Adherents Of Traditional Religion Research Articles

Orthodox View on the Philosophy of Ecologism

The paper deals with the understanding of a group of modern philosophical and ideological concepts and beliefs that arose around the idea of the Planet as a kind of independent superorganism, capable of reasonable self-regulation in order to maintain life in all its diversity, as a single religious phenomenon, which the author proposes to call planetarism. The author places environmentalism, animal rights activism, and movements in defense of the rights of sexual and other minorities under a single defi nition of planetarism, characterized by him as a new green religion. All the components of the new religion are being developed under the slogan of saving the Planet that is a single source and a common home for all forms and manifestations of life. From this point of view, everything that is around is born by the Planet, and everything that is born by it has the right to exist. The author off ers a basis for comparative analysis of religious teachings, defi ning it as a universal structure of religions. Comparing planetarism with the structure and character of modern theistic and nontheistic world religions that have had the greatest impact on the development of European countries, the author proves that planetarism corresponds to the concept of religion and speaks about its peacefulness. At the same time, the development and aggressive dissemination of its values and ethical attitudes lead to a prominent reaction from adherents of traditional religions, provoking civil and international confl icts. The author concludes that it is necessary to recognize the religious nature of planetarism, primarily to protect the traditional values of Christianity and to form a dialogue between the church and society.

EFFECTS OF MARRIAGE AND RELIGION ON DRUG ABUSE AMONG STUDENTS OF SELECTED TERTIARY INSTITUTION IN OWERRI METROPOLIS, IMO STATE, NIGERIA.

Purpose: A huge amount of research and literature has reported the disturbing increase in the rate of drug abuse by youths and the havoc which this phenomenon has wreaked on the lives of individuals and nations across the globe. Against this backdrop of this problem, this study explores the effect of marriage and religion on drug abuse among students of selected tertiary institutions in Owerri metropolis in Imo State, Nigeria.
 Methodology: The objectives include to: i. examine the socio-demographic profile of the target population; ii. Determine the most commonly abused drug by the students; and iii. Determine the effects of marriage and religion on drug abuse among the students.
 Findings: The study was a cross-sectional research which disproportionately combined qualitative and quantitative methods. A sample size of 2,400 participants, drawn from five tertiary institutions in Owerri Capital Territory, Imo State of Nigeria, was used in the study. Researchers’ made Questionnaire was employed for data collection while binary logistic regression model and descriptive statistics were adopted in the analysis of data. Although the study generally did not find any significant relationship between marriage and drug abuse, it established a higher incidence of drug abuse among the divorced and the separated. The study also found out that the rate of drug abuse was higher among adherents of traditional religion than those of Christianity, Islam and other religions.
 Recommendation: Based on these findings, the study recommended concerted family and societal efforts to mitigate the incidences of divorce and separation in marriages and to encourage youths to embrace religious organizations that customarily and doctrinally prohibit drug use and abuse.

Actors Affecting Girl-Child Education among the Kambari of Niger State, Nigeria: A Sociological Perspective

This study examined factors that adversely affect girl-child education among the Kambari. Marx Weber’s social action theory, patriarchy and sex role theories provided the theoretical framework. Empirical data were drawn from a household survey among 1,598 respondents, comprising a pair of adult males (385) and their sons (385) and adult females (414) and their daughters (414). A multi-staged sampling technic was employed to select sample units. Two structured questionnaires were employed for the household survey. Twelve case-studies of girl-children, fourteen in-depth interviews and fifteen FGDs were also conducted among different groups. The data were subjected to descriptive, logistic regression and content analyses. The burden of domestic work, unintended teenage pregnancy, poor academic performance, parental ignorance, child-betrothal and early marriage, son preference adversely affected the girl-child’s access to education. The logistic regression shows that the odds of exhibiting discriminatory practice towards girl-child education are about 6 times higher among adult males compared to the females, 4.2 times higher among participants with no formal education, 4 times higher among adherents of traditional religion and 3 times among Muslims. Further, respondents with rigid conception of gender role are more likely to exhibit discriminatory gender practices as well as those with negative childhood experience, those from homes where men dominate in decision-making and those from homes with non-valuation of women’s participation in decision-making. A holistic approach should be adopted at all levels of government, religious and traditional institutions to address the marginalization of Kambari girl-children in accessing formal education.

