our democratic experiment exemplifies?

The Market Revolution of America’s boom years was a dynamic hotchpotch of theological and technological evolution that culminated in America as both the economic and cultural leader of the free world, the specialization it embraced as a capitalistic mechanism was mirrored by the staggering multiplicity of american faith and belief.

Is it good or bad that our capitalistic infrastructure led to diverse religion and philosophy?

Xenu and Kolob – Where Mormonism meets Scientology

Tom Cruise will never talk in public about Xenu, Mitt Romney will never talk in public about Planet Kolob.

What is weirder: Believing in the Planet Kolob or the intergalactic warlord Xenu?

[Video] Osho – Fear is the Master: A Cult Documentary

Fear is the Master: A Cult Documentary on ‘India’s infamous free sex guru’, Osho (Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh) and Jim Jones.

Harmless? Check out the mind-control techniques forwarded by the psychoanalysts Osho kept on payroll….

Who knew stuff like this was going on in what most would consider silly new-agey groups?

Watch now: [Video] Osho – Fear is the Master: A Cult Documentary

[Video] Hinduism, Occultism, Humanism, and… Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles?

A lovely example of 90′s era christian propaganda. The target of the inquisition? The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

What starts as a dialogue on what one may perceive as a genuine threat- the vapid content and consumerist agenda of cartoons broadcast into early 1990′s boobtubes- devolves into a table session about the occult agenda of the teenage mutant ninja turtles, a polemic against ‘our children being evangelized by another gospel. The gospel of OUTRIGHT hinduism, occultism, humanism…’. right.

Watch now:[Video] Hinduism, Occultism, Humanism, and… Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles?

DNA proof of John the Baptist?

DNA proof of John the Baptist? Even if this was true, do you think this would bolster the case for a historical Jesus?

Why Is This Marine Platoon Associated with Nazi Iconography? http://mys.tc/1sv SS military occult

Peter Bebergal on Robert Anton Wilson: RAW & Skeptical Belief

“I like to think of myself as a believing skeptic, someone who relishes in the ideas, the imagery, the arguments, the theories, and the literature of the occult and the paranormal, but accepts little of it as valid in a phenomenal sense. I love that small publishers such as Ouroboros Press and Fulgar Limited put out beautiful magical texts and that many current underground and avant garde musicians incorporate occult ideas into their work. But beyond its power as a method for art and imaging, I recognize much of the occult as woo. On the other hand, I accept that the human imagination is something magical, and very powerful and that we know little about human consciousness except how malleable it really is. It’s a precarious position, however, and I often need to remind myself of smarter, more articulate thinkers who shared these views.”

Death of an Occult Crime Expert Reawakens Controversy http://mys.tc/1oo pagan vampire satanic panic

Death of an Occult Crime Expert Reawakens Controversy

‘Sensationalist claims earned Rimer serious contempt from Pagan groups and even a few academics, who called him a charlatan and a fear-monger. His seminars on occult crime continued to focus suspicion and enmity on minority religions, kindling the embers of Satanic Panic. Rimer responded to his critics by claiming his contacts included the more benevolent Wiccans, self-identified vampires, and even Satanists. He also insisted that the danger posed by occult crime was real and that he was one of the few people qualified to combat it.’