In Russia, girls were told: “When getting married, remember that you are marrying a man and his family.”

According to ancient traditions, having gathered as many guests around as possible, the parents declare:

"Our daughter leaves her father's family and goes to her husband's family."

The tradition has an important function: it makes the girl realize that her house is now on the other side, and it's time to say goodbye to her relatives. AT modern world this action has already been lost, only a small echo remains - the adoption by the bride of the surname of her husband's clan.

An important place in any religious system is occupied by religious cult. The very word "cult" (from Latin siiz - worship, veneration) speaks of what constitutes the content of this concept. Under the cult is understood the religious veneration of various objects.

Supernatural beings, in the form of rites, sacraments, holidays, sacrifices, etc. With their help, believers believe, one can "come into contact" with God, "saints" or other supernatural forces, propitiate them, enlist ...

The situation with the display of issues of religious sectarianism, both purely doctrinal and related to other confessions and secular society, in modern Russian journalism is extremely ambiguous and complex.

This is largely due to the difficult Russian history both pre-revolutionary and post-Soviet.

There were no problems in this area only in Soviet period when journalism was the right tool of the ruling party and the mouthpiece of its ideas.

The phenomenon of Russian religious sectarianism...

More than a decade ago, religious organizations and groups began to spring up in Russia, most of which had never been here before.

Abroad, the United States, and then the countries of Western Europe, faced such a phenomenon in the 60s.

In the USSR and later in Russian Federation religious new formations appeared and spread as a result of the efforts of foreign missionaries, while some neo-religious associations also originated on Russian soil.

Immediately after the emergence of new religious ...

Let us now move on to those aspects of the Greek religion that were called "higher" - although for such a designation of them, in contrast to those discussed in the previous one, some apostasy from Mother Earth was required. And here the first word belongs to the religious consecration of the human community - that is, on the one hand, the family, clan and tribe, on the other - the circle and corporations, then - cities, states, Hellas, humanity.

At the center of the family, i.e. united community of home and shelter of a civil cell ...

Sects or sectarian groups existed in the distant ancient past. The influence of sects on people is enormous. This provision especially applies to people who are not familiar with traditional religions and who allow themselves to be inspired by the visions of paradise that appear during their stay in sects.

There have always been people who offered themselves to others as the saviors of mankind and easily found a large number of credulous people adjoining them and believing in them.

Sects have operated in the past and...

The most common rite in Judaism is prayer. The power of prayer, according to believers, is so great that any miracle can be performed with its help. In the view of believing Jews, the prayer word and hymn reach heaven and influence the decision of the celestials.

The rabbis instruct the believers to put on their foreheads and left hand tefillin, or phylacteries. Tefillin are two tightly closed cubic boxes with...

What is a sect?

This is main question. The word "sect" in Russia refers to almost any religious movement that professes anything other than the so-called "traditional religions" - Orthodoxy and some areas of Islam, Judaism and Buddhism.

Other areas of these same religions may be called "sects" (for example, Baptist Christians or Buddhists who are not associated with the traditional communities of Buryatia and Kalmykia). In fact, many religious scholars now consider the word "sect" offensive...

Continuation of the abstract.

Religion cannot exist without action, because action is an integral part of human existence.

The core of religious actions is a cult. Cult and culture are the same root words. Cult is at the core of culture. Initially, the word had an agricultural meaning and meant the cultivation of the land (see notes earlier).

Philosophers argue what comes first - religion or cult. Materialists believe that religion is part of culture.

Cult - veneration, cultivation, care. People pray, turn mentally and verbally to the gods, bring gifts and sacrifices to the gods.

The most common action is a rite (the root "row" is a certain order of actions).

All religions have rituals that are divided into magical, mystical and symbolic.

1. Magic = magic. Those. something that physically changes in the world from some action. The shaman does something over the dying / sick person and he recovers - this is magic. Magical rites are characteristic of very ancient religions. The priests did something to make it rain, for example.

The Slavic cycle is very closely connected with nature. Among the Slavs, the period of Christmas coincided with the period of the sunset, and they thought that they must do something so that the sun reappears and the day is added. Indecent for us current actions are characteristic (contempt for death, for example, will return life and / or make it happier).

