OUTLINE
 
by Paul Nervy
Copyright (c) 2006 by Paul Nervy
 
Visit www.paulnervy.com.


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MAGIC, MYTH, RELIGION

Contents
Magic
Myth
Religion
	Philosophy and science of religion
	Types of religions
	Elements of religion
	List of specific religions
	History of religions


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MAGIC

Magic
(1) Magic can be defined as belief in things that are not real.  (2) Magic can be defined as non-rational form of minding.  (3) Magic can be defined as entertaining tricks, involving sleight of hand and other forms of illusion, done by a magician for an audience.

Superstition
Superstition is the belief that certain actions or events portend other events in a way unrelated to causation as described by empirical science.  For example, it is a supersition that breaking a mirror will cause seven years of bad luck.

Occult

Rituals

Spells.  Incantations.
Spells and incantations are spoken words intended to have a magical effect.

Curses.
Curses are spells intended to have a negative effect.

Blessings
Blessings are spells intended to have a positive effect.

Potions.  Love potions.
Potions are mixtures intended to have a magical effect.

Amulets.  Charms.  Good luck charms.  Lucky charms.
These are objects intended to have a magical effect.

Shaman, witch-doctor
A shaman is a person who has magical powers or who has a connection to the 


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Made-up supernatural entities

Witch, Warlock

Gnome, Elf, Troll

Sprites.  Pixies.  Fairies.

Demons.  Banshees.

Angels

Ghosts

Monsters.  Vampires.  Werewolves.  Frankensteins.

Devil

God


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Charlatans.  Mountebanks.  Snake oil salesmen.

Attempts to see the future.
Attempts to contact the dead.


Astrology
Astrology is the belief that the position of the stars effects events on earth.

Tarot
Tarot is the belief that a deck of cards can reveal the future.

Palm readers
Palm reading is the belief that looking at the palm of the hand can reveal the future.

Spiritual mediums.  Seances.
Spiritual mediums are people who claim to be able to contact the dead.


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Meaningless superstitions.  

Various vacuous bad luck superstitions.
Don't walk on sidewalk cracks.
Don't walk under ladders.
Don't break a mirror.

Various vacuous good luck superstitions.
Find a penny and its good luck.
Throw a pinch of salt over your shoulder.
Horse shoe on the mantel.  


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MYTH

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Myth
A myth is a story that attempts to explain the world.  Myths are not true.

Myth as false.
Myths are fictions.  Myths are simply not true.

Myth as truth.
There is a little bit of truth in myths, some argue.  Not really.


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Myths of various cultures.

Greek myths.

Roman myths.

Norse myths.


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Types of myths

Creation myths
	Creation of world
	Creation of man
	Creation of animals.

End of the world myths


After-life myths

Before-life myths


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Monster myths

Werewolves

Vampires

Frankenstein

Mummy

Sea monsters

Dragons

Ghosts

Witches

Monster slayers: heroes



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Common fears in humans that get incorporated into myths.

Fear of heights.

Fear of darkness.  

Fear of death.

Fear of closed spaces.

Fear of open spaces.

Fear of snakes, spiders, bats, etc.



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RELIGION

Religion
Religion can be defined as a social institution regarding the divine.  Religions are comprised of people, practices, texts and objects.  Religion can be defined as organized, shared, enduring beliefs regarding the divine.  Religion can be defined as magic mixed with philosophy.  Religion can be defined as organized magic and myth.

Divine.
The divine can be defined as ideas about anything that there is no evidence for.  Also known as: the supernatural or god.

God.
God is type of idea regarding the divine.


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Worldwide 
What percentage of people believe in the divine?
What percentage of people pray?
What percentage of people belong to a religion?
What percentage of people are religious fanatics?
What percentage of people are atheists?
What percentage of people feel religion is not an important part of their lives?


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Negatives of religion

Social negatives
Inquisition
Religious Wars
Social Intolerance

Psychological negatives
Psychological Repression
Psychological Guilt

Religious conflicts.
What percentage of conflicts in the world are religious conflicts?


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PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION

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Proofs for existence of god(s)

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Problem of evil.

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Ethics.  The rational, philosophical study of good and evil. 

Morals.  Various ethical prescriptions held by various religions.

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Science and religion
No scientific evidence for god, heaven, hell, angels, etc.

