What is Judaism

1. The synagogue is a House of Assembly, House of Study, and House of Prayer. Jews use the synagogue as a place for meeting with other Jews. It is also used to study the Torah and other holy texts. The synagogue is also used to pray to God.


2. The Ark is located on the eastern wall of the synagogue. The ark is the repository for the Torah scrolls when they are not in use. It also serves as the focus for one's prayers. The Torah is handwritten by a trained scribe on parchment made from a kosher animal. The Torah has to be written with no mistakes; the letters must be clear, the writing must not be faded. If there is something wrong with the Torah it cannot be used until it is repaired by a scribe. The scrolls themselves are covered by cloth mantles, or covers, elaborately designed on the front. The Ten Commandments are kept



3. A rabbi is a teacher of the Torah. The requirements to become a rabbi are different from each sect of Judaism. For example, the entrance requirements for an Orthodox yeshiva include a strong background within Jewish law, liturgy, Talmudic study, and attendant languages such as Yiddish. In a nutshell, being a rabbi requires years of study and being able to know the Torah in and out. The rabbi differs from other clergymen because he has no power over the people. The role of the rabbi is to teach the people the meaning of the Torah.


4. Shabbat is the most important ritual observance in Judaism. It is the only ritual observance instituted in the Ten Commandments. It is also the most important special day. The Shabbat occurs on the day of rest from sundown Saturday to Sunday.


5. The Torah is the Jewish sacred book. It is the first five books of the bible that includes Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Deuteronomy, and Numbers. The Talmud is known as the “Oral Torah” and this is how the stories of the Torah should be interpreted.

6. Sephardic, Ashkenazic, Orthodox, Reform, Conservative, Reconstructionist, Humanistic, and Zionist. Orthodox Jews follow Jewish law as laid down in the Torah . 5 million American Jews are Orthodox. Reform Judaism began after the Enlightenment. They believe that while the Torah is a valuable cultural and philosophical body of work, it was not delivered by God at one time, but developed over centuries. Reform says Judaism must continue to evolve. Conservative Judaism arose due to a break between Orthodox and Reform. Some Conservative synagogues are similar to Reform, while others are close to Orthodox. Finally, Theodore Herzl created the Zionist branch of Judaism. Historically, some Orthodox Jews had opposed Zionism because the Messiah had not appeared. But there were many religious Zionists as well.

7. Hebrew is a member of the Canaanite group of Semitic languages. Hebrew is the national language of Israel and it is said that the bible was written in Hebrew.



8. Yiddish was the primary language of Ashkenazic Jews in the shtetl, found throughout eastern and central Europe. One of the Germanic languages, Yiddish is written in Hebrew characters. It began between the 9th and 12th centuries in southwestern Germany as an adaptation of Middle High German dialects to the special needs of Jews.


9. Mazal Tov means Congratulations, Shalom means Hello,Peace,Goodbye, and Mitzvah means party


10. Birth includes the ceremony of circumcision, by which a boy enters the Covenant of Israel on his eighth day of life, goes back to Abraham, who was commanded by God to circumcise himself. Following the circumcision, the child's Hebrew name is announced. Bar/Bat Mitzvah- Every Jew becomes a Bar Mitzvah automatically. It is a change of legal status; it has nothing to do with how much an individual knows or has learned. No ceremony, certificate, or special service is required. However, it is a change of status that affects the entire community, since now there is an additional member to count in the minyan, and thus it has been customary to celebrate this milestone since the 1300's, though celebrations have always been small and modest until this century. The centerpiece of the Bar/Bat Mitzvah celebration is the child's first aliyah: the first time the child is permitted to recite the scriptures from the Torah. Wedding- In Jewish tradition, a marriage is termed Kiddushin which connotes that the husband and wife are sanctified to one another and enjoy an exclusive relationship. This relationship also has legal ramifications. The actual marriage ceremony is originally kinyan, one of acquisition, modeled on the transfer of property in the ancient world. In the case of marriage, the woman accepts a ring from the man, and thereby accepts the terms of the marriage. A ketubah is read during the ceremony. Witnesses are required not required for the signing of the ketubah but they are required for the kinyan ceremony. In the United States, when a rabbi officiated at a wedding, it is a legal wedding by the law of the United States. Go Jews!



