Thoughts on my beliefs in deity and own perspective on modern Shinto practise.

Tonight I found myself willing to write something up but didn't have a topic in mind. Thanks to my friend Johannes I actually stumbled upon a topic after some light discussion on our beliefs.

But, back to the topic. Modern practise of shinto and how easily it is comparable to my beliefs and opinions on spiritual matters, I have read that it used to be and still propably is very patriarchal in some aspects but there propably are sects in that religion such as there are in Christian society, the protestants and so on. My friend also thought about looking into Shinto as a beliefsystem, but the idea of worshiping the emperor of Japan as deity put him off. But I'm not sure if Japan is an imperial country anymore.

But worshiping the past generations and asking their spirits for strength and good luck, that sounds completely acceptable, because I like to keep an open mind on things. In the bigger picture it handles all living things and nature itself as sacred. I tend to think like this more than often as of late. Also the very ritualistic nature gives me as a somewhat of a perfectionist/neurose-ridden type of person a kick.

Yet again nothing very conclusive but I wanted to get this out of my system because I talk about this almost every time religion or a system of belief is the topic.

Also I'd like to blurt out that if I DO PRAY, it's not like praying in itself but very serious and sincere well-wishing for me and people close to me.

A quick scramble of thoughts on the usefulness of prisons

Curing criminals

Criminal behavior a disease? I believe it is in some cases. The modern judicial system in America incarcerates very indiscriminately to my knowledge, but that also varies state-to-state how the hammer is being brought down on cases.

Curing a common thief, a one time offender usually does learn his or her lesson from prison or community service. Then again, there is another side to the coin here. Depending on what the crime was, some inmates find new contacts and ways to continue their wrongs after the sentence.
A very good example of the prison system teaching bad habits to repeaters is seen in Maryland, Baltimore. Also well known through the TV-show 'The Wire', which finished airing in 2008.

Curing the criminally insane is propably more likely to be 'curable' because it is much more about the condition of the offender instead of the circumstances that brought him or her to commit the crime. In these cases a regime of therapeutic activities or some other way of rehabilitating the subject is chosen opposed to incarceration and the isolation which might even make the situation worse.

What to take out of this would make me think that I have to come to a conclusion that even though the prison system does keep the streets 'clean' it doesn't make the problem go away when it comes to organized crime or the mentally ill prisoners who should really be in a hospital instead.