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Philosophy and religion

Most religions have much philosophy built into them.  In fact, strip most religions of philosophy and not much is left.  


Metaphysical claims.
(the question, "What is there?")
The nature of reality.  
The nature of the world.
Beginning of world.
End of world.
Nature of humans or persons.
Nature of mind.

Epistemological claims 
(the question, "How do we know?")
Personal inspiration of each adherent.
Inspiration of religious founders.
Sacred texts.

Ethical claims.  
(the question, "What to do?"
How to act.
General principles.
Specific instructions.

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Claims of a multi-leveled reality.  
Our physical plane of existence.
Non-physical planes of existence.  Spirit world.

Claims of a multi-staged reality.
Before life.
During life.
After life.


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Any rational arguments for the existance of god?  Not really.

Argument from Design.  
Argument: Universe has a high degree of order and complexity that can only be explained by god.  
Counter argument:  Physical complexity can be explained by physical laws.  Biological complexity can be explained by evolution.

Cosmological Argument.  
Argument: God as first cause.
Counter argument:  What caused god?  What came before god?  

Ontological argument.  
Argument: God defined as perfection.  Perfection must exist.
Counter argument:  Who is to say what is perfection?

What created god?
What came before god?

What came before the universe?  Another universe?
What comes after the universe?  Another universe?


Arguments against the existance of god.
The problem of evil.  Human evil.  Naturally bad things.


There is an argument that religion is about faith, not reason.

Pascal's wager.



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COMPARATIVE RELIGION

The worldwide study of religions today. 
Study of religions no longer popular.  Ancient religions.
The life cycle of religions.

What do all religions have in common?

Do all religions point to the same thing?  What is that thing?  God?  Religious experience?  Ethics?


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SCIENTIFIC STUDY OF RELIGION

Sociology and religion

Religious groups.

Dynamics of religious groups.

Peer pressure
Shunning.  Ostracism.


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Politics and religion.

Religious groups try to acquire poltical power through the use of the votes of their adherents, and through the use of money.


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Economics and religion.

Religions have a loophole to avoid paying taxes.
Religions try to get money from their adherents.


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Psychology and religion

Reports of religious experiences.

Religious ideas.

Religious emotions.  Religious feelings.

Religious attitudes.  Ideas and emotions.

Religious experience, reports of.

Religious belief.  Faith.


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Neurology and religion

Brain scans of people reporting religious experiences.


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Biology and religion.

The evolution of religion.

Pascal Boyer's "Religion Explained".


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TYPES OF RELIGIOUS VIEWPOINTS

Atheism.  
Atheism is the view that there is no god.  Atheism is not a religion, it is a view about religion.

Agnosticism.  
Agnosticism is the view that we cannot tell either way whether there is a god or not.  Agnosticism is not a religion, it is a view about religion.

Humanism
Humanism is the belief that helping humans in this world is most important.


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Nature worship.  
Nature worship involves worshipping nature or some aspect of nature such as air, water, earth, fire, sun, moon, stars, plants or animals.

Animism
Animism is the view that many spiritual beings exist which can help or hurt humans.

Totenism
Totenism is the view that a person or group has a mystical relationship with a totem.  A totem is an object such as a plant or an animal.

Ancestor worship
Ancestor worship means worshing the dead.


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Mysticism.
(1) Mysticism is the belief that divine revelation or divine inspiration can be obtained through certain behaviors, practices or lifestyles.  Common practices include solitude, silence, stillness.  (2) Mysticism is the belief that individual persons can have direct mystical experiences of the divine, rather than merely accepting the divine on faith or knowing about the divine intellectually.

Gnosticism
Gnosticism is a type of mysticism.  


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Monotheism.  
Monotheism is the belief in one god.

Dualism.
Dualism is the belief in god and devil.  For example, the dualistic religions of Zorastrism, Manicheism.

Polytheism.  
Polytheism is the belief that there are many gods.


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Pantheism.
(1) Belief that god is in all people.  (2) Belief that god is in all living things.  Plants, animals, humans.  (3) Belief that god is everywhere, and in everything

Theism.  
(1) Theism accepts god as a revelation.  (2) Theism as the view that god is separate from the world but involved in the world (constrast with Pantheism).

Deism.  
(1) Deism as the view that god is a reasonable belief.  (2) Deism as the view that god is not involved in the world.



