Primitive Indigenous People Convert Christian to Atheism

[Mr. Scott]

My atheist journey still brings me to astonishing new things.

I'd assumed primitive people were, by default, superstitious (religious, spiritual, whatever you want to call it).

The Pirahã of the Amazon seem to live completely without imaginary friends, and for all intents and purposes appear to be atheists. They are so secure that they converted a Christian Missionary, on crusade to convert them, to atheism. I'd never heard of such a thing. They seem to live and think almost like scientists.

Daniel Everett talks about this in his book "Don't Sleep, There Are Snakes" and there's a reading from it in this youtube clip, with pics. This is how I discovered it.

 

[Gazpacho]

They seem to live and think almost like scientists.

They're so scientific that they haven't even adopted the mystical concept of "number."

 

[Marduk]

They're so scientific that they haven't even adopted the mystical concept of "number."

scientists can't do math either, when they try its a complete mess with hyphens, squiggles and even letters all over the place, plus for some reason the concept of "notebook" hasn't arrived yet so they have to use 300 year old blackboard technology and get this
they use chalk to write with
hahaha

 

[Seismosaurus]

That was a fascinating story, thanks for sharing it!

I wonder how often this kind of thing happens to missionaries?

 

[ynot]

Great clip! Now that’s a tribe I could live with very happily.

 

[Humanzee]

Thanks for the link Mr. Scott. Cool, a new book to read.

Not only no numbers but, "no fixed terms for color, no concept of war, and no personal property". Very interesting.

Link to Kirkus review;
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/daniel-l-everett/dont-sleep-there-are-snakes/#review

 

[MG1962]

Great clip! Now that’s a tribe I could live with very happily.

I doubt that strongly unless you have some fetish where hunger gives you pleasure

 

[ynot]

I doubt that strongly unless you have some fetish where hunger gives you pleasure

I would take a cut lunch.

 

[Gazpacho]

Other sources (possibly based on Everett) claim that the Pirahã are animists (like basically every uncontacted HG culture in the world), not atheists.

 

[ynot]

Other sources (possibly based on Everett) claim that the Pirahã are animists (like basically every uncontacted HG culture in the world), not atheists.

Wonder if those “sources” might be theists with their biased agenda? Supply evidence of the source of your claimed “sources” so we can asses their credibility.

 

[JWideman]

Okay, so they're materialists.

 

[ynot]

Okay, so they're materialists.

The important thing is what they aren’t.

 

[Gazpacho]

Wonder if those “sources” might be theists with their biased agenda? Supply evidence of the source of your claimed “sources” so we can asses their credibility.

I'm not going to add anything to the prior remark that they are "possibly based on Everett." Who was a theist at one time. Maybe that makes him tainted in your view. I don't know.

 

[ynot]

I'm not going to add anything to the prior remark that they are "possibly based on Everett." Who was a theist at one time. Maybe that makes him tainted in your view. I don't know.

You completely changed your post as I was replying.

I would simply like some credible evidence to back your claim that - “Other sources claim that the Pirahã are animists, not atheists”.

I don’t care if they are based on Everett or not. I want to know who and what the claimed “sources” are. A simple and reasonable request.

ETA - Your deleted and replaced post essentially claimed that you aren’t a theist in any way and that I’m deluded for thinking you are. Do you stick by this claim?

 

[Gazpacho]

Let's cut out the middleman and go to the real source.

As I learned, the Pirahãs change names from time to time, usually when individual Pirahãs trade names with spirits they encounter in the jungle.
...
Spirits can tell the village what it should not have done or what it should not do. Spirits can single out individuals or simply talk to the group as a whole.
...
The Pirahãs, I learned, have no concept of a supreme being or creator god. They have individual spirits, but they believe that they have seen these spirits, and they believe they see them regularly. When we looked into it, we saw these aren't invisible spirits they're seeing. They are entities that take the shape of things in the environment.
...
Pirahãs see spirits in their mind, literally. They talk to spirits, literally. Whatever anyone else might think of these claims, all Pirahãs will say that they experience spirits.

Daniel Everett, Don't Sleep, There Are Snakes.

 

[ynot]

Let's cut out the middleman and go to the real source.

Daniel Everett, Don't Sleep, There Are Snakes.

Thanks - Now that wasn’t too hard was it?

What about you completely not being a theist in any way?

 

[Gazpacho]

It's not the subject of the thread.

 

[ynot]

It's not the subject of the thread.

It’s a claim you made and insulted me with in this thread. Regardless that you quickly deleted and replaced it.

A simple yes or no answer wouldn't derail the thread.

 

[stevea]

This little story stinks of book-sales&promotion. 1 minutes of google will convince anyone that Everett's claims are not supported by other research. Critical thinking ppl !

 

[Ryokan]

Other sources (possibly based on Everett) claim that the Pirahã are animists (like basically every uncontacted HG culture in the world), not atheists.

Animism and atheism are not mutually exclusive. They could be both.