Effect Of Change During The Post Independence Period

In about the year 1400, there were many distinct characteristics within traditional European society and West African society, in which they were both similar, yet different. They were similar in their religious beliefs; however, they had developed different motives within rituals. In addition, they also structured their political system different. Their religious beliefs are also similar to Native American’s beliefs. However, Native Americans structured their political system and kept society in order differently.

There are a multitude of common elements of religion as practiced by the West Africans. Five of these elements include community, ancestors, a high God, Tricksters, and animal sacrifice. Community kept everyone together both physically and religiously, with no one left alone. The West Africans also believed that their ancestors were still present and watching over them. The ancestors were placed between God and the community, and sometimes they held all the power. Furthermore, a high God had developed everything in existence and the West Africans could not be without him. There were also multiple tricksters that blended the boundaries of sacred and ordinary. The chaos brought on by these tricksters, such as a hare or spider, would lead to order. Another element is animal sacrifice, where these rituals were done to praise the Gods.

The North American community in today’s worlds has embraced Christianity, Muslim and other popular religious beliefs. Finding the ancient religious practices in action is rare, but not impossible. The communities had their own believes concerning gods and philosophies of good and evil before they were colonized. The communities have lost most of their beliefs and practices as they took place in the earlier community to popular religions which were introduced during and after the colonialism periods (Bonvillain and Porter 23-43).

Moreover, we can momentarily consider how religious transformation challenged the Chumash ideologies about the religious and the sacred. Ultimately, all these new regulations the Chumash associated them as foreign Christian meanings and values.

Paying respect to your ancestors is a common practice in Africa, including the Harare and Chitungwiza area. In both places, Masowe apostolics have taken many people by faith, and dictate a large part of their daily lives. These apostolics also firmly believe that the practice of “communicating” with your ancestors is a form of veneration, which goes against their Christian beliefs. The apostolics call for the cessation of this practice, however, Engelke speaks with some of the locals that carry out this practice who refuse. He describes: “Most apostolics would argue that holding rituals to communicate with one’s ancestors—as many Shona-speaking people do—amounts to the worship of false gods. You should not pray to your ancestors; pray only to God. As with several apostolic interpretations of “traditional” religious practice, this one is rejected by the people it is meant to describe... For many Shona-speaking people, as I have noted, ancestors are an integral part of social relationships,

Cultural anthropologists have studied the Nacirema for almost 2800 seasons now, and yet many of them acknowledge that they are no closer to understanding the eccentric customs of these superficial people than when they began. The Nacirema, a people whose history seems to consist mainly of impulsive actions and blood sheddings, have numerous bizarre rituals in which they partake on the dawn of every new sun, but one sect, the Naitsirhc, are more idiosyncratic than the rest. With their status as a deeply holy people, one would assume that they are perhaps the most generous of the tribes. However, this is false, and their Day of Tributes is a prime example of humanity’s materialistic values.

Culture is defined as the arts and other manifestations of human intellectual achievement regarded collectively. Throughout time, many different cultures have come into existence worldwide. They are often forgotten, preserved, or spread depending on those who carry it with them. It is vital that people conserve the different cultures because they are essential in remembering our past as the human race. One very important aspect of culture is that of religion. Religion has shaped the course of history from as early as 50,000 years ago. When given the opportunity to experience one of these unique religions first hand, I immediately chose Catholicism due to the fact that I have always been curious of their traditions and rituals. During my visit to Christ King Mission Church, I learned that the Catholic sanctuary actually looks similar to that of many Baptist churches, has a very formal liturgy, and shows more respect to other biblical characters than most other churches.

“ ‘Why do people do rituals, Mama?’... ‘But we don't live in the tribes,’ I countered. ‘Papa should stop doing rituals.’ ”(32). Even at such a young age, Mark realized that the superstitious tribal religions are not appropriate for a city dweller. This small realization

Christians in later periods adopted different strategies in regard to pre-evangelisation ancestors, taking seriously the cultures which had formed these beliefs: a simplistic rejection of their worldview was not adopted. As we have seen, reflection of the Descent was one such example. Another is the Chinese Rites controversy in which Jesuit missionaries to China permitted Chinese Christians to take part in Confucian rituals relating to their departed ancestors It was not an isolated phenomenon at that time: connections appear between these developments in China and others in the Americas (Vogeley 1997). It is also a fine example of how a pastoral situation drove the quest to find

During the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the Tswana, Maale, and Nigériens counterbalanced evangelical Christian mission colonization by incorporating local customs and practices into Christianity. We will define and dissect the terms “civilization” and “modernity” to describe how medicine and religion reinforced and changed African and white Christian cultures. I define “civilization” as a white, Christian ideology that formulated how missions historically oppressed black Africans; evangelical missions rationalized white supremacy by claiming that inept and inferior black Africans needed cleanliness and morality training. However, I define the term “modernity” as a culturally hybrid African response to mission evangelism; after hearing

One of the most powerful aspects of this documentary was the journey taken by two African American women to Lagos and through Orisha initiation, because it provided a beautiful picture into the relationship between religious practices in the diaspora and religious practices on the continent, in this case Nigeria. Coming to Lagos provided these women with the opportunity to “rewrite [their] stories” in a powerful way. This film emphasized that permeability, community, and liveliness continue to be central components of West African religion, and these were tenants that can be observed historically in the diaspora as well. Specifically, characteristics of modern Orisha worship will be presented in conjunction with aspects of the Christianity

Mr. Smith, who is strict and oppressive, becomes the new leader of the church, and is nothing like the previous leader, Mr. Brown, who was loving and kind. He does not tolerate beliefs that are apart of Igbo tradition, claiming they are methods the enemy uses to cause them to do evil things and lead them away from God. After the destruction of the church, the District Commissioner requests a meeting with the village leaders, where they are later captured and forced to comply to the European’s system of government and law. The author utilizes irony to demonstrate how the missionaries are misusing the power they have. The Europeans, though starving, ridiculing, and torturing the clan leaders as well as collecting more from the village than the initially requested two hundred cowries, claim to have “brought a peaceful administration to [them] and [their] people, so they may be happy” (Achebe 194).

” One pages 143, the author how the colonizers gained many followers but none that would cause agitation among the natives of Umuofia. These first converts, efulefu, were known as “worthless, empty men”; even “the priestess of Agbala, called the converts the excrement of the clan” and the new faith was only there as a clean up crew. The colonizers disregarded the natives’ religious culture when a native asked about their type of god and he answered, “All the gods you have named are not gods at all. They are gods of deceit who tell you to kill your fellows and destroy innocent children” (Achebe 146). Not killing each other and one’s children becomes the positive effect but the negative effect becomes the reaction of those who might want to follow the colonizers now and what type of division it may cause.

In the book, Religion both guides a society and destroy from both Christianity and the religions of the clans.When the missionary arrived in Africa they brought more than just religion also bringing a new government that forcefully took power and got rid of the of the old culture.Missionary converted many natives to Christianity slowly taking over the clans and destroying the culture for future generation of the clan.An example is when Okwankwo’s son Nwoye chooses to convert Christianity instead of become a farmer or a warrior like his father wanted.Christianity converts many of the natives from Umuofia and neighboring clans creating a new society and bringing a new government, but also destroying the old societies of the native by convering

Considered a great sin, the Christians showed horrible disrespect for the culture by “killing one of the egwuwu” (188). All of these are results of the arrogance of the whites and complete disregard for the living, breathing people that live in each village. The second step has been complete in the action of colonialism. African culture has been disrespected and shown to the people as