Cultural Beliefs: Tradition and Christianity - Research Paper Example

Cultural Beliefs: Tradition and Christianity Culture refers to the general deposit of knowledge, beliefs, values, attitudes, and material objects as well as possessions acquired by a group of people in a certain generation. Whereas tradition is a belief and behavior that a certain group or society passes down within itself having a symbolic meaning and special importance to origins in the past. In addition to that, Christianity on the other side refers to one way of how human beings worship. It is the world's most popular religion, having about 2.1 billion followers in the whole world. Moreover, it deals with the teachings of Jesus Christ that lived in the Holy Land about 2,000 years ago. Benton Banai in his Mishomis book explains more about The Ojibway, which is one of the largest members of Native Americans, that belong to the Anishinabe people, which are currently known as northern United States and Canada. The book documents the history, and traditions as well as the culture of the Ojibway citizens using stories and myths handed over through generations. The Book itself pulls from the traditional lessons of tribal elders to educate young readers more about Ojibway creation stories, legends, the origin and significance of the Ojibway family setting and clan system (Benton-Banai 56). Dr. Brian Rice book, which is seeing the World with Aboriginal Eyes, explains more on culture. It is four directional perspectives about human and non-human values, as well as cultures together with relationships on Turtle Island. It also provides a complete presentation of several North American Aboriginal world opinions and spiritual understandings, which include the following perspectives: The Seeing Path: such entails cosmology, vision, and sound. In addition to that, beliefs and values that evolves from the spirit world. Secondly, are ways of Relating, which are cycles of life, time, and relationships between individuals on the Earth Spirit. Thirdly, is the coming to Knowing, which entails the Elders, Sacrifice and Aboriginal knowledge. Fourth and last are ways of doing which include ethical and moral issues, healing prayer, ceremonies, as well as life ways and Spiritual Teachers (Rice 89). Vine Deloria Jr. Book God Is Red is the seminal work that bases its views on Native religion, and asking new questions concerning our species also our ultimate fate. Hence, such classic work keeps reminding us to learn that as we live in here on earth, we come to being part of nature and not a transcendent species, which has no responsibilities towards the natural world. Thus, Vine Deloria Jr.’s powerful voice tells us more about religious life, which is usually independent of Christianity, hence reverse the connection of all living things (Deloria 22). Religion and beliefs shape social structures, laws, and medicine. Christianity and traditional beliefs are main systems that have put the effort in shaping traditional medicine to the current one. As Christianity revolves around the features of God who is: the son, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, on the other hand traditional beliefs entails things like the existence of a creation god, spirits of ancestors, taboos, charms, and fate (Rice 6). It is also thought that death is just passing the world of the living and that of the dead. Thus, it is a tradition to believe in the close relationship between the living and the dead. The ancestral spirits are usually seen as a link between the living and the creator. Therefore, they are thought to influence the persons’ fortune that is the reason they are held in a very high regard. The dead were put into consideration to be part of the living as the latter would is to be worshipped and remembered whereas the former would be in need of protection as he also pays obeisance to the living dead (Deloria 65). Newly born were named after the dead in order to remember him. In addition, wishes of the fathers, especially at death are usually respected and followed for blessings and long life. Therefore, there is God in African traditional religion too. He is the Supreme of all beings who creates, sustains, provides and delivers justice. Local religious expressions of Africa consider God as creator (Rice 12). Such is the most basic and commonly found in the traditional doctrine of God. Everyone kept on avoiding committing offences and balancing religious with social living often was a wise objective in every deed. Africans comprehend that the universe, which was created, operates by the wisdom of God. He is involved in making sure that the universe holds together as it continually runs smoothly as people look up to Him always for life, rain, good health, fertility in animals and plants, food and protection. He is also a giver of forgiveness, strength to the weak, and solace to the refugee and grace to the oppressed. On the other hand, drought, famine, plagues and even death are signs of Punishment upon those owing to their offence against God (Gaywish 34). As He leaves no evil unpunished with, no good unrewarded. People always have to appease God in ways, which are prescribed by the seer when they go wrong. Spirits exist for Africans. Always they differ in nature and activities they undertake. Some can be good while some are harmful. There are those, which are natural spirits that represent the common spiritual elements in the real sense of the word. They may include divinities created by one Supreme Being to assist in creation. Such spirits are in charge of whatever they helped in creating natural forces such as rains, thunder and wind. The ancestral spirits are several categories of spirits, which were one-time human and housed in human bodies. The other category of spirits is the malevolent spirits that are often used by the wicked to harm others (Gaywish 12)). The benevolent spirits are responsible for blessings and good lucks as well as victories. Man is born usually to live, marry, procreate and finally die at a ripe old age. He is functional in the African social framework. He is born to have his own children too. Such ultimate objective is normally approached from the first main step of maturation, which is circumcision. During initiation, which is often climaxed in circumcision, the boys become men. They now take on leadership roles, as they also own huts, land and livestock. They are also in a position to marry and address in the council of men (Deloria 45). Men do provide for their families and raise many children who will later assist in farming and for family pride. A man is obviously expected to take care of his aging parents, as he gives them a befitting burial and finally care for his in-laws. ATR and Christianity are always clashing in the environs of Belief. African Christians often have their faith on many things from back in their days of paganism. Moreover, they usually had confidence in their actions and in their supernatural results. Africans would work extra hard on something they always believe shall pay of in one way or the other. At the arrival of Christianity, perhaps due to the way in which the Europeans delivered their gospel, such reliable beliefs started to be cast off as superstitions and primitive inclinations. Because faith is a religious spectacle, which is believed to work for the believer, African Christianity is regularly thrust into deep crises as it refuses to be satisfactorily disposed of to a certain active traditional beliefs. Both religions are often drawn into the contest when belief collides with belief. Works Cited Benton-Banai, Edward. The Mishomis Book. Saint Paul, Minn.: Red School House, 1988. Print. Deloria, Vine. God Is Red. Golden, Colo.: Fulcrum Pub., 2003. Print. Gaywish, Rainey. "Neegawn I-Naw-Buh-Tay Ayn-Nayn-Duh-Mawn". My Thoughts Flow Forward To the Future. 2009. Print. Rice, Brian, Jill E Oakes, and Roderick R Riewe. Seeing the World with Aboriginal Eyes. Winnipeg: Aboriginal Issues Press, 2005. Print. Read More