Prompt 5

The religious practices of the Hawaiians were all intertwined to pull the people along in the passage of time. The different aspects of the religion pulled the people along through the passage of time. This was because the rituals were for the people to see the gods work for the specific reasons they were believed in. The different beliefs and practices were learned from childhood. The rules never changed, and the people were expected, even required, to know them. The religion itself was what pushed the people and ran their everyday lives. The kahuna's were the people's leaders, and the gods were worshipped in everything the people did. The hawaiian gods were worshipped through rituals that would seem very alien to the newcomers. The Christians were not used to the pagan like rituals of the Hawaiians. For example, the Catholics might have understood that the Hawaiian's belived that the gods were the wood carvings during the ceremonies atop the haeius, for the Catholics believe that the bread and the wine are Christ's blood and body. However, even I would find it hard to believe that a spirit was inside a handcrafted wooden carving. The newcomers also might have been wary because of the rituals being performed, wether they be for war, the harvest, or to bless something else. There are similarities in the two belief systems that the Christians used as an advantage. The Hawaiian's believed in a sun god. The Christians used this as an example of the Devil. There is also a maker and a prayer. These are just a few things that one could consider common ground.