РОССИЯ И МУСУЛЬМАНСКИЙ МИР: К ПРОБЛЕМЕ ИЗУЧЕНИЯ КУЛЬТУРНО- ИНТЕГРАТИВНОГО ПОТЕНЦИАЛА РЕГИОНОВ (НА ПРИМЕРЕ ПОВОЛЖЬЯ)

The article analyzes the problem of finding ethno-confessional concord in the modern world. The problem follows from the dilemmas of mondialization and globalization, on the one hand, and the balanced functioning of society and regions, on the other. Today, the invasion of Islam into global geopolitical processes is drifting towards new horizons not only due to demographic challenges and an increase in the proportion of Muslims in the number of inhabitants of the globe. The Islamic world has a special position in relation to globalization. The article aims to determine the role of the cultural and integrative potential of confessions as a factor of sustainable development. It is important to take into account that modern globalization is extremely relevant to the imperative of interaction. Cultural globalization, being the process of constituting common value spaces of morality, art, communication, lifestyle, behavioral stereotypes, ambiguously perceived at different times, meets opposition from adherents of traditional religions, including Islam. The facts and processes of the history of cultural contacts in the Volga region in the Middle Ages and the New Time form the basis for the analysis. The author uses the methods from the arsenal of oriental science, ethnology and area studies. Racial, religious and national conflicts have not ceased to be a constant in the modern world. The relevance of the theme of mobilizing the potential of ethnic and religious harmony and interaction stems from the dilemmas of modernization and globalization, on the one hand, and the sustainable operation of society and regions, on the other. The research of historians, anthropologists, ethnologists on the topic of collective cultural identity, as well as diverse identities at the level of personal choice, form the basis of its design in post-Soviet Russia. Studying the complementarity potential, the adherence to the positive images of the other ethnic groups among the Volga Muslims as part of the Muslim world and at the same time part of Russia in the realities of globalization and the situation of religious challenges assumes combining the methodological tools and efforts of representatives of various humanities and involving Western issues in the discursive field. This is a prerequisite for an adequate analysis of Russian identity in the context of cultural and religious processes.

ABOUT THE LEVELS OF RELIGIOUS IDENTITY IN THE REPUBLIC OF BASHKORTOSTAN

Over the past three decades, both in Russia as a whole and in its regions, the number of believers representing different faiths has increased. Most Russian regions are multi-confessional. Relations of mutual respect and tolerance have evolved over the centuries between the adherents of traditional religions. It should be noted that in the traditional way of life, representatives of confessional groups formed separate settlements. Today the representatives of different confessions live in the same locality urban and rural areas, often are neighbors, and colleagues. Moreover, representatives of confessional groups become distant or close relatives. In other words, there is a reduction in the social distance between representatives of different faiths. Therefore, it is essential to find ways not only of good-neighbourly coexistence, not only tolerance, but also trust and cooperation between different groups of believers at the macro-, meso- and micro levels.

