(no subject)
So, after another fun conversation with that interestingly-spelled-last-name-girl, I've hit the proverbial jackpot. A few half-mulled thoughts fully mulled themselves in my muller, also known as a brain, and became processed ideas...on a few different topics, actually.
Mainly political, with a healthy dosage of religion in the mix, stir twice and tap your heels together and you get - group dynamics in a changing world. Add in some psychology theories and season with a dash of sociology, bake it for six months at "The World's Most Boring Retail Store" and you get - the idea that a new religion may be coming forth within the next generation..plus tax.
One that may, in my never to be humble (the temptation to say "hummus" was almost overwhelming) estimation, rival the speed at which Christianity grew, and come close to equaling the power held by Islam. And it's probably going to emerge from Japan.
The reasoning:
Major, world-spanning religions usually emerge shortly before or shortly after a massive military conflict. We are in a very conflicting world these days, and it gets more so by the week. I'm not placing blame or pointing fingers, 'cuz that would sort of be pointless because most of it is up for interpretation based upon personal beliefs and the play culture differences have on serious discussion and debate. Japan, as I have been speaking with Spivey about recently, is a veritable cesspool of religions of every imaginable sort (I don't mean that literally...just the best metaphor I could think of on short notice). It stands to reason, at least in my slightly warped mind, that such a society, which allows it's collective personality to be affected so easily, will be the birthplace of the next 'Big Thing'.
I doubt that it will be very wide spread in the States, however, the US of A will likely play a major role in the process. Imagine a time of crisis - military, religious, and economic - in the world, and there exists whether known previously or not a strong, charismatic leader of a spiritual group with a strong, albeit small, following. The cry for help goes out, and this group and it's leader hear the cry...and answer.
The United States of America is predominately a Christian country, and those who are not members of or believers in the major religions as currently exist are people much like myself..those who just really and honestly don't give a shit when it comes to matters of faith. It's not really a good candidate for a base of any sort for this religion. Neither is Japan, as the country is too small and too far removed from the metropolitan centers of the world.
However. America is the most diversely populated country I can think of - both permanently and temporarily. Meaning that people are constantly coming into and going out of the borders of the country. The Japanese, at least to a Western point of view, LOVE American culture. But whether this is the case or not, there are large portions of the States that do everything they can to emulate the Japanese and their rapidly fluctuating society - I fall into a part of that segment, as do several of you that are on my friends list...anime is, afterall, mostly a Japanese phenomenon. At least, good anime is.
So America makes a perfect stepping stone.
Religion is born in Japan, someone moves to or visits America and brings his beliefs with him, someone in America becomes intrigued and attempts to start a similar movement here..time passes and he has managed to amass a following that while small is incredibly strong in their beliefs...but it is too small to make an impact on a world scale. The next step? The UK. Which as it stands now is ripe for the picking, religiously and societally speaking. Someone will go to Britain, bringing the ideals with them. People there will have already heard rumors of the faith, and possibly started their own little sects, but the news from America will cement it. And from there, Great Britain, Merlin's Isle, will spread this new world scope faith. It might never have the power or riches of Christianity, but that of course, as does everything else here, remains to be seen.
The way I see it happening, the House of Islam and the Vatican will both express an interest in the goings-on of this new faith. And, in my opinion, the Catholic Church is likely to make a sizeable financial donation to the new faith...and this is where my opinion argues with itself. I'm not quite sure whether the new faith is more likely to accept the money or throw it back in the Pope's face...and beyond that whether the money will be offered to help along a fledgling religion or to tell them to shut up and go away. Either way, in so doing, the Vatican will have given this new faith even more publicity than it is likely to have had until this point. And from there, well....the rest, as they say, is future.
Just some ideas that had been rattling around the old brainbox for pretty much the entirety of every day that has passed since I started working at CompUSA and Office Depot....I have a lot of time on my hands where nothing is going on. At least, nothing that demands mental process to be devoted to. So I've got hours upon hours upon hours to just stand/slouch around, letting my mind work on overdrive on about six billion different thoughts, ideas, and theories...all in the background, as it were. And then some stimuli comes along and these formulations come out to the fore in fully- or semi-rounded ideas...such as my conversation with Jess. Or...no stimuli comes and they stay on the backburner of my psyche, processing more and more until they're just completely forgotten or something happens to bring them to my attention.
Also...Hackers is a great movie.