Indigenous Religions

The indigenous tribes of North America have much in common with the indigenous religions of Africa but there are also many differences in the belief of an afterlife, supreme deity, and the daily practices of each. Today many of these lesser known religions are hardly ever studied but they exist and are still practiced all over North America and Africa. We will discuss how these religions differ in their main beliefs and practices, and we will also discuss how they correlate with one another on smaller aspects.

the First Nations were criticized and judged for moving to Canada and keeping their own cultural beliefs. The natives held onto their religion and culture because it was a part of them and their past and they also would not give it up willingly because they have been through too much to give up. “The federal government and most non-native Canadians believed that life for the First Nations people would be greatly improved if they gave up their culture and became part of mainstream, Christian Canadian”(Freeman-Shaw, Hastings-Winner 38). Canadian society was so full of itself that they considered everyone else and their culture to be less than their own. The Canadians thought everyone would be happier if they shared to same religion and beliefs

During the early 1960's, Elijah Muhammad became known as the Honorable Elijah Muhammad and was well on the way to establishing governmental order for black people. He always showed tremendous love for the black community.

What is the true definition of the word religion? Well, religion is a set of beliefs and practices that recognize the existence of a god or many gods. We need religion in our lives because it gives us a sense of belonging to our common faith and helps us set morals in our lives. The importance of faith in our lives has created a bigger understanding to us and has showed us how we can have a closer link to it.

He had three main ideas he preached that helped him with sales. He wanted black separatism, everyone to know that white men were evil (which was not hard for African Americans to believe since the idea already lived within their minds), and to show the inadequacy of Christianity to African Americans. By preaching these ideas, he eventually had a following of loyal supporters of his made up religion, who of course paid money to the church. When Fard was arrested in 1933, he “admitted that his teachings were strictly a racket and he was getting all the money out of it he could” (United States 1+). What he preached aided him in his peddling. He did not take his teachings seriously yet he met a man one day that viewed him as God incarnate. One night Elijah Poole attended one of Fard’s sermons and spoke with him afterwards. He told him that “you’re God himself” (Marsh 39). At the time, the movement had eight thousand followers (Marsh 39). At this point, Fard needed to find adamant believers who would serve as ministers for his money making organization. At this time he recruited Elijah Poole, changed Elijah’s name to Elijah Muhammad and developed him into his Chief Minister. Soon after, Fard left Detroit and Elijah took over the movement. Elijah was born in Sandersville, Georgia, in 1897 as the seventh of twelve children. He barely finished the third grade before he dropped out

The indigenous people of Japan and Russia are called Ainu. Ainu is also referred as Aino, Aynu and Ezo in ancient text. The history showed that they spoke Ainu language and other varieties of languages. They lived mostly in Hokkaido, the Kuril Islands, and Sakhalin. The people who still called them Ainu live in those regions. The exact number of the population of Ainu is still unknown. There are confusing and conflicting issues with Ainu due to mixed heritages, which result in hiding their identities. There is much intermarriage in Japan, which causes the loss of identities of real Ainu. The official estimates of the population of Ainu are

Upon arriving in the land that later became the United States of America, primarily Christian settlers were appalled by the apparent heathenism exhibited by the Native Americans. The fear of the unknown created the idea that the Native Americans’ lack of Christian values contributed to their savagery. In order to assimilate the Native Americans to the white Christian standard, tribal sovereignty was undermined by several federal policies in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries; primarily the banning of several dances and ceremonies, the allocation of land to the male heads of house that were held in trust by the government, and the seizure and removal of the children on reservations to be placed in militaristic boarding schools.

spiritual awakening. He then had abandoned the Islamic Nation and became an orthodox Sunni Muslim. Elijah Muhammad rose from poverty to become the charismatic leader of the black nationalist group Nation of Islam, and mentor of Malcolm X and Louis Farrakhan.

