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Old 05-18-2008, 09:51 PM
 
Location: Seward, Alaska
2,741 posts, read 8,858,192 times
Reputation: 2022

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Do you know the legend of the Cherokee Indian youth's rite of passage?

His father takes him into the forest, blindfolds him, and leaves him
alone. He is required to sit on a stump the whole night and not remove
the blindfold until the rays of the morning sun shine through it. He
cannot cry out for help to anyone. Once he survives the night, he is a
MAN.

He cannot tell the other boys of this experience, because each lad must
come into manhood on his own. The boy is naturally terrified. He can
hear all kinds of noises. Wild beasts must surely be all around him.
Perhaps even some human might do him harm. The wind blows the grass and
earth and shake his stump, but he must sit stoically, never removing the
blindfold. It is the only way he can become a man!

Finally, after a horrific night, the sun appears and he removes his
blindfold.
It is then that he discovers his father sitting on the stump next to
him. He has been at watch the entire night, protecting his son from
harm.

We, too, are never alone. Even when we don't know it, our Heavenly
Father is watching over us, sitting on the stump beside us. When trouble
comes, all we have to do is reach out to Him.

If you liked this story, pass it on. If not, you took off your blindfold
before dawn...


Bud
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Old 05-18-2008, 09:53 PM
 
5,715 posts, read 15,010,992 times
Reputation: 2949
beautiful story, Bud. I love it!
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Old 05-18-2008, 09:54 PM
 
3,414 posts, read 7,124,000 times
Reputation: 1467
Quote:
Originally Posted by BudinAk View Post
Do you know the legend of the Cherokee Indian youth's rite of passage?

His father takes him into the forest, blindfolds him, and leaves him
alone. He is required to sit on a stump the whole night and not remove
the blindfold until the rays of the morning sun shine through it. He
cannot cry out for help to anyone. Once he survives the night, he is a
MAN.

He cannot tell the other boys of this experience, because each lad must
come into manhood on his own. The boy is naturally terrified. He can
hear all kinds of noises. Wild beasts must surely be all around him.
Perhaps even some human might do him harm. The wind blows the grass and
earth and shake his stump, but he must sit stoically, never removing the
blindfold. It is the only way he can become a man!

Finally, after a horrific night, the sun appears and he removes his
blindfold.
It is then that he discovers his father sitting on the stump next to
him. He has been at watch the entire night, protecting his son from
harm.

We, too, are never alone. Even when we don't know it, our Heavenly
Father is watching over us, sitting on the stump beside us. When trouble
comes, all we have to do is reach out to Him.

If you liked this story, pass it on. If not, you took off your blindfold
before dawn...


Bud
I'm glad the Indian father didn't depend upon any God to take care of his son all night. He did it himself. Good man.
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Old 05-19-2008, 07:55 AM
 
5,715 posts, read 15,010,992 times
Reputation: 2949
Default good mornng, laysayfair...

Quote:
Originally Posted by laysayfair View Post
I'm glad the Indian father didn't depend upon any God to take care of his son all night. He did it himself. Good man.
I only have a second because it's Monday morning and I have to go but I wanted to mention something to you...

When children look at their earthly father's, it is their first understanding of what God, the Father must be like. That is one of the many reasons that the job of a father is so important. If a child has a bad father or an absent father, they have a hard time understanding the love of God the Father.

It is no coincidence that in every culture there are customs, deeply ingrained... created by man.... that seem to run parrallel to creation and belief in God the Father.

When you think of God, the omniscient, omnipresent... you have to wonder if it's a coincidence that man created these stories because of God or if God helped man create these stories to open the door for understanding God's love?

Have a nice day, laysayfair.

Jesus loves you!
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Old 05-19-2008, 11:46 AM
 
3,414 posts, read 7,124,000 times
Reputation: 1467
Quote:
Originally Posted by World Citizen View Post
I only have a second because it's Monday morning and I have to go but I wanted to mention something to you...

When children look at their earthly father's, it is their first understanding of what God, the Father must be like. That is one of the many reasons that the job of a father is so important. If a child has a bad father or an absent father, they have a hard time understanding the love of God the Father.

It is no coincidence that in every culture there are customs, deeply ingrained... created by man.... that seem to run parrallel to creation and belief in God the Father.

When you think of God, the omniscient, omnipresent... you have to wonder if it's a coincidence that man created these stories because of God or if God helped man create these stories to open the door for understanding God's love?

Have a nice day, laysayfair.

Jesus loves you!
The unfortunate thing is that they didn't come up with "God, the father". They came up with explanations for natural phenomenon they could not understand or explain. Whether it was Pan or Pixies or Zeus or Ghosts or any of the thousands upon thousands of supernatural beings that have been invented to help cope with the unknown. And the idea of one monolithic deity is a very recent one in human history. And the idea that he is "loving" is more recent still.
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Old 05-19-2008, 12:06 PM
 
Location: Log home in the Appalachians
10,603 posts, read 11,623,940 times
Reputation: 7001
I find this a very interesting Christian story, unfortunately that's all it is.osay
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Old 05-19-2008, 03:08 PM
 
Location: NC
14,674 posts, read 17,014,297 times
Reputation: 1503
Quote:
Do you know the legend of the Cherokee Indian youth's rite of passage?

