#2705: Painting With A Broad Brush : Bellegarde-Smith comments

[Robert Corbett <bcorbett@netcom.com>]

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

Why did'nt slaveowners convert to the religion of their slaves? Why was
such a premium attached to converting enslaved Africans? In cultures and
civilizations where "the collective" primes over the individual, what does
conversion to a "non-tribal" religion imply to the convertee? To the
converter? Aren't all religions "tribal?" What are the intimate
connections between political economy and religion? Why? Why do Haitians 
hold on so tenaciously to their national religion? To their national
language? What is the meaning of "civilized" and "primitive?" And who
defines? How and why? So many questions most people have never entertained
(and never will want to think about beyond this post)! Why do some of you
feel anger reading these lines?