Judaism,Christianity and Islam are Cargo Cults !

Originally posted by 667joe
What is a cargo cult?

"A cargo cult is a type of religious practice that has appeared in many traditional tribal societies in the wake of interaction with technologically advanced cultures. The cults are focused on obtaining the material wealth (the "cargo"😉 of the advanced culture through magic and religious rituals and practices, believing that the wealth was intended for them by their deities and ancestors. Cargo cults developed primarily in remote parts of New Guinea and other Melanesian and Micronesian societies in the southwest Pacific Ocean, beginning with the first significant arrivals of Westerners in the 19th century. Similar behaviors have, however, also appeared elsewhere in the world."
Says Wikipedia.

Originally posted by caissad4
I say yes.

I would say that you have a valid point, but that the historical expanionism is more complicated than that. On the one hand, there are, historically, surely converts of good conscience for whom cargo considerations did not/do not play a role. On the other hand, there have been wholesale coercive conversions of people who would not have voluntarily chosen to convert out of cargo considerations, or any other. (In neither case am I referring to such converts coming from the dominant, cargoed culture.)

Still, there is likely some historical truth in the idea that these groups believed that the cargo of the dominant cultures (e.g., the pagan Roman empire for Christians, the Christianized Roman empire for Muslims) rightfully belonged to them, based in part on the belief that their religion was the true and righteous one—and that, as such, it bestowed entitlement. And that some converts to those religions based their decisions, at least in part, on cargo considerations.

I also think that this is still sometimes the case. There, for example, are businesses that explicitly advertise their religion (not always, but I would say at least sometimes) because they believe it enhances their ability to acquire the cargo implicit in business transactions.

Originally posted by caissad4
I say yes.

I demand an apology for being referred to as mere cargo!! 😠

Now as for being a "cultist", yep I am. In fact, my cult is for Jesus Christ. What is yours? Is it science? Is it pleasure etc? In short, for whom or for what have you sold out or live your life?

Originally posted by FabianFnas
"A cargo cult is a type of religious practice that has appeared in many traditional tribal societies in the wake of interaction with technologically advanced cultures. The cults are focused on obtaining the material wealth (the "cargo"😉 of the advanced culture through magic and religious rituals and practices, believing that the wealth was intended for th ...[text shortened]... ry. Similar behaviors have, however, also appeared elsewhere in the world."
Says Wikipedia.

They later become socialists. 😵

Originally posted by whodey
I demand an apology for being referred to as mere cargo!! 😠

Now as for being a "cultist", yep I am. In fact, my cult is for Jesus Christ. What is yours? Is it science? Is it pleasure etc? In short, for whom or for what have you sold out or live your life?

For most of us secularists in the developed world, our cult is reason.