Crosses on gravestones are a scientific metric? Some people adopt religious ephemera for cultural reasons, not necessarily religious ones. For instance, I know a lot of atheists who put up trees in Christmas because they were raised Catholic and simply like the tradition, and not because they believe in a higher power. Ditto Jews who identify as, well, Jews, but who are not necessarily religious.
Yeah but the crosses on gravestones do generally signify a level of religiosity that is unique -- for instance pretty much everyone in America celebrates Christmas but a lot of gravestones do not have crosses, and they don't have a religious funeral.
Actually, crosses on gravestones is quite common for Military personnel, more so than the general population. But this has been the default design for military graves for over a century. That this is indicative of anything more so than mere tradition is still fallacious.
I really like this article, so please don't take this as a criticism, because I think overall the point is well made. But crosses on gravestones are a tricky metric. You'd have to know why they got there. Did the family designate the religion or the person themselves? And while the lottery might be random, in Vietnam you could get a deferral if you went to college, which indicates a certain "class" of people for lack of a better word that can get out of the draft versus those who are forced to actually join up. Those who had to honor the draft were often lower class, not college educated, and perhaps more religious to begin with. What I'm saying is that it backs up the other evidence nicely, but is a little tricker to use as primary evidence.
Another example: lots of people, myself included, will dress up for Halloween this year; this act doesn’t necessarily mean I subscribe to paganistic Celtic Druid traditions or observe the Samhain.
Also, how many soldiers picked out a gravestone before they were unexpectedly killed versus how many gravestones were chosen by the religious family of the decedent.
Thanks. I've also been told near death experiences can lead to a rise in fertility as well as religiosity. Is there any data on the birth rates of soldiers who survived the Vietnam war?
The collective aspect is interesting too. I always think of a religious conversion as an individual experience but, if you are pinned down in a foxhole alongside others, then the experience is shared and all the more powerful for that reason? (Not that I'm in any hurry to join the army!)
I knew a veteran who explained that once you see the horrors of war and the depth of human evil, that it creates a schism within that person. in other words, witnessing the manifest darkness produces the realization that there must be a corollary: ultimate goodness and Love.
sometimes that reality can only be realized in the most extreme of situations.
in our modern, comfortable lives, it becomes easy to forget the dynamic struggles our ancestors grappled with daily.
Crosses on gravestones are a scientific metric? Some people adopt religious ephemera for cultural reasons, not necessarily religious ones. For instance, I know a lot of atheists who put up trees in Christmas because they were raised Catholic and simply like the tradition, and not because they believe in a higher power. Ditto Jews who identify as, well, Jews, but who are not necessarily religious.
Yeah but the crosses on gravestones do generally signify a level of religiosity that is unique -- for instance pretty much everyone in America celebrates Christmas but a lot of gravestones do not have crosses, and they don't have a religious funeral.
Actually, crosses on gravestones is quite common for Military personnel, more so than the general population. But this has been the default design for military graves for over a century. That this is indicative of anything more so than mere tradition is still fallacious.
I really like this article, so please don't take this as a criticism, because I think overall the point is well made. But crosses on gravestones are a tricky metric. You'd have to know why they got there. Did the family designate the religion or the person themselves? And while the lottery might be random, in Vietnam you could get a deferral if you went to college, which indicates a certain "class" of people for lack of a better word that can get out of the draft versus those who are forced to actually join up. Those who had to honor the draft were often lower class, not college educated, and perhaps more religious to begin with. What I'm saying is that it backs up the other evidence nicely, but is a little tricker to use as primary evidence.
Another example: lots of people, myself included, will dress up for Halloween this year; this act doesn’t necessarily mean I subscribe to paganistic Celtic Druid traditions or observe the Samhain.
Also, how many soldiers picked out a gravestone before they were unexpectedly killed versus how many gravestones were chosen by the religious family of the decedent.
This is a stupid study.
Thanks. I've also been told near death experiences can lead to a rise in fertility as well as religiosity. Is there any data on the birth rates of soldiers who survived the Vietnam war?
The collective aspect is interesting too. I always think of a religious conversion as an individual experience but, if you are pinned down in a foxhole alongside others, then the experience is shared and all the more powerful for that reason? (Not that I'm in any hurry to join the army!)
I knew a veteran who explained that once you see the horrors of war and the depth of human evil, that it creates a schism within that person. in other words, witnessing the manifest darkness produces the realization that there must be a corollary: ultimate goodness and Love.
sometimes that reality can only be realized in the most extreme of situations.
in our modern, comfortable lives, it becomes easy to forget the dynamic struggles our ancestors grappled with daily.