The belief in Supernatural Beings Free Essay Example

At the dawn of time form man’s early beginnings in prehistoric times, one central activity is the procurement of food. In those days, man existence was totally dependant on his food supply especially during the long winter months. As man progressed, less and less time was required to procure food but nevertheless food in its myriad forms remains a central part of man’s daily life. With progress more time and thought was brought to bear on the many mysteries of the universe and man’s surroundings.

One of the most ancient of man’s practices is divinity.

Edward Tylor described religion as “the belief in Supernatural Beings”. Richley Crapo further elaborated religion as “the belief in supernatural power, symbolic expression of feelings, and rituals performed in order to influence the nonhuman realm. Unexplained and mysterious occurrences were attributed to the divine and religion became another central part of man’s life. The function of food and eating was, and still is, not restricted to the biological aspects.

Food is the center of a complex value system and an elaborate ideology centers about it.

Religious beliefs, rituals, prestige systems, etiquette, social organization, and group unity are related to food. Throughout the Pacific, in Africa, and in most other parts of the tribal world, kinship groups work together in the production of food. Distribution of food is part of traditional obligations between people related biologically and through marriage ties, between clans, and between chiefs and their subjects. The accumulation; of food, particularly for ritual occasions, is a major way of obtaining prestige.

At all significant events in the individual’s life history – birth, puberty, marriage, death -there must be a feast, and the amount of food reflects the prestige of those giving it. Less formal but of equal significance is the relationship of food-giving to hospitality, valued even more among tribal peoples than among ourselves. The importance of food is not limited to relations among the living. It plays a significant role in relationships with dead ancestors and gods. Offerings of food are made to them, so that they will grant the requests of the living and protect them from sickness and other misfortunes.

The spirits of the dead and the ancestral gods presumably, have to eat and, among some tribes, observe the same eating etiquette as do the living. In Haiti the gods are very demanding, and providing their food becomes a means of controlling and manipulating them, for the gods depend on men for their strength. In the same country death is symbolised in many instances as being “eaten” by evil gods and, in a modern context of a railroad accident, the locomotive is said to be a machine that eats people. This oral aggression of evil gods is regarded as being motivated by the desire to acquire strength through being fed.

The function of food in magical and religious practices throughout the world is well known, and food taboos are part of many religious rituals in both tribal and modern societies. The major religions of the world today are more benevolent and sought to nourish the soul rather than terrify man. Yet, one major similarity is that FOOD also plays a central role in modern religions. As such, it is inevitable that food is going to play a role in people’s understandings of the sacred and the transcendent. Religious food symbolism is common, and many rituals involve food.

The specifics vary, but the nature and function of food practises is similar in all religions. Fieldhouse, (1986) said that the roles of food in religion can be broadly divided into three categories;  To communicate with God (e. g. , through saying thanks or asking blessing)  To demonstrate faith through acceptance of divine directives concerning diet  To develop discipline through fasting. Furthermore, he said that dietary restrictions may include: What foods may and may not be eaten  What to eat on certain days of the year  Time of day to eat How to prepare food.

When and how long to fast He believes that observances of food codes strengthen group identity, especially in the midst of unbelievers. This is evident in the practices of modern religions such as Feast and Fast; and Taboos. Taboos are ways of maintaining the status quo in a group by identifying, through means of symbols, cultural rules which cannot be transgressed without danger to the individual or the group. In some cases, certain foods are to be eaten. In other cases, the devout abstain from certain or all foods. There is no doubt that food plays an important part in many religions today.

In an ancient Muslim tradition, bread could not be sold, but only given or traded because it was considered a gift from Allah. In a ritual still observed today, Jews eat only flat breads during Passover, symbolizing their ancestors’ hasty exit from Egypt (the bread didn’t have time to rise) to freedom. In the Christian eucharist, bread represents the body of Christ, who referred to himself as the “bread of life” and wine the blood of Christ. Today, communion is a ritual regularly conducted in churches worldwide, often with bread and grape juice as a substitute for wine.

Food traditions have been passed along for thousands of years as a part of religious observances, rituals and cultural and geographical ways of life. The Jewish and Muslim religions have strict dietary laws, though not all followers adhere to the rules. For Jews, the laws are known as kashrut. They were given by God to Moses on Mount Sinai and are explained in the book of Leviticus. Proper food is known as kosher; prohibited food as trafe. “Whatsoever parteth the hoof and is wholly cloven-footed and cheweth the cud, that may you eat,” says Leviticus 11:3.

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