Forwarded message from Viji

Humpty Dumpty Christianty having a great fall in Haiti as
Voodoo religion gains mainstream acceptance

This should serve as encouragement to all native religions.
Time to kick out Cretin-iasty and reclaim one's own
indigenious heritage. If the momentum builds on and build
on it will sooner or later where traditional beliefs still
survive, that will be the end of the hollow shell of
Christianity. Humpty Dumpty Christianty is going to have a
great fall!!!
- Viji

New master in Haitian voodoo

By Clarens Renois
AFP
Friday, March 7, 2008

Port-Au-Prince (AFP) - In a Haitian dance hall transformed
into a temple, dozens of voodoo practitioners dressed all
in white, scarves around their necks in red, yellow or
green, came Friday to pay homage to their first-ever
"supreme master".

"Open the barriers," a sole voice intoned in Creole. "The
master has arrive," answered the crowd of men and women, as
they rose to greet Max Beauvoir, 72.

Until recently, the priests of voodoo, the heavily spirit-
focused, African-rooted belief of many Haitians, operated
autonomously without a formal hierarchy or rules.

But through the associations of followers, they decided to
establish a national federation of "Haitian voodooists" and
designate a formal leader.

Led by two children who spread about white rose petals on a
crimson carpet, Beauvoir paced ahead toward his new throne
surrounded by other leaders of Haiti's millions of voodoo
adepts.

The throne itself is shaped from the trunk of a grand tree,
varnished into a piece of art itself. "We do not want to
vie with other religions, but we want to recover our real
place in society," said the new supreme master, assuming
his reponsibility for the public affairs of Haiti's
voodooists.

Voodoo is hugely popular in Haiti, and practiced at every
corner of society. But it has long been on the defensive
against other mainstream Christian religions.

An anthropologist, Beauvoir is well-known to his fellow
voodooists. He has written numerous works about the
religion, and is often called upon to defend it for
followers in other countries who are often too shy about
their beliefs to practice in public.

"Today we would like to structure our religion, to create a
hierarchy to pull it out of secrecy and marginalization,"
said Ismaitre Andre, a voodoo priest.

"Voodoo is the religion of nine million Haitians. Catholic
or Protestant, all of us have a parent who is voodooist,"
said Michel Brutus, a grand priest decked out in a
traditional costume.

Brutus was delighted to see more and more intellectuals
declaring their acceptance and support of voodooism.

As the enthronment ceremony progressed, music filled the
jam-packed temple hall and carried believers into a full-
body dance. The women turned around a grand circle, at the
middle of which were magical talismans.

In attendance was Haiti's Culture Minister Eddy Lubin, who
declared his belief in voodoo, and at his side were other
government officials, an elderly priest and well-known
Haitian singers.

Further back in the hall, diplomats and curious tourists
who squeezed in for the spectacle. For student Juna Joseph,
20, a new follower, it was her first time taking part in a
ritual.

"I am fortunate to be able to take part in the consecration
of the first president of voodoo," she said, noting her
mother is a practitioner. A woman led the crowd of
followers in prayers, with them responding to her words
with "Ayibobo" ("amen").

She called voodoo the soul of the Haitian nation.

"We are going to place ourselves before god and before our
master to work for the success of our country and for a
sustainable development," she prayed. "Long live the
freedom of voodoo," said an aide.

At the feet of the podium, groups paraded and danced as
they made their offerings to their new patriarch.

In his address, Beauvoir called for national
reconciliation, for people to love their country, and
cooperation between all Haitains to build the country.

He also saluted in passing the presence of the UN
peacekeeping mission, which, he said, "is helping Haiti to
emerge from a difficult situation."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080308/ts_afp/haitireligionvoodoo

End of forwarded message from Viji

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