Democracy and human rights Major religions of South Africa -traditions ...

Democracy and human rights

Major religions of South Africa - traditions and laws

The Constitution of South Africa states that all citizens are entitled to practise their religion. Although the majority of South Africans belong to the Christian faith, there are also many Muslims, Hindus, Jews and Buddhists in our country. Many people also practise African traditional religion. You will learn more about the traditions and religious laws of all these major religions that are practised in South Africa.

Christianity

Most South Africans belong to one of the many different Christian churches such as Anglican, Methodist, Apostolic Faith Mission, Zionist, Catholic and Seventh Day Adventists.

Religious laws The Christian law is to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ, a preacher and healer who lived 2 000 years ago in Israel. Christians believe that He was not an ordinary person, but the Messiah that God had promised would come to save His people on Earth. He taught people about God and healed many of them. Jesus died when He was crucified, but three days later He rose from the dead. To Christians, this is the sign that He is the Son of God.

The Bible is the Christian scripture containing all the laws. Christianity accepts the Jewish scriptures, which are called the Old Testament. The New Testament contains 27 books about Jesus and his followers.

Traditions Sunday is the traditional holy day for Christians. Many worship in a church. Holy Communion is an important part of worship. This is when Christians remember the Last Supper which Jesus ate with his disciples before he was crucified.

Easter is traditionally the most important time of the year for Christians. The 40-day period before Easter is called Lent. During Lent Christians prepare for Easter by spending more time than usual in prayer and Bible study. They also remember a story about Jesus spending 40 days in the desert where the Devil tempted him to think more of himself than God's wishes. But Jesus resisted these temptations. To understand how it feels to resist temptation, some Christians go on a fast during Lent. Others go without something they enjoy, such as sweets or chocolate.

On the Thursday of Holy Week, Christians remember the Last Supper. On the following day, called Good Friday, they remember the crucifixion when Jesus died on the cross. "Good11 refers to holy. Many Christians take part in processions carrying a cross.

Easter Sunday marks Jesus' resurrection (when he rose from the dead), so it is a very happy day for Christians.

Thousands of members of the Zion Christian Church gather each year at Moria, near Polokwane in Limpopo, to celebrate Easter.

Islam

Religious laws The word Islam means "obedience11 ? Followers of Islam are called Muslims and they obey the will of Allah (God) in all parts of their lives.

Muhammad was a prophet of Allah who lived in Makkah, in Saudi Arabia, about 1 400 years ago. Muslims believe that Muhammad was called by Allah to lead people to follow the Islamic way of life. Allah revealed his message to the Prophet Muhammad in Arabic and it was written down to form the scripture of Islam called the Quran. The most important belief for Muslims is that Allah is the one true God who created all things. He has always been there and He is all-powerful. He is referred to in many different ways in the Quran, for example the Merciful, the Forgiver, the Generous and the Kind.

There are five very important things which all Muslims must do. These are the laws of Islam called the Five Pillars of Islam. Muslims must: ? believe that there is no god except Allah, and Mohammad is the Prophet

of Allah ? pray in Arabic five times a day ? give money to the poor ? fast between sunrise and sunset during the month of Ramadan " make a Haj or pilgrimage to the holy city of Makkah at least once in

their life

Traditions

The traditional festivals and customs of Islam all relate to the Five Pillars of Islam - for example Ramadan, which is a holy month for Muslims. For the whole month they must not eat or drink between sunrise and sunset. Ramadan ends on the morning after the new moon has been seen in the sky. Muslims celebrate the end of this period of fasting with the Eid ul-Fitr festival, which means "breaking the fast" in Arabic. During this joyous festival that lasts three days, Muslims eat festive meals, visit relations and friends and give each other presents and cards. They also give food and money to the poor, which is another Pillar of Islam.

