Religion/Spirituality in Hawai'i

[Bard]

Ok, we've hashed over the racism topic to death in other threads... how about religion in Hawai'i? According to the stats I've read it's even more agnostic than Oregon, statistically, and that's saying something! I notice there's a large contingient of Buddhists as well, which I can get along with.

Do people more or less get along there on this subject? I certainly hear fewer complaints about it than about racism on forums and such, but that could also be because more people agree on this topic. For example if you live in the south of the "CONUS" then there's a church on every street corner and people harrass you, if not worse, if you're not some sort of mainstream Christian.

My apologies if this was covered elsewhere, I just did a quickie search through a couple of areas and didn't see anything. If so feel free to link me back to it instead of re-hashing again...

[Leo Lakio]

Re: Religion/Spirituality in Hawai'i

I've read comments on how surprised some people are that Christianity took such a strong hold in the Islands, particularly since the missionaries are often lumped in with the the merchants who were responsible for the overthrow of the Hawaiian Monarchy.

Specifically addressing the title of this thread, I've long viewed "religion" and "spirituality" to be distinct subjects, so I'm glad to see you include them both.

Looking forward to some fascinating perspectives to come...

[kimo55]

Re: Religion/Spirituality in Hawai'i

"I notice there's a large contingient of Buddhists as well, which I can get along with."

that's very white of you
but i don't see you hangin around Nuuanu or Aala area.

"Do people more or less get along there on this subject? "

more.

"I certainly hear fewer complaints about it than about racism on forums and such, but that could also be because more people agree on this topic.. For example if you live in the south of the "CONUS" then there's a church on every street corner and people harrass you, if not worse, if you're not some sort of mainstream Christian."

that's the mainland. This is a different country. We don't complain about other's religious path they have chosen. We don't care what color skin yer in, how ya dress, what kine music ya like.
don't be suprised if there is a completely different perspective re; spirituality and "organised religion" here in the islands as opposed to the mainland where one's religion is a way to identify your clan and how better you are from the others on the next block that pray or dress or act different than you.

[1stwahine]

Re: Religion/Spirituality in Hawai'i

I'm staying outta this thread.

????????? For obvious reasons.

Auntie Lynn

[Leo Lakio]

Re: Religion/Spirituality in Hawai'i

We don't complain about other's religious path they have chosen. We don't care what color skin yer in, how ya dress, what kine music ya like.

Now who's making generalized "we" statements on behalf of everyone in Hawai`i? No one escapes your paint-balls, do they, kimo?

[Bard]

Re: Religion/Spirituality in Hawai'i

that's very white of you

Hmm... perhaps I didn't phrase that very well. Just to clarify, I'm pretty agnostic myself. As you said, organized religion is an inescapable reality in the CONUS even for those who don't want anything to do with it. Though some places tend not to be so pushy (like Portland).

don't be suprised if there is a completely different perspective re; spirituality and "organised religion" here in the islands as opposed to the mainland where one's religion is a way to identify your clan and how better you are from the others on the next block that pray or dress or act different than you.

Nothing could make me happier, honestly. From my time spent in Hawai'i I was very happy to see the diversity on this subject. I just thought it'd be interesting to hear what people who live there say about it.


Leo, I wrote a big huge blog about the subject of religion vs spirituality a while back. To sum it up in a lot fewer words (something I'm not very good at sticking to ) I think of spirituality more as your personal philosophy of the world and your place in it, be that the obvious physical one or something else. I think of religion as the books and the dogma. One's in your heart, one's in your head.

To me Hawai'i is a very spiritual place. I've been very happy to find that others feel the same way (in my experience so far anyway). I'd find it difficult to explain to my parents why one should probably give a lift to a hitchhiking woman and her white dog when on the volcanoes road on the big island. Or why you should think about asking permission to take rocks from a place, and such. But to people who live there it's just a natural part of the landscape (whether they believe it or not).

IMO Auntie Lynn, you're welcome to say whatever you want. As a friend of mine said, once one has decided their strict scientific world view isn't big enough to fit everything that goes on, it's tough to laugh at someone else's gods. So I'm open minded.

Mahalo!

