#2618: Bellegarde-Smith replies to Antoine on Voodoo

[Robert Corbett <bcorbett@netcom.com>]

From: P D Bellegarde-Smith <pbs@csd.uwm.edu>

> From: Guy Antoine <GuyAntoine@windowsonhaiti.com>
> 
> ONE STEADY STEP FORWARD, if this magnificent pantheon of
> lwas was collectively concerned about the well-being of their
> feverishly supportive adherents.
> 
>   I may be forever bewildered by the
> seeming overabundance of spiritual beliefs among Haitians and
> Haiti lovers and the depth of the country's material poverty. Do
> these spiritual riches serve Haitians' temporal needs or do they
> play a role against them, or perhaps should it not be expected
> that there would be any connection between our spiritual and
> temporal lives?
> 
The author of this post misunderstands the role, purpose and function of
the spiritual dimension in spirituality (if not religion). It has no
connection with material wealth or well-being. Seems a bit Weberian (and
very much Western Protestantist, does'nt it?
		Patrick Bellegarde-Smith