Oct. 5, 2010

Class was started off today by the opening prayer of Brian and Ryan. The prayer incorporated the song "Let it Be" and than we said a Hail Mary. Since the IIP's were due today, we, the Australia group, presented our powerpoint first. After our presentation two other groups presented their regions.

The India region went after us. The class learned that Hinduism is the world's oldest religion and about 80% of Indians are Hindu. There are seven sacred rivers with the Ganges River as the most sacred. Bathing in the Ganges is said to wash away all sins. In Hinduism, dharma is ethics and duties, samsara is the rebirth, karma is the right action, and moksha is the liberation from the cycle of samsara.

Hinduism has no unified system of beliefs but most believe in idol worship and reincarnations. Hindus pray to 330 million gods. The Indian culture and Hindu beliefs are interchangeable. They have Brahma as their creator, Vishnu as their protector, and Shiva is the destroyer of the bad and good in the world.

The next group to present had the African continent. The first region they presented was Egypt. Egyptians relied heavily on the nile and the seasons. They believed that gods were in the elements around them. Their Pharaoh was divine and human, he was also related to the gods. The temples were only for priests.

The next region in Africa that was presented was Eastern and Southern Africa. The class was taught that Ethiopia is the oldest christian state and that Islam came to Ethiopia by the trade routes. The Southern Africans believed in ancestral spirits with the sun and moon as gods. Different religions like Islam and Hinduism was brought to Southern Africa.

The last regions that were presented were Central Africa and Western Afria. In Central Africa, the group focused on Congo. The Bantu people in Congo were Basongye and they believed in magic. Now in Congo, most of the people are Christian. Similar to Congo, Western Africa was home to the Bantu people. Another group were the Yoruba. They had the oba which was their cheif. They reached the ancestors through meditation, and they believed in multiple gods.