American Indian beliefs vs Christianity

[Lazurus]

At this time in my lifetime i have come to a spiritual crossroads..... so to speak. I am of First American Religion and every time I tell someone that they automatically think I am a devil worshipper. A pastor here at a local church actually told his congregation that Native Americans fought with the devil on Mt. Siani in the Bible. And that they used their dream cachers and black majik potions with the chants and rituals to summon the devil to fight the Lord's soldiers.

To think that there are people out there who think that Native Americans are God hating devil worshippers make me sick. We love Great Spirit. And it's about time that Christians get over their hatred and arrogance toward other religions.

One of the most evil things the Christians have ever done is spread their disease upon the Native Americans whom they conquered in the age of Manifest Destiny. Manifest Destiny was the claim that god wanted the Christians to have the land and therefore it excused them of any wrongdoing. Well, if god wanted the Christians to have the land, why did god put the Indians there first? This is proof again that people create god in their own image and make that god desire their own desires. “We’re doing god’s work,” and this makes it all okay. It always bothers me when I see Native Americans following some form of Christianity. Historians tend to stay away from this topic because they don’t want to get blasted by the Christians. In many cases they were forced into the Christian cult during the reservation years (latter 1800s period) when it became a choice of following the old ways or eating. Read about the Nez Perces in Indian Territory and you will learn about this.

Also, Native Americans didn’t hold the same religious concepts as organized religion. For them it was more about gaining power. Being that they were defeated by the white Christian culture (who, for instance, had the ability to make guns), they sought to add this new power to their existing set of beliefs. It wasn’t about one over the other, or one being right and one being wrong. You would never hear an old-time Indian warrior tell a white man that you had better believe in the Indian idea of the Great Spirit or you’ll never get into the Happy Hunting Grounds. They just didn’t think like that.

But Christianity has been tainting native beliefs for hundreds of years. For example, let’s say a missionary goes to work among some eastern tribe, say the Iroquois. The new ideas that are given to them pass from tribe to tribe. These new ideas (and rituals) might be incorporated into existing beliefs. So it spreads.

Christian leaders who spoke about injustices to the Indians still wanted the Indians to be civilized (i.e., Christianized), they just wanted it done more humanely. Different path to the same result.

I still don’t understand how any Native American can choose to be a Christian, especially after what was done to them in the name of that very religion.

[CanadysPeak]

It's a little difficult, I know, but try to separate European imperialism from the religion it co-opted. Had the Spanish been Shintoists, they'd have still come looking for your land and gold. They had to make you out as evil in order to justify stealing what you had. You still have land, water, and casinos, so we still paint you as bad. Nothing personal, just business.

[mtbturtle]

Ringing in my ears I hear...the personal is political

[linford86]

Lazarus, it sounds like you come from a very small community, with a surrounding populace that is largely uneducated. I have to admit that I've never met someone who honestly and seriously thought that Native Americans worship the devil (and I'm from the US.)

[weakmagneto]

This struggle between Traditional Native Spirituality and Christianity still exists within many of the communities in my area. There are those who do not respect the belief systems of others, while there are those that do, and there are those that work together. I don't believe that all "Christian" religions (many different faiths) are the same. I have known a lot of beautiful people who are Christian, who don't impose their belief system upon me, but accept me for who I am.

I know there are those people out there who believe and some do preach that Traditional Native Spirituality is pagan or that we commune with evil spirits. This is based on fear and ignorance. You can't force people to learn about the truth, but you can put information out there to create the awareness.

I believe awareness is the key to understanding who we are and where we have been. There are people out there who have no clue about Traditional Native Sprirituality, who we are and where we have been (Residential Schools, I will post a link), including our own people. I think awareness is the key for those interested in learning. I have been quite fortunate to learn firsthand from many Elders about my people when I was young and had a thirst for more knowledge ever since then. I was exposed to Traditional Native Spirituality in my mid-20's.

These were the principles that I was taught about Native Spirituality in my area (the following two quotes and the Native American Code of Ethics sum it up the best):

"So live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart. Trouble no one about their religion; respect others in their view, and Demand that they respect yours. Love your life, perfect your life, Beautify all things in your life. Seek to make your life long and Its purpose in the service of your people. Prepare a noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide. Always give a word or a sign of salute when meeting or passing a friend, Even a stranger, when in a lonely place. Show respect to all people and Bow to none. When you arise in the morning, give thanks for the food and For the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, The fault lies only in yourself. Abuse no one and nothing, For abuse turns the wise ones to fools and robs the spirit of its vision. When it comes your time to die, be not like those whose hearts Are filled with fear of death, so that when their time comes They weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again In a different way. Sing your death song and die like a hero going home." Tecumseh - Shawnee-(1768-1813)

"Knowledge was inherent in all things. The world was a library and its books were the stones, leaves, grass, brooks and the birds and animals that shared, alike with us, the storms and blessings of the earth. We learn to do what only the student of nature ever learns, and that is to feel beauty. We never rail at the storms, the furious winds, the biting frosts and snows. To do so intensifies human futility, so whatever comes we should adjust ourselves by more effort and energy if necessary, but without complaint. Bright days and dark days are both expressions of the Great Mystery, and the Indian reveled in being close the the Great Holiness."