11. Rosh Hashanah occurs on the first and second days of Tishri. In Hebrew, Rosh Hashanah means, literally, "first of the year." Rosh Hashanah is commonly known as the Jewish New Year. Yom Kippur- The name "Yom Kippur" means "Day of Atonement," and that pretty much explains what the holiday is. Jews don’t go to work and some fast. A fun fact is that on Yom Kippur, the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. is closed. Jews may also go to the synagogue to pray. First off, Hanukkah is not a very important religious holiday in Judaism. Hanukkah is the celebration of the menorah staying lit for eight days. There was only enough oil to burn for one day, yet miraculously, it burned for eight days, the time needed to prepare a fresh supply of oil for the menorah. An eight day festival was declared to commemorate this miracle. Passover is the most observed Jewish holiday even by secular Jews, so it can be interpreted as Christmas for Atheists. The day before Passover is the Fast of the Firstborn, a minor fast for all firstborn males, commemorating the fact that the firstborn Jewish males in Egypt were not killed during the final plague. In a nutshell, Passover celebrates God freeing his people from slavery in Egypt.


12. Before this assignment, I knew what the Torah and the Talmud were. Jews take very special care in their scripture. Also that at age 13 the jewish boy becomes a man.



13. The most surprising thing I found was the rigorous amount of work and significance of a bar mitzvah.




14. Passover is a Jewish tradition similar to mine because during Holy Week in the Catholic church, this very story is the Old Testament reading.




15. One aspect of Jewish life that is different from mine is the language. Hebrew and Yiddish are Jewish languages but I guess this isn’t very different from my religion because Latin is the main religion of Christianity.

Buddhism Questions

1. His name is Siddhartha Gautama
2. He sees an old man, an ascetic, a corpse, and a diseased man. All four of these sites were sufferings that happen to everyone in life and this was the first time Siddhartha had seen them.
3. The Doctrine of the Middle Way was developed by Gautama to teach others that finding true self is in the middle of total asceticism and indulgences.
4. Gautama attained enlightenment when he overcame the distraction of Mara.
5. The Sangha is the first Buddhist monastic community that consisted of men and women.
6. Buddha, Dharma, Sangha
7. Both believe in samsara, the wheel of rebirth, this make Buddhism and Hinduism both believe in a cyclical system.
8. Buddha disagreed with Hinduism's structure. He didn't agree with the fact that only Brahmin men were allowed to do rituals.
9. Anatta, Anicca, Dukkha. They are interrelated because all help discover change.
10. Anatta is the doctrine that the same self is reborn. This relates to Hinduism's belief of Atman because both involve inner self.
11. In Buddhist doctrine energy is transfered during rebirth. Karma affects the status one is reborn to.
12. Do not take life, do not take what is not given, do not engage in sensuous misconduct, do not use false speech, do not drink intoxicants. For monks and nuns: Do not eat after noon, do not watch dancing or shows, do not use garlands, do not use a high or soft bed, do not accept gold or silver.
13. It means suffering. Dukkha means to be without comfort in life and feeling out of place.
14. Tanha is desire. It is related to dukkha because both are unavoidable.
15. The steps of the Eightfold Path are right views, right intentions, right speech, right conduct, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right meditation.
16. The Buddha is different from all others who have been enlightened because he became enlightened while still alive.
17. Arhat is translated as "worthy one" and it is a title used to describe the living enlightened. Arhats are compassionate.
18. Nirvana literally means total censation and this helps us understand nirvana by giving a sense of what it feels like.
19. They are Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana
20. Theravada focuses on the teachings of the Buddha
21. Mahayana means the Great Vehicle. This name implies that they focus on the Buddha themselves.
22. Vajrayana Buddhism fights fire with fire.
23. The Dalai Lama is the head of the hierarchy of Buddhism. Each Dalai Lama is chosen by people who search for his reincarnation.
24. Theravada- Sri Lanka, Mahayana- India, Vajrayana- China

Introduction to Buddhism

The life of Siddhartha:

        Siddhartha was born into a royal family near India and as a child, he was very spoiled because his father wanted to shield him from the harsh realities and pains of life. As he became older, he wanted to leave the palace and see the outside world. When he went into the real world, he was shocked to find terrible things such as sickness, suffering, and death. After coming across these hardships, Siddhartha met a religious man. This inspired him to search for the meaning behind the hardships of life and so he decided to leave everything, including his wife and son, to find his answer. After wandering for years and practicing all sorts of strict meditation, he still had not found the answer to his question. He then sat under a tree and vowed to not move until he had come to an answer, this lasted for 40 days. After being tempted by many gods, he had finally become the Buddha, or “the enlightened” When he touched the earth because then he realized the answer to his question and banished all temptations that tried to persuade him to stray away from his enlightenment.