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COMPONENTS OF RELIGIONS

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Religion (organized, human )

People, institutions (groups), practices, artifacts, texts, etc.


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People.  

Pastors.  
Rabiis.  
Priests.  

Monks.  
Nuns.


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Practices.  Behaviors.

Gathering

Prayer


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Artifacts.


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Texts.  

Creation of religious texts.  
Deeming texts holy vs. not.


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Before life.  
Previous lives.


After life.  
Heaven.  Hell.  Limbo.  Purgatory.  Reincarnation.


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The start of the world.
Beginnings.  Creation


The end of the world.
Endings.  Eschatology.


Arguments for and against the existence of an afterlife and beforelife.


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Asceticism.  
Monasticism.  
  

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Death.  

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Evil, problem of.  

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Fate.  

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Immortality.

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Nature worship.  
Sun.  
Moon.  
Earth.  

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Salvation.  


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Time.  

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Trickster.

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Shamanism.  
Witchcraft.  
Pagan
Wicca.  Wiccan

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God

Arguments for and against the existence of a god.

Views of God as 
Eternal
Omnipotent
Omniscient
Good always

Arguments for existence of god
Debates of nature of god


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Predestination.  Fate.

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Sin.  Original sin.

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Reincarnation.

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Soul

Arguments for and against the existence of a soul.


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Spirit world

Arguments for a world beyond our apprehension
	Beyond the naked eye
	Beyond the current and future tools of science

Arguments for a world beyond the laws of physics
	The laws of physics change as humans learn more
		Ex. quantum action at a distance.


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Non-believers.
Heretics
Blasphemers
Infidels


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Fanatics.  
Zealots.
Extremists.
Religious fanatics are people who will resort to violence and other forms of injustice to promote their religious views and to demote the differing views of others.


Guru

Yogi

Buddha


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LIST OF RELIGIONS

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Buddhism.

Founder: Sidhartha Guatama.  The Buddha.
Text: The Sutras.
Practice: Meditation.


Types of Buddhism.
Hinayana - small vehicle
Mahayana - great vehicle
Vajrayana - tantric Buddhism


The four noble truths.  
Life is pain.
Pain is caused by desire.
Pain can be ended.
Zazen is the way to end pain.

  
The eightfold path.
Right understanding.
Right thought.
Right speech.
Right action.
Right livelihood.
Right effort.
Right mindfulness.


Illusionary nature of life and reality.  Challenging 
All things connected.  No individuals.  Challenging the self.
Challenging the mind.

Meditation (Buddhist).  


Arhat.  Guide in Hinayana.
Bodhisattva.  Guide in Mahayana.
Siddha.  Guide in Vajrayana.


Dharma.  
Karma.  

Mandala (a visual mantra).  
Mantra.  

Tantrism.  
Indian Buddhism.
Tibetan Buddhism
Chinese Buddhism.
Japanese Buddhism.
South East Aisan Buddhism.  Theravada.
Buddhism in America.  

Yogi
Lama
Guru

Sutras.
The sutras are the teaching of the Buddha, written by his disciples.

Nirvana.  Cessation of suffering.
Samsara.  Suffering.

Individuals
Sidhartha Guatama.
Naropa
Mitrea
Vimalakirti


Texts
Dhamapada
Prajnaparamita
	Heart Sutra
	Diamond Sutra
Songs of Milarepa
Tibetan Book of the Dead


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Zen Buddhism

Founder: Bodhidharma
Texts:
Practice: Zazen.  Sitting and meditating.
  

Types of Zen
Rinzai
Soto


Satori.  Enlightenment.  

Koans


Individuals
Bodhidharma.  Brought Buddhism to China.  Started Zen Buddhism.
Huineng
Dogen.
Bankei.

Texts
Shobogenzo.  A book of koans.
Blue Cliff Record.  Another collection of koans.


Han Shan.  Wrote the Cold Mountain poems.


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Taoism.  

Founder: Lao Tzu.  
Text: The Tao de Ching.  
Practice: 


The Way.


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Confucianism.

Founder: Confucius
Text: Analects
Practice:


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Islam.

Founder: Mohammed
Text: Koran
Person: Imam.
Practice: Praying five times a day.
Place: Mosque

Moslem.

Five pillars of Islam.  
One god is Allah.  
Mohamed is his prophet.  


Mohammed
Mohammed was the founder of Islam.

