Religion

===The religion of the Nuer is spiritual. The nuer accredit the creator of Earth and sustainer of life, as their god. This God is also referred to as //kwoth// or //kwoth a nhial//, which translates as spirit of the sky or spirit in the sky. Although the Nuer believe that god is everywhere they think of him being particularly in the sky because as a sense of being on high. Natural processes like raining and thundering are associated with this god. There are other and lesser spirits which they classify as //kuth nhial//, spirits of the sky or //kuth piny//, spirits of the earth or the below. The spirits of the earth include spirits for hunting and war. They also believe in //colwic// spirits which are the souls of those who have been killed by lightning and taken by god to watch over them from above. Since God is thought of as being above, everything from above is associated with him. For example some birds are also regarded as children of God because they fly high and due to their migrative behavior. The nuer believe these birds belong in heaven and commit acts of appearances and reapparences.=== ===According to the Nuer religion, a person is made up of flesh, breath, and soul. When one dies, the flesh returns to the earth, while the breath or life force return to kwoth nhial. The nuer do not lose faith when misfortunes befall them. They accept that it is God's will. It is also believed that God spares those who are poor and misfortunate.=== ===Nuer sacifice on many occasions. There are two types of sacrifices: collective and personal. Usually personal sacrifices are made to prevent danger or to appease an angry spirit. Collective scarifices are done for social activities. Much of the time these rituals are for the //rites of passage// which are occasions of inititation, marriage and death. Any mosfortune or grave danger is a sign of spiritual activity. The sacrificail animal is an ox. This is because Nuer are highly dependent on their cattle. They depend on these animals for nourishment and other uses. Their carasses provide Nuer with meat, tools, sleeping-hides, ornaments and many other objects of domestic use. By giving the oxen to kwoth, the Nuer offer in thre form of scacrifice, their most valuable necessity. However if there is a shortage of cattle, or to save economically, the Nuer will sacrifice a goat or even slice a cucumber.=== E. E. Evans-Pritchard, Nuer Religion (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1956) [] [] (pg. 569)
 * The nuer religion does not emphasize after life. Most of the practices and rituals focus on the present welfare of the tribe. The nuer pray for good health and and welfare throughout the tribe. When the new moon becomes visible the Nuer often rub ashes on their forehaead as a sign of dedication. They make the sign of the cross which is called ngei kwoth, God's sign. It is also common that they throw ashes or grains of millet in the direction of the moon and offer prayer to to both communicate and be at ease with their deceased loved ones.**
 * The religious leaders of the Nuer are priests and prophets. Prophets are believed to be representatives of the spirits. The earth priests, also referred to as the leopard-skin chiefs, possess the ability to interact with spirits and organize sacrifices to help cure ilness, serve as a source of mediation between family disputes. During periods of plagues, oracles are sought out to identify the offended spirits and determine the proper recourse. Frequently an offering is presented or an animal is sacrificed in order to appease or drive away the evil spirit.**
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