Comparing Voodooism And Christianity

In a world with many religions it is difficult to understand the similarities and differences between them. All religions have unfamiliar traditions, beliefs, and practices then one another. The religions of Voodooism and Christianity seem to be incompatible at first glance. But when one starts to look deeper into these religions one can see that they are not too far apart. On one side, you have Voodoosim, which isn’t portrayed correctly by the public. Voodoo is definitely not accurately portrayed in most movies, TV shows and books. Even some documentaries and non-fiction books are very misleading. Voodoo is not a cult, black magic or devil worship. People who practice Voodoo are not sorcerers, witchdoctors or occultists. Voodoo is not intended

According to Dr. P. A Ojebode, professor of comparative study of religion at the National Open University of Nigeria, the West African Traditional Religion (WATR) is part of the African heritage as a legacy bequeathed from the ancestors. The WATR is the belief in a supreme being that cannot be approached by humans. The WATR says that there are beings that have attributes of the Supreme Being in his offspring. They serve as messengers between humans and the Supreme Being. By offering these messengers daily sacrifices, people worship god through them. Much like Christianity, certain rituals were performed to please the Voodoo god, as well as his intermediaries. This supreme being has many names including, The God of Voodoo, Yaweh, Great Master and Bondye as referred to by vodouisants. Both the Vodou Bondye and God are related to the fact that within their respected religion they are the originator of all life. Bondye’s main symbol also intertwines with the god of Christianity in which it is a cross (Beyer). Another similarity between these two fascinating religions is the fact that in one way or the other they both worship spirit entities. One of the cornerstones of the religion of Voodoo is the Lao or Lwa. These are the spirit identities that aid the practitioners in certain aspects of life including, sexuality, success, spirituality and even death. This is alike to

Many scholars, such as Ira Lowenthal explains that the idea of possession in Voodoo isn't so different from the ideology of the Holy Ghost or Spirit entering and taking possession of a Christian believer. During a Voodoo ceremony, the spirit (Loa) will enter a certain individual. This is one of the highest honors one can receive in the practice of Voodoo. The ceremony begins with the spill of animal blood then is followed by a catholic prayer. Next, drummers lose themselves to the rhythm while dancers increase movement. While all of this is going on a voodoo priest will create various Christian symbols on the floor using rum and cornmeal. If the spirt is accepted into the body, one or more of the dancers will fall to the floor in a series of convulsions. Then the possessed body will start to move differently as the spirit begins to take over their body. These rituals can be taken place in a Christian church or chapel. In Christianity, one can follow the way of the Father, the son and the Holy Spirit, or one can turn toward evil and follow Satan. In Christianity theology, the Holy spirit imitates the function of the Loa or Lwa in which it is believed to perform specific role in the life of a Christian. The action of the Holy Spirit is seen as an all-important of bringing about a person to Christian faith. Although in the Christian faith, it is believed that one’s soul can be possessed by