Majority modern religions rejects magic. When a magical rite is performed, a person takes on the function of a god (turn the sun, resurrect someone, cure, etc.). And most modern religions teach. that man cannot consider himself a god. Although there are elements of magic in many religions.

2. Mysticism = something incomprehensible, unconscious mind. It differs from magic in that as a result of actions, physical properties remain unchanged.

Example. In Christianity there is a sacrament - euchoristia, when believers in the temple take wine and bread as the blood and body of Christ. The physical properties of wine and bread do not change, but for believers there is a "transformation", in their understanding the essence of the subject changes.

3. And the Protestants (3rd, the latest branch of Christianity) deny mysticism in general. They have this rite, but it is intended for believers to remember what happened to Christ there, they replace wine with red juice. This is a symbolic ceremony.

The difference between ritual and sacrament. The sacrament is what Christ himself performed or what is connected with him (he said at the last supper about wine and bread, marriage, because he participated in this, the priesthood, because he participated and passed on to his apostles, etc.) . And the rite is what people later created (the consecration of the house, the car, "this chariot is consecrated").

***Real Orthodox are only those who take communion.

Characteristic only for the Orthodox and Catholics (and part of the Protestants). In other religions, there is no division into sacraments and rituals.

Availability religious art an essential element of all religions. Own sound, artistic and architectural images (each element in the building carries a meaning) according to certain rules. These rules are called canons.

They are more or less strict. Enslaved the artist? No, because it was believed that God speaks through the artist, and the artist is only a guide. On the one hand, they limited the artist, and on the other hand, they cut off everything superfluous.

AT Orthodox Church No musical instruments. Only the voice can sound. Moreover, only in a special way. Once upon a time, for music in general, not only in churches in Russia, they could be impaled (judging by the image of the organ on the wall of St. Sophia Cathedral, this was not always the case, once there was no big separation between the Orthodox and Catholic churches.

In ancient Russian music (in general or church music ???) there was no musical notation - the so-called. hook records. Monophony. All ancient Russian (the same) music is very mournful. Because spiritual focus. They did not come to listen to music, but to talk with God and the music should not have been distracting. Therefore, the icon was flat (image).

Religious associations

Chapter II. Religious associations

Article 6. Religious associations

1. A religious association in the Russian Federation is a voluntary association of citizens of the Russian Federation, other persons permanently and legally residing on the territory of the Russian Federation, formed for the purpose of joint confession and dissemination of faith and having the following characteristics corresponding to this purpose:

Religion;

Performing divine services, other religious rites and ceremonies;

Teaching religion and religious education of their followers.

Religious associations may be created in the form of religious groups and religious organizations.

Creation of religious associations in the bodies state power, other government agencies, public institutions and local governments, military units, state and municipal organizations is prohibited.

Establishment and activities of religious associations whose goals and actions are contrary to the law are prohibited.

Article 7. Religious group

Information about changes:

Federal Law No. 261-FZ of July 13, 2015 amended Item 1 of Article 7 of this Federal Law

A religious group in this Federal Law is a voluntary association of citizens formed for the purpose of joint confession and dissemination of faith, operating without state registration and acquisition of legal capacity of a legal entity. A religious group includes citizens of the Russian Federation, and may also include other persons permanently and legally residing on the territory of the Russian Federation. Premises and property necessary for the activity of a religious group shall be provided for the use of the group by its members.

Information about changes:

Federal Law No. 261-FZ of July 13, 2015 reworded Item 2 of Article 7 of this Federal Law

See the text of the paragraph in the previous edition

The head (representative) of a religious group or the governing body (center) of a centralized religious organization, if the religious group is part of its structure, notifies in writing the body authorized to make a decision on the state registration of a religious organization at the place of implementation of the activity religious group.

The notice of the commencement of the activities of a religious group shall contain information on the fundamentals of religion, places of worship, other religious rites and ceremonies, the head (representative), citizens belonging to the religious group, indicating their surnames, first names, patronymics, addresses of residence. A notice of the commencement of the activities of a religious group is drawn up in the form approved by the body authorized to make a decision on the state registration of a religious organization.

