25111: Benson: (reply) RE: 25057: kathleen (observation)RE: 25041: Question of Satan

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Legrace Benson <legrace@twcny.rr.com>

Re:25057  Kathleen Burke notes that the concept of Satan is a Christian
invention. It is true that the modern concept of Satan, beginning its
development especially beginning the Middle Ages is largely that of
Christians.  The shaping Satan receives in North America during the
nineteenth century and continuing into the present is almost exclusively
Christian, if by "Christian" one means those doctrines espoused by what one
might call the "establishment" churches and thier "break-away" offspring. It
can be argued that this group of concepts of Satan are not strictly
scriptural, especially if one reads recent translations of the New Testament
done from the original languages, Aramaic in particular.  It is the late
modern, North American group of concepts about Satan and what is "Satanic"
that throws the arrows of demonization at Vodou.  It is important to stress,
as Kathleen implies, that the Vodou that existed in West Africa apparently
does pre-date Christianity.  The Vodou of Haiti --different in some crucial
respects from that of the African home, began a co-existence with
Christianity in which, interestingly, the concepts of Satan and Devil were
not incorporated. Jesus, Bon Dieu, Virgin Mary, the good angels and the
saints were integrated into the older African religion, but Satan did'nt
make the cut.  The mistake that many anti-Vodou Christians make is to see
the West African Danballah, symbolized by a snake or serpent, as a
manifestation of Satan. This lwa is not in any way associated with the
satanic. One interesting notion is to remind those who see Satan there that
the healing aspects of DAnballah are like those of the brazen serpent Moses
raised up over the Isralites in the desert. Clearly that Old Testament
serpent was not Satan.  Satan does, however, appear in the Old Testament,
being especially prominent in the Book of Job.  The Satan of that Book of
the Bible is a somewhat different personality, force and metaphor than the
current Satan.

The allegations that Vodou is "satanic" have serious consequences for
ordinary Haitians, both those making the accusations and those who suffer
the slings and arrows of this deeply mistaken and terribly damaging epithet.