Animism - Animism Animism refers to the belief that personalized, supernatural beings (or souls) inhabit ordinary objects and govern their existence. Modern Neopagans often describe their belief system as animist. One example of this is the idea that the Goddess and God consist of everything that exists (although this is actually an example of animatism, rather than animism). The term is also the name of a theory of religion, proposed by the anthropologist Sir E. B. Tylor in his 1871 book, Primitive Culture. Most anthropologists today consider the term "animism" useful for describing a set of specific beliefs, but reject Tylor's theories of "animism." Tylor argued that non-Western societies relied on animism to explain why things happen. He further argued that animism is the earliest form of religion,.
Krahn - with the native tribes (including the Krahn) residing inland. It is thought that the Krahn were traditionally farmers, growing food, and keeping a few animals. Hunting and fishing was also practised. In terms of religion, many Krahn believe that objects have spirits or souls (animism). Language There are two variations of the language, Eastern and Western Krahn. Western Krahn is spoken in parts of Côte d'Ivoire and Liberia. From 1991 and 1993 research, there were an estimated 47,800 speakers in Liberia and 12,200 in Côte d'Ivoire. Eastern Krahn tends to be spoken natively only in Liberia, with a 1991 estimate of the number of speakers at about 47,000. There are many dialects of both of these languages. Dialects in Côte d'Ivoire tend to have a French influence. When the Krahn leader.
Idolatry - if the image itself is holy or an object of devotion, it is uncommon if non-Catholics situate any representational art in front of the congregation. In most cases, it is the devotional use, especially, that is avoided. In some cases, it is not only the veneration of images, but also the making of an image that is avoided. Any visual representations of Jesus of Nazareth, including drawings, paintings, stained glass windows, sculpture, and other forms of representational art, are considered a violation of the commandment of God prohibiting the pretended depiction of deity by images. A typical Christian argument for this position might be that, God was incarnate as a human being, not as an object of wood, stone or canvas; and, therefore the only God-directed service of images permitted, is.
Islamic mythology - or may not be regarded as Islamic mythology, since it can not be found in Islamic sacred writings, and yet has been and is being held to be true by millions of Muslims. It is a part of the so-called Folk Islam, a set of superstitions and practices transmitted orally from generation to generation. Many elements of Folk Islam stem from animism practices and have been integrated into the daily life of many Muslims. (this may have to go to a separate page. Much more could be written about it).
God - can be found in the articles Arguments for the existence of God and Arguments against the existence of God. The Nature of God Theology is the study of the nature of the divine. In some cases, theologians attempt to explicate (and in some cases systematize) the assumptions that underlie specific, organized, religions; in other cases, theologians seek to transform a personal experience of the divine into some philosophical system. Theologies begin with a notion of "god;" different theologies have been grouped and classified according to their views on two fundamental issues: Is God singular or plural? Is God transcendent or immanent, or both? Answers to these questions reflect, and imply, different positions concerning the relationship between god(s) and the world, and between god(s) and humankind. Theism holds that God is both.
Goodness and value theory - pleasures will result in the most other pleasures. Then we call those pleasures "intrinsically good," and only then do we say: "the only instrinsically good things in the world are good pleasures." That allows us to get around the circularity problem. But this is flawed. Imagine a nation of sadists. The public torture of one person in such a nation may produce more pleasure than any other event, since everyone's basic (not to say base) urges would be satisfied vicariously. But of course such an action would not be good. So pleasure seems a poor candidate as a criteria of goodness. Non-cognitivism Some philosophers, in the face of apparently intransigent undefinability or circularity, pursued the line that goodness was a special property which was not empirically verifiable, like 'redness' or 'circular'..
Grand Duchy of Lithuania - preeminent state in North East Europe. Between 1492 and 1508 Ivan III seized most of the former Rus lands from Lithuania. The loss of land to Russia and the continued pressure from the expanding Russian state succeeded in destroying the state of Lithuania, as it was forced to pursue ever closer alliances with Poland until it was engulfed by its western neighbour in the Union of Lublin of 1569. Military Despite Lithuania’s somewhat peaceful conquest of much of its Rus holdings it could call upon potent military strength if needed and were the only power in Eastern Europe that could contend with the Golden Horde as equals. While very few armies in the world could oppose the Mongols at their height, the Golden Horde was an easier rival, and one Lithuania.
