Totally tangential, but I was thinking this morning about my experience as a kid when my parents forced me to be an alter boy at our local church. There are these occasional observances where the church is obligated to put on a special service, part of a liturgical calendar. Sometimes these happen at like 11am on a Wednesday. It was nice to get out of school to go and burn some incense and follow the priest around while he mumble prayers, instead of sitting bored out of my mind memorizing times tables or whatever.
For the majority of these minor observances, almost no one showed up. Maybe you'd get a couple of old ladies but otherwise the church was completely empty. We'd be doing this elaborate stage show for no one.
It made me think of a history YouTube video I watched about some ancient religion. The priests had a complex daily ritual including setting out meals for the Gods, saying certain prayers including certain physical movements like bowing, prostrating, raising their hands. They would have to do certain cleaning rituals including incense and sweeping. Super elaborate stuff. But it was all in an inner chamber and no one would come and even watch them. They just did this ritual for no one.
I suppose I think it is interesting to see a parallel here. Like, us tech people are spiritual hermits, cargo-culting our own incantations. We're keeping a tradition alive that in only rare cases actually has an audience because we have a some faith in its utility.
For the majority of these minor observances, almost no one showed up. Maybe you'd get a couple of old ladies but otherwise the church was completely empty. We'd be doing this elaborate stage show for no one.
It made me think of a history YouTube video I watched about some ancient religion. The priests had a complex daily ritual including setting out meals for the Gods, saying certain prayers including certain physical movements like bowing, prostrating, raising their hands. They would have to do certain cleaning rituals including incense and sweeping. Super elaborate stuff. But it was all in an inner chamber and no one would come and even watch them. They just did this ritual for no one.
I suppose I think it is interesting to see a parallel here. Like, us tech people are spiritual hermits, cargo-culting our own incantations. We're keeping a tradition alive that in only rare cases actually has an audience because we have a some faith in its utility.