Religious rites and rituals - what is it? Perhaps some believe that only those who are closely associated with religion face such phenomena. However, in reality, such rituals have long been intertwined with the everyday life of ordinary people. What to speak of a believer, for whom religious customs and rituals are an integral part of being.
And yet, despite this, many interesting questions remain in the shadows. For example, even the meaning of the word “religious rite” causes a number of bewilders. After all, how to understand which rituals should be attributed to them, and which not? Or what is the difference between Orthodox sacraments and Catholic? And ultimately, how long was the first religious ceremony held? So, let's look at everything in order.
Meaning of the word "religious rite"
As always, you need to start with the root of the problem, namely with the exact meaning of the given expression. So, a religious rite is a certain action based on a person’s mystical view of the surrounding reality.
That is, the main task of such a ritual is to strengthen the connection of the believer with his highest principle, or God. At the same time, it does not matter at all whether such an action is carried out individually or is it a collective event.
What is a religious rite?
Yet it’s not enough just to know the meaning of the word. For a complete understanding of its essence, it is necessary to look at everything from a special angle, relying on clear examples and arguments. That is why let's look at what a religious rite is in reality.
To begin with, let's take the example of finger baptism, which is common among all Christians. It would seem nothing mystical, the usual manipulation of the hand in a given order, which is used during prayer. And yet this is a religious rite ... Do you know why?
Because there are two important points. Firstly, an established ritual that has been unchanged for all Christians for many centuries. Secondly, it is based on the belief that such an action can shed God's grace on a person.
Based on this, we can draw the following conclusion: any custom that combines these two points is a religious rite.
The first mystical ordinances
No one knows when exactly a person began to believe that a higher mind rules the world . Indeed, for the first time this happened at a time when our distant ancestors still could not write. The only evidence of their intelligent lifestyle is the pattern and notches on the rocks. However, even this meager information is enough to understand what the ancient rite of religion is.
In those distant times, human life depended directly on how supportive Mother Nature was to him. Just imagine how magnificent it was for people who did not have the slightest idea about the laws of physics and chemistry. Therefore, it is not surprising that over the years they began to attribute to her the presence of their own will and mind.
Therefore, to answer the question: “What is a religious rite among ancient people?” Will be quite simple. Almost all of their rituals were aimed at appeasing the spirits of nature, so that they would grant them their protection.
This belief in the power of sacred rites has had a significant impact on the entire history of mankind. After all, it was thanks to the ancient sacraments that the first priests appeared - people who communicate with otherworldly forces.
Rites of the Slavs
Before Christianity came to Russia, our ancestors were pagans. They believed in the existence of many gods, forming the Slavic pantheon. So, the soldiers worshiped Perun, the peasants - Lada, and creative people - Veles.
Initially, the rituals were invented by ordinary people, in order to somehow appease the beloved deity. A little later, the priests themselves began to select the most favorable rites and insist that this is the will of a higher mind.
It got to the point that not a single holiday or significant event was complete without religious sacrament. And the more often and systematically they repeated, the more they dug into the minds of people. After many years, they became an integral part of the everyday life of the Slavs and were taken by the people for granted.
For example, peasants always made a sacrifice to Lada before starting sowing work. After all, if this is not done, then the goddess will not bestow sowing with her grace, and then the harvest will be bad. The same was true of other aspects of the life of the Slavs: the birth of children, weddings, war and death. Each case had its own religious rite, aimed at strengthening the relationship between the deity and man.
But what about other countries and continents?
The most curious is that such a worldview was inherent in almost all nations and peoples. So, the Greeks believed in the gods of Olympus, the Egyptians - in the powerful god Osiris and other, no less powerful creatures. And the indigenous people of Africa did have so many different deities that there is not the slightest possibility of counting them.
And they all practiced religious rites. For example, the Greeks made rich offerings to their gods in temples, and during the holidays they arranged festivities with a masquerade. The Egyptians built the pyramids so that their pharaohs lived there even after death. And some African tribes ate human hearts, hoping in this way to gain the strength and courage of a defeated enemy.
Religious rites in the modern world
Despite the fact that now is the age of popularization of scientific theories and atheistic views, religious rites have not gone away. Moreover, some of them are so deeply rooted in the minds of people that they have become a familiar norm. Let's look at the most popular rites of two gigantic religions - Christianity and Islam.
So, let's start with the Orthodox baptism of children. This religious rite is considered one of the oldest in our history. According to his laws, young children are washed with holy water in order to cleanse them from original sin. In addition, Christians believe that at the time of baptism, God will grant a guardian angel to a person.
Another ancient religious rite that has survived to this day is the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca. They believe that every true believer must make such a trip at least once in his life in order to show Allah his devotion.
Devotion on the verge of fanaticism
However, not all rituals and rituals are harmless. Unfortunately, sometimes faith develops into fanaticism, and then the first victims appear. In particular, some religious rites require blood, sometimes even human blood. And a fanatic believer is ready to present such a gift. After all, this is the will of God, and human life in comparison with it is just dust.
At the same time, the bloody trace from religious rites stretches from the very depths of history, either disappearing or appearing again. What are the Crusades of Christians or the holy wars of Muslims against the infidels. Not to mention the fact that the ancient Aztecs sacrificed people in hundreds, if not thousands, just to satisfy the mystical appetite of the sun god.
In this regard, it should be understood that religious rites can be performed both for the good and vice versa. Moreover, it is not God who does evil, but people, because it is they who ultimately determine the essence and order of the ritual.