Understanding first off that its a recognised religion and is widely practiced in the Carribean, South America and the Southern states of America.

What do you think about it?

It has its roots from Africa. I believe its the practice of whats called Yoruba or Santeria.

Apedemak wrote:

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Surely since you've thought enough about Voodoo to starta whole newpost about it, that you won't mind providing a link or some sort of evidence/proof about voodoo being WIDELY practiced in the Southern States of America. I live in the South, in the country part of the South in fact, and have never seen any evidence of Voodoo being widely practiced as you say.

PLEASE clue me in.

All churching going people (Black and White) I've encountered believe voodoo is anti-christian or sacreligion! Heck the Southern part of the UShas historically beenreferred to as "the Bible belt" because of its strong belief in Christian values.

I think I've met maybe a handful of Catholics living in the South, a handful of muslims- mostly Arabs and African immigrants, 3 mormons, about 5 jehovah's witness and NO voodoo worshippers!

I seriously challenge you to go to anybodys house (anybody at all) in the South and ask them about voodoo. They'll tell you you need JESUS and you even speaking of voodoo is proof that we're at the end of time and Judgement day is coming soon because of people like YOU believing in Voodoo instead of Jesus Christ as your savior.confused3

Some opinions...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4588262.stm

Unlike in the last post let me try to enlighten you about what I know of voodoo IN THE US.

First off like someone mentioned earlier, voodoo probably has direct roots to some form of religion in Africa...........

Africans brought to America during slavery time came from all over West and Central Africa....................

During the period of slavery, slave owners wereFORCED to "mix" or "breed" different tribes with one another........................

Because of thousands of African tribes "Mixing" together these people's descendants wereFORCED to learn ENGLISH as a standard form of communication(I don't think this"mixing" was encouragedanywhere else outside the US where slaves tended to come from 1 region in Africa anyway)..............

They were also were FORCED (at the least "encouraged) to convert to Christianity and accept the word of Jesus Christ.................

The only place in America that did not FORCE African intermixing was city of New Orleans and religious convertions, which most of the people were unlike most other places in the US, werefrom one African ethnic group which was Sengalese. New Orleans also had the largest FREE Black population in the US, which meant "free people" had at least some rights as to what religion/churches they wanted to participate in...........

This kind of FORCED assimilation was not limited to slaves and their descendants only. Europeans who happened to be Catholic were also "encouraged" (and not so gently) to become WASP. A good example of this is former president John F. Kennedy who most Southern Whites hated because he was Irish- CATHOLIC and they couldn't imagine having a "catholic" president.............

Descendants of Africans brought to America once freed never went back to speaking African tongues........................

Neither did they change their religion from Christianity to or back to Voodoo................

Voodoo TODAY, might still be practiced in places that had HUGE free black/African populations during slavery time because "freedom" would allow people to practice their own"African culture". However there was never such a place (again outside of New Orleans) in America. I've read that around 90% of all Blacks were in bondage/slavery in the US. Therefore they were not allowed to practiced all this Voodoo people are TRYING to claim is still present.............

PLEASE clue me in.

Its practiced under the guise of Christianity in both America and over here in the UK. The europeans beat, blugeoned and raped us into their christianity but we or certain nations simplyattached variousAfrican gods and godesses tochristianangels as they have the same function and carried on practicing as ''christians''. Its also popular in places like Mexicoand other South American countries where you'dassume the people were devout christians butare simply veiling their real religion behind it to avoid suspision.

Your typical Blackall hype and funk church (Pentacostal?) where people dance and sway until they're possesed by the holy ghost... Flapping on the floor like fish calling for Jesus?

Voodoo.

Its exactly the same thing as is practicedall over the continent, south america and the carib drums beating calling onthis and that godflapping on the floor like a fish etc etc but Christianised.

The only diffrence is that the Christiansthink they're diffrent.

Takes more than a few whip lashings, lynchingsand torture to break a peoples religious beliefs. The Bantu/Zulu for example are selfless in that they belive that they are their ancestors, that their ancestors speak through them at any given time. Can't beat a 5000+ practice out of a people that belive in something as strong as that.

