Elements Of Catholicism And Voodoo

Voodoo is an old religion that finds its roots in west Africa. Remnants of its physical history can be found throughout the West African Coast where major slave trading markets were located. An Example of this are locations contain trees of forgetting in which slaves were “Zombified” by administering herbs to make them more compliant. Today these historical sites draw tourist learning about the horrors of the slave trade Voodoo beliefs originated from African animist religions that predate Islam and Christian influences and were not understood by the European slave owners who forbid its practice. It created a fear in the Europeans and is misunderstood even today. Its travel to the Caribbean, Haiti and America had a lasting impact and is still practiced.

It has been almost 6 months now that my girlfriend and I came back from a trip to New Orleans. This is a town rich in history, amazing food, the locals were some of the friendliest people and the music of the city truly seemed to act as a heartbeat that gave the city life. However, something that truly caught my eye, were all the voodoo shops. One of their oldest cemeteries is home to the tomb of the “Voodoo Queen” Marie Laveau. Unfortunately when we went, they weren’t giving tours. When most in modern society most hear the word Voodoo; they probably think about what they’ve seen on movies… witch doctors, dolls that are used to curse Indiana Jones in the Temple of Doom or evil possession of people’s bodies through spirits. However, that really isn’t the case, for a religion that a lot of people really don’t know a lot about, the religion of Voodoo or Vodun. “The name was derived from the god Vodun of the West African Yoruba people who lived in 18th and 19th century Dahomey.” The African people were shipped as slaves to Haiti and other islands. Slaves practiced this religion but were also forced by the masters who owned them to practice Christianity. Which if you fast-forward to modern times, you will see that most adults in Haiti and some cities in the Southern States of North America not only still practice Voodoo but are also Roman Catholic.

Voodoo is a religion rich in heritage and founded in faith and community. The religion has been villainized by western culture and has been wrongly portrayed as malignant and dangerous. The religion is not founded in any of the (known) "black magics" or fear popularized by Hollywood films, but rather it is based on balance and tradition. The religion is not something that should be encountered with inhibition or fear induced from childhood horror stories, but embraced for its strength and history.

I'm sure everyone has their own perception of voodoo inside their head. Most people think includes black magic, evil spirits, and causing harm to others. However, voodoo is actually a complex tradition of faiths and beliefs that combine into an overall world full of religion and magic. It is believed to have started sometime around 1724 in Africa, Haiti specifically. Today, there are still people in parts of the United States that believe in voodoo and practice it. Voodoo embraces the

Voodoo is the modernized term for Haitian Vodou. It developed in Haiti during the slavery era when African-Caribbean slaves were working on plantations. It has roots in African American spirituality, in Native American practices, and in Roman Catholicism. The central understanding in voodoo is that it is more about what you do than it is what you believe. While it may be referred to as a religion, this is actually more of a way of life for those who practice and participate in rituals. In doing these rituals, the practitioners are engaging in worship of the Lwa which is Haitian Creole for a group of spirits. These spirits act as an intermediary between the practitioners and God with whom they believe in a plane that is too high for humans

Having very traditional beliefs, the Catholic Church uses numerous different terms and practices that are not familiar with non-Catholics. Inside of the Discourse community, Catholics have set terms that are used widely to discuss different matters. For instances, the term “priest” is used to describe what others would typically call a “pastor.” In addition to the terms used, there are also rituals that are based on their traditional beliefs. The most drastic of them would be the Eucharist. This tradition is referred to by Catholics as “Holy Communion” and is referred to by protestants as “The Lord’s Supper.” Meg Kane described the differences by saying, “Catholics actually believe that the Eucharist is the body and blood of Christ. It has much more meaning behind it than other communion services.” (Kane). Drastically differing from other religions, Catholics believe that their priest was granted the ability by God to turn the bread and wine into the body and blood of Jesus Christ.