The Endangered Musical Genre: The Case of <em>Akwunechenyi</em> Music of Ukpo

The Igbo musical aesthetic concept, as is typical in African musical aesthetic practice, is concerned with the capability of musical sounds to appeal to and, more importantly, to fulfill expected aesthetic functions in the culture. African music is a treasure trove of indigenous resources that can be harnessed for human development. Unfortunately, this wealth has not been adequately approached, recognized, and utilized. Since insufficient attention is paid to indigenous African music and its practices in contemporary society, many of its various forms have disappeared. One such genre, Akwunechenyi, stands the risk of possible extinction, in addition to others. The disappearance of indigenous music brings about irretrievable loss of indigenous developmental resources enshrined within it. (2) Using the descriptive and analytical method, this research examines the aesthetics, or philosophy of beauty, enshrined in the Akwunechenyi music of Ukpo, the capital of Dunukofia Local Government Area of the Anambra State of Nigeria, as a tool for human development. Human development, which is not only a physical reality but also a state of mind, is a multifaceted process that entails an indefinite enhancement of the socioeconomic structures and general attitude of the populace (Todaro and Smith 2009, 25). This study, therefore, highlights the perception of musical aesthetics enshrined in Akwunechenyi music as practiced in Ukpo in the 1980s that promoted sustainable human development. This will be examined at two levels: (1) through the description of the structural features of the music and (2) through the aesthetic functions of the structural features at the time the music existed in Ukpo society. Akwunechenyi music is performed by the Akwunechenyi dance ensemble in a few Igbo-speaking communities. The Igbo ethnic group, with an estimated population of more than sixteen million (NPC, 2006), is one of more than three hundred ethnic groups indigenous to Nigeria. The Igbo people are found in southeastern Nigeria, occupying an area of about 40,000 square kilometers. The Igbo engage in trading, craftsmanship, subsistence farming, and civil service. They are highly enterprising; consequently, many live outside Igboland and Nigeria, engaged in various ventures. Prior to contact with the Western world in the fifteenth century, the Igbo had no identity as one people. A politically fragmented independent people lacking centralized allegiance, the Igbo have slight variations in culture, dialects, and social organization, with various subgroups being organized along the line of clan, village affiliation, and lineage. The traditional Igbo practiced a quasi-democratic and republican system of government founded on a patrilineal system of descent known as umunna. Umunna, which is made up of groups of related and extended families who trace their relationships to a commonly known ancestor, is headed by the eldest male member. It is the most powerful societal pillar and maintains law and order (Ndukaihe 2006,206). Villages (ogbe) are formed by a collection of umunna. As a result of the transatlantic slave trade and later migration, the Igbo and their descendants are found in other African countries, Europe, America, and, in fact, all over the world. The majority of Igbo are Christians, while a few are confessed adherents of traditional religion. Traditional religious beliefs and practices still thrive, albeit clandestinely, among many Christians. These practices include reverence to one Supreme Being, Ana/Ala (the earth goddess), ancestral spirits, and numerous male and female deities and spirits as well as observance of rituals and practices related to them in pursuit of the welfare of individuals and the society as a whole (Elechi 2006,32). According to the national population census report, the population of the Dunukofia Local Government Area is 96,517 (NPC 2006). A few residents are employed as civil servants in the schools and local government. …

Religious Differences in Female Genital Cutting: A Case Study from Burkina Faso

The relationship between religious obligations and female genital cutting is explored using data from Burkina Faso, a religiously and ethnically diverse country where approximately three-quarters of adult women are circumcised. Data from the 2003 Burkina Faso Demographic and Health Survey are used to estimate multilevel models of religious variation in the intergenerational transmission of female genital cutting. Differences between Christians, Muslims, and adherents of traditional religions are reported, along with an assessment of the extent to which individual and community characteristics account for religious differences. Religious variation in the intergenerational transmission of female genital cutting is largely explained by specific religious beliefs and by contextual rather than individual characteristics. Although Muslim women are more likely to have their daughters circumcised, the findings suggest the importance of a collective rather than individual Muslim identity for the continuation of the practice.

From Changelings to Crystal Children: An Examination of ‘New Age’ Ideas About Autism

‘New Age’ belief systems are relatively common, including amongst adherents of traditional religions. This article examines common New Age ideas about autism spectrum disorders. These beliefs are varied, but may include notions of karma, reincarnation, spirit or extraterrestrial possession, and telepathy, as well as recourse to specific types of therapies (notably, humanistic counseling and biomedical interventions, including bodywork, “detoxification” and special diets). It also considers the impact these may have on parents of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), on people with autism themselves, and on practitioners who may encounter them in the course of their work.