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Influences of religion on culture and society
Influences of religion on culture and society
Influences of religion on culture and society
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Santeria
Santeria is a religion that is also called Regla de Ocha or Lucumi Religion. Cuba was mostly dominated by Whites and once the Spanish brought the Africans a new race was developed which was Mestizos. By these blending and mix combinations these races were more integrated and many of their cultures got combine and that’s how Santeria got formed. Santeria was originated from the Yoruba, which was brought by the enslaved Africans from Nigeria and Benin, which the Africans slaves focused on the plantation owners of the Spanish by their Roman Catholic faith. This religion begins a thousand years older than Christianity and is being practice all over the world but it is specifically defined as Afro-Cuban. Santeria are African Gods hidden in Catholic faith. The strongest religion being practice in Cuba is Catholic and when the Africans got in Cuba, they combine both religions and became one, which is the Santeria religion. Santeria is still defining as Afro-Cuban because the Africans and Cubans have not found any contradictions between the two. The definition of Santeria is Saints or Santos which comes from Spanish which also can be translated as “worship of Saints.” Most of the practitioners would like to be call as Santos or Orichas, the concepts and the terminologies of
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this religion are from West Africa and Catholicism. One of the privileges of Santeria is that you can be in contact with the divine.
The way why the Santeria religion was expanded to all this others countries such as Haiti, Cuba Brazil, Puerto Rico, Caribbean countries, Southern U.S. A, Canada, and Europe was by the Africans and the Cubans being brought to all these countries for slavery. Santeria religious group consider themselves as Catholics because they attend to Catholic classes, baptize children but at the same time they also practice their African dances in their Lucumí temple-house. Even though their beliefs are not totally equal the Africans do not have a problem on worshiping some of the Catholics saints such as Saint
Barbara. Before the Santeria religion was being practice as a secret because during that time there was some problems with the negative stigma with the Afro-cultural culture. Santeria existed as an oral tradition and also as the Cubans were moving from Cuba because of political issues, they took their religious beliefs with them and spread it around the world. Santeria is not a written religion like Christian; it is refer as a sacred text. For instance, in the article, Santeria is a Religion mention, “There is no unified body of written work we can refer to as the sacred text of the Lucumi religion because it was transmitted from generation to generation by priests and priestesses as part of an oral tradition.” This religion was passing from generation to generation and it was taught from priest to priest orally based, study as a religious training. Since, Santeria is a similar religion as Catholics, people might have a misconception and might think that they worship many Gods but they have three prior Gods. They have three supreme Gods which the names are Olodumare, Olofi, and Olorun. Olodumare is the supreme God in the Lucumi pantheon which is the creator of all things and the father. Olorun is another form of God which is view to us as the Sun, which it can be visible to us by the warmth and the qualities of the Sun. Olodumare made the world for all of us. The third manifestation God is Olofi, which is the one the communicated directly with the Orichas. It is also define as the as the one who make conversation between humans and God. Olofi communicates with the humans to teach us how to be respectful, moral and good behaviors in earth. Another misconception that many people might have is that they compare this religion and called it Brujeria (Witchcraft). Witchcraft is a different act which is not even a religion but bad witchery in which people practice it to make their bad witches to become true on people. This is one of the acts that I have known for years. Dominicans practice this every often, everyone in the Dominican Republic know really well what is this and when they hear it they directly know that is bad. Usually, these acts are practice on houses in a special room. The witches can do whatever you wish for; they can either do Santeria or Brujeria and there is an act that is call Limpiarte which translated is pure yourself and this act is practice in Santeria and other acts that can be done in the same place are send unluckiness to a person you hate or do not like. People do believe on the acts of a witch because when they send bad energy to a person that they do not like you can see the big change of luckiness in that person. Many of the Dominicans always want to be supervised by a witch especially when they see that everything they have done is not coming out well and we always have enemies. As a Santero have their own trick to be protected also the witchcrafts have also their own way and many Dominicans have seen results. Going to a witch can be done