Tuesday, Evangelicals violently disrupted a traditional religious ceremony in the Cite Soleil slum, located just outside the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince. According to AFP:
Police said a pastor urged followers to attack the ceremony, resulting in a crowd of people throwing rocks at the voodoo followers.
Today the Washington Post reported that a two-year study by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs shows
American foreign policy is handicapped by a narrow, ill-informed and "uncompromising Western secularism" that feeds religious extremism, threatens traditional cultures and fails to encourage religious groups that promote peace and human rights.
While our foreign policy at a governmental level may be "handicapped" by secularism, the private sector is screwing up by pushing their religious agendas, retarding efforts to actually do a greater good.
In the wake of January 12 earthquake, hundreds of religious groups headed to Haiti bringing food, water and aid, some including solar powered Protestant bibles and their own religious tracts in their care packages. Scientology "Volunteer Ministers" interfered with medical personnel in attempts to recruit. It's a huge dog pile as minsters of God ply Haitians with various versions of salvation.
The Chicago Council on Global Affairs recommended:
Empowering government departments and agencies to engage local and regional religious communities where they are central players in the promotion of human rights and peace, as well as the delivery of health care and other forms of assistance.Local and regional should mean traditional and indigenous, not just the missionary groups. Catholicism and vodou--the official spelling-- are the Haiti's traditional religions, and about half the country's population practice some form of vodou along side other faiths.
KWTX reports that religious tensions have increased since the earthquake and the attack was carried out by Haitian Christians.
Voodooists gathered in a seaside slum where thousands of earthquake survivors are living in tents and depending on food aid.Praying and singing, the group was trying to conjure spirits to guide lost souls when a crowd of evangelicals started shouting.
Some threw rocks while others urinated on Voodoo symbols.
When police left, the crowd destroyed the altars and Voodoo offerings of food and rum.
Dr. Christos Kioni, the Florida-based vodou expert profiled in Christine Wicker's book Not In Kansas Anymore wrote us:
The violence fundamentalist have engaged in upon the practitioners of Vodou in Haiti is fueled by a sectarian demon. It is the same spirit that spurs Muslim radicals to engage in terrorist activities in the Name of Allah, it is the same spirit that fanned the flames of the Inquisition and Crusades. Christians have long ago abandoned their faith in the authentic teachings of Christ that God is Love
Rosemond Aristide, police inspector in Cite Soleil, told AFP that
he has since spoken with the pastor, who agreed to allow voodoo ceremonies to take place there. However, Aristide could not explain why no arrests were made nor provide further details.
"Agreed to allow"? This is a faith practiced by almost fifty percent of the population! Tuesday's violent eruption of religious intolerance may lead to bigger problems. Max Beauvoir, voudou's supreme leader, has already noted that aid provided by Evangelicals is not being distributed to those of other faiths.
Voudou high priest Beauvoir sees Tuesday's attack as an unfortunate act of war, telling AFP
It will be war -- open war. It's unfortunate that at this moment where everybody's suffering that they have to go into war. But if that is what they need, I think that is what they'll get
Dr. Kioni adds:
I agree with my friend and colleague, The Supreme Servitor of Vodou, Ati Max Beauvoir, that this attack by the evangelicals is a declaration of war...We are mobilizing our forces to meet this demonic spirit head on; bullets nor pious, hypocritical prayers have no power where Vodou is concerned.
Acts of religious intolerance have no place in the world, let alone in a disaster area, reflecting poorly on the faith represented. Religious aid workers in Haiti should provide relief with respect for those in physical need by leaving faith out of the mix.
Dr. Kioni adds:
Vodou will be recognized and accepted as a valid and legitimate system of spirituality just as the Wiccan and Pagans have been accepted. Freedom of Religion is a right and no man nor religious organization has a corner on God nor salvation.
An expanded version can be found on La Figa at Firedoglake.com
Follow Lisa Derrick on Twitter: www.twitter.com/lalisa93
I find it eerily haunting to read the quotes of Native Americans who have the long and tragic history of having the agendas of those that invaded their home forced upon them, through violence, through narrow mindedness and greed. This is ringing true in Haiti with the repulsive acts of those agenda driven who invade Haiti in a most vulnerable of states, and defame and disrespect culture, tradition, and religious beliefs....It is an atrocity. Compelling words from my dear friend Dr. Kioni and from Ati Max Beauvoir...........Bless The People Of Haiti! Respect Them!
