Social Science

First and foremost Voodoo is a religion. It is the dominant religion of Haiti. Many of the practices and descriptions of Voodoo belief may sound to us like rank superstition, but then, imagine the beliefs of Christianity to people who know nothing about it. Tell them about the trinity or the resurrection, or the presence of Jesus in the eucharist. Any of these practices which very intelligent Christians believe in the fullest would seem no less superstitious to someone unfamiliar with Christianity.

When Haiti declared its independence on January 4, 1804, the slaves who revolted against their French colonists sacrificed a pig and dedicated the newborn nation to Satan. Haiti has been built on this foundation, one of spirit worship and Voodoo. Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, the fingers of Voodoo have tightly grasped this tiny island nation by the neck, crippling it in a way that even colonization could not. Voodoo is not a religion practiced and adhered to by a faithful few; rather, it has become a thread sewn throughout the culture of Haiti, one tautly intertwined with all facets of life. Haitian children are taught at a very young age about gambo, Voodoo services and rituals, about the bòkò, the witch doctor, and the power he wields. (Smith, 35)

Voodoo practices and rituals have become so much a part of Haitian life that many carry them out, not even realizing it. The nation of Haiti is plagued by superstition and its people are held captive by fear and ignorance. Satan has real power and strong power and uses Voodoo as a tool to keep adherents from knowing God. Practitioners of Voodoo have the witch doctor cast spells of illness, malnutrition, misfortune or even death on others. Satan works through these witch doctors, making their curses successful in order to further the kingdom of darkness in the world, especially in Haiti.

Voodooists believe that pennies dropped on the ground should not be picked up, as they have an evil spirit in them. A person should never say a baby is fat, as this only draws attention to the baby's good health, and will make it a target for a curse of illness. One should never ask a pregnant woman when she is due to deliver, because then one would know when to curse the baby so that it dies at birth. (Roach, 322-366)

While many, even Christians, hear of these beliefs and chuckle, thinking that such wild ideas of curses and spells could never be true, Haitians do not. Haitians are aware, more so than many Christians, of how strong Satan is. Because of the influence of Voodoo, the people of Haiti are more in tune with the spirit world than many other nations, and very perceptive to the power of darkness in Haiti. (Roach, 322-366)

Please pray for this country, that as the Holy Spirit works here, Haitians will cause Satan to release his hold on Haiti, and that this island in darkness will flourish in the light of the ...