The Three Jewels:

       The Three Jewels are the Buddha (yellow), the Dharma (blue), and the Sangha (red). The Buddha is important because he serves as an example of how to live one’s life as well as how to achieve enlightenment. Dharma, the teachings of the Buddha, is important because it serves as a story on how to effectively become enlightened. Lastly, the Sangha is the practice of following in the footsteps of other Buddhists who have gone before you. This means you are learning from another Buddhist.

Threefold Way:

       The Threefold Way consists of ethics, meditation, and wisdom. Ethical actions are actions that bring about good, rather than harm, to oneself and others. Meditation is a deep, internal reflection of oneself and one’s life. Wisdom is the culmination or combination of all Buddhist efforts to become enlightened.

 

Four Noble Truths:

       The Four Noble Truths are the basic characteristics of humanity that everyone shares. They include: 1. All existence is suffering; 2. The cause of suffering is craving; 3. The end of suffering comes with the end of craving; and 4. There is a path that leads away from suffering.

Noble Eightfold Path:

       The Nobel Eightfold Path is the practice one must to to end all suffering and reach perfect Dharma. The path consists of the following teachings of Perfect Vision, Perfect Emotion, Perfect Speech, Perfect Action, Perfect Livelihood Perfect Effort, Perfect Awareness, and Perfect Meditation.

 

Hinduism Review Question

1. Moksha is a release from the confines of the reality and an entrance into the realm of the divine.

 

2. The doctrine that says all reality is ultimately one is called Monism. An analogy would be all rivers, lakes, and streams all flow into one ocean. Rivers, ponds, lakes and oceans appear to be quite distinctive, yet the share a common essence; they are all made up of water.

 

3. Brahman is a belief in which all things that make up the invisible and visible reality have something in common and are connected to the universe. Atman is the ultimate reality within the self. These two are related because the universe is connected with the eternal self and the eternal self is connected to the universe. These two terms are the same.



4. The General Function of Hinduism’s many deities is to serve as a connection between reality and the divine reality sense it is beyond the reach of mere humans. 

5. The Doctrine of Samsara states that an individual is reincarnated from one life form to another until the individual can reach Moksha.



6. The name of Hinduism's most popular sacred text is the Bhagavad-Gita.

 7. In Hinduism the two principles that connect the divine world to this world are karma and dharma. Karma is a moral law that states every action produces response which justifies the action committed. Dharma is a set of moral rules of life which must be achieved to reach Moksha. 

8. The four caste systems are the Brahmin which are the priest, the Kshatriya which are warriors and administrators, the Vaishya which are the farmers, merchants, and artisans, and the Shurdra which are servants and laborers.


9. Krishna encourages Arjuna to engage in war because it is Arjuna’s sacred duty to engage in war. Arjuna was born to battle as a warrior because it is a part of her dharma.


10. The first stage is that of a student in which one does intensive study if the Vedas and other sacred literature. This stage last until marriage. The second stage is Householder and in this stage a person pursues a career and raises a family. The third stage is the forest dweller (The stage ensues after the birth of a grandchild) and in this stage a man takes retreat to fully engage in a spiritual quest. The fourth stage is sannyasin and in this stage the forest dweller is ready to come back to society however he is completely detached from the material things this world ensues.


11. The first goal of life is sensual pleasure (Karma) and this is a legitimate aim to pursuit pleasures in one’s life. The second goal is Artha and this is an attempt to reach material success, social power and prestige that accompanies it. The third goal is Dharma and this is when a person tries to achieve living a moral and ethical life. The fourth goal is Moksha and in this the goal is to achieve the infinite being, awareness and bliss of liberation.