in any part around the Dominican Republic. The cultures that practice Santeria are Africans and Latinos. One the prosper religions around the world is Santeria. About 75 to 100 million of people practice today this religion around the world. An eighty percent of the populations in Cuba practice this religion. One of the ways that Africans kept their religion alive because they could not bring anything with them was by worshiping the Catholic Saints. Babalo is one of the high priests in Santeria. One of the Saints that they use to do their rituals was the Virgin of Charity, they knew that it was not Obatala, but they view some similarities and that made them worship their Saint secretly. There is a lot of Santos but they are 16 more recognized by the Santero. These Santos also signify principles for instance, one of their Saints also Chango (Saint Barbara) the principle is force and thunder, Eleggua (Nino de Antocha) the principle is way opener and messenger, Osanyin (Joseph) the principle is herbs, Oshun (Caridad) the principle is eros and river, Obatala (Mercedes) the principle is clarity, Inle (Rafael) the principle is medicine, Agayu (Christopher) the principle is fatherhood, Orula (Francis) the principle is wisdom and destiny, and Oshosi (Norbert) the principle is hunt and protection, which most of the Santos are similar to the Catholic’s Saints just with different personality and names. Some Santeros now in days, even though they have an altar with Catholic Saints but they also have an altar of Santeria’s figures to give the good energy that is around us and lives. In the article, Rethinking African Religions: African Americans, Afro-Latinos, Latinos, and Afro-Cuban Religions in Chicago by Jadele McPherson recounts, “I was confused as to why my mother would have a statue of Santa Barbara in her room. One would more likely find this figure on a Catholic altar or maybe on an elaborate altar of a practicing santero or santera, both of which my mother is not. "May I take that Santa Barbara for my boveda?" I asked her.' Eyes and the corners of her lips dancing, my mother did not crack a smile. "Santa Barbara does not leave the house," she announced. It had been there since before I was born, at times accompanied by perfume, rum, and cigars.” Santos are very sacred for the people who practice Santeria and touching and moving the Santo out of place is a disobedience for the Santo. The Santos are Gods that are very important and they have a strong respect for them. Even though the Santos is articles for all people who practice this religion they do not consider Santos as articles. For example, I have a friend that she is from Cuba. I wanted to know a little bit more about Santeria, her husband know more about Santeria them her. She was telling me that her husband has a Santo that he brought from Cuba; the name of the Santo is Elleggua which is one of the most famous Santos in Cuba. The Santo has a baby kind of look, is small, dark skin, and wears red and black clothing. This Santo helps you to open and clean every way you are going so everything you are about to do comes out great. Also to protect you, guides you and gives you good spirits so you can be in good hands. Her husband explained to me that when they place Santos is in a permanent place where you can move it at all because that will be consider disrespect for the Santo. When he wants to have the Santo’s blessing so what he wants comes out well he turns on a cigar and spreads it around the Santo, pray, sing and leans towards the Santo. My friend also mentioned that the only time he does this to the Santo is not only when he needs anything but also to give the Santo worship and also show respect, care and love. Many races and ethnicities have known how to keep Santeria alive and helped them spiritually. The ways they can helped themselves spiritualty to talk directly with their Orichas (Gods) is by using sacred divination tools such as crowrie shells, coconut water and oil, and chains. There are many Santeros that knows how to read signs and by these people can be able to talk to their Santos and solve their problems. By these benefits people still worship and take this religion where ever they go and to keep it alive. Since many of their problems have been resolve they keep on having stronger believes to the Santeria religion. By their problems being solve in Santeria many people attached to it and this religion keep on bringing new people to also follow it and have the desire to not let it disappeared.
The religion is therefore called "Santeria" or the way of the saints. According to Migene Gonzalez-Wippler Santeria is neither a cult or a sect. "It is a monotheistic religion, where God is seen as the creator of the Universe and of humanity. The orishas, syncretized with catholic saints, are repositories of God’s powers and the mediators between humanity and the Supreme Being. During this same period the Lukumi religion was also developed. The Lukumi religion is very similar to that of Santeria, while Santeria utlizes the Catholic Saints and prayers for ritualistic purposes Lukumi does not. Lukumi tends to make African images to represent the Orisha and makes little or no use of Christian prayers. The Lukumi religion is a less diluted form of Orisha worship and was mostly concentrated in Cuba.
