Reflective Essay On Religious Freedom

One of the things I have learned in this class is that religious freedom has not been around that long. That a lot of people are angry with the natives for making a lot of religious claims on things that other people don’t see as a part of religion. We learned that laws are meant to be tested and if they aren’t how do we know they will work or where we need to set the bar. This also makes it unfair because they feel like there is not much rules to it so they disregard the clam. Along with that we have been talking a lot about Hawaii and there Kia’i (protectors). Some people are frustrated because they do not get how Mouna a wākea and Haleakala can be considered a sacred landmark to the natives. My thing is that the law is not the discreet …show more content…
You can use your actions or your voice and no one should ever have the right to say that it is not a religion. If I’m not mistaken that is why a lot of people at one time in history came to America was for religious freedom. Then they got here and they tried to force natives into their religious ways and to change up their religion so it matched their own. Know that times have changed everyone has the right and freedom to practice their own kind of freedom, but there are some people who are still stuck to the past and judge other people’s religion. In Hawaii we learned that some claims were made and respected. Like the burial clams they asked hotels in a nicely mannered to move off the beach a little ways because they have ancestors who have been birred there at one time. Some people respecting their beliefs agreed upon this and moved back. There are still many “battles” to be fight for them and every day they try their best. For example there is still that whole situation about the telescope being belted. The Kia’i are trying everything they can to prevent this from …show more content…
We learned about stories and the historical concept behind some of the words they use. One of the words that we learned about was oli (chants) or rituals and how they are used throughout their religion. For example there warriors are used in ritual type manor when it is necessary. I believe based on what I have read and what we have discussed in class that oli can also be used to remember important information such as births, deaths, good times and bad. Along with oli you have mele (songs). Just like any other religions songs are a big part of its traditions because in a native way it like you praising the spirits or showing you care and thanking them for their help. Then you have hula (dance). I believe that in the native culture this is imported for rituals because it goes with the oli and mele. I also believe it helps with any kind of visual that you would need and helps express what you are trying to say in the chant or song in a more understanding kind of way. When the natives are on the mountains that is what they do. They chant, sing, and dance to send praises to the spirits just like what other religions do in their