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Native american religious topic
Native american religious topic
Christianity's impact on Native Americans during European colonization
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The traditional American believes about divine are defined along the influence of the of the new world European settlers on the Indian culture that was prevalent. The advent of the American religious belief was first developed in North America, and it included the establishment of the cosmologies. The indigenous cultural orientations of North America were dominated by myths related to the creation of humankind. These myths were transmitted from one generation to another, and they had the explanations on how the societies emerged. This time, Christianity manifested itself in numerous denominations. However, this was the common ground along which the white settlers in America gathered in order to lay their invasion in the Native Americans. The native Americans were obsessed with the worship of a being they believed had unlimited knowledge. The Native Americans believed the creator was very powerful, and they referred …show more content…
In this marga, the primacy of sacrifices and the position of a householder in association with the worldview is strongly disregarded. Individuals under this category argue that there exists Brahman, a superior reality that supersedes human dominions. If human beings change their behaviors and views in the world, they are likely to become one with Brahman. To be specific, the Upanishads, the people who subscribe to this marga believe that people should always be able to overcome the world trappings. The Bhakti marga is the third path, and it is identified with its unique characteristic of devotion. The manifestation of this marga is very complex. According to this marga, Krishna, the highest exhibition of Brahman, contains all human beings and all other gods. Consequently, the ultimate destination of all actions including sacrifices are to Krishna. Therefore, Bhakti is a real characteristic of the individuals with a lot of love and devotion. Question
Pages one to sixty- nine in Indian From The Inside: Native American Philosophy and Cultural Renewal by Dennis McPherson and J. Douglas Rabb, provides the beginning of an in-depth analysis of Native American cultural philosophy. It also states the ways in which western perspective has played a role in our understanding of Native American culture and similarities between Western culture and Native American culture. The section of reading can be divided into three lenses. The first section focus is on the theoretical understanding of self in respect to the space around us. The second section provides a historical background into the relationship between Native Americans and British colonial power. The last section focus is on the affiliation of otherworldliness that exist between
In George E. Tinker’s book, American Indian Liberation: A Theology of Sovereignty, the atrocities endured by many of the first peoples, Native American tribes, come into full view. Tinker argues that the colonization of these groups had and continues to have lasting effects on their culture and thus their theology. There is a delicate balance to their culture and their spiritual selves within their tightly knit communities prior to contact from the first European explorers. In fact, their culture and spiritual aspects are so intertwined that it is conceptually impossible to separate the two, as so many Euro-American analysts attempted. Tinker points to the differences between the European and the Native American cultures and mind sets as ultimately
Religion played a very important role in both Puritan and Native American society, though their ideologies differed greatly. According to Puritan beliefs, God had chosen a select number of people to join him in heaven as his elect. The Native Americans, on the other hand, believed that everyone was the same; no one was better than anyone else. As Sitting Bull once said, "Each man is good in [the Great Spirit's] sight. (Quotes from our Native Past). This theory was in direct conflict with the Puritan's view. The means through which the beliefs of these two groups were carried on also differed greatly. The Puritans had their Bible which detailed their entire religion and held the answers to all possible questions. The Native Americans on the other hand relied on oral transmission of their theology. Thus, while the Puritans had a constant place to turn to when they wanted to figure out what they believed, Native Americans were forced to fill in the blanks between stories they had heard when it came to their basic ideals. This aspect made them both unable to relate to one another. The most prominent difference between the two religions were their gods. The Puritans believed in one God and one God only. The Native Americans, though also worshipping their own almighty "Great Spirit," took further reverence for all living (and once living) things, worshipping the trees and their ancestors as well as their omnipotent Tirawa (or Wakan Tanka). The Puritans, holding all aspects of the Bible literal and as divine mandate, saw this worship of beings other than their God as idolatry (which was in clear violation of the first commandment). Therefore, the Puritans held the Native American society as a society wallowing in sin.
Before the arrival of Europeans on the American continents, a wide variety of Indigenous tribes inhabited the land. Those tribes formed alliances, made war, studied, migrated, and worshipped for generations before Europeans began recording their histories. When the Europeans arrived on scene they had conquest in their hearts as they plundered tribal stores and lands for wealth, all while attempting to rescue the locals from the perceived threat of eternal damnation. However, the tribes of the Americas, like Indigenous tribes in other parts of the world, had their own faith systems. In some areas of the New World, Europeans successfully outlawed native faiths and imposed one or another version of Christianity on the local tribes, but in other
The emergence myth differs greatly from the common western Christian way of thinking. In Christianity, humans were once in a perfect place until they disobeyed God and were sent into the current world, which is thought of as a punishment. In the Tewa Pueblo emergence myth, the people are stuck in a place of darkness until their friend, the Mole, helps lead them to a new world (Marriott, Rachlin 66-67). They do not view this world as their punishment but as a good place, improved from where they were before. Many of the things that appear in this myth are characteristic of other Native American myths as well. For example, Mole is an animal but talks and acts similarly to a human. This shows the great respect that the culture held for animals. They did not believe that they were superior to or dominant over the animals. They recognized their differences to th...