[kimo55]

Re: Religion/Spirituality in Hawai'i

ain't speaking for everyone, but to illustrate, i do generalise. and for the past 50 years here, my experience is;
among islanders, there is more acceptance of other's differences.
we don't have a christian church on every streetcorner.
but we DO have shinto here. buddhist there, kwan Yin temple there, all the different christian sects scattered... and there is no conflict that i see. In one neighborhood, we get all different races, cooking up all their different foods. speaking all their own unique slant to pidgin. dressing differently.
yea. that's generally what I see. And have seen for years. and all these races and neighbors get along.
as opposed to the miainland where there IS conflict and complaints as to differences among people.

[kimo55]

Re: Religion/Spirituality in Hawai'i

why you should think about asking permission to take rocks from a place,

it's many's consensus: you don't ask, you don't touch, you don't think about it, ya just leave rocks alone.
again; This is a different country. and just saying;
"well, I don't happen to believe in the Pele/lava Rock superstition stuff, so i goin' do it anyway."
doesn't make it right.
"when in Rome..." etc.

[Whitepoint3rchum]

Re: Religion/Spirituality in Hawai'i

Good. Now that Prof. K. addressed your question back to racism... hehe J/K

[1stwahine]

Re: Religion/Spirituality in Hawai'i

IMO Auntie Lynn, you're welcome to say whatever you want. As a friend of mine said, once one has decided their strict scientific world view isn't big enough to fit everything that goes on, it's tough to laugh at someone else's gods. So I'm open minded.

K-den. I am a Christian. I was born and baptised a Catholic. I changed religion as an adult. I believe in a "spritual connection" which was mention in onadda thread.

I respect "ALL" religions. I feel when one has something to believe in...it gives hope and a sense of knowing that there is a higher power much greater than man himself. Without this hope and purest of love for something other than oneself ~ there is absolutely nothing in Life in which we can look forward to.

Auntie Lynn

btw: I see and talk to Angels. Lots of Angels!

[Bard]

Re: Religion/Spirituality in Hawai'i

it's many's consensus: you don't ask, you don't touch, you don't think about it, ya just leave rocks alone.
again; This is a different country. and just saying;
"well, I don't happen to believe in the Pele/lava Rock superstition stuff, so i goin' do it anyway."
doesn't make it right.
"when in Rome..." etc.

Yeah, what you said. That's what I meant. My overly wordy responses getting me in trouble again. I had read somewhere where someone talked about asking the permission (of the aina, I suppose) before moving anything.

Over here if you wanted to clear out some trees to make room for your new supermarket, you just do it. Maybe you get some environmentalists angry at you, but that's about it. No one thinks about asking the trees what they think, or what the land losing its trees thinks about it. Well, sometimes people do think ... I'm generalizing too. But not very often.

[Miulang]

Re: Religion/Spirituality in Hawai'i

Yeah, what you said. That's what I meant. My overly wordy responses getting me in trouble again. I had read somewhere where someone talked about asking the permission (of the aina, I suppose) before moving anything.

Over here if you wanted to clear out some trees to make room for your new supermarket, you just do it. Maybe you get some environmentalists angry at you, but that's about it. No one thinks about asking the trees what they think, or what the land losing its trees thinks about it. Well, sometimes people do think ... I'm generalizing too. But not very often.

Many of the indigenous people around the world feel a close kinship to nature and regard themselves as stewards of the land and its resources. So it is perfectly natural for them to ask permission from a tree to remove some of its leaves, for example, because the leaves would be used in a spiritual way.

Miulang

[Bard]

Re: Religion/Spirituality in Hawai'i

Many of the indigenous people around the world feel a close kinship to nature and regard themselves as stewards of the land and its resources. So it is perfectly natural for them to ask permission from a tree to remove some of its leaves, for example, because the leaves would be used in a spiritual way.

No doubt. I was not raised in one of them however, so it always gives me warm fuzzies to see people actually doing it.

I'm not on the side of the "tear everything down" people, btw, in case it came across that way. I read what I wrote and it could certainly be taken that way. My wife blames it on mercury retrograde :P

[Pedro]

Re: Religion/Spirituality in Hawai'i

No doubt. I was not raised in one of them however, so it always gives me warm fuzzies to see people actually doing it.

Repeat after me "Chicken Skin" or in your case mixed with warm bag of sand That could be the other reason for the warm fuzzies.

[Bard]

Re: Religion/Spirituality in Hawai'i

Heh! I thought chicken skin was just for scary stuff...?

Unless I'm missing a joke or something here, wouldn't be the first time