).
The superimposition may then change the meaning of the ritual. What after all is "pure" worship? As Smart remarks, the utterance of a group of ritual words complete with the relevant bodily postures made during the worship service. This can also be seen in readings of the Holy Quran where the opening verse is read out loud some thirty times per day. Much of this can be seen as pure worship with no ritual imposition. This practice literally is pure prayer and has no other interpretation, but given our definition of prayer as a ritual object is included, if nothing more for the fact that the quotation is from a literal book, that is, the Holy Quran (ibid., 74-75).
It is in the above way that Smart points out that the ritual is integrated into and becomes a part of a person's ritual life. In this way, worship is not divorced from the life of the worshiper. In this way, the worshiper matches up these rituals with the real world where the rituals are carried out in. In such circumstances, imposition becomes irresistable and possibly impossible to resist. The moral, ritual activity then becomes a moral activity as a sort of self-sacrifice. In this context, we think of such terms as picking up and carrying one's cross, or takes up a yoga sutra or in Buddhism becomes a form of following the Bodhisattva. According to Smart, the ritual does not necessarily become intergrated into a person's life due to the polytheistic nature of a belief or some factor that precludes a literal integration into a person's life. In such instances, the practices resist a literal imposition (ibid., 75).
In the above instance, for instance, Smart quotes the notion in Ramanuja
that the cosmos is God's body that gives the worshiper a sense of God's presence. The problems with deism or such other ritual...
Religious organizations like the Quakers have extolled the virtue of group prayer. In my experience with Christian group prayer, I have noticed that the practice serves several functions, including the increase in prayer power as alluded to in Matthew 18:19-20. Group prayer can help the individual focus on the prayer and on God rather than having the mind wander to selfish thoughts. I felt much more focused when praying in
Prayer at Public School Events During the last few years there has been passionate debates concerning prayer in public schools and at public school events. Advocates believe that it is not only a moral issue but prohibition of prayer in public schools denies their right of freedom of religion, while opponents claim it is a violation of separation of state and church. In fact, over recent decades, one of the most litigious
The study was performed on groups of White and South Asian students, and showed that cross-group friendships provided a platform for reducing out-group prejudice and perceived hostility among these groups. A study by McGregor, Haji and Kang (2008) also reveal that in-group individuals who display a high Personal Need for Structure (PNS) tend to be inclined towards out-group derogation and hostility. The authors found that lowering PNS also lowers this
Individual Autonomy The Merriam -- Webster's Dictionary defines "autonomy" as "the quality or state of being independent, free, and self-directing, independence from the ... whole, the right of self-government," and lists as a synonym, "self-reliance" (Autonomy pp). The dictionary defines "Individual" as a "single human ... existing as a distinct entity, separate" (Individual pp). The Declaration of Independence begins by stating the colonies' position on autonomy, saying that at times it
504). Given the limitations mentioned above, researchers studying intercessory prayer are also banging their heads against reality because they are claiming to make discoveries that are "incompatible with current views of the physical universe and consciousness" (Sloan, p. 504). That having been said, if IP studies are held to the "standards of science" and if "more precise hypotheses are tested" then a "scientific revolution" is not beyond imagination (Sloan, p.
The family clearly regarded it as important and meaningful, as reflected in the careful attention to detail expressed in the layout of the table, but not as an extraordinary, anticipated event like Passover or Christmas for Christians. The family's good dishes and napkins were used, and everyone was dressed to denote the fact that this was a formal occasion. However, the very 'best' china was not used, as it
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now