The African tribal religion that Europeans named Voodoo is known for its mystical secrets. Voodoo existed a long time before organized religions like Christianity and Hinduism. The way of life for the indigenous people of Africa was to keep a constant contact with the spirits in nature. This religion originates from Africa and eventually moved into the Caribbean by traveling slaves. Eventually, this powerful, culture spread to Europe, and the Americas. Many practice this sacred religion every day to protect their families, financially support their families, and for guidance. Voodoo devotees acknowledge their deceased ancestors and spirits who have protected the individuals throughout their lives. Practitioners engage in rituals to say thank you, to celebrate victory, and to ask for prosperity. Often animal sacrifice has negative outlook, although it should not because the meat is shared with family

Many of today’s religions share strict beliefs that are found only within their own religion, they restrict the possibility to believe anything other that what the religion tells its followers to believe, in Voodoo you are not a follower. Voodoo is a religion influenced by many other religions; it allows its followers to feel free. When Voodoo worshipers left Africa and reached the far away island of Haiti, the Voodoo religion changed. Catholicism of the slave owners, and various alternative religions from native islanders, influenced Voodoo. Voodoo easily incorporated these other religions because of its welcoming nature. Voodoo was appealing, especially to the slaves and poor members of a community. Because it was so inviting, it became a way for people with troubles and turmoil to unite. The slaves united through Voodoo to throw off white rule. It was the first successful slave

The first three Sacraments listed are the Sacraments of Initiation. “The Sacraments of Christian Initiation—Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist—lay the foundations of every Christian life…By means of these Sacraments of Christian Initiation, [we] thus receive in increasing measure the treasures of the divine life and advance toward the perfection of charity.” (CCC Chapter 1, Article 2:1212) These sacraments represent our birth into the Church, the seal of our birth into the Church, and the reception of Jesus’ body. In the words of the Catholic Church, “The Christian is born anew by Baptism, strengthened by Confirmation, and receives in the Eucharist the food of eternal life.” (CCC Chapter 1, Article 2:1212)

The Catholic practice consists of baptism, confirmation, communion, reconciliation, anointing of the sick holy orders and holy matrimony. One main belief of the Catholic is the communion or the eucharist at a mass, in which they receive the body and blood of Christ in the form of bread

Voodoo is a religion with attributes originating from African roots. The religion is based on spiritual beliefs in direct communication and possession of the surrounding spirits that populate the world. It is the most practiced religion amongst the rural Haitian population. The development of the education, law and medicine systems along with Haitian society’s code of ethics

The easiest way to understand every aspect of Catholic faith is to look at the Apostles’ Creed. This prayer clearly outlines the twelve components of the Catholic belief system. This first is that God created the universe. The second, is that Jesus Christ is holy and he is the son of God. The third is that his mother, Mary, conceived him through the Holy Spirit. The creed goes on to explain that Jesus was sentenced to death, died and then rose three days later. Catholics believe that Jesus is now in Heaven ruling with God and will one day rise again. Catholics also believe in the idea of the Holy Trinity. This is the idea that God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are one divine being. The idea of the church as more than just a building is important in the Catholic religion. They also believe that all sins will be forgiven and that there will be “everlasting life” after

Religion can be defined with six characteristics: Sacred, myth, ritual, community, morality, and religious leaders. The first concept of religion is sacred, which is the idea that religion binds individuals and communities together. Myth is not the conventional definition we think of rather a much deeper concept. Myth is derived from the Greek word of “mythos” and is defined as a story that “ties and binds” humans into a powerful story about their destiny and origins. These stories, however, have profound truths behind life and should not be confused with fake stories.

Catholic mysticism is described as a belief that you can achieve union with God by surrendering yourself completely, and devoting yourself to prayer and contemplation. In this way mystics choose to do these spiritual exercises because they believe it will create a true union between them and God and thus understand what God wants from us, and how to best serve him. Mystics can be found in several religions throughout the world and is surprisingly a tremendous part of the Catholic religion. Catholicism is a branch of Christianity that is traced back to Jesus Christ, who along with the Holy Spirit and God, the Father, are the Holy Trinity in which the Catholic church’s beliefs are set on. Catholic mystics beliefs are centered with a deep desire to love God, all three parts, and partake in actions that will serve him and create a deeper bond with him than usual. Throughout the Catholic Church’s history many mystics have risen to the forefront to create change within the church that would revolutionize people’s beliefs as a whole. To go into a discussion about how catholic mystics revolutionized the catholic church I think that it is important to break down what it means to be a mystic in the catholic religion.

“There are seven sacraments in the Catholic Church (in order); Baptism, Penance/Reconciliation, Eucharist, Confirmation, Holy Matrimony, Holy Orders, and Anointing of the Sick” These sacraments help build up the body of Christ, make people holy, and to give worship to God. Baptism is the very first sacrament and the first step towards a lifelong journey of commitment and discipleship. People usually get baptized as babies but it does not have any age limit. When babies get baptized, the priest sprinkles holy water upon your forehead but sometimes when you’re older, you put in your whole body. “The very last sacrament is the Anointing of the Sick, administered to bring spiritual and physical strength during an illness, especially near to the time of death.”