25855: Fonda (reply) Re: 25837: Allen(comment)Haiti dedicated to Satan (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: David Fonda <fondaphoto@comcast.net>

> Recently, I was with two Christians ladies, and one made the remark, "well, 
> didn't you know that Haiti is so bad off because they dedicated their country 
> to Satan."

> Maybe some of you could help me to get the facts on this statement.

Doug;

There are certainly people on this list much more knowledgeable of Vou Dou than 
I am;  perhaps one of them can give you a more fact-based answer.  I can give 
you an answer based on my own, admittedly limited, experience,

I, too, have heard this type of comment made, usually in a dismissive tone of 
voice.  If you can dismiss another persons problems as being of their own 
making, it’s easier to absolve yourself of responsibility for helping them.  If 
your moral code says you should help those in need, you can absolve yourself of 
that responsibility by believing that they broke that moral code.

What I tell people is that Vou Dou provides a moral code of behavior for it’s 
adherents to abide by.  That is what all of the worlds religions do, and the 
moral codes are all remarkably similar, what ever the specific dogmas may be.

In practice, I’ve found Haitians to be some of the most spiritual, and most 
moral, open and friendly people I’ve known.  They tend to be closed-mouthed 
about Vou Dou to outsiders precisely because of these misconceptions.  If your 
‘Christian ladies’ were to tell someone unfamiliar with Christianity that they 
‘ate the body and drank the blood of their Savior’ and nothing more, that 
person would have a pretty skewed view of Christianity.

Ignorance breeds prejudice;  and prejudice rationalizes ignorance.

Hope this is helpful.

David Fonda


‘Sa je pa wè,
            kè pa touen.’

What the eye doesn’t see,
                  doesn’t move the heart.    -    Haitian Proverb