Guinea-Bissau - PAIGC. Regions Main article: Regions of Guinea-Bissau Guinea-Bissau is divided into nine regions (regiões): Bafata Biombo Bissau Bolama Cacheu Gabu Oio Quinara Tombali. Geography Main article: Geography of Guinea-Bissau This small, tropical country lies at a low altitude; its highest point is 300 metres. The interior is savanna, and the coast line is swampy plain. Its monsoon-like rainy season alternates with periods of hot, dry harmattan winds blowing from the Sahara. The Bijagos Archipelago extends out to sea. Economy Main article: Economy of Guinea-Bissau Guinea-Bissau is among the 20 poorest countries of the world. Its farming and fishing economy was badly disrupted by the 1998-99 civil war. It has a foreign debt of $US 921 million and is subject to an IMF structural adjustment program. Demographics Main article: Demographics of Guinea-Bissau.
Fetishism - 18th century by French and German scholars to characterize the earliest stages in the evolution of religion. In the 19th century anthropologists and historians of religion such as E.B. Taylor and J.F. McLennan developed the theories of animism and totemism to account for fetishism. The concept of "fetishism" allowed historians of religion to shift attention from the relationship between people and God to the relationship between people and material objects; moreover, it established false models of causal explanations of natural events as a central problem for historians and social theorists. In the 19th century Karl Marx appropriated the term to describe "commodity fetishism" as an important component of capitalism. Later Sigmund Freud appropriated the concept to describe a form of paraphilia where the object of affection is an inanimate object or.
Eastern philosophy - paramount. Officials who exceeded expectations were as liable for punishment as were those who underperformed their duties, since both were not adhering exactly to their duties. Legalism was the principal philosophic basis of the Qin Dynasty in China. Confucian scholars were persecuted under Legalist rule. Buddhism Buddhism is a system of beliefs based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, an Indian prince later known as the Buddha, or one who is Awake. Buddhism is fairly unique as a traditional non-theistic religion, one whose tenets are not especially concerned with the existence or nonexistence of God. Buddha himself expressly disavowed any special divine status or inspiration, and said that anyone, anywhere could spiritually achieve all that he had. The question of God is largely irrelevant in Buddhism, though some sects (notably Tibetan.
Discrimination against non-Muslims in Malaysia - 2000 approximately 60.4 percent of the population were Muslim; 19.2 percent practiced Buddhism; 9.1 percent Christianity; 6.3 percent Hinduism; and 2.6 percent Confucianism, Taoism, and other traditional Chinese religions. The remaining percentages were accounted for by other faiths, including animism, Sikhism and the Bahai Faith. Non-Muslims are concentrated in East Malaysia, major urban centers, and other areas. In April 2002, the Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) initiated an interfaith dialog aimed at promoting better understanding and respect among the country's different religious groups. Participants included representatives from the Malaysian Islamic Development Department, the Malaysian Ulama Association, and the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism and Sikhism (MCCBCHS). Status of Religious Freedom In September 2001, the Prime Minister declared that the country was an Islamic state (negara Islam). Government funds support an.
Demographics of Chad - to have attracted more converts since that time is unknown. Miscellaneous Population: 8,424,504 (July 2000 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 48% (male 2,022,339; female 1,994,978) 15-64 years: 49% (male 1,964,216; female 2,204,902) 65 years and over: 3% (male 99,459; female 138,610) (2000 est.) Population growth rate: 3.31% (2000 est.) Birth rate: 48.81 births/1,000 population (2000 est.) Death rate: 15.71 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.) Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.) Sex ratio: at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.89 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Infant mortality rate: 96.66 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 50.49 years male: 48.5 years female: 52.56 years (2000 est.) Total fertility rate: 6.63 children born/woman (2000 est.).
Demographics of the Democratic Republic of the Congo - and the intermediary languages Kikongo, Tshiluba, Swahili, and Lingala. About 80% of the Congolese population are Christian, predominantly Roman Catholic. Most of the non-Christians adhere to either traditional religions or syncretic sects. Traditional religions embody such concepts as monotheism, animism, vitalism, spirit and ancestor worship, witchcraft, and sorcery and vary widely among ethnic groups; none is formalized. The syncretic sects often merge Christianity with traditional beliefs and rituals. The most popular of these sects, Kimbanguism, was seen as a threat to the colonial regime and was banned by the Belgians. Kimbanguism, officially "the church of Christ on Earth by the prophet Simon Kimbangu," now has about 3 million members, primarily among the Bakongo of Bas-Congo and Kinshasa. In 1969, it was the first independent African church admitted to the World Council.
Demographics of Guinea-Bissau - and social structures. Most people are farmers, with traditional religious beliefs (animism); 45% are Muslim, principally Fula and Mandinka-speaker concentrated in the north and northeast. Other important groups are the Balanta and Papel, living in the southern coastal regions, and the Manjaco and Mancanha, occupying the central and northern coastal areas. Population: 1,285,715 (July 2000 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 42% (male 271,100; female 272,304) 15-64 years: 55% (male 335,150; female 370,667) 65 years and over: 3% (male 16,574; female 19,920) (2000 est.) Population growth rate: 2.4% (2000 est.) Birth rate: 39.63 births/1,000 population (2000 est.) Death rate: 15.62 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.) Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.) Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.83.
Demographics of Indonesia - school, a much smaller percentage attend full time. About 44% of secondary school-age children attend junior high school, and some others of this age group attend vocational schools. Constitutional guarantees of religious freedom apply to the five religions recognized by the state, namely Islam (87%), Protestantism (6%), Catholicism (3%), Buddhism (2%), and Hinduism (1%). In some remote areas, animism is still practiced. Population: 224,784,210 (July 2000 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 30.57% (male 34,932,102; female 33,783,603) 15-64 years: 64.96% (male 72,889,994; female 73,124,821) 65 years and over: 4.47% (male 4,413,268; female 5,640,422) (2000 est.) Population growth rate: 1.63% (2000 est.) Birth rate: 22.6 births/1,000 population (2000 est.) Death rate: 6.31 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.) Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.) Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years:.
Demographics of Laos - Lao Sung or highland Lao. In the central and southern mountains, Mon-Khmer tribes, perhaps remnants of the Khmer empire, known as Lao Theung or midslope Lao, predominate. Some Vietnamese and Chinese minorities remain, particularly in the towns, but many left in two waves--after independence in the late 1940s and again after 1975. The predominant religion is Theravada Buddhism. Animism is common among the mountain tribes. Buddhism and spirit worship coexist easily. There also is a small number of Christians and Muslims. The official and dominant language is Lao, a tonal language of the Tai linguistic group. Midslope and highland Lao speak an assortment of tribal languages. French, once common in government and commerce, has declined in usage, while knowledge of English--the language of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)--has increased.
Demographics of Papua New Guinea - occurred in recent years. Between 1978 and 1988, Port Moresby grew nearly 8% per year, Lae 6%, Mount Hagen 6.5%, Goroka 4%, and Madang 3%. The trend toward urbanization accelerated in the 1990s, bringing in its wake squatter settlements, unemployment, and attendant social problems. Almost two-thirds of the population is Christian. Of these, more than 700,000 are Catholic, more than 500,000 Lutheran, and the balance are members of other Protestant denominations. Although the major churches are under indigenous leadership, a large number of missionaries remain in the country. The bulk of the estimated 2,500 Americans resident in Papua New Guinea are missionaries and their families. The non-Christian portion of the indigenous population practices a wide variety of religions that are an integral part of traditional culture, mainly animism (spirit worship) and.
Demographics of Thailand - least 2006, 30-50,000 Thais will die from AIDS-related causes. Ninety percent of them will be aged 20-24, the most productive sector of the workforce. The situation could have been worse; an aggressive public education campaign in the early 1990s reduced the number of new HIV infections from 150,000 to 25,000 annually. The constitution mandates 12 years of free education, however, this is not provided universally. Education accounts for 19% of total government expenditures. Theravada Buddhism is the official religion of Thailand and is the religion of about 95% of its people. The government permits religious diversity, and other major religions are represented. Spirit worship and animism are widely practiced. Population: 61,230,874 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result.
Demographics of Benin - in urban than in rural areas. The literacy rate is 52.2% adult males and 23.6% adult females, and slowly growing. Recent migrations have brought other African Nationals to Benin: Nigerians, Togolese, Malians, etc. The foreign community also includes many Lebanese and Indians involved in trade and commerce. The personnel of the many European Embassies and Foreign Aid Missions and of nongovernmental organizations and various missionary groups account for a large number of the 5,500 European population. Several religions are practiced in Benin. Animism is widespread (50%), and its practices vary from one ethnic group to the other. Arab merchants introduced Islam in the north and among the Yoruba. European missionaries brought Christianity to the south and central areas of Benin. Moslems account for 20% of the population and Christians for 30%..
Democratic Republic of the Congo - by tropical rainforest. This area is surrounded by mountainous terraces in the west, plateaux merging into savannas in the south and southwest, and dense grasslands extending beyond the Congo River in the north. Economy Main article: Economy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo The economy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo - a nation endowed with vast potential wealth - has declined drastically since the mid-1980s. The war, which began in August 1998, has dramatically reduced national output and government revenue, has increased external debt, and has resulted in the deaths from war, famine, and disease of perhaps 3.5 million people. Foreign businesses have curtailed operations due to uncertainty about the outcome of the conflict, lack of infrastructure, and the difficult operating environment. The war has intensified the impact.
