IslandMix

So let me ask you? For some time I've been contemplating bringing this question to this space...


With time there have been some religious/spiritual changes in the way we speak the word, the clothes we wear at church/temple/gatherings/feasts/, even the time period of worship. Do you think with these changes due to the times, or migration that it waters down the faith? Should we try and keep the faith PURE by doing exactly what's ask of us or changes help the faith grow? Whatcha think...

I love how you come into the space and always spreading love bro! lol...

but on the real... I've realized in the spiritual space I'm in, clothes/colors/symbols play a major part. I know my cousin in their christian church they ALL tie there heads, my aunt who's hindu the whole family put on their saris to go to temple or to celebrate feasts (especially in the BLASTED WINTER), the Hasidic jews are in their full garb. I guess where I'm getting at is do you think it helps to dress the spiritual part or it doesn't matter?

Even the language barrier?? Don't you think you would want to learn the language of the particular faith. Right now a good friend of mine is taking an Islamic class and is learning how to speak Arabic... I think that's a first step!

As far as the head ties go, if you ever look at people who don't wear hats in the winter, there's HEAT that rises straight from there head (looks really funny, but it's really important). Most cultures back east cover there heads becuase one's head is anointed in so many different ways throughout so many various cultures.

Baptist wear their spiritual clothes but not really outside of going to chuch like the jews and hindu's does.

as far as religion goes there is alwways going to be evolution. In may ways, things vary by cullture. In the westren world, we realize that they do things way diffrently from what we have been exposed to in th islands. To me it all depends on the individual mind set, you have to know what you stand for and what aspects you are willing to compromise, because there will be compromise. The new generation also play a great role in the stability/instability of religion, we as a people like to put new spins on things thereby losing the true essence of religion along the way

some faith is very much watered down I think. This is due to the elders not wanting to teach the younger generation or only giving them 50% ant not the full 100% so when they die the knowledge dies with them leaving the babies in the faith to fill in the blanks

You see that statement, to me it is very important to let alot of young people aware of this. I myself have faced that dilemma from many religious aspects and want to make sure I know the "goings on" of my faith from language, rituals, dances, etc. I think it is scary that some elders are either not willing to teach the ways or making it an essential part of growing for the younger generation of the faith based community. I hope many seek to know the full truth and not the half-tale!

Trinkiz- actually I was going to say the Spiritual Baptists, Revival and some Pentecostal churches *i believe* do uphold the spiritual clothing for feasts and service. I think it's very unifying for a group of people.

Kevlocks- I wore my head tied for some years now since I started dancing as a child and never stopped. I didn't understand why I loved it so, it wasn't so much a style for me but more of a love to have my headwrapped and uphold the traditions in my dance in my daily life... I was later told it's importantance for different cultures, I learned how to tie certain head wraps for different occasions. It's quite interesting! I'm going to do a thread about that one of these days, because I have quite a few articles about it!

js4short- I actually realized the constant evolution of religion and faith, but I have a fear that there's going to be in some religions a total change AWAY from the original traditions. I think traditions are the foundations of them and shouldn't be forgotten. I think it's also up to the parents in instilling these traditions with their children and growing them up in a space that's family like. It's too bad in this country most of us don't have the village setting like back home of being able to run to someone in case our parents or god parents aren't around... but a faith based family living in this country can be that village for our children I believe!

My mother told me that the reason that she does not tell her spiritual children things is becuz as they learn something new now you cant talk to dem cuz they feel they big in the faith and want to feel they is ah mother all of ah sudden and she fraid that they interefere in things that they have no business in

Quote:
Originally Posted by HoneyEmpress
You see that statement, to me it is very important to let alot of young people aware of this. I myself have faced that dilemma from many religious aspects and want to make sure I know the "goings on" of my faith from language, rituals, dances, etc. I think it is scary that some elders are either not willing to teach the ways or making it an essential part of growing for the younger generation of the faith based community. I hope many seek to know the full truth and not the half-tale!



Reading this just makes me think of when I was growing up how old ppl use to just brush ya off with little staments like "cause I said so" when ya would ask them a question they would never give you a straight ans fa anything and ya had to figure out alot of stuff on ya own.

With that said it so easy to follow rituals without knowing the meaning of what you were doing and why you were doing it.

It's not until I got older that I understood and choose to seek I dont want that for my kids I want to give them as much information as possible and with that they can choose the path they want to go in.

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*I have been Born Again*

Exactly! and that is what happened to the Ifa faith.

I think these spiritual traditions should continue to be taught and understood but I don't think too much emphasis (for lack of a better word) should be put on them by the the leaders of each faith. What I mean by that is teach them and even encourage them but don't make them "rules"; don't encourage the perception that one who wears the full garb of the faith for instance, is more devout than the one that comes to worship in "regular" clothing.

I say this because the more firm "rules" you put into a faith the more chances that you may discourage someone seeking for whom that may be the right path.

One example that comes to mind is my sis. She was baptized Spiritual Baptist two years ago. Not long after baptism she went to church wearing a long, full black skirt, black blouse and black head tie. One of the leaders pulled her to the side and advised her that "we" don't wear black, esp. not to worship as its not a good color. Eliminating a color from one's wardrobe for some people may seem like no biggie but for her the idea behind it turned her off from the faith.

Other than that though, I think traditions of ANY kind are wonderful and the traditions and trappings of one's faith offer a certain comfort, a feeling of "being home" and much of the symbolism involved can help one to feel "immersed" in their faith.

Does it really lose its essence as it evolves though? I'm not sure what my opinion here is yet so I'm just throwing this out but -isn't is funny that as generations come and go, ideas of beauty change, ways of speaking and dress change, outside of the most basic ones-morals and values change; and yet we want everything to do with our ways of worship to stay the same?

Could that be why collectively we're so much less spiritual today? Maybe people have evolved so much that its become harder and harder for us to completely identify with traditions of worship that despite teaching are still subconsciously alien to us because they originated from people and ways of thinking that are divided from us by centuries?

Are you talking about all religions in general?

I was talking to a spiritual sister about the same thing last weeke Wed. SHe was so hurt that a spiritual parent she had passed away and never taught any of his children the ways of the road. That's why I get on my spiritual father and mother to teach me but they use to say I wasn't ready, I think now they see a change in me