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Is voodoo a force for good or bad?
As millions of Beninois prepare for the annual voodoo festival of offering prayers and animal sacrifices, do we really understand what voodoo is?
Once banned, voodoo is now an official religion in Benin, where the practice was born. About 60% of the country's 7 million people practise the religion. Forms of voodoo also exist in Togo, Ghana, Haiti and Brazil.
Followers believe in a supreme God and spirits who link the human with the divine.
Spirits are thought to exist in many things - from the earth, wind, thunder, giant baobab trees and pythons.
But for centuries the religion has been associated with black magic used for evil purposes and based on animal and human sacrifices.
Is voodoo a force for good or evil? Is there a place for voodoo in modern Africa? Does voodoo play an important part in your family? Do you have any voodoo stories to tell us? Are there any parallels with other religions?
Send us your comments and experiences using the form on the right, or text us to +44 77 86 20 20 08. If you would like to take part in the Africa Have Your Say radio programme on 10 January at 1600 GMT, please include a telephone number. It will not be published.
Your comments:
I believe voodoo has been demonized by majority populations in the Americas during the peak of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade
Abu-Bakar, USA
Despite my very limited understanding of voodoo, I believe that it has been demonized by majority populations in the Americas during the peak of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. It is merely another example of xenophobia, or at least, a fear of the strange or unknown. It is important to note that what is considered common knowlege about voodoo is nothing more than a stereotypic portrayal by popular culture of an alien cultural practice.
Abu-Bakar, Washington DC, USA.
Some of the voodoo practices that held sway in the past were never questioned because of the fear of dire reprisals if one were to contravene them. People have now advertently or inadvertently, contravened some of the voodoo don'ts to no harm at all, which proves that voodoo was merely a traditional society's way of self-sustaining, which has no place in modern Africa.
Musyoki Kimanthi, Nairobi, Kenya
Voodoo is an evil force which may appear to be good at the onset. The good it may portray is often shortlived and will yeild bad results eventually. I think it originates from the devil, Satan. Anything which originates from the devil is bad and can never be good. I'm sure you'd rather associate with good rather than bad. For as long as Africa practises voodoo, the many problems that have hampered her development will continue.
Sammy Imevbore, Coventry, UK
I firmly beileve that voodoo is a force for bad. As a Christian I beileve in Jesus and nobody else, and cannot understand how in the 21st century Africans keep doing such practical sacrifices. I think it's really horrible.
Berthie Matona, Bristol, England.
A lot of people think that voodoo is wrong only because they think it is against Christian teachings. The truth is that there are a lot of vey good aspects to voodoo and, if incorporated with Christianity, it would yield amazing results. Throw out the bad elements first, of course.
Didi Newlove, Namur, Belgium
Let us not forget that it was probably the uniting force of voodoo that helped the slaves in Saint Domingue throw off their French, and other colonial, oppressors. Voodoo is a serious attempts to grapple with ontological and empirical issues - it should not be so easily dismissed by society
Reuben Loffman, London
Voodoo exists and I believe it's used for evil purposes. I think the practice should be discouraged since it has no place in these modern times.
Edwin Batiir, Tamale, Ghana
My grandfather used to have voodoo known as 'mabieh'. When I was a small boy, my grand father used to bless me along with other kids by speaking audibly to his voodoo or mabieh in order to chase away the sickness from us.The bad thing was after the death of my grandfather some years ago, his elder son called upon Christians to his home from a neighbouring village and burnt down all voodoo materials to ashes. So voodoo or mabieh does not exist now in our home in south Sudan.
Peter Tuach, Minnesota ,USA
I think voodoo is a force of evil and should be banned
Emmanuel Adelaja, UK
I think voodoo is a force of evil and originates from Satan. It is outright devil worship where people are remotely controlled and manipulated for evil. This is obvious when you realise that countries which make voodoo their national religion, or have the large population of them practicing it, remain the poorest countries in the world. I have seen people being manipulated and hypnotised for years and made to live under terrible conditions. This religion should be banned.
Emmanuel Adelaja, Bracknell, UK
I personally do not believe in voodoo, but growing up in Ghana I have heard so much made of it, even by very educated people, which has made me believe, maybe, just maybe, it does exist. I however fully disagree with Emmanuel Adelaja who thinks it should be banned. What one chooses to worship is one's right and should not be controlled. The argument that religion has anything to do with the socio-economic development of any nation is lame and baseless. My native Ghana has one of the most religious populace on the surface of this earth and we are still very far from rich. It is only hardwork, good policies and mutual respect that can bring our continent out of the unfortunate position we are now. Ostracizing people because they do not share our religious beliefs should have no place in our culture if we really want to rise up as a continent.
Raphael Afaedor, Prague, Czech Republic
If voodoo is evil, then all the major world religions are so too
Anand Nair, India
Voodoo is a good religion. It is the missionaries who portray it as devil worship. It is a part of the African culture. If voodoo, one of the world's oldest religions, is evil, then all the major world religions are so too.
Anand Nair, Haridwar, Uttaranchal State, India
Voodoo, for many of these nations, provides a form of worship that was not brought over by the Europeans - and in my mind that is a good thing.
Alex Theoharides, United States
I do not believe any good things can come out of voodoo.
Emmanuel Osunkoya, Chicago, USA
My father before he passed away 30 years ago used to be a voodoo priest. The short period I lived with him I know that voodoo power existed. This power is evil and they use it to do evil things. A voodoo priest can use his voodoo power to kill and torment people. I do not believe any good things can come out of voodoo. The power of voodoo is limited. Anyone who believes in Jesus Christ has greater spiritual power than any voodoo man or woman.
Emmanuel Osunkoya, Chicago, USA
I think voodoo, like the cutlass, could be used for both good and bad purposes.
Ike Tetteh, Accra
I think voodoo, like the cutlass, could be used for both good and bad purposes. If one considers the fact that Africa had its religion before the advent of the Bible, then we can only say that voodoo is for good. Voodoo punishes sins and that serves as a deterrent. Christianity or any other religion says pray for forgiveness and that is increasing the number of thieves in our societies. If we don't come back to our roots, then we will always be deceived by these so-called men of God.
Ike Tetteh, Accra
In films and television programmes voodoo is portrayed as a force of evil. We always see the necks of chickens being cut and voodoo dolls being pricked. What I would like to understand is the origin of voodoo and why is it so taboo? Surely to be so well established there must be positive elements to it?
Melanie, Wimbledon, England
There is absolutely no truth to voodoo. It is a state of mind, a farce, used by fraudulent individuals to control and exploit the weak! I will volunteer for any voodoo experimentation under the following conditions: 1. I am not asked to ingest anything, 2. I am not asked to apply any fluids, ointments, powders or gases, to my body, 3. the event takes place in open air for all to witness, 4. there's no physical contact between me and the voodoo practitioner!
Godfrey Ofem, Chicago, USA |
| | Posted 1/9/2006 12:53 PM - 70 Views - 0 eProps - 1 Comment
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