Seeking tradition and spirituality has always been prime through the course of this life. Believing and finding truths of the spirt realm’s unknown gives comfort while living. With so many people coming and settling in America, there begins to be a shift of different religions and spiritual practices emerging. America's founders established a civilization that would embrace the differences that countless cultures would bring to the United States. But here lies the challenges with this concept. It has been hard even in the late 1800s when the Native Americans did not want to conform to new Christianity; it created a rift that is still president here today with not only the natives but different cultures and ethnic backgrounds. In an article

spirit is injured or insulted, it can retaliate. Human beings must therefore show that they

What is an ‘indigenous’ religion or belief system? When we hear the term ‘indigenous religion’, what comes to our minds? How do we react internally when those words are mentioned? How do adherents of indigenous religions feel about those outside of their social and cultural circles, who know very little of their beliefs and who understand them even less. And how did the term ‘indigenous’ become associated with various belief systems that, in many cases, preceded most modern religions being practiced today?

Many religions have impacted the thoughts and beliefs of millions around the world. Two of these religions are Islam and Christianity, both of which are similar, yet, incredibly different. Christianity, which had come long before Islam, is known to be the root of Islam which makes sense since the two religions share much in common. They are both Abrahamic and monotheistic religions which means they share the belief in only one true existing God and are rooted to have many similarities. Their differences, however, are what make them two distinctive religions, which is why they are recognized and classified for being so. Similarities and differences arise in many topics and situations, but differences take over and divide them into

This religion was presented when Muhammad had declared that he had gotten a visit by an angel, a messenger. Him being the chosen one means that he has a duty, a mission where he had to be a messenger and spread the guidance and teachings of God. Muhammad was born in Makkah, he observed and saw the lifestyles he didn’t approve so he taught people equality. Him being the last prophet does not connect with Judaism and Christianity. Muslim do believe that Jesus was born in Virgin Mary, but they do not believe he is either God or the Son of God; God raised Jesus. Muslim doesn’t believe that God took a rest on the 7th day of earth’s creation unlike Jews and Christians. Muslims have the strong belief that in Judgment day we hold responsible of the acts made unlike Christianity they believe God will save them and Jews believe that any sin committed will be forgiven. Muslim does not believe that Jesus was crucified, just had his body lifted whereas Christians differ and Jews do not believe in the man called Jesus. The relationship Muslims have with God differs Christianity, Christians have a friendship with God and Muslims treat God as if he was there boss. In contrast, through every difference there are similarities regarding how people should deal and treat each

Conflicts, clashes, misunderstandings, and misconceptions represent an image of ignorance, sometimes, or a sign of prejudice. When it comes to religions, the situation escalates to be a real serious issue. Islam, and since its existence, has faced many struggles with many people who think of it as an outrageous religion that pushes people to kill, treat unfairly, and think criminally. However, Islam by name is a message of peace. The word Islam was taken from the word Salam, which simply means peace in Arabic. Additionally, the ideal of this religion is to worship one god –Allah– and believe that Mohammad is his messenger. Many of the legalizations of Islam call for concord and peace and fight a common wickedness; nevertheless, there are still some many people who are not aware of what the real meaning of this religion is and how it is rooted in Judaism and Christianity. Therefore, it is a religion that belongs to the same tree of the other divine religions mentioned before. Anyhow, since Islam and Christianity or Islam and Judaism are divine religions, why did they both exist? Why was not there only one religion? Well, a question like that cannot be answered with a simple answer. It is a matter of some many historical incidents that created that division in these religions. Overall, Islam and Christianity are very similar and compatible in many different ways although they have major differences.

Indigenous people are those that are native to an area. Throughout the world, there are many groups or tribes of people that have been taken over by the Europeans in their early conquests throughout the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, by immigrating groups of individuals, and by greedy corporate businesses trying to take their land. The people indigenous to Australia, Brazil and South America, and Hawaii are currently fighting for their rights as people: the rights to own land, to be free from prejudice, and to have their lands protected from society.