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Beliefs
Around 1000 A.D, when the people of Polynesia came to Hawaii, they
brought with them traditional beliefs in dieties whos names are
still well known in Hawaii. Later, the people of Hawaii, impressed
by the power of the volcanoes, came to believe that Pele, the goddess
of the volcano actually lived in the lava of Kilauea.
Though Hawaiian males were dominant in war and hunting, there were several female dieties to be reckoned with. Laka was the godess of the forest and Kihawahine ruled the waters. Haumea ruled the soil and rendered it fertile at her will..
History
Around the year 1820, King Kamehameha 2 began opposition to the
severely enforced religious practices of the Hawaiians. Christian
missionaries camei at about that time and won many converts. A few
years later, large numbers of Chinese and brought their religions
with them. They were followed by Japanese, who brought with them
their Shinto and Buddhist traditions.
Over the years, there have been significant imigrations of people from Korea, Vietnam, the Philippines and Portugal. Today, all these religions are represented in the diverse religious traditions of Hawaii. The ancient religions are nearly gone, but their legacy is found in place names and ceremonies.
Today, there are more Christians in Hawaii than any other single group. For statistics on this, please see http://www.imagine-hawaii.com/people.html .
Places of Worship
In early Hawaiian religion, there were no buildings equivalent to churches or temples. The Hawaiians built heiau, areas inside stone walls and featuring an altar and carved statues. The ruins of many of these heiau, most now only rough, rings of stone, can be seen in many places in Hawaii today.
Today, because so many people have come to Hawaii from so many places, there are many and varied styles of buildings for worship reflecting their origins in Japan, China, Korea, the Philippines, and mainland America ( especially New England )
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