The embodiments of the Regla de Ocha, Santerian religion, is rooted in West African previous religious practice of their deities. Africans were forced to move to a new place, where to expose to a new language and new religious faith. They were able to have some ideas of how to continue to serve and maintain their religious practice. “Thus, the deities of the Cuban Creole world resulted from the “crossing” and mixing with those of others region of African and the Catholic saints; individuals choose or are chosen to receive initiation into one or several traditions” (Olmos and Paravisini-Gebert 33). Through being forced to adapt to the Cuban Catholics ways, they were able to interlink their religious practice within the Catholics ways of worshiping different saints. Meanwhile, they were then able to be accepted in society while maintaining their natural belief. The adoption of the transculturation allows the African to balance both their religious practice and
Cuba has long since been considered as an island-nation without any necessary affiliation with the Catholic Church. In fact, prior to the 1960s, Cuba was considered the most "secularized" country within Latin America, with only a mere six percent of the population attending church on a regular basis. Instead, the practice of the African based voodoo religion of Santería has prevailed. Experts estimate that 70 percent of the Cuban population practices Santería. This religion was brought to Cuba by African slaves and combined the virtues of Christianity and with their native African beliefs. It is associated with Catholicism because Afro-Cuban deities have been associated with Catholic saints since colonial Cuba. The Afro-Cubans did this in order to evade religious persecution by the Spaniards who considered a...
religion. Instead of accepting the Catholic religion, many slaves only incorperated it into the establishing Voodoo religion. Catholicism remains an important aspect of Voodoo, and many of it's methods and rituals are currently practiced as Voodoo (this is especially accurate in Santeria, a Cuban based Voodoo).
“Religion is a set of rituals, rationalized by myth, which mobilizes supernatural powers for the purpose of achieving or preventing transformations of state in man and nature” (107). When the Europeans colonized Haiti, they brought over African slaves with them. These slaves had already established African religious practices, prior to being brought to Haiti. As the French got acquainted with Haiti, they were also forcing Roman Catholic traditions upon the slaves. As a result, there was the birth of the religion Haitian Vodou. These enslaved Africans were not allowed to practice Haitian Vodou openly because it offended those that practiced Catholicism, the French wanted full control over the slaves in every aspect, and anyone outside of
The Yoruba people, who were brought over from Nigeria as slaves, came to the Caribbean in the 1500’s with their own religion, which was seen as unfit by the white slave owners. Most plantation owners in the Caribbean were members of the Roman Catholic Church, so they forced their slaves to disregard their native religions and become Catholic. Soon, the slaves realized that they could still practice their West African religion as long as it was disguised as Catholicism, and Santería was born. Now it’s practiced in the United States, Cuba, the Caribbean, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Nicaragua, Argentina, Colombia, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Great Britain, Canada, Venezuela, and Panama.
African-Inspired religions have also prevailed when they were forced to come to the Americas. Voodoo and Santería are some of the main religions practiced in Latin America.Voodoo is commonly practiced in Haiti and Santería is practiced throughout Cuba and Puerto Rico. Santería times their rituals to those of the Catholic church, such as Easter and Christmas.
1.) Intro: I decided to focus my Religious Ethnography on a friend whom I recently have become close with. Adhita Sahai is my friend’s name, which she later told me her first name meant “scholar.” I choose to observe and interview Adhita, after she invited me to her home after hearing about my assignment. I was very humbled that she was open to this, because not only was it a great opportunity for this paper, but it also helped me get to know Adhita better. I took a rather general approach to the religious questions that I proposed to the Sahai family because I didn’t want to push to deep, I could tell Hinduism is extremely important to this family. Because this family does not attend a religious site where they worship, I instead listened to how they do this at home as a family instead.