Hajj takes place each year in a month on the Islamic calendar called Dhul Hijjah. At the end of Hajj, Muslims celebrate the festival of Eid ul-Adha. This is the festival of sacrifice. The festival remembers how the Prophet Ibrahim, ready to obey Allah even by sacrificing his son, received a ram from Allah to sacrifice instead. At Eid ul-Adha Muslims sacrifice a sheep or a goat. Muslims often sacrifice an animal and share the meat with the poor.

African Traditional Religion

The Creator or God is called different names, including Mdali, Nkilunkulu and Zimu. All over Africa there are people who believe that when the first people died they went back to the Creator who made the world. These people are the first ancestors. Ancestors are the messengers from the Creator to look after living people. Traditional African Religions see everything as living, including rocks, rivers and soil, because these things are filled with a living spirit.

The most important people are the family, which includes all the living and those who have died - parents, grandparents and great-grandparents. The ancestors are interested in the living members of the family and in their lives. They can protect them or they can punish them, so the ancestors are very important in all ceremonies in African religion. Sangomas communicate between the living and their ancestors.

Traditions

Introducing a new baby to the clan is called imbeleko (put a child on your back), or ingubo or ukuqatywa, depending on the clan. The child is carried by an aunt, the father's sister. An animal, usually a white goat, is ready to be sacrificed. The father or grandfather speaks the words that will bring the child into the clan, and then taps the stomach of the animal. When the animal bleats it is a sign that the ancestors accept the child. The animal is then killed and the meat is shared.

The tradition of initiation marks an agreement with the ancestors. Initiation is the traditional custom involved when a boy becomes a man. Initiates are taken into a remote area of the countryside where they stay in specially built huts. They receive new blankets and blackened sticks for traditional stick-fighting.

The main event during the initiation period is circumcision. This is done by the ingcibi. He uses a sacred cutting instrument to cut away the foreskin of the penis. Experienced elders advise the initiates about all the responsibilities which will face them as men.

For seven days after circumcision, initiates may not eat food that contains salt. They are only allowed to drink water which contains ash, because the ash helps with the healing process.

At the end of the initiation period a goat or sheep is slaughtered. All the huts which the initiates stayed in are burnt. The boys all receive new names to mark

' I

their passage from boys to men.

On their return home, women welcome the new men and there is a celebration.

Judaism

Religious laws The Jewish people believe that they come from a man called Abraham. He was called by God to go to a new land that God promised him. The promised land became known as Israel. God also promised Abraham that he would be the father of a special people. Isaac was Abraham's son and Jacob was his grandson. Jacob had 12 sons and from them came the 12 tribes of Israel. Jews believe that God created the world and that God made them his people and gave them his law to guide their life and keep them faithful to him.

The most important Jewish scriptures are the Torah, the first five books of the Bible. The Torah instructs parents to teach the commandments of the law to their children.

Traditions

Family life is very important for Jewish people. Their holy day or Sabbath is Friday. After going to the synagogue the family gathers together for traditional Sabbath supper. Rosh Hashanah is Jewish New Year, which falls during the month of September or October. At this festival, Jews celebrate how God created and still judges the world. It is a time for all Jews to think about the past and about how to be better in the coming year. It is the start of Ten days of Repentance (being sorry for one's sins).

Jewish family at Sabbath.

Yorn Kippur is the holiest day in the Jewish year. It is ten days after the Jewish New Year, called Rosh Hashanah. It is a day of fasting. During their fast, Jews do not eat for 25 hours, beginning at sunset the day before. There are special services in the synagogues. People pray to be forgiven for what they have done wrong in the year. This is called atonement, so the day is often called the Day of Atonement.

The Bar Mitzvah ceremony marks the coming of age of a Jewish boy. The boy first has to learn Hebrew and learn about the Jewish religion and way of life from the rabbi. At the Bar Mitzvah ceremony in the synagogue, the boy recites a prayer and reads from the Torah. Then he is blessed and reminded of his duties. After this occasion he is allowed to be part of the group of ten men, which is the required number for formal prayers.

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