12. The three paths to liberation are the path of works, the path of knowledge and the path of devotion. People who are engaged into day-to-day task of earning a living and raising a family prefer the path of the works. People who have a talent for philosophical reflections and reasoning should follow the path of knowledge. People who get emotionally attached easily are best perceived to follow the path of devotion. 

13. The three most important schools in Hinduism philosophy are Vendanta, Sankhya and Yoga. The basic task that concerns all three is that the attainment of knowledge is needed to rid oneself of the ignorance that binds the self to Samsara.


14. Three important gods and goddesses are Vishnu who is the preserver of the world, Shiva who is the god known for destruction, and Kali who is known for being a violent destroyer to her enemies.


15. Avatars are incarnations or living embodiment of a deity and two important Hindi avatars are Kirshnu and Rama.

16. The text that is most closely associated with Bhakti Marga is the Bhagavad-Gita.
17. The three aspects of Hindu devotional life are household and village rituals, pilgrimage to holy places and veneration of cows.


18. Mahatma Gandhi influenced Hinduism by stating that all wisdom lights the way to the divine.


19. The significant changes that took place in the caste system in the 20th century were the Indian government forbade the discrimination of any outcast and the government also instituted affirmative action plans that promote economic and social rights of the outcasts.



20. A sati is the suicidal burning of a widow because her death is seen as a sign of virtue for her love of her husband and since 1829 sati has been forbidden however it still rarely occurs in some places in India.



21. The significant development that occurred between Hindus and Muslims in 1947 was that the Muslim community created the country of Pakistan during the partition of India so that way Muslims could have a homeland in which they could live in without the fear of being discriminated against by the Hindus. As aq result this caused a bloody civil war and many followers of both religions were killed due to the fact that most were forced to move out of their homes.

 

Primal Religious Tradition Review Questions

1. Forms of religions are considered primal because they existed prior to the universal or formal religions such as Christianity or Hinduism. The primal religions exhibits the basic feature found in all religions and some characteristics of primal religions originated first, they are usually traditions of non-literate people, they tend to be used by small groups of people, and they are very diverse because not all primal religions will be the same.

 

 

 

2. During the period of dreaming the Ancestors created landscapes, various forms of life, and the first humans. They organized humans into tribes and gave them each specific languages, social rules, and customs.

 

3. The spiritual essence of the Ancestors remains in the various symbols they left behind.

 

4. A totem is a natural entity that symbolizes an individual or group and has special significance to the religious life of a group or individual. Taboo is the prohibition of certain behaviors or objects for fear of dangerous contact with spiritual powers.

 

 

5. For Aborigines, ritual is essential if life is to have meaning because it is only through ritual that Dreaming can be accessed and experienced.

 

6. The rituals originated from the Ancestors who created the world during dreaming and each ritual is a reenactment of a myth of the certain actions an Ancestor did during Dreaming.

 

 

7. Initiation rituals awaken young people to the spiritual identity and redefine their social identify in a tribe.

 

 

8. Two acts of the Dieri initiation ritual that symbolize death are the initiates two lower middle teeth were knocked out and buried in the ground, and the initiate is circumcised.

 

 

9. The Yoruba live in the western regions of Africa including Nigeria, Benin, and Togo.

 

10. The city of Ife has always been the center of Yoruba religion because the Yoruba believe that the god Orish-nla first began to create the world in Ife.

 

11. Yoruba cosmological view of the world depicts reality being divided into two separate worlds which were heaven and earth. Human beings are descended from gods and earth is also populated by deviant forms of human beings call witches and sorcerers who can cause chaos. The purpose of this religion is to maintain balance between the gods and humans and also to keep the sorcerers and witches from doing evil deeds.

 

12. Olorun is the supreme god of Yoruba religion and is the primary original source of power in the universe.

 

 

13. Orishas are lesser deities than the supreme Olorun however they can harm or help human beings depending on how a ritual is carried out. Orishas function as a mediator between Olorun and human beings.

 

14. One Orisha is Orish-nla and Yoruba believe that he created the earth. Another one is Ogun, the god of war and iron who was once a human but then died and became a god.

 

15. A trickster figure is a type of supernatural being who tends to disrupt the normal course of life.

 

 

 

16. Family ancestors gained supernatural status by earning a good reputation and living to an old age. They are worshipped by their own families. Deified ancestors were important human figures in Yoruba society who are now worshiped in large numbers.