-Chief Luther Standing Bear

I follow the "Native American Code of Ethics" to guide my life, as per the below link:
http://www.nativevillage.org/Inspiratio ... hics__.htm

I was taught that, pre-contact, my people (Native Americans are a diverse group so I am referring to only the people in my clan) were an egalitarian society. We banded together for survival and were nomadic. We all had roles within our family groups and communities. We had our own laws, beliefs and values.

I was taught that in order to move forward, that I should reconcile with the past, forgive past wrongs and myself, in order to move forward. In order to truly love myself, so I can be balanced. I have let go of the anger, but I haven't forgotten the lessons of the past, so they aren't repeated in the future. I share what I have learned with my children and I intend on sharing what I have learned with anyone who wants to know.

http://www.trc.ca/websites/trcinstitution/index.php?p=3
http://www.canadiana.ca/citm/specifique ... ols_e.html

[Watson]

I learned at a very young age the route purpose of organized religion is ultimately about money. Control the people, control what they think and believe, excite the common belief by giving them a common enemy and it all justifies collecting the money. It is all very political and driven by power and money. I perfer the more spirtitual belief system.

[Dawnscout]

I still don’t understand how any Native American can choose to be a Christian, especially after what was done to them in the name of that very religion.

Personally, I can't see how anybody can choose any religion over another that doesn't respect the rest of the population's beliefs.

I'd rather call myself a spiritual person ( a concept that shouldn't be unfamiliar to a native american) before ever saying that I was a religious one.

[flannel jesus]

Kinda off topic here:

The continued practice of calling Native Americans "Indians" (and even "Native Americans" to a lesser degree) seems kinda weird to me. I mean, the reason we started calling them Indians in the first place was because we thought we landed in India, at least that's what I learned when I was learning about the discovery of the New World. But it wasn't India obviously, that was a mistake, so it would seem to me to be equally a mistake to call the inhabitants "Indians." And, were I a Native American, I might be a little bit peeved if people were calling my people by the name of another people because they thought we were them.

Now, of course I'm not a Native American, and what I imagine I'd be peeved by doesn't have as much sway obviously as what actual Native Americans do and don't mind. And clearly the OP in this thread doesn't mind referring to himself as an "Indian," which of course has more weight than my thoughts as a non-NativeAmerican. But I just wanted to share how I thought it was strange that we still call them that. That's all.

[weakmagneto]

flannel jesus,

In Canada, legally, we are referred to "Indians" as per the ""Indian Act" (link below). The Indian Act is a Canadian statute that defines "who" is Indian, certain rights and governance of Indian reserves.

Indian Act, Canada
http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts ... 1.html#h-1

While I can't speak for the majority, but some of us, here in Canada, prefer the terms "First Nation" or "Indigenous".

First Nations people in Canada have been exposed to other belief systems for centuries now and some are just re-learning their true histories (not the ones written in text books and the history that was taught to many through forced assimilation policies), culture and language.

In conclusion, I will sum up my thoughts about the topic: You believe what you know or were taught...

[flannel jesus]

never heard of the Indian Act, thanks for the information

[flannel jesus]

In relation to the OP:

I don't know how common knowledge this is, but the Mormon's believe that God turned the Indigenous brown-skinned because they were in sin. I know because I read the Book of Mormon. I used to be one of them. Here it is, Nephi 5:21

[weakmagneto]

On a lighter note, little did Joseph Smith know that brown skin would be considered beautiful with some people baking outside in the sun for hours to get tanned or people spray painting themselves orange to get our shade!

Thankfully, credible science has contradicted his theory about Indigenous peoples being descended from the Israelite patriarch Lehi. I will post some links later.

[flannel jesus]

I was actually just looking that up. They actually think they have significant evidence that it's true. I was not surprised to find even more significant evidence to the contrary. Of course, it's doubtful that they'd care.

[CTD]

Stereotyping is a pretty ineffective means of attacking Christians. Those who practice it might consider the history and success rate.

Every Christian I know closely shares my opinion that great injustices, disgraceful and contemptible, have been perpetrated against the Indians. We all know there is no scriptural support; we all know the U.S. Constitution holds treaties to be higher in authority and more binding than other measures passed by Congress.

It is a waste of time trying to lay guilt upon those who have not committed, but rather have consistently opposed the deeds one complains about.

The title also presents a false dichotomy, for Christianity has long been accepted among Indians. It is an American Indian belief.