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Old 10-06-2010, 06:48 AM   #18
MM
Join Date: Jan 2005
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Re: Bowing in question - Clapping?

Quote:
Alejandro Villanueva wrote: View Post
And here we go again. Why is that not clapping is more legitimate than not bowing? Is that that white people religion is more legitimate than other people's? And... why is this allowed in aikiweb now and then?

Also, you seem to imply (again) that some faiths don't know about "respect to other people" just because they show it differently. Oh, prejudices... so nice!
I don't have near the education or experience in this area, so take my opinion as such:

I think in this instance, there is a separation of religious overtones/undertones/etc. Bowing in dojos outside Japan, *can* have the meaning of "respect" for all people training rather than prostration or other religious meanings.

The bowing and the clapping, however, come from Shinto. While that doesn't necessarily have to be "religious" (that's a whole different thread), it does overlap into what most people think of as a religion. That's why bowing is more legitimate than clapping, in a broad sense. The former can be non-religious while the latter tends to be religious.

Mark
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