nermal

It should also be pointed out that AIM isn't the American Indigenous Movement.

"Indian," while not technically accurate, is descriptive and distinctive enough. Native American is not distinctive at all, and indigenous is completely wrong. If one were looking for the proper term, Aboriginal American would be the one. But no one seems to care to be called "aboriginal."

In my experience, most "indians" would prefer to be called Souix, Crow, Navajo, etc. as that is what they specifically are. But ultimately, Indians aren't as worried about the nitpicky nonsense as self-flatulating whites would believe. They're more interested in being treated equitably and respected as a people, and desparately trying not to lose their cultural heritage than whether or not whites refer to them as Indian or NA.

As for the OP, that's what new agers do. They shop around for a religion until they find one they like, and wear it for a while. If none fit, they'll make one up on the fly, a little of this, and a little of that. They dabble. Why anyone takes them seriously enough to be concerned about their cooption of religious affects is a mystery. Let them be. They're harmless. They publish their books in their own little publishing houses, and play at ceremonies they understand only superficially, and keep the baubles markets alive.


Ed

newtype_alpha

Reading some of the replies on this thread, it has suddenly occured to me that I dont fully know for sure what the "New Age" movement really is. This probably has something to do with the fact that they're so eclectic there is no one answer to that question..... :banghead:

Examples would help, especially in the context of borrowing snippets of American Indian religions and whatnot. I'm wondering if some of the stuff I've been thinking of as "New Age" isn't just weird occultism and vice versa. :huh:

brighid

You will soon learn that all of his Catholic arguments can be summed as arguments from arrogance with a random Jungian word generator and a biblically based vocabulary.

Have fun!

Brighid

brighid

Think of "New Age" as an umbrella term just as "Christian" is an umbrella term. There are many different traditions, trains of thought, etc. that are encompassed under this umbrella term and all that may be common is a singular belief and all, if not most other beliefs, practices diverge from that point. Think of the term generically.

As the "New Age" and "Neo-pagan" movements are in the infancy compared to other more established religious movements they are difficult to categorize as they are still developing and emerging in our societal landscape.

Some people who can be classified as "New Age" certainly incorporate Native American ritual, myth and belief into their developing religious philosophies and practice, just as "Neo-pagans" may incorporate Celtic, Indian (Hindu), Egyptian and other traditions into their personal, religious/spiritual practice. This borrowing/incorporating is really at the heart of New Agism/Neo-Paganism. They are attempting to develop a new religious movement out what is already known and what speaks to their personal philosophies and/or beliefs. It is all very dynamic and ever evolving. You would really need to focus on a particular tradition to have more than an eclectic knowledge of this very large movement.

I can understand why some Native Americans would be upset at this borrowing because it is usually borrowed out of ignorance and without a firm understanding of the practice. Native Americans have seen their cultures, religion and languages destroyed by the white man and their spiritual practices are one of the few things they have left to preserve for future generations. It's understandable if some get upset that some white man/woman goes around chanting to the great spirit after sitting in a makeshift sweat lodge. It is disrespectful if not approached with reverance and a true desire to learn.

I am part Native American - Cherokee and Sioux on my mother's side and I have experienced a lot of disappointment that this rich part of my cultural ancestory has been sanitized and destroyed by my Catholic and Christian heritage. I was given glimmers of the peace and beauty of that culture through an uncle, but the abuse he was dolled out as a 'half breed' put up a protective wall where it was nearly impossible to do anything other than carefully disguise those practices into a "Christian" way of life.

Brighid

Ramonda

Yes, we are eclectic At the core of the movement is the realization that being spiritual is not a destination but who we are. It's focus is on unity of self with all that is seen and unseen, known and unknown. The divine is human and the human is divine.

From that core we have no commonality as to how we approach it because it will vary on individual personalities and interests and availability. I coined it the Now Age because change is built into spirituality.

As to the connection with American Indian religions, that will vary also depending on the Nation and the seeker. I myself having grown up in a ritual oriented theism, wanted no part of any ritual that is purported to be the way to enlightenment. Another who never had ritual or routine might be delighted in it because there is value in ritual. But I had that value and didn't need it anymore.

In the concept of unity of all that is, there is a connection with many of the Native concepts where they too saw unity in all. They saw the connection of themselves with all of nature. The deer is themself, the eagle is themself. The white man is themself. There are some Native traditions that parallel the bible with prophecies of end times. People who want to believe in prophecies will attach themselves to a similar concept. What I've seen most common in some groups is the interest in the sweat lodges and the vision quests.

New Age interest has done more to benefit the Native culture than to detract from it. They are the ones that eagerly buy the various artifacts that are made by the natives that symbolize their quest in life. They are the ones who will support them in their desire to have their beliefs respected. The commercialism that one Native might decry is drowned out by the acceptance and happiness that many Natives have as they sell more and more of their traditional yet spiritual products.

It is not just American Natives that the New Agers are interested in. It expands the world's indigenous tribes as people who have something that we can learn from without us leaving our western ways or westernizing them to get along.

Not every New Ager has a desire to become Indian. I live near a reservation and not every Indian desires to go the traditional way.

Chili

It depends on how you wish to use the word bastardization. We are a new religion which is grafted into the root of Judaism for which I claimed that the 10 commandments were adopted and the first three chapters of Genesis so we can arrive at the place we first started.

When Jesus said that he came to fulfill the law he meant that his arrival was the fruition of the Law which makes religion a means to the end for which the first three chapters of Genesis is the necessary end.

The message of Jesus was to show us how to mature in Israel instead of remaining a child of Israel and die nonetheless. His intention was to built a new religion upon the insight of Peter which became the solid foundation for this Church against which the gates of hell would not prevail. The implied message here is that this would be one of the improvements wherefore he included the "Discourse on the Bread of Life" in Jn.6, for example.

You call it a bastardization, I call it an improvement. Yes, he comes only once but only once in a persons lifetime. The mystery of religion is contained his arrival on an individual basis and therefore I hold that there is nothing wrong with 'their denial' or 'our acceptance' because their God is no good to me and my God is not good to them until our God comes for me just as their God must come for them on an individual basis. Until then they must look for a general 'first messiah' as we look for a general 'second coming of the messiah' whom we now call Christ because Jesus showed us the way.