The terms voodoo, hoodoo, black magic and conjure arouse different ideas and interpretations such as fear, fascination, or repugnance. For some, the image of voodoo dolls, which are used to bring pain to the one’s enemy are associated with these words. Others might consider curses and spells used for evil intentions to be at the heart of voodoo. A more innocent notion of voodoo encompasses the idea that it is to be used for the communal good. All of these ideas came together and merged with Christian and Catholic beliefs after Africans were transported to the Americas and subjected to unimaginable horrors as slaves. Many historians define voodoo as “a syncretism between the African religion Vodu and Catholicism.” Voodoo is an entirely new creation, which was born as the African slaves were confronted with New World religions. These new ideas were “camouflaged as European saints, the Orisha divinities continued to be invoked, fed, and celebrated by their transplanted New World devotees, who in turn expected protection and assistance from their ancient spiritual guardian.” In some cases, slaves used the culturally accepted Catholic saints as a cover for their ancestral beliefs which were often seen as foolish and heretical by their masters. This new belief system “met new world needs that the settled and passive African modes could not match.” Voodoo held an important part in many slaves’ lives as remnants of their African beliefs evolved into a meaningful and powerful force. Voodoo was an essential element of survival for many slaves because it helped them cope psychologically with the physical torment they endured, it gave them a sense of power in impossibly difficult situations, and it served as a unifying force.
The first Catholic priests came to South America with the conquistadors and through social and political force superimposed 16th century Catholicism upon conquered peoples and in subsequent generations upon slaves arriving in the New World. Catholicism has, likewise, frequently absorbed, rather than confronted, popular folk religious beliefs. The resulting religion is often overtly Catholic but covertly pagan. Behind the Catholic facade, the foundations and building structure reflect varying folk religious traditions. (2)
Throughout our history, cults have become a prevalent part of our society. More and more cults are forming every day. Although not all of them are dangerous, some can perform practices that are toxic to their members. Cults use fear and control to gain more and more members. Once members join a cult, they are forced to perform the practices that the cult leaders require. It is through these practices that cult leaders convince their members to stay in the cult. Through mind control and scare tactics, cults have become a very powerful and dangerous part of our society.
What is Christianity and why has it been able to develop into a continuously growing and evolving religion?
“Just as a candle cannot burn without fire, men cannot live without a spiritual life.” According to Buddha, everyone needs some form of spirituality to define his or her life and existence. Webster Dictionary defines spiritualism as “a system of beliefs or religious practices based on supposed communication with the spirits of the dead, often times through mediums.” Though this is one general definition of spiritualism, this concept is one that does not hold a conclusive meaning. Each and every single person has the ability and right to create and practice their own idea of spiritualism. From ancient times to present day, the term and practice of spirituality has transformed, particularly from region to region. Despite the discrepancies in practices and overall understanding of this idea, spirituality has had an effect and impact upon all of humanity since the creation of time. This religion that is believed to have been established in the early eighteen hundreds, after two little girls claimed to have the ability to talk to spirits, sparked interest in this spiritual movement, allowing it to spread rather rapidly over many geographical locations. Aside from being recognized as a religion, spiritualism is also believed to be a form of philosophy and a science in which spiritualists believe that there is life after death and try to demonstrate this through the ability of attempting to communicate with those that have passed on. Spiritualism was socially different from other religions in existence at the time because it presented followers with a more tolerant belief system that assimilated the principles and facts from a selection the world's religions. Spiritualism also made it acceptable for women to play a disti...
Spirituality can have many different definitions, depending on who is asked. It can be something as simple as looking for a higher meaning to life, or something so complex that one can base their beliefs, religion and overall life around it. There are several different ways to express one's spirituality; rituals, songs, dances, stories, and writings are all common methods of expression.
My definition of religion has mostly stayed the same, but my perception of it has changed. At the beginning of the class, I assumed religion was something you believed based on your moral principles. I now believe that those moral principles are based on the religion that you believe in. Your religion changes your perception of the world and how to go about in it. Your religion tells you what is right and wrong in the world and answers all of the big questions one asks. Religion according to our book is, “A pattern of beliefs and practices that expresses and enacts what a community regards as sacred and/or ultimate about life” (Van Voorst 6). That definition was one thing that really got me thinking about my own personal idea of what religion