The Lottery - Derfu

As far as sacrifices go, I can admit that I find it quite fanciful to sacrifice virgins in anticipation of apocalyptic rapture, but in a way it is also confusing. The reason for identifying virgins as sacrificial victims for such an effect escapes me, as the things are in no way related. In fact, I would suppose, given my current and expanding understanding of the ways of sacrificial ritual, that to honor with an entity more experienced with others in any and/or all ways will create greater connection via collective, so virgins seem to be the least apt by that ticket of the bunch. Furthermore, most of them are quite young, and ineffective for the process because of their limited repertoire of experiences that may occur over very long intervals, and which are quite elusive to those not accustomed, i.e. unadapted people and those adapted in the wrong ways.
"The Lottery," methinks, has very much more focus on ideas of civil obligations, duties to the state that must be done for it to succeed, but which are often unexplained in that consequence, and disparities that come about as a result of a society's failings, but are nevertheless considered "just." Should a vagabond in the gutters be caused to suffer for the delight and prosperity of achievers? Or should that very vagrant be treated to ritual indulgence at cost of the others? Let alone, these things are wild and inherently unequal. Fixed, their inequality is just as vast, but assigned an illusory regularity that makes them easier to decipher with a fixed perspective, but harder from a universal sight. Such security makes peace in faith, but danger in contemplation sometimes, and conscience. Sacrifices sometimes are so forcible and pointless, but often for the same purposes as any of the self. In general, I think people scarcely understand the effect of their actions before they commit them, and that may have something to do with certain misallocations of superstition (such as the specific of throwing salt when paprika was supposed to work just as well by early many, or a crux that only signifies position, or the inordinate misunderstanding of the truth of grimalkin, who have absolutely nothing to do with malicious magic favor, generally only a kind of indifference wrought from eternities of experience outside of feeble human life).

The Lottery - Kalweit

I have grown up participating in lent since i can remember, for my family it was a tradition that took place before Easter. For lent, my brother and i were forced to choose something to give up for lent, usually some sort of food or candy. Although it was not a life changing or drastic commitment, it reinforced the idea of religion being an everyday aspect of someone's life. For me the only reason that i took part of it was cause my mother told me to, i really did not have a choice. Once i got older it was taken so seriously, and the pressure from my mother had declined. It had turned into an event that my brother and I would look at as a betting competition. It was a time where I would give up something that i truly did not need, but I still do not know why I didn't think twice about participating in it.

The Lottery-Larsen

I also am not a religious person. However, I am very superstitious. For example, you won't ever find me spilling salt. However if I do, you can be certain that some salt is going to be thrown over my left shoulder. I wonder why I am like this, but honestly I don't know. Maybe it's because my parents are like this. So in a sense maybe me being superstitious is kind of like a religion. Religious views such as christianity are passed down in famalies, so why not superstitious views? I don't want my life to be unlucky, so that is why I take the necessary steps to avoid envoking bad luck. After all, what harm could come of trying to avoid bad luck?

The Lottery

I am also not a religious person, but I used to believe in christianity. The only reason for this was because my mom made me attend church and take part in lent. I wasn't properly educated on the religion, and it led to me doing things that I didnt believe in, or was ignorant about. Now, I dont have many rituals that affect my day to day life, but I am a believer in karma. I believe in karma because that was part of how my dad raised me. Believing in karma has made me more of a grounded person, and has helped me become empathetic in some ways. And it still holds through to this day. I think once someone establishes a certain ritual, it is hard to break especially if was part of how you were raised by your family. 

The Lottery- Pagano

I am not religious, so there are few ritualistic acts that I partake in. Although everybody does some sort of ritualistic act every day. For example, every time I comment on something good and I don't want the opposite to happen, I knock on wood. But why do I do this? I guess my answer to that would be 'why not?'. If people believe that because I said "wow what a beautiful day", it is going to rain, and the only thing to prevent this from happening is to knock on wood, then why not give it a try? What harm could it do to knock on wood? When I was trying to think of a way to explain what it is that would make me knock on wood, it took me a long time to figure out what to say. It made me wonder why it is exactly that I feel the need to knock on wood. "Why not?" is the only answer I can come up with. Or maybe just because my parents do it, and I've been doing it for most of my life.

The Lottery and Community

Can you identify any ritualistic acts (e.g. fasting for Lent/Passover/Ramadan)you perform without examining the reasons for or the consequences of your behavior? What motivates you?
If not...
Do you do anything such as make sacrifices to ensure good luck?
What set of beliefs motivates the sacrifice?

Learning Letter and Contact Zone

My personal contact zone is the waiting area of my psychiatrist, and this is for multiple reasons. All of those who are waiting in the doctors office could be doing much more entertaining with their time, yet they sit in awkward leather chairs while reading magazines that do not interest them. My parents are spending hundreds of dollars for me to talk to some guy that prescribes me medication that supposedly solves my problems, but i just don't understand it. I talk to the guy and he gets paid like its his job to take your money. Many patients feel the same way as i do, and this often brings frustration and aggravation. People who see a doctor can verily range, and in the waiting room this is can be proven. Everyone there is unhappy about spending their money, delaying their daily lives, and having to display extremely private information to a person who they have not known for all too long. Personally i hate the whole process if you could not tell by now, but everyone there is in the same position as i am, and have them same feelings as i do. Although our lives can be extremely different, patients feel the same frustration, aggravation, and pain that all the rest do. For this reason, i believe that my doctors office is a personal contact zone.