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Strictly speaking, animism is not a religion in itself and animists do not have a uniform idea about God or gods. Animism is a belief about nature and the spirit, and so it is related to religion. But many animists and also members of various religions that have no doctrine on animism, and such people have the beliefs about deities that their religions have.
Animism is the belief that all sorts of things can have spirits. Usually, the things that an animist might believe have souls is not limited to things we consider as alive, animals and plants, but can include almost any natural object or phenomenon. So an animist might believe a cloud or rock has a spirit, or the wind or thunder.
The spirits an animist believes inhabit natural things are not necessarily gods, however. While some animists worship the spirits, others do not. And while some animists are pagans, others have other religions.
There are animists who are Christians. Such a person regards the spirit of a dog or tree as no more a deity than the spirit of a human being, and is quite able to hold to an orthodox view of God. Such a view is certainly not common, and I am sure some preachers would denounce it, but I would be surprised if major Christian sects took the official position that it was heresy.
I realize many people would find the idea of a Christian animist difficult to believe. It might be well to consider the Benedicite, omnia opera Domini, however, whose words include the following:
...O ye Sun and Moon, bless ye the Lord: * praise Him and magnify Him forever.O ye Stars of Heaven, bless ye the Lord: * praise Him and magnify Him forever.O ye Showers and Dew, bless ye the Lord: * praise Him and magnify Him forever.
...
There is a link below to the text of the Benedicite, omnia opera Domini, where it appears in the Catholic Church's original Latin, along with the translations in the Book of Common Prayer and Common Worship.
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What is the difference between animism and pantheism?
animism comes from the Greek word "anima," meaning life, breath or spirit. animism is the first form of religion or belief system and is the belief that there is a god or spirit in everything, animate and inanimate. pantheism is the belief that God and the physical universe are one in the same. God is everything and everything is God.
Is animism polytheistic?
Not Necessarily, Though It Can Be. Animism Is Generally The Thought That God Animates All Things Living and Non-Living. Therefore One Could Embrace A Monotheistic Approach To Animism, Saying That The Same God Animates All Things, This Would Lead Towards A Pan-Entheistic Worldview However.
What is Animism's belief about God?
Animism believes that everything in nature has a spirit. Some believe that there is a primary spirit, and others don't. Animism was the original human religion and is still practiced, mostly by indigenous people in Australia, Africa, and North and South America.
Is animism a big part of the Islam religion?
No. Animism has nothing to do with Islam as Islam holds that only God as a singular entity should be worshipped. Animism ascribes spiritual natures to different elements in the world and asks adherents to worship these things. In Islam, that would be blasphemy.
Who was the founder of animism?
There is no founder of Animism.
What are the teachings of animism?
teachings of animism
When did Subterranean Animism happen?
Subterranean Animism happened in 2008.
How many beliefs does animism have and what are they?
Animism has thousands of different beliefs, because every type of Animism is different from every other kind! The basic belief of Animism is that there is a life-force inside every aspect of the natural world. Not only animals and plants, but even rocks, rivers and the stars, all contain this life-force, so everything is ultimately part of the same essence. This life-force is the Animist version of God. They don't believe in "gods" in the same way that, say, Hindus believe in multiple gods. However, the life-force in a particular tree or well might be prayed to or appeased as if it were a god.
When was Subterranean Animism created?
Subterranean Animism was created on 2008-08-16.
How did animism reflect what was important to early West African peoples?
Animism reflect west Africans dependence on the natural world
What is the sacred text for animism?
There is no sacred text for animism - Animism is a primitive belief system that believes that the rocks and the trees and the sky and the thunder are gods. Similar to Pantheism, which believes God is -in- everything, rather than being separate from His creation. It should be noted that Hinduism has some elements of animism, and bragging of some 330 Million gods. The Hindus have many sacred texts, including the Bhagavad Gita and the Vedas.
How does animism influence cultures?
Animism involves the belief that spirits inhabit everyday objects in the world, and is probably the oldest type of religion. From animist spirits, it is a small step to move to a thunder god or sky god, then to a sun god, and so on. At first, the sun god would be constantly associated with the sun itself, but as the religion becomes more sophisticated, the sun god can go anywhere he is needed, returning to the sun to travel across the world and watch those below. The concept of an invisible, distant god is more difficult and is unlikely to occur until earlier animist concepts are well understood.
