The History Of African Religions Religion Essay

2. Africa is the place of birth of many faiths and civilisations. The diverseness of its population due to its rich history and civilizations is what makes it stand out as a continent. The archeological findings are grounds of ancient burial rites and spiritual traditions that spread to the universe.

The diverseness in faiths in Africa is astonishing because they vary from monotheistic faiths to polytheistic 1s with a broad assortment of Gods. It is hence difficult to happen common elements between these faiths because they vary from Islam, Judaism and Christianity to Chukwu, Nyame, Oludumre, Nga. The common thing about these faiths is that they represent integrity. It is a manner to garner and idolize and to be one component. It is besides a manner to be in harmoniousness within the community, to love one another and to happen the common good. Family is besides of import in African faiths, and gives them a feeling of belonging.

Refering the traditional African faiths, there are some that worship a individual God like Chukwu, Oldumare etcaˆ¦ and there are besides some that worship two Gods ( duplicate Gods ) like Mawu-Lisa. There are faiths that deify elements of nature like the Sun, Earth, lightning etcaˆ¦ For illustration in Southern Ghana, the High God is represented as a male-female partnership. In Southern Nuba of Sudan, the Supreme Being is really a female Goddess who gave birth to Earth and Humans. In tribal faiths, ascendants are given the highest regard and are consulted when needed.

The Rites of Passage in African faiths are normally due to a major life event. This could be a birth a matrimony or a decease. These major life events merely like a Communion or a Bar mitsvah, are what marks a individual ‘s life and faith celebrates these events by doing them memorable and of import and by adding more duty to the concerned individual. Puberty is besides a major life event but in Africa, it has been a beginning of contention since the topic of Circumcision for both male and female parts are viewed as horrific by the western universe.

Because of colonialism and the spread of other faiths in the universe, some of the traditional African faiths have disappeared. The bulk of Africans today are a portion of these two Abrahamic faiths: Christian religion and Islam. These faiths have spread at the disbursal of native faiths and hence as of 2002, Muslims represent 45 % of Africans and Christians represent 40 % .

Christianity consists of believing in Jesus as the boy of God. However, Islam consists of believing in Allah the Creator which makes it a genuinely monotheistic faith. Both faiths believe in good versus immorality and penalize the evil actors. Abrahamic faiths involve the thought of the changeless battle against Satan and besides the belief in the being of Angels, and besides the hereafter.

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5. Hindooism is the 3rd largest faith in the universe. It is 5000 old ages old and is referred to as SanA?tana Dharma, which means ageless life. There are few different sorts of Hinduism which are Vedic Hinduism and bhakti tradition. Hinduism has a broad assortment of matrimony imposts and day-to-day morality every bit known as Karma.

Because Hinduism has no individual laminitis, it is based on different traditions. Among its roots are Iron Age India and Historical Vedic Religion. There are three major waies to redemption in Hinduism, the way of devotedness, action and cognition.

The way of devotedness is a way of ultimate forfeit and committedness to the Gods and a manner to have a favourable rhythm in the karma for the hereafter. Life is called Dharma and it imposes a place and a caste on each individual. In this way, it is sensible for a individual to wholly give themselves to one God or Goddess and to pattern Yoga to accomplish integrity with their God. Salvation is an of import portion of this faith. It is considered as a gift from the Gods.

The way of Devotion is the most popular way in Hinduism because it is a manner to turn oneself wholly to God or Goddess and to give oneself to the way of worship and devotedness. This is the lone manner to accomplish the highest ranking and the best result.

The way of cognition or Jana Merga is gained by an overall enlightenment. In order to accomplish redemption, one must pattern speculation and besides understand that the Gods of atman and Brahman are one. Bing overall sound -mind and body- is indispensable for a good relation with the Gods.

Using Yoga is of import to accomplish the way of enlightenment. Yoga is a subject that trains the mental and physical facet of the human organic structure. Yoga is one of the six Orthodox schools of Hindu doctrine. The word Yoga in Sanskrit refers to “ fall ining ” , “ amalgamation ” , it besides derives from the word “ contemplation ” or “ soaking up. ” This last definition is more accurate because it is through contemplation that favoritism between nature and pure consciousness occurs.