 

 

 

17. The role of ritual practitioners is to mediate between the gods and ancestors in heaven, and human beings on earth.

 

 

18. Divination is the use of various techniques for gaining knowledge about an individual’s future or about the cause of a problem. Divination is important because knowledge of one’s future is essential for determining how to proceed in one’s life.

 

 

19. According to scholar’s human being came to North America either 20,000 or 30,000 years ago by migrating from Asia to the Bering Strait. They gradually spread out and inhibited both North and South America.

 

 

20. The religion of the plains Indians is of vital interest among native peoples because their religion represents Native American religion in general.

 

 

21. Wakan Tanka is the Lakota name for supreme reality and means most sacred. Wakan Tanka represents sixteen separate deities.

 

 

22. Inktomi is means spider and is the Lakota trickster figure taught the first human beings their ways and customs.

 

 

23. The Lakota believe that when someone dies one of their four souls goes on a journey along the spirit path of the Milky Way. The soul is judged and either becomes an ancestor or a ghost on earth. The remaining parts of the soul are reborn into new bodies.

 

 

24. The primary goal of a vision quest is for an individual to gain spiritual power to ensure greater success in hunting and warfare.

 

 

 

25. A sweat lodge is a dark hut made of saplings and covered in animal skins. The Lakota built it to represent the universe and they believe the sweating leads to purification.

 

 

26. The vision arrives in the form of an animal, an object, or a force nature. A message is often communicated in these visions and the individual tells the medicine man who then explains the vision.

 

 

27. In the Blackfeet tribe a woman with outstanding moral character presides over the Sun Dance.

 

 

28. An axis mundi is an entity such as a tree or mountain that connects the heavens and earth. The axis mundi in the Sun Dance is the cottonwood tree.

 

 

29. The participants of the Sun Dance believe that their bodies is the only true thing they own so body mutilation is the only suitable sacrifice one can offer to the supreme being

 

 

 

30. The Aztec Traditions defy the description of a primal religion because they were highly developed and populated civilization with a population of about fifteen million. However the Aztecs were like other primal religions because they emphasized the interrelationship between myths and rituals.

 

 

31. The geographical area of Mesopotamia included most of present day Mexico and extended south ward to present day Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica.

 

 

32.The Aztec god who created and ordered the world was Quetzalcoatl. The ancient city Teotihuacan is said to be the origin of the entire cosmos.

 

 

33. Topiltzin Quetzalcoatl is the god’s earthy devotee and he ruled as a priest-king. Quetzalcoatl is significant to the Aztecs because they believed he presided over the golden age of Aztec cultural brilliance and he provided the Aztecs a perfect role model for their own authority figures.

 

 

34. The Aztecs called their present age the Age of the Fifth Sun and they anticipated that their sun would be destroyed like the other four suns.

 

 

35. The Aztecs understood the special world as having four quadrants extending outward from the center of the universe, which connected the earthly realm to the heavenly and underworld realm.

 

 

 

36. Aztecs regarded each human being as a sort of axis mundi because the head and the heart are regarded as potent for the nourishment for the sun and the cosmos. This potency creates a link between the earthly and heavenly realms.

 

 

 

37. The “Knower of Things” could communicate with the gods and make offerings through language which provided an alternative to sacrifice.

 

 

38. The historical coincidence that contributed to the fall of Tenochtitlan was that in 1519 the Aztec king Quetzalcoatl was supposed to return. The general of the Spanish army Hernan Cortez arrived that same year in a feathered helmet and the Tenochtitlan believed that Cortez was the return of Quetzalcoatl. However they were severely disappointed when Cortex began to conquer them.

 

 

 

39. The day of the dead shows the survival of Aztec religious culture because during this celebration modern day Aztecs set aside time each year to perform similar rituals devoted the same basic principle the ancient Aztecs used to practice.

 

 

 

40. Three themes that are shared by the primal religions studied in this chapter are boundaries between the supernatural and human worlds are thin and easily crossed, religion is encompassing in every aspect the primal religions society, and lastly primal religions are always changing. 

