Posted on 02/12/2010 6:42:31 PM PST by Touch Not the Cat
The catastrophe has driven a wedge between Haiti's religions as Christian groups make inroads among shaken Voodoo followers - some drawn by the steady flow of aid through evangelical missions and others frightened by a disaster they saw as a warning from God.
"People see rice being distributed in front of churches and those homeless now needing papers are being offered baptism certificates that can act as identity documents," Voodoo priest Max Beauvoir told The Associated Press before speaking at Friday's service. "The horrible thing though is that by rejecting Voodoo these people are rejecting their ancestors and history. Voodoo is the soul of the Haitian people. Without it, the people are lost."
"The earthquake scared me," said Veronique Malot, a 24-year-old who joined an evangelical church two weeks ago when she found herself living in one of the city's many outdoor camps. "Voodoo has been in my family but the government isn't helping us. The only people giving aid are the Christian churches."
Christians have spearheaded international disaster relief in Haiti and the rest of the developing world for decades.
Voodoo's followers believe in reincarnation, one God and a pantheon of spirits. Voodoo leaders say that although they do not believe in evil spirits, some followers pray for the spirits to do evil.
In 1791, an escaped slave named Boukman gathered thousands of followers in the forests of northern Haiti, sacrificed a wild boar and pledged that with the spirits' help, he would liberate his people and free Haiti. After 10 years of bloodshed, slavery ended and Haiti became the world's first black republic, making Boukman a hero and giving special prominence to Voodoo.
Voodoo became recognized as a formal religion in Haiti only in 1987, under a new constitution that recognizes the rights of all religions
(Excerpt) Read more at hosted.ap.org ...
Old Boukman the Spookman of voodoo hasn’t left his descendents with such a rich tradition,ay? Time to deep six that voodoo crap from hades.
That voodoo chappie managed to start Haitians on a path that destroyed the entirety of Haiti.
Even the top soil is gone in most places.
Voodoo don’t doo too good.
No, that was not a typo.
;-)
Voodoo outreach must be slacking. There doesn't appear to be much rice being distributed by voodoo missionaries.
pat robertson wasnt so far off base, was he?
“Voodoo outreach must be slacking.”
I must disagree - voodoo ‘leaders’ never stop their outreach. Their grubby hands are always reaching out for anything not protected by the Law of Gravity or the Law of Thermodynamics.
Voodoo creates a culture of ignorant, helpless savages. Kinda of like what we see in our political class.
Don’t you make me stick a needle in my doll!
So I guess Christians shouldn’t conduct charity so that the voodooists (or whatever voodoo believers/practitioners are called) are happy.
Centuries ago, followers of Zeus, Odin, Bran the Blessed, etc. were probably saying the same thing as Christianity began to spread across Europe.
Sheesh are you dense! Don't you know only governments can be charitable? And how do you think the money appears in the governments' hands? It isn't like the 3 Wise Men come around bearing gifts anymore. Nope. See what happens is they conjure up these evil spirits (now you know the origins of Nazy Piglousy) and spirit the money away from "evil" people and give it to "good" people.
Pat Robertson notwithstanding, this is always one of the big advantages Christianity has over primitive religion.
Primitive religion is animistic and essentially worships natural phenomena. The problem with this is that when natural phenomena turn rapidly and violently against believers, primitive religion has no answers.
I thought I was a snake, I started crawlin' on the ground
I thought I was a dog, I started barkin' like a hound
I thought I was coyote, howlin' at the moon
Stumblin' and a fumblin' like a flip mighty goon
He done voodoo-voodoo'ed me
He done voodoo-voodoo'ed me
Just about as mixed up as a girl could be,
He done a voo-voo-voo-voo voodoo'ed me
If he couldn't have me all for himself
I wouldn't be any good for nobody else
I kinda think he meant every word he said
Sprinklin' the oogly all under my bed
He done voodoo-voodoo'ed me
He done voodoo-voodoo'ed me
Just about as mixed up as a girl could be
He done a voo-voo-voo-voo voodoo-ed me,
Well, he took a little box from out of nowhere
A tooth in the box and little lock of hair
He had a leopard spots and neck of giraffe
He had a zebra's stripes and a hyena's laugh
He done voodoo-voodoo'ed me
He done voodoo-voodoo'ed me
Just about as mixed up as a girl could be,
He done a voo-voo-voo-voo voodoo'ed me
He done voodoo-voodoo'ed me, yeah!
He done voodoo-voodoo'ed me, ah-ha!
Just about as mixed up as a girl could be He done a voo-voo-voo-voo voodoo'ed me
C. Avril & Andrew Coleman, 1958
do any FR sponsors offer an
Obama doll for sale?
Some history needs to be rejected. My ancestors were slave traders - not something I care to even think about, much less continue.
Well over a thousand years ago, my ancestors decided to embrace Christianity, and that choice has served us well as we have served it. I heartily reccommend it to those in Haiti who have not considered doing the same.
They will hopefully not be ‘rice Christians’, although it is a good example by the Christians for the Voodoo practicing Haitians.
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