Voodoo Christianity
Posted on 06. Apr, 2010 by Angie Wyatt in Blog
Loading ...Thank you for commenting on my previous blog “Response to Disaster.” I know that your prayers are with all Haitians, as well as those working diligently to provide aid.
In your recent comments, I was surprised to see so many of you mention the crossover of voodoo into the way Haitians often practice Christianity. For example, Haitians will have Christian weddings or funerals, followed by voodoo rituals. It’s as if they profess Christianity, but practice both religions. This type of religious overlay is not true of all Haitian Christians; nor would I presume that it is true of even most Haitian Christians. However, it is common practice.
Blending religions is not unique to Haiti. In parts of Asia, people professing Christianity may continue to worship ancestral spirits. Witchcraft and other evil practices influence Christian worship in places such as Guatemala, Uganda and India.
Culture is so deeply ingrained in people through their upbringing and daily life, that many seem unable to separate their Christian faith from their culture. They infuse culture-worship, whether witchcraft or ancestral worship, with their Christian faith. While this is common, it is also unacceptable. We must purify our Christian faith. Christianity is a total surrender of our lives, family and culture to the sovereignty of God.
We must look at the log in our own eye. We too have our own Voodoo Christianity here in the U.S. (I apologize to my international readers, but I’m sure you can apply this to your own homeland.) We too have mixed our ungodly culture with our Christianity. We worship our Christian God, but we also worship the American dream. We have allowed our thirst for success, wealth and happiness to influence how we live our faith. Like the spiritually intense cultures around the world, we too worship false gods.
Let’s remember the basic tenants of our faith. There is only one God. He loves us. He is with us. We cannot find security in voodoo, nor can we find it in money or success.
This is my Spiritual Wellness journey . . . I will attempt to purify my faith. I will allow my faith, not my culture, shape who I am. I will be the real me.
As you pursue Spiritual Wellness, how will you purify your faith? Share your thoughts.
10 Responses to “Voodoo Christianity”
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Jan-Michael
13. Jul, 2010
Well said, Angie!
For my part, I am currently in daily conversation with an International Interfaith Christian organization trying to resolve the differences in say Roman Catholic Eucharist and non-Catholic Holy Communion, so situations do not arise where, say a married couple finds the Catholic Church will not happily allow a non-Catholic to receive HIM and the non-Catholic spouse, while welcome in most non-Roman Catholic Communions are told it is a “sin” at RC church for them to accept Communion outside The RC Church.
So, that is one of my curent efforts toward
understanding and helping all Christians to being able to receive Holy Communion together at whatever Christian Church a couple worship at. My wife being Catholic and I non-Catholic, we never had a problem until (Pope)Benedict
re-stated what had been thought open since Pope Paul Vl. So it is a very personal need in our family.
For anyone interested http://www.interchurchfamilies.org/
Jan-Michael
Anonymous
13. Jul, 2010
A great blog Angie!
And it was an interesting debate recently in Haiti, regarding burial rights by the voodoo priests. I thought about what our nation should do? Respecting and to dignify the voodoo culture and then to turn their backs on Christ? That is what I felt…To really help them in their time of need, as a Christian, as a netural or as acceptance and to dignify their Voodoo culture?
It was a hard week to understand…
You also pointed out, success and money. For me, it has been the point of the “LOVE” of money rather than the issue of wealth and or money. We all need it…I personally don’t see anything wrong with it…as long as that person knows thyself, true to themselves and is true to God.
I do think some rich people find it very difficult…So caught up in their own material worlds. That they lose sight of What God teaches…Sad to watch sometimes. Being successful in life…to love what we do and to have that real passion for life. Personally, I like competition, maybe to a down-fall, but in business at least, it brings out the best in me. Striving forward in becoming the real me…in my own path.
The last question that you posed…How to purify ones faith. To me, it’s about worshiping in Christ, fellowshiping and walking in faith.
America, in my view, lost sight in the ever-growing melting pot of cultures. Standing up for Christ… to keep HIS church Holy~
Great insightful blogs-
Thank you Angie!
Rose
13. Jul, 2010
Voodoo, is a kind of religion for the people on Haiti. I guess they are just influenced from Christianity, because of the christian people which visited their country. It’s up to this “natur folk” to decide what they like to pracrtice. My thoughts are even I’m a fallower of Jesus and like to be more and more as he was. I mean to life a good life and do good things like He did, I have difficulty to go out to non christian countries and telling them about Jesus and at the end I’m happy when they leave their old believes and begin to fallow Christ. – Do we all think of our parents and they would have made us in a good and helthy way familiar with another religion and we would have not much knowlwdge or non of the bible. What would our reaction be? I do not know. Maybe we would like to spread out with what we have grown up! Heavy thoughts???- Blessings Swiss Rose
TMOPRAYS
13. Jul, 2010
Angie,
Thank you for this post, and I comletely agree with you that as Americans we have lost sight of the ever-growing melting pot of cultures. And I believe it is greatly impacting the kids today in affecting their choices and attitudes towards religion, christian or otherwise.
