They might be the result of a spell cast upon the victim by some enemy, visitation by a malevolent demon, or the work of an offended god who had either projected some object-a dart, a stone, a worm-into the body of the victim… The names of God are not mere labels; they carry profound significance in various religious texts and traditions. In theology: The religious significance of theologyIn primitive religions the tribe represents the pivot around which all worldly relations turn. Plateau religions shared several features with indigenous North American religions in general, most notably in their emphases on animism, shamanism, and individual communion with the spirit world. These rights and duties disclose what is advantageous and valuable and it also resembles to a responsibility on some individual and society. Muslims are therefore charged with protecting nature and creating a society that reflects Allah’s truth, His concern for humanity and His desire to see human beings as free to live lives pleasing to Him.

In priesthood: The priest and his officeIn preliterate society the functions are accomplished by ritual experts who are trained in the special knowledge and techniques of magico-religious disciplines in which sacred power is believed to be inherent. “primitive” societies, often related to ritual presentation, is modelled on the structure of the cosmogonic myth. The masks, dances, and gestures are, in one way or another, aspects of the structure of the cosmogonic myth. The historical periods of the 3rd millennium are, in order, Early Dynastic, Akkad, Gutium, and 3rd dynasty of Ur; those of the 2nd millennium are Isin-Larsa, Old Babylonian, Kassite, and Middle Babylonian; and those of the 1st millennium are Assyrian, Neo-Babylonian, Achaemenian, Seleucid, and Parthian. From then on the cultures of the north and south move through a succession of major archaeological periods that in their southern forms are known as Ubaid, Warka, and Protoliterate (during which writing was invented), at the end of which-shortly after 3000 bce-recorded history begins. Sumerian in origin, Mesopotamian religion was added to and subtly modified by the Akkadians (Semites who emigrated into Mesopotamia from the west at the end of the 4th millennium bce), whose own beliefs were in large measure assimilated to, and integrated with, those of their new environment.

In many ways it even influenced peoples and cultures outside Mesopotamia, such as the Elamites to the east, the Hurrians and Hittites to the north, and the Aramaeans and Israelites to the west. In sacrament: Sacramental ideas and practices in preliterate societiesThe well-being of primitive society, in fact, demands the recognition of a hierarchy of values in which the lower is always dependent on the higher and in which the highest is regarded as the transcendental source of values outside and above mankind and the natural order. Similarly, the distinction between “black” magic and “white” magic is obscure since both practices often use the same means and are performed by the same person. The claim that magic is found in all human societies rests on a definition that is rooted in Western cultural assumptions, and both these assumptions and the use of the term magic have undergone change over time and place. In the end, distinctions between magic and religion or science are harder to make in practice than in theory; scholars therefore use labels such as magico-religious to describe activities or persons who cross this artificial dividing line. In sacred: Sacred-profane and other dichotomiesSimilarly, the Polynesian tapu (“tabu”) designated something as not “free” for common use.

In prophecy: Prophetic movements and figures in the religions of nonliterate cultures In many nonliterate cultures, especially those of Africa, shamans, seers, and prophets are quite common. Often even religious figures such as priests, shamans, and prophets are identified as magicians because many of their activities include acts defined as “magical” by modern scholars. Frequently the priests, shamans, and ritualists in a community organized themselves around one of two religious systems: the Kuksu in the north and the Toloache in… Clean and friendly street environments is one the signs of a successful community. The Bible, for example, has many adjurations and prohibitions about clean and unclean living. Consequently, to understand beliefs and practices in other societies that appear similar to European magic, it is necessary to apply the context-sensitive and comparative methods that become increasingly important in the study of anthropology, history, and religion. Study the Bible! Trace and follow the path of those who have gone before us! The Kurdish people are not Arabs, but rather historically identify with the Medes, an ancient people described in the Bible. A significant number of Roma people are also adherents of Islam.