Miss Heather
It's repugnant to hear a so-called Christian justifying withholding help due to religious differences. His words paint an ugly picture for all Christian relief workers, making them all look like opportunistic monsters who went to Haiti for one purpose, force them to convert to Christianity or suffer the consequences, ie no help and no food for you.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkftHC7Q14E
"Hi Lisa, this is from Ati Max to me with his permission to quote him exactly. - Dr. K
Max G Beauvoir February 25 at 1:25pm
These people, Dr. Kioni, are nothing else but a bunch of crooks, assassins and criminals who made no bones about pocketting for themselves exclusively everything that has been sent to the Haitians under the name of International solidarity.
And now that they have bulged themselves, they behave as if they are the Pirates of the New World, backed by so many international organizations.. I do not believe they can make it, even over our dead bodies.
Moralless and Senseless, they obviously do not even believe in Human rights, freedom of conscience and Justice for all.
What a bad joke ! When in reality the Haitians today needed nothing else but love and compassion, medications to cure their wounds.
Alas, with all of that. They will not even participate in Haiti reconstruction, for sure, judging by their dishonest behavior.
Best to you and yours,
Max Beauvoir"
The religious leaders of today and yesterday are to blame for the backsliding of the Christian Church. Ministers abound on television screen sounding like parrots, with no revelation and always begging for more money to build "Gods" Kingdom. Now, they resort to common thuggery to push their antiquated beliefs for the purposes of subjugating the downtrodden under the guise of giving help. This was not the way of the Good Samaritan in Jesus' parable. The man that found the wounded traveler left for dead by robbers, did not ask for religious affiliation. He took the wounded man to an inn, paid for his care & went on his way. What we do know is that the stranger ministered to the less fortunate without judgment, hypocrisy or sectarianism. This is the Jesus I know who is Lord . . . who the heck are the Christians calling lord? And yes, I AM that Dr. Kioni quoted in this article. I am a practitioner of the African Diaspora Traditions. I honor the Ancestors and I have the
You have been Fanned.
The video from October 2009 explains why clashes are happening in Haiti now. (I also learned that the only two places favored by the Christian God in America are Alaska and Wisconsin !!!!???). Substitute Wicca/Paganism in America, Animism in Africa, and Islam in the 10/40 window as similar targets of this blighted strategy.
Online abstract: The evangelical third wave movement – which counts Sarah Palin as anointed by God – has developed techniques known as “Spiritual Mapping” and “Spiritual Warfare” to chart “Christian” and “Demonic” territories. The land and history of Haiti is particularly charged as evangelicals and vodouists relate different understandings of their cosmos and their history.
The seminar (time-sliced video with excellent audio) is available at:
http://frontrow.bc.edu/program/mcalister2/
----Jason
Now we know who feels that they are without sin, in that they not only cast the first stone, they cast a whole barrel of stones.
Leave VoDou alone, folks. If your sole contact with the religion consists of Mantan Moreland rolling his eyes and declaring "I is a zombie," then just back-off and go your merry, ignorant way. People who pray to a statue of a dead rabbi so that their high school football team can win the Big Game should reevaluate their idea of who labors under the delusion of "superstition." VoDou has suffered mightily at the hands of the followers of the alleged Prince of Peace. Back off. This is a religion as valid as any other - and one that never tried to take over the world, I may add. The followers of the Lwa are peaceful and respectful - but the will indeed fight back. And they will win. God is on their side...
Rev. E.M. Camarena
Hell's Kitchen, NYC
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiBGS81qg0Y
Please don't align Scientology with attacks on religions, as our creed includes respect for the right of all peoples to practice the religion they choose. The Scientology-supported initiative Youth for Human Rights (www.youthforhumanrights.org), for instance, is an international movement with chapters in 81 countries educating people on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, including freedom of belief.
As for the Scientology Volunteer Ministers in Haiti, you rely on Gawker, one of the most virulently anti-Scientology sites on the Web. We have flown at least 4 727 planeloads of doctors, nurses, EMTs, and our own people to Haiti, and when the Today Show looked into the activities of the VMs there, they got strong praises from doctors and non-medical personnel as well.
For instance, http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/#35214415.