1.4.5 Religion and Spirituality

What shapes your identity?


Religious beliefs are strong parts of our identities. Many religions are practised in Canada although 67% of Canadians say they are Christian and 24% of all Canadians say they have no religious affiliation.

Toronto is considered to be the most religiously diverse area of the world. The numbers of Canadian members of the Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu, or Sikh faiths are increasing. The numbers involved in native spirituality are also increasing.

Common elements of religions: Any religion is based on a strong belief in a system or set of guidelines by which to live. It answers the questions that seem unanswerable, such as where did we come from, what is life for, and where do we go after we die. Most religions are based on a belief in a divine power outside the human world. Often, a religion includes belief in a life after death including reincarnation. A religion is an organization shared by a group of people and usually includes

  • a structured organization
  • belief in a particular god although some religions, such as Buddhism, do not have a god
  • a text that includes history, rules, stories, and beliefs
  • a place for worship such as a church, synagogue, mosque, or temple
Buddhist monks
Buddhist monks in Bhutan
Source: Steve Evans, Wikimedia Commons
Religion is a powerful force. It shapes our identities, influences our behaviours, provides us with guidelines, and gives us a sense of community. Religion is highly personal. Religion is a powerful global force both throughout history and in today's world because groups who practise certain religions often want to share or even force their views upon others.

Religion has had a great effect on global interactions. Often, people with strongly held religious beliefs think that others will be able to live happier and more fulfilled lives if they follow those beliefs. Missionaries
missionary
a person who seeks to spread a particular faith or carry on humanitarian work, usually while employed by a religious organization
have travelled the world and continue to do so today to convert people to their beliefs. Evangelism spread Christianity from the Holy Land to Europe and then to North and South America and Africa.

Belief in the rightness of one religion over another has been used to change and even destroy entire civilizations. For example, Spanish conquerors and Christian missionaries in Mexico in the 1500s destroyed whole libraries of Mayan literature and history in the name of Christ. Wars such as the Crusades have been fought on the basis of religion. Members of religious groups have been persecuted, such as the Jews in Nazi Germany. Terrorist actions are motivated partly by religious beliefs.

Reflect


Spirituality is different than religion. The spirit is considered to be the most essential part of the soul. Some believe that even animals and the earth have spirits we cannot see. Understanding or knowing the spirit comes from personal experience. Spirituality involves activities that renew, lift up, comfort, heal, and inspire. A spiritual person tries to follow his or her own path while believing a force exists beyond what we see and that we can never understand fully. A person can be spiritual without being religious, and one can be religious without being spiritual.

Indigenous spirituality is based on personal experience and connections with the Creator and the natural world. There is no text to follow, but people follow an oral tradition. There is no church or temple for worship because the land is their sacred place and they can worship wherever they like. Traditional spiritual practices include the sweet grass ceremony, the Sacred Circle, the sweat lodge, and traditional dance.

What is the difference between religion and indigenous spirituality? Religion is usually structured and has set rules, but indigenous spirituality is more about how to live in harmony with nature and the Creator. Many First Nations people believe that the Creator shows the way to live by revealing a sign or totem when a person goes through a spiritual quest or a sweat lodge ceremony. This sign is not the same for everyone. One person may be shown an eagle and another may be shown a wolf, for example.