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It's a deeply embedded cultural belief in a country that has a unique background and developed in a rather isolated state.
I come from a state where probably 72% of us (including a large population of fairly secular Jews) revere pork roll as the food of the gods. It's a shared regional culture thing. Pork roll is kind of a gross concept - it's the odds and ends of the pig, stuffed into a tube. In other words, glorified baloney or hot dogs. But it's a uniting point of reference.
A silly example, perhaps, but similar.
And I don't see how believing in elves is any different from believing in a religion.
And your notion that 'religion' deserves a special respect for it baseless ideas is nonsensical. But coming from someone who can't post about Iceland and elves without politicizing it with a ridiculous Nancy Pelosi reference, I can't say I'm surprised that you're running interference for absurd religious ideas.
I do see a slight difference in belief between the two. Religious people can speak of God as a supreme being that defies logic and relies on faith - it is paranormal. Many of these elves are NOT magical and simply hide out. - some of them are not paranormal, just undiscovered.
I think it is fair to bring up Pelosi. I was pointing out that they reelect political leaders that see elves, have talked to elves, have been rescued by elves, move boulders around that elves live in, and even block the building of roads for elf habitats. That isn't drastically different than Nancy Pelosi who says she has talked to dead people. I was countering by showing similarities between the US and Iceland. If anything you are a hypocrite. I didn't mention her political party until another poster mentioned dumb republicans first. Only then did I point out that she is a democrat. Democrats are twice as likely to believe in ghosts as Republicans. Big deal.
Actually, we here in America have our own form of elves. They don't hide in boulders, behind dead trees or under your daughter's bed. They hide on the internet. We know they are real because everyone who uses the internet has experienced them. They're only there to cause mischief and disorder. We call our elves trolls.
Most of this country believes in Jesus, Adam and Eve, and Moses parting the Red Sea...so we can't talk.
I'd rather believe in elves.
Notwithstanding the fact that Jesus was an historical figure, we can always count on the usual suspects to use any opportunity to use any thread as an opportunity to hurl a mean-spirited dig at believers. It must be the pits to be so miserable.
And OP: Thanks for the laugh. Your thread title made my day!
Other than Bronze Age texts there is no "historical Jesus". If one clearly thinks, there is evidence that Lucky the leprechaun has a more convincing claim to existence then that of the fictional Jesus.
The Bronze Age ended in Europe in 600BC (the latest; it ended earlier elsewhere).
There are some sources that show evidence that Jesus existed - Josephus and Tacitus.
"Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus" - Tacitus, The Annals, Book 15:44
Lots of people are superstitious and many believe in ghosts/paranormal things. I really don't see the difference.
Black cats, Friday the 13th, spilling salt, knocking on wood...all the usual suspects. People don't REALLY believe it, but many do kind of..."just in case".
I'm sure the elf thing is similar in nature. They don't really believe it, but they kind of do.
I'm not superstitious, but I do get creeped out by graveyards at night. They are all in the ground. What do I think will happen? A zombie apocalypse or a haunting? Of course not and I think it's silly to feel that way, but that shivery feeling is still there.
Most of this country believes in Jesus, Adam and Eve, and Moses parting the Red Sea...so we can't talk.
I'd rather believe in elves.
Elves. Change we can believe in:
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