The three most relevant characteristics of religion utilised throughout the film ‘Avatar’ are the beliefs are believers, rituals and ceremonies and ethics and morals.
The Na’vi people in the film are adherent to the belief that they have an inextricable spiritual connection between their ancestors and their deity ‘Eywa’. In this film Eywa is the Goddess of the Na’vi people and the ancestors are depicted as a small seed from the sacred tree, this is shown when Neytiri states -“They are seeds of the sacred tree, very pure spirits”. The Na’vi attempt to interpret the intentions of the spirits and aim to satisfy these wishes, this is demonstrated in a scene when Neytiri is aiming an arrow at Jake Sully and a spirit hovers over the arrow. Neytiri deciphers the actions of the spirit and acknowledges that the spirit wants Jake Sully’s life spared.
One of the Na’vi’ beliefs is that you are born twice and upon the second time is when you are accepted into the clan, “The Na’vi say that every person is born twice and the second time, that’s when you earn your place amongst the people… forever”. This belief is practiced through a ritual of acceptance, and influences the Na’vi lives as to make informed choices of whom to accept as they must listen to what this member wishes to speak, this is evidenced when Jake Sully wishes to speak- “I am Omaticaya, I am one of you and I have the right to speak!”
One of the predominate features of the Na’vi’ ethics and morals is depicted in a particular scene when Jake and Neytiri mate under Eywa. It is stated in the film that once you mate with another, you are mated for life, this is shown in the following quotes from Neytiri- “I am with you now Jake, we are mated for life” and “We are mated before Eywa, it is done”. This shows that the people have strong ethics and morals considering love and sex, these morals are relevant in majority of modern religions e.g. Marriage and sexual abstinence.
The Na’vi also have respect for other...