It became apparent after an amount of time that both religions shared common ideological and moral views, helping to ease the transition from their unique religion to Christianity. The use of peyote among Native Americans was treated like a sacrament in itself, and over time, the hybridity of Christianity and Native American religion began to mix. The use of peyote as a central tenet of the Native American Church (NAC) is a clear example of an amalgamation and superimposition of two different religious practices (peyote being a distinctly Native American practice, and Catholicism being a distinctly European practice) and as a result clearly demonstrates a cultural blending which has incorporated both native and european practices
Hultkrantz, Ake. Belief and Worship in Native North America. Ed Christopher Vecsey. NewYork: Syracuse University Press, 1981.
I have decided to discuss the topic of Spirituality in Native Americans. To address this topic, I will first discuss what knowledge I have gained about Native Americans. Then I will discuss how this knowledge will inform my practice with Native Americans. To conclude, I will talk about ethical issues, and dilemmas that a Social Worker might face working with Native American people.
The creative power of the sacrifice is explained. The Upanishads, and the search of a self of a man, speculation in the early Upanishads, the teaching of the Yajnavalkya, and the final goal of the Upanishads are also major topics in this book. Religious implications of Upanishadic teaching, challenge and change of Hinduism are explored. Lastly, the new Brahmanical Synthesis, the religion in the epics and puranas, late puranic religion, the full tradition, and the continuing tradition are all fully explained in this book.
Ans. Religion and religious beliefs are primarily based on great foundational forces that generate and govern the world. From Ancient Greek times "myth" has had started developing. It actually means anything delivered by mouth. Greek philosophers constructed myth to mean a fanciful tale as opposed to true, others took myth as the word that conveys an original, primal state of things, as opposed to merely superficial, human words. Myth can appear as either merely imaginary or as profoundly true. Although in western culture myth is often used in a negative sense. Anthropologies found within the settings of tribal life that these communities had clear distinctions between stories of entertainment and sacred stories that defined the normative precedents by which their behavior was guided and on which their universe was founded. American Hopi culture, according to the text, Hopi creation is a Native American mythology. It uses some themes, the Spider Woman, The Sun God Tawa, and the division of parents into new creative forms, and creation by thought. Spider woman is associated with the earth. The sun god Tawa is associated with the divine spirit that gives light and life on earth and father of all that shall ever come. And the other is the most common native American theme, creation by thought. Another theme is the creation by song, that involves Ansazi-Hopi ritual song- danc...
Upon the arrival of the first European explorers to the "New World," they encountered what they believed to be primitive savages. These creatures that ran about in the shape of humans showed no aspect of humanity and aroused wonder and curiosity on the part of the Europeans. When the Europeans travelled further into the heart of the land and saw the buildings of the Maya, Inca, Aztec and other ancient Indian nations, they were unable to attribute these massive structures to the people that they saw before them. Instead, they theorized that it was the descendants of one of the ancient European civilizations that built the temples. It possibly might have been the ancient Greek, Egyptian, or a lost tribe of Israelites. It did not occur to them that the Indians, erroneously named by Christopher Columbus, might have been capable of the construction of the buildings they found.
The Hindu religious tradition is a tradition unlike any other. As a conglomeration of varying beliefs and practices, Hinduism defies the western ideology of a compact religion, and through its historical significance has incorporated itself into all aspects of Hindu society. This assumed spirituality within Hindu culture serves as a platform for the ideas of dharma and moksa to be intertwined not only within Hindu social and religious practices, but in the very identity of Hinduism as well (Heehs 19). There is an inherent tension between dharma and moksa, but rather than opposing each other, they make the other stronger, as one must live a satisfactory lifestyle within each to live a complete life through the eyes of Hinduism.
... a moral law that encourages Hindus to engage in pursuits toward material gain as long as it is achieved honestly; 3. pursue pleasure and love as long as it is focused on perpetuating the family; 4. ultimately, attain “moksha” which is the release from the wheel of life and becoming one with Brahman.
The person following karma marga surrenders himself to the brahmana, in this case his duty, job or something he is doing, something he believes in. For example a soldier fights a battle, a
The Bhagavad Gita is a timeless example of how Hinduism can be applied and seen in Indian life. It also enforces the example of how Hinduism is the heart of India by demonstrating the qualities of ancient Indian culture. These beliefs although outdated, are also seen manifesting in many important values, such as Buddhism, which will be discussed later. It is in this document that both sets of beliefs which provide the foundation of Hindu and Buddhist beliefs are combined.