tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37589721331585843.post2720688809630142808..comments2024-03-26T11:33:59.219-06:00Comments on Religion in American History: You Know You’re The Only One That Can Really HelpPaul Harveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13881964303772343114noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37589721331585843.post-82077342434771865052008-01-22T11:23:00.000-07:002008-01-22T11:23:00.000-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37589721331585843.post-79002541277744306842008-01-22T11:20:00.000-07:002008-01-22T11:20:00.000-07:00i completely agree with lofton, but i gotta say i'...i completely agree with lofton, but i gotta say i'm itching to start up a lofton-loving cult myself.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37589721331585843.post-89665205208731591612008-01-22T08:12:00.000-07:002008-01-22T08:12:00.000-07:00Plenty of Buddhists would agree with a description...Plenty of Buddhists would agree with a description of Buddhism as "godless." Be careful not to over-correct your students!<BR/><BR/>And I don't know why ceasing to use "cult," or using "different words to avoid culturally loaded terms," is less than ideal. Since when was it an ideal to lump a whole bunch of differences into sameness (a sameness that does only one thing: differentiating them from "religion" proper).<BR/><BR/>Not all Buddhists think the same, and not all minority religions (whether wacko, brilliant, or completely bland) deserve to be grouped into one term that is something other than "religion."<BR/><BR/>(says a different Anonymous who finds Lofton's posts wonderful)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37589721331585843.post-24914113363376339632008-01-22T05:57:00.000-07:002008-01-22T05:57:00.000-07:00I'm with Brett, et al. Sometimes it's necessary t...I'm with Brett, et al. Sometimes it's necessary to use different words to avoid culturally loaded terms. It's not ideal, but sometimes we must be practical. It reminds me of the first time I taught World Religions. I was lecturing on Buddhism, and the author called Theravada "spiritual atheism." He distinguished this from "theoretical atheism" and "functional atheism," saying that Buddhists tend to avoid speculation about divine presence. In the lecture, I fell all over myself explaining that this form of atheism is different from what they were probably used to. I repeated the author's distinctions, gave examples, and kept emphasizing the uniqueness of "spiritual atheism." <BR/><BR/>Then test time came. If I had a nickle for every essay that decried "godless Buddhism," I'd have, well, 50 cents. It was a small class. But you get the point...Art Remillardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03857242536492717015noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37589721331585843.post-21541591895163431802008-01-21T22:52:00.000-07:002008-01-21T22:52:00.000-07:00I am always, always, always impressed by your post...I am always, always, always impressed by your posts and I completely agree with you on this point.<BR/><BR/>Much like the effect of jumping up and down on a couch during a daytime talk show, employing the word "cult" usually destroys any intelligent examination. It invalidates a person's beliefs, whatever they may be. And on this day to celebrate the dream that we may all sit together at the table, we must heed the voices (like yours) that warn us against ostracizing others and quieting discussions.Sarahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17262684885044041191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37589721331585843.post-81615087433079625122008-01-21T19:23:00.000-07:002008-01-21T19:23:00.000-07:00I agree completely with Lofton here. The word cult...I agree completely with Lofton here. The word cult is usually used to suppress intellectual inquiry, rather than cultivate it. Regarding scientology, for instance, we should be investigating it no different than we would the followers of Father Divine or the missions of Presbyterians. And unlike anonymous or Katie's interlocutor, I was certainly impressed.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37589721331585843.post-18583492492496037102008-01-21T06:13:00.000-07:002008-01-21T06:13:00.000-07:00Thanks very much for your response and for this ve...Thanks very much for your response and for this very generative post.Brett Hendricksonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17010674430349695652noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37589721331585843.post-90307481312107945462008-01-20T22:54:00.000-07:002008-01-20T22:54:00.000-07:00Thanks, Brett! All I meant by (1) was that "relig...Thanks, Brett! All I meant by (1) was that "religion" is a category which has produced a lot of classificatory excitement (think of all the types of religion one can conjure, as well as all the components of religions that theorists have described) whereas from my reading of the literature, "cult" is a pretty narrow word, including few groups or people into its auspices. "Generative" here mainly meaning that you want to work harder to think more; "cult" makes you think less, "religion" presses for more.Kathryn Loftonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11581725585455784535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37589721331585843.post-84069131924937160852008-01-20T17:53:00.000-07:002008-01-20T17:53:00.000-07:00Geez, anonymous is a harsh critic. I always enjoy...Geez, anonymous is a harsh critic. I always enjoy reading your posts (loved the line: "Midwestern pleasantry has...trumped cracker instinct.")<BR/><BR/>I think I get your point that the comments prove the point that "cult" is a too-loaded term, and they also show that the terms is, in fact, "useful" if you want to make slurs or easy dismissals. Can you explain what it means that the category is not "generative to classification"? I have to admit that though I understand these two terms separately, I don't get what they mean together.Brett Hendricksonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17010674430349695652noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37589721331585843.post-17890695440443397422008-01-19T20:20:00.000-07:002008-01-19T20:20:00.000-07:00I can see why your interlocutor wasn't impressed w...I can see why your interlocutor wasn't impressed with your attempts.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com