Cargo Cult

Babyblue

Babyblue

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This is interesting.

Makes you wonder about things in life. How beliefs are formed from culture to culture and how advance technology can affect remote tribes that are behind time.

Let me explain..

Cargo cults were formed during World War II..

Cargo planes were constantly dropping items from the air and several items would show up on small remote island. The tribal people believed these items were sent to them by the gods and spirit world. Our advance technology made them believe it was magic. So they began to worship the "cargo' gods and pray for them to drop more items. They even go as far as creating airplane models out of bambo and coconuts in hope that the cargo gods will drop more riches.


In John They Trust | People & Places | Smithsonian Magazine
 
Learned alot about cargo cults in a couple of anthropology classes. It is very interesting. As is the study of cultural contact changing cultures. I did a 15 or so page paper on the changes Deaf culture has undergone as a result of contact with hearing culture. Probably still have it around somewhere.
 
jillio said:
Learned alot about cargo cults in a couple of anthropology classes. It is very interesting. As is the study of cultural contact changing cultures. I did a 15 or so page paper on the changes Deaf culture has undergone as a result of contact with hearing culture. Probably still have it around somewhere.
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Yeah, this tribe had their beliefs and ways set. Missonaries came along and the cheif became upset with them since they were having them wear clothes and put them in school took away their "Kava" a Narcotic. I say leave them alone and let them have their beliefs and religion. Other people have ways of forcing beliefs on people that do not believe in the same thing...


Also I was thinking about this could be a classic example on how religion is formed. Someone throws in a little technology or "Magic" They automatically think it is the gods doing so and so they begin to worship it and pass down stories on the magical events. Get where I am going with this?? Since items began to fall from the sky or arrive by the sea.. :)
 
Babyblue said:
Yeah, this tribe had their beliefs and ways set. Missonaries came along and the cheif became upset with them since they were having them wear clothes and put them in school took away their "Kava" a Narcotic. I say leave them alone and let them have their beliefs and religion. Other people have ways of forcing beliefs on people that do not believe in the same thing...


Also I was thinking about this could be a classic example on how religion is formed. Someone throws in a little technology or "Magic" They automatically think it is the gods doing so and so they begin to worship it and pass down stories on the magical events. Get where I am going with this?? Since items began to fall from the sky or arrive by the sea.. :)
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Agreed. And it did have a huge impact on the religious beliefs of these cultures. The cargo cults began to develop all kinds of beliefs that were combinations of their native religion and what they were experiencing as the direct result of contact with the missionaries. Some very strange beliefs were the result.
 
Wirelessly posted (droid)

When I took anthropology, I was amazed by the wide spread difference in values. One culture did't have a word for war, but another culture was very aggressive.
 
The Innuits have several different words for "snow".
 
Wirelessly posted (droid)

There's an old movie that you might enjoy named The Gods Must Be Crazy.
 
sallylou said:
Wirelessly posted (droid)

There's an old movie that you might enjoy named The Gods Must Be Crazy.
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I have seen that movie. I remember bits and pieces of it ..Yes, I can see how that movie is related to what we are talking about.

Will have to get it and watch it again. :) :ty:
 
it's just their way of saying :ty: for everything :)
 
Jiro said:
it's just their way of saying :ty: for everything :)
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It is more than just their way of saying thank you. They actually believe it is a gift from a higher power. Such as a god or spirit.
 
Babyblue said:
I have seen that movie. I remember bits and pieces of it ..Yes, I can see how that movie is related to what we are talking about.

Will have to get it and watch it again. :) :ty:
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It is also an excellent lesson in how satire and real life live together in harmony.
 
Babyblue said:
It is more than just their way of saying thank you. They actually believe it is a gift from a higher power. Such as a god or spirit.
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yes. no more different from us. Before the Superbowl Game, football players pray to God and kiss their cross or hand. and football fans do same. I think they actually believe if they pray enough, the divine intervention will fall into their favor :lol:
 
Jiro said:
yes. no more different from us. Before the Superbowl Game, football players pray to God and kiss their cross or hand. and football fans do same. I think they actually believe if they pray enough, the divine intervention will fall into their favor :lol:
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The whole point of what I was saying.. Tribes had their own culture and religion. Things started falling out of the sky they think it is a god or higher power doing so. How higher technology can be mistaken for magic among ignorant people that do not know better. Hence..... Are we cargo cult?? Was our religion based on higher technology back in the times?? How was the pyramids built and the technology back then. Some feel a higher power created the pyramids. Some believe aliens did it, some believe they had some technology that we do not understand or know about.
 
Babyblue said:
The whole point of what I was saying.. Tribes had their own culture and religion. Things started falling out of the sky they think it is a god or higher power doing so. How higher technology can be mistaken for magic among ignorant people that do not know better. Hence..... Are we cargo cult?? Was our religion based on higher technology back in the times?? How was the pyramids built and the technology back then. Some feel a higher power created the pyramids. Some believe aliens did it, some believe they had some technology that we do not understand or know about.
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there's just a little humor in my posts :)
 
Jiro said:
there's just a little humor in my posts :)
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Oh Ok.. Then.... HA HA HA!! :giggle: Guess I'm a little late for that.

Was not sure if you were getting what I was saying or not. :) I see you were just throwing something in there.
 
Babyblue said:
The whole point of what I was saying.. Tribes had their own culture and religion. Things started falling out of the sky they think it is a god or higher power doing so. How higher technology can be mistaken for magic among ignorant people that do not know better. Hence..... Are we cargo cult?? Was our religion based on higher technology back in the times?? How was the pyramids built and the technology back then. Some feel a higher power created the pyramids. Some believe aliens did it, some believe they had some technology that we do not understand or know about.
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The life cycles of religions has been studied.

People start out all believing.

Then it becomes more ceremonial or ritual than actual belief.

Then people start believing they should believe, but they don't really do so.

Then it eventually dies out and a new belief system moves in.

BTW there is a group who believes Jesus was an alien entity passing through in an attempt to enlighten us.
 
Yes.. The Cycle of culture, people and beliefs. It has been studied and still is being studied. I find it fascinating.
 
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