The South American Capueira comes from the same place Breakdancing did and is an African martial art. This is one of my theories but I swear it relates to Yoga, diffrent positions and all that.

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I thought all of religion came from the blackman. I believe that europeans learned religion from us. So how can it be that we of African descent get forced something that we taught the world to begin with? I'm part of what you call Pentecost where you see people dancing and praising God for those who dont understand how the Holy Spirit gets into people. Some people dance, some people scream, some people just let the tears come out thanking God for simple things as sight,and breath and the ability to walk and talk and to know that a mighty God is there any time we need Him. But that's not all to it. Gods word is taught everytime we step in Gods house. We dont look at our belief as simply a religeon. We look at it as a way of life because youre supposed to live it each and everyday. And thats living Holy and separated from the world. This doesnt mean to live in a cave. It just means to try to live a righteous life to the best of your ability. I dont think I'm better than anyone. I only try and do Gods will and thats it. For people that are here to soley tobash religeon and offend my faith that's between you and your God. I didnt mean to digress but this has nothing to do with voodoo. If thats the case anyone can look at another faith who doesnt have the same faith as theirs and call it demonic!!!

Apedemak wrote: Out of curiosity what is your native language? No disrespect but I dont think you realize the true magnitude of what our ancestors been through as far as the horrendous torture and inhumane acts that our people have experienced from slavery. Because you wouldnt have made a statement regarding a few whippings and lynchings. These were your people too!!! I'm assuming your black and if so, those were your people too that were kidnapped and beaten and killed. As devided as we have been a black family, I think its time to get in touch and find out who our ancestors were. Who knows...we could be relatives. I often do think where in Africa did my people come from. And what language did they speak and what different resemblences that we have. Alot of people here in the US unfortunately dont think about the larger family tree. I guess that was the devils doing of confusing us as a people as he is doing to us today where a traditional family household is on its way to distinction.

girlfromNC



What do you think "roots" "hoodoo""juju" mean when you hear Southerners speak of it?

....you wouldnt have made a statement regarding a few whippings and lynchings.

It was nothing, a minor 500 year blip on a peoples with a 10,000+year history.

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Apedemak wrote: I know that you are African and you want desperately to show some sort of CONNECTION to all the people with African blood all over the world, but right now you're trying to squeeze blood out of a turnip.

I think its a VERY FAR STRETCH to claim anyone who gets emotional during a religious service is "practicing voodoo in disguise".Paying tides for example is part of most Christian churches, however because Muslims also believe in this would not make me a "Muslim" person in disguise! Religious practice often overlap one another, however TRUE believers in any religion believe in THEIR ONE GOD.

DtotheJ wrote: lol.

I've heard of Southernsspeaking of "Islam" and "buddah" but does that mean that most Southerns are "muslim"????

What kind of question is that?

We're talking about the comment apedemak made claiming Voodoo was widely practiced in the South, which it is NOT. 100 people practicing voodoo out of 30+ million does NOT COUNT as something being "widely practiced"confused3

Everybody and their mother knows that African traditions lasted in Brazil (and even this is not the majority) because during slavery time in Brazil, Brazilian slaves were often freed upon their masters death. Or for example your homeland Haiti, because of the slave revolt that completely wipped out the French population in Haiti. However, what holds true in Haiti or Brazil does not necessarily hold true in the US. They are 3 seperate countries with 3 seperate histories.

I have roots all over the South. So I'm not speaking on something I saw on t.v. or read in some booklike you and Apedemak are surely doing.

In fact, right after hurricane Katrina me and another AA lady were talking about how terrible the storm was and out of nowhere I remember her making a comment "well this is nothing but God's work paying these people back. You know alot of those people in Louisana practice voodoo".confused3I wanted to tell her how ignorant she was, and that was just a sterotype sort of like Northerns would have of us and that all Southerns are dumb or stupid. Its the same thing really. But she was kind of an older lady so I didn't want to dispect her so I dropped the subject.