4.0.2 Indigenous Religions - Overview

Version 1.3 March 2013                                                              (Previous Version)

Religion evolved as people evolved and became more conscious of their place in the world, and learned to talk and think in language.

Humans became aware that they, and other animals, moved when the intention to do so was formed in their mind.  So it seemed reasonable that other moving things, such as the sun and moon, trees, wind and water were also motivated by similar minds, or ‘spirits’.  Early humans appealed to these ‘spirits’ to make their lives easier, just as they appealed to other people to help them.

Sometimes people were asleep or unconscious and did not move, which can be explained as their ‘spirit’ leaving their body.  It seemed that these ‘spirits’ could exist independently of any body, that they are disembodied minds, and that a person’s ‘spirit’ continues to live even after the death of the body.  It seemed reasonable to talk to the ‘spirits’ of the ancestors even though we can't see them.

As humans formed hierarchical organizations, and observed leaders in animal herds and packs, so it seemed reasonable that the ‘spirits’ had hierarchies, and the senior ‘spirits’ became gods.

Polytheism is seeing gods and spirits everywhere.  Pantheism is seeing god in everything.

Shamanism is a typical religion of hunter gatherers, still practiced by millions of people, in which the shaman (or witch doctor) has contact with the animal spirits, provides stories to help us connect to nature, and perhaps asks the animal gods to forgive us for killing them for food.

Shinto, the state religion of Japan, is based loosely on ancestor worship and local spirits and provides some comfort, inspiration and role models.

The Yoruba religion, which began in south west Nigeria and has spread to the Americas, is one of the most popular world religions.  It seems more complex than Shamanism or Shinto and some of its concepts are similar to traditional eastern and western religions.

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Now science gives better explanations of natural phenomena and we don't believe in ‘spirits’.  But the idea of communing with nature is still attractive to most people.