Native American Religions

[marieelissa]

Here are some links...delve in

http://www.sacred-texts.com/nam/index.htm

Many followers of Native American spirituality, do not regard their spiritual beliefs and practices as a "religion" in the way in which many Christians do. Their beliefs and practices form a integral and seamless part of their very being.

http://www.religioustolerance.org/nataspir.htm

Traditional Native American religions exhibit a great deal of diversity, largely due to the relative isolation of the different tribes that were spread out across the entire breadth of the North American continent for thousands of years, allowing for the evolution of different beliefs and practices between tribes.

Native American religion is closely connected to the land in which Native Americans dwell and the supernatural. While there are many different Native American religious practices, most address the following areas of "supernatural concern": an omnipresent, invisible "universal force", "taboo", pertaining to the "three 'life crises' of birth, puberty, and death", "spirits", "visions", the "shaman" and "communal ceremony".

Native American spirituality is often characterized by pantheism, a strong emphasis on the importance of personal spirituality and its interconnectivity with one's own daily life, and a deep connection between the natural and spiritual 'worlds'.

Most adherents to traditional American Indian ways do not see their spiritual beliefs and practices as a "religion"; rather, they see their whole culture and social structure as infused with 'spirituality' - an integral part of their lives and culture.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Native_American_religion

[armychick09h]

 

[teflonfanatic]

True JW's consider their religion to be part of their very being or lifestyle. If anyone wants to use the word cult to describe so called "unorthodox religon" Don't LIMIT THE WORD!!!!

Definition of CULT
1: formal religious veneration : worship
2: a system of religious beliefs and ritual; also : its body of adherents
3: a religion regarded as unorthodox or spurious; also : its body of adherents
4: a system for the cure of disease based on dogma set forth by its promulgator <health cults>
5a : great devotion to a person, idea, object, movement, or work (as a film or book); especially : such devotion regarded as a literary or intellectual fad b : the object of such devotion c : a usually small group of people characterized by such devotion

Source: Merriam-webster