Americans are not good at thinking functionally. Many tribes in Africa know how to use art and rituals to express their religious and cultural beliefs. They think about things functionally rather than materially. Americans have difficulty expressing their religion. They see things as something that must be physical to have meaning. The expression of the relationship between humanity and the divine and the expression of culture in America are greatly diminished compared to those of African tribes. Many African tribes still have deep connections to their major deities. African tribes worship many different deities depending on their tribal beliefs. There are tribes that have similar beliefs, such as the Igbo and Swahili, who believe that their gods sent an animal to tell humans that they could live forever, but that another animal reached humans first, causing the death of humans. Because there are so many different tribes, there are many different ways of respecting the divine in Africa. Sacrifices are a form of popular worship. A tribe will sacrifice an animal as an offering to its gods. These sacrifices show that there is a deep connection with the gods in most tribes. The willingness to kill and the animal that could provide them with food shows that they have great faith in their gods. This faith is an example of their deep connection. They trust and respect their gods so that they do not bring illness or bad weather. This contrasts with Western culture's connection to deities. Western culture has lost the close connection with the deities. People in American culture have such varied beliefs over such a wide area that it is difficult to have a common way of worship for a specific religion. There are many different belief systems... middle of paper ...... they eat it so it shows who they are, they create it so it shows what name they want to be known by. This makes their art lose meaning. When it is created with the intention of impressing a group of people instead of expressing the artist's culture, it loses its functional significance and becomes something pretty to look at in a museum. American culture has experienced a disconnect when it comes to artistic and ritual expressions. of culture. There has been a loss of meaning in the art created by Western artists. Religious beliefs have been manipulated to suit people's desires. There is virtually no form of ritual in America. African tribes are much more linked to their religion and expressions of their culture. If Americans could develop the ability to think about things more functionally than materially, they would become a much more creative and diverse culture..