The religion of Australia: dual belief as a result of missionaries

Infrequently, tourists get to Australia, so it remains a kind of white spot on the map of the victorious traveler's wins. But if you still manage to get to its hospitable coast, you will never forget any second spent on this continent.

The oldest continent on earth

Before traveling to Australia it is necessary to grow. This is not worth going for a beach holiday or any shopping. Of course, you can get all this in the country and even with a surplus. But you have to go to Australia only when you are ready to hear the gentle whisper of her soul, enclosed in every grain of sand and stone of a lifeless savannah, scorched under the merciless rays of the sun.

What do we know about Australia?

Koalas, kangaroos, Sydney opera ... What else does an ordinary person know about this ancient land? Probably nothing. But in fact, Australia can tell you a lot of interesting facts. For example, the aborigines that appeared on this continent are considered to be the very first people on Earth. And the animals that became the symbol of the country, once lived all over the world and the unknown miracle managed to survive only in one place on the planet. Surprisingly and distinctively the art of local residents, which is now barely preserved in the country. All this can be said for a long time and in detail. By the way, who from tourists knows what religion in Australia? Let's try to answer at least this question.

Religions of Australia and Oceania

Aborigines, inhabiting the lands of Australia and Oceania, had very unusual beliefs. The missionaries who arrived on these lands were amazed at the number of gods and rituals that local residents made. The religion of Australia was built on belief in spirits, encompassing all that exists on earth. By souls, the Aborigines endowed only living beings, but believed that stones and trees could respond to human calls. To do this, you need to know the right words. Each sorcerer of the tribe knew special words that could cause rain or clouds on a hot day. The greatest influence was possessed by tribes, the sorcerers of which could control all animals and natural phenomena.

And the religion of Australia was not uniform throughout the territory. Each tribe had a mass of its deities and rituals. The aborigines sacredly observed the traditions and honored their gods, granting them well-being. The religion of Australia and the beliefs of the peoples of Oceania are closely intertwined, which indicates the common roots of the origin of the Aborigines. This is proved by wall drawings and legends left by local residents.

Australia: religion and missionaries

It so happened that the first of the Europeans to the Australian continent reached Catholic priests. From the first days they began active work on educating the local population. In many areas of Australia and Oceania, they met fierce resistance from the Aborigines. This led to mass bloody massacres and the destruction of many tribes along with their culture and traditions.

In the midst of the liberation of the aborigines from pagan vestiges, Protestant priests landed on the land of Australia, who zealously supported the work of their fellow believers. The eighteenth century can be considered a period of extermination of the Aborigines throughout the continent. The priests acted harshly and managed to virtually erase the memory of the beliefs of the Australian natives, barbarically destroying all material evidence of pagan religion.

Religion of the Australian continent today

Anyone who has ever traveled on a remote continent can say that Australia, whose religion was actually destroyed, still managed to reconcile various faiths and beliefs.

According to official figures, almost one third of the total population is Catholics, about twenty percent of Australians profess Protestantism, and the rest is Buddhism and Judaism. The Constitution of Australia bears the principles of freedom of religion, which is so different from the persistent attempts of missionaries to convert the aborigines into true faith.

Outwardly everything looks quite dignified - there are a lot of Christian churches in the country that Aborigines visit. But in fact, the foundations of Christianity are of little interest to Australians. Most of them openly propagandize duality. That is, they attend churches and read the Bible, but at the same time they honor the gods of their ancestors and regularly perform the necessary rituals.

For example, the rite of the initiation of boys and girls into adulthood has been preserved. This is a rather terrible sacrament, during which the teenager must "die" and rise again. The ritual is accompanied by the drawing of bloody wounds, after which a drunk intoxicating drink immerses the child into a lethargic sleep. It is not always possible to wake up from it, such cases are known even to the authorities of Australia. But they turn a blind eye to such rituals, so as not to provoke discontent of the aborigines and clashes with the police.

The religion of Australia today is just an echo of the old beliefs and traditions. The country is a vivid example of how the rash actions of Europeans who considered themselves educated people led to the destruction of a whole unique cultural layer. It is no longer possible to restore this legacy.