Unit 8 New Religion

The following paper will talk about Wicca and Paganism as a religion within the United States. Wicca is a diverse community as a religion, but is not yet considered by any Supreme court case but some aspects such as traditions are recognized by the federal and state courts. This will be further touched upon further later on.

Compared to men, women are more likely to express a greater interest in religion, to have stronger personal faith and belief in live after death, and have a stronger personal religious commitment. Also to involve themselves more in religious rituals and worship e.g. they are more likely to attend religious services and they participate more in religious life generally. Bruce also found that women join or involve themselves with new religious movements and new age movements. Religion and religious ideology plays a part in maintaining the male domination over women that is found in many aspects of social life, achieved by religious ideas

Esther Park REL 301 Unit Six - Mysticism: The Future of Religion? Mysticism: The Future of Religion? Harvey Cox is your mentor and a professor at Harvard University.

Throughout this chapter there were eight major woman-centered religions discussed. Afro-Brazilian Religions; which seems to incorporate elements of Amerindian religions, African tribal religions, Catholicism, and Kardecism. Public rituals in which a female medium would be possessed by spirits was a main feature of this religion. Black Carib Religion; This religion had some of the same main features as Afro-Brazilian religions such as communicating with spirits and instead of female mediums contacting the spirits in this case the older women would be the spiritual leaders. A majority of Black Caribs are Roman Catholics as well. The next religion discussed was the Burmese Nat Religion; they have a lot of the same beliefs as the previous two religions. Most rituals were preformed by women and almost all of the shamans are women. Burmese Nat Religions coexists with Buddhist Practices. Christian Science was created by Mary Baker Eddy in the 1800s. They basically believe that self healing happens after a balance of prayer and study. This religion in the most different so far. It doesn’t seem to have the same spiritual beliefs and rituals. Korean Household Religion is where Korean women give up offerings for the well being of their homes to the gods. They also call upon female shamans for advice. I’ve noticed that so far, Women are expected to grow spiritually through themselves and they rely on other women for guidance. I wonder why men and women can grow in spirituality together?

Women have fully been permitted to participate in a religious community since the early days of Buddhism. But they were bound by restrictions, since they’ve typically been look upon

Candomblé, which translates as “dance in honor of the gods”, is a syncretic folk mixture religion largely headed and adhered to by women, making it one of the most woman-centered religions of modern time. In this essay I will explore the history and roots of Candomblé, explaining the fusion of different beliefs and traditions that make up this religion. Furthermore, I will explain the multitude of roles within the Candomblé community and the high status enjoyed by women adherents. Finally, I will provide my reflection and insight on Candomblé as a matriarchal religion and it’s ability to uplift and empower women around the world.

843 A.D. We the Northmen came to Nantes and killed the bishop and many of the clergy and laymen, both men and women, and we pillaged the city. Thence we set out plunder the lands of lower Aquitaine. Then we arrieved at a island and we carried materials from the mainland to build our houses for the winter.As a reason that we “ Northmen” not believe in god, we are not christians , and we don't have respect towards the monasteries. Our main purpose is to get food and jewelry from others. Many people tagged us as “uncivilized” by cause our way to get what we want and for what we came to.

Chapter seven begins by identifying mercy as what distinguishes Catholic morality. The text also states that many Catholics believe that what is right for Catholics is right for everyone, and what is wrong for Catholics is wrong for everyone (Pg. 117). Since I am not a Catholic, I do not agree with this idea. Although I agree with many Catholic morals, America was founded on religious freedom and we have been given the privilege to have our own individual beliefs. I do not feel it is right to make laws specific to one religion or the other, since we are a country of many religions and belief systems. I do, however, agree with the Catholic tradition of helping someone in need. I wish this were a universal principle for all people, although it seems many Americans are often too

Wicca is a one of the 300 plus religions in the world today . Wiccan is also known as the Witchcraft. Wiccan is a belief that thousands of people practice and this paper is going to explain all of Wicca that you may not know.

Wicca indeed is modern witchcraft “coming out of the broom closet” …. Removed the stereotypical image of witches as ugly old hags with warts on their noses, decked out in black capes and cone-shaped hats, riding their favorite broomstick on a moonlight night. The Modern Wiccan may be an attractive female dressed in a fashionable, well-tailored business suit or a professional businessman (Dominquez, 2004).

Pledging your life and your activities and all your consciousness to the Divine is the first decree not only of Wicca, but of life. Worshipping to Wicca Gods and Goddesses we are tending to the One Divine Source. By a metamorphosis spiritual practice is to identify that the Divine lives in everything. Wicca religion understands the balance in nature that gives us life, death, and rebirth, comes from the heart and soul. Understanding and worship the old ones, by embracing the divinity called nature in her magnificent incarnation. A religion of nature that honors and a precedent reciprocal in nature that is derived from Celtic clans of Western Europe. It, also is embed from the Neolithic History’s or Wicca, the old religion, witchcraft,

Wicca is a predominantly western movement, whose followers partake in witchcraft and nature worship. Followers of Wicca see it as a religion based on pre-Christian tradition from Europe. As the coven members master the practice of the magic and become familiarized with rituals, they must pass through two degrees of initiation. There is a third degree but this is for those who wish to enter priesthood. Gardner’s system priority is given to the priestess and leader in the Gardnerian society one will trace their expertise through a lineage of priestesses all the way back to Gardner’s coven. Regardless of some variation within the Wiccan community, most followers share a general set of beliefs and practices. Wiccans worship is polytheistic and always includes an exalted concept of a goddess as being similar to the preeminent level of divinity. They believe in goddesses, have respect for nature, and have both polytheistic and pantheistic views. Some Wiccans do accept the so-called Wiccan Rede, which is an ethical code that states “if it harm none, do what you will.” Wiccans maintain a belief in meditation and they will participate in rituals throughout the year, celebrating the new and full moon, as well as the vernal equinox, summer solstice, and Halloween, also known as Samhain by Wiccans. Worships in coven occur according to the phases of the moon, Monthly meetings are referred to as esbats. Wicca ceremonies include invoking the service of the deities, practicing ceremonial magic, and sharing a ritual

Nonetheless, within the Hindu religion, women’s roles have evolved over time and women are going against the social norm of their tradition and their way of life in hopes of being treated in the same manner that Sikh women are within Sikhism (Desai, et al., 1995). Hindu women’s traditional roles in the household in India have changed over the past century. The influence of Western scholars as well as Sikhism views on women has brought change to the overall status and role of women in Hinduism so that Hindu women can be recognized in the same way that Sikhism women are. Western scholars who have studied Hinduism have written many books and articles on the sacred scriptures including reviews on the Vedas (hymns and ritual texts) and other religious scriptures that at one point were restricted from Hindu women.

Two forces which gathered strength in the last half of the twentieth century now dominate the world religions at the beginning of the twenty-first century. The first is the globalization of religions and their resulting encounter with each other, and the second is the need to redefine attitudes toward gender as women have stepped forward to insist that their full humanity be acknowledged in the religious as well as the social realm.

The first part of this essay will outline the main arguments of the feminist ecologists and deal with the concept of Ecofeminism. The second part will sketch the main arguments of Rosemary Radford Reuther book, "Gaia and God". The final part of this essay will analyze: Starhawk's The Spiral Dance, "Witchcraft as Goddess Religion", The Homeric Hymn to Demeter, and "the Descent of Inanna" and examine the pros and cons of the position that a return to goddess worship would save our planet.