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Comparing Shintoism And Feuerbach's Definition Of Religion

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Throughout history, a wide variety of differing cultures and religions have developed and created a unique way of life for the people that practice them. One in particular is a Japanese tradition, specifically Shintoism. The primary belief is that its followers must pray to the gods or their ancestors in times of trouble in order to reach their own personal fulfillments. This religion demonstrates how god “assists” those who ask for help, or in other words, gives them some sense of hope during rough times. A statement about religion that relates to this is Ludwig Feuerbach definition of religion, “God, I have said, is the fulfiller, or the reality, of the human desires for happiness, perfection, and immortality.” By including this quote it develops a comparison between Shintoism belief and Feuerbach’s definition. Both which provide a deeper understanding of religions today. …show more content…

They make sacrifices and offerings to any form of what they believe to be a higher being in an attempt to bring greater fortune among themselves. Those who follow this religion do this since they are taught that there is more to the world than just what they understand. The invisible world is what the Shinto religion calls this other realm. Here is where both gods and spirits take action towards those seeking guidance. For some cases, those who have prayed to their ancestors and gods receive what they were looking for, while others have their prayers unheard. While some may perceive this as an act that there prayers were answered others find misfortune. Both find reason to believe that spirits and higher beings caused these actions but according to Feuerbach, people only comprehend it this way in order to have greater reasoning for events in their lives other than natural

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