The Liberative Power of Rituals

Abstract

Religion is a basic element in human existence. In many ancient societies, no one thinks of religion as something to join or belong to, but as a part of one's way of being human. One becomes religious the moment he or she is born. It is not a system of truths of intellectual reflections regarding the relationship between man and God. It is, instead, a characteristic of man's life that he almost automatically assumes as he becomes human. In this sense religion may be better understood as a relationship of man to some one or as an environment in which man Jives. As man's life evolves and develops religion also plays its role in the various stages of the evclution and development of man. Thus it comes into action at the moment of birth, at the time when man or woman arrives at the age of puberty, at the time of marriage, death, etc. What is the specific role cf the religious act at these moments of man's life'? It v.¿ould seem that it is meant to assert and establish the integrity of primal human belonging. We may say that it was a way of giving a metaphysical dimension to events or happenings in their lives. It also gave these events a certain depth and significance.