As I stated in my blog proposal, I grew up in a predominantly Christian neighborhood. Religion has always been a big part of my life. I would go to church every Sunday and learn bible stories in Sunday School. I am still actively involved in my church community at home. I have always taken to heart the teachings of my church and my family.
I was taught at an early age by the media and the people around me that Voodoo is something evil and only used for bad and, as most children do, I believed what I was told. When I recently returned home for a weekend, I had briefly discussed with my mother the research I have been doing on Voodoo in the United States. As soon as I said Voodoo, her eyes showed a glimpse of fear. When I attended church with my family that Sunday, she told my pastor that I was “studying” Voodoo at school. In response, he raised his eyebrows and exclaimed “Get out of that stuff!”
Of course, I was a little discouraged because there is a clear line between studying/observing a religion and practicing a religion. Since I am doing the former and not the latter, I see no problem in what I am doing. I believe that I am firmly grounded and secure enough in my own religion that I may be able to study another without affecting my personal beliefs as a Christian.
Studying Voodoo has not convinced me to abandon my own culture to take up a life practicing Voodoo. It has, however, enabled me to see past the stereotype placed upon the Voodoo culture. I have been able to remove the label to see Voodoo as what it really is: a religion. And just like every other religion, there are the forces of good and evil. For some reason, it has been stigmatized as a purely evil religion. To the people who practice Voodoo, it is not something evil; For them, it is a way of improving life, of helping others, and of answering the questions we all ask: What are we here for? And what happens to us when we die?
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I'm glad you have an entire entry on how what you've learned applies to your life. I think it's important to connect it back to yourself in order to humanize the process of something so foreign to you initially. I think you've definitely fulfilled the requirements of the blog assignments. It sounds like you learned a lot and you definitely allowed the reader to clearly follow your journey to understanding. You allowed me to participate in your process in a way that helps me understand a practice so unlike my own. Thank you, and again, great job! ciao!
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