 

 

Yoruba Assignment

Group 1- Yoruba

1.      Where are they located, both in location and the type of geography.

 

The homeland of Yoruba is located in West Africa and expands from a savanna, or grassland, region in the north to a rain forest in the south. Most of the Yoruba are located in Nigeria as well as some that are scattered in Benin and Togo, which are small countries located in west Nigeria. The north and south of the Yoruba compared have different occupations as well as their living conditions.
      

 

            






2.      What is their cosmological view of the world?

 

The cosmological view of the world from the Yoruba is that the cosmos is singular, meaning they believe there is no this world and another world after we are gone. They only see a single world that contains visible and invisible elements.  The visible elements are the living people, plants, animals, rocks, stars, rain, the ocean and everything that can be precieved or seen. Now the invisible elements are the Orisha and Olodumare, which are those who have passed away as well as those waiting to be born. Ocasionally the visble elements or world are called Aiye, or earth, and the invisible world would be called, Orun, which is sky or heaven. The visble and invisible elements are all seen as a single piece and not two separate parts like they have been mistaken for in Western Cultures.

 

3. Explain and describe some of their sacred symbols (at least 3).

            A sacred symbol from the Yoruba is a calabash, which the Yoruba compared their visible and invisible world to. A calabash is a type of gourd, hard shelled fruit that is grown to use as a container. The calabash is suppose to symbolize, from its division, to form two halves containing the visible and invisible portions of the world. The two ways in understanding the calabash is the concept of ashé, or the energy of the universe and by looking at the different types of beings that live in the visible and invisible world as well as the interactions between them.

 Another sacred symbol is Yams because they are considered to be an important symbol of thanksgiving by the Yoruba. They offer the yams to divinites before they eat it themselves an example is from the Eje festival, which is an annual event in Itebuu-Manuwa, where the leader of the Yoruba offers yams to Malokum, the god of the sea, as well as to other local spirits and divinities. This is so that those gods can be responsible for making the crops do well on their land.

One last sacred symbol of the Yoruba are twins because they believe that twins contain th power to bring health and happiness to their families. Also twins can unfortunately bring the power of distress and destruction as well. The god that is the protector of twins is Ibeji and the tribe continues to have the highest twin birth rate from the amount of yams consumed. The people of Yoruba treat the birth of twins very different than just a single birth, instead they provide them with special names and the first born twin is considered the younger child and is called Taiwo, “having the first taste of the world.” Taiwo is said to be the younger child because the older sibling gives the order for Taiwo to see what it looks like in the outside world and when the child makes it out and cries it is a sign for the older sibling that it is ok. The older sibling is named Kehinde, “arriving after the other”, and is thought to be more cautious and intelligent. In the Yoruba tradition they believe that twins share one soul and three days after twins are born the parents go to a priest and he drives out any evil spirits. Also the priest then tells the mother how to raise them. Lastly if the priest believes that one of the twins are possessed he can have the power to tell the mother to starve the possessed twin.

4. What are their sacred locations?
         
                A sacred location for the Yoruba’s is the akoko tree, newboldia laevis. These trees are considered sacred trees and a symbolic marker to a sacred spot as well. Another sacred location is Osogbo city, that is located in the heart of Nigeria’s Osun region. This region is host to one of the most widely celebrated events in Western Africa, the Osun-Osogbo Festival. Osogbo city is considered to be known as the City of Peace. This city is a relaxed and blessedly peaceful place and every August, from the Yoruba calendar, the Osun-Osogbo Festival is taken place where it combines the natural beauties of Western Africa and spiritual journeys, prayers, and unity. The festival finishes in an energetic celebration of life on Earth as well as the connection to the divine that is filled with hope and joy. The festival is held in the city because it is a sacred place and just outside or near the city of Osogbo there is the Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove. Sacred groves are areas of perfect untouched forest reserved for the worship of the gods and they once were dominated the homelands of the Yoruba people.

5. Identify their most important gods (good, bad, and trickster). More than the name of the god is needed here.

The Yoruba most important gods are Ogun which is considered to be the most important. This god is the god of war, of the hunt, and of ironworking, as well as serves as the patron divinity of blacksmiths, warriors, and all those that work with metal in their jobs.  This god is also in charge of deals and contracts. The Yoruba consider Ogun  as fearsome as well as terrible in his revenge. The belief is that if someone breaks a promise or pact in his name then vengeance will follow quickly after.