His father takes him into the forest, blindfolds him, and leaves him
alone. He is required to sit on a stump the whole night and not remove
the blindfold until the rays of the morning sun shine through it. He
cannot cry out for help to anyone. Once he survives the night, he is a
MAN.

He cannot tell the other boys of this experience, because each lad must
come into manhood on his own. The boy is naturally terrified. He can
hear all kinds of noises. Wild beasts must surely be all around him.
Perhaps even some human might do him harm. The wind blows the grass and
earth and shake his stump, but he must sit stoically, never removing the
blindfold. It is the only way he can become a man!

Finally, after a horrific night, the sun appears and he removes his
blindfold.
It is then that he discovers his father sitting on the stump next to
him. He has been at watch the entire night, protecting his son from
harm.


We, too, are never alone. Even when we don't know it, our Heavenly
Father is watching over us, sitting on the stump beside us. When trouble
comes, all we have to do is reach out to Him.

If you liked this story, pass it on. If not, you took off your blindfold
before dawn...


Bud
Love it! Thanks for sharing. God bless.
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Old 05-19-2008, 04:14 PM
 
Location: Log home in the Appalachians
10,603 posts, read 11,623,940 times
Reputation: 7001
Quote:
Originally Posted by BudinAk View Post
Do you know the legend of the Cherokee Indian youth's rite of passage?

His father takes him into the forest, blindfolds him, and leaves him
alone. He is required to sit on a stump the whole night and not remove
the blindfold until the rays of the morning sun shine through it. He
cannot cry out for help to anyone. Once he survives the night, he is a
MAN.

He cannot tell the other boys of this experience, because each lad must
come into manhood on his own. The boy is naturally terrified. He can
hear all kinds of noises. Wild beasts must surely be all around him.
Perhaps even some human might do him harm. The wind blows the grass and
earth and shake his stump, but he must sit stoically, never removing the
blindfold. It is the only way he can become a man!

Finally, after a horrific night, the sun appears and he removes his
blindfold.
It is then that he discovers his father sitting on the stump next to
him. He has been at watch the entire night, protecting his son from
harm.

We, too, are never alone. Even when we don't know it, our Heavenly
Father is watching over us, sitting on the stump beside us. When trouble
comes, all we have to do is reach out to Him.

If you liked this story, pass it on. If not, you took off your blindfold
before dawn...


Bud
BudinAk, this is a very good Christian story and it has a very good moral objective,however,unfortunately it has nothing to do with traditional Cherokee rites of passage. osay
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Old 05-19-2008, 07:16 PM
 
5,715 posts, read 15,010,992 times
Reputation: 2949
Quote:
Originally Posted by ptsum View Post
BudinAk, this is a very good Christian story and it has a very good moral objective,however,unfortunately it has nothing to do with traditional Cherokee rites of passage. osay
You seem to know about the Cherokee rites of passage. What are they???
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Old 05-19-2008, 09:14 PM
 
Location: Log home in the Appalachians
10,603 posts, read 11,623,940 times
Reputation: 7001
It's going to be a long post, but here goes.

First off you need to do what is called a Smudge. And for that you need certain ingredients, you need Sage, Cedar, Tobacco,and Sweet Grass, now with these ingredients a Holy Person, Spirit Person, Medicine Person or Elder, conducts the smudging of each person involved in the ceremony, by taking a container (either a turtle shell or an abalone seashell) that has the blended ingredients of sage, cedar, tobacco, and Sweet Grass. Then light the mixture so that it starts to burn, then lightly blow the flame out so it will just smoke. They usually have a fan that is of a left wing(Heart-Side) of a Eagle, Hawk or Pheasant or whatever winged one they used for a "Prayer Fan", to "Fan" the smoke toward an individual to purify them (inside and out).

The coming-of-age ceremony is also called the rite of passage ceremony.
If compared to other cultures, we would have many similar beliefs and ways of conducting these. There is "Four Cycles" of life in every Human Being.. Infant, Youth, Adult and Elder.

When a young boy comes of age, around 12 or 13 years of age, a very special ceremony within the Nation or tribe is conducted.

First and foremost, the young boy was taken aside with the Elder men.

The young adult man, would be taken aside by the Father, Grandfathers, Uncles, and Elder men. Also, if possible, the Main Medicine man/Holy man of the Nation or Tribe. The young adult is told of his new responsibilities and what is expected of him as a young Adult male among his people and peers.

He would be instructed in the ways of being a provider and protector of his immediate family and of all his people. The Elder men would pledge to teach him of the "Ways" of his Ancestors and Fathers that walk before him. Then, he would be taken through to this first sweat lodge ceremony, and presented to the people. Given a "New Name" by which all would know him as and call him by from that day forward.

The Holy Man/Medicine Man, would work with the young Adult man throughout his entire life, instructing and giving "Spiritual" advice as how to stay on the Red-Road for his sake, his family and his people.

The Young Adult Man, would be given presence at this ceremony to show love and support on his new journey in the "Second Cycle of Life".

This is the Traditional Cherokee (Tsalagi) Rite of Passage.

Last edited by ptsum; 05-19-2008 at 09:56 PM..
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