beliefs

= __**Princiapal Beliefs**__  =

Shintoism belive that rituals play an important part of life
There are 3 main rituals in the Shinto religion. They include:

Impurity
Shinto teaches people that certain deeds create a kind of ritual impurity that one should want to be cleansed to have its own peice of mind and good life. Deeds that are believed to be wrong or bad are called "impurity" rather than those that are good which are called "purity". If one would like to have a good after life they would need to purify and get rid of any impurites they may have. In Christianity most impurity would be called sins.

Purification
Purification is also called Harae, and are a vital part of Shinto. They are usually done on a daily, weekly, seasonal,lunar or annual basis. These rituals are the life of the relgion. The purpose of this purification is to let go of any bad stuff that you have done. This is kind of like reconciliation in the Christian church. Purifcation is also used durning ceremonies, such as when a new building is open or a new car is made, they are usually bleesed by a Shinto priest. Catholic schools do something a long the lines of this when a new set of class rooms are open. Other purification and renewal practices include the annual replacement of miniature family shrines, and the periodic rebuilding of major shrines.

Afterlife
Afterlife in Shintoism is commonly celebrate by famlies and their childrens at a shrine. They tend to have a Buddhist funeral at the death. However the way the beleive in afterlife is can be somewhat different to what buddhist believe. In old legands its offten said that the dead go to a place called Yomi, which is a gloomy underground place with a river seperating the living from the dead. Steps leading towards a shrine.

=__ Mythology __= Early myths emphasise the nature needs to be in harmony, and maintane a well balance between the human and the natural world. One of the most common Gods in the Amaterasu, the "Sun" Godddess. It is belived that she protects Japans from floods and such, as she can control the sun and the entensity of it.

There are four Affrimations which beilevers should observe in their daily life. They are:

**Family**
Family is an important thing to maintain and value. Child birth and Marragie are seen as the 2 most important family celebrations in the relgion, as they both are about having someone new in the family.

**Cleanliness**
People who follow Shintoism are suppose to be very clean. They should bath everyday, wash their hands and rinse their mouths often. Certian deeds are considered unclean or dity and some certian deeds are seen as pure and clean.

Shinto beleive that nature is one of the most sacred things in the world. According to their beilfs, nature is spread throughout with God, and the divine spirts. So to have contact with the divine spirts, one should be in close touch with nature.
 * Nature Worship**

Matsuri
Masturi are festivals dedicated to spirts or Gods. Worshiping Gods is seen as the main part of the Religion. An example of a festivial is the obon festival, which happen in every year in August in the Japanese calander.


 * Shintoism beleive that everyone is Kami child (God's child)
 * All human and natural life is sacred.