Is there a religion or belief system that uses characters from 'The Lord of the Rings' as archetypes ....
540859
Ancient Irish folklore is full of stuff like that, here is a pretty good book on-line, and the Celtic knot, is a ritual, a form of spell-work, the second link is OK, I'm looking for a better one, all my books are still packed
1065836
Good question, nearly all of them are for love, peace and respect, but somehow whats written in the books gets lost when religion is applied on a daily basis in the real world.
733301
As Dawkins put it...\n\nThe God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully.\n\nWhy would I want to worship that?
811268
Since pre-history, human beings have had the need and desire to understand the world around them.  The most efficient way to do so was to adopt myth into their daily lives.  These myths speak the archetypal language of the psyche/soul, and, as such, transcend language and culture.  The same figures, the same stories, the same message can be found in the mythology of all religions.\n\nThere are some wonderful books on the subject by comparitive mythologist Joseph Campbell.\n\nThere is no need for confusion.  I would suggest that you believe the way you are most comfortable believing, the way that brings the most meaning into your life.  That is the reason for faith and religion.
937621
Not really.\n\nMost religions use an external belief in a 'God' or 'Jesus' to develop love and morality in their minds.\n\nBuddhists believe it is up to the individual to develop these traits. That's why Buddhism is sometimes called 'mind training' or a philosophy and not a religion.
887918
You'll find Celtic most common, I think.  I personally am drawn to the Greek pantheon.\n\nBut no, there isn't really a rule against which pantheons you choose to relate to.  It is, however, often said that you shouldn't *mix* pantheons (i.e. honoring or calling Bast and Hecate to the same circle, or working with Thor and Lugh at the same time), but that's more because of the energies that each of the Deities bring with them, IMHO.
380760
In my humble opinion it's creative fiction that was inspired by actual occult practices. I'm fascinated by the occult, and while I don't practice it, I've researched it a good bit. Much of what the occult practices are ancient rituals , but over time the acts and meanings changed in accordance with the people who practiced it. Both Christian and pagan religions get many of thier practices and holidays from the ancient beliefs. \n\nI will concede that Cthulhu, Dagon, and the Necronimican are all things that came to be because of Lovecraft, but I do believe that these things were based on knowledge from ancient cultures. \n\nFor all that I may not know about Lovecraft and the occult, I will say this much, that if you want to credit someone with the origins of the occult, research the Druids.
654864
depends upon whether you mean-church, friendship, or the Lord of the Rings series...
852089
Not that I am aware of.  In fact, some branches of some religions don't even believe in using symbols at all.
1017478
No way! Those books are works of geniuses! They're made out of a writer's imagination and I just dont see how religion can be related. Besides, if you are really strong in your faith you would not be swayed in your belief no matter what you read
403329
I do not...all of this religion stuff to me could be considered a myth...all beliefs are opinions from ones upbringings,teachings,and faith.
313316
that they can become gods . have sputural children and have there own planet .wifes . and my ex, brother in law was a mormon . ever see those silly underwear that they wear. looks very silly. being sealed in there temples for all time ref. www. mormonnomore. no masnknows my history. ?
919088
The God of the Old Testament appears to have more than one personality. The identity of God seems to vary with the author. I see religion as an evolutionary process.
1072555
kind of like a personality type.\nhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archetype
344952
You'd be better off asking in the mythology category.  I'll explain why in a minute.\n\nValhalla was considered to be a very exclusive place in Norse mythology.  Only heroes went there, and they had to earn their way through heroic acts that the Norse culture valued.  Strength, bravery, honor, skill with weapons, leadership skills, wealth, and generosity to followers were some of the values that would exemplify a hero in that culture.  And those values would be needed, because Valhalla was a place where heroism was indulged in every day.  Dogma would probably be the wrong word to use about Norse beliefs, as they were probably not all that dogmatic, but they certainly are much more complex and thought provoking than just what do you have to do to get to Valhalla. That said, there is still a lot that we don't know about what the Vikings believed.  And that's a very good reason for why asking "pagans" about hisorical belief systems that have not been well documented is not a good idea.  "Pagans" have adapted and added to and subtracted from what we know of the original belief system to the extent that modern paganism would probably not be recognized by the people who actually practiced that "ole time religion."
995053
If the links between myths and religion are of interest to you the  PBS interview series "The Power of Myth" (with Bill Moyers) based on the writings of Joseph Campbell is a must.  There is a book by the same title, and my public library in a town, pop. 5000, has both the series on VCR and his books.  \n\nCampbell has many other writings from a lifetime of fascination with myth.  He taught for many years at Sarah Lawrence\n\nI taught religion for several years, and was ignorant of the common threads between what is now called mythology and today's religions until I explored his writings.  It was truly a life altering experience and one of the finest elements of my education.  \n\nYour  perception of  "Mythology" will evolve and 'write-off' won't be meaningful if you delve into this subject, so I can't answer the question you posed except to say that the peoples of the world have had religion forever.\n\nBe prepared to be addicted, and transformed.\n\nPS \nCharlie Rose  interviewed Bill Moyers and his wife last night.\nThey will present about 13 persons of all religious persuasions on a new program about religion tonight on PBS
497580
An archetype crosses cultural, historical, and medium boundaries - it is a universal form recognized by the human consciousness.\n\nIt has a set of characteristics that allow it to be identified no matter where it shows up.  These are usually general attributes, symbolic associations, relationships to other elements, or function within plot or narrative.