The Koran.
The Koran is the holy book of Islam.  The Koran was written by Mohammed.

Mecca
Mecca is the Moslem holy city.  One of the pillars of Islam is to make a pilgramage to Mecca.

Sects of Islam.
Shia.  Fundamentalist.  Conservative.  9%
Sunni.  Moderate.  90% of Islams.
Sufi.  Mystical.  1%


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Hindu.  

Founder:
Texts:
Practice:
Person:
Place:

Cow as sacred.  

Ramayana.  
The Ramayana is an epic Indian poem.

Mahabarata.  
The Mahabarata is an epic Indian poem.

Vedas.  
The Vedas are ancient Indian religious texts.  Ex. Rig Veda.

Sutras.  
The Sutras are Buddhist religious texts.  Ex. Diamond sutra.  Heart sutra.


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Jain

Jainism is a branch of Hinduism.
Jains respect all life.  They try not to kill anything.


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Sikh

Sikhism is a branch of Hinduism.


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Bahai

Founder: Started in 1800's.
Eclectic.  Recognizes all religions.  Seeks to find the similarities between all religions.


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Judaism.  

Founder: Moses.  
Text: The Torah.  The Old Testament.  
Person: Rabbi.  Can marry.
Place: Temple

Types of Judaism.
Reformed.
Conservative
Orthodox.

Kosher.

Anti-Semitism.
Holocaust
  

Kabbala.  
Kabbala is a form of Jewish mysticism.


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Protestantism
  
Founder: Luther.  
Text: The bible.  Old testament and new testament.
Person: No guide needed.     Minister.  Can marry.
Place: Church

Types of Protestantism
Lutheran.
Methodist.
Episcopalians
Baptists
Unitarians


Luther rebelled against Catholicism.
No priest needed.  No pope needed.  No church needed.
Good works, not faith.  


Fundamentalists
Pentacostals
Evangelicals
Born agains


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Catholicism

Founder: Jesus.
Text: The bible.  Old testament and new testament.  
Person: Priest.
Practice: Mass.
Building: Church


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Mysticism 

The mystical traditions of the major religions are sometimes dubbed heretical by the orthodoxy.

Islamic mysticism:  Sufi.  Ex. Rumi the poet.

Jewish mysticism:  Kabala.

Christian mysticism:  Gnostic gospels.


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Ancient Egyptian religions.

Ancient Egyptian gods.
Isis.  The mother goddess.
Osirus.
Horus.
Ra.
Seth.

Notions of the afterlife.

Pyramid building.

Notions of animals as divine.
Bird headed gods.
Dog headed gods.

Notions of a trinity.

Notions of specific humans as divine.  The pharaoh. 

Notions of monotheism.  Akenaten.

Notions co-opted from ancient Egyptian religion by later religions like christianity.
Notions of the divine as a mother rather than a father.

Nag Hamadi
Gnosticism - knowledge of the divine via self knowledge.
Gospel of Thomas.


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American Indian Religions.


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African Religions.


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Australian Aboriginal Religions.


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Some recent religions

Founded by who, where, when.  Basic views.

Quakers

Shakers

Seventh Day Adventists

Christian Scientists

Mormons, Church of Later Day Saints.

Scientologists

Amish

Mennonites

Hare Krishna.

Moonies.


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History of religion.

-30000  Cave people - earliest evidence of religion.  Ceremonial burial.  
?  Earliest forms of polytheism.
?  Earliest forms of recorded monotheism.
-5000.  Egyptians.  Ancient Egyptian religons
-5000.  Vedic tradition.  5000 BC.  The Vedas.  Rig Veda.
-2000.  Hinduism.
?  Zoroastrianism.  The first monotheistic religion.
-1000.  Judaism.
-500.  Taoism - Lao Tzu.
-500.  Buddhism - the Buddha.
-500.  Confucianism - Confucius.
-500.  Zoroastrianism - Zoroaster.
?  Zen.
0.  Catholics - Jesus.
600.  Islam - Mohammed.
1500.  Protestants.  Martin Luther
1800.  Mormons.
1900.  Hare Krishnas.

Merton, Thomas.
Ouspensky.
Gurdjieff
Buber, Martin.
Tillich, Paul.
Niebur, Rheinhold.



Is there no end to new religions each claiming to be the one true way and each vowing to destroy the infidels?