A religious group shall submit a notification of the continuation of its activities at least once every three years from the date of the last notification of the body authorized to make a decision on the state registration of a religious organization.

Religious groups have the right to perform divine services, other religious rites and ceremonies, as well as to carry out religious education and religious education of their followers.

Bring it into line with the Constitution of the Russian Federation. The Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation specified the places where religious ceremonies can be held. The department has prepared a draft of the relevant law. The document establishes what actions are related to religious rites and where they can take place without the consent of the authorities.

The bill provides for amendments to Article 16 of the Federal Law of September 26, 1997 No. 125-FZ. In accordance with the amendments, paragraph 1 is proposed to be worded as follows:

Religious organizations have the right to establish and maintain religious buildings and structures, other places and objects specially designed for worship, prayer and religious meetings, as well as other religious rites and ceremonies, religious veneration (pilgrimage).

Public religious rites and ceremonies include open religious rites and ceremonies accessible to everyone, including divine services, prayer and religious meetings.

In addition, paragraph 2 details where ceremonies can be held:

Divine services, other religious rites and ceremonies, including public ones, are performed without hindrance:

• in religious and other buildings (premises) for religious purposes, owned by religious organizations on the basis of ownership or provided to them on other property rights, as well as on land plots related to them;
• in other buildings (premises) owned by religious organizations by the right of ownership or provided to them by another property right;
• on land plots owned by religious organizations by the right of ownership or provided to them by other property rights;
• in places of pilgrimage;
• on the territory of organizations created by religious organizations;
• in cemeteries and crematoria;
• in living quarters

At the same time, the draft law clarifies that public religious rites and ceremonies in other places are held only in agreement with the executive authorities of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation or with local self-government bodies.

Amendments to the law "On freedom of conscience and on religious associations" are made in accordance with the decision of the Constitutional Court. The court recognized the provisions of the document as inconsistent with the Basic Law. The complaint came from the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation.

Recall that in order for the bill to become law, it must be approved by the Federal Assembly and signed by the President of the Russian Federation, after which the document must be officially published. federal laws come into force ten days after the official publication, unless the laws themselves establish a different procedure for their entry into force.

Other forces of nature are also spirits. Not all nature is deified among the Shoshone, but certain natural phenomena, such as mountains and lakes, are associated with specific spirits. Mother Earth is one of the most important spirits to whom offerings are made during the "dance of the sun" and other religious rites. As we shall see later, the erection of a dwelling during the “dance of the sun” ceremony symbolizes the re-creation of the world, the macrocosm.

The haunts of the spirits are sacred, and some of them are so inhabited evil spirits that visiting them is dangerous for a person: they approach sacred or dangerous places, taking precautions, or completely avoid them. Some of them are especially sacred or dangerous, but as a rule, the nomadic tradition of the Shoshone suggests that such places are found throughout the territory; do not have a sacred character home or permanent residence of the Indians, such as a village. Supernatural beings can appear at any time and in any place, and a person should always be ready to recognize them and show them a sign of respect. In any case, Shoshone must live in harmony with these spirits, respecting them and addressing them in their prayers and spells, honoring sacred places and avoiding dangerous ones.

Rice. 3.Shoshone Religious Path

There are special rules, such as not saying the real name of the Teton Peaks or pointing fingers at them. Veneration of spirits and sacred places brings good luck in life; neglect of them brings misfortune.

These spirits and sacred sites are important, but the core of the Shoshone religion is the concept of fluff, or the supernatural spirit power of a patron, which an Indian can obtain through a vision-seeking ritual or in a dream. As has been repeatedly emphasized, the flexibility of the Shoshone religion stems largely from the emphasis on adapting rituals and beliefs to new revelations received from communicating with spirits in visions or dreams. In the old days, every man had to perform a ritual of seeking communion with a patron spirit, subjecting himself to long and difficult trials; later, natural dreams came to the fore as a means of obtaining supernatural power. Shoshone religious leaders are "wielders of power" - they are healers, visionaries and shamans who received their supernatural abilities usually after an ordeal in a vision-seeking ritual or in a "dance of the sun." These religious figures have the ability to heal people, take the lead in important ritual ceremonies such as the "dance of the sun", and consecrate the start of the hunt. The essence of the Shoshone religion is to honor and respect spirits and sacred sites while seeking supernatural power in visions and dreams. It should be noted that although these quests are individual in nature, the resulting power usually works to the benefit of the entire community, as seen in the collective blessing in the "dance of the sun" or the help of the witch doctor "antelope" in a joint hunt.

