The most significant changes in life begin with the birth of the infant. In Christianity, the idea of original sin gives credence to the ceremony of baptism. Baptism symbolizes the washing away of original sin and the event which marks the change in status from being an outsider to being a part of the Christian group. Although baptism may occur at any time in one’s life, many Christian religions practice the sprinkling pf water on the infants as a means of celebrating the new life. In baptism, water is used to cleanse the

Even though the rituals are very similar and tend to occur at similar points within the cycle of its members, I believe that Christianity is exclusive while Native American is inclusive. Religion exclusivism was define in our notes as, “each of the world’s religion holds uniquely different beliefs about Ultimate Reality and about the way to salvation. However, one religion is exclusively effective in that is alone provides the way of salvation, liberation and human fulfillment.” In order to be a Christian you must believe in one God and the way to salvation is through him. You can not go through the rites of passage without becoming apart of the Christian community. You must be baptized into the community and grow as a Christian. That is why I believe Christianity is exclusive. Our notes also define inclusivism as, “it maintains various religions represent different cultural paths to this one Ultimate Reality. The many religions are ultimately broken refractions, or different aspects of the one absolute reality.” In Oglala Sioux tribe, there are many rites of passage that one must go through to become part of the tribe. As I have learned in class though, many people pay to go on these rites of passage such as a Vision Quest and the rite of Purification. This makes me believe that the Native Americans are inclusive because they accept other religions but they believe that their way is the way to salvation, while on the other hand Christians only believe in one religion and one was to salvation.

Communion is another rite of passage in the Christian church which signifies adult participation in the Church. The ritual begins with purification in the form of confession and ends with the sharing of the body and blood of Christ in the form of bread and wine to symbolize the sacrifice death, and resurrection of Jesus and the subsequent resurrection for mankind. Each member of the Church goes up to the alter and takes a piece of bread and drinks the wine so that he/she can be apart of Christ. This is done every service to symbolize that you are apart of God and he is apart of you.

The Oglala Sioux practice a similar ritual during adolescence. Boys engage in a Vision Quest. This rite involves undergoing a sweat bath for purification first. Then he is sent away from the tribe into the wilderness to find a spir

Some topics in this essay:
Oglala Sioux, Native American, , Sun Dance, Vision Quest, Ultimate Reality, Girl Womanhood, Oglala Sioux’s, Sioux Christianity, Native Americans, oglala sioux, rites passage, sacred pipe, original sin, rites oglala sioux, christian baptism, sweat bath, vision quest, quest rite, rite passage christian, native american, vision quest rite, sioux tribe, seven rites oglala, believe christianity exclusive,