Another important god is the trickster god, Eshu. Eshu is a god that best illustrates damage. This god does this by disguising himself as a merchant and sells increasingly outstanding gifts to each of a man's two wives. As a result from the fighting for their husband's favor had broken the family apart. Unexpectedly, Eshu also serves as the guardian of houses and villages. When he is praised his followers call him Baba, Father, also he serves as the god of Ifa. This means that he is a complicated and difficult geomantic fortuneteller tool that uses nuts, signs, and increasing squares of the number four in order to be able to predict all aspects of the future. One more god that is important to the Yoruba is the god Olorun. This is the ruler of the sky as well as the father of other Yoruba gods. He is the god of peace, purity, harmony and justice. Olorun has been seen in some cultures to be representing principles of male and female in heaven and earth.

       

6. What are their totems, fetishes, and taboos?

 The Yoruba totems, fetishes and taboos are certain textiles were considered to be fabric totems and were very nicely crafted and in great condition, a shaman would wear a cheetah mask and square hat with diamond design, with two bird figures, that included colors like orange, blue, ivory, and yellow. The Yoruba fetishes were “love lock fetish” where people would place the name of a loved one in the fetish and magic and then release it to the ocean. Fetishes were active a lot in their religion for spiritual purposes. The Yoruba taboos are expressions that can be classified into four different groups: propriety-related taboos, which are meant to neutralize unpleasant things and make them more acceptable. The next is taboos for avoiding threatening consequences; veneration-type taboos, which are meant to tribute particular groups of people, most importantly the king, but also elderly and important people. The last taboo is the fear-centred taboos, which gain from the Yoruba belief in the supernatural forces.

 

                                                                     

 

7. What is the role of the shaman? How do they view magic?

 The role of the shaman for the Yoruba was that he leads all of the people. The shaman was the enlightened one and served as somewhat as priest. He used voodoo for healing the soul and lead people on spiritual journeys that they had taken previously. The Yoruba also had female shamans that were called shamaness. How the Yoruba viewed magic was that When magic was used it was to cure or prevent disease. Magic was considered to be called medicine. Magic was attempts to protect a person from sorcery, improve their financial situation, bringing good luck, and things like that etc. As a result of these attempts they were always referred to as magic.

  

8. Identify and describe at least 2 or 3 rituals.

Two rituals in the Yoruba tradition is the death ritual where the body is mourned over by family and friends with loud cry’s but then after that washed in rum or decorated in aromatic herbs as well as nice clothing. There are proper ceremonies that are held for the deceased as well as certain procedures that must be followed and if not it would be considered disrespectful on the person that has passed. There is also a feast for the person who has passed for a final respect. Another ritual involves a mask that is worn by men in complicated deception performances known as "Gelede." This ritual is taken place each year between the months March and May, at the beginning of a new agricultural season. The main purpose for this performance is to pay praise to the special power of women, both elders and ancestors. They are known lovingly as "our mothers” and women can use a spiritual life force, called  ase, which can either be creative or destructive. When these powers are used in a destructive way the women are considered to be called aje ,witch. If angered, they are believed to have the capability to destroy communities or individuals. The performances provide an opportunity where “our mother” is being treated or pampered so that she may encourage rain and fertile soil instead of destructive power against the Yoruba people.

   

 

 

9. Images that reflect the art of the people, the people themselves, and their geography.

 

          

 Links to websites that were helpful:

http://testaae.greenwood.com/doc_print.aspx?fileID=C9079&chapterID=C9079-137&path=books/greenwood

http://www.everyculture.com/wc/Mauritania-to-Nigeria/Yoruba.html

http://brockbaker.pbworks.com/w/page/8688074/Yoruba%3A%20Symbols%20and%20Icons

http://suprememastertv.com/services_subt.php?bo_table=download&wr_id=2804&subt_cont=ee&show=ee&eps_no=598&flag_s=&d=down


http://www.postcolonialweb.org/nigeria/yorubarel.html

http://mythicjourneys.org/bigmyth/myths/english/eng_yoruba_pantheon.htm

http://www.cyberrug.com/yoruba_beadwork_5803.htm

http://www.authenticafrica.com/yorlovlocfet.html\

http://www.africabib.org/rec.php?RID=134933567&DB=p


http://shamanportal.org/shamanism_african.php

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

http://www.sacred-texts.com/afr/yor/yor10.htm

http://www.randafricanart.com/Yoruba_gelede_mask_birds.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