The way of action is based on the pattern of the jurisprudence of Manu. This way is based on four phases. These phases are meant to transform a individual into being from a different and higher caste. This is merely available to work forces who are a portion of the highest three caste systems. This is merely afforded by the wealthy that can give their clip to their enlightenment. The first phase is the learning phase ; the 2nd one involves acquiring married and giving oneself to the community. There is no differentiation between work forces and adult females in this way as it could be practiced by either one.

The 3rd phase is spent in privacy and abstaining from any sexual activity. This phase involves deep contemplation in order to be ready for the concluding phase which is decease.

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6. ) Buddhism is based on the instructions of Siddhartha Gautama normally known as Buddha. This faith and doctrine is based on traditions, patterns and beliefs that were taught in the northeasterly India subcontinent. Buddha, the awakened one, taught his beliefs between the 6th and 4th centuries BCE. He believed that enduring should stop in the universe and that in order to get away its horrors, we have to accomplish Nirvana. Buddha wanted to cognize the replies to the greatest inquiries in life and during his quest ; he about died because he was fasting for really long period of times.

Buddha realized that life should non merely be based on agony or utmost pleasance ; it should be in between to make harmoniousness and balance. Therefore the enlightened way is the lone way to take and therefore he called it the in-between way.

As a manner to stop enduring Buddha has discovered four baronial truths. These four baronial truths will take to the province of Nirvana if followed precisely as Buddha preached. Buddha believed that in order to accomplish the highest degrees of enlightenment, one should work hard to acquire the virtues. Those can non be achieved merely because one is born into it and will acquire the sole rights to it.

Buddha rejected the caste system and preached moderate patterns. He besides believed that wisdom in life and making enlightenment is the lone manner to get away life ‘s agony. Buddha was besides a large advocate of prosecuting moderateness in order to get away life ‘s pleasances and that Nirvana is accomplishable.

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9.

The Native American and the African faiths have a batch of facets that are in common. One of the common facets is that they are both based on unwritten traditions and that they both are interpreted through archeological grounds.

The common points between the African and the Native American beliefs is that they both believe in a higher power that does n’t belong to the material universe. This higher power or Great Spirit is assumed to hold created the universe and has left the day-to-day undertakings to the lesser Supreme beings.

In add-on, the tribal life of both the Africans and the Native Americans is really similar. Their bands/tribes are set in little communities and have developed really likewise despite the fact that they had no contact with each other whatsoever.

The importance of life, decease and the Earth itself is symbolized in both faiths for Africans and Native Americans. These two distinct civilizations are ritualistic and enjoy giving gifts to Gods. It is besides a portion of both faiths to hold a rite of transition from pubescence to maturity. The Native Americans are known to divide from the remainder of the community so that they can be blessed with a vision based on animism in order for them to return to their community. On the other manus, the African civilization is based upon violent rites that involve the Circumcision of male childs and misss excessively. They besides test the accomplishments of the male childs in order to let them to return to their community. These accomplishments involve hunting and so on. Girls are expected to be secluded from male childs and are encouraged to derive weight as a mark of beauty. One of the common traits for both civilizations is animism which is based on incarnating an animate being into a spirit.

Medicine work forces that heal human complaints are used in both civilizations. The Native American civilization had both male and female therapists, nevertheless, the African civilization merely believed in male therapists which show a more chauvinistic civilization. Both civilizations believe in the spiritualty of the illness. The medical specialty Men seek to calculate out the nature of the illness by come ining into a vision that allows them into the kingdom of the illness. Herbal redresss were used in both communities to successfully bring around the illnesss.

Both civilizations believe that the dead are able to return to this universe and cause problem. The entombments are taken earnestly and utmost attention is taken since they do non desire to be cursed by the liquors. In African civilizations, the dead had to take points with them for the hereafter.

Both these civilizations were affected by the tribal life ; nevertheless the debut of Christianity and Islam has wholly changed their manner of life. In add-on, colonisation and urbanisation has had a major consequence on both civilizations which has even eliminated some of the civilizations in both continents.