Jeez ....... where to start with this lot ? :h?: :cat:
Ed astutely put it with his assessment of
'reductio ad absurdum'.
Sangahyando says,
"I fail to see ...."
Well yes, I totally agree.
Even with the limited modern scientific tools and insights, perilously crippled by a completely ineffectual window of perspective - I have to wonder whether some responses here are just so uninformed as to be totally wrong, or whether they are wilfully mischievous or worse ..... :brains:
Ed was correct to point people to further research on 'Oral Traditions'. Not one single thing I have read here in these responses displays any real understanding of the reality of it at all. The same lack of understanding applies to Aboriginal people and culture specifically. It falls well short of any sort of cogent argument.
Oral traditions are embedded in culture, in law, in various tribal initiation, in the 'schooling', 'demonstrated learning' , and 'proficiency' for various elder, country, and cultural roles. They are integral to cultural ritual, social structure, song, dance, art, and relations. Integral to law and governance that binds individuals and tribes remotely across vast geographical distance - connected by the common energy in all living things, in songlines that transcend time and space.
Practical ways for living sustainably and in harmony are inextricably linked with the deeper esoteric and energetic understanding of life and reality, connected by a deep spirituality than spans time, space, and molecular form - whether it be child, departed ancestor, river, rakali, or rock. These are not mere beliefs, but very real tangible experiences. Everywhen.
Behaviour is not separate from Cause.
I again direct you to Ed's nailing of the nature of the opportunity presented here:
..... I submit that what’s being missed by those who are quick to criticize/belittle is an unusual opportunity to peer outside the box and learn more about Indigenous People's thoughts and thought processes.
This wiki article excerpt below is a reasonable attempt at explaining some of the framework around cause of thought and behaviour - short of actually having your reality altered by being in the presence of an elder (which would not be allowed for a few here - especially in the presence of some of the 'old girls' .... that purity and level of energy would instantly manifest in fatal darkness within the being of some here) :gn:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Aboriginal_religion_and_mythology
I've posted this before elsewhere - but here it is again:
"..... Aboriginal myths still being performed across Australia by Aboriginal peoples serve an important social function amongst their intended audiences: justifying the received ordering of their daily lives;[16] helping shape peoples' ideas; and assisting to influence others' behaviour.[17] In addition, such performance often continuously incorporates and "mythologises" historical events in the service of these social purposes in an otherwise rapidly changing modern world.
It is always integral and common... that the Law (Aboriginal law) is something derived from ancestral peoples or Dreamings and is passed down the generations in a continuous line. While... entitlements of particular human beings may come and go, the underlying relationships between foundational Dreamings and certain landscapes are theoretically eternal ... the entitlements of people to places are usually regarded strongest when those people enjoy a relationship of identity with one or more Dreamings of that place. This is an identity of spirit, a consubstantiality, rather than a matter of mere belief...: the Dreaming pre-exists and persists, while its human incarnations are temporary.[18]
An Aboriginal generalisation
Aboriginal specialists willing to generalise believe all Aboriginal myths across Australia, in combination, represent a kind of unwritten (oral) library within which Aboriginal peoples learn about the world and perceive a peculiarly Aboriginal 'reality' dictated by concepts and values vastly different from those of western societies:[19]
Aboriginal people learned from their stories that a society must not be human-centred but rather land centred, otherwise they forget their source and purpose ... humans are prone to exploitative behaviour if not constantly reminded they are interconnected with the rest of creation, that they as individuals are only temporal in time, and past and future generations must be included in their perception of their purpose in life.[19]
People come and go but the Land, and stories about the Land, stay. This is a wisdom that takes lifetimes of listening, observing and experiencing ... There is a deep understanding of human nature and the environment... sites hold 'feelings' which cannot be described in physical terms... subtle feelings that resonate through the bodies of these people... It is only when talking and being with these people that these 'feelings' can truly be appreciated. This is... the intangible reality of these people...[19]"
If you want pretty much the same thing said in a more western culture friendly fashion, I would point you to the entirety of this - STNG S1Ep5: "Where No One Has Gone Before"
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=G7kmHa9kYtg
Remember - just because you are unaware of something or do not understand it does not mean it does not govern reality. It didn't matter to the first person to fall off a cliff whether they new that the acceleration due to gravity is 9.81m/s^2 or not ..... the result was the same.
Such egalitarian worldviews and philosophies of Indigenous peoples as I have attempted to give an understanding of here, then lead us to questions over why we have behaviours and systems in the world today (such as in the article of post #76) which destroy the very home and it's biota that is an inextricable part of us, that nutures us as we should our own 'Mother'.
Chosun :gh: