Post by pitbull on Sept 4, 2008 4:50:30 GMT -5
DAILY WISDOM
“For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law.” [Proverbs 4:2]
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
A CHRISTIAN’S HATE LIFE
Psalm 97:10
“Hate” may be a four-letter word, but so is “love”.
Hatred is not a sin if it is aimed at sin.
What does God hate? We should hate the same thing.
Proverbs 6:16-19
Do you hate the same things as God?
RELIGIOUS AWARENESS
Australian Aboriginal mythology
Indigenous Australians can be classified into about 400 separate language groups, each of which has a distinct culture. For this reason it is incorrect to classify any attribute as universal to them as a whole. However, almost all the belief systems found seem to be what can be considered a polytheistic, animistic religion. Instead of 'Gods', words like Creator Spirits, Culture Heroes, or Aboriginal Ancestral Spirit are more often used.
Many similarities between the groups may be seen:
• The Australian Aboriginal cultures are based on nature in every aspect. Many of their mythological heroes are animals common in Australia, a prominent example being the Rainbow Serpent.
• Humans are very much part of the land, and are associated with particular places.
• Another similarity is the so-called "Dreamtime". It is often thought of as the time in which the world was created, but correctly describes the process of the world being called into being. Another general explanation can be seen in anthropologist Max Charlesworth's reference to the Indigenous Australian "Dreamtime" as the ability to 'see with eternal vision' . However, the word Dreamtime is now generally discouraged, as it implies a time which has now passed, whereas many Indigenous Australians maintain that The Dreaming time is still with us for those with eyes to see, and so it is now more commonly referred to as the Dreaming. In the dreaming, there is no clear distinction between humans and animals, and several of the spirits are able to change from human form to animal form at will.
• Dreaming paths or song lines describe the path taken by the Ancestral Spirits during the Dreaming. As they walked these paths, they sang the rocks, plants, and animals into existence. These paths are sacred, and there are songs and ceremonies that describe the journeys along these paths. Particular places along the path (e.g. Ubirr) are especially sacred, and sometimes dangerous.