End of The World Essay

           In Vladimir Soloviev’s story The Antichrist he suggests many things towards religion. The Antichrist is suppose to be a figure like Christ, but instead is evil and corrupt. This Antichrist is contradicted evil and reigns as satins co agent in the apocalypse. Soloviev’s vision of a bright future for humanity was in the new century. He saw that under the direction and motivation towards the progression of a new religion and unity that humanity could enjoy a time where there was success, peace, honesty, and safety. Through his story, Soloviev says that the great crisis, which is the apocalypse, will strike Christianity at the end of the 20th century where he symbolizes the crisis by using the figure of the Antichrist. He suggests that the authenticity of religion is that the antichrist will be a single-minded protector for animal rights, a very good patron, a devoted and active peacekeeper as well as a potential vegan. Soloviev even includes that the antichrist will be sympathetic rather than hostile. He also suggests that the antichrist will appreciate the teachings of Christ, but will refuse to believe in the teaching that Christ is unique, as well as deny that Christ has risen and is alive today. Soloviev is saying that the antichrist will be all these good things rather than what an antichrist which is supposed to be as a partner with satin. He is suggesting that the authenticity of religion is the strength in Christianity as well as the unity of humanity that symbolizes a true religion. The "power of the world" seeks to corrupt it through constant warfare and unresolved peace between nations. Without peace and unity of humanity religion becomes another reason to fight on which one is more authentic. In reality, all religions are the same because they all have a God present that represents or signifies the one true God.




         The dictatorship of relativism is the way where people who strongly dislike Christianity will try and drive Christians from the public square, meaning that they will try and stop them from preaching publically and being open to their religion. This dictatorship, like most, will probably lead to violent persecutions towards those who will not abide by or cooperate to illegal rule. Modern problems of the "dictatorship of relativism" are similar to the story of The Antichrist because modern problems today dictate the appropriate religion as well as certain aspects such as marriage or identity. In Britain they are starting to experience a dictatorship of relativism in the traditional English identity and how now, the Guardians think things are changing. Many of the people are now not identifying themselves as Christians and this has taken a big decline over the last 10 years as well as the number of people that are getting married. Christianity is not on the point of extinction or termination, but just has taken a great fall in the number of Christians. Modern problems of dictatorship of relativism can relate to the story because the story was meant to tell about the twentieth century and how the end of the world was going to happen with all the corrupt powers and dictatorship over people. The story shows that there is no unity of humanity and the constant greed of power between nations that leads to the end of the world. The two relate in the manner of dictatorship of relativism because they both have signs of the suppression of Christianity.

    
 

          Relativism is a theory, particularly in ethics, that starts from truth and moral values that are not complete, but are related to the persons or groups holding them. This can pose many challenges to the modern world because they can be correct or they can be false. These kinds of theories can also prepare people for something that may not be true. For example the Mayans predicted that on December 21, 2012 that the world was going to end, but fortunately they were wrong and we are still here. Today, humanity still lives on and the theory of the Mayans was proved to be false. How this theory affected humanity was that it made people scared and not knowing what would happen with the belief in the possibility that the Mayans were right. Movies were made based on the knowledge from the Mayans to represent the end of the world. It has posed challenges to the modern world in the belief in God and that Jesus will return to judge us as well as the challenge of understanding the truth of the Mayans. The modern world was challenged with the belief in when the end of the world would happen, how to interpret them, and the strength in faith they had for God.



          In order for hope, the modern world has to overcome their challenges, they need to be more faithful and knowledgeable with God. This is because the more in twined and interactive they are with the religion the more of an understanding they will have with God. With their new gained knowledge they will understand that everything happens for a reason, that God has a plan for us and by following his rules we will be fine. The best hope we have in the modern world is the hope in God and that what He wants is the inevitable and cannot be cheated or avoided. In the end, the modern world can not find when or how the world will end with the relativism theories because even if they may be true or false we don’t know. For that reason our faith and strength in God is what is our only hope because he is the one making the decision to end or preserve the world as well as knowing what the future holds.