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JWeinCom said: Overall, it seems you're speaking more of idolatry than religion. |
Perhaps yes. But my point is that Eastern Religion by nature resembles idolatry more than Western Religion. Western Religion, like most western philosophy in general, has more structure, heirarchy, and rules. Eastern is more holistic and fluid. Shintoism is largely based on the worship of "kami." Kami is the life-force that animates everything from rocks, to humans, cats, leaves, dirt, clouds, etc. And Hinduism like I said has many gods thereby diminishing any central heirarchy of worship.
Disclaimer for myelf as well, not an expert in Eastern Religions specifically, but as a general concept I understand the differences in philosophy. Shintoism more so as I lived in Japan for a while.
