I asked a Hmong neighbor about the traditional religious [View all]

beliefs of the Hmong community. He explained some of it to me, along with some of the rituals that accompany all sorts of passages in life. Then he said, "That's what the old people believe. it's tradition. The Shaman strikes his gong and goes into his trance, and we all nod and participate."

He went on to tell me that the current generations have mostly moved away from the old naturalistic beliefs about the spirit world, but appreciate the old traditions and honor their elders by participating.

I asked him what his beliefs were now, and he said, "Living and prospering is the goal for me now. The spirit world stayed behind when the Hmong came here."

I thanked him for sharing the information. That's how old religions die. People move on and the world changes. When they are no longer relevant, they die. Perhaps that will be the fate of the old religions of the western world, as well. Perhaps that process is more advanced than we realize.