7952: Re: 7889: Re: religious expertise (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: LAKAT47@aol.com

In a message dated 05/17/2001 3:02:57 AM Pacific Daylight Time, Greg Bryant 
<gregandsusan@rainbowtel.net> writes:

<< If the potato farmer had studied his catechism, he should be able to fairly
 represent his religion to outsiders. It shouldn't take a priest to do that.
 True, the priest would be able to provide more detailed information about
 doctrine, dogma, and history, but on the other hand, the potato farmer
 would have equally valuable insight into the daily life of a believer.
 Wouldn't he? >>
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The point is well made but to compare someone who is familiar with the 
doctrine, dogma and history of an organized religion like Catholicism, to a 
person who grew up living with Vodou, which requires no priest, no doctrine 
and little dogma is misleading.   It is not as though a person in Haiti  must 
go to Sunday School to learn how to worship God in the particular way of a 
particular religion.  If they are born into a family that has served the lwa, 
they grow up knowing how to serve.  No need of going outside the family to 
learn.  Money mucks up spiritual matters.  There is no person, who is better 
able to summon the lwa than the supplicant.  No title impresses the lwa.  ;)  
Service impresses the lwa.  Humans need money, the lwa do not.  

Respè,

Kathy Dorce~