As we have already mentioned, American Indian religions present a sharp contrast to world religions because they are not based on the precepts of a particular founder and are not organized according to written traditions and theological dogmas. American religions are built on oral traditions and openness to new revelations and visions. The Shoshone tradition is a good example of this trend towards greater flexibility and mobility. religious life. However, the fact that the Shoshone religion does not have a specific founder or a written doctrine or creed should not lead us to conclude that the religion is incoherent or incoherent. The Shoshone religion, like other American Indian religions, has a logical system that is strictly laid down in a specific structure of beliefs and practices.

The religious structure of the Shoshone can be illustrated in Fig. 3. At its upper point are the highest world forces headed by Tam Alo. Below Tam Apo are various spirits and specific forces, as well as the supernatural power (fluff) itself; even lower - people and their lives. The center of the diagram is the concentration of all divine forces, on the left is their decrease, and on the right is their increase. To the left of center, starting at the top, we find the coyote (mythic hero) and hostile spirits, as well as conditions such as ritual impurity that lead to lack or loss of strength and hunting failures, disease, or punishment. To the right of the center we find good spirits and guardian spirits, as well as rituals such as the "dance of the sun" and means, such as dreams and visions, to achieve general or individual supernatural power (and the opportunity to become a successful hunter or medicine man) . Generally speaking, the scheme is based on the two main focuses of the Shoshone world of maximizing divine power and minimizing diminution. This diagram will become clearer if it is illustrated concrete example the Shoshone religious life, as will be done in the next chapter; the structure of the Shoshone religion can also be interpreted as a general way of life.

The Shoshone worldview is based on the notion that people live in this world and must carefully use it, fulfilling their roles as husband and wife and members of the tribe. The success of their life depends on the relationship to the supreme being (Tam Apo, “Our Father”), blessings with spirits and refraining from ritual impurity. The highest figure in the Shoshone picture of the world is the supreme being, Tam Apo, who rules the world and renews it every year. At the center of this picture lies fluff, or strength. Many spirits of the atmosphere and nature have this power, but they are less powerful than the supreme being. Some of these spirits, such as water spirits, are hostile and dangerous, while others may be patronizing. Patron deities are useful because they can bestow supernatural power directly on a person.

The nature of a person's life depends on how he relates to the various forces of the world. If people have correctly built their communication with the supreme being and other forces of the Universe, then their well-being is more stable; rituals such as the "dance of the sun" and general ritual purity enable individuals, society and the world to come into contact with these forces and experience rejuvenation or renewal of the essence. Individuals may be gifted with supernatural power in dreams or through vision quests (gaining the power of down). People who have received such power are called healers (pukhagans). They become successful hunters and healers.

On the other hand, the connection of people with various spirits and forces of the world can be negative due to incorrect behavior and violation of the norms of the tribe. In other words, non-participation in the “dance of the sun” ritual and other ceremonies means that a person loses the opportunity to strengthen health, well-being and personal strength. If a person tries to make contact with unclean spirits (especially in connection with menstruation or death), he can be punished by them. . Some spirits, such as water spirits, are often malevolent and should be avoided because they can cause harm. When the spirits of the atmosphere and nature do not meet a respectful attitude towards themselves, they can attack a person. Some places are especially sacred or dangerous and should be approached with reverence or avoided because they may pose a threat to a person's well-being and life. All these examples of negative behavior, expressed either by refusing to participate in the ritual, or by committing unseemly acts, lead to a weakening or loss of strength. Among the Shoshone, it means being a bad hunter, a sick or otherwise deficient person.

Dynamics of the Shoshone Religion: Rituals for Changing Man, "Dance of the Sun", Healing

many ideas and concepts of the supernatural are not simply philosophical categories for the Shoshone - tools of thinking for explaining the world around them, although they, of course, pay tribute to this intellectual tradition. These ideas are “lived through,” passed through them in everyday experience, “created by dance,” as the great European scientist R. R. Marett put it at the beginning of this century. The concepts of the supernatural are associated with everyday life rituals and observations.

Here, however, one must be careful not to jump to conclusions. Beliefs are transformed into ritual life, but myths are not. We have seen how mythology diverges from religious beliefs and faith, sometimes even contradicts them. Mythology represents an older worldview and thus does not reflect, with a few exceptions, everyday religious reality. For example, the ritual of the "dance of the sun" is based on a legend - a meeting of the supernatural with mere mortals in historical times, as it is described. However, there is no myth or narrative of divine decisions in distant mythical times. The Dance of the Sun is a creation of Prairie religion and has nothing to do with the mythology created when the Shoshone were part of the Great Basin culture.

In this regard, we should note that the Shoshone have relatively few rituals compared to, say, the Zuni. As Indian hunters, they concentrated on the rituals of human transformation, healing, and thanksgiving. The original ritual of thanksgiving has been transformed into the "dance of the sun" of the Prairie Indians, which, in fact, is a ceremony of the same direction, but only more complicated.

We may wonder what has become of the animalistic ritualism so characteristic of the hunting tribes of the north of the continent. The answer is that it still exists among the Shoshone, but in a rudimentary state. Mythology gives numerous examples of the resurrection of dead animals from the bones preserved and folded in an orderly manner; sometimes it is required that the bones be thrown into the water. There is also a legend about a medicine man with supernatural powers, derived from a buffalo, who built a circle of buffalo skulls on the ground, sang a song to them, and asked them to rise. Then the bison resurrected, and there were ten times more of them than before.

This myth actually reflects what happened to animalistic ritualism: it was modified to fit the dominant religious structure, the visionary complex. The visionary, the sorcerer, the pukhagan assumed the role previously played by the "master-patron" of the species, and put into action a mysterious mechanism, which we sometimes call magic. The visionary complex, that is, communication with spirits through visions and dreams, has developed so strongly that it has practically supplanted ritualism with animals and belief in supernatural patrons of animal species. Even the cult of the bear fell into oblivion. Only stories remained about the mysterious abilities of the bear, its strong fluff, which can turn a person with supernatural power received from the bear into this beast itself, and the healer power bestowed by him.

The rituals preserved in the Shoshone religion are very simple, with the exception of the "dance of the sun", which, of course, is not of Shoshone origin (although the Shoshone themselves claim the opposite). This ritual reflects the rich ritualism of the Prairie Indians, albeit modified to suit Shoshone tastes.

Rituals of human change: puberty, birth and death

The rituals of man's transformation - rites that mark critical milestones in his development - were called by Arnold van Gennep rites of passage. According to Gennep, the main phases of every rite of passage are first separation, then transition, then inclusion or incorporation, and these phases mark the individual's transition from one state of existence (or rank or prestige) to another. Thus, among the Wind River Shoshone, puberty, childbirth, and death are accompanied by rites of passage. Sickness rituals may be mentioned in this context, but they deserve attention primarily in connection with medicine men, so we will omit them here.

The puberty rites for girls and boys are or were different, but both types were intended to prepare them for the transition to adult life with her trials and responsibilities. Boys do not seek visions (as is the case in Native American cultures of north and east North America), but participate in the "dance of the sun", usually own initiative. However, today the motives for their participation have taken on a mostly social character: to show other boys their strength and endurance and, of course, to impress the girls. In a sense, their participation in the "dance of the sun" replaces the ritual of seeking a vision - a sign of coming of age.

For girls, puberty officially began with the onset of menstruation,18 which was regarded as a state of impurity, very dangerous for men. The menstruating girl is placed in a wigwam made of branches or (in later times) in a wooden shed, located at a distance of a stone's throw from the village. She abstains from eating meat, but can eat roots and drink water. A few days later, the girl reappears in the village, dressed in new clothes and painted. One Indian complained to me that this custom is now not strictly observed, and as a result, people do not experience pure visions and dreams and do not receive spiritual strength.