[lbo-talk] Marxism and Religion

[Miles Jackson]

Chris Doss wrote:
> Spirits, gods, elves, vampiri, angels, whatever you
> want to call them and whatever role they fulfull in a
> particular belief system, what is important here is
> that they are all nonhuman intelligences that interact
> with the "natural" world (in quotes because I don't
> think premodern societies distinguish between natural
> and supernatural worlds -- come to think of it the
> distinction between the two makes no sense) and that
> all human societies of which I am aware believe in
> them. At least before the very recent past.
>
>
>   
No, Chris, you're anthropomorphizing the animists' supernatural realm.  
I understand why--that's how we do the sacred realm in our 
societies--but that's a gross misrepresentation of animism.  It is not 
that there is some intelligent, supernatural entity that "inhabits" 
people and things; the animist notion of "spirit" is more like a sacred 
force.  It has nothing to do with our idea of spirits, gods, elves, 
vampiri, or angels.  I'll grant you this: the belief in the 
"supernatural" realm is common across time and place.  However, the 
belief that this supernatural realm is inhabited by "nonhuman 
intelligences" is far from universal.

Miles