There are sources that cover Native American religions as a whole, in terms of the generalities they all tend to follow.

Why leave out the drug use? Why is that taboo? That kind of willful ignorance about a natural human tendency is part of what's messed this country up. And yes, it IS natural, according to archaeology.

Hey thank's I think I will do that. ((=

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I realize you may know this, but just didn't mention it. But let's not idealize pre-Chinese Tibet. It closely resembled Medieval Europe in that it was dominated and even oppressed by Feudalism and Lamaism (Buddhism led by Dalai Lama). The religion closely resembles the medieval Catholic church in structure and power. In fact, it's arguable that conditions in Tibet are better now than they were before China. That doesn't legitimize the invasion at all, but it is what it is. :-\

I just remembered you were doing this for boy scouts, which is the reason I chose this one. It deals a lot with the ability to know god through his creations. It's a spiritual philosophy that is more dedicated to studying the watch, and appreciating the watch maker that way than reading the Bible and going to church. It's a very personal religion because you are a great part of it. You are the instrument studying the watch, basically, instead of claiming to know the watchmaker because you see the watch. It's a very down-to-earth philosophy that deals with almost every aspect of life, and without many conflicts with western religion. You could practice Taoism and believe that Jesus Christ is the son of god and so on without conflict.

Just as an example:

"That which has been described so far is the common ground of the later schools of Lao-tse und Con-fu-tse (Confucius) - historians think they lived around 500 BC

Taoism (Lao-Tse: among others the book "Tao-te-ching") taught "To act with the meditative attitude of doing nothing" (Woo-Wai). That is, nothing is done by the egoist and intellectual part of man, but by the natural instincts of the good core of man - being in harmony with nature. This attitude wouldresult in some kind of natural ethics of altruism and modesty.

This good core is not automatically identical with Jesus Christ, who can take shape in man, and is active there (John 15: "...Remain in me and I will remain in you"). But today's theologians cannot deny that persons of a different faith have a good core - the similar ethics of most religions show that "the Good" has caught on everywhere. Even the Holy Spirit "blows wherever he pleases" (John 3)."

"Taoists were always practicians, not theoreticians. Taoism makes use of:

- Asceticism. This occurs within all religions. But there are also practices for the sublimation or transformation of sexuality (e.g. Mantak Chia, "Tao Yoga" and "Tao Yoga of love". The old eastern paths often start "from the bottom to the top", unlike European/western paths, which start mainly "from the top to the bottom" today, meaning "from the consciousness".

- Exercises for body, breath, and concentration for awaking and directing the live energy, or "Chi". Since the scientific investigation of acupuncture and electro-acupuncture, the existence of that live energy has been proved. It is not important that these scientists have not yet been able to understand the exact nature of that phenomenon. The "Meridians" of acupuncture have now been proven to exist, even in the tissue, as "empty channels". So this life force is not "Taoist", as some Christians thought, but simply human. In the old Greek and early Christian era it was called "Pneuma", a Greek word meaning the breath and the life force as well - the breath of life, blown into man by God -; and it was also used to mean the Holy Spirit. But the Holy Spirit is in the context of Jesus Christ. So, if someone does not attune himself to Jesus Christ, how should he know that he is experiencing the Holy Spirit which Jesus announced?

- Furthermore, the Taoist methods include - like the Indian Yoga - the meditative absorption into the Origin, to go beyond the limitation of life. The alchemistic search for immortality plays a role too."

"Con-fu-tse (Confucius) similarly recommends people to adjust themselves to "the cosmic ethical law". But instead of the rather individualist way of the Taoists he searched for an educational system of morals for the whole society. Confucianists worked on the conscious cultivation and perfection of a good human core - by habits and by taking others as an example:

If one learns love and reverence etc., an ethical society should result.

- Since ancient times, e.g. murder, theft, prostitution and cults with images have been forbidden in China.

- Like almost all World Religions Con-fu-tse taught "... charity. Don't do what You don't want to be done" ("Do as You would have done to you")

- This includes self-control, humanity, goodness;

- respectively the ethical virtues: goodwill, legality, appropriate respectful manners (also concerning the ancestors), generosity, wisdom, uprightness;

- double qualities according to the book Shu-djing: friendly and dignified, mild and firm, straight and polite, orderly and respectful, docile and bold, upright and meek, indulgent and moderate, strong and reliable, courageous and fair.

- They strove for an attitude of contentment beyond of anger, grief and fun.

There are timeless values in the old teachings and values which were cultivated at the time of the empire."