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Native American Spirituality
- Thread starter Thoreau
- Start date
Most old Native Religions worship creation rather than the Creator. Therefore I do not believe in their religions.
All Praise The Ancient Of Days
Grantywanty
Registered Senior Member
Whether or not there was a trail from some earlier beliefs that went through transformations and eventually became both Christian myths and Native ones or not, there is a world of difference between these myths. Just the relationship between God and the earth is very different. In the native beliefs and myths I have come in contact with there is not this disparaging of the immanent and a worship of the transcendant in the same way at all. Christianity has inherent power relations between humans and nature that are destructive and not loving.
There are many other fundamental differences between the belief systems.
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M*W: Well, you're the archeologist, not me. I was a bit surprised when the information stated 33,000 to 35,000 years, myself. I'll see if I can find it on the web and post a link. This village would then predate the Iroquois Nation, I would think. It's hard to imagine some ruins such as this one could be dated incorrectly, but human error is not surprising... just embarassing that they could have been wrong in dating their findings. I cannot judge their scientific estimation, I can only believe it if I choose.
OTOH, it's not surprising to me that indiginous peoples were here long before the Vikings and Columbus came over. Also, I'm assuming this tribe was of Native American origin and not from somewhere else. Also, this dig is fairly recent, say 20 years or less, so it probably hasn't had time to hit the archeology books.
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M*W: All religion is myth created in the minds of the believers. Comparing religions to determine which religion is the right one and which one is wrong is futile.
Some people don't think so, MW.
But I'm curious why you feel it necessary to denigrate the religious beliefs of those people who believe differently to what you believe? Does it make you feel superior or better than the others? How do you feel about tolerance of others?
Baron Max
So you are Cherokee? acording to CT he wrongly states there was genocide yet so many people seem to heve American Indian ancestors. What BS. They were Europeans looking to make a better life on this vas vast vast land and you called them (for reasons known only to you) Catholic. Problems start when people dont want to share, set foot on this land and i will put an arrow in your heart. Which i am pretty sure was the philosophy of the Indians, that philosophy is bad for everyone. What land exactly did American Indians claim? Everything?
Many tribes were totaly wiped out by the first whites that went out into the new lands. Sure , some of the tribes went along with resettlements only not to be liquidated. Wouldn't you? That's why some tribes still remain because they made agreements with the United States Government and those were called Treaties. Imagine , none of those Treaties were ever upheld by the government.
and couldn't this have been the way of Neandertal vs HomoSapiens? Survival of the fittest?
a bit 'o this and a bit 'o that. Some of the ugly sapiens got together with some of the hot flatheads and produced - redheads
There's a difference. When those humans were here they only had very few weapons to fight with, usually equal types of weapons. When the whites came they had weapons far superior to every tribe in existence and used them to exterminate them with. Plus they used germ warfare when they handed out blankets to thousands of Native Americans with smallpox viruses embedded in them. Nice white ancestors we had, good Christians I'll bet.
but with all the natural resources in North/South America and same brain size, why didn't they make metal? Why didn't they evolve?
Because of their love of mother earth. Their religion held them back.
Enmos
Valued Senior Member
It was more like a philosophy than a religion. Love for nature in itself in no way a religion.
They had metal weapons, arrows, spears and tomohawks as examples. It was just that those were all they needed to live and fight by during their times in North America. Because they didn't need guns, they didn't make them. Once they saw what guns were they stole them because they never knew how to make them without being educated.
I would wager most white Americans didn't know how to make a gun, either.
How much?
It's hard for me to say.
I am a Pagan; and although I have an atheistic view of Deity, I consider myself an animist and a naturalist, when it comes to metaphysics as a whole. Due to this, I do share many similar beliefs with indigenous tribal religions of North America, especially the ones in the further north. I also think that the similarity between Native American spirituality and the animism of Shinto and Chinese mythology is not coincidental, especially considering the ice-age North Asian origin of the modern Amerindian peoples.
However, while I may agree with the animism of Native American spirtuality, I do not believe in a transcendent Sky-Father and Earth-Mother. Rather, I believe that these are metaphors for an immanent and permeating spiritual substance that is throughout the universe as a whole, and is within every bit of matter.
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M*W: I have no intention of denigrating other's religions. Everyone is entitled to believe what they choose.
Most people don't believe what I do, and I'm comfortable with that. I'm an atheist, and I don't expect anyone to believe as I do. If they do, that's fine. If they don't, that's fine, too.
I study religion. I hope to find conclusions. There I find wisdom, and there I also find truth. Who am I to say that christianity is a fluke? I can only believe what I have seen. Having said that, I believe that christianity is false. Never doubt the resourcefulness of truth. There is a lot of truth in disbelief.
Then why do you make such statements as: M*W: "All religion is myth created in the minds of the believers." ? If that's not denigrating or making fun of the religious beliefs of others, I don't know what is!
I don't think you do. And it's pretty evident from the posts that you make that you've already decided on things. No, you're not studying religion, you're arguing about the beliefs of others and making fun of those who believe differently to what you believe.
Sorry, M*W, if you take all this wrong, but I, for one, am getting damned sick and tired of you posting your hatred and belittling those who have religious faith. I think you should take a step back, review your posts, then perhaps think a little bit before you post your usual hatred of believers.
Tolerance and understanding of others is a nice thing to have ....or at least that's what I'm told.
Baron Max
so, black and hispanic ones do?? It sucks being white, I miss all the good classes.