Traditional Religions

The majority of traditional religions include beliefs in a Supreme Being, spirits, divinities, magic and traditional medicine. They believe that the purpose of humanity is to harmonize nature with the supernatural. The problem with the world today according to traditional religions is that people have forgotten about the importance of the spiritual realm. Human beings today focus more on the physical and material world. Traditional concepts of destiny and reality are rooted in the spirit world. The actions and activities of the spiritual beings governs all spiritual and social phenomena. Unexplainable day-to-day events proved to traditional people the existence of a world aside from the visible one. Traditional religions believe that the spirits are intermediaries between God and humans. There are good and bad spirits. Misfortune and suffering are believed to be caused by inappropriate behavior from communities, individuals, and intervention of bad spirits. The world is current unbalanced; the spirit word has been neglected despite its dominance over the material world. In order for world to regain balance, the people need to regain favor from the good spirts and establish a close relationship with the spirit world. Good spirits provide protection against disease, misfortune, harm, heal illness, and provide children, wild game, and rain for crops, fish, and protection for livestock. Manifestation of these blessings are dependent on the right behavior on the part of the people. Good behavior includes practicing and following behavior and values established by culture and society, participation in religious practices and rituals, and respect for neighbors, family, and the community. Rituals are religious or cultural ceremonies that celebrate events that have religious significance. Failure to abide by these guidelines results in the good spirits stopping their protection and blessing. This is what has resulted in the vast misfortunes, droughts, deaths, and illnesses we see today.

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