However, there is something to be said about the idea that inanimate objects develop souls.
The problem arises when you ask, 'Why do people believe this?'
And the answer is that giving souls to objects is how people can explain the object's power (for example, some early Greek philosophers appeared to believe that magnets were alive because of their attractive forces).
OR the giving of a soul to an object gives it personality and means that the person is able to identify better with the object (for example, mononoke which inhabit abused pots or umbrellas to give them life. This idea is fundamentally not just an ayakashi or youkai story, but also seems to indicate the dislike of waste or carelessness with one's property. Certain supernatural stories around the world are used as a cautionary tale for others).
OR ascribing a soul to an object may be purely to allow a person to indulge in sentiment, such as the soul of a doll that has been handed down through the family for generations (or a figurine painstakingly crafted by an artist which is so loved that it gains a soul).
This idea in Japan, which is called seireishinkou or bukkatsurou is popular in stories and manga.
I myself am guilty of similar feeling at times, especially in the way that I revere the printed word.
But I draw the line at believing that any object can come alive or gain a soul, because I do not believe that spirits and small gods have power. Perhaps they may have power around those who allow them to exercise it but my faith proclaims God is more powerful than any earth-bound spirits or indeed, anything in the spirit world at all.
So to me, I do not disbelieve in animism.
I simply do not believe it has any standing in my relationship with God.
I guess you could say that I believe in ghosts and demons but they are not allowed to harm me. So whether or not they exist is kind of a moot point.
A lot of people hold this belief about God, don't they?
They say things like, 'I don't care if he exists or not.'
Or, 'I don't believe in him but if you want to it's fine. I respect your right to believe whatever you want.'
Or, 'Well, I don't want to be a Christian, I don't need God.'
I think that the people who say that all supernatural and spiritual things are non-existent are mistaken. A lot of the power comes from human belief that is true, but there is something there.
We may not know what it is, and I think a lot of the stories and monsters and creatures we have invented are a way of trying to identify the phenomena. But we know it is there. Whatever it is.
So monsters are frightening, but sometimes not knowing is more frightening, because it could be something even more horrible.
Anyway... hylozoism is quite complicated compared to animism. I prefer animism... but that could be because of the anime and manga that I have been reading/watching lately which tend more toward the sentimental side.
I will ask one more thing though.
When we try to understand supernatural things according to a human viewpoint, are we actually missing something, and is it actually quite conceited and short-sighted to do that?
I know that if you try to understand God from a human point of view, you are often confused, and you end up believing in a small-minded god that is more like a super-powered, judgmental version of yourself.
That is why being a Christian is so hard and why a lot of people don't keep trying.
Being a Christian is not just 'trying to be a good person'. Or 'being a judgmental git'.
It is (among many other things) an attempt to get to know the God who made the universe, and develop a good relationship with him. But that is very hard, because frankly, we're outclassed by him in the thinking department. What makes up for our myriad of mistakes is the fact that he loves and forgives and wants us to keep trying, keep trying.
Ok ok enough talk.
Gonna go play on the Global Link again yay second time to go to the new area! ^-^
No comments:
Post a Comment