Your comment that “Culture is so deeply ingrained in people through their upbringing and daily life, that many seem unable to separate their Christian faith from their culture,” really hit home to me. I have been battling a stronghold in my own life which I believe is because of the culture of my family unit that was ingrained into my head as a child. Ingrained in the sense that it’s all I knew, all I was taught, all that was modeled for me, so I did not know any different. Well, when this ‘stronghold’ surfaced, and I knew God was dealing with me in this area, and I realized something. I realized that until now I would not have seen this ‘behavior’ as wrong or bad; muchless, as a stronghold because of my cultural upbringing.
It was because one day a nice man invited me to this awesome church (Gateway – shameless plug), and I met Jesus, I received teaching, and I felt love in a different kind of way. I believe that is why I have been able to recognize, do battle, and become victoriuos over this stronghold in my life. As, we look at these other countries and cultures, it is the same thing. This is all they know. That is why we send our missionaries to them and plan ministry trips, to reach them with His Word and continue to love on and teach them. When I heard Pat Robertson’s words, I thought I just need to pray, and I need to help send more missionaries, and I need to help fund ministries like Life Today who supports these ministries to reach these people and teach them what I have been taught, the simple and pure love of God.
I believe that is why we have so many people who claim to be Christians here in America – who are sad, angry, hurting, or lonely – because we have these family cultures and lifestyles ingrained into our lives, and we don’t know any different. No one has reached out to them, or they have and it was a negative experience. We have freedom of religion here in America, and we have churches on almost every street corner for the most part. Yet, even here in America we cannot get people to come into the Father’s house. And, sometimes they do come in and even get saved, and then are sent out immediately without any teaching or follow-up and don’t build that relationship to overcome whatever cultural things they have ingrained into their lives. We can’t just save em and move on. We must teach them too.
As Christians, we have set a culture (in general, not all Christians) of being arrogant, judgemental, hypocrytical, or pushy. People are turning away from God because they see some Christians, who are sad, mad, mean, angry, but they say they serve a loving God who takes care of them and loves them. Why would they want to meet a God who is all loving and takes care of us, and we are so sad, mad, mean, or angry?
When you say, “We must purify our Christian faith. Christianity is a total surrender of our lives, family and culture to the sovereignty of God.” I agree. The only way our lives, family, and culture are ever going to change is if we come under complete and total surrender to the one and only Savior, Jesus Christ. Then, we must go out and teach others what we know, and model the loving relationship we have with our Daddy. That is how we change our culture either here in America or Haiti or the World.
I loved this post. It just touched me in a special way.
Thank you so much!
Donna Schuller
13. Jul, 2010
Love people and use money but never Love money and use people.
Rose
13. Jul, 2010
TOMOPRAYS, I know very well we in Christian faith can tell others about, invit them to go with us to church and reading in the bible or in daily devotional books and explain why we are believing in Christ. For me it’s okay. I do it in a tender way. I never think they must be believers one day. God gave us a free will. Donna explained it so nice on the former blog-subject. – - Success, wealth and happiness that are things we like to have, ANGIE. Can make our lives a bit easier. Do you strive to be poor without a bit of wealth? Happy people have it easier in their lives, they can deal better with obstacles. Success can be different kind of things, like success in our profession or if we are kind and compassionate to others and for that we are liked and others love to be around us. I personally go much easier through live when I’m not poor. Have all necessary things to live, a bit of money to travel around the world, a nice appartment, clothes to wear and enough food to eat. Blessings, Rose
Angie
13. Jul, 2010
Well said, Donna. Rose, I agree that there is absolutely nothing wrong with wealth, happiness and success. I wish it for all of you readers and for my own family. I am, of course, talking in this blog specifically about worship. What do we worship? What do we love? Where do we put our trust? To use Donna’s syntax… Trust God and use money, never trust money and use God.
Rose
13. Jul, 2010
Well said Donna! – We worship Jesus our sevior and redeemer. Blessings, Rose
Anonymous
13. Jul, 2010
Angie,
Great blog!
Found something that may fit on your current blog-subjects of the love of money, voodoo, and etc…
“World Sins”
And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, chocke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.
St. Mark: Chapter 4 vs 19
Donna makes a great point–Of not loving money or using people and would only add…we all should be giving back to his church and helping people. Planting seeds…to grow. The need to use money to promote his word/work and inspirations. Sponsorships and promotions fits well…in a path of inspirations.
John 3:16
May help…
Great blog…
Thanks Angie!
Al
13. Jul, 2010
A follow up:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35365622/ns/world_news-haiti_earthquake/?GT1=43001
Or research the Feb 12, 2010 msnbc news on Hati…at msnbc.msn.com
Interesting…
Standing up for all faiths…even Voodoo? Or being an individual and standing up for Christ?
What would God do? What would Christ do?
Joining hands or tipping over their voodoo tabernacles…or???
Maybe, we all should re-think on this one. Re-building HIS church in Haiti-with Christ alone, not with VOODOO. Interesting article…
A month has passed…since the earthquake. Interesting on how things progress backwards?
Al-