A boy in Nepal / Photo: nromagna
It’s tempting to see exotic cultures as overtly religious. But as the author reveals, Western culture is also rife with religious influence.
Nepal has always seemed exotic for many travelers — not only for its litany of climates, which range from sea level jungles to the ice-caped apexes of the world called the Himalaya.
Despite the bevy of diversity amongst flora and fauna, its culture too has held sway over the imaginations of travelers from around the world.
I was fortunate enough to have had a teaching post in its capital Kathmandu. The duties were minimal and I was able to feed a few sportive passions like trekking and climbing, as well as a few more cerebral ones, including the odd bit of volunteer work and some personally relevant cultural research.
As an atheist with avid interest in religion I was keen to explore the culture that (for me) was tantamount to zealous and devout observance of Hinduism and Buddhism.
My first shock when I realized Sundays are normal work and school days in Nepal; a fact that started me thinking not so much about the role religion played in conditioning the Nepalese and Nepali societies, but rather, the role of religion on a global level.
God Bless You
NYC crowd / Photo: cwbuecheler
In the West, whence secularism arose, we are tempted to conclude that we live in a place devoid of religious dominance.
Of course, most people cognisant of history will acknowledge that bank holidays such as Christmas, Good Friday, or Easter Monday come directly from Christianity. Aside from these obvious examples, the prevalence of religion, and not only Christian, is woven throughout the experience of Westerners.
“God bless you,” one might say after sneezing, a statement with overtly religious origins. The phrase is thought to have originated during the reign of Pope Gregory I (aka Gregory the Great or Gregory the Dialogist) when sneezing was considered a sign of having plague. Blessing one another, as per the recommendation of Gregory I, was meant to provide alleviation.
In Law and Loss
In modern law, the phrase Acts of God can be readily found. What was once intended likely for reverence – now the mentioned ‘God’ is no longer inherent, yet the phrase remains intact, exemplifying the role of religion in even secular societies.
Perhaps the most prevalent of places to find religious connotation is in exclamations people employ whilst expressing themselves in a heightened emotion state.
Perhaps the most prevalent of places to find religious connotation in daily life is in the bevy of exclamations people employ whilst expressing themselves on matters of relief, stupefaction, indignation, anger, and any other heightened emotion state.
“For heaven’s sake”, “Devil take the hindmost”, and “Thank God” might be heard on any given day, and all have religious suggestions even if the users are non-believers.
Tthe phrase “by Jove” conjures the head of the Roman pantheon by name directly, Jove, sometimes known as Jupiter, or in Greek, Zeus.
Eat, Pray, Eat
Hot (Jesus) Cross Buns / Photo: tico24
Many people also indirectly observe religion by way of eating. Or maybe it is more apt to say that what many people put—and do not put—into their mouths is dictated or at least influenced by religious observance.
Taboo foodstuffs are the easiest to consider, such as pork in Islam, which is forbidden a la Mohammed (owing to how quickly the meat spoils in the warm climate in which Islam was first founded). The sacred status of cattle in Hinduism that lead to the prohibition of beef amongst Hindus is another well-known example of the interplay between food and belief.
Vegetarianism on religious grounds is certainly not limited to Hinduism. During the Christian time of Lent, red meat is forbidden. This excludes beaver, which was declared a fish in the 17th century by the Catholic Church and is therefore not taboo throughout Lent.
In many English-speaking cultures, one of the ways in which the end of Lent is celebrated is with the pastry hot-crossed buns.
These sweet breads are decorated with a cross, commensurate to the Christian religion and evocative of resurrection of Jesus Christ. There is also evidence suggesting these specific breads having been part of an early Anglo-Saxon tradition celebrating spring.
Regardless of one’s own beliefs, country of origin, and country of residence — whether Nepal and India, or Europe and North America — the fortitude of religion has been secured through celebration, custom, food, and even colloquialism.
What examples of of religion influencing culture have you noticed in your travels? Share your thoughts in the comments!
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14 Comments... join the discussion!
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In India, orange and deep red are colors that signify anything sacred. So everything from religion bands, wedding paraphernalia, and festivals are celebrated with these colors.
A Californian once said to me she’s glad she doesn’t live in a culture where even colors are dominated with religion. But I think culture is color-coded. Weddings in the West often have predominantly white/pastel colors. Are there other things in Western culture that are color-coded?
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This begs the question – what do atheists yell during sex?
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“Ohh MEANINGLESS VOID!”
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“Yes, YES, OH DARWIN YES!”
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You said you’re an atheist who’s interested in religions? You should write an article or blog about that. Can’t say I’ve met many people with point of view
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What do you mean? All atheists have (or should have, I hope) a least a rudimentary knowledge of most of major world religions. So they can know exactly what it is they’re rejecting.
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I think it’s easier to study the religions from an atheist’s point of view – an objective view, so to speak. I find the history of religions very interesting. The dogma, not so much.
What about the “In God We Trust” on the American one dollar bill? A quick Wikipedia later, I find that it’s actually the national motto. And this quote from Congress during the Cold War:
“In these days when imperialistic and materialistic Communism seeks to attack and destroy freedom, it is proper” to “remind all of us of this self-evident truth” that “as long as this country trusts in God, it will prevail.”
So it was all in effort to fend off that pesky Communism!
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atheists who are knowledgeable about religion I’m familiar with, atheists actually interested in religion is not. Just curious as to what that looks like.
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Well, I would have to argue that most who are knowledgable in something have interest in it.
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I’m not sure I believe that atheists are necessarily any more objective than followers of religions. Atheism is itself a systematic set of beliefs – with a central belief that no deity or deities exists.
A truly objective point of view would consider the evidence of psychological studies, anthropological studies, and anecdotal evidence, that indicates that most people’s belief systems, including those of atheists, are not based on objective weighing up of logical arguments for and against.
Most atheists don’t arrive at their views and beliefs after having conducted an exhaustive research and analysis of the all the world’s major religions, but rather arrive at their views based on the evidence of their unique life experiences, (& as such based on what feels true, or feels like an insight to them), and rationalise that belief system afterwards. Just like everyone else.
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Very true. I don’t think it’s helpful for atheists to hold their “non-beliefs” up on a pedestal. There’s simply too much we don’t know to believe there’s “nothing” behind the music of the universe.
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Religion is something interesting to get to know while traveling. See how it’s embedded in local life. One may not believe, but do